taken over from AbrarWasee
[OVERVIEW]
Dragon
========
* Hydreigon is a great special attacker for Dragon teams capable of blowing past both offensive and bulky teams.
* It can utilize various items, including Choice Scarf to Life Orb, to deal with whichever team archetypes the team faces trouble with. A set using Choice Scarf is great as a sweeper and revenge killer against offensive teams, while balance teams crumble to the wallbreaking power of Life Orb Hydreigon.
* Its typing and Levitate ability give it an immunity to Psychic- and Ground-type moves along with a resistance to Ghost.
* Its ability also gives it a nifty immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web.
* Hydreigon has an extensive movepool with good coverage options such as Fire Blast and Flash Cannon along with utility moves such as U-turn.
* It has good bulk for an offensive Pokemon, letting it switch in on resisted hits.
* Hydreigon has an excellent STAB combination that is further bolstered by its great Special Attack. However, it has a hard time breaking through Fairy-types, since they resist Dark and are immune to Dragon.
* Unfortunately, Hydreigon suffers from a 4x weakness to Fairy-type moves and a weakness to common Fighting- and Bug-type attacks.
* It suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, disallowing it to use its coverage to its full potential.
* It has a good Speed tier but is outsped by common offensive Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mew. Its Choice Scarf set is also outsped by other common Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion and Latios.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker (Dragon)
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power
item: Choice Specs / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is an easily spammable move with no drawbacks.
* Draco Meteor deals insane damage even when resisted and is Hydreigon's strongest option, but has the recoil of lowering Hydreigon's Special Attack by two stages.
* Fire Blast hits Steel-, Grass-, and Bug-types super effectively. It OHKOes the likes of Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and Heracross after slight chip damage.
* Earth Power breaks Steel-types along with Fire Blast, most notably nailing Heatran.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature lets Hydreigon outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Mimikyu, Kyurem-B, and Mega Garchomp.
* Maximum investment in Special Attack allows Hydreigon to hit as hard as possible.
* Choice Specs allows Hydreigon to maximize its potential as a wallbreaker by OHKOing Magearna with Fire Blast, which it otherwise it fails to do.
* Life Orb lets Hydreigon have an easier time breaking Steel-types, but the recoil reduces its longevity.
* Levitate is the only ability Hydreigon has, but is useful because it allows it to switch into Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as an early-game wallbreaker for heavily denting the opposition through powerful attacks which another teammate can take advantage of.
* Don't hesitate to use Draco Meteor. Its raw power is almost always worth it. That being said, be careful if the opponent has a Fairy-type such as Tapu Fini on Water teams or Togekiss on Flying as Dragon teams have no switch-in to them. The Special Attack drop is quite detrimental at times.
* Use Hydreigon's typing and ability to switch into Psychic- and Ground-type attacks.
* Hydreigon has relatively good bulk, so it can easily switch in on resisted hits.
* Try to hit foes with coverage moves on the switch in, as this Hydreigon set does not have the freedom to switch moves if using Choice Specs.
* Be careful when choosing what to lock into. Locking into Draco Meteor, for example, will allow Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon to set up freely or deal a large amount of damage to whatever you choose to switch into, causing a large loss of momentum.
* If using Life Orb, avoid switching Hydreigon into attacks, as it cannot afford to take much chip damage in combination with Life Orb recoil.
Team Options
========
* Garchomp provides Stealth Rock for Hydreigon, which helps it nab some crucial KOs, such as the OHKO on physically defensive Celesteela, specially defensive Skarmory, and Mandibuzz and the 2HKO on Toxapex.
* Strong wallbreakers like Choice Band Dragonite can bring down opposing special walls that Hydreigon struggles to get past such as Chansey.
* Late-game sweepers and cleaners appreciate Hydreigon leaving holes in the opposing team so that they may clean afterwards. Supersonic Skystrike Salamence is a good example, as it can easily sweep after Hydreigon has softened up the opposition. Choice Scarf Latios is another good late-game cleaner that can come in after Hydreigon has dealt enough damage to their shared checks.
* Dragalge is a great teammate to deal with Fairy-types while also providing Toxic Spikes, which further increases Hydreigon's wallbreaking potential.
* Latias is a good teammate because it can provide entry hazard removal with Defog, take care of Fighting-types, or provide Tailwind to make Hydreigon more threatening.
* Kyurem-B is a great mixed wallbreaker that can help Hydreigon deal with the few specially defensive walls it has trouble with.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon)
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is Hydreigon's Dark-type STAB move and the move it will use the most. It also has a nifty 20% chance to make the target flinch.
* Draco Meteor is a strong nuke, capable of dealing tons of damage to non-resistant foes, but has the drawback of reducing Hydreigon's Special Attack by two stages.
* Fire Blast deals super effective damage to Bug- and Steel-types such as Heracross, Klefki, Excadrill, and Celesteela, OHKOes Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, and 2HKOes non-Assault Vest variants of Magearna.
* U-turn brings momentum to the team, by allowing Hydreigon to switch out of its checks.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Special Attack allows Hydreigon to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature and Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame such as Scolipede, Choice Scarf Excadrill, and Cloyster at +2.
* Levitate is useful for switching into Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as a late-game cleaner when all of its checks and counters have been sufficiently weakened.
* It also performs as a great revenge killer.
* Don't be afraid to use U-turn, as a U-turn on a predicted switch to Chansey, Toxapex, or a Fairy-type will grab momentum for the team.
* Use Hydreigon's typing and ability to get a free switch into Psychic- and Ground-type attacks.
* Try to keep entry hazards up on the opponent's side, as they will let Hydreigon achieve some crucial OHKOes, such as against Excadrill, Heracross, and Landorus.
* Hydreigon can also function as a good lead, as it can bring momentum with U-turn for its teammates.
* Be careful while using Draco Meteor, since Hydreigon can be setup bait due to the drop in Special Attack.
* Be careful to not take too much damage while switching in, as that can make it difficult to clean late-game.
Team Options
========
* Hydreigon appreciates entry hazard support to ensure some OHKOs and 2HKOs. Garchomp can provide Stealth Rock, while Dragalge provides Toxic Spikes.
* Strong wallbreakers are appreciated for softening up the opposition before cleaning with Hydreigon. Choice Band Dragonite and Kyurem-B are some notable examples as they also deal with specially defensive walls that Hydreigon struggles to get past.
* Latios is capable of dealing with Fighting-types such as Keldeo, which Hydreigon is weak to. Choice Scarf Latios also helps against opposing Dragon teams and pressures Choice Scarf Nihilego. Latias is also a good teammate because it can give hazard removal with Defog, which helps Hydreigon do a lot of necessary pivoting.
* Hydreigon appreciates setup sweepers to weaken the opposing team before Hydreigon can clean. Dragon Dance Salamence is thus a great teammate.
* Dragalge is a great partner for Hydreigon because it somewhat mitigates Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy-types by being able to switch into most of them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon
--------
* A stallbreaker set with Dark Pulse, Fire Blast, Roost, and Taunt could be used to deal with stall teams, but it still can't break through Porygon2, and is useless against Fairy and offensive teams.
* Flash Cannon could be used to hit Fairy-types super effectively, but many of them are neutral to it and Hydreigon thus loses a more important coverage move to run it.
Checks and Counters
===================
Dragon
--------
**Chansey**: Chansey is the perfect counter to Hydreigon because of its stellar special bulk.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon can capitalize on Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy-type moves, while also being resistant or immune to Hydreigon's STAB moves. Azumarill and Tapu Fini stand out because Hydreigon can do little damage to them.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types can come in on a Choice-locked Hydreigon and threaten to KO with their super effective STAB moves. However, they get heavily damaged by Draco Meteor. Choice Scarf Terrakion can outspeed and OHKO it with Close Combat.
**Bug-types**: Bug-types force Hydreigon out with their super effective STAB moves. They do have to watch out for Fire Blast though, and thus have to be wary about switching. In particular, Araquanid can easily take any of its moves and recover any lost HP through Leech Life.
**Revenge Killers**: Hydreigon can be revenge killed by faster threats like Mega Alakazam, Greninja, Garchomp, Mega Charizard X, and other Choice Scarf users such as Kyurem-B, although they cannot switch in on Hydreigon. Hydreigon is also weak to common forms of priority such as Mach Punch from Breloom and Ice Shard from Mamoswine. Although Hydreigon is not weak to Extreme Speed, Extreme Speed from Choice Band Dragonite can KO it with some prior damage.
[OVERVIEW]
Dragon
========
* Hydreigon is a great special attacker for Dragon teams capable of blowing past both offensive and bulky teams.
* It can utilize various items, including Choice Scarf to Life Orb, to deal with whichever team archetypes the team faces trouble with. A set using Choice Scarf is great as a sweeper and revenge killer against offensive teams, while balance teams crumble to the wallbreaking power of Life Orb Hydreigon.
* Its typing and Levitate ability give it an immunity to Psychic- and Ground-type moves along with a resistance to Ghost.
* Its ability also gives it a nifty immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web.
* Hydreigon has an extensive movepool with good coverage options such as Fire Blast and Flash Cannon along with utility moves such as U-turn.
* It has good bulk for an offensive Pokemon, letting it switch in on resisted hits.
* Hydreigon has an excellent STAB combination that is further bolstered by its great Special Attack. However, it has a hard time breaking through Fairy-types, since they resist Dark and are immune to Dragon.
* Unfortunately, Hydreigon suffers from a 4x weakness to Fairy-type moves and a weakness to common Fighting- and Bug-type attacks.
* It suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, disallowing it to use its coverage to its full potential.
* It has a good Speed tier but is outsped by common offensive Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mew. Its Choice Scarf set is also outsped by other common Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion and Latios.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker (Dragon)
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power
item: Choice Specs / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is an easily spammable move with no drawbacks.
* Draco Meteor deals insane damage even when resisted and is Hydreigon's strongest option, but has the recoil of lowering Hydreigon's Special Attack by two stages.
* Fire Blast hits Steel-, Grass-, and Bug-types super effectively. It OHKOes the likes of Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and Heracross after slight chip damage.
* Earth Power breaks Steel-types along with Fire Blast, most notably nailing Heatran.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature lets Hydreigon outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Mimikyu, Kyurem-B, and Mega Garchomp.
* Maximum investment in Special Attack allows Hydreigon to hit as hard as possible.
* Choice Specs allows Hydreigon to maximize its potential as a wallbreaker by OHKOing Magearna with Fire Blast, which it otherwise it fails to do.
* Life Orb lets Hydreigon have an easier time breaking Steel-types, but the recoil reduces its longevity.
* Levitate is the only ability Hydreigon has, but is useful because it allows it to switch into Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as an early-game wallbreaker for heavily denting the opposition through powerful attacks which another teammate can take advantage of.
* Don't hesitate to use Draco Meteor. Its raw power is almost always worth it. That being said, be careful if the opponent has a Fairy-type such as Tapu Fini on Water teams or Togekiss on Flying as Dragon teams have no switch-in to them. The Special Attack drop is quite detrimental at times.
* Use Hydreigon's typing and ability to switch into Psychic- and Ground-type attacks.
* Hydreigon has relatively good bulk, so it can easily switch in on resisted hits.
* Try to hit foes with coverage moves on the switch in, as this Hydreigon set does not have the freedom to switch moves if using Choice Specs.
* Be careful when choosing what to lock into. Locking into Draco Meteor, for example, will allow Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon to set up freely or deal a large amount of damage to whatever you choose to switch into, causing a large loss of momentum.
* If using Life Orb, avoid switching Hydreigon into attacks, as it cannot afford to take much chip damage in combination with Life Orb recoil.
Team Options
========
* Garchomp provides Stealth Rock for Hydreigon, which helps it nab some crucial KOs, such as the OHKO on physically defensive Celesteela, specially defensive Skarmory, and Mandibuzz and the 2HKO on Toxapex.
* Strong wallbreakers like Choice Band Dragonite can bring down opposing special walls that Hydreigon struggles to get past such as Chansey.
* Late-game sweepers and cleaners appreciate Hydreigon leaving holes in the opposing team so that they may clean afterwards. Supersonic Skystrike Salamence is a good example, as it can easily sweep after Hydreigon has softened up the opposition. Choice Scarf Latios is another good late-game cleaner that can come in after Hydreigon has dealt enough damage to their shared checks.
* Dragalge is a great teammate to deal with Fairy-types while also providing Toxic Spikes, which further increases Hydreigon's wallbreaking potential.
* Latias is a good teammate because it can provide entry hazard removal with Defog, take care of Fighting-types, or provide Tailwind to make Hydreigon more threatening.
* Kyurem-B is a great mixed wallbreaker that can help Hydreigon deal with the few specially defensive walls it has trouble with.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon)
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is Hydreigon's Dark-type STAB move and the move it will use the most. It also has a nifty 20% chance to make the target flinch.
* Draco Meteor is a strong nuke, capable of dealing tons of damage to non-resistant foes, but has the drawback of reducing Hydreigon's Special Attack by two stages.
* Fire Blast deals super effective damage to Bug- and Steel-types such as Heracross, Klefki, Excadrill, and Celesteela, OHKOes Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, and 2HKOes non-Assault Vest variants of Magearna.
* U-turn brings momentum to the team, by allowing Hydreigon to switch out of its checks.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Special Attack allows Hydreigon to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature and Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame such as Scolipede, Choice Scarf Excadrill, and Cloyster at +2.
* Levitate is useful for switching into Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as a late-game cleaner when all of its checks and counters have been sufficiently weakened.
* It also performs as a great revenge killer.
* Don't be afraid to use U-turn, as a U-turn on a predicted switch to Chansey, Toxapex, or a Fairy-type will grab momentum for the team.
* Use Hydreigon's typing and ability to get a free switch into Psychic- and Ground-type attacks.
* Try to keep entry hazards up on the opponent's side, as they will let Hydreigon achieve some crucial OHKOes, such as against Excadrill, Heracross, and Landorus.
* Hydreigon can also function as a good lead, as it can bring momentum with U-turn for its teammates.
* Be careful while using Draco Meteor, since Hydreigon can be setup bait due to the drop in Special Attack.
* Be careful to not take too much damage while switching in, as that can make it difficult to clean late-game.
Team Options
========
* Hydreigon appreciates entry hazard support to ensure some OHKOs and 2HKOs. Garchomp can provide Stealth Rock, while Dragalge provides Toxic Spikes.
* Strong wallbreakers are appreciated for softening up the opposition before cleaning with Hydreigon. Choice Band Dragonite and Kyurem-B are some notable examples as they also deal with specially defensive walls that Hydreigon struggles to get past.
* Latios is capable of dealing with Fighting-types such as Keldeo, which Hydreigon is weak to. Choice Scarf Latios also helps against opposing Dragon teams and pressures Choice Scarf Nihilego. Latias is also a good teammate because it can give hazard removal with Defog, which helps Hydreigon do a lot of necessary pivoting.
* Hydreigon appreciates setup sweepers to weaken the opposing team before Hydreigon can clean. Dragon Dance Salamence is thus a great teammate.
* Dragalge is a great partner for Hydreigon because it somewhat mitigates Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy-types by being able to switch into most of them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon
--------
* A stallbreaker set with Dark Pulse, Fire Blast, Roost, and Taunt could be used to deal with stall teams, but it still can't break through Porygon2, and is useless against Fairy and offensive teams.
* Flash Cannon could be used to hit Fairy-types super effectively, but many of them are neutral to it and Hydreigon thus loses a more important coverage move to run it.
Checks and Counters
===================
Dragon
--------
**Chansey**: Chansey is the perfect counter to Hydreigon because of its stellar special bulk.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon can capitalize on Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy-type moves, while also being resistant or immune to Hydreigon's STAB moves. Azumarill and Tapu Fini stand out because Hydreigon can do little damage to them.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types can come in on a Choice-locked Hydreigon and threaten to KO with their super effective STAB moves. However, they get heavily damaged by Draco Meteor. Choice Scarf Terrakion can outspeed and OHKO it with Close Combat.
**Bug-types**: Bug-types force Hydreigon out with their super effective STAB moves. They do have to watch out for Fire Blast though, and thus have to be wary about switching. In particular, Araquanid can easily take any of its moves and recover any lost HP through Leech Life.
**Revenge Killers**: Hydreigon can be revenge killed by faster threats like Mega Alakazam, Greninja, Garchomp, Mega Charizard X, and other Choice Scarf users such as Kyurem-B, although they cannot switch in on Hydreigon. Hydreigon is also weak to common forms of priority such as Mach Punch from Breloom and Ice Shard from Mamoswine. Although Hydreigon is not weak to Extreme Speed, Extreme Speed from Choice Band Dragonite can KO it with some prior damage.
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