Gen 4 Support Dialga [done]

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[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga's STAB option; Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup that defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options for the last moveslot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga, Jirachi, and Heatran, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios's Draco Meteor and Mewtwo's Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga's team can fit it, but it is generally best to use another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga's switch-ins on a timer, and it also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense teams to handle. Thunder Wave can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga's common switch-ins.

Set Details
========

A simple specially defensive EV spread enables Dialga to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, you should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios's Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the EV spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga's HP is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, or Draco Meteor is quite important in the hyper offense mirror matchup. Similarly, when facing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over Roar or Stealth Rock; many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading and will therefore attack it directly. If Dialga has Stealth Rock, try to find relatively safe opportunities to set up against foes such as a lead Kyogre Choice-locked into Thunder. Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of hazards, even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken through.


Team Options
========

A Spikes user is nigh mandatory as a partner, given Dialga's propensity to phaze switch-ins and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame and can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf while getting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga's phazing. A few other possible Spikers are Forretress, Skarmory, Qwilfish, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together forms the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Darkrai's Dark Void, which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team's primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While it's not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and it can absorb Thunder Wave once if it's carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
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https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
Quality checked by:
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Last edited:
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga’s primary STAB option; Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar, in tandem with multiple layers of entry hazards, is the crux of the set. It allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times, and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options in the last slot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga and Heatran mention Jirachi here too, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’ Draco Meteor and Mewtwo’s Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga’s team can fit it, but it is generally best to use Bronzong could prolly rephrase it to something like "Another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong" to set Stealth Rock instead. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga’s switchins on a timer, and also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense to handle. Thunder Wave is a generally useful move that can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga’s common switchins.

Set Details
========

A simple spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD maximizes Dialga’s special bulk, which enables it to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, one should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’ Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature gives more stats overall and can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga’s health is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power or Draco Meteor should mention Dragon Pulse here too is quite important in the hyper offense mirror. Similarly, when facing an opposing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over using Roar or setting Stealth Rock: many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading, and will therefore attack directly. Try to find opportunities for Dialga to set Stealth Rock relatively unpunished if using it, such as when pivoting into a lead Choiced Kyogre’s Thunder. Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of entry hazard support, even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken.


Team Options
========

A user of Spikes is nigh-mandatory as a partner, given Dialga’s propensity to phaze switchins and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame, and can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf, and getting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga’s phazing. A few other possible users of Spikes are Forretress, Skarmory, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass Qwilfish is also possible. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Dialga’s Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to entry hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together form the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Dark Void, which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team’s primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout, as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and can absorb Thunder Wave once if carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.
2/2 with the minor changes above
 
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga’s primary STAB option; Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar, in tandem with multiple layers of entry hazards, is the crux of the set. It allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times, and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options in the last slot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga and Heatran mention Jirachi here too, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’ Draco Meteor and Mewtwo’s Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga’s team can fit it, but it is generally best to use Bronzong could prolly rephrase it to something like "Another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong" to set Stealth Rock instead. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga’s switchins on a timer, and also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense to handle. Thunder Wave is a generally useful move that can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga’s common switchins.

Set Details
========

A simple spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD maximizes Dialga’s special bulk, which enables it to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, one should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’ Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature gives more stats overall and can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga’s health is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power or Draco Meteor should mention Dragon Pulse here too is quite important in the hyper offense mirror. Similarly, when facing an opposing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over using Roar or setting Stealth Rock: many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading, and will therefore attack directly. Try to find opportunities for Dialga to set Stealth Rock relatively unpunished if using it, such as when pivoting into a lead Choiced Kyogre’s Thunder. Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of entry hazard support, even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken.


Team Options
========

A user of Spikes is nigh-mandatory as a partner, given Dialga’s propensity to phaze switchins and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame, and can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf, and getting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga’s phazing. A few other possible users of Spikes are Forretress, Skarmory, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass Qwilfish is also possible. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Dialga’s Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to entry hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together form the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Dark Void, which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team’s primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout, as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and can absorb Thunder Wave once if carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.
2/2 with the minor changes above
changes inplemented
 
GP Check 1/2

add remove highlight comment


[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga’s primary STAB option; (they would be the only STAB move on this set) Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar, in tandem with multiple layers of entry hazards, is the crux of the set. It ("crux" is generally a fluff word and is discouraged in analyses) allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times (RC) and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup that defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options in the last slot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga, Jirachi and Heatran, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’s Draco Meteor and Mewtwo’s Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga’s team can fit it, but it is generally best to use another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga’s switch-ins (AH) on a timer, and it also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense teams to handle. Thunder Wave is a generally useful move that (fluff) can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga’s common switch-ins. (AH)

Set Details
========

A simple specially defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD maximizes Dialga’s special bulk, which (condensed down for brevity) enables it Dialga to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, one you should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’s Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the EV spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature gives more stats overall and (I'm not sure if this needs to be stated, you already mentioned the main reason the player would consider this spread) can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga’s health HP is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power, Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor is quite important in the hyper offense mirror matchup. Similarly, when facing an opposing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over using Roar or setting Stealth Rock; (replace colon with semicolon) many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading (RC) and will therefore attack it directly. Try If Dialga has Stealth Rock, try to find relatively safe opportunities for Dialga to set Stealth Rock up relatively unpunished if using it, against foes such as when pivoting into a lead Choiced Kyogre’s Choice-locked into Thunder. (The phrasing of the original sentence was a bit awkward.) Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of entry hazards support, even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken through. (Might imply wrong definition of "broken" without "through".)


Team Options
========

A user of Spikes is nigh mandatory (RH) as a partner, given Dialga’s propensity to phaze switch-ins (AH) and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame, and it can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf, and getting while setting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga’s phazing. A few other possible users of Spikes Spikers are Forretress, Skarmory, Qwilfish, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Dialga’s Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to entry hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together form the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Dark Void, (maybe say the relevant Pokemon that use Dark Void here, i.e. "[Pokemon]'s Dark Void", so that readers would know which Pokemon uses it) which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team’s primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While it's not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout (RC) as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and it can absorb Thunder Wave once if it's carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.

[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mashing.537354/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
 
GP Check 1/2

add remove highlight comment


[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga’s primary STAB option; (they would be the only STAB move on this set) Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar, in tandem with multiple layers of entry hazards, is the crux of the set. It ("crux" is generally a fluff word and is discouraged in analyses) allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times (RC) and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup that defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options in the last slot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga, Jirachi and Heatran, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’s Draco Meteor and Mewtwo’s Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga’s team can fit it, but it is generally best to use another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga’s switch-ins (AH) on a timer, and it also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense teams to handle. Thunder Wave is a generally useful move that (fluff) can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga’s common switch-ins. (AH)

Set Details
========

A simple specially defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD maximizes Dialga’s special bulk, which (condensed down for brevity) enables it Dialga to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, one you should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios’s Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the EV spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature gives more stats overall and (I'm not sure if this needs to be stated, you already mentioned the main reason the player would consider this spread) can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga’s health HP is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power, Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor is quite important in the hyper offense mirror matchup. Similarly, when facing an opposing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over using Roar or setting Stealth Rock; (replace colon with semicolon) many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading (RC) and will therefore attack it directly. Try If Dialga has Stealth Rock, try to find relatively safe opportunities for Dialga to set Stealth Rock up relatively unpunished if using it, against foes such as when pivoting into a lead Choiced Kyogre’s Choice-locked into Thunder. (The phrasing of the original sentence was a bit awkward.) Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of entry hazards support, even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken through. (Might imply wrong definition of "broken" without "through".)


Team Options
========

A user of Spikes is nigh mandatory (RH) as a partner, given Dialga’s propensity to phaze switch-ins (AH) and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame, and it can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf, and getting while setting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga’s phazing. A few other possible users of Spikes Spikers are Forretress, Skarmory, Qwilfish, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Dialga’s Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to entry hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together form the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Dark Void, (maybe say the relevant Pokemon that use Dark Void here, i.e. "[Pokemon]'s Dark Void", so that readers would know which Pokemon uses it) which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team’s primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While it's not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout (RC) as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and it can absorb Thunder Wave once if it's carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.

[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mashing.537354/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
corrections implemented
 
Add Remove Comment
(ASCII) = I replaced the curly apostrophe here with an ASCII one; copy and paste this:
'

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Roar
move 4: Earth Power / Stealth Rock / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Both Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor have merit as Dialga's (ASCII) STAB option; Dragon Pulse gives consistent damage output against various targets, but Draco Meteor nets an OHKO on Giratina-O and Latios after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can also be used with a Sassy nature to better handle Calm Mind Latias and net a bit more chip damage on Blissey, but the move has no other targets. Thunder is mandatory to damage Kyogre, which is the main threat Dialga is tasked to handle. Roar allows Dialga to rack up entry hazard damage on its checks multiple times and single-handedly reverses the positive matchup that defensive teams typically enjoy against rain offense. Dialga has a number of options in for the last moveslot; Earth Power is a generally solid coverage option against opposing Dialga, Jirachi,(comma) and Heatran, while Protect stalls turns for extra Leftovers recovery. This enables Dialga to more reliably avoid the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios's (ASCII) Draco Meteor and Mewtwo's (ASCII) Life Orb Aura Sphere. Stealth Rock can be used if no other member of Dialga's (ASCII) team can fit it, but it is generally best to use another Stealth Rock user such as Bronzong. Toxic can be used to put some of Dialga's (ASCII) switch-ins on a timer, and it also enables it to more quickly overcome Ludicolo, a Pokemon that is otherwise incredibly annoying for rain offense teams to handle. Thunder Wave can support slower wallbreakers like Choice Specs Kyogre, but it does not bother most of Dialga's (ASCII) common switch-ins.

Set Details
========

A simple specially defensive EV spread enables Dialga to handle Kyogre and other miscellaneous special attackers. Generally, you should not deviate from this spread, as Dialga only barely avoids the 2HKO from attacks such as Latios's (ASCII + it's "Latios's") Draco Meteor with maximum investment. However, the EV spread of 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD with a Modest nature can be opted for if better damage output is desired.


Usage Tips
========

Proper management of Dialga's (ASCII) HP is important, as it has no reliable recovery and is quite easily worn down by most offensive threats in Ubers. This is especially crucial for Stealth Rock variants, which are incredibly vulnerable to chip damage on the turn they set Stealth Rock. For this reason, immediately attacking opposing support Dialga with Earth Power, Dragon Pulse,(comma) or Draco Meteor is quite important in the hyper offense mirror matchup. Similarly, when facing Kyogre, consider using Thunder over Roar or Stealth Rock; many rain offense teams struggle to break a healthy defensive Dialga without directly trading and will therefore attack it directly. If Dialga has Stealth Rock, try to find relatively safe opportunities to set (remove double space here) up agaisnt against foes such as a lead Kyogre Choice-locked into Thunder. Otherwise, use Roar to rack up entry hazard damage on predicted switches; with multiple layers of hazards, (remove space before the comma) even extremely bulky walls like Blissey can be broken through.


Team Options
========

A user of Spikes user is nigh mandatory as a partner, given Dialga's (ASCII + I would opt for "tendency" because I assume everyone's gonna go search propensity up) propensity to phaze switch-ins and lure in grounded checks such as Groudon. Lead Choice Scarf Deoxys-S is the most consistent Spiker in the metagame (remove comma) and can also paralyze opposing Dialga and Giratina-O, enabling Dialga to check them more effectively. It also enables Dialga to beat stall teams centered around Toxic Spikes by giving lead Tentacruel a Choice Scarf while getting multiple layers of entry hazards to facilitate Dialga's (ASCII) phazing. A few other possible Spikers are Forretress, Skarmory, Qwilfish, lead Deoxys-A, and Froslass. In a similar vein, a spinblocker is a mandatory teammate to maintain the presence of Spikes and Dialga's (ASCII + you could omit the word "Dialga's" altogether since you said people could use a different rocks setter above) Stealth Rock; Giratina-O is typically the best option, as it is resilient to hazards itself and can check Groudon for Dialga. Finally, Bronzong checks specially offensive Dragon-types while not stacking weaknesses with Dialga; the core of Dialga, Giratina-O, Bronzong, and Kyogre together forms (add s) the most dominant archetype in the metagame. Besides these nigh mandatory inclusions, a sleep absorber can be a useful teammate. Dialga is hopelessly shut down by Darkrai's Dark Void, which can lead to disastrous situations if it is the team's (ASCII) primary answer to dangerous threats such as Kyogre. Such sleep absorbers can range from bulky RestTalk users like the aforementioned Kyogre to Choice Scarf users equipped with Sleep Talk, such as Garchomp. While it's not mandatory on offensive teams, Dialga appreciates a secondary switch-in to Kyogre, as it can be overwhelmed by Choice Specs and Calm Mind + Thunder Wave variants. Latios and Latias can pivot into Choice Specs Kyogre's (ASCII) Water Spout (remove comma) as well as miscellaneous Ground-type attacks. Palkia is another possible auxiliary Kyogre check, and it can absorb Thunder Wave once if it's carrying a Lum Berry. However, it is prone to being worn down by hazards far more easily than Latias.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mashing.537354/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/inspirited.127823/ added qc
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/susciety.457308/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
2/2
GP Team done
 
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