[SET]
name: Pivot
move 1: Dragon Darts / Draco Meteor
move 2: Hex
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
tera type: Fairy / Ghost
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Hasty / Timid
evs: 76 Atk / 180 SpA / 252 Spe OR 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragapult is one of OU's best pivots, with its massive base Speed stat allowing it to dance around slower threats, spread status and deal significant damage over the course of a game. Dragon Darts is a strong STAB option that hits key targets in the tier such as Roaring Moon, Raging Bolt, and Dragonite, with the given spread running enough Attack investment to OHKO Kyurem after Stealth Rock damage. Alternatively, Draco Meteor can be used with an EV spread fully invested into Special Attack that lets it secure an OHKO into Walking Wake and Gouging Fire while also giving Dragapult a more powerful Hex to 2HKO even max HP Gholdengo, but the Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor leaves it vulnerable to being used as setup fodder, and this set is also weaker into sweepers that boost their Special Defense such as Raging Bolt and Volcarona. Both Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave are great options that synergize with the rest of Dragapult's toolkit by doubling the power of Hex; Will-O-Wisp turns Dragapult into a great fast check that can outrun and neutralize physical threats such as Zamazenta, Great Tusk, and Kingambit while also forcing chip on Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Clodsire that try to switch in, while Thunder Wave slows down targets like Volcarona to help teammates deal with them more easily. Tera Fairy is a great defensive option that flips Dragapult's Dragon weakness into an immunity while also granting a Dark resistance to resist hits from Kingambit and Darkrai, whereas Tera Ghost powers up Hex while still dropping its weaknesses to Fairy and Dragon to help block revenge killing attempts by Enamorus and opposing Dragapult.
Heavy-Duty Boots Dragapult is a fantastic pick on balance teams, synergizing well with durable hazard setters such as Skarmory, Gliscor, and Ting-Lu that can assist in chipping down the switch-ins that it forces. In return, Dragapult helps to patch up bulkier teams' lack of speed control while not minding the hazards that they often allow on both sides of the field. Knock Off users such as Meowscarada and Weavile are solid pairings with Dragapult on these balance structures, removing Heavy-Duty Boots from opposing Pokemon to make the switches that Dragapult forces more meaningful while giving Dragapult opportunities to come in for free on their own checks, allowing these teams to better pressure opposing Skarmory and Corviknight. Bulkier offense teams also benefit from the presence of Dragapult as a form of speed control that wears down defensive cores with both damage and status effects; Kingambit in particular is a terrifying late-game sweeper that appreciates Dragapult's ability to weaken a team for it to clean through, with Will-O-Wisp Dragapult able to neuter its physical checks like Great Tusk, Zamazenta, and Skarmory, while Thunder Wave variants can slow down threats that would otherwise outspeed Kingambit such as Volcarona, Cinderace, and Heatran. In turn, Dragapult often invites in opposing Kingambit, which resists its STAB options and is only threatened by its status moves, so solid switch-ins for this like Skarmory and Great Tusk are usually appreciated to prevent it from getting too many free turns. Raging Bolt in particular is a strong partner to pivot Dragapult on bulky offense teams that enjoy its support to help break through Ting-Lu, Clodsire, and specially defensive Gliscor. Heavy-Duty Boots Dragapult also struggles to muscle past bulkier checks like Toxapex and Clefable alone, so partners that can take advantage of them for setup opportunities such as Kingambit and Gholdengo are great picks. As Dragapult's Speed tier is almost unmatched in the OU metagame, Booster Energy users like Iron Boulder and Iron Valiant along with the even faster Deoxys-S are frequently forced in to revenge kill it, so more defensive teammates that can handle these threats are valued; Galarian Slowking is a good bulky pivot that takes on the latter two and can use Chilly Reception to bring in Dragapult for free after taking a hit, while both Gliscor and Skarmory are solid Iron Boulder checks that can either beat it or force it to switch out and lose its Speed boost, allowing Dragapult to outspeed it later.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kd458.633798/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/milak.262594/
name: Pivot
move 1: Dragon Darts / Draco Meteor
move 2: Hex
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
tera type: Fairy / Ghost
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Hasty / Timid
evs: 76 Atk / 180 SpA / 252 Spe OR 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragapult is one of OU's best pivots, with its massive base Speed stat allowing it to dance around slower threats, spread status and deal significant damage over the course of a game. Dragon Darts is a strong STAB option that hits key targets in the tier such as Roaring Moon, Raging Bolt, and Dragonite, with the given spread running enough Attack investment to OHKO Kyurem after Stealth Rock damage. Alternatively, Draco Meteor can be used with an EV spread fully invested into Special Attack that lets it secure an OHKO into Walking Wake and Gouging Fire while also giving Dragapult a more powerful Hex to 2HKO even max HP Gholdengo, but the Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor leaves it vulnerable to being used as setup fodder, and this set is also weaker into sweepers that boost their Special Defense such as Raging Bolt and Volcarona. Both Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave are great options that synergize with the rest of Dragapult's toolkit by doubling the power of Hex; Will-O-Wisp turns Dragapult into a great fast check that can outrun and neutralize physical threats such as Zamazenta, Great Tusk, and Kingambit while also forcing chip on Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Clodsire that try to switch in, while Thunder Wave slows down targets like Volcarona to help teammates deal with them more easily. Tera Fairy is a great defensive option that flips Dragapult's Dragon weakness into an immunity while also granting a Dark resistance to resist hits from Kingambit and Darkrai, whereas Tera Ghost powers up Hex while still dropping its weaknesses to Fairy and Dragon to help block revenge killing attempts by Enamorus and opposing Dragapult.
Heavy-Duty Boots Dragapult is a fantastic pick on balance teams, synergizing well with durable hazard setters such as Skarmory, Gliscor, and Ting-Lu that can assist in chipping down the switch-ins that it forces. In return, Dragapult helps to patch up bulkier teams' lack of speed control while not minding the hazards that they often allow on both sides of the field. Knock Off users such as Meowscarada and Weavile are solid pairings with Dragapult on these balance structures, removing Heavy-Duty Boots from opposing Pokemon to make the switches that Dragapult forces more meaningful while giving Dragapult opportunities to come in for free on their own checks, allowing these teams to better pressure opposing Skarmory and Corviknight. Bulkier offense teams also benefit from the presence of Dragapult as a form of speed control that wears down defensive cores with both damage and status effects; Kingambit in particular is a terrifying late-game sweeper that appreciates Dragapult's ability to weaken a team for it to clean through, with Will-O-Wisp Dragapult able to neuter its physical checks like Great Tusk, Zamazenta, and Skarmory, while Thunder Wave variants can slow down threats that would otherwise outspeed Kingambit such as Volcarona, Cinderace, and Heatran. In turn, Dragapult often invites in opposing Kingambit, which resists its STAB options and is only threatened by its status moves, so solid switch-ins for this like Skarmory and Great Tusk are usually appreciated to prevent it from getting too many free turns. Raging Bolt in particular is a strong partner to pivot Dragapult on bulky offense teams that enjoy its support to help break through Ting-Lu, Clodsire, and specially defensive Gliscor. Heavy-Duty Boots Dragapult also struggles to muscle past bulkier checks like Toxapex and Clefable alone, so partners that can take advantage of them for setup opportunities such as Kingambit and Gholdengo are great picks. As Dragapult's Speed tier is almost unmatched in the OU metagame, Booster Energy users like Iron Boulder and Iron Valiant along with the even faster Deoxys-S are frequently forced in to revenge kill it, so more defensive teammates that can handle these threats are valued; Galarian Slowking is a good bulky pivot that takes on the latter two and can use Chilly Reception to bring in Dragapult for free after taking a hit, while both Gliscor and Skarmory are solid Iron Boulder checks that can either beat it or force it to switch out and lose its Speed boost, allowing Dragapult to outspeed it later.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kd458.633798/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/milak.262594/
Last edited:
