Overview
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With good Attack, Special Attack, and bulk, Tyranitar has a lot going for it. What's more, its ability Sand Stream induces sand upon switching in, which boosts Tyranitar's Special Defense. Sand is seen as a neutral weather, as it neither boosts nor weakens any types offensively; there is also a lack of Pokemon able to take advantage of sand in VGC. Because of this, Tyranitar is often used to take on opposing weather setters, mainly Mega Charizard Y. Tyranitar has an extensive movepool, which, along with its stats, allows it to play multiple roles, including that of a special attacker and a Dragon Dance sweeper. While Tyranitar's Speed may seem lacking when compared to its other stats, it is enough for Tyranitar to effectively use a Choice Scarf. Tyranitar is also blessed with an incredibly powerful Mega Evolution. With a base 164 Attack stat, Mega Tyranitar hits incredibly hard, and with massive 100 / 150 / 120 bulk, it can be very difficult to take down.
It is important to know that most Dragon Dance-lacking Tyranitar should be special attackers due to the many Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp users in the metagame. Tyranitar's Rock / Dark typing leaves it with seven weaknesses, four of which are common. While Tyranitar's movepool gives it a lot of options, to effectively use them, Tyranitar must compromise STAB moves for coverage moves or vice versa, leaving it unable to win certain match-ups it otherwise could. Without a Choice Scarf, Tyranitar is relatively slow, leaving it vulnerable to opposing attackers. Most importantly, Tyranitar is complete setup fodder for Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan.
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 3: Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Tyranitar usually opts for Rock Slide over Stone Edge, as it can usually OHKO Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even with an Attack-lowering nature and it being a spread move. If Tyranitar moves before both foes, Rock Slide also has a 46% chance to get at least one flinch. However, because Rock Slide is a spread move, its damage output is reduced, and Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame can be EVed to survive the hit, so Stone Edge can be used to ensure that they are both OHKOed. Stone Edge has other advantages over Rock Slide; for instance, it can bypass Wide Guard and 2HKO defensive Sitrus Berry Rotom-H. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Mega Mawile, both of which would be able to beat Tyranitar otherwise. For Tyranitar's secondary STAB move, Dark Pulse is used, as it threatens Ghost- and Psychic-types and generally has good neutral coverage. Protect is an important move for Tyranitar, though Tyranitar has a high damage output, it is relatively slow and therefore requires its teammates to take down the foes that threaten it; Protect buys a free turn to allow for this to happen. Ice Beam allows Tyranitar to better check Dragon-types and can be used over either Fire Blast or Dark Pulse. Like Fire Blast, Ice Beam hits Grass-types for super effective damage, but Tyranitar loses the ability to deal important damage to Steel-types if Ice Beam is used over Fire Blast, and Tyranitar will lose reliable damage if Ice Beam is used instead of Dark Pulse. Alternatively, Tyranitar could use the moves Dark Pulse / Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Protect, which would allow it to have its desired special coverage, but it would lose its ability to counter Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y.
Set Details
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While Tyranitar could use a more complex spread, it primarily needs to hit as hard and fast as possible; the given spread achieves this. A Modest nature allows Tyranitar to hit harder; however, a Timid nature allows Tyranitar to outspeed a few other Pokemon, such as uninvested base 100s. Life Orb boosts the power of Tyranitar's attacks so that it can hit harder than it otherwise would. Tyranitar's ability Sand Stream automatically induces sand, which allows Tyranitar to check opposing weather teams. Unnerve has a low scope of use and Sand Stream is one of the main reasons to use Tyranitar.
Usage Tips
========
A lot of Tyranitar's utility is in its ability to shut down opposing weather teams; if the opponent has a weather inducer, it might be worth bringing Tyranitar in when the opponent's weather is set up. Because of Tyranitar's sheer power and coverage, it can be used to KO Pokemon to allow its teammates to have an easier time, making Tyranitar a decent lead option.
Team Options
========
Talonflame is a decent partner for Tyranitar, being able to OHKO most Grass- and Fighting-types, many of Tyranitar's common checks. Talonflame can also be used to deal damage and ensure that Tyranitar can pick up KOs it would otherwise miss out on; for Talonflame to be able to perform this role consistently, it should run Choice Band to have the highest damage output possible. In addition, Talonflame can also set up Tailwind, which bolsters Tyranitar's otherwise mediocre Speed stat to the point where it can outspeed most other Pokemon. Rotom-W supports Tyranitar by being able to check Ground- and Water-types, which give Tyranitar problems, and spread burns with Will-O-Wisp. While Tyranitar can check opposing weather teams, it won't win these match-ups by itself; Rotom-H and Ludicolo can check sun and rain, respectively, while individually supporting Tyranitar. Rotom-H spreads burns with Will-O-Wisp and allows Tyranitar to run Ice Beam without hurting the team's overall coverage by running Overheat. Ludicolo, on the other hand, provides Fake Out support and is able to threaten Water- and Ground-types with its STAB moves. Aegislash beats Mega Kangaskhan and Fighting-types, which both seriously threaten Tyranitar. Aegislash also provides Wide Guard support, which blocks super effective Earthquakes. Trick Room setters, such as Gardevoir and Gourgeist-XL, can be used to support Tyranitar. Gardevoir beats both offensive and defensive Fighting-types and can spread burns. While Gourgeist-XL cannot beat Fighting-types offensively, it works great with Tyranitar because it can spread burns and is immune to Fighting-type moves.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Tyranitarite / Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
========
Few Pokemon resist Tyranitar's STAB combination of Crunch and Rock Slide. Dragon Dance is the main reason to run physical Tyranitar, as it boosts both Tyranitar's Attack and Speed and solves two of Tyranitar's problems: its relatively low Speed and Intimidate's Attack drop. Protect is crucial to this set, as with Dragon Dance boosts, Tyranitar is likely to be double targeted to prevent it from sweeping; Protect blocks these attacks and allows Tyranitar's ally to remove the threat.
Set Details
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Mega Tyranitar can use a bulkier spread of 180 HP / 12 Atk / 132 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe with a Jolly nature, which is never 2HKOed by Garchomp's Earthquake after Mega Evolving or OHKOed by bulky Mega Mawile's Play Rough. After going for Dragon Dance once, Tyranitar will be able to outspeed opposing Choice Scarf Tyranitar, as well as 2HKO Garchomp with Crunch. Tyranitar has the rare combination of enough weaknesses with good enough bulk to make use of Weakness Policy, which boosts Tyranitar's Attack two stages when hit by a super effective move. While Lum Berry gives Tyranitar no offensive advantages like the other two items do, it lets Tyranitar set up on Pokemon such as Rotom-H and Gengar, which would otherwise be able to burn Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. On top of that, Lum Berry improves Tyranitar's match-up with Smeargle, which can otherwise outspeed Tyranitar and put it to sleep with Dark Void. Lum Berry can also be used to remove the confusion from Swagger; Tyranitar can take advantage of this by having an ally, such as Meowstic, use Swagger on it, giving it the Attack boosts but not the confusion. A Jolly nature is almost required on non-Mega Tyranitar to allow +1 Tyranitar to outspeed Garchomp, as with an Adamant nature, +1 Tyranitar will only Speed tie with Garchomp.
Usage Tips
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Tyranitar can be played as a lead with either Amoonguss or Meowstic, as they can both aid Tyranitar with setting up. By leading with both Tyranitar and Amoonguss or Meowstic, there is a decreased risk of switching them in later in the battle. Tyranitar can also be kept in the back until the Pokemon which threaten it have been KOed, allowing it to sweep late-game.
Team Options
========
Amoonguss has access to Rage Powder, which redirects moves away from Tyranitar. This allows Tyranitar to set up without worrying about Will-O-Wisp from the common Rotom formes or super effective moves from Pokemon such as Gardevoir. Meowstic and Klefki can both set up Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard with Prankster, allowing Tyranitar to set up without worrying about status moves or taking a large amount of damage. Talonflame can OHKO most Fighting-types, Scrafty being the rare exception, spread Will-O-Wisp to shut down physical attackers, and use Taunt to prevent status moves from affecting Tyranitar. Aegislash is immune to Fighting-type moves and can block spread moves such as Earthquake and Dazzling Gleam with Wide Guard, aiding Tyranitar in setting up.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Sand Stream
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Rock Slide OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even with a Timid nature. Stone Edge is a more powerful option which OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even when Tyranitar is burned; it also bypasses Wide Guard, ensuring that Tyranitar will get the necessary OHKOs. Both of these Rock-type moves threaten Fire-types in general. Dark Pulse is Tyranitar's secondary STAB move, hitting Ghost-types for super effective damage. Fire Blast hits Steel-types for super effective damage, which would otherwise be able to completely wall this set. Ice Beam OHKOes Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Salamence.
Set Details
========
Tyranitar should run max Special Attack and Speed investment to ensure that it hits as hard and fast as possible. With Choice Scarf and a Timid nature, Tyranitar will outspeed max Speed base 115s. Alternatively, running 228 Speed EVs or a Modest nature ensures that Tyranitar is slower than Modest Choice Scarf Politoed, allowing Tyranitar to set up sand after Politoed sets up rain. With 228 Speed EVs and a Timid nature, Tyranitar won't outspeed base 115s Speed, but it will still outspeed Mega Lucario. With a Modest nature, Tyranitar will outspeed Pokemon with base 100 Speed but will only Speed tie with Garchomp.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Tyranitar plays well as a lead to pick up a surprise KO at the start of a game, often ending up acting as a hit-and-run Pokemon. It plays well late-game, as it can easily pick off weakened Pokemon with its strong coverage moves.
Team Options
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Choice Scarf Tyranitar requires more offensive support than other sets due to its lack of Protect. Talonflame can easily pick off Fighting- and Steel-types with Brave Bird and Flare Blitz, respectively; because Tyranitar can perform the latter role with Fire Blast, having Talonflame support means that Tyranitar can choose to be locked into a different move. Rotom-W can spread burns with Will-O-Wisp and generally threaten Water-types with Thunderbolt. Rotom-H and Ludicolo help Tyranitar beat opposing sun and rain setters, respectively. Aegislash and other Ghost-types are immune to Fighting-type moves and generally enjoy Tyranitar's coverage.
Other Options
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Tyranitar has a significant number of other options. Assault Vest can boost Tyranitar's Special Defense to the point where it is capable of taking Mega Lucario's Aura Sphere in sand. The additional Special Defense also lets Tyranitar better check weather, especially rain. Assault Vest Tyranitar requires slightly more team support, however, as it is unable to run Protect. Because of Tyranitar's low base Speed stat, it can perform well in Trick Room; if you want to run Tyranitar on a Trick Room team, simply opt for max HP instead of Speed investment and a Quiet nature. Go for Protect on the turn that Trick Room is set up, ensuring that Tyranitar will be able to make use of Trick Room. Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate version of Fire Blast; it should only be used for this consistency, as the loss in power is noticeable. Tyranitar can make use of Choice Specs, which allows it to hit significantly harder than it could with Life Orb and make better use of a more reliable move such as Flamethrower, but it loses the ability to switch moves. Ancient Power is a very weak special Rock-type move which should primarily be used on Choice Specs sets, as it is unaffected by Intimidate and burns, so Tyranitar will be able to consistently OHKO Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y.
Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs sets can make use of Sleep Talk to allow Tyranitar to act as a sleep absorber and continue being useful even if it is put to sleep. Tyranitar can make use of certain Berries, most notably Roseli, Chople, and Shuca Berries, which weaken Fairy-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves respectively. While these Berries mean that Tyranitar can't make use of other potentially more useful items, they ensure that Tyranitar will be able to use at least one attack. A slow, bulky special attacking set with an EV spread of 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 SpA and a Quiet nature and Leftovers is possible, using the same moves as the special attacking set. However, this set is somewhat inferior to the Assault Vest set in its ability to take hits, though if used correctly, it can have better longevity. Tyranitar has access to Taunt, which can be used to shut down Pokemon that are reliant on non-damaging moves, such as Aegislash. Taunt can be hard to fit into sets, however, as Tyranitar is fairly reliant on its coverage moves. Tyranitar has access to Thunder Wave and Rock Tomb, two forms of speed control. Thunder Wave quarters the foe's Speed and has a chance to paralyze the foe and potentially prevent it from moving. Rock Tomb is a single-target damaging Rock-type move that lowers the foe's Speed stat by one stage, but this drop is lost after switching out. Snarl is a Dark-type spread move which lowers the foes' Special Attack stat by one stage. Snarl should be used for its support value rather than as a primary attack, as it is far weaker than other Dark-type moves, so it should only be opted for on bulky sets, like the Assault Vest set, which can afford the drop in power.
Checks & Counters
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**Water-types**: Politoed induces rain. Though Tyranitar is normally slower than Politoed, Rain Dance is a common move on Politoed and ensures that the rain is set up against Tyranitar. Kingdra, a Pokemon that is common on rain teams, is capable of OHKOing Tyranitar in the rain. Rotom-W is able to burn Tyranitar, crippling physically offensive variants, and Hydro Pump does decent damage to non-Mega Tyranitar.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, Azumarill in particular, can check Tyranitar. Azumarill can take any hit from Tyranitar and either retaliate with a Play Rough or set up Belly Drum. Gardevoir is capable of 2HKOing Tyranitar in the sand with Moonblast and can also potentially burn physical sets. Mega Mawile fears Fire Blast from Tyranitar, but won't OHKO it unless Tyranitar is a Choice Specs variant, and Mawile can OHKO back with Play Rough.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Mamoswine and Garchomp, threaten Tyranitar with their powerful STAB Earthquake. Garchomp, however, must be wary of Tyranitar that invest enough in bulk to survive an Earthquake, as Ice Beam will OHKO it in return.
**Grass-types**: Mega Venusaur can take any hit from special Tyranitar, and between Leech Seed, Synthesis, and Giga Drain, Mega Venusaur is capable of healing off any damage. Similarly, Assault Vest Ludicolo deals with the special sets, being able to recover health with Giga Drain or hit Tyranitar hard with Hydro Pump. Both of these Pokemon don't fare so well against Dragon Dance Tyranitar, however. Ferrothorn beats Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as it can OHKO non-Mega variants with Power Whip and OHKO +1 Mega Tyranitar with Gyro Ball. Ferrothorn also deals with Choice Scarf Tyranitar not locked into Fire Blast.
**Fighting-types and Fighting-type Coverage Moves**: Most physical Fighting-type moves can easily OHKO Tyranitar. Mega Lucario resists Tyranitar's dual STAB combination and can OHKO Tyranitar with either Close Combat or Aura Sphere. Similarly, Scrafty resists Tyranitar's STAB moves and can OHKO Tyranitar with Drain Punch, simultaneously healing off any damage it has taken in the process. Fighting-type coverage moves, such as Power-Up Punch or Hammer Arm from Mega Kangaskhan and the rare Sacred Sword from Aegislash will quickly dispatch Tyranitar.
**Status Conditions**: Status conditions cripple certain sets, for instance the Dragon Dance set will have a hard time sweeping if it is burned. The Choice Scarf set, and to a lesser extent the Dragon Dance set, are rendered near useless if paralyzed, as they are hugely focused towards Speed.
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With good Attack, Special Attack, and bulk, Tyranitar has a lot going for it. What's more, its ability Sand Stream induces sand upon switching in, which boosts Tyranitar's Special Defense. Sand is seen as a neutral weather, as it neither boosts nor weakens any types offensively; there is also a lack of Pokemon able to take advantage of sand in VGC. Because of this, Tyranitar is often used to take on opposing weather setters, mainly Mega Charizard Y. Tyranitar has an extensive movepool, which, along with its stats, allows it to play multiple roles, including that of a special attacker and a Dragon Dance sweeper. While Tyranitar's Speed may seem lacking when compared to its other stats, it is enough for Tyranitar to effectively use a Choice Scarf. Tyranitar is also blessed with an incredibly powerful Mega Evolution. With a base 164 Attack stat, Mega Tyranitar hits incredibly hard, and with massive 100 / 150 / 120 bulk, it can be very difficult to take down.
It is important to know that most Dragon Dance-lacking Tyranitar should be special attackers due to the many Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp users in the metagame. Tyranitar's Rock / Dark typing leaves it with seven weaknesses, four of which are common. While Tyranitar's movepool gives it a lot of options, to effectively use them, Tyranitar must compromise STAB moves for coverage moves or vice versa, leaving it unable to win certain match-ups it otherwise could. Without a Choice Scarf, Tyranitar is relatively slow, leaving it vulnerable to opposing attackers. Most importantly, Tyranitar is complete setup fodder for Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan.
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 3: Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Tyranitar usually opts for Rock Slide over Stone Edge, as it can usually OHKO Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even with an Attack-lowering nature and it being a spread move. If Tyranitar moves before both foes, Rock Slide also has a 46% chance to get at least one flinch. However, because Rock Slide is a spread move, its damage output is reduced, and Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame can be EVed to survive the hit, so Stone Edge can be used to ensure that they are both OHKOed. Stone Edge has other advantages over Rock Slide; for instance, it can bypass Wide Guard and 2HKO defensive Sitrus Berry Rotom-H. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Mega Mawile, both of which would be able to beat Tyranitar otherwise. For Tyranitar's secondary STAB move, Dark Pulse is used, as it threatens Ghost- and Psychic-types and generally has good neutral coverage. Protect is an important move for Tyranitar, though Tyranitar has a high damage output, it is relatively slow and therefore requires its teammates to take down the foes that threaten it; Protect buys a free turn to allow for this to happen. Ice Beam allows Tyranitar to better check Dragon-types and can be used over either Fire Blast or Dark Pulse. Like Fire Blast, Ice Beam hits Grass-types for super effective damage, but Tyranitar loses the ability to deal important damage to Steel-types if Ice Beam is used over Fire Blast, and Tyranitar will lose reliable damage if Ice Beam is used instead of Dark Pulse. Alternatively, Tyranitar could use the moves Dark Pulse / Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Protect, which would allow it to have its desired special coverage, but it would lose its ability to counter Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y.
Set Details
========
While Tyranitar could use a more complex spread, it primarily needs to hit as hard and fast as possible; the given spread achieves this. A Modest nature allows Tyranitar to hit harder; however, a Timid nature allows Tyranitar to outspeed a few other Pokemon, such as uninvested base 100s. Life Orb boosts the power of Tyranitar's attacks so that it can hit harder than it otherwise would. Tyranitar's ability Sand Stream automatically induces sand, which allows Tyranitar to check opposing weather teams. Unnerve has a low scope of use and Sand Stream is one of the main reasons to use Tyranitar.
Usage Tips
========
A lot of Tyranitar's utility is in its ability to shut down opposing weather teams; if the opponent has a weather inducer, it might be worth bringing Tyranitar in when the opponent's weather is set up. Because of Tyranitar's sheer power and coverage, it can be used to KO Pokemon to allow its teammates to have an easier time, making Tyranitar a decent lead option.
Team Options
========
Talonflame is a decent partner for Tyranitar, being able to OHKO most Grass- and Fighting-types, many of Tyranitar's common checks. Talonflame can also be used to deal damage and ensure that Tyranitar can pick up KOs it would otherwise miss out on; for Talonflame to be able to perform this role consistently, it should run Choice Band to have the highest damage output possible. In addition, Talonflame can also set up Tailwind, which bolsters Tyranitar's otherwise mediocre Speed stat to the point where it can outspeed most other Pokemon. Rotom-W supports Tyranitar by being able to check Ground- and Water-types, which give Tyranitar problems, and spread burns with Will-O-Wisp. While Tyranitar can check opposing weather teams, it won't win these match-ups by itself; Rotom-H and Ludicolo can check sun and rain, respectively, while individually supporting Tyranitar. Rotom-H spreads burns with Will-O-Wisp and allows Tyranitar to run Ice Beam without hurting the team's overall coverage by running Overheat. Ludicolo, on the other hand, provides Fake Out support and is able to threaten Water- and Ground-types with its STAB moves. Aegislash beats Mega Kangaskhan and Fighting-types, which both seriously threaten Tyranitar. Aegislash also provides Wide Guard support, which blocks super effective Earthquakes. Trick Room setters, such as Gardevoir and Gourgeist-XL, can be used to support Tyranitar. Gardevoir beats both offensive and defensive Fighting-types and can spread burns. While Gourgeist-XL cannot beat Fighting-types offensively, it works great with Tyranitar because it can spread burns and is immune to Fighting-type moves.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Tyranitarite / Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
========
Few Pokemon resist Tyranitar's STAB combination of Crunch and Rock Slide. Dragon Dance is the main reason to run physical Tyranitar, as it boosts both Tyranitar's Attack and Speed and solves two of Tyranitar's problems: its relatively low Speed and Intimidate's Attack drop. Protect is crucial to this set, as with Dragon Dance boosts, Tyranitar is likely to be double targeted to prevent it from sweeping; Protect blocks these attacks and allows Tyranitar's ally to remove the threat.
Set Details
========
Mega Tyranitar can use a bulkier spread of 180 HP / 12 Atk / 132 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe with a Jolly nature, which is never 2HKOed by Garchomp's Earthquake after Mega Evolving or OHKOed by bulky Mega Mawile's Play Rough. After going for Dragon Dance once, Tyranitar will be able to outspeed opposing Choice Scarf Tyranitar, as well as 2HKO Garchomp with Crunch. Tyranitar has the rare combination of enough weaknesses with good enough bulk to make use of Weakness Policy, which boosts Tyranitar's Attack two stages when hit by a super effective move. While Lum Berry gives Tyranitar no offensive advantages like the other two items do, it lets Tyranitar set up on Pokemon such as Rotom-H and Gengar, which would otherwise be able to burn Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. On top of that, Lum Berry improves Tyranitar's match-up with Smeargle, which can otherwise outspeed Tyranitar and put it to sleep with Dark Void. Lum Berry can also be used to remove the confusion from Swagger; Tyranitar can take advantage of this by having an ally, such as Meowstic, use Swagger on it, giving it the Attack boosts but not the confusion. A Jolly nature is almost required on non-Mega Tyranitar to allow +1 Tyranitar to outspeed Garchomp, as with an Adamant nature, +1 Tyranitar will only Speed tie with Garchomp.
Usage Tips
========
Tyranitar can be played as a lead with either Amoonguss or Meowstic, as they can both aid Tyranitar with setting up. By leading with both Tyranitar and Amoonguss or Meowstic, there is a decreased risk of switching them in later in the battle. Tyranitar can also be kept in the back until the Pokemon which threaten it have been KOed, allowing it to sweep late-game.
Team Options
========
Amoonguss has access to Rage Powder, which redirects moves away from Tyranitar. This allows Tyranitar to set up without worrying about Will-O-Wisp from the common Rotom formes or super effective moves from Pokemon such as Gardevoir. Meowstic and Klefki can both set up Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard with Prankster, allowing Tyranitar to set up without worrying about status moves or taking a large amount of damage. Talonflame can OHKO most Fighting-types, Scrafty being the rare exception, spread Will-O-Wisp to shut down physical attackers, and use Taunt to prevent status moves from affecting Tyranitar. Aegislash is immune to Fighting-type moves and can block spread moves such as Earthquake and Dazzling Gleam with Wide Guard, aiding Tyranitar in setting up.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Sand Stream
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Rock Slide OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even with a Timid nature. Stone Edge is a more powerful option which OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame even when Tyranitar is burned; it also bypasses Wide Guard, ensuring that Tyranitar will get the necessary OHKOs. Both of these Rock-type moves threaten Fire-types in general. Dark Pulse is Tyranitar's secondary STAB move, hitting Ghost-types for super effective damage. Fire Blast hits Steel-types for super effective damage, which would otherwise be able to completely wall this set. Ice Beam OHKOes Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Salamence.
Set Details
========
Tyranitar should run max Special Attack and Speed investment to ensure that it hits as hard and fast as possible. With Choice Scarf and a Timid nature, Tyranitar will outspeed max Speed base 115s. Alternatively, running 228 Speed EVs or a Modest nature ensures that Tyranitar is slower than Modest Choice Scarf Politoed, allowing Tyranitar to set up sand after Politoed sets up rain. With 228 Speed EVs and a Timid nature, Tyranitar won't outspeed base 115s Speed, but it will still outspeed Mega Lucario. With a Modest nature, Tyranitar will outspeed Pokemon with base 100 Speed but will only Speed tie with Garchomp.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Tyranitar plays well as a lead to pick up a surprise KO at the start of a game, often ending up acting as a hit-and-run Pokemon. It plays well late-game, as it can easily pick off weakened Pokemon with its strong coverage moves.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Tyranitar requires more offensive support than other sets due to its lack of Protect. Talonflame can easily pick off Fighting- and Steel-types with Brave Bird and Flare Blitz, respectively; because Tyranitar can perform the latter role with Fire Blast, having Talonflame support means that Tyranitar can choose to be locked into a different move. Rotom-W can spread burns with Will-O-Wisp and generally threaten Water-types with Thunderbolt. Rotom-H and Ludicolo help Tyranitar beat opposing sun and rain setters, respectively. Aegislash and other Ghost-types are immune to Fighting-type moves and generally enjoy Tyranitar's coverage.
Other Options
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Tyranitar has a significant number of other options. Assault Vest can boost Tyranitar's Special Defense to the point where it is capable of taking Mega Lucario's Aura Sphere in sand. The additional Special Defense also lets Tyranitar better check weather, especially rain. Assault Vest Tyranitar requires slightly more team support, however, as it is unable to run Protect. Because of Tyranitar's low base Speed stat, it can perform well in Trick Room; if you want to run Tyranitar on a Trick Room team, simply opt for max HP instead of Speed investment and a Quiet nature. Go for Protect on the turn that Trick Room is set up, ensuring that Tyranitar will be able to make use of Trick Room. Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate version of Fire Blast; it should only be used for this consistency, as the loss in power is noticeable. Tyranitar can make use of Choice Specs, which allows it to hit significantly harder than it could with Life Orb and make better use of a more reliable move such as Flamethrower, but it loses the ability to switch moves. Ancient Power is a very weak special Rock-type move which should primarily be used on Choice Specs sets, as it is unaffected by Intimidate and burns, so Tyranitar will be able to consistently OHKO Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y.
Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs sets can make use of Sleep Talk to allow Tyranitar to act as a sleep absorber and continue being useful even if it is put to sleep. Tyranitar can make use of certain Berries, most notably Roseli, Chople, and Shuca Berries, which weaken Fairy-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves respectively. While these Berries mean that Tyranitar can't make use of other potentially more useful items, they ensure that Tyranitar will be able to use at least one attack. A slow, bulky special attacking set with an EV spread of 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 SpA and a Quiet nature and Leftovers is possible, using the same moves as the special attacking set. However, this set is somewhat inferior to the Assault Vest set in its ability to take hits, though if used correctly, it can have better longevity. Tyranitar has access to Taunt, which can be used to shut down Pokemon that are reliant on non-damaging moves, such as Aegislash. Taunt can be hard to fit into sets, however, as Tyranitar is fairly reliant on its coverage moves. Tyranitar has access to Thunder Wave and Rock Tomb, two forms of speed control. Thunder Wave quarters the foe's Speed and has a chance to paralyze the foe and potentially prevent it from moving. Rock Tomb is a single-target damaging Rock-type move that lowers the foe's Speed stat by one stage, but this drop is lost after switching out. Snarl is a Dark-type spread move which lowers the foes' Special Attack stat by one stage. Snarl should be used for its support value rather than as a primary attack, as it is far weaker than other Dark-type moves, so it should only be opted for on bulky sets, like the Assault Vest set, which can afford the drop in power.
Checks & Counters
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**Water-types**: Politoed induces rain. Though Tyranitar is normally slower than Politoed, Rain Dance is a common move on Politoed and ensures that the rain is set up against Tyranitar. Kingdra, a Pokemon that is common on rain teams, is capable of OHKOing Tyranitar in the rain. Rotom-W is able to burn Tyranitar, crippling physically offensive variants, and Hydro Pump does decent damage to non-Mega Tyranitar.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, Azumarill in particular, can check Tyranitar. Azumarill can take any hit from Tyranitar and either retaliate with a Play Rough or set up Belly Drum. Gardevoir is capable of 2HKOing Tyranitar in the sand with Moonblast and can also potentially burn physical sets. Mega Mawile fears Fire Blast from Tyranitar, but won't OHKO it unless Tyranitar is a Choice Specs variant, and Mawile can OHKO back with Play Rough.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Mamoswine and Garchomp, threaten Tyranitar with their powerful STAB Earthquake. Garchomp, however, must be wary of Tyranitar that invest enough in bulk to survive an Earthquake, as Ice Beam will OHKO it in return.
**Grass-types**: Mega Venusaur can take any hit from special Tyranitar, and between Leech Seed, Synthesis, and Giga Drain, Mega Venusaur is capable of healing off any damage. Similarly, Assault Vest Ludicolo deals with the special sets, being able to recover health with Giga Drain or hit Tyranitar hard with Hydro Pump. Both of these Pokemon don't fare so well against Dragon Dance Tyranitar, however. Ferrothorn beats Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as it can OHKO non-Mega variants with Power Whip and OHKO +1 Mega Tyranitar with Gyro Ball. Ferrothorn also deals with Choice Scarf Tyranitar not locked into Fire Blast.
**Fighting-types and Fighting-type Coverage Moves**: Most physical Fighting-type moves can easily OHKO Tyranitar. Mega Lucario resists Tyranitar's dual STAB combination and can OHKO Tyranitar with either Close Combat or Aura Sphere. Similarly, Scrafty resists Tyranitar's STAB moves and can OHKO Tyranitar with Drain Punch, simultaneously healing off any damage it has taken in the process. Fighting-type coverage moves, such as Power-Up Punch or Hammer Arm from Mega Kangaskhan and the rare Sacred Sword from Aegislash will quickly dispatch Tyranitar.
**Status Conditions**: Status conditions cripple certain sets, for instance the Dragon Dance set will have a hard time sweeping if it is burned. The Choice Scarf set, and to a lesser extent the Dragon Dance set, are rendered near useless if paralyzed, as they are hugely focused towards Speed.
[Pros]
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 3: Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Tyranitarite / Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Sand Stream
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Other Options
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- Good Attack and Special Attack.
- Good bulk Special Defense boosted by sand.
- Starts sand automatically, sand is seen as a neutral weather.
- Good Movepool.
- Choice Scarf is good with its coverage and alright Speed.
- Mega Evolution boosts bulk, Attack, and Speed higher. Base 164 Attack and 100 HP / 150 Def / 120 SpD.
- Good enough bulk to use Dragon Dance effectively.
- Hard checks Mega Charizard Y, counters if Mega Tyranitar.
- Seven weaknesses, four of which are common.
- Compromises STAB for coverage, or vice versa.
- Relatively slow without a Choice Scarf.
- Complete set up fodder for Mega Kangaskhan
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 3: Dark Pulse / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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- Rock Slide OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, even with a negative nature. Generally threatens Fire-types.
- Stone Edge can be used over Rock Slide to OHKO Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y even if burned, it will also hit Rotom-H significantly harder than Rock Slide.
- Fire Blast hits Steal-types like Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn.
- Dark Pulse is a secondary STAB move hits Ghost- and Psychic-types and has good Neutral coverage.
- Ice Beam could be run over Fire Blast or Dark Pulse. Ice Beam hits Grass-types like Fire Blast, but it hits Dragon-types unlike Fire Blast but loses out on hitting Steal-types. It could also be used over Dark Pulse.
- Protect
- Dark Pulse / Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Protect set works as well.
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- Standard 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe spread with a Life Orb is possible.
- Modest nature allows Tyranitar to hit as hard as possible.
- Timid nature lets Tyranitar be faster.
- Life Orb boosts the power of Tyranitar's attacks.
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- If the opposing team has a their own weather inducer it might be wise to have Tyranitar in the back to remove their weather.
- Because of its coverage and power Tyranitar it can be used to clear the way for other Pokemon.
- Tyranitar is can be used as a lead to threaten the opponent offensively from turn one.
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- Talonflame can threatens Fighting-types.
- Rotom-W spreads burns and threatens Water-types with Thunderbolt.
- Rotom-H and Ludicolo threaten sun and rain respectively which can aid Tyranitar in shutting down opposing weather.
- Aegislash is immune to Fighting-type moves and enjoys Tyranitar's coverage.
- Trick Room setters like Gardevoir and Gourgeist can be used to support Tyranitar, although these are by no means a must.
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Tyranitarite / Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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- Dual STAB.
- Dragon Dance boosts Attack and Speed allowing it to be very threatening.
- With Tyranitar's Boosts it will be a big target for the opponent making Protect a must on this set.
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- Bulkier spread for Mega Tyranitar, 180 HP / 12 Atk / 132 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe with a Jolly Nature this spread is never 2HKOed by Jolly Garchomp, or OHKOed by bulky Mega Mawile whilst 252 Adamant has a 3/16 chance to OHKO with Iron Head. At Plus one you outspeed Choice Scarf Tyranitars, and 2HKO Garchomp with Crunch.
- Tyranitar has good enough bulk to use Weakness Policy and enough common weaknesses to not have to worry about the item being wasted.
- Jolly nature is almost required on non Mega Tyranitar, however, with an Adamant you will just outspeed positive natured base 100s but speedtie with Garchomp.
- A Lum Berry will allow Tyranitar to set up on Pokemon like Rotom-H which would otherwise be able to burn it and cripple Tyranitar. It also allows Tyranitar to be less scared of Dark Void Smeargle. Swagger + Lum Berry.
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- Tyranitar can be lead off with Amoonguss or Meowstic as they both aid Tyranitar with setting up. By leading with them you don't have to bring them later in the game.
- Tyranitar can also be kept in the back till the Pokemon which can beat it have been take care of, and then brought in for a late game sweep.
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- Amoonguss has Rage Powder to redirect moves targeting Tyranitar, this allows it to either set up safely or take out the threat.
- Meowstic and Klefki can set up Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard allowing Tyranitar to Dragon Dance without having to worry about having to take large amounts of damage.
- As above.
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Sand Stream
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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- Rock Slide OHKOes Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, even with a negative nature. Generally threatens Fire-types.
- Stone Edge can be used over Rock Slide to OHKO Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y even if burned, it will also hit Rotom-H significantly harder than Rock Slide.
- Fire Blast hits Steal-types like Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn.
- Dark Pulse is a secondary STAB move hits Ghost- and Psychic-types and has good Neutral coverage.
- Ice Beam OHKOes Dragon-types like Garchomp and Salamence.
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- Max Speed and Special Attack.
- With a Choice Scarf Timid nature lets you outspeed max Speed base 115s.
- A Modest nature lets you outspeed max Speed base 100s but you will speedtie with Garchomp.
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- Choice Scarf Tyranitar can be used as a lead to pick up a surprise KO at the start of the game with its coverage.
- Hit and run, outspeed a threat and pick up a KO and switch out.
- With a Choice Scarf Tyranitar can come in late game and outspeed common Pokemon and clean up with an appropriate coverage moves.
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- Talonflame can threatens Fighting-types.
- Rotom-W spreads burns and threatens Water-types with Thunderbolt.
- Pokemon which can beat weather like Rotom-H and Ludicolo threaten sun and rain respectively which can aid Tyranitar in shutting down opposing weather.
- Aegislash and Ghost-types in general are immune to Fighting-type moves and enjoys Tyranitar's coverage.
Other Options
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- Assault Vest.
- Flamethrower is more accurate but weaker than Fire Blast
- Choice Specs significantly more powerful than Life Orb but can't switch moves.
- Ancient Power weaker special option unaffected by Intimidate or Burn.
- Choiced sets can use Sleep Talk to allow for some functionality even after being put to sleep.
- Roseli and Chople Berry reduce damage from Fairy- and Fighting-type moves respectively.
- Slow bulky Special Attacking set with an EV spread of with a 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 SpA with a Quiet nature with Leftovers, this set should use the same moves as the special attacking set.
- Taunt could be used to shutdown certain Pokemon.
- Thunder Wave Speed control.
- Rock Tomb single target Rock-type move which lowers the opponents Speed one stage. Speed drop lost after switching out.
- Snarl is a Dark-type spread move which lowers the opponent's Pokemon's Special Attack stat by one stage. Snarl should be used for its support value rather than as a primary attack as it is far weaker than other Dark-type moves, this means it should be opted for on bulky sets which can afford the drop in power.
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- Water-types can threaten Tyranitar, A well played Politoed will be able to get up its rain against Tyranitar, Kingdra greatly enjoys having the rain up against Tyranitar as it can outspeed and OHKO with it Hydro Pump in rain. Rotom-W can burn physical sets and threaten Tyranitar with Hydro Pump.
- Fairy-types, Azumarill in particular, can check Tyranitar with Play Roughs and Moon Blasts. Azumarill can set up a Belly Drum against Tyranitar. Gardevoir can 2HKO with Moon Blast (not Dazzling Gleam, unless max Special Attack Choice Specs) but must fear Stone Edge. Mega Mawile similarly is scared of Fire Blast, but can OHKO with Play Rough.
- Ground-types check Tyranitar with their STAB Earthquake, must be wary of not OHKO and Ice Beam from the bulky or Choice Scarf set.
- Grass-types, Mega Venusaur can take hits from the special sets, doesn't enjoy +1 Crunch, can't OHKO bulky or Mega Tyranitar. Ferrothorn checks Dragon Dance being able to OHKO it with Gyro Ball, this goes for the Choice Scarf being locked into anything other than Fire Blast.
- Fighting-types and coverage moves all check Tyranitar. Mega Lucario outspeed can OHKO with either Close Combat or Aura Sphere. Scrafty can take on any set as it resists Tyranitars dual STAB and has good enough bulk to take any coverage move. Intimidate helps against Dragon Dance. Power-Up Punch or Hammer Arm from Mega Kangaskhan can either be used to boost your attack while 2HKO or straight up OHKO Tyranitar respectively. The rare Sacred Sword from Aegislash can OHKO.
- Status. The Dragon Dance set is hugely crippled by Will-O-Wisp. Dragon Dance and Choice Scarf are hindered greatly by Thunder Wave.
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