[OVERVIEW]
* Rayquaza is an extremely powerful wallbreaker with great mixed attacking power and diverse coverage with moves such as Dragon Ascent, V-create, and Draco Meteor.
* It can heavily pressure common Defog users such as support Arceus formes and Giratina-O.
* Extreme Speed lets Rayquaza accomplish more against offense than most wallbreakers.
* Air Lock negates important weather effects such as Desolate Land, Primordial Sea, and Sand Rush, which lets Rayquaza soft check both Primals and weather-based sweepers.
* Useful resistances to Water and Fire as well as a Ground immunity can give Rayquaza more opportunities to switch in.
* Lugia's decreased relevance and new physical walls such as Zygarde give Rayquaza's mixed wallbreaking set some extra usefulness.
* A Stealth Rock weakness and below-average bulk restricts Rayquaza's switch-in opportunities.
* New additions such as Solgaleo and Lunala make Rayquaza's Speed tier less valuable, but Rayquaza can still take advantage of some slower walls such as certain support Arceus formes.
* Rayquaza is vulnerable to both burns and paralysis, which remove most of its general effectiveness.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / V-create
item: Life Orb
ability: Air Lock
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 29 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dragon Ascent is Rayquaza's primary STAB move, hitting a large majority of the metagame neutrally while packing a punch.
* Draco Meteor hits physical walls hard, KOing Zygarde-C, and allows Rayquaza to 2HKO support Arceus formes and Primal Groudon with Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent.
* Extreme Speed can pick off weakened Pokemon and prevent low HP Pokemon faster than Rayquaza from KOing it.
* Earthquake hits Primal Groudon, Dialga, Arceus-Rock, and Tyranitar, as well as most Steel-types super effectively.
* V-create obliterates Celesteela, Skarmory, and Bronzong, hits Steel-types ridiculously hard and bypasses Dialga's Shuca Berry.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment is used to force Speed ties with other Rayquaza and base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Kyurem-W, while maximum investment in Attack increases the power of Dragon Ascent and Rayquaza's other moves outside of Draco Meteor.
* Life Orb gives Rayquaza more overall power without locking it into any moves.
* 216 Speed EVs can be used instead to outspeed postive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, with the remaining 40 EVs put into Special Attack to power up Draco Meteor.
* 29 HP IVs minimize Life Orb recoil.
Usage Tips
========
* Utilize Rayquaza's resistances when switching in, but be careful when switching into Primal Kyogre or most Water-types due to the potential of Ice Beam.
* Rayquaza can limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards with Dragon Ascent and a follow-up Extreme Speed.
* Due to Dragon Ascent and Draco Meteor's stat-reducing downsides, Rayquaza should be used aggressively to avoid being set up on by more offensive threats.
* Keep Rayquaza alive against offense matchups, as Extreme Speed can potentially stop weakened sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Primal Groudon.
* The combination of Dragon Ascent and Draco Meteor is dangerous to practically every wall in the tier bar Lugia, but Dragon Ascent is a safer option when predictions come into play.
* Safeguard Rayquaza from burns and paralysis because they render Rayquaza almost useless against all but the slowest teams.
* Be careful when planning to attack walls that can run Speed EVs to outspeed Pokemon in Rayquaza's Speed tier such as some support Arceus formes and Lugia.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazard setters are fantastic partners for this Rayquaza set, as it heavily pressures Defog and Rapid Spin users, keeping several layers of entry hazards safe. Setters of Stealth Rock or Spikes such as Deoxys-S, Primal Groudon, Dialga, and Klefki make excellent options.
* Mega Salamence forms a deadly wallbreaking core with Rayquaza, as the two both check Primal Groudon and can wear down each of their respective checks; however, be careful as they share the same type weaknesses, including a compounded Stealth Rock weakness.
* Mega Gengar can trap and remove some support Arceus formes and Lugia, leaving Rayquaza to deal with other walls that it can handle better.
* Extreme Killer Arceus works well with V-create Rayquaza, as Rayquaza can eliminate most Steel-types handily and can wear down walls for Arceus to pick off with Extreme Speed.
* Tapu Koko can wear down support Arceus formes with Nature's Madness and can provide Rayquaza opportunities to switch in with U-turn.
* Yveltal can pressure Lugia and can either assist Rayquaza in wallbreaking with a Life Orb set or give it an opportunity to switch in with U-turn.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Ascent
move 3: Earthquake / Aqua Tail
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb / Charti Berry
ability: Air Lock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dragon Dance gives Rayquaza a better matchup against offensive teams and the potential role of a late-game sweeper.
* Dragon Ascent is Rayquaza's most spammable STAB move, dealing obscene damage after a Dragon Dance and Life Orb boost.
* Earