[Overview]
Dragonite's great offensive stats, unique ability, and access to Extreme Speed make it one of the most formidable Dragon Dance sweepers in ORAS OU. Dragonite's typing gives it useful resistances, often allowing it to switch into common sweepers such as Serperior and Volcarona, unlike other Dragon Dance users such as Mega Tyranitar and Mega Gyarados. Multiscale works well with Dragonite's bulk, since it prevents it being OHKOed by most Pokemon in the tier, allowing Dragonite an almost guaranteed Dragon Dance. Roost gives Dragonite longevity and allows it to better check Serperior and Volcarona. Dragon Dance allows Dragonite to not only break through bulkier teams but also OHKO Pokemon that would normally outspeed it such as Tornadus-T, Thundurus, Serperior, Latios, and Latias. Extreme Speed in conjunction with Multiscale makes Dragonite hard to revenge kill, since it can be used to KO Pokemon faster than it and can outprioritize Weavile's Ice Shard and Talonflame's Brave Bird. Although Dragonite's STAB moves are largely unresisted, Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Altaria prevent Outrage spam and can easily break Dragonite's Multiscale. Phazers such as Skarmory and Hippowdon are also troublesome, as they can force Dragonite out with Whirlwind and heal off any previous damage. Residual damage, in the form of contact chip damage, status, or entry hazards, is also problematic since the lack of Multiscale severely inhibits Dragonite's setup capabilities and allows it to readily be punished when using Dragon Dance. As a Dragon Dance sweeper, Dragonite faces competition from Mega Charizard X and Mega Altaria, which boast better offensive typings, abilities , and coverage options at the cost of expending a Mega slot.
[Set]
name: Dragon Dance + 3 Attacks
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Dragon Dance allows Dragonite to boost its already high Attack and covers its middling Speed, allowing it to sweep. With one Dragon Dance boost, Dragonite can outspeed the likes of Tornadus-T, Serperior, and Keldeo. Outrage is a very spammable STAB move that can be used to break teams once the opposing team's Dragon resistant pokemon are weakened. At +1 Attack, Outrage is able to OHKO many of the Pokemon mentioned previously and can be used to punch holes through defensive walls that don't resist it. Extreme Speed is used to deal with revenge killers like Weavile and Talonflame, which may try to KO Dragonite with their priority moves. However, at +1, Dragonite has a good chance to OHKO both after a round of Stealth Rock damage. It can also be used to severely chip Pokemon that are faster than it at +1, such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Alakazam. Earthquake is used to deal with Steel-types that resist Outrage and Extreme Speed such as Mega Metagross, Heatran, Excadrill, and Magnezone. It also prevents Dragonite from being walled by Fairy-types and is able to OHKO Mega Diancie at +1. Fire Punch may also be used to hit Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor harder. Iron Head is another option that can be run over Extreme Speed, and allows Dragonite to hit bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Altaria harder, easily 2HKOing them at +1.
Set Details
=========
A spread with maximum Attack and Speed investment coupled with an Adamant nature allows Dragonite to hit as hard as possible without being outsped by many Pokemon after a Dragon Dance. Multiscale in conjunction with Lum Berry allows Dragonite to set up Dragon Dance easily without fear of being OHKOed or statused. Lum Berry also heals off Outrage's confusion, which can elongate Dragonite's sweep. Weakness Policy may also be used with Multiscale to drastically boost Dragonite's attack after being hit by a weak super effective move. However, this item makes Dragonite susceptible to being punished by status during a Dragon Dance. A Jolly nature can be used which allows Dragonite to outspeed Mega Lopunny.
Usage Tips
=========
It is best to preserve Dragonite as a late-game wincon, since its progress may be impeded by bulky Fairy- and Steel-type Pokemon early-game. In order for Dragonite to sweep it needs to use Dragon Dance, and since an intact Multiscale is integral to get a Dragon Dance off safely, entry hazard removal should be greatly prioritized before setting up. After Dragonite's checks and counters have been weakened, it can set up versus bulky passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Glare Serperior, Chansey, Rotom-W, and Heatran. Due to these Pokemon being unable to KO or cripple Lum Berry Dragonite, the use of Dragon Dance versus them goes mostly unpunished, allowing it to sweep afterwards.
Team Options
=========
Pokemon that can deal with bulky Fairy-types such as Excadrill, Jirachi, and Talonflame pair well with Dragonite, with Excadrill providing vital hazard removal and Jirachi providing Healing Wish support. Talonflame in particular has good synergy with Dragonite, being able to weaken Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Quagsire, and Slowbro with Will-O-Wisp, while Dragonite can weaken Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Heatran for Talonflame. Dragonite benefits from partners like Magnezone that can eliminate bulky Steel-types such as Mega Metagross and Skarmory. Magnezone appreciates Dragonite's ability to switch into Ground-, Fighting-, and Fire-type moves. Screens users such as Serperior and Klefki also pair well with Dragonite, making it extremely easy to spam Dragon Dance with both screens and Multiscale up. These dual screen setters also appreciate Dragonite switching into common Fire-types such as Heatran and Volcarona, threatening them with Earthquake, and consequently allowing Dragonite ample setup opportunity. On dual screen teams, Latias also makes for a good partner, since it can use Healing Wish to provide Dragonite another opportunity to sweep. Powerful wallbreakers such as Manaphy, Volcarona, and Thundurus also pair well with Dragonite, since they can overwhelm most teams by breaking through or weakening defensive walls, easing Dragonite's ability to sweep late-game.
[Set]
name: Bulky Roost + Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Earthquake
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant
evs: 192 HP / 64 Atk / 12 SpD / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
With Roost, Dragonite is able to heal off any chip damage it receives while using Dragon Dance or sustain against special attackers that are resisted due to the Dragon typing like Serperior and Volcarona. Versus weak attackers, if Roost is able to heal Dragonite to full health, Multiscale will become active, allowing Dragonite more opportunities to set up Dragon Dance. Dragon Claw is run as a reliable STAB option without risk of confusion unlike Outrage, but it loses out on Base Power. Earthquake allows Dragonite to hit Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Metagross, Jirachi, and Magnezone. Leftovers along with Roost allows Dragonite to keep Multiscale intact after U-turn and sand chip. damage.
Set Details
=========
240 Speed EVs allow Dragonite to outspeed Weavile at +1. 64 Attack EVs allow +1 Dragon Claw a good chance to OHKOit Weavile and give +1 Earthquake a chance to 2HKO offensive Mega Altaria as well as a roll to 2HKO defensive Mega Altaria after Stealth Rock damage. The listed bulk investment allows Dragonite to survive a Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor from full health as well as Choice Band Weavile's Knock Off after Stealth Rock damage. Lum Berry is preferred over an item such as Leftovers to better threaten the likes of Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Keldeo without the fear of being statused and allow Dragonite ample opportunities to set up.
Usage Tips
=========
Dragonite should be used to sweep once the opposing team's Steel- and Fairy-types have been weakened or removed. Due to its reliance on Multiscale and Lum Berry to sweep, entry hazard removal should be prioritized to bring Dragonite into battle safely. Similarly, it is vital that Dragonite's Lum Berry does not get removed by Knock Off to prevent it from being statused during a Dragon Dance. Dragonite is able to set up versus weak passive Pokemon that are unable to touch it such as Glare Serperior, Ferrothorn, and Chansey. With hazards up, Dragonite also has defensive utility by being able to switch into powerful special wallbreakers such as Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, consequently setting up versus them as well.
Team Options
=========
Magnezone is an excellent partner for this set since it is able to trap Steel-types such as Skarmory and handle Fairy-types such as Clefable which may otherwise wall Dragonite. Similarly, Volcarona is able to threaten Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross while also dealing with Ice-types such as Weavile that may be troublesome to Dragonite. In return, Volcarona greatly appreciates Dragonite's ability to switch into Heatran and threaten an OHKO on it with Earthquake. Entry hazard setters that are able to wear down opposing teams also pair well with Dragonite. Excadrill in particular has good synergy since it can lay Stealth Rock, spin away opposing hazards, and deal with Steel- and Fairy-types that may annoy Dragonite. Cofagrigus is also a unique partner that can aid Dragonite by setting up Toxic Spikes and using Hex to chip down opposing teams and allow Dragonite to sweep. In addition, the use of Will-O-Wisp works well with Dragonite, considering it can use burnt Pokemon as setup fodder. Status-absorbing Pokemon such as Clefable also pair well with Dragonite, and Clefable and may be useful to cripple opposing teams with Thunder Wave or severely chip them down with Calm Mind sets.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
=========
Other Options
=========
Life Orb is also another option that Dragonite can run on the three-attack Dragon Dance set, as it allows Dragonite to do more damage after a Dragon Dance compared to the Lum Berry variant. Life Orb increases Dragonite's wallbreaking capabilities, making it OHKO a larger portion of the metagame with +1 Outrage. This variant is able to net otherwise unattainable KOs at +1, with Iron Head OHKOing offensive Mega Altaria and some variants of Clefable, while Earthquake OHKOing the likes of Mega Metagross and Jirachi. While Life Orb offers Dragonite more offensive power, it makes Dragonite prone to getting worn down quickly and susceptible to status. As a result, this variant may be less consistent compared to the offensive sets. Inner Focus Dragonite can also be used to catch Pokemon like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny when they use Fake Out.
Checks and Counters
=========
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy- type Pokemon like Clefable and Mega Altaria can easily take a hit from Dragonite even at +1 and can threaten it out with their STAB attacks.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types such as Slowbro and Quagsire also are able to take a hit from Dragonite at +1, heal off the damage, and threaten with a Scald burn or a KO with Ice Beam.
**Super Effective coverage**: Ice-type coverage on Weavile, Mega Metagross, and Manaphy can do severe damage to Dragonite, even with Multiscale intact.
**Phazers**: Whirlwind users such as Skarmory and Hippowdon are able to take any attack from Dragonite at +1 and heal off the damage after phazing it. Furthermore, they limit Dragonite's future setup ability by breaking Multiscale via residual damage from Rocky Helmet, Stealth Rock, or sand.
**Revenge Killers**: Fast Mega Evolutions such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric are able to outspeed Dragonite even at +1. Mega Lopunny can threaten a KO with Fake Out + Ice Punch, while Mega Manectric can spam Intimidate and threaten Dragonite with Hidden Power Ice. Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Bisharp resist Extreme Speed and can severely chip Dragonite down with strong priority like Bullet Punch and Sucker Punch.
**Residual Damage and Status**: Due to Dragonite's heavy reliance on Multiscale to sweep, contact damage, entry hazards, weather, and status all pose a problem to it. Although Dragonite may still be able to sweep with hazard damage, if it's burned or paralyzed, this feat becomes impossible. Therefore, it is vital to bring Dragonite into battle safely in order for it to sweep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/anvil-head.440741/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/alpha1013.565035/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vulpix03.306299/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/paprikaflow.591583/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Dragonite's great offensive stats, unique ability, and access to Extreme Speed make it one of the most formidable Dragon Dance sweepers in ORAS OU. Dragonite's typing gives it useful resistances, often allowing it to switch into common sweepers such as Serperior and Volcarona, unlike other Dragon Dance users such as Mega Tyranitar and Mega Gyarados. Multiscale works well with Dragonite's bulk, since it prevents it being OHKOed by most Pokemon in the tier, allowing Dragonite an almost guaranteed Dragon Dance. Roost gives Dragonite longevity and allows it to better check Serperior and Volcarona. Dragon Dance allows Dragonite to not only break through bulkier teams but also OHKO Pokemon that would normally outspeed it such as Tornadus-T, Thundurus, Serperior, Latios, and Latias. Extreme Speed in conjunction with Multiscale makes Dragonite hard to revenge kill, since it can be used to KO Pokemon faster than it and can outprioritize Weavile's Ice Shard and Talonflame's Brave Bird. Although Dragonite's STAB moves are largely unresisted, Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Altaria prevent Outrage spam and can easily break Dragonite's Multiscale. Phazers such as Skarmory and Hippowdon are also troublesome, as they can force Dragonite out with Whirlwind and heal off any previous damage. Residual damage, in the form of contact chip damage, status, or entry hazards, is also problematic since the lack of Multiscale severely inhibits Dragonite's setup capabilities and allows it to readily be punished when using Dragon Dance. As a Dragon Dance sweeper, Dragonite faces competition from Mega Charizard X and Mega Altaria, which boast better offensive typings, abilities , and coverage options at the cost of expending a Mega slot.
[Set]
name: Dragon Dance + 3 Attacks
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Dragon Dance allows Dragonite to boost its already high Attack and covers its middling Speed, allowing it to sweep. With one Dragon Dance boost, Dragonite can outspeed the likes of Tornadus-T, Serperior, and Keldeo. Outrage is a very spammable STAB move that can be used to break teams once the opposing team's Dragon resistant pokemon are weakened. At +1 Attack, Outrage is able to OHKO many of the Pokemon mentioned previously and can be used to punch holes through defensive walls that don't resist it. Extreme Speed is used to deal with revenge killers like Weavile and Talonflame, which may try to KO Dragonite with their priority moves. However, at +1, Dragonite has a good chance to OHKO both after a round of Stealth Rock damage. It can also be used to severely chip Pokemon that are faster than it at +1, such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Alakazam. Earthquake is used to deal with Steel-types that resist Outrage and Extreme Speed such as Mega Metagross, Heatran, Excadrill, and Magnezone. It also prevents Dragonite from being walled by Fairy-types and is able to OHKO Mega Diancie at +1. Fire Punch may also be used to hit Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor harder. Iron Head is another option that can be run over Extreme Speed, and allows Dragonite to hit bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Altaria harder, easily 2HKOing them at +1.
Set Details
=========
A spread with maximum Attack and Speed investment coupled with an Adamant nature allows Dragonite to hit as hard as possible without being outsped by many Pokemon after a Dragon Dance. Multiscale in conjunction with Lum Berry allows Dragonite to set up Dragon Dance easily without fear of being OHKOed or statused. Lum Berry also heals off Outrage's confusion, which can elongate Dragonite's sweep. Weakness Policy may also be used with Multiscale to drastically boost Dragonite's attack after being hit by a weak super effective move. However, this item makes Dragonite susceptible to being punished by status during a Dragon Dance. A Jolly nature can be used which allows Dragonite to outspeed Mega Lopunny.
Usage Tips
=========
It is best to preserve Dragonite as a late-game wincon, since its progress may be impeded by bulky Fairy- and Steel-type Pokemon early-game. In order for Dragonite to sweep it needs to use Dragon Dance, and since an intact Multiscale is integral to get a Dragon Dance off safely, entry hazard removal should be greatly prioritized before setting up. After Dragonite's checks and counters have been weakened, it can set up versus bulky passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Glare Serperior, Chansey, Rotom-W, and Heatran. Due to these Pokemon being unable to KO or cripple Lum Berry Dragonite, the use of Dragon Dance versus them goes mostly unpunished, allowing it to sweep afterwards.
Team Options
=========
Pokemon that can deal with bulky Fairy-types such as Excadrill, Jirachi, and Talonflame pair well with Dragonite, with Excadrill providing vital hazard removal and Jirachi providing Healing Wish support. Talonflame in particular has good synergy with Dragonite, being able to weaken Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Quagsire, and Slowbro with Will-O-Wisp, while Dragonite can weaken Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Heatran for Talonflame. Dragonite benefits from partners like Magnezone that can eliminate bulky Steel-types such as Mega Metagross and Skarmory. Magnezone appreciates Dragonite's ability to switch into Ground-, Fighting-, and Fire-type moves. Screens users such as Serperior and Klefki also pair well with Dragonite, making it extremely easy to spam Dragon Dance with both screens and Multiscale up. These dual screen setters also appreciate Dragonite switching into common Fire-types such as Heatran and Volcarona, threatening them with Earthquake, and consequently allowing Dragonite ample setup opportunity. On dual screen teams, Latias also makes for a good partner, since it can use Healing Wish to provide Dragonite another opportunity to sweep. Powerful wallbreakers such as Manaphy, Volcarona, and Thundurus also pair well with Dragonite, since they can overwhelm most teams by breaking through or weakening defensive walls, easing Dragonite's ability to sweep late-game.
[Set]
name: Bulky Roost + Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Earthquake
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant
evs: 192 HP / 64 Atk / 12 SpD / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
With Roost, Dragonite is able to heal off any chip damage it receives while using Dragon Dance or sustain against special attackers that are resisted due to the Dragon typing like Serperior and Volcarona. Versus weak attackers, if Roost is able to heal Dragonite to full health, Multiscale will become active, allowing Dragonite more opportunities to set up Dragon Dance. Dragon Claw is run as a reliable STAB option without risk of confusion unlike Outrage, but it loses out on Base Power. Earthquake allows Dragonite to hit Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Metagross, Jirachi, and Magnezone. Leftovers along with Roost allows Dragonite to keep Multiscale intact after U-turn and sand chip. damage.
Set Details
=========
240 Speed EVs allow Dragonite to outspeed Weavile at +1. 64 Attack EVs allow +1 Dragon Claw a good chance to OHKO
Usage Tips
=========
Dragonite should be used to sweep once the opposing team's Steel- and Fairy-types have been weakened or removed. Due to its reliance on Multiscale and Lum Berry to sweep, entry hazard removal should be prioritized to bring Dragonite into battle safely. Similarly, it is vital that Dragonite's Lum Berry does not get removed by Knock Off to prevent it from being statused during a Dragon Dance. Dragonite is able to set up versus weak passive Pokemon that are unable to touch it such as Glare Serperior, Ferrothorn, and Chansey. With hazards up, Dragonite also has defensive utility by being able to switch into powerful special wallbreakers such as Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, consequently setting up versus them as well.
Team Options
=========
Magnezone is an excellent partner for this set since it is able to trap Steel-types such as Skarmory and handle Fairy-types such as Clefable which may otherwise wall Dragonite. Similarly, Volcarona is able to threaten Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross while also dealing with Ice-types such as Weavile that may be troublesome to Dragonite. In return, Volcarona greatly appreciates Dragonite's ability to switch into Heatran and threaten an OHKO on it with Earthquake. Entry hazard setters that are able to wear down opposing teams also pair well with Dragonite. Excadrill in particular has good synergy since it can lay Stealth Rock, spin away opposing hazards, and deal with Steel- and Fairy-types that may annoy Dragonite. Cofagrigus is also a unique partner that can aid Dragonite by setting up Toxic Spikes and using Hex to chip down opposing teams and allow Dragonite to sweep. In addition, the use of Will-O-Wisp works well with Dragonite, considering it can use burnt Pokemon as setup fodder. Status-absorbing Pokemon such as Clefable also pair well with Dragonite, and Clefable and may be useful to cripple opposing teams with Thunder Wave or severely chip them down with Calm Mind sets.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
=========
Other Options
=========
Life Orb is also another option that Dragonite can run on the three-attack Dragon Dance set, as it allows Dragonite to do more damage after a Dragon Dance compared to the Lum Berry variant. Life Orb increases Dragonite's wallbreaking capabilities, making it OHKO a larger portion of the metagame with +1 Outrage. This variant is able to net otherwise unattainable KOs at +1, with Iron Head OHKOing offensive Mega Altaria and some variants of Clefable, while Earthquake OHKOing the likes of Mega Metagross and Jirachi. While Life Orb offers Dragonite more offensive power, it makes Dragonite prone to getting worn down quickly and susceptible to status. As a result, this variant may be less consistent compared to the offensive sets. Inner Focus Dragonite can also be used to catch Pokemon like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny when they use Fake Out.
Checks and Counters
=========
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy- type Pokemon like Clefable and Mega Altaria can easily take a hit from Dragonite even at +1 and can threaten it out with their STAB attacks.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types such as Slowbro and Quagsire also are able to take a hit from Dragonite at +1, heal off the damage, and threaten with a Scald burn or a KO with Ice Beam.
**Super Effective coverage**: Ice-type coverage on Weavile, Mega Metagross, and Manaphy can do severe damage to Dragonite, even with Multiscale intact.
**Phazers**: Whirlwind users such as Skarmory and Hippowdon are able to take any attack from Dragonite at +1 and heal off the damage after phazing it. Furthermore, they limit Dragonite's future setup ability by breaking Multiscale via residual damage from Rocky Helmet, Stealth Rock, or sand.
**Revenge Killers**: Fast Mega Evolutions such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric are able to outspeed Dragonite even at +1. Mega Lopunny can threaten a KO with Fake Out + Ice Punch, while Mega Manectric can spam Intimidate and threaten Dragonite with Hidden Power Ice. Pokemon such as Mega Scizor and Bisharp resist Extreme Speed and can severely chip Dragonite down with strong priority like Bullet Punch and Sucker Punch.
**Residual Damage and Status**: Due to Dragonite's heavy reliance on Multiscale to sweep, contact damage, entry hazards, weather, and status all pose a problem to it. Although Dragonite may still be able to sweep with hazard damage, if it's burned or paralyzed, this feat becomes impossible. Therefore, it is vital to bring Dragonite into battle safely in order for it to sweep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/anvil-head.440741/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/alpha1013.565035/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vulpix03.306299/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/paprikaflow.591583/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited by a moderator:
