[OVERVIEW]
Tyranitar has a great offensive and defensive typing with the stats to back it up. Rock Slide and Crunch together hit most of the tier for consistent damage, and unique resistances and amazing defensive stats enable Tyranitar to check top-tier Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Mega Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, and Hoopa-U. Tyranitar also matches up well against speed control users such as Zapdos and Mega Salamence. Furthermore, Tyranitar's low Speed can be used to its advantage, as it beats the most common Trick Room user, Hoopa-U, with its defensive typing. Tyranitar also has an incredibly diverse movepool that includes premier coverage moves such as Ice Beam, Fire Blast, and Low Kick and can properly utilize them with its good mixed offenses. Tyranitar is also able to effectively use many item options such as Choice Band, Z-Crystals, Tyranitarite, and resistance Berries; this makes it a truly unpredictable threat. Sand Stream gives Tyranitar a lot of utility; it not only gives Tyranitar a 50% boost in Special Defense but also removes opposing weather, deals chip damage, invalidates Focus Sash, and scouts foes' Speed. However, Tyranitar has plenty of weaknesses to common attacking types such as Ground, Water, and especially Fighting, which are carried by common threats such as Landorus-T and Marshadow. Low Speed makes Tyranitar reliant on its bulk and speed control, although Mega Tyranitar is able to patch up its speed by Mega Evolving and setting up a Dragon Dance.
**Choice Band set goes here**
[SET]
name: Mega Dragon Dance
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
item: Tyranitarite
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rock Slide and Crunch are Mega Tyranitar's two preferred STAB moves with great neutral coverage. Rock Slide is a reliable spread move to clean up against weakened teams, while Crunch provides a single-target option for more focused damage. Dragon Dance increases Mega Tyranitar's offenses and allows it to outspeed base 130 Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Tapu Koko after one boost. Protect keeps Mega Tyranitar safe while its partners deal with any possible threats.
Set Details
========
Mega Tyranitar needs to run 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature to outpace base 130 Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Tapu Koko after a Dragon Dance boost. The remaining EVs go into Attack to maximize Mega Tyranitar's offensive pressure. This is the optimal spread, as there aren't any relevant defensive benchmarks worth striving for. Sand Stream as a pre-Mega ability gives Mega Tyranitar two chances to set sand.
Usage Tips
========
Tyranitar is a decent lead, as it can activate Sand Stream to break Focus Sashes and Mega Evolve to increase its bulk to switch in more easily later in the game. When faced against an opposing weather team, it sometimes makes more sense to hold off on Mega Evolving until after an opposing weather setter is predicted to switch in. Early-game, Mega Tyranitar's best use is to soften up foes with unboosted attacks and passive sand damage. It generally isn't a good idea to attempt a Dragon Dance before any foes that can force Mega Tyranitar out have been dealt with. Situationally, it may be appropriate to go for an early-game Dragon Dance to apply pressure to an opponent making passive plays, but ideally Dragon Dance should be reserved as Mega Tyranitar's late-game win condition so it can break down weakened teams after its checks have been cleared out. When attempting to set up Dragon Dance, it's generally a good idea to have either a redirection supporter like Amoonguss or a Fairy-type like Tapu Lele or Tapu Fini on the field to redirect or force out Fighting-type attackers. Mega Tyranitar makes a decent pivot into neutral and resisted attacks thanks to its high bulk, but this should be done sparingly, as it wants to conserve its HP until it can clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
Redirection support is nearly mandatory on Mega Tyranitar teams. Pokemon like Amoonguss are able to divert otherwise fatal Fighting-type attacks like Marshadow's Close Combat away from Mega Tyranitar while also freeing up a window of opportunity for Mega Tyranitar to set up Dragon Dance without being Taunted or incurring targeted damage. Pokemon that can deal with Landorus-T are greatly appreciated, as Landorus-T throws off Mega Tyranitar's offensive momentum with Intimidate and forces it out with Earthquake and Superpower. Tapu Fini, Kyurem-B, and Genesect are all decent options for checking Landorus-T. Choice Scarf Tapu Lele is the optimal Island Guardian to pair with Mega Tyranitar, as it can outspeed and OHKO Marshadow, provided Psychic Terrain is activated to block Shadow Sneak. Psychic Terrain is also useful for blocking Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch, which otherwise inflicts severe damage to Mega Tyranitar. Tapu Fini is also a great partner that can help force out Marshadow, threaten out Landorus-T, and offer Heal Pulse support to Mega Tyranitar. Although a more niche option, Tapu Bulu is an option that helps check Water-types like Tapu Fini and Mega Swampert, which Tyranitar otherwise struggles with. Mega Tyranitar also appreciates Grassy Terrain's ability to provide passive recovery and protection against Earthquake. Tailwind setters like Zapdos are able to give Mega Tyranitar enough of a Speed boost to beat down faster foes without the need for a Dragon Dance. Fire-types like Volcanion and Heatran are useful to help fend off offensive Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross, which otherwise tank hits from Mega Tyranitar and threaten to hit back with strong Steel-type attacks. Choice Scarf attackers like Landorus-T, Tapu Lele, and Genesect are useful for outspeeding Deoxys-A, which is guaranteed to faint after one attack plus sand damage but otherwise threatens to KO Mega Tyranitar with Superpower.
**Offensive set goes here**
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Other Options goes here**
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type Pokemon such as Marshadow and Scrafty make short work of Tyranitar with their super effective STAB attacks. Marshadow can KO Tyranitar with Close Combat but takes a lot of damage from Crunch. While not Fighting-types themselves, Landorus-T and Deoxys-A commonly use Superpower, and All-Out Pummeling Tapu Lele also downs Tyranitar without Chople Berry.
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon can hit Tyranitar with a super effective STAB move. Landorus-T has Intimidate to dampen Tyranitar's attacks, while Zygarde resists Rock Slide. However, they are vulnerable to Ice-type coverage moves from Tyranitar.
**Water-types**: Water-type Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Milotic take minimal damage from Tyranitar's attacks bar Continental Crush or Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge. They can wear down Tyranitar with a super effective STAB move or start setting up against it.
**Grass-types**: Tapu Bulu and Amoonguss take minimal damage from Tyranitar aside from Continental Crush or Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge and threaten Tyranitar with large damage and Spore, respectively. Ferrothorn can also handle Tyranitar, but it needs to be careful of Fighting- and Fire-type coverage moves.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Genesect and Metagross can outspeed Tyranitar and threaten it with plenty of damage. Celesteela can stomach a few attacks from Tyranitar and has Wide Guard to stop Rock Slide.
**Fairy-types**: Despite Tyranitar's high Special Defense, Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini can do significant damage to it with a super effective Moonblast.
**Intimidate**: As a physical attacker, all variants of Tyranitar are weakened and threatened out by Intimidate users like Landorus-T and Scrafty. Mega Tyranitar is especially threatened by Intimidate, since it relies on Dragon Dance to boost its power and speed while Landorus-T and Scrafty can negate the Attack increase and potentially force it out altogether.
**Faster Pokemon**: Although regular variants of Tyranitar don't always mind moving after their opponent, Mega Tyranitar is more reliant on its speed to maintain momentum, so it is easily pressured by Pokemon that take more than one Dragon Dance boost to outpace. Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Swift Swim Kingdra, and Sand Rush Excadrill all accomplish this and carry STAB attacks that hit Mega Tyranitar for super effective damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Without sand, Tyranitar becomes much easier to handle using special attacks. Pokemon such as Pelipper, Politoed, and Mega Charizard Y have ways to hit Tyranitar for large damage as long as they have the weather control.
Tyranitar has a great offensive and defensive typing with the stats to back it up. Rock Slide and Crunch together hit most of the tier for consistent damage, and unique resistances and amazing defensive stats enable Tyranitar to check top-tier Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Mega Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, and Hoopa-U. Tyranitar also matches up well against speed control users such as Zapdos and Mega Salamence. Furthermore, Tyranitar's low Speed can be used to its advantage, as it beats the most common Trick Room user, Hoopa-U, with its defensive typing. Tyranitar also has an incredibly diverse movepool that includes premier coverage moves such as Ice Beam, Fire Blast, and Low Kick and can properly utilize them with its good mixed offenses. Tyranitar is also able to effectively use many item options such as Choice Band, Z-Crystals, Tyranitarite, and resistance Berries; this makes it a truly unpredictable threat. Sand Stream gives Tyranitar a lot of utility; it not only gives Tyranitar a 50% boost in Special Defense but also removes opposing weather, deals chip damage, invalidates Focus Sash, and scouts foes' Speed. However, Tyranitar has plenty of weaknesses to common attacking types such as Ground, Water, and especially Fighting, which are carried by common threats such as Landorus-T and Marshadow. Low Speed makes Tyranitar reliant on its bulk and speed control, although Mega Tyranitar is able to patch up its speed by Mega Evolving and setting up a Dragon Dance.
**Choice Band set goes here**
[SET]
name: Mega Dragon Dance
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Protect
item: Tyranitarite
ability: Sand Stream
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rock Slide and Crunch are Mega Tyranitar's two preferred STAB moves with great neutral coverage. Rock Slide is a reliable spread move to clean up against weakened teams, while Crunch provides a single-target option for more focused damage. Dragon Dance increases Mega Tyranitar's offenses and allows it to outspeed base 130 Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Tapu Koko after one boost. Protect keeps Mega Tyranitar safe while its partners deal with any possible threats.
Set Details
========
Mega Tyranitar needs to run 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature to outpace base 130 Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Tapu Koko after a Dragon Dance boost. The remaining EVs go into Attack to maximize Mega Tyranitar's offensive pressure. This is the optimal spread, as there aren't any relevant defensive benchmarks worth striving for. Sand Stream as a pre-Mega ability gives Mega Tyranitar two chances to set sand.
