[BOX]Things to do:
[BOX]--------------------------------
Status: DONE.
QC Approvals: [PK Gaming] || [ginganinja] || [shrang]
GP Checks: [bugmaniacbob] || [Engineer Pikachu]
--------------------------------[/BOX]
I wandered through the weird and lurid landscape of another planet...
[Overview]
<p>With Pokemon Black and White 2 came the Therian formes and Keldeo, all of whom have bolstered the power of rain teams and worn down Tyranitar's prominence like waves against a cliff. Some older threats, such as Breloom and Mamoswine, have had new life breathed into them with their Dream World abilities. A few new Pokemon have also been added to Tyranitar's list of headaches due to their new access to Superpower, courtesy of the move tutors, who have decided not to give Tyranitar much to improve its admittedly already impressive movepool. The same Fighting-types that troubled Tyranitar before still remain in OU, ready to pounce on it at any moment. The general pace of the metagame has increased, making Tyranitar's life in OU more difficult to maintain than ever before.</p>
<p>However, Tyranitar maintains a powerful and respectable niche as one of two automatic sandstorm inducers, which is important due to the the ubiquity of weather in OU. While Hippowdon may give Tyranitar a substantial amount of competition for a team slot, the tyrant has many advantages up its sleeve: increased special bulk under sandstorm, a better movepool, and the ability to smite many of its would-be counters on the switch with its raw power and impressive movepool. Tyranitar's ability to support potent sweepers, such as Landorus, Stoutland, Garchomp, and Sandslash, while fending off powerful specially-based threats, such as Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Starmie, further expand its niche in OU. Overall, while many new threats have conspired to dethrone the tyrant, they have yet to succeed, for Tyranitar has retained an iron grasp on its throne as one of the many kings of OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, it is easy to see why Tyranitar is one of the most-feared Pokemon in OU. Boasting an absolutely massive 604 Attack, not many Pokemon will have business switching in on it. Opposing weather inducers not named Hippowdon will fear switching into its powerful attacks, making this set ideal for those that want to win the weather war decisively. Stall teams will be hard-pressed to keep up with its onslaught due to the sheer power it possesses, and offensive teams won't like having to sacrifice one of their team members so another one can receive a free switch-in.</p>
<p>Despite its accuracy, Stone Edge is Tyranitar's main STAB move solely for its power and is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing those that lack a resistance to it and even some that do. Crunch is a more accurate move that lets Tyranitar make short work of Jellicent, Reuniclus, and Celebi. Pursuit gives Tyranitar the ability to trap and kill the frail Psychic- and Ghost-types that would rather not stay in on any of Tyranitar's attacks. Superpower is the best move to use in the last slot, due to its ability to brutalize Steel-types and other Pokemon that resist its STAB moves. Superpower also gives Tyranitar the ability to land a crippling blow on Keldeo and Breloom, two of its biggest enemies, on the switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread maximizes Tyranitar's power while giving it the ability to outpace uninvested base 70s. The remaining EVs are placed into HP to give Tyranitar more bulk. Aqua Tail can be used over Superpower to smack Pokemon like Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Donphan around, but that is usually better left to teammates. Ice Punch can be used to get a surprise blow on powerful Dragons, but most are already hit hard enough by Stone Edge and the main Dragon-types Tyranitar should be facing, Latios and Latias, are scared witless by Crunch and Pursuit. Fire Punch is a great move for those that want to nab a surprise KO on Scizor, one of Tyranitar's most common counters. Earthquake provides mostly redundant coverage, but it still can see some use if your team is vulnerable to Jirachi, Tentacruel, or Metagross. More often than not, however, Superpower is the better option.</p>
<p>This set has few guaranteed counters due to its sheer power, but unfortunately it does have plenty of checks. The foremost among these is Physically Defensive Hippowdon, who can switch in fearing little other than a boosted Aqua Tail, which is fairly rare on Tyranitar, and stall it out with Slack Off or go for the kill with Earthquake. Landorus-T and Gliscor function almost as well as Hippowdon, but both must watch out for Stone Edge as well as Aqua Tail. While Breloom, Terrakion, and Keldeo won't enjoy taking a Superpower, they can switch in on Tyranitar's STAB moves and force it out with the threat of powerful Fighting-type moves. Teammates such as Latios, Latias, and Reuniclus make great checks and counters to those Fighting-types. This also works in reverse; Keldeo and other Fighting-types appreciate Tyranitar's ability to annihilate Latios and Latias, and in turn, Tyranitar appreciates their ability to lure in Psychic-types, most of which are easy prey for it. While Garchomp will not enjoy eating a STAB Crunch, it can easily switch into Tyranitar's other moves and threaten it with its STAB Earthquake. Other offensive monsters such as Landorus, Terrakion, Garchomp, and Stoutland enjoy the sandstorm and wall-breaking power that Tyranitar brings along. As Tyranitar has trouble with physical walls that resist its STAB moves, Pokemon such as Heatran form great partnerships with it. If special bulk is prioritized over power, then an EV spread of 252 HP / 36 Atk / 220 SpD can be used at the expense of quite a bit of power.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Fire Blast / Superpower / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy / Careful
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With appropriate investment and the Special Defense boost in a sandstorm, Tyranitar gains the ability to combat several notable specially-based threats, such as Latios, Ninetales, and Jolteon. Tyranitar can also reliably set up Stealth Rock because of its ability to threaten the Pokemon that possess Magic Bounce with its powerful Dark-type STAB attacks. Stealth Rock is the only hazard Tyranitar sets up, but it is enough to easily cripple several important OU Pokemon, such as Ninetales, Volcarona, and Thundurus-T. Crunch is Tyranitar's most reliable STAB move, due to its ability to OHKO targets such as Latios, Gengar, and Starmie, and 2HKO several other Pokemon. Pursuit is Tyranitar's other STAB move, and is great for trapping frail Pokemon that switch out in fear of a powerful attack. Fire Blast is the preferred move in the last slot because it allows Tyranitar to defeat Forretress and Ferrothorn, while retaining the ability to hurt Breloom, Genesect, and Scizor.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Sassy is the preferred nature, since it lowers Tyranitar's already dismal Speed while maximizing its Special Defense. If more power is desired, a more offensive spread and an Adamant nature can be used, but this comes at the cost of a noticeable decrease in special bulk. Superpower can be used to get a more solid hit on several Pokemon, such as Terrakion (who must be hit on the switch), opposing Tyranitar, and Mamoswine. Stone Edge is an option if you want to use Tyranitar's other STAB type. Keep in mind, though, that the lack of Fire Blast or Superpower gives the Fighting-types in OU a free switch, allowing them to set up and wreak havoc. If your team already has Stealth Rock on another Pokemon, then an extra coverage move can be used in that slot.</p>
<p>While Leftovers may be the preferred item, a Chople or Lum Berry can be used instead. A Chople Berry, while seemingly useless, is actually useful for taking Focus Blasts and Superpowers from the Therian formes, Reuniclus, and Hydreigon. Lum Berry sees some use in granting Tyranitar a temporary immunity to status, granting it the ability to best defensive Ninetales and Politoed, and other Pokemon that rely on status. At the cost of a small amount of recovery each turn, Shed Shell can also be used to avoid being trapped by Dugtrio or Wobbuffet, helping Tyranitar win the weather war for the rest of its team.</p>
<p>Thanks to its massive defenses, Hippowdon doesn't fear anything from this set, aside from the rare Ice Beam. In return, Hippowdon can stall Tyranitar out with Slack Off or force a switch with Earthquake. Fighting-types have always been Tyranitar's bane, and this generation has only added to the myriad of Pokemon that counter Tyranitar reliably. In particular, Tyranitar fears facing Terrakion, Keldeo, Conkeldurr, and Lucario, all of whom carry powerful STAB moves that hit Tyranitar on its weaker Defense stat and possess either a higher Speed stat or enough bulk to stomach at least two of Tyranitar's attacks. While it may be weak to Fire Blast, Breloom is a great Tyranitar counter due to its access to Spore and powerful STAB moves. Many of these Fighting-type Pokemon can be properly handled by Latios, Latias, and Reuniclus, all of which present their own unique advantages and disadvantages. If you want to take a more defensive approach, Amoonguss can be used to check Breloom, Virizion, and Keldeo, and Poison Heal Gliscor can be used to keep tabs on Terrakion, Lucario, and Conkeldurr, provided the latter two do not run Ice Punch. Scizor, with its powerful Bullet Punch and U-turn, is also a massive problem for Tyranitar; Magnezone and Heatran are thus great partners due to their ability to reliably take Scizor down. Garchomp, Terrakion, Landorus, and Stoutland are great offensive partners, as all of them benefit greatly from sandstorm.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is similar to the quintessential Choice Scarf set that can be seen on many offensively inclined Pokemon, but Tyranitar's Choice Scarf set is special because it can outpace and trap many common, threatening Pokemon, ranging from offensive Psychic-type behemoths such as the Latios to frail weather sweepers such as Sawsbuck and Starmie. However, it fails to outpace Tornadus-T and Alakazam, both of which are capable of OHKOing with Superpower and Focus Blast, respectively, which is this set's largest shortcoming. Pursuit is listed first because this set's primary purpose is to trap and kill off weakened Pokemon. Crunch lets Tyranitar get a harder hit on Jellicent and Reuniclus, Pokemon that can usually tank a Pursuit when they don't switch. Stone Edge is Tyranitar's most powerful STAB move, and gives it the power to revenge kill Flying-type Pokemon and unboosted Volcarona. Superpower is useful for catching opposing Lucario and Terrakion off-guard, providing they don't have a Choice Scarf as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If revenge killing opposing Gliscor and Landorus is something your team desperately needs, then Ice Beam and a Hasty nature can be used. Fire Punch can be used to throw Scizor and non-Choice Scarf Genesect off their hinges, but it doesn't exactly get the best neutral coverage and leaves Tyranitar open to Heatran. Fire Blast can be used with a Hasty nature to hit the aforementioned Pokemon with a stronger attack on the special side, but it has little utility outside of that. Earthquake can be used to get a stronger hit on Jirachi and Metagross, but is a lackluster option otherwise.</p>
<p>Since this Tyranitar is weaker than its Choice Band counterpart, it is more prone to being walled and forced out by physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory. As such, powerful partners, such as Choice Band Terrakion or Choice Specs Latios, should be used alongside it. Entry hazards are always appreciated due to the reduced power of this set; in particular, they allow Tyranitar to gain exceptional mileage when utilized on stall teams, who already utilize plenty of hazards and typically employ walls that can defeat the Fighting-types that plague Tyranitar. Alternatively, if a more offensive team style is desired, then Deoxys-D, Terrakion, or Scolipede can be used to guarantee the presence of hazards. Since this Tyranitar is adept at eliminating powerful but frail Ghost-types, Stoutland and Landorus make exceptional partners for it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Tyranitar's movepool is especially impressive, offering multiple options for boosting, from Hone Claws to Dragon Dance to Curse, a multitude of attacks, and a few support options. While Dragon Dance used to have a set of its own, the ubiquity of Technician Breloom as well as Tornadus-T, who outspeeds even after a Dragon Dance boost, has made it somewhat irrelevant. A mixed Dragon Dance set can be used to break stall, but it too faces the same problems a purely physical Dragon Dance set faces. TyraniBoah, a relic from the days of RSE OU, still holds some merit for stall-breaking thanks to its power and unpredictability behind a Substitute, but it is ultimately a lesser option due to the sheer force of offense reducing the usage of stall teams. Curse is still out there, but it faces the same problems the Dragon Dance sets face and is more vulnerable to Trick, due to Curse's speed-reducing effects. If you desire recovery outside of Leftovers on Tyranitar, then a Rest + Sleep Talk set can be used, but it is thwarted by faster Taunt users. Roar can be used to phaze out certain targets, but Tyranitar is an inferior phazer when compared to other choices, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory. Among the support moves offered by Tyranitar, Thunder Wave stands out as a fantastic option, since many Pokemon used to check it are fast Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis, and can be used to support itself and some of its slower teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Naturally, Fighting-types, which possess resistances to Tyranitar's STAB moves and STAB on moves that affect Tyranitar's largest weakness, are its best counters. Among them, Terrakion and Breloom are best suited to dealing with it, thanks to the former's access to Justified and the latter's powerful Technician-boosted Mach Punch. However, Terrakion must beware of a stray Superpower, and Breloom a Fire Blast or Ice Beam. Keldeo stands as a respectable counter, threatening Tyranitar with a powerful Secret Sword. Conkeldurr can use its own immense bulk and use Tyranitar as set-up fodder or force a KO on it with its powerful moves. While it must watch out for the same moves as Terrakion, Lucario is endowed with a 4x resistance to Tyranitar's STABs and access to Close Combat.</p>
