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Hydreigon

But a set without a scarf is really effective because it's surprising and powerful, with the ability to switch moves. But instead of Expert Belt, I would go with Lum Berry just because status is so terrible :/

Expert Belt is essential to net the damage needed to KO things, although Lum Berry is never a bad idea.
 
Call me crazy, but has anyone tried the Hydreigon set that Ghetsis used in B/W (item, EVs and nature are added for Smogon standards)?:
-Dragon Pulse
-Surf
-Fire Blast
-Focus Blast
Nature: Timid/Modest
EVs: 4 HP/252 SpA/252 Spe
Item: Expert Belt/Life Orb

By looking at this set, this Hydreigon has very good coverage. Unfortunately, it's stopped cold by anything that's specially bulky, like Blissey (everyone knows that), Jellicent or Tentacruel. Anything with priority is also a problem. So this Hydreigon can't shine unless these Pokemon are taken out or weakened.
 
Focus Blast is somewhat redundant with Fire Blast and Surf (Steel, Rock, and Ice are already covered, while Normal and Dark fear Dragon attacks), so you could run Draco Meteor or Dark Pulse in that slot.

This pokemon's movepool is just ridiculous with 16 different types of moves.
 
Focus Blast is somewhat redundant with Fire Blast and Surf (Steel, Rock, and Ice are already covered, while Normal and Dark fear Dragon attacks), so you could run Draco Meteor or Dark Pulse in that slot.

This pokemon's movepool is just ridiculous with 16 different types of moves.

And as a special attacker he also has HP Grass as cake... not that it matters with all the alternatives.
 
Focus Blast is somewhat redundant with Fire Blast and Surf (Steel, Rock, and Ice are already covered, while Normal and Dark fear Dragon attacks), so you could run Draco Meteor or Dark Pulse in that slot.

This pokemon's movepool is just ridiculous with 16 different types of moves.

T-Tar is the main reason to run Focus Blast, as Surf and Earth Power are often 3HKOs. Surf is good if you hate Gliscor however, and Heatran is hurt from both, though Focus Blast hurts more.
 
Dragon/Fire/Water or Fighting gets perfect coverage (or even just Dragon/Fire if you don't care about Heatran), so it's just a matter of which threats you need to cover.
 
T-Tar is the main reason to run Focus Blast, as Surf and Earth Power are often 3HKOs. Surf is good if you hate Gliscor however, and Heatran is hurt from both, though Focus Blast hurts more.

True, but without Superpower, Tar isn't doing much, so I find Surf adequate. I do run Modest Specs, however, so it may just be me. Either option is viable, but I prefer Dark Pulse to batter down Jellicent, Reuniclus, and have a reliable sweeping move similar to Dragon Pulse.
 
Unless your team has problems with Ghost or Psychic types, there isn't much reason to run Dark Pulse. In general, anything resisted by Steel is redundant with Dragon unless you're trying to hit a specific threat.
 
As I said, Reuniclus and Jellicent are two of the reasons I run it. I prefer it to having to Draco Meteor Jellicent to kill it, and it helps significantly against CM Reuniclus. There are also situations where I can fire off a Dark Pulse rather than having to choose between Draco Meteor on the Gliscor or attempting to predict a Jirachi switch in with Fire Blast.
 
Wouldn't it be better to run a choice scarf or choice specs, because u-turn by itself is not going too much without more attack investment?

And I thought the point of u-turn is for momentum, not as an attack?
105 base Atk hurts even without investment, and LO is perfectly viable even on pure special sets especially because having the ability to switch moves on something that 1) forces a lot of switches and 2) has amazing coverage is very useful.
 
I am looking to raise one ingame for competitive purposes, but there does not seem to be a consensus for a "best" moveset. Does a Choice Specs model have legs?
 
Any attack out of Fire Blast / Flamethrower / Surf / Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor / Dark Pulse / Focus Blast and you're set.
 
I prefer Draco Meteor/Surf/Dark Pulse/Fire Blast on the specs set. Dark Pulse is fairly underrated and is usually passed over for earth power, but it utterly destroys reuniclus; even if you switch into a CM it does over 80%. And people are still using Jellicent for some reason too. Earth Power is only really good for heatran, who could easily be holding a balloon and you have surf for him anyway.

I also prefer modest because Hydreigon's fantastic typing means that alot of stuff will be switching out of it, which basically negates the need for speed since you'll be hitting the switch-in. Even with modest, it still outspeeds a bunch of stuff, and alot of key stuff that it would outspeed with timid is commonly scarfed.

You'll be using Fire Blast a lot because people switch Ferrothorn in like it's their job.

Definitely one of my favorite gen 5 pokes and my favorite dragon so far. I just love its typing and insane coverage.
 
Has anyone tried out Charge Beam on this guy? If so, was it good?
I have, it was pretty crappy. Charge Beam isn't that reliable imo, as well as being weak. Hydreigon's speed doesn't lend itself to this either and it's prone to revenge kills. Maybe a SubCharge would fly though if you wanted to go for that, I just went with a straight up Charge Beam.

I prefer Draco Meteor/Surf/Dark Pulse/Fire Blast on the specs set. Dark Pulse is fairly underrated and is usually passed over for earth power, but it utterly destroys reuniclus; even if you switch into a CM it does over 80%. And people are still using Jellicent for some reason too. Earth Power is only really good for heatran, who could easily be holding a balloon and you have surf for him anyway.

I also prefer modest because Hydreigon's fantastic typing means that alot of stuff will be switching out of it, which basically negates the need for speed since you'll be hitting the switch-in. Even with modest, it still outspeeds a bunch of stuff, and alot of key stuff that it would outspeed with timid is commonly scarfed.

You'll be using Fire Blast a lot because people switch Ferrothorn in like it's their job.

Definitely one of my favorite gen 5 pokes and my favorite dragon so far. I just love its typing and insane coverage.

Oh yeah I love this pokemon, and Dark Pulse really is underutilized. I may do what you do and go with Modest however, it's pretty lame when T-Tar or other pokemon manage to hang in there.
 
I know it might seem quite gimicky and it would need to have thunder wave support from elsewhere but I've been trying out a Modest/Scarf set with Dark Pulse just for some flinching annoyance (sure there isn't as much chance; as say Jirachi/Serene Grace but still) with Flame Thrower (due to the influx of steel types this gen), Draco Meteor and Surf.

I know it's not his best possible set I've mainly been using it for fun but it has been getting the job done.
 
For a scarf set if you think you've got DDNite and Haxorus covered then I suggest not maxing speed, instead bumping it to 396 scarfed speed and pump the rest into attack. U-Turn hurts a lot more coming from a non-Timid 105 base attack with substantial investment.
 
I'm still pissed that gamefreak couldn't even give him dark pulse as a level up move (I can understand no nasty plot, but no dark pulse?? WTF gamefreak??). Gamefreak has literally done everything in their power to fuck up the metagame. Payback and explosion (and other self-destruct moves) got ruined as well.
 
I'm still pissed that gamefreak couldn't even give him dark pulse as a level up move (I can understand no nasty plot, but no dark pulse?? WTF gamefreak??). Gamefreak has literally done everything in their power to fuck up the metagame. Payback and explosion (and other self-destruct moves) got ruined as well.

By F*** up do you mean make it more difficult?

I also agree with not giving it as a level up move. But it's possible they were just trying to balance him out. Such high stats and easy access to two Stab moves (not to discount Crunch which you could easily put on a mixed set).
However that's prabably why he didn't get Draco Meteor on Level up either
 
I Really like this pokemon. My favorite dragon of all times. He was at lvl 64 (ev trained) and he solo'd shauntal's lvl 71 team.

My current set:
Hydreigon@life orb
Nature: Modest
Ev's: 64 HP/252 SpAtk/192 Spd
dragon pulse
dark pulse
surf
flamethrower
 
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