Feraligatr (Update)

Rolf · Jun 22, 2010

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/feraligatr

I searched both this forum and the UU C&C forum and didn't find anything on Feraligatr. Synre had it assigned to him a while ago apparently but I still don't see things like Aqua Jet on there and there is no overview/additional comments on the other sets. In some of my spare time I'd be happy to update the Feraligatr analysis. Most of this is just moving around some stuff to morph it to current standards, as the existing writeup was pretty good.

Status: Uploaded
- QC Stamps: Eo, ToF, Heysup, Whistle - Done!
- GP Stamps: Fuzznip, Jc104, Rising Dusk - Done!

Changes:

added Overview from various parts of old analysis
tweaked Dragon Dance set
- added Low Kick as an option (OHKOs Registeel after sr, EQ doesn't)
- added alternate EV spread to beat Swellow (?)
rewrote SD
- added Aqua Jet
- changed EV spread
rewrote SubLiechi
- made Dragon Dance only option
- optimized EVs
removed CB set
added SubDD set with Leftovers
OU set stays the same, I don't have any experience with Gatr in OU and that looks recent anyways.

[Overview]

Feraligatr is known as the "Gyarados of UU" because his battling style is much the same as Gyarados's. Feraligatr has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, however, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and Speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options easily push him into the top tier of UU sweepers.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the largest addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types who resist Waterfall, Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off his coverage by hitting Water-types and Registeel. With Low Kick, Toxicroak can OHKO Registeel (after Stealth Rock) before it paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and some Water-types such as Azumarill, Slowbro, and Slowking.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one Dragon Dance, outrunning positive nature base 120 Speed Pokemon like Sceptile and Alakazam. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to be as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Facade; a noticeable amount of power is lost with this spread, though.

Providing Feraligatr with dual screen support is recommended, as it will make his job as a Dragon Dancer much easier. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which helps Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and proceed to cripple him with Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, or Thunder Wave, respectively. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro, and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon who might end his sweep and incapacitate or KO them them with Sleep Powder and Power Whip, respectively. However, Weezing still poses a problem for this combination.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon who Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. STAB Waterfall off of 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall for neutral coverage on everyone in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage when used together, the final slot is free to be used on Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet if Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to outspeed Jolly Aggron. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulk. Alternatively, you can add some bulk and run 44 EVs in Speed to outspeed defensive Milotic in order to 2HKO her with Return.

The teammates mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Dual screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve more than one Swords Dance boost much easier, so Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for setting up dual screens because of her great bulk in Special Defense, meaning that she can switch in on Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with his bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Blaziken, give this set more trouble than they do with the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria, Tangrowth, and Slowking, can help immensely in enabling a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats who plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic with Toxic but not Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while recovering HP with Leftovers. As an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an immensely powerful attack or two as needed. The extra power given by Torrent can provide him with the last-minute power needed to finish a sweep.

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack stat, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather than Speed, it becomes much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number, allowing Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to instead strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, restoring any health he might have lost from entry hazards and enemy attacks. Wish will help him get a second sweep in if he cannot finish the job the first time around. Leafeon is a prime candidate at providing Feraligatr with Wish support with his decent bulk and access to other support moves such as Yawn. Additionally, he attracts Fire-type moves for Feraligatr to set up on and resists Feraligatr's Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses.

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
This set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Liechi Berry and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. If properly set up, Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a "double STAB" Waterfall and the complementary Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The HP EVs yield a stat divisible by four, which means it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr in Liechi Berry activation range. This also means he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Liechi boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maximized to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are placed into Defense.

As with all Substitute sweepers who rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is vulnerable to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon who carry priority moves such as Ambipom and Hitmontop can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others who often carry a Choice Scarf such as Hitmonlee and Rotom are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, respectively.

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. After setup, although Feraligatr loses the ability to take weaker priority moves that come at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive Milotic. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is better in terms of consistency, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear of all forms of residual damage, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe to leave Feraligatr at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they net him some important KOs. Drapion is excellent at setting up two layers of Toxic Spikes due to his bulk, while Omastar and Cloyster can lay down multiple layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk, which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been removed by Rapid Spin.

Removing priority users will substantially help Feraligatr's sweep. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing is recommended. He can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, Feraligatr will have a much easier time cleaning up.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall in Aqua Tail; however, Waterfall is preferable for a number of reasons. Waterfall has a chance to flinch, which can help Feraligatr score some lucky 2HKOs without being hit by an attack. Aqua Tail also has a chance to miss which could end Feraligatr's sweep. Finally, Aqua Tail fails to achieve any notable OHKOs or 2HKOs in the standard UU metagame.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who do this better than Feraligatr. The only advantage Feraligatr has is that he can use a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, allowing him to boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are Pokemon who are much better choices for this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use: Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr is not recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and Defense stats, leaving him vulnerable to faster physical threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides Feraligatr's vast number of physical options, there are a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf can act as a powerful STAB attack; AncientPower has a potential six stat boost; Dragon Pulse can hit Altaria and others who resist Water-type moves; Focus Blast can be used to nail bulky Steel-types; finally, Ice Beam can be used to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attack stat, when compared to his Attack, makes these options unfavorable.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro is also able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and cripple him with Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of ending Feraligatr's impending sweep, as are Choice Scarf users. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can stop Swords Dance Feraligatr with their resistance to Aqua Jet and ability to OHKO him with their choice of STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on most sets and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match with Will-o-Wisp, while Registeel can take anything Feraligatr throws at him bar a Dragon Dance Low Kick and cripple him with Thunder Wave. Relying on status to beat Feraligatr is dangerous, however, as Feraligatr with Substitute can turn such moves into setup opportunities.

Heysup · Jun 22, 2010

The trouble with limiting Feraligatr to just those sets is that you'd need slashes everywhere.

I think you should add a bulky DDer in there with Substitute and Leftovers. You should also add flail as a slash into the DD Leichi set.

Rolf · Jun 22, 2010

I really don't see why I would need so many slashes. It really doesn't have that many viable options other then bulky sub or offensive dancer.

I'll add a DDer with Leftovers as soon as I am able.

I just don't think Flail is worth it. Maybe I could mention it in additional comments, but it sacrifices the ability to take things like Azumarill's CB Aqua Jet and Swellow Guts Quick Attack to KO Venusaur and 2HKO Milotic after setup. I guess if you can guarantee there's no SR/priority/sand/hail then it would be worth it. Who can do that though?

EDIT: Added a DDer with Leftovers. Slashed Flail and gave advantages and disadvantages in AC.

Eo Ut Mortus · Jun 22, 2010

You mention that Superpower is a decent option on the CB set in OC, but you took out the CB set. I don't really see anything else wrong with the write-up.

Rolf · Jun 22, 2010

Fixed that, some (probably about half) of the current write-up still applies, so I c/ped some of the existing analysis and rewrote other parts and missed that :)

whistle · Jun 22, 2010

offensive dd evs: might as well just max speed at this point

swords dance evs: doesn't look too appealing. definitely needs 213 speed stat at LEAST to beat torterra and milotic who aim to beat torterra, and maybe up to 220 minimum to beat milotic who want to beat aggron

sub dd evs and nature: it certainly doesn't need jolly if the standard dd set isn't jolly. the point of the set is to be bulky and have a high attack stat since you can use your bulk to survive things that would ordinarily wear you down; going jolly isn't necessarily counterproductive but doesn't really have a point. in my experience with this set, it needs lots of attack since against a competent opponent you're not going to be able to dance five times as he sits around trying to break your subs with pursuit spiritomb. i have a slightly old team with this set on it and i have the evs 88 hp / 252 atk / 168 speed. i don't remember exactly why i have those evs... but let's see:
- 252 attack is pretty necessary imo. after you drop substitute once the surprise is up and your opponent will go to a pokemon who can take a hit from a less powerful feraligatr (than life orb) and break its sub / force it out. they're not going to sit there trying to iron head your sub until it breaks so hopefully they can twave you while you don't sub again.
- 168 speed evs hits 351 after a dragon dance, which beats +nature 110s. i think the reason i had this was because dekzeh's team was pretty common when i made the team, and his feraligatr check was cb tauros. anyways, that was me adapting to a metagame trend, but i think a better benchmark for this set would be beating +105s like mismagius (who is always common) and scyther. ambipom maybe, but that takes quite a bit away from your bulk and i don't really see a point. it will fake out which is "faster". plus, it can't 2hko you even with lo + fake out return with 88 hp evs, factoring leftovers. of course, if you have a sub up, you can just dragon dance again on its fake out (assuming you got a free sub on status) and kill it the next turn. conclusion: change to beat +105s.
- 88 hp evs... hits 333. you can add 16 evs to that from attack to get a "substitute number" (337). but i'm unsure how necessary the subsitute number is. the point is not to repeatedly sub down with this set (unless you are trying to sub to torrent, which doesn't require a specific number of subs -- btw this strategy should be mentioned in the analysis) like you would with a sub cm mismagius. i can see this MAYBE being useful if you are facing like a surf ice beam toxic milotic and you want to sub to avoid toxic while dragon dancing up. but im pretty sure you beat that set way before you have to sub five times. also sr messes this up. but in any case "why not" try to get a sub number though, so change: hit 337 hp.
so taking the reasoning above and making a spread:
- to hit 340 which beats +105s, you need above a 226 stat (227). this is 140 evs.
- max attack: 252 evs
- this leaves 116 evs for hp. if you put those all in, you get a stat of 340 which conveniently is divisble by four, which means you cannot make five subs anymore. so take 12 evs out which leaves you with 337 which is our "substitute number". i put the leftover evs into defense just "cause" but they can go in spdef too i guess.
104 hp / 252 attack / 12 def / 140 speed adamant.

^ this is where heysup/eo should comment

finally there is a bit of incorrect information in the analysis. i don't know if you've modified any of it but either way you should fix these.

offensive dd set:
- earthquake is not a "reliable answer" to milotic and slowbro
- weezing and slowbro are not "the only pokemon" who can stop feraligatr; milotic and defensive grass pokemon do quite well too
- venusaur is not a good answer to weezing since it is walled. i can see a case for venusaur luring in weezing, putting it to sleep, then maybe wearing it down a bit with leaf storm. but that's not really something you should depend on (depends on non sdef weezing, depends on keeping it in, not having sleep talk, etc), which means it shouldn't be mentioned in the analysis.

swords dance:
- not incorrect per se but venusaur NEEDS to be mentioned on this set since 78 vs 80 is one of the main disadvantages to running swords dance over dragon dance

optional changes:
- if you're going to mention dragon moves at the very least you need to say feraligatr has a better option vs altaria (ice punch, which is the primary option in its first set)

needs a bit more discussion on ev spreads before i stamp it

Rolf · Jun 23, 2010

First, thanks :)

offensive DD: nothing significant at all outsped by running max speed other then possibly other DD Feraligatr but... no wouldn't happen ever to where they would not have already set up a DD. Might as well put them in HP where they aren't utterly useless.

SD: I think it'd be safe just to stick with beating Torterra that want to beat Milotic and probably 8 EVs above that for those randoms that run to outspeed that. Going to 112 is just... too much imo to beat a Milotic that is sacrificing bulk anyways. The bulk provided by sticking extra EVs is very helpful in taking random attacks from Pokemon that outspeed you. For now I'll AC it unless Hyu/Eo thinks that it should be up there.

SubDD: As nobody really gave me any guidelines on what EVs to run there, I just went with my spread that I usually use which focuses on beating Swellow at +1 since I really hate being beat by that thing and it was important to try and get it out asap. Your logic is sound, and I will change the EV spread then to an updated 104 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 140 Spe spread. Again, more input appreciated.

old/bad info from existing analysis: I will go through tomorrow and make sure I nitpick everything I stuck in from the old analysis and also change what you said.

Right now it's time for bed :)

EDIT: Whistle's suggestions are finished being added. If anyone else has any problems feel free to post.

ToF · Jun 24, 2010

Approved for the DD and SD sets, tho I agree with bumping the speed up on the SD set at least. Sub I dunno how it works I'd have to test but gets a no from me pretest. Leichi is just a variation of the Sub DD set so that would have to be tested as well.

Heysup · Jun 24, 2010

Why not run 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe? This way you outpace random shit like Ursaring and Min Speed Scarf Uxie who hit 343. Do the 12 Defense EVs help at all?

Approved anyway.

whistle · Jun 24, 2010

yeah that works too

and kinda late

Heysup · Jun 24, 2010

Keep in mind that the SubDD set hasn't been approved by ToF yet, but I don't see that as a reason to stop the whole analysis from being checked.

Fuzznip · Jul 2, 2010

Grammar-Prose Check 1 of 3.

Rolf said:
[Overview]
Feraligatr is known as the "Gyarados of UU", since his battle style is much the same as Gyarados in general. He has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, though, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options are easily enough to push him into the top tier of sweepers in UU.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the largest addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types that resist Waterfall, Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off the coverage to hit Water-types and Registeel. Low Kick has the perk of, after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOing Registeel before he paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and Water-types besides Milotic.

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one use of Dragon Dance, outrunning threats such as Ambipom and Sceptile. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to become as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Brave Bird. A considerable amount of power is lost, though.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Providing Feraligatr with screen support is recommended, as it will make his job much easier as a Dragon Dancer. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options, since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which could help Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and can then proceed to cripple him with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro, and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast [How exactly does that help against Milotic and Slowbro? They are near-perfect Blaziken counters.]. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon that might end his sweep and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon that Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. A STAB Waterfall off of 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall to gain neutral coverage on everything in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage, the final slot is free to be used on Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet given Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to outspeed standard Milotic by two points. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulkiness. Alternatively, you can sacrifice some bulk and run 112 EVs in Speed to outspeed Milotic who are specialized to beat Jolly Aggron and then 2HKO them with Return.

The team options mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve two, or even three, Swords Dance boosts much easier so that Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for dual screening because of her great bulk in Special Defense, meaning that she can switch in on Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with its bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Leafeon, give this set much more problems than the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria or a Venusaur, can help immensely in creating a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats that plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic without Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave which usually hinder Feraligatr's sweep end up backfiring as Feraligatr sets up a Substitute for free. Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while gaining HP all the while with Leftovers. As an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an attack or two then hop back out with Leftovers. The extra power given by falling into Torrent allows him to receive the last-minute power he may need to finish off a sweep. [I kind of think this isn't really noteworthy. I would never do that to be honest. I suggest you remove.]. 

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack score, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather then Attack, it becomes that much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number. This allows Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, becoming rejuvenated from taking many hits by entry hazards and other attacks in general. Once he has done his job for the time being and is in KO range, aiding him with Wish can help him set up one more time and attempt another sweep. Clefable and Gardevoir are prime candidates at providing the team with Wish support with their decent bulk and access to many support moves such as Thunder Wave and Yawn. [Wouldn't someone like Leafeon be a better choice for Wish? It attracts Fire moves for Feraligatr to switch into and resists Feraligatr's Electric and Grass weaknesses.]

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than keeping his HP high with Leftovers, this set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Salac Berry and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a double STAB Waterfall and the complimentary Return.

The HP EVs are divisible by four which means that it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr at the magic Salac Berry number. This also means that he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Salac boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature again are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maxed to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are poured into Defense.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
As with all Substitute sweepers that rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is prone to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon that carry priority moves such as Ambipom and Hitmontop can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others that often carry a Choice Scarf such as Hitmonlee and Rotom are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, respectively.

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. Although Feraligatr loses the ability to take random priority that comes at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive of Milotic after setup. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is consistently better, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe in order to leave you at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they help him greatly in scoring needed KOs that he would otherwise not be capable of achieving. Drapion is excellent at achieving two layers of Toxic Spikes because of his sturdiness, while Omastar and Cloyster can fire out many layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been Rapid Spinned away.

Removing priority users can really help Feraligatr in the long run. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or he can hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, you won't be trapped when it comes down to facing one of them when you attempt to sweep.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall, which is Aqua Tail. He shouldn't necessarily use Aqua Tail over Waterfall for a couple of reasons. Waterfall has a chance to flinch which could help Feraligatr greatly in scoring 2HKOs without being hit by an attack, and Aqua Tail has a chance to miss which could ruin Feraligatr in some cases when he has achieved a couple of boosts via Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" in a sense with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who achieve this better than Feraligatr. The only exception Feraligatr has is by using a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, as that allows Feraligatr to boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are much better Pokemon who are capable of doing this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use, that being Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr's stats is not entirely recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack stat (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and it lowers Feraligatr's Defense stat, leaving him vulnerable to faster physically-based threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides using Feraligatr's vast amount of physical options, he does boast a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf acts as a powerful STAB attack, AncientPower has the potential six stat boost, Dragon Pulse to hit Altaria and others that resist Water-type moves, Focus Blast to nail bulky Steel-types, and Ice Beam to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attack stat often makes these powerful moves much weaker than usual, and his much higher Attack stat often overlooks this.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro also is able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and retaliate with a crippling Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of prematurely ending any impending sweep, as are Pokemon holding Choice Scarfs. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can end a Swords Dance sweep through their resistance to Aqua Jet and OHKO Feraligatr with their choice of a STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on any set with Will-O-Wisp and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match, while Registeel can also take anything Feraligatr throws at it bar a Dragon Danced Low Kick and use Thunder Wave. Relying on status can be detrimental though if Feraligatr carries Substitute as it provides him a free turn to set up.

Nice analysis Rolf.

Rolf · Jul 2, 2010

Thanks a lot :)

In response to some of your notes: The whole buzz about Blaziken in the first place was that after SR it could 2HKO Milotic with a combination of Fire Blast and SuperPower after Stealth Rock. Slowbro is taken down by Fire Blast + HP Grass.

Whistle suggested in an earlier post that I add that bit about subbing into Torrent there. I actually find myself subbing down into Torrent quite a lot to get the extra power for one move at times also, so it is a usable strategy and quite potent. As of now it stays unless someone else wants to second that part.

...annnd I added Leafeon over the other two Wish options, I actually used a Leafeon to pass Wishes to him on my sand team which worked exceptionally well. I'm not sure why I didn't add anything about it in there.

Demoness · Jul 3, 2010

Rolf said:
I searched both this forum and the UU C&C forum and didn't find anything on Feraligatr. Synre had it assigned to him a while ago apparently but I still don't see things like Aqua Jet on there and there is no overview/additional comments on the other sets. In some of my spare time I'd be happy to update the Feraligatr analysis. Most of this is just moving around some stuff to morph it to current standards, as the existing writeup was pretty good.

Status: Need grammar checks and SubDD/SubLiechi approval

Changes:

added Overview from various parts of old analysis

tweaked Dragon Dance set

added Low Kick as an option (OHKOs Registeel after sr, EQ doesn't)

added alternate EV spread to beat Swellow (?)

rewrote SD

added Aqua Jet

changed EV spread

rewrote SubLiechi

made Dragon Dance only option

optimized EVs

removed CB set

added SubDD set with Leftovers

OU set stays the same, I don't have any experience with Gatr in OU and that looks recent anyways.

[Overview]
Feraligatr is known as the “Gyarados of UU”, since his battle style is much the same as Gyarados in general. He has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, though, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options are easily enough to push him into the top tier of sweepers in UU.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the largest addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types that resist Waterfall, Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off the coverage to hit Water-types and Registeel. Low Kick has the perk of, after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOing Registeel before he paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and Water-types besides Milotic.

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one use of Dragon Dance, outrunning threats such as Ambipom and Sceptile. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to become as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Facade. A considerable amount of power is lost, though.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Providing Feraligatr with screen support is recommended, as it will make his job much easier as a Dragon Dancer. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options, since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which could help Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and can then proceed to cripple him with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro( I'm pretty sure Slowbro isin't hurt much by either of Blaziken's STABS so i'm not sure why he's mentioned here), and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon that might end his sweep and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon that Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. A STAB Waterfall off of 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall to gain neutral coverage on everything in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage, the final slot is free to be used on Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet given Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to outspeed standard Milotic by two points. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulkiness. Alternatively, you can sacrifice some bulk and run 112 EVs in Speed to outspeed Milotic who are specialized to beat Jolly Aggron and then 2HKO them with Return.

The team options mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve two, or even three, Swords Dance boosts much easier so that Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for dual screening because of her great bulk in Special Defense, meaning that she can switch in on Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with its bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Leafeon( Leafeon is in the base 95 speed tier so either remove him or just change the words after additionally to " Pokemon faster then Feraligatr such as",) give this set much more problems than the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria or a Venusaur, can help immensely in creating a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats that plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic without Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave which usually hinder Feraligatr's sweep end up backfiring as Feraligatr sets up a Substitute for free. Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while gaining HP all the while with Leftovers. As( needs a space from the period) an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an attack or two then hop back out with Leftovers. The extra power given by falling into Torrent allows him to receive the last-minute power he may need to finish off a sweep.

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack score, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather then Attack, it becomes that much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number. This allows Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, becoming rejuvenated from taking many hits by entry hazards and other attacks in general. Once he has done his job for the time being and is in KO range, aiding him with Wish can help him set up one more time and attempt another sweep. Leafeon is a prime candidate at providing Feraligatr with Wish support with his decent bulk and access to other support moves such as Yawn. Additionally, he attracts Fire moves for Feraligatr to switch into and resists Feraligatr's Electric and Grass weaknesses which allow for an extra setup opportunity.

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than keeping his HP high with Leftovers, this set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Salac Berry( you mean Liechi Berry right?) and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a double STAB Waterfall and the complimentary Return.

The HP EVs are divisible by four which means that it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr at the magic Salac Berry number. This also means that he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Salac boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature again are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maxed to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are poured into Defense.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
As with all Substitute sweepers that rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is prone to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon that carry priority moves such as Ambipom and Hitmontop can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others that often carry a Choice Scarf such as Hitmonlee and Rotom are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit,

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. Although Feraligatr loses the ability to take random priority that comes at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive of Milotic after setup. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 respectively.( this needs to back up to after Pursuit in the last paragraph) Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is consistently better, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe in order to leave you at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they help him greatly in scoring needed KOs that he would otherwise not be capable of achieving. Drapion is excellent at achieving two layers of Toxic Spikes because of his sturdiness, while Omastar and Cloyster can fire out many layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been Rapid Spinned away.

Removing priority users can really help Feraligatr in the long run. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or he can hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, you won't be trapped when it comes down to facing one of them when you attempt to sweep.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall, which is Aqua Tail. He shouldn't necessarily use Aqua Tail over Waterfall for a couple of reasons. Waterfall has a chance to flinch which could help Feraligatr greatly in scoring 2HKOs without being hit by an attack, and Aqua Tail has a chance to miss which could ruin Feraligatr in some cases when he has achieved a couple of boosts via Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" in a sense with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who achieve this better than Feraligatr. The only exception Feraligatr has is by using a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, as that allows Feraligatr to boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are much better Pokemon who are capable of doing this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use, that being Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr's stats is not entirely recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack stat (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and it lowers Feraligatr's Defense stat, leaving him vulnerable to faster physically-based threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides using Feraligatr's vast amount of physical options, he does boast a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf acts as a powerful STAB attack, AncientPower has the potential six stat boost, Dragon Pulse to hit Altaria and others that resist Water-type moves, Focus Blast to nail bulky Steel-types, and Ice Beam to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attack stat often makes these powerful moves much weaker than usual, and his much higher Attack stat often overlooks this.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro also is able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and retaliate with a crippling Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of prematurely ending any impending sweep, as are Pokemon holding Choice Scarfs. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can end a Swords Dance sweep through their resistance to Aqua Jet and OHKO Feraligatr with their choice of a STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on any set with Will-O-Wisp and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match, while Registeel can also take anything Feraligatr throws at it bar a Dragon Danced Low Kick and use Thunder Wave. Relying on status can be detrimental though if Feraligatr carries Substitute as it provides him a free turn to set up.

blue is add or change
red is remove or move to a different spot

whistle · Jul 3, 2010

you're thinking about hidden power grass + superpower to 2HKO milotic, but that's not entirely accurate anymore now because the vintage HeYsUpKeN spread is not used much anymore (236 atk / 252 satk / 20 spe) and that was needed to guarantee the 2HKO. superpower did more damage with that that blaziken spread, and milotic tend to run special defense nowadays, so I don't think they are as eager to switch into blaziken as in metagames past. but blaziken is still a decent way to try to get slowbro and milotic weakened.

FlareBlitz · Jul 3, 2010

Dunno if this has already been mentioned but why does the SD set have only 44 SPE EVs? You absolutely need to outrun Jolly Aggron at the least (it can tank +2 Aqua Jet like a boss). This also lets you outrun Torterra and virtually guarantees that you outrun defensive Milotic and Venusaur, all of who are very dangerous if you don't outrun them.

jc104 · Jul 4, 2010

[Overview]
Feraligatr is known as the “Gyarados of UU”, since his battle style is much the same as Gyarados in general. He has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, though, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options are easily enough to push him into the top tier of sweepers in UU.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the most significant addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types who resist Waterfall, such as Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off the coverage to hit Water-types and Registeel. Low Kick has the perk of, after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOing Registeel before he paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and Water-types besides Milotic.

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one use of Dragon Dance, outrunning threats such as Ambipom and Sceptile. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to become as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Facade. A considerable amount of power is lost, though.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Providing Feraligatr with screen support is recommended, as it will make his job much easier as a Dragon Dancer. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options, since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which could help Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and can then proceed to cripple him with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro, and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon who might end his sweep and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon whom Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. A STAB Waterfall off of from 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall to gain neutral coverage on everything in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage, the final slot is free to be used for Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet given that Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to let Feraligatr outspeed standard Milotic by two points. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulk. Alternatively, you can sacrifice some bulk and run 112 EVs in Speed to outspeed Milotic who are specialized to beat Jolly Aggron and then 2HKO them with Return.

The team options mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve two, or even three, Swords Dance boosts much easier more easily so that Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for dual screening because of her great bulk in Special Defense (how about special bulk?), meaning that she can switch in on a Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with its bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Leafeon, give this set many more problems than they give the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria or a Venusaur, can help immensely in creating a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats who plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic without Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave which usually hinder Feraligatr's sweep end up backfiring as Feraligatr sets up a Substitute for free. Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while gaining HP all the while (repetition of “while”) with Leftovers. As (spacing) an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an attack or two then hop back out with Leftovers. The extra power given by falling into Torrent allows him to receive the last-minute power he may need to finish off a sweep.

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack score, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather then than Attack, it becomes that much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number; this allows Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple of Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, becoming rejuvenated from taking many hits by after taking much damage from entry hazards and other attacks in general. Once he has done his job for the time being and is in KO range, aiding him with Wish can help him set up one more time and attempt another sweep. Leafeon is a prime candidate at providing Feraligatr with Wish support with his decent bulk and access to other support moves such as Yawn. Additionally, he attracts Fire moves for Feraligatr to switch into and resists Feraligatr's Electric and Grass weaknesses which allow for an extra setup opportunity.

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than keeping his HP high with Leftovers, this set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Salac Liechi Berry and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a “double STAB” Waterfall and the complementary Return.

The HP EVs are divisible by four which means that it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr at the magic Liechi Berry number. This also means that he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Liechi boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature again are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maxed to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are poured into Defense.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
As with all Substitute sweepers that rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is prone to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon that carry priority moves such as Ambipom and Hitmontop can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others that often carry a Choice Scarf such as Hitmonlee and Rotom are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, respectively.

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. Although Feraligatr loses the ability to take random (not random – unlikely or unexpected) priority moves that come at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive of Milotic after setup. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 respectively. Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is consistently better, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe in order to leave you at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they help him greatly in scoring needed KOs that he would otherwise not be capable of achieving. Drapion is excellent at achieving two layers of Toxic Spikes because of his sturdiness, while Omastar and Cloyster can fire out many layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been Rapid Spinned spun away.

Removing priority users can really help Feraligatr in the long run. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing is recommended. He can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or he can hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, you won't be trapped when it comes down to facing one of them when you attempt to sweep.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall, which is Aqua Tail. He shouldn't necessarily use Aqua Tail over Waterfall for a couple of reasons: Waterfall has a chance to flinch which could help Feraligatr greatly in scoring 2HKOs without being hit by an attack, and Aqua Tail has a chance to miss which could ruin Feraligatr in some cases when he has achieved a couple of boosts via Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" in a sense with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on a par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who do this better than Feraligatr. The only advantage Feraligatr has is by using that he can use a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, so that he can boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are much better Pokemon who are capable of doing this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use, that being Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr's stats is not entirely recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack stat (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and it lowers Feraligatr's Defense stat, leaving him vulnerable to faster physically-based threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides using Feraligatr's vast number of physical options, he does boast a there are a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf can act as a powerful STAB attack, AncientPower has the potential six stat boost, and Dragon Pulse can hit Altaria and others that resist Water-type moves. Focus Blast can be used to nail bulky Steel-types, and Ice Beam can be used to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attack stat often makes these powerful moves much weaker than usual, and his much higher Attack stat often overshadows this.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro also is able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and retaliate with a crippling Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of prematurely ending any impending sweep, as are Pokemon holding Choice Scarves. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can end a Swords Dance sweep through their resistance to Aqua Jet and OHKO Feraligatr with their choice of a STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on most sets with Will-O-Wisp and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match, while Registeel can also take anything Feraligatr throws at it bar a Dragon Danced Low Kick and use Thunder Wave. Relying on status can be detrimental though if Feraligatr carries Substitute as it provides him a free turn to set up.

GP Check 2/3

Changes in bold and removals in red.

Good Job!

whistle · Jul 4, 2010

you should move the paragraphs in the sub dd and sub berry sets about evs to additional comments since there aren't really any extreme circumstances there that make the evs crucial to the set.

for the swords dance set, tof, flareblitz, and i both have mentioned that we think more speed evs are in order. 44 speed is a DEFINITE no-no since it only hits 203 which doesn't even beat adamant torterra. i would argue that 164 speed evs is what you should run, which lets feraligatr beat jolly torterra. this obviously also beats jolly aggron and basically all defensive milotic. i guess you could also run 108 speed to just barely beat jolly aggron. that's probably the better one actually (108).

we could say "use 112 to beat milotic and venusaur who beat aggron" but this issue, i think, was already partially covered in franky's spdef weezing writeup - and basically everyone who mentioned it on irc agreed with me. putting sets on site to deliberately outpace random evs that other people use on different pokemon to outpace max speed threats sets a standard so that the other pokemon's analysis should also be able to beat sd feraligatr - and theoretically, it leads to infinite regression. of course, that won't happen in theory but I think the best course of action is to eliminate the theoretical objection completely. I do that all the time when I make patchwork spreads for random Pokemon but there is a difference between a custom spread made to mess around with a pokemon on a specific team and a "formalized" spread that goes on-site. if there are pokemon who could be potential problems, such as defensive venusaur and milotic, then the author can mention them in AC.

tl;dr - use 108 speed to hit 219, which beats jolly aggron.

also i'd like to request that the "last" gp check not be done until the analysis is complete content-wise, or we'll just have to do more. everyone is encouraged to do non-gp stamped checks as always (even gp members).

kd24 · Jul 4, 2010

i want to throw in lum berry as an item to be slashed with life orb on the swords dance set, as it provides a way to get 2 swords dance instead of 1 on pokemon that might normally stop you, mainly will o wisp weezing (but also twave slowbro/twave mesprit/uxie). It also gives you a chance to still sweep stall teams that might run toxic spikes, if your ts absorber is gone.

Rolf · Jul 5, 2010

Sorry for the kind of long exodus. I'm on a semi-vacation right now and I was in the car for two days unable to respond to anything.

Anyways, with the support for more Speed I'll edit that in and edit the paragraph a bit. Also made Whistle's other more minor changes.

Thanks jc :) Editing in your changes also.

kd, I'm not sure exactly how well that would work. The more offensive checks to Gatr (missy, swellow especially) are not beaten by a +2 Lum Aqua Jet. Missy is not KOd ever after SR, and Swellow has about a 33% chance or so to survive the AJ after SR. I know from my experience with the SubDD set though that blocking status is very, very handy. Lum also has the nice chance that Venusaur will go for the Sleep Powder and get beaten by Return + AJ. I'll have to test it, but I don't get home for another 3 weeks so... either that pends or someone else can test and attest to it being worth a slash.

Thanks guys.

kd24 · Jul 5, 2010

kd, I'm not sure exactly how well that would work. The more offensive checks to Gatr (missy, swellow especially) are not beaten by a +2 Lum Aqua Jet. Missy is not KOd ever after SR, and Swellow has about a 33% chance or so to survive the AJ after SR. I know from my experience with the SubDD set though that blocking status is very, very handy. Lum also has the nice chance that Venusaur will go for the Sleep Powder and get beaten by Return + AJ. I'll have to test it, but I don't get home for another 3 weeks so... either that pends or someone else can test and attest to it being worth a slash.

your major point there would be why i suggested slashing it - life orb is certainly superior in gaining those kos, but teams that already have solid checks / counters to those pokemon and want feraligatr for more of a clean up role (one it can do really well with the +4 atk you can most likely get against these kinds of teams) would probably prefer lum berry.

since life orb would still be number one, i would still stand by lum berry, but i obviously welcome you or others to test before coming to any conclusions.

Snorlaxe · Jul 5, 2010

Hey

pink for grammar edits
blue for prose/content edits

[Overview]
Feraligatr is known as the "Gyarados of UU", since his battle style is much the same as Gyarados in general. He has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, though, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and Speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options are easily enough to push him into the top tier of UU sweepers.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the largest addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types who resist Waterfall, Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off the coverage by hitting Water-types and Registeel. Low Kick has the perk of, after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOing Registeel before he paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and Water-types besides Milotic.

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one use of Dragon Dance, outrunning threats such as Ambipom and Sceptile. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to become as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Facade; a considerable amount of power is lost, though.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Providing Feraligatr with dual screen support is recommended, as it will make his job much easier as a Dragon Dancer. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which could help Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and can then proceed to cripple him with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro, and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon who might end his sweep and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon who Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. A STAB Waterfall off of 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall to gain neutral coverage on everyone in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage when used together, the final slot is free to be used on Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet given Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to outspeed standard Milotic by two points. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulk. Alternatively, you can sacrifice some bulk and run 112 EVs in Speed to outspeed Milotic who are specialized to beat Jolly Aggron and then 2HKO them with Return.

The teammates mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Dual screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve two, or even three, Swords Dance boosts much easier so that Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for setting up dual screens because of her great bulk in Special Defense, meaning that she can switch in on Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with his bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Leafeon, give this set much more problems than the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria or a Venusaur, can help immensely in creating a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats who plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic without Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave which usually hinder Feraligatr's sweep end up backfiring as Feraligatr sets up a Substitute for free. Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while gaining HP all the while with Leftovers. As an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an attack or two then hop back out with Leftovers. The extra power given by falling into Torrent allows him to receive the last-minute power he may need to finish off a sweep.

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack score, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather then Attack, it becomes that much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number, allowing Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, rejuvinating any health he might have lost from entry hazards and enemy attacks. Once he has done his job for the time being and is in KO range, aiding him with Wish can help him set up one more time and attempt another sweep. Leafeon is a prime candidate at providing Feraligatr with Wish support with his decent bulk and access to other support moves such as Yawn. Additionally, he attracts Fire moves for Feraligatr to switch into and resists Feraligatr's Electric and Grass weaknesses, which allow for an extra setup opportunity.

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than keeping his HP high with Leftovers, this set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Liechi Berry and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a "double STAB" Waterfall and the complementary Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The HP EVs are divisible by four, which means that it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr at the magic Liechi Berry number. This also means that he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Liechi boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maxed to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are poured into Defense.

As with all Substitute sweepers who rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is prone to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon who carry priority moves such as Ambipom and Hitmontop can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others who often carry a Choice Scarf such as Hitmonlee and Rotom are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, respectively.

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. Although Feraligatr loses the ability to take weaker priority moves that come at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive of Milotic after setup. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is consistently better, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear of all forms of residual damage, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe in order to leave you at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they help him greatly in scoring needed KOs that he would otherwise not be capable of achieving. Drapion is excellent at achieving two layers of Toxic Spikes because of his sturdiness, while Omastar and Cloyster can fire out many layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk, which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been Spun away.

Removing priority users can really help Feraligatr in the long run. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing is recommended. He can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, you won't be trapped when it comes down to facing one of them when you attempt to sweep.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall, which is Aqua Tail; however, he shouldn't necessarily use Aqua Tail over Waterfall for a couple of reasons. Waterfall has a chance to flinch, which could help Feraligatr greatly in scoring 2HKOs without being hit by an attack, and Aqua Tail has a chance to miss which could ruin Feraligatr in some cases when he has achieved a couple of boosts via Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" in a sense with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who do this better than Feraligatr. The only advantage Feraligatr has is that he can use a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, allowing him to boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are Pokemon who are much better choices for this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use: Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr is not entirely recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and Defense stats, leaving him vulnerable to faster physically-based threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides Feraligatr's vast number of physical options, there are a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf can act as a powerful STAB attack, AncientPower has the potential six stat boost, Dragon Pulse can hit Altaria and others who resist Water-type moves, Focus Blast can be used to nail bulky Steel-types, and Ice Beam can be used to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attack stat often makes these powerful moves much weaker than his physical options, and his much higher Attack stat often overshadows this.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro also is able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and cripple him with Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of prematurely ending any impending sweep, as are Choice Scarf users. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can end a Swords Dance sweep through their resistance to Aqua Jet and OHKO Feraligatr with their choice of an STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on most sets with Will-O-Wisp and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match, while Registeel can also take anything Feraligatr throws at him bar a Dragon Dance Low Kick and use Thunder Wave. Relying on status can be detrimental if Feraligatr carries Substitute, however, as it provides him a free turn to set up.

Really nice analysis :)

Rolf · Jul 5, 2010

Thanks Snorlaxe, changes added.

Rising_Dusk · Jul 6, 2010

Additions in bold, removals in red.

[Overview]

Feraligatr is known as the "Gyarados of UU", since because his battle battling style is much the same as Gyarados in general. He has a high base 105 Attack stat, a decent Speed stat, reasonable physical bulk, and Dragon Dance to boost both his Speed and Attack at the same time. Unlike Gyarados, though however, Feraligatr has access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, which allow him to quickly double his Attack and still pick off faster foes. The combination of power and Speed provided by both of Feraligatr's setup options are easily enough to push him into the top tier of UU sweepers.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Feraligatr received a couple of new toys to play with this generation. Dragon Dance is the largest addition; it allows Feraligatr to boost both his Speed and Attack at once and then proceed to OHKO much of the UU metagame. On top of that, Waterfall became a physical STAB option to complement his higher Attack stat, dealing massive damage to many of UU's top threats. Ice Punch allows Feraligatr to smack Grass-types who resist Waterfall, Sceptile and Venusaur in particular, while Earthquake rounds off the coverage by hitting Water-types and Registeel. Low Kick has the perk of, after Stealth Rock damage, OHKOing Registeel before he paralyzes Feraligatr, but Feraligatr loses coverage and power on Toxicroak and Water-types besides Milotic.

The given EV spread allows Feraligatr to reach a Speed stat of 373 after one use of Dragon Dance, outrunning threats such as Ambipom and Sceptile. Max Attack is mandatory for Feraligatr to become as threatening as possible, while the 28 HP EVs are used to add more bulk. An alternative spread of 92 HP / 252 Attack / 164 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow and KO him with Ice Punch before he OHKOes Feraligatr with Facade; a considerable amount of power is lost with this spread, though.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Providing Feraligatr with dual screen support is recommended, as it will make his job much easier as a Dragon Dancer. Gardevoir and Clefable are great options since they both have decent bulk and access to Wish, which could helps Feraligatr immensely in the long run. Dragon Dance Feraligatr has problems with Pokemon such as Milotic, Weezing, and Slowbro. With their great physical bulk, they can switch in on Feraligatr as he Dragon Dances and can then proceed to cripple him with Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave. A Pokemon such as Blaziken can pave the way for a Feraligatr sweep by weakening Milotic, Slowbro, and Weezing with his 120 Base Power STABs in Superpower and Fire Blast. Defensively, Venusaur has great synergy with Feraligatr as he can switch in on most of the Pokemon who might end his sweep and incapacitate or KO them with Sleep Powder and Power Whip, respectively.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Rather than boosting both Attack and Speed at once, Feraligatr is able to use Swords Dance to gain more immediate power against the Pokemon who Dragon Dance Feraligatr has trouble breaking through. A STAB Waterfall off of 678 Attack is monstrous, and if Feraligatr finds himself in Torrent range, it decimates anyone who doesn't resist it. Return combines with Waterfall to gain for neutral coverage on everyone in UU bar Shedinja. Because Waterfall and Return have near-perfect type coverage when used together, the final slot is free to be used on Aqua Jet without losing any coverage. Faster threats who otherwise would revenge kill Feraligatr, such as Mismagius, Swellow, and Alakazam, are all OHKOed by Aqua Jet given if Stealth Rock is on the field.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
The Speed EVs are designed to outspeed standard Milotic by two points. An Adamant nature and max Attack EVs provide the highest Attack stat Feraligatr can muster. The rest are dumped into HP to capitalize on Feraligatr's decent bulk. Alternatively, you can sacrifice some bulk and run 112 EVs in Speed to outspeed Milotic who are specialized to beat Jolly Aggron and then 2HKO them with Return.

The teammates mentioned in the Dragon Dance set can be used with this set as well. Dual screen support becomes more useful since it allows Feraligatr to achieve two, or even three, Swords Dance boosts much easier so that Feraligatr can start a sweep with enough health to take a hit or two. Clefable is a great candidate for setting up dual screens because of her great bulk in Special Defense, meaning that she can switch in on Thunderbolt or Grass Knot aimed at Feraligatr. Entry hazard support can also be used to allow Feraligatr to score more KOs on opposing Pokemon whom he would otherwise have trouble KOing. Registeel is superb at setting up Stealth Rock with his bulk and access to crippling moves that greatly ease Feraligatr's sweep. Additionally, Pokemon around the base 80 Speed tier, such as Venusaur, Kabutops, and Leafeon, give this set much more trouble problems than they do with the Dragon Dance set. Packing solid counters for these Pokemon, such as Altaria or a Venusaur, can help immensely in creating enabling a Swords Dance Feraligatr sweep later in the match.

[SET]
name: SubDD
move 1: Substitute Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Dance Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Substitute allows Feraligatr to work around the defensive threats who plague his other sets. Registeel lacking Seismic Toss, Milotic without Hidden Power Grass, and common Will-O-Wisp users such as Weezing and Spiritomb all become setup bait for Substitute Feraligatr. Moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave which usually hinder Feraligatr's sweep end up backfiring as Feraligatr sets up a Substitute for free. ((Repetitive)) Once behind a Substitute, he can proceed to boost his Speed and Attack with Dragon Dance to his heart's content while gaining HP all the while with Leftovers. As an added bonus, Substitute allows Feraligatr to push himself into Torrent range for an immensely powerful attack or two as needed then hop back out with Leftovers. The extra power given by falling into Torrent allows him to receive can provide him with the last-minute power he may needed to finish off a sweep.

Feraligatr's physical bulk is often forgotten in lieu of his great Attack score stat, but by placing extra EVs in HP rather then Attack, it becomes that much easier to set up an extra Dragon Dance. The HP EVs are a Substitute number, allowing Feraligatr to make five Substitutes rather than four after Leftovers recovery. The Speed EVs are designed to outpace Pokemon in the base 105 Speed tier after just one Dragon Dance. The rest are dumped into Attack to pack some punch after a couple Dragon Dances, but they can be placed in his Defense to instead strengthen his Substitutes.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Because of the added bulk and the ability to block status, you may find that this Feraligatr has multiple chances to come in and set up Substitutes and Dragon Dances. Because of this, Feraligatr can benefit greatly from Wish support, rejuvinating rejuvenating any health he might have lost from entry hazards and enemy attacks. Once he has done his job for the time being and is in KO range, aiding him with Wish can help him set up one more time and attempt another sweep. Wish will help him get a second sweep in if he cannot finish the job the first time around. Leafeon is a prime candidate at providing Feraligatr with Wish support with his decent bulk and access to other support moves such as Yawn. Additionally, he attracts Fire-type moves for Feraligatr to switch into and resists Feraligatr's Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses, which may give Feraligatr extra turns to set up. allow for an extra setup opportunity.

[SET]
name: SubLiechi
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return / Flail
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 164 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
This set focuses on putting Feraligatr into both Liechi Berry and Torrent range at the same time by using Substitute. If properly set up, Feraligatr is then free to rampage through teams with a "double STAB" Waterfall and the complementary Return.

The HP EVs are divisible by four, which means that it takes only three Substitutes to put Feraligatr in range for at the magic Liechi Berry to activate number. This also means that he is left at the maximum possible HP after the Liechi boost to take any weak priority moves thrown at him. The Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are enough to beat Swellow after a Dragon Dance. Attack is then maxed to allow for as much sweeping potential as possible, and the rest are poured placed into Defense.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
As with all Substitute sweepers who rely on Pinch Berries, Feraligatr is prone vulnerable to both priority moves and Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf. Common Pokemon who carry priority moves, such as Ambipom and Hitmontop, can be taken care of or weakened by Weezing with Will-O-Wisp. Others who often carry a Choice Scarf, such as Hitmonlee and Rotom, are countered by Spiritomb, who is immune to Hitmonlee's Close Combat, can take hits from Rotom, and proceed to hit them with Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit, respectively.

Flail is an interesting alternative to Return. Although Feraligatr loses the ability to take weaker priority moves that come at him, he gains the ability to OHKO all forms of Venusaur and 2HKO even the most physically defensive of Milotic after setup. This is helpful, but any plans for a 200 Base Power Flail are ruined by Stealth Rock, sandstorm, or hail. Return is consistently better, but if you can guarantee that the field is clear of all forms of residual damage, Flail is an option. If you are planning to run Flail, use an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe in order to leave you at one HP after four Substitutes.

[Team Options]
Feraligatr really enjoys having entry hazards spread around the opponent's field since they net him some otherwise unobtainable KOs. help him greatly in scoring needed KOs that he would otherwise not be capable of achieving. Drapion is excellent at achieving setting up two layers of Toxic Spikes due to his bulk because of his sturdiness, while Omastar and Cloyster can fire out lay down many multiple layers of Spikes without much trouble. Claydol, Regirock, and Registeel are perfect candidates for setting up Stealth Rock with their amazing bulk, which also allows them to switch in to set up Stealth Rock again if it has been removed by Rapid Spin. Spun away.

Removing priority users can really will substantially help Feraligatr's sweep in the long run. Examples of priority users are Sucker Punch Absol, Mach Punch Hitmontop, and Fake Out Ambipom. Since these are all physical attackers, using physically defensive Pokemon such as Weezing is recommended. He can absorb the hit and threaten the user with Will-O-Wisp to hinder their effectiveness or hit them for decent damage with Flamethrower or Thunderbolt. By eliminating priority users on your opponent's team before you attempt a Swords Dance or Dragon Dance set up, Feraligatr will have a much easier time cleaning house. you won't be trapped when it comes down to facing one of them when you attempt to sweep.

[Optional Changes]
Feraligatr does have a stronger move than Waterfall, which is in Aqua Tail; however, Waterfall is preferable for a number he shouldn't necessarily use Aqua Tail over Waterfall for a couple of reasons. Waterfall has a chance to flinch, which could can help Feraligatr greatly in scoring score some lucky 2HKOs without being hit by an attack., and Aqua Tail also has a chance to miss, which could tragically end Feraligatr's sweep. Finally, Aqua Tail fails to achieve any notable OHKOs or 2HKOs in the standard UU metagame. ruin Feraligatr in some cases when he has achieved a couple of boosts via Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.

Feraligatr can become a "bulky Water" in a sense with Rest, Sleep Talk, and defenses on par with Blastoise, but there are many other Pokemon who do this better than Feraligatr. The only advantage Feraligatr has is that he can use a RestTalk set with Dragon Dance included, allowing him to boost his stats as he sleeps and potentially sweep at the same time.

Crunch can be used to smack bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Slowbro. Feraligatr can make use of a Substitute and Focus Punch set, but once again, there are Pokemon who are much better choices for this, like Poliwrath. Besides using Focus Punch, Feraligatr has another powerful Fighting-type attack he could use: Superpower. Using Superpower on Feraligatr is not entirely recommended, as it lowers Feraligatr's Attack (which Dragon Dance and Swords Dance both boost, making it a bit of a waste) and Defense stats, leaving him vulnerable to faster physically-based threats or Pokemon who have access to priority moves.

Besides Feraligatr's vast number of physical options, there are a couple of special attacks he can use on a mixed attacker set. Surf can act as a powerful STAB attack, AncientPower has the potential six stat boost, Dragon Pulse can hit Altaria and others who resist Water-type moves, Focus Blast can be used to nail bulky Steel-types, and Ice Beam can be used to hurt the Grass-types who resist Feraligatr's Water-type STAB moves. Even though he has many eye-catching moves on the special side, his lackluster Special Attackstat, when compared to his Attack, makes these options unfavorable. often makes these powerful moves much weaker than his physical options, and his much higher Attack stat often overshadows this.

[Counters]
Milotic with Haze is the best counter to any Feraligatr. She can take any attack that Feraligatr throws at her and negate any boosts he has achieved, and then proceed to either Life Orb stall or use Hidden Power Grass to get rid of him. Defensive Tangrowth and Leafeon can take any attack and KO back with their STAB Grass-type moves. Slowbro also is also able to take any of Feraligatr's moves and cripple him with Thunder Wave. Priority moves are capable of ending Feraligatr's prematurely ending any impending sweep, as are Choice Scarf users. Sceptile and offensive Venusaur can stop Swords Dance Feraligatr with end a Swords Dance sweep through their resistance to Aqua Jet and ability to OHKO Feraligatr him with their choice of an STAB Grass-type move. Weezing can take on most sets with Will-O-Wisp and incapacitate Feraligatr for the rest of the match with Will-O-Wisp, while Registeel can also take anything Feraligatr throws at him bar a Dragon Dance Low Kick and use cripple him with Thunder Wave. Relying on status can be detrimental to beat Feraligatr is dangerous, however, asif Feraligatr carries with Substitute can turn such moves into setup opportunities. , however, as it provides him a free turn to set up.

Pretty good analysis overall. There were a lot of bizarre wording issues, as well as quite a fair few tense and grammatical errors. I took the liberty to reword many sentences so they sounded better as well. Also, I fixed the order of Substitute and Dragon Dance on the SubDD set, as the set name implies Substitute before Dragon Dance. (This is consistent with other SubBoost sets on-site) I'm not going to require a 4th GP stamp for this, despite the errors I found, as the moderator check should suffice for the level of brief-checking that this needs after you implement my fixes. Cheers.

GP Check 3/3

Rolf · Jul 10, 2010

Thanks R_D, finally got to a place where I could update the analysis. The changes have been made.

That does make 3 GP stamps, but I'm not sure exactly what happens now.

Feraligatr (Update)

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