Credit to Barry4Ever for the orginal, Mr.lol for the skelly for this revamp, lets get this done!
Rayquaza - Original Analysis which is located here.
[Overview]
<p>When people think of a threatening Pokemon that can devastate teams in a matter of seconds, Rayquaza immediately comes to mind. With base offenses of 150 each, Rayquaza is by far one of Uber's most threatening wallbreakers and sweepers. Its great offensive typing coupled with boosting moves such as Dragon Dance and Swords Dance make Rayquaza an even bigger threat in seconds. If you thought having two of the most useful boosting moves as well as some of the best attacking stats in the game was threatening enough, it also gets an expansive movepool which includes the best priority move in the game, ExtremeSpeed. Rayquaza also has another tool it can use to great effect: its ability, Air Lock. Thanks to Air Lock, it negates weather and weather-related abilities, which means it can check Pokemon that rely on weather to sweep, such as Kingdra and Venasaur. Rayquaza is also a very versatile Pokemon, as its stats imply. It has the ability to run either physical or mixed sets, and it can run a boosting set or immediately go on the offensive with its powerful attacks. It can even use Choice items to become an even bigger threat.</p>
<p>While one might look at Rayquaza and think "this must be one of the hardest Pokemon to take down", it does have a few flaws. For one, thanks to its Flying subtype, it has a weakness to Stealth Rock, the most common form of entry hazard, which limits its ability to switch in. Its 105 / 90 / 90 defenses, which are low by Uber standards, don't help this cause either. Nevertheless, Rayquaza still remains one of the most threatening sweepers in the Uber tier, and it can demolish teams in a heartbeat if given the chance.</p>
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rayquaza's Dragon Dance set is a beast feared ever since its release in 2003, and it continues to strike terror in the heart of its opponents. After one Dragon Dance, Rayquaza's Attack skyrockets to 598 while its Speed rests at 475, outpacing every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame bar Deoxys-S. Outrage is Rayquaza's most powerful physical STAB attack, and alongside with Earthquake, Rayquaza can hit nearly every single Pokemon in the tier for at least neutral damage. Overheat is used in the last slot to get rid of the Pokemon that would give Dragon Dance Rayquaza trouble otherwise: Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Dragon Dance Rayquaza strives to be as fast and as powerful as possible, EVs are maxed out in both Attack and Speed with the remaining 4 EVs invested in Special Attack to give Overheat a little boost. As for alternative EV spreads, 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe can be used, as it outpaces +1 base 90 Pokemon after a single Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>Because Jolly Rayquaza can't always OHKO Lugia with Outrage, Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake to give it just a little more edge in power. As Choice Scarf Kyogre, Dialga, Zekrom and Deoxys-A are usually using Modest, Adamant, or Mild, an Adamant nature can be used to increase damage output, though it leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed by positive-natured Choice Scarf users. Also, Rayquaza should always run ExtremeSpeed while using Adamant or any other Attack-boosting nature to beat Deoxys-A. An Adamant nature also allows Rayquaza to OHKO maximum HP Arceus (89.9% - 105.6%, guaranteed OHKO with SR).</p>
<p>Rayquaza can use Haban Berry over Life Orb. With a Haban Berry, Rayquaza has an easier time getting an extra Dragon Dance on Choice Scarf Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion, three of Dragon Dance Rayquaza's common revenge killers. Lum Berry can also be used to avoid status such as Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave, which are detrimental to Rayquaza's sweep. While it might seem like an unorthodox option, White Herb can be used with V-create to avoid the aftereffects, making for a devastating attack that is not only boosted by Dragon Dance, but also helps if your opponent runs more than one Steel-type on their team. Be warned, as this only works once. Without White Herb, V-create is bad for Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as it takes away the Speed gained from Dragon Dance, as well as opening up Rayquaza to priority attacks, such as Extreme Killer Arceus's ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>Like most other sweepers, Rayquaza prefers entry hazards to be set up. Stealth Rock is extremely useful, as it grants Rayquaza a chance to OHKO standard Lugia. Forretress and Deoxys-S can set up entry hazards with ease. Forretress deserves a special mention, as it has good synergy with Rayquaza, resisting Dragon and Ice-type attacks, and can spin away enemy entry hazards. Paralysis support is also advised, as it makes Choice Scarf users such as Palkia unable to revenge kill Rayquaza. Lead Kyogre can fulfill this role well and also acts as a good Palkia lure. Substitute can also be used to beat Choice Scarf Palkia that switch in on Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>Due to its frailty, Rayquaza is prone to revenge killing by Scarf users, such as Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyogre, and especially Pokemon such as Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion, all of which can outpace Rayquaza even at +1 Speed. As such, Wobbuffet is an excellent partner to Rayquaza, easily trapping and eliminating Scarf users. Wobbuffet can even use Encore and Safeguard to create an opening for Rayquaza to set up. Although Rayquaza is near unstoppable after a Dragon Dance, certain bulky walls can live an Outrage and KO Rayquaza in return. Defensive Groudon takes 59.4% - 70% from Jolly Life Orb Rayquaza's Outrage and can then use Stone Edge to do 63% - 74.1%, an OHKO factoring in Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock damage. Bold Lugia with maximum Defense investment will always survive an Outrage even after factoring in Stealth Rock damage, taking 61.3% - 72.1%. Lugia can easily KO Rayquaza with Ice Beam, factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Most Kyogre variants make good teammates with Rayquaza due to their ability to check Support Groudon. Thanks to Air Lock, the rain which Kyogre brings does not gimp Overheat's power.</p>
<p>It should be noted that Outrage is not a move to be used lightly. Even at +1 Attack, most Steel-types such as Steel Arceus and Ferrothorn can live an Outrage and proceed to cripple it with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave, set up Calm Minds or entry hazards, or just KO a weakened Rayquaza with Judgement and Gyro Ball, respectively. Scizor makes a good teammate with its STAB U-turn and nifty STAB Bullet Punch. Tickle Wobbuffet and Pursuit Scizor can easily eliminate any pesky Lugia, paving the way for Rayqauza to sweep. The infamous Double Dance strategy can be used with Salamence, thanks to Salamence being able to KO or severely weaken most of Rayquaza's checks, and vice versa, allowing for a cleaner sweep.</p>
<p>To demonstrate the power of Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as well as how vital entry hazards are for Rayquaza's sweep, the below calculations will show how much damage Rayquaza does to the best physical walls in Ubers after a single Dragon Dance. All the calculations are assuming a Jolly nature and a Life Orb:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Outrage vs. 252/176+ Lugia: 64.66 - 76.44%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/16 Lugia: 80.28 - 94.71%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/0 Arceus: 82.2 - 96.62%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Arceus: 61.26 - 72.07%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Groudon: 59.9 - 70.54%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/0 Dialga: 100.49 - 118.31%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Kyogre: 81.18 - 95.54%</li>
</ul>
<p>As you can see with the above calculations, with Stealth Rock and Spikes support, Rayquaza can get past even the bulkiest of Pokemon. As such, it is recommended that Rayquaza is used as a late game sweeper, as after residual damage and entry hazards, Rayquaza will be very difficult to stop.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast / V-create
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Outrage / Dragon Tail
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mixed Rayquaza is one of the most powerful wallbreakers in the entire Uber tier. Base 150 Attack and Special Attack go a long way in helping Rayquaza pick walls apart. This set attempts to lure in and obliterate usual Rayquaza switch-ins with its powerful special attacks. A Draco Meteor coming off 399 Special Attack will severely dent anything not resisting it, including Groudon and Lugia, both of which are cleanly 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Any Steel-types courageous enough to face a Draco Meteor are swiftly barbecued by a Fire Blast. V-create can be used as Draco Meteor will weaken Fire Blast, but the stat drops from Rayquaza aren't too hot either. ExtremeSpeed allows Rayquaza to take down weakened Pokemon and does decent damage even without investment. Outrage gives Rayquaza a powerful physical STAB move while Dragon Tail allows Rayquaza to scout any switch-ins.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread shown above is used to give Draco Meteor and Fire Blast a major boost in power. However, if one decides that two attacks that lower Special Attack is too much, transfer the Special Attack EVs into Attack and use V-create. Not only does this boost V-create, but Outrage or Dragon Tail get boosted as well. As for the choice of nature, both Naive and Hasty are viable. However, Hasty is recommended because special attacks are far more common in Ubers. Also, a Speed-boosting nature helps Rayquaza outspeed all Pokemon with base 90 Speed. However, if outpacing base 90 Pokemon isn't important to you, a Mild or Rash nature with 252 Special Attacks EVs allow Mixed Rayquaza to OHKO support Groudon with Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>This set can be used as an effective offensive lead to put immediate pressure on the opponent. While being used as a lead, Lum Berry is a very useful item because it allows Rayquaza to check any Darkrai hoping to set up on it. Focus Sash helps Rayquaza survive super effective hits which would normally OHKO it, but is near useless mid-game. However, Life Orb is by far the most useful item, as it allows Rayquaza to significantly increase its damage output.</p>
<p>While the above moveset provides Rayquaza with a way to get past most Pokemon in the Ubers tier, there are two other attacks in Rayquaza's expansive movepool that stand out. Earthquake hits the one Pokemon that resists every other attack in this set, Heatran. It is also useful in hitting Dialga harder without locking Rayquaza into Outrage or losing Special Attack via Draco Meteor. If you don't want to lose Special Attack after every use of Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse is a safe alternative that always hits for consistent damage, though it is much weaker than Draco Meteor, missing out on 2HKOs on Groudon and Lugia after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Because mixed Rayquaza lacks the sheer offensive power of Dragon Dance or Swords Dance Rayquaza, entry hazards go a long way in helping Rayquaza break down walls. Pokemon such as Forretress and Deoxys-S are both adept at setting up Stealth Rock. It must be noted that Mixed Rayquaza is not intended to be used as a sweeper; rather, it paves the way for another sweeper by removing or weakening its checks with its powerful Draco Meteors and Outrages. Lucario is an amazing partner because of the great synergy it shares with Rayquaza, and the fact that Rayquaza lures in and KOs both Groudon and Lugia, two of Lucario's greatest counters. Bulk Up Dialga makes a great partner too, as it can plow though teams once Groudon is gone. Mixed Rayquaza can utilize the Double Dragon strategy quite effectively with Dragon Dance Salamence or Choice Band Garchomp. Once Rayquaza has killed or sufficiently weakened dedicated walls such as Groudon and Lugia, Salamence or Garchomp can cleave through the rest of the team with their brute strength. However, this strategy isn't lightly adopted, as it makes the team doubly weak to Dragon- and Ice-type attacks. Scarf Jirachi and Terrakion are both good teammates, as they cover Rayquaza's weaknesses while Rayquaza can eliminate their checks in return.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Fire Blast / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
nature: Mild / Rash
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Similar to Salamence's old set in DPP, this Rayquaza set utilizes a lot of surprise factor to eliminate its usual counters. Unlike the Mixed Attacker set, this Rayquaza is easily able to sweep on its own, even after using Draco Meteor. This is likely Rayquaza's most independent set, not relying on teammates to take care of its usual checks and counters.</p>
<p>The idea when using this set is to Dragon Dance up as Groudon or another physical wall switches in and go straight for the OHKO with Draco Meteor. With this strategy, you can easily sweep with Rayquaza should the opponent lack another check to it. Most teams do not carry extra checks to Rayquaza as its usage has dropped significantly. Outrage is Rayquaza's physical move of choice. Even with few Attack EVs, Rayquaza's Outrage is still incredibly powerful, easily 2HKOing 252/0 Kyogre. Ho-Oh is also cleanly OHKOed after Stealth Rock by either Draco Meteor or Outrage. Even if Stealth Rock is not up, Rayquaza can still smash Ho-Oh with a +1 Outrage, something the standard Mixed Rayquaza cannot do.</p>
<p>The choice of Fire Blast or Earthquake is entirely up to your team's needs. Fire Blast utilizes this set's focus on Special Attack EVs, and OHKOes Skarmory, Forretress, Ferrothorn, Metagross, and Scizor, the former two assuming that Sturdy is broken. Earthquake on the other hand is boosted by Dragon Dance and smashes Dialga, Jirachi, and Heatran. Unfortunately, Rayquaza cannot carry five moves, so pick the one that suits your team best.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Most people tend to overlook Rayquaza's massive Special Attack stat, which allows it to easily bash through its usual counters. Draco Meteor will easily OHKO Support Groudon, while even Lugia takes a massive 57.2% - 67.8%, which will 2HKO with Stealth Rock damage. This not only gives Rayquaza a chance to sweep, but also paves the way for other physical sweepers to sweep with Groudon out of the way. Draco Meteor tears off 69.8% - 82.4% from Support Arceus, taking it out with Spikes and Stealth Rock support. Other Arceus can be taken out as well. A boosted Outrage will still OHKO Arceus with little prior damage, so choose carefully when deciding whether to boost up or just attack right away against Arceus.</p>
<p>This set greatly enjoys entry hazards support, as it is the only way Rayquaza can break through Lugia. Forretress and Deoxys-S make fantastic partners for this reason, and Forretress can also spin away entry hazards. Swords Dance Arceus is also incredibly annoying, as Extremespeed will tear a chunk out of Rayquaza's health. Packing a check to it, such as Terrakion, is important for this set to function at its best, although Draco Meteor will likely OHKO Offensive Arceus after just Stealth Rock alone. Scizor's Bullet Punch can also rain on Rayquaza's parade, but Fire Blast OHKOes Scizor 100% of the time, even at -2 Special Attack.</p>
<p>The reason for using a Mild or Rash nature on this set is to OHKO Groudon 100% of the time after just Stealth Rock damage. Rayquaza sadly fails to do that with a Hasty or Naive nature. Groudon will likely switch in on Rayquaza early in the match, so this is your best opportunity to surprise the opponent and take it out. The Special Attack EVs are crucial for Rayquaza to OHKO Groudon and stand a chance of KOing Offensive Arceus after Stealth Rock damage. Attack EVs are just leftover EVs, so you can just max out Speed if you do not mind a slightly less powerful Outrage or Earthquake. The Speed EVs allow Rayquaza to outspeed everything up to a neutral nature Deoxys-A and neutral nature Choice Scarf Pokemon with base 90 Speed at +1. Darkrai is a great partner for this set to take out Lugia, while Rayquaza demolishes Ho-Oh and Groudon. Rayquaza can also OHKO potential Scarf Kyogre switch-ins with Draco Meteor. This set can just fire off powerful Draco Meteors right away instead of having to set up like the standard Dragon Dance set. The major drawback of using this set is that Timid Scarf Dialga, Kyogre, and Reshiram can outspeed this set even at +1 and KO you first.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: V-create
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rayquaza is often seen boosting its Attack and Speed by Dragon Dance, but it is capable of utilizing Swords Dance to double its Attack. After a Swords Dance, Rayquaza reaches a ground-breaking 876 Attack. Although Rayquaza's meager base 95 Speed might seem rather underwhelming, fear not, for Rayquaza receives ExtremeSpeed, which allows it to bypass its low Speed and hit many foes first. After just one Swords Dance, Rayquaza can OHKO a significant part of the metagame with ExtremeSpeed, given Stealth Rock support. Darkrai is always OHKOed by a +2 ExtremeSpeed factoring in Stealth Rock damage, while offensive Mewtwo and Choice Scarf Palkia are also prone to being OHKOed with Stealth Rock. Although Swords Dance Rayquaza gets stiff competition from Swords Dance Arceus, whigh has more bulk, recovery, and a more powerful STAB priority move, Rayquaza still has a few perks over the Alpha Pokemon. Rayquaza's base Attack is 30 points higher than Arceus's, it is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and it has a fantastic STAB-type in Dragon. Swords Dance Rayquaza can also beat Giratina-O easily, which is something Extreme Killer Arceus can only dream of.</p>
<p>Dragon Claw is the primary STAB move. After a Swords Dance, it will always OHKO Giratina, and do insane amounts of damage to anything not resisting it. V-create makes short work of any Forretress or Ferrothorn hoping to wall Rayquaza. V-create also helps Rayquaza hit Steel Arceus, Dialga, and Metagross, which will otherwise eat ExtremeSpeed and Dragon Claws all day. Caution must be used with V-create however, as it makes Rayquaza slower, making it easier to be revenge killed. For example, if Giratina-O switches into V-create, it will outspeed due to the Speed drop and OHKO Rayquaza the next turn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Jolly nature is useful due to prevalence of Zekrom and Reshiram, both of which often run max Speed, and can outpace and OHKO Rayquaza with their powerful Dragon-type attacks if Rayquaza is running an Adamant nature. While using Jolly, running an alternate EV spread of 34 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 216 Spe is an option, as it outpaces positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Dialga, Ho-Oh, Groudon, Kyogre, and the aforementioned Zekrom and Reshiram.</p>
<p>While Swords Dance Rayquaza's moveset has all the tools to sweep through teams, there are other attacks it can utilize. Aqua Tail can be used over Dragon Claw if Groudon is a problem. Assuming Rayquaza is using an Adamant nature, a +2 Aqua Tail does a whopping 87.62% - 103.47% to the standard supporter. Earthquake can be used over V-create to help beat Heatran, which would otherwise wall Rayquaza.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support is crucial for Swords Dance Rayquaza. Stealth Rock is almost mandatory, as it allows Rayquaza to always OHKO Darkrai with a +2 ExtremeSpeed. Choice Scarf Palkia and offensive Mewtwo also have a high chance of being OHKOed with Stealth Rock down. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably. Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively. Wobbuffet can eliminate most of Rayquaza's checks; Tickle Wobbuffet paired with a Pursuit user can even take down Lugia. Because Rayquaza really hates faster Steel-types such as Steel Arceus, as they resist both its primary moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, Groudon is a great partner for Rayquaza as it can set up Stealth Rock reliably as well and also beat the numerous Steel-types such as Steel Arceus, Ferrothorn (needs Fire Punch or Fire Blast), and Jirachi. Body Slam Jirachi can switch in on most of Rayquaza's checks and can then use Body Slam to paralyze them, making them incapable of checking Rayquaza. Jirachi can also sponge Dragon- and Ice-type attacks, while Rayquaza can deal with super effective Fire- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / ExtremeSpeed
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Rayquaza is usually seen fixing its Speed troubles with Dragon Dance, there are times when Rayquaza would just like to have that speed right off the bat. Choice Scarf not only fixes this problem, but it turns Rayquaza into something that it fears the most: a revenge killer. This variant of Rayquaza prefers to be used on offensive teams as it keeps up offensive pressure. However, the difference between Choice Scarf Rayquaza and other common Choice Scarf users, such as Palkia and Terrakion, is that Rayquaza uses its ability, Air Lock, to revenge kill Pokemon that use weather to sweep, such as Kingdra and Excadrill. Rayquaza can also clean late game if Pokemon are weakened with a very powerful STAB Outrage. Again, Garchomp is a competitor for this role; however, Garchomp lacks V-create as well as the ability to outspeed Kindgra, Venusaur, and Excadrill. Salamence is also a competitor for the Choice Scarf role, due to Moxie granting it an Attack boost after every KO, but, like Garchomp, it lacks V-create and the ability to outspeed weather sweepers.</p>
<p>Outrage is your mandatory Dragon-type STAB attack, and its no wonder. Packing base 180 power after STAB is calculated, if a Pokemon doesn't resist it, it won't enjoy taking an Outrage. However, just like the Choice Band set, V-create is just as powerful as Outrage, and because it doesn't lock Rayquaza into an attack, it is often best to start the battle by firing off V-create. Draco Meteor is strong, doesn't lock Rayquaza into Outrage, has base 210 power after STAB, and keeps the potential to OHKO Pokemon such as Darkrai and Skymin. Earthquake is there alongside V-create and Outrage to retain perfect coverage of the entire Uber metagame. However, if you find faster Choice Scarf users such as Palkia or priority users such as Arceus and other Rayquaza a problem, ExtremeSpeed is a viable option in the last slot. Thanks to ExtremeSpeed, Rayquaza can get the jump on weakened Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Palkia, Arceus, Rayquaza, and other Pokemon that use either priority or speed to take care of Rayquaza.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is as straightforward as this set, maximizing Attack and Speed so that Rayquaza hits as hard and as fast as possible, with the remaining 4 EVs invested into Special Attack and a Hasty or Naive to make sure Draco Meteor isn't holding Rayquaza back. Of course, an Attack boosting nature can be used because Rayquaza is using a Choice Scarf, but then Rayquaza won't be able to outspeed Pokemon such as Deoxys-A and a Dragon Dance-boosted Jolly Rayquaza.</p>
<p>Rayquaza enjoys Rapid Spin or Magic Bounce support to remove Stealth Rock so it can switch in and out without taking too much residual damage. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably; Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: V-create
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza is an extremely powerful threat, reaching an enormous Attack stat of 657; with a Choice Band, Rayquaza is capable of 2HKOing the majority of the metagame. Although it may seem inferior to Choice Band Garchomp and Zekrom at first glance, with Garchomp having STAB on Earthquake, higher base Speed, and immunity to Thunder Wave and other Electric-type attacks, while Zekrom sports an Electric STAB as well as Volt Switch to keep up the momentum, this is not the case. Rayquaza does have several key advantages over Garchomp, namely higher Attack, a priority move in ExtremeSpeed, and an immunity to Ground-type attacks; it also has a better movepool than Zekrom, as Zekrom lacks ExtremeSpeed and Earthquake. Rayquaza also has V-create to OHKO Ferrothorn, a Pokemon that gives Zekrom trouble.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza lures in Pokemon such as Lugia and Groudon that are reliably 2HKOed by Outrage without hazards. However, thanks to the release of V-create, a move just as powerful as Rayquaza's Outrage, it is recommended to open the battle with it, as it has the same power of Outrage without being locked into it. To take into account just how powerful V-create is, it can 2HKO 4/0 Kyogre, one of Ubers bulkiest Pokemon. As such, make sure to scout out your opponent's team before locking Rayquaza into Outrage; otherwise, it's easy pickings for revenge killers. It is also hard for stall teams to beat Rayquaza, as immunity to Ground-type attacks, Toxic Spikes, and Spikes make it able to switch in and out a pretty easily.</p>
<p>An Outrage from this set is so powerful it can 2HKO even defensive Groudon as well as Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Earthquake and V-create are your best options to hit Steels, the former pairing nicely with Outrage to give Rayquaza the ability to hit everything neutrally barring Skarmory and Shedinja. The latter hits every Steel-type barring Heatran neutrally or super effectively, and is again just as powerful as Outrage. ExtremeSpeed gives Rayquaza strong priority for picking off faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Mewtwo. Unlike Garchomp and Zekrom, Rayquaza's priority allows it to become a capable revenge killer as well as a powerful sweeper.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant gives Rayquaza the ability to 2HKO Lugia, Groudon, and other physical walls. However, this means Rayquaza doesn't outspeed positive-natured base 90s. Jolly loses the 2HKO on some Pokemon, but it does allow you to outpace base 90 Pokemon, and a generous application of entry hazards can help bridge the power gap.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza enjoys Rapid Spin or Magic Bounce support to remove Stealth Rock so that way it can switch in and out without taking that residual damage. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably. Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively. Choice Band Rayquaza also enjoys Scizor and Jirachi support. Both are Steels that can absorb Dragon-type and Ice-type attacks as well as scout with U-turn, which is useful when trying to build up momentum against the opponent. Jirachi can even pass Wishes, which can be key as Rayquaza lacks recovery. Paralysis support is extremely recommended if using this set as a late-game sweeper, as it makes Rayquaza much more difficult to revenge kill and allows it to power through Lugia much more easily. Groudon, Dialga, Kyogre, and Jirachi are all sturdy Pokemon which can provide paralysis support for Rayquaza. Groudon in particular is a good choice as it can lay down Stealth Rock and lure in Lugia, making it that much easier to cripple it. Choice Specs Kyogre is also another great partner for Rayquaza. Kyogre's Choice Specs Thunder, Ice Beam, or Water Spout plus Rayquaza's Choice Banded ExtemeSpeed KOes standard Scarf Palkia. Rayquaza can in turn remove Ferrothorn, Ludicolo, and Gastrodon lacking Ice Beam. Choice Specs Water Spout, Surf, or Hydro Pump deals heavy damage to just about any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, and any Pokemon that does can be picked off by Rayquaza's ExtemeSpeed. Lastly, Wobbuffet gets rid of Choice Scarfed Dragons so Rayquaza can freely spam Outrage.</p>
<p>Just like every other Rayquaza set, there are other options Rayquaza can use to achieve its goals. Fire Blast and Overheat are options, but they lack the power to OHKO specially defensive Skarmory. Forretress and Ferrothorn are different stories, though. Dragon Tail works on predicted switches, as well as working well alongside Spikes. However, there really isn't an attack that can be removed to make way for Dragon Tail other than Earthquake, which would otherwise leave it walled by Heatran.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza works well on teams that have issues with rain stall or classic stall as it not only crushes all spinblockers, but it also breaks Ferrothorn, Giratina, and Lugia, all very common rain stall and classic stall Pokemon. Outrage also OHKOes uninvested Kyogre, which might switch in expecting a Dragon Dance or Swords Dance.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A Focus Sash Dragon Dance lead is viable and almost always gets at least one killl. However, it lacks power and can't sweep late game. A Choice Specs set is a viable option on Rayquaza, as it can surprise its usual switch-ins. Generally, Dialga and Palkia are better choices for this, as Rayquaza can destroy Lugia with its mixed set just as easily, while Palkia and Dialga lacking Rayquaza's weakness to Stealth Rock. Thunder Wave can cripple Pokemon like Choice Scarf Dialga switching into Rayquaza, but you shouldn't really be focusing on this and you should focus more on setting Rayquaza up. Ice Beam is pretty useless with Draco Meteor, but it can knock down Groudon without suffering a Special Attack drop. Rayquaza is capable of producing 101 HP Substitutes if you want to block any attempts of Seismic Toss or status. However, the amount of EVs needed to make 101 HP Subs just isn't worth the use. Bulk Up is rather novelty but you can use this move to survive a Choice Banded Stone Edge from Groudon and OHKO back with Outrage if you're holding a Life Orb. Toxic can poison Lugia on the switch, making it useless at tanking, but once again you should be more focused on sweeping. Sleep Talking an Outrage doesn't lock you into it, so that's an option. Rest can be used for defensive purposes, but it is rather novelty because Rayquaza dies very quickly. Crunch is a reasonable option on the Dragon Dance set, as it can hit the Psychic-type Ubers hard without resorting to Outrage. Tailwind is another nice option for Rayquaza, as it allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion for 3 turns. However, Dragon Dance is usually a superior option in raising Speed, as it also raises Attack, though outpacing common scarfers is a nice plus to the move.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With base attacking stats of 150 each, a great offensive STAB, and an expansive movepool, Rayquaza has no true counters. As such, the best way to tackle Rayquaza is by revenge killing it. Choice Scarf users such as Palkia, Terrakion, Kyurem-White, Jirachi, and Garchomp can all check the Dragon Dance sets and take out Rayquaza easily due to its frailty. Meanwhile, Terrakion, Choice Scarf Dialga and Jirachi are capable of revenge killing the Swords Dance set due to resisting ExtremeSpeed. Palkia, Latios, Latias, Hydregion, Garchomp, and Salamence can also revenge kill most Rayquaza sets other than the Dragon Dance set. However, they take a hefty amount of damage from a boosted ExtremeSpeed. For example, a Swords Danced boosted ExtremeSpeed will OHKO both Latios and Latias. Pokemon packing powerful priority attacks such as Scizor, Mamoswine, and Arceus can KO Rayquaza without any worries. Ditto is also unique, as it can not only revenge kill Rayquaza, it copies any boost Rayquaza may have gained, which means that it can end up sweeping due to Rayquaza's boosts.</p>
<p>While revenge killing Rayquaza is usually the best way of dealing with it, there are other methods of taking out the powerful Pokemon. Lugia can still handle physical sets easily with Reflect, Roost and Ice Beam, especially Lugia that still have Multiscale intact. Dragon Dance Rayquaza needs Stealth Rock to get past it, too. Support Groudon also does a decent job at checking Rayquaza, and can phaze it away with Dragon Tail, doing a decent chunk of damage. However, both Pokemon will not fare well against mixed sets, as Draco Meteor and Outrage can score KOs on both of them. Also, the Choice Band set can possibly 2HKO both, so scout first before using these Pokemon to check Rayquaza. Skarmory can handle Dragon Dance and Swords Dance Rayquaza if they lack Overheat or V-create. While it is rarely seen, Cresselia can Thunder Wave, set up Reflect and Ice Beam Rayquaza, making it another reliable check.</p>
<p>With the numerous amount of Arceus, some forms can also deem great checks to Rayquaza. Rock Arceus can outspeed Rayquaza and OHKO it 62.5% of the time. It can also take an unboosted Life Orb Earthquake and Draco Meteor. Grass and Ground Arceus can also do the same and outright OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Beam. Wallceus can just take Rayquaza's hits, Recover, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and hit hard with STAB Return. Ghost Arceus is probably the best choice against Mixed Rayquaza, as it is immune to ExtremeSpeed. However, they are only checks for a reason. After a Dragon Dance, Rayquaza can actually OHKO max HP Arceus with a Life Orb boosted Outrage; Steel and Rock Arceus are also KOed by Earthquake from the Dragon Dance set. Additionally, Draco Meteor plus ExtremeSpeed will take out most Arceus forms after a little prior damage.</p>
Rayquaza - Original Analysis which is located here.
[Overview]
<p>When people think of a threatening Pokemon that can devastate teams in a matter of seconds, Rayquaza immediately comes to mind. With base offenses of 150 each, Rayquaza is by far one of Uber's most threatening wallbreakers and sweepers. Its great offensive typing coupled with boosting moves such as Dragon Dance and Swords Dance make Rayquaza an even bigger threat in seconds. If you thought having two of the most useful boosting moves as well as some of the best attacking stats in the game was threatening enough, it also gets an expansive movepool which includes the best priority move in the game, ExtremeSpeed. Rayquaza also has another tool it can use to great effect: its ability, Air Lock. Thanks to Air Lock, it negates weather and weather-related abilities, which means it can check Pokemon that rely on weather to sweep, such as Kingdra and Venasaur. Rayquaza is also a very versatile Pokemon, as its stats imply. It has the ability to run either physical or mixed sets, and it can run a boosting set or immediately go on the offensive with its powerful attacks. It can even use Choice items to become an even bigger threat.</p>
<p>While one might look at Rayquaza and think "this must be one of the hardest Pokemon to take down", it does have a few flaws. For one, thanks to its Flying subtype, it has a weakness to Stealth Rock, the most common form of entry hazard, which limits its ability to switch in. Its 105 / 90 / 90 defenses, which are low by Uber standards, don't help this cause either. Nevertheless, Rayquaza still remains one of the most threatening sweepers in the Uber tier, and it can demolish teams in a heartbeat if given the chance.</p>
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rayquaza's Dragon Dance set is a beast feared ever since its release in 2003, and it continues to strike terror in the heart of its opponents. After one Dragon Dance, Rayquaza's Attack skyrockets to 598 while its Speed rests at 475, outpacing every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame bar Deoxys-S. Outrage is Rayquaza's most powerful physical STAB attack, and alongside with Earthquake, Rayquaza can hit nearly every single Pokemon in the tier for at least neutral damage. Overheat is used in the last slot to get rid of the Pokemon that would give Dragon Dance Rayquaza trouble otherwise: Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Dragon Dance Rayquaza strives to be as fast and as powerful as possible, EVs are maxed out in both Attack and Speed with the remaining 4 EVs invested in Special Attack to give Overheat a little boost. As for alternative EV spreads, 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe can be used, as it outpaces +1 base 90 Pokemon after a single Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>Because Jolly Rayquaza can't always OHKO Lugia with Outrage, Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake to give it just a little more edge in power. As Choice Scarf Kyogre, Dialga, Zekrom and Deoxys-A are usually using Modest, Adamant, or Mild, an Adamant nature can be used to increase damage output, though it leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed by positive-natured Choice Scarf users. Also, Rayquaza should always run ExtremeSpeed while using Adamant or any other Attack-boosting nature to beat Deoxys-A. An Adamant nature also allows Rayquaza to OHKO maximum HP Arceus (89.9% - 105.6%, guaranteed OHKO with SR).</p>
<p>Rayquaza can use Haban Berry over Life Orb. With a Haban Berry, Rayquaza has an easier time getting an extra Dragon Dance on Choice Scarf Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion, three of Dragon Dance Rayquaza's common revenge killers. Lum Berry can also be used to avoid status such as Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave, which are detrimental to Rayquaza's sweep. While it might seem like an unorthodox option, White Herb can be used with V-create to avoid the aftereffects, making for a devastating attack that is not only boosted by Dragon Dance, but also helps if your opponent runs more than one Steel-type on their team. Be warned, as this only works once. Without White Herb, V-create is bad for Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as it takes away the Speed gained from Dragon Dance, as well as opening up Rayquaza to priority attacks, such as Extreme Killer Arceus's ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>Like most other sweepers, Rayquaza prefers entry hazards to be set up. Stealth Rock is extremely useful, as it grants Rayquaza a chance to OHKO standard Lugia. Forretress and Deoxys-S can set up entry hazards with ease. Forretress deserves a special mention, as it has good synergy with Rayquaza, resisting Dragon and Ice-type attacks, and can spin away enemy entry hazards. Paralysis support is also advised, as it makes Choice Scarf users such as Palkia unable to revenge kill Rayquaza. Lead Kyogre can fulfill this role well and also acts as a good Palkia lure. Substitute can also be used to beat Choice Scarf Palkia that switch in on Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>Due to its frailty, Rayquaza is prone to revenge killing by Scarf users, such as Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyogre, and especially Pokemon such as Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion, all of which can outpace Rayquaza even at +1 Speed. As such, Wobbuffet is an excellent partner to Rayquaza, easily trapping and eliminating Scarf users. Wobbuffet can even use Encore and Safeguard to create an opening for Rayquaza to set up. Although Rayquaza is near unstoppable after a Dragon Dance, certain bulky walls can live an Outrage and KO Rayquaza in return. Defensive Groudon takes 59.4% - 70% from Jolly Life Orb Rayquaza's Outrage and can then use Stone Edge to do 63% - 74.1%, an OHKO factoring in Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock damage. Bold Lugia with maximum Defense investment will always survive an Outrage even after factoring in Stealth Rock damage, taking 61.3% - 72.1%. Lugia can easily KO Rayquaza with Ice Beam, factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Most Kyogre variants make good teammates with Rayquaza due to their ability to check Support Groudon. Thanks to Air Lock, the rain which Kyogre brings does not gimp Overheat's power.</p>
<p>It should be noted that Outrage is not a move to be used lightly. Even at +1 Attack, most Steel-types such as Steel Arceus and Ferrothorn can live an Outrage and proceed to cripple it with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave, set up Calm Minds or entry hazards, or just KO a weakened Rayquaza with Judgement and Gyro Ball, respectively. Scizor makes a good teammate with its STAB U-turn and nifty STAB Bullet Punch. Tickle Wobbuffet and Pursuit Scizor can easily eliminate any pesky Lugia, paving the way for Rayqauza to sweep. The infamous Double Dance strategy can be used with Salamence, thanks to Salamence being able to KO or severely weaken most of Rayquaza's checks, and vice versa, allowing for a cleaner sweep.</p>
<p>To demonstrate the power of Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as well as how vital entry hazards are for Rayquaza's sweep, the below calculations will show how much damage Rayquaza does to the best physical walls in Ubers after a single Dragon Dance. All the calculations are assuming a Jolly nature and a Life Orb:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Outrage vs. 252/176+ Lugia: 64.66 - 76.44%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/16 Lugia: 80.28 - 94.71%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/0 Arceus: 82.2 - 96.62%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Arceus: 61.26 - 72.07%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Groudon: 59.9 - 70.54%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/0 Dialga: 100.49 - 118.31%</li>
<li>Outrage vs. 252/252+ Kyogre: 81.18 - 95.54%</li>
</ul>
<p>As you can see with the above calculations, with Stealth Rock and Spikes support, Rayquaza can get past even the bulkiest of Pokemon. As such, it is recommended that Rayquaza is used as a late game sweeper, as after residual damage and entry hazards, Rayquaza will be very difficult to stop.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast / V-create
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Outrage / Dragon Tail
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mixed Rayquaza is one of the most powerful wallbreakers in the entire Uber tier. Base 150 Attack and Special Attack go a long way in helping Rayquaza pick walls apart. This set attempts to lure in and obliterate usual Rayquaza switch-ins with its powerful special attacks. A Draco Meteor coming off 399 Special Attack will severely dent anything not resisting it, including Groudon and Lugia, both of which are cleanly 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Any Steel-types courageous enough to face a Draco Meteor are swiftly barbecued by a Fire Blast. V-create can be used as Draco Meteor will weaken Fire Blast, but the stat drops from Rayquaza aren't too hot either. ExtremeSpeed allows Rayquaza to take down weakened Pokemon and does decent damage even without investment. Outrage gives Rayquaza a powerful physical STAB move while Dragon Tail allows Rayquaza to scout any switch-ins.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread shown above is used to give Draco Meteor and Fire Blast a major boost in power. However, if one decides that two attacks that lower Special Attack is too much, transfer the Special Attack EVs into Attack and use V-create. Not only does this boost V-create, but Outrage or Dragon Tail get boosted as well. As for the choice of nature, both Naive and Hasty are viable. However, Hasty is recommended because special attacks are far more common in Ubers. Also, a Speed-boosting nature helps Rayquaza outspeed all Pokemon with base 90 Speed. However, if outpacing base 90 Pokemon isn't important to you, a Mild or Rash nature with 252 Special Attacks EVs allow Mixed Rayquaza to OHKO support Groudon with Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>This set can be used as an effective offensive lead to put immediate pressure on the opponent. While being used as a lead, Lum Berry is a very useful item because it allows Rayquaza to check any Darkrai hoping to set up on it. Focus Sash helps Rayquaza survive super effective hits which would normally OHKO it, but is near useless mid-game. However, Life Orb is by far the most useful item, as it allows Rayquaza to significantly increase its damage output.</p>
<p>While the above moveset provides Rayquaza with a way to get past most Pokemon in the Ubers tier, there are two other attacks in Rayquaza's expansive movepool that stand out. Earthquake hits the one Pokemon that resists every other attack in this set, Heatran. It is also useful in hitting Dialga harder without locking Rayquaza into Outrage or losing Special Attack via Draco Meteor. If you don't want to lose Special Attack after every use of Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse is a safe alternative that always hits for consistent damage, though it is much weaker than Draco Meteor, missing out on 2HKOs on Groudon and Lugia after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Because mixed Rayquaza lacks the sheer offensive power of Dragon Dance or Swords Dance Rayquaza, entry hazards go a long way in helping Rayquaza break down walls. Pokemon such as Forretress and Deoxys-S are both adept at setting up Stealth Rock. It must be noted that Mixed Rayquaza is not intended to be used as a sweeper; rather, it paves the way for another sweeper by removing or weakening its checks with its powerful Draco Meteors and Outrages. Lucario is an amazing partner because of the great synergy it shares with Rayquaza, and the fact that Rayquaza lures in and KOs both Groudon and Lugia, two of Lucario's greatest counters. Bulk Up Dialga makes a great partner too, as it can plow though teams once Groudon is gone. Mixed Rayquaza can utilize the Double Dragon strategy quite effectively with Dragon Dance Salamence or Choice Band Garchomp. Once Rayquaza has killed or sufficiently weakened dedicated walls such as Groudon and Lugia, Salamence or Garchomp can cleave through the rest of the team with their brute strength. However, this strategy isn't lightly adopted, as it makes the team doubly weak to Dragon- and Ice-type attacks. Scarf Jirachi and Terrakion are both good teammates, as they cover Rayquaza's weaknesses while Rayquaza can eliminate their checks in return.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Fire Blast / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
nature: Mild / Rash
EVs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Similar to Salamence's old set in DPP, this Rayquaza set utilizes a lot of surprise factor to eliminate its usual counters. Unlike the Mixed Attacker set, this Rayquaza is easily able to sweep on its own, even after using Draco Meteor. This is likely Rayquaza's most independent set, not relying on teammates to take care of its usual checks and counters.</p>
<p>The idea when using this set is to Dragon Dance up as Groudon or another physical wall switches in and go straight for the OHKO with Draco Meteor. With this strategy, you can easily sweep with Rayquaza should the opponent lack another check to it. Most teams do not carry extra checks to Rayquaza as its usage has dropped significantly. Outrage is Rayquaza's physical move of choice. Even with few Attack EVs, Rayquaza's Outrage is still incredibly powerful, easily 2HKOing 252/0 Kyogre. Ho-Oh is also cleanly OHKOed after Stealth Rock by either Draco Meteor or Outrage. Even if Stealth Rock is not up, Rayquaza can still smash Ho-Oh with a +1 Outrage, something the standard Mixed Rayquaza cannot do.</p>
<p>The choice of Fire Blast or Earthquake is entirely up to your team's needs. Fire Blast utilizes this set's focus on Special Attack EVs, and OHKOes Skarmory, Forretress, Ferrothorn, Metagross, and Scizor, the former two assuming that Sturdy is broken. Earthquake on the other hand is boosted by Dragon Dance and smashes Dialga, Jirachi, and Heatran. Unfortunately, Rayquaza cannot carry five moves, so pick the one that suits your team best.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Most people tend to overlook Rayquaza's massive Special Attack stat, which allows it to easily bash through its usual counters. Draco Meteor will easily OHKO Support Groudon, while even Lugia takes a massive 57.2% - 67.8%, which will 2HKO with Stealth Rock damage. This not only gives Rayquaza a chance to sweep, but also paves the way for other physical sweepers to sweep with Groudon out of the way. Draco Meteor tears off 69.8% - 82.4% from Support Arceus, taking it out with Spikes and Stealth Rock support. Other Arceus can be taken out as well. A boosted Outrage will still OHKO Arceus with little prior damage, so choose carefully when deciding whether to boost up or just attack right away against Arceus.</p>
<p>This set greatly enjoys entry hazards support, as it is the only way Rayquaza can break through Lugia. Forretress and Deoxys-S make fantastic partners for this reason, and Forretress can also spin away entry hazards. Swords Dance Arceus is also incredibly annoying, as Extremespeed will tear a chunk out of Rayquaza's health. Packing a check to it, such as Terrakion, is important for this set to function at its best, although Draco Meteor will likely OHKO Offensive Arceus after just Stealth Rock alone. Scizor's Bullet Punch can also rain on Rayquaza's parade, but Fire Blast OHKOes Scizor 100% of the time, even at -2 Special Attack.</p>
<p>The reason for using a Mild or Rash nature on this set is to OHKO Groudon 100% of the time after just Stealth Rock damage. Rayquaza sadly fails to do that with a Hasty or Naive nature. Groudon will likely switch in on Rayquaza early in the match, so this is your best opportunity to surprise the opponent and take it out. The Special Attack EVs are crucial for Rayquaza to OHKO Groudon and stand a chance of KOing Offensive Arceus after Stealth Rock damage. Attack EVs are just leftover EVs, so you can just max out Speed if you do not mind a slightly less powerful Outrage or Earthquake. The Speed EVs allow Rayquaza to outspeed everything up to a neutral nature Deoxys-A and neutral nature Choice Scarf Pokemon with base 90 Speed at +1. Darkrai is a great partner for this set to take out Lugia, while Rayquaza demolishes Ho-Oh and Groudon. Rayquaza can also OHKO potential Scarf Kyogre switch-ins with Draco Meteor. This set can just fire off powerful Draco Meteors right away instead of having to set up like the standard Dragon Dance set. The major drawback of using this set is that Timid Scarf Dialga, Kyogre, and Reshiram can outspeed this set even at +1 and KO you first.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: V-create
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rayquaza is often seen boosting its Attack and Speed by Dragon Dance, but it is capable of utilizing Swords Dance to double its Attack. After a Swords Dance, Rayquaza reaches a ground-breaking 876 Attack. Although Rayquaza's meager base 95 Speed might seem rather underwhelming, fear not, for Rayquaza receives ExtremeSpeed, which allows it to bypass its low Speed and hit many foes first. After just one Swords Dance, Rayquaza can OHKO a significant part of the metagame with ExtremeSpeed, given Stealth Rock support. Darkrai is always OHKOed by a +2 ExtremeSpeed factoring in Stealth Rock damage, while offensive Mewtwo and Choice Scarf Palkia are also prone to being OHKOed with Stealth Rock. Although Swords Dance Rayquaza gets stiff competition from Swords Dance Arceus, whigh has more bulk, recovery, and a more powerful STAB priority move, Rayquaza still has a few perks over the Alpha Pokemon. Rayquaza's base Attack is 30 points higher than Arceus's, it is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and it has a fantastic STAB-type in Dragon. Swords Dance Rayquaza can also beat Giratina-O easily, which is something Extreme Killer Arceus can only dream of.</p>
<p>Dragon Claw is the primary STAB move. After a Swords Dance, it will always OHKO Giratina, and do insane amounts of damage to anything not resisting it. V-create makes short work of any Forretress or Ferrothorn hoping to wall Rayquaza. V-create also helps Rayquaza hit Steel Arceus, Dialga, and Metagross, which will otherwise eat ExtremeSpeed and Dragon Claws all day. Caution must be used with V-create however, as it makes Rayquaza slower, making it easier to be revenge killed. For example, if Giratina-O switches into V-create, it will outspeed due to the Speed drop and OHKO Rayquaza the next turn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Jolly nature is useful due to prevalence of Zekrom and Reshiram, both of which often run max Speed, and can outpace and OHKO Rayquaza with their powerful Dragon-type attacks if Rayquaza is running an Adamant nature. While using Jolly, running an alternate EV spread of 34 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 216 Spe is an option, as it outpaces positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Dialga, Ho-Oh, Groudon, Kyogre, and the aforementioned Zekrom and Reshiram.</p>
<p>While Swords Dance Rayquaza's moveset has all the tools to sweep through teams, there are other attacks it can utilize. Aqua Tail can be used over Dragon Claw if Groudon is a problem. Assuming Rayquaza is using an Adamant nature, a +2 Aqua Tail does a whopping 87.62% - 103.47% to the standard supporter. Earthquake can be used over V-create to help beat Heatran, which would otherwise wall Rayquaza.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support is crucial for Swords Dance Rayquaza. Stealth Rock is almost mandatory, as it allows Rayquaza to always OHKO Darkrai with a +2 ExtremeSpeed. Choice Scarf Palkia and offensive Mewtwo also have a high chance of being OHKOed with Stealth Rock down. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably. Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively. Wobbuffet can eliminate most of Rayquaza's checks; Tickle Wobbuffet paired with a Pursuit user can even take down Lugia. Because Rayquaza really hates faster Steel-types such as Steel Arceus, as they resist both its primary moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, Groudon is a great partner for Rayquaza as it can set up Stealth Rock reliably as well and also beat the numerous Steel-types such as Steel Arceus, Ferrothorn (needs Fire Punch or Fire Blast), and Jirachi. Body Slam Jirachi can switch in on most of Rayquaza's checks and can then use Body Slam to paralyze them, making them incapable of checking Rayquaza. Jirachi can also sponge Dragon- and Ice-type attacks, while Rayquaza can deal with super effective Fire- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / ExtremeSpeed
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Rayquaza is usually seen fixing its Speed troubles with Dragon Dance, there are times when Rayquaza would just like to have that speed right off the bat. Choice Scarf not only fixes this problem, but it turns Rayquaza into something that it fears the most: a revenge killer. This variant of Rayquaza prefers to be used on offensive teams as it keeps up offensive pressure. However, the difference between Choice Scarf Rayquaza and other common Choice Scarf users, such as Palkia and Terrakion, is that Rayquaza uses its ability, Air Lock, to revenge kill Pokemon that use weather to sweep, such as Kingdra and Excadrill. Rayquaza can also clean late game if Pokemon are weakened with a very powerful STAB Outrage. Again, Garchomp is a competitor for this role; however, Garchomp lacks V-create as well as the ability to outspeed Kindgra, Venusaur, and Excadrill. Salamence is also a competitor for the Choice Scarf role, due to Moxie granting it an Attack boost after every KO, but, like Garchomp, it lacks V-create and the ability to outspeed weather sweepers.</p>
<p>Outrage is your mandatory Dragon-type STAB attack, and its no wonder. Packing base 180 power after STAB is calculated, if a Pokemon doesn't resist it, it won't enjoy taking an Outrage. However, just like the Choice Band set, V-create is just as powerful as Outrage, and because it doesn't lock Rayquaza into an attack, it is often best to start the battle by firing off V-create. Draco Meteor is strong, doesn't lock Rayquaza into Outrage, has base 210 power after STAB, and keeps the potential to OHKO Pokemon such as Darkrai and Skymin. Earthquake is there alongside V-create and Outrage to retain perfect coverage of the entire Uber metagame. However, if you find faster Choice Scarf users such as Palkia or priority users such as Arceus and other Rayquaza a problem, ExtremeSpeed is a viable option in the last slot. Thanks to ExtremeSpeed, Rayquaza can get the jump on weakened Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Palkia, Arceus, Rayquaza, and other Pokemon that use either priority or speed to take care of Rayquaza.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is as straightforward as this set, maximizing Attack and Speed so that Rayquaza hits as hard and as fast as possible, with the remaining 4 EVs invested into Special Attack and a Hasty or Naive to make sure Draco Meteor isn't holding Rayquaza back. Of course, an Attack boosting nature can be used because Rayquaza is using a Choice Scarf, but then Rayquaza won't be able to outspeed Pokemon such as Deoxys-A and a Dragon Dance-boosted Jolly Rayquaza.</p>
<p>Rayquaza enjoys Rapid Spin or Magic Bounce support to remove Stealth Rock so it can switch in and out without taking too much residual damage. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably; Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: V-create
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza is an extremely powerful threat, reaching an enormous Attack stat of 657; with a Choice Band, Rayquaza is capable of 2HKOing the majority of the metagame. Although it may seem inferior to Choice Band Garchomp and Zekrom at first glance, with Garchomp having STAB on Earthquake, higher base Speed, and immunity to Thunder Wave and other Electric-type attacks, while Zekrom sports an Electric STAB as well as Volt Switch to keep up the momentum, this is not the case. Rayquaza does have several key advantages over Garchomp, namely higher Attack, a priority move in ExtremeSpeed, and an immunity to Ground-type attacks; it also has a better movepool than Zekrom, as Zekrom lacks ExtremeSpeed and Earthquake. Rayquaza also has V-create to OHKO Ferrothorn, a Pokemon that gives Zekrom trouble.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza lures in Pokemon such as Lugia and Groudon that are reliably 2HKOed by Outrage without hazards. However, thanks to the release of V-create, a move just as powerful as Rayquaza's Outrage, it is recommended to open the battle with it, as it has the same power of Outrage without being locked into it. To take into account just how powerful V-create is, it can 2HKO 4/0 Kyogre, one of Ubers bulkiest Pokemon. As such, make sure to scout out your opponent's team before locking Rayquaza into Outrage; otherwise, it's easy pickings for revenge killers. It is also hard for stall teams to beat Rayquaza, as immunity to Ground-type attacks, Toxic Spikes, and Spikes make it able to switch in and out a pretty easily.</p>
<p>An Outrage from this set is so powerful it can 2HKO even defensive Groudon as well as Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Earthquake and V-create are your best options to hit Steels, the former pairing nicely with Outrage to give Rayquaza the ability to hit everything neutrally barring Skarmory and Shedinja. The latter hits every Steel-type barring Heatran neutrally or super effectively, and is again just as powerful as Outrage. ExtremeSpeed gives Rayquaza strong priority for picking off faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Mewtwo. Unlike Garchomp and Zekrom, Rayquaza's priority allows it to become a capable revenge killer as well as a powerful sweeper.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant gives Rayquaza the ability to 2HKO Lugia, Groudon, and other physical walls. However, this means Rayquaza doesn't outspeed positive-natured base 90s. Jolly loses the 2HKO on some Pokemon, but it does allow you to outpace base 90 Pokemon, and a generous application of entry hazards can help bridge the power gap.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza enjoys Rapid Spin or Magic Bounce support to remove Stealth Rock so that way it can switch in and out without taking that residual damage. Skarmory, Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Groudon can all set up hazards reliably. Forretress and Deoxys-S can also prevent hazards with either Rapid Spin or a fast Taunt, respectively. Choice Band Rayquaza also enjoys Scizor and Jirachi support. Both are Steels that can absorb Dragon-type and Ice-type attacks as well as scout with U-turn, which is useful when trying to build up momentum against the opponent. Jirachi can even pass Wishes, which can be key as Rayquaza lacks recovery. Paralysis support is extremely recommended if using this set as a late-game sweeper, as it makes Rayquaza much more difficult to revenge kill and allows it to power through Lugia much more easily. Groudon, Dialga, Kyogre, and Jirachi are all sturdy Pokemon which can provide paralysis support for Rayquaza. Groudon in particular is a good choice as it can lay down Stealth Rock and lure in Lugia, making it that much easier to cripple it. Choice Specs Kyogre is also another great partner for Rayquaza. Kyogre's Choice Specs Thunder, Ice Beam, or Water Spout plus Rayquaza's Choice Banded ExtemeSpeed KOes standard Scarf Palkia. Rayquaza can in turn remove Ferrothorn, Ludicolo, and Gastrodon lacking Ice Beam. Choice Specs Water Spout, Surf, or Hydro Pump deals heavy damage to just about any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, and any Pokemon that does can be picked off by Rayquaza's ExtemeSpeed. Lastly, Wobbuffet gets rid of Choice Scarfed Dragons so Rayquaza can freely spam Outrage.</p>
<p>Just like every other Rayquaza set, there are other options Rayquaza can use to achieve its goals. Fire Blast and Overheat are options, but they lack the power to OHKO specially defensive Skarmory. Forretress and Ferrothorn are different stories, though. Dragon Tail works on predicted switches, as well as working well alongside Spikes. However, there really isn't an attack that can be removed to make way for Dragon Tail other than Earthquake, which would otherwise leave it walled by Heatran.</p>
<p>Choice Band Rayquaza works well on teams that have issues with rain stall or classic stall as it not only crushes all spinblockers, but it also breaks Ferrothorn, Giratina, and Lugia, all very common rain stall and classic stall Pokemon. Outrage also OHKOes uninvested Kyogre, which might switch in expecting a Dragon Dance or Swords Dance.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A Focus Sash Dragon Dance lead is viable and almost always gets at least one killl. However, it lacks power and can't sweep late game. A Choice Specs set is a viable option on Rayquaza, as it can surprise its usual switch-ins. Generally, Dialga and Palkia are better choices for this, as Rayquaza can destroy Lugia with its mixed set just as easily, while Palkia and Dialga lacking Rayquaza's weakness to Stealth Rock. Thunder Wave can cripple Pokemon like Choice Scarf Dialga switching into Rayquaza, but you shouldn't really be focusing on this and you should focus more on setting Rayquaza up. Ice Beam is pretty useless with Draco Meteor, but it can knock down Groudon without suffering a Special Attack drop. Rayquaza is capable of producing 101 HP Substitutes if you want to block any attempts of Seismic Toss or status. However, the amount of EVs needed to make 101 HP Subs just isn't worth the use. Bulk Up is rather novelty but you can use this move to survive a Choice Banded Stone Edge from Groudon and OHKO back with Outrage if you're holding a Life Orb. Toxic can poison Lugia on the switch, making it useless at tanking, but once again you should be more focused on sweeping. Sleep Talking an Outrage doesn't lock you into it, so that's an option. Rest can be used for defensive purposes, but it is rather novelty because Rayquaza dies very quickly. Crunch is a reasonable option on the Dragon Dance set, as it can hit the Psychic-type Ubers hard without resorting to Outrage. Tailwind is another nice option for Rayquaza, as it allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Palkia, Salamence, and Hydregion for 3 turns. However, Dragon Dance is usually a superior option in raising Speed, as it also raises Attack, though outpacing common scarfers is a nice plus to the move.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With base attacking stats of 150 each, a great offensive STAB, and an expansive movepool, Rayquaza has no true counters. As such, the best way to tackle Rayquaza is by revenge killing it. Choice Scarf users such as Palkia, Terrakion, Kyurem-White, Jirachi, and Garchomp can all check the Dragon Dance sets and take out Rayquaza easily due to its frailty. Meanwhile, Terrakion, Choice Scarf Dialga and Jirachi are capable of revenge killing the Swords Dance set due to resisting ExtremeSpeed. Palkia, Latios, Latias, Hydregion, Garchomp, and Salamence can also revenge kill most Rayquaza sets other than the Dragon Dance set. However, they take a hefty amount of damage from a boosted ExtremeSpeed. For example, a Swords Danced boosted ExtremeSpeed will OHKO both Latios and Latias. Pokemon packing powerful priority attacks such as Scizor, Mamoswine, and Arceus can KO Rayquaza without any worries. Ditto is also unique, as it can not only revenge kill Rayquaza, it copies any boost Rayquaza may have gained, which means that it can end up sweeping due to Rayquaza's boosts.</p>
<p>While revenge killing Rayquaza is usually the best way of dealing with it, there are other methods of taking out the powerful Pokemon. Lugia can still handle physical sets easily with Reflect, Roost and Ice Beam, especially Lugia that still have Multiscale intact. Dragon Dance Rayquaza needs Stealth Rock to get past it, too. Support Groudon also does a decent job at checking Rayquaza, and can phaze it away with Dragon Tail, doing a decent chunk of damage. However, both Pokemon will not fare well against mixed sets, as Draco Meteor and Outrage can score KOs on both of them. Also, the Choice Band set can possibly 2HKO both, so scout first before using these Pokemon to check Rayquaza. Skarmory can handle Dragon Dance and Swords Dance Rayquaza if they lack Overheat or V-create. While it is rarely seen, Cresselia can Thunder Wave, set up Reflect and Ice Beam Rayquaza, making it another reliable check.</p>
<p>With the numerous amount of Arceus, some forms can also deem great checks to Rayquaza. Rock Arceus can outspeed Rayquaza and OHKO it 62.5% of the time. It can also take an unboosted Life Orb Earthquake and Draco Meteor. Grass and Ground Arceus can also do the same and outright OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Beam. Wallceus can just take Rayquaza's hits, Recover, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and hit hard with STAB Return. Ghost Arceus is probably the best choice against Mixed Rayquaza, as it is immune to ExtremeSpeed. However, they are only checks for a reason. After a Dragon Dance, Rayquaza can actually OHKO max HP Arceus with a Life Orb boosted Outrage; Steel and Rock Arceus are also KOed by Earthquake from the Dragon Dance set. Additionally, Draco Meteor plus ExtremeSpeed will take out most Arceus forms after a little prior damage.</p>
