Gen 4 DPP Dragonite (Uploaded!)

Here is another long one on Dpp Dragonite

:Dragonite:

[OVERVIEW]
Dragonite is perhaps the most powerful Pokemon in DPP OU. Dragonite’s boosted Outrage warps the tier, as it at least 2HKOs everything in the tier that doesn’t resist it, while even less bulky Steel-types like offensive Heatran, Scizor, and non physically bulky Jirachi can be 2HKOed with Life Orb at +1. Dragonite also has the strongest no drawbacks priority in the tier with Extremespeed, allowing it to bypass weakened Choice Scarf users such as Flygon and Latias at +1. Dragonite's item choice affects it counters: foes hoping to status Dragonite or let it confuse itself are stymied by Lum Berry. It can also lean into its survivability with a resistance berry—Dragonite can survive most attempts to revenge kill it with either a Yache Berry or a Haban Berry. These, including its wide resistance palette, makes Dragonite one of the best sweepers in the tier and a staple of hyper offense.

Dragonite has more utility beyond an offensive Dragon Dance set. Dragonite’s mixed set has very few guaranteed switch-ins and often decimates defensive teams with its coverage and power. Because it is difficult to tell if Dragonite is mixed or physical, switching in the wrong Pokemon can be devastating if a physical wall is OHKOed by Draco Meteor or Fire Blast. Choice Band is destructively powerful without set up and is great assist against opposing offensive teams with its stong Extremespeed and ability to absorb opposing sleep moves such as Breloom's Spore. Dragonite also can run bulky Dragon Dance sets as a win condition, aimed at defeating defensive teams who handle it with status or residual damage.

Dragonite’s main flaw lies in its severe weakness to residual damage and relatively low speed. Dragonite is weak to Stealth Rock, takes sand damage, and often wants the extra power of Life Orb. Combined with Outrage forcing Dragonite to stay in at least another turn after using it and its confusion, Dragonite can sometimes feel underwhelming—hitting something hard and then getting immediately revenge killed or fainting to residual damage. Mixed sets struggle even more with this, as because it can’t boost its below average base 80 speed, even slower threats like defensive Latias can easily revenge kill after Stealth Rock. Many Choice Scarf Pokemon are faster and outfitted to handle Dragonite: Flygon and Latias OHKO it, Jirachi and Lucario have Ice Punch, and Rotom-A sometimes carries Hidden Power Ice. Defensive Dragon Dance sets often need heavy support such as Magnezone and weather change yet still can struggle against offensive teams due to lacking coverage, speed, and power.


[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Fire Punch / Extremespeed
move 4: Earthquake / Extremespeed
item: Lum Berry / Yache Berry / Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragonite’s bulk and offensive prowess can typically get it a Dragon Dance, solving its speed problems and making it extremely strong. Outrage is the crux of the set. As its most powerful attack, even common checks that don’t resist Dragon such as offensive Suicune, specially defensive Hippowdon, physically defensive Zapdos, and Bold Clefable can get OHKOed by a boosted Outrage after Stealth Rock. Only physically defensive Steel-types such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Jirachi can avoid the 2HKO from Outrage. The main downfall to Outrage is being locked into it and the confusion afterwards. However, the power difference from the safer Dragon Claw makes it a necessary evil, as Dragon Claw fails to OHKO offensive Suicune and generally doesn’t hit hard enough even when boosted.

Dragonite’s other two options help it deal with Outrage resists and give Dragonite general utility. Fire Punch is a great option to hit Steel-types resistant to Outrage. Fire Punch at +1 easily 2HKOs Skarmory, Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi. However, another option is Earthquake, OHKOing grounded Steel-types such as Metagross, Jirachi, and Heatran. In addition to its much higher base power than Fire Punch, Earthquake grants the ability to eliminate targets such as OHKOing Tyranitar at +1 without locking into Outrage. Finally, another great option is Extremespeed, which allows Dragonite to bypass weakened revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Flygon and Choice Scarf Latias. Flygon takes 76.4% - 90% from a +1 Life Orb Extremespeed, while Latias takes 69.1 - 81.3%, meaning only a bit of residual damage is needed to put them in range. Extremespeed also has incredible utility, as it generally hits unresisted targets such as Starmie, Gyarados, and Flygon for >50% of their health unboosted.

Set Details
========
Dragonite’s generally runs a max attack / max speed Adamant nature EV spread, as it needs all the speed and power it can get. Don’t put the extra 4 EVs into HP, as Dragonite will take extra Stealth Rock damage. A Jolly nature is possible to outspeed slower Choice Scarf users such as Heatran and Adamant Lucario at +1 while also outspeeding Choice Scarf Latias at +2, but the power loss is enormous and Dragonite often can’t get to +2 anyway.

Lum Berry is the preferred item, as it prevents status from ruining Dragonite’s sweep. A common way for defensive teams to stave it off is to send in physically defensive Jirachi on Outrage and then paralyze with Body Slam. Not only does Lum Berry prevent this, but even if Jirachi paralyzes it again, Dragonite’s Inner Focus ability prevents Iron Head flinching. Lum Berry also crucially alleviates one of the main downside in Outrage by curing confusion, meaning it can lock into Outrage again unimpeded. Another option is to use Yache Berry to help survive Dragonite 4x weakness to Ice-type moves. As many Water-types, Zapdos, and Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-A, Lucario, some Tyranitar, and Jirachi try to revenge kill Dragonite with Ice-type moves, Yache Berry lets Dragonite survive and either set up again or unleash attacks. Should Dragonite lead, Focus Sash in another item to use, allowing Dragonite to live any hit and continue attacking.

Life Orb is another great choice of item for Dragonite, as the extra power is very valuable, allowing it to bypass checks such as Bold Clefable and offensive Calm Mind Suicune with Outrage. Life Orb also makes using Extremespeed over a coverage move more viable, as the extra damage is very important to KOing Choice Scarf Flygon and Choice Scarf Latias while generally raising its utility. If Dragonite is used on more hyper offensive teams, Life Orb should be the item of choice for its destructive power. However, beware of the already huge weakness to residual damage.

Dragonite can also use Haban Berry to survive various Outrage and Draco Meteor from Latias, Flygon, and opposing Dragonite. Dragonite can run a 196 Atk / 80 SpD / 232 Spe EV spread, which allows it to survive Choice Scarf Latias’s Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock and one round of sand damage while still outspeeding Modest Heatran unboosted. Should Dragonite want to live Modest Choice Specs Latias’s Draco Meteor, it should run 108 Atk / 212 SpD / 192 Spe. However, beware of taking too much investment out of Dragonite’s attack, as it won’t KO what it needs to.

Usage Tips
========
How Dragonite is used depends on the opposing team. Against more defensive teams, Dragonite needs the additional power from Dragon Dance to break through soft checks like specially defensive Hippowdon, Milotic, and Bold Clefable with a boosted +1 Outrage. Many of these teams answer Dragonite by either baiting it into Outrage and then switching to a physically bulky Steel-type such as Jirachi and Skarmory or by using Skarmory to either phase or use Counter against a boosted Dragonite. Offensive Dragon Dance Dragonite rarely sweeps defensive teams on its own, but breaking open holes by weakening Skarmory or checks such as Hippowdon can open up for another teammate.

Against more offensive teams, Dragonite can sometimes struggle to find time to set up. However, Dragonite can open holes by sometimes just attacking; +0 Outrage is so strong that even somewhat bulky foes such as max HP Swampert struggle to take it. Dragonite loves the field being clear of Stealth Rock and sand to minimize residual damage, so hitting the field early can be beneficial. However, Dragonite’s bulk and Extremespeed can let it trade or revenge opponents late in the game. Dragonite’s answers are often forced to either lock into exploitable moves, such as Flygon’s Outrage, Latias’s Draco Meteor, and Rotom-A’s Hidden Power Ice, or be heavily weakened by Dragonite’s attacks. Take advantage of this by setting up another sweeper on these attacks. Should Dragonite lead, even good set up opportunities such as Heatran can potentially have Focus Sash and OHKO Dragonite with Explosion, meaning just attacking is often better.

Team Options
========
Dragonite is a staple of the hyper offense style, as little breaks open teams like it can. Dragonite loves to hit the field without Stealth Rock being up, so Taunt leads such as Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Skarmory are beneficial. Dragonite also appreciates other sweepers such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Swords Dance Scizor, Agility Metagross, and Swords Dance Lucario. All of these synergistically sweep with Dragonite: Gyarados and Tyranitar appreciate Dragonite weakening or KOing bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Metagross, Skarmory, and Bronzong that can tank a hit and paralyze, phaze, or use Explosion on them. Metagross, Scizor, and Lucario all resist Dragonite’s weaknesses, meaning they can get free set up on the choiced attacks used to revenge kill Dragonite. Dragonite enjoys Magnezone support to remove the Steel-types, especially Skarmory, that tank its Outrage. Other main stays of Magnezone offense such as Gengar, Choice Specs Latias, and offensive Stealth Rock Bronzong are helpful. Dragonite can also take advantage of other ways to weaken levitating Steel-types, such as surprise Fire- and Electric-type moves from Tyranitar and Jirachi, Trick + Iron Ball or Choice Band from Bronzong and Metagross, and special moves from Pokemon like Swampert. Dragonite also appreciates Pursuit support from Tyranitar and Swords Dance Scizor, as Latias and Rotom-A are prominent Choice Scarf users who revenge kill Dragonite.

Dragonite does appreciate Rapid Spin support to remove Stealth Rock, but it is difficult to fit the pace of the team. Dragonite fits alongside other Dragon-types such as Latias, Kingdra, and Flygon in a DragMag style built on weakening Steel-types for powerful Dragon-type moves. Other mainstays of this style include Mamoswine, Lucario, and Gengar. Dragonite also fits well on dual screens teams, as it can set up multiple Dragon Dances and is impossible to wall. Other mainstays of this style such as Uxie, offensive Calm Mind Suicune, Machamp, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and Calm Mind Jirachi are excellent teammates.


[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Extremespeed / Roost / Outrage
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragonite can take advantage of its physical prowess to lure physical walls in and hit them with devastating special moves. Dragonite’s Draco Meteor is extremely strong, heavily damaging common switch ins such as Hippowdon, Suicune, and Bold Clefable. Both Fire Blast and Flamethrower destroys many Steel-types trying to absorb Dragonite and the choice is a matter of accuracy and PP versus power. Flamethrower OHKOs physically defensive Skarmory and Scizor while at least 2HKOing every Steel-type in the tier except the bulkiest of Jirachi, Heatran, specially defensive Empoleon, and Heatproof Bronzong. Fire Blast additionally OHKOs bulkless Jirachi, Metagross after Stealth Rock, and has a 75% chance to OHKO specially defensive Skarmory after Stealth Rock.

Superpower completes Dragonite’s coverage and is a major advantage over other mixed Dragon-types such as Flygon and Kingdra. Dragonite is almost guaranteed to OHKO non Bold Clefable with Superpower, while also OHKOing Tyranitar, most Empoleon, and Heatran after Stealth Rock. It also gives Dragonite the ability to hit something hard even after Draco Meteor’s stat drops. Extremespeed maximizes Dragonite’s utility against offensive teams, as an uninvested Life Orb Extremespeed can do 30-40% to frail sweepers who don’t resist it. Roost mitigates the residual damage of Life Orb, Stealth Rock, and sand to keep Dragonite healthy against defensive teams. The last choice is to focus on more destructive power with Outrage, limiting checks that can switch in to just Cresselia. Outrage means even common mixed Dragonite answers such as specially defensive Hippowdon and Gliscor can never switch into Draco Meteor, because Outrage will KO them. Beware of the consequences of being locked into a slow Outrage, however.

Set Details
========
Dragonite should almost always run a special attack boosting nature and 252 SpA EVs. Dragonite has several possible speed investments to hit. Max speed allows Dragonite to outspeed as much as it can and speed tie with itself. 192 EVs with a neutral nature allows Dragonite to outspeed neutral nature Tyranitar. However, Dragonite can also run a speed boosting nature, as it crucially allows it to outrun slow defensive Latias as well as Heatran, Gyarados, slower offensive Suicune, and Adamant Lucario. Dragonite can also run other speed benchmarks, such as no speed at all or 104 to outspeed neutral nature Tyranitar. Dragonite can spare some attack EVs to improve Superpower’s damage roll on Clefable, Empoleon, and Heatran. 72 EVs is needed to guarantee max HP Clefable. Other benchmarks include 140 to OHKO Blissey with Stealth Rock and one round of sand as well as 2HKO specially defensive Hipppwdon with Outrage after Stealth Rock, or just max attack to do as much damage as possible. Life Orb is generally the item of choice, as Dragonite needs all the power it can get. It also doesn’t have a lot of survivability and is easily revenge killed, so maximizing the damage it can do is preferred. Dragonite can also run a Focus Sash in the lead position to guarantee a Draco Meteor + follow up.

Dragonite shouldn’t be lowering Atk, SpA, or Spe, so it either has to lower its defense or special defense. Special defense lowering natures are generally better, as Dragonite can’t survive most special Ice- and Dragon-type moves after Stealth Rock anyway. With its defense intact, it can be serviceable against Breloom—notably, it avoids a 2HKO from Focus Punch. Dragonite can survive weaker Ice Beam from Swampert and Milotic without Stealth Rock with a defense hindering nature; however, since Dragonite is almost never at full health, this often is irrelevant.


Usage Tips
========
This Dragonite generally operates with the element of surprise and hammers unsuspecting physical walls with special moves. As such, Fire Blast or Flamethrower is generally the safest move to use. Surprising physically defensive Skarmory or Jirachi can sometimes win the game immediately and Draco Meteor targets such as Latias generally won't switch into Dragonite. It also keep Dragonite's special attack intact. Dragonite generally should come in early before Stealth Rock is up. Dragonite often only gets a few moves to make an impact due to residual damage, so getting the most out of requires exact play. Against more defensive teams, only a few Pokemon can avoid a 2HKO from it or outspeed it and OHKO. Should Dragonite have Roost, it can come in repeatedly on Pokemon such as defensive Breloom, Clefable, Starmie lacking Ice Beam, and Forretress and break up the opposing defensive core.


Team Options
========

Dragonite generally belongs on more offensive team looking to break defensive builds open and can prevent early Stealth Rock. For this reason, it doesn't really compete with other mixed attackers like Flygon. Dragonite appreciates anti Stealth Rock leads that can give it a free switch and potentially status the opponent. Aerodactyl, Thunder Wave Azelf, Thunder Wave Froslass, Choice Scarf or Focus Sash Breloom, Gallade with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt, and Smeargle can let Dragonite in for free and disable the opponent. As some of these leads cannot set up Stealth Rock, Dragonite appreciates alternate setters such as Metagross, Heatran, and Camerupt. Metagross is especially synergetic, as Skarmory is a free switch in for Dragonite to rip open the opposing team. Beyond the lead game, mixed Dragonite appreciates partners that take advantage of the holes it breaks. Dragon Dance Gyarados, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, offensive Calm Mind Jirachi, Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Lucario, and offensive Empoleon are excellent partners. Lucario is an especially good partner, as Dragonite can lure in most Lucario walls and hammer them with Draco Meteor and Fire Blast. Another great partner for Dragonite is Tyranitar, as all sets benefit from Dragonite removing Hippowdon. Choice Scarf sets open up other sweepers and help against potential revenge killers such as Latias, Dragon Dance sets take advantage of the opening of defensive Ground-types, and utility sets get up Stealth Rock and absorb Dragonite’s weaknesses. Swords Dance Scizor with Pursuit can also take advantage of defensive Latias trying to revenge kill Dragonite. Other Pokemon that can take advantage of breaking open walls are Trick Room Bronzong, Agility Metagross, and Machamp. On more balanced teams, Dragonite is commonly paired with ways to mitigate residual damage. As such it can be found alongside Wish Jirachi and Rapid Spin Starmie. Dragonite is also commonly forced out after using Draco Meteor or Superpower, so Choice Scarf revenge killers such as Latias and Rotom-A are effective to help against set up. Steel-types in general help Dragonite, as they resist its weaknesses and give Dragonite an opportunity to come in.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Extremespeed
move 3: Superpower / Fire Punch / Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Talk / Fire Punch / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With a Choice Band, Dragonite hits hard immediately, as Outrage 2HKOs everything in the tier that doesn’t resist it. Extremespeed makes up Dragonite other primary niche, as it 2HKOs most sweepers such as Gyarados, Kingdra, and even Lucario after a defense drop with Stealth Rock, while Dragonite is bulky enough to survive most other priority such as Lucario +2 Extremespeed and opposing Dragonite’s boosted Extremespeed.

Dragonite’s other moveslots help it handle Pokemon trying to absorb Outrage. Superpower is the best of these, as it has strong neutral coverage while slamming most Steel-types hard. It also OHKOs Clefable and Tyranitar without having to lock into Outrage. Dragonite’s hit and run style does not mind the stat drops as much. It also provides another neutral option to hit Breloom should Dragonite absorb Spore. Beware that prominent Dragonite switch ins such as Jirachi, Bronzong, and Skarmory may not be 2HKOed by Superpower, however. Fire Punch is Dragonite’s best option against Skarmory and Bronzong, as it 2HKOs them while also hitting physically defensive Jirachi and Breloom hard. Earthquake is another option, as it will at least 2HKO every Steel-type in the game besides Bronzong and Skarmory. Dragonite’s ability to switch into Breloom successfully with Sleep Talk makes it a solid check, as with Outrage, Extremespeed, and Superpower or Fire Punch, all moves will do a lot of damage. Dragon Claw is an option alongside Outrage, as it still is very strong, 2HKOing Milotic and most Swampert after Stealth Rock. Waterfall is a nice midground for Tyranitar switch ins and less bulky Steel-types such as Heatran.

Set Details
========
Dragonite should not deviate from a fast and strong spread of max attack max speed with an Adamant nature. A Jolly nature is possible to outspeed defensive Latias, Adamant Lucario, and Heatran, but the power loss is enormous and especially hurts when using Extremespeed or fighting offensive Suicune and physically defensive Hippowdon. As Dragonite only needs 192 EVs to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar, it is possible to invest in arbitrary bulk numbers such as 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe. However, this often is not worth it, as Dragonite is easily revenge killed anyway and prefers to at least tie with itself and potentially outspeed slower Dragon Dance Gyarados and Breloom.

Usage Tips
========

How to use Dragonite depends on the opposing team. Against offensive teams, most of the opponent’s team should be able to revenge kill Dragonite after it locks into Outrage. As such, hitting the field before Stealth Rock is up and using Dragon Claw or Superpower can scout out the opposing team so Outrage’s power is only used when needed. Dragonite’s Extremespeed is also an extremely valuable tool for revenging opposing sweepers, so keeping it alive until late can be helpful. However, do not hesitate to switch Dragonite into Breloom’s Spore early in the game should it have Sleep Talk, as even if Breloom avoids the attack with Substitute or Protect, Dragonite has accomplished its job of absorbing sleep. Dragonite can even fire off strong attacks in the lead position.

Against defensive teams, scouting for opposing Skarmory and Jirachi that can absorb Outrage is crucial, as once these threats are weakened, Dragonite can freely fire off Outrage. The only common Pokemon that are faster than Dragonite and can KO on defensive teams are Latias (which can’t guarantee an OHKO on Dragonite after Stealth Rock without Ice Beam), Choice Scarf Tyranitar, faster Gliscor with Ice Fang, and Choice Scarf Rotom-A. As Dragonite is so weak to residual damage, Dragonite can also just use Outrage when it comes in to get the most out of it.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Dragonite generally features on more balanced teams that appreciate its wall breaking ability, help against opposing hyper offense teams, and absorbing Breloom. In return, they can mitigate the exploitable nature of its attacks, weakness to Stealth Rock, and lack of defensive profile. One of the best partners to this Dragonite set is Magnezone, as it traps Outrage resistances, allowing Dragonite to use it with impunity. This Dragonite is more likely to appear with other Dragon-types such as Latias, Flygon, and Kingdra, as with Magnezone and Dragonite, Steel-types and other bulky Pokemon that can survive their attacks like Water-types and Hippowdon will not survive. Other Pokemon that fit well alongside Magnezone offense work well too; however, because of this pair’s defensive liability, they should be bulkier to handle many different Pokemon. Examples include Uxie, Jirachi, Swampert, and utility Tyranitar, while other more frail staples such as Gengar and offensive Metagross are harder to fit.

Dragonite also appreciates Rapid Spin support, as it has no way to heal itself with this set and is weak to Stealth Rock. Starmie, Forretress, and Donphan work well for this purpose. Starmie especially works well, as Dragonite fits well in more offensive paralysis styles as a wallbreaker and Breloom absorber. Example teammates with this pairing include Machamp, Jirachi, and Blissey. Other Blissey offense teammates such as Heatran, Skarmory, and Breloom fit well for this purpose, as they cover a lot of the metagame effectively in few team slots. Heatran also enjoys if Dragonite can remove offensive Water-types and Hippowdon with Outrage.

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Heal Bell / Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Leftovers
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Careful / Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 144 SpD / 116 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While Dragonite’s Dragon Dance sets are often crippled by status, this set mitigates this flaw while taking advantage of teams trying to defeat it with residual damage with Roost. As a bulky win condition, one advantage Dragonite has is the ability to boost its speed. To take advantage of status moves, Dragonite can use either Substitute or Heal Bell. While Heal Bell broadly helps the team more and cures Dragonite of its status ailments, Substitute blocks them in the first place. Substitute also has a lot more PP than Heal Bell should the opponent repeatedly use status moves, such as Jirachi and RestTalk Rotom-A. Substitute also shields Dragonite from revenge killing, as a boosted Dragonite can OHKO all common Choice Scarf Pokemon besides Heatran and Lucario. Another option to block status is Safeguard, although Dragonite is easily forced out by revenge killers without enough speed boosts and it constantly needs to reapply Safeguard after five turns.

With Roost and any of the status abating moves, Dragonite can use many defensive Pokemon trying to stall it out as set up fodder, such as defensive Jirachi, RestTalk Rotom-A, Breloom, Clefable lacking Encore or Ice Beam, Starmie lacking Ice Beam, Blissey, and defensive Heatran. Roost also offsets residual damage such as Stealth Rock, sand, and Substitute. Dragon Claw is the attack of choice, as it has no immunities and can at least 2HKO everything at +6 besides physically bulky Steel-types like Jirachi and Skarmory. While Heal Bell can cure Outrage’s confusion and it hits much harder, being locking into Outrage and the confusion is counterproductive to the set as well as opening it up to revenge killers.


Set Details
========
Dragonite’s EVs are balance between what it wants to set up on and speed. The EV spread listed focuses on special bulk while outspeeding up to max speed Jirachi and Flygon after one Dragon Dance, slower Choice Scarf users such as Adamant Flygon and Rotom-A at +2, and everything after 3 Dragon Dance. The special bulk gives Dragonite the best chance to set up against defensive teams, as it avoids a 2HKO from every common special attack used on defensive teams and can Roost it off, including Clefable +0 Ice Beam, defensive Swampert’s Ice Beam, and Latias’s Ice Beam. The spread also avoids an OHKO from Choice Scarf Latias’s Draco Meteor and every Ice Beam up to offensive Empoleon’s, meaning Dragonite can Roost off the damage can stall out the attack. Dragonite can also run even more special bulk with a spread of 248 HP / 216 SpD / 44 Spe as this spread means RestTalk Rotom-A Thunderbolt will never break a Substitute and can even survive Choice Specs Latias’s Dragon Pulse in sand. However, the speed trade off means it only outpaces positive nature base 90 speed at +1, can’t outspeed Choice Scarf Heatran at +2, and needs +4 to outspeed everything.

Dragonite can also focus on speed more with a Jolly nature, as a max HP Dragonite Substitute is still bulky enough to not break to Jirachi Body Slam and Iron Head only has a 75% chance to do so. With a boosting nature and 176 EVs, Dragonite can outspeed the unboosted tier at +1 and everything at +2. This significantly cuts into its bulk, however and can’t set up on as much, as Rotom-A’s Thunderbolt will guarantee break Substitute. Only use this spread with Substitute, as Heal Bell and Safeguard need more bulk to function properly.

Usage Tips
========
This Dragonite, even with bulk, Roost, and possibly Heal Bell, is very easy to wall before its counters have been removed because of its slow speed even when boosted and reliance on one attack. As such, it generally only comes in at the end of the game to set up or if the team desperately needs Heal Bell. Other than this, how to play Dragonite depends on the opposing team.

Against offensive teams, once Dragonite uses Dragon Dance, it generally won’t be able to set up again. Should Dragonite be forced out, it loses a ton of momentum due to both its weakness to Stealth Rock and how many boosts it needs to outspeed common Choice Scarf users and break checks with Dragon Claw. As offensive teams generally don’t require Heal Bell, try to keep Dragonite hidden as long as possible until its favorable to sweep, as once its counters are removed, offensive teams struggle to do enough damage to stop a bulky, healing Dragonite from accumulating boosts.