<p>However, Fighting-types are not the only way to halt a Tyranitar's rampage. While it may not have a resistance to its Dark STAB, Hippowdon's massive physical bulk and access to reliable recovery in the form of Slack Off allows it to stall Tyranitar out ad infinitum. Gliscor, thanks to its massive Defense, Poison Heal, and powerful Earthquake, works well as a Tyranitar counter. While Landorus-T may not have Poison Heal, it does get Intimidate, which allows it to sponge even the strongest of hits from Tyranitar, and a massive base 145 Attack stat, making its Earthquake absurdly powerful. Steel-types also possess a resistance to its STAB moves and the ability to smack one of its weaknesses. Among them, Jirachi and Scizor stand out, with the latter only fearing an unexpected Fire Blast. Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress work as well, but they all must watch out for Fire Blast, and in the case of Ferrothorn, Superpower.</p>
<p>It's much easier to check Tyranitar than it is to counter it, thanks to its rather low Speed and horrendous defensive typing. Thanks to its access to Arena Trap, STAB Earthquake, and Reversal, Dugtrio can serve as one of the best Tyranitar checks in existence, unless Tyranitar chooses to run a Shed Shell. While it won't enjoy a powerful Crunch or Superpower, Garchomp can come in and threaten to KO with Earthquake or use it as set-up fodder. Users of Will-O-Wisp, such as Mew and Sableye, can easily render its gigantic Attack stat to naught. Ninetales, despite being weak to Stone Edge, can also send Tyranitar's Attack stat crashing down, with the extra bonus of shifting the weather with Drought. Other opposing weather inducers, Politoed and Abomasnow, are massive pains for Tyranitar to deal with, since they carry super-effective STAB attacks and rob Tyranitar of its Special Defense boost. Thanks to the Superpower tutor, Stoutland and Hydreigon are also good checks; the former can use sandstorm against Tyranitar, while the latter resists Tyranitar's Dark-type STAB and Fire Blast. Mamoswine, while not a newcomer to this list, is now an even better check thanks to Thick Fat, giving it a greater ability to switch in on Tyranitar.</p>
- Test shrang's Mixed DDTar [✓]
- Fix EVs for certain sets [✓]
- Reorder sets [✓]
- Reorder sets AGAIN [✓]
- Get QC approvals once testing and reordering is done [✓]
- Write a poem for the Tyrant (not Colonel M, but I will write him one if he wants one) [✓]
- Get GP checks for this bad boy [✓]
[BOX]--------------------------------
Status: DONE.
QC Approvals: [PK Gaming] || [ginganinja] || [shrang]
GP Checks: [bugmaniacbob] || [Engineer Pikachu]
--------------------------------[/BOX]
I wandered through the weird and lurid landscape of another planet...
[Overview]
<p>With Pokemon Black and White 2 came the Therian formes and Keldeo, all of whom have bolstered the power of rain teams and worn down Tyranitar's prominence like waves against a cliff. Some older threats, such as Breloom and Mamoswine, have had new life breathed into them with their Dream World abilities. A few new Pokemon have also been added to Tyranitar's list of headaches due to their new access to Superpower, courtesy of the move tutors, who have decided not to give Tyranitar much to improve its admittedly already impressive movepool. The same Fighting-types that troubled Tyranitar before still remain in OU, ready to pounce on it at any moment. The general pace of the metagame has increased, making Tyranitar's life in OU more difficult to maintain than ever before.</p>
<p>However, Tyranitar maintains a powerful and respectable niche as one of two automatic sandstorm inducers, which is important due to the the ubiquity of weather in OU. While Hippowdon may give Tyranitar a substantial amount of competition for a team slot, the tyrant has many advantages up its sleeve: increased special bulk under sandstorm, a better movepool, and the ability to smite many of its would-be counters on the switch with its raw power and impressive movepool. Tyranitar's ability to support potent sweepers, such as Landorus, Stoutland, Garchomp, and Sandslash, while fending off powerful specially-based threats, such as Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Starmie, further expand its niche in OU. Overall, while many new threats have conspired to dethrone the tyrant, they have yet to succeed, for Tyranitar has retained an iron grasp on its throne as one of the many kings of OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, it is easy to see why Tyranitar is one of the most-feared Pokemon in OU. Boasting an absolutely massive 604 Attack, not many Pokemon will have business switching in on it. Opposing weather inducers not named Hippowdon will fear switching into its powerful attacks, making this set ideal for those that want to win the weather war decisively. Stall teams will be hard-pressed to keep up with its onslaught due to the sheer power it possesses, and offensive teams won't like having to sacrifice one of their team members so another one can receive a free switch-in.</p>
<p>Despite its accuracy, Stone Edge is Tyranitar's main STAB move solely for its power and is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing those that lack a resistance to it and even some that do. Crunch is a more accurate move that lets Tyranitar make short work of Jellicent, Reuniclus, and Celebi. Pursuit gives Tyranitar the ability to trap and kill the frail Psychic- and Ghost-types that would rather not stay in on any of Tyranitar's attacks. Superpower is the best move to use in the last slot, due to its ability to brutalize Steel-types and other Pokemon that resist its STAB moves. Superpower also gives Tyranitar the ability to land a crippling blow on Keldeo and Breloom, two of its biggest enemies, on the switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread maximizes Tyranitar's power while giving it the ability to outpace uninvested base 70s. The remaining EVs are placed into HP to give Tyranitar more bulk. Aqua Tail can be used over Superpower to smack Pokemon like Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Donphan around, but that is usually better left to teammates. Ice Punch can be used to get a surprise blow on powerful Dragons, but most are already hit hard enough by Stone Edge and the main Dragon-types Tyranitar should be facing, Latios and Latias, are scared witless by Crunch and Pursuit. Fire Punch is a great move for those that want to nab a surprise KO on Scizor, one of Tyranitar's most common counters. Earthquake provides mostly redundant coverage, but it still can see some use if your team is vulnerable to Jirachi, Tentacruel, or Metagross. More often than not, however, Superpower is the better option.</p>
<p>This set has few guaranteed counters due to its sheer power, but unfortunately it does have plenty of checks. The foremost among these is Physically Defensive Hippowdon, who can switch in fearing little other than a boosted Aqua Tail, which is fairly rare on Tyranitar, and stall it out with Slack Off or go for the kill with Earthquake. Landorus-T and Gliscor function almost as well as Hippowdon, but both must watch out for Stone Edge as well as Aqua Tail. While Breloom, Terrakion, and Keldeo won't enjoy taking a Superpower, they can switch in on Tyranitar's STAB moves and force it out with the threat of powerful Fighting-type moves. Teammates such as Latios, Latias, and Reuniclus make great checks and counters to those Fighting-types. This also works in reverse; Keldeo and other Fighting-types appreciate Tyranitar's ability to annihilate Latios and Latias, and in turn, Tyranitar appreciates their ability to lure in Psychic-types, most of which are easy prey for it. While Garchomp will not enjoy eating a STAB Crunch, it can easily switch into Tyranitar's other moves and threaten it with its STAB Earthquake. Other offensive monsters such as Landorus, Terrakion, Garchomp, and Stoutland enjoy the sandstorm and wall-breaking power that Tyranitar brings along. As Tyranitar has trouble with physical walls that resist its STAB moves, Pokemon such as Heatran form great partnerships with it. If special bulk is prioritized over power, then an EV spread of 252 HP / 36 Atk / 220 SpD can be used at the expense of quite a bit of power.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Fire Blast / Superpower / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy / Careful
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With appropriate investment and the Special Defense boost in a sandstorm, Tyranitar gains the ability to combat several notable specially-based threats, such as Latios, Ninetales, and Jolteon. Tyranitar can also reliably set up Stealth Rock because of its ability to threaten the Pokemon that possess Magic Bounce with its powerful Dark-type STAB attacks. Stealth Rock is the only hazard Tyranitar sets up, but it is enough to easily cripple several important OU Pokemon, such as Ninetales, Volcarona, and Thundurus-T. Crunch is Tyranitar's most reliable STAB move, due to its ability to OHKO targets such as Latios, Gengar, and Starmie, and 2HKO several other Pokemon. Pursuit is Tyranitar's other STAB move, and is great for trapping frail Pokemon that switch out in fear of a powerful attack. Fire Blast is the preferred move in the last slot because it allows Tyranitar to defeat Forretress and Ferrothorn, while retaining the ability to hurt Breloom, Genesect, and Scizor.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Sassy is the preferred nature, since it lowers Tyranitar's already dismal Speed while maximizing its Special Defense. If more power is desired, a more offensive spread and an Adamant nature can be used, but this comes at the cost of a noticeable decrease in special bulk. Superpower can be used to get a more solid hit on several Pokemon, such as Terrakion (who must be hit on the switch), opposing Tyranitar, and Mamoswine. Stone Edge is an option if you want to use Tyranitar's other STAB type. Keep in mind, though, that the lack of Fire Blast or Superpower gives the Fighting-types in OU a free switch, allowing them to set up and wreak havoc. If your team already has Stealth Rock on another Pokemon, then an extra coverage move can be used in that slot.</p>
<p>While Leftovers may be the preferred item, a Chople or Lum Berry can be used instead. A Chople Berry, while seemingly useless, is actually useful for taking Focus Blasts and Superpowers from the Therian formes, Reuniclus, and Hydreigon. Lum Berry sees some use in granting Tyranitar a temporary immunity to status, granting it the ability to best defensive Ninetales and Politoed, and other Pokemon that rely on status. At the cost of a small amount of recovery each turn, Shed Shell can also be used to avoid being trapped by Dugtrio or Wobbuffet, helping Tyranitar win the weather war for the rest of its team.</p>
<p>Thanks to its massive defenses, Hippowdon doesn't fear anything from this set, aside from the rare Ice Beam. In return, Hippowdon can stall Tyranitar out with Slack Off or force a switch with Earthquake. Fighting-types have always been Tyranitar's bane, and this generation has only added to the myriad of Pokemon that counter Tyranitar reliably. In particular, Tyranitar fears facing Terrakion, Keldeo, Conkeldurr, and Lucario, all of whom carry powerful STAB moves that hit Tyranitar on its weaker Defense stat and possess either a higher Speed stat or enough bulk to stomach at least two of Tyranitar's attacks. While it may be weak to Fire Blast, Breloom is a great Tyranitar counter due to its access to Spore and powerful STAB moves. Many of these Fighting-type Pokemon can be properly handled by Latios, Latias, and Reuniclus, all of which present their own unique advantages and disadvantages. If you want to take a more defensive approach, Amoonguss can be used to check Breloom, Virizion, and Keldeo, and Poison Heal Gliscor can be used to keep tabs on Terrakion, Lucario, and Conkeldurr, provided the latter two do not run Ice Punch. Scizor, with its powerful Bullet Punch and U-turn, is also a massive problem for Tyranitar; Magnezone and Heatran are thus great partners due to their ability to reliably take Scizor down. Garchomp, Terrakion, Landorus, and Stoutland are great offensive partners, as all of them benefit greatly from sandstorm.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is similar to the quintessential Choice Scarf set that can be seen on many offensively inclined Pokemon, but Tyranitar's Choice Scarf set is special because it can outpace and trap many common, threatening Pokemon, ranging from offensive Psychic-type behemoths such as the Latios to frail weather sweepers such as Sawsbuck and Starmie. However, it fails to outpace Tornadus-T and Alakazam, both of which are capable of OHKOing with Superpower and Focus Blast, respectively, which is this set's largest shortcoming. Pursuit is listed first because this set's primary purpose is to trap and kill off weakened Pokemon. Crunch lets Tyranitar get a harder hit on Jellicent and Reuniclus, Pokemon that can usually tank a Pursuit when they don't switch. Stone Edge is Tyranitar's most powerful STAB move, and gives it the power to revenge kill Flying-type Pokemon and unboosted Volcarona. Superpower is useful for catching opposing Lucario and Terrakion off-guard, providing they don't have a Choice Scarf as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If revenge killing opposing Gliscor and Landorus is something your team desperately needs, then Ice Beam and a Hasty nature can be used. Fire Punch can be used to throw Scizor and non-Choice Scarf Genesect off their hinges, but it doesn't exactly get the best neutral coverage and leaves Tyranitar open to Heatran. Fire Blast can be used with a Hasty nature to hit the aforementioned Pokemon with a stronger attack on the special side, but it has little utility outside of that. Earthquake can be used to get a stronger hit on Jirachi and Metagross, but is a lackluster option otherwise.</p>
