[SET]
Dragon Dance (Dragonite) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal / Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed / Ice Spinner
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner / Roost / Encore
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragon Dance Dragonite is one of the tier's most formidable setup sweepers due to its plethora of coverage variations and defensive profile. On top of giving it more setup opportunities, its typing and bulk let Dragonite check foes like Ogerpon-W, Cinderace, Iron Moth, and, when combined with Multiscale, emergency check a wider array of foes, giving offensive teams a valuable out against opposing offensive teams. Extreme Speed maximizes its matchup against offensive teams, compensating for Dragonite's subpar Speed tier by taking care of the archetype's frail or boosted foes like Darkrai, Iron Valiant, and Kyurem while also outprioritzing revenge killers like Weavile and Raging Bolt. Earthquake covers Pokemon like Garganacl, Pecharunt, Galarian Weezing, and Steel-types like Kingambit and Gholdengo. Ice Spinner dents foes like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Sinistcha, and opposing Dragonite while popping Air Balloon from Gholdengo, Pecharunt, and Tera Ghost Kingambit. Dragonite can forgo Extreme Speed, as Ice Spinner + Earthquake grants it with sufficient coverage to hit most of the metagame for at least neutral effectiveness. Either Roost or Encore gives it more setup opportunities; Roost lets it activate Multiscale repeatedly and is the preferred move on bulkier playstyles to emphasize its defensive utility further, while Encore punishes opposing setup and passive plays from threats and walls like Zamazenta, Raging Bolt, Landorus-T, and Corviknight. A coverage move can be used instead; Rock Slide obliterates a would-be check in Moltres and hits Zapdos without triggering Static, with the riskier but stronger Stone Edge being an alternative that has good chances to straight up OHKO the former and 2HKO the latter. Similar to Ice Spinner + Earthquake, either of the Rock-type moves + Earthquake can be used as the sole attacking moves so it can run Encore or Roost in its last moveslot. Fire Punch super effectively hits Corviknight, Skarmory, and Air Balloon Steel-types like Kingambit, Gholdengo, and Tinkaton. Alongside a Naughty or Naive nature, Hurricane can be used to dent otherwise strong checks in Zamazenta, Great Tusk, and Dondozo, even ignoring their Defense boosts. Dragon Tail prevents IronPress users like non-Roar Zamazenta, Corviknight, and Skarmory from beating it one-on-one; stops opposing phazers like Ting-Lu and Zamazenta if it's running a Jolly nature from forcing it out first; and lets it act as a sturdier emergency check against opposing setup sweepers that it can't immediately KO. While Heavy-Duty Boots is preferred to reliably keep its Multiscale intact even in the face of Stealth Rock, teams that commit to strong entry hazard removal can run other items; Leftovers improves its general longevity, while Lum Berry ignores crippling status from foes like Dragapult, Moltres, Pecharunt, and Gholdengo. More offensive choices like Silk Scarf and Soft Sand can be used with their appropriate Tera types at the cost of lower longevity and harder times setting up. An Adamant nature is preferred, but Jolly can be used to, at worst, Speed tie opposing Dragonite while outspeeding Dragapult and Zamazenta at +1. Tera Normal is only used on sets running Extreme Speed, as it importantly boosts the move while giving Dragonite a neutral typing against all of its weaknesses. Tera Ground can be used to boost its Earthquake instead and defensively grants Dragonite an immunity to Gholdengo's Thunder Wave and Raging Bolt's Thunderclap at the cost of being weaker against Ogerpon-W and Rillaboom and maintaining its Ice weakness from Weavile, Kyurem, and Darkrai.
Dragonite's sweeping potential and defensive utility makes it an exceptional pick for most playstyles, anything that ranges from hyper offense to balance. Physically offensive teammates like Ogerpon-W, Zamazenta, and Kingambit can either overwhelm, surprise, or pressure a majority of its checks, which include the likes of Pecharunt, Alomomola, Zapdos, and Clefable. Special attackers like Darkrai, Iron Moth, Raging Bolt, Gholdengo, and Iron Valiant are similarly great to immediately threaten Dragonite's checks, especially Defense-boosting users like Zamazenta, Corviknight, Dondozo, and Great Tusk looking to go one-on-one against Dragonite. Moreover, they're particularly capable of forcing damage onto Air Balloon users like Gholdengo, Kingambit, and Tinkaton, giving Dragonite an easier time against them later on. Leads like Deoxys-S, Hisuian Samurott, and Landorus-T can also soften the opposition with their entry hazards so Dragonite can sweep more easily. The aforementioned Great Tusk and other hazard control options like Cinderace, Iron Treads, and Hatterene—even running a combination of them simultaneously—on offensive teams give Dragonite more freedom to forgo Heavy-Duty Boots. On bulkier teams, Dragonite immensely loves teammates like Galarian Weezing, Corviknight, Pecharunt, Sinistcha, and Alomomola that can switch into and check foes such as Iron Valiant, Zamazenta, and Weavile that force it out. Other walls like Ting-Lu, Gliscor, and Clefable are also great hazard setters for Dragonite's sweeping mission. The aformentioned Corviknight also provides Defog as extra insurance in case Dragonite's Heavy-Duty Boots is removed by Ogerpon-W, Great Tusk, and Hisuian Samurott, but Corviknight itself alongside Gliscor and Clefable are great Knock Off absorbers in the first place. In return, all of them appreciate Dragonite's defensive utility, such as checking Iron Moth for Corviknight, Tinkaton, and Galarian Weezing; Ogerpon and Rillaboom for Alomomola, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl; and Ogerpon-W for all of them. On top of providing these teams with a setup sweeper that they might lack, Dragonite's ability to emergency check most threats in general also alleviates the pressure against these walls, especially with its good matchup against offensive teams that can otherwise run them over.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Dragon Dance (Dragonite) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal / Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed / Ice Spinner
- Earthquake
- Ice Spinner / Roost / Encore
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragon Dance Dragonite is one of the tier's most formidable setup sweepers due to its plethora of coverage variations and defensive profile. On top of giving it more setup opportunities, its typing and bulk let Dragonite check foes like Ogerpon-W, Cinderace, Iron Moth, and, when combined with Multiscale, emergency check a wider array of foes, giving offensive teams a valuable out against opposing offensive teams. Extreme Speed maximizes its matchup against offensive teams, compensating for Dragonite's subpar Speed tier by taking care of the archetype's frail or boosted foes like Darkrai, Iron Valiant, and Kyurem while also outprioritzing revenge killers like Weavile and Raging Bolt. Earthquake covers Pokemon like Garganacl, Pecharunt, Galarian Weezing, and Steel-types like Kingambit and Gholdengo. Ice Spinner dents foes like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Sinistcha, and opposing Dragonite while popping Air Balloon from Gholdengo, Pecharunt, and Tera Ghost Kingambit. Dragonite can forgo Extreme Speed, as Ice Spinner + Earthquake grants it with sufficient coverage to hit most of the metagame for at least neutral effectiveness. Either Roost or Encore gives it more setup opportunities; Roost lets it activate Multiscale repeatedly and is the preferred move on bulkier playstyles to emphasize its defensive utility further, while Encore punishes opposing setup and passive plays from threats and walls like Zamazenta, Raging Bolt, Landorus-T, and Corviknight. A coverage move can be used instead; Rock Slide obliterates a would-be check in Moltres and hits Zapdos without triggering Static, with the riskier but stronger Stone Edge being an alternative that has good chances to straight up OHKO the former and 2HKO the latter. Similar to Ice Spinner + Earthquake, either of the Rock-type moves + Earthquake can be used as the sole attacking moves so it can run Encore or Roost in its last moveslot. Fire Punch super effectively hits Corviknight, Skarmory, and Air Balloon Steel-types like Kingambit, Gholdengo, and Tinkaton. Alongside a Naughty or Naive nature, Hurricane can be used to dent otherwise strong checks in Zamazenta, Great Tusk, and Dondozo, even ignoring their Defense boosts. Dragon Tail prevents IronPress users like non-Roar Zamazenta, Corviknight, and Skarmory from beating it one-on-one; stops opposing phazers like Ting-Lu and Zamazenta if it's running a Jolly nature from forcing it out first; and lets it act as a sturdier emergency check against opposing setup sweepers that it can't immediately KO. While Heavy-Duty Boots is preferred to reliably keep its Multiscale intact even in the face of Stealth Rock, teams that commit to strong entry hazard removal can run other items; Leftovers improves its general longevity, while Lum Berry ignores crippling status from foes like Dragapult, Moltres, Pecharunt, and Gholdengo. More offensive choices like Silk Scarf and Soft Sand can be used with their appropriate Tera types at the cost of lower longevity and harder times setting up. An Adamant nature is preferred, but Jolly can be used to, at worst, Speed tie opposing Dragonite while outspeeding Dragapult and Zamazenta at +1. Tera Normal is only used on sets running Extreme Speed, as it importantly boosts the move while giving Dragonite a neutral typing against all of its weaknesses. Tera Ground can be used to boost its Earthquake instead and defensively grants Dragonite an immunity to Gholdengo's Thunder Wave and Raging Bolt's Thunderclap at the cost of being weaker against Ogerpon-W and Rillaboom and maintaining its Ice weakness from Weavile, Kyurem, and Darkrai.
Dragonite's sweeping potential and defensive utility makes it an exceptional pick for most playstyles, anything that ranges from hyper offense to balance. Physically offensive teammates like Ogerpon-W, Zamazenta, and Kingambit can either overwhelm, surprise, or pressure a majority of its checks, which include the likes of Pecharunt, Alomomola, Zapdos, and Clefable. Special attackers like Darkrai, Iron Moth, Raging Bolt, Gholdengo, and Iron Valiant are similarly great to immediately threaten Dragonite's checks, especially Defense-boosting users like Zamazenta, Corviknight, Dondozo, and Great Tusk looking to go one-on-one against Dragonite. Moreover, they're particularly capable of forcing damage onto Air Balloon users like Gholdengo, Kingambit, and Tinkaton, giving Dragonite an easier time against them later on. Leads like Deoxys-S, Hisuian Samurott, and Landorus-T can also soften the opposition with their entry hazards so Dragonite can sweep more easily. The aforementioned Great Tusk and other hazard control options like Cinderace, Iron Treads, and Hatterene—even running a combination of them simultaneously—on offensive teams give Dragonite more freedom to forgo Heavy-Duty Boots. On bulkier teams, Dragonite immensely loves teammates like Galarian Weezing, Corviknight, Pecharunt, Sinistcha, and Alomomola that can switch into and check foes such as Iron Valiant, Zamazenta, and Weavile that force it out. Other walls like Ting-Lu, Gliscor, and Clefable are also great hazard setters for Dragonite's sweeping mission. The aformentioned Corviknight also provides Defog as extra insurance in case Dragonite's Heavy-Duty Boots is removed by Ogerpon-W, Great Tusk, and Hisuian Samurott, but Corviknight itself alongside Gliscor and Clefable are great Knock Off absorbers in the first place. In return, all of them appreciate Dragonite's defensive utility, such as checking Iron Moth for Corviknight, Tinkaton, and Galarian Weezing; Ogerpon and Rillaboom for Alomomola, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl; and Ogerpon-W for all of them. On top of providing these teams with a setup sweeper that they might lack, Dragonite's ability to emergency check most threats in general also alleviates the pressure against these walls, especially with its good matchup against offensive teams that can otherwise run them over.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tysonslayer.349443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Last edited:
