Pokémon Dracovish

[Matleo]

Seismitoad Set

Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Protect

It has Toxic. I run a Seismitoad similar to that, with only Protect over Toxic to scout Borked Ice Man and to get more Leftovers recovery. Toad is just really good in general, so putting it on a team isn't too much of an ask.

Dracovish itself is a fucking monster. 2HKOing SpDef Ferrothorn outside of rain? Yeah, the meta will need to adapt to this mon among other things. I don't think that anyone mentioned how good this mon is against opposing rain. I battled Ske's? (I don't know who originally built it, but I think it's him) rain team several times with Vish and it melts it. I unfortunately didn't save any replays, but let's just say Vish has a field day when the Seismitoad isn't Water Absorb.

what about Freeze Dry users that outspeed it?
water-dragon 4 damage yes?
During sun fairies dont need to worry

water absorbs, storm drain and dry skin are enough to handle it...

The same goes for Bolk Beak and ground, lightning road, motor drive, volt absorb users.

now I got why they got weather speeding up abilities, against Dynamax weather casters.

 

[MrHands]

So, is it worth losing the extra oomph from Adamant + CB to go Jolly + CS and outspeed mostly everyone on the meta?

Yeah in general a 255 base power STAB move should 2HKO basically anything that doesn't resist it. Even Ferrothorn and Toxapex are 3HKOed by jolly scarf Fishious Rend. Less defensive mons get shredded lol.

Band nukes walls but Scarf consistently cleans up against offense.

 

[onatolentino]

Yeah in general a 255 base power STAB move should 2HKO basically anything that doesn't resist it. Even Ferrothorn and Toxapex are 3HKOed by jolly scarf Fishious Rend. Less defensive mons get shredded lol.

Band nukes walls but Scarf consistently cleans up against offense.

Is Adamant + Scarf good or does it have to be Jolly?

 

[MrHands]

Is Adamant + Scarf good or does it have to be Jolly?

Idk the meta well enough to say lol. I'd just go Jolly to nail those Adamant Gyarados.

 

[Zentrius]

of all pokemon, jolly scarf manages to neutral dragapult, +1 neutral gyara, positive barrawkseda, and positive weavile

out of all of these, IMO the most important is gyarados since you practically die to a +1 max airstream (its a 75% chance to OHKO'd at full with no hazards) and in return you 2hko'd it (maximum of 70% with rends).

barrawskeda is also a threat, but cannot do much in return and is murdered by rends.

i dont know how relevant is neutral dragapult (is that viable?) and i dont think weavile is as common.

i would run jolly just for gyarados IMO, either way youre so fucking strong so the attack lost from being adamant isnt that noticeable

 

[FlashDav]

I tried my first game in gen 8 today. Saw this cool Dracovish set, and wanted to try it out with some rain. Pelipper u-turn to 6 straight OHKO's. This thing is a monster, and any team unprepared for it gets absolutely destroyed.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1017471983

I'm not sure that this thing can stay in OU, due to the fact that it requires virtually no setup to 2HKO everything. Running low kick is great in case you get a chance to Dynamax, for the +1 attack boost.

 

[onatolentino]

I tried my first game in gen 8 today. Saw this cool Dracovish set, and wanted to try it out with some rain. Pelipper u-turn to 6 straight OHKO's. This thing is a monster, and any team unprepared for it gets absolutely destroyed.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1017471983

I'm not sure that this thing can stay in OU, due to the fact that it requires virtually no setup to 2HKO everything. Running low kick is great in case you get a chance to Dynamax, for the +1 attack boost.

Is it Jolly Scarf, Adamant Band or what?

 

[MagikaripIsOP]

I need to try slow pelipper u-turn + Jolly scarf Dracovish ASAP

 

[onatolentino]

I have an Adamant Band in cartridge but thinking about changing it to Jolly... or is Adamant Scarf good?

 

[Morkal]

I've actually found that Dracovish can be useful with Dynamax, here's the set I've been using to great effect on my Rain team.

Dracovish @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Earthquake

Now hear me out on why this works with Dynamax specifically. Obviously if I'm not Dynamax'd, Fishious Rend is the way to go. However the rest of the moves have specific niches in Dynamax and allow you to gain an edge since Dyna on Vish is pretty unexpected.

First, Max Quake's SpD boost that Draco gets is actually mind boggling given Draco's naturally great bulk and defensive typing. Along with this, Max Mindstorm creates Psychic terrain preventing Priority from revenge killing Vish after you nuke a mon. Max Geyser also allows Draco to RESET RAIN IF YOUR RAIN SETTER GETS NUKED. Max Darkness is pretty situational and is mostly there just for the extra coverage.

Resetting Draco's rain is worth Dynamaxing alone as you effectively have two rain setters. Don't sleep on Dyna Vish.

 

[Alex Rose]

^Seems reasonable. Vish's last two moves after Rend/Crunch are so situational anyway, I don't hate hedging towards the occasional dynamax.

 

[volx757]

what about Freeze Dry users that outspeed it?
water-dragon 4 damage yes?
During sun fairies dont need to worry

water absorbs, storm drain and dry skin are enough to handle it...

The same goes for Bolk Beak and ground, lightning road, motor drive, volt absorb users.

now I got why they got weather speeding up abilities, against Dynamax weather casters.

The only freeze dry user faster than it is mr. mime which is unviable.

I don't know yet if dracovish is overpowered, i'd lean towards no right now, but I think saying 'these limited distrubition abilities are enough to handle it' is a bit asinine. Seismitoad and Gastrodon are the only proven OU-viable users of any of those abilities.
And being a fairy in the sun is wayyyy too specific to call a counter, not to mention rend is still gonna hit for nice damage even in the sun.

What a fun mon tho, feels like MMaw in Gen 6 before she got banned.

 

[Scorching]

The only freeze dry user faster than it is mr. mime which is unviable.

God please don't tell me we have to put all our surviving chances in Water Absorb+Freeze-Dry Lapras...

 

[Vengeance417]

I've actually found that Dracovish can be useful with Dynamax, here's the set I've been using to great effect on my Rain team.

Dracovish @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Earthquake

Now hear me out on why this works with Dynamax specifically. Obviously if I'm not Dynamax'd, Fishious Rend is the way to go. However the rest of the moves have specific niches in Dynamax and allow you to gain an edge since Dyna on Vish is pretty unexpected.

First, Max Quake's SpD boost that Draco gets is actually mind boggling given Draco's naturally great bulk and defensive typing. Along with this, Max Mindstorm creates Psychic terrain preventing Priority from revenge killing Vish after you nuke a mon. Max Geyser also allows Draco to RESET RAIN IF YOUR RAIN SETTER GETS NUKED. Max Darkness is pretty situational and is mostly there just for the extra coverage.

Resetting Draco's rain is worth Dynamaxing alone as you effectively have two rain setters. Don't sleep on Dyna Vish.

You could also opt for Low Kick for Max Knuckle, increasing its Attack with each use and after one or a few boosts + Scarf makes this mon dummy threatening. It also helps in breaking through Ferrothorn outside of Rain.

 

[PokemonTrainerLui]

Defensive Arctovish/Lapras with Water Absorb are good counters. They also have access to Freeze Dry...

 

[GaileOxstain]

Defensive Arctovish/Lapras with Water Absorb are good counters. They also have access to Freeze Dry...

How ironic that one of the counters for the most OP of the fossils is the weakest of the fossils.

 

[DracoRage]

Banded Dracovish can simply OHKO incoming Dragon and other mons looking to use their 4x water resistance, and heavily dent incoming water immunities with Outrage.

252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mantine: 226-267 (60.4 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Gastrodon: 229-271 (53.8 - 63.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 201-237 (51 - 60.1%) -- 88.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Vaporeon: 246-291 (53 - 62.7%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lapras: 208-246 (44.8 - 53%) -- 25.8% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Dracovish Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lanturn: 252-297 (55.5 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Of course most of these sets are rather unorthodox, but it shows that even if you try to counter Dracovish with max defensive investment, if they hit the Outrage button they simply crumble or get otherwise crippled. Overall I think Crunch is a bit overrated since its only particularly relevant target is Jellicent, that gets 2HKO'd by Crunch and Outrage the same, and no dark resistance is switching into a possible Fishious Rend.

After STABs you can look for specific utility or OHKOs with Crunch/Stone Edge/Earthquake/Psychic Fangs that pick off specific Water immunities or 4x water resistances, but overall I think that people really are overlooking how important a secondary STAB is, even if a Pokémon type is immune to it.

 

[Empress Mobile]

Defensive Arctovish/Lapras with Water Absorb are good counters. They also have access to Freeze Dry...

Given those are both unviable garbage (not to be shitty, I love both mons) I really can't imagine this thing staying in OU for long. Though obviously there's bigger fish to fry right now.

 

[Morkal]

Given those are both unviable garbage (not to be shitty, I love both mons) I really can't imagine this thing staying in OU for long. Though obviously there's bigger fish to fry right now.

As much as I want Dracovish to stay in OU, this is reminding me an awful lot of the beginning of OU in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon where people started running Empoleon in OU just to deal with Naganadel.

 

[MrHands]

I tried my first game in gen 8 today. Saw this cool Dracovish set, and wanted to try it out with some rain. Pelipper u-turn to 6 straight OHKO's. This thing is a monster, and any team unprepared for it gets absolutely destroyed.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1017471983

I'm not sure that this thing can stay in OU, due to the fact that it requires virtually no setup to 2HKO everything. Running low kick is great in case you get a chance to Dynamax, for the +1 attack boost.

While I overall agree your opponent had only one water resist, and that water resist has uninvested 61/60/50 defenses.

 

[Kieran484]

So Pelipper is the ideal teammate for this abomination, surely? Drizzle sets up rain and then Tailwind gives you full license to spam the kill button.
Could also be worth pairing it with Galvantula - Sticky Web could make all the difference if you're running Choice Band, and Volt Switch helps get Dracovish in safely.

 

[UnfortunateSal]

Dracovish @ Leftovers
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fishious Rend
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs

So, Dracovish is amazing, and I have been particulary enjoying the Scarf set a lot since it outspeeds and KOes so many threats right now. And obviously, when you think of Pokemon with a single extremely spammable move, you think to give it a Choice item. However, I've also been considering this set lately. Dracovish is actally quite vulnerable to status from the likes of Rotom-W, Toxapex, Jellicent and Ferrothorn. Plus, Leftovers gives it passive recovery to stay alive throughout the course of the battle and better take advantage of its actually quite solid bulk and defensive typing, though if you want to bluff a Choice set, you can run Salac Berry or Mystic Water. Crunch is for Jellicent, Psychic Fang is for Toxapex. Speed EVs are specifically to creep defensive Rotom-W but you might as well run 252 Speed, or a Jolly nature, depending on what you want to outspeed. I don't think this will be replacing the choiced sets anytime soon, but it is an interesting option that takes advantage of Dracovish's defensive capabilities, which I personally find to be underutilized.

edit: honestly you might as well run Protect over a coverage move, it helps you get extra leftovers recovery and scout choice users like Darm and Dragapult, and it's not like you really need the coverage lol

 

[Empress Mobile]

As much as I want Dracovish to stay in OU, this is reminding me an awful lot of the beginning of OU in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon where people started running Empoleon in OU just to deal with Naganadel.

This is worse to me than Naganadel, which could be defensively checked by AV Tyranitar. That set was sub-optimal, but still viable against the greater metagame. Stuff like Mantine, Gastrodon, Seismitoad, etc., can really only pivot and maybe threaten with a Scald burn or Toxic. They are not defensive checks at all since they drop to 2 Outrages, though admittedly if they can force a lock into Outrage that could be exploited. Having to run such niche options to have even a fighting chance demonstrates how problematic this mon is.

 

[GaileOxstain]

This is worse to me than Naganadel, which could be defensively checked by AV Tyranitar. That set was sub-optimal, but still viable against the greater metagame. Stuff like Mantine, Gastrodon, Seismitoad, etc., can really only pivot and maybe threaten with a Scald burn or Toxic. They are not defensive checks at all since they drop to 2 Outrages, though admittedly if they can force a lock into Outrage that could be exploited. Having to run such niche options to have even a fighting chance demonstrates how problematic this mon is.

Funny how so many of us first looked down on these new fossils for their stats and situational use.
Now Dracozolt is on its way to OU, Arcticzolt will likely be at top tier UU threat, and Dracovish seems destined to be banned to Uber where it will likely still continue to wreck everything it can sink it's jaws into.

 

[Theukon_Dos]

Funny how so many of us first looked down on these new fossils for their stats and situational use.
Now Dracozolt is on its way to OU, Arcticzolt will likely be at top tier UU threat, and Dracovish seems destined to be banned to Uber where it will likely still continue to wreck everything it can sink it's jaws into.

what about Arctovish?

 

[Morkal]

what about Arctovish?

I've actually had some luck with Arctovish on various weather teams, but that defensive typing REALLY hurts it. Fishious Rend is still beastly on it though.