[Overview]
<p>Dragon-types have always been a rare sight within the lower tiers, their excellence leaving the majority of them in the upper tiers. Dragon typing is strong offensively,
as only one type resists it: Steel. Not to mention it has resistances to four common offensive types in Fire-, Water-, Grass-, and Electric-types attacks. Flygon holds a coveted spot of being one of the few viable Dragon-types in UU; it has just enough Speed to outpace common threats in UU, and enough Attack to make use of its high Base Power STAB moves. Thanks to Levitate and Ground typing, Flygon is immune to Toxic Spikes and Spikes, and resists Stealth Rock, making it a great hit-and-run attacker. Despite all of Flygon's fantastic attributes, it has a few drawbacks. Unlike its fellow
UU Dragon-type Kingdra, it has no
way of boosting its stats outside the mediocre Hone Claws. Defensively, Flygon's typing has a few faults to go with its strengths. While Ground typing gives Flygon a handy immunity to Electric-type attacks and resistance to Rock-type attacks, it also gives Flygon a painful 4x Ice-type weakness and rids it of Grass- and Water-type resistances. 80 / 80 / 80 defenses are mediocre at best, so while Flygon might not be frail, any powerful move can cripple or KO it. Nonetheless, Flygon is an excellent Pokemon and has certainly earned its place as a top threat of UU.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Levitate
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Band equipped, Flygon becomes an excellent
wallbreaker, as its great STAB coverage makes it notoriously hard for Pokemon to switch into
it. Outrage is Flygon's most powerful move, denting walls and plowing through frailer Pokemon. Earthquake is almost as powerful as Outrage, and it comes with the benefit of hitting almost everything that resists Outrage for super effective damage. Earthquake can break holes
in opposing teams almost as well as Outrage, and without locking Flygon in for 2-3 turns
and the subsequent confusion—a notable benefit of which is switching out of would be revenge killers, such as Weavile. U-turn helps maintain momentum, allowing Flygon to scout potential switch-ins and switch out of unfavorable
match-ups, provided the opposing Pokemon is slower. Fire Punch hits Bronzong, the only UU Pokemon to resist both of Flygon's STABs, for super effective damage. All but the most physically defensive of Bronzong are 2HKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Fire Punch. After Bronzong is removed, Flygon can safely use its powerful STABs without getting easily walled.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs on this set are very straightforward. Attack and Speed are maximized, ensuring Flygon hits as hard as it can, and outspeeds as much as it can. The Special Defense prevents Download Pokemon from getting their preferred Special Attack boost. As with many sets, this set faces the eternal question of power or speed when dealing with natures. Flygon's base 100 Speed is above that of many Pokemon in the tier, and requires a Jolly nature to be fully effective. However, the power offered by an Adamant nature should always be considered. Adamant secures a 2HKO against offensive Porygon2 without Stealth Rock damage, a 2HKO against defensive Slowbro—although Regenerator makes this less significant—and Suicune with Stealth Rock damage, and gives Flygon a good chance to OHKO Choice Band Snorlax.</p>
<p>Although
VoltTurn in UU isn't as common as in OU, Volt Switch users still pair up well with Flygon. Zapdos and Raikou make fantastic teammates, as both of them can make quick work of Slowbro with their STAB Electric-type moves; however, Raikou is usually the better choice, as Zapdos shares an Ice weakness with Flygon. Flygon's success is often largely dependent on being supported with entry hazards; Spikes and Stealth Rock put targets into Flygon's KO range, and increases the chance of a late-game sweep. Roserade makes a great partner, as it can set up Spikes, destroy bulky Water-types that try to check Flygon, and remove crippling status with Aromatherapy. Magneton is also an exceptional
teammate for Flygon, removing Steel-types for Flygon to spam Outrage, rather than having the need to predict and remove them with Earthquake—Magneton can also remove Bronzong, Flygon's best check, if it is using Magnet Rise. If Magneton is used, Fire Punch loses all purpose. Hence, Stone Edge becomes a decent alternative as it hits Flying-types without locking Flygon into Outrage. Kingdra is a potent partner for a double Dragon strategy. Due to the lack of Dragon counters in UU, the damage dealt by both Dragon-types can often take down the only Steel-type on the opposing team, allowing one of them to sweep.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Fire Punch / Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is one of the most common Flygon sets you'll encounter, and with good reason. With great Speed and decent attacking power, Flygon can utilize a Choice Scarf to outspeed a large portion of the
tier while still dealing decent damage. This allows Flygon to not only revenge kill frail sweepers, but to sweep weakened teams itself. Earthquake and Outrage make use of Flygon's great STABs, hitting most of the tier for at least neutral damage. However, it is generally inadvisable to lock Flygon into Outrage early on, as not only are Pokemon
that can survive the move and retaliate likely to be around, but Ice Shard users, such as Weavile, can revenge kill it. Access to U-turn is what allows Flygon to be one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier; being able to switch while doing damage is an asset that should never be underestimated. Fire Punch is Flygon's best option for dealing damage to Bronzong, but it cannot even 2HKO the bulky bell. Stone Edge is a decent option as it allows Flygon to hit Flying-types without resorting to Outrage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs on this set
are identical to that of the Choice Band set, serving identical purposes of maximize Attack and Speed while preventing Download from giving a Special Attack boost. The use of a Jolly or Adamant nature depends on your team. Adamant allows Flygon to get a power boost, but misses out on getting the jump on numerous Pokemon. Flygon is in a sensitive Speed tier, and any positive-natured Pokemon in base 87 Speed and above at +1 will fail to be outsped. Some notable examples of Pokemon that Adamant Choice Scarf Flygon does not outspeed are Choice Scarf Darmanitan, Choice Scarf Krookodile, +1 Quiver Dance Venomoth, and Choice Scarf Porygon-Z. Furthermore, Adamant does not make any notable OHKOes or 2HKOes that Jolly misses.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are even more important to this set, as they make Flygon's job of cleaning up teams much easier.
Once again, Roserade makes a great partner as it has Spikes and Aromatherapy
which are also useful for this set as they were for the Choice Band one. Moreover, Roserade's ability to counter bulky Water-types is even more valuable, as they can take Choice Scarf Flygon's attacks significantly easier than the Choice Band version. Kingdra, particularly one with Choice Specs, makes a good partner for this set. Kingdra can lure typical switch-ins for Flygon, such as Slowbro, and eliminate them with an extremely powerful Draco Meteor, opening Flygon's path to clean up.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Life Orb
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Roost
move 4: Fire Punch / Superpower
item: Life orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Flygon is normally seen as a Choice item user, Life Orb Flygon aims to make use of its access to Roost and the lessened need to predict relative to the Choice sets. With Spikes down on the opposing field, this set can be very hard
for the opponent to handle without Gligar or Slowbro. Dragon Claw is the preferred Dragon move, as Outrage locks Flygon in, defeating the purpose of not using a Choice item; however, Outrage is 50% more powerful than Dragon Claw, and can still be used if the added power is really needed. Roost heals off the Life Orb recoil Flygon is sure to take over the course of the match, and thanks to Flygon being practically impervious to entry hazards, it need not use it every time it switches in. Superpower can be used over Fire Punch to allow Flygon to get past Porygon2 and Snorlax more easily, though the Attack and Defense drops will impede Flygon's ability to stay in battle. However, this is not a huge problem as Flygon's resistance to entry hazards makes switching in and out of battle relatively painless. If you are not using Outrage, Earthquake is
Flygon's strongest STAB move—and even if you are, its most reliable— and almost perfectly complements Dragon Claw's coverage by hitting all Steel-types, except Bronzong, for at least neutral, and often super effective, damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs on this set
are once again self explanatory; it maximize Attack and Speed while preventing a Special Attack
boost from Download. Jolly is the preferred nature due to Flygon missing out on outspeeding or tying with a significant number of Pokemon otherwise. Adamant provides a little extra power, but it doesn't ensure any notable OHKOes or 2HKOes.</p>
<p>Bulky Arcanine is a great partner, as it can switch into Ice-types such as Weavile that force Flygon out of battle. Darmanitan also helps Flygon by checking fast Ice-types, but trades the ability to switch into them as easily for posing a considerably greater offensive threat. Shaymin and Flygon work very well together, as Shaymin can take out Gligar and bulky Water-types, such as Slowbro, which give Flygon trouble. Their Life Orb sets complement each other well, having both reliable recovery and moderate bulk.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Flygon can attempt a mixed Life Orb set, as Draco Meteor, even with base 80 Special Attack, will KO Slowbro after an Earthquake, and do extremely heavy damage to Gligar, both prominent Flygon checks. However, with the right prediction, Choice Band Outrage can defeat everything the mixed set can, with the exception of Gligar. Moreover, the Choice Band set is generally more useful due to its lack of recoil and consistent damage. Crunch can get past Ghost-types with Levitate, but is weaker than STAB Outrage. Toxic, Roost, and Dragon Tail can be used in stalling or support sets, but Flygon's defenses are too low for this to be viable. Tailwind can help support teammates, but it peters out too quickly to be effective. Hone
Claws can be used as a boosting move, but a +1 boost doesn't cut it with Flygon's average Attack stat. ThunderPunch can hit Water-types super effectively, but only deals as much damage as neutral STAB Earthquake.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bronzong is the standard Flygon counter. Being resistant to one STAB and immune to the other, it can take on almost every Flygon. Choice Band Flygon can't even guarantee a 2HKO on Bronzong with Fire Punch, but the damage will stack up quickly if Bronzong continues to switch into that attack. Bronzong can also 2HKO Flygon with Gyro Ball with just minimal Attack investment. Bulky Water-types are effective checks to most Flygon. Flygon's only super effective move, ThunderPunch, deals less than its STAB Outrage, and most bulky Water-types can handle Flygon's Outrage and Earthquake off of its average Attack stat. They can then respond with Scald, which not only does decent damage, but also threatens a debilitating burn, or with a 4x super effective Ice Beam. However, the Choice Band-boosted Outrage will 2HKO Milotic and Blastoise without fail, and can 2HKO Suicune and Slowbro with some prior damage. Slowbro makes the best check among bulky Water-types due to Slack Off and Regenerator—should Flygon use U-turn on a predicted switch to Slowbro—healing racked up damage that would otherwise allow Flygon to get past it eventually. Regenerator is also useful in allowing Slowbro to switch into Earthquake or Outrage, then switching out immediately to an appropriate teammate. However, Choice Band U-turn—possibly in tandem with entry hazard damage— negates
Regenerator's healing effect, and Slowbro too, can be worn down. Froslass outspeeds non-Choice Scarf sets and OHKOes with Ice Beam. Weavile is Flygon's best revenge killer, being able to OHKO it with Ice Shard should it be locked into Outrage, or Pursuit trap a Flygon fleeing Ice Shard. Gligar is not 2HKOed by any of physical Flygon's moves. It can recover off the damage using Roost, and stall Flygon out by using Toxic. Any Pokemon with reasonable bulk, such as Dusclops, can serve as a check to Flygon. However, it must be careful not to take too much residual damage, or it will risk being 2HKOed by Choice Band Flygon.</p>