Against more defensive teams, it is more forgiving should Dragonite be forced out. These teams generally do not apply so much pressure that Dragonite can’t heal up as well as generally only have one Pokemon that outspeeds +1 Dragonite. As such, Dragonite can heal status more easily and set up on bulky walls. Be careful to remove bulky phasers such as Skarmory, as Dragonite will not sweep without being at +6 unless it is the last Pokemon. With Heal Bell, Dragonite can be stalled out of PP against bulky Steel-type status users such as Jirachi, so be make sure to weaken these.

Team Options
========
Dragonite needs a vast support structure and the entire team built around it to sweep. First, Magnezone support is mandatory, because Steel-types will wall Dragonite unless it gets many boosts. Multiple Magnezone sets can work, as Choice Scarf Magnezone can remove Skarmory, paralyze defensive Jirachi and remove offensive sets, Empoleon, Scizor, and also check Lucario and Gengar. Magnet Rise Magnezone can also eliminate Metagross and Bronzong that can remove Dragonite with Explosion. Choice Scarf Magneton can also remove Skarmory and help against neutral nature Dragon Dance sweepers like opposing Dragonite and Gyarados. As Dragonite struggles in general against offensive teams, strong walls that work alongside Magnezone such as Clefable, Zapdos, Uxie, Latias, Skarmory, and even Quagsire are effective. These also have redundant Pokemon they wall with Dragonite, meaning it can come in only when it is ready to sweep. In addition, Dragonite appreciates Rapid Spin support due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and the general passivity of the team surrounding it. Starmie, Forretress, Donphan, and Tentacruel are good choices here. Entry hazards in general are also effective, meaning Skarmory, Roserade, Tentacruel, and Forretress can help weaken the opposing walls.

Dragonite, especially Substitute variants, appreciates weather clearing for general longevity. Rain Dance Bronzong, Cresselia, Uxie, and Latias are effective. Another way to give Dragonite the support it needs is to use it in Rain teams. These teams provide the infrastructure needed to sweep, such as Uxie, Azelf, Mesprit, and Bronzong providing weather clearing. Weather sweepers such as Qwilfish, Ludicolo, and Kingdra can hammer Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Abomasnow that answer Dragonite. Choice Specs Kingdra especially is helpful, as it is fantastic in rain against offensive teams and weakens Steel-types with powerful Water-type attacks. Qwilfish can use Explosion, set Toxic Spikes, and hit physical walls hard, while Ludicolo resets rain effectively and hurts offensive teams. Magnezone support, while uncommon on rain teams, is still necessary, while other rain support such as Rotom-A, Latias, Suicune, Heatran, and even Tyranitar are quite effective alongside Dragonite.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============
Dragonite has numerous niche sets in DPP OU due to its huge movepool and high stats. Dragonite can run more midground Dragon Dance sets, with Leftovers, max HP, Roost, and Earthquake. These sets mitigate residual damage while not needing as much support to remove Steel-types as the bulky Dragon Dance set. Doing this often leaves it vulnerable to status and power while still being weak to revenge killers. Dragonite also can run Substitute on its offensive Dragon Dance set to block status alongside a Lum Berry. This can be used alongside another coverage move such as Fire Punch or Earthquake, or even Thunder Wave to paralyze revenge killers and walls like Jirachi. Dragonite also can run mixed sets with Dragon Dance, with options such as Draco Meteor, Superpower, Fire Blast, Earthquake, and others to mitigate its low speed while opening up walls. These sets often end up trying to do too much with too low of investment, however. The most prominent other sweeping move is Agility with many different options such as Life Orb mixed with Draco Meteor, Fire Blast and Outrage, or Expert Belt with Ice Punch, Thunderpunch, and Earthquake or any combination thereof. Agility doesn’t allow Dragonite to outspeed Choice Scarf Latias without a speed boosting nature, while it generally isn’t strong enough to break through teams without Dragon Dance.

Dragonite can run physically defensive sets due to its access to Heal Bell and Roost, as it is a fantastic Breloom counter and handles most threats if they can’t hit it super effectively. It often needs full team support to do so and Rapid Spin, however. Dragonite has many niche moves such as Waterfall, Stone Edge, and Thunderpunch on physical sets or Ice Beam, Thunder, and Surf on mixed sets, but these are often outclassed by other Pokemon and Dragonite is strapped for moveslots anyway. Dragonite’s support movepool includes Haze, Light Screen, Roar, Toxic, and Rain Dance, but its weakness to Stealth Rock and typing make it difficult to pull these off without being outclassed.

Checks and Counters
===================
Dragonite is difficult to answer without it heavily damaging something. Dragonite can at least 2HKO everything in the tier with the correct attack and switching in the wrong answer can be catastrophic. However, Dragonite is quite easy to revenge kill, as its attacks have heavy drawbacks, it suffers badly from residual damage, and it has common weaknesses.

**Bulky Steel-types**: Skarmory, Jirachi, Metagross, Heatran, and Bronzong are excellent initial switch ins to Dragonite, as its Dragon-type moves either have heavy drawbacks or are easy to wall. Should Dragonite lock itself into Outrage, Skarmory can phaze it out, Jirachi and Bronzong can survive boosted attacks and status it, while Metagross, Heatran, and Bronzong can also use Explosion. However, this can backfire, as only Bronzong and physically defensive Jirachi avoid an OHKO with the correct attack, while Dragon Dance Dragonite sets up and can hit all of these Pokemon hard.

**Fast Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf Latias, Flygon, Lucario, Metagross, Jirachi, Rotom-A, and Heatran all can outspeed Dragonite after a Dragon Dance and eliminate it after Stealth Rock. Dragonite can get past all of these with the right resistance berry, or in the case of Latias and Flygon, with Extremespeed and some residual damage.

**Very Bulky Pokemon**: Ice Beam Cresselia is perhaps the tier’s best answer, as it is bulky enough to survive any one attack and can set up Reflect, paralyze Dragonite, or eliminate it with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock. All others should be careful. Hippowdon, Gliscor, Bold Clefable, Suicune, and Milotic can all stave off non boosted Dragonite and retaliate with an Ice-type attack. However, Life Orb boosted +1 Dragonite OHKOs many of these checks with Outrage, while some of the weaker Ice-type attacks need Stealth Rock before they can OHKO. These Pokemon are also set up bait for very specially bulky Dragonite with Heal Bell should they lack phasing moves.

**Residual Damage**: Dragonite is weak to Stealth Rock, take sand damage, and generally wants Life Orb. Additionally, its attacks have drawbacks, such as Outrage forcing it to stay in and Draco Meteor’s as well as Superpower’s stat drops. Because of this, Dragonite will often be a low health should it come in again, meaning anything that can hit it super effectively, status it, or outspeed can eliminate it.

**Ice-types** Mamoswine, Weavile, and Abomasnow are excellent counters with Ice Shard, as if Dragonite lacks Yache Berry, it will OHKO. Even with Yache Berry, Dragonite takes heavy damage from especially Mamoswine’s and Weavile’s Ice Shard, as with a Choice Band, sand, and Stealth Rock it can KO. However, Dragonite with Extremespeed at +1 will outspeed Ice Shard and KO Weavile after Stealth Rock while heavily damaging Mamoswine and Abomasnow.

**Dragon-types** While they can’t switch in, Latias, Flygon, and Kingdra all outspeed Dragonite and can easily OHKO with their Dragon-type attacks should it lock into Outrage without a speed boost.

**Rock-type coverage**: Tyranitar can hit Dragonite hard with both Ice- and Rock-type moves, while Choice Scarf sets outspeed all non boosted Dragonite. Dragonite also doesn’t take Pursuit well should it switch out. While rare, Aerodactyl outspeeds most Dragon Dance Dragonite at +1 and can OHKO with Stone Edge. Gyarados, Machamp, and Swampert can generally survive a non boosted hit and retaliate with a super effective Stone Edge or Ice Punch.


[CREDITS]

- Written by: [johnnyg2, 57904]]
- Quality checked by: [[oiponabys, 435540], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
Last edited:
Great one again !

Here is another long one on Dpp Dragonite

:Dragonite:

[OVERVIEW]
Dragonite is perhaps the most powerful Pokemon in DPP OU with a simple Dragon Dance set. Dragonite’s boosted Outrage warps the tier, as it at least 2HKOs everything in the tier that doesn’t resist it, while even less bulky Steel-types like offensive Heatran, Scizor, and non physically bulky Jirachi can be 2HKOed with Life Orb at +1. Dragonite also has the strongest no drawbacks priority in the tier with Extremespeed, allowing it to bypass weakened Choice Scarf users such as Flygon and Latias at +1. Dragonite's item choice affects it counters: foes hoping to status Dragonite or let it confuse itself are stymied by Lum Berry. It can also lean into its survivability with a resistance berry—Dragonite can survive most attempts to revenge kill it with either a Yache Berry or a Haban Berry. These, including its wide resistance palette, makes Dragonite one of the best sweepers in the tier and a staple of hyper offense.

Dragonite has more utility beyond an offensive Dragon Dance set. Dragonite’s mixed set has very few guaranteed switch-ins and often decimates defensive teams with its coverage and power. Because it is difficult to tell if Dragonite is mixed or physical, switching in the wrong Pokemon can be devastating if a physical wall is OHKOed by Draco Meteor or Fire Blast. Choice Band is destructively powerful without set up and is a great assist against opposing offensive team with its stong Extreme Speed and ability to absorb opposing sleep moves such as Breloom's Spore .good Breloom Spore absorber. It also assists against opposing heavy offense teams and rain teams with its strong Extremespeed. Dragonite also can run bulky Dragon Dance sets as a win condition, aimed at defeating defensive teams who handle it with status or residual damage.


Dragonite’s main flaw lies in its severe weakness to residual damage and relatively low speed. Dragonite is weak to Stealth Rock, takes sand damage, and often wants the extra power of Life Orb. Combined with Outrage forcing Dragonite to stay in at least another turn after using it and its confusion, Dragonite can sometimes feel underwhelming—hitting something hard and then getting immediately revenge killed or fainting to residual damage. Mixed sets struggle even more with this, as because it can’t boost its below average base 80 speed, even slower threats like defensive Latias can easily revenge kill after Stealth Rock. Many Choice Scarf Pokemon are faster and outfitted to handle Dragonite: Flygon and Latias OHKO it, Jirachi and Lucario have Ice Punch, and Rotom-A sometimes carries Hidden Power Ice. Defensive Dragon Dance sets often need heavy support such as Magnezone and weather change yet still can struggle against offensive teams due to lacking coverage, speed, and power.


[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Fire Punch / Extremespeed
move 4: Earthquake / Extremespeed
item: Lum Berry / Yache Berry / Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Dragonite’s bulk and offensive prowess can typically get it a Dragon Dance, solving its speed problems and making it extremely strong. Outrage is the crux of this set: most of the crumbles to a +1 Outrage. As a 120 base-powered STAB coming off of Dragonte's masssive Attack stat, even Even common checks that don’t resist Dragon such as offensive Suicune, specially defensive Hippowdon, physically defensive Zapdos, and Bold Clefable can get OHKOed by a boosted Outrage after Stealth Rock. Only physically defensive Steel-types such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Jirachi can avoid the 2HKO from Outrage. The main downfall to Outrage is being locked into it and the confusion afterwards. However, the power difference from the safer Dragon Claw makes it a necessary evil, as Dragon Claw fails to OHKO offensive Suicune and generally doesn’t hit hard enough even when boosted.

Dragonite’s other two options help it deal with Outrage resists and give Dragonite general utility. Fire Punch is a great option to hit Steel-types resistant to Outrage. Fire Punch at +1 easily 2HKOs Skarmory, Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi. However, another option is Earthquake, OHKOing grounded Steel-types such as Metagross, Jirachi, and Heatran. Earthquake also is much stronger In addition to its much higher base power than Fire Punch, Earthquake grants the ability to kill targets such as while additionally OHKOing Tyranitar at +1 without locking into Outrage. Finally, another great option is Extremespeed, which allows Dragonite to bypass weakened revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Flygon and Choice Scarf Latias. Flygon takes 76.4% - 90% from a +1 Life Orb Extremespeed, while Latias takes 69.1 - 81.3%, meaning only a bit of residual damage is needed to put them in range. Extremespeed also has incredible utility, as it generally hits unresisted targets such as Starmie, Gyarados, and Flygon for >50% of their health unboosted.

Set Details
========
Dragonite’s generally runs a max attack / max speed Adamant nature EV spread, as it needs all the speed and power it can get. Don’t put the extra 4 EVs into HP, as Dragonite will take extra Stealth Rock damage. A Jolly nature is possible to outspeed slower Choice Scarf users such as Heatran, Adamant Lucario at +1 and outspeed Choice Scarf Latias at +2, but the power loss is enormous and Dragonite often can’t get to +2 anyway.

Lum Berry is the preferred item, as it prevents status from ruining Dragonite’s sweep. A common way for defensive teams to stave it off is to send in physically defensive Jirachi on Outrage and then paralyze with Body Slam. Not only does Lum Berry prevent this, but even if Jirachi paralyzes it again, Dragonite’s Inner Focus ability prevents Iron Head flinching. Lum Berry also crucially alleviates one of the main downside in Outrage by curing confusion, meaning it can lock into Outrage again unimpeded. Another option is to use Yache Berry to help survive Dragonite 4x weakness to Ice-type moves. As many Water-types, Zapdos, and Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-A, Lucario, some Tyranitar, and Jirachi try to revenge kill Dragonite with Ice-type moves, Yache Berry lets Dragonite survive and either set up again or unleash attacks. Should Dragonite lead, Focus Sash in another item to use, allowing Dragonite to live any hit and continue attacking.

Life Orb is another great choice of item for Dragonite, as the extra power is very valuable, allowing it to bypass checks such as Bold Clefable and offensive Calm Mind Suicune with Outrage. Life Orb also makes using Extremespeed over a coverage move more viable, as the extra damage is very important to KOing Choice Scarf Flygon and Choice Scarf Latias while generally raising its utility. Should If Dragonite is be used on more hyper offensive teams, Life Orb should be the item of choice for its destructive power. However, beware of the already huge weakness to residual damage.

Dragonite can also use Haban Berry to survive various Outrage and Draco Meteor from Latias, Flygon, and opposing Dragonite. Dragonite can run a 196 Atk / 80 SpD / 232 Spe EV spread, which allows it to survive Choice Scarf Latias’s Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock and one round of sand damage while still outspeeding Modest Heatran unboosted. Should Dragonite want to live Modest Choice Specs Latias’s Draco Meteor, it should run 108 Atk / 212 SpD / 192 Spe. However, beware of taking too much investment out of Dragonite’s attack, as it won’t KO what it needs to.

Usage Tips
========
How Dragonite is used depends on the opposing team. Against more defensive teams, Dragonite needs the additional power from Dragon Dance to break through soft checks like specially defensive Hippowdon, Milotic, and Bold Clefable with a boosted +1 Outrage. Many of these teams answer Dragonite by either baiting it into Outrage and then switching to a physically bulky Steel-type such as Jirachi and Skarmory or by using Skarmory to either phase or use Counter against a boosted Dragonite. Offensive Dragon Dance Dragonite rarely sweeps defensive teams on its own, but breaking open holes by weakening Skarmory or checks such as Hippowdon can open up for another teammate.

Against more offensive teams, Dragonite can sometimes struggle to find time to set up. However, Dragonite can open holes by sometimes just attacking; +0 Outrage is so strong that even somewhat bulky foes such as max HP Swampert struggle to take it. Dragonite loves the field being clear of Stealth Rock and sand to minimize residual damage, so hitting the field early can be beneficial. However, Dragonite’s bulk and Extremespeed can let it trade or revenge opponents late in the game. Dragonite’s answers are often forced to either lock into exploitable moves, such as Flygon’s Outrage, Latias’s Draco Meteor, and Rotom-A’s Hidden Power Ice, or be heavily weakened by Dragonite’s attacks. Take advantage of this by setting up another sweeper on these attacks. Should Dragonite lead, even good set up opportunities such as Heatran can potentially have Focus Sash and OHKO Dragonite with Explosion, meaning just attacking is often better.

