Altaria (Update)*

Heysup · Nov 28, 2009

So I'll try and finish this up since LR is...not here.

STATUS: Complete. Possibly need help shortening LR's write ups. (if needed).

Anyway, it just seems that this looks weird because of me and LR's different writing "styles" (and by different I mean he is way better than me and wrote a lot more). If anyone could help me by shortening his first two sets, that would rock. Though if it looks fine, then whatever.

Used LR's write ups for the Support and Defensive Dancer sets.
Added Sleep Talk + Outrage (very viable trust me :D)
Added Offensive Dragon Dance
Added Other Options, EVs, Opinion, Counters, and Team Options.

[Overview]

Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because it's simply outclassed by Salamence and other Dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist many of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground) as well as resisting common priority moves (Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Mach Punch), Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost.

While Altaria is a great defensive Pokemon, it's often held back by its mediocre offensive stats. Draco Meteor and Outrage compensate for this to an extent; however, even with these moves Altaria has trouble dealing enough damage to sweep without Dragon Dance boosts. After a Dragon Dance, however, with perfect coverage granted in two moves, decent Speed, and a 120 Base Power STAB attack, Altaria will be able to devastate unprepared teams.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. Altaria boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting, and an immunity to Ground. In addition to this, Altaria has access to an instant recovery move in Roost and pseudo status immunity from its Natural Cure ability.

To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move. Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred over Dragon Pulse because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on, such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Aerial Ace is another option because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur and Blaziken for super effective damage.

Roost grants Altaria reliable recovery and lets it reduce its quadruple Ice weakness to a double weakness and gain a resistance to Electric-type attacks for a turn. Heal Bell supports the entire team by healing all status afflictions. If you already have a cleric, Earthquake can be used in the third slot to hit Steel- and Fire-types. In the last slot, there are three options to use against stat-up Pokemon: Perish Song, Roar, and Haze. Perish Song is very helpful on stall teams for dealing with the last Pokemon scenario, when the foe can no longer be phazed. Roar has the advantage of causing the opponent to immediately switch; however, it is useless in a last Pokemon situation. Haze is the most reliable option for eliminating stat boosts, but it doesn't encourage the opponent to switch nearly as much as the other two options (which means less residual damage).

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Registeel resists all three of Altaria's weaknesses and makes an ideal partner on a defensive team. It can provide paralysis and Toxic support and set up Stealth Rock to make the most of Altaria's shuffling moves. In return, Altaria resists the Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks that plague Registeel and allows Registeel to use Rest without having to use Sleep Talk due to Heal Bell. Altaria needs a field clear of Stealth Rock to be able to do its job properly. Hitmontop is a good candidate due to Intimidate, its resistance to Rock-type attacks, and access to Foresight for an almost guaranteed Rapid Spin.

[SET]
name: Defensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Safeguard
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 176 SpD / 64 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Solid defenses allow Altaria to set up on many of UU's weaker attackers and get several Dragon Dances under its belt before smashing through teams with its nearly unresisted STAB Dragon Claw. This Altaria set has two uses: it can serve as a cleric with Heal Bell and as a check to many of UU's threatening special sweepers throughout the match, and also set up a sweep for itself near the end of the match.

Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as Altaria's attacking move for several reasons. Altaria is designed to serve as a supporting Pokemon for the majority of a match, but Outrage leaves it vulnerable to revenge kills if it has to attack without any gathered Dragon Dances. Dragon Claw also lets Altaria alternate between attacking and Roosting to bring down foes without recovery. This Altaria set is expected to get multiple Dragon Dances, so Dragon Claw's power loss is not as detrimental to Altaria's sweeping chances from Outrage's confusion. Heal Bell lets Altaria support its team by curing all status afflictions, but Safeguard is the better choice for improving Altaria's chances of setting up. Safeguard protects Altaria from sleep attacks and only needs to be used once every five turns; Heal Bell's 8 PP can be stalled out quite easily by an opponent spamming Toxic.

Max HP and 176 Special Defense EVs along with a Special Defense boosting nature allow Altaria to set up on most of UU's Ice Beam-wielding bulky Waters, something offensively-inclined sets cannot do. For example, the standard Milotic's Ice Beam only manages an average of 31.6% against a Roosting Altaria. With Leftovers healing an additional 6.25% of your health every turn, as well as UU's general lack of sandstorm and hail, it is not too difficult to alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost to set up; Safeguard counteracts Ice Beam's freeze chance, and a critical hit will only KO if it occurs on Altaria's non-Roosting turn. The 64 Speed EVs let Altaria hit 318 Speed after one Dragon Dance, outspeeding everything up to and including +Speed natured base 95s, such as Drapion and Houndoom. The remaining 16 EVs are placed in Attack to bring Altaria's unboosted stat to a well rounded 180.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Toxic Spikes support is excellent for setting up on bulky Waters since Altaria can just alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost as increasing poison damage takes out the foe. Omastar is able to set up Toxic Spikes as well as Stealth Rock and Spikes and has high physical Defense to complement Altaria's high Special Defense. Venusaur and Drapion are also decent choices; Altaria can take Fire attacks for Venusaur and Ground attacks for Drapion, but it must beware of Ice attacks. Altaria cannot sweep when Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix are alive; both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take them out but must beware of switching into Iron Head or Ice Punch for Dugtrio or Thunder Wave or Earthquake for Magneton. Rapid Spin support is also much appreciated, especially since Altaria is designed to act as a cleric and special sponge throughout the match.

[SET]
name: Sleep Talk + Outrage
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set, while functioning similarly to the above set, takes advantage of Altaria's 120 Base Power STAB Outrage and the way it functions with Sleep Talk. If Sleep Talk picks Outrage, the move functions normally, but its negative secondary effects are ignored. This means Altaria can get away with using Outrage without worrying about being locked in or affected by confusion. With Rest over Roost, Altaria can heal and recover from status both in one turn, as opposed to being forced to use Roost then Heal Bell. This gives Altaria a chance to smack the opponent with a hard boosted Outrage on the switch. The premise of this set is simple: use Dragon Dance until you are forced to Rest, then hit the opponent with boosted Outrages.

The EVs on this set are more offensively-orientated because of Altaria's natural bulkiness and because it's important for Altaria to hit hard with Outrage, since the opponent will likely switch to their best counter once Altaria uses Rest. The 20 Speed EVs are all that is needed to outpace all Moltres and other base 90s after a Dragon Dance.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This Altaria specifically benefits from Aggron being removed, since Aggron completely walls Altaria and is more dangerous than any of the other Steel-types. Swellow will usually lure out the opponent's Aggron if they have one, and Dugtrio can trap and KO it, meaning Altaria would be free to sweep after that. Spikes are also important for this set since with three layers of Spikes, Altaria can 2HKO Registeel at +6 Attack assuming your opponent switches in Registeel after you have set up as a last resort attempt to stop your sweep via Explosion. Ironically, this set also benefits from Aggron as a teammate, since any strong Ice- or Rock-types may come in hoping to KO Altaria before it sets up. As a bonus, Altaria and Aggron resist every type together except for Electric and Steel.

[SET]
name: Offensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set moves away from Altaria's defensive prowess and focuses on its decent Speed, movepool, and Dragon Dance. Altaria reaches 388 Speed after a Dragon Dance, which outpaces everything (without a boost) in UU minus Electrode. After a Dragon Dance, Altaria will OHKO a good portion of the metagame as well. For example, Venusaur, who is fairly bulky, is easily KOed by a +1 Outrage.

Earthquake grants Altaria perfect coverage with Outrage, since there are no Skarmory or Bronzong in UU, and it allows Altaria to take out its counters before it lets loose with Outrage. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's natural bulkiness and is especially useful to avoid Sucker Punch. That said, Fire Blast is a decent option to hit Steelix harder than Earthquake would on the switch.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This Altaria set really benefits from Pokemon such as Venusaur who can deal with Steelix and Regirock with its STAB special attacks. Wall breakers like Blaziken and Nidoking work quite well too, easily switching into Steel- and Rock-type attacks, respectively, and OHKOing with their STAB special attacks.

Defensively, Altaria appreciates Steel-types who can absorb Ice and Rock attacks. Altaria will also often be forced out by Regirock or Donphan using Stone Edge or Ice Shard, respectively, meaning something that can switch into these Pokemon and threaten them is also greatly appreciated. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic can switch into Regirock and Donphan with ease and OHKO them with Surf, making these Water-types great teammates for Altaria.

[Team Options]

While Altaria is a defensively-oriented Pokemon, it still greatly benefits from entry hazards being placed on the opposing side of the field, especially Spikes. The defensive set uses Roar and Perish Song to force the opponent to switch, causing them to take residual damage, while Spikes aids Dragon Dance Altaria by weakening its counters.

Offensively, Altaria benefits from wall breakers who can switch into physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Donphan, and Steelix and take them out. Nidoking is a good teammate, since it can switch into resisted Rock-type attacks and can KO physical walls with its powerful super effective special attacks. Blaziken or Magmortar can switch into Ice- and Steel-type attacks, while also being able to OHKO the physical walls with strong special attacks.

Defensively, Altaria really benefits from Pokemon who can sponge Ice- and Rock-type attacks. Steel-types work sufficiently well, since they are generally bulky and have great synergy with Altaria. Aggron in particular is very effective with Altaria since it has absurdly high Defense and hits hard when given the chance to switch in. Altaria also has an easy time switching into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks that are aimed at Aggron.

Pokemon such as Donphan and Regirock are often seen with Venusaur and a bulky Water-type. Fortunately for Altaria, the Pokemon it pairs with well can easily take these Pokemon out too. Since Altaria walls Venusaur, if you're using something like Azumarill as a Water-type to absorb Ice-type attacks, you may want to try and double switch to send Altaria in as the opponent sends in Venusaur. This is especially effective if you have Roar and residual damage.

[Optional Changes]

Altaria can run a decent Choice Specs set since Draco Meteor will hurt almost anything that doesn't resist it. However, with so many powerful Calm Mind users in UU, using a move like Draco Meteor off an average Special Attack stat is very risky. Similarly, a mixed set works great for Altaria as well, since it doesn't need to worry about Calm Mind Pokemon setting up on Draco Meteor. However, Altaria simply isn't strong enough to abuse both its Special Attack and Attack with the same set.

A Toxic stalling set could also work on Altaria, since Altaria boasts impressive defenses and Roost. However, Moltres outclasses Altaria in this regard with Pressure and a much more powerful Fire-type STAB attack.

[Counters]

If Altaria doesn't carry Earthquake or Fire Blast, any Steel-type will have an easy time beating it, though Registeel and Steelix need to be careful when facing the Sleep Talk set because it can heal off the damage they cause and set up Dragon Dance. Altaria also has an easily exploitable 4x weakness, so bulky Water-types who invest in Special Attack should have no trouble walling and KOing Altaria.

Regirock and Donphan make great checks to the Sleep Talk Dragon Dance set, as they don't take much damage from Outrage and can easily 1-2HKO with Stone Edge and Ice Shard, respectively.

bugmaniacbob · Nov 28, 2009

IMO, Legacy Raider's sets are perfectly fine as they are.

[SET]
name: Sleep Talk + Outrage
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set, while functioning similarly to the above set, takes advantage of Altaria's 120 Base Power STAB Outrage and the way it functions with Sleep Talk. If Sleep Talk picks Outrage, the move functions normally, but its negative secondary effects are ignored. This means Altaria can get away with using Outrage without worrying about being locked in or confusion. With Rest over Roost, Altaria only needs to spend one turn healing and recovering from status, as opposed to being forced to use Roost then Heal Bell. This gives Altaria a chance to smack the opponent with a hard boosted Outrage on the switch. The premise of this set is simple; use Dragon Dance until you are forced to Rest, then hit the opponent as hard as you can with Outrage.

The EVs on this set are more offensively orientated because of Altaria's natural bulkiness, and because it's important for Altaria to hit hard with Outrage, since the opponent will likely switch to their best counter once Altaria uses Rest. 20 Speed EVs are all that is needed to outpace Moltres and other base 90s after a Dragon Dance.

This Altaria specifically benefits from Aggron being removed, since Aggron completely walls Altaria and is more dangerous than any of the other Steel-types. Swellow will usually lure out the opponent's Aggron if they have one, and Dugtrio can trap and KO it, meaning Altaria would be free to sweep after that. Spikes are also important for this set, since with three layers of Spikes, Altaria can 2HKO Registeel with +6 Attack. Ironically, this set also benefits from Aggron, since any strong Ice or Rock-types may come in hoping to KO Altaria before it sets up. As a bonus, Altaria and Aggron resist every type together except for Electric and Steel.

[SET]
name: Offensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set moves away from Altaria's defensive prowess, and focuses on it's decent Speed, movepool, and Dragon Dance. Altaria reaches 388 Speed after a Dragon Dance, which outpaces everything (without a boost) in UU minus Electrode. After a Dragon Dance, Altaria will OHKO a good portion of the metagame as well. For example, Pokemon such as Venusaur (who is fairly bulky) are easily KOed by a +1 Outrage.

Earthquake grants Altaria perfect coverage with Outrage, since there is no Skarmory or Bronzong in UU, and it allows Altaria to take out its counters before it lets loose with Outrage. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's natural bulkiness, and is especially useful to avoid Sucker Punch. That said, Fire Blast is a decent option to hit Steelix harder than Earthquake would on the switch.

This Altaria set really benefits from Pokemon such as Venusaur who can deal with Steelix and Regirock with its STAB special sttacks. Wall breakers such as Blaziken and Nidoking work quite well too, easily switching into Steel- and Rock-type attacks respectively, and OHKOing with their STAB special attacks.

Defensively, any Steel-type is appreciated by Altaria, so that it can absorb Ice and Rock attacks. Altaria will also often be forced out by Regirock or Donphan using Stone Edge or Ice Shard respectively, meaning something that can switch into these Pokemon and threaten them is also greatly appreciated. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic can switch into Regirock and Donphan with ease, and can OHKO them with Surf, making these Water-types great teammates for Altaria.

[Other Options]

Altaria can run a decent Choice Specs set since Draco Meteor will hurt almost anything that doesn't resist it. However, with so many powerful Calm Mind users in UU, using a move like Draco Meteor off an average Special Attack stat is very risky. Similarly, a mixed set works great for Altaria as well, since it doesn't need to worry about Calm Mind Pokemon setting up on Draco Meteor. However, Altaria simply isn't strong enough to abuse both its Special Attack and Attack on the same set.

A Toxic stalling set could also work on Altaria, since it boasts impressive defenses and Roost. However Moltres simply outclasses Altaria in this regard with Pressure and a much more powerful Fire-type STAB attack.

[EVs]

Any Altaria set that is meant to take attacks needs to have its HP maximized. With just 252 HP EVs and a Careful nature, Altaria can outstall Milotic's Ice Beam with Roost. The purely defensive and defensive Dragon Dance set call for Special Defense EVs, emphasizing Altaria's ability to take special attacks. The Sleep Talk set needs the Attack EVs suggested to 2HKO Registeel with Spikes after 6 Dragon Dances. The Attack EVs also help it sweep late game once its counters are removed.

The Dragon Dance set simply requires maximum Attack and Speed to optimize its sweeping capabilities. 16 EVs can be moved from Speed to HP, since it will still outrun Jolly Swellow, however tying at worst with neutral nature base 80s is usually more important than the 4 HP would be.

[Opinion]

Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because its simply outclassed by Salamence and other dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist all of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground), as well as resisting the common priority moves Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Mach Punch, Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost.

On the other hand, Altaria's offensive capabilities are often underestimated. With perfect coverage granted in two moves, decent Speed, and a 120 Base Power STAB, Altaria will be able to devastate unprepared teams after a Dragon Dance.

If you're lacking resistances to any of Altaria's whole slew of resistances, definitely consider Altaria for a slot on your team.

[Counters]

If Altaria doesn't carry Earthquake or Fire Blast, any Steel-type will have an easy time beating it, though Registeel and Steelix need to be careful when facing the Sleep Talk set. Altaria also has an easily exploitable 4x weakness, so bulky Water-types who invest in Special Attack should have no trouble walling and KOing Altaria.

Regirock and Donphan make great checks to the Sleep Talk Dragon Dance set, as they don't take much damage from Outrage and can easily 1-2HKO with Stone Edge respectively.[/QUOTE]

Excellent job. I'll try to remember to check the Team Options once you've finished them.

twash · Nov 28, 2009

Six bulky paragraphs is definitely a lot, verging on too much...if we can shorten it but keep information, we will. It makes it easier for the reader. If you leave the first two sets as they are for now, I will try to shorten them tomorrow morning.

Heysup · Nov 28, 2009

Thanks BMB, added your changes. And that's what I was thinking twash (but I was having trouble picking what was actually 'necessary'), thanks.

whistle · Dec 3, 2009

making this shorter since it's been a few days since Ashley said he was going to so I don't think he got around to it yet

also perhaps mention a physically defensive spread? the specially-based threats that Altaria excelled at taking on in the past (SubCM Mismagius, Mix Blaziken) have evolved and new threats have emerged (Nasty Plot Mismagius, Physical Blaziken, SD Venusaur). I also mentioned Aerial Ace on the Support set since Altaria is one of the best SD Venusaur counters, assuming you manage to get it sleep another Pokemon.

I included the colorful business at the end but since this is mostly a rewrite, I just put the final product here.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Claw / Aerial Ace
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. Altaria boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting in addition to a resistance to Ground, in addition to an instant recovery move (Roost) and pseudo status immunity (Natural Cure).

To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria's has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur and Blaziken for super-effective damage.

Roost grants Altaria reliable recovery and lets it reduce its quadruple Ice weakness to a double weakness and gain a resistance to Electric-type attacks for a turn. Heal Bell supports the entire team by healing all status afflictions, including self inflicted sleep from Rest. In the last slot, there are three options to use against stat-up Pokemon: Perish Song, Roar, and Haze. Perish Song is very helpful on stall teams for dealing with the last Pokemon scenario, when the foe can no longer be phazed. Roar has the advantage of causing the opponent to immediately switch; however, it is useless in a last Pokemon situation. Haze is the most reliable option for eliminating stat boosts, but doesn't encourage the opponent to switch nearly as much as the other two options (which means less residual damage).

Registeel resists all three of Altaria's weaknesses, and makes an ideal partner on a defensive team. It can provide paralysis and Toxic support and set up Stealth Rock to make the most of Altaria's shuffling moves. In return, Altaria resists the Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks that plague Registeel, and allows Registeel to use Rest without having to use Sleep Talk due to Heal Bell. Altaria needs a field clear of Stealth Rock to be able to do its job properly. Hitmontop is a good candidate, due to Intimidate, its resistance to Rock-type attacks, and access to Foresight for an almost guaranteed spin.

[SET]
name: Defensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Safeguard
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 176 SpD / 64 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Solid defenses allow Altaria to set up on many of UU's weaker attackers and get several Dragon Dances under its belt before smashing through teams with its nearly unresisted STAB Dragon Claw. This Altaria set has two uses: it can serve as a cleric with Heal Bell and as a check to many of UU's threatening special sweepers throughout the match, and then set up a sweep for itself near the end of the match.

Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as Altaria's attacking move for several reasons. Altaria is designed to serve as a supporting Pokemon for the majority of a match; Outrage lets it easily be revenge killed if it has to attack without any Dragon Dances under its belt. Dragon Claw also lets Altaria to alternate between attacking and Roosting to bring down foes without recovery. This Altaria set is expected to get multiple Dragon Dances(,) so Dragon Claw's power loss is not as detrimental to Altaria's sweeping chances as Outrage's confusion. Heal Bell lets Altaria support its team by curing all status afflictions, but Safeguard is the better choice for improving Altaria's chances of setting up. Safeguard protects from sleep attacks and only needs to be used once every five turns; Heal Bell's 8 PP can be stalled out quite easily by an opponent spamming Toxic.

Max HP and 176 Special Defense EVs along with a Special Defense boosting nature allow Altaria to set up on most of UU's Ice Beam-wielding bulky Waters, something offensively inclined sets cannot do. For example, standard Milotic's Ice Beam only manages an average of 31.6% against a Roosting Altaria. With Leftovers healing an additional 6.25% of your health every turn, as well as UU's general lack of sandstorm and hail, it is not too difficult to alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost to set up; Safeguard counteracts Ice Beam's freeze chance, and a critical hit will only KO if it occurs on Altaria's non-Roosting turn. 64 Speed EVs let Altaria hit 318 Speed after one Dragon Dance, outspeeding everything up to and including +Speed natured base 95s such as Drapion and Houndoom. The remaining 16 EVs are placed in Attack to bring Altaria's unboosted stat to a well rounded 180.

Toxic Spikes support is excellent for setting up on bulky Waters, since Altaria can just alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost as increasing poison damage takes out the foe. Omastar is able to set up Toxic Spikes as well as Stealth Rock and Spikes, and has high physical Defense to complement Altaria's high Special Defense. Venusaur and Drapion are also decent choices; Altaria can take Fire attacks for Venusaur and Ground attacks for Drapion, but must beware of Ice attacks. Altaria cannot sweep when Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix are alive; both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take them out, but must beware of switching into Iron Head (for Dugtrio) or Thunder Wave or Earthquake (for Magneton). Rapid Spin support is also much appreciated, especially since Altaria is designed to act as a cleric and special sponge throughout the match.

Code:

[SET]
 name: Support
 move 1: Dragon Claw [COLOR=#000080][B]/ Aerial Ace[/B][/COLOR]
 move 2: Roost
 move 3: Heal Bell
 move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
 item: Leftovers
 nature: Careful
 evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
 
 [SET COMMENTS]
 
 <p>Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Few Pokemon in UU can boast resistances to Fire-, Water-, Grass-, and Bug-type attacks, some of the most commonly used special attacking types in the tier, while also having the Base Stats to back them up. Altaria does that and more - it also has a resistance to Fighting and an immunity to Ground, an instant recovery move in Roost, status invulnerability because of its Natural Cure ability, and almost exclusive supporting moves that benefit its entire team. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Altaria[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B] boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting in addition to a resistance to Ground, in addition to an instant recovery move (Roost) and pseudo status immunity (Natural Cure). [/B][/COLOR]</p>

 <p>[COLOR=#ff0000][B]In order to be able to support its team as best it can [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]To maximize its support options, [/B][/COLOR]Altaria only [COLOR=#ff0000][B]really [/B][/COLOR]has space for [COLOR=#ff0000][B]a single [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]one [/B][/COLOR]attacking move [COLOR=#ff0000][B]on this set[/B][/COLOR]. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]It makes sense to utilize its [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Using Altaria's [/B][/COLOR]Dragon STAB is recommended due to its [COLOR=#ff0000][B], which gets [/B][/COLOR]excellent neutral coverage[COLOR=#ff0000][B], but both of Altaria's attacking stats are equally low[/B][/COLOR]. [COLOR=#000080][B]Altaria's has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]While Dragon Pulse has a higher Base Power than Dragon Claw, the latter is the recommended choice because of the simple reason that the vast majority of the Pokemon that Altaria would be taking on have much lower physical Defense than Special Defense: Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile will all be taking more damage from Dragon Claw than Dragon Pulse. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur and Blaziken for super-effective damage.[/B][/COLOR]</p>
 
 <p>Roost grants [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Altaria a way of keeping its health up,[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B] Altaria reliable recovery[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]while also letting [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]and lets it [/B][/COLOR]reduce its quadruple Ice weakness to a double weakness and gain a resistance to Electric-type attacks for a turn. Heal Bell supports the entire team by healing all status afflictions, including self inflicted sleep from Rest. In the last slot, there are three options to use against stat-up Pokemon. Perish Song is very helpful on stall teams for dealing with the last Pokemon scenario, when the foe can no longer be phazed [COLOR=#ff0000][B]and take repetitive entry hazard damage. Perish Song can also be used earlier on in a battle to force a Pokemon that might have gained too many stat boosts, for example Calm Mind Mismagius or Nasty Plot Houndoom, to switch, and helps the weakening process in conjunction with entry hazards. </p>[/B][/COLOR]
 
 [COLOR=#ff0000][B]<p>There are few viable clerics in UU, but there are even fewer viable users of Perish Song, and Altaria can accomplish both very well. Alternatively, Roar can be used in place of Perish Song to lets Altaria act as a more standard fare phazer. [/B][/COLOR]Roar [COLOR=#000080][B]has the advantage of causing the opponent to immediately switch; however, it is useless in a last Pokemon situation [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]has its advantages in that it gets rid of stat up sweepers quickly before they can really start to hurt Altaria, and can pile up entry hazard damage faster, but it is useless if the opponent has no other Pokemon left[/B][/COLOR]. [COLOR=#000080][B]Haze is the most reliable option for eliminating stat boosts, but doesn't encourage the opponent to switch nearly as much as the other two options (which means less residual damage). [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]Another option to consider is Haze - out of the three, it is the best and most reliable way of destroying opponent's stat boosts, but does little to encourage switching and so won't result in the opponent taking as much residual damage. All three moves are viable options for the last slot, so it is really up to your team's needs as to which one you should use.[/B][/COLOR]</p>

 [COLOR=#ff0000][B]<p>The EVs and nature focus on Altaria's ability to take special attacks, since that is what it does best, and because there are several other Pokemon suited to taking Ground- and Fighting-type attacks better than Altaria. With this heavy investment in its Special Defense, Altaria can take a serious beating on the special side - it survives a Life Orb Nasty Plotted Dark Pulse from Houndoom after Stealth Rock damage, and can switch in on any combination of the standard Mixed Blaziken's attacks and beat it one on one (although it has to be wary of Stone Edge and Hidden Power Ice, some of Blaziken's lesser used options).</p> [COLOR=#008000](these things can be mentioned in EVs instead since a specially defensive bias is not exclusive to this set)[/COLOR][/B][/COLOR]
 
 <p>Registeel resists all three of Altaria's weaknesses, and [COLOR=#ff0000][B]so [/B][/COLOR]makes an ideal partner on a defensive team. It can provide paralysis [COLOR=#000080][B]and Toxic [/B][/COLOR]support [COLOR=#ff0000][B]to let Altaria stall foes until they are fully paralyzed with Roost,[/B][/COLOR] and [COLOR=#ff0000][B]can [/B][/COLOR]set up Stealth Rock to [COLOR=#ff0000][B]help [/B][/COLOR]make the most of Altaria's shuffling moves. In return, Altaria resists the Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks [COLOR=#000080][B]that [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]can [/B][/COLOR]plague Registeel, and [COLOR=#ff0000][B]possibly even more valuably, [/B][/COLOR]allows Registeel to use Rest [COLOR=#ff0000][B]to keep its health up [/B][/COLOR]without having to[COLOR=#000080][B]use Sleep Talk [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]sacrifice a further slot to Sleep Talk, since Altaria can wake it up with [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]due to [/B][/COLOR]Heal Bell. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]This means that Registeel can use moves such as Stealth Rock, which would be highly unviable on a Sleep Talk set, with a lot more freedom. While Altaria can take on almost all of the special attackers of UU one on one, it[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B] Altaria [/B][/COLOR]needs a field clear of Stealth Rock to be able to do its job properly. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Hitmontop is a good candidate as Altaria's supporting spinner. Its Intimidate helps patch up for Altaria's lower defensive stat, it resists Rock, it can bypass spin blockers with Foresight, and it can keep itself healthy with Rest courtesy of Altaria's Heal Bell. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Hitmontop is a good candidate, due to Intimidate, its resistance to Rock-type attacks, and access to Foresight for an almost guaranteed spin.[/B][/COLOR]</p>

 [SET]
 name: Defensive Dancer
 move 1: Dragon Dance
 move 2: Dragon Claw
 move 3: Roost
 move 4: Heal Bell / Safeguard
 item: Leftovers
 nature: Careful
 evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 176 SpD / 64 Spe
 
 [SET COMMENTS]
 
 <p>Solid defenses allow Altaria to set up on many of UU's weaker attackers and get several Dragon Dances under its belt before smashing through teams with its nearly unresisted STAB Dragon Claw. This Altaria set has two[COLOR=#ff0000][B]fold [/B][/COLOR]uses: it can serve as a cleric with Heal Bell and as a check to many of UU's threatening special sweepers throughout the match, and then set up [COLOR=#000080][B]a sweep [/B][/COLOR]for itself near the end of the match [COLOR=#ff0000][B]to sweep[/B][/COLOR].</p>
 
 <p>[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as the attacking move since it allows Altaria to alternate between attacking and healing to bring down foes without recovery. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as Altaria's attacking move for several reasons. Altaria is designed to serve as a supporting Pokemon for the majority of a match; Outrage lets it easily be revenge killed if it has to attack without any Dragon Dances under its belt. Dragon Claw also lets Altaria to alternate between attacking and Roosting to bring down foes without recovery. [/B][/COLOR]This Altaria set is expected to get multiple Dragon Dances[COLOR=#000080][B](,)[/B][/COLOR] so [COLOR=#ff0000][B]the power loss between [/B][/COLOR]Dragon Claw[COLOR=#000080][B]'s power loss [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]and Outrage [/B][/COLOR]is not as detrimental to Altaria's sweeping chances as [COLOR=#ff0000][B]the confusion that [/B][/COLOR]Outrage[COLOR=#000080][B]'s confusion[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]will cause[/B][/COLOR]. Heal Bell lets Altaria support its team [COLOR=#ff0000][B]very well, [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]by [/B][/COLOR]curing all status afflictions, but Safeguard is the better choice [COLOR=#ff0000][B]if you don't care for a cleric on your team and would rather guarantee[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#000080][B]for improving [/B][/COLOR]Altaria's [COLOR=#000080][B]chances of setting up [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]own set up even further[/B][/COLOR]. Safeguard protects from sleep attacks[COLOR=#ff0000][B], such as Sleep Powder from Venusaur and Uxie's Yawn, and doesn't need to be used repeatedly [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]and only needs to be used once every five turns; [/B][/COLOR]Heal Bell's 8 PP can be stalled out quite easily by [COLOR=#000080][B]an opponent spamming Toxic.[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]the likes of Substitute Toxic Moltres, or any clever opponent that predicts your Heal Bell and just repeats their status move that turn, but Safeguard does not have this problem[/B][/COLOR].</p>
 
 <p>Max HP and 176 Special Defense EVs[COLOR=#ff0000][B](,)[/B][/COLOR] along with a Special Defense boosting nature[COLOR=#ff0000][B](,)[/B][/COLOR] allow Altaria to set up on most of UU's Ice Beam-wielding bulky Waters, something [COLOR=#ff0000][B]more [/B][/COLOR]offensively inclined sets cannot do. For example, [COLOR=#ff0000][B]the [/B][/COLOR]standard Milotic's Ice Beam only manages [COLOR=#000080][B]an average of [/B][/COLOR]31.6% [COLOR=#ff0000][B]on average [/B][/COLOR]against a Roosting Altaria. With Leftovers healing an additional 6.25% of your health every turn, as well as UU's general lack of sandstorm and hail, it is not too difficult to alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost to set up [COLOR=#ff0000][B]here[/B][/COLOR]. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]If you have [/B][/COLOR]Safeguard [COLOR=#ff0000][B]in place you don't need to worry about Ice Beam's freeze chance either [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]counteracts Ice Beam's freeze chance[/B][/COLOR], and a critical hit will only [COLOR=#ff0000][B]take you out [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]KO [/B][/COLOR]if it occurs on [COLOR=#ff0000][B]your [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Altaria's [/B][/COLOR]non-Roosting turn. 64 Speed EVs let Altaria hit 318 Speed after one Dragon Dance, outspeeding everything up to and including +Speed natured base 95s such as Drapion and Houndoom. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]This is a good Speed benchmark to hit - any faster and it detracts too much from Altaria's defensive capabilities; any slower and you cannot check the likes of Houndoom and Venusaur as effectively. [/B][/COLOR]The remaining 16 EVs are placed in Attack to bring Altaria's unboosted stat to a well rounded 180.</p>
 
 <p>Toxic Spikes support is excellent for setting up on bulky Waters, since Altaria [COLOR=#ff0000][B]won't need to actually attack them with Dragon Claw at all but [/B][/COLOR]can just alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost as [COLOR=#ff0000][B]the [/B][/COLOR]increasing poison damage takes out the foe. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Omastar gets plenty of opportunities to set up Toxic Spikes, has a high Defense stat to compliment Altaria's lower one, and resists Ice. In return, Altaria provides an immunity to Ground, a 2x resistance to Fighting and a 4x one to Grass. [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#000080][B]Omastar is able to set up Toxic Spikes as well as Stealth Rock and Spikes, and has high physical Defense to complement Altaria's high Special Defense. Venusaur and Drapion are also decent choices; Altaria can take Fire attacks for Venusaur and Ground attacks for Drapion, but must beware of Ice attacks. Altaria cannot sweep when Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix are alive; both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take them out, but must beware of switching into Iron Head (for Dugtrio) or Thunder Wave or Earthquake (for Magneton). [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]Having means to remove Registeel and Steelix from Altaria's path makes it a lot easier when the time comes for it to finally sweep. Both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take out the Steel-types, but both need to be wary when switching in. Magneton cannot risk being hit by an Earthquake and does not appreciate switching in on Thunder Wave, while Dugtrio needs to watch out for STAB Steel-type attacks that will 2HKO it. Removing Stealth Rock from the field is greatly beneficial if you plan on using Altaria as a team player with Heal Bell, as otherwise the 25% damage from just switching in will greatly compromise its defensive capabilities. Safeguard versions that are designed to be played as a lone sweeper in the end game don't need Stealth Rock gone quite as much, as Altaria can Roost off the damage from a single switch in quite easily before proceeding to set up and sweep[/B][/COLOR]. [COLOR=#000080][B]Rapid Spin support is also much appreciated, especially since Altaria is designed to act as a cleric and special sponge throughout the match.[/B][/COLOR]</p>

Heysup · Dec 3, 2009

Whistle is awesome. Thanks a ton, that really helped :)

I'm going to C/P it since I see nothing wrong with it.

Darkmalice · Dec 5, 2009

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Claw / Aerial Ace
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. Altaria boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting in addition to a resistance to Ground, in addition to an instant recovery move (Roost) and pseudo status immunity (Natural Cure).

To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move. Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria's has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred, because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur and Blaziken for super-effective damage.

Aerial Ace does not deserve a slash alongside Dragon Claw. It has inferior base power and type coverage, and the two main reasons you would use it for, Venasuar and Blaziken, are already handled well by Altaria thanks to its defences, type-resists, and Roost. Aerial Ace is only an uncessary luxury against these, whilst Dragon Claw is better in almost every other situation.

Earthquake also deserves a mention as a slash alongside Heal Bell. A team could have a status absorber, another cleric, a Guts user, or a group of Pokemon, and the team itself could easily deal with status without Heal Bell. Earthquake has perfect coverage in UU when paired alongside Dragon Claw, covering the Steel-types that would otherwise come in on Altaria with no threat whatsoever.

Heysup · Dec 5, 2009

Aerial Ace is definitely viable; it 2HKOes Gallade where as Dragon Claw does not. That alone makes it worth using over Dragon Claw, the other Grass / Fighters are just bonuses imo.

Heal Bell is also absolutely needed on this set, otherwise you're almost always better off running something better that doesn't get heal bell. And with awful Atk, I don't think Earthquake is worth a Slash. Toxic, maybe, but not another attack imo.

Darkmalice · Dec 5, 2009

Heysup said:
Aerial Ace is definitely viable; it 2HKOes Gallade where as Dragon Claw does not. That alone makes it worth using over Dragon Claw, the other Grass / Fighters are just bonuses imo.

Heal Bell is also absolutely needed on this set, otherwise you're almost always better off running something better that doesn't get heal bell. And with awful Atk, I don't think Earthquake is worth a Slash. Toxic, maybe, but not another attack imo.

Gallade is not a good reason for Aerial Ace. As this Altaria has no Speed EVs, Gallade will almost always be faster than it. Altaria has no hope against Gallade's Ice Punch or Stone Edge (even the latter OHKOs with SR damage and a LO boost). And LO Psycho Cut 2HKOs after SR damage too. Altaria should only consider trying to take on Gallade if it hits Gallade in on the switch in (and if it's switching in, it would have either Ice Punch or Stone Edge). Plus Gallade might not be in UU for long, and Aerial Ace begs for Electric-types with HP Ice to switch in.

I agree that Heal Bell is better than Earthquake. How about just a mention in set comments then? Heal Bell is pretty wide spread, with many other walls having access to it - Uxie, Miltank, Umbreon, even Lanturn, etc. And it's not a "use Heal Bell or it's a waste of a slot" Pokemon; it still has important duties like walling important threats (cough Blaziken). Earthquake is arguably the best thing to replace it with should you not need it. Not Toxic; something to keep away the Steel-types (and Raikou too should it remain UU).

Kurnak · Dec 5, 2009

Just a quick nitpick in opinion

Heysup said:
[Opinion]

Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because its simply outclassed by Salamence and other dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist all of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground),
Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because its simply outclassed by Salamence and other dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist all of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground) as well as resisting the common priority moves (Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Mach Punch), Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost. (compare these two paragraphs with eachother)Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost.

On the other hand, Altaria's offensive capabilities are often underestimated. With perfect coverage granted in two moves, decent Speed, and a 120 Base Power STAB, Altaria will be able to devastate unprepared teams after a Dragon Dance.

If you're lacking resistances to any of Altaria's whole slew of resistances, definitely consider Altaria for a slot on your team.

Heysup · Dec 5, 2009

Darkmalice said:
Gallade is not a good reason for Aerial Ace. As this Altaria has no Speed EVs, Gallade will almost always be faster than it. Altaria has no hope against Gallade's Ice Punch or Stone Edge (even the latter OHKOs with SR damage and a LO boost). And LO Psycho Cut 2HKOs after SR damage too. Altaria should only consider trying to take on Gallade if it hits Gallade in on the switch in (and if it's switching in, it would have either Ice Punch or Stone Edge). Plus Gallade might not be in UU for long, and Aerial Ace begs for Electric-types with HP Ice to switch in.

I agree that Heal Bell is better than Earthquake. How about just a mention in set comments then? Heal Bell is pretty wide spread, with many other walls having access to it - Uxie, Miltank, Umbreon, even Lanturn, etc. And it's not a "use Heal Bell or it's a waste of a slot" Pokemon; it still has important duties like walling important threats (cough Blaziken). Earthquake is arguably the best thing to replace it with should you not need it. Not Toxic; something to keep away the Steel-types (and Raikou too should it remain UU).

The 2HKO on Gallade is quite important, since Gallade will be switching into Altaria. Being able to force it to attack or be KOed is ideal, since otherwise when you switch out it could swords dance. We don't like when Gallade gets a Swords Dance. I don't see why using something with 180 Base Power against important foes is a bad option versus something with just 120 Base Power.

I'll mention Earthquake.

diinbong · Dec 17, 2009

Since when does Gallade switch in on Altaria...? In any case I think Aerial Ace is a pretty good option as long as Gallade stays UU and Venusaur is popular. We can reevaluate the situation once we know tiering of these guys for sure.

Heysup · Dec 17, 2009

Well considering defensive Altaria can't do anything to Gallade, why wouldn't Gallade switch in? It gives Gallade a free attack, which we all know is a very bad thing.

Heysup · Jan 14, 2010

I think this is ready to go on site. Well maybe after one more grammar check.

whistle · Jan 14, 2010

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Claw / Aerial Ace
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. Altaria boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting and (eliminates redundancy with the “in addition” in the next phrase) an immunity to Ground, in addition to an instant recovery move (Roost) and pseudo status immunity (Natural Cure).

To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move(.) Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria's has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred over Dragon Pulse (to clarify you are not saying it is preferred over Aerial Ace for this reason)because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur(,) and Blaziken, and Gallade for super(-)effective damage.

Roost grants Altaria reliable recovery and lets it reduce its quadruple Ice weakness to a double weakness and gain a resistance to Electric-type attacks for a turn. Heal Bell supports the entire team by healing all status afflictions, including self inflicted sleep from Rest. If you already have a cleric, Earthquake can be used in the third slot to hit Steel- and Fire-types. In the last slot, there are three options to use against stat-up Pokemon: Perish Song, Roar, and Haze. Perish Song is very helpful on stall teams for dealing with the last Pokemon scenario, when the foe can no longer be phazed. Roar has the advantage of causing the opponent to immediately switch; however, it is useless in a last Pokemon situation. Haze is the most reliable option for eliminating stat boosts, but doesn't encourage the opponent to switch nearly as much as the other two options (which means less residual damage).

Registeel resists all three of Altaria's weaknesses, and makes an ideal partner on a defensive team. It can provide paralysis and Toxic support and set up Stealth Rock to make the most of Altaria's shuffling moves. In return, Altaria resists the Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks that plague Registeel, and allows Registeel to use Rest without having to use Sleep Talk due to Heal Bell. Altaria needs a field clear of Stealth Rock to be able to do its job properly. Hitmontop is a good candidate(,) due to Intimidate, its resistance to Rock-type attacks, and access to Foresight for an almost guaranteed spin.

[SET]
name: Defensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Safeguard
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 176 SpD / 64 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Solid defenses allow Altaria to set up on many of UU's weaker attackers and get several Dragon Dances under its belt before smashing through teams with its nearly unresisted STAB Dragon Claw. This Altaria set has two uses: it can serve as a cleric with Heal Bell and as a check to many of UU's threatening special sweepers throughout the match, and also set up a sweep for itself near the end of the match.

Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as Altaria's attacking move for several reasons. Altaria is designed to serve as a supporting Pokemon for the majority of a match(;)(,) but Outrage lets it easily be revenge killed if it has to attack without any Dragon Dances under its belt. Dragon Claw also lets Altaria to alternate between attacking and Roosting to bring down foes without recovery. This Altaria set is expected to get multiple Dragon Dances, so Dragon Claw's power loss is not as detrimental to Altaria's sweeping chances as Outrage's confusion. Heal Bell lets Altaria support its team by curing all status afflictions, but Safeguard is the better choice for improving Altaria's chances of setting up. Safeguard protects from sleep attacks and only needs to be used once every five turns; Heal Bell's 8 PP can be stalled out quite easily by an opponent spamming Toxic.

Max HP and 176 Special Defense EVs along with a Special Defense boosting nature allow Altaria to set up on most of UU's Ice Beam-wielding bulky Waters, something offensively inclined sets cannot do. For example, standard Milotic's Ice Beam only manages an average of 31.6% against a Roosting Altaria. With Leftovers healing an additional 6.25% of your health every turn, as well as UU's general lack of sandstorm and hail, it is not too difficult to alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost to set up; Safeguard counteracts Ice Beam's freeze chance, and a critical hit will only KO if it occurs on Altaria's non-Roosting turn. 64 Speed EVs let Altaria hit 318 Speed after one Dragon Dance, outspeeding everything up to and including +Speed natured base 95s such as Drapion and Houndoom. The remaining 16 EVs are placed in Attack to bring Altaria's unboosted stat to a well rounded 180.

Toxic Spikes support is excellent for setting up on bulky Waters, since Altaria can just alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost as increasing poison damage takes out the foe. Omastar is able to set up Toxic Spikes as well as Stealth Rock and Spikes, and has high physical Defense to complement Altaria's high Special Defense. Venusaur and Drapion are also decent choices; Altaria can take Fire attacks for Venusaur and Ground attacks for Drapion, but must beware of Ice attacks. Altaria cannot sweep when Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix are alive; both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take them out, but must beware of switching into Iron Head (for Dugtrio) or Thunder Wave or Earthquake (for Magneton). Rapid Spin support is also much appreciated, especially since Altaria is designed to act as a cleric and special sponge throughout the match.

[SET]
name: Sleep Talk + Outrage
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set, while functioning similarly to the above set, takes advantage of Altaria's 120 Base Power STAB Outrage and the way it functions with Sleep Talk. If Sleep Talk picks Outrage, the move functions normally, but its negative secondary effects are ignored. This means Altaria can get away with using Outrage without worrying about being locked in or confusion. With Rest over Roost, Altaria only needs to spend one turn healing and recovering can heal and recover from status both in one turn, as opposed to being forced to use Roost then Heal Bell. This gives Altaria a chance to smack the opponent with a hard boosted Outrage on the switch. The premise of this set is simple; use Dragon Dance until you are forced to Rest, then hit the opponent as hard as you can with Outrage.

The EVs on this set are more offensively orientated because of Altaria's natural bulkiness, and because it's important for Altaria to hit hard with Outrage, since the opponent will likely switch to their best counter once Altaria uses Rest. 20 Speed EVs are all that is needed to outpace all (to clarify positive-natured or not)Moltres and other base 90s after a Dragon Dance.

This Altaria specifically benefits from Aggron being removed, since Aggron completely walls Altaria and is more dangerous than any of the other Steel-types. Swellow will usually lure out the opponent's Aggron if they have one, and Dugtrio can trap and KO it, meaning Altaria would be free to sweep after that. Spikes are also important for this set, since with three layers of Spikes, Altaria can 2HKO Registeel at +6 Attack. Ironically, this set also benefits from Aggron as a teammate, since any strong Ice or Rock-types may come in hoping to KO Altaria before it sets up. As a bonus, Altaria and Aggron resist every type together except for Electric and Steel.

[SET]
name: Offensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set moves away from Altaria's defensive prowess, and focuses on it's decent Speed, movepool, and Dragon Dance. Altaria reaches 388 Speed after a Dragon Dance, which outpaces everything (without a boost) in UU minus Electrode. After a Dragon Dance, Altaria will OHKO a good portion of the metagame as well. For example, Pokemon such as Venusaur (who is fairly bulky) are easily KOed by a +1 Outrage.

Earthquake grants Altaria perfect coverage with Outrage, since there is no Skarmory or Bronzong in UU, and it allows Altaria to take out its counters before it lets loose with Outrage. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's natural bulkiness, and is especially useful to avoid Sucker Punch. That said, Fire Blast is a decent option to hit Steelix harder than Earthquake would on the switch.

This Altaria set really benefits from Pokemon such as Venusaur who can deal with Steelix and Regirock with its STAB special sttacks. Wall breakers such as Blaziken and Nidoking work quite well too, easily switching into Steel- and Rock-type attacks respectively, and OHKOing with their STAB special attacks.

Defensively, any Steel-type is appreciated by Altaria, so that it can absorb Ice and Rock attacks. Altaria will also often be forced out by Regirock or Donphan using Stone Edge or Ice Shard respectively, meaning something that can switch into these Pokemon and threaten them is also greatly appreciated. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic can switch into Regirock and Donphan with ease, and can OHKO them with Surf, making these Water-types great teammates for Altaria.

[Team Options]

While Altaria is a defensive oriented Pokemon, it still greatly benefits from entry hazards being placed on the opposing side of the field, especially Spikes. The defensive set uses Roar and Perish Song to force the opponent to switch, causing them to take residual damage, while Spikes aids the Dragon Dance Altaria sets by weakening its counters.

Offensively, Altaria benefits from wall breakers who can switch into physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Donphan, and Steelix and take them out. Nidoking is a pretty good teammate, since it can switch into resisted Rock-type attacks and can KO physical walls with it's powerful super effective special attacks. Blaziken or Magmortar can switch into Ice- and Steel-type attacks, while also being able to OHKO the physical walls with strong special attacks.

Defensively, Altaria really benefits from Pokemon who can sponge Ice and Rock-type attacks. Any Steel-type works sufficiently well, since they are generally bulky and have great synergy with Altaria. Aggron in particular is very effective with Altaria since it has absurdly high Defense and hits hard when given the chance to switch in. Altaria also has an easy time switching into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks that would be aimed at Aggron.

Pokemon such as Donphan and Regirock are often seen with Venusaur and a bulky Water-type to take Grass and Water attacks respectively. Fortunately for Altaria, the Pokemon it pairs well with well can easily take these Pokemon out too. Since Altaria walls Venusaur, if you're using something like Azumarill as a Water-type to absorb Ice-type attacks, you may want to try and double switch to send Altaria in as the opponent sends in Venusaur. This is especially effective if you have Roar and residual damage. (this is not an example of “the Pokemon [Altaria] pairs with well can easily take these Pokemon out too”)

[Other Options]

Altaria can run a decent Choice Specs set since Draco Meteor will hurt almost anything that doesn't resist it. However, with so many powerful Calm Mind users in UU, using a move like Draco Meteor off an average Special Attack stat is very risky. Similarly, a mixed set works great for Altaria as well, since it doesn't need to worry about Calm Mind Pokemon setting up on Draco Meteor. However, Altaria simply isn't strong enough to abuse both its Special Attack and Attack on the same set.

