[OVERVIEW]
Dragonite has good overall stats and a great movepool and one of the best abilities in the game, making it a threatening setup sweeper, wallbreaker or defensive tank. Its main selling points are a sky-high base 134 Attack and Multiscale, which make good use of certain items like Weakness Policy, Choice Band or Leftovers. Furthermore, it has access to great moves like Extreme Speed, Dragon Dance, Roost, Earthquake and Thunder Punch. However, it has many crippling flaws, the first one being a weakness to Stealth Rock, which breaks Multiscale and takes 25% of his HP just by switching in. Another problem is his disappointing 80 base Speed, which makes him rely on Extreme Speed to hit certain pokemon, even after a Dragon Dance. He also has problems with coverage, since Normal Dragon has huge gaps in coverage, being resisted by every Steel-Type in the metagame and Mimikyu. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Dragonite is a bad pokemon, since he has a lot of viable sets, and he still manages to push through its flaws and he really is a threatening pokemon.
[SET]
Name: Weakness Poilcy
Move 1: Dragon Dance
Move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch / Iron Head
Item: Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
======
Dragon Dance is one of the best setup moves in the entire game, boosting Attack and Speed at the same time. Outrage is preferred because it hits really hard after a boost, but Dragon Claw can be used for more freedom when attacking, since it does not lock you in the move. Extreme Speed is needed unless your team carries Tailwind, since Dragonite is not very fast, but with Tailwind, it can be dropped for any other move in the fourth slot. Even with Tailwind it is a good idea, since it allows Dragonite to hit Choice Scarf users, and if he has enough boosts, it will OHKO quite a few of them. The last move is just for coverage: Earthquake hits Heatran but misses out on Celesteela, Skarmory and Bronzong, Fire Punch hits the ones mentiones, but it can’t touch Heatran at all. Finally, while it might seem a bad choice, Iron Head can be used if your team has big problems with Fairy-Types like Clefable, but the coverage is horrible, so it is generally not recommended. Thunder Punch can also be used, but it only gets Celesteela and Skarmory, and it can-t really hit anything else.
Set Details:
=========
The theory behind this is quite straightforward, click DD on the first turn, get hit by a super effective move, and sweep through the whole team with a +3 Atk +1 Spe Dragonite, however, the set can be obvious at times, and a +1 Extreme Speed hits as hard as a pudding. Also, it is easily stopped by SR, and some attacks will still OHKO, like Protean Greninja or Ash Greninja’s Ice Beam, right through Multiscale. Plus, most teams carry Ice-Type coverage or Ice Shard, and these moves really hurt Dragonite. Weakness Policy is the chosen item, since it is the only way Dragonite has to boost its stats to +3 and +1 in one turn. The EV spread and Jolly nature make Dragonite as fast as possible, and it can still hit decently with such high base attack, even if Adamant nature is not chosen. Lum Berry can be changed for Weakness Policy, to be able to remove status once, but it turns useless in some situations.
Usage Tips:
=========
Think twice before switching Dragonite in, since any form of prior damage will really hurt him, so watch out when switching into pokemon like Ferrothorn, because even if you think they are going for Spikes, they might go for Power Whip, breaking Multiscale. If your Multiscale is still intact, you can boost without having to be so careful, but some hits will still KO throught it, and foes with Mold Breaker and/or Ice-Type coverage, like Mega Gyarados or Kyurem-B can destroy Dragonite with Ice Fang or Ice Beam through Multiscale. You should also be careful of status, since paralysis and burn will stop a sweep, and poison will break Multiscale.
Team Options:
===========
Magnezone is almost mandatory, since Dragonites needs Steel-Types away to really be able to sweep. Hazard removers are also in the same spot as Magnezone, but because of how hard it is to have good hazard control this generation it might be hard to find a pokemon that can perform it perfectly, but you should try to, at least, have a defogger or spinner like Latias/Latios or defensive Excadrill, but watch out for the weakness stacking when using other dragons. Magic Bounce users are also a good idea, but only Mega Sableye fits that role, since Mega Absol is too frail.
[SET]
Name: Choice Band
Move 1: Outrage / Dragon Claw
Move 2: Thunder Punch
Move 3: Earthquake / Fire Punch
Move 4: Extreme Speed / Fire Punch
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
=======
Outrage or Dragon Claw, each one has good and bad points, Outrage being obscenely powerful with Choice Band, and Dragon Claw being a safer option that does not lock you in a move. Thunder Punch hits Toxapex and other bulky Water-Types for great damage, if not OHKOing them. Earthquake hits Heatran and other Steel-Types that are grounded, but Fire Punch hits the ones that are neutral to Ground, like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Finally, Extreme Speed is usually recommended to patch up Dragonite’s middling speed, but Fire Punch can be used for the same prupose written before. However, it is generaly a poor options, since it only targets for very specific targets.
Set Details:
=========
Choice Band allows Dragonite to hit hard without requiring boosts, and 252 Spe EVs with Jolly nature make Dragonite outspeed all of 80 Base Speed pokemon, unless they are carrying a Choice Scarf. 252 Atk EVs make Dragonite’s Attack reach astronomic levels, being able to punch holes in most teams. A more defensive spread could also be used, something like 248 Atk / 4 Spe / 128 Def / 128 SpD and an Adamant nature, and it would focus on keeping Multiscale intact, taking a hit and retaliating with a powerful attack, but it misses out on a lot of crucial outspeeds, such as uninvested Heatran, so it is generaly a poor option.
Usage Tips:
========
Remove hazards before switching Dragonite in, and watch out for Ice Shard users once Multiscale has been broken. Be careful with burns and paralysis, since they will easily stop a sweep attempt. Switch out if Mold Breaker or Teravolt users are on the field, since they might carry Ice-Type coverage and will OHKO Dragonite right through Multiscale, and some pokemon can even OHKO it wil Multiscale, like Ash Greninja’s Ice Beam or Protean-boosted Ice Beam from regular Greninja.
Team Options:
==========
Hazard removal is a must with Dragonite, since it needs a way to keep multiscale intact, but it is an uncommon feature for most teams, but you should defenetly try to find a defogger or spinner that fits on your team. Trapping is also pretty good, so Magnezone is a valuable partner, since he traps Steel-Types for Dragonite and he also resists Dragonite’s weaknesses, while Dragonite can switch into Fire, Fighting and Ground-Type attacks that would hurt Magnezone. Choice Scarf Magneton could work similar, but its lower firepower leaves him in a bad spot against bulkier foes like Bronzong or Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options:
===========
A specially based set could be useful in some situations, and it would use Hurricane, Draco Meteor, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam or Flamethrower, but it needs rain support for Hurricane and its lower Speciall Attack stat leaves him outclassed by other special attackers, like Keldeo, who is also faster and has better coverage. Flyinuim-Z with Fly could be used but it does not hit any relevant targets that regular Dragonite can't hit, and the move is pretty useless otherwise, since it takes 2 turns to hit, and Dragonite will loose a boosting item, and other pokemon like Gyarados or Landorus-T will generally use Flyinium-Z better. A defensive set is also quite appealing, since it has access to reliable recovery via Roost and Fly + Leftovers, and it can recover Multiscale quite a few times, but since Greninja is not banned and Ash Greninja has even higher stats, Dragonite can still be OHKOed through Multiscale, which means that it needs specific team support to function properly.
Checks and Counters:
================
Select Bulky Steel-Types: Scizor, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Skarmory and Bronzong are only a few examples that wall Dragonite lacking a specific coverage move, but Thunder Punch deals real damage to Celesteela and Skarmory, and Fire Punch hits the other three, and Earthquake hits Heatran, which would otherwise wall it.
Stealth Rock: Stealth Rock will break Dragonite’s Multiscale, stopping setup sets and severely conditioning the Choice Band set. It also hurts a potential defensive set, since it will be forced to Roost immediately.
Teravolt and Mold Breaker: This two abilities ignore Dragonite’s Multiscale, and the two most common users of it, Kyurem-B and Mega Gyarados, usually carry Ice-Type moves, so he might get OHKO’d by them.
Naturally Strong Pokemon with Ice-Type Coverage: Protean Greninja’s Ice Beam can OHKO Dragonite through Multiscale, and Battle Bond Greninja can use Ice Beam and Water Shuriken and KO Dragonite, turning into Ash Greninja and decimating teams. Mamoswine can also deal high amounts of damage with Icicle Crash and finish Dragonite with Ice Shard or fish for a high number of hits on Icicle Spear, which will destroy Dragonite. Cloyster is particularly threatening aswell, since it can setup on Dragonite due to its absurd physical bulk and KO with Icicle Spear, breaking Multiscale along the way, but he can’t switch into Thunder Punch.
Fairy-Types: Since Dragonite is a Dragon-Type, Fairy-Types naturally counter him. Mimikyu in particular can be troublesome, since he is immune to Extreme Speed and Outrage, learns Will-O-Wisp, and has Disguise to setup freely, take a hit, burn him, and then go for the KO. Other Fairy-Types are also a problem. Unaware Clefable is threatening because of its ability, which ignores DD boosts and can use Dragonite as a setup fodder, use T-Wave to paralyze him and proceed to deal damage with Moonblast while healing with Moonlight. Most Fairy-Types, however, struggle when it comes to taking Iron Head, which is one of the reasons why the move is not that bad, even though there are better options.
Dragonite has good overall stats and a great movepool and one of the best abilities in the game, making it a threatening setup sweeper, wallbreaker or defensive tank. Its main selling points are a sky-high base 134 Attack and Multiscale, which make good use of certain items like Weakness Policy, Choice Band or Leftovers. Furthermore, it has access to great moves like Extreme Speed, Dragon Dance, Roost, Earthquake and Thunder Punch. However, it has many crippling flaws, the first one being a weakness to Stealth Rock, which breaks Multiscale and takes 25% of his HP just by switching in. Another problem is his disappointing 80 base Speed, which makes him rely on Extreme Speed to hit certain pokemon, even after a Dragon Dance. He also has problems with coverage, since Normal Dragon has huge gaps in coverage, being resisted by every Steel-Type in the metagame and Mimikyu. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Dragonite is a bad pokemon, since he has a lot of viable sets, and he still manages to push through its flaws and he really is a threatening pokemon.
[SET]
Name: Weakness Poilcy
Move 1: Dragon Dance
Move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch / Iron Head
Item: Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
======
Dragon Dance is one of the best setup moves in the entire game, boosting Attack and Speed at the same time. Outrage is preferred because it hits really hard after a boost, but Dragon Claw can be used for more freedom when attacking, since it does not lock you in the move. Extreme Speed is needed unless your team carries Tailwind, since Dragonite is not very fast, but with Tailwind, it can be dropped for any other move in the fourth slot. Even with Tailwind it is a good idea, since it allows Dragonite to hit Choice Scarf users, and if he has enough boosts, it will OHKO quite a few of them. The last move is just for coverage: Earthquake hits Heatran but misses out on Celesteela, Skarmory and Bronzong, Fire Punch hits the ones mentiones, but it can’t touch Heatran at all. Finally, while it might seem a bad choice, Iron Head can be used if your team has big problems with Fairy-Types like Clefable, but the coverage is horrible, so it is generally not recommended. Thunder Punch can also be used, but it only gets Celesteela and Skarmory, and it can-t really hit anything else.
Set Details:
=========
The theory behind this is quite straightforward, click DD on the first turn, get hit by a super effective move, and sweep through the whole team with a +3 Atk +1 Spe Dragonite, however, the set can be obvious at times, and a +1 Extreme Speed hits as hard as a pudding. Also, it is easily stopped by SR, and some attacks will still OHKO, like Protean Greninja or Ash Greninja’s Ice Beam, right through Multiscale. Plus, most teams carry Ice-Type coverage or Ice Shard, and these moves really hurt Dragonite. Weakness Policy is the chosen item, since it is the only way Dragonite has to boost its stats to +3 and +1 in one turn. The EV spread and Jolly nature make Dragonite as fast as possible, and it can still hit decently with such high base attack, even if Adamant nature is not chosen. Lum Berry can be changed for Weakness Policy, to be able to remove status once, but it turns useless in some situations.
Usage Tips:
=========
Think twice before switching Dragonite in, since any form of prior damage will really hurt him, so watch out when switching into pokemon like Ferrothorn, because even if you think they are going for Spikes, they might go for Power Whip, breaking Multiscale. If your Multiscale is still intact, you can boost without having to be so careful, but some hits will still KO throught it, and foes with Mold Breaker and/or Ice-Type coverage, like Mega Gyarados or Kyurem-B can destroy Dragonite with Ice Fang or Ice Beam through Multiscale. You should also be careful of status, since paralysis and burn will stop a sweep, and poison will break Multiscale.
Team Options:
===========
Magnezone is almost mandatory, since Dragonites needs Steel-Types away to really be able to sweep. Hazard removers are also in the same spot as Magnezone, but because of how hard it is to have good hazard control this generation it might be hard to find a pokemon that can perform it perfectly, but you should try to, at least, have a defogger or spinner like Latias/Latios or defensive Excadrill, but watch out for the weakness stacking when using other dragons. Magic Bounce users are also a good idea, but only Mega Sableye fits that role, since Mega Absol is too frail.
[SET]
Name: Choice Band
Move 1: Outrage / Dragon Claw
Move 2: Thunder Punch
Move 3: Earthquake / Fire Punch
Move 4: Extreme Speed / Fire Punch
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
=======
Outrage or Dragon Claw, each one has good and bad points, Outrage being obscenely powerful with Choice Band, and Dragon Claw being a safer option that does not lock you in a move. Thunder Punch hits Toxapex and other bulky Water-Types for great damage, if not OHKOing them. Earthquake hits Heatran and other Steel-Types that are grounded, but Fire Punch hits the ones that are neutral to Ground, like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Finally, Extreme Speed is usually recommended to patch up Dragonite’s middling speed, but Fire Punch can be used for the same prupose written before. However, it is generaly a poor options, since it only targets for very specific targets.
Set Details:
=========
Choice Band allows Dragonite to hit hard without requiring boosts, and 252 Spe EVs with Jolly nature make Dragonite outspeed all of 80 Base Speed pokemon, unless they are carrying a Choice Scarf. 252 Atk EVs make Dragonite’s Attack reach astronomic levels, being able to punch holes in most teams. A more defensive spread could also be used, something like 248 Atk / 4 Spe / 128 Def / 128 SpD and an Adamant nature, and it would focus on keeping Multiscale intact, taking a hit and retaliating with a powerful attack, but it misses out on a lot of crucial outspeeds, such as uninvested Heatran, so it is generaly a poor option.
Usage Tips:
========
Remove hazards before switching Dragonite in, and watch out for Ice Shard users once Multiscale has been broken. Be careful with burns and paralysis, since they will easily stop a sweep attempt. Switch out if Mold Breaker or Teravolt users are on the field, since they might carry Ice-Type coverage and will OHKO Dragonite right through Multiscale, and some pokemon can even OHKO it wil Multiscale, like Ash Greninja’s Ice Beam or Protean-boosted Ice Beam from regular Greninja.
Team Options:
==========
Hazard removal is a must with Dragonite, since it needs a way to keep multiscale intact, but it is an uncommon feature for most teams, but you should defenetly try to find a defogger or spinner that fits on your team. Trapping is also pretty good, so Magnezone is a valuable partner, since he traps Steel-Types for Dragonite and he also resists Dragonite’s weaknesses, while Dragonite can switch into Fire, Fighting and Ground-Type attacks that would hurt Magnezone. Choice Scarf Magneton could work similar, but its lower firepower leaves him in a bad spot against bulkier foes like Bronzong or Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options:
===========
A specially based set could be useful in some situations, and it would use Hurricane, Draco Meteor, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam or Flamethrower, but it needs rain support for Hurricane and its lower Speciall Attack stat leaves him outclassed by other special attackers, like Keldeo, who is also faster and has better coverage. Flyinuim-Z with Fly could be used but it does not hit any relevant targets that regular Dragonite can't hit, and the move is pretty useless otherwise, since it takes 2 turns to hit, and Dragonite will loose a boosting item, and other pokemon like Gyarados or Landorus-T will generally use Flyinium-Z better. A defensive set is also quite appealing, since it has access to reliable recovery via Roost and Fly + Leftovers, and it can recover Multiscale quite a few times, but since Greninja is not banned and Ash Greninja has even higher stats, Dragonite can still be OHKOed through Multiscale, which means that it needs specific team support to function properly.
Checks and Counters:
================
Select Bulky Steel-Types: Scizor, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Skarmory and Bronzong are only a few examples that wall Dragonite lacking a specific coverage move, but Thunder Punch deals real damage to Celesteela and Skarmory, and Fire Punch hits the other three, and Earthquake hits Heatran, which would otherwise wall it.
Stealth Rock: Stealth Rock will break Dragonite’s Multiscale, stopping setup sets and severely conditioning the Choice Band set. It also hurts a potential defensive set, since it will be forced to Roost immediately.
Teravolt and Mold Breaker: This two abilities ignore Dragonite’s Multiscale, and the two most common users of it, Kyurem-B and Mega Gyarados, usually carry Ice-Type moves, so he might get OHKO’d by them.
Naturally Strong Pokemon with Ice-Type Coverage: Protean Greninja’s Ice Beam can OHKO Dragonite through Multiscale, and Battle Bond Greninja can use Ice Beam and Water Shuriken and KO Dragonite, turning into Ash Greninja and decimating teams. Mamoswine can also deal high amounts of damage with Icicle Crash and finish Dragonite with Ice Shard or fish for a high number of hits on Icicle Spear, which will destroy Dragonite. Cloyster is particularly threatening aswell, since it can setup on Dragonite due to its absurd physical bulk and KO with Icicle Spear, breaking Multiscale along the way, but he can’t switch into Thunder Punch.
Fairy-Types: Since Dragonite is a Dragon-Type, Fairy-Types naturally counter him. Mimikyu in particular can be troublesome, since he is immune to Extreme Speed and Outrage, learns Will-O-Wisp, and has Disguise to setup freely, take a hit, burn him, and then go for the KO. Other Fairy-Types are also a problem. Unaware Clefable is threatening because of its ability, which ignores DD boosts and can use Dragonite as a setup fodder, use T-Wave to paralyze him and proceed to deal damage with Moonblast while healing with Moonlight. Most Fairy-Types, however, struggle when it comes to taking Iron Head, which is one of the reasons why the move is not that bad, even though there are better options.
