[OVERVIEW]
Lycanroc-D is a potent revenge killer due to its strong Tough Claws-boosted priority move in Accelerock, which enables it to revenge kill weakened +2 Speed Galarian Moltres, Alakazam, and Zeraora, and high Speed, which lets it to outspeed Keldeo. Access to strong coverage moves, such as Psychic Fangs to break past Amoonguss and Sucker Punch to deal with Jirachi, allows it to punish its checks reliably. However, Lycanroc-D struggles to break through teams that run physically bulky threats such as Tangrowth and Skarmory. Its poor bulk also means it cannot come in on almost anything, so it requires moves such as U-turn and Volt Switch to come in safely as well as occasional aggressive prediction on expected switches.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Accelerock
move 2: Stone Edge / Sucker Punch / Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs
move 4: Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Accelerock is useful against offense teams, specifically keeping threats such Agility-boosted Galarian Moltres and Alakazam in check and KOing sufficiently chipped Azumarill and Scizor before they fire off their super effective priority moves. It also makes Lycanroc-D more difficult to revenge kill with faster threats such as Venusaur in sun and Zeraora. Stone Edge is a very spammable STAB move that can OHKO offensive Salamence and Rotom-H. Alternatively, Sucker Punch can be used to deal more damage than Accelerock against neutral targets and have a better matchup against Choice Scarf Jirachi. Crunch is stronger and requires less prediction, but its lack of priority makes its utility only notable against specific checks such as Palossand and Galarian Slowbro. Psychic Fangs inflicts heavy damage on the likes of Amoonguss and Tentacruel. A Life Orb is used to guarantee feats such as OHKOing offensive Nidoqueen with Psychic Fangs and 2HKOing defensive Celesteela with Close Combat on the switch with Stealth Rock up. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature is needed to make Lycanroc-D outspeed and threaten as many foes as it can, particularly Keldeo.
Lycanroc-D fits best on offensive teams that appreciate its ability to revenge kill common offensive threats such as Galarian Moltres without sacrificing its teammates' wallbreaking capabilities. As Lycanroc-D is unable to switch in on mostly anything, pivots are appreciated to give it opportunities to punch holes as often as possible and gain momentum; Scizor and Rotom-H are efficient at this and help pressure bulky Grass-types and Skarmory, which usually give Lycanroc-D grief. Entry hazards allow Lycanroc-D to leave greater dents in otherwise solid answers such as Skarmory and Tangrowth, although residual damage from its foes' Rocky Helmet and its own Life Orb will noticeably sting. Krookodile is a great Stealth Rock setter that draws out Tangrowth and Skarmory to remove their Rocky Helmets with Knock Off, and it appreciates Lycanroc-D being a good offensive check to Kyurem. Special attackers such as Rotom-H and Primarina appreciate Lycanroc-D's ability to break through Chansey, and in return they can help wear down common physically defensive threats such as Skarmory for it. The Grass-types of the tier like Tangrowth and Zarude are excellent partners to handle threats such as Azumarill. Additionally, they also check faster Pokemon Lycanroc-D cannot threaten as much with its priority, such as Zeraora and Zygarde-10%.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Accelerock / Stone Edge
move 3: Psychic Fangs / Sucker Punch / Crunch
move 4: Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance makes Lycanroc-D much harder to revenge kill because its +2 Accelerock is capable of KOing Pokemon like Zeraora at significantly higher health ranges and Venusaur after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil. Stone Edge is not as recommended, as it is weaker than Close Combat on neutral targets, but it is an option if Lycanroc-D runs Sucker Punch over Psychic Fangs, as it can still KO Amoonguss after a Swords Dance with Stealth Rock damage. Psychic Fangs OHKOes Amoonguss after a Swords Dance boost and threatens Nidoqueen, even without a boost. Sucker Punch sacrifices crucial coverage against Nidoqueen and Tentacruel, but it OHKOes Choice Scarf Jirachi after a Swords Dance boost. +2 Crunch OHKOes Slowking while not requiring prediction against any non-Choice Scarf Jirachi, but losing out on priority is bothersome against opposing offense teams. After a Swords Dance boost, Close Combat can KO both Skarmory and Tangrowth after some chip damage. Picking one coverage move over the other can be difficult; choosing Psychic Fangs means it is much more difficult to get past Slowking, whereas losing Psychic Fangs can be especially detrimental against the likes of Tentacruel, Nidoqueen, and Kommo-o.
Lycanroc-D fits best on offensive teams with wallbreakers, such as Nasty Plot Rotom-H and mixed Kommo-o, that can pressure some of its checks, such as Skarmory and Tangrowth, and these teams appreciate having another wallbreaker that can still act as a late-game cleaner. Swords Dance Lycanroc-D can fit on both dual screens and Spikes lead hyper offense teams; dual screens support from Grimmsnarl and Alolan Ninetales lets Lycanroc-D set up more easily, whereas Spikes support from Mew and Scolipede can leave Tangrowth unable to safely handle its +2 Close Combats. Other entry hazard setters such as Jirachi and Krookodile can chip Lycanroc-D's checks with passive damage to put its checks, such as Seismitoad, in range of its boosted attacks. Pivots such as Zeraora and Jirachi can safely bring Lycanroc-D in against foes such as Salamence that it can use as setup fodder.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Head is an option against Tapu Bulu and Hatterene, and Play Rough condenses OHKOing Kommo-o and hits Salamence and Chople Berry Krookodile, although both are too specific to rely on most of the time. Drill Run is nice to give Lycanroc-D excellent Rock- and Ground-type neutral coverage, but the only notable Pokemon it hits super effectively is the rare Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro. A Focus Sash lead Lycanroc-D is able to use Endeavor while setting up Stealth Rock, but this is generally not worth it in comparison to its other, much more dynamic sets. It also faces much fiercer competition from Mew and Shuckle, which offer more utility, and Azelf, which has a better Speed tier and Explosion.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Grass-types**: Amoonguss and Tapu Bulu do not switch into Stone Edge well, but they resist Close Combat and threaten Lycanroc-D after switching in; the former also runs Rocky Helmet often, which punishes Lycanroc-D. Tangrowth is the biggest offender, since unboosted Close Combat damage is restored nearly completely by Regenerator, it commonly uses Rocky Helmet, and it can freely threaten Lycanroc-D's team in multiple ways after it comes in.
**Steel-types**: Celesteela and Skarmory threaten Lycanroc-D with Heavy Slam and Body Press, respectively; Lycanroc-D cannot attempt a Swords Dance in front of the latter, even if it is running Brave Bird over Body Press, because of Roost and Whirlwind. Scizor can stay out of Lycanroc-D's priority range with Roost and fire back with Bullet Punch for an easy KO. Bisharp's Sucker Punch will fail if Lycanroc-D uses Accelerock, and Bisharp is afraid of being OHKOed by Close Combat if it doesn't use Sucker Punch, but Lycanroc-D will likely go down to one mistake as well.
**Bulky Water-types**: Foes like Suicune and Gastrodon that don't fall to one hit and are capable of firing back with super effective attacks pose problems for Lycanroc-D, which has to be kept in reserve while its teammates wear them down.
**Faster Threats**: Choice Scarf users that are not in range of its priority are able to revenge kill Lycanroc-D due to its frailty; Keldeo, Jirachi, and Krookodile are all notable for their resistance to Accelerock and ability to OHKO Lycanroc-D with their STAB moves, although Jirachi must be wary of a potential Sucker Punch. Zeraora has to mind its HP when around Lycanroc-D, but so does Lycanroc-D, as its bulk makes it take heavy damage from Plasma Fists or get OHKOed by Close Combat if either Accelerock or Sucker Punch fails to KO.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118]]
- Quality checked by: [[martha, 384270], [Lilburr, 481709], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
Lycanroc-D is a potent revenge killer due to its strong Tough Claws-boosted priority move in Accelerock, which enables it to revenge kill weakened +2 Speed Galarian Moltres, Alakazam, and Zeraora, and high Speed, which lets it to outspeed Keldeo. Access to strong coverage moves, such as Psychic Fangs to break past Amoonguss and Sucker Punch to deal with Jirachi, allows it to punish its checks reliably. However, Lycanroc-D struggles to break through teams that run physically bulky threats such as Tangrowth and Skarmory. Its poor bulk also means it cannot come in on almost anything, so it requires moves such as U-turn and Volt Switch to come in safely as well as occasional aggressive prediction on expected switches.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Accelerock
move 2: Stone Edge / Sucker Punch / Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs
move 4: Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Accelerock is useful against offense teams, specifically keeping threats such Agility-boosted Galarian Moltres and Alakazam in check and KOing sufficiently chipped Azumarill and Scizor before they fire off their super effective priority moves. It also makes Lycanroc-D more difficult to revenge kill with faster threats such as Venusaur in sun and Zeraora. Stone Edge is a very spammable STAB move that can OHKO offensive Salamence and Rotom-H. Alternatively, Sucker Punch can be used to deal more damage than Accelerock against neutral targets and have a better matchup against Choice Scarf Jirachi. Crunch is stronger and requires less prediction, but its lack of priority makes its utility only notable against specific checks such as Palossand and Galarian Slowbro. Psychic Fangs inflicts heavy damage on the likes of Amoonguss and Tentacruel. A Life Orb is used to guarantee feats such as OHKOing offensive Nidoqueen with Psychic Fangs and 2HKOing defensive Celesteela with Close Combat on the switch with Stealth Rock up. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature is needed to make Lycanroc-D outspeed and threaten as many foes as it can, particularly Keldeo.
Lycanroc-D fits best on offensive teams that appreciate its ability to revenge kill common offensive threats such as Galarian Moltres without sacrificing its teammates' wallbreaking capabilities. As Lycanroc-D is unable to switch in on mostly anything, pivots are appreciated to give it opportunities to punch holes as often as possible and gain momentum; Scizor and Rotom-H are efficient at this and help pressure bulky Grass-types and Skarmory, which usually give Lycanroc-D grief. Entry hazards allow Lycanroc-D to leave greater dents in otherwise solid answers such as Skarmory and Tangrowth, although residual damage from its foes' Rocky Helmet and its own Life Orb will noticeably sting. Krookodile is a great Stealth Rock setter that draws out Tangrowth and Skarmory to remove their Rocky Helmets with Knock Off, and it appreciates Lycanroc-D being a good offensive check to Kyurem. Special attackers such as Rotom-H and Primarina appreciate Lycanroc-D's ability to break through Chansey, and in return they can help wear down common physically defensive threats such as Skarmory for it. The Grass-types of the tier like Tangrowth and Zarude are excellent partners to handle threats such as Azumarill. Additionally, they also check faster Pokemon Lycanroc-D cannot threaten as much with its priority, such as Zeraora and Zygarde-10%.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Accelerock / Stone Edge
move 3: Psychic Fangs / Sucker Punch / Crunch
move 4: Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance makes Lycanroc-D much harder to revenge kill because its +2 Accelerock is capable of KOing Pokemon like Zeraora at significantly higher health ranges and Venusaur after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil. Stone Edge is not as recommended, as it is weaker than Close Combat on neutral targets, but it is an option if Lycanroc-D runs Sucker Punch over Psychic Fangs, as it can still KO Amoonguss after a Swords Dance with Stealth Rock damage. Psychic Fangs OHKOes Amoonguss after a Swords Dance boost and threatens Nidoqueen, even without a boost. Sucker Punch sacrifices crucial coverage against Nidoqueen and Tentacruel, but it OHKOes Choice Scarf Jirachi after a Swords Dance boost. +2 Crunch OHKOes Slowking while not requiring prediction against any non-Choice Scarf Jirachi, but losing out on priority is bothersome against opposing offense teams. After a Swords Dance boost, Close Combat can KO both Skarmory and Tangrowth after some chip damage. Picking one coverage move over the other can be difficult; choosing Psychic Fangs means it is much more difficult to get past Slowking, whereas losing Psychic Fangs can be especially detrimental against the likes of Tentacruel, Nidoqueen, and Kommo-o.
Lycanroc-D fits best on offensive teams with wallbreakers, such as Nasty Plot Rotom-H and mixed Kommo-o, that can pressure some of its checks, such as Skarmory and Tangrowth, and these teams appreciate having another wallbreaker that can still act as a late-game cleaner. Swords Dance Lycanroc-D can fit on both dual screens and Spikes lead hyper offense teams; dual screens support from Grimmsnarl and Alolan Ninetales lets Lycanroc-D set up more easily, whereas Spikes support from Mew and Scolipede can leave Tangrowth unable to safely handle its +2 Close Combats. Other entry hazard setters such as Jirachi and Krookodile can chip Lycanroc-D's checks with passive damage to put its checks, such as Seismitoad, in range of its boosted attacks. Pivots such as Zeraora and Jirachi can safely bring Lycanroc-D in against foes such as Salamence that it can use as setup fodder.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Head is an option against Tapu Bulu and Hatterene, and Play Rough condenses OHKOing Kommo-o and hits Salamence and Chople Berry Krookodile, although both are too specific to rely on most of the time. Drill Run is nice to give Lycanroc-D excellent Rock- and Ground-type neutral coverage, but the only notable Pokemon it hits super effectively is the rare Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro. A Focus Sash lead Lycanroc-D is able to use Endeavor while setting up Stealth Rock, but this is generally not worth it in comparison to its other, much more dynamic sets. It also faces much fiercer competition from Mew and Shuckle, which offer more utility, and Azelf, which has a better Speed tier and Explosion.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Grass-types**: Amoonguss and Tapu Bulu do not switch into Stone Edge well, but they resist Close Combat and threaten Lycanroc-D after switching in; the former also runs Rocky Helmet often, which punishes Lycanroc-D. Tangrowth is the biggest offender, since unboosted Close Combat damage is restored nearly completely by Regenerator, it commonly uses Rocky Helmet, and it can freely threaten Lycanroc-D's team in multiple ways after it comes in.
**Steel-types**: Celesteela and Skarmory threaten Lycanroc-D with Heavy Slam and Body Press, respectively; Lycanroc-D cannot attempt a Swords Dance in front of the latter, even if it is running Brave Bird over Body Press, because of Roost and Whirlwind. Scizor can stay out of Lycanroc-D's priority range with Roost and fire back with Bullet Punch for an easy KO. Bisharp's Sucker Punch will fail if Lycanroc-D uses Accelerock, and Bisharp is afraid of being OHKOed by Close Combat if it doesn't use Sucker Punch, but Lycanroc-D will likely go down to one mistake as well.
**Bulky Water-types**: Foes like Suicune and Gastrodon that don't fall to one hit and are capable of firing back with super effective attacks pose problems for Lycanroc-D, which has to be kept in reserve while its teammates wear them down.
**Faster Threats**: Choice Scarf users that are not in range of its priority are able to revenge kill Lycanroc-D due to its frailty; Keldeo, Jirachi, and Krookodile are all notable for their resistance to Accelerock and ability to OHKO Lycanroc-D with their STAB moves, although Jirachi must be wary of a potential Sucker Punch. Zeraora has to mind its HP when around Lycanroc-D, but so does Lycanroc-D, as its bulk makes it take heavy damage from Plasma Fists or get OHKOed by Close Combat if either Accelerock or Sucker Punch fails to KO.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118]]
- Quality checked by: [[martha, 384270], [Lilburr, 481709], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
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