[OVERVIEW]
Tyranitar is the defining Pokemon of ADV OU. First, its ability Sand Stream alone tremendously shapes the strategies and team choices in the metagame. By damaging and nullifying Leftovers on non-Steel, Ground-, and Rock-types, sand shifts similar roles towards Pokemon that are immune to or more robust under sand. Swampert more reliably checks physical threats than Suicune despite worse stats; Claydol is the preferred spinner over Starmie even with its middling Speed and offensive presence; Blissey's extreme special bulk keeps it around a lot longer under sand than Celebi, and it forms part of the Skarmory + Blissey core so frequently used on defensive teams with Tyranitar. As a result, sand defines one of the most prominent defensive archetypes in the metagame: Toxic + Sandstorm + Spikes (TSS). As an offensive tool, sand makes damage stick, greatly neutering the effectiveness of threatening setup sweepers like Suicune and Snorlax while also forcing frequent recovery from Celebi, Blissey, and Milotic. As a defensive tool, sand limits certain varieties of offense by placing Choice Band and Berry-focused Pokemon on a timer. Sand also provides a lot of information in battle, revealing the item on Pokemon like Salamence and Heracross and distinguishing Choice Band and Salac Berry sets from those running Leftovers. As a simulator mechanic, sand reveals the relative Speeds of the Pokemon on the field, dealing damage to the faster Pokemon first.
Sand isn’t enough for you? Tyranitar itself a behemoth in battle; with a strong stat distribution and large movepool, it can fulfill a variety of roles on almost every team. The Dragon Dance set can act as a wallbreaker or sweeper; Pursuit threatens to punish not just Gengar but also other hovering threats such as Choice Band Salamence, Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Claydol; the mixed set dismantles TSS-style teams; the bulky physical attacker set exploits Spikes really well by forcing switches; the Choice Band set provides a lot of immediate firepower if supported well or accompanied by good predictions; and the SubPunch set gives added protection against status from Blissey and Snorlax and can be a great lure. While these sets are mostly offensive in nature, Tyranitar's typing and decent defensive stats also allow it to pivot in on Normal-, Fire-, Flying-, and Psychic-type moves, guarding the team against Snorlax, Moltres, Aerodactyl, Salamence, Celebi, and Jirachi.
While Tyranitar has an incredible number of strengths, it is not without weaknesses. It fails to outspeed just about every offensive Pokemon and even some defensive ones like Celebi without considerable Speed investment. Even with a Speed boost from Dragon Dance, it can be outsped by Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, Jolteon, and possibly Starmie. While its typing is mostly positive for it, the Water- and Ground-type weaknesses prevent it from staying in on bulky Water-types and allow it to be easily trapped by Dugtrio. In particular, teams that derive their value from Tyranitar through sand immunity usually leave themselves prone to offensive Water-types, as they usually rely on a single special wall as their Water-type check. Other weaknesses such as Fighting, Grass, and Steel allow many Pokemon to take out Tyranitar in up to two hits after some chip damage, and these attacks frequently come from Pokemon that Tyranitar is supposed to check or be able to do heavy damage to in the first place, like Salamence, Metagross, Gengar, offensive Jirachi, and Celebi. Keeping Tyranitar healthy enough to serve its purpose is key to using it successfully.
[SET]
name: Fast Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug / Hidden Power Grass / Ice Beam
item: Lum Berry
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fast Dragon Dance Tyranitar is unique in the metagame in that it can simultaneously function as a sweeper and wallbreaker. Dragon Dance raises Tyranitar's already impressive Attack to insane levels and boosts its middling Speed beyond everything in the entire metagame bar Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, and Jolteon.
As a sweeper, Tyranitar's Rock Slide + Earthquake hits the whole metagame bar Claydol, Flygon, and Breloom for at least neutral damage. That is where the remaining move fills the gap. +1 Hidden Power Bug 2HKOes Claydol and has the added perk of OHKOing offensive Starmie and Celebi, which can OHKO back with Hydro Pump or attempt to use Leech Seed to heal up Tyranitar's checks, respectively. This overall coverage makes Tyranitar absolutely terrifying late-game.
As a wallbreaker, Tyranitar's boosted Rock Slide minimally leaves checks like Milotic and Suicune at about 10-30% of their HP as it goes down, and it can even break through them with Rock Slide's high flinch rate. Hidden Power Grass severely dents Swampert, its main target, with a 92% chance to 2HKO the standard set of 248 HP / 44 SpD without Protect. Earthquake can KO Metagross with a bit of prior damage. This set is such a potent threat because its terrifying physical presence frequently locks the opponent into sending Swampert in even if they expect Hidden Power Grass coming.
Ice Beam is a less common filler move primarily used to OHKO Flygon; it also has the auxiliary benefits of OHKOing Salamence through Intimidate and still hitting Claydol for respectable damage. Ice Beam notably hits Breloom hard, stopping it from comfortably checking Tyranitar. Double-Edge is an alternative that hits both Claydol and Flygon, and in some scenarios it gives the extra power needed to finish off the bulky Water-types; Spikes laid by a teammate can complement Double-Edge by bringing Tyranitar's checks into KO range. Regardless of its role, Lum Berry is the most useful item, allowing Tyranitar to set up on status moves like Zapdos's and Magneton's Thunder Wave, Gengar's Will-O-Wisp, Skarmory's Toxic, and Blissey's status move, all of which would hinder or entirely nullify Tyranitar in both of its roles.
A spread of 244 Atk / 12 SpA / 252 Spe with a Naive nature is recommended should Tyranitar use Hidden Power Grass to 2HKO Swampert if it does not use Protect and still has a high enough probability of doing so after a Protect to force a switch. With Ice Beam, no Special Attack EVs are needed. Hasty, Naughty, or Lonely can be used over Naive. By sacrificing physical instead of special defense, Tyranitar gains much better odds to survive two hits from offensive Zapdos and has better survivability under Spikes against non-Torrent-boosted Hydro Pump from Swampert and special attacks from Jirachi, but it gets OHKOed with certainty by Dugtrio and very likely also in the Dragon Dance Tyranitar mirror matchup. Using an Attack-boosting instead of Speed-boosting nature allows Tyranitar to wallbreak more effectively and sweep with less chip damage at the expense of not outspeeding Starmie, Adamant Dugtrio, and fast Gengar. Notably, the added Attack allows Tyranitar to OHKO uninvested Dragon Dance Salamence with certainty.
Be sure to send Tyranitar out against foes that cannot threaten it from full health very much like Blissey, Magneton, Jirachi, Zapdos, Gengar, Choice-locked Salamence and Aerodactyl, and other weak attackers that cannot easily 2HKO it. These are the opportunities that Tyranitar needs to get that one—and sometimes even two—Dragon Dance up and wreak havoc. If you're intending to sweep with Tyranitar, make sure that the appropriate checks like Swampert and Milotic have been weakened to the point that they cannot contest its sweep.
Team Options
========
Building well with this set requires exploiting its strengths as a wallbreaker and sweeper. It is most frequently seen on fast-paced offenses with fluid gameplans that can materialize opportunities for either of its roles. These teams frequently feature other Pokemon that break walls or follow up Tyranitar's wallbreaking to sweep. One such wallbreaker is Metagross. Choice Band Metagross can take out Skarmory and bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic with an early Explosion; mixed Metagross can slowly wear Skarmory and Swampert down and still use Explosion on the other bulky Water-types; even Agility or Protect Metagross can do a lot of chip damage with help from Spikes. Offensive Swampert itself, including the Endeavor variant, is another wallbreaker that pressures opposing Swampert. While switching Swampert into opposing Swampert may seem disadvantageous, teams using Swampert frequently have no solid Swampert checks, encouraging the opposing Swampert to stay in to be chipped. With some planning and luck, activating Torrent could even let Swampert win the mirror matchup. Offensive Snorlax pivots into Water-types that scare Tyranitar out and gets important chip damage with Focus Punch on Metagross and Skarmory; this allows Metagross to be OHKOed by boosted Tyranitar and makes Skarmory a lot less reliable in checking it. Alternatively, offensive Snorlax can trade KOs with Metagross and Skarmory using Curse + Self-Destruct. Cloyster pivots into Water-types, sets Spikes, and chips its target with Explosion, which can turn 2HKOs on Metagross and opposing Tyranitar into OHKOs. Spikes does more than weaken the team for a sweep; it also makes it a lot harder for the opponent to stop the sweep by pivoting to Salamence for an Intimidate drop and then to Metagross to resist the Rock Slide. Finally, examples of follow-up sweepers should Tyranitar be used as a wallbreaker include physical threats like Dragon Dance Salamence, Agility Metagross, and Aerodactyl. Dragon Dance Salamence and Aerodactyl are also able to set up to sweep or revenge kill Dugtrio should it take out Tyranitar.
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 180 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar distinguishes itself from the fast variant in that it intends to use Dragon Dance twice with its bulk to sweep. With its defensive EVs, it survives Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake, unboosted Metagross's Meteor Mash, and Starmie's and Suicune's Hydro Pump, and it comfortably takes two hits from Zapdos and offensive Hidden Power Grass Gengar. The bulk also allows Tyranitar to tank +1 Dragon Dance Salamence's Earthquake and possibly OHKO it back as a last-ditch check. Rock Slide + Earthquake hits the whole metagame bar Claydol, Flygon, and Breloom for neutral damage. Hidden Power Bug rounds out the coverage, allowing Tyranitar to plow through Claydol and bulkless Flygon with some chip damage while also giving it an easier time against Celebi, which can otherwise take out Tyranitar with its Grass-type moves and some luck. It also usually OHKOes offensive Starmie after a boost. Taunt prevents phazing from Skarmory and even Suicune or Swampert if one is willing to make a read, and it stops status moves like Toxic from Skarmory and Thunder Wave from Blissey from ruining a sweep. When used as a lead for setting up sand, Taunt also prevents Skarmory from freely laying down Spikes. It is possible to use Substitute in the filler slot with 252 HP EVs, which produce 101 HP Substitutes that block Blissey's Seismic Toss; this can be useful in fishing for paralysis in paralysis-spam archetypes while still doing the job of blocking status and setting up on slow Pokemon like Blissey, Porygon2, and Body Slam Snorlax.
Since this set is EVed to survive, not to trade, it is not a wallbreaker but a sweeper. The general plan for sweeping with this Tyranitar should be to leave it mostly untouched while waiting for all of the opponent's Tyranitar checks to be worn down before setting up. Note that the vastly reduced Attack gives only middling odds for Tyranitar to take out Zapdos or Salamence without any boosts, and this is a likely scenario with Salamence's Intimidate in the picture. The same can also be said of Tyranitar's attempt to take out maximum HP defensively uninvested Claydol at +2.
Team Options
========
On the defensive side, taking even a tiny bit of damage nullifies this Tyranitar's benchmarks, so support to keep it at full HP is definitely helpful. Spinners such as Starmie and Claydol help to keep Spikes off the field. Wish support from Jirachi and Blissey, especially after a sacrifice, also allows Tyranitar to heal up right before sweeping. On the offensive side, this Tyranitar wants support to wear down its checks. Choice Band Metagross is particularly apt, as it lures in and removes Skarmory with Explosion without it laying a single layer of Spikes, allowing Tyranitar to fulfill all its defensive benchmarks when it enters the field. However, this set features relatively more on balanced teams that use Spikes from Skarmory and sometimes Cloyster to wear down the opponent's Pokemon uniformly so that Tyranitar's all-encompassing coverage can break through late-game. Spikes also makes it a lot harder for the opponent to stop the sweep by pivoting to Salamence for an Intimidate drop and then to Metagross to resist the Rock Slide. Additionally, bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar has the advantage over the fast set here due to its ability to continue using Dragon Dance in the face of non-Choice Band variants of Salamence and Metagross.
[SET]
name: Bulky Physical Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Hidden Power Bug
move 4: Focus Punch / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Bulky physical Tyranitar commonly features on TSS-style teams; it sports immense bulk, an intimidating Attack stat, and a brutally varied selection of coverage. Its sheer power and coverage make this set a very realistic threat to any team. Capable of quickly wearing down Skarmory and Swampert with Focus Punch, even hard checks and counters need to keep an eye out while switching into this Tyranitar.
With the first three attacks, Tyranitar can hit the entire tier for at least neutral if not super effective damage. Rock Slide is a great spammable STAB move that becomes very difficult to pivot around consistently when Spikes are up. Earthquake hits Metagross, Jirachi, and opposing Tyranitar hard and OHKOes Dugtrio should it try to trap Tyranitar and spoil the fun. Focus Punch hits Skarmory and Swampert for neutral damage, and Hidden Power Bug allows Tyranitar to reliably beat Celebi as well as hit incoming Claydol for meaningful damage. This all-round coverage makes Tyranitar an excellent at forcing switches out of the Pokemon standing right in front, making Focus Punch an excellent move for hitting Tyranitar's checks hard. Roar can be used on slower-paced teams where the Spikes damage can be expected to really rack up, and it provides a defensive lifeline against Rest Suicune lacking Sleep Talk and Curse Snorlax as well as the added bonus of disrupting Baton Pass teams at the cost of the huge damage that can be dished out from a well-timed Focus Punch. Roar can potentially double Spikes chip by forcing special walls in and then forcing them to pivot out to physical walls again, paving the way for a clean KO from threats like Dugtrio.
The bulk EVs help Tyranitar survive boosted Dragon Dance Salamence's and Tyranitar's Earthquake, Metagross's Meteor Mash, Starmie's Hydro Pump, and Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake. Maximum Attack EVs are used to get the hefty damage from Tyranitar's coverage moves. The EVs also help against offensive Jirachi's Hidden Power Grass. Leftovers rounds up Tyranitar's defensive role, recovering a significant amount of HP each time it switches in on a passive Pokemon or a resisted attack.
Bulky physical Tyranitar is great in the lead spot on TSS-style teams, as it gets up sand immediately, which is key to chipping down non-sand-immune Pokemon such as Suicune, which is immensely threatening to the TSS teams this set commonly finds itself on. You should not be attempting to sweep with this Tyranitar set; rather, focus on chipping down specific checks on your opponent's team to make an opening for a cleaner such as offensive Starmie or Choice Band Aerodactyl. Aim to support Tyranitar early-game with as many layers of Spikes that is safely possible, since it removes the need for Tyranitar to make any huge predicts in order to make significant progress against the opponent's checks. Attempt to get in Tyranitar repeatedly throughout the game against Pokemon such as Blissey, Choice-locked Salamence, Snorlax, and defensive Zapdos that it forces out in order to fully take advantage of the support it gets from Spikes. However, remember to watch out for Focus Punch from Snorlax and status moves such as Toxic from Zapdos and Blissey and take care to get Tyranitar in without sustaining too many smaller hits, as even with such good bulk, uninvested Thunderbolt and Seismic Toss damage can quickly rack up, especially when Spikes are on the field.
Tyranitar should also not be overlooked as a defensive pivot that can force out unboosted Snorlax and decently checks defensive Celebi and Calm Mind Jirachi thanks to its bulk, typing, and sheer power. It should also be noted that sometimes, having Tyranitar at a good amount of HP can provide extra wiggle room against late-game threats such as Starmie, Dragon Dance Salamence, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar. However, this line of play has to be performed pretty deliberately, as keeping Tyranitar at full throughout a game is not particularly easy due to how it is easily chipped by Spikes and weak attacks throughout a game.
Team Options
========
Naturally, this set fits best in Spikes-orientated teams due to its ability to force lots of switches and easily rack up chip damage. Because of this, you really can't go wrong pairing this set with most Spikers; both Skarmory and Cloyster fully appreciate its presence on a team and how Tyranitar likes to lure in defensive Water-types such as Swampert and Suicune and Steel-types, which are easy to set Spikes against. Additionally, Cloyster is armed with Explosion, which, if timed right, has the power to put some Tyranitar checks out of commission.
Defensively speaking, special pivots such as Blissey, Celebi, and, to a lesser extent, Jolteon are all also appreciated by Tyranitar; the former two can absorb status with Natural Cure and even potentially heal up Tyranitar with Wish or Leech Seed, respectively. Jolteon appreciates Tyranitar for providing immense pressure against Blissey, and it makes a great momentum gaining target for Jolteon's Baton Passes while providing an absorber to strong Thunderbolts Tyranitar doesn't want to take. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Swampert also make good partners; their ability to sponge Metagross's attacks is much appreciated, as it gives Tyranitar the space to play a longer game and fully take advantage of Spikes. Gengar also deserves a separate special mention, as between it and Tyranitar, all of Snorlax's coverage is walled flawlessly.
Finally, offensive partners vary from Gengar, which also takes advantage of Spikes and has strong special attacks, to teammates built for late-game cleaning such as Aerodactyl, which hugely appreciates Tyranitar's ability to soften up Rock-resistant foes and make room for it to finish the job. Other potential offensive partners include the likes of Starmie and Moltres, providing support through cleaning and breaking, respectively.
Tyranitar is the defining Pokemon of ADV OU. First, its ability Sand Stream alone tremendously shapes the strategies and team choices in the metagame. By damaging and nullifying Leftovers on non-Steel, Ground-, and Rock-types, sand shifts similar roles towards Pokemon that are immune to or more robust under sand. Swampert more reliably checks physical threats than Suicune despite worse stats; Claydol is the preferred spinner over Starmie even with its middling Speed and offensive presence; Blissey's extreme special bulk keeps it around a lot longer under sand than Celebi, and it forms part of the Skarmory + Blissey core so frequently used on defensive teams with Tyranitar. As a result, sand defines one of the most prominent defensive archetypes in the metagame: Toxic + Sandstorm + Spikes (TSS). As an offensive tool, sand makes damage stick, greatly neutering the effectiveness of threatening setup sweepers like Suicune and Snorlax while also forcing frequent recovery from Celebi, Blissey, and Milotic. As a defensive tool, sand limits certain varieties of offense by placing Choice Band and Berry-focused Pokemon on a timer. Sand also provides a lot of information in battle, revealing the item on Pokemon like Salamence and Heracross and distinguishing Choice Band and Salac Berry sets from those running Leftovers. As a simulator mechanic, sand reveals the relative Speeds of the Pokemon on the field, dealing damage to the faster Pokemon first.
Sand isn’t enough for you? Tyranitar itself a behemoth in battle; with a strong stat distribution and large movepool, it can fulfill a variety of roles on almost every team. The Dragon Dance set can act as a wallbreaker or sweeper; Pursuit threatens to punish not just Gengar but also other hovering threats such as Choice Band Salamence, Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Claydol; the mixed set dismantles TSS-style teams; the bulky physical attacker set exploits Spikes really well by forcing switches; the Choice Band set provides a lot of immediate firepower if supported well or accompanied by good predictions; and the SubPunch set gives added protection against status from Blissey and Snorlax and can be a great lure. While these sets are mostly offensive in nature, Tyranitar's typing and decent defensive stats also allow it to pivot in on Normal-, Fire-, Flying-, and Psychic-type moves, guarding the team against Snorlax, Moltres, Aerodactyl, Salamence, Celebi, and Jirachi.
While Tyranitar has an incredible number of strengths, it is not without weaknesses. It fails to outspeed just about every offensive Pokemon and even some defensive ones like Celebi without considerable Speed investment. Even with a Speed boost from Dragon Dance, it can be outsped by Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, Jolteon, and possibly Starmie. While its typing is mostly positive for it, the Water- and Ground-type weaknesses prevent it from staying in on bulky Water-types and allow it to be easily trapped by Dugtrio. In particular, teams that derive their value from Tyranitar through sand immunity usually leave themselves prone to offensive Water-types, as they usually rely on a single special wall as their Water-type check. Other weaknesses such as Fighting, Grass, and Steel allow many Pokemon to take out Tyranitar in up to two hits after some chip damage, and these attacks frequently come from Pokemon that Tyranitar is supposed to check or be able to do heavy damage to in the first place, like Salamence, Metagross, Gengar, offensive Jirachi, and Celebi. Keeping Tyranitar healthy enough to serve its purpose is key to using it successfully.
[SET]
name: Fast Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug / Hidden Power Grass / Ice Beam
item: Lum Berry
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Fast Dragon Dance Tyranitar is unique in the metagame in that it can simultaneously function as a sweeper and wallbreaker. Dragon Dance raises Tyranitar's already impressive Attack to insane levels and boosts its middling Speed beyond everything in the entire metagame bar Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, and Jolteon.
As a sweeper, Tyranitar's Rock Slide + Earthquake hits the whole metagame bar Claydol, Flygon, and Breloom for at least neutral damage. That is where the remaining move fills the gap. +1 Hidden Power Bug 2HKOes Claydol and has the added perk of OHKOing offensive Starmie and Celebi, which can OHKO back with Hydro Pump or attempt to use Leech Seed to heal up Tyranitar's checks, respectively. This overall coverage makes Tyranitar absolutely terrifying late-game.
As a wallbreaker, Tyranitar's boosted Rock Slide minimally leaves checks like Milotic and Suicune at about 10-30% of their HP as it goes down, and it can even break through them with Rock Slide's high flinch rate. Hidden Power Grass severely dents Swampert, its main target, with a 92% chance to 2HKO the standard set of 248 HP / 44 SpD without Protect. Earthquake can KO Metagross with a bit of prior damage. This set is such a potent threat because its terrifying physical presence frequently locks the opponent into sending Swampert in even if they expect Hidden Power Grass coming.
Ice Beam is a less common filler move primarily used to OHKO Flygon; it also has the auxiliary benefits of OHKOing Salamence through Intimidate and still hitting Claydol for respectable damage. Ice Beam notably hits Breloom hard, stopping it from comfortably checking Tyranitar. Double-Edge is an alternative that hits both Claydol and Flygon, and in some scenarios it gives the extra power needed to finish off the bulky Water-types; Spikes laid by a teammate can complement Double-Edge by bringing Tyranitar's checks into KO range. Regardless of its role, Lum Berry is the most useful item, allowing Tyranitar to set up on status moves like Zapdos's and Magneton's Thunder Wave, Gengar's Will-O-Wisp, Skarmory's Toxic, and Blissey's status move, all of which would hinder or entirely nullify Tyranitar in both of its roles.
A spread of 244 Atk / 12 SpA / 252 Spe with a Naive nature is recommended should Tyranitar use Hidden Power Grass to 2HKO Swampert if it does not use Protect and still has a high enough probability of doing so after a Protect to force a switch. With Ice Beam, no Special Attack EVs are needed. Hasty, Naughty, or Lonely can be used over Naive. By sacrificing physical instead of special defense, Tyranitar gains much better odds to survive two hits from offensive Zapdos and has better survivability under Spikes against non-Torrent-boosted Hydro Pump from Swampert and special attacks from Jirachi, but it gets OHKOed with certainty by Dugtrio and very likely also in the Dragon Dance Tyranitar mirror matchup. Using an Attack-boosting instead of Speed-boosting nature allows Tyranitar to wallbreak more effectively and sweep with less chip damage at the expense of not outspeeding Starmie, Adamant Dugtrio, and fast Gengar. Notably, the added Attack allows Tyranitar to OHKO uninvested Dragon Dance Salamence with certainty.
Be sure to send Tyranitar out against foes that cannot threaten it from full health very much like Blissey, Magneton, Jirachi, Zapdos, Gengar, Choice-locked Salamence and Aerodactyl, and other weak attackers that cannot easily 2HKO it. These are the opportunities that Tyranitar needs to get that one—and sometimes even two—Dragon Dance up and wreak havoc. If you're intending to sweep with Tyranitar, make sure that the appropriate checks like Swampert and Milotic have been weakened to the point that they cannot contest its sweep.
Team Options
========
Building well with this set requires exploiting its strengths as a wallbreaker and sweeper. It is most frequently seen on fast-paced offenses with fluid gameplans that can materialize opportunities for either of its roles. These teams frequently feature other Pokemon that break walls or follow up Tyranitar's wallbreaking to sweep. One such wallbreaker is Metagross. Choice Band Metagross can take out Skarmory and bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic with an early Explosion; mixed Metagross can slowly wear Skarmory and Swampert down and still use Explosion on the other bulky Water-types; even Agility or Protect Metagross can do a lot of chip damage with help from Spikes. Offensive Swampert itself, including the Endeavor variant, is another wallbreaker that pressures opposing Swampert. While switching Swampert into opposing Swampert may seem disadvantageous, teams using Swampert frequently have no solid Swampert checks, encouraging the opposing Swampert to stay in to be chipped. With some planning and luck, activating Torrent could even let Swampert win the mirror matchup. Offensive Snorlax pivots into Water-types that scare Tyranitar out and gets important chip damage with Focus Punch on Metagross and Skarmory; this allows Metagross to be OHKOed by boosted Tyranitar and makes Skarmory a lot less reliable in checking it. Alternatively, offensive Snorlax can trade KOs with Metagross and Skarmory using Curse + Self-Destruct. Cloyster pivots into Water-types, sets Spikes, and chips its target with Explosion, which can turn 2HKOs on Metagross and opposing Tyranitar into OHKOs. Spikes does more than weaken the team for a sweep; it also makes it a lot harder for the opponent to stop the sweep by pivoting to Salamence for an Intimidate drop and then to Metagross to resist the Rock Slide. Finally, examples of follow-up sweepers should Tyranitar be used as a wallbreaker include physical threats like Dragon Dance Salamence, Agility Metagross, and Aerodactyl. Dragon Dance Salamence and Aerodactyl are also able to set up to sweep or revenge kill Dugtrio should it take out Tyranitar.
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 180 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar distinguishes itself from the fast variant in that it intends to use Dragon Dance twice with its bulk to sweep. With its defensive EVs, it survives Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake, unboosted Metagross's Meteor Mash, and Starmie's and Suicune's Hydro Pump, and it comfortably takes two hits from Zapdos and offensive Hidden Power Grass Gengar. The bulk also allows Tyranitar to tank +1 Dragon Dance Salamence's Earthquake and possibly OHKO it back as a last-ditch check. Rock Slide + Earthquake hits the whole metagame bar Claydol, Flygon, and Breloom for neutral damage. Hidden Power Bug rounds out the coverage, allowing Tyranitar to plow through Claydol and bulkless Flygon with some chip damage while also giving it an easier time against Celebi, which can otherwise take out Tyranitar with its Grass-type moves and some luck. It also usually OHKOes offensive Starmie after a boost. Taunt prevents phazing from Skarmory and even Suicune or Swampert if one is willing to make a read, and it stops status moves like Toxic from Skarmory and Thunder Wave from Blissey from ruining a sweep. When used as a lead for setting up sand, Taunt also prevents Skarmory from freely laying down Spikes. It is possible to use Substitute in the filler slot with 252 HP EVs, which produce 101 HP Substitutes that block Blissey's Seismic Toss; this can be useful in fishing for paralysis in paralysis-spam archetypes while still doing the job of blocking status and setting up on slow Pokemon like Blissey, Porygon2, and Body Slam Snorlax.
Since this set is EVed to survive, not to trade, it is not a wallbreaker but a sweeper. The general plan for sweeping with this Tyranitar should be to leave it mostly untouched while waiting for all of the opponent's Tyranitar checks to be worn down before setting up. Note that the vastly reduced Attack gives only middling odds for Tyranitar to take out Zapdos or Salamence without any boosts, and this is a likely scenario with Salamence's Intimidate in the picture. The same can also be said of Tyranitar's attempt to take out maximum HP defensively uninvested Claydol at +2.
Team Options
========
On the defensive side, taking even a tiny bit of damage nullifies this Tyranitar's benchmarks, so support to keep it at full HP is definitely helpful. Spinners such as Starmie and Claydol help to keep Spikes off the field. Wish support from Jirachi and Blissey, especially after a sacrifice, also allows Tyranitar to heal up right before sweeping. On the offensive side, this Tyranitar wants support to wear down its checks. Choice Band Metagross is particularly apt, as it lures in and removes Skarmory with Explosion without it laying a single layer of Spikes, allowing Tyranitar to fulfill all its defensive benchmarks when it enters the field. However, this set features relatively more on balanced teams that use Spikes from Skarmory and sometimes Cloyster to wear down the opponent's Pokemon uniformly so that Tyranitar's all-encompassing coverage can break through late-game. Spikes also makes it a lot harder for the opponent to stop the sweep by pivoting to Salamence for an Intimidate drop and then to Metagross to resist the Rock Slide. Additionally, bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar has the advantage over the fast set here due to its ability to continue using Dragon Dance in the face of non-Choice Band variants of Salamence and Metagross.
[SET]
name: Bulky Physical Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Hidden Power Bug
move 4: Focus Punch / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
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Bulky physical Tyranitar commonly features on TSS-style teams; it sports immense bulk, an intimidating Attack stat, and a brutally varied selection of coverage. Its sheer power and coverage make this set a very realistic threat to any team. Capable of quickly wearing down Skarmory and Swampert with Focus Punch, even hard checks and counters need to keep an eye out while switching into this Tyranitar.
With the first three attacks, Tyranitar can hit the entire tier for at least neutral if not super effective damage. Rock Slide is a great spammable STAB move that becomes very difficult to pivot around consistently when Spikes are up. Earthquake hits Metagross, Jirachi, and opposing Tyranitar hard and OHKOes Dugtrio should it try to trap Tyranitar and spoil the fun. Focus Punch hits Skarmory and Swampert for neutral damage, and Hidden Power Bug allows Tyranitar to reliably beat Celebi as well as hit incoming Claydol for meaningful damage. This all-round coverage makes Tyranitar an excellent at forcing switches out of the Pokemon standing right in front, making Focus Punch an excellent move for hitting Tyranitar's checks hard. Roar can be used on slower-paced teams where the Spikes damage can be expected to really rack up, and it provides a defensive lifeline against Rest Suicune lacking Sleep Talk and Curse Snorlax as well as the added bonus of disrupting Baton Pass teams at the cost of the huge damage that can be dished out from a well-timed Focus Punch. Roar can potentially double Spikes chip by forcing special walls in and then forcing them to pivot out to physical walls again, paving the way for a clean KO from threats like Dugtrio.
The bulk EVs help Tyranitar survive boosted Dragon Dance Salamence's and Tyranitar's Earthquake, Metagross's Meteor Mash, Starmie's Hydro Pump, and Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake. Maximum Attack EVs are used to get the hefty damage from Tyranitar's coverage moves. The EVs also help against offensive Jirachi's Hidden Power Grass. Leftovers rounds up Tyranitar's defensive role, recovering a significant amount of HP each time it switches in on a passive Pokemon or a resisted attack.
Bulky physical Tyranitar is great in the lead spot on TSS-style teams, as it gets up sand immediately, which is key to chipping down non-sand-immune Pokemon such as Suicune, which is immensely threatening to the TSS teams this set commonly finds itself on. You should not be attempting to sweep with this Tyranitar set; rather, focus on chipping down specific checks on your opponent's team to make an opening for a cleaner such as offensive Starmie or Choice Band Aerodactyl. Aim to support Tyranitar early-game with as many layers of Spikes that is safely possible, since it removes the need for Tyranitar to make any huge predicts in order to make significant progress against the opponent's checks. Attempt to get in Tyranitar repeatedly throughout the game against Pokemon such as Blissey, Choice-locked Salamence, Snorlax, and defensive Zapdos that it forces out in order to fully take advantage of the support it gets from Spikes. However, remember to watch out for Focus Punch from Snorlax and status moves such as Toxic from Zapdos and Blissey and take care to get Tyranitar in without sustaining too many smaller hits, as even with such good bulk, uninvested Thunderbolt and Seismic Toss damage can quickly rack up, especially when Spikes are on the field.
Tyranitar should also not be overlooked as a defensive pivot that can force out unboosted Snorlax and decently checks defensive Celebi and Calm Mind Jirachi thanks to its bulk, typing, and sheer power. It should also be noted that sometimes, having Tyranitar at a good amount of HP can provide extra wiggle room against late-game threats such as Starmie, Dragon Dance Salamence, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar. However, this line of play has to be performed pretty deliberately, as keeping Tyranitar at full throughout a game is not particularly easy due to how it is easily chipped by Spikes and weak attacks throughout a game.
Team Options
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Naturally, this set fits best in Spikes-orientated teams due to its ability to force lots of switches and easily rack up chip damage. Because of this, you really can't go wrong pairing this set with most Spikers; both Skarmory and Cloyster fully appreciate its presence on a team and how Tyranitar likes to lure in defensive Water-types such as Swampert and Suicune and Steel-types, which are easy to set Spikes against. Additionally, Cloyster is armed with Explosion, which, if timed right, has the power to put some Tyranitar checks out of commission.
Defensively speaking, special pivots such as Blissey, Celebi, and, to a lesser extent, Jolteon are all also appreciated by Tyranitar; the former two can absorb status with Natural Cure and even potentially heal up Tyranitar with Wish or Leech Seed, respectively. Jolteon appreciates Tyranitar for providing immense pressure against Blissey, and it makes a great momentum gaining target for Jolteon's Baton Passes while providing an absorber to strong Thunderbolts Tyranitar doesn't want to take. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Swampert also make good partners; their ability to sponge Metagross's attacks is much appreciated, as it gives Tyranitar the space to play a longer game and fully take advantage of Spikes. Gengar also deserves a separate special mention, as between it and Tyranitar, all of Snorlax's coverage is walled flawlessly.
Finally, offensive partners vary from Gengar, which also takes advantage of Spikes and has strong special attacks, to teammates built for late-game cleaning such as Aerodactyl, which hugely appreciates Tyranitar's ability to soften up Rock-resistant foes and make room for it to finish the job. Other potential offensive partners include the likes of Starmie and Moltres, providing support through cleaning and breaking, respectively.
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