Overview
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With a naturally high base Attack and the gift of its newly released hidden ability, Feraligatr has emerged as a premier offensive threat in UU. Feraligatr's access to a variety of great boosting moves as well as a priority move allow it to perform the role of a powerful wallbreaker or a sweeper, and its good typing and bulk provide it with plenty of opportunities to set up. However, Feraligatr's low Speed can make it fall flat against offensive teams, as it is outsped even at +1 by common Pokemon. In addition, it doesn't have many coverage options to speak of, and its attacks are relatively low-powered.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Substitute / Ice Punch / Swords Dance
ability: Sheer Force
item: Life Orb
evs: 220 Atk / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Dragon Dance turns Feraligatr into a sweeper by boosting its Attack and Speed by one stage each. Boosted by STAB, Sheer Force, and Life Orb, Waterfall is Feraligatr's most powerful move. Crunch is a useful coverage move that hits Psychic-types such as Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowking super effectively and provides Feraligatr with neutral coverage on opposing Water-types. Substitute is used mainly to set up on defensive Water-types that rely on Scald, as none of them can break Feraligatr's Substitute in one hit. Ice Punch is a coverage move that hits the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Waterfall. Swords Dance can also be used in the final moveslot to give Feraligatr another option to boost against bulkier teams.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs allow Feraligatr to outspeed Mega Pidgeot after one Dragon Dance and Choice Scarf Mienshao after two Dragon Dances. An Adamant nature is preferred for more power, but a Jolly nature is usable to outspeed Adamant Heracross, Adamant Lucario, and, after a Dragon Dance, Crobat. 36 Special Defense EVs ensure that defensive Suicune's +1 Scald will never break Feraligatr's Substitute, but if another move is chosen over Substitute, then these EVs should be moved to Attack. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to increase Feraligatr's power. The combination of Sheer Force and Life Orb negates Life Orb recoil and grants a 1.69x boost to Waterfall, Crunch, and Ice Punch at the cost of their secondary effects.
Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Feraligatr works best on bulky and hyper offense teams as a late-game cleaner. Pokemon that outspeed Feraligatr after a boost include positive-natured Mega Sceptile, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Aerodactyl; all relevant Choice Scarf users; and Crobat and Noivern if Feraligatr runs an Adamant nature. Physical walls that can take Feraligatr's attacks when healthy, such as Mega Aggron and Chesnaught, should be weakened before attempting to set up. However, with Substitute, Feraligatr can set up on some physical walls, such as Suicune lacking Roar.
Team Options
========
Feraligatr appreciates the support of physical wallbreakers, such as Choice Band or Swords Dance Heracross, Choice Band Tyrantrum, and Swords Dance Haxorus. Spikes setters can help Feraligatr break through more Pokemon; Chesnaught and Roserade can set Spikes while also taking advantage of the Grass-, Electric-, and defensive Water-types that trouble Feraligatr. Dragalge also checks Pokemon of the aforementioned types and can provide Toxic Spikes support. Shaymin and Whimsicott can check opposing Water-types and support Feraligatr with Healing Wish and Memento, respectively. Mega Sceptile can use its ability and typing to switch into the Electric- and Grass-type moves that threaten Feraligatr.
Swords Dance
########
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Substitute / Ice Punch / Aqua Jet
ability: Sheer Force
item: Life Orb
evs: 220 Atk / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Feraligatr's already-high Attack stat, turning it into a powerful wallbreaker. Waterfall is Feraligatr's strongest STAB move and is benefited by Sheer Force and Life Orb. Crunch is Feraligatr's most powerful option to hit common Water-types and has super effective coverage on Psychic-types, such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Substitute blocks attempts to status Feraligatr, particularly allowing it to set up easily on defensive Water-types without fearing a Scald burn, and provides some protection from revenge killing. Ice Punch can be used in the fourth moveslot as coverage against Grass-types, such as Amoonguss and Chesnaught, and Dragon-types, such as Mega Ampharos and Salamence. Aqua Jet gives Feraligatr useful and reliable priority, allowing it to KO frail or weakened offensive threats such as Mienshao and Mega Beedrill.
Set Details
========
252 EVs are placed into Speed with a Jolly nature to allow Feraligatr to outspeed all relevant walls as well as certain offensive Pokemon, such as Adamant Heracross and Adamant Lucario. 36 EVs are placed into Special Defense to ensure that uninvested Suicune's +1 Scald will never break Feraligatr's Substitute; however, if a third attack is used over Substitute, these EVs should be placed into Attack instead. The rest of the EVs are placed into Attack to maximize Feraligatr's damage output. The combination of Sheer Force and Life Orb gives Waterfall, Ice Punch, and Crunch a 1.69x boost and negates Life Orb recoil.
Leftovers can be used to grant Feraligatr more longevity and to allow it to set up more Substitutes in the face of weak defensive Pokemon at the cost of considerable power. An alternate spread of 24 HP / 252 Atk / 32 SpD / 200 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used for more power and slightly more bulk while still outspeeding Adamant Honchkrow. Feraligatr can use Torrent over Sheer Force if it aims to sweep with Aqua Jet. In this case, Splash Plate is a good item choice to power up Feraligatr's Water-type moves without wearing it down, but Life Orb can help it get into Torrent range more quickly.
Usage Tips
========
Swords Dance Feraligatr works best on bulky offense and balanced teams as a mid-game wallbreaker. It should be used to muscle through defensive Pokemon, making room for a teammate to clean up. Feraligatr can find plenty of opportunities to set up against Pokemon such as Suicune, Gligar, and Florges.
Team Options
========
Feraligatr's teammates should take advantage of its ability to soften up physical walls. Choice Band Entei, Choice Scarf Infernape, and Mega Sharpedo all appreciate Feraligatr beating defensive Water-types and other physical walls. Fast Grass- and Electric-types such as Mega Sceptile and Heliolisk force Feraligatr out, so it needs teammates that can check them. Chesnaught and Roserade can check these Pokemon and also lay Spikes to support Feraligatr.
Other Options
########
Feraligatr can use Agility to clean up faster teams after some prior damage. It can also use a special attacking set with moves such as Scald, Ice Beam, and Focus Blast to surprise physical walls, which it often lures in, but Swords Dance variants do huge damage to these Pokemon at +2 Attack anyway. Finally, Feraligatr can use Earthquake and Low Kick to do more damage to certain foes, such as Mega Aggron and Empoleon, but these moves are generally not worth a moveslot and neither is boosted by Sheer Force.
Checks & Counters
########
**Physical Walls**: Bulky Water-types check the Dragon Dance set and threaten to burn it with Scald; however, they will be severely weakened or KOed if Feraligatr carries Substitute. Mega Aggron and Empoleon can take most of Feraligatr's attacks and phaze it.
**Grass-types**: Faster Grass-types such as Shaymin can directly force out Swords Dance Feraligatr. Whimsicott can lock Feraligatr into a setup move with Encore or threaten it with Giga Drain. Mega Sceptile outspeeds +1 Feraligatr, resists Aqua Jet, and can KO with Giga Drain. Chesnaught can take any attack and wear Feraligatr down with Leech Seed or KO it with Wood Hammer.
**Electric-types**: Offensive Rotom formes outspeed Feraligatr, though Rotom-H must be wary of boosted Aqua Jet. Heliolisk is immune to Aqua Jet and its Hyper Voice goes through Feraligatr's potential Substitute, though it can't switch into Ice Punch or Crunch. Defensive Mega Ampharos can take anything - save for a +2 Adamant Ice Punch - and KO Feraligatr with Volt Switch after Stealth Rock damage; offensive variants of Mega Ampharos can take any unboosted attack.
########
With a naturally high base Attack and the gift of its newly released hidden ability, Feraligatr has emerged as a premier offensive threat in UU. Feraligatr's access to a variety of great boosting moves as well as a priority move allow it to perform the role of a powerful wallbreaker or a sweeper, and its good typing and bulk provide it with plenty of opportunities to set up. However, Feraligatr's low Speed can make it fall flat against offensive teams, as it is outsped even at +1 by common Pokemon. In addition, it doesn't have many coverage options to speak of, and its attacks are relatively low-powered.
Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Substitute / Ice Punch / Swords Dance
ability: Sheer Force
item: Life Orb
evs: 220 Atk / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Dragon Dance turns Feraligatr into a sweeper by boosting its Attack and Speed by one stage each. Boosted by STAB, Sheer Force, and Life Orb, Waterfall is Feraligatr's most powerful move. Crunch is a useful coverage move that hits Psychic-types such as Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowking super effectively and provides Feraligatr with neutral coverage on opposing Water-types. Substitute is used mainly to set up on defensive Water-types that rely on Scald, as none of them can break Feraligatr's Substitute in one hit. Ice Punch is a coverage move that hits the Grass- and Dragon-types that resist Waterfall. Swords Dance can also be used in the final moveslot to give Feraligatr another option to boost against bulkier teams.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs allow Feraligatr to outspeed Mega Pidgeot after one Dragon Dance and Choice Scarf Mienshao after two Dragon Dances. An Adamant nature is preferred for more power, but a Jolly nature is usable to outspeed Adamant Heracross, Adamant Lucario, and, after a Dragon Dance, Crobat. 36 Special Defense EVs ensure that defensive Suicune's +1 Scald will never break Feraligatr's Substitute, but if another move is chosen over Substitute, then these EVs should be moved to Attack. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to increase Feraligatr's power. The combination of Sheer Force and Life Orb negates Life Orb recoil and grants a 1.69x boost to Waterfall, Crunch, and Ice Punch at the cost of their secondary effects.
Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Feraligatr works best on bulky and hyper offense teams as a late-game cleaner. Pokemon that outspeed Feraligatr after a boost include positive-natured Mega Sceptile, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Aerodactyl; all relevant Choice Scarf users; and Crobat and Noivern if Feraligatr runs an Adamant nature. Physical walls that can take Feraligatr's attacks when healthy, such as Mega Aggron and Chesnaught, should be weakened before attempting to set up. However, with Substitute, Feraligatr can set up on some physical walls, such as Suicune lacking Roar.
Team Options
========
Feraligatr appreciates the support of physical wallbreakers, such as Choice Band or Swords Dance Heracross, Choice Band Tyrantrum, and Swords Dance Haxorus. Spikes setters can help Feraligatr break through more Pokemon; Chesnaught and Roserade can set Spikes while also taking advantage of the Grass-, Electric-, and defensive Water-types that trouble Feraligatr. Dragalge also checks Pokemon of the aforementioned types and can provide Toxic Spikes support. Shaymin and Whimsicott can check opposing Water-types and support Feraligatr with Healing Wish and Memento, respectively. Mega Sceptile can use its ability and typing to switch into the Electric- and Grass-type moves that threaten Feraligatr.
Swords Dance
########
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Substitute / Ice Punch / Aqua Jet
ability: Sheer Force
item: Life Orb
evs: 220 Atk / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Feraligatr's already-high Attack stat, turning it into a powerful wallbreaker. Waterfall is Feraligatr's strongest STAB move and is benefited by Sheer Force and Life Orb. Crunch is Feraligatr's most powerful option to hit common Water-types and has super effective coverage on Psychic-types, such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Substitute blocks attempts to status Feraligatr, particularly allowing it to set up easily on defensive Water-types without fearing a Scald burn, and provides some protection from revenge killing. Ice Punch can be used in the fourth moveslot as coverage against Grass-types, such as Amoonguss and Chesnaught, and Dragon-types, such as Mega Ampharos and Salamence. Aqua Jet gives Feraligatr useful and reliable priority, allowing it to KO frail or weakened offensive threats such as Mienshao and Mega Beedrill.
Set Details
========
252 EVs are placed into Speed with a Jolly nature to allow Feraligatr to outspeed all relevant walls as well as certain offensive Pokemon, such as Adamant Heracross and Adamant Lucario. 36 EVs are placed into Special Defense to ensure that uninvested Suicune's +1 Scald will never break Feraligatr's Substitute; however, if a third attack is used over Substitute, these EVs should be placed into Attack instead. The rest of the EVs are placed into Attack to maximize Feraligatr's damage output. The combination of Sheer Force and Life Orb gives Waterfall, Ice Punch, and Crunch a 1.69x boost and negates Life Orb recoil.
Leftovers can be used to grant Feraligatr more longevity and to allow it to set up more Substitutes in the face of weak defensive Pokemon at the cost of considerable power. An alternate spread of 24 HP / 252 Atk / 32 SpD / 200 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used for more power and slightly more bulk while still outspeeding Adamant Honchkrow. Feraligatr can use Torrent over Sheer Force if it aims to sweep with Aqua Jet. In this case, Splash Plate is a good item choice to power up Feraligatr's Water-type moves without wearing it down, but Life Orb can help it get into Torrent range more quickly.
Usage Tips
========
Swords Dance Feraligatr works best on bulky offense and balanced teams as a mid-game wallbreaker. It should be used to muscle through defensive Pokemon, making room for a teammate to clean up. Feraligatr can find plenty of opportunities to set up against Pokemon such as Suicune, Gligar, and Florges.
Team Options
========
Feraligatr's teammates should take advantage of its ability to soften up physical walls. Choice Band Entei, Choice Scarf Infernape, and Mega Sharpedo all appreciate Feraligatr beating defensive Water-types and other physical walls. Fast Grass- and Electric-types such as Mega Sceptile and Heliolisk force Feraligatr out, so it needs teammates that can check them. Chesnaught and Roserade can check these Pokemon and also lay Spikes to support Feraligatr.
Other Options
########
Feraligatr can use Agility to clean up faster teams after some prior damage. It can also use a special attacking set with moves such as Scald, Ice Beam, and Focus Blast to surprise physical walls, which it often lures in, but Swords Dance variants do huge damage to these Pokemon at +2 Attack anyway. Finally, Feraligatr can use Earthquake and Low Kick to do more damage to certain foes, such as Mega Aggron and Empoleon, but these moves are generally not worth a moveslot and neither is boosted by Sheer Force.
Checks & Counters
########
**Physical Walls**: Bulky Water-types check the Dragon Dance set and threaten to burn it with Scald; however, they will be severely weakened or KOed if Feraligatr carries Substitute. Mega Aggron and Empoleon can take most of Feraligatr's attacks and phaze it.
**Grass-types**: Faster Grass-types such as Shaymin can directly force out Swords Dance Feraligatr. Whimsicott can lock Feraligatr into a setup move with Encore or threaten it with Giga Drain. Mega Sceptile outspeeds +1 Feraligatr, resists Aqua Jet, and can KO with Giga Drain. Chesnaught can take any attack and wear Feraligatr down with Leech Seed or KO it with Wood Hammer.
**Electric-types**: Offensive Rotom formes outspeed Feraligatr, though Rotom-H must be wary of boosted Aqua Jet. Heliolisk is immune to Aqua Jet and its Hyper Voice goes through Feraligatr's potential Substitute, though it can't switch into Ice Punch or Crunch. Defensive Mega Ampharos can take anything - save for a +2 Adamant Ice Punch - and KO Feraligatr with Volt Switch after Stealth Rock damage; offensive variants of Mega Ampharos can take any unboosted attack.
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