<p>Since this Tyranitar is weaker than its Choice Band counterpart, it is more prone to being walled and forced out by physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory. As such, powerful partners, such as Choice Band Terrakion or Choice Specs Latios, should be used alongside it. Entry hazards are always appreciated due to the reduced power of this set; in particular, they allow Tyranitar to gain exceptional mileage when utilized on stall teams, who already utilize plenty of hazards and typically employ walls that can defeat the Fighting-types that plague Tyranitar. Alternatively, if a more offensive team style is desired, then Deoxys-D, Terrakion, or Scolipede can be used to guarantee the presence of hazards. Since this Tyranitar is adept at eliminating powerful but frail Ghost-types, Stoutland and Landorus make exceptional partners for it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Tyranitar's movepool is especially impressive, offering multiple options for boosting, from Hone Claws to Dragon Dance to Curse, a multitude of attacks, and a few support options. While Dragon Dance used to have a set of its own, the ubiquity of Technician Breloom as well as Tornadus-T, who outspeeds even after a Dragon Dance boost, has made it somewhat irrelevant. A mixed Dragon Dance set can be used to break stall, but it too faces the same problems a purely physical Dragon Dance set faces. TyraniBoah, a relic from the days of RSE OU, still holds some merit for stall-breaking thanks to its power and unpredictability behind a Substitute, but it is ultimately a lesser option due to the sheer force of offense reducing the usage of stall teams. Curse is still out there, but it faces the same problems the Dragon Dance sets face and is more vulnerable to Trick, due to Curse's speed-reducing effects. If you desire recovery outside of Leftovers on Tyranitar, then a Rest + Sleep Talk set can be used, but it is thwarted by faster Taunt users. Roar can be used to phaze out certain targets, but Tyranitar is an inferior phazer when compared to other choices, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory. Among the support moves offered by Tyranitar, Thunder Wave stands out as a fantastic option, since many Pokemon used to check it are fast Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis, and can be used to support itself and some of its slower teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Naturally, Fighting-types, which possess resistances to Tyranitar's STAB moves and STAB on moves that affect Tyranitar's largest weakness, are its best counters. Among them, Terrakion and Breloom are best suited to dealing with it, thanks to the former's access to Justified and the latter's powerful Technician-boosted Mach Punch. However, Terrakion must beware of a stray Superpower, and Breloom a Fire Blast or Ice Beam. Keldeo stands as a respectable counter, threatening Tyranitar with a powerful Secret Sword. Conkeldurr can use its own immense bulk and use Tyranitar as set-up fodder or force a KO on it with its powerful moves. While it must watch out for the same moves as Terrakion, Lucario is endowed with a 4x resistance to Tyranitar's STABs and access to Close Combat.</p>
<p>However, Fighting-types are not the only way to halt a Tyranitar's rampage. While it may not have a resistance to its Dark STAB, Hippowdon's massive physical bulk and access to reliable recovery in the form of Slack Off allows it to stall Tyranitar out ad infinitum. Gliscor, thanks to its massive Defense, Poison Heal, and powerful Earthquake, works well as a Tyranitar counter. While Landorus-T may not have Poison Heal, it does get Intimidate, which allows it to sponge even the strongest of hits from Tyranitar, and a massive base 145 Attack stat, making its Earthquake absurdly powerful. Steel-types also possess a resistance to its STAB moves and the ability to smack one of its weaknesses. Among them, Jirachi and Scizor stand out, with the latter only fearing an unexpected Fire Blast. Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress work as well, but they all must watch out for Fire Blast, and in the case of Ferrothorn, Superpower.</p>
<p>It's much easier to check Tyranitar than it is to counter it, thanks to its rather low Speed and horrendous defensive typing. Thanks to its access to Arena Trap, STAB Earthquake, and Reversal, Dugtrio can serve as one of the best Tyranitar checks in existence, unless Tyranitar chooses to run a Shed Shell. While it won't enjoy a powerful Crunch or Superpower, Garchomp can come in and threaten to KO with Earthquake or use it as set-up fodder. Users of Will-O-Wisp, such as Mew and Sableye, can easily render its gigantic Attack stat to naught. Ninetales, despite being weak to Stone Edge, can also send Tyranitar's Attack stat crashing down, with the extra bonus of shifting the weather with Drought. Other opposing weather inducers, Politoed and Abomasnow, are massive pains for Tyranitar to deal with, since they carry super-effective STAB attacks and rob Tyranitar of its Special Defense boost. Thanks to the Superpower tutor, Stoutland and Hydreigon are also good checks; the former can use sandstorm against Tyranitar, while the latter resists Tyranitar's Dark-type STAB and Fire Blast. Mamoswine, while not a newcomer to this list, is now an even better check thanks to Thick Fat, giving it a greater ability to switch in on Tyranitar.</p>
