Monotype NFE Dialga (Duraludon [Dragon]) (QC:2/2) (GP:1/1)

[Neko]

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a decent physically defensive Stealth Rock setter that gives Dragon teams a check to Dragapult and Weavile, which would otherwise be difficult to handle. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has enough Speed to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them. Flash Cannon weakens Weavile and Dragapult, dissuades Hatterene from reflecting Stealth Rocks, and pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press weakens Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switch-ins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, and it offers speed control versus threats like Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt with Body Press, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon: it switches into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles against like Steel-types like Aegislash and Ferrothorn, pivots into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles with such as Toxapex and Celesteela, and provides an immunity to Ground-type attacks with Levitate. Hydreigon can also take advantage of Duraludon's ability to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, letting Hydreigon paraflinch defensive walls such as Toxapex and Galarian Slowking with Dark Pulse. Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. Alternatively, Choice Specs Dragapult can wallbreak against paralyzed foes without fear of being revenge-killed. Choice Specs or SubRoost Kyurem KOes or severely weakens walls like Toxapex and Slowbro, and Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. Dragalge forms a hazard-stacking core with Duraludon and is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats that Duraludon isn't bulky enough to switch into, such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf and Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying, where Duraludon is of limited use, and is fast enough to compensate for Duraludon's poor Speed. Dragonite provides another immunity to Ground for threats like Mold Breaker Excadrill and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 Special Defense EVs in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back. However, the reduced Defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO it. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable; however, Flash Cannon lets Duraludon revenge kill Shell smash Cloyster. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon; however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and makes Duraludon prone to being used as setup fodder or giving free switch ins.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [roxie, 481576]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [UT, 523866]]

 

[Neko]

ready for QC free dialgaaaa

 

[hex]

add remove comment

skyscraper

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a niche physically defensive Stealth Rock setter, as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switchins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Choice Band Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Choice Band Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon, as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. Dragapult provides a Fighting-type immunity and also loves Duraludon's ability to momentarily deal with Weavile, Shell Smash Cloyster, and opposing Dragapult; This allows Dragapult to use a Dragon Dance or Choice Specs set over Choice Scarf sets. Alternatively, Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. SubRoost Kyurem deals with walls such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. Dragalge is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes (would also mention fini). As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and provides Duraludon a second chance to wall with Healing Wish (could be nice to mention what is important enough to wall to warrant hwishing dura, such as weavile etc). Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying which Duraludon is of limited use, and also provides a decent good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor speed. Dragonite provides a true another Ground-type immunity in its typing (tbh saying "true ground" immune feels weird since it was mentioned in the hydra sentence although i get what you meant), which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams (i assume this dnite is just supposed to be a quick mention but id still say what some of these sets are that support dragon teams).

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon should be able to deal with these provided that Duraludon gets to use Flash Cannon before these threats are at +1. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and a lot of things can go wrong when using this move (such as?).


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

good work! qc1/3

 

[Neko]

add remove comment

skyscraper

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a niche physically defensive Stealth Rock setter, as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switchins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Choice Band Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Choice Band Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon, as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. Dragapult provides a Fighting-type immunity and also loves Duraludon's ability to momentarily deal with Weavile, Shell Smash Cloyster, and opposing Dragapult; This allows Dragapult to use a Dragon Dance or Choice Specs set over Choice Scarf sets. Alternatively, Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. SubRoost Kyurem deals with walls such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. Dragalge is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes (would also mention fini). As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and provides Duraludon a second chance to wall with Healing Wish (could be nice to mention what is important enough to wall to warrant hwishing dura, such as weavile etc). Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying which Duraludon is of limited use, and also provides a decent good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor speed. Dragonite provides a true another Ground-type immunity in its typing (tbh saying "true ground" immune feels weird since it was mentioned in the hydra sentence although i get what you meant), which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams (i assume this dnite is just supposed to be a quick mention but id still say what some of these sets are that support dragon teams).

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon should be able to deal with these provided that Duraludon gets to use Flash Cannon before these threats are at +1. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and a lot of things can go wrong when using this move (such as?).


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

good work! qc1/3

These have been implemented, tysm Sasha

 

[roxie]

x

name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a niche physically defensive Stealth Rock setter, as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. ("niche" isnt really the word id use. There really isnt any better options, Garchomp exists and its there if you want an advantage vs steel but its def above the niche category. its notable to say it faces competition but they are neck and neck and duraludon is kinda supreme. id probably just run both personally) However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switchins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Choice Band Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Choice Band Weavile's Low Kick. (minimizes the damage regardless of the set so specifying CB is not needed)

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon, as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to Levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. (huge think to note is the dark pulse + twave interaction in certain mus) Dragapult provides a Fighting-type immunity and also loves Duraludon's ability to momentarily deal with Weavile, Shell Smash Cloyster, and opposing Dragapult; This allows Dragapult to use a Dragon Dance or Choice Specs set. (we kinda explicitly point this out in the overview, id consider "what duraludon is doing" (fluff)) Alternatively, Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. SubRoost Kyurem deals with walls such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. (Specs warrants a mention somewhere too. Ferrothorn isnt the best example because on grass teams its running both bp + iron head so ferrohtorn wins against sub roost long term. bp hits melmetal. strictly saying subroost kinda signals that hey subroost is the main set and you should most likely be running that with duraludon. this isnt a kyurem analysis so generalizing its role in such mus is perfectly fine) Dragalge is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying which Duraludon is of limited use, and also provides a good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor speed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity in its typing, which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance, Choice Band, and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon should be able to deal with these provided that Duraludon gets to use Flash Cannon before these threats are at +1. (ehhhhh, the real reasoning is for cloyster. clicking bp/fp > cannon on a shell smashed cloy is asking for a loss) Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and a lot of things can go wrong when using this move, such as being used as setup fodder or being swapped out of.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

2/3

 

[Neko]

x

name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a niche physically defensive Stealth Rock setter, as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. ("niche" isnt really the word id use. There really isnt any better options, Garchomp exists and its there if you want an advantage vs steel but its def above the niche category. its notable to say it faces competition but they are neck and neck and duraludon is kinda supreme. id probably just run both personally) However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switchins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Choice Band Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Choice Band Weavile's Low Kick. (minimizes the damage regardless of the set so specifying CB is not needed)

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon, as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to Levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. (huge think to note is the dark pulse + twave interaction in certain mus) Dragapult provides a Fighting-type immunity and also loves Duraludon's ability to momentarily deal with Weavile, Shell Smash Cloyster, and opposing Dragapult; This allows Dragapult to use a Dragon Dance or Choice Specs set. (we kinda explicitly point this out in the overview, id consider "what duraludon is doing" (fluff)) Alternatively, Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. SubRoost Kyurem deals with walls such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. (Specs warrants a mention somewhere too. Ferrothorn isnt the best example because on grass teams its running both bp + iron head so ferrohtorn wins against sub roost long term. bp hits melmetal. strictly saying subroost kinda signals that hey subroost is the main set and you should most likely be running that with duraludon. this isnt a kyurem analysis so generalizing its role in such mus is perfectly fine) Dragalge is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying which Duraludon is of limited use, and also provides a good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor speed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity in its typing, which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance, Choice Band, and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon should be able to deal with these provided that Duraludon gets to use Flash Cannon before these threats are at +1. (ehhhhh, the real reasoning is for cloyster. clicking bp/fp > cannon on a shell smashed cloy is asking for a loss) Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and a lot of things can go wrong when using this move, such as being used as setup fodder or being swapped out of.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

2/3

Implemented these, I hope the changes are satisfactory for you
Thankiee Roxie

 

[roxie]

“check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise.” Drop swords dance and change sweep to threaten

“Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon.” No need in specifying adamant choice band

This can move to gp Neko <3

 

[Neko]

“check threats such as Dragapult and Swords Dance Weavile which sweep Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise.” Drop swords dance and change sweep to threaten

“Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Adamant Choice Band Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon.” No need in specifying adamant choice band

This can move to gp Neko <3

this is ready for GP, thank you Roxie
GP Team hewo

 

[Isaiah]

