
[SET]
Dragon Dance (Altaria-Mega) @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Frustration
- Earthquake
- Roost
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its good Attack, powerful Pixilate-boosted STAB moves, Speed, and good defenses, Mega Altaria serves as a potent late-game setup sweeper primarily seen on offense and hyper offense teams. It can outspeed foes like Cinderace, Mega Latias, and Thundurus after one boost, and it stands out over other sweepers due to its ability to set up on Choice-locked Latias and Hydreigon. Pixilate-boosted Frustration serves as Mega Altaria's best move due to its power without any drawbacks that helps against the plethora of Fighting-, Dark-, and Dragon-types, OHKOing Hydreigon, Mega Heracross, and Galarian Zapdos and 2HKOing Iron Hands, Buzzwole, Mega Latias, and Mega Tyranitar. Earthquake pairs well with Frustration, as it can help deal with the Steel-types that resist the former, 2HKOing Iron Treads, Excadrill, Hisuian Goodra, and Jirachi, and it can also be useful to hit Fire-types like Iron Moth and Skeledirge. Roost lets Mega Altaria set up on defensive targets like Slowbro, Buzzwole, and Skarmory long-term, and it can help to stay healthy in the face of hazards. Mega Altaria perfers to have Natural Cure instead of Cloud Nine to avoid status from targets like Mew and Gastrodon. This given EV spread allows Mega Altaria to outspeed Cinderace and Alakazam at +1. Mega Altaria can have a hard time breaking through some Poison- and Steel-types like Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, Celesteela, and Skarmory, making offensive Fire-types like Victini, Ceruledge, and Cinderace good supporting teammates. Teammates on offense and hyper offense teams like Iron Moth, Thundurus, and Azumarill make for good partners, being able to threaten out Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, and Hippowdon. Offensive pivots such as Cinderace, Sandy Shocks, and Thundurus-T make also good partners for Mega Altaria, as they can bring it in to threaten out Dragon-types, such as Latias and Hydreigon, and pivot it into defensive Pokemon like Buzzwole to give Mega Altaria an opportunity to set up. Mega Altaria appreciates entry hazard removal options and entry hazard setters, notably suicide leads on hyper offense teams like Excadrill, as well as Salamence and Iron Treads on offense teams, which can help to keep Mega Altaria healthy and make it easier to sweep, Stealth Rock chip also enables Mega Altaria to guarantee an OHKO like Mega Latias. In return, Mega Altaria can help against their checks like Buzzwole, Mega Latias, Cinderace, and Galarian Zapdos. Mega Altaria can have great synergy with Pokemon like Rotom-W, which can check the Steel-types that threaten it like Celesteela and has the ablilty to pivot Mega Altaria in.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yoko.617542/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
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