[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.
[SET]
name: Pursuit
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Roar / Hidden Power Grass / Ice Beam / Brick Break
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Modest / Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Pursuit Tyranitar's main purpose is to trap Gengar, which can otherwise wreak havoc on teams that rely on Rapid Spin, lack burn pivots, or use physically offensive Pokemon with moves that Gengar soaks with its plethora of immunities and resistances. Pursuit also has the auxiliary benefit of forcing chip damage on Choice-locked Salamence and Aerodactyl. With some prediction or the benefit of its set being unrevealed, Pursuit Tyranitar can also chip Zapdos and Moltres or even remove Celebi and Claydol. With chip damage from Celebi's Leech Seed or even the occasional Breloom's Mach Punch, Pursuit can furthermore be used to revenge kill Dugtrio. Crunch is a safe move that allows Tyranitar to severely damage any Gengar that attempts to stay in on Pursuit, hits most of unrevealed Tyranitar's switch-ins—Swampert, Metagross, Suicune, Claydol, and Flygon—for at least neutral damage, and can threaten to take out even Snorlax and Swampert with Special Defense drops. Notably, Tyranitar can survive Hydro Pump from offensive Starmie and OHKO back with Crunch in a pinch; this is a scenario that appears rather frequently on teams running Pursuit Tyranitar with Magneton, and these teams are weak to Starmie more often than not.
The third move is decided usually by the presence or absence of Magneton on the team. Fire Blast allows Tyranitar to 2HKO Skarmory, preventing it from running amok with Spikes; it also KOes Metagross after Crunch, and Tyranitar has enough bulk to survive non-Choice Band Metagross's Meteor Mash and perform the trade if necessary. Fire Blast also prevents Heracross and Breloom from coming in freely, 2HKOing the former and OHKOing the latter. With Magneton as a teammate, Skarmory and, to a lesser extent, Metagross can be trapped, so there is less of a need for Fire Blast. Ice Beam has several nifty uses here. First, if one can infer that the opponent is not using Gengar, Dugtrio can be baited to trap Tyranitar and be OHKOed in turn by Ice Beam. This frees up Magneton for trapping Skarmory without being concerned about a double switch to Dugtrio. Second, Tyranitar can survive Dragon Dance Salamence's boosted Earthquake and KO back. The decision to preserve Pursuit Tyranitar at full HP can be made when it is inferred that Salamence is the last Pokemon, because it is very likely that an opponent using Salamence will not be simultaneously using Gengar. Ice Beam also 2HKOes Zapdos and Aerodactyl, and it OHKOes Flygon.
The last move is chosen to suit the pace of the team. Roar is usually the choice for slower-paced teams that use Spikes, such as those carrying Forretress. As physical Tyranitar is usually the Jirachi check for many teams, Pursuit Tyranitar-based teams can be slightly Jirachi weak. While Roar is not a direct answer to Jirachi, it helps to mitigate that weakness by racking up enough Spikes damage so that Jirachi cannot set up sufficiently later on to be threatening. Roar is also good for denying Suicune, Curse Snorlax, and Dragon Dance users like Salamence, Gyarados, and other Tyranitar setup opportunities should they try to take advantage of weakened Tyranitar or its lack of coverage. Hidden Power Grass is good for nailing Swampert and useful for physically offensive teams that appreciate taking a chunk out of Swampert or sand teams that don't have any Swampert checks. Brick Break prevents opposing Dragon Dance Tyranitar from setting up to +2 and hits Snorlax and Blissey hard. Speed EVs might be useful to outrun Blissey in case Brick Break is used, but its usefulness is limited because Blissey is not 2HKOed, and one should generally not count on Blissey being slow. Other options not mentioned are Earthquake, which gives Tyranitar some semblance of an ability to check Jirachi, Taunt, which halts Skarmory in its tracks and prevents Blissey from taking the opportunity to come in to heal, and Counter, which is a catch-all for Dugtrio, Metagross, and Salamence and lets Tyranitar lure in and remove Claydol, giving Spikers free rein. Note that mixed sets can run a Quiet nature, though that is not strictly necessary if Brick Break's sole purpose is stopping Dragon Dance Tyranitar.
Although Leftovers is the standard item and gives Tyranitar the longevity for drawn-out games involving Snorlax or Jirachi, Black Glasses can be used when removing, and not just heavily chipping, Gengar is absolutely essential. The scenario where this is most relevant is where Pursuit Tyranitar is used in conjunction with a Pokemon that has no coverage moves for Gengar, such as Curse Snorlax lacking Shadow Ball or Breloom. It provides about 2/3 odds of OHKOing Gengar with Pursuit at the expense of Tyranitar's longevity and nullifying many of its defensive benchmarks.
Maximum HP investment gives Tyranitar the bulk to switch in and KO defensive Gengar without a Grass-type move down should Gengar decide to stay in while Tyranitar keeps using Pursuit. It also allows Tyranitar to survive Starmie's Hydro Pump, Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake, boosted Earthquake from Dragon Dance Salamence and Tyranitar, and Metagross's Meteor Mash with high odds after Spikes and Leftovers recovery. Maximum Special Attack investment allows Tyranitar to OHKO offensive Gengar with Crunch or Pursuit on the switch. More Speed at the expense of Special Attack and HP can be used to outrun Blissey and Skarmory at the expense of the aforementioned benchmarks.
Even with all its strengths, Tyranitar is not an absolutely reliable trapper. Defensive Gengar is frequently EVed to survive Pursuit on the switch out, and Tyranitar can then be chipped down via burn or removed with Dugtrio. Gengar can also nullify Tyranitar with Hypnosis or play mind games with Tyranitar if it carries Giga Drain or Hidden Power Grass. Even Gengar without these moves can play mind games with chipped Tyranitar. Thus, wherever possible, getting Tyranitar in the same turn as Gengar can greatly improve the odds of eliminating it. When Gengar is absent on the opponent's team, it may seem like Pursuit Tyranitar is useless for the battle apart from setting up sand, and one can be discouraged from sending it in. However, prudent use of Tyranitar can still maximize its utility in the battle by setting sand, trading, and exploiting its bulk. For example, if it is inferred that Pursuit Tyranitar is not needed for defensive purposes end-game, it can be switched into something like Snorlax mid-game, even if a stronger check like Metagross might be the more reliable switch-in.
Team Options
========
Pursuit Tyranitar prevents Gengar from performing its defensive and offensive roles: spinblocking, spreading burns, threatening frail offenses that are not fast enough to contest it, and having a plethora of important immunities and resistances. As such, teammates that can exploit its removal are optimal.
Defensively, Gengar's removal allows Forretress to use Rapid Spin without fear of getting spinblocked. Defensive Jirachi can fully exploit the Wish + Protect sequence without fear of burn damage accumulating over two turns. Defensive Flygon can be used as a Tyranitar check that is immune to Spikes. Celebi can drop Psychic in favor of a supporting move like Heal Bell or Baton Pass as long as the team has another way of checking Zapdos. With Magneton support, defensive Swampert can give up Hydro Pump and increase its durability tremendously by using both Protect and Refresh; Donphan can be used as a spinner that is a solid physical Tyranitar check; Steelix can be used both as a physical and Electric-type check.
Offensively, Pursuit Tyranitar supports all variants of Salamence well, as Gengar is one of the few Pokemon that can survive +1 Salamence and OHKO back. Venusaur is also well supported by Pursuit Tyranitar, for Gengar is one of the few members of stall teams that freely switches in on it. Venusaur's Sleep Powder also gives Tyranitar free turns to come in and trap the sleeping Pokemon; this is especially useful if the opponent uses Claydol as sleep fodder. The combination of Pursuit Tyranitar and Magneton takes a multi-pronged approach in weakening or eliminating most hovering threats—Gengar, Skarmory, Choice Band Salamence and Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Zapdos—reducing the need for prediction when using Choice Band Flygon, Heracross, or one's own Aerodactyl and making up for Gyarados's limited movepool. This combination also allows Curse Snorlax to drop Shadow Ball in favor of the vastly more threatening Earthquake and allows Breloom to run a set with only Fighting-type moves. Notably, Breloom and Pursuit Tyranitar form a very synergistic core. Should Breloom get trapped by Dugtrio, Mach Punch puts it in range of Tyranitar's Pursuit. Tyranitar also pivots into and chips Choice Band Salamence and Moltres, both of which are checks to Breloom.
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hidden Power Grass
move 3: Ice Beam / Rock Slide / Crunch
move 4: Brick Break / Focus Punch
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Mixed Tyranitar is a threatening wallbreaker that excels at dismantling slower teams with the versatile coverage granted by its expansive movepool. It weaponizes the element of surprise, drawing in the likes of Swampert and Metagross, which opponents will often switch in expecting physical sets with Rock Slide. With an early prediction, Tyranitar can heavily weaken these Pokemon as they switch in and compromise a defensive structure for an entire game. Its 243 Speed suits its role well; it is faster than the vast majority of Metagross sets, all Swampert sets, uninvested base 100s such as Celebi, Zapdos, and Jirachi, and base 70s with a neutral nature such as Magneton and Skarmory. Getting the first hit off is very valuable for Tyranitar, as this set is not at all resilient. It cannot switch into Zapdos's Thunderbolt, is OHKOed by Hydro Pumps from Torrent-active Swampert and Starmie, and most importantly is easily trapped and picked off by Dugtrio. Tyranitar will get KOed quickly and is not at all suited to drawn-out games, so sharp lines of play are required to harness its potential.
Fire Blast scorches Skarmory and Metagross; it is a comfortable 2HKO on both. Skarmory is able to regain health later on with Protect and its excellent pivoting ability, but if Metagross takes a Fire Blast, it is essentially out of the game, and even if it manages to get in safely again later, it is forced to prematurely use Explosion. Hidden Power Grass targets the ubiquitous Swampert, a Pokemon that will switch into Tyranitar very often, as it is the ideal response to physical sets. When using this Tyranitar, bluffing a physical set such as Dragon Dance to lure in Swampert can be devastating and is not too difficult to pull off either. For example, bringing Tyranitar in at a natural Dragon Dance juncture such as versus weakened Blissey achieves this effect.
Ice Beam is employed to cover the two 4x Ice-weak Pokemon in the tier, Salamence and Flygon. Salamence cannot use Dragon Dance against this Tyranitar, as it will be comfortably OHKOed. Having the OHKO move for Flygon available is ideal; Flygon is another desired response to Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and as such, mixed Tyranitar excels at luring it. Ice Beam is also the only move other than Focus Punch that mixed Tyranitar can use to OHKO Dugtrio; once Tyranitar has revealed a lack of Leftovers and Fire Blast, Dugtrio could otherwise freely switch into any move and trap it. Rock Slide is an alternative to Ice Beam that lets Tyranitar crush Moltres, and it is stronger against Zapdos. 16 Attack EVs are recommended with Rock Slide, as this allows Tyranitar to always OHKO Aerodactyl. Crunch is a third option, dealing strong neutral hits as a somewhat spammable move and being Tyranitar's only method of 2HKOing Claydol and its best move for dueling Celebi due to Fire Blast's extremely limited PP and imperfect accuracy. Crunch is also notable for OHKOing frailer Gengar sets. However, this Tyranitar is not particularly suited to switching into Gengar due to its poor bulk, and if Tyranitar shows no Leftovers, Gengar will rarely stay in to get hit by Crunch because Pursuit becomes considerably less likely. Crunch is also much worse than Ice Beam and Rock Slide against Zapdos and Salamence.
Brick Break completes the set's rainbow of coverage. It is particularly useful in the Tyranitar mirror, with its universal 2HKO giving it the edge against all sets outside of Choice Band and Dragon Dance. It nonetheless stifles Dragon Dance Tyranitar, disallowing the setup of multiple boosts. Brick Break also prevents Blissey from switching into Tyranitar, particularly with Spikes up. However, Tyranitar sadly cannot 2HKO a fully healthy blob. Tyranitar can still potentially break through Blissey with chained Brick Breaks, as the repeated uses of Soft-Boiled that Brick Break forces give Tyranitar more chances for a critical hit and Lum Berry shields Tyranitar from that crucial Thunder Wave. Brick Break is also the best thing this Tyranitar can throw at Snorlax. Focus Punch is an alternative to Brick Break, best used alongside Rock Slide for a one-two punch of forcing Blissey to heal away Rock Slide damage then smashing it as it does so with Focus Punch. Focus Punch also denies Dragon Dance Tyranitar any setup opportunity whatsoever.
Lum Berry is a fantastic item for this set; so many defensive teams lean on status to combat Tyranitar. A single-turn shield from Skarmory's Toxic, Gengar's Will-O-Wisp, Snorlax's Body Slam, and Blissey's Thunder Wave and Toxic grants Tyranitar a crucial lifeline that allows it to continue pressurizing for that extra turn or two, which can greatly swing the game's momentum. Leftovers can grant Tyranitar a few turns of passive recovery, especially as defensive teams often spend multiple turns pivoting or using Protect versus mixed Tyranitar. Hasty Tyranitar with Leftovers also consistently avoids being 2HKOed by Timid Zapdos's Thunderbolt. Naturally, one should not rely on this Tyranitar as a Zapdos stop at all, but this bonus is useful in a pinch. Salac Berry is also a viable alternative because Tyranitar is frequently chipped or can be manipulated into activation range by a combination of attacks and Spikes. It allows Tyranitar to fire off that extra super effective hit before it goes down.
Hasty is the slightly preferred nature, as it gives Tyranitar a little more staying power against Gengar and Zapdos and enables it to always survives Torrent-boosted Surf from uninvested Swampert—even most of the time after one layer of Spikes. A Naive nature allows Tyranitar to survive two Aerodactyl Rock Slides almost all the time and improves Tyranitar's odds of surviving a MixMence's Brick Break after Spikes. Naive improves Tyranitar's staying power against Claydol's and Flygon's Earthquakes, avoiding the 2HKO from the former more often and the OHKO from all spreads of the latter. A Special Attack-boosting nature can replace the usual Speed-boosting one, and it makes Tyranitar's damage against Skarmory, Swampert, and Metagross stick a little more. However, being slower than the multitude of Pokemon between 221 and 243 Speed—Choice Band Metagross, Endeavor Swampert, uninvested base 100s, and Modest Magneton—is devastating.
Thunder Wave is a lesser used option that can take fast Pokemon such as Gengar and Zapdos out of the game. It is also Tyranitar's best option for dealing with Superachi. Thunder Wave will likely replace the Fighting-type coverage move, and it is best used alongside Rock Slide, as paraflinching Blissey is Tyranitar's best way of getting past it with no Fighting-type move available. Finally, Thunder is usable for catching Milotic and Suicune on the switch.
Team Options
========
Mixed Tyranitar is a fast-paced offensive Pokemon that finds its best use on similarly offensive teams built around cultivating momentum. It is extremely well suited to supporting late-game physical threats such as Dragon Dance Salamence, Agility Metagross, and Aerodactyl, all of which highly appreciate a weakened—or even KOed—Skarmory or Swampert. Mixed Tyranitar works well alongside other breaking Pokemon that effectively make use of momentum; doubling up on mixed attackers with a mixed Metagross or Salamence is a great combination for exerting high pressure. This Tyranitar also functions well on a more specially oriented offense, in particularly alongside the likes of Supercele and Dugtrio. This triumvirate has some excellent synergies; Dugtrio can trap other Dugtrio that have revenge killed Celebi, allowing Tyranitar to later attack with impunity and not fear being trapped. Celebi is also excellent at using the small selection of Pokemon that wall this Tyranitar, namely Milotic and defensive Suicune, to comfortably set up with Calm Mind and threaten to sweep. Dugtrio removes Metagross after it has been dented with Fire Blast, preventing a threatening trade from the opponent via Explosion, and also removes slightly weakened Starmie, which can otherwise exploit the specially offensive vulnerabilities of many offensive teams that contain this Tyranitar. On the topic of special attackers, Tyranitar needs a partner that can weather a special hit once or twice from the likes of Starmie, offensive Suicune, and Zapdos. Out of the limited repertoire of special walls in the tier, this will more likely be Snorlax than Blissey, as Snorlax is better suited to the fast offensive teams that this Tyranitar works best on, surrendering less momentum than Blissey. Finally, mixed Tyranitar also goes well with Spikes, as its rainbow of coverage and surprise factor give it an easy time forcing switches and racking up Spikes damage. On offensive teams, the Spiker of choice is frequently Cloyster, but it can easily also be Skarmory.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug
item: Choice Band
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Band Tyranitar is a potent wallbreaker; while mixed Tyranitar is surgically precise at dismantling TSS teams, Choice Band Tyranitar is an all-around great wallbreaker that is adept at switching into and forcing out special walls and denting the tier's selection of defensive Water-types. Rock Slide exerts tremendous pressure on bulky Water-types that do not resist Rock, namely Milotic and Suicune. The odds of 2HKOing Milotic under sand are overwhelmingly high, forcing Milotic to switch; the definite 3HKO on Suicune forces it to use Rest early. Sometimes, Tyranitar even gets away scot-free by flinching through these walls. Once Milotic and Suicune cede momentum, it is no longer a straightforward task bringing them in. Choice Band Tyranitar is essentially the strongest set against bulky Water-types. Focus Punch is Choice Band Tyranitar's main coverage move, smashing Water-types, Skarmory, Flygon, and Metagross on the switch when the opponent respects the possibility of losing the Pokemon right in front of them with Rock Slide. Notably, it threatens to 2HKO Suicune under sand, and it 2HKOes Swampert as well. Earthquake nails Metagross on the switch, keeps Jirachi under control defensively, and hits opposing Tyranitar hard. Hidden Power Bug OHKOes Celebi and 2HKOes Claydol. An alternative in the fourth slot is Double-Edge, which eliminates prediction by providing neutral coverage against bulky Water-types, Flygon, and Claydol as they come in, and, compared to Focus Punch, it does not require Tyranitar to switch out after. Another alternative is Brick Break, which helps against Curse Snorlax, Blissey, and opposing Tyranitar. It is advised to have other measures for Celebi such as Dugtrio and Moltres if these alternative fillers are used.
Maximum Attack EVs help Tyranitar maximize the odds of KOing its walls. Maximum Speed EVs allow Tyranitar to outspeed Milotic and Suicune, most offensive Swampert, and most Metagross. Other options are a Jolly nature, unfortunately with a huge reduction in power, and at least 188 HP EVs to get to 387 HP, surviving Dugtrio and helping with checking offensive Jirachi and Zapdos, but the lack of Leftovers and the ease of taking chip damage through Spikes and attacks from even passive Pokemon frequently nullifies those benchmarks; this spread is perhaps most useful when Tyranitar is passed Wish.
This set is ideally played with emphasis on aggressive prediction as a fearsome lead that is very effective against Zapdos and its switch-ins, coming in on slow Pokemon like Blissey and Snorlax, using Focus Punch or Earthquake on predicted switches to Rock-resistant Pokemon. While Focus Punch does a ton of damage should the opponent switch, using Earthquake as a midground hits both Metagross and Water-type switch-ins really hard while not revealing the move choice when Zapdos uses Baton Pass and mitigating the risk of locking into Focus Punch against a Snorlax that decides to stay in and attack. A single turn can put an offensive team's physical defenses out of commission just like that. Its weaknesses lie in its momentum losses and lack of bulk, so aggressive double switches are preferred to coming in and taking damage. One has to be far-sighted using this set as the game goes on; being Choice locked is dangerous against offensive teams and allows them to set up or gain momentum. Without any bulk investment or Leftovers, Tyranitar gets annihilated by Dugtrio, and its offensive abilities are severely compromised by paralysis from Blissey, Snorlax, and Jirachi. It is also prone to getting burned by Gengar.
Team Options
========
Surprisingly, this offensive set fits best with more defensive partners; being Choice-locked allows for easier setup from foes, so the team needs to be safe against boosting threats such as Dragon Dance Salamence. Skarmory and Swampert can soak hits from Metagross and Salamence, both common pivots into Tyranitar's most potent moves. Choice Band Tyranitar works nicely with Spikes support for additional pressure on Water-types and Metagross. Blissey and Jirachi can pass Wishes to Tyranitar; furthermore, Blissey absorbs Will-O-Wisp from Gengar too. Spinners like Claydol and Starmie can prolong Tyranitar's longevity in light of lacking Leftovers. Zapdos can use Baton Pass to bring Tyranitar in safely on an anticipated switch to Blissey, Snorlax, or Celebi. Dugtrio can trap Steel-types, allowing Tyranitar to mindlessly lock in on Rock Slide should the opponent not have another Rock-resistant Pokemon. Porygon2 can counter trap opposing Dugtrio, while Choice Band Tyranitar is also great at threatening Curse Snorlax, which Porygon2 lets in a lot. Physical late-game threats such as Aerodactyl and Salamence appreciate weakened Water-types. Aerodactyl especially fits well on the same teams that Choice Band Tyranitar fits on, and being faster than Gengar and Starmie is really helpful on those kinds of teams. Moltres is a particularly synergistic partner. It draws Blissey in and forces it to recover, allowing Tyranitar an entry point, while Tyranitar's chip damage on Water-types gives Moltres an easier time.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute Tyranitar can be an excellent wallbreaker. With 101 HP Substitutes, Tyranitar blocks status moves from Blissey and eliminates the prediction required to fire off Focus Punch. Follow up moves such as Hidden Power Grass, Fire Blast, and Thunder can then severely damage incoming checks like Swampert, Metagross, and Suicune. While mixed Substitute + Focus Punch sets are great lures, they require compromises in Special Attack EVs due to the need for maximum HP and sufficient Speed to outrun tanks while using a Speed-reducing nature. Thus, physical EVs with Rock Slide + Hidden Power Bug or Grass can also be used. Substitute Tyranitar fits well on paralysis-spam teams, allowing Tyranitar to fish for full paralysis.
Pursuit Tyranitar can run Salac Berry with Fire-, Grass-, and Fighting-type coverage and offensive EVs just like the mixed Tyranitar set, giving it an extra opportunity to outspeed and trap Gengar while retaining its offensive abilities by using its relatively high Speed unlike bulky Pursuit Tyranitar. Getting into Salac Berry range is not as difficult as it sounds, as teammates can be sacrificed and Spikes damage can be used to manipulate Tyranitar's HP. Thunder Wave can be used, especially on Pursuit Tyranitar, as a nasty surprise against checks like Metagross and Suicune; Ice Beam + Hidden Power Grass coverage allows Tyranitar to deter Ground-types, which do not get affected by Thunder Wave.
A variety of items can be used with Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Salac Berry can also be used on bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar to outspeed the entire metagame after a single boost; Endure goes well with that set. Liechi Berry can help with wallbreaking when a Water-type attack brings Tyranitar into activation range. Soft Sand can be used on Dragon Dance Tyranitar to nab the OHKOs on Metagross and Tyranitar after a single layer of Spikes.
Protect is especially useful on lead Tyranitar; it scouts the item on lead Salamence and also scouts Choice Band Salamence's move. It also helps Tyranitar heal out of Dugtrio's Earthquake range, giving Tyranitar the chance to KO it. Protect is most easily placed on Pursuit Tyranitar, but it can also be used with bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Notably, Protect allows Tyranitar to survive two Surfs from uninvested Suicune and potentially two Surfs from Milotic too. These odds, compounded with those of Rock Slide flinching, make it very likely that Tyranitar breaks through Milotic.
Curse + Rest can be used to turn the tables on Flygon and Claydol, but the prevalence of Water-type moves and the high chance of a critical hit while setting up makes the sweep difficult to pull off. Rest, perhaps even with Chesto Berry, can be used on bulky Tyranitar sets too, giving Tyranitar another lease on life after being burned in the process of trapping Gengar. Toxic can be used to slowly wear down Swampert and Suicune, but the prevalence of Refresh Swampert makes such an option unreliable. For this reason, it is a good idea to use Taunt alongside Toxic.
Checks and Counters
===================
As Tyranitar is extremely versatile, its checks and counters can be rather set specific.
**Water-types**: Water-types all have the ability to at least 2HKO Tyranitar. Swampert is the premier physical Tyranitar check, boasting the important Rock-type resistance and sand immunity. Unfortunately, Swampert is also the target of a wallbreaker set with Hidden Power Grass. Milotic and, to some extent, Suicune do much better at facing mixed Tyranitar, with the former shrugging its hits off and latter easily pivoting in on any move other than Hidden Power Grass to force Tyranitar out. Suicune, however, gets easily worn down due to its lack of instant recovery. Although Starmie is frail, it can come in on unboosted attacks or even pivot into mixed Tyranitar, outspeed boosted Tyranitar that lack a Speed-boosting nature, and attempt to KO back with Hydro Pump. Gyarados also deals with mixed Tyranitar lacking Rock Slide.
**Ground-types**: Flygon resists Rock-type moves and is immune to Earthquake, making it a good check to physical Tyranitar sets. It needs to be wary of Ice Beam and Double-Edge, however, and offensive sets without much bulk can be flinched down by Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Claydol completely nullifies Dragon Dance + Hidden Power Grass Tyranitar and can hold its ground against other Tyranitar sets as long as it pivots into Rock Slide. Claydol, however, takes a great deal of damage from Hidden Power Bug and Crunch. Although rare, Donphan is also an excellent counter to physical Tyranitar that isn't too weak to Hidden Power Grass, and Steelix can survive two boosted Earthquakes from Jolly Dragon Dance Tyranitar with the help of Protect to 2HKO back.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio sets itself apart from other Ground-types with its ability to trap Tyranitar. Jolly Dugtrio can outspeed +1 Tyranitar and has a 75% chance to OHKO bulkless Tyranitar. It's also not too difficult to chip the bulky sets into OHKO range. Adamant Dugtrio cannot outspeed boosted Jolly Tyranitar, but it OHKOes bulkless Tyranitar with certainty and OHKOes full HP Tyranitar half the time.
**Metagross**: With a bit of bulk, Metagross can often come in on Rock Slide or Dragon Dance, survive the Earthquake, and OHKO back bulkless Tyranitar with Meteor Mash. Defensive Metagross can even survive two unboosted Earthquakes and still OHKO bulkless Tyranitar in return. Metagross can also survive Fire Blast and attempt to KO back. Regardless, Metagross is still a check, not a hard counter; care has to be taken not to switch Metagross into a super effective move unless absolutely necessary.
**Fighting-types**: Despite not being too robust under sand, Fighting-types resist Rock Slide and can OHKO Tyranitar and thus can serve as an offensive check to physical Tyranitar; Hariyama and Machamp are particular examples, with no special weaknesses to Tyranitar's coverage moves either. Breloom resists both Rock Slide and Earthquake and can potentially pack Mach Punch to turn the tables on Dragon Dance Tyranitar; however, Breloom has to be wary of Fire Blast and Ice Beam. Heracross does not resist Rock but can easily OHKO Tyranitar.
**Intimidate**: Salamence and Gyarados can be important pivots against Dragon Dance Tyranitar by using Intimidate to eliminate its boosts and pivoting or sacrificing themselves or another teammate to send in a check.
**Fire-types**: This only applies to the mixed set. Fire-types like Moltres and Charizard have a niche in being able to resist three of mixed Tyranitar's moves and are able to hit back decently hard with Hidden Power Grass.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [Triangles, 118250], [watermess, 440992], [Jisoo, 288832]]
- Quality checked by: [[BKC, 52012], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
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.
[SET]
name: Pursuit
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Roar / Hidden Power Grass / Ice Beam / Brick Break
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Modest / Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Pursuit Tyranitar's main purpose is to trap Gengar, which can otherwise wreak havoc on teams that rely on Rapid Spin, lack burn pivots, or use physically offensive Pokemon with moves that Gengar soaks with its plethora of immunities and resistances. Pursuit also has the auxiliary benefit of forcing chip damage on Choice-locked Salamence and Aerodactyl. With some prediction or the benefit of its set being unrevealed, Pursuit Tyranitar can also chip Zapdos and Moltres or even remove Celebi and Claydol. With chip damage from Celebi's Leech Seed or even the occasional Breloom's Mach Punch, Pursuit can furthermore be used to revenge kill Dugtrio. Crunch is a safe move that allows Tyranitar to severely damage any Gengar that attempts to stay in on Pursuit, hits most of unrevealed Tyranitar's switch-ins—Swampert, Metagross, Suicune, Claydol, and Flygon—for at least neutral damage, and can threaten to take out even Snorlax and Swampert with Special Defense drops. Notably, Tyranitar can survive Hydro Pump from offensive Starmie and OHKO back with Crunch in a pinch; this is a scenario that appears rather frequently on teams running Pursuit Tyranitar with Magneton, and these teams are weak to Starmie more often than not.
The third move is decided usually by the presence or absence of Magneton on the team. Fire Blast allows Tyranitar to 2HKO Skarmory, preventing it from running amok with Spikes; it also KOes Metagross after Crunch, and Tyranitar has enough bulk to survive non-Choice Band Metagross's Meteor Mash and perform the trade if necessary. Fire Blast also prevents Heracross and Breloom from coming in freely, 2HKOing the former and OHKOing the latter. With Magneton as a teammate, Skarmory and, to a lesser extent, Metagross can be trapped, so there is less of a need for Fire Blast. Ice Beam has several nifty uses here. First, if one can infer that the opponent is not using Gengar, Dugtrio can be baited to trap Tyranitar and be OHKOed in turn by Ice Beam. This frees up Magneton for trapping Skarmory without being concerned about a double switch to Dugtrio. Second, Tyranitar can survive Dragon Dance Salamence's boosted Earthquake and KO back. The decision to preserve Pursuit Tyranitar at full HP can be made when it is inferred that Salamence is the last Pokemon, because it is very likely that an opponent using Salamence will not be simultaneously using Gengar. Ice Beam also 2HKOes Zapdos and Aerodactyl, and it OHKOes Flygon.
The last move is chosen to suit the pace of the team. Roar is usually the choice for slower-paced teams that use Spikes, such as those carrying Forretress. As physical Tyranitar is usually the Jirachi check for many teams, Pursuit Tyranitar-based teams can be slightly Jirachi weak. While Roar is not a direct answer to Jirachi, it helps to mitigate that weakness by racking up enough Spikes damage so that Jirachi cannot set up sufficiently later on to be threatening. Roar is also good for denying Suicune, Curse Snorlax, and Dragon Dance users like Salamence, Gyarados, and other Tyranitar setup opportunities should they try to take advantage of weakened Tyranitar or its lack of coverage. Hidden Power Grass is good for nailing Swampert and useful for physically offensive teams that appreciate taking a chunk out of Swampert or sand teams that don't have any Swampert checks. Brick Break prevents opposing Dragon Dance Tyranitar from setting up to +2 and hits Snorlax and Blissey hard. Speed EVs might be useful to outrun Blissey in case Brick Break is used, but its usefulness is limited because Blissey is not 2HKOed, and one should generally not count on Blissey being slow. Other options not mentioned are Earthquake, which gives Tyranitar some semblance of an ability to check Jirachi, Taunt, which halts Skarmory in its tracks and prevents Blissey from taking the opportunity to come in to heal, and Counter, which is a catch-all for Dugtrio, Metagross, and Salamence and lets Tyranitar lure in and remove Claydol, giving Spikers free rein. Note that mixed sets can run a Quiet nature, though that is not strictly necessary if Brick Break's sole purpose is stopping Dragon Dance Tyranitar.
Although Leftovers is the standard item and gives Tyranitar the longevity for drawn-out games involving Snorlax or Jirachi, Black Glasses can be used when removing, and not just heavily chipping, Gengar is absolutely essential. The scenario where this is most relevant is where Pursuit Tyranitar is used in conjunction with a Pokemon that has no coverage moves for Gengar, such as Curse Snorlax lacking Shadow Ball or Breloom. It provides about 2/3 odds of OHKOing Gengar with Pursuit at the expense of Tyranitar's longevity and nullifying many of its defensive benchmarks.
Maximum HP investment gives Tyranitar the bulk to switch in and KO defensive Gengar without a Grass-type move down should Gengar decide to stay in while Tyranitar keeps using Pursuit. It also allows Tyranitar to survive Starmie's Hydro Pump, Jolly Dugtrio's Earthquake, boosted Earthquake from Dragon Dance Salamence and Tyranitar, and Metagross's Meteor Mash with high odds after Spikes and Leftovers recovery. Maximum Special Attack investment allows Tyranitar to OHKO offensive Gengar with Crunch or Pursuit on the switch. More Speed at the expense of Special Attack and HP can be used to outrun Blissey and Skarmory at the expense of the aforementioned benchmarks.
Even with all its strengths, Tyranitar is not an absolutely reliable trapper. Defensive Gengar is frequently EVed to survive Pursuit on the switch out, and Tyranitar can then be chipped down via burn or removed with Dugtrio. Gengar can also nullify Tyranitar with Hypnosis or play mind games with Tyranitar if it carries Giga Drain or Hidden Power Grass. Even Gengar without these moves can play mind games with chipped Tyranitar. Thus, wherever possible, getting Tyranitar in the same turn as Gengar can greatly improve the odds of eliminating it. When Gengar is absent on the opponent's team, it may seem like Pursuit Tyranitar is useless for the battle apart from setting up sand, and one can be discouraged from sending it in. However, prudent use of Tyranitar can still maximize its utility in the battle by setting sand, trading, and exploiting its bulk. For example, if it is inferred that Pursuit Tyranitar is not needed for defensive purposes end-game, it can be switched into something like Snorlax mid-game, even if a stronger check like Metagross might be the more reliable switch-in.
Team Options
========
Pursuit Tyranitar prevents Gengar from performing its defensive and offensive roles: spinblocking, spreading burns, threatening frail offenses that are not fast enough to contest it, and having a plethora of important immunities and resistances. As such, teammates that can exploit its removal are optimal.
Defensively, Gengar's removal allows Forretress to use Rapid Spin without fear of getting spinblocked. Defensive Jirachi can fully exploit the Wish + Protect sequence without fear of burn damage accumulating over two turns. Defensive Flygon can be used as a Tyranitar check that is immune to Spikes. Celebi can drop Psychic in favor of a supporting move like Heal Bell or Baton Pass as long as the team has another way of checking Zapdos. With Magneton support, defensive Swampert can give up Hydro Pump and increase its durability tremendously by using both Protect and Refresh; Donphan can be used as a spinner that is a solid physical Tyranitar check; Steelix can be used both as a physical and Electric-type check.
Offensively, Pursuit Tyranitar supports all variants of Salamence well, as Gengar is one of the few Pokemon that can survive +1 Salamence and OHKO back. Venusaur is also well supported by Pursuit Tyranitar, for Gengar is one of the few members of stall teams that freely switches in on it. Venusaur's Sleep Powder also gives Tyranitar free turns to come in and trap the sleeping Pokemon; this is especially useful if the opponent uses Claydol as sleep fodder. The combination of Pursuit Tyranitar and Magneton takes a multi-pronged approach in weakening or eliminating most hovering threats—Gengar, Skarmory, Choice Band Salamence and Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Zapdos—reducing the need for prediction when using Choice Band Flygon, Heracross, or one's own Aerodactyl and making up for Gyarados's limited movepool. This combination also allows Curse Snorlax to drop Shadow Ball in favor of the vastly more threatening Earthquake and allows Breloom to run a set with only Fighting-type moves. Notably, Breloom and Pursuit Tyranitar form a very synergistic core. Should Breloom get trapped by Dugtrio, Mach Punch puts it in range of Tyranitar's Pursuit. Tyranitar also pivots into and chips Choice Band Salamence and Moltres, both of which are checks to Breloom.
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hidden Power Grass
move 3: Ice Beam / Rock Slide / Crunch
move 4: Brick Break / Focus Punch
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Mixed Tyranitar is a threatening wallbreaker that excels at dismantling slower teams with the versatile coverage granted by its expansive movepool. It weaponizes the element of surprise, drawing in the likes of Swampert and Metagross, which opponents will often switch in expecting physical sets with Rock Slide. With an early prediction, Tyranitar can heavily weaken these Pokemon as they switch in and compromise a defensive structure for an entire game. Its 243 Speed suits its role well; it is faster than the vast majority of Metagross sets, all Swampert sets, uninvested base 100s such as Celebi, Zapdos, and Jirachi, and base 70s with a neutral nature such as Magneton and Skarmory. Getting the first hit off is very valuable for Tyranitar, as this set is not at all resilient. It cannot switch into Zapdos's Thunderbolt, is OHKOed by Hydro Pumps from Torrent-active Swampert and Starmie, and most importantly is easily trapped and picked off by Dugtrio. Tyranitar will get KOed quickly and is not at all suited to drawn-out games, so sharp lines of play are required to harness its potential.
Fire Blast scorches Skarmory and Metagross; it is a comfortable 2HKO on both. Skarmory is able to regain health later on with Protect and its excellent pivoting ability, but if Metagross takes a Fire Blast, it is essentially out of the game, and even if it manages to get in safely again later, it is forced to prematurely use Explosion. Hidden Power Grass targets the ubiquitous Swampert, a Pokemon that will switch into Tyranitar very often, as it is the ideal response to physical sets. When using this Tyranitar, bluffing a physical set such as Dragon Dance to lure in Swampert can be devastating and is not too difficult to pull off either. For example, bringing Tyranitar in at a natural Dragon Dance juncture such as versus weakened Blissey achieves this effect.
Ice Beam is employed to cover the two 4x Ice-weak Pokemon in the tier, Salamence and Flygon. Salamence cannot use Dragon Dance against this Tyranitar, as it will be comfortably OHKOed. Having the OHKO move for Flygon available is ideal; Flygon is another desired response to Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and as such, mixed Tyranitar excels at luring it. Ice Beam is also the only move other than Focus Punch that mixed Tyranitar can use to OHKO Dugtrio; once Tyranitar has revealed a lack of Leftovers and Fire Blast, Dugtrio could otherwise freely switch into any move and trap it. Rock Slide is an alternative to Ice Beam that lets Tyranitar crush Moltres, and it is stronger against Zapdos. 16 Attack EVs are recommended with Rock Slide, as this allows Tyranitar to always OHKO Aerodactyl. Crunch is a third option, dealing strong neutral hits as a somewhat spammable move and being Tyranitar's only method of 2HKOing Claydol and its best move for dueling Celebi due to Fire Blast's extremely limited PP and imperfect accuracy. Crunch is also notable for OHKOing frailer Gengar sets. However, this Tyranitar is not particularly suited to switching into Gengar due to its poor bulk, and if Tyranitar shows no Leftovers, Gengar will rarely stay in to get hit by Crunch because Pursuit becomes considerably less likely. Crunch is also much worse than Ice Beam and Rock Slide against Zapdos and Salamence.
Brick Break completes the set's rainbow of coverage. It is particularly useful in the Tyranitar mirror, with its universal 2HKO giving it the edge against all sets outside of Choice Band and Dragon Dance. It nonetheless stifles Dragon Dance Tyranitar, disallowing the setup of multiple boosts. Brick Break also prevents Blissey from switching into Tyranitar, particularly with Spikes up. However, Tyranitar sadly cannot 2HKO a fully healthy blob. Tyranitar can still potentially break through Blissey with chained Brick Breaks, as the repeated uses of Soft-Boiled that Brick Break forces give Tyranitar more chances for a critical hit and Lum Berry shields Tyranitar from that crucial Thunder Wave. Brick Break is also the best thing this Tyranitar can throw at Snorlax. Focus Punch is an alternative to Brick Break, best used alongside Rock Slide for a one-two punch of forcing Blissey to heal away Rock Slide damage then smashing it as it does so with Focus Punch. Focus Punch also denies Dragon Dance Tyranitar any setup opportunity whatsoever.
Lum Berry is a fantastic item for this set; so many defensive teams lean on status to combat Tyranitar. A single-turn shield from Skarmory's Toxic, Gengar's Will-O-Wisp, Snorlax's Body Slam, and Blissey's Thunder Wave and Toxic grants Tyranitar a crucial lifeline that allows it to continue pressurizing for that extra turn or two, which can greatly swing the game's momentum. Leftovers can grant Tyranitar a few turns of passive recovery, especially as defensive teams often spend multiple turns pivoting or using Protect versus mixed Tyranitar. Hasty Tyranitar with Leftovers also consistently avoids being 2HKOed by Timid Zapdos's Thunderbolt. Naturally, one should not rely on this Tyranitar as a Zapdos stop at all, but this bonus is useful in a pinch. Salac Berry is also a viable alternative because Tyranitar is frequently chipped or can be manipulated into activation range by a combination of attacks and Spikes. It allows Tyranitar to fire off that extra super effective hit before it goes down.
Hasty is the slightly preferred nature, as it gives Tyranitar a little more staying power against Gengar and Zapdos and enables it to always survives Torrent-boosted Surf from uninvested Swampert—even most of the time after one layer of Spikes. A Naive nature allows Tyranitar to survive two Aerodactyl Rock Slides almost all the time and improves Tyranitar's odds of surviving a MixMence's Brick Break after Spikes. Naive improves Tyranitar's staying power against Claydol's and Flygon's Earthquakes, avoiding the 2HKO from the former more often and the OHKO from all spreads of the latter. A Special Attack-boosting nature can replace the usual Speed-boosting one, and it makes Tyranitar's damage against Skarmory, Swampert, and Metagross stick a little more. However, being slower than the multitude of Pokemon between 221 and 243 Speed—Choice Band Metagross, Endeavor Swampert, uninvested base 100s, and Modest Magneton—is devastating.
Thunder Wave is a lesser used option that can take fast Pokemon such as Gengar and Zapdos out of the game. It is also Tyranitar's best option for dealing with Superachi. Thunder Wave will likely replace the Fighting-type coverage move, and it is best used alongside Rock Slide, as paraflinching Blissey is Tyranitar's best way of getting past it with no Fighting-type move available. Finally, Thunder is usable for catching Milotic and Suicune on the switch.
Team Options
========
Mixed Tyranitar is a fast-paced offensive Pokemon that finds its best use on similarly offensive teams built around cultivating momentum. It is extremely well suited to supporting late-game physical threats such as Dragon Dance Salamence, Agility Metagross, and Aerodactyl, all of which highly appreciate a weakened—or even KOed—Skarmory or Swampert. Mixed Tyranitar works well alongside other breaking Pokemon that effectively make use of momentum; doubling up on mixed attackers with a mixed Metagross or Salamence is a great combination for exerting high pressure. This Tyranitar also functions well on a more specially oriented offense, in particularly alongside the likes of Supercele and Dugtrio. This triumvirate has some excellent synergies; Dugtrio can trap other Dugtrio that have revenge killed Celebi, allowing Tyranitar to later attack with impunity and not fear being trapped. Celebi is also excellent at using the small selection of Pokemon that wall this Tyranitar, namely Milotic and defensive Suicune, to comfortably set up with Calm Mind and threaten to sweep. Dugtrio removes Metagross after it has been dented with Fire Blast, preventing a threatening trade from the opponent via Explosion, and also removes slightly weakened Starmie, which can otherwise exploit the specially offensive vulnerabilities of many offensive teams that contain this Tyranitar. On the topic of special attackers, Tyranitar needs a partner that can weather a special hit once or twice from the likes of Starmie, offensive Suicune, and Zapdos. Out of the limited repertoire of special walls in the tier, this will more likely be Snorlax than Blissey, as Snorlax is better suited to the fast offensive teams that this Tyranitar works best on, surrendering less momentum than Blissey. Finally, mixed Tyranitar also goes well with Spikes, as its rainbow of coverage and surprise factor give it an easy time forcing switches and racking up Spikes damage. On offensive teams, the Spiker of choice is frequently Cloyster, but it can easily also be Skarmory.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Bug
item: Choice Band
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Choice Band Tyranitar is a potent wallbreaker; while mixed Tyranitar is surgically precise at dismantling TSS teams, Choice Band Tyranitar is an all-around great wallbreaker that is adept at switching into and forcing out special walls and denting the tier's selection of defensive Water-types. Rock Slide exerts tremendous pressure on bulky Water-types that do not resist Rock, namely Milotic and Suicune. The odds of 2HKOing Milotic under sand are overwhelmingly high, forcing Milotic to switch; the definite 3HKO on Suicune forces it to use Rest early. Sometimes, Tyranitar even gets away scot-free by flinching through these walls. Once Milotic and Suicune cede momentum, it is no longer a straightforward task bringing them in. Choice Band Tyranitar is essentially the strongest set against bulky Water-types. Focus Punch is Choice Band Tyranitar's main coverage move, smashing Water-types, Skarmory, Flygon, and Metagross on the switch when the opponent respects the possibility of losing the Pokemon right in front of them with Rock Slide. Notably, it threatens to 2HKO Suicune under sand, and it 2HKOes Swampert as well. Earthquake nails Metagross on the switch, keeps Jirachi under control defensively, and hits opposing Tyranitar hard. Hidden Power Bug OHKOes Celebi and 2HKOes Claydol. An alternative in the fourth slot is Double-Edge, which eliminates prediction by providing neutral coverage against bulky Water-types, Flygon, and Claydol as they come in, and, compared to Focus Punch, it does not require Tyranitar to switch out after. Another alternative is Brick Break, which helps against Curse Snorlax, Blissey, and opposing Tyranitar. It is advised to have other measures for Celebi such as Dugtrio and Moltres if these alternative fillers are used.
Maximum Attack EVs help Tyranitar maximize the odds of KOing its walls. Maximum Speed EVs allow Tyranitar to outspeed Milotic and Suicune, most offensive Swampert, and most Metagross. Other options are a Jolly nature, unfortunately with a huge reduction in power, and at least 188 HP EVs to get to 387 HP, surviving Dugtrio and helping with checking offensive Jirachi and Zapdos, but the lack of Leftovers and the ease of taking chip damage through Spikes and attacks from even passive Pokemon frequently nullifies those benchmarks; this spread is perhaps most useful when Tyranitar is passed Wish.
This set is ideally played with emphasis on aggressive prediction as a fearsome lead that is very effective against Zapdos and its switch-ins, coming in on slow Pokemon like Blissey and Snorlax, using Focus Punch or Earthquake on predicted switches to Rock-resistant Pokemon. While Focus Punch does a ton of damage should the opponent switch, using Earthquake as a midground hits both Metagross and Water-type switch-ins really hard while not revealing the move choice when Zapdos uses Baton Pass and mitigating the risk of locking into Focus Punch against a Snorlax that decides to stay in and attack. A single turn can put an offensive team's physical defenses out of commission just like that. Its weaknesses lie in its momentum losses and lack of bulk, so aggressive double switches are preferred to coming in and taking damage. One has to be far-sighted using this set as the game goes on; being Choice locked is dangerous against offensive teams and allows them to set up or gain momentum. Without any bulk investment or Leftovers, Tyranitar gets annihilated by Dugtrio, and its offensive abilities are severely compromised by paralysis from Blissey, Snorlax, and Jirachi. It is also prone to getting burned by Gengar.
Team Options
========
Surprisingly, this offensive set fits best with more defensive partners; being Choice-locked allows for easier setup from foes, so the team needs to be safe against boosting threats such as Dragon Dance Salamence. Skarmory and Swampert can soak hits from Metagross and Salamence, both common pivots into Tyranitar's most potent moves. Choice Band Tyranitar works nicely with Spikes support for additional pressure on Water-types and Metagross. Blissey and Jirachi can pass Wishes to Tyranitar; furthermore, Blissey absorbs Will-O-Wisp from Gengar too. Spinners like Claydol and Starmie can prolong Tyranitar's longevity in light of lacking Leftovers. Zapdos can use Baton Pass to bring Tyranitar in safely on an anticipated switch to Blissey, Snorlax, or Celebi. Dugtrio can trap Steel-types, allowing Tyranitar to mindlessly lock in on Rock Slide should the opponent not have another Rock-resistant Pokemon. Porygon2 can counter trap opposing Dugtrio, while Choice Band Tyranitar is also great at threatening Curse Snorlax, which Porygon2 lets in a lot. Physical late-game threats such as Aerodactyl and Salamence appreciate weakened Water-types. Aerodactyl especially fits well on the same teams that Choice Band Tyranitar fits on, and being faster than Gengar and Starmie is really helpful on those kinds of teams. Moltres is a particularly synergistic partner. It draws Blissey in and forces it to recover, allowing Tyranitar an entry point, while Tyranitar's chip damage on Water-types gives Moltres an easier time.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute Tyranitar can be an excellent wallbreaker. With 101 HP Substitutes, Tyranitar blocks status moves from Blissey and eliminates the prediction required to fire off Focus Punch. Follow up moves such as Hidden Power Grass, Fire Blast, and Thunder can then severely damage incoming checks like Swampert, Metagross, and Suicune. While mixed Substitute + Focus Punch sets are great lures, they require compromises in Special Attack EVs due to the need for maximum HP and sufficient Speed to outrun tanks while using a Speed-reducing nature. Thus, physical EVs with Rock Slide + Hidden Power Bug or Grass can also be used. Substitute Tyranitar fits well on paralysis-spam teams, allowing Tyranitar to fish for full paralysis.
Pursuit Tyranitar can run Salac Berry with Fire-, Grass-, and Fighting-type coverage and offensive EVs just like the mixed Tyranitar set, giving it an extra opportunity to outspeed and trap Gengar while retaining its offensive abilities by using its relatively high Speed unlike bulky Pursuit Tyranitar. Getting into Salac Berry range is not as difficult as it sounds, as teammates can be sacrificed and Spikes damage can be used to manipulate Tyranitar's HP. Thunder Wave can be used, especially on Pursuit Tyranitar, as a nasty surprise against checks like Metagross and Suicune; Ice Beam + Hidden Power Grass coverage allows Tyranitar to deter Ground-types, which do not get affected by Thunder Wave.
A variety of items can be used with Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Salac Berry can also be used on bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar to outspeed the entire metagame after a single boost; Endure goes well with that set. Liechi Berry can help with wallbreaking when a Water-type attack brings Tyranitar into activation range. Soft Sand can be used on Dragon Dance Tyranitar to nab the OHKOs on Metagross and Tyranitar after a single layer of Spikes.
Protect is especially useful on lead Tyranitar; it scouts the item on lead Salamence and also scouts Choice Band Salamence's move. It also helps Tyranitar heal out of Dugtrio's Earthquake range, giving Tyranitar the chance to KO it. Protect is most easily placed on Pursuit Tyranitar, but it can also be used with bulky Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Notably, Protect allows Tyranitar to survive two Surfs from uninvested Suicune and potentially two Surfs from Milotic too. These odds, compounded with those of Rock Slide flinching, make it very likely that Tyranitar breaks through Milotic.
Curse + Rest can be used to turn the tables on Flygon and Claydol, but the prevalence of Water-type moves and the high chance of a critical hit while setting up makes the sweep difficult to pull off. Rest, perhaps even with Chesto Berry, can be used on bulky Tyranitar sets too, giving Tyranitar another lease on life after being burned in the process of trapping Gengar. Toxic can be used to slowly wear down Swampert and Suicune, but the prevalence of Refresh Swampert makes such an option unreliable. For this reason, it is a good idea to use Taunt alongside Toxic.
Checks and Counters
===================
As Tyranitar is extremely versatile, its checks and counters can be rather set specific.
**Water-types**: Water-types all have the ability to at least 2HKO Tyranitar. Swampert is the premier physical Tyranitar check, boasting the important Rock-type resistance and sand immunity. Unfortunately, Swampert is also the target of a wallbreaker set with Hidden Power Grass. Milotic and, to some extent, Suicune do much better at facing mixed Tyranitar, with the former shrugging its hits off and latter easily pivoting in on any move other than Hidden Power Grass to force Tyranitar out. Suicune, however, gets easily worn down due to its lack of instant recovery. Although Starmie is frail, it can come in on unboosted attacks or even pivot into mixed Tyranitar, outspeed boosted Tyranitar that lack a Speed-boosting nature, and attempt to KO back with Hydro Pump. Gyarados also deals with mixed Tyranitar lacking Rock Slide.
**Ground-types**: Flygon resists Rock-type moves and is immune to Earthquake, making it a good check to physical Tyranitar sets. It needs to be wary of Ice Beam and Double-Edge, however, and offensive sets without much bulk can be flinched down by Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Claydol completely nullifies Dragon Dance + Hidden Power Grass Tyranitar and can hold its ground against other Tyranitar sets as long as it pivots into Rock Slide. Claydol, however, takes a great deal of damage from Hidden Power Bug and Crunch. Although rare, Donphan is also an excellent counter to physical Tyranitar that isn't too weak to Hidden Power Grass, and Steelix can survive two boosted Earthquakes from Jolly Dragon Dance Tyranitar with the help of Protect to 2HKO back.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio sets itself apart from other Ground-types with its ability to trap Tyranitar. Jolly Dugtrio can outspeed +1 Tyranitar and has a 75% chance to OHKO bulkless Tyranitar. It's also not too difficult to chip the bulky sets into OHKO range. Adamant Dugtrio cannot outspeed boosted Jolly Tyranitar, but it OHKOes bulkless Tyranitar with certainty and OHKOes full HP Tyranitar half the time.
**Metagross**: With a bit of bulk, Metagross can often come in on Rock Slide or Dragon Dance, survive the Earthquake, and OHKO back bulkless Tyranitar with Meteor Mash. Defensive Metagross can even survive two unboosted Earthquakes and still OHKO bulkless Tyranitar in return. Metagross can also survive Fire Blast and attempt to KO back. Regardless, Metagross is still a check, not a hard counter; care has to be taken not to switch Metagross into a super effective move unless absolutely necessary.
**Fighting-types**: Despite not being too robust under sand, Fighting-types resist Rock Slide and can OHKO Tyranitar and thus can serve as an offensive check to physical Tyranitar; Hariyama and Machamp are particular examples, with no special weaknesses to Tyranitar's coverage moves either. Breloom resists both Rock Slide and Earthquake and can potentially pack Mach Punch to turn the tables on Dragon Dance Tyranitar; however, Breloom has to be wary of Fire Blast and Ice Beam. Heracross does not resist Rock but can easily OHKO Tyranitar.
**Intimidate**: Salamence and Gyarados can be important pivots against Dragon Dance Tyranitar by using Intimidate to eliminate its boosts and pivoting or sacrificing themselves or another teammate to send in a check.
**Fire-types**: This only applies to the mixed set. Fire-types like Moltres and Charizard have a niche in being able to resist three of mixed Tyranitar's moves and are able to hit back decently hard with Hidden Power Grass.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [Triangles, 118250], [watermess, 440992], [Jisoo, 288832]]
- Quality checked by: [[BKC, 52012], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
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