Hey, I finally wrote this. I didn't really proofread yet, but hopefully it's fine. I also decided to keep it on the shorter side. I think it just reads better this way. Cheers!
[OVERVIEW]
Everyone knows Dragonite’s claim to fame. While a wide move pool, a base stat total bested only by that of Mewtwo, and a unique Dragon typing are all distinguishing features, Dragonite’s true niche rests in its access to Wrap. With an unparalleled Attack stat and two excellent speed control options in Thunder Wave and Agility, Dragonite can immobilize and whittle away at its foes. In Ubers, Dragonite is much the same frustrating but effective Pokemon it is in other tiers.
Dragonite is a powerful pivot and potential sweeper with a lot of utility options. It can meticulously prepare favorable endgames against paralyzed and slow teams for its teammates to sweep, or it can even painfully choke out entire teams itself. A wide pool of coverage moves makes Dragonite unpredictable and quite difficult to wall. Its Flying typing is also quite nice for slowing down Earthquake users, most notably Mew. It’s not terribly uncommon for Mew to run Earthquake as its only reliable attacking move, meaning that Dragonite can wall some variants indefinitely.
Despite many positive traits, Dragonite has many limitations that keep it from dominating the tier. For starters, Dragonite relies heavily on paralysis to function. If Dragonite is slower than its foe, it cannot use Wrap safely. It is very vulnerable to paralysis itself, as it becomes incapable of using Wrap effectively or reliably given its already imperfect accuracy. Its typing, while useful for some matchups, also means that Ice-type moves from common Pokemon like Mewtwo are a terror. Thus, Dragonite requires strategic play to position such that it can actually make its way through teams with little risk. Another obvious issue is its reliance on Wrap, which, even in the best of circumstances, can miss and immediately result in Dragonite failing to pivot or sweep.
[SET]
name: Wrap
move 1: Wrap
move 2: Thunder Wave / Agility
move 3: Surf / Blizzard
move 4: Hyper Beam / Body Slam / Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Wrap is Dragonite’s most important move, giving it the ability to both pivot and sweep. Wrap enables it to pressure slower foes like Chansey, Snorlax, and paralyzed Pokemon with chip damage and then switch out to a potent partner, such as Tauros, Rhydon, or Zapdos to finish the job without either Pokemon taking damage in the process. In general, Dragonite thrives on paralysis support and loathes being paralyzed. As such, Dragonite tends to favor the late-game, steadily mounting damage after paralysis has been spread or faster Pokemon have been knocked out.
Teammates can spread paralysis for Dragonite, but Dragonite can also be quite good at spreading paralysis itself with Thunder Wave. Because Dragonite can theoretically use Agility at any time to set up for a sweep, few Pokemon will feel comfortable switching out against it and will often try to attack it first, even if a different move or switch seems likely. Additionally, trying to block paralysis by switching in an already paralyzed Pokemon is largely ineffective, as Dragonite can simply use Wrap with little risk. In most cases, Dragonite will aim to paralyze Pokemon that are quick and threatening but can’t consistently paralyze or KO it in return. This includes Pokemon like Tauros and certain variants of Mew and Mewtwo. This creates a stronger position for both Dragonite and offensive teammates. While Dragonite must avoid paralysis to use Wrap consistently, it may occasionally risk trading paralysis with high value targets that may otherwise be dangerous in the endgame, such as Mew, Zapdos, and Alakazam, if it must. Moreover, Dragonite will be more willing to accept paralysis if the opposing Mew only has Earthquake as an attacking move, as Dragonite will still be able to fill an important role in checking it even after being slowed down.
Using Agility allows Dragonite to become a powerful sweeper capable of outspeeding the entire metagame. With Wrap and strong attacks, a Dragonite can wipe out fairly healthy teams by itself after using Agility. Agility can also reverse the Speed-dropping effects of paralysis, but the 25% chance of immobilization is still very problematic if Dragonite plans on using Wrap at any point. The challenge with Agility, aside from Wrap misses, is finding an opportunity to use it safely. Dragonite can’t comfortably set up on many common Pokemon in Ubers, as almost all of them have at least a chance to paralyze or KO it. This means Dragonite will most often be clicking Agility when risking a critical hit or paralysis chance from Body Slam is worth it, when the opponent is expected to switch out, or when the opposing Pokemon is asleep or frozen. Agility can be used with or without Thunder Wave; while Agility Dragonite does appreciate access to two attacking moves, the utility of Thunder Wave, sometimes even after Agility has been used, is too much to give up. While Agility is generally considered as an option to strengthen Wrap, it can instead occasionally be used to strengthen Thunder Wave when spreading paralysis is more important than chip damage or pivoting. This is most applicable if Dragonite is expected to check Earthquake Mew. While Dragonite will likely take a Thunder Wave in this scenario, it may be able to paralyze Mew and threaten the Pokemon that will switch in after. Agility can be used safely against Mew to give itself the Speed advantage against dangerous Pokemon looking to switch in, such as Tauros, Mewtwo, Rhydon, or Golem.
