SM OU Next Best Thing, Week 23: Dragonite

Week 22: Hydreigon
:sm/hydreigon:
Hydreigon is a decent wallbreaker in SM OU thanks to its solid special attack, good STAB in Dark Pulse and a great offensive movepool. It's defensive typing also allows it to check Heatran and Ash-Greninja decently. However, it is not seen very often due to not having the immediate power and speed of other wallbreakers in the tier.
Your goal this week is to post creative and viable movesets for Hydreigon that are NOT listed as sample sets in its SmogDex entry. You have 7 days from now to post sets, after which the voting phase will begin.
Deadline: 13th August 2024 11:30PM, GMT + 5:30.
 
Stallbreaker Expert Belt

Hydreigon @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 112 Atk / 164 SpA / 232 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Superpower
- Flash Cannon
- Taunt

A mixed attacking Hydreigon with an Expert Belt acts as a lure and surprise factor against multiple switch-ins. Dark Pulse is the standard move on Hydreigon while Flash Cannon dents Fairy types like Clefable and Tapu Lele. The main appeal of this set however are Superpower and Taunt. Superpower synergizes well with Expert Belt, allowing it to break through Pokemon like Heatran, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, and especially Chansey. Speaking of Chansey, this is also where Taunt comes in. With Taunt, it can deny any attempts at a Softboiled recovery from Chansey while also denying hazards, Toxic, Defog, etc. The given EV spread enables Hydreigon to outrun Pokemon with a positive-natured base 95 speed stat such as Kyurem-Black while also ensuring that a Flash Cannon from an Expert Belt is a guaranteed 2HKO on a Bold Clefable. This set appreciates spikes support since it helps push its targets into KO range.

Some noteworthy calculations assuming Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes are at play:

112 Atk Expert Belt Hydreigon Superpower over 2 turns vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 533-629 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes

112 Atk Expert Belt Hydreigon Superpower over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 381-451 (98.7 - 116.8%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Stealth Rock, 1 layer of Spikes, and Leftovers recovery

112 Atk Expert Belt Hydreigon Superpower over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 24 Def Ferrothorn: 312-370 (88.6 - 105.1%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Stealth Rock, 1 layer of Spikes, and Leftovers recovery

164 SpA Expert Belt Hydreigon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 209-247 (53 - 62.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 
Specially defensive hydreigon

Hydreigon @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 168 SpD / 92 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Defog
- Roost

hydreigons typing and decent bulk can make it reliable as a defensive mon, with access to roost and immunity to ground and psycic is crucial. Furthermore hydreigon can act as a reliable switchin to mons like ash gren, blacephalon , heatran and other offensive mons.
Hydreigon uses dark pulse as it enables to utilise stab and focus on attacking psychic mons likes reuniclius and slowbro.
Hydreigon uses flamethrower to target ferrothorn, however an alternative option can be used in earth power to target heatran.
Hydreigon can be a reliable defogger to an extent as levitate gives it immunity to ground which means that it doesenr have to worry much about Tspikes and spikes on ground.
Lastly hydreigon uses roost for recovery.
The speed on hydreigon makes it outspeed modest heatran and the remaining evs are for jumpoints In it’s bulk.
 
hydra.png

Hy3gon (Hydreigon) @ Poisonium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 244 SpA / 32 SpD / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Belch
- Roost

Z Poision to lure fairies such as Tapus, Clefable and Azu. Stack it with a Dark/Dragon type that can handle Magearna/MMawile. Would use on offensive teams that lacks a Z-User and appreciates a check to mons like Ash-Gren, Serp, Blacephalon, Heatran etc. as well as Hydreigons natural resists/immunities.
 
Submissions for Week 22 are now closed. The voting phase has now begun.

The submissions are:
1. Stallbreaker Expert Belt by FavMon=Garchomp
2. Specially Defensive by Fdmw
3. Poisonium Z Lure by Astoria

Deadline: 22nd August 2023, 11:30PM GMT + 5;30
 
Last edited:
The stallbreaker drei 2HKO on Clefable doesn’t account for protect giving extra lefties

I prefer to run ep on drei but I’ll vote specially defensive
 
Week 23:Dragonite
:sm/dragonite:
Dragonite has a small niche in OU as a sweeper on hyper offense teams thanks to its Multiscale ability that makes it easy for it to set up and strong Z-Move in Supersonic Skystrike. It is also used on stall teams occasionally with a bulky Dragon Dance + Roost set. However it requires support against entry hazards to function, is easily revenge killed due to its subpar speed tier and faces severe competition from Mega Charizard X and Gyarados. For these reasons, it is rarely seen.
Your goal this week is to post creative and viable movesets for Dragonite that are NOT listed as sample sets in its SmogDex entry. You have 7 days from now to post sets, after which the voting phase will begin.
Deadline: 31st August 2024 11:30PM, GMT + 5:30.
 
Bulky Dance Dnite

Dragonite @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Roost
- Dragon Dance

Generally a bulky variant of ddance nite with more investment of evs on the defensive side which allows it to check mons like Kartana, serperior , heatran , lando T, char Y and non dclaw Char X more comfortably.
Furthermore this type of defensive variant is preferred to be ran on Playstyles like stall, fats or bulky offenses.
The spee on Dnite allows it to outspeed ada crawdunt with the remaining evs poured on Dnites bulk.
However Dnites 4x weakness to ice means that it is threatened by mons like kb and mons that carry ice coverage like mlatias,manaphy,magearna and even hidden power koko, m Diancie and ThundT.
Furthermore this Dnite set struggles to break through clefable and Rotom wash and is generally crippled down by rocks which makes it loose multi scale.
Therefore This Ddance variant of Dnite prefers a lot of support like msableye or m Diancie with carry magic bounce or mons with hazard removal aswell as mons that can check stuff carrying ice coverage aswell as stuff Dnite struggles against
 
The Moondancer

Dragonite @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 244 HP / 64 Atk / 48 Def / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fly
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake

SubDnite. I've been using this set and I'd like to show it to others because I think it's fun and functional. This set has the intention of being able to use Dragon Dance without being too bothered. You are able to click sub on pokemon like Toxapex that can burn or poison you and Ferrothorns that prefer to click Leech Seed or T-wave and start stacking buffs. You can also deal with defensive Landorus since you can sub and avoid Intimidate and Toxic. The only way to break it with Lando is with Hp Ice, Rock moves, or Z-fly - which can only be used once anyway.


Regarding EVs;
244 HP: Makes your HP divisible by 4, which allows you to click up to 4 substitutes. Since you don't have leftovers for recovery, the HP makes you very bulky and allows you to check many things like Serperior, Kartana, Volcarona, etc. The natural bulk also allows you to stay behind a sub longer.

64+ ATK: In addition to increasing your killing power, with these evs you will kill Mega-Latias, M-Mawile, defensive Landorus, and specially defensive Ferrothorn after +1, while also letting you 2-hit pex without needing buffs.

48 DEF: Maximizes bulk and helps keep the substitute standing for longer.

152 Speed: Gives you 351 speed after +1, which allows you to outspeed Pokemon like non-scarf Kartana, Mega Latios/as, Mega Diancie, and the odd Gengar.

 
No STAB Dragon Dance + 3 Attacks

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Superpower​

This set has caught my attention and I believe it could use some more exploration. I believe it was used in a few tour games a couple of years ago on HO builds centered around Mega Diancie + Serperior + Volcarona.

Anyhow, the primary appeal of this set is its super-effective coverage that can threaten metagame staples such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, Zapdos, Ferrothorn, etc.

Another appeal for this set is the Lum Berry. With the Lum Berry, it can shrug off some nasty very nasty status moves like Toxic or Thunder Wave. The Lum Berry will also allow it to shrug off paralysis from Zapdos's Static if Dragonite hits it with a super effective Ice Punch.

Just like with the more standard D-nite variant, this variant appreciates teammates that can keep hazards off the field such as Mega Diancie and Serperior as mentioned above. Therefore, it will allow Dragonite to better take advantage of Multiscale and make setting up easier. Shoutout to Marnie for sharing a replay in the core thread showcasing the set in action.
 
Submissions for Week 23 are now closed. The voting phase has now begun.

The submissions are:
1. Dragon Dance + Roost by Fdmw
2. Substitute + Dragon Dance "The Moondancer" by brandonlee1
3. No STAB Dragon Dance + 3 attacks by FavMon=Garchomp

Deadline: 8th September 2023, 11:30PM GMT + 5;30
 
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