ScraftyIsTheBest
On to new Horizons!
Alright, the Haxorus of NU is on the scene:
[Overview]
<p>Fraxure was always a classic case of an otherwise good Pokemon held back by coverage issues. Its movepool was as shallow as could be, with only Dragon-type moves as viable options. However, in the transition to BW2, Fraxure gained numerous new toys in Superpower, Low Kick, and Aqua Tail. As a result, Fraxure stands out among the crowd as the most powerful Dragon in NU, boasting great coverage in just a few moves. Combine that with a great boosting move in Dragon Dance, and you've got a huge threat in the NU metagame.</p>
<p>Fraxure does have its flaws, however. It has a pitiful base 67 Speed, so it fails to outspeed much before it boosts. It also has a bad weakness to Ice, which leaves it vulnerable to powerhouses like Rotom-F and Articuno. However, with its great coverage and high Attack Fraxure is still a force to be reckoned with.</p>
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Eviolite
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Fraxure's most common and most dangerous set. Thanks to Dragon Dance, it can boost its high Attack and subpar Speed to formidable levels. With great coverage in just two moves, Fraxure can easily sweep teams after just one boost. It also stands out from Altaria with its much stronger firepower.</p>
<p>Dragon Dance is the crux of this set, boosting Fraxure's speed and power. Outrage is the STAB move of choice, hitting nearly everything for heavy damage, especially after a boost. Low Kick is the preferred coverage move, hitting Steel-types such as Bastiodon and Probopass for great damage. Finally, the last slot is up to the player's needs. Taunt allows Fraxure to set up on threats such as Alomomola, while Substitute allows it to evade Sucker Punch from Skuntank. Keep in mind, however, that Fraxure can take a Sucker Punch, so Substitute is not as necessary.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum EV values are invested into Attack and Speed to utilize Dragon Dance as effectively as possible. A Jolly nature is chosen here so that Fraxure can outspeed Swellow after one boost. However, an Adamant nature with an EV spread of 56 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spe is possible to hit harder, as well as catching base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Charizard, after one boost; however, being able to outspeed Swellow is generally much more important. The item here depends on the player's needs; Eviolite provides Fraxure with more bulk to set up Dragon Dance effectively, while Life Orb provides more power if bulk is not needed. Superpower is an option over Low Kick if Mawile poses a bigger problem than other Steel-types, but the Attack drop is counterproductive to the set's purpose. Likewise, Dragon Claw, Dual Chop, and Aqua Tail are all perfectly acceptable alternatives, although none of them are as good as the moves listed in the set. Swords Dance is also a decent boosting move alongside Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>As Fraxure does have issues with Steel-types, such as Metang and Mawile, a Pokemon like Sawk is greatly appreciated to deal with said Steel-types. A dual screens user, such as Gardevoir or Musharna, is also immensely helpful to allow Fraxure to attain boosts more easily. Finally, this set pairs well with powerful attackers, such as Zangoose and Swellow, due to their wallbreaking capabilities.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As opposed to a setup sweeper, this set aims to hit hard and switch out, keeping up offensive pressure. It also OHKOes the popular users of Stealth Rock and Sturdy. Fraxure also boasts perfect coverage in only a few moves, giving it the edge over other Choice Band users, namely Braviary.</p>
<p>Outrage is chosen as the primary STAB move, seriously denting many Pokemon. Superpower is chosen over Low Kick here; its sheer power can KO many Steel-types, including Probopass and Bastiodon, and also fits this set's hit and run nature. Aqua Tail is chosen for its ability to reliably OHKO Golem, as well as for hitting Golurk super effectively when Outrage is risky. Finally, as no additional coverage is needed, Dragon Claw is in the final moveslot to provide a reliable STAB move over Outrage, although it is considerably weaker.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is chosen here to provide the highest Attack stat attainable to hit hard with Choice Band. A Jolly nature is usable, however, to neutral nature Samurott and Ludicolo; however, the extra Attack provided by an Adamant nature is preferred here. Mold Breaker is the chosen ability to bypass Sturdy, which allows Superpower to OHKO Bastiodon. Low Kick is also a usable option over Superpower for its lack of stat drops, but the latter's hit-and-run nature and power is preferable on this set.</p>
<p>As Fraxure can struggle with Steel-types, Pokemon such as Sawk are immensely helpful to deal with them. As Fraxure is used to OHKO Stealth Rock users, Pokemon that appreciate the lack of said hazard, such as Swellow, benefit from Fraxure's support. Samurott is also useful to remove Regirock and Armaldo, the two Stealth Rock users that Fraxure cannot OHKO. Powerful physical attackers, such as Zangoose, Samurott, and Sawk, also appreciate Fraxure's ability to bypass said walls. To remove Alomomola and Tangela, Spikes support from Cacturne or Garbodor is also greatly appreciated. Additionally, a Pokemon with a trapping ability, such as Probopass or Gothorita, can trap and remove threats such as Bastiodon and Alomomola, respectively. As Fraxure is slow, paralysis support from the likes of Regirock, Regice, or Volbeat is also appreciated to remove faster threats. Finally, a slow user of U-turn or Volt Switch, such as Eelektross, is useful to bring Fraxure in safely.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Fraxure's movepool is almost devoid of other options. That said, there are some unorthodox ones such as X-Scissor and Shadow Claw. Fraxure can also utilize Toxic to wear down walls such as Alomomola and Tangela. Fraxure also has an alternate ability in Rivalry, which can provide more power; however, Mold Breaker is far more reliable. A Liechi or Salac Berry is usable on the Dragon Dance set to keep Fraxure going if it gets low on HP, but both Berries are rather situational. Yache Berry also has a very situational use to survive an Ice Beam from Samurott or Ludicolo, but is completely useless otherwise. Additionally, a Choice Scarf set is usable to transform Fraxure into a solid revenge killer, but it loses out on the sheer power provided by the main sets. Finally, a bulky EV spread of 248 HP / 176 SpD / 88 Spe is also usable with Substitute, Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw, and Low Kick as moves, and can take on walls such as Alomomola.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fraxure is one of few Pokemon that boasts no true counters thanks to its unresisted coverage in just a few moves. Metang and Mawile come the closest to countering Fraxure, as they can take an Outrage or Low Kick, but cannot do much back in return. Gurdurr and Piloswine can take an attack and retaliate with priority, but neither can switch in without being 2HKOed. Special Samurott and Ludicolo can outspeed unboosted Fraxure and OHKO with Ice Beam. Ditto with Choice Scarf can check Fraxure as Dragon is weak to itself. Alomomola and Tangela can tank repeated Outrages, but can't do anything back apart from Toxic unless Tangela carries Hidden Power Ice. Finally, Rotom-F and Articuno can fire powerful Ice-type attacks to give Fraxure a chill, but like other Pokemon, they cannot switch in safely.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Fraxure was always a classic case of an otherwise good Pokemon held back by coverage issues. Its movepool was as shallow as could be, with only Dragon-type moves as viable options. However, in the transition to BW2, Fraxure gained numerous new toys in Superpower, Low Kick, and Aqua Tail. As a result, Fraxure stands out among the crowd as the most powerful Dragon in NU, boasting great coverage in just a few moves. Combine that with a great boosting move in Dragon Dance, and you've got a huge threat in the NU metagame.</p>
<p>Fraxure does have its flaws, however. It has a pitiful base 67 Speed, so it fails to outspeed much before it boosts. It also has a bad weakness to Ice, which leaves it vulnerable to powerhouses like Rotom-F and Articuno. However, with its great coverage and high Attack Fraxure is still a force to be reckoned with.</p>
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Eviolite
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Fraxure's most common and most dangerous set. Thanks to Dragon Dance, it can boost its high Attack and subpar Speed to formidable levels. With great coverage in just two moves, Fraxure can easily sweep teams after just one boost. It also stands out from Altaria with its much stronger firepower.</p>
<p>Dragon Dance is the crux of this set, boosting Fraxure's speed and power. Outrage is the STAB move of choice, hitting nearly everything for heavy damage, especially after a boost. Low Kick is the preferred coverage move, hitting Steel-types such as Bastiodon and Probopass for great damage. Finally, the last slot is up to the player's needs. Taunt allows Fraxure to set up on threats such as Alomomola, while Substitute allows it to evade Sucker Punch from Skuntank. Keep in mind, however, that Fraxure can take a Sucker Punch, so Substitute is not as necessary.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum EV values are invested into Attack and Speed to utilize Dragon Dance as effectively as possible. A Jolly nature is chosen here so that Fraxure can outspeed Swellow after one boost. However, an Adamant nature with an EV spread of 56 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spe is possible to hit harder, as well as catching base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Charizard, after one boost; however, being able to outspeed Swellow is generally much more important. The item here depends on the player's needs; Eviolite provides Fraxure with more bulk to set up Dragon Dance effectively, while Life Orb provides more power if bulk is not needed. Superpower is an option over Low Kick if Mawile poses a bigger problem than other Steel-types, but the Attack drop is counterproductive to the set's purpose. Likewise, Dragon Claw, Dual Chop, and Aqua Tail are all perfectly acceptable alternatives, although none of them are as good as the moves listed in the set. Swords Dance is also a decent boosting move alongside Dragon Dance.</p>
<p>As Fraxure does have issues with Steel-types, such as Metang and Mawile, a Pokemon like Sawk is greatly appreciated to deal with said Steel-types. A dual screens user, such as Gardevoir or Musharna, is also immensely helpful to allow Fraxure to attain boosts more easily. Finally, this set pairs well with powerful attackers, such as Zangoose and Swellow, due to their wallbreaking capabilities.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As opposed to a setup sweeper, this set aims to hit hard and switch out, keeping up offensive pressure. It also OHKOes the popular users of Stealth Rock and Sturdy. Fraxure also boasts perfect coverage in only a few moves, giving it the edge over other Choice Band users, namely Braviary.</p>
<p>Outrage is chosen as the primary STAB move, seriously denting many Pokemon. Superpower is chosen over Low Kick here; its sheer power can KO many Steel-types, including Probopass and Bastiodon, and also fits this set's hit and run nature. Aqua Tail is chosen for its ability to reliably OHKO Golem, as well as for hitting Golurk super effectively when Outrage is risky. Finally, as no additional coverage is needed, Dragon Claw is in the final moveslot to provide a reliable STAB move over Outrage, although it is considerably weaker.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is chosen here to provide the highest Attack stat attainable to hit hard with Choice Band. A Jolly nature is usable, however, to neutral nature Samurott and Ludicolo; however, the extra Attack provided by an Adamant nature is preferred here. Mold Breaker is the chosen ability to bypass Sturdy, which allows Superpower to OHKO Bastiodon. Low Kick is also a usable option over Superpower for its lack of stat drops, but the latter's hit-and-run nature and power is preferable on this set.</p>
<p>As Fraxure can struggle with Steel-types, Pokemon such as Sawk are immensely helpful to deal with them. As Fraxure is used to OHKO Stealth Rock users, Pokemon that appreciate the lack of said hazard, such as Swellow, benefit from Fraxure's support. Samurott is also useful to remove Regirock and Armaldo, the two Stealth Rock users that Fraxure cannot OHKO. Powerful physical attackers, such as Zangoose, Samurott, and Sawk, also appreciate Fraxure's ability to bypass said walls. To remove Alomomola and Tangela, Spikes support from Cacturne or Garbodor is also greatly appreciated. Additionally, a Pokemon with a trapping ability, such as Probopass or Gothorita, can trap and remove threats such as Bastiodon and Alomomola, respectively. As Fraxure is slow, paralysis support from the likes of Regirock, Regice, or Volbeat is also appreciated to remove faster threats. Finally, a slow user of U-turn or Volt Switch, such as Eelektross, is useful to bring Fraxure in safely.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Fraxure's movepool is almost devoid of other options. That said, there are some unorthodox ones such as X-Scissor and Shadow Claw. Fraxure can also utilize Toxic to wear down walls such as Alomomola and Tangela. Fraxure also has an alternate ability in Rivalry, which can provide more power; however, Mold Breaker is far more reliable. A Liechi or Salac Berry is usable on the Dragon Dance set to keep Fraxure going if it gets low on HP, but both Berries are rather situational. Yache Berry also has a very situational use to survive an Ice Beam from Samurott or Ludicolo, but is completely useless otherwise. Additionally, a Choice Scarf set is usable to transform Fraxure into a solid revenge killer, but it loses out on the sheer power provided by the main sets. Finally, a bulky EV spread of 248 HP / 176 SpD / 88 Spe is also usable with Substitute, Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw, and Low Kick as moves, and can take on walls such as Alomomola.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fraxure is one of few Pokemon that boasts no true counters thanks to its unresisted coverage in just a few moves. Metang and Mawile come the closest to countering Fraxure, as they can take an Outrage or Low Kick, but cannot do much back in return. Gurdurr and Piloswine can take an attack and retaliate with priority, but neither can switch in without being 2HKOed. Special Samurott and Ludicolo can outspeed unboosted Fraxure and OHKO with Ice Beam. Ditto with Choice Scarf can check Fraxure as Dragon is weak to itself. Alomomola and Tangela can tank repeated Outrages, but can't do anything back apart from Toxic unless Tangela carries Hidden Power Ice. Finally, Rotom-F and Articuno can fire powerful Ice-type attacks to give Fraxure a chill, but like other Pokemon, they cannot switch in safely.</p>