Dragonite can round out its set with one or two of the many strong and diverse attacks in its arsenal. Surf has decent base power, hits every Pokemon in the game, and has a fair amount of PP, making it one of the safest choices for Dragonite. Surf also instantly takes out Rhydon and Golem, which otherwise take only a little damage from Wrap and can potentially PP stall it. Blizzard hits a bit harder than Surf but is less reliable. It is notably Dragonite’s strongest move against Exeggutor and Gengar, the latter of which can be quite difficult for Dragonite to handle given it takes no damage from Wrap at all. Hyper Beam is Dragonite’s strongest move and thus an excellent choice for finishing off foes. As with Blizzard though, Hyper Beam is not overly reliable, and it can also land Dragonite in a bad situation if it fails to KO. Body Slam is a reliable and fairly strong move with a good chance to paralyze foes, making it an excellent option to punish switches. It is, however, not the best for finishing Pokemon off during a sweep and it doesn’t help much against Rhydon, Golem, and most notably Gengar. This means pairing Body Slam with Hyper Beam is generally not viable.
Dragonite teams well with Pokemon that can spread paralysis effectively, such as Slowbro and Thunder Wave Mew. The strong offensive capabilities and boosting moves of these Pokemon can make blocking paralysis quite difficult. Thunder Wave Mewtwo can accomplish this as well, though the opportunity cost of running that set is often higher. Because Dragonite and its common teammates tend to spread paralysis well, offensive Pokemon tend to be good team options. Slow Pokemon like Rhydon and Golem appreciate gaining a Speed advantage after paralysis. Tauros becomes a lot more threatening after its teammates spread paralysis because the free turns from full paralysis can often allow Tauros to break through powerful foes like Mew and Mewtwo. Tauros can attempt to capitalize even further with Stomp. Paralysis and chip damage from Wrap can also do a lot to support Mew and Mewtwo. Pokemon like Mewtwo and Chansey become significantly less capable of switching into a boosted Mewtwo if they are paralyzed and have sustained some Wrap damage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragonite has a lot of interesting moves that it can try, but few are practical and better than what can be found in the main set. Thunderbolt is likely Dragonite’s next best move, as it gives it a very strong option against Slowbro, Starmie, and Cloyster. Dragonite is not extremely likely to face these Pokemon, so Thunderbolt has fairly limited utility. Thunderbolt generally needs to be used alongside Blizzard so Dragonite will not struggle with Exeggutor or Ground-type Pokemon.
Fire Blast is a novel option primarily because of its ability to burn foes. In addition to cutting the Attack stat of a Pokemon, the extra damage from burn synergizes well with Wrap. Notably, a burned Gengar can no longer stall out Dragonite's Wrap, as the damage will eventually cause it to faint, even though Wrap itself is doing no damage. The move is often outclassed by Blizzard, which hits a better array of targets and has a higher accuracy.
Double-Edge can be an alternative to Hyper Beam that trades the higher Base Power for greater accuracy, more PP, and no risky recharge turn. The move is rather uncommon, as the drop in power is very noticeable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Moves**: Using Ice-type moves, Mewtwo, Starmie, Jynx, Lapras, Cloyster, and Articuno all have at least a chance to OHKO Dragonite outright. Aside from Lapras and Cloyster, they are all faster than Dragonite, meaning Dragonite cannot safely use Wrap against most users of Ice-type moves. Other Pokemon like Tauros, Chansey, and occasionally Snorlax can all 2HKO Dragonite with their common Ice-type moves as well. Tauros is particularly dangerous, as a critical hit will take Dragonite out immediately.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis often hampers Dragonite, as it heavily drops the consistency of Wrap. Faster users of Thunder Wave, such as Alakazam, Starmie, Mew, Zapdos, and Jolteon can all immediately threaten Dragonite. Other users of paralysis moves, like Chansey, Slowbro, and Exeggutor can all also heavily punish Dragonite on a switch or if Wrap misses. Users of Body Slam, especially fast ones, can also threaten Dragonite in a pinch.
**Pokemon that Resist Wrap**: Gengar will generally beat Dragonite in a straight head-to-head, especially if Dragonite does not have Blizzard. Furthermore, Gengar is quite good at getting Dragonite to waste Wrap PP due to its immunity to its damage. While Surf and, to a lesser extent, Blizzard can threaten Rhydon and Golem, their resistance to Wrap can help them stall out Wrap PP as well. Both can also switch into Hyper Beam to punish it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/volk.530877/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/enigami.233818/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
[OVERVIEW]
Everyone knows Dragonite’s claim to fame. While a wide move pool, a base stat total bested only by that of Mewtwo, and a unique Dragon typing are all distinguishing features, Dragonite’s true niche rests in its access to Wrap. With an unparalleled Attack stat and two excellent speed control options in Thunder Wave and Agility, Dragonite can immobilize and whittle away at its foes. In Ubers, Dragonite is much the same frustrating but effective Pokemon it is in other tiers.
Dragonite is a powerful pivot and potential sweeper with a lot of utility options. It can meticulously prepare favorable endgames against paralyzed and slow teams for its teammates to sweep, or it can even painfully choke out entire teams itself. A wide pool of coverage moves makes Dragonite unpredictable and quite difficult to wall. Its Flying typing is also quite nice for slowing down Earthquake users, most notably Mew. It’s not terribly uncommon for Mew to run Earthquake as its only reliable attacking move, meaning that Dragonite can wall some variants indefinitely.
Despite many positive traits, Dragonite has many limitations that keep it from dominating the tier. For starters, Dragonite relies heavily on paralysis to function. If Dragonite is slower than its foe, it cannot use Wrap safely. It is very vulnerable to paralysis itself, as it becomes incapable of using Wrap effectively or reliably given its already imperfect accuracy. Its typing, while useful for some matchups, also means that Ice-type moves from common Pokemon like Mewtwo are a terror. Thus, Dragonite requires strategic play to position such that it can actually make its way through teams with little risk. Another obvious issue is its reliance on Wrap, which, even in the best of circumstances, can miss and immediately result in Dragonite failing to pivot or sweep.
[SET]
name: Wrap
move 1: Wrap
move 2: Thunder Wave / Agility
move 3: Surf / Blizzard
move 4: Hyper Beam / Body Slam / Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Wrap is Dragonite’s most important move, giving it the ability to both pivot and sweep. Wrap enables it to pressure slower foes like Chansey, Snorlax, and paralyzed Pokemon with chip damage and then switch out to a potent partner, such as Tauros, Rhydon, or Zapdos to finish the job without either Pokemon taking damage in the process. In general, Dragonite thrives on paralysis support and loathes being paralyzed. As such, Dragonite tends to favor the late-game, steadily mounting damage after paralysis has been spread or faster Pokemon have been knocked out.
Teammates can spread paralysis for Dragonite, but Dragonite can also be quite good at spreading paralysis itself with Thunder Wave. Because Dragonite can theoretically use Agility at any time to set up for a sweep, few Pokemon will feel comfortable switching out against it and will often try to attack it first, even if a different move or switch seems likely. Additionally, trying to block paralysis by switching in an already paralyzed Pokemon is largely ineffective, as Dragonite can simply use Wrap with little risk. In most cases, Dragonite will aim to paralyze Pokemon that are quick and threatening but can’t consistently paralyze or KO it in return. This includes Pokemon like Tauros and certain variants of Mew and Mewtwo. This creates a stronger position for both Dragonite and offensive teammates. While Dragonite must avoid paralysis to use Wrap consistently, it may occasionally risk trading paralysis with high value targets that may otherwise be dangerous in the endgame, such as Mew, Zapdos, and Alakazam, if it must. Moreover, Dragonite will be more willing to accept paralysis if the opposing Mew only has Earthquake as an attacking move, as Dragonite will still be able to fill an important role in checking it even after being slowed down.
Using Agility allows Dragonite to become a powerful sweeper capable of outspeeding the entire metagame. With Wrap and strong attacks, a Dragonite can wipe out fairly healthy teams by itself after using Agility. Agility can also reverse the Speed-dropping effects of paralysis, but the 25% chance of immobilization is still very problematic if Dragonite plans on using Wrap at any point. The challenge with Agility, aside from Wrap misses, is finding an opportunity to use it safely. Dragonite can’t comfortably set up on many common Pokemon in Ubers, as almost all of them have at least a chance to paralyze or KO it. This means Dragonite will most often be clicking Agility when risking a critical hit or paralysis chance from Body Slam is worth it, when the opponent is expected to switch out, or when the opposing Pokemon is asleep or frozen. Agility can be used with or without Thunder Wave; while Agility Dragonite does appreciate access to two attacking moves, the utility of Thunder Wave, sometimes even after Agility has been used, is too much to give up. While Agility is generally considered as an option to strengthen Wrap, it can instead occasionally be used to strengthen Thunder Wave when spreading paralysis is more important than chip damage or pivoting. This is most applicable if Dragonite is expected to check Earthquake Mew. While Dragonite will likely take a Thunder Wave in this scenario, it may be able to paralyze Mew and threaten the Pokemon that will switch in after. Agility can be used safely against Mew to give itself the Speed advantage against dangerous Pokemon looking to switch in, such as Tauros, Mewtwo, Rhydon, or Golem.
Dragonite can round out its set with one or two of the many strong and diverse attacks in its arsenal. Surf has decent base power, hits every Pokemon in the game, and has a fair amount of PP, making it one of the safest choices for Dragonite. Surf also instantly takes out Rhydon and Golem, which otherwise take only a little damage from Wrap and can potentially PP stall it. Blizzard hits a bit harder than Surf but is less reliable. It is notably Dragonite’s strongest move against Exeggutor and Gengar, the latter of which can be quite difficult for Dragonite to handle given it takes no damage from Wrap at all. Hyper Beam is Dragonite’s strongest move and thus an excellent choice for finishing off foes. As with Blizzard though, Hyper Beam is not overly reliable, and it can also land Dragonite in a bad situation if it fails to KO. Body Slam is a reliable and fairly strong move with a good chance to paralyze foes, making it an excellent option to punish switches. It is, however, not the best for finishing Pokemon off during a sweep and it doesn’t help much against Rhydon, Golem, and most notably Gengar. This means pairing Body Slam with Hyper Beam is generally not viable.
Dragonite teams well with Pokemon that can spread paralysis effectively, such as Slowbro and Thunder Wave Mew. The strong offensive capabilities and boosting moves of these Pokemon can make blocking paralysis quite difficult. Thunder Wave Mewtwo can accomplish this as well, though the opportunity cost of running that set is often higher. Because Dragonite and its common teammates tend to spread paralysis well, offensive Pokemon tend to be good team options. Slow Pokemon like Rhydon and Golem appreciate gaining a Speed advantage after paralysis. Tauros becomes a lot more threatening after its teammates spread paralysis because the free turns from full paralysis can often allow Tauros to break through powerful foes like Mew and Mewtwo. Tauros can attempt to capitalize even further with Stomp. Paralysis and chip damage from Wrap can also do a lot to support Mew and Mewtwo. Pokemon like Mewtwo and Chansey become significantly less capable of switching into a boosted Mewtwo if they are paralyzed and have sustained some Wrap damage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragonite has a lot of interesting moves that it can try, but few are practical and better than what can be found in the main set. Thunderbolt is likely Dragonite’s next best move, as it gives it a very strong option against Slowbro, Starmie, and Cloyster. Dragonite is not extremely likely to face these Pokemon, so Thunderbolt has fairly limited utility. Thunderbolt generally needs to be used alongside Blizzard so Dragonite will not struggle with Exeggutor or Ground-type Pokemon.
Fire Blast is a novel option primarily because of its ability to burn foes. In addition to cutting the Attack stat of a Pokemon, the extra damage from burn synergizes well with Wrap. Notably, a burned Gengar can no longer stall out Dragonite's Wrap, as the damage will eventually cause it to faint, even though Wrap itself is doing no damage. The move is often outclassed by Blizzard, which hits a better array of targets and has a higher accuracy.
Double-Edge can be an alternative to Hyper Beam that trades the higher Base Power for greater accuracy, more PP, and no risky recharge turn. The move is rather uncommon, as the drop in power is very noticeable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Moves**: Using Ice-type moves, Mewtwo, Starmie, Jynx, Lapras, Cloyster, and Articuno all have at least a chance to OHKO Dragonite outright. Aside from Lapras and Cloyster, they are all faster than Dragonite, meaning Dragonite cannot safely use Wrap against most users of Ice-type moves. Other Pokemon like Tauros, Chansey, and occasionally Snorlax can all 2HKO Dragonite with their common Ice-type moves as well. Tauros is particularly dangerous, as a critical hit will take Dragonite out immediately.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis often hampers Dragonite, as it heavily drops the consistency of Wrap. Faster users of Thunder Wave, such as Alakazam, Starmie, Mew, Zapdos, and Jolteon can all immediately threaten Dragonite. Other users of paralysis moves, like Chansey, Slowbro, and Exeggutor can all also heavily punish Dragonite on a switch or if Wrap misses. Users of Body Slam, especially fast ones, can also threaten Dragonite in a pinch.
**Pokemon that Resist Wrap**: Gengar will generally beat Dragonite in a straight head-to-head, especially if Dragonite does not have Blizzard. Furthermore, Gengar is quite good at getting Dragonite to waste Wrap PP due to its immunity to its damage. While Surf and, to a lesser extent, Blizzard can threaten Rhydon and Golem, their resistance to Wrap can help them stall out Wrap PP as well. Both can also switch into Hyper Beam to punish it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/volk.530877/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/enigami.233818/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Last edited:
