AG Mega Rayquaza [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2] (Ready for Upload)

[Catalystic]

[OVERVIEW]
As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible attacking stats backed by a stellar movepool. Base 115 Speed is quite solid and lets it outpace many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C. Mega Rayquaza further benefits from being able to hold an item unlike other Mega Evolutions, making it unpredictable and dangerous. This allows it to run multiple movesets viably, making Mega Rayquaza incredibly difficult to deal with before its set is revealed. However, while base 115 speed is quite fast, Mega Rayquaza can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Ultra Necrozma. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat when combined with Delta Stream, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus and Marshadow.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides Mega Rayquaza a powerful Flying-type attack. Dragon Dance allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake can hit many Flying-type answers, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-create is a potent option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the Speed drop from usage limits Mega Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed EVs allow it to Speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza as well as outspeed the likes of Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus formes. 4 Defense EVs are used for a favorable opposing Download boost. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, allowing Dragon Ascent almost anything that does not resist Flying.

Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should set up sparingly, as once it has set up Dragon Dance, it is unlikely to switch out until it has been revenge killed. Try to bring Mega Rayquaza on Pokemon it can counter or force out, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Eliminating priority users such as Marshadow and opposing Mega Rayquaza before attempting to set up is necessary to avoid being revenge killed after just one KO. Against bulkier teams, Dragon Ascent may be spammed liberally to deal heavy damage to switch-ins. Try to keep Mega Rayquaza healthy in case it is needed for revenge killing purposes; however, it is often a good choice to utilize Mega Rayquaza to heavily damage a threat such as Arceus-Fairy so teammates such as Bulk Up Marshadow can sweep later on.

Team Options
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is incredibly versatile and as such can work well with almost anything due to its sheer power and utility. However, Mega Rayquaza does greatly appreciate suicide leads such as Deoxys-S and Excadrill that can set up and prevent entry hazards. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, while in return it can counter troublesome Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Primal Kyogre pairs well with Mega Rayquaza, since both of them pressure Primal Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most support Arceus formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of Mega Rayquaza's checks. Calm Mind Arceus-Steel can clean late-game after Mega Rayquaza has worn down many of its checks, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Kyogre, and Primal Groudon. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon. Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores, as the two have perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel-types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM, super effectively. Draco Meteor OHKOes Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal Groudon for more damage than Dragon Ascent would. Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and Steel-types without dropping Mega Rayquaza's Speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can cripple common switch-ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is an option for entry hazard removal and should be considered if the team lacks another Defogger.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature as well as a Choice Scarf ensure that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame as well as Adamant Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boost the power of Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure Mega Rayquaza takes less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza should be brought in primarily for revenge killing, but it can also come in on Pokemon it can check, such as Primal Groudon. If Mega Rayquaza is needed to revenge kill key threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Arceus-Steel, be sure to keep it healthy throughout the game. Since Life Orb is the most common item on Mega Rayquaza, try to avoid revealing Choice Scarf until needed, since it may be able to net unexpected OHKOs. Against faster offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can be utilized late-game as a cleaner as well.

Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates Defog support from teammates, and Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide that. Primal Groudon and specially defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well as take on troublesome Fairy-types that threaten out Mega Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Primal Kyogre can take on many of the common switch-ins to Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-C can check a myriad of physically attacking Pokemon that can force Mega Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Arceus. Yveltal can work with Mega Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band-boosted Dragon Ascent hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist Flying. V-create hits equally hard and OHKOes the Steel-types that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall is a weaker option that can OHKO Primal Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but it is risky due to it leaving Mega Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Speed EVs allow Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls as well as Speed tie opposing Mega Rayquaza. 4 Defense EVs allow for a favorable Download boost from Genesect. An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum wallbreaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus formes and opposing Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========
As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza's primary purpose is as a wallbreaker, try to bring it in often early-game on Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre. Prediction is key, since with Choice Band, Mega Rayquaza may be locked into an unfavorable move. Dragon Ascent is generally the best move to spam, with Earthquake and V-create primarily being used to land an OHKO or a 2HKO on switch-ins that resist Flying. As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is not particularly common, the sheer surprise may be enough to catch opponents off guard with OHKOs on threats such as Primal Kyogre that no other sets can do. Mega Rayquaza can also be utilized to revenge kill faster weakened threats with Extreme Speed, but this can be risky due to momentum being lost after Mega Rayquaza is locked into the move.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set. Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch-ins. Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate, as it provides Defog support as well as a check to Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch-ins to Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against because they outspeed it. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as this set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent inflicts heavy physical damage, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal Groudon, and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Ultra Necrozma and Xerneas. V-create is the preferred coverage option, as it hits Steel-types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boost Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent with a Life Orb boost. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature ensure that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive nature is chosen to reduce damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========
Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's most important quality is its ability to OHKO Zygarde-C and physically defensive Yveltal as well as offensive Primal Groudon with Draco Meteor. As such, taking advantage of the ability to bluff Dragon Dance is the key to this set, allowing it to catch the aforementioned walls off guard. If not needed to revenge kill threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Primal Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza should be brought in as much as possible so it can punch holes in defensive cores early in the game. Longevity is not as much of a concern for this set, as it is meant to do damage early-game to allow teammates to attempt sweeping later on.

Team Options
========
Mixed Rayquaza excels at luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to enable other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma, and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-Oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Mega Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-C as well as Arceus-Water, and can it provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if it's running V-create, so Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into its STAB attacks. All variants of Primal Groudon pair well with this Mega Rayquaza set, since Primal Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Mega Rayquaza and can help it by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both Defog support and a way of keeping faster foes in check when equipped with a Choice Scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks such as defensive Zygarde-C and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a Speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as Marshadow and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's Special Attack, yet it is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative setup move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the Speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but it is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-create on the mixed Life Orb set, but since it is much weaker, it is not generally used.

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Rayquaza is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.

**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can take even any boosted hit most of the time and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, limiting their ability to switch in.

**Rock-types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor, while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb boosted Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor if it is more physically defensive.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-C, Lugia, and Giratina are able to avoid the OHKO from Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's +1 Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from its unboosted Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-C gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina falls to both.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-create OHKOes both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent, but both fall prey to V-create as well.

**Revenge Killers**: Mega Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Mega Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Choice Scarf Xerneas, but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, rendering them viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of damage from the entry hazard every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.

**Status**: Mega Rayquaza hates status in general, with some sets such as Choice Scarf especially disliking paralysis and others like Dragon Dance and Choice Band being completely neutered by burns. Hence, inflicting Mega Rayquaza with status is a good way to limit its versatility and wear it down.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [lotiasite, 320185], [Megazard, 202117]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]

 

[Uselesscrab]

Catalystic

 

[PurpleGatorade]

[OVERVIEW]

• As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible 180 attacking stats backed by decent 105/100/100 bulk.
• Delta Stream further bolsters Rayquaza's defensive prowess by reducing the damage of Ice-type and Rock-type moves by half, making Rayquaza difficult to take down.
• 115 Speed is quite solid and outpaces many opposing offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C.
• Mega Rayquaza further benefits from a fantastic movepool that makes it unpredictable and dangerous, as it can run multiple movesets viably.
• On top of that, mega evolving through Dragon Ascent gives it the ability to hold an item, setting it apart from many other powerful threats such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
• However, while 115 speed is quite fast, it can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Necrozma-Ultra. Switch this with the bullet point above it
• While its bulk is quite good above average for an offensive threat, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus-Normal and Marshadow.
• The sheer power combined with the unpredictability of Mega Rayquaza makes it the premier dominant threat in AG that is unparelled unparalleled in USUM.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-Create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides a powerful flying attack for Rayquaza.
• Dragon Dance boosts speed and attack and allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep.
• Extreme Speed is a powerful priority attack that picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats.
• Earthquake is a powerful move that can hit many flying resists, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM.
• V-Create is an alternative more powerful option that can hit steel types harder allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the speed drop from usage limits Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar 1v1.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature maximizes Mega Rayquaza's offensive power.
• 252 Speed allows Rayquaza to speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza while outspeeding the likes of Primal-Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus-Formes.
• 4 Def is used for a favorable opposing Download boost. idk if this is even necessary to mention
• Air Lock is the only ability prior to mega evolution and can cancel out the weather conditions from Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
• Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, giving it an OHKO on most Pokemon and a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent on almost anything that does not resist flying.

Usage Tips
========

• Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is a premier wallbreaker, sweeper, and revenge killer all in one.
• Against offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can threaten to sweep by simply setting up Dragon Dance and OHKOing everything with Dragon Ascent. This isn't exactly true bc of priority. Find some way to reword
• Dragon Ascent, even without a dragon dance boost, deals heavy damage and can be used often against slower teams. After a Dragon Dance, Dragon Ascent OHKOs almost anything that does not resist flying type moves.
• Earthquake, especially after a Dragon Dance, can OHKO anything that it is super effective against, notably Necrozma-Dusk-Mane and Arceus-Rock.
• Extreme Speed can be used for revenge killing when Dragon Dance is not set up and also outpace and hit opposing Rayquaza to avoid being revenge killed at +1. faster pokemon and picking off weakened threats.
• Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is an extremely potent sweeper that can potentially win games on its own.
• Avoid Stealth Rocks and any status in general, as they will prevent an effective sweep by chipping away at Mega Rayquaza's health.

Team Options
========

• Rayquaza-Mega greatly appreciates suicides leads such as Deoxys-Speed and Excadrill that can set hazards and keep hazards off.
• As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal-Groudon and Primal-Kyogre, while it can counter troublesome fairy types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy.
• Kyogre-Primal pairs well with Rayquaza since both of them pressure Primal-Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most Support Arceus Formes.
• Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of the checks that Rayquaza has.
• Calm Mind Arceus Steel can clean late game since Rayquaza heavily pressures many of its checks, such as Ho-oh, Kyogre-Primal, and Primal-Groudon.
• Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-oh, Necrozma-DM, as well as Primal-Groudon.
• Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores with the two having perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent is Scarf Mega Rayquaza's move of choice, hittings decently hard with STAB even without life orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier.
• V-Create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM.
• Draco Meteor OHKOs Zygarde-Complete as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal-Groudon for more damage. double check this. I don't think scarf draco kills zyg in complete form
• Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and steel types without dropping speed.
• Surf is used to OHKO Primal-Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well.
• Toxic can status common switch ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Scarf Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground.
• Defog is for status removeral and should be considered if the team lacks another defogger.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create.
• 252 Spe with a positive speed nature as well as a choice scarf ensures that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame and outspeeds Adamant Necrozma-DM after a rock polish.
• 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor.
• A Naive nature is chosen to ensure less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and opposing Mega Rayquaza and Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========

• Scarf Mega Rayquaza belongs primarily on more balanced teams that appreciate the more powerful revenge killing and cleaning ability provided by a choice scarf more than immediate breaking power.
• Try to bring in Mega Rayquaza more sparingly, as the Choice Scarf set's main utility is to revenge kill and clean late game.
• As the most powerful revenge killer of all the sets, Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza can come in after and utilize Dragon Ascent, V-Create, and Draco Meteor to net an OHKO on many faster Pokemon, including Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, and Rock Polish Necrozma-DM.
• Earthquake, while rarely utilized, can hit Arceus-Rock and Primal-Groudon for a bit more damage.
• Toxic can hit common switch ins such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground to allow for a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent later.
• As a late game cleaner, Rayquaza can utilize Dragon Ascent to finish off many weakened pokemon while outspeeding them due to the sheer
• Status, notably paralysis in this case, will neuter the ability of Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza to outspeed and revenge kill many threats. Try to avoid getting this set paralyzed.

Team Options
========

• Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates defog support from teammates, hence Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide Defog Support. Primal-Groudon and Specially Defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well take on troublesome fairy types that threaten out Rayquaza.
• Ferrothorn and Kyogre-Primal can take on many of the common switch ins to Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock.
• Zygarde-Complete can check a myriad of physical Pokemon that can force Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-oh, and Arceus-Normal.
• Yveltal can work with Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chip away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall/Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent on Choice Band Mega Rayquaza hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist flying.
• V-Create hits equally hard and OHKOs the steel types that resist Dragon Ascent.
• Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats.
• Earthquake hits rock types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage.
• Waterfall can OHKO Primal-Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar but is weaker.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights.
• 252 Spe allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls while speed tying opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• 4 Def allows for a favorable Download boost from Genesect.
• An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum breaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus and opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• Usage Tips

========

• Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is utilized primarily as a wallbreaker and as a revenge killer on Balanced and Offensive teams alike.
• This set aims to break down the opposing defensive core to enable a sweep elsewhere.
• Aim to bring Rayquaza in often on Pokemon it forces out, such as Necrozma-DM, Primal-Kyogre, and Ho-oh.
• Dragon Ascent should be used liberally, as it can do a serious chunk of damage even to Pokemon that resist the move.
• V-Create can be used as often as Dragon Ascent, as it hits just as hard. While its primary purpose is to hit steel types, mixing up the moves makes it harder to justify switching in a steel type, allowing Dragon Ascent to weaken more walls.
• Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool that can pick off weakened Geomancy Xerneas and both variants Ultra Necrozma.
• Earthquake or Waterfall should be used for more damage on Primal-Groudon or to hit rock types such as Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock.
• Stealth Rock hinders this set immensly, as Choice Band Mega Rayquaza usually chooses to switch out after every kill, hence limiting the utility of the set.
• Status, notably especially burns, greatly hurts this set due to the fact that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza relies solely on physical attacks.

Team Options
========

• Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-Complete, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set.
• Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM once again can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch ins.
• Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate as it provides defog support while checking Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch ins to Rayquaza.
• Ho-oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus Formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against since it gets outsped.
• Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as the Choice Band set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-Create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent hits strong on the physical side, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in.
• Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal-Groudon, and Yveltal.
• Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Necrozma-Ultra and Xerneas.
• V-create is the prefered coverage option, as it hits steel types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO.
• Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO.
• Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal-Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create.
• 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which backed by a Life Orb, can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent.
• 252 Spe with a positive speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• A Naive nature is chose to ensure less damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========

• Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza has a purpose similiar to the Choice Band set in that it serves as a powerful breaker and a revenge killer.
• However, the utility of having Draco Meteor means that Mega Rayquaza can now reliably OHKO Yveltal and Zygarde-Complete.
• Rayquaza should be given many chances to switch in on stuff that it beats, such as Ho-oh, Primal-Groudon, and Primal-Kyogre, so that it claim a kill and switch out.
• V-Create and Dragon Ascent should be used liberally and in tandem to 2HKO common switch ins.
• As this set looks very similar to the Dragon Dance set on paper, Draco Meteor should be used usually when it can knock out an opposing Pokemon.
• As a revenge killer, Rayquaza can come in on weakened setup sweepers such as Necrozma-Ultra and Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza and knock them out with Extreme Speed.
• Try not to let Stealth Rock stay up, as Mega Rayquaza will be chipped down very quickly due to Life Orb damage.
• Status of any form greatly hinders Mega Rayquaza, especially Toxic for this set. Toxic quickly burns down Rayquaza's health, limiting its longevity.

Team Options
========

• Mixed Rayquaza excels at elimiating eliminating Zygarde-C and Yveltal to allow for other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma, and Bulk Up Marshadow.
• Ho-oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-Complete as well as Arceus-Water, and can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus Formes.
• Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if running V-Create, and as such Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal-Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into rock type attacks.
• All variants of Groudon pair well with this Rayquaza since Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Rayquaza-Mega.
• Xerneas can provide both defog support and a form of speed control when equipped with a choice scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, such as Defensive Zygarde-Complete and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as priority and Mega Gengar.
• A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's special attack, yet is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage.
• Bulk Up is an alternative set up move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the speed boost gained from Dragon Dance.
• Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part.
• Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent.
• Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-Create on the Mixed Life Orb set, but since it hits much weaker, it is not generally used.

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega-Rayquaza is unique in that it is particularly difficult to counter. As such, it only has checks.

**Bulky Fairy-Types**: Bulky fairy types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can live any hit even at +1 and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB fairy moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb Dragon Ascent, limiting the ability to switch in.

**Rock Types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-Create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-Complete, Lugia, and Giratina-A are able to avoid the OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from Life Orb Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-Complete gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina-A falls to both.

**Steel Types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-Create OHKOs both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent but both fall prey to V-Create as well.

**Revenge-Killers**: Mega-Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Scarf Xerneas but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent, rendering them as viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of hazard damage every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

QC 1/3

 

[lotiasite]

[OVERVIEW]

• As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible 180 attacking stats backed by decent 105/100/100 bulk.
• Delta Stream further bolsters Rayquaza's defensive prowess by reducing the damage of Ice-type and Rock-type moves by half, making Rayquaza difficult to take down.
• 115 Speed is quite solid and outpaces many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C.
• Mega Rayquaza further benefits from a fantastic movepool that makes it unpredictable and dangerous, as it can run multiple movesets viably.
• On top of that, mega evolving through Dragon Ascent gives it the ability to hold an item, setting it apart from many other powerful threats such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
• However, while 115 speed is quite fast, it can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Necrozma-Ultra.
• While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus-Normal and Marshadow.
• The sheer power combined with the unpredictability of Mega Rayquaza makes it the premier dominant threat in AG that is unparelleled in USUM.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-Create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides a powerful flying attack for Rayquaza. just wanna say that the new policy for analysis writing means u dont need to state obvious info. things like ascent and ddance are pretty self explanatory, so u should probably remove them
• Dragon Dance boosts speed and attack and allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep.
• Extreme Speed is a powerful priority attack that picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats.
• Earthquake is a powerful move that can hit many flying resists, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM.
• V-Create is an alternative option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the speed drop from usage limits Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature maximizes Mega Rayquaza's offensive power.
• 252 Speed allows Rayquaza to speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza while outspeeding the likes of Primal-Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus-Formes.
• 4 Def is used for a favorable opposing Download boost.
• Air Lock is the only ability prior to mega evolution and can cancel out the weather conditions from Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. dont mention these. do mention delta stream though and talk about why it's good
• Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, giving it a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent on almost anything that does not resist flying.

Usage Tips
========

• Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is a premier wallbreaker, sweeper, and revenge killer all in one.
• Against offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can threaten to sweep by setting up Dragon Dance and OHKOing everything slower lacking priority with Dragon Ascent.
• Dragon Ascent, even without a dragon dance boost, deals heavy damage and can be used often against slower teams. After a Dragon Dance, Dragon Ascent OHKOs almost anything that does not resist flying type moves.
• Earthquake, especially after a Dragon Dance, can OHKO anything that it is super effective against, notably Necrozma-Dusk-Mane and Arceus-Rock.
• Extreme Speed can be used for frevenge killing faster pokemon and picking off weakened threats.
• Avoid Stealth Rock and any status in general, as they will prevent an effective sweep by chipping away at Mega Rayquaza's health. reword this to say try to defog or spin before bringing it in. ut should not just be a glorified moves section. things you can talk about include:
• when and what to set up on
• things to be wary of when setting up (e.g. dont set up if marsh kills u after)
• add to the stealth rock and status point by saying that being chipped leaves it very susceptible to being revenge killed. also talk about taking too much life orb recoil if theres something like a lugia

Team Options
========

• Rayquaza-Mega greatly appreciates suicides leads such as Deoxys-Speed and Excadrill that can set hazards and keep hazards off.
• As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal-Groudon and Primal-Kyogre, while it can counter troublesome fairy types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy.
• Kyogre-Primal pairs well with Rayquaza since both of them pressure Primal-Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most Support Arceus Formes.
• Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of the checks that Rayquaza has.
• Calm Mind Arceus Steel can clean late game since Rayquaza heavily pressures many of its checks, such as Ho-oh, Kyogre-Primal, and Primal-Groudon.
• Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-oh, Necrozma-DM, as well as Primal-Groudon.
• Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores with the two having perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier.
• V-Create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM.
• Draco Meteor OHKOs Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal-Groudon for more damage.
• Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and steel types without dropping speed.
• Surf is used to OHKO Primal-Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well.
• Toxic can status common switch ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Scarf Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground.
• Defog is for status removal and should be considered if the team lacks another defogger. but being scarf locked into tox/defog is really bad

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the meta with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create.
• 252 Spe with a positive speed nature as well as a choice scarf ensures that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted meta and outspeeds Adamant Necrozma-DM after a rock polish.
• 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. remove this, too minor and obvious
• A Naive nature is chosen to ensure less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========

• Scarf Mega Rayquaza belongs primarily on more balanced teams that appreciate the more powerful revenge killing and cleaning ability provided by a choice scarf more than immediate breaking power.
• Try to bring in Mega Rayquaza more sparingly, as the Choice Scarf set's main utility is to revenge kill and clean late game.
• As the most powerful revenge killer of all the sets, Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza can come in after and utilize Dragon Ascent, V-Create, and Draco Meteor to net an OHKO on many usually faster Pokemon, including Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, and Rock Polish Necrozma-DM.
• Earthquake, while rarely utilized, can hit Arceus-Rock and Primal-Groudon for a bit more damage. this is just repeating info from the moves section
• Toxic can hit common switch ins such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground to allow for a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent later. yes but this is again just moves repeating. reword this to say something like "try to catch common switchins such as fairyceus and groundceus with toxic"
• As a late game cleaner, Rayquaza can utilize Dragon Ascent to finish off many weakened pokemon while outspeeding them due to the sheer the sheer what
• Status, notably paralysis in this case, will neuter the ability of Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza to outspeed and revenge kill many threats. Try to avoid getting this set paralyzed. and burned
• really try to remove rocks. bigger issue with this set because it comes in and out so often

Team Options
========

• Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates defog support from teammates, hence Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide Defog Support. Primal-Groudon and Specially Defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well take on troublesome fairy types that threaten out Rayquaza.
• Ferrothorn and Kyogre-Primal can take on many of the common switch ins to Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. some other switchins to fairyceus and groundceus would be good too
• Zygarde-Complete can check a myriad of physical Pokemon that can force Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-oh, and Arceus-Normal.
• Yveltal can work with Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chip away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage ill try to discuss this in the chat but outrage is way better than garbage waterfall and imo eq as well
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent on Choice Band Mega Rayquaza hits extremely hard, being able to at least 2HKO almost everything that does not resist flying.
• V-Create hits equally hard and OHKOs the steel types that resist Dragon Ascent.
• Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats.
• Earthquake hits rock types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage.
• Waterfall can OHKO Primal-Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar but is weaker.
• Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but is risky due to it leaving Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types. mention that u dont get dropped and can break stall pretty well

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights.
• 252 Spe allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls while speed tying opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• 4 Def allows for a favorable Download boost from Genesect.
• An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum breaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus and opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• Usage Tips fix formatting

========

• Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is utilized primarily as a wallbreaker and as a revenge killer on Balanced and Offensive teams alike.
• This set aims to break down the opposing defensive core to enable a sweep elsewhere.
• Aim to bring Rayquaza in often on Pokemon it forces out, such as Necrozma-DM, Primal-Kyogre, and Ho-oh.
• Dragon Ascent should be used liberally, as it can do a serious chunk of damage even to Pokemon that resist the move.
• V-Create can be used as often as Dragon Ascent, as it hits just as hard. While its primary purpose is to hit steel types, mixing up the moves makes it harder to justify switching in a steel type, allowing Dragon Ascent to weaken more walls. but it drops your speed, which is why you use ascent more
• Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool that can pick off weakened Geomancy Xerneas and both variants Ultra Necrozma.
• Earthquake or Waterfall should be used for more damage on Primal-Groudon or to hit rock types such as Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock.
• Stealth Rock hinders this set immensly, as Choice Band Mega Rayquaza usually chooses to switch out after every kill, hence limiting the utility of the set. as such, try to remove hazards beforehand
• Status, especially burns, greatly hurts this set due to the fact that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza relies solely on physical attacks.

Team Options
========

• Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-Complete, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set.
• Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM once again can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch ins.
• Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate as it provides defog support while checking Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch ins to Rayquaza.
• Ho-oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus Formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against since it gets outsped.
• Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as the Choice Band set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-Create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Dragon Ascent hits strong on the physical side, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in.
• Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal-Groudon, and Yveltal.
• Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Necrozma-Ultra and Xerneas.
• V-create is the prefered coverage option, as it hits steel types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO.
• Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO.
• Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal-Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========

• 252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create.
• 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which backed by a Life Orb, can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent. remove this too
• 252 Spe with a positive speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. obviously youre not always outspeeding opposing ray, so just say outspeed or tie
• A Naive nature is chose to ensure less damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========

• Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza has a purpose similiar to the Choice Band set in that it serves as a powerful breaker and a revenge killer.
• However, the utility of having Draco Meteor means that Mega Rayquaza can now reliably OHKO Yveltal and Zygarde-Complete.
• Rayquaza should be given many chances to switch in on stuff that it beats, such as Ho-oh, Primal-Groudon, and Primal-Kyogre, so that it claim a kill and switch out.
• V-Create and Dragon Ascent should be used liberally and in tandem to 2HKO common switch ins.
• As this set looks very similar to the Dragon Dance set on paper, Draco Meteor should be used usually when it can knock out an opposing Pokemon. mention its surprise factor
• As a revenge killer, Rayquaza can come in on weakened setup sweepers such as Necrozma-Ultra and Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza and knock them out with Extreme Speed.
• Try not to let Stealth Rock stay up, as Mega Rayquaza will be chipped down very quickly due to Life Orb damage.
• Status of any form greatly hinders Mega Rayquaza, especially Toxic for this set. Toxic quickly burns down Rayquaza's health, limiting its longevity.

Team Options
========

• Mixed Rayquaza excels at eliminating Zygarde-C and Yveltal to allow for other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma, and Bulk Up Marshadow.
• Ho-oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-Complete as well as Arceus-Water, and can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus Formes.
• Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if running V-Create, and as such Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal-Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into rock type attacks.
• All variants of Groudon pair well with this Rayquaza since Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Rayquaza-Mega.
• Xerneas can provide both defog support and a form of speed control when equipped with a choice scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, such as Defensive Zygarde-Complete and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as priority and Mega Gengar.
• A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's special attack, yet is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage.
• Bulk Up is an alternative set up move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the speed boost gained from Dragon Dance.
• Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part.
• Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent.
• Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-Create on the Mixed Life Orb set, but since it hits much weaker, it is not generally used. i dont see a reason to ever run overheat, but i guess we can discuss this? ive never seen this and would never use it
• maybe lum on dd, it can still be decent but super outclassed by orb

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega-Rayquaza is unique in that it is particularly difficult to counter. As such, it only has checks.

**Bulky Fairy-Types**: Bulky fairy types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can live any hit even at +1 and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB fairy moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb Dragon Ascent, limiting the ability to switch in. i would say that xern doesnt live unless its bulky and that is very uncommon

**Rock Types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-Create. tyranitar can also trap it with pursuit, heavily limiting it Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-Complete, Lugia, and Giratina-A are able to avoid the OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from Life Orb Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-Complete gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina-A falls to both. would put lugia on its own at the top, the best available check to mega ray. it only loses to choice band

**Steel Types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake i think you mean with earthquake, but V-Create OHKOs both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent but both fall prey to V-Create as well.

**Revenge-Killers**: Mega-Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Scarf Xerneas but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed. mega gengar also has shadow tag to trap, which guarantees dead ray

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent, rendering them as viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of hazard damage every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

pretty nice overall, i just have one comment; your usage tips dont sound like tips, more like information. a usage tip would be something like "predict the opponent's switch with eq" instead of "eq can hit groudon on the switch" which is more repeating info from the moves section. the info here is good though
qc 2/3, write this up

yes its a gp stamp but idc

 

[MZ]

I can look past a lot of mediocrity but the usage tips for just about every section are huge issues, let me know when you've implemented this check and I'll go over those again

[OVERVIEW]

As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible 180 attacking stats backed by decent 105/100/100 bulk. Delta Stream further bolsters Rayquaza's defensive prowess by reducing the damage of Ice-type and Rock-type moves by half, making Rayquaza difficult to take down. 115 Speed is quite solid and outpaces many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C. the issue with everything before this comment is that it's more of just a recap of the info directly above. generally u dont wanna do this because we already have that info, adding actual details and analysis behind it is important. the speed line is alright but the first sentence in particular really needs to get fixed cuz it only tells the reader what's right above in a better graphic form Mega Rayquaza further benefits from a fantastic movepool that makes it unpredictable and dangerous, as it can run multiple movesets viably i think a lot of this intro could honestly be cut out/down and this bit right here about multiple sets could get expanded in turn. On top of that, mega evolving through Dragon Ascent gives it the ability to hold an item, setting it apart from many other powerful threats such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre this is also info i dont think needs to get recapped, it's just general info about ray overall. However, while 115 speed is quite fast, it can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Necrozma-Ultra. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus-Normal just Arceus and Marshadow. The sheer power combined with the unpredictability of Mega Rayquaza makes it the premier dominant threat in AG that is unparelleled in USUM. this ending doesnt flow well

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-Create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides a powerful flying attack for Rayquaza. Dragon Dance boosts speed and attack and allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed is a powerful priority attack that picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake is a powerful move that can hit many flying resists, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-Create is an alternative option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the speed drop from usage limits Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

idk what's more redundant, using "powerful" to describe 3 different moves in one paragraph, or the phrase alternative option

Set Details
========

252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature maximizes Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed allows Rayquaza to speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza while outspeeding the likes of Primal-Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus-Formes. 4 Def is used for a favorable opposing Download boost. Air Lock is the only ability prior to mega evolution and can cancel out the weather conditions from Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre no need to mention air lock, it's forced and not relevant to the set in any notable way. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, giving it a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent on almost anything that does not resist flying.

Usage Tips
========

Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is a premier wallbreaker, sweeper, and revenge killer all in one. Against offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can threaten to sweep by setting up Dragon Dance and OHKOing everything slower lacking priority with Dragon Ascent. Dragon Ascent, even without a dragon dance boost, deals heavy damage and can be used often against slower teams. After a Dragon Dance, Dragon Ascent OHKOs almost anything that does not resist flying type moves. Earthquake, especially after a Dragon Dance, can OHKO anything that it is super effective against, notably Necrozma-Dusk-Mane and Arceus-Rock. Extreme Speed can be used for frevenge killing faster pokemon and picking off weakened threats. Avoid Stealth Rock and any status in general, as they will prevent an effective sweep by chipping away at Mega Rayquaza's health along with LO.

everything except the last sentence (and maybe that too) is so ridiculously basic I'd say just delete the paragraph and try again. I genuinely don't know how the analysis got so far with a UT like this, UT is meant to provide new info on how to use a set and all you're doing is restating how it is very strong and can hit lots of things. There's nothing inherently wrong with the idea of stating that ray can perform multiple roles, but it's not especially helpful unless you distinguish between them and give advice about it. The worst lines by far are "after a dd DA kills everything" and "eq kills things if it hits super effectively" like those are both obvious and worthless

Team Options
========
i would probably stick a sentence at the top about how this mon is stupid good and can go on p much anything with anything, everything else is nice but ultimately ray is just that splashable
Rayquaza-Mega greatly appreciates suicides leads such as Deoxys-Speed and Excadrill that can set hazards and keep hazards off. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal-Groudon and Primal-Kyogre, while it can counter troublesome fairy types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Kyogre-Primal pairs well with Rayquaza since both of them pressure Primal-Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most Support Arceus Formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of the checks that Rayquaza has. Calm Mind Arceus Steel can clean late game since Rayquaza heavily pressures many of its checks, such as Ho-oh, Kyogre-Primal, and Primal-Groudon. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-oh, Necrozma-DM, as well as Primal-Groudon. Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores with the two having perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-Create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM. Draco Meteor OHKOs Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal-Groudon for more damage. Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and steel types without dropping speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal-Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can status common switch ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Scarf Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is for status removal and should be considered if the team lacks another defogger.

Set Details
========

252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the meta with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create. 252 Spe with a positive speed nature as well as a choice scarf ensures that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted meta and outspeeds Adamant Necrozma-DM after a rock polish. 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========

Scarf Mega Rayquaza belongs primarily on more balanced teams that appreciate the more powerful revenge killing and cleaning ability provided by a choice scarf more than immediate breaking power. Try to bring in Mega Rayquaza more sparingly, as the Choice Scarf set's main utility is to revenge kill and clean late game. As the most powerful revenge killer of all the sets this is unnecessary, don't need to compare it to ray's other sets. besides, there are scenarios where LO espeed is going to be more relevant prio, Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza can come in after after what?? and utilize Dragon Ascent, V-Create, and Draco Meteor to net an OHKO on many faster Pokemon, including Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, and Rock Polish Necrozma-DM. Earthquake, while rarely utilized, can hit Arceus-Rock and Primal-Groudon when needed for a bit more damage. Toxic can hit common switch ins such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground to allow for a 2HKO with Dragon Ascent later. these previous 2 sentences only recap stuff from the moves section, I would rewrite them to provide actual new information. At least redo the toxic line since that's important to talk about how to use, the eq line can just go entirely. As a late game cleaner, Rayquaza can utilize Dragon Ascent to finish off many weakened pokemon while outspeeding them due to it carrying a Choice Scarf this also provides no new or useful info, talking about how it can be set up to be a cleaner isnt bad but this would need to be fixed. Status, notably paralysis in this case, will neuter the ability of Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza to outspeed and revenge kill many threats. Try to avoid getting this set paralyzed. not wrong but also just low on the detail. too obvious and nonspecific to be useful or new info

Team Options
========

Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates defog support from teammates, hence Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide Defog Support major redundancy. Primal-Groudon and Specially Defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well take on troublesome fairy types that threaten out Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Kyogre-Primal can take on many of the common switch ins to Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-Complete can check a myriad of physical Pokemon that can force Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-oh, and Arceus-Normal. Yveltal can work with Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragon Ascent on Choice Band Mega Rayquaza hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist flying. V-Create hits equally hard and OHKOs the steel types that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits rock types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall can OHKO Primal-Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar but is weaker. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar isnt this only notable for zygarde?????, but is risky due to it leaving Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.

Set Details
========

252 Atk backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Spe allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls while speed tying opposing Mega Rayquaza. 4 Def allows for a favorable Download boost from Genesect. An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum breaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus and opposing Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is utilized primarily as a wallbreaker and as a revenge killer on both Balanced and Offensive teams. This set aims to break down the opposing defensive core to enable a sweep elsewhere. Aim to bring Rayquaza in often on Pokemon it forces out, such as Necrozma-DM, Primal-Kyogre, and Ho-oh. Dragon Ascent should be used liberally, as it can do a serious chunk of damage even to Pokemon that resist the move. V-Create can be used as often as Dragon Ascent due the fact that it hits just as hard. While its primary purpose is to hit steel types, mixing up the moves makes it harder to justify switching in a steel type, allowing Dragon Ascent to weaken more switch ins. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool that can pick off weakened Geomancy Xerneas and both variants Ultra Necrozma this could just go in moves, in fact it pretty much did. to illustrate the difference, between mentioning how v create is the same BP as DA and why it's specifically just as good to spam is great new info and I have zero complaints there but completely rehashing info that's already present earlier in the analysis with no actual tip included is a massive issue for most of the UTs. Earthquake or Waterfall should be used for more damage on Primal-Groudon or to hit rock types such as Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock again, complete rehash of info that shouldn't be here. Stealth Rock hinders this set immensly, as Choice Band Mega Rayquaza usually chooses to switch out after every kill, hence limiting the utility of the set. Status, especially burns, greatly hurts this set due to the fact that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza relies solely on physical attacks. these last 2 lines should be in checks and counters or something, there isn't a usage tip about them

Team Options
========

Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-Complete, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set. Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM once again can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch ins. Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate as it provides defog support while checking Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch ins to Rayquaza. Ho-oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus Formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against since it gets outsped. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as the Choice Band set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-Create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragon Ascent hits strong on the physical side, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal-Groudon, and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Necrozma-Ultra and Xerneas. V-create is the prefered coverage option, as it hits steel types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal-Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========

252 Atk maximizes Rayquaza-Mega's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-Create. 4 Spa slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which backed by a Life Orb, can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent the last bit falls back into rehashing moves. 252 Spe with a positive speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive nature is chose to ensure less damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========

Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza has a purpose similiar to the Choice Band set in that it serves as a powerful breaker and a revenge killer. However, the utility of having Draco Meteor means that Mega Rayquaza can now reliably OHKO Yveltal and Zygarde-Complete. Rayquaza should be given many chances to switch in on stuff that it beats, such as Ho-oh, Primal-Groudon, and Primal-Kyogre, so that it claim a kill and switch out. V-Create and Dragon Ascent should be used liberally and in tandem to 2HKO common switch ins. As this set looks very similar to the Dragon Dance set on paper, Draco Meteor should be used usually when it can knock out an opposing Pokemon i get what you want to say, but it's not clear at all. I think you mean something about bluffing being DD to lure in things like phy def zyg, but the writing here is super confusing. As a revenge killer, Rayquaza can come in on weakened setup sweepers such as Necrozma-Ultra and Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza and knock them out with Extreme Speed again, this is so basic that idek. Try not to let Stealth Rock stay up, as Mega Rayquaza will be chipped down very quickly due to Life Orb damage. Status of any form greatly hinders Mega Rayquaza, especially Toxic for this set. Toxic quickly burns down Rayquaza's health, limiting its longevity. these 2 points keep popping up also as if you can't think of anything else to say about ray, they can barely be justified to belong in usage tips and especially here they really just read as checks and counters stuff

Team Options
========

Mixed Rayquaza excels at eliminating luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to allow for other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma, and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-Complete as well as Arceus-Water, and can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus Formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if running V-Create, and as such Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal-Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into rock type attacks. All variants of Groudon pair well with this Rayquaza since Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Rayquaza-Mega and can help Rayquaza by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both defog support and a form of speed control when equipped with a choice scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, such as Defensive Zygarde-Complete and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as priority and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's special attack, yet is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative set up move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-Create on the Mixed Life Orb set, but since it hits much weaker, it is not generally used. I would mention running sleep talk in the last moveslot of scarfray

Checks and Counters
===================

Mega-Rayquaza is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.

**Bulky Fairy-Types**: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can live any hit even at +1 and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB fairy moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb Dragon Ascent, limiting the ability to switch in.

**Rock Types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-Create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-Complete, Lugia, and Giratina-A are able to avoid the OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from Life Orb Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-Complete gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina-A falls to both.

**Steel Types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-Create OHKOs both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent but both fall prey to V-Create as well.

**Revenge-Killers**: Mega-Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Scarf Xerneas but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent, rendering them as viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of hazard damage every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [lotiasite, 320185], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Lumari]

remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2

check

[OVERVIEW]
As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible attacking stats backed by a stellar movepool. Base 115 Speed is quite solid and outpaces lets it outpace many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-Complete. Mega Rayquaza further benefits from being able to hold an item, unlike other Mega Evolutions, making it unpredictable and dangerous. This allows it to run multiple movesets viably, (AC) making Mega Rayquaza incredibly difficult to deal with before the its set is revealed. However, while base 115 speed is quite fast, it Mega Rayquaza can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Ultra Necrozma-Ultra. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat when combined with Delta Stream, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus and Marshadow. The sheer power combined with the unpredictability of Mega Rayquaza makes it the premier dominant threat in USUM AG.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides a powerful Flying-type attack for Rayquaza. Dragon Dance boosts speed and attack and allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed is a priority attack that picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake is a coverage move that can hit many Flying-type answers resists, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-create is a potent option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the Speed drop from usage limits Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

Set Details
========
252 Atk Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature maximizes maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed allows Rayquaza EVs allow it to Speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza while outspeeding as well as outspeed the likes of Primal Groudon, (RH) Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus formes. (RH) 4 Defense is EVs are used for a favorable opposing Download boost. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, giving it a 2HKO with allowing Dragon Ascent on to 2HKO almost anything that does not resist Flying.

Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should set up sparingly, as once it has set up Dragon Dance, it is unlikely to switch out until it has been revenge killed. Try to bring Rayquaza on Pokemon it can counter or force out, such as Primal Groudon (RH) and Ho-Oh. Eliminating priority users such as Marshadow and opposing Mega Rayquaza before attempting to set up is necessary to avoid being revenge killed after just one OHKO. Against bulkier teams, (AC) Dragon Ascent may be spammed liberally to deal heavy damage to switch-ins. (AH) Try to keep Mega Rayquaza healthy In case it is needed for revenge killing purposes; (SC) try to keep Rayquaza healthy. however, it is often a good choice to utilize Rayquaza to heavily damage a threat such as Arceus-Fairy so teammates such as Bulk Up Marshadow can sweep later on.

Team Options
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is incredibly versatile and as such can work well with almost anything due to its sheer power and utility. However, Mega Rayquaza does greatly appreciate suicides suicide leads such as Deoxys-Speed and Excadrill that can set up and prevent entry hazards and keep hazards off. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal Groudon (RH) and Primal Kyogre, (RH) while in return it can counter troublesome Fairy-types (AH) such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Primal Kyogre-Primal pairs well with Rayquaza, (AC) since both of them pressure Primal Groudon, (RH) while Kyogre also heavily threatens most support Arceus formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of the Mega Rayquaza's checks that Rayquaza has. Calm Mind Arceus-Steel (AH) can clean late-game (AH) since after Rayquaza heavily pressures many of has worn down (practical reason for practical situation) its checks, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Kyogre-Primal, and Primal Groudon. (RH) Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, as well as and Primal Groudon. (RH) Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores, (AC) with as the two having have perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel-types, (AH) notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM, super effectively. Draco Meteor OHKOs OHKOes Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal Groudon (RH) for more damage (than what?). Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and Steel-types (AH) without dropping Mega Rayquaza's Speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal Groudon (RH) and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can status cripple common switch-ins (AH) that will not be 2HKOed by any of Scarf Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is an option for status entry hazard removal and should be considered if the team lacks another Defogger.

Set Details
========
252 Atk maximizes Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive speed nature as well as a Choice Scarf ensures ensure that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, (AC) and outspeeds as well as Adamant Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish. 4 Spa Special Attack slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza should be brought in primarily for revenge killing, but it can also come in on Pokemon it can check, such as Primal Groudon. (RH) If Rayquaza is needed to revenge kill key threats such as Ultra Necrozma-Ultra or and Arceus-Steel, be sure to keep it healthy throughout the game. Since Life Orb is the most common option item on Mega Rayquaza, try to avoid revealing Choice Scarf until needed, (AC) since it may able to net unexpected OHKOs. Against faster offensive teams, Rayquaza can be utilized late-game (AH) as a cleaner as well.

Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates Defog support from teammates, hence and Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide that. Primal Groudon (RH) and specially defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well take on troublesome Fairy-types (AH) that threaten out Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Primal Kyogre-Primal can take on many of the common switch-ins (AH) to Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-Complete can check a myriad of physical Pokemon that can force Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Normal. Yveltal can work with Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band-boosted Dragon Ascent on Choice Band Mega Rayquaza hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist Flying. V-create hits equally hard and OHKOs OHKOes the Steel-types (AH) that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits Rock-types (AH) such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall is a weaker option that can OHKO Primal Groudon (RH) as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar but is weaker. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but it is risky due to it leaving Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.

Set Details
========
252 Atk Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Speed allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls while speed tying as well as Speed tie opposing Mega Rayquaza. 4 Defense EVs allows allow for a favorable Download boost from Genesect. An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum wallbreaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus formes and opposing Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========
As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza's primary purpose is as a wallbreaker, try to bring it in often early-game (AH) on Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal-Kyogre. Prediction is key, since with Choice Band, Rayquaza may be locked into an unfavorable move. Dragon Ascent is generally the spam best move of choice to spam, with Earthquake and V-create primarily being used to land an OHKO or a 2HKO on switch-ins (AH) that resist Flying. As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is not particularly common, the sheer surprise may be able enough (?) to catch opponents off guard with OHKOs on threats such as Primal Kyogre (RH) that no other sets can do. Rayquaza can also be utilized to revenge kill faster weakened threats with Extreme Speed, (AC) but this can be risky due to momentum being lost after Rayquaza is locked into the move.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-Complete, and Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma (RH) work well with this set. Primal Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM once again can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch-ins. (AH) Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate, (AC) as it provides Defog support while checking as well as a check to Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch-ins (AH) to Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against since it gets outsped because they outspeed it. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as the Choice Band this set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent hits strong on the physical side inflicts heavy physical damage, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal Groudon, (RH) and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Ultra Necrozma-Ultra and Xerneas. V-create is the prefered preferred coverage option, as it hits Steel-types (AH) that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal Groudon (RH) and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========
252 Atk maximizes Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 4 Spa Special Attack EVs slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which backed by a Life Orb, can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent with a Life Orb boost. 252 Speed with a positive Speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive nature is chose to ensure less reduce damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========
Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's most important aspect quality is its ability to OHKO Zygarde-C and physically defensive Yveltal as well as offensive Primal Groudon (RH) with Draco Meteor. As such, taking advantage of the ability to bluff Dragon Dance is the key to this set, allowing it to catch the aforementioned walls off guard. Rayquaza, If not needed to revenge kill threats such as Ultra Necrozma-Ultra and Primal Kyogre, (RH) Mega Rayquaza should be brought in as much as possible so it can punch holes in defensive cores early in the game. Longevity is not as much of a concern for this set, as it is meant to do damage early-game (AH) to allow for teammates to attempt sweeping later on.

Team Options
========
Mixed Rayquaza excels at luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to allow for enable other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma, (RH) and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-Oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-Complete as well as Arceus-Water (RC) and can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if it's running V-create, and as such so Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal Kyogre, (RH) are fantastic teammates to switch into rock type its STAB attacks. All variants of Primal Groudon pair well with this Rayquaza, (AC) since Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Mega Rayquaza and can help Rayquaza by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both Defog support and a form of speed control way of keeping faster foes in check when equipped with a Choice Scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, such as defensive Zygarde-Complete and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a Speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as priority and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's Special Attack, yet it is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative set up setup move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the Speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but it is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-create on the mixed Life Orb set, but since it hits is much weaker, it is not generally used.

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Rayquaza (RH) is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.

**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can live take even any boosted hit even at +1 and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB fairy moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb-boosted Dragon Ascent, limiting their ability to switch in.

**Rock-types**: (AH) Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor, (AC) while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb-boosted Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-Complete, Lugia, and Giratina-A are able to avoid the OHKO from Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's +1 Life Orb Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from its unboosted Life Orb Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-Complete gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina-A falls to both.

**Steel-types**: (AH) Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-create OHKOs OHKOes both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent, (AC) but both fall prey to V-create as well.

**Revenge Killers**: (RH) Mega Gengar (RH) and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Mega Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Choice Scarf Xerneas, (AC) but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb-boosted Dragon Ascent, rendering them as viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of hazard damage from the entry hazard every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.

**Status**: Mega Rayquaza hates status in general, with some sets such as Choice Scarf especially disliking paralysis while and others like Dragon Dance and Choice Band being completely neutered by burns. Hence, statusing Mega Rayquaza is a good way to limit its versatility and wear it down.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [lotiasite, 320185], [Megazard, 202117]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[The Visionary]

This is arguably the single most important analysis for AG, I think it needs to get GP 2 asap so it can be added to the dex.

 

[Astra]

add remove (comments)

widepeepoHappy

[OVERVIEW]
As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible attacking stats backed by a stellar movepool. Base 115 Speed is quite solid and lets it outpace many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C. Mega Rayquaza further benefits from being able to hold an item, (RC) unlike other Mega Evolutions, making it unpredictable and dangerous. This allows it to run multiple movesets viably, making Mega Rayquaza incredibly difficult to deal with before its set is revealed. However, while base 115 speed is quite fast, Mega Rayquaza can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Ultra Necrozma. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat when combined with Delta Stream, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus and Marshadow.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides Mega Rayquaza a powerful Flying-type attack for Rayquaza. Dragon Dance allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake can hit many Flying-type answers, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-create is a potent option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the Speed drop from usage limits Mega Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed EVs allow it to Speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza as well as outspeed the likes of Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus formes. 4 Defense EVs are used for a favorable opposing Download boost. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, allowing Dragon Ascent (seem to be missing a verb here, i'll let you choose which one you'd like) almost anything that does not resist Flying.

Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should set up sparingly, as once it has set up Dragon Dance, it is unlikely to switch out until it has been revenge killed. Try to bring Mega Rayquaza on Pokemon it can counter or force out, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Eliminating priority users such as Marshadow and opposing Mega Rayquaza before attempting to set up is necessary to avoid being revenge killed after just one KO. Against bulkier teams, Dragon Ascent may be spammed liberally to deal heavy damage to switch-ins. Try to keep Mega Rayquaza healthy in case it is needed for revenge killing purposes; however, it is often a good choice to utilize Mega Rayquaza to heavily damage a threat such as Arceus-Fairy so teammates such as Bulk Up Marshadow can sweep later on.

Team Options
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is incredibly versatile and as such can work well with almost anything due to its sheer power and utility. However, Mega Rayquaza does greatly appreciate suicide leads such as Deoxys-S and Excadrill that can set up and prevent entry hazards. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, while in return it can counter troublesome Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Primal Kyogre pairs well with Mega Rayquaza, since both of them pressure Primal Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most support Arceus formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of Mega Rayquaza's checks. Calm Mind Arceus-Steel can clean late-game after Mega Rayquaza has worn down many of its checks, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Kyogre, and Primal Groudon. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon. Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores, as the two have perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel-types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM, (AC) super effectively. Draco Meteor OHKOes Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal Groudon for more damage than Dragon Ascent would. Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and Steel-types without dropping Mega Rayquaza's Speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can cripple common switch-ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is an option for entry hazard removal and should be considered if the team lacks another Defogger.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive speed Speed nature as well as a Choice Scarf ensure that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame as well as Adamant Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boosts the power of Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure Mega Rayquaza takes less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza should be brought in primarily for revenge killing, but it can also come in on Pokemon it can check, such as Primal Groudon. If Mega Rayquaza is needed to revenge kill key threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Arceus-Steel, be sure to keep it healthy throughout the game. Since Life Orb is the most common item on Mega Rayquaza, try to avoid revealing Choice Scarf until needed, since it may be able to net unexpected OHKOs. Against faster offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can be utilized late-game as a cleaner as well.

Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates Defog support from teammates, and Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide that. Primal Groudon and specially defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well as take on troublesome Fairy-types that threaten out Mega Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Primal Kyogre can take on many of the common switch-ins to Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-C can check a myriad of physical (physical what?) Pokemon that can force Mega Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Arceus. Yveltal can work with Mega Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band-boosted Boosted Dragon Ascent hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist Flying. V-create hits equally hard and OHKOes the Steel-types that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall is a weaker option that can OHKO Primal Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but it is risky due to it leaving Mega Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Speed EVs allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls as well as Speed tie opposing Mega Rayquaza. 4 Defense EVs allow for a favorable Download boost from Genesect. An Adamant nature is usually preferred for maximum wallbreaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus formes and opposing Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========
As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza's primary purpose is as a wallbreaker, try to bring it in often early-game on Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre. Prediction is key, since with Choice Band, Mega Rayquaza may be locked into an unfavorable move. Dragon Ascent is generally the best move to spam, with Earthquake and V-create primarily being used to land an OHKO or a 2HKO on switch-ins that resist Flying. As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is not particularly common, the sheer surprise may be enough to catch opponents off guard with OHKOs on threats such as Primal Kyogre that no other sets can do. Mega Rayquaza can also be utilized to revenge kill faster weakened threats with Extreme Speed, but this can be risky due to momentum being lost after Mega Rayquaza is locked into the move.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set. Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch-ins. Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate, (AC) as it provides Defog support as well as a check to Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch-ins to Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus Formes formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against because they outspeed it. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as this set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent inflicts heavy physical damage, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal Groudon, and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Ultra Necrozma and Xerneas. V-create is the preferred coverage option, as it hits Steel-types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent with a Life Orb boost. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive nature is chosen to reduce damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========
Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's most important quality is its ability to OHKO Zygarde-C and physically defensive Yveltal as well as offensive Primal Groudon with Draco Meteor. As such, taking advantage of the ability to bluff Dragon Dance is the key to this set, allowing it to catch the aforementioned walls off guard. If not needed to revenge kill threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Primal Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza should be brought in as much as possible so it can punch holes in defensive cores early in the game. Longevity is not as much of a concern for this set, as it is meant to do damage early-game to allow teammates to attempt sweeping later on.

Team Options
========
Mixed Rayquaza excels at luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to enable other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma (RH), and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-Oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Mega Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-C as well as Arceus-Water, and it can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus Formes formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if it's running V-create, so Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into its STAB attacks. All variants of Primal Groudon pair well with this Mega Rayquaza set, since Primal Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Mega Rayquaza and can help Rayquaza it by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both Defog support and a way of keeping faster foes in check when equipped with a Choice Scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, (RC) such as defensive Zygarde-C and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a Speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as Marshadow and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's Special Attack, yet it is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative setup move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the Speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but it is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-create on the mixed Life Orb set, but since it is much weaker, Overheat it is not generally used.

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Rayquaza is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.

**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can take even any boosted hit most of the time and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, limiting their ability to switch in.

**Rock-types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor, while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb boosted Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor if it is more physically defensive.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-C, Lugia, and Giratina are able to avoid the OHKO from Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's +1 Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from its unboosted Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-C gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina falls to both.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-create OHKOes both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent, but both fall prey to V-create as well.

**Revenge Killers**: Mega Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Mega Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Choice Scarf Xerneas, but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, rendering them viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of damage from the entry hazard every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.

**Status**: Mega Rayquaza hates status in general, with some sets such as Choice Scarf especially disliking paralysis and others like Dragon Dance and Choice Band being completely neutered by burns. Hence, statusing inflicting Mega Rayquaza with status is a good way to limit its versatility and wear it down.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [lotiasite, 320185], [Megazard, 202117]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]

2/2 have fun with this broken mon ag peeps

 

[Catalystic]

add remove (comments)

widepeepoHappy

[OVERVIEW]
As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible attacking stats backed by a stellar movepool. Base 115 Speed is quite solid and lets it outpace many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C. Mega Rayquaza further benefits from being able to hold an item, (RC) unlike other Mega Evolutions, making it unpredictable and dangerous. This allows it to run multiple movesets viably, making Mega Rayquaza incredibly difficult to deal with before its set is revealed. However, while base 115 speed is quite fast, Mega Rayquaza can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Ultra Necrozma. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat when combined with Delta Stream, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus and Marshadow.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides Mega Rayquaza a powerful Flying-type attack for Rayquaza. Dragon Dance allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake can hit many Flying-type answers, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-create is a potent option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the Speed drop from usage limits Mega Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed EVs allow it to Speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza as well as outspeed the likes of Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus formes. 4 Defense EVs are used for a favorable opposing Download boost. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, allowing Dragon Ascent (seem to be missing a verb here, i'll let you choose which one you'd like) almost anything that does not resist Flying.

Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should set up sparingly, as once it has set up Dragon Dance, it is unlikely to switch out until it has been revenge killed. Try to bring Mega Rayquaza on Pokemon it can counter or force out, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Eliminating priority users such as Marshadow and opposing Mega Rayquaza before attempting to set up is necessary to avoid being revenge killed after just one KO. Against bulkier teams, Dragon Ascent may be spammed liberally to deal heavy damage to switch-ins. Try to keep Mega Rayquaza healthy in case it is needed for revenge killing purposes; however, it is often a good choice to utilize Mega Rayquaza to heavily damage a threat such as Arceus-Fairy so teammates such as Bulk Up Marshadow can sweep later on.

Team Options
========
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is incredibly versatile and as such can work well with almost anything due to its sheer power and utility. However, Mega Rayquaza does greatly appreciate suicide leads such as Deoxys-S and Excadrill that can set up and prevent entry hazards. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, while in return it can counter troublesome Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Primal Kyogre pairs well with Mega Rayquaza, since both of them pressure Primal Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most support Arceus formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of Mega Rayquaza's checks. Calm Mind Arceus-Steel can clean late-game after Mega Rayquaza has worn down many of its checks, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Kyogre, and Primal Groudon. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon. Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores, as the two have perfect offensive coverage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Surf / Toxic / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel-types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM, (AC) super effectively. Draco Meteor OHKOes Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal Groudon for more damage than Dragon Ascent would. Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and Steel-types without dropping Mega Rayquaza's Speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can cripple common switch-ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is an option for entry hazard removal and should be considered if the team lacks another Defogger.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive speed Speed nature as well as a Choice Scarf ensure that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame as well as Adamant Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boosts the power of Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure Mega Rayquaza takes less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.

Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza should be brought in primarily for revenge killing, but it can also come in on Pokemon it can check, such as Primal Groudon. If Mega Rayquaza is needed to revenge kill key threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Arceus-Steel, be sure to keep it healthy throughout the game. Since Life Orb is the most common item on Mega Rayquaza, try to avoid revealing Choice Scarf until needed, since it may be able to net unexpected OHKOs. Against faster offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can be utilized late-game as a cleaner as well.

Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates Defog support from teammates, and Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide that. Primal Groudon and specially defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well as take on troublesome Fairy-types that threaten out Mega Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Primal Kyogre can take on many of the common switch-ins to Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-C can check a myriad of physical (physical what?) Pokemon that can force Mega Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Arceus. Yveltal can work with Mega Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Waterfall / Outrage
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band-boosted Boosted Dragon Ascent hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist Flying. V-create hits equally hard and OHKOes the Steel-types that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall is a weaker option that can OHKO Primal Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but it is risky due to it leaving Mega Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Speed EVs allows Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls as well as Speed tie opposing Mega Rayquaza. 4 Defense EVs allow for a favorable Download boost from Genesect. An Adamant nature is usually preferred for maximum wallbreaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus formes and opposing Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========
As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza's primary purpose is as a wallbreaker, try to bring it in often early-game on Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre. Prediction is key, since with Choice Band, Mega Rayquaza may be locked into an unfavorable move. Dragon Ascent is generally the best move to spam, with Earthquake and V-create primarily being used to land an OHKO or a 2HKO on switch-ins that resist Flying. As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is not particularly common, the sheer surprise may be enough to catch opponents off guard with OHKOs on threats such as Primal Kyogre that no other sets can do. Mega Rayquaza can also be utilized to revenge kill faster weakened threats with Extreme Speed, but this can be risky due to momentum being lost after Mega Rayquaza is locked into the move.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set. Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch-ins. Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate, (AC) as it provides Defog support as well as a check to Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch-ins to Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus Formes formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against because they outspeed it. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as this set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: V-create / Earthquake / Surf
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Ascent inflicts heavy physical damage, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal Groudon, and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Ultra Necrozma and Xerneas. V-create is the preferred coverage option, as it hits Steel-types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.

Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 4 Special Attack EVs slightly boosts Mega Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, which can OHKO many threats that do not get OHKOed by Dragon Ascent with a Life Orb boost. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature ensures that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive nature is chosen to reduce damage from opposing priority moves.

Usage Tips
========
Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's most important quality is its ability to OHKO Zygarde-C and physically defensive Yveltal as well as offensive Primal Groudon with Draco Meteor. As such, taking advantage of the ability to bluff Dragon Dance is the key to this set, allowing it to catch the aforementioned walls off guard. If not needed to revenge kill threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Primal Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza should be brought in as much as possible so it can punch holes in defensive cores early in the game. Longevity is not as much of a concern for this set, as it is meant to do damage early-game to allow teammates to attempt sweeping later on.

Team Options
========
Mixed Rayquaza excels at luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to enable other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma (RH), and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-Oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Mega Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-C as well as Arceus-Water, and it can provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus Formes formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if it's running V-create, so Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into its STAB attacks. All variants of Primal Groudon pair well with this Mega Rayquaza set, since Primal Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Mega Rayquaza and can help Rayquaza it by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both Defog support and a way of keeping faster foes in check when equipped with a Choice Scarf.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks, (RC) such as defensive Zygarde-C and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a Speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as Marshadow and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's Special Attack, yet it is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative setup move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the Speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but it is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-create on the mixed Life Orb set, but since it is much weaker, Overheat it is not generally used.

Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Rayquaza is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.

**Bulky Fairy-types**: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can take even any boosted hit most of the time and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, limiting their ability to switch in.

**Rock-types**: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor, while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb boosted Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor if it is more physically defensive.

**Bulky Walls**: Defensive Zygarde-C, Lugia, and Giratina are able to avoid the OHKO from Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's +1 Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from its unboosted Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-C gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina falls to both.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant without Earthquake, but V-create OHKOes both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent, but both fall prey to V-create as well.

**Revenge Killers**: Mega Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Mega Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Choice Scarf Xerneas, but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.

**Bulky Arceus Formes**: Many bulky Arceus Formes formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, rendering them viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.

**Stealth Rock**: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of damage from the entry hazard every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.

**Status**: Mega Rayquaza hates status in general, with some sets such as Choice Scarf especially disliking paralysis and others like Dragon Dance and Choice Band being completely neutered by burns. Hence, statusing inflicting Mega Rayquaza with status is a good way to limit its versatility and wear it down.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Catalystic, 314467]]
- Quality checked by: [[PurpleGatorade, 327652], [lotiasite, 320185], [Megazard, 202117]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]

2/2 have fun with this broken mon ag peeps
View attachment 186208

Implemented, thanks for the check!

Tagging Funbot28; ready for upload.

 

[Ginger Princess]

https://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/rayquaza/ag/

Uploaded!