[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Dual Wingbeat
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Aerodactylite
ability: Unnerve
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Mega Aerodactyl carves a niche for itself thanks to its blistering Speed tier and solid offensive typing. It can revenge kill threats like Tapu Koko, Weavile, Mega Lopunny, and Greninja. It also serves as a solid offensive check to the likes of Victini, Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran. While it performs decently well in these roles, it struggles against bulky Water- and Steel-types like Slowbro, Tapu Fini, and Mega Scizor. Taunt allows Mega Aerodactyl to beat Pokemon like Gliscor and Corviknight by denying them recovery, and Earthquake allows it to beat Fire-types like Heatran and Victini.
Ferrothorn is a great partner for Mega Aerodactyl, as it checks Rotom-W and Tapu Koko and can pivot in on common revenge killers like Ash-Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Scizor. Mega Aerodactyl checks Fire-types for Ferrothorn like Victini and Volcarona. Spikes from Ferrothorn is also useful in wearing down the opposition, letting Mega Aerodactyl clean in certain situations. Ferrothorn also can hit any opposing Choice Scarf users with Knock Off, such as Tapu Lele and Kartana, for Mega Aerodactyl to outspeed and revenge kill them. Weavile can remove threats to Mega Aerodactyl like Zapdos and Slowbro and can also Pursuit trap Mega Latias, which Mega Aerodactyl struggles to OHKO. In turn, Mega Aerodactyl revenge killing Mega Loppuny helps Weavile and other fast but frail threats. Tapu Koko can wear down Landorus-T and break through bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and the aforementioned Slowbro, as well as safely bringing in Mega Aerodactyl through U-turn or Volt Switch, as it is too frail to come in on it's own. Since Mega Aerodactyl struggles to beat Flying-types like Zapdos and Pelipper without Stone Edge, Heatran and Tapu Koko can be used alongside it to help in that regard. Melmetal is a good partner for Mega Aerodactyl, in that it appreciates Mega Aerodactyl soft checking Fire-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Stone Edge over Taunt allows Mega Aerodactyl to outright remove Mega Charizard Y, has a chance to OHKO Kyurem, and can OHKO Zapdos. The utility that Taunt provides in denying recovery, entry hazards, and status is too good to pass up, however. Dragon Dance is an option, letting Mega Aerodactyl outspeed revenge killers like Choice Scarf Kartana and OHKO bulkier Pokemon like Mega Latias and Clefable. However, Mega Aerodactyl is too frail to set up reliably and cannot afford to drop Earthquake, Roost ,or Taunt.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-types like Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, and Slowbro are big threats to Mega Aerodactyl. While Taunt can stop Slowbro from recovering, Slowbro can stay in and debilitate it with a Scald burn.
**Priority Moves**: Priority moves, such as Weavile's Ice Shard, Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken, and Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch, are all problematic to Mega Aerodactyl. Mega Scizor in particular is a massive roadblock for Mega Aerodactyl, taking Dual Wingbeat and Earthquake with ease and threatening to deal heavy damage with Bullet Punch. Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile can make use of Bullet Punch and Sucker Punch, respectively, to deal huge damage. However, both fail to OHKO and risk being hit by Dual Wingbeat or Earthquake.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[georgebowserjr1, 590164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Solaros & Lunaris, 471780], [Sulo, 528036]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Adeleine, 517429]]