[AG] Rayquaza (first half) [QC: 3/3] [GP: 2/2]

Funbot28

Banned deucer.
Yay first analysis getting started :)
approved by: unfixable


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rayquaza-mega.gif
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QC: Megazard l Zangooser l HunterStorm
GP: (Luka~) Snobalt l The Dutch Plumberjack

​
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Rayquaza is a dominant force in the current Anything Goes metagame, with its amazing 180 offensive stats coupled with a great Dragon / Flying offensive typing making it one of the best wallbreakers in the tier. Its STAB moves combined with its great coverage make it difficult to find checks and counters that can reliably switch into its attacks. It also has great durability for an offensive pokemon, as its amazing defensive typing in conjunction with Delta Stream cutting the damage from some super effective moves in half and canceling out opposing Primal weather means it can provide great defensive synergy on offensively oriented teams. Mega Rayquaza has a diverse movepool with priority in Extreme Speed, two setup moves in Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, and amazing coverage letting it hit most of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Its lack of needing to hold a Mega Stone also helps increase the diversity between its sets, meaning it can have more options compared to other Mega Evolutions.

However, although it has a high base Speed, it still does not outspeed key threats in Deoxys-A, Darkrai, and Mewtwo, leaving it reliant on priority to take them out. This is an issue, as Mega Rayquaza is often forced to run Extreme Speed so that it cannot be revenge killed easily, especially before Mega Evolving. Being slower than Arceus also means that it can be taken out by the latter's Extreme Speed. Lastly, Mega Rayquaza takes up your team's Mega slot, preventing you from running other Mega Evolutions.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Ascent
move 3: Earthquake / V-create
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Lum Berry
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance boosts Mega Rayquaza's Attack and Speed by one stage, making it capable of sweeping many teams even after only one boost. Dragon Ascent 2HKOes most neutral targets after one Attack boost, including Primal Groudon, Lugia, and Arceus. Earthquake provides coverage on common Pokemon that resist Flying such as Klefki, Rock Arceus, and Steel Arceus. V-create is an alternative that allows Mega Rayquaza to hit Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Steel Arceus, and Skarmory for significantly more damage; however, its stats drops in conjunction with those of Dragon Ascent can make Mega Rayquaza get worn down more easily. Extreme Speed is a useful for priority move, hitting before Arceus's Extreme Speed after one Dragon Dance boost. It also reliably hits foes when Mega Rayquaza does not have any boosts.

Set Details
========
Lum Berry allows Mega Rayquaza to sponge one status move and retaliate with a powerful attack. This helps it defeat Klefki and Mega Sableye more reliably. An Adamant nature increases Mega Rayquaza's raw power, and Mega Rayquaza does not need to maximize its Speed due to Dragon Dance boosting its Speed stat already. However, Jolly can still be run if you prefer Mega Rayquaza to outspeed Pokemon like Mega Diancie and Latios before any boosts. This depends on what your team requires Mega Rayquaza to accomplish. Finally, the EVs are maximized in Attack and Speed to give Mega Rayquaza the best chance of sweeping.

Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should be used late-game, once the opposing team is weakened so that it can start setting up freely. Notable Pokemon that Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza prefers to be weakened are Steel-types that are not hit super effectively by Ground-type attacks, as well as bulky Fairy-types that can survive a +1 Dragon Ascent. Also, make sure Mega Rayquaza does not try to set up on Pokemonthat can potentially cripple it. Even if Mega Rayquaza is running Lum Berry, Pokemon like Klefki and bulky Arceus can either paralyze or burn it again after setting up. Try not to bring Mega Rayquaza in on attacks, even if they are neutral, as it might then be too weakened to take priority moves. Lastly, avoid using Dragon Ascent when it is unnecessary, such as when Mega Rayquaza is facing a weakened Xerneas or Ground Arceus; if it is capable of taking them out with a +1 Earthquake, it is recommended to use that instead of Dragon Ascent, as the stat drops can leave Mega Rayquaza susceptible to priority moves afterwards.

Team Options
========
Thanks to Mega Rayquaza's immaculate offensive prowess and wallbreaking capabilities, it can easily fit onto any offensive team. Specially defensive Primal Groudon is an amazing partner for Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza, as even if it is running Lum Berry, it still does not appreciate status, and utilizing Primal Groudon to sponge burns and paralysis can save Mega Rayquaza's Lum Berry for foes like Swagger Klefki. Primal Groudon can also set up Stealth Rock and deal with Fairies such as Xerneas and Fairy Arceus, which can force Mega Rayquaza out. Klefki can absorb Fairy-type and Dragon-type attacks as well as spread paralysis, which can help Mega Rayquaza to sweep later on; in return, Mega Rayquaza has no problem switching into the Fire-type and Ground-type moves that Klefki is weak to. Mega Diancie is a huge threat for Mega Rayquaza, as it can outspeed and KO it if it hasn't obtained any boosts. Luckily, Calm Mind Steel Arceus is a great counter to Mega Diancie, as well as to Fairy Arceus, defensive Yveltal, and non-Focus Blast Xerneas. Entry hazard removers such as Fairy Arceus, Latios, and Latias are recommended, as Mega Rayquaza appreciates having Stealth Rock off the field and can weaken their checks and counters such as Klefki and Steel Arceus with Earthquake in return. Entry setters are also recommended, as Mega Rayquaza can sometimes get crucial KOs on foes with entry hazards up, such as Arceus after one boost and Multiscale Lugia. Other physical wallbreakers like Ground Arceus and Ghost Arceus can be used to weaken Mega Rayquaza's checks and apply more offensive pressure to the opposing team. Steel-types such as Steel Arceus and Ferrothorn have amazing defensive synergy with Mega Rayquaza, as they can take Fairy-type attacks easily and can set up entry hazards to boost

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Dragon Ascent
move 3: Earthquake / V-create
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Air Lock
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Mega Rayquaza's Attack to insane levels, letting it easily OHKO or 2HKO the entire metagame after one boost. Dragon Ascent allows Mega Rayquaza to hit Pokemon like Xerneas, Ho-Oh, and Lugia for powerful neutral damage. Earthquake provides nice coverage in conjunction with Dragon Ascent, letting Mega Rayquaza hit threats like Primal Groudon, Rock Arceus, and Klefki super effectively. V-create can be used instead to hit Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Skarmory for super effective damage, which Earthquake cannot do; however, the stat drops from V-create coupled with those from Dragon Ascent can make Mega Rayquaza get worn down quite quickly. Extreme Speed should be used to hit faster threats that can threaten to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza.

Set Details
========
Life Orb is generally preferred to get key KOs on Pokemon that would otherwise be able to survive a +2 attack from Mega Rayquaza. Lum Berry is a popular alternative that allows Mega Rayquaza to sponge Thunder Wave or Swagger from Klefki or Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye and Fairy Arceus and retaliate without suffering recoil from Life Orb. A Jolly nature is preferred, as it allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed Pokemon that can threaten it like Mega Diancie, Adamant Arceus, Modest Latios and Latias, and Lugia. Adamant can also be used to get the almost-guaranteed 2HKO with Dragon Ascent against Multiscale Lugia, although Mega Rayquaza is then outsped by those other Pokemon. Speed and Attack EVs are maximized to let Mega Rayquaza outspeed as much of the metagame and deal as much damage as possible.

Usage Tips
========
Because Mega Rayquaza cannot boost its Speed with this set, it risks being revenge killed against more offensive teams. However, it performs well against stall teams, where it has an easier time setting up against Pokemon that cannot deal significant damage to it. It is generally preferred to sweep with Swords Dance Mega Rayquaza later on during the match, letting teammates take care of threats like Primal Groudon and Klefki, which can hamper Mega Rayquaza's sweeping capabilities at full health. Mega Rayquaza should also not be switching in on powerful attacks, meaning it should only come in after a teammate has been KOed. It is advised to conserve its health until the late-game, as that is when it will be able to sweep most effectively. However, it also appreciates coming in on weakened Pokemon so that it can revenge kill them with Extreme Speed, which guarantees a free Mega Evolution. Mega Rayquaza should avoid setting up on defensive Arceus formes, as they can threaten to cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. However, it can OHKO Fairy Arceus, one of its best counters, with a +2 Adamant Dragon Ascent after Stealth Rock. It also appreciates being at near-full health against offensive Arceus formes due to their inability to revenge kill a healthy Mega Rayquaza even with a +2 Extreme Speed. Being able to bluff whether or not your Mega Rayquaza has V-create or Earthquake can also come to your advantage, as your opponent will need to be wary of which Pokemon they can bring in to check it.

Team Options
========
Physically defensive Primal Groudon can deal with Fairy-types such as Xerneas, Klekfi, and Fairy Arceus, which threaten to take out Mega Rayquaza. It can also take priority moves from faster revenge killers, which Mega Rayquaza is quite vulnerable to, as well as Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave, which would otherwise cripple Mega Rayquaza, particularly if it runs Life Orb. Entry hazard removal is not mandatory, but it's heavily encouraged, as Mega Rayquaza tends to switch in and out quite often. Water Arceus is a nice teammate to do this, as it can take on Primal Groudon quite easily. Entry hazard setters such as Primal Groudon and Deoxys-S are also very nice to have, as they can grant Mega Rayquaza more OHKOs and break Lugia's Multiscale. Wallbreakers such as Nasty Plot Darkrai and Calm Mind Primal Kyogre are also nice to take care of bulky walls such as Fairy Arceus and Multiscale Lugia that threaten Mega Rayquaza. Pokemon like Xerneas and Latios that are threatened by Steel-types also work very well with Mega Rayquaza if it runs V-create, as it can lure and break down Ferrothorn and Skarmory.

continued here
 
Last edited:
Funbot28 said:
Ok ready for QC!
Also, is Primal Groudon considered a check or counter?

Tagging Zangooser Megazard Trickster Joshz Gunner Rohan
Click to expand...
Just quickly since I don't have time to QC this yet. Primal Groudon is neither a check nor counter for Rayquaza as Rayquaza doesn't have any trouble with Groudon and is more often seen as a Primal-Groudon-check if anything.

Dragon Dance is a much more popular and fairly more viable set than Swords Dance. Definitely state the DD set first.

Also please never mass tag.

There are only two GP checks.

A lot of the formatting needs to be fixed to comply with the standards set.

I see a lot of issues but I'll leave them for when I have time to do the QC.
 
Yeah what gooser said, put DD first, Pdon doesnt belong, don't mass tag, only 2 gp checks, formatting fixes. Look at other analyses for formatting, but the checks and counters are in a different style without bullet points and OO should be in bullet point format. Still, I'll try to check around those and there's so much stuff here I won't be stamping it yet anyway. I think you should really work on beefing this up, it's an important analysis yet most of your points are things I'd know just from reading the smogdex or having a very rudimentary knowledge of the metagame. There's little depth here.

Overview
The first bullet doesn't really have any substance, maybe you can say something about how it's a dominant threat in the meta but no fluff pls
Amazing 180 offensive stats coupled with great Dragon/Flying offensive typing means what now? Elaborate, this is noteworthy because it makes it an amazing breaker/cleaner but the information in and of itself is already displayed at the top of the analysis on the stats spread
Not being forced to hold a mega stone can be slotted into the fourth bullet as it helps increase set diversity, not huge enough for its own mention
Expand on the slowness thing to say that Ekiller also beats it with Espeed which sucks
Its defenses really don't suck? Better than most offensive things other than arceus and like, Pdon. But way above mewtwo, darkrai, etc. In fact, mention how it has solid bulk for an offensive mon and that + great defensive typing + delta stream lets it not be a waste of teamslot synergy wise etc. and merge that with the delta stream bullet
Some mention of how it takes up your mega slot so you lose magic bounce/some other good mega should be somewhere in here

Swords Dance (doing this first bc it's above but swap the place with DD still)
Don't slash EQ after Espeed, it's already a first slash above and Espeed is a 100% necessary slot rly
More of a GP thing but attack EVs go before def EVs

Moves
Elaborate on dragon ascent's purpose and what it hits, not just "gud stab". Also you don't need to mention that it's necessary to mega
Actually mention what V-Create hits and why you'd want to use it over EQ
Remove mentions of not running Espeed bc that's dumb

Set Details
Specify what's using Wisp vs Ray
The bullet about natures is a little odd. Just basically say it boils down to handling lugia better w/ada vs losing out to those few things

Usage Tips
Judgement isn't really unexpected from arc and ray can just SD on Ice Beam lugia and KO it as long as multiscale is broken and SD on all non-fairy defensive arceus forms' judgement. What makes more sense is to say avoid setting up on defensive arceus as they can burn with wisp, and since they're faster they can do it twice to lum sets B
This UT is really basic and bare, it could use more. Off the top of my head mention how you want to be at good health vs arc formes so they cant revenge you as +2 espeed fails to KO and beware of being revenged by Ekiller's faster Espeed. Also something about bluffing eq/v-create might be nice

Team Options
Specify what walls threaten megaray
Add in your own hazard setters since they help get more KOs and break lugia multiscale
Mention how things that want steels gone go nice with V-Create megaray since it can break down skarm/ferro/etc for them

Dragon Dance (again, move this up)
Deslash surf. This is just bad on DD. You're KOing don with chip anyway and it's really not worth
With that, remove special attack EVs and fix the nature. Put Adamant, it's far more useful since you can actually boost speed unlike DD. No more timid or jolly. Why would you ever use timid and lower the attack of the physically biased DD megaray anyway
Stop putting EQ behind Espeed, there's literally no point to it. However, we're trying to decide whether it is worth slashing something with Espeed, we may add something. The thing is it's not totally useful, but the next best things are like, draco meteor and v-create which are mediocre as hell too.

Moves
No more surf
You don't need to mention that ascent is necessary to mega
"more dangerous vs offensive teams" is vague as all hell. It's for sweeping shit, this should be apparent, but that just sounds awful
Again, "generally a great move" does not tell me what it hits, what it does, etc
Instead of just saying threats (incredibly vague and doesn't give me anything useful) you could say something like "common Flying-type resists"
Get rid of the EQ after Espeed. Say what Espeed does too, it's for beating Ekiller at +1 and hitting things while unboosted.

Set Details
Sponge status from what?
Only mention adamant, how it increases power while still beating p much everything unboosted. However, put jolly as a set details option because you do beat mega diancie and the latis unboosted which can be important for some teams
Remove the surf mentions

Usage Tips
The first bullet is a team option? But don't put it there, just get rid of it
Give examples of checks and counters you want to wear down, you cant just reference a group of pokemon and not give examples in an analysis
The phrasing of the third/last bullet is really odd, all you're trying to say is "not best bulk, don't bring it directly in"
Super bare. This needs a ton more stuff. Like, this is the main set of our flagship S rank, even if it was any analysis this would be too little, I'm just trying to stress how this isn't just a "throw in a few tips and we're good" situation. Are there scenarios where you want to avoid ascending to keep defenses? are there things that you might outwardly be able to set up on that you cant? What are your main targets for the seemingly unecessary Espeed? These are all good things to answer (I assume I don't need to elaborate on these answers?)

Usage Tips
Try not to CP the same language from previous sets and don't use still to reference the other ones
Sash Darkrai really isn't too common or good, a better example might be getting a guaranteed KO on ekiller with +1 ascent rather than about 56%
Still bare. More physical breakers like Groundceus to help weaken checks, lures/breakers for skarm and lugia which are its biggest stops (also mega gengar to remove them), etc

Mixed Life Orb Attacker
Obligatory EQ does not need to be slashed after Espeed here please remove it
The EV spread is a bit tricky. You say it's what you need to OHKO don but that's for regular, mega's 30 extra special attack makes investment uneccesary for that. Just go with a regular 4 special attack set for now, if we (qc) come up with some more optimal investment we'll mention it but I don't believe there's anything relevant to add here?
Similarly, you're slashing too many natures for no reason. Do you really want to cut into attack at all? I'd leave only naive at this point, and unless we come up with a really specific EV spread there shouldnt be any reason to reduce your 180 offenses.
It's not Sp.Atk, it's SpA

Moves
Still doesnt really explain what draco does (bop phys def things coming in and being strong vs other dragons. "strong dragon move that 2hkos the entire tier" not only isn't particularly explanatory, it's wrong since draco doesnt really do that at all
You don't need to mention that ascent is necessary to mega. Also this is long and odd and I'm sure you could write this better, although that could come in the write up
Give examples of steels eq hits and also mention how it hits rocks (diancie, rockceus) unlike fire blast bc they both hit steels
No more second EQ mention

Set Details
No need to call the only item "generally seen", it should always be seen. Fluff can be dangerous
Only mention naive here and no need to say exactly why over hasty, maybe just a quick mention of why dropping one defense is better than the other
Change the EV spread and description to what I talked about above

Usage Tips
The first one is just really vague. What you're more looking for is "Bring Rayquaza in frequently early game to break down opposing teams, as it has very few checks and its switchins can be dominated with the correct coverage move". Like don't copy exactly that but that sounds more like what you're going for. Just put something like that in place of the first 2 bullets
I think you mean safely bring in rayquaza, although elaborate on how
Again, beef this up, similar things as earlier sets but also advice on when it's worth using draco over ascent or something along those lines would be good

Team Options
Instead of specify dual dance, just say RP sets (or maybe "rock polish or dual dance") because either one works with this ray not just dual dance. Also specify why don works well still (fairy check and status immunities), don't assume people have already read the other sets while doing this
Hazard support and removal
If running eq, the same steel check/removing support as DD should be mentioned here

Other Options
This should be in bullet point form. However, I'm QCing this as if your bullets are specs/regular/dual dance/
Mention how specs is more for the surprise factor to KO things like phys def lugia, dropping dragon ascent isn't the only drawback it's also dropping priority Espeed, having your best move (draco) drop stats and being locked into a move for fairies to abuse sucks, and it's generally inferior
Mention how regular ray is outclassed, but also why you'd want to run it: still good breaker that doesn't take up the mega slot
Don't put Pdon as outclassing dual dance, sure they both do the set but they're run so differently it's not a great analogy
Mention Choice Band, this is good. Give the full moveset for it, it needs a serious mention (ideally first of the bullets because it's important) and it only barely misses out on full set
Mention scarf, this should be more negative
Mention bulky, this is mediocre

C&C
Fix formatting
There's no reason to mention Klefki and Fairy-types separately, combine these
There's no reason to waste space with things like "they're not affected by strong winds", if it doesnt affect them then just don't bring it up.
Language like "they can usually tend to" just needs to be fixed, and the whole fairy type thing is really vague, they can take unboosted ray, especially defensive xern/arc fairy, and KO with their respective STAB attacks. Also say how fast bulky fairyceus and scarf xern are faster which is v important
The whole second sentence of lugia is confusing, I think you mean that its reliance on multiscale makes it susceptible to being KOd after SR by boosted ray? Please make this more clear in the writing
Language is still not good on faster pokemon, I still recommend you look at other analyses to get a better idea for this. The overall ideas are good though. Give a better mention as to how faster pokemon will lose to boosted espeed/+1 speed ray/espeed when weakened. Add mentions of scarfers like sect and kyu-w
In between Lugia and offensive Pokemon (c&c are ordered by threat level) add a section for status
After all of the above including status add a section for Steel-types, and talk about how they wall some ray but have issues with V-create or fire blast sets. Oh and mega scizor/lucario/metagross resist Espeed and can BP weakened ray with def drops I suppose

This is a massive amount of stuff (took me forever), so tag me when it's done and I'll look over again Funbot28
 
Megazard said:
Yeah what gooser said, put DD first, Pdon doesnt belong, don't mass tag, only 2 gp checks, formatting fixes. Look at other analyses for formatting, but the checks and counters are in a different style without bullet points and OO should be in bullet point format. Still, I'll try to check around those and there's so much stuff here I won't be stamping it yet anyway. I think you should really work on beefing this up, it's an important analysis yet most of your points are things I'd know just from reading the smogdex or having a very rudimentary knowledge of the metagame. There's little depth here.

Overview
The first bullet doesn't really have any substance, maybe you can say something about how it's a dominant threat in the meta but no fluff pls
Amazing 180 offensive stats coupled with great Dragon/Flying offensive typing means what now? Elaborate, this is noteworthy because it makes it an amazing breaker/cleaner but the information in and of itself is already displayed at the top of the analysis on the stats spread
Not being forced to hold a mega stone can be slotted into the fourth bullet as it helps increase set diversity, not huge enough for its own mention
Expand on the slowness thing to say that Ekiller also beats it with Espeed which sucks
Its defenses really don't suck? Better than most offensive things other than arceus and like, Pdon. But way above mewtwo, darkrai, etc. In fact, mention how it has solid bulk for an offensive mon and that + great defensive typing + delta stream lets it not be a waste of teamslot synergy wise etc. and merge that with the delta stream bullet
Some mention of how it takes up your mega slot so you lose magic bounce/some other good mega should be somewhere in here

Swords Dance (doing this first bc it's above but swap the place with DD still)
Don't slash EQ after Espeed, it's already a first slash above and Espeed is a 100% necessary slot rly
More of a GP thing but attack EVs go before def EVs

Moves
Elaborate on dragon ascent's purpose and what it hits, not just "gud stab". Also you don't need to mention that it's necessary to mega
Actually mention what V-Create hits and why you'd want to use it over EQ
Remove mentions of not running Espeed bc that's dumb

Set Details
Specify what's using Wisp vs Ray
The bullet about natures is a little odd. Just basically say it boils down to handling lugia better w/ada vs losing out to those few things

Usage Tips
Judgement isn't really unexpected from arc and ray can just SD on Ice Beam lugia and KO it as long as multiscale is broken and SD on all non-fairy defensive arceus forms' judgement. What makes more sense is to say avoid setting up on defensive arceus as they can burn with wisp, and since they're faster they can do it twice to lum sets B
This UT is really basic and bare, it could use more. Off the top of my head mention how you want to be at good health vs arc formes so they cant revenge you as +2 espeed fails to KO and beware of being revenged by Ekiller's faster Espeed. Also something about bluffing eq/v-create might be nice

Team Options
Specify what walls threaten megaray
Add in your own hazard setters since they help get more KOs and break lugia multiscale
Mention how things that want steels gone go nice with V-Create megaray since it can break down skarm/ferro/etc for them

Dragon Dance (again, move this up)
Deslash surf. This is just bad on DD. You're KOing don with chip anyway and it's really not worth
With that, remove special attack EVs and fix the nature. Put Adamant, it's far more useful since you can actually boost speed unlike DD. No more timid or jolly. Why would you ever use timid and lower the attack of the physically biased DD megaray anyway
Stop putting EQ behind Espeed, there's literally no point to it. However, we're trying to decide whether it is worth slashing something with Espeed, we may add something. The thing is it's not totally useful, but the next best things are like, draco meteor and v-create which are mediocre as hell too.

Moves
No more surf
You don't need to mention that ascent is necessary to mega
"more dangerous vs offensive teams" is vague as all hell. It's for sweeping shit, this should be apparent, but that just sounds awful
Again, "generally a great move" does not tell me what it hits, what it does, etc
Instead of just saying threats (incredibly vague and doesn't give me anything useful) you could say something like "common Flying-type resists"
Get rid of the EQ after Espeed. Say what Espeed does too, it's for beating Ekiller at +1 and hitting things while unboosted.

Set Details
Sponge status from what?
Only mention adamant, how it increases power while still beating p much everything unboosted. However, put jolly as a set details option because you do beat mega diancie and the latis unboosted which can be important for some teams
Remove the surf mentions

Usage Tips
The first bullet is a team option? But don't put it there, just get rid of it
Give examples of checks and counters you want to wear down, you cant just reference a group of pokemon and not give examples in an analysis
The phrasing of the third/last bullet is really odd, all you're trying to say is "not best bulk, don't bring it directly in"
Super bare. This needs a ton more stuff. Like, this is the main set of our flagship S rank, even if it was any analysis this would be too little, I'm just trying to stress how this isn't just a "throw in a few tips and we're good" situation. Are there scenarios where you want to avoid ascending to keep defenses? are there things that you might outwardly be able to set up on that you cant? What are your main targets for the seemingly unecessary Espeed? These are all good things to answer (I assume I don't need to elaborate on these answers?)

Usage Tips
Try not to CP the same language from previous sets and don't use still to reference the other ones
Sash Darkrai really isn't too common or good, a better example might be getting a guaranteed KO on ekiller with +1 ascent rather than about 56%
Still bare. More physical breakers like Groundceus to help weaken checks, lures/breakers for skarm and lugia which are its biggest stops (also mega gengar to remove them), etc

Mixed Life Orb Attacker
Obligatory EQ does not need to be slashed after Espeed here please remove it
The EV spread is a bit tricky. You say it's what you need to OHKO don but that's for regular, mega's 30 extra special attack makes investment uneccesary for that. Just go with a regular 4 special attack set for now, if we (qc) come up with some more optimal investment we'll mention it but I don't believe there's anything relevant to add here?
Similarly, you're slashing too many natures for no reason. Do you really want to cut into attack at all? I'd leave only naive at this point, and unless we come up with a really specific EV spread there shouldnt be any reason to reduce your 180 offenses.
It's not Sp.Atk, it's SpA

Moves
Still doesnt really explain what draco does (bop phys def things coming in and being strong vs other dragons. "strong dragon move that 2hkos the entire tier" not only isn't particularly explanatory, it's wrong since draco doesnt really do that at all
You don't need to mention that ascent is necessary to mega. Also this is long and odd and I'm sure you could write this better, although that could come in the write up
Give examples of steels eq hits and also mention how it hits rocks (diancie, rockceus) unlike fire blast bc they both hit steels
No more second EQ mention

Set Details
No need to call the only item "generally seen", it should always be seen. Fluff can be dangerous
Only mention naive here and no need to say exactly why over hasty, maybe just a quick mention of why dropping one defense is better than the other
Change the EV spread and description to what I talked about above

Usage Tips
The first one is just really vague. What you're more looking for is "Bring Rayquaza in frequently early game to break down opposing teams, as it has very few checks and its switchins can be dominated with the correct coverage move". Like don't copy exactly that but that sounds more like what you're going for. Just put something like that in place of the first 2 bullets
I think you mean safely bring in rayquaza, although elaborate on how
Again, beef this up, similar things as earlier sets but also advice on when it's worth using draco over ascent or something along those lines would be good

Team Options
Instead of specify dual dance, just say RP sets (or maybe "rock polish or dual dance") because either one works with this ray not just dual dance. Also specify why don works well still (fairy check and status immunities), don't assume people have already read the other sets while doing this
Hazard support and removal
If running eq, the same steel check/removing support as DD should be mentioned here

Other Options
This should be in bullet point form. However, I'm QCing this as if your bullets are specs/regular/dual dance/
Mention how specs is more for the surprise factor to KO things like phys def lugia, dropping dragon ascent isn't the only drawback it's also dropping priority Espeed, having your best move (draco) drop stats and being locked into a move for fairies to abuse sucks, and it's generally inferior
Mention how regular ray is outclassed, but also why you'd want to run it: still good breaker that doesn't take up the mega slot
Don't put Pdon as outclassing dual dance, sure they both do the set but they're run so differently it's not a great analogy
Mention Choice Band, this is good. Give the full moveset for it, it needs a serious mention (ideally first of the bullets because it's important) and it only barely misses out on full set
Mention scarf, this should be more negative
Mention bulky, this is mediocre

C&C
Fix formatting
There's no reason to mention Klefki and Fairy-types separately, combine these
There's no reason to waste space with things like "they're not affected by strong winds", if it doesnt affect them then just don't bring it up.
Language like "they can usually tend to" just needs to be fixed, and the whole fairy type thing is really vague, they can take unboosted ray, especially defensive xern/arc fairy, and KO with their respective STAB attacks. Also say how fast bulky fairyceus and scarf xern are faster which is v important
The whole second sentence of lugia is confusing, I think you mean that its reliance on multiscale makes it susceptible to being KOd after SR by boosted ray? Please make this more clear in the writing
Language is still not good on faster pokemon, I still recommend you look at other analyses to get a better idea for this. The overall ideas are good though. Give a better mention as to how faster pokemon will lose to boosted espeed/+1 speed ray/espeed when weakened. Add mentions of scarfers like sect and kyu-w
In between Lugia and offensive Pokemon (c&c are ordered by threat level) add a section for status
After all of the above including status add a section for Steel-types, and talk about how they wall some ray but have issues with V-create or fire blast sets. Oh and mega scizor/lucario/metagross resist Espeed and can BP weakened ray with def drops I suppose

This is a massive amount of stuff (took me forever), so tag me when it's done and I'll look over again Funbot28
Click to expand...
Ok will try to fix this up, its my first analysis so I am a bit rusty
 
It looks like there are a few cases that you've kinda directly put down what I suggested, these should be guidelines for what to put not things for you to copy paste whatever QC tells you.

Overview
The last bullet is just long and awkward, all it needs to be is "slight opportunity cost in taking up a mega slot". That's the main point

DD Set Details
You don't need to mention the 4 EVs if they're just tossed into any stat and don't really have a purpose, like ray's not really taking priority moves better with the 4 def

SD Usage tips
  • Mega Rayquaza should avoid setting up on defensive Arceus formes, as they can threaten to cripple Mega Rayquaza with Will-O-Wisp. Since they are faster, they can also burn Mega Rayquaza twice if it choses to run Lum Berry, before it is able to attack with a non-priority move after setting up. Mega Rayquaza also appreciates being at near full health against offensive Arceus forms, due to Arceus not being able to revenge kill you at +2 with Extreme Speed, and to ensure that you have enough health to take Arceus's faster Extreme Speed.
Great example of "please don't just copy down what I say" because this is long and confusing, it basically just boils down to "don't set up on defensive arceus because they can status you". Then wanting to be at high health is a totally separate bullet

Mixed set details
If you're going to say LO gets KOs, then give examples. I don't know of any that LO specifically gets (I'm sure there are some if you wanted to look/calc) so you could just say that it increases overall power rather than implying that you specifically need it for one or two targets

Mixed usage tips

  • Choosing whether to use Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent depends on what remaining pokemon your opponent's team has that can threaten Mega Rayquaza. If they still carry an Arceus, it would be advisable to use Draco Meteor to not get defensive stat drops and be susceptible to priority. If the opposing team still has plenty special walls, then it would be recommended to use Dragon Ascent, as the Draco Meteor SpA drops can hinder it's wallbreaking capabilities later on during the match.

I think it's more like saying be wary of dragon ascent leaving you open to revenge killing, the last point about draco is just kinda generic and unnecessary

c&c
check the formatting again pls u still don't have it. Just look at the skeleton format, other WIPs, something
The steel types section is a bit confusing. The last part should just boil down to that the bullet punchers can revenge weakened ray and resist espeed but the language is odd

1/3. I'd just say that a lot of the language isn't really great for analyses, it should get ironed out in writing up and gp but if you want to go over it it could be helpful for subsequent checks Funbot28
 
Megazard said:
It looks like there are a few cases that you've kinda directly put down what I suggested, these should be guidelines for what to put not things for you to copy paste whatever QC tells you.

Overview
The last bullet is just long and awkward, all it needs to be is "slight opportunity cost in taking up a mega slot". That's the main point

DD Set Details
You don't need to mention the 4 EVs if they're just tossed into any stat and don't really have a purpose, like ray's not really taking priority moves better with the 4 def

SD Usage tips
  • Mega Rayquaza should avoid setting up on defensive Arceus formes, as they can threaten to cripple Mega Rayquaza with Will-O-Wisp. Since they are faster, they can also burn Mega Rayquaza twice if it choses to run Lum Berry, before it is able to attack with a non-priority move after setting up. Mega Rayquaza also appreciates being at near full health against offensive Arceus forms, due to Arceus not being able to revenge kill you at +2 with Extreme Speed, and to ensure that you have enough health to take Arceus's faster Extreme Speed.
Great example of "please don't just copy down what I say" because this is long and confusing, it basically just boils down to "don't set up on defensive arceus because they can status you". Then wanting to be at high health is a totally separate bullet

Mixed set details
If you're going to say LO gets KOs, then give examples. I don't know of any that LO specifically gets (I'm sure there are some if you wanted to look/calc) so you could just say that it increases overall power rather than implying that you specifically need it for one or two targets

Mixed usage tips

  • Choosing whether to use Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent depends on what remaining pokemon your opponent's team has that can threaten Mega Rayquaza. If they still carry an Arceus, it would be advisable to use Draco Meteor to not get defensive stat drops and be susceptible to priority. If the opposing team still has plenty special walls, then it would be recommended to use Dragon Ascent, as the Draco Meteor SpA drops can hinder it's wallbreaking capabilities later on during the match.

I think it's more like saying be wary of dragon ascent leaving you open to revenge killing, the last point about draco is just kinda generic and unnecessary

c&c
check the formatting again pls u still don't have it. Just look at the skeleton format, other WIPs, something
The steel types section is a bit confusing. The last part should just boil down to that the bullet punchers can revenge weakened ray and resist espeed but the language is odd

1/3. I'd just say that a lot of the language isn't really great for analyses, it should get ironed out in writing up and gp but if you want to go over it it could be helpful for subsequent checks Funbot28
Click to expand...
Ok I think I covered everything you said, can I add QC check now Megazard ?
 
Dragon Dance
Usage Tips:
- Currently uses a comparison to the swords dance set which isn't listed as of yet in the analysis. Would probably only involve removing "Like the swords dance set".

Team Options:
- Steel types such as Arceus-Steel and Ferrothorn are good teammates as they share almost perfect defensive synergy with Mega Rayquaza.

Swords Dance
Team Options:
- "Pokemon that can be threatened by Steel types such as Xerneas and Latios also work very well with Mega Rayquaza if it runs V-Create, due to it being able to break down Ferrothorn and Skarmory". This point makes no sense to me, are you suggesting to lure in steel types so Ray can benefit from them?

Mixed LO Attacker
Set Details:
- Mention that the drop in SpD allows it to be OHKOd by Primal Kyogre's and Mewtwo's Ice Beam.

Other Options:
- "Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is an effective cleaner that can sweep late game once the opposing team is weakened down. The set consists of Dragon Ascent / Extreme Speed / Earthquake or V-Create / Outrage or Dragon Claw..." There isn't a singular set that every band set runs, and although this is somewhat a GP thing, it needs changing to state something like "Common moves include Dragon Ascent, V-create, Earthquake, Waterfall and ExtremeSpeed".
- Remove the Double Dance option, that's truly awful.
- Choice Scarf is not common.

Checks and Counters:
- Arceus-Dragon - bulky Arceus-Dragon sets can usually prevent any 2HKO from non-choices sets, while being able to OHKO Rayquaza with Judgment. Its defensive typing allows it to survive any of Rayquaza's attacks without being hit super effectively.
- Yveltal - Yveltal's Foul Play in conjunction with its decent bulk allow it to destroy any Rayquaza set (except Specs).

There's still some formatting errors such as the bullet points for checks and counters, and the bolding of headers. Otherwise, Zard covered so much I found it hard to find anything : 2/3.
 
Zangooser said:
Dragon Dance
Usage Tips:
- Currently uses a comparison to the swords dance set which isn't listed as of yet in the analysis. Would probably only involve removing "Like the swords dance set".

Team Options:
- Steel types such as Arceus-Steel and Ferrothorn are good teammates as they share almost perfect defensive synergy with Mega Rayquaza.

Swords Dance
Team Options:
- "Pokemon that can be threatened by Steel types such as Xerneas and Latios also work very well with Mega Rayquaza if it runs V-Create, due to it being able to break down Ferrothorn and Skarmory". This point makes no sense to me, are you suggesting to lure in steel types so Ray can benefit from them?

Mixed LO Attacker
Set Details:
- Mention that the drop in SpD allows it to be OHKOd by Primal Kyogre's and Mewtwo's Ice Beam.

Other Options:
- "Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is an effective cleaner that can sweep late game once the opposing team is weakened down. The set consists of Dragon Ascent / Extreme Speed / Earthquake or V-Create / Outrage or Dragon Claw..." There isn't a singular set that every band set runs, and although this is somewhat a GP thing, it needs changing to state something like "Common moves include Dragon Ascent, V-create, Earthquake, Waterfall and ExtremeSpeed".
- Remove the Double Dance option, that's truly awful.
- Choice Scarf is not common.

Checks and Counters:
- Arceus-Dragon - bulky Arceus-Dragon sets can usually prevent any 2HKO from non-choices sets, while being able to OHKO Rayquaza with Judgment. Its defensive typing allows it to survive any of Rayquaza's attacks without being hit super effectively.
- Yveltal - Yveltal's Foul Play in conjunction with its decent bulk allow it to destroy any Rayquaza set (except Specs).

There's still some formatting errors such as the bullet points for checks and counters, and the bolding of headers. Otherwise, Zard covered so much I found it hard to find anything : 2/3.
Click to expand...
Implemented, going to start write-up
 
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Dragon Dance Mray

Set :
I think the d dance set definitely requires a mention of v-create, considering it being the only way for it to eliminate skarmory. V-create is also a great coverage move, generally, and ohkos steelceus/ferro without any boosts.

Team Options : Due to Mray's sheer power and ability to break almost any team, and the fact that it is successful as both a special and physical attacker, it is very easy to fit in any team (especially hyper offensive). Swagplay klef sets seem to team up well with Mray, absorbing fairy and dragon hits (and totally walling toxic-judgment dragonceus sets) and getting crucial paralysis' which allows Mray to sweep later on. Mray, in return switches in on fire/ground attacks aimed at swagkey and punishes many of its threats. Mega diancie outspeeds and OHKo Mray on a switch in (without d dance setup), which makes CM Steelceus a brilliant partner for Mray, as well. It also takes care of fairyceus (which is one of the most reliable checks for Mray), def y god and xerneas (non focus blast forms). Specially defensive P don deserves a mention because of its ability to deal with Scarf/geo xern, as well as setting up rocks.

Swords Dance Mray

Usage tips : Since this set will be outspeeded by many mons in the meta and has basically no chances of ever raising its speed, it mostly has a risk of being revenge killed and will hardly sweep teams on high ladder. However, this has high potential of being a nightmare for stall based teams and can change games when it is switched into mons that can't do significant damage to it (Non d claw P don, Blissey/chansey, non ice beam Lugia etc). Also, SD ascent from Adamant Mray outspeeds and ohkos defensive fairyceus after rocks, which is quite often the only reliable Mray check on most teams, if it is used.

Team Options : SD Mray takes significant damage from priority and is outspeeded quite easily. It wouldn't be a bad idea to run a physically defensive p don in order to tank e speed and absorb status moves like twave and wisp. It otherwise doesn't require much different support than the D dance version.


Mixed Mray

Usage tips : This set is quite inferior to the other sets simply because of how it is slower, frailer and easier to deal with because of the recoil damage it takes, no possibility of having a higher speed level and being walled by twave/wisp users. It often is taken down easily by swagkey/darkrai and ends up providing both of them with a sub and being a liability for your team. That is why it is essential to use it only on mons it doesn't end up feeding, or being a late game sweeper when the opponent's mray checks have been taken out. It will barely ever sweep, considering the draco drop and no SD/DD to boost its attacking potential. That is why it is necessary to just use this as a wallbreaker or use against precious wincons in a game, as it will almost always deal significant damage on anything. It's usage is very similar to that of Kyu-W in many ways.

Team Options : The recoil damage it takes makes it almost necessary to have a defogger in the team. It also appreciates twave users as it won't threaten to outspeed many teams in a fast-speeded meta like AG. It needs a team mate to do all of this while not being easily taken down, and specially defensive mexican don does all of this beautifully , and is an amazing partner for Mray. Due to its potentially massive offensive strength, E killers love working with Mray after it cripples teams.

Other Options
Another set that could be used is 200 Hp, 56 speed, 252+ atk. This works significantly well with the lum berry set. This allows it to tank +2 e speed from jolly lum e killer after rocks, tank +2 LO adamant e speed from e killer w/o rocks, easily take modest ice beam from ogre and provide great bulk overall. The speed investments ensure it outspeeds uninvested arceus', 252 speed ogres/p dons without D dance. And it outspeeds almost the entire meta after a single d dance. (Shoutout to thelinearcurve for this set)


Checks and counters
Arceus Rock - Defensive Rockceus can tank a +1 eq/waterfall and inflict a burn on mray. None of the other moves Mray sets usually run do anything substantial to it. Definitely worth a mention, imo.

QC 3/3
 
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