[SET]
name: Dragon Dance (Dragon)
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Darts
move 3: Phantom Force
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragon Dance Dragapult is a strong setup sweeper and wallbreaker for Dragon teams, as it outspeeds the entire metagame bar Swift Swim Barraskewda and Surge Surfer Alolan Raichu at +1, making it extremely hard to revenge kill. Dragon Darts is the main attacking move, allowing Dragapult to OHKO Dragonite and Swift Swim Kingdra at +1 and clean most types late-game, especially Dragon. Phantom Force can remove Ghost-, Psychic-, and Steel-types that resist Dragon Darts such as Aegislash, Tapu Lele, and Excadrill. Substitute allows Dragapult to set up on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro without fear of status and circumvents Sucker Punch. Leftovers restores health after Substitute and lets Dragapult attempt to sweep or wallbreak multiple times in a match. Infiltrator stops dual screens and Substitute from blocking its sweep. An Adamant nature gives Dragapult a high chance to OHKO Kyurem and Garchomp without a Dragon Dance boost, and it ensures KOs against threats like Excadrill and Tapu Koko at +1. A Jolly nature may be considered to Speed tie with opposing non-Choice Scarf Dragapult, outspeed Jolly Sand Rush Excadrill at +1, and threaten Spectrier without boosts.
Hydreigon is a fantastic teammate for Dragon Dance Dragapult, as it can overwhelm physical walls such as Slowbro, Amoonguss, and Celesteela with Nasty Plot. It also can help Dragapult overwhelm Ghost and Psychic teams while also covering for it's weakness to priority moves such as Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. Dragapult repays this by covering for Hydreigon's Bug and Fighting weaknesses. Dragalge provides Toxic Spikes and Flip Turn to wear down the opposing team and pivot Dragapult in safely, as well as checking Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini and Clefable that Dragapult struggles with. Kyurem can remove bulky Flying-, Ground-, and Water-types like Landorus-T, Hippowdon, and Tapu Fini with its Choice Specs or SubRoost sets. Garchomp sets Stealth Rock, provides an Electric immunity, and can directly wear down the opposing team for Dragapult. Choice Scarf Latias is a great revenge killer that aids in the Fighting and Poison matchups and can provide Healing Wish support to give Dragapult a second chance to sweep or wallbreak.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon)
move 1: Dragon Darts
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Scarf turns Dragapult into one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame, allowing it to outspeed and remove threats such as Swift Swim Kingdra and Choice Scarf Latias. Dragon Darts is Dragapult's most reliable physical STAB move, picking off specially bulky setup sweepers such as Volcarona and Galarian Moltres. Shadow Ball allows Dragapult to pick off weakened threats such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and clean against types such as Psychic and Flying late-game. U-turn allows Dragapult's teammates to take advantage of the switches it forces, as well as dent Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Zarude that like to switch in on Dragapult. Thunder Wave cripples switch-ins like Celesteela, setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres, and Sucker Punch users such as Cinderace, giving Dragapult's teammates an easier time handling these threats. Infiltrator allows Dragapult to deal with common Substitute users such as Kyurem, Hydreigon, and opposing Dragapult. A Hasty nature with Choice Scarf allows Dragapult to outspeed threats such as Adamant Dragon Dance Dragapult, Zeraora, Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, and Choice Scarf Weavile.
Choice Scarf Dragpult lacks the wallbreaking and sweeping prowess of Dragon Dance sets, so wallbreakers such as Kyurem and Hydreigon are greatly appreciated, as are physical setup sweepers like Dragonite, Kyurem, and Garchomp. Hydreigon covers for Dragapult's Ghost and Dark weaknesses and can break down Steel, Psychic, Ghost, and Poison teams by threatening walls such as Ferrothorn, Slowbro, Aegislash, and Toxapex, which Dragapult struggles with. Kyurem can remove bulky Flying-, Water-, and Ground-types such as Mantine, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini with a Choice Specs or SubRoost set. Dragalge provides a special pivot that can sponge attacks from Clefable and Tapu Fini while adding utility with Toxic Spikes. Garchomp is a good wallbreaker and threatens Flying, Poison, and Dragon teams with a Swords Dance set, or it provides Stealth Rock and phazing to wear down the opposing team with a defensive set. Iron Defense Kommo-o deals with Steel-, Dark-, and Ice-types such as Melmetal, Tyranitar, and Weavile, which Dragapult struggles with.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Dragon
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Sucker Punch may be used over Substitute to damage faster Pokemon such as opposing Choice Scarf Dragapult and Barraskewda. However, not running Substitute means that Dragapult will have a hard time setting up on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. On the Choice Scarf set, Dragapult may run Fire Blast over Thunder Wave to remove Sand Rush Excadrill and clean against Steel teams late-game, but this leaves Dragapult vulnerable to Sucker Punch users and prevents it from shutting down threats like Galarian Moltres. Dragapult boasts a wide special movepool, and a Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Shadow Ball, Fire Blast, and Thunderbolt or U-turn makes it a good revenge killer and late-game cleaner against types such as Flying and Psychic. However, this set's primary goal is special wallbreaking, and common teammates such as Nasty Plot Hydreigon and Kyurem outclass it there.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[felines, 290520], [plunder, 510741]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
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