[OVERVIEW]
Dragonite is an excellent user of Dragon Dance—its sky-high Attack stat and access to Extreme Speed make it a difficult Pokemon to stop after it has boosted. Dragonite's ability Multiscale halves the damage Dragonite takes if it is at full health. This makes it easy for Dragonite to set up a Dragon Dance, even against foes with super effective moves. In addition, Z-Moves allow Dragonite to boost the power of its coverage options, enabling it to break through defensive Pokemon that would otherwise counter it, such as Skarmory, Tapu Fini, Slowbro, or Landorus-T, depending on the Z-Crystal Dragonite uses. However, because of Dragonite's low base Speed, it faces competition as a Dragon Dance user from Zygarde and Mega Charizard X. Dragonite is also very vulnerable to Stealth Rock, as it takes 25% damage from it upon switching in, losing Multiscale in the process.
[SET]
name: Gigavolt Havoc
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thunder Punch
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Dragon Claw / Outrage
item: Electrium Z
ability: Multiscale
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance lets Dragonite boost its Attack and Speed, turning it into a threatening sweeper and wallbreaker. Thunder Punch in combination with Electrium Z becomes a 140-Base Power Gigavolt Havoc, letting Dragonite break past its typical counters, such as Slowbro, Skarmory, Toxapex, Mega Gyarados, and Tapu Fini. Fire Punch hits most Grass- and Steel-types, especially Tapu Bulu, Scizor, Kartana, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn. Dragon Claw is a reliable STAB move and rounds out Dragonite's neutral coverage. It is helpful for breaking past Ground-types such as Landorus-T. Alternatively, Outrage could be used for more power, but it allows Dragonite to be easily revenge killed by the common Fairy-types in the meta, such as Magearna, Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele. Earthquake could be used in place of Fire Punch to better damage Heatran, Magearna, and Rock-types in exchange for difficulty in breaking past Grass-types and being vulnerable to Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain.
Set Details
========
Electrium Z boosts Thunder Punch into a 140-Base Power Gigavolt Havoc, letting Dragonite deal heavy damage to Tapu Fini, Skarmory, Celesteela, Toxapex, Slowbro, and other would-be counters. Multiscale is used to allow easy setup, as it reduces damage by half if Dragonite is at full health. 252 Speed EVs are used to maximize Dragonite's effectiveness as a sweeper. A Jolly nature is used to further boost Speed—in comparison to an Adamant nature, a Jolly nature lets +1 Dragonite outspeed Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja, and it enables +2 Dragonite to outspeed Choice Scarf Keldeo and Choice Scarf Gengar. 252 Attack EVs are used to ensure Dragonite hits as hard as possible, letting it wallbreak and sweep effectively.
Usage Tips
========
Dragonite can be used either mid-game to wallbreak for a teammate, or saved until late-game to attempt to sweep. Try to prevent Stealth Rock from being set or remove it before bringing in Dragonite to ease setup. Do not let Dragonite become inflicted with status. Burn halves Dragonite's Attack, destroying its effectiveness as a physical sweeper, while Toxic will put Dragonite on a timer. Both Toxic and burn will additionally break Dragonite's Multiscale. Paralysis can leave Multiscale intact, but it will allow Dragonite to be easily revenge killed. Use Gigavolt Havoc to break through Pokemon that would otherwise check Dragonite. Calculate damage carefully and only use Gigavolt Havoc when necessary, as Dragonite only gets one shot with it. Be wary of the potential for the opponent to pivot, and consider the risk versus reward of OHKOing what's in front of Dragonite with the potential to waste a Z-move compared to otherwise 2HKOing Dragonite's foe with a standard Thunder Punch.
Team Options
========
Dragonite needs hazard removal support to ensure its Multiscale stays intact. Excadrill can use Rapid Spin, while Mew, Scizor, Zapdos, and Skarmory can use Defog effectively. In general, avoid using Tapu Fini for Defog support, as Misty Terrain will weaken the power of Dragon Claw or Outrage against grounded targets. Also, keep in mind that Misty Terrain will not protect Dragonite from status conditions, as it isn't grounded. Wallbreakers like Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile can soften the opposing team to allow Dragonite to sweep. Pokemon that can answer Ice-types are very helpful, as Dragonite is 4x weak to their STAB moves. Scizor, Keldeo, Mega Mawile, and Magearna can be good partners in this regard. Healing Wish Jirachi is a possible partner, as it can restore Dragonite's Multiscale and heal any status it has. Jirachi checks dangerous Fairy-types like Tapu Lele and can either eliminate them or force them out, allowing Dragonite a chance to set up. Healing Wish lets Dragonite both soften walls early-game and attempt a sweep late-game. Latias is another good partner—even though it stacks typing with Dragonite, it can use both Defog and Healing Wish to keep Dragonite healthy and its Multiscale intact.
[SET]
name: Supersonic Skystrike
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Fly
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Multiscale
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance boosts Dragonite's Attack and Speed, letting it become a very threatening sweeper or potentially a wallbreaker. Fly is used in conjunction with Flyinium Z to give Dragonite a 175-Base Power STAB Supersonic Skystrike, allowing it to break through defensive Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Tapu Fini, Mega Venusaur, and Tangrowth. Earthquake is useful coverage to hit Flying-resistant Pokemon such as Heatran, Tyranitar, and Magearna. Fire Punch can be used over Earthquake to hit Flying-resistant Pokemon immune to Ground, such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, Dragonite would then lose out on the ability to damage Rock-types like Tyranitar and Nihilego, as well as the ability to deal with Heatran. Extreme Speed is used to pick off offensive Pokemon, such as Weavile, Greninja, and Tapu Koko, as well as weakened Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Flyinium Z is required to give Dragonite access to Supersonic Skystrike, allowing it to break past the defensive Pokemon that otherwise hinder it. 252 Attack EVs are used to make Dragonite's attacks as powerful as possible. An Adamant nature is preferred, as this variant of Dragonite is more reliant on neutral hits. It also has the benefit of powering up Dragonite's Extreme Speed. 252 Speed EVs are used to let Dragonite function effectively as a Dragon Dance sweeper. This investment enables +1 Dragonite to outspeed Weavile and Greninja. Alternatively, a Jolly nature could be used to outspeed Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Heatran when Dragonite is at +1 at the cost of power. Multiscale halves the damage Dragonite receives from attacks when it is at full health, giving it more opportunities to set up a Dragon Dance.
Usage Tips
========
This variant of Dragonite relies heavily on neutral coverage. Chip damage on the opposing team is helpful. Set up entry hazards before attempting a sweep with Dragonite. Before sending in Dragonite, remove Stealth Rock from its side of the field to keep Multiscale intact, allowing it to set up more freely. Dragonite can either be used to wallbreak early-game or sweep late-game. If Stealth Rock is not preventing Dragonite from coming in safely, it can use Extreme Speed to revenge kill opposing threats.
Team Options
========
Supersonic Skystrike Dragonite is walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, making Magnezone an excellent partner; it can trap and remove these Pokemon, clearing the way for Dragonite to sweep. Entry hazards are important to place opposing Pokemon into range of Extreme Speed or Dragonite's other attacks. Ferrothorn and Greninja can lay Spikes, while Azelf can both prevent opposing hazards through Taunt and set up Stealth Rock. Hazard removal is very important for Dragonite to maintain its Multiscale. If used with hazard stacking, Rapid Spin users like Excadrill make excellent partners. Otherwise, Mew, Scizor, and Tapu Fini can make excellent Defog partners. Tapu Fini can be used more freely with this set, as it lacks a Dragon-type STAB move. Tapu Fini can also switch into status moves aimed at Dragonite. Latias is another solid partner, as it can use both Defog and Healing Wish to keep Dragonite healthy. Wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele can soften the opposing team for Dragonite. Wallbreakers able to pivot in on Ice-types, such as Mega Mawile, are especially effective.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
There are several other options for Dragonite if its team already has another Z-Move user. However, in general, they are less effective at breaking through defensive answers than Dragonite's Z-Move sets. Lum Berry can be used to allow Dragonite to set up without fearing status. Weakness Policy can be used to take advantage of Dragonite's Multiscale, allowing it to boost to +3 Attack and +1 Speed in the face of super effective moves. For this set, entry hazard removal or prevention is extremely important, as Dragonite will likely be unable to survive super effective damage without Multiscale. A bulky set with Substitute / Dragon Dance / Roost / Fly could be run with Leftovers. Fly is a solid STAB option and has the bonus of giving Dragonite an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. This set takes advantage of Dragonite's usual weakness to status moves through Substitute. It has the ability to stall out low PP moves, such as Stone Edge, and it works well in conjunction with spreading status on the opposing team—typically through a teammate's Toxic Spikes. A mixed Dragon Dance set could be used with Ice Beam to let Dragonite lure and break past Landrous-T. A Choice Band set could be used to take advantage of Dragonite's massive Attack stat and access to Extreme Speed, but in general Dragonite's lack of coverage options and low Speed leave it easily exploited.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Dragonite and breaks its Multiscale, allowing it to be KOed before it can set up.
**Ice-types**: Due to Dragonite's 4x weakness to Ice, most Ice-types can OHKO it through Multiscale. Weavile can deal heavy damage with Ice Shard, while even Protean Greninja can OHKO Dragonite with Ice Beam. However, these Pokemon typically struggle to take boosted hits from Dragonite if they are outsped or if Dragonite carries Extreme Speed. Mamoswine is an exception, as it is immune to Gigavolt Havoc and can take a +1 Fire Punch thanks to Thick Fat.
**Fairy-types**: Most Fairy-type Pokemon, such as Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Mega Mawile, can take boosted hits from Dragonite or otherwise outspeed it. They are then able to retaliate with powerful super effective STAB moves. Tapu Fini in particular weakens Dragonite's Dragon-type STAB moves versus grounded Pokemon with Misty Terrain. However, the majority of Fairy-type answers to Dragonite struggle to stomach its boosted Z-Moves.
**Status**: Every status condition hampers Dragonite. Posion places Dragonite on a timer, reducing its ability to boost and sweep effectively. Burn halves Dragonite's Attack, allowing many Pokemon to take even boosted Z-Moves from it. Both of these status conditions also break Dragonite's Multiscale, leaving it susceptible to being KOed. Paralysis can leave Dragonite immobile for a turn and halves its Speed, allowing it to be easily outsped and KOed.
**Physcially Defensive Pokemon**: If Dragonite has already used its Z-Move, certain physically defensive Pokemon such as Skarmory, Slowbro, and Landorus-T can take boosted hits from it. They can then proceed to inflict status conditions on it, phaze it, or otherwise deal heavy damage to it.
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