(Series 12/14 SS) Tyranitar (QC 1/2)

[SET]

Specially Defensive Support
move 1: Rock Tomb / Rock Blast
move 2: Foul Play / Thunder Wave
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Earthquake / Thunder Wave / Protect / Rest
item: Leftovers / Sitrus Berry / Focus Sash / Chesto Berry
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Tyranitar’s unique typing and amazing special bulk under sand give it a valuable defensive niche in the Series 12 metagame, allowing it to answer a number of major threats for its team, such as Yveltal, Calyrex-S, Ho-Oh, and Zapdos. Tyranitar’s support movepool is also fairly deep, and it can punish most switch-ins with its various coverage and utility options. However, it can be difficult to accommodate every desired move with just four slots.

* Rock Tomb and Rock Blast are the best options for Rock-type STAB on this set, as the utility they provide makes up for this set’s lack of Attack investment. Rock Tomb drops the speed of foes looking to set up in front of Tyranitar, preventing speed-boosting sweepers and Max Airstream users from accruing too many boosts. On the other hand, Rock Blast sports a higher base power under Dynamax, and is helpful for taking on foes holding a Focus Sash or behind a Substitute.

* Given the lack of Attack investment on this set, Foul Play is a consistent option for Dark-type STAB, heavily damaging any foe with a high Attack stat. Notably, it is able to punish a wide range of targets for setting up in front of Tyranitar without relying too heavily on super effective coverage.

* Thunder Wave is another form of speed control that Tyranitar can provide for its team, and is particularly effective when used on predicted switches, crippling common Tyranitar answers like Zacian-C, Urshifu-S, and Celesteela. The speed drop from paralysis importantly makes foes packing super effective coverage, such as Earthquake Ho-Oh or Steel Wing Yveltal, much easier to deal with for Tyranitar and its teammates.

* Tyranitar’s bulk and ability to force switches makes it one of the best setters of Stealth Rock in the metagame. As it is a natural check to a large number of Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon, setting up the entry hazard aids Tyranitar even further in wearing them down over the course of a match.

* Earthquake offers good coverage alongside Tyranitar’s Rock-type STAB and is its best option against the likes of Eternatus, Dialga, Heatran, and Zacian-C without a Swords Dance boost.

* Rest is Tyranitar’s only form of recovery, allowing it to be an even sturdier check to Calyrex-S, Ho-Oh, and Zapdos by healing off the status and chip damage accrued by repeatedly switching into them. It can also help in games decided by the timer thanks to Tyranitar’s high HP stat. However, it comes at the cost of other utility options. Do note that Calyrex-S’s As One ability prevents Tyranitar from consuming its Chesto Berry if active.

* If holding Leftovers, Protect allows Tyranitar to rack up a bit of additional recovery every other turn, as well as scout the opponent and stall out Dynamax turns.

* Tyranitar's wide movepool allows for this set to be catered to the needs of its team; other notable coverage and utility moves not yet mentioned include Taunt, Ice Beam, Superpower, Fire Blast, and Snarl.

Items
========

* Leftovers provides Tyranitar with a small amount of passive recovery each turn, and synergizes especially well with Protect.

* Sitrus or Figy Berry provides Tyranitar with a burst of recovery, and can be particularly useful for switching into powerful Max Moves.

* If opting for Rest, Chesto Berry should be used to instantly wake Tyranitar.

* Focus Sash may seem counterintuitive to the defensive nature of this set, but can be useful for surviving surprise coverage moves or landing a crucial Thunder Wave or Foul Play on a problematic foe, at the cost of no means of recovering HP.

* Resistance berries, like Shuca, Chople, or Babiri, can be run to surprise foes carrying super effective coverage for Tyranitar. However, they are niche in applicability, and Focus Sash is often the superior option.

EV Spreads
========

* 252 HP / 236 SpD / 20 Spe with Careful: This set maximizes Tyranitar’s special bulk to take on Yveltal, Calyrex-S, and Zapdos as well as possible, while outspeeding uninvested Celesteela and paralyzed Yveltal.

* 252 HP / 148 SpD / 108 Spe with Careful: With this spread, Tyranitar carrying Thunder Wave will be able to outspeed paralyzed targets including Cinderace, Modest Eternatus, and bulky Zacian-C.

* 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with Sassy: Any set opting for Special coverage like Ice Beam, Fire Blast, or Snarl should instead run a Sassy nature to maximize damage output. If desired, 28 Speed EVs can be used to still outpace uninvested Blissey.

* 252 HP / 92 SpD / 164 Spe with Jolly: Focus Sash Tyranitar may opt for this spread to best take advantage of the Speed drops from its Rock Tomb and Thunder Wave. The Speed investment allows it to outspeed every paralyzed foe in the metagame, and up to -1 Zapdos after a Rock Tomb.



[SET]

Assault Vest
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Punch / Fire Punch / Rock Tomb
item: Assault Vest
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 180 Atk / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* When equipped with an Assault Vest, Tyranitar under sand becomes an excellent special tank, easily absorbing even super effective attacks. While it can no longer utilize its supportive options, the increase in Special Defensive allows Tyranitar to invest more into its Attack stat and boast a greater offensive presence than the Specially Defensive set while still checking important targets like Yveltal, Calyrex-S, Ho-Oh, and Zapdos.

* Crunch is chosen over Foul Play as the Dark-type STAB move for this set, as the increased damage against Dynamaxed Calyrex-S and chance to drop the opponent's Defense is preferred.

* Stone Edge is Tyranitar's strongest option for Rock-type STAB, always OHKOing offensive Yveltal and Zapdos after sandstorm damage, as well as Ho-Oh even after a Sacred Fire burn. Rock Blast is a viable alternative due to its higher PP and improved ability to defeat users of Substitute.

* Earthquake is an excellent coverage option for Tyranitar, allowing it to hit the entire metagame for at least neutral damage with just its first three moves. Even bulky Zacian-C variants will find themselves 2HKO'd on the switch, and it is also Tyranitar's strongest attack against Eternatus, Dialga, Zekrom, and Reshiram.

* Ice Punch is Tyranitar's only option for netting significant damage on defensive Landorus-T and Zygarde-C, and still hits Flying-types super-effectively when a Stone Edge miss cannot be afforded. Ice Beam with a Brave or Sassy nature deals more damage to the former two as well as Hippowdon, but is weaker against most other Dragon and Ground-types.

* Fire Punch is Tyranitar's best shot at defeating Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory, but lacks significant targets apart from these three, and physically-defensive variants of the latter two are not 2HKO'd without resorting to Max Flare. Fire Blast deals much more damage to Skarmory and physically-defensive Ferrothorn than Fire Punch, but Tyranitar is outsped by Skarmory unless it uses a -SpA nature, and specially-defensive Ferrothorn is a more common set.

* While Rock Tomb does not grant Tyranitar increased coverage, the ability to drop the speed of foes is excellent support and can prevent Speed-boosting sweepers from getting out of hand.

* Superpower gives Tyranitar access to Max Knuckle and is its strongest attack against Urshifu-S, Porygon2, and opposing Tyranitar. However, the drop in Attack and Defense it yields is undesirable, and Tyranitar is usually forced out by faster threats before it can take advantage of any Attack boosts from Max Knuckle.

EV Spreads
========

* 252 HP / 180 Atk / 76 SpD with Adamant: This EV spread allows Tyranitar to live two consecutive Leaf Storms from Choice Specs Calyrex-S as well as a Life Orb-boosted Max Geyser from Kyogre in the sand while retaining its offensive presence. Notably, the Attack investment guarantees an OHKO after sandstorm damage on Dynamaxed Calyrex-S with Crunch and on non-Dynamaxed Yveltal with Stone Edge.

* 252 HP / 244 SpD / 12 Spe with Careful: This spread enables Tyranitar to be an especially sturdy answer to much of the special-attacking metagame for teams in need of one. Beating the likes of Calyrex-S, Yveltal, Zapdos, Kyurem-W, and offensive Eternatus with ease, this spread enables Tyranitar to withstand two full-powered Leaf Storms from Choice Specs Calyrex-S, a +2 Max Overgrowth from Life Orb Calyrex-S, a +2 Moonblast from Xerneas, and a Focus Blast from all variants of Kyurem-W.

* 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Adamant: While this spread sacrifices a large amount of bulk, the Speed investment allows Tyranitar to get the jump on uninvested Landorus-T, Ho-Oh, and Tapu Fini, as well as defensive Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, striking before said foes can retaliate and potentially turning the tables in those matchups. The ability to lure defensive Landorus-T and slow offensive Ho-Oh in particular makes Zacian-C a standout partner that can offensively check most threats to Tyranitar.




[SET]

CBT (Choice Band)
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Crunch / Lash Out / Earthquake
move 3: Earthquake / Fire Punch
move 4: Fire Punch / Ice Punch / Superpower / Rock Blast
item: Choice Band
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Opponents who assume Tyranitar to be carrying a supportive set will be blown back by the power of Choice Band Tyranitar, a brutal wallbreaker with very few safe switch-ins for offensive and defensive teams alike.

* Stone Edge is the flagship move of this set, boasting incredible power when boosted by Choice Band, and its high critical hit rate only makes it tougher to switch into. Even Rock resists, like bulkless Zacian-C and Urshifu-S, risk losing half of their health after Stealth Rock damage if they dare to switch in.

* Crunch is a safe, secondary STAB for Tyranitar to click, as it boasts perfect accuracy and a decent chance to lower the foe’s defense, which can be helpful for breaking past the likes of Quagsire and Porygon2. Lash Out is an alternative Dark STAB move that doubles in power if Tyranitar has a stat lowered the same turn, notably hitting Landorus-T very hard if it switches in.

* Earthquake prevents Zacian-C from switching into Tyranitar unscathed, scoring a guaranteed OHKO on bulkless variants. It is also Tyranitar’s strongest attack against Eternatus, Dialga, and Zekrom, preventing the former from attempting to Recover stall its other attacks.

* Superpower nails Urshifu-S, specially defensive Ferrothorn, and opposing Tyranitar for an OHKO, and is Tyranitar’s only attack that will always 2HKO Porygon2.

* Fire Punch hits Ferrothorn, Rillaboom, and Steel/Flying-types very hard while maintaining super effective coverage against Zacian-C. In conjunction with either Earthquake or Superpower, Fire Punch Tyranitar is able to hit every Steel-type for super effective damage, eliminating them as consistent answers.

* Ice Punch obliterates Landorus-T, Zygarde-C, and Garchomp, and is a safe option to choose against most Flying-types when a Stone Edge miss cannot be afforded. It is also Tyranitar’s strongest attack against Hippowdon, chunking Careful-natured variants well into Sitrus Berry range.

* At the cost of a coverage move, Rock Blast is an option to play around Substitute and potentially bypass users of Focus Sash.

* Bulky Ground-types, such as Quagsire, Swampert, and Hippowdon, are some of the most consistent answers to Choice Band Tyranitar, as they have the bulk to stomach Crunch while not fearing any coverage options. Rillaboom makes for a fantastic partner, as it can easily handle said Ground-types while checking Kyogre, Urshifu-R and Dracovish. In return, Rillaboom appreciates Tyranitar eliminating Flying and Fire-types, and together they can overwhelm shared checks like Zacian-C.

EV Spreads
========

* 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Adamant: This spread maximizes Tyranitar's speed and power, notably outspeeding uninvested Landorus-T.

* 164 HP / 212 Atk / 132 Spe with Adamant: This spread guarantees that Dynamaxed Tyranitar will survive a +2 Max Overgrowth from Life Orb Calyrex-S while still outspeeding up to uninvested Necrozma-DM.

* 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 SpD with Adamant: This spread capitalizes on Tyranitar's great natural bulk, letting it survive an Earthquake from Choice Scarf Landorus-T as well as a Leaf Storm from Choice Specs Calyrex-S, at the cost of being out-sped by the likes of Skarmory and defensive Seismitoad.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Comradesquidwar, 542590]]
- Quality checked by: [[Username, forum ID], [Username, forum ID]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username, forum ID]]
 
Last edited:

DerpySuX

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I don’t know if this is super relevant but back in series 8 I came up with alternate EV spread for AV tar. That being 252 HP / 180 Atk / 76 SpD with an adamant nature.

This spread has just enough attack to always OHKO dynamax Calyrex-S (with sand chip factored in, 99.4% mininum) and then the rest is dumped into special bulk for obvious reasons. This set is capable of taking a LO Max Overgrowth and can switch into LO Max Starfall, take a subsequent one, and KO with crunch. I think it goes without saying that being able to take these hits from Calyrex also means it’s very good at switching into the vast majority of Yveltal sets.

252 SpA Life Orb Calyrex-Shadow Max Overgrowth vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Assault Vest Tyranitar in Sand: 101-122 (48.7 - 58.9%)

252 SpA Life Orb Calyrex-Shadow Max Starfall vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Assault Vest Tyranitar in Sand: 73-88 (35.2 - 42.5%)

180+ Atk Tyranitar Crunch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dynamax Calyrex-Shadow: 348-412 (99.4 - 117.7%)
 
I don’t know if this is super relevant but back in series 8 I came up with alternate EV spread for AV tar. That being 252 HP / 180 Atk / 76 SpD with an adamant nature.

This spread has just enough attack to always OHKO dynamax Calyrex-S (with sand chip factored in, 99.4% mininum) and then the rest is dumped into special bulk for obvious reasons. This set is capable of taking a LO Max Overgrowth and can switch into LO Max Starfall, take a subsequent one, and KO with crunch. I think it goes without saying that being able to take these hits from Calyrex also means it’s very good at switching into the vast majority of Yveltal sets.

252 SpA Life Orb Calyrex-Shadow Max Overgrowth vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Assault Vest Tyranitar in Sand: 101-122 (48.7 - 58.9%)

252 SpA Life Orb Calyrex-Shadow Max Starfall vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Assault Vest Tyranitar in Sand: 73-88 (35.2 - 42.5%)

180+ Atk Tyranitar Crunch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dynamax Calyrex-Shadow: 348-412 (99.4 - 117.7%)
Thanks for the suggestion think I'll add to that section!
 
Here's some feedback based on sets and explanations for some of the highest-finishing public teams with Tyranitar on them for the past two months of play.

March:

#78 - 220 HP, 252+ Atk, 28 Spe (Choice Band) - https://kiki2.hatenablog.jp/entry/2022/04/01/232603
#98 - 252 HP, 204+ SpD, 52 Spe (Thunder Wave + Screech ChestoRest) - https://hipoke.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/01/232029#バンギラス
#304 - 252 HP, 4 SpA, 252+ SpD (Sassy Expert Belt) - https://reizeru.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/05/190000#バンギラス
#532 - 252 HP, 4 Def, 252+ SpD (Leftovers) - https://arisayapoke0195.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/03/011315
#540 - 252 HP, 196+ Atk, 86 Spe (Assault Vest) - https://www.panipanipanipa.com/entry/2022/04/02/192120

February:

#108 - 252 HP, 252+ Atk (Assault Vest) - https://note.com/shimapoke/n/n361102eeae70
#142 - 252 HP, 4 SpA, 252+ SpD (Sassy Assault Vest) - https://rally-trigon.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/03/02/201842


As obvious as it is you I'm sure, I think Calyrex-S and Yveltal/Zapdos could be even more foregrounded in set descriptions; I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that they are a major part of why Tyranitar is being used—this is especially the case for Calyrex-S. Multiple blogs also talk about contesting Ho-Oh, which has not a single mention currently.

Non-Assault Vest sets are fairly congested in terms of move slots as your slashes make clear, but if Thunder Wave is going to be mentioned, it probably bears noting that it is one of those moves that is good to click against both Yveltal and a Zacian switching in, and that you may want some Speed creep to go along with it.

Finally, having multiple special attacks as coverage moves was something that was being attested in blogs. This is something that I would be fine with being dealt with through something like a bullet giving it as an option, if at all.

All in all, you have delivered a fine work covering the main sets and their various options! I'd be happy to QC this once you are done with WIP-phase, put some more meat on the bones on the descriptions for purely SpDeffy sets, and really drive home the point about Calyrex-S and Yveltal.
 
Last edited:
Here's some feedback based on sets and explanations for some of the highest-finishing public teams with Tyranitar on them for the past two months of play.

March:

#78 - 220 HP, 252+ Atk, 28 Spe (Choice Band) - https://kiki2.hatenablog.jp/entry/2022/04/01/232603
#98 - 252 HP, 204+ SpD, 52 Spe (Thunder Wave + Screech ChestoRest) - https://hipoke.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/01/232029#バンギラス
#304 - 252 HP, 4 SpA, 252+ SpD (Sassy Expert Belt) - https://reizeru.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/05/190000#バンギラス
#532 - 252 HP, 4 Def, 252+ SpD (Leftovers) - https://arisayapoke0195.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/04/03/011315
#540 - 252 HP, 196+ Atk, 86 Spe (Assault Vest) - https://www.panipanipanipa.com/entry/2022/04/02/192120

February:

#108 - 252 HP, 252+ Atk (Assault Vest) - https://note.com/shimapoke/n/n361102eeae70
#142 - 252 HP, 4 SpA, 252+ SpD (Sassy Assault Vest) - https://rally-trigon.hatenablog.com/entry/2022/03/02/201842


As obvious as it is you I'm sure, I think Calyrex-S and Yveltal/Zapdos could be even more foregrounded in set descriptions; I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that they are a major part of why Tyranitar is being used—this is especially the case for Calyrex-S. Multiple blogs also talk about contesting Ho-Oh, which has not a single mention currently.

Non-Assault Vest sets are fairly congested in terms of move slots as your slashes make clear, but if Thunder Wave is going to be mentioned, it probably bears noting that it is one of those moves that is good to click against both Yveltal and a Zacian switching in, and that you may want some Speed creep to go along with it.

Finally, having multiple special attacks as coverage moves was something that was being attested in blogs. This is something that I would be fine with being dealt with through something like a bullet giving it as an option, if at all.

All in all, you have delivered a fine work covering the main sets and their various options! I'd be happy to QC this once you are done with WIP-phase, put some more meat on the bones on the descriptions for purely SpDeffy sets, and really drive home the point about Calyrex-S and Yveltal.
As someone who already likes to use twave + rest ttar, I am definitely trying out that screech set LMAO

Thanks so much for the team dumps and suggestions! Yes, I will definitely be sure to elaborate more about Tyranitar's important defensive niche in the SpDef and AV sections. Speed creep specifically for sets with twave is also a good idea, will run some calcs later to figure out any relevant benchmarks. And yup have been seeing more mixed sets (with Ice Beam in particular) as of late on the cart ladder, can be a slash as well
 
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Sorry that this took me so long - I realize it's very wordy so definitely willing to cut down anywhere suggested.

Also tagging Tox if you are still interested in QCing :wo::woo:
 
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The most common sets are covered, explanations are given for what they do with ample elaboration, and further options are given.

This is mainly an aside, but because the lack of transfer moves is indeed referred to in other recent BSS-entries, I wonder if people familiar with other Smogon formats would also find it useful to discover just what happened to Tyranitar's signature move going back almost two decades now, Pursuit (it's not even coded in as a usable move in gen 8 lol).

Overall, I am of the opinion that going fairly deep into the weeds on calcs and painting a more complete picture of what actual in-game situations feel like is useful, especially for defensive mons—so long as the central message of what each particular set is supposed to do isn't getting too diluted. That being said, this is a very extensive write-up, so I do hope someone with more experience at QC than myself gives this the attention it deserves.

As it stands, I am onboard.

QC 1/2
bss qc big.gif
 
The most common sets are covered, explanations are given for what they do with ample elaboration, and further options are given.

This is mainly an aside, but because the lack of transfer moves is indeed referred to in other recent BSS-entries, I wonder if people familiar with other Smogon formats would also find it useful to discover just what happened to Tyranitar's signature move going back almost two decades now, Pursuit (it's not even coded in as a usable move in gen 8 lol).

Overall, I am of the opinion that going fairly deep into the weeds on calcs and painting a more complete picture of what actual in-game situations feel like is useful, especially for defensive mons—so long as the central message of what each particular set is supposed to do isn't getting too diluted. That being said, this is a very extensive write-up, so I do hope someone with more experience at QC than myself gives this the attention it deserves.

As it stands, I am onboard.

QC 1/2
View attachment 419307
Thanks so much! & I would be willing to add something about the lack of Pursuit if you/QC team feels it would be worth a mention
 
So I guess this is the next stop on this week's project of make sure there aren't any more analysis threads hanging in limbo with 1 QC check that isn't mine already. Like with Darm-G earlier this week, Tyranitar is not really my most used mon, but I do have more than ample experience to give a check for it.

Honestly, the current write-up is already very in-depth, and thus my main points here are going to be either very minor additions/refinements, team construction notes, or updates in the meta since April. So here we go:

1. On the SpDef set, Rock Blast should get the first slash on the top move, and Chesto Berry should also get second billing for the item. As the meta has developed since April, ChestoRest Tar has become only slightly less common than Leftovers on that set now and is well above other items besides AV. Meanwhile, Rock Tomb has fallen off the map on move choice, while Rock Blast remains steady at #2 with over 53% usage. This also fits in well with countering Zapdos, as the SubPressure sets have been back on the upswing late in the series. Also, despite Crunch being less applicable on this set than AV/CB/etc, I think it deserves a slash somewhere (maybe as a third slash on move 2) as it gives more consistent damage on a number of special attacking Psychic types in particular. Other item choices are really a hodgepodge here; I think what's there is mostly fine despite Sash being lower in usage than stuff like Eject Pack (which would have some interesting application paired with mons like Sand Rush CB Dracovish who tends to match up well with the Intimidate mons who would trigger it) or Lum Berry.

2. The AV and Choice sets look mostly fine to me as is. The main note I would add is that, with more SubPressure Zap coming back (as mentioned in point 1), a move like Rock Blast has more utility on these sets than it did in April, since a move like CB Stone Edge gets only four shots into a Sub or likely grounded Zapdos against these types of sets before running out, while Rock Blast causes it significantly more trouble.

3. From a team perspective, Tyranitar has some unique traits that are more relevant now than they were in April: not only is it a strong check to both Lugia and Gothitelle in addition to the threats already listed in the analysis that have made major late series surges into the Top 35 in usage after being stuck in the 50s in April, but Tyranitar also helps to check archtypes that combine super anti-stall measures like Goth with threats like Yveltal or especially Lugia, the latter of which in particular tends to do very well against offense and very poorly against stall with its more offensive sets like Weakness Policy + CM.

Once a mention of the above notes has been implemented and the move/item mentioned have been updated for the more current meta, consider this QC 2/2.
 

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