Team Options
========
Dragonite is a staple of the hyper offense style, as little breaks open teams like it can. Dragonite loves to hit the field without Stealth Rock being up, so Taunt leads such as Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Skarmory are beneficial. Dragonite also appreciates other sweepers such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Swords Dance Scizor, Agility Metagross, Swords Dance Lucario, and Swords Dance Empoleon. All of these synergistically sweep with Dragonite: Gyarados and Tyranitar appreciate Dragonite weakening or KOing bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Metagross, Skarmory, and Bronzong that can tank a hit and paralyze, phaze, or use Explosion on them. Metagross, Scizor, Lucario, and Empoleon all resist Dragonite’s weaknesses, meaning they can get free set up on the choiced attacks used to revenge kill Dragonite. Swords Dance Empoleon also is excellent against the defensive teams Dragonite can struggle with if Outrage is mispredicted. Dragonite enjoys Magnezone support to remove the Steel-types, especially Skarmory, that tank its Outrage. Other main stays of Magnezone offense such as Gengar, Choice Specs Latias, and offensive Stealth Rock Bronzong are helpful. Dragonite can also take advantage of other ways to weaken levitating Steel-types, such as surprise Fire- and Electric-type moves from Tyranitar and Jirachi, Trick + Iron Ball or Choice Band from Bronzong and Metagross, and special moves from Pokemon like Swampert. Dragonite also appreciates Pursuit support from Tyranitar and Swords Dance Scizor, as Latias and Rotom-A are prominent Choice Scarf users who revenge kill Dragonite.

You could delete SD emp from the partners

Dragonite does appreciate Rapid Spin support to remove Stealth Rock, but it is difficult to fit the pace of the team. Dragonite fits alongside other Dragon-types such as Latias, Kingdra, and Flygon in a DragMag style built on weakening Steel-types for powerful Dragon-type moves. Other mainstays of this style include Mamoswine, Lucario, and Gengar. Dragonite also fits well on dual screens teams, as it can set up multiple Dragon Dances and is impossible to wall. Other mainstays of this style such as Uxie, offensive Calm Mind Suicune, Machamp, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and Calm Mind Jirachi are excellent teammates.

[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Extremespeed / Roost / Outrage
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragonite can take advantage of its physical prowess to lure physical walls in and hit them with devastating special moves. Dragonite’s Draco Meteor is extremely strong, heavily damaging common switch ins such as Hippowdon, Suicune, and Bold Clefable. Both Fire Blast and Flamethrower destroys many Steel-types trying to absorb Dragonite and the choice is a matter of accuracy and PP versus power. Flamethrower OHKOs physically defensive Skarmory and Scizor while at least 2HKOing every Steel-type in the tier except the bulkiest of Jirachi, Heatran, specially defensive Empoleon, and Heatproof Bronzong. Fire Blast additionally OHKOs bulkless Jirachi, Metagross after Stealth Rock, and has a 75% chance to OHKO specially defensive Skarmory after Stealth Rock.

Superpower completes Dragonite’s coverage and is a major advantage over other mixed Dragon-types such as Flygon and Kingdra. Dragonite is almost guaranteed to OHKO non Bold Clefable with Superpower, while also OHKOing Tyranitar, most Empoleon, and Heatran after Stealth Rock. It also gives Dragonite the ability to hit something hard even after Draco Meteor’s stat drops. Extremespeed maximizes Dragonite’s utility against offensive teams, as an uninvested Life Orb Extremespeed can do 30-40% to frail sweepers who don’t resist it. Roost mitigates the residual damage of Life Orb, Stealth Rock, and sand to keep Dragonite healthy against defensive teams. The last choice is to focus on more destructive power with Outrage, limiting checks that can switch in to just Cresselia. Outrage means even common mixed Dragonite answers such as specially defensive Hippowdon and Gliscor can never switch into Draco Meteor, because Outrage will KO them. Beware of the consequences of being locked into a slow Outrage, however.

Set Details
========
Dragonite should almost always run a special attack boosting nature and 252 SpA EVs. Dragonite has several possible speed investments to hit. Max speed allows Dragonite to outspeed as much as it can and speed tie with itself. 192 EVs with a neutral nature allows Dragonite to outspeed neutral nature Tyranitar. However, Dragonite can also run a speed boosting nature, as it crucially allows it to outrun slow defensive Latias as well as Heatran, Gyarados, slower offensive Suicune, and Adamant Lucario. Dragonite can also run other speed benchmarks, such as no speed at all or 104 to outspeed neutral nature Tyranitar. Dragonite can spare some attack EVs to improve Superpower’s damage roll on Clefable, Empoleon, and Heatran. 72 EVs is needed to guarantee max HP Clefable. Other benchmarks include 140 to OHKO Blissey with Stealth Rock and one round of sand as well as 2HKO specially defensive Hipppwdon with Outrage after Stealth Rock, or just max attack to do as much damage as possible. Life Orb is generally the item of choice, as Dragonite needs all the power it can get. It also doesn’t have a lot of survivability and is easily revenge killed, so maximizing the damage it can do is preferred. Dragonite can also run a Focus Sash in the lead position to guarantee a Draco Meteor + follow up.

Dragonite shouldn’t be lowering Atk, SpA, or Spe, so it either has to lower its defense or special defense. Special defense lowering natures are generally better, as Dragonite can’t survive most special Ice- and Dragon-type moves after Stealth Rock anyway. With its defense intact, it can be serviceable against Breloom—notably, it avoids a 2HKO from Focus Punch. Dragonite can survive weaker Ice Beam from Swampert and Milotic without Stealth Rock with a defense hindering nature; however, since Dragonite is almost never at full health, this often is irrelevant.


Usage Tips
========
This Dragonite generally operates with the element of surprise and hammers unsuspecting physical walls with special moves. As such, Fire Blast or Flamethrower is generally the safest move to use. Surprising physically defensive Skarmory or Jirachi can sometimes win the game immediately and Draco Meteor targets such as Latias generally won't switch into Dragonite. It also keep Dragonite's special attack intact. Dragonite generally should come in early before Stealth Rock is up. Dragonite often only gets a few moves to make an impact due to residual damage, so getting the most out of it requires exact play. Against more defensive teams, only a few Pokemon can avoid a 2HKO from it or outspeed it and OHKO. Should Dragonite have Roost, it can come in repeatedly on Pokemon such as defensive Breloom, Clefable, Starmie lacking Ice Beam, and Forretress and break up the opposing defensive core.


Team Options
========

Dragonite generally belongs on more hyper offensive teams looking to break defensive builds teams open and can prevent early Stealth Rock. For this reason, it doesn't really compete with other mixed attackers like Flygon. Dragonite appreciates anti Stealth Rock leads that can give it a free switch and potentially status the opponent. Aerodactyl, Thunder Wave Azelf, Thunder Wave Froslass, Choice Scarf or Focus Sash Breloom, Gallade with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt, and Smeargle can let Dragonite in for free and disable the opponent. As some of these leads cannot set up Stealth Rock, Dragonite appreciates alternate setters such as Metagross, Heatran, and Camerupt. Metagross is especially synergetic, as Skarmory is a free switch in for Dragonite to rip open the opposing team. Beyond the lead game, mixed Dragonite appreciates partners that take advantage of the holes it breaks. Dragon Dance Gyarados, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, offensive Calm Mind Jirachi, Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Lucario, and offensive Empoleon are excellent partners. Lucario is an especially good partner, as Dragonite can lure in most Lucario walls and hammer them with Draco Meteor and Fire Blast. Another great partner for Dragonite is Tyranitar, as all sets benefit from Dragonite removing Hippowdon. Choice Scarf sets open up other sweepers and help against potential revenge killers such as Latias, Dragon Dance sets take advantage of the opening of defensive Ground-types, and utility sets get up Stealth Rock and absorb Dragonite’s weaknesses. Swords Dance Scizor with Pursuit can also take advantage of defensive Latias trying to revenge kill Dragonite. Other Pokemon that can take advantage of breaking open walls are Trick Room Bronzong, Agility Metagross, and Machamp. On more balanced teams, Dragonite is commonly paired with ways to mitigate residual damage. As such it can be found alongside Wish Jirachi and Rapid Spin Starmie. Dragonite is also commonly forced out after using Draco Meteor or Superpower, so Choice Scarf revenge killers such as Latias and Rotom-A are effective to help against set up. Steel-types in general help Dragonite, as they resist its weaknesses and give Dragonite an opportunity to come in.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Extremespeed
move 3: Superpower / Fire Punch / Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Talk / Fire Punch / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With a Choice Band, Dragonite hits hard immediately, as Outrage 2HKOs everything in the tier that doesn’t resist it. Extremespeed makes up Dragonite's other primary niche, as it 2HKOs most sweepers such as Gyarados, Kingdra, and even Lucario after a defense drop with Stealth Rock, while Dragonite is bulky enough to survive most other priority such as Lucario +2 Extremespeed and opposing Dragonite’s boosted Extremespeed.

Dragonite’s other moveslots help it handle Pokemon trying to absorb Outrage. Superpower is the best of these, as it has strong neutral coverage while slamming most Steel-types hard. It also OHKOs Clefable and Tyranitar without having to lock into Outrage. Dragonite’s hit and run style does not mind the stat drops as much. It also provides another neutral option to hit Breloom should Dragonite absorb Spore. Beware that prominent Dragonite switch ins such as Jirachi, Bronzong, and Skarmory may not be 2HKOed by Superpower, however. Fire Punch is Dragonite’s best option against Skarmory and Bronzong, as it 2HKOs them while also hitting physically defensive Jirachi and Breloom hard. Earthquake is another option, as it will at least 2HKO every Steel-type in the game besides Bronzong and Skarmory. Dragonite’s ability to switch into Breloom successfully with Sleep Talk makes it a solid check, as with Outrage, Extremespeed, and Superpower or Fire Punch, all moves will do a lot of damage. Dragon Claw is an option alongside Outrage, as it still is very strong, 2HKOing Milotic and most Swampert after Stealth Rock. Waterfall is a nice midground for Tyranitar switch ins and less bulky Steel-types such as Heatran.

Set Details
========
Dragonite should not deviate from a fast and strong spread of max attack max speed with an Adamant nature. A Jolly nature is possible to outspeed defensive Latias, Adamant Lucario, and Heatran, but the power loss is enormous and especially hurts when using Extremespeed or fighting offensive Suicune and physically defensive Hippowdon. As Dragonite only needs 192 EVs to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar, it is possible to invest in arbitrary bulk numbers such as 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe. However, this often is not worth it, as Dragonite is easily revenge killed anyway and prefers to at least tie with itself and potentially outspeed slower Dragon Dance Gyarados and Breloom.

Usage Tips
========

How to use Dragonite depends on the opposing team. Against offensive teams, most of the opponent’s team should be able to revenge kill Dragonite after it locks into Outrage. As such, hitting the field before Stealth Rock is up and using Dragon Claw or Superpower can scout out the opposing team so Outrage’s power is only used when needed. Dragonite’s Extremespeed is also an extremely valuable tool for revenging opposing sweepers, so keeping it alive until late can be helpful. However, do not hesitate to switch Dragonite into Breloom’s Spore early in the game should it have Sleep Talk, as even if Breloom avoids the attack with Substitute or Protect, Dragonite has accomplished its job of absorbing sleep. Dragonite can even fire off strong attacks in the lead position.

Against defensive teams, scouting for opposing Skarmory and Jirachi that can absorb Outrage is crucial, as once these threats are weakened, Dragonite can freely fire off Outrage. The only common Pokemon that are faster than Dragonite and can KO on defensive teams are Latias (which can’t guarantee an OHKO on Dragonite after Stealth Rock without Ice Beam), Choice Scarf Tyranitar, faster Gliscor with Ice Fang, and Choice Scarf Rotom-A. As Dragonite is so weak to residual damage, Dragonite can also just use Outrage when it comes in to get the most out of it.

Team Options
========
Choice Band Dragonite generally features on more balanced teams that appreciate its wall breaking ability, help against opposing hyper offense teams, and absorbing Breloom. In return, they can mitigate the exploitable nature of its attacks, weakness to Stealth Rock, and lack of defensive profile. One of the best partners to this Dragonite set is Magnezone, as it traps Outrage resistances, allowing Dragonite to use it with impunity. This Dragonite is more likely to appear with other Dragon-types such as Latias, Flygon, and Kingdra, as with Magnezone and Dragonite, Steel-types and other bulky Pokemon that can survive their attacks like Water-types and Hippowdon will not survive. Other Pokemon that fit well alongside Magnezone offense work well too; however, because of this pair’s defensive liability, they should be bulkier to handle many different Pokemon. Examples include Uxie, Jirachi, Swampert, and utility Tyranitar, while other more frail staples such as Gengar and offensive Metagross are harder to fit.

Dragonite also appreciates Rapid Spin support, as it has no way to heal itself with this set and is weak to Stealth Rock. Starmie, Donphan and Forretress, and Tentacruel work well for this purpose. Starmie especially works well, as Dragonite fits well in more offensive paralysis styles as a wallbreaker and Breloom absorber. Example teammates with this pairing include Machamp, Jirachi, and Blissey. Other Blissey offense teammates such as Heatran, Skarmory, and Breloom fit well for this purpose, as they cover a lot of the metagame effectively in few team slots. Heatran also enjoys if Dragonite can remove offensive Water-types and Hippowdon with Outrage.

I'd argue that Donphan is a better partner than Tenta, especially since you mention that CBnite fits on paraspam after

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Heal Bell / Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Leftovers
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Careful / Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 144 SpD / 116 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While Dragonite’s Dragon Dance sets are often crippled by status, this set mitigates this flaw while taking advantage of teams trying to defeat it with residual damage with Roost. As a bulky win condition, one advantage Dragonite has is the ability to boost its speed. To take advantage of status moves, Dragonite can use either Substitute or Heal Bell. While Heal Bell broadly helps the team more and cures Dragonite of its status ailments, Substitute blocks them in the first place. Substitute also has a lot more PP than Heal Bell should the opponent repeatedly use status moves, such as Jirachi and RestTalk Rotom-A. Substitute also shields Dragonite from revenge killing, as a boosted Dragonite can OHKO all common Choice Scarf Pokemon besides Heatran and Lucario. Another option to block status is Safeguard, although Dragonite is easily forced out by revenge killers should it lack without enough speed boosts and it constantly needs to reapply Safeguard after five turns.

With Roost and any of the status abating moves, Dragonite can use many defensive Pokemon trying to stall it out as set up fodder, such as defensive Jirachi, RestTalk Rotom-A, Breloom, Clefable lacking Encore or Ice Beam, Starmie lacking Ice Beam, Blissey, and defensive Heatran. Roost also offsets residual damage such as Stealth Rock, sand, and Substitute. Dragon Claw is the attack of choice, as it has no immunities and can at least 2HKO everything at +6 besides physically bulky Steel-types like Jirachi and Skarmory. While Heal Bell can cure Outrage’s confusion and it hits much harder, being locking into Outrage and the confusion is counterproductive to the set as well as opening it up to revenge killers.


Set Details
========
Dragonite’s EVs are a balance between what it wants to set up on and speed. The EV spread listed focuses on special bulk while outspeeding up to max speed Jirachi and Flygon after one Dragon Dance, slower Choice Scarf users such as Adamant Flygon and Rotom-A at +2, and everything after 3 Dragon Dance. The special bulk gives Dragonite the best chance to set up against defensive teams, as it avoids a 2HKO from every common special attack used on defensive teams and can Roost it off, including Clefable +0 Ice Beam, and defensive Swampert’s Ice Beam and Latias’s Ice Beam. The spread also avoids an OHKO from Choice Scarf Latias’s Draco Meteor and every Ice Beam up to offensive Empoleon’s, meaning Dragonite can Roost off the damage and can stall out the attack. Dragonite can also run even more special bulk with a spread of 248 HP / 216 SpD / 44 Spe as this spread means RestTalk Rotom-A Thunderbolt will never break a Substitute and can even survive Choice Specs Latias’s Dragon Pulse in sand. However, the speed trade off means it only outpaces positive nature base 90 speed at +1, can’t outspeed Choice Scarf Heatran at +2, and needs +4 to outspeed everything.

Dragonite can also focus on speed more with a Jolly nature, as a max HP Dragonite Substitute is still bulky enough to not break to Jirachi Body Slam and Iron Head only has a 75% chance to do so. With a boosting nature and 176 EVs, Dragonite can outspeed the unboosted tier at +1 and everything at +2. This significantly cuts into its bulk, however and can’t set up on as much, as Rotom-A’s Thunderbolt will guarantee break Substitute. Only use this spread with Substitute, as Heal Bell and Safeguard need more bulk to function properly.

Usage Tips
========
This Dragonite, even with bulk, Roost, and possibly Heal Bell, is very easy to wall before its counters have been removed because of its slow speed even when boosted and reliance on one attack. As such, it generally only comes in at the end of the game to set up or if the team desperately needs Heal Bell. Other than this, how to play Dragonite depends on the opposing team.

Against offensive teams, once Dragonite uses Dragon Dance, it generally won’t be able to set up again. Should Dragonite be forced out, it loses a ton of momentum due to both its weakness to Stealth Rock and how many boosts it needs to outspeed common Choice Scarf users and break checks with Dragon Claw. As offensive teams generally don’t require Heal Bell, try to keep Dragonite hidden as long as possible until its favorable to sweep, as once its counters are removed, offensive teams struggle to do enough damage to stop a bulky, healing Dragonite from accumulating boosts.

Against more defensive teams, it is more forgiving should Dragonite be forced out. These teams generally do not apply so much pressure that Dragonite can’t heal up as well as generally only have one Pokemon that outspeeds +1 Dragonite. As such, Dragonite can heal status more easily and set up on bulky walls. Be careful to remove bulky phasers such as Skarmory, as Dragonite will not sweep without being at +6 unless it is the last Pokemon. With Heal Bell, Dragonite can be stalled out of PP against bulky Steel-type status users such as Jirachi, so be make sure to weaken these.

Team Options
========
Dragonite needs a vast support structure and the entire team built around it to sweep. First, Magnezone support is mandatory, because Steel-types will wall Dragonite unless it gets many boosts. Multiple Magnezone sets can work, as Choice Scarf Magnezone can remove Skarmory, paralyze defensive Jirachi and remove offensive sets, Empoleon, Scizor, and also check Lucario and Gengar. Magnet Rise Magnezone can also eliminate Metagross and Bronzong that can remove Dragonite with Explosion. Choice Scarf Magneton can also remove Skarmory and help against neutral nature Dragon Dance sweepers like opposing Dragonite and Gyarados. As Dragonite struggles in general against offensive teams, strong walls that work alongside Magnezone such as Clefable, Zapdos, Uxie, Latias, Skarmory, and even Quagsire are effective. These also have redundant Pokemon they wall with Dragonite, meaning it can come in only when it is ready to sweep. In addition, Dragonite appreciates Rapid Spin support due to its weakness to Stealth Rock and the general passivity of the team surrounding it. Starmie, Forretress, Donphan, and Tentacruel are good choices here. Entry hazards in general are also effective, meaning Skarmory, Roserade, Tentacruel, and Forretress can help weaken the opposing walls.

Dragonite, especially Substitute variants, appreciates weather clearing for general longevity. Rain Dance Bronzong, Cresselia, Uxie, and Latias are effective. Another way to give Dragonite the support it needs is to use it in Rain teams. These teams provide the infrastructure needed to sweep, such as Uxie, Azelf, Mesprit, and Bronzong providing weather clearing. Weather sweepers such as Qwilfish, Ludicolo, and Kingdra can hammer Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Abomasnow that answer Dragonite. Choice Specs Kingdra especially is helpful, as it is fantastic in rain against offensive teams and weakens Steel-types with powerful Water-type attacks. Qwilfish can use Explosion, set Toxic Spikes, and hit physical walls hard, while Ludicolo resets rain effectively and hurts offensive teams. Magnezone support, while uncommon on rain teams, is still necessary, while other rain support such as Rotom-A, Latias, Suicune, Heatran, and even Tyranitar are quite effective alongside Dragonite.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============
Dragonite has numerous niche sets in DPP OU due to its huge movepool and high stats. Dragonite can run more midground Dragon Dance sets, with Leftovers, max HP, Roost, and Earthquake. These sets mitigate residual damage while not needing as much support to remove Steel-types as the bulky Dragon Dance set. Doing this often leaves it vulnerable to status and power while still being weak to revenge killers. Dragonite also can run Substitute on its offensive Dragon Dance set to block status alongside a Lum Berry. This can be used alongside another coverage move such as Fire Punch or Earthquake, or even Thunder Wave to paralyze revenge killers and walls like Jirachi. Dragonite also can run mixed sets with Dragon Dance, with options such as Draco Meteor, Superpower, Fire Blast, Earthquake, and others to mitigate its low speed while opening up walls. These sets often end up trying to do too much with too low of investment, however. The most prominent other sweeping move is Agility with many different options such as Life Orb mixed with Draco Meteor, Fire Blast and Outrage, or Expert Belt with Ice Punch, Thunderpunch, and Earthquake or any combination thereof. Agility doesn’t allow Dragonite to outspeed Choice Scarf Latias without a speed boosting nature, while it generally isn’t strong enough to break through teams without Dragon Dance.

Dragonite can run physically defensive sets due to its access to Heal Bell and Roost, as it is a fantastic Breloom counter and handles most threats if they can’t hit it super effectively. It often needs full team support to do so and Rapid Spin, however. Dragonite has many niche moves such as Waterfall, Stone Edge, and Thunderpunch on physical sets or Ice Beam, Thunder, and Surf on mixed sets, but these are often outclassed by other Pokemon and Dragonite is strapped for moveslots anyway. Dragonite’s support movepool includes Haze, Light Screen, Roar, Toxic, and Rain Dance, but its weakness to Stealth Rock and typing make it difficult to pull these off without being outclassed.

Checks and Counters
===================
Dragonite is difficult to answer without it heavily damaging something. Dragonite can at least 2HKO everything in the tier with the correct attack and switching in the wrong answer can be catastrophic. However, Dragonite is quite easy to revenge kill, as its attacks have heavy drawbacks, it suffers badly from residual damage, and it has common weaknesses.

**Bulky Steel-types**: Skarmory, Jirachi, Metagross, Heatran, and Bronzong are excellent initial switch ins to Dragonite, as its Dragon-type moves either have heavy drawbacks or are easy to wall. Should Dragonite lock itself into Outrage, Skarmory can phaze it out, Jirachi and Bronzong can survive boosted attacks and status it, while Metagross, Heatran, and Bronzong can also use Explosion. However, this can backfire, as only Bronzong and physically defensive Jirachi avoid an OHKO with the correct attack, while Dragon Dance Dragonite sets up and can hit all of these Pokemon hard.

**Fast Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf Latias, Flygon, Lucario, Metagross, Jirachi, Rotom-A, and Heatran all can outspeed Dragonite after a Dragon Dance and eliminate it after Stealth Rock. Dragonite can get past all of these with the right resistance berry, or in the case of Latias and Flygon, with Extremespeed and some residual damage.

**Very Bulky Pokemon**: Ice Beam Cresselia is perhaps the tier’s best answer, as it is bulky enough to survive any one attack and can set up Reflect, paralyze Dragonite, or eliminate it with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock. All others should be careful. Hippowdon, Gliscor, Bold Clefable, Suicune, and Milotic can all stave off non boosted Dragonite and retaliate with an Ice-type attack. However, Life Orb boosted +1 Dragonite OHKOs many of these checks with Outrage, while some of the weaker Ice-type attacks need Stealth Rock before they can OHKO. These Pokemon are also set up bait for very specially bulky Dragonite with Heal Bell should they lack phasing moves.

**Residual Damage**: Dragonite is weak to Stealth Rock, take sand damage, and generally wants Life Orb. Additionally, its attacks have drawbacks, such as Outrage forcing it to stay in and Draco Meteor’s as well as Superpower’s stat drops. Because of this, Dragonite will often be a low health should it come in again, meaning anything that can hit it super effectively, status it, or outspeed can eliminate it.

**Ice-types** Mamoswine, Weavile, and Abomasnow are excellent counters with Ice Shard, as if Dragonite lacks Yache Berry, it will OHKO. Even with Yache Berry, Dragonite takes heavy damage from especially Mamoswine’s and Weavile’s Ice Shard, as with a Choice Band, sand, and Stealth Rock it can KO. However, Dragonite with Extremespeed at +1 will outspeed Ice Shard and KO Weavile after Stealth Rock while heavily damaging Mamoswine and Abomasnow.

**Dragon-types** While they can’t switch in, Latias, Flygon, and Kingdra all outspeed Dragonite and can easily OHKO with their Dragon-type attacks should it lock into Outrage without a speed boost.

**Rock-type coverage**: Tyranitar can hit Dragonite hard with both Ice- and Rock-type moves, while Choice Scarf sets outspeed all non boosted Dragonite. Dragonite also doesn’t take Pursuit well should it switch out. While rare, Aerodactyl outspeeds most Dragon Dance Dragonite at +1 and can OHKO with Stone Edge. Gyarados, Machamp, and Swampert can generally survive a non boosted hit and retaliate with a super effective Stone Edge or Ice Punch.


[CREDITS]

- Written by: [johnnyg2, 57904]]
- Quality checked by: [[oiponabys,435540], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
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