A Toxic stalling set could also work on Altaria, since it boasts impressive defenses and Roost. However Moltres simply outclasses Altaria in this regard with Pressure and a much more powerful Fire-type STAB attack.

[EVs]

Any Altaria set that is meant to take attacks needs to have its HP maximized. With just 252 HP EVs and a Careful nature, Altaria can outstall Milotic's Ice Beam with Roost. The purely defensive and defensive Dragon Dance set call for Special Defense EVs, emphasizing Altaria's ability to take special attacks. The Sleep Talk set needs the Attack EVs suggested to 2HKO Registeel with Spikes after 6 Dragon Dances. The Attack EVs also help it sweep late game once its counters are removed.

The Dragon Dance set simply requires maximum Attack and Speed to optimize its sweeping capabilities. 16 EVs can be moved from Speed to HP, since it will still outrun Jolly Swellow after a Dragon Dance(,)(;) however(,) tying at worst with neutral nature base 80s is usually more important than the 4 HP would be.

[Opinion]

Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because it's simply outclassed by Salamence and other dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist many of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground) as well as resisting the common priority moves (Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Mach Punch), Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost.

On the other hand, Altaria's offensive capabilities are often underestimated. With perfect coverage granted in two moves, decent Speed, and a 120 Base Power STAB, Altaria will be able to devastate unprepared teams after a Dragon Dance.

If you're lacking resistances to any of Altaria's whole slew of resistances, definitely consider Altaria for a slot on your team.

[Counters]

If Altaria doesn't carry Earthquake or Fire Blast, any Steel-type will have an easy time beating it, though Registeel and Steelix need to be careful when facing the Sleep Talk set (why). Altaria also has an easily exploitable 4x weakness, so bulky Water-types who invest in Special Attack should have no trouble walling and KOing Altaria.

Regirock and Donphan make great checks to the Sleep Talk Dragon Dance set, as they don't take much damage from Outrage and can easily 1-2HKO with Stone Edge and Ice Shard, respectively.

more counters?

Komodo · Jan 14, 2010

Heysup said:
(Team Options)
Defensively, Altaria really benefits from Pokemon who can sponge Ice(-) and Rock-type attacks. Any Steel-type works sufficiently well, since they are generally bulky and have great synergy with Altaria. Aggron in particular is very effective with Altaria since it has absurdly high Defense and hits hard when given the chance to switch in. Altaria also has an easy time switching into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks that would be aimed at Aggron.

(Sleep Talk+Outrage)
This Altaria specifically benefits from Aggron being removed, since Aggron completely walls Altaria and is more dangerous than any of the other Steel-types. Swellow will usually lure out the opponent's Aggron if they have one, and Dugtrio can trap and KO it, meaning Altaria would be free to sweep after that. Spikes are also important for this set, since with three layers of Spikes, Altaria can 2HKO Registeel with +6 Attack. Ironically, this set also benefits from Aggron, since any strong Ice(-) or Rock-types may come in hoping to KO Altaria before it sets up. As a bonus, Altaria and Aggron resist every type together except for Electric and Steel.

Additions in blue.

Darkmalice · Jan 14, 2010

Looks good. Just before we put it up, we need to remove Aerial Ace as an option, as Gallade is now BL and he was the primary reason to use it (as well as remove all mention of Gallade).

Heysup · Jan 14, 2010

good catch, taking it AAce out.

Flora · Jan 16, 2010

Support said:
To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move. (period) Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria's has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur, Blaziken, and Hitmontop for super effective damage.

Missing period and "super effective" doesn't have that "-" inbetween.

Offensive Dancer said:
This set moves away from Altaria's defensive prowess, and focuses on its decent Speed, movepool, and Dragon Dance. Altaria reaches 388 Speed after a Dragon Dance, which outpaces everything (without a boost) in UU minus Electrode. After a Dragon Dance, Altaria will OHKO a good portion of the metagame as well. For example, Pokemon such as Venusaur (who is fairly bulky) are easily KOed by a +1 Outrage.

"its" > "it's" in this case.

Team Options said:
Offensively, Altaria benefits from wall breakers who can switch into physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Donphan, and Steelix and take them out. Nidoking is a pretty good teammate, since it can switch into resisted Rock-type attacks and can KO physical walls with its powerful super effective special attacks. Blaziken or Magmortar can switch into Ice- and Steel-type attacks, while also being able to OHKO the physical walls with strong special attacks.

Same problem as above, needs "its" > "it's" here.

Opinion said:
Altaria is often known as the "UU Dragon" because it's simply outclassed by Salamence and other dragons in OU. While it is outclassed in OU, it has a very interesting niche in the UU metagame. Being able to resist all of the most common attacks that are used in UU (Grass, Fire, Water, and Ground) as well as resisting the common priority moves (Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Mach Punch), Altaria makes a great special wall and bulky Dragon Dance sweeper. Altaria's Special Defense is often high enough to even take Ice-type attacks after a Roost.

Same problem on the opposite. "it's" > "its" in this case.

Counters said:
Regirock and Donphan make great checks to the Sleep Talk Dragon Dance set, as they don't take much damage from Outrage and can easily 1-2HKO with Stone Edge or Ice Shard respectively.

I think Ice Shard was suppose to be mentioned here or else the "respectively" part doesn't make sense.

Heysup · Jan 17, 2010

I can't believe I messed up "it's" and "its".....ugh

thanks.

whistle · Jan 17, 2010

um heysup it seems like you missed the edit i posted a few posts ago because (a) aromaflora caught some of the same basic errors and they weren't fixed (b) there are some other grammar errors that aren't very subjective and are also not fixed

qq

Heysup · Jan 23, 2010

qq indeed. I definitely missed that. Anyway, I added those changes in.

Eo Ut Mortus · Jan 29, 2010

Heysup said:
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Perish Song / Roar / Haze
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Altaria's great typing and access to rare supporting moves make it a valuable addition to any defensive team. Altaria boasts resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, and Fighting and an immunity to Ground, in addition to an instant recovery move (Roost) and pseudo status immunity (Natural Cure).

To maximize its support options, Altaria only has space for one attacking move. Using Altaria's Dragon STAB is recommended due to its excellent neutral coverage. Altaria has equal attacking stats, but Dragon Claw is preferred over Dragon Pulse because most of the Pokemon Altaria prefers to take on (such as Venusaur, Houndoom, Mismagius, Espeon, and Sceptile) have lower Defense than Special Defense. However, Aerial Ace is another option, because it hits Grass- and Fighting-types like Venusaur and Blaziken, for super effective damage.

Roost grants Altaria reliable recovery and lets it reduce its quadruple Ice weakness to a double weakness and gain a resistance to Electric-type attacks for a turn. Heal Bell supports the entire team by healing all status afflictions, including self inflicted sleep from Rest. If you already have a cleric, Earthquake can be used in the third slot to hit Steel- and Fire-types. In the last slot, there are three options to use against stat-up Pokemon: Perish Song, Roar, and Haze. Perish Song is very helpful on stall teams for dealing with the last Pokemon scenario, when the foe can no longer be phazed. Roar has the advantage of causing the opponent to immediately switch; however, it is useless in a last Pokemon situation. Haze is the most reliable option for eliminating stat boosts, but it doesn't encourage the opponent to switch nearly as much as the other two options (which means less residual damage).

Registeel resists all three of Altaria's weaknesses and makes an ideal partner on a defensive team. It can provide paralysis and Toxic support and set up Stealth Rock to make the most of Altaria's shuffling moves. In return, Altaria resists the Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks that plague Registeel and allows Registeel to use Rest without having to use Sleep Talk due to Heal Bell. Altaria needs a field clear of Stealth Rock to be able to do its job properly. Hitmontop is a good candidate due to Intimidate, its resistance to Rock-type attacks, and access to Foresight for an almost guaranteed spin.

[SET]
name: Defensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Safeguard
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 176 SpD / 64 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Solid defenses allow Altaria to set up on many of UU's weaker attackers and get several Dragon Dances under its belt before smashing through teams with its nearly unresisted STAB Dragon Claw. This Altaria set has two uses: it can serve as a cleric with Heal Bell and as a check to many of UU's threatening special sweepers throughout the match, and it can also set up a sweep for itself near the end of the match.

Dragon Claw is chosen over Outrage as Altaria's attacking move for several reasons. Altaria is designed to serve as a supporting Pokemon for the majority of a match, but Outrage leaves it vulnerable to revenge kills if it has to attack without any Dragon Dances under its belt. Dragon Claw also lets Altaria alternate between attacking and Roosting to bring down foes without recovery. This Altaria set is expected to get multiple Dragon Dances, so Dragon Claw's power loss is not as detrimental to Altaria's sweeping chances as Outrage's confusion. Heal Bell lets Altaria support its team by curing all status afflictions, but Safeguard is the better choice for improving Altaria's chances of setting up. Safeguard protects from sleep attacks and only needs to be used once every five turns; Heal Bell's 8 PP can be stalled out quite easily by an opponent spamming Toxic.

Max HP and 176 Special Defense EVs along with a Special Defense boosting nature allow Altaria to set up on most of UU's Ice Beam-wielding bulky Waters, something offensively inclined sets cannot do. For example, standard Milotic's Ice Beam only manages an average of 31.6% against a Roosting Altaria. With Leftovers healing an additional 6.25% of your health every turn, as well as UU's general lack of sandstorm and hail, it is not too difficult to alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost to set up; Safeguard counteracts Ice Beam's freeze chance, and a critical hit will only KO if it occurs on Altaria's non-Roosting turn. 64 Speed EVs let Altaria hit 318 Speed after one Dragon Dance, outspeeding everything up to and including +Speed natured base 95s such as Drapion and Houndoom. The remaining 16 EVs are placed in Attack to bring Altaria's unboosted stat to a well rounded 180.

Toxic Spikes support is excellent for setting up on bulky Waters since Altaria can just alternate between Dragon Dance and Roost as increasing poison damage takes out the foe. Omastar is able to set up Toxic Spikes as well as Stealth Rock and Spikes and has high physical Defense to complement Altaria's high Special Defense. Venusaur and Drapion are also decent choices; Altaria can take Fire attacks for Venusaur and Ground attacks for Drapion, but it must beware of Ice attacks. Altaria cannot sweep when Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix are alive; both Dugtrio and Magneton can trap and take them out but must beware of switching into Iron Head or Ice Punch(for Dugtrio) or Thunder Wave or Earthquake (for Magneton). Rapid Spin support is also much appreciated, especially since Altaria is designed to act as a cleric and special sponge throughout the match.

[SET]
name: Sleep Talk + Outrage
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set, while functioning similarly to the above set, takes advantage of Altaria's 120 Base Power STAB Outrage and the way it functions with Sleep Talk. If Sleep Talk picks Outrage, the move functions normally, but its negative secondary effects are ignored. This means Altaria can get away with using Outrage without worrying about being locked in or confusion. With Rest over Roost, Altaria can heal and recover from status both in one turn, as opposed to being forced to use Roost then Heal Bell. This gives Altaria a chance to smack the opponent with a hard boosted Outrage on the switch. The premise of this set is simple; use Dragon Dance until you are forced to Rest, then hit the opponent as hard as you can with Outrage.

The EVs on this set are more offensively orientated because of Altaria's natural bulkiness and because it's important for Altaria to hit hard with Outrage since the opponent will likely switch to their best counter once Altaria uses Rest. 20 Speed EVs are all that is needed to outpace all Moltres and other base 90s after a Dragon Dance.

This Altaria specifically benefits from Aggron being removed, since Aggron completely walls Altaria and is more dangerous than any of the other Steel-types. Swellow will usually lure out the opponent's Aggron if they have one, and Dugtrio can trap and KO it, meaning Altaria would be free to sweep after that. Spikes are also important for this set since with three layers of Spikes, Altaria can 2HKO Registeel at +6 Attack. Ironically, this set also benefits from Aggron as a teammate, since any strong Ice or Rock-types may come in hoping to KO Altaria before it sets up. As a bonus, Altaria and Aggron resist every type together except for Electric and Steel.

[SET]
name: Offensive Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set moves away from Altaria's defensive prowess and focuses on its decent Speed, movepool, and Dragon Dance. Altaria reaches 388 Speed after a Dragon Dance, which outpaces everything (without a boost) in UU minus Electrode. After a Dragon Dance, Altaria will OHKO a good portion of the metagame as well. For example, Pokemon such as Venusaur (who is fairly bulky) are easily KOed by a +1 Outrage.

Earthquake grants Altaria perfect coverage with Outrage, since there are no Skarmory or Bronzong in UU, and it allows Altaria to take out its counters before it lets loose with Outrage. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's natural bulkiness and is especially useful to avoid Sucker Punch. That said, Fire Blast is a decent option to hit Steelix harder than Earthquake would on the switch.

This Altaria set really benefits from Pokemon such as Venusaur who can deal with Steelix and Regirock with its STAB special attacks. Wall breakers such as Blaziken and Nidoking work quite well too, easily switching into Steel- and Rock-type attacks, respectively, and OHKOing with their STAB special attacks.

Defensively, any Steel-type is appreciated by Altaria, so that it can absorb Ice and Rock attacks. Altaria will also often be forced out by Regirock or Donphan using Stone Edge or Ice Shard respectively, meaning something that can switch into these Pokemon and threaten them is also greatly appreciated. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic can switch into Regirock and Donphan with ease and OHKO them with Surf, making these Water-types great teammates for Altaria.

[Team Options]

While Altaria is a defensive oriented Pokemon, it still greatly benefits from entry hazards being placed on the opposing side of the field, especially Spikes. The defensive set uses Roar and Perish Song to force the opponent to switch, causing them to take residual damage, while Spikes aids Dragon Dance Altaria by weakening its counters.

Offensively, Altaria benefits from wall breakers who can switch into physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Donphan, and Steelix and take them out. Nidoking is a pretty good teammate, since it can switch into resisted Rock-type attacks and can KO physical walls with its powerful super effective special attacks. Blaziken or Magmortar can switch into Ice- and Steel-type attacks while also being able to OHKO the physical walls with strong special attacks.

Defensively, Altaria really benefits from Pokemon who can sponge Ice and Rock-type attacks. Any Steel-type works sufficiently well, since they are generally bulky and have great synergy with Altaria. Aggron in particular is very effective with Altaria since it has absurdly high Defense and hits hard when given the chance to switch in. Altaria also has an easy time switching into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks that would be aimed at Aggron.

Pokemon such as Donphan and Regirock are often seen with Venusaur and a bulky Water-type. Fortunately for Altaria, the Pokemon it pairs with well can easily take these Pokemon out too. Since Altaria walls Venusaur, if you're using something like Azumarill as a Water-type to absorb Ice-type attacks, you may want to try and double switch to send Altaria in as the opponent sends in Venusaur. This is especially effective if you have Roar and residual damage.

[Other Options]

Altaria can run a decent Choice Specs set since Draco Meteor will hurt almost anything that doesn't resist it. However, with so many powerful Calm Mind users in UU, using a move like Draco Meteor off an average Special Attack stat is very risky.[I don't see how this would be the biggest reason; a lot of Calm Mind users don't like switching into Draco Meteor] Similarly, a mixed set works great for Altaria as well, since it doesn't need to worry about Calm Mind Pokemon setting up on Draco Meteor. However, Altaria simply isn't strong enough to abuse both its Special Attack and Attack on the same set.

A Toxic stalling set could also work on Altaria since it boasts impressive defenses and Roost. However, Moltres simply outclasses Altaria in this regard with Pressure and a much more powerful Fire-type STAB attack.

Cresselia might be worth mentioning in Counters, as it gives Altaria trouble, depending on the sets.

Erazor · Jan 30, 2010

Is it really worth Mentioning Cresselia in analyses yet? I think we should wait until it's voting period is over and we know its tiering.

Heysup · Feb 19, 2010

Alright updated this to fit the current format. Also, I don't think it really matters if I put Cresselia in here or not since it really doesn't effect Altaria much.

Altaria (Update)*

Heysup

bugmaniacbob

Was fun while it lasted

twash

Heysup

whistle

Heysup

Darkmalice

Level 3

Heysup

Darkmalice

Level 3

Kurnak

Heysup

diinbong

Heysup

Heysup

whistle

Komodo

Huff

Darkmalice

Level 3

Heysup

Flora

Yep, that tasted purple!

Heysup

whistle

Heysup

Eo Ut Mortus

Elodin Smells

Erazor

✓ Just Doug It

Heysup