Tyranitar
[Overview]
<p>Tyranitar is possibly the best weather summoner in Doubles due not only to its ability to check some of the best Pokemon the metagame has to offer, such as Cresselia and Thundurus, but also because of its amazing movepool. Tyranitar has many powerful attacks such as Crunch, Rock Slide, and Fire Blast. The main problem that Tyranitar faces is its less then stellar defensive typing, as being 4x weak to Fighting-type moves in Doubles is a very bad thing with threats such as Hitmontop being prominent. Despite its glaring weakness to Fighting-types, Tyranitar's phenomenal special bulk complemented with its high offensive stats makes it a versatile special tank in Doubles.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Tank
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Protect
item: Chople Berry
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Def
nature: Brave / Adamant
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rock Slide is standard on any set Tyranitar will run; as a powerful spread move with STAB, it lets Tyranitar deal with many common Pokemon in the Doubles metagame. Crunch is used as a single target move that hits foes extremely hard; however, Fire Blast is also a viable, as Tyranitar will have trouble hurting Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Scizor without it. Low Kick is used to OHKO Pokemon such as Bisharp and other Tyranitar, and also 2HKO very prominent threats such as Hydregion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Winning the weather war is just as, if not more, important in Doubles than it is in Singles. As Tyranitar is going to be slower then most Pokemon, you might as well take advantage of its less-than- stellar Speed stat. By using a Brave nature with 0 IVs in Speed, Tyranitar will win the weather war 100% of the time (at least initially). As for the EV spread, 36 EVs are used in Defense so that Tyranitar can survive a unboosted Meteor Mash from Metagross.</p>
<p> Chople Berry is the best choice of item for this set, as Tyranitar has a very exploitable weakness to Fighting-type attacks that Pokemon such as Breloom and Hitmontop can easily take advantage of otherwise. Tyranitar is excellent at supporting its teammates thanks to its amazing ability Sand Stream. Sandstorm alone provides great support for Pokemon such as Excadrill and Landorus, making them feared sweepers, but it also gives Rock-type Pokemon a 50% boost to their Special Defense stat, meaning that Pokemon such as Terrakion will be able to live a super effective Psychic-type attack from Cresselia or Latios. As good a teammate as Tyranitar can be, it needs help as well. Due to its 4x weakness to Fighting-type attacks, fast Psychic-types such Latios and Latias make good teammates. Rain is also a very large problem that Tyranitar cannot deal with alone. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Thundurus, Breloom, and Gastrodon all help with the removal of common rain sweepers.</p>
<p>There are a few other moves that Tyranitar could run as well. For example Stone Edge, a single-target attack, is far more powerful than Rock Slide and isn't stopped by Wide Guard. If the accuracy of Fire Blast is something the causes you to shy away from using it, Flamethrower can be used in its place. Though not as strong, it won't miss at a crucial moment in the match. Finally, Substitute can be used to shield Tyranitar from Fighting-type attacks. Because its so slow, Tyranitar will need a free turn to set one up, so Fake Out users such as Hitmontop and Scrafty are good partners. It's also recommended to use Leftovers on Tyranitar when using Substitute, as Chople Berry will then be wasted item slot.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Superpower / Low Kick
move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Naive
evs: 76 HP / 182 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf Tyranitar is one of the biggest threats in Doubles. Not only does it support its team with sand, but it's fast enough to damage opponents before getting damaged itself. Rock Slide is the main move on the set, allowing Tyranitar to hit both opponents and also giving it an opportunity to flinch them. Crunch is the secondary STAB move, offering a way to hit Cresselia, Latios, and Latias hard. The Superpower vs Low Kick decision is up to you. Superpower hits Pokemon such as Hydreigion for an OHKO while Low Kick is a 2HKO, but Superpower also lowers Tyranitar's Attack and Defense stats every time it's used. Low Kick is a safer, weaker option, but it stops you from worrying about Tyranitar's stats being lowered. Fire Blast allows Tyranitar to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn or Scizor for super effective damage, while Ice Beam hits a few Pokemon harder then Rock Slide would. Factoring in Intimidate, Ice Beam covers Tyranitar's weakness to Salamence and Landorus-T.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>76 EVs in HP let Tyranitar live a +1 Bullet Punch from Scizor 100% of the time, and max Speed allows it to outspeed base 111s, most notably Thundurus. The remaining EVs are put into Attack to let Tyranitar do as much damage as possible.
Tyranitar can use Earthquake on this set as well; it's an alternate spread move, though it's not as strong as Tyranitar would like it to be and it also comes with the risk of hitting Tyranitar's teammates. Stone Edge is stronger then Rock Slide is a single-target move, though it has worse accuracy. The benefit that Stone Edge brings is the ability to still hit Pokemon when an opponent uses Wide Guard. Fire Punch shouldn't be used becuase Fire Blast from an uninvested Special Attack still does more damage with this spread and, with Intimidate being such a commonly used ability, it's likely that Tyranitar's Attack will be lowered.</p>
<p>Tyranitar's main goal with this set is to be faster than its opponents; the only problem with that is that it means Tyranitar's going to lose the initial weather war. This means that teammates that help deal with opposing weather are crucial to ensure victory. Because rain is going to be a large problem, Pokemon such a Thundurus and Rotom-W can paralyze and take little damage from most Pokemon commonly used in rain are very useful. Gastrodon can't be touched by any Water-type attack, making it a good choice. Defiant Tornadus deserves a special mention as it directly counters all Intimidate users and Fighting-type Pokemon at the same time. Landorus, Hitmontop, Scrafty, Gyarados, and Salamence cannot switch in freely like they otherwise would be able to with it on the field.</p>
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
move 3: Low Kick / Superpower
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Focus Sash Tyranitar is used to beat some of Tyranitar's usual counters. Being able to live any immediate hit, it can strike back with something just as powerful. Rock Slide is the main STAB move on this set because it allows Tyrantar to hit the opposition hard. Crunch is used to hit Psychic-types, such as Cresselia, Latias, and Latios, Ghost-types, such as Jellicent and Chandelure, for super effective damage. Low Kick allows Tyranitar to beat opposing Tyranitar and a Pokemon it would normally lose to: Terrakion. Superpower can also be used to hit some Pokemon harder but at the risk of lowering Tyranitar's Attack and Defense every time it's used.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Tyranitar is a creature of the sand and it's not a fan of being in anything else. Rain teams are always a problem for faster variants of Tyranitar, so you need to build your team accordingly. Pokemon that are hard counter to rain are very good partners for a faster Tyranitar; Pokemon such as Thundurus, Rotom-W, Gastrodon, and Breloom are all excellent choices and stop rain in multiple ways. Tyranitar also brings a weather of its own to the field, so we cannot forget about Pokemon such Excadrill and Landorus, who both benefit greatly from Sandstorm support.</p>
<p>Focus Sash opens up many different possibilities for Tyranitar, the first of which is Dragon Dance. Dragon Dance boosts Tyranitar's Attack and Speed at the same time, making it as fast as the Choice Scarf set but with the ability to switch moves and deal serious damage. Counter can be used on this set as well, letting Tyranitar deal serious damage if a predicted physical hit comes its way. Stone Edge can be used in place of Rock Slide as a more powerful, single-target attack.
[Other Options]
<p>Tyranitar doesn't only bring sand to the battlefield; it can also support its teammates in other ways. Tyranitar gets some very appealing support moves that don't see much use. Thunder Wave can help with Speed control, something every team benefits from. Roar and Dragon Tail both have higher priorities than Trick Room, and could be used as a way to stop the opposition from getting it up. Stone Edge could be used in conjunction with Rock Slide to give Tyranitar the ability to hit for spread damage and also avoid Wide Guard problems at the expense of some coverage. Finally, Tyranitar gets access to Taunt, a move that can be used to shut down Pokemon such Togekiss and Cresselia and stop them from supporting their teammates. A Dark or Rock Gem could be used over Focus Sash to pick up OHKOs Tyranitar normally wouldn't be able to. Unnerve Tyranitar can stop Pokemon from eating resistance berries, ensuring that it and its teammates can get KOs on Pokemon that would otherwise survive.</p>
[Checks and Counters ]
<p>Tyranitar has a few major counters that it has problems dealing with. Firstly, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Terrakion, Breloom, and Conkeldurr are a major issue. They all have the ability to hit Tyranitar for 4x damage, which isn't good. Intimidate users are another large problem for it. Pokemon such Hitmontop, Landorus-T, and Scrafty can all lower Tyranitar's Attack, forcing it to rely on special attacks to deal damage. Hitmontop also gets Wide Guard, which stops Rock Slide cold. The final major problem Tyranitar faces is Ground-types, such as Garchomp. Opposing sand sweepers with Sand Force, such as Excadrill and Landorus, are especially threatening, due their boosted Earthquakes.</p>
<p>One of the problems Tyranitar faces that isn't as fatal as the above is rain. Tyranitar can keep weather on its side in some cases, but in others rain can be up and be very problematic. Pokemon such as Politoed, Kingdra, and Ludicolo will all have boosted STABs thanks to the rain. Toxicroak is aslo a common Pokemon on rain teams that can switch in on Tyranitar with impunity. Rotom-W is another Water-type bulky enough to switch in and threaten Tyranitar out.</p>
<p>Finally, Pokemon with powerful STABs such Jirachi, Scizor, Bisharp, Metagross, Escavalier, and Gesesect can all hit Tyranitar for heavy damage depending its set. However, If Tyranitar is carrying Fire Blast, it does handle these Pokemon fairly easily, but they should be accounted for.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Tyranitar is possibly the best weather summoner in Doubles due not only to its ability to check some of the best Pokemon the metagame has to offer, such as Cresselia and Thundurus, but also because of its amazing movepool. Tyranitar has many powerful attacks such as Crunch, Rock Slide, and Fire Blast. The main problem that Tyranitar faces is its less then stellar defensive typing, as being 4x weak to Fighting-type moves in Doubles is a very bad thing with threats such as Hitmontop being prominent. Despite its glaring weakness to Fighting-types, Tyranitar's phenomenal special bulk complemented with its high offensive stats makes it a versatile special tank in Doubles.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Tank
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Protect
item: Chople Berry
ability: Sand Stream
evs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Def
nature: Brave / Adamant
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rock Slide is standard on any set Tyranitar will run; as a powerful spread move with STAB, it lets Tyranitar deal with many common Pokemon in the Doubles metagame. Crunch is used as a single target move that hits foes extremely hard; however, Fire Blast is also a viable, as Tyranitar will have trouble hurting Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Scizor without it. Low Kick is used to OHKO Pokemon such as Bisharp and other Tyranitar, and also 2HKO very prominent threats such as Hydregion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Winning the weather war is just as, if not more, important in Doubles than it is in Singles. As Tyranitar is going to be slower then most Pokemon, you might as well take advantage of its less-than- stellar Speed stat. By using a Brave nature with 0 IVs in Speed, Tyranitar will win the weather war 100% of the time (at least initially). As for the EV spread, 36 EVs are used in Defense so that Tyranitar can survive a unboosted Meteor Mash from Metagross.</p>
<p> Chople Berry is the best choice of item for this set, as Tyranitar has a very exploitable weakness to Fighting-type attacks that Pokemon such as Breloom and Hitmontop can easily take advantage of otherwise. Tyranitar is excellent at supporting its teammates thanks to its amazing ability Sand Stream. Sandstorm alone provides great support for Pokemon such as Excadrill and Landorus, making them feared sweepers, but it also gives Rock-type Pokemon a 50% boost to their Special Defense stat, meaning that Pokemon such as Terrakion will be able to live a super effective Psychic-type attack from Cresselia or Latios. As good a teammate as Tyranitar can be, it needs help as well. Due to its 4x weakness to Fighting-type attacks, fast Psychic-types such Latios and Latias make good teammates. Rain is also a very large problem that Tyranitar cannot deal with alone. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Thundurus, Breloom, and Gastrodon all help with the removal of common rain sweepers.</p>
<p>There are a few other moves that Tyranitar could run as well. For example Stone Edge, a single-target attack, is far more powerful than Rock Slide and isn't stopped by Wide Guard. If the accuracy of Fire Blast is something the causes you to shy away from using it, Flamethrower can be used in its place. Though not as strong, it won't miss at a crucial moment in the match. Finally, Substitute can be used to shield Tyranitar from Fighting-type attacks. Because its so slow, Tyranitar will need a free turn to set one up, so Fake Out users such as Hitmontop and Scrafty are good partners. It's also recommended to use Leftovers on Tyranitar when using Substitute, as Chople Berry will then be wasted item slot.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Superpower / Low Kick
move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Naive
evs: 76 HP / 182 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf Tyranitar is one of the biggest threats in Doubles. Not only does it support its team with sand, but it's fast enough to damage opponents before getting damaged itself. Rock Slide is the main move on the set, allowing Tyranitar to hit both opponents and also giving it an opportunity to flinch them. Crunch is the secondary STAB move, offering a way to hit Cresselia, Latios, and Latias hard. The Superpower vs Low Kick decision is up to you. Superpower hits Pokemon such as Hydreigion for an OHKO while Low Kick is a 2HKO, but Superpower also lowers Tyranitar's Attack and Defense stats every time it's used. Low Kick is a safer, weaker option, but it stops you from worrying about Tyranitar's stats being lowered. Fire Blast allows Tyranitar to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn or Scizor for super effective damage, while Ice Beam hits a few Pokemon harder then Rock Slide would. Factoring in Intimidate, Ice Beam covers Tyranitar's weakness to Salamence and Landorus-T.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>76 EVs in HP let Tyranitar live a +1 Bullet Punch from Scizor 100% of the time, and max Speed allows it to outspeed base 111s, most notably Thundurus. The remaining EVs are put into Attack to let Tyranitar do as much damage as possible.
Tyranitar can use Earthquake on this set as well; it's an alternate spread move, though it's not as strong as Tyranitar would like it to be and it also comes with the risk of hitting Tyranitar's teammates. Stone Edge is stronger then Rock Slide is a single-target move, though it has worse accuracy. The benefit that Stone Edge brings is the ability to still hit Pokemon when an opponent uses Wide Guard. Fire Punch shouldn't be used becuase Fire Blast from an uninvested Special Attack still does more damage with this spread and, with Intimidate being such a commonly used ability, it's likely that Tyranitar's Attack will be lowered.</p>
<p>Tyranitar's main goal with this set is to be faster than its opponents; the only problem with that is that it means Tyranitar's going to lose the initial weather war. This means that teammates that help deal with opposing weather are crucial to ensure victory. Because rain is going to be a large problem, Pokemon such a Thundurus and Rotom-W can paralyze and take little damage from most Pokemon commonly used in rain are very useful. Gastrodon can't be touched by any Water-type attack, making it a good choice. Defiant Tornadus deserves a special mention as it directly counters all Intimidate users and Fighting-type Pokemon at the same time. Landorus, Hitmontop, Scrafty, Gyarados, and Salamence cannot switch in freely like they otherwise would be able to with it on the field.</p>
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
move 3: Low Kick / Superpower
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Focus Sash Tyranitar is used to beat some of Tyranitar's usual counters. Being able to live any immediate hit, it can strike back with something just as powerful. Rock Slide is the main STAB move on this set because it allows Tyrantar to hit the opposition hard. Crunch is used to hit Psychic-types, such as Cresselia, Latias, and Latios, Ghost-types, such as Jellicent and Chandelure, for super effective damage. Low Kick allows Tyranitar to beat opposing Tyranitar and a Pokemon it would normally lose to: Terrakion. Superpower can also be used to hit some Pokemon harder but at the risk of lowering Tyranitar's Attack and Defense every time it's used.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Tyranitar is a creature of the sand and it's not a fan of being in anything else. Rain teams are always a problem for faster variants of Tyranitar, so you need to build your team accordingly. Pokemon that are hard counter to rain are very good partners for a faster Tyranitar; Pokemon such as Thundurus, Rotom-W, Gastrodon, and Breloom are all excellent choices and stop rain in multiple ways. Tyranitar also brings a weather of its own to the field, so we cannot forget about Pokemon such Excadrill and Landorus, who both benefit greatly from Sandstorm support.</p>
<p>Focus Sash opens up many different possibilities for Tyranitar, the first of which is Dragon Dance. Dragon Dance boosts Tyranitar's Attack and Speed at the same time, making it as fast as the Choice Scarf set but with the ability to switch moves and deal serious damage. Counter can be used on this set as well, letting Tyranitar deal serious damage if a predicted physical hit comes its way. Stone Edge can be used in place of Rock Slide as a more powerful, single-target attack.
[Other Options]
<p>Tyranitar doesn't only bring sand to the battlefield; it can also support its teammates in other ways. Tyranitar gets some very appealing support moves that don't see much use. Thunder Wave can help with Speed control, something every team benefits from. Roar and Dragon Tail both have higher priorities than Trick Room, and could be used as a way to stop the opposition from getting it up. Stone Edge could be used in conjunction with Rock Slide to give Tyranitar the ability to hit for spread damage and also avoid Wide Guard problems at the expense of some coverage. Finally, Tyranitar gets access to Taunt, a move that can be used to shut down Pokemon such Togekiss and Cresselia and stop them from supporting their teammates. A Dark or Rock Gem could be used over Focus Sash to pick up OHKOs Tyranitar normally wouldn't be able to. Unnerve Tyranitar can stop Pokemon from eating resistance berries, ensuring that it and its teammates can get KOs on Pokemon that would otherwise survive.</p>
[Checks and Counters ]
<p>Tyranitar has a few major counters that it has problems dealing with. Firstly, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Terrakion, Breloom, and Conkeldurr are a major issue. They all have the ability to hit Tyranitar for 4x damage, which isn't good. Intimidate users are another large problem for it. Pokemon such Hitmontop, Landorus-T, and Scrafty can all lower Tyranitar's Attack, forcing it to rely on special attacks to deal damage. Hitmontop also gets Wide Guard, which stops Rock Slide cold. The final major problem Tyranitar faces is Ground-types, such as Garchomp. Opposing sand sweepers with Sand Force, such as Excadrill and Landorus, are especially threatening, due their boosted Earthquakes.</p>
<p>One of the problems Tyranitar faces that isn't as fatal as the above is rain. Tyranitar can keep weather on its side in some cases, but in others rain can be up and be very problematic. Pokemon such as Politoed, Kingdra, and Ludicolo will all have boosted STABs thanks to the rain. Toxicroak is aslo a common Pokemon on rain teams that can switch in on Tyranitar with impunity. Rotom-W is another Water-type bulky enough to switch in and threaten Tyranitar out.</p>
<p>Finally, Pokemon with powerful STABs such Jirachi, Scizor, Bisharp, Metagross, Escavalier, and Gesesect can all hit Tyranitar for heavy damage depending its set. However, If Tyranitar is carrying Fire Blast, it does handle these Pokemon fairly easily, but they should be accounted for.</p>
[Overview]
Name: Standard tar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
Move 3: Low Kick
Move 4: Protect
Item: Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Def
Nature: Brave / Adamant
IVS: 0 Spe
[Set Comments]
[Additional Comments]
[Set]
Name: Scarf Tar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch
Move 3: Superpower / Low Kick
Move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Nature: Naive
EVs: 76 HP / 182 Atk / 252 Spd
[Set Comments]
[Additional Comments]
[Set]
Name: SashTar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
Move 3: Low Kick / Superpower
Move 4: Protect
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Stream
Nature: Naive / Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
[Checks and Counters]
- The best weather summoner
- Very good with common threats
- Excellent move pool
- Not exactly the greatest typing in the world
Name: Standard tar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
Move 3: Low Kick
Move 4: Protect
Item: Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Def
Nature: Brave / Adamant
IVS: 0 Spe
[Set Comments]
- Handles a lot of very common Pokemon like Cresselia and Thundrus-I
- Low kick hits extremely hard against foes like Terrakion, Tyranitar and Hydregion
- Fire blast hits steel types like Ferrothorn without having to worry about Intimidate
- Slower then other weather summoners
- Sand is great support for Pokemon like Excadrill
- Chople helps with 4x weakness to Fighting and the ever common Hitmontop
[Additional Comments]
- A Swagger using teammate
- Sub Tar
[Set]
Name: Scarf Tar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch
Move 3: Superpower / Low Kick
Move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Nature: Naive
EVs: 76 HP / 182 Atk / 252 Spd
[Set Comments]
- Gotta go Fast
- 76 HP lets you live a +1 Bullet punch from Scizor 100% of the time
- Outruns base 111's (Thundurus-I)
- Sand is still good support for teammates
- Last move is up to you
[Additional Comments]
- Stone Edge for more power
- Earthquake to hit both opponents
- Fire Punch from Jolly nature doesn't hit as hard as naive Fire Blast with 0 SpA
[Set]
Name: SashTar
Move 1: Rock Slide
Move 2: Crunch / Fire Blast
Move 3: Low Kick / Superpower
Move 4: Protect
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Stream
Nature: Naive / Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
- Rock Slide for main STAB
- Crunch is another powerful STAB
- Fire Blast for Scizor / Ferrothorn
- Low kick hits some Pokemon harder + doesn't lower stats
- Superpower doesn't need weight to hit hard, but lowers stats
- Protect
- Naive if Running Fire Blast
- Stone Edge for more power
- Good teammates spew here
- Flamethrower > blast if you're worried about accuracy
- Twave
- Focus Sash + Dragon Dance
- Focus Sash + Counter
- Unnerve
- Choice Band
- Taunt
- Roar
- Flamethower
[Checks and Counters]
- Hitmontop
- Terrakion
- Breloom
- Metagross
- Scizor
- Landorus I and T
- Mamoswine
- Excadrill
- Garchomp
- Poli + Friends
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