AM GP, implement what you wish
Add
Remove
Conjecture

AM GP Check

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a decent physically defensive Stealth Rock setter that gives Dragon teams a check to Dragapult and Weavile, which would otherwise be difficult to handle. , as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Weavile which threaten Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it enough Speed to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them. complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in weakens Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back reflecting Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down weakens Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switch-(hyphen)ins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as and it offers speed control versus threats like Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite.(period) (The whole section is about duraludon on dragon teams, so this is redundant) for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt with Body Press, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon:(colon),(comma) it switches into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles against likeSteel-types like Aegislash and Ferrothorn, pivots into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles with such as Toxapex and Celesteela, and provides an immunity to Ground-type attacks with Levitate. as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to Levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. Hydreigon can also take advantage of Duraludon's ability to spread Paralysis with Thunder Wave, letting Hydreigon PparaFflinch defensive walls such as Toxapex and Galarian Slowking with Dark Pulse.(period), which makes it more terrifying for the opposing team in matchups such as Poison and Psychic. (subjective, but just seems like extra fluff) Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. Alternatively, Choice Specs Dragapult takes advantage of can wallbreak against paralyzed foes the opposing team being slowed down by Duraludon's Thunder Wave, as it can then freely wallbreak with a Choice Specs set without fear of being revenge-(hyphen)killed. Choice Specs or SubRoost Kyurem KOes or severely weakens deals with walls such as like Toxapex and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine.(period) with a SubRoost or Choice Specs set. Dragalge forms a hazard-stacking core with Duraludon and is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats that Duraludon isn't bulky enough to switch into, such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T.(period) which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, (redundant: saying it clears entry hazards implies that entry hazard setters are getting in) and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying,(comma) which where Duraludon is of limited use, and is fast enough also provides a good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor sSpeed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity for threats like in its typing, which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO it. Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon lets Duraludon revenge-(hyphen)(space)kill Shell smash Cloyster.(period), which it is unable to do with Duraludon's other moves. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and makes Duraludon prone to being used as setup fodder or giving free switch-ins. a lot of things can go wrong when using this move, such as being used as setup fodder or being swapped out of.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [roxie, 481576]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

 

[Neko]

AM GP, implement what you wish
Add
Remove
Conjecture

AM GP Check

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a decent physically defensive Stealth Rock setter that gives Dragon teams a check to Dragapult and Weavile, which would otherwise be difficult to handle. , as it is able to check threats such as Dragapult and Weavile which threaten Dragon teams effortlessly otherwise. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has an appropriate speed tier which allows it enough Speed to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to provide counterplay against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu. complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams. Flash Cannon, aside from damaging the aforementioned threats in weakens Weavile and Dragapult, also dissuades Hatterene from coming in to bounce back reflecting Stealth Rocks, and also pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press chips down weakens Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switch-(hyphen)ins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, while also being able to slow down threats such as and it offers speed control versus threats like Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite.(period) (The whole section is about duraludon on dragon teams, so this is redundant) for Dragon teams. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt with Body Press, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon:(colon),(comma) it switches into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles against likeSteel-types like Aegislash and Ferrothorn, pivots into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles with such as Toxapex and Celesteela, and provides an immunity to Ground-type attacks with Levitate. as it not only is a Ground immune partner thanks to Levitate, but also deals with Steel-types such as Aegislash and Ferrothorn, and walls such as Toxapex and Celesteela which take advantage of Duraludon. Hydreigon can also take advantage of Duraludon's ability to spread Paralysis with Thunder Wave, letting Hydreigon PparaFflinch defensive walls such as Toxapex and Galarian Slowking with Dark Pulse.(period), which makes it more terrifying for the opposing team in matchups such as Poison and Psychic. (subjective, but just seems like extra fluff) Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. Alternatively, Choice Specs Dragapult takes advantage of can wallbreak against paralyzed foes the opposing team being slowed down by Duraludon's Thunder Wave, as it can then freely wallbreak with a Choice Specs set without fear of being revenge-(hyphen)killed. Choice Specs or SubRoost Kyurem KOes or severely weakens deals with walls such as like Toxapex and Slowbro, and also pressures Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine.(period) with a SubRoost or Choice Specs set. Dragalge forms a hazard-stacking core with Duraludon and is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats that Duraludon isn't bulky enough to switch into, such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T.(period) which Duraludon cannot handle due to its pitful special defense, and forms an entry hazard stacking core with Duraludon with its access to Toxic Spikes. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, as Duraludon is likely to invite in entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory, (redundant: saying it clears entry hazards implies that entry hazard setters are getting in) and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying,(comma) which where Duraludon is of limited use, and is fast enough also provides a good speed tier to compensate for Duraludon's poor sSpeed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity for threats like in its typing, which is a massive help especially when facing Mold Breaker Excadrill, and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO it. Duraludon. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature, as this allows Duraludon to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable, however, Flash Cannon lets Duraludon revenge-(hyphen)(space)kill Shell smash Cloyster.(period), which it is unable to do with Duraludon's other moves. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon, however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and makes Duraludon prone to being used as setup fodder or giving free switch-ins. a lot of things can go wrong when using this move, such as being used as setup fodder or being swapped out of.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [roxie, 481576]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]

