Dragonite
Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers ** *Not Salamence
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 178 Atk / 24 Spd / 252 SAtk / 56 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Flamethrower/Thunderbolt/HP Flying
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]/Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
I ran that huge attack because I had Tyranitar on my team, so I wanted to hit Blissey, Snorlax, and Regice for damage that would be lethal with Sandstream factored in. Blissey has a chance to survive with max defense, max HP Bold, but it's down to 11% health max. It then has to make a choice. If it tries to Seismic Toss/Ice Beam/Thunder Wave, Dragonite anything will KO it with help of Sandstream. If Dragonite rolls minimum damage Focus Punch and minimum damage Ice Beam, Blissey survives with 14 HP, gets in one move, and promptly dies to sandstream. If Blissey softboils, it runs the risk of being Focus Punched again for the KO and no damage.
Regice has a variety of EVs, but if you run Flamethrower, a Focus Punch on the switch+that KOs even without Sandstream, regardless of how it's EVed. Focus Punch alone can bring Regice into KO range with sandstream, though. Focus Punch+Thunderbolt will KO with Sandstream usually, but more defensive EVs and bad luck with the random number generator occasionally let it survive.
Snorlax has even more wide EVs, but the standard seems to be 200 defense, 500 HP, 300 special defense, give or take (although that's not the most optimized, it's pretty close). If it's EVed like that, Focus Punch will rarely KO with Sandstream, but will always KO with Focus Punch+Thunderbolt (those sets without Thunderbolt can run into a bit of trouble by being forced to HP Grass for threat of thick fat (minimum damage rolls for both will leave Snorlax 6 HP short of being KOed by Sandstream), but Snorlax can't do much back except Selfdestruct or use Body Slam and hope for a para.
My original set was FP, Bolt, Beam, HP Grass, but I had some slight Steelix and huge Heracross problems, so I added Flamethrower over Thunderbolt for that, and haven't looked back since (I had no Gyarados troubles, which is basically the only reason I'd use Thunderbolt). HP Grass covers the stuff Thunderbolt will hit decently (although a bit weaker), and with Dragonite's monster attack, Focus Punch does just as much to a few waters on the switch as Thunderbolt, depending on how defense vs. special defensive they are. HP Grass to help with the huge Swampert weakness I had, it surprised a lot of people (but doesn't KO, so watch out for that). Those with Salamence covered may consider dropping Ice Beam instead, as Flamethrower and Ice Beam cover many of the same things (although there's not much that you would use Thunderbolt on, either, except waters low on health that you need to finish off, but even then, you're likely slower than most, unless you add speed or paralyze them).
Another thing I like about this is that the old standard Subpunch Dragonite hated Tyranitar's Sandstream; this one's a bit more of a team player, as I'd say it's actually more effective with Sandstream in play than without. I used to think Salamence is better than Dragonite, but after using this guy, it's pretty much only Intimidate that has me even considering that idea. It requires you to bit on your toes with prediction, though, as you can't scout out moves, Subpunch, and check CBers.
For the EVs, you could drop attack or special attack for more HP/special defense, to survive random Ice Beams (as leftovers are irrelevant, no need to EV for them, thanks to Sandstream). I don't recommend it, however, or special walls won't be KOed, which is very important if they are packing Ice Beam (Blissey and Regice). However, Blissey needs Modest for Ice Beam to KO without Sandstream, so with it, it's only 50-50 KO rate or so. If you run HP Flying over one of the special attacks, however, I could see lowering attack as an option (ironic, isn't it, that added another physical attack actually lowers the recommended attack stat?), as KOes of special walls would be made easier. Speed is for beating out standard Metagross and Skarmory (I run 180 max on both, so yeah).
So basically, Dragon Claw is not an option, I don't know why it's even mentioned, and HP Grass is cool.
Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers ** *Not Salamence
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 178 Atk / 24 Spd / 252 SAtk / 56 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Flamethrower/Thunderbolt/HP Flying
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power [Grass]/Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
I ran that huge attack because I had Tyranitar on my team, so I wanted to hit Blissey, Snorlax, and Regice for damage that would be lethal with Sandstream factored in. Blissey has a chance to survive with max defense, max HP Bold, but it's down to 11% health max. It then has to make a choice. If it tries to Seismic Toss/Ice Beam/Thunder Wave, Dragonite anything will KO it with help of Sandstream. If Dragonite rolls minimum damage Focus Punch and minimum damage Ice Beam, Blissey survives with 14 HP, gets in one move, and promptly dies to sandstream. If Blissey softboils, it runs the risk of being Focus Punched again for the KO and no damage.
Regice has a variety of EVs, but if you run Flamethrower, a Focus Punch on the switch+that KOs even without Sandstream, regardless of how it's EVed. Focus Punch alone can bring Regice into KO range with sandstream, though. Focus Punch+Thunderbolt will KO with Sandstream usually, but more defensive EVs and bad luck with the random number generator occasionally let it survive.
Snorlax has even more wide EVs, but the standard seems to be 200 defense, 500 HP, 300 special defense, give or take (although that's not the most optimized, it's pretty close). If it's EVed like that, Focus Punch will rarely KO with Sandstream, but will always KO with Focus Punch+Thunderbolt (those sets without Thunderbolt can run into a bit of trouble by being forced to HP Grass for threat of thick fat (minimum damage rolls for both will leave Snorlax 6 HP short of being KOed by Sandstream), but Snorlax can't do much back except Selfdestruct or use Body Slam and hope for a para.
My original set was FP, Bolt, Beam, HP Grass, but I had some slight Steelix and huge Heracross problems, so I added Flamethrower over Thunderbolt for that, and haven't looked back since (I had no Gyarados troubles, which is basically the only reason I'd use Thunderbolt). HP Grass covers the stuff Thunderbolt will hit decently (although a bit weaker), and with Dragonite's monster attack, Focus Punch does just as much to a few waters on the switch as Thunderbolt, depending on how defense vs. special defensive they are. HP Grass to help with the huge Swampert weakness I had, it surprised a lot of people (but doesn't KO, so watch out for that). Those with Salamence covered may consider dropping Ice Beam instead, as Flamethrower and Ice Beam cover many of the same things (although there's not much that you would use Thunderbolt on, either, except waters low on health that you need to finish off, but even then, you're likely slower than most, unless you add speed or paralyze them).
Another thing I like about this is that the old standard Subpunch Dragonite hated Tyranitar's Sandstream; this one's a bit more of a team player, as I'd say it's actually more effective with Sandstream in play than without. I used to think Salamence is better than Dragonite, but after using this guy, it's pretty much only Intimidate that has me even considering that idea. It requires you to bit on your toes with prediction, though, as you can't scout out moves, Subpunch, and check CBers.
For the EVs, you could drop attack or special attack for more HP/special defense, to survive random Ice Beams (as leftovers are irrelevant, no need to EV for them, thanks to Sandstream). I don't recommend it, however, or special walls won't be KOed, which is very important if they are packing Ice Beam (Blissey and Regice). However, Blissey needs Modest for Ice Beam to KO without Sandstream, so with it, it's only 50-50 KO rate or so. If you run HP Flying over one of the special attacks, however, I could see lowering attack as an option (ironic, isn't it, that added another physical attack actually lowers the recommended attack stat?), as KOes of special walls would be made easier. Speed is for beating out standard Metagross and Skarmory (I run 180 max on both, so yeah).
So basically, Dragon Claw is not an option, I don't know why it's even mentioned, and HP Grass is cool.