Usage Tips
========
Tyranitar is a decent lead, as it can activate Sand Stream to break Focus Sashes and Mega Evolve to increase its bulk to switch in more easily later in the game. When faced against an opposing weather team, it sometimes makes more sense to hold off on Mega Evolving until after an opposing weather setter is predicted to switch in. Early-game, Mega Tyranitar's best use is to soften up foes with unboosted attacks and passive sand damage. It generally isn't a good idea to attempt a Dragon Dance before any foes that can force Mega Tyranitar out have been dealt with. Situationally, it may be appropriate to go for an early-game Dragon Dance to apply pressure to an opponent making passive plays, but ideally Dragon Dance should be reserved as Mega Tyranitar's late-game win condition so it can break down weakened teams after its checks have been cleared out. When attempting to set up Dragon Dance, it's generally a good idea to have either a redirection supporter like Amoonguss or a Fairy-type like Tapu Lele or Tapu Fini on the field to redirect or force out Fighting-type attackers. Mega Tyranitar makes a decent pivot into neutral and resisted attacks thanks to its high bulk, but this should be done sparingly, as it wants to conserve its HP until it can clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
Redirection support is nearly mandatory on Mega Tyranitar teams. Pokemon like Amoonguss are able to divert otherwise fatal Fighting-type attacks like Marshadow's Close Combat away from Mega Tyranitar while also freeing up a window of opportunity for Mega Tyranitar to set up Dragon Dance without being Taunted or incurring targeted damage. Pokemon that can deal with Landorus-T are greatly appreciated, as Landorus-T throws off Mega Tyranitar's offensive momentum with Intimidate and forces it out with Earthquake and Superpower. Tapu Fini, Kyurem-B, and Genesect are all decent options for checking Landorus-T. Choice Scarf Tapu Lele is the optimal Island Guardian to pair with Mega Tyranitar, as it can outspeed and OHKO Marshadow, provided Psychic Terrain is activated to block Shadow Sneak. Psychic Terrain is also useful for blocking Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch, which otherwise inflicts severe damage to Mega Tyranitar. Tapu Fini is also a great partner that can help force out Marshadow, threaten out Landorus-T, and offer Heal Pulse support to Mega Tyranitar. Although a more niche option, Tapu Bulu is an option that helps check Water-types like Tapu Fini and Mega Swampert, which Tyranitar otherwise struggles with. Mega Tyranitar also appreciates Grassy Terrain's ability to provide passive recovery and protection against Earthquake. Tailwind setters like Zapdos are able to give Mega Tyranitar enough of a Speed boost to beat down faster foes without the need for a Dragon Dance. Fire-types like Volcanion and Heatran are useful to help fend off offensive Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross, which otherwise tank hits from Mega Tyranitar and threaten to hit back with strong Steel-type attacks. Choice Scarf attackers like Landorus-T, Tapu Lele, and Genesect are useful for outspeeding Deoxys-A, which is guaranteed to faint after one attack plus sand damage but otherwise threatens to KO Mega Tyranitar with Superpower.
**Offensive set goes here**
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Other Options goes here**
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type Pokemon such as Marshadow and Scrafty make short work of Tyranitar with their super effective STAB attacks. Marshadow can KO Tyranitar with Close Combat but takes a lot of damage from Crunch. While not Fighting-types themselves, Landorus-T and Deoxys-A commonly use Superpower, and All-Out Pummeling Tapu Lele also downs Tyranitar without Chople Berry.
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon can hit Tyranitar with a super effective STAB move. Landorus-T has Intimidate to dampen Tyranitar's attacks, while Zygarde resists Rock Slide. However, they are vulnerable to Ice-type coverage moves from Tyranitar.
**Water-types**: Water-type Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Milotic take minimal damage from Tyranitar's attacks bar Continental Crush or Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge. They can wear down Tyranitar with a super effective STAB move or start setting up against it.
**Grass-types**: Tapu Bulu and Amoonguss take minimal damage from Tyranitar aside from Continental Crush or Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge and threaten Tyranitar with large damage and Spore, respectively. Ferrothorn can also handle Tyranitar, but it needs to be careful of Fighting- and Fire-type coverage moves.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Genesect and Metagross can outspeed Tyranitar and threaten it with plenty of damage. Celesteela can stomach a few attacks from Tyranitar and has Wide Guard to stop Rock Slide.
**Fairy-types**: Despite Tyranitar's high Special Defense, Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini can do significant damage to it with a super effective Moonblast.
**Intimidate**: As a physical attacker, all variants of Tyranitar are weakened and threatened out by Intimidate users like Landorus-T and Scrafty. Mega Tyranitar is especially threatened by Intimidate, since it relies on Dragon Dance to boost its power and speed while Landorus-T and Scrafty can negate the Attack increase and potentially force it out altogether.
**Faster Pokemon**: Although regular variants of Tyranitar don't always mind moving after their opponent, Mega Tyranitar is more reliant on its speed to maintain momentum, so it is easily pressured by Pokemon that take more than one Dragon Dance boost to outpace. Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Swift Swim Kingdra, and Sand Rush Excadrill all accomplish this and carry STAB attacks that hit Mega Tyranitar for super effective damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Without sand, Tyranitar becomes much easier to handle using special attacks. Pokemon such as Pelipper, Politoed, and Mega Charizard Y have ways to hit Tyranitar for large damage as long as they have the weather control.
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