Implemented them, except for this:

Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to provide counterplay against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu. complements well with the entirety of Dragon teams, which tend to incorporate Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which means that Duraludon can leverage its useful resistances against threats such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu despite Duraludon compounding weaknesses in Fighting and Ground in Dragon teams.

I'm kinda confused by this because it seems to mean Dura/Hydrei/Pult core deals with Exca/Sciz/Mimi, which isn't quite it its (Dura checks Sciz/Mimi+prevents Exca from spamming IHead (at least, for the sand rush variant)

Thank you for your efforts though, Isaiah

 

[Isaiah]

Implemented them, except for this:

I'm kinda confused by this because it seems to mean Dura/Hydrei/Pult core deals with Exca/Sciz/Mimi, which isn't quite it its (Dura checks Sciz/Mimi+prevents Exca from spamming IHead (at least, for the sand rush variant)

Thank you for your efforts though, Isaiah

Ah, then how about: "...combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them."

 

[Neko]

Ah, then how about: "...combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them."

applied, thank you so much Isaiah!

 

[UT]

add remove conjecture

GP Check

name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a decent physically defensive Stealth Rock setter that gives Dragon teams a check to Dragapult and Weavile, which would otherwise be difficult to handle. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has enough Speed to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them. Flash Cannon weakens Weavile and Dragapult, dissuades Hatterene from reflecting Stealth Rocks, and pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press weakens Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switch-ins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, and it offers speed control versus threats like Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt with Body Press, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon: it switches into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles against like Steel-types like Aegislash and Ferrothorn, pivots into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles with such as Toxapex and Celesteela, and provides an immunity to Ground-type attacks with Levitate. Hydreigon can also take advantage of Duraludon's ability to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, letting Hydreigon paraflinch defensive walls such as Toxapex and Galarian Slowking with Dark Pulse. Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. Alternatively, Choice Specs Dragapult can wallbreak against paralyzed foes without fear of being revenge-killed. Choice Specs or SubRoost Kyurem KOes or severely weakens walls like Toxapex and Slowbro, and Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. Dragalge forms a hazard-stacking core with Duraludon and is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats that Duraludon isn't bulky enough to switch into, such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or and Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, (comma) and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying, where Duraludon is of limited use, and is fast enough to compensate for Duraludon's poor Speed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity immunity to Ground for threats like Mold Breaker Excadrill, (comma) and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef Special Defense EVs in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' (remove apostrophe) Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced Defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO it. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable,; (comma to semi-colon) however, Flash Cannon lets Duraludon revenge kill Shell smash Cloyster. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon,; (same) however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and makes Duraludon prone to being used as setup fodder or giving free switch-ins switch ins.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [roxie, 481576]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [UT, 523866]]

GP 1/1! Same thing, different mon.

GP Team done

 

[Neko]

add remove conjecture

GP Check

name: Physically Defensive (Dragon)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Body Press / Foul Play
move 4: Thunder Wave / Body Press
item: Leftovers
ability: Light Metal
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Duraludon is a decent physically defensive Stealth Rock setter that gives Dragon teams a check to Dragapult and Weavile, which would otherwise be difficult to handle. However, it faces competition from Garchomp, which is not only able to set up entry hazards against threats such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Nidoking, but also has enough Speed to be functional in matchups against types such as Electric, Steel, Poison, and Flying, where Duraludon could be a liability. Still, Duraludon's Steel-typing is complemented by Levitate users such as Hydreigon and Ghost-types such as Dragapult, which combine their pool of resistances and immunities to cover for Duraludon's weaknesses against threats like Excadrill, Scizor, and Mimikyu, making it easier for Duraludon to check them. Flash Cannon weakens Weavile and Dragapult, dissuades Hatterene from reflecting Stealth Rocks, and pressures Ice- and Fairy-types such as Cloyster, Clefable, and Mimikyu. Body Press weakens Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn, while Foul Play allows Duraludon to punish setup sweepers such as Dragapult, Dragonite, and Scizor. Thunder Wave punishes switch-ins such as Celesteela and Dragalge, and it offers speed control versus threats like Tapu Lele, Kyurem, and Dragonite. 16 Speed EVs allows Duraludon to outspeed and threaten Crawdaunt with Body Press, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP and Defense to better handle attacks such as Weavile's Triple Axel and Excadrill's Iron Head. Light Metal minimizes the damage dealt by Weavile's Low Kick.

Hydreigon pairs extremely well with Duraludon: it switches into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles against like Steel-types like Aegislash and Ferrothorn, pivots into Pokemon that Duraludon struggles with such as Toxapex and Celesteela, and provides an immunity to Ground-type attacks with Levitate. Hydreigon can also take advantage of Duraludon's ability to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, letting Hydreigon paraflinch defensive walls such as Toxapex and Galarian Slowking with Dark Pulse. Choice Scarf Dragapult deals with Sand Rush Excadrill and Swift Swim Kingdra for Duraludon. Alternatively, Choice Specs Dragapult can wallbreak against paralyzed foes without fear of being revenge-killed. Choice Specs or SubRoost Kyurem KOes or severely weakens walls like Toxapex and Slowbro, and Ground- and Flying-types such as Landorus-T, Nidoking, and Mantine. Dragalge forms a hazard-stacking core with Duraludon and is a specially defensive wall that can take on threats that Duraludon isn't bulky enough to switch into, such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, and Thundurus-T. As Duraludon sets Stealth Rock for the team, Garchomp is now free to use offensively oriented sets such as Choice Scarf or and Swords Dance to deal with Steel- and Poison-types Duraludon struggles with, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Latias deals with Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Choice Band Galarian Zapdos, clears entry hazards, (comma) and provides Duraludon a second chance to deal with Weavile and Dragapult with Healing Wish. Calm Mind Latios is a niche wallbreaker that eases matchups like Poison and Flying, where Duraludon is of limited use, and is fast enough to compensate for Duraludon's poor Speed. Dragonite provides another Ground-type immunity immunity to Ground for threats like Mold Breaker Excadrill, (comma) and can use a variety of sets to support Dragon teams, including Dragon Dance and Defensive.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Dragon
--------
96 SpDef Special Defense EVs in conjunction with Draco Meteor lets Duraludon survive Choice Specs' (remove apostrophe) Kingdra's Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it back with Draco Meteor. However, the reduced Defense worsens Duraludon's matchup against Swords Dance Weavile and Dragapult, though Dragon Darts still won't 2HKO it. Iron Head may be considered with an Impish nature to deal more damage against Calm Mind sweepers such as Hatterene and Clefable,; (comma to semi-colon) however, Flash Cannon lets Duraludon revenge kill Shell smash Cloyster. Thunderbolt may be considered to deny Celesteela and Skarmory the ability to come in freely against Duraludon,; (same) however, these are handled better by its teammates. Metal Burst is also a notable move, as Duraludon has enough bulk to survive at least one attack from threats such as Zarude, Tapu Lele, and Melmetal. However, this move is extremely prediction-reliant and makes Duraludon prone to being used as setup fodder or giving free switch-ins switch ins.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Dragon analysis by: [[Neko, 542526]]
- Quality checked by: [[sasha, 510532], [roxie, 481576]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [UT, 523866]]

GP 1/1! Same thing, different mon.

GP Team done

This is implemented, thank you so much again UT and Isaiah :D
...Metal Gear Dragon is done

 

[roxie]