[Overview]
<p>Dragonite has had a long history in the past generations of not being quite as fearsome as Lance would have us believe. As the third generation
introducedbrought more Dragon-types into the fray, the good old original got shafted in favor of the newer, arguably more "badass"-looking Salamence and
even Flygon to an extent. In the fourth generation, Salamence's banishment to Ubers gave Dragonite a newer lease on life, though it could never achieve what its younger cousin did. However, the fifth generation has finally provided this old RBY stalwart an almost perfect supplement to its already formidable bulk
[B.][COLOR.=#333333][SIZ.E=3]—[/S.IZE][/C.OLOR][/B.] Multiscale [B.][COLO.R=#333333][SIZ.E=3]—[/SIZE.][/COL.OR][/.B] —Multiscale—as well as a very defensively oriented metagame that it can easily use to its advantage.
[COMMENT: I added in the periods; I'm not sure what the BB tags were achieving. Grammatically it should just be Multiscale with an em dash on either side.</p>
<p>Dragonite is a very versatile anti-metagame threat that has a trick for many occasions. Offensively, its great Attack and good Special Attack are complemented by a huge movepool, including the obligatory Dragon-type STABs
, Draco Meteor and Outrage; the powerful Flying-type STAB, Hurricane; and Dragon Dance to outrun just about every threat in a metagame filled with slow, bulky Pokemon. Defensively, its bulk combines with Multiscale nicely to make a stalling phazer viable. However, residual damage from the likes of Stealth Rock and Sandstorm negates Multiscale, making it more difficult for Dragonite to use its bulk effectively. Despite this setback, unwary opponents may well find that Lance's bold claim that his Pokemon are "virtually indestructible" may not have been an exaggeration after all.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In a metagame running rampant with frail attackers and their bulky counters, the ability to boost one's Speed and offensive capability simultaneously is a valuable asset. This set goes well beyond outrunning Modest Choice Scarf Politoed after one Dragon Dance, and it outruns Choice Scarf Garchomp after two. The bulk in this set
makes setting upallows for relatively easy
setup, making Dragonite a very potent threat that can run right through the unprepared. Roost and Multiscale make a powerful combination t
ohat preserve
s Dragonite's HP while it is setting up or plowing through a particularly tough opponent, making the process safer and easier to pull off. Fire Punch is a great auxiliary attack to hit bulky Grass- and Steel-types harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Dragon Claw is usually preferred because this set appreciates every opportunity that it can get to use Roost or Dragon Dance again, but Outrage is not a bad alternative for a more aggressive take on this set. Lum Berry is an excellent alternative to Leftovers as well
, because the opponent will inevitably consider trying to check Dragonite's rampage with paralysis, Toxic, or a burn, which will be foiled. Waterfall and Brick Break mainly hit Terrakion, Tyranitar, and Heatran, but Fire Punch tends to have better overall coverage unless Dragonite is on a rain team. ExtremeSpeed is tempting for picking off weakened threats, but it is fairly weak with this EV spread. 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly is a faster spread that
, after two Dragon Dances, outpaces Adamant Excadrill in the sand and Venusaur carrying Hidden Power Fire in the sun
after two Dragon Dances. A much slower EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe Careful is also possible, though at that point, Choice Scarf Politoed and Garchomp may cause problems. Yet another possibility is Substitute, though it is difficult to fit into this moveset.</p>
<p>Removal or prevention of Stealth Rock is highly recommended, as it will allow Dragonite to make use of Multiscale
right from the start and be able to set up much more easily. Rapid Spin users, such as Starmie and Hitmontop, and Magic Bounce users, such as Espeon, can facilitate this. Stealth Rock on the opponent's side is also important because this set does not have as much immediate power as some of the other, more offensive sets, and every bit of damage helps. Revenge killers such as
Excadrill, Scizor, Choice Scarf Terrakion,
and Choice Scarf Garchomp,
Excadrill, and Scizor, as well as threats not covered by the chosen coverage move (e.g. Ferrothorn or Gliscor), can stop Dragonite's sweep cold. This makes Rotom-W a very viable partner, as it can burn Ferrothorn and scare off Terrakion, Gliscor, and Excadrill. Skarmory and Bronzong can deal with Garchomp. Magnezone is yet another good partner that can trap and KO Ferrothorn and Scizor. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi can be used to give Dragonite a "second wind" if it sustains too much damage and is forced out.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Fire Punch
move 3: Dragon Claw / Waterfall
move 4: ExtremeSpeed
item: Choice Band
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Dragonite's gigantic attacking movepool and high Attack stat make a Choice Band set very effective and somewhat unpredictable. There are many options to place into the four moveslots
available, but Outrage and Fire Punch are highly recommended for the perfect type coverage (even Heatran is 2HKOed by Outrage, and Ferrothorn is OHKOed outside
theof rain). Dragon Claw provides an alternate STAB move that does not lock Dragonite in, while Waterfall is a good alternative to add coverage in
the rain. Either Fire Punch or Waterfall will 2HKO Jirachi, Skarmory, and Bronzong in the appropriate weather. ExtremeSpeed rounds out the set to pick off weakened faster threats; Latios and Latias, for example, do not require much damage for the KO. This set is also very good at leading because it gets the opponent guessing right off the bat and threatens a OHKO on most slower Pokemon
, such as Tyranitar and Ferrothorn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs are maximized to
attempt to tie with Chandelure and opposing Dragonite. They can be lowered to 148 and still outrun Magnezone lacking a Choice Scarf, though any lower and Magnezone can just nail Dragonite with Hidden Power Ice. A Jolly nature is possible to get the jump on 252 Spe Adamant Gyarados, and maximizing Speed on top of this allows Dragonite to outrun Adamant Lucario and Timid Heatran, but the loss in power compared
towith Adamant is significant. Superpower is a great move to OHKO Blissey, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn in the rain, but since it is incompatible with Multiscale, it may be more trouble than it is worth. Aqua Tail is also tempting, but Waterfall lands the same KOs while maintaining perfect accuracy.</p>
<p>Removing or preventing sources of residual damage, especially Stealth Rock, is very helpful for the set's hit-and-run nature. Hitmontop is an interesting Rapid Spin
-using partner
, due to its ability to KO Excadrill and Terrakion with Fake Out followed by Mach Punch. Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field is also very helpful for the switches that this Dragonite will cause. This set greatly appreciates paralysis support from the likes of Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Thundurus, or Whimsicott; the former two can also switch into priority attacks
, such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi is also appreciated if it can be afforded. The destruction of Ground- and Steel-types with prediction can open the opponent up to assaults from other attackers such as Scizor, Garchomp, Latios and Thundurus. Revenge killers
, such as Excadrill and Latios
, can be handled using the appropriate counters
, such as Rotom-W for the former and Jirachi for the latter.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker (Classic)
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: ExtremeSpeed / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Rash / Mild
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gone are the days in which Dragonite had to make use of its mixed attacking prowess to separate itself from Salamence, but the old "MixNite" wallbreaker can still rip holes in the opposing team with its excellent offensive stats and coverage. Draco Meteor is a nasty surprise to foes expecting a Dragon Dance sweep, and is backed up by Fire Blast. Superpower is for Heatran, Blissey, and Tyranitar, though it should be noted that Superpower is unobtainable with Multiscale. ExtremeSpeed can be used to finish off weakened foes and sweepers, but Roost greatly extends Dragonite's staying power. This set can also lead fairly well, especially with ExtremeSpeed, forcing the opponent into a guessing game right from the start and picking off opposing leads.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set can run one of several natures. Generally, a Special Attack
-boosting nature (e.g. Rash, Mild,
andor Quiet) is recommended to power up Draco Meteor, but an Attack
-boosting nature (e.g. Lonely, Naughty,
andor Brave) is a decent option as well to power up ExtremeSpeed a bit more. Some EVs can be invested into Speed to outrun threats like Magnezone and Politoed, in which case it should be noted that 108 Attack EVs and an Attack boosting nature are needed to OHKO 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey with Superpower. If using a Speed-reducing nature, having 28 Speed EVs is a good idea to outrun Timid Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>Teams that require a diverse offensive wallbreaker will greatly appreciate this set. This set will tend to lure in and destroy opposing Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Bronzong, and Skarmory, which the likes of Scizor, Garchomp, Latios, and Thundurus can exploit. In return, Dragonite greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support and removal of sandstorm through Ninetales, Politoed, or Tornadus or Thundurus running Rain Dance. Hitmontop can serve the role of Rapid Spin user while keeping Excadrill and Terrakion in check. Bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and Heatran can be very helpful for switching into priority moves such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. Wish support from Blissey or Jirachi can be of great help as well, especially if Dragonite elects not to use Roost.</p>
[SET]
name: Parashuffler
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Roost
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Multiscale
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to maximize Multiscale's utility by paralyzing opponents to make Dragonite's Roost go first. This makes Dragonite very difficult to KO; to put things into perspective, a Dragonite at full HP with the listed EV spread has about 16% more special bulk than 252 HP / 0 SpD Blissey does. Combined with the temporary loss of its Flying type during a Roost, even Ice-type attacks can fail to deal a significant amount of damage.</p>
<p>The main idea is to paralyze the opponent and stall with Roost until the opponent skips its turn, at which point Dragonite can use Substitute or Dragon Tail while taking minimal damage at worst. The paralysis that Dragonite spreads also serves as a lingering mark on the opponent that the rest of the team can exploit. Though Ground-types are immune to Thunder Wave, the vast majority of them are slower than Dragonite anyway, though notable exceptions include Excadrill, Garchomp, and Gliscor. The main danger is
in running out of Dragon Tail PP, which renders the set far less useful.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>One could run 176 Spe EVs to outrun Breloom and set
up a Substitute
up before the Spore. However, Breloom is not too common
, and the bulk in the original EV spread is a huge part of how this set works.</p>
<p>This set works best on teams with defensive leanings that appreciate the phazing and paralysis support that Dragonite brings. To help Dragonite in its role, Rapid Spin can be very helpful, as can removal of sandstorm through rain and sun inducers, such as Ninetales, Politoed, Tornadus, and Thundurus (the latter two through Rain Dance). Hitmontop in particular can double as a check to Terrakion and Excadrill. Conversely, residual damage on the opponent is highly recommended to get the most out of Dragon Tail and Roost stalling. This can be achieved through entry hazards or Leech Seed; Ferrothorn in particular has Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Leech Seed (though only two may be run at a time)
, as well a great complementary typing. Whimsicott can also run Leech Seed, as well as use Stun Spore to paralyze faster Ground-types, though it is helpless against a Garchomp behind a Substitute. Jellicent is a particularly appealing partner due to its abilities to spinblock, burn opponents, and switch into Ice-type moves and Scald.</p>
<p>Steel-types can be particularly bothersome to this set. Excadrill is especially concerning because it is both immune to Thunder Wave and fast enough to hit Dragonite hard with Rock Slide. Other faster Ground-types, namely Garchomp and Gliscor, can also pose problems; the former could have Dual Chop to bypass Multiscale somewhat, while the latter can Taunt Dragonite and set up a Swords Dance. Some good teammates to check these threats include Gliscor, Bronzong, and Rotom-W. Rotom-W in particular has a great complementary type combination for Dragonite, having only Grass as a weakness (which Dragonite
takes easilydoubly resists) and resisting Ice.</p>
<p>A very defensive team will find Wish and Heal Bell support very rewarding. If Dragonite eventually sustains heavy damage and is forced out, Wish could put it back on its feet. Both paralysis and poison are terrible for this set, making Heal Bell or Aromatherapy very much appreciated.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: ExtremeSpeed / Earthquake / Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In the past, Offensive Dragon Dance Dragonite was frequently shoved aside in favor of the faster Salamence, but Multiscale has changed this paradigm somewhat. The Speed difference is also less of an issue
since , as there are so few fast threats in the OU metagame
, and Dragonite can outrun most of them. Although this set is generally riskier than a bulky Dragon Dance set, it is still fairly easy to set up
, thanks to Multiscale boosting Dragonite's bulk. The given EV spread outruns Modest Choice Scarf Politoed after one Dragon Dance and Choice Scarf Garchomp after two. Dragon Claw is the main STAB, but Outrage is a strong alternative that can 2HKO Heatran, essentially giving Fire Punch perfect coverage with it. This set also has a very powerful ExtremeSpeed that can pick off faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp, Venusaur in the sun, and Thundurus attempting to use Thunder Wave. If Outrage is being used, Earthquake may be a better alternative to ExtremeSpeed to OHKO Heatran and Jirachi rather than locking Dragonite into an Outrage. Roost is a good option as well to increase Dragonite's longevity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Waterfall is a better option than Fire Punch on rain teams, while Brick Break is consistent in all weather conditions
, but is not as powerful as Fire Punch or Waterfall. The Speed EVs are maximized to attempt to tie with Chandelure and opposing Dragonite; a Jolly nature also outruns Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Dragon Dances.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is essential to make the best use of Multiscale while Dragonite is setting up, especially
sincbecause it will also be suffering Life Orb recoil. This set will cause some switches, making Stealth Rock very helpful. Rotom-W is a great defensive complement, easily countering the likes of Choice Scarf Terrakion, Excadrill, and Scizor. Bronzong and Skarmory can deal with Choice Scarf Terrakion, Excadrill, and Garchomp, while Magnezone can trap and terminate Ferrothorn and Scizor.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank (Rain)
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Brick Break / Surf
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Quiet / Modest
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpA / 32 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Dragonite is often used as a physical attacker, a primarily special attacker is a great alternative
, thanks to a wide special movepool off of
100a base
100 Special Attack, including the powerful STAB Hurricane. Multiscale facilitates a specially offensive tank strategy very well, reducing the damage that Dragonite takes at full HP. This set is designed to be used in the rain to make use of Hurricane and Thunder at perfect accuracy, made all the better by the former's 30% confusion chance and the latter's 30% paralysis chance. To combat sandstorm, Brick Break can be used against Tyranitar, while Surf hits Ground-types such as Excadrill and Gliscor on the switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The reason for a Quiet nature is that Dragonite thrives on its bulk and should hit Tyranitar as hard as it can. The Speed EVs in this case
isare for outrunning Timid Wobbuffet while lowering Stealth Rock damage by one point. A Rash nature is a good alternative if one does not mind the Defense reduction. If using Surf instead, this is not an issue, so Modest is perfectly fine. Dragon Pulse is stronger than Thunder in general, but Thunder
haoffers a 30% paralysis chance, gets neutral coverage against Steel-types and Tyranitar, a
s well asnd strik
inges down Jellicent
and having a 30% paralysis chance. Dragon Tail is an option for phazing.</p>
<p>This set runs into problems in weather conditions other than rain. Sunlight
can especially
can pose a problem, reducing the accuracy of both Hurricane and Thunder to 50%, which should be considered when choosing between Thunder and Dragon Pulse. This makes entry hazards very appealing
to use since, as Politoed will be punished on every switch-in. Jellicent only really worries about Toxic and Encore from Politoed, both of which can be remedied by Taunt. This set also dislikes defensive Steel-types, such as Bronzong and Ferrothorn; Dragonite fails to 2HKO the latter with Hurricane without some prior damage. This makes Substitute Magnezone a viable partner to set up on Ferrothorn until it can KO it.</p>
<p>Politoed support is obvious; a Choice Specs variant in particular can be helpful for breaking through defensive opponents that this Dragonite can't crack. This set greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support; Hitmontop can serve this role
, as well as functioning as a check to Excadrill, Terrakion, and Blissey. Bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and Heatran can be very helpful for switching into priority moves
, such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. Wish from Blissey or Jirachi can be of great help as well, especially if Dragonite does not run Roost. Counters to Blissey, such as Conkeldurr, will be needed once the opponent figures out that this set has nothing to beat Blissey.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker (Rain)
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Aqua Tail
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Roost / Brick Break
item: Life Orb
ability: Multiscale
nature: Rash / Quiet
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A different take on the classic "MixNite", this set runs on Hurricane and rain-boosted Aqua Tail to make its mark. The main advantage of this set is that it does not rely on a STAB that is weakened after every use, and with enough prior damage
it, can 2HKO specially defensive Ferrothorn with Hurricane. This set boasts a large amount of staying power that the other common wallbreaker for rain teams, Tornadus, lacks. Aqua Tail 2HKOes Jirachi and Blissey in the rain
, as well as any Tyranitar attempting to cut off Dragonite's power source. The set also uses both ExtremeSpeed and Roost, the former being a very powerful priority move that hits the likes of Latios and Thundurus very hard, and the latter helping to boost Dragonite's longevity greatly with Multiscale. However, Brick Break is a good alternative to hit Tyranitar, Blissey, and Ferrothorn harder, especially in case the former decides to try to beat Dragonite with Ice Beam.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The choice of nature can vary greatly, though a Special Attack
-boosting nature (e.g. Rash, Mild,
andor Quiet) is preferred to give Hurricane the power that it needs to put the hurt on Ferrothorn and similar opponents. One can invest some EVs into Speed to outrun threats like Magnezone and Politoed if needed. If using a Speed-reducing nature
, such as Quiet, one should run 28 Speed EVs
to outpace Timid Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>Rain teams that find Tornadus too frail for their purposes would do well to use Dragonite as their wallbreaker. Aqua Tail in the rain has the same power as a super effective Fire Punch, so it will deal brutal damage to Steel-type switch-ins such as Bronzong and Skarmory. This can then expose holes for other offensive Pokemon
, such as Scizor, Garchomp, Latios, and Thundurus. Rapid Spin aids Dragonite's use of Multiscale greatly, making Forretress, Starmie, and Hitmontop good choices
infor the team. This set will need backup against faster Pokemon and priority moves such as Scizor's Bullet Punch. To this end, Politoed could run a Choice Scarf set to check Excadrill, and bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory are highly recommended due to their great defensive synergy with Dragonite
in general. Jirachi can provide paralysis support and pass Wish, while Ferrothorn and Skarmory can lay Spikes, which will help Dragonite defeat opposing Ferrothorn.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Dragonite is simply so versatile that many different variants of the existing sets are possible. It also has an extremely large non-attacking movepool
, containing moves such as Heal Bell and Haze. However, many of these are incompatible with Multiscale, including Heal Bell. Fire Punch may be tempting on the mixed attacker sets to hit specially defensive Ferrothorn harder and to retain a powerful Fire-type move after Draco Meteor is used, but
theits advantage
in it is low and Fire Punch is a contact move, which means that Dragonite will suffer damage from Iron Barbs.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Dragonite is so versatile that one can forget about finding a surefire counter
right at the outset. However, fast Ground-types and bulky Steel-types, such as Jirachi, Excadrill, Garchomp, and Scizor, are fairly good checks and revenge killers, particularly to the Parashuffler set. The Parashuffler set is also vulnerable to Taunt, which locks Dragonite into Dragon Tail. In general, Dragonite abhors status ailments and residual damage of all sorts. This makes Tyranitar and Hippowdon great assets for combating it, as both have Sand Stream and Stealth Rock to make Multiscale more difficult to use.</p>
<p>A few defensive Pokemon deal with Dragonite fairly well. Cresselia is a good check for most Dragonite sets, but it has a hard time with the Parashuffler set unless it can catch it outside of a Substitute
, or
if Cresselia is the last Pokemon. Hippowdon and Skarmory are good checks to Dragon Dance variants, but they do not deal with other sets so well due to phazing, special attacks, or sheer power.</p>
<p>Cloyster and Haxorus deserve special mentions. While it is not advisable for either Pokemon to switch directly into Dragonite, Cloyster can take a physical attack from Dragonite, use Shell Smash, and start a sweep with Icicle Spear, which hits through Multiscale. Haxorus has Mold Breaker and an extremely high 147 base Attack, which means that it will deal very heavy damage to Dragonite with Outrage, ignoring Multiscale.</p>
