[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 points
**Overview**: Lycanroc-D carves itself a niche as one of the most threatening Pokemon to switch into in the format. Carrying STAB Stone Edge, strong coverage such as Close Combat that gains a boost from Tough Claws, and a wide array of other coverage attacks to hit most foes for super effective damage, it can be incredibly deadly as both a wallbreaker and a cleaner. However, its drawbacks are numerous, ranging from virtually zero role compression to incredibly poor bulk as well as a reliance on damage-boosting items making it prone to entry hazards. It can often be a momentum sink, especially if it makes the wrong prediction or relies on Choice items. It also finds itself prone to being OHKOed by faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users. For these reasons, it's far from easy to fit onto drafts, as it requires a lot of specific support, but it can be deadly to deal with under ideal circumstances.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: When paired with a damage-boosting item, Lycanroc-D turns into an incredibly hard threat to switch into. The combination of Stone Edge and Close Combat in conjunction with its diverse movepool means that very few defensive pieces want to switch in against it, with even fewer offensive Pokemon being able to take a hit from it in the first place. This set can also occasionally fit Stealth Rock, as it's able to safely set it up when it forces the foe to switch out.
**Setup Sweeper**: Thanks to Swords Dance and Accelerock, Lycanroc-D can turn into a threatening setup sweeper. Breaking through almost all of its usual defensive counterplay with even stronger attacks while also punishing faster threats, setup Lycanroc-D can end games on the spot if positioned correctly.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Accelerock, Rock Slide, Rock Blast
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Taunt, Roar, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Crunch, Drill Run, Fire Fang, Iron Head, Outrage, Play Rough, Psychic Fangs, Sucker Punch, Throat Chop, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Endeavor**: Lycanroc-D can be used as a sacrificial lead with Focus Sash + Stealth Rock. On these sets, it can use Endeavor to bring the foe down to 1 HP , allowing a teammate to comfortably revenge kill that foe.
**Reversal**: Usually found on Swords Dance sets with Focus Sash, Reversal is a stronger alternative to Close Combat that can pick up KOs on even the bulkiest of defensive walls. It's hard to justify, though, as it makes Lycanroc-D even more vulnerable to priority and is also reliant on the foe knocking Lycanroc-D down to 1 HP.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Lycanroc-D can effectively utilize any damage-boosting item to help enhance its wallbreaking and cleaning ability. From Choice Band to Life Orb to Expert Belt, Lycanroc-D always appreciates a boost to its damage output.
**Focus Sash**: Typically paired with Swords Dance, Focus Sash can allow Lycanroc-D a safe opportunity to set up and try to sweep. It must be paired with strong entry hazard removal to be able to do this effectively.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: In matchups where Accelerock and Sucker Punch are not enough to revenge kill, Choice Scarf can allow Lycanroc-D to outspeed most offensive threats.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: If Lycanroc-D does not need a power boost to wallbreak, Heavy-Duty Boots helps increase its longevity to make it effective across the entire duration of the battle.
Tera
========
While Lycanroc-D does benefit massively from being a Tera Captain, it should rarely be considered as an option, since it is typically outclassed by higher-priced Tera Captains. If you do decide to make it a Tera Captain, Tera Fighting is generally the best choice of Tera type, since it boosts the already-boosted Close Combat, but Lycanroc-D also benefits from Tera Fairy and Steel to boost Play Rough and Iron Head, respectively. It can also benefit from Tera Ice against Gliscor and Landorus-T to help muscle past them.
Draft Strategy
========
Lycanroc-D finds itself fitting best on two distinct styles of teams: hyper offense, where it can work as a strong enabler for its teammates, and balance, where it can be used more effectively as a wallbreaker.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Strong entry hazard setters and removers are preferable partners for Lycanroc-D, as it wants hazards up on the opponent's side to help with its wallbreaking and cleaning, as well as wanting them off of its side to maximize its number of entry opportunities throughout the game. Solid options for setters include Ting-Lu, Hisuian Samurott, and Deoxys-D; removers range from spinners such as Cyclizar to Defoggers such as Scizor. Some Pokemon are able to both set and remove hazards reliably, such as Iron Treads, Excadrill, and Donphan.
**Bulky Pivots**: Lycanroc-D appreciates safe entry onto the field from slower, bulky pivots that are able to take hits for it reliably. Corviknight, Alomomola, and Mandibuzz can function well in this role.
**Special Offense**: As it is solely a physical threat, Lycanroc-D pairs well with special wallbreakers and cleaners to allow them to break one another's checks in tandem. Some examples include Darkrai, Gholdengo, and Chi-Yu.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority**: Due to its frailty, Lycanroc-D can easily be revenge killed by most priority move users, such as Bullet Punch Scizor, Vacuum Wave Keldeo, and Aqua Jet Hisuian Samurott.
**Faster Pokemon**: Lycanroc-D often finds itself vulnerable to faster Pokemon, especially early-game, since it's forced out by them and tends to lose its team momentum for a few turns because of it. Examples of faster threats include Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Roaring Moon.
**Chip Damage**: The combination of entry hazards and Rocky Helmet can punish Lycanroc-D incredibly hard, even more so if it holds a Life Orb. The chip damage takes puts it in KO range of weaker priority moves and limits its chances to enter the field.
**Bulky Ground- and Water-types**: Lycanroc-D often finds itself forced out by bulky Ground- and Water-types that can comfortably take its Close Combat and Stone Edge. Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Great Tusk, and Alomomola can all be a nuisance for it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 points
**Overview**: Lycanroc-D carves itself a niche as one of the most threatening Pokemon to switch into in the format. Carrying STAB Stone Edge, strong coverage such as Close Combat that gains a boost from Tough Claws, and a wide array of other coverage attacks to hit most foes for super effective damage, it can be incredibly deadly as both a wallbreaker and a cleaner. However, its drawbacks are numerous, ranging from virtually zero role compression to incredibly poor bulk as well as a reliance on damage-boosting items making it prone to entry hazards. It can often be a momentum sink, especially if it makes the wrong prediction or relies on Choice items. It also finds itself prone to being OHKOed by faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users. For these reasons, it's far from easy to fit onto drafts, as it requires a lot of specific support, but it can be deadly to deal with under ideal circumstances.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: When paired with a damage-boosting item, Lycanroc-D turns into an incredibly hard threat to switch into. The combination of Stone Edge and Close Combat in conjunction with its diverse movepool means that very few defensive pieces want to switch in against it, with even fewer offensive Pokemon being able to take a hit from it in the first place. This set can also occasionally fit Stealth Rock, as it's able to safely set it up when it forces the foe to switch out.
**Setup Sweeper**: Thanks to Swords Dance and Accelerock, Lycanroc-D can turn into a threatening setup sweeper. Breaking through almost all of its usual defensive counterplay with even stronger attacks while also punishing faster threats, setup Lycanroc-D can end games on the spot if positioned correctly.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Accelerock, Rock Slide, Rock Blast
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Taunt, Roar, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Crunch, Drill Run, Fire Fang, Iron Head, Outrage, Play Rough, Psychic Fangs, Sucker Punch, Throat Chop, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Endeavor**: Lycanroc-D can be used as a sacrificial lead with Focus Sash + Stealth Rock. On these sets, it can use Endeavor to bring the foe down to 1 HP , allowing a teammate to comfortably revenge kill that foe.
**Reversal**: Usually found on Swords Dance sets with Focus Sash, Reversal is a stronger alternative to Close Combat that can pick up KOs on even the bulkiest of defensive walls. It's hard to justify, though, as it makes Lycanroc-D even more vulnerable to priority and is also reliant on the foe knocking Lycanroc-D down to 1 HP.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Lycanroc-D can effectively utilize any damage-boosting item to help enhance its wallbreaking and cleaning ability. From Choice Band to Life Orb to Expert Belt, Lycanroc-D always appreciates a boost to its damage output.
**Focus Sash**: Typically paired with Swords Dance, Focus Sash can allow Lycanroc-D a safe opportunity to set up and try to sweep. It must be paired with strong entry hazard removal to be able to do this effectively.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: In matchups where Accelerock and Sucker Punch are not enough to revenge kill, Choice Scarf can allow Lycanroc-D to outspeed most offensive threats.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: If Lycanroc-D does not need a power boost to wallbreak, Heavy-Duty Boots helps increase its longevity to make it effective across the entire duration of the battle.
Tera
========
While Lycanroc-D does benefit massively from being a Tera Captain, it should rarely be considered as an option, since it is typically outclassed by higher-priced Tera Captains. If you do decide to make it a Tera Captain, Tera Fighting is generally the best choice of Tera type, since it boosts the already-boosted Close Combat, but Lycanroc-D also benefits from Tera Fairy and Steel to boost Play Rough and Iron Head, respectively. It can also benefit from Tera Ice against Gliscor and Landorus-T to help muscle past them.
Draft Strategy
========
Lycanroc-D finds itself fitting best on two distinct styles of teams: hyper offense, where it can work as a strong enabler for its teammates, and balance, where it can be used more effectively as a wallbreaker.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Strong entry hazard setters and removers are preferable partners for Lycanroc-D, as it wants hazards up on the opponent's side to help with its wallbreaking and cleaning, as well as wanting them off of its side to maximize its number of entry opportunities throughout the game. Solid options for setters include Ting-Lu, Hisuian Samurott, and Deoxys-D; removers range from spinners such as Cyclizar to Defoggers such as Scizor. Some Pokemon are able to both set and remove hazards reliably, such as Iron Treads, Excadrill, and Donphan.
**Bulky Pivots**: Lycanroc-D appreciates safe entry onto the field from slower, bulky pivots that are able to take hits for it reliably. Corviknight, Alomomola, and Mandibuzz can function well in this role.
**Special Offense**: As it is solely a physical threat, Lycanroc-D pairs well with special wallbreakers and cleaners to allow them to break one another's checks in tandem. Some examples include Darkrai, Gholdengo, and Chi-Yu.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority**: Due to its frailty, Lycanroc-D can easily be revenge killed by most priority move users, such as Bullet Punch Scizor, Vacuum Wave Keldeo, and Aqua Jet Hisuian Samurott.
**Faster Pokemon**: Lycanroc-D often finds itself vulnerable to faster Pokemon, especially early-game, since it's forced out by them and tends to lose its team momentum for a few turns because of it. Examples of faster threats include Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Roaring Moon.
**Chip Damage**: The combination of entry hazards and Rocky Helmet can punish Lycanroc-D incredibly hard, even more so if it holds a Life Orb. The chip damage takes puts it in KO range of weaker priority moves and limits its chances to enter the field.
**Bulky Ground- and Water-types**: Lycanroc-D often finds itself forced out by bulky Ground- and Water-types that can comfortably take its Close Combat and Stone Edge. Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Great Tusk, and Alomomola can all be a nuisance for it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited: