So imagine you just got back into playing showdown and climbed ladder, only to be edged out of getting to 1800s while using some brainless HO on ladder.
What do you do? The correct answer is not to build around the famously unviable mon dracozolt and burn 500 elo. I did it anyway.
https://pokepast.es/5c6594503c589bdb
Dracozolt is a unique Pokemon in that if positioned correctly, it can wipe out half your opponent's team, given the insane of STAB Bolt Beak, as well as the mixed coverage of the mon that is difficult to wall. However, there are several drawbacks with using Dracozolt. From testing and just by looking at it, it is insanely difficult to get onto the field, because of its terrible bulk and the lack of a sand setter that can pivot to it, thus wasting turns of sand which it needs to function. The elephant in the room is ground types.
, 
, 
and any ground type that has special investment is a major problem for because its only physical attack does not affect them, and it's atrocious special attack means it can only threaten certain things that take a bolt beak like 
and 
. An all physical set is just noob bait and even more unviable.
Regardless, does have unique strengths, being a sand abuser that can threaten many offensive and defensive structures once it's counters have been dealt with, and positioning it correctly can win games on its own. It is a decent mon to handle stall, though does wall it, however, 
helps it heal and get in for constant pressure against passive teams. The set uses mixed life orb to destroy anything that doesnt resist bolt beak, and has fire blast and draco meteor to handle and .
A sand setter is mandatory to help dracozolt function, and I chose to give much needed defensive utility given that has absolutely nothing in that capacity, and it's bulk and recovery helps it set sand up more often. Smooth rock was used, despite not being optimal since it is nearly impossible to get value from in 5 turns of sand, given how hard it is to get in due to it's lackluster defenses. The set on gives it value as a mixed wall and a stealth rocks setter, and is needed for the team despite being outclassed by many ground types with secondary types and better movesets.
As a bulky and slow pivot, is great for the team's defences and gets some value from passing wishes to to deal with chip damage and to 
which is a very bulky tank that does not have reliable recovery. Mola serves as a decent physical sponge that can tank hits and bring in , and the water typing is useful on defence.
Given the prevalence of
in every tier it touches, it is noticeable that my other mons all get decimated by it. An assault vest set means it can tank earth powers and threaten out even if it has a substitute up, whilst can wish it up to be healthy again. It can struggle to counter effectively if the opponent plays smart and pressures enough to limit 's wishpassing, but it serves its role well regardless. The steel typing of covers up defensive holes, and even with a more defensive set, it provides additional offensive options for the team, while being able to tank both physical and special hits.
was mainly selected due to its typing patching up a lot of the type weaknesses of the team, and giving the team a reliable physical wall. Leech life was chosen, though unorthodox, mainly to beat 
, which otherwise poses a major threat. The set is otherwise a standard defensive set, though roost could be swapped out for toxic because of being on the team, making less passive into things such as .
As the team's main special attacker, gives valuable speed and revenge killing abilities to the team even outside of , speaking of which, 's u-turn can get Dracozolt in against special walls and such. Dark Pulse and Draco Meteor are quite spammable moves on a fast mon, whilst defog exists for role compression and because it can be used even if the opponent has 
, since bringing it in to spinblock is a risky play, and is pretty much guaranteed to get hazards off at least on the first use against .
Threats
Bulky Grounds , ,
+ Attacker that threatens both Mola and Melm
Conclusion:
Overall, this team isn't the best or the most viable, given the amount of bulky grounds that bring from unwallable to doing less than the sand chip itself, which could be threatened by replacing with FS 
, although that makes a more shaky answer to , and could conceivably be replaced by 
in exchange for a vulnerability to . The main issue would be that limits the team out of using much more viable bulky grounds for a solid defensive core, and 
cannot be used as a reception pivot here. In fact, that part makes 
better than in addition to much more threatening STAB, given does not effectively fill up two teamslots by forcing the use of or 
, since has a lot more utility outside of weather setting. seems worse than hippo in my opinion because having to run smooth rock worsens 's offensive capabilities, whilst the absence of that item makes it so that barely has any time to get in and abuse sand. I think is an unviable Pokemon in National Dex OU at this point, however, I just personally like the mon and it's design so I chose to build around it. I would love to hear any improvements and optimisation I could implement for the team to make work.
What do you do? The correct answer is not to build around the famously unviable mon dracozolt and burn 500 elo. I did it anyway.
https://pokepast.es/5c6594503c589bdb
Dracozolt is a unique Pokemon in that if positioned correctly, it can wipe out half your opponent's team, given the insane of STAB Bolt Beak, as well as the mixed coverage of the mon that is difficult to wall. However, there are several drawbacks with using Dracozolt. From testing and just by looking at it, it is insanely difficult to get onto the field, because of its terrible bulk and the lack of a sand setter that can pivot to it, thus wasting turns of sand which it needs to function. The elephant in the room is ground types.
, , and any ground type that has special investment is a major problem for because its only physical attack does not affect them, and it's atrocious special attack means it can only threaten certain things that take a bolt beak like and . An all physical set is just noob bait and even more unviable.Regardless,
does have unique strengths, being a sand abuser that can threaten many offensive and defensive structures once it's counters have been dealt with, and positioning it correctly can win games on its own. It is a decent mon to handle stall, though does wall it, however, helps it heal and get in for constant pressure against passive teams. The set uses mixed life orb to destroy anything that doesnt resist bolt beak, and has fire blast and draco meteor to handle and .A sand setter is mandatory to help dracozolt function, and I chose
to give much needed defensive utility given that has absolutely nothing in that capacity, and it's bulk and recovery helps it set sand up more often. Smooth rock was used, despite not being optimal since it is nearly impossible to get value from in 5 turns of sand, given how hard it is to get in due to it's lackluster defenses. The set on gives it value as a mixed wall and a stealth rocks setter, and is needed for the team despite being outclassed by many ground types with secondary types and better movesets.As a bulky and slow pivot,
is great for the team's defences and gets some value from passing wishes to to deal with chip damage and to which is a very bulky tank that does not have reliable recovery. Mola serves as a decent physical sponge that can tank hits and bring in , and the water typing is useful on defence.Given the prevalence of
in every tier it touches, it is noticeable that my other mons all get decimated by it. An assault vest set means it can tank earth powers and threaten out even if it has a substitute up, whilst can wish it up to be healthy again. It can struggle to counter effectively if the opponent plays smart and pressures enough to limit 's wishpassing, but it serves its role well regardless. The steel typing of covers up defensive holes, and even with a more defensive set, it provides additional offensive options for the team, while being able to tank both physical and special hits. was mainly selected due to its typing patching up a lot of the type weaknesses of the team, and giving the team a reliable physical wall. Leech life was chosen, though unorthodox, mainly to beat , which otherwise poses a major threat. The set is otherwise a standard defensive set, though roost could be swapped out for toxic because of being on the team, making less passive into things such as .As the team's main special attacker,
gives valuable speed and revenge killing abilities to the team even outside of , speaking of which, 's u-turn can get Dracozolt in against special walls and such. Dark Pulse and Draco Meteor are quite spammable moves on a fast mon, whilst defog exists for role compression and because it can be used even if the opponent has , since bringing it in to spinblock is a risky play, and is pretty much guaranteed to get hazards off at least on the first use against .Threats
Bulky Grounds
, , + Attacker that threatens both Mola and MelmConclusion:
Overall, this team isn't the best or the most viable, given the amount of bulky grounds that bring
from unwallable to doing less than the sand chip itself, which could be threatened by replacing with FS , although that makes a more shaky answer to , and could conceivably be replaced by in exchange for a vulnerability to . The main issue would be that limits the team out of using much more viable bulky grounds for a solid defensive core, and cannot be used as a reception pivot here. In fact, that part makes better than in addition to much more threatening STAB, given does not effectively fill up two teamslots by forcing the use of or , since has a lot more utility outside of weather setting. seems worse than hippo in my opinion because having to run smooth rock worsens 's offensive capabilities, whilst the absence of that item makes it so that barely has any time to get in and abuse sand. I think is an unviable Pokemon in National Dex OU at this point, however, I just personally like the mon and it's design so I chose to build around it. I would love to hear any improvements and optimisation I could implement for the team to make work.
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or 
a lot of times, both mons offering a gpod chubk of defensive utility amd compression for their most offensive presence, especially excadrill, who might look like a purely offensive mon at first sight.
or 
over scarf ig, you already got (very little but still) speed control with zolt and scarf defog doesn't work if you're not 
Your new setter, 9/10 times a better one, helps you break stuff better with powerful knock offs and stone edges while still providing good defensive utility like checking yard and generally having more opportunities for setting rocks that your 
and 
while now also able to threaten 
and 
way easier