Drapion

[rau]

[OVERVIEW]

• Rather average Attack stat, which means Drapions requires a Swords Dance boost in order to be truly threatening
• While its Speed tier is good, it still falls under common threats such as Shaymin and Flygon

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Poison Jab
move 4: Aqua Tail
item: Waterium-Z / Shuca Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Swords Dance lets Drapion break down bulkier power and is essential for its Z-move nets the KO's it requires.
• Knock Off is a great STAB option which can cripple opponents by removing their items.
• Poison Jab rounds of its coverage by letting Drapion hit Fairy-types such as Florges and Slurpuff for super-effective coverage, as well as hitting Chesnaught
• Aqua Tail lets Drapion hit bulky Ground-types such as Gligar, Rhyperior and Donphan and other Stealth Rock users such as Gigalith and Diancie for super-effective damage as well as giving it access to Hydro Vortex.
• Ice Fang can be used in order to hit Flygon, but that is the only target that Ice Fang covers that Aqua Tail doesn't.

Set Details
========

• Maximum Attack and Speed EVs maximize Drapion's offensive presence
• Jolly is the mandatory nature in order for Drapion to outspeed base 85 and 90 Speed Pokemon such as Heracross, Rotom, and Roserade
• Battle Armor prevents Drapion from being critical hit, which can be useful during setting up Swords Dance
  
• Alternatively, Sniper can be used to power up Drapion's critical hits
• Waterium-Z provides Drapion with the ability to OHKO Pokemon that would otherwise check it such as Gligar, Donphan, and Gigalith.
• If there is already another Z-Stone user on your team, Shuca Berry lets Drapion halve damage from a super effective Ground-type attack from the likes of Gligar and Flygon, giving it an opportunity to set up Swords Dance or attack.
• Lum Berry can cure Drapion from a Scald or Will-o-Wisp burn once which could stop a potential sweep.

Usage Tips
========

Team Options
========

• Cleaners that benefit from the likes of Gligar and Gigalith gone make for great partners. Examples include Choice Scarf Heracross, Swellow, and Yanmega

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

• Choice Scarf
• Specially Defensive

Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Attackers**:

**Status Conditions**: Burns

**Unaware Pokemon**: Quagsire and Pyukumuku can completely shut down Swords Dance Drapion, the former of 2hko'ing it with Earthquake or burning it with Scald and the latter crippling it with Soak + Toxic.

 

[aVocado]

Rider are you gonna finish this? you have until tomorrow to reply or I'm reassigning

 

[Rakan]

Reassigning for now, let me know if you want to pick this up again Rider