Mega Rayquaza [WIP]

[Pigeons]

[OVERVIEW]

• Mega Rayquaza is the defining offensive Pokemon of the Anything Goes metagame thanks to incredible 180/180 attacking stats backed by a solid 115 base speed. These stats are backed by a great offensive movepool which makes Mega Rayquaza exceptionally difficult to reliably check.
• Delta Stream removes Mega Rayquaza's weakness to Rock-type moves and halves the damage it takes from Ice-type moves. This combined with solid 105/100/100 bulk makes Mega Rayquaza difficult to take down.
• Because it only needs Dragon Ascent to mega evolve, Mega Rayquaza can freely run an item, which puts it on an entirely different power level from other mega evolutions.
• These traits leave Mega Rayquaza with no counters and the ability to viably bypass any of its checks.
• While Mega Rayquaza is by no means slow, base 115 speed leaves it outsped by relevant Pokemon like Ultra Necrozma, Mega Gengar and Arceus.
• Its reliance on Dragon Ascent as a Flying-move leaves it vulnerable to revenge killing from priority users like Arceus and Marshadow as a result of the move's defense drops.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance Sweeper
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Ascent
move 3: V-Create / Earthquake
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

• Dragon Dance elevates Mega Rayquaza's threat level, giving it the power to 1hko less bulky Arceus forms while also making it harder to revenge kill.
• Dragon Ascent is a powerful Flying-type STAB that also enables Mega evolution.
• V-Create OHKOs every relevant Steel-type, but the speed drops can be detrimental to sweeping.
• Alternatively, Earthquake can be used to get past Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar after its Shuca Berry is consumed. It also hits some Steel-types such as Arceus-Steel and Dusk Mane Necrozma.
• Extreme Speed is a powerful priority move that allows Mega Rayquaza to pick off weakened sweepers or avoid being knocked out by an opposing Extreme Speed user.

Set Details
========

• Full investment in Attack and Speed is used to maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive potential.
• An Adamant nature gives Mega Rayquaza better initial power and allows it to 2HKO max Defense Arceus forms unboosted with Dragon Ascent.
• Alternatively, a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed the many Arceus forms that speed creep Adamant Mega Rayquaza before a speed boost. However, the loss of power can make sweeping more difficult.
• Life Orb allows Mega Rayquaza to get KOs on Pokemon it otherwise would not, notably allowing it to KO support Arceus forms at +1 after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

• Bring Mega Rayquaza in on Pokemon it forces out such as Primal Kyogre or Primal Groudon and set up a Dragon Dance.
• Get hazards up before attempting a sweep, as Mega Rayquaza misses OHKOs on Pokemon such as support Arceus and Lugia without them.
• Mega Rayquaza will usually be walled by one or more Pokemon depending on its choice of coverage move. V-Create sets struggle to break past Rock-types such as Tyranitar, while Celesteela and Skarmory wall Earthquake variants. In such matchups, it is usually best to preserve Mega Rayquaza until these threats have been weakened or removed.
• When sweeping, avoid using Dragon Ascent more than necessary, because the defense drops leave Mega Rayquaza vulnerable to being revenge killed by priority.

Team Options
========

• Mega Rayquaza fits easily onto offensive teams thanks to its incredible power and sweeping potential.
• Mega Rayquaza needs chip damage to get past bulkier walls, so hazard setters like Primal Groudon or Excadrill are good partners.
• Dual screens support from Deoxys-Speed helps Mega Rayquaza set up more easily and can makes it more difficult to revenge kill with priority.
• Partners that put pressure on Mega Rayquaza's checks can often put them in range of its boosted attacks and open up chances for a late-game sweep. Pokemon like Bulk Up Z-Move Marshadow that can weaken opposing walls aid Mega Rayquaza in sweeping.
• Calm Mind Arceus-Steel makes a good partner because it can freely pivot into and force out checks to Mega Rayquaza like Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Fairy.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: V-Create
move 4: Toxic / Surf
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

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

• Dragon Ascent is a powerful Flying-type STAB able to revenge kill sweepers like Xerneas after just a little chip.
• Draco Meteor is a secondary STAB that OHKOs Ultra Necrozma and Zygarde.
• V-Create hits Steel-types and allows Mega Rayquaza to revenge kill Dusk Mane Necrozma after a Rock Polish.
• Toxic cripples support Arceus forms, which makes up for this sets lack of breaking power.
• Surf can be used in place of Toxic as it does decent damage against Arceus-Rock and OHKOs Primal Groudon outside of Desolate Land.

Set Details
========

• Maximum Speed and Attack investment optimizes Mega Rayquaza's revenge killing potential by allowing it to hit as hard and fast as possible.
• A Naive nature is used to outspeed Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish boost and slower Geomancy Xerneas.
• A Choice Scarf allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace every unboosted Pokemon and slower boosted setup sweepers.

Usage Tips
========

• Mega Rayquaza struggles to directly switch into the Pokemon it wants to revenge kill, so bring it in on a sack or predicted switch.
• Keep in mind the other Pokemon on the opposing team when selecting a move, because locking into the wrong move can allow the opponent to set up freely.
• Avoid bringing in Mega Rayquaza more than necessary against teams with Pursuit users, otherwise it could be prematurely weakened or KOd.
• Most teams will switch an Arceus form into Mega Rayquaza initially, so taking advantage of this early on with Toxic can allow Mega Rayquaza or a teammate to clean later on.

Team Options
========

• This Mega Rayquaza set fits on balance or bulky offense teams in need of a revenge killer.
• Because this Mega Rayquaza struggles to get past walls, teammates that can weaken or remove them such as Choice Band Ho-Oh or Gothitelle are appreciated.
• Defog support keeps Mega Rayquaza out of range of priority attacks like Marshadow's Shadow Sneak and prevents offensive teams from wearing it down with aggressive double switches.
• Stealth Rock or Spikes support ensures that Mega Rayquaza can land a OHKO against Necrozma-DM and helps wear down its checks.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Outrage / Earthquake
move 3: V-Create
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

• Dragon Ascent hits monstrously hard after a Choice Band boost and punishes even switchins that resist it.
• Outrage is a secondary STAB that hits Rock-types like Tyranitar incredibly hard while also OHKOing Giratina and Zygarde-C. Being locked into the move leaves Mega Rayquaza vulnerable to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.
• Earthquake is a second option that also hits Rock-types without the drawback of being unable to switch out.
• V-Create OHKOes Steel-types and hits just as hard as STAB Dragon Ascent, making it punishing to switch into.
• Extreme Speed is incredibly powerful after a Choice Band boost and is a fantastic tool for revenge killing sweepers like Geomancy Xerneas after a bit of chip damage.

Set Details
========

• A Choice Band with maximum Attack and Speed investment maximizes Mega Rayquaza's wallbreaking potential.
• An Adamant nature ensures Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent 2HKOs Giratina and gives it a chance to 2HKO Lugia.
• A Jolly nature is a possible alternative that gives Mega Rayquaza the chance to outspeed Arceus forms that creep Adamant sets, but the loss in power is generally detrimental to its breaking ability.

Usage Tips
========

• This Mega Rayquaza set should be played aggressively, try and bring Mega Rayquaza in on a predicted switch so that it can launch a free attack.
• Clicking Dragon Ascent is generally a safe play, as even physically bulky Pokemon that resist it such as Skarmory are forced to recover.

Team Options
========

• This set fits onto both offensive and balanced teams as an incredibly powerful wallbreaker.
• Because this set is so efficient at breaking through walls and defensive cores, teammates that can take advantage of the holes opened by Mega Rayquaza are great partners. Faster or speed-boosting sweepers like Marshadow and Dragon Dance Zygarde often easily clean teams after Mega Rayquaza has weakened them.
• Stealth Rock support from Pokemon like Primal Groudon helps Mega Rayquaza break through defensive cores more quickly.
• Checks to Pokemon that can revenge kill Mega Rayquaza help to retain momentum after it has gotten a KO. Checks to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Choice Scarf Yveltal such as Primal Groudon or Arceus-Fairy are good partners.
• This Mega Rayquaza set is easily revenge killed by Mega Gengar especially, so Pursuit support from Pokemon such as Tyranitar or Marshadow is helps to mitigate this.
• Because this set often pivots in and out against balance and stall teams, hazard removal from Pokemon like Arceus forms is appreciated to keep Mega Rayquaza from being worn down quickly against such teams.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Ascent
move 3: V-Create
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

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

• Draco Meteor is a hard-hitting Dragon STAB that can eliminate checks to physical Mega Rayquaza sets such as Zygarde-C or Tyranitar.
• Dragon Ascent is Mega Rayquaza's primary STAB attack and is required for it to Mega Evolve.
• V-Create is used to 1HKO Steel-types such as Celesteela and Skarmory that resist Mega Rayquaza's STAB moves.
• Extreme Speed gives Mega Rayquaza some utility against offensive teams, allowing it to revenge kill faster threats such as Ultra Necrozma or Mega Mewtwo Y if they are weakened.

Set Details
========

• A Naive nature with maximum Speed investment outspeeds neutral natured Arceus forms and ties with opposing Mega Rayquaza.
• A Naughty nature is a viable alternative which ensures that Dragon Ascent will 2HKO max Defense Arceus forms.
• A Life Orb is key to maximizing Mega Rayquaza's wallbreaking potential because it allows it to 2HKO most Arceus forms with Dragon Ascent and OHKO Zygarde-C with Draco Meteor.

Usage Tips
========

• Play Mega Rayquaza similarly to the Dragon Dance set to increase the odds of luring targets like Tyranitar or Giratina.
• Avoid revealing Draco Meteor prematurely, try to click Dragon Ascent more in the early game so the opponent feels comfortable switching in their physical wall.
• This set is unlikely to sweep on its own, so play aggressively and aim to open holes in the opponent's team so that another Pokemon can win in the late game.

Team Options
========

• This set fits onto offensive or balance teams in need of a strong wallbreaker.
• Teammates that benefit from this set's ability to lure physical walls make good partners. Pokemon such as Dual Dance Necrozma-DM or EKiller Arceus take advantage of this well.
• Stealth Rock damage makes Mega Rayquaza go down more quickly to Life Orb recoil, so hazard removal support from Defog users like Arceus forms or Ho-Oh is appreciated.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• A Dragon Dance set with Figy Berry and a bulkier EV spread is an option with the same moves as the standard set. This allows Mega Rayquaza to set up against foes that would force it out such as Arceus-Fairy, and also makes it more resistant to priority from the likes of Marshadow and EKiller Arceus. The lack of power and situational nature of the set make it a much less consistent option compared to other Mega Rayquaza sets.
• Defog is an option on the Choice Scarf set as an emergency hazard remover. However, it generally loses a lot of momentum and Mega Rayquaza's weakness to Stealth Rock makes it a less useful option than Toxic or Surf.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Support Arceus Forms**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.

**Lugia**:

**Rock-types**:

**Steel-types**:

**Zygarde-C**:

**Revenge Killers**:

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pigeons, 253393]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Uselesscrab]

Pigeons can you please finish this

 

[Funbot28]

Pigeons sorry to bother but any plans on completing? Mega Ray be a pretty popular threat and stuff ;)