Pokémon Drednaw

[Twilight]

Drednaw

Base Stats - 90 HP / 115 Atk / 90 Def / 48 SAtk / 68 SDef / 74 Spe

Abilities: Strong Jaw / Shell Armor / Swift Swim (H)

Moveset

1. Level Up Moves:
2. - [00] Rock Tomb
3. - [01] Rock Tomb
4. - [01] Razor Shell
5. - [01] Crunch
6. - [01] Rock Polish
7. - [01] Tackle
8. - [01] Water Gun
9. - [01] Bite
10. - [01] Protect
11. - [21] Headbutt
12. - [30] Counter
13. - [39] Jaw Lock
14. - [48] Liquidation
15. - [57] Body Slam
16. - [66] Head Smash
17. TMs:
18. - [TM08] Hyper Beam
19. - [TM09] Giga Impact
20. - [TM15] Dig
21. - [TM21] Rest
22. - [TM22] Rock Slide
23. - [TM24] Snore
24. - [TM25] Protect
25. - [TM26] Scary Face
26. - [TM31] Attract
27. - [TM32] Sandstorm
28. - [TM33] Rain Dance
29. - [TM36] Whirlpool
30. - [TM39] Facade
31. - [TM42] Revenge
32. - [TM45] Dive
33. - [TM48] Rock Tomb
34. - [TM49] Sand Tomb
35. - [TM53] Mud Shot
36. - [TM54] Rock Blast
37. - [TM57] Payback
38. - [TM58] Assurance
39. - [TM67] Ice Fang
40. - [TM76] Round
41. - [TM81] Bulldoze
42. - [TM83] Razor Shell
43. - [TM94] False Swipe
44. - [TM96] Smart Strike
45. - [TM98] Stomping Tantrum
46. TRs:
47. - [TR00] Swords Dance
48. - [TR01] Body Slam
49. - [TR03] Hydro Pump
50. - [TR04] Surf
51. - [TR05] Ice Beam
52. - [TR06] Blizzard
53. - [TR10] Earthquake
54. - [TR16] Waterfall
55. - [TR20] Substitute
56. - [TR26] Endure
57. - [TR27] Sleep Talk
58. - [TR28] Megahorn
59. - [TR31] Iron Tail
60. - [TR32] Crunch
61. - [TR39] Superpower
62. - [TR45] Muddy Water
63. - [TR46] Iron Defense
64. - [TR57] Poison Jab
65. - [TR67] Earth Power
66. - [TR75] Stone Edge
67. - [TR76] Stealth Rock
68. - [TR84] Scald
69. - [TR94] High Horsepower
70. - [TR95] Throat Chop
71. - [TR98] Liquidation
72. - [TR99] Body Press

Notable Moves:
Swords Dance
Liquidation
Stone Edge
Earthquake
Crunch
Jaw Lock
Stealth Rock
Ice Fang
Rock Polish
Counter
Head Smash
Body Press

Description of New Moves:

Jaw Lock: This move prevents the user and the target from switching out until either of them faints. The effect goes away if either of the Pokémon leaves the field.

G-Max Stonesurge: A Water-type attack that Gigantamax Drednaw use. This move scatters sharp rocks around the field.

Pros:

- Strong Attack stat combined with decent coverage and Swords Dance gives it a lot of wallbreaking potential.

- It has three decent abilities that could all be useable. However, Swift Swim is definitely the best that stands out. Swift Swim gives it potential on rain teams, being slightly faster than Mega Swampert in Gen 7.

- It's G-Max form has a pretty nice move that lets it set up Stealth Rock when using a Water-type move, so it's nice roll compression and can provide emergency hazards if needed.

Cons:

- While Strong Jaw is nice, it only gets two moves it can boost with it, none of which are new STAB moves. It only gets Crunch / Lock Jaw and Ice Fang, the latter it doesn't really fit as easily imo. So it is solely to boost the power of Crunch, which does let it do a sizeable amount to Ferrothorn but having it solely for one coverage option isn't very optimal.

- In order to pull off Swift Swim sets it needs its G-Max to properly function. It can't afford to run all the coverage it needs with SD so the additional boost is a necessity for it here if it doesn't want to lose to Ferrothorn and G-Corsola outright, depending on your coverage option in the last slot for the former.

- How the meta currently is, it is slow for its standards which is problematic for any set that isn't under rain. Even then it faces some competition with Barraskewda as a phsyical swift swim user.

- Lock Jaw isn't a 'new' coverage option for it because its the same power as Crunch. Potentially getting locked in with another Mon honestly feels too situational. You either trap a defensive Pokemon with you and potentially remove it or an offensive one that switches in and proceed to die to their coverage. Maybe others have different views on this, but it just looks like a worse / situational Crunch to me.

- They didn't give this thing Shell Smash

Dynamaxing potential:

Drednaw has a lot of potential as a G-Max user under the use of rain with the ability Swift Swim. Boosted Attacks in conjunction with Swords Dance and Swift Swim can be a very powerful combo if it finds the opportunity to setup. G-Max Stonesurge gives it a powerful boost to Water move and allows it to set SR, which could potentially alleviate the pressure on the rocker of choice on said teams. Dynamax also has potential I guess on regular Drednaw as the set I will propose can gain the power of Choice Band and ignore the effect of being choice locked. Max Geyser can allow it to potentially set its own rain for it to sweep with swift swim making its reliance on Pelipper not as important.

Potential Movesets:

[Swords Dance + Swift Swim]
Drednaw-Gmax @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Liquidation
- Stone Edge
- Superpower / Earthquake

This is the main set I would run and have preferred using personally. I think I have explained it enough in this post as is, but the goal is to sweep or clean under rain and take advantage of being the Dynamax user on the team. Rest is self-explanatory STAB wise, personally I prefer Superpower to remove Ferro. EQ is fine as a way to hit Toxapex more reliably + hits Aegislash for super-effective coverage too. I don't think Crunch / Lock Jaw is worth it because without Strong Jaw it's just weaker than EQ when it comes to hitting targets like Ferro, which takes a decent amount at +2 from Max Quake. I just chose LO as an offensive item but maybe you can consider something like Rindo Berry.

[Choice Band]
Drednaw @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Earthquake

Choice Band seems plausible enough to take advantage of its Attack stat. Everything is literally the same except it has Strong Jaw + Crunch. Crunch is the same strength as Lock Jaw but it doesn't have the drawback of potentially locking yourself into an unfavorable position so I would rather just use Crunch to be able to swap out after if they pivot into a Pokemon that resists it. Set likes most CB users is reliant on prediction and appreciates Voltturn support cos it's moderately slow. As I said you could potentially give this dynamax to wallbreak, but another member will use it better most likely.

I have considered other sets like a defensive variant Bold Max Max, but lacking any form of utility in Toxic or Knock Off is disappointing for it to pull this off well. It does get Counter though so maybe you can make that work with Shell Armor, being walled by Pex, Ferro, and Corsola blows though. I could see it being a standard defensive / offensive SR user in lower tiers, but dropping coverage to run rocks is just too rough for it in OU. Anyways, from experience, I believe the Swift Swim set is the best set it can run in OU's current fast paced metagame because it is too slow and doesn't have anything crazy on the defensive side. Feel free to correct me though or provide any other suggestions that I may have missed.

 

[PowerDj]

G-Max Stonesurge actually replaces water-type moves, so Drednaw isn't able to set up its own rain.

 

[Twilight]

ty for spotting that error on my behalf

 

[Sycotoss]

Missed a correction here:

- It's G-Max form has a pretty nice move that lets it set up Stealth Rock when using a Rock-type move

In the interest of actually contributing I'll say this, another reason to take Superpower over Earthquake is the Max Knuckle atk boost is more valuable than Max Quake spdef boost (usually)

Pex and Aegi-Shield can potentially go down to +2 neutral Dynamax STABs after Stealth Rock/small chip anyway (depending on set, and w/o rain)

 

[Nuke2099]

This might be just me but a normal Drednaw with D-max seems superior than G-max unless you need rocks up with an attack especially with Swift Swim since it can set the rain itself if it's not on a rain team or if your rain setter gets taken out.

Most of the G-max forms are like this. Also if you happen to be playing battle spot G-max is banned for whatever reason.

 

[Matleo]

shell armor and swift swim, the last I get?
bulletproof or sap sipper would be much better here...
at least G-max rescues it and it can get more moves to make more of itself.
Hope it's Gigantamax form finds a way to be always available in future games and that you will be able to use regular Max water moves if you have more water moves, to not make all G-max moves... for strategy.

 

[furyofyuriy]

This might be just me but a normal Drednaw with D-max seems superior than G-max unless you need rocks up with an attack especially with Swift Swim since it can set the rain itself if it's not on a rain team or if your rain setter gets taken out.

Most of the G-max forms are like this. Also if you happen to be playing battle spot G-max is banned for whatever reason.

That's kinda depndant on what you specifically want out of the mon. It's one of the few Gigantimax mons that can run unique Dmax and Gmax sets. The Dynamax set is best used as a Swift Swimmer, being able to set up its own rain is amazing, however that also means that if you want to run rock STAB you risk deactivating your own rain.
The Gmax set is diffrent in that it's tankier than the Dynamax Variant. Unlike Dmax, Gmax Dreadnaw benefits more from having Sand up, and since its water move can't set up rain, your spdef boost in sand wont go away. It essentally wants to play the chip game and Strong Jaw/ Shell armor allows it too.

 

[tinyranitar]

Correct me if I am wrong, but can you not just breed so that the offspring have Swift Swim and not G-Max?

 

[Natudayy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but can you not just breed so that the offspring have Swift Swim and not G-Max?

I believe that would work, but you can find non-gmax in raids too

 

[tinyranitar]

I believe that would work, but you can find non-gmax in raids too

yeah a few days ago there was someone that say it can't have Swift Swim and regular dynamax I think

 

[Nuke2099]

Correct me if I am wrong, but can you not just breed so that the offspring have Swift Swim and not G-Max?

That's basically what G-max is going to be most useful for right now I think.

 

[Matleo]

hmm if he would the move Shore up for sand teams, to change them then into rain teams after bosting hp... would be cool actually. Or if it looses rain to a sand team , would get rock boost and a better chance to heal.

 

[Patolegend!]

Is there any case where the KO's gained by Head Smash are actually worth the recoil taken? For example, Adamant CB picks up the OHKO on Corviknight after rocks with HS, but doesn't with SE, along with a 2HKO on Galarian Corsola.