How does cursed body work with substitutes? If dragapult is behind one, can cursed body still activate if the opponent attacks it?
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Pokémon Dragapult
- Thread starter talah
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{Disclaimer: I haven't played showdown seriously since BW; my highest place on the ladder was top 15 in the very early stages (pre-rain dance / swift swim ban). As of the time of this post I'm still not super high on the ladder, but am 23-3 on the ladder (21-2 with the team that this is on}.
Here's a set I've been having success with:
Dragapult @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Disable
- Dragon Darts
- Dragon Dance
Pretty simple in concept: sub on a switch or if you're faster, disable their attacking move, and set up DD's. I find this set is very effective versus stall / defensively oriented balance, as most walls and tanks only carry one move that can break the sub. It also beats choice'd Pokemon very easily provided you are faster.
I have been using this with sticky web support as well, so I haven't really found the need to go to a Jolly nature, and Adamant helps out with picking up KO's if I am only able to get one or two dances off. I also have been carrying a Fairy-type on my team in case opposing Ditto's get the jump on me.
Obviously, there are some things that this struggles to beat: any fairy type; scarfed Pokemon depending on who was in first; Quagsire / Pyukumyku with unaware (though it could win 1-on-1 at the end of games); Ditto if it catches you without a sub up; and most steel types, among other things.
I find this set performs very well against some of the more common threats I have been seeing (and seem popular so far), such as Dracovish, Ditto, opposing Dragapults, etc. It also is a huge boon versus Dynamaxed Pokemon as it outspeeds damn near everything, and a lot of people like to go for the Dynamax after they've been disabled (at least in my experience). Doesn't always end up taking them out, but usually ends up wasting all 3 turns. It is also really easy to get +6 / +6.
Overall, this set really helps grab momentum, especially in the mid-game, and can be a win-con if you can eliminate fairies / bulky steels. If you find yourself needing something to fill that role, I would suggest trying it out!
Here's a set I've been having success with:
Dragapult @ Leftovers
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Disable
- Dragon Darts
- Dragon Dance
Pretty simple in concept: sub on a switch or if you're faster, disable their attacking move, and set up DD's. I find this set is very effective versus stall / defensively oriented balance, as most walls and tanks only carry one move that can break the sub. It also beats choice'd Pokemon very easily provided you are faster.
I have been using this with sticky web support as well, so I haven't really found the need to go to a Jolly nature, and Adamant helps out with picking up KO's if I am only able to get one or two dances off. I also have been carrying a Fairy-type on my team in case opposing Ditto's get the jump on me.
Obviously, there are some things that this struggles to beat: any fairy type; scarfed Pokemon depending on who was in first; Quagsire / Pyukumyku with unaware (though it could win 1-on-1 at the end of games); Ditto if it catches you without a sub up; and most steel types, among other things.
I find this set performs very well against some of the more common threats I have been seeing (and seem popular so far), such as Dracovish, Ditto, opposing Dragapults, etc. It also is a huge boon versus Dynamaxed Pokemon as it outspeeds damn near everything, and a lot of people like to go for the Dynamax after they've been disabled (at least in my experience). Doesn't always end up taking them out, but usually ends up wasting all 3 turns. It is also really easy to get +6 / +6.
Overall, this set really helps grab momentum, especially in the mid-game, and can be a win-con if you can eliminate fairies / bulky steels. If you find yourself needing something to fill that role, I would suggest trying it out!
It likely wont be as viable when Dynamax is banned. But I Choice Scarf Dragapult in effective due to being able to revenge kill the most common set-up sweepers and scarf users right now.
Scarfed Dragapult can outspeed Scared Gengar and G-Darm and ko them after rocks or previous damage. It can also outspeed +2 boosted Gyrados and Sand Rushed Exacrill.
. I0ts a splashable option if your team lacks an awnser if they get momentum going
Scarfed Dragapult can outspeed Scared Gengar and G-Darm and ko them after rocks or previous damage. It can also outspeed +2 boosted Gyrados and Sand Rushed Exacrill.
. I0ts a splashable option if your team lacks an awnser if they get momentum going
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Greetings, my friends. I must say that I am rather impressed by the prowess of this monster ! I found that a set equipped with choice specs is extremely effective as a sweeper. Has any of you experienced any more unusual combinations ?
You should probably be running a +Attack nature on it because Drag has such insane speed. Assuming you are running Life Orb, +1 Dragon Darts into FB always kills Ferrothorn bar Occa Berry. A Special Attack stat of 243 is required to 2HKO BU Corviknight with a Life Orb, non-STAB FB after rocks and lefties. A set would probably look like this:
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 28 SpA / 212 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Darts
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Dance
- Phantom Force
8 HP for LO, 28 SA for BU Corv, Speed for Duggy lacking SP and Adamant Bara, dump in Attack and Def. I haven't experimented with DD to much, but it doesn't seem to be the best set.
28 SpA Life Orb Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 136+ SpD Corviknight: 190-226 (47.5 - 56.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Dragapult Dragon Darts (2 hits) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ferrothorn: 132-156 (37.5 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
28 SpA Life Orb Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 276-328 (78.4 - 93.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Dragapult Dragon Darts (2 hits) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ferrothorn: 132-156 (37.5 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
28 SpA Life Orb Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 276-328 (78.4 - 93.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Okay, here's something I've been grappling with:
if you're using Dragapult with screens, or DD Drag or sub or whatever, who do you use as a special attacker?
I feel like I'm obligated to run the specs set every time just because there's just nothing else that fits the bill of fast special sweeper who can can be switched in.
Like you can pick specs Dragapult or you can pick two of the following: special attacker, able to take a hit, and fast.
Things I have tried/considered:
Togekiss (honestly good but 80 speed is gonna feel a lot worse when max-airstream is gone)
Gengar (you don't even need pursuit to fuck this guy up)
Clefable (not fast but honestly way better as a LO attacker than it has any right to be)
Hydreigon (pretty good? he's slower than Drag by a lot but he's also more powerful. best thing is running scarf or nasty plot and bluffing like you have the opposite)
Kommo-o (throat spray z-clang-lite is hilarious but because you lose 33% to set up and get fast in the first place you don't really want to be switching him in on stuff)
Chandelure (yeah I really thought i was hot shit running scarf on this guy and frankly i think he's kinda slept on, but in another much more real way this is the most bootleg dragapult you can imagine and needs to be carried by the team whereas dragapult carries the team)
Seems to me like the best option is Hydreigon if you want to stay very aggressive but honestly so far I have just stuck with specs Dragapult. What are y'all using?
if you're using Dragapult with screens, or DD Drag or sub or whatever, who do you use as a special attacker?
I feel like I'm obligated to run the specs set every time just because there's just nothing else that fits the bill of fast special sweeper who can can be switched in.
Like you can pick specs Dragapult or you can pick two of the following: special attacker, able to take a hit, and fast.
Things I have tried/considered:
Togekiss (honestly good but 80 speed is gonna feel a lot worse when max-airstream is gone)
Gengar (you don't even need pursuit to fuck this guy up)
Clefable (not fast but honestly way better as a LO attacker than it has any right to be)
Hydreigon (pretty good? he's slower than Drag by a lot but he's also more powerful. best thing is running scarf or nasty plot and bluffing like you have the opposite)
Kommo-o (throat spray z-clang-lite is hilarious but because you lose 33% to set up and get fast in the first place you don't really want to be switching him in on stuff)
Chandelure (yeah I really thought i was hot shit running scarf on this guy and frankly i think he's kinda slept on, but in another much more real way this is the most bootleg dragapult you can imagine and needs to be carried by the team whereas dragapult carries the team)
Seems to me like the best option is Hydreigon if you want to stay very aggressive but honestly so far I have just stuck with specs Dragapult. What are y'all using?
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So, in seeing this, I needed a physical set up sweeper and I didn't like most of the other Pokemon I found and I tried this out. This set is actually REALLY good. You can set up subs incredibly reliably and given the massive base speed, you're outspeeding swift swimmers and the like at +2. It's really easy to get multiple boosts behind a sub. Disable allows you to neuter whatever move they're going to use to break your sub, then you can set up another sub when they're inclined to switch and hit them with boosted Dragon Darts. It gets hit pretty hard by Fairies but overall this set can autowin some games. I tested it with sub NP Hydreigon and they function really well together. They set up on entirely different teams, with Hydreigon destroying slower, bulkier teams while Pult gives you momentum against hyper offence and the like.
I've done an extensive amount of testing with this mon and with most of the offensive sets (excluding scarf, which IMO feels unneeded on a Mon like this). Specs have been the most reliable, but I do like the dance (with Psychic Fangs as Psychic Terrain/Max Mindstorm protects it from priority *sucker punch*) as well as Choice Band tbh.
It is quite common both in the ou ladder and battle stadium singles actually.
Personally, I've been playing around with Dragapult a bunch in OU and draft league. The set that I find to be most viable as of right now is a modest specs infiltrator set paired with Bisharp. Of all the pokemon I've messed around with, those two have phenomenal chemistry and cover each other's weaknesses very well.
Judas (Dragapult) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
Bisharp @ Leftovers
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Poison Jab
- Sucker Punch
- Taunt
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
Bisharp @ Leftovers
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Poison Jab
- Sucker Punch
- Taunt
Ran with the modest choice specs one during the galar beginnings run and next to Gyarados, it sometimes singlehandly won matches for me (I found teams often expected a physical variant).
You don't need a special sweeper. As long as you don't get beat by something like Bulk Up Corviknight / Hippowdon or something at least. Power creep has reached a point where just "being physically defensive" isn't enough to stop the raw power of a +2 STAB LO hit. I think this happened as early as 4th gen.
What about a mixed DD set ? Dragon Darts is a solid stab and we have plenty of good special moves for coverage.
With a nature that doesn't boost speed, and 0 EVs, we actually outspeed Jolly G-Darmanitan (and we outspeed scarfs at +1)
This need further speed tiering / physical / special damage investigation, but what about a set with a lot of attack and special attack investment for a lategame sweeper ? There isnt many things that outspeed Dragapult at +1 (even with 0 speed EVs), it's more about how many speed you need without boosts to check some faster threats. What do you think ?
With a nature that doesn't boost speed, and 0 EVs, we actually outspeed Jolly G-Darmanitan (and we outspeed scarfs at +1)
This need further speed tiering / physical / special damage investigation, but what about a set with a lot of attack and special attack investment for a lategame sweeper ? There isnt many things that outspeed Dragapult at +1 (even with 0 speed EVs), it's more about how many speed you need without boosts to check some faster threats. What do you think ?
I theory-crafted the set below: It has enough speed for Jolly Dugtrio and Adamant Barraskewda outside of rain and enough Special Attack to 2HKO BU Corviknight after rocks and lefties (I added more SpDef on it than the analysis because the speed is useless now because of the Dynamax ban).
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 192 Atk / 104 SpA / 212 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Darts
- Dragon Dance
- Fire Blast
- Psychic Fangs/Phantom Force
104 SpA Life Orb Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 224+ SpD Corviknight: 190-224 (47.5 - 56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
DD sets in general really ought to run speed for shit like Gengar, Hydreigon, Barraskewda, and the recent rediscovery of Scarf Flygon in OU. A lack of speed investment would strip it the ability to revenge-kill stuff early to mid-game and leave it susceptible to Scarfers such as the aforementioned Flygon and Gengar. Dragapult doesn't exactly need any more Special Attack than the above set because it meets the benchmark above and Ferrothorn dies Fire Blast+Dragon Darts. You could run 144 Special Attack to OHKO Ferrothorn after a spike, but it seems unnecessary.
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I really love the Idea, Psychic Fangs might be a good option for the likes of the Pex, although this set is completely walled by Grimmsnarl, then, Steel Wings could also be a viable option depending on what you need.
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest/Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave /Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn
- Hex
- Draco Meteor
This is pretty common as a set, and I think it is the best way to run Drag. You can use it early game as a pivot, looking to force swaps, status the swap with your status of choice, and turn out before they can act. This supportive playstyle can allow for offensive mons to have an easier time hunting for KOs or setting up, and can allow defensive mons to ignore what would previously check them. Later on in the game, when any potential checks have been scouted/cleared, you can use Drag as a sweeper or a nuke. VoltTurn it in on a statused opponent, and Hex will do disgusting amounts of damage, scoring OHKOs on problematic mons like Dracovish (and a chance to OHKO Seismitoad if burned). On the swap after securing the KO, Drag has the unique privilege of being able to see if it can go for ANOTHER OHKO (with statused Hex or just Draco Meteor) because it can U-turn out, and it's so blindingly fast that it can do so ahead of many revenge killers. For Example, Timid Dragapult outspeeds Jolly Barraskewda (and OHKOs it anyway), non-scarf Jolly Dugtrio (also can OHKO) and Jolly Excadrill (which it can't OHKO unless it's statused). Being able to always go 2 for 1 with proper play (if not more with a well-timed U-Turn to save it for later) is a very powerful tool, and when used well Dragapult can carry games solo. Even the Pokemon that outspeed it can rarely threaten the OHKO in return, with the exception of Scarfed Haxorus' Outrage/Scarf Flygon's Outrage (and sometimes Dragon Claw)/Scarf Hydreigon's Dark Pulse or Draco Meteor (as far as I know). The only real weakness of this set is that using life orb means that you will slowly take chip damage pivoting in and out, *especially* if you lack proper hazard removal on your team. Drag requires hazards to be removed for it to do it's job, and it would also greatly appreciate cleric support. A slow swap to bring it in safely also doesn't hurt. For this reason, I like to run a core of Dragapult + Mandibuzz with Clefable support. This core almost guarantees status will spread for free, and you have all three major statuses to pick form (Twave on Clef, Wisp on Drag, and Tox on Buzz). It's a pretty good balanced core (though the rest of your team will have to have an answer for Fairy Types like other Clefable, and the occasional Flying Type move from a Gyarados).
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest/Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave /Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn
- Hex
- Draco Meteor
This is pretty common as a set, and I think it is the best way to run Drag. You can use it early game as a pivot, looking to force swaps, status the swap with your status of choice, and turn out before they can act. This supportive playstyle can allow for offensive mons to have an easier time hunting for KOs or setting up, and can allow defensive mons to ignore what would previously check them. Later on in the game, when any potential checks have been scouted/cleared, you can use Drag as a sweeper or a nuke. VoltTurn it in on a statused opponent, and Hex will do disgusting amounts of damage, scoring OHKOs on problematic mons like Dracovish (and a chance to OHKO Seismitoad if burned). On the swap after securing the KO, Drag has the unique privilege of being able to see if it can go for ANOTHER OHKO (with statused Hex or just Draco Meteor) because it can U-turn out, and it's so blindingly fast that it can do so ahead of many revenge killers. For Example, Timid Dragapult outspeeds Jolly Barraskewda (and OHKOs it anyway), non-scarf Jolly Dugtrio (also can OHKO) and Jolly Excadrill (which it can't OHKO unless it's statused). Being able to always go 2 for 1 with proper play (if not more with a well-timed U-Turn to save it for later) is a very powerful tool, and when used well Dragapult can carry games solo. Even the Pokemon that outspeed it can rarely threaten the OHKO in return, with the exception of Scarfed Haxorus' Outrage/Scarf Flygon's Outrage (and sometimes Dragon Claw)/Scarf Hydreigon's Dark Pulse or Draco Meteor (as far as I know). The only real weakness of this set is that using life orb means that you will slowly take chip damage pivoting in and out, *especially* if you lack proper hazard removal on your team. Drag requires hazards to be removed for it to do it's job, and it would also greatly appreciate cleric support. A slow swap to bring it in safely also doesn't hurt. For this reason, I like to run a core of Dragapult + Mandibuzz with Clefable support. This core almost guarantees status will spread for free, and you have all three major statuses to pick form (Twave on Clef, Wisp on Drag, and Tox on Buzz). It's a pretty good balanced core (though the rest of your team will have to have an answer for Fairy Types like other Clefable, and the occasional Flying Type move from a Gyarados).
I agree that an offensive non-Choice set suits Dragapult well, especially when people are expecting Choice-lock when they see U-turn/Draco or expecting a passive set like subwisp when they see wisp. It puts its great speed to good use.
Is this Dragapult just for setup or would it work good for damage?
This set I could attest to being solid (and common), but as someone who's been mostly away from the metagame for a few months, is this set still being used anywhere near as consistently? I've seen rise in Scarf Pult use, but putting the couple Scarf ones aside, I feel like I haven't seen these Hex sets in quite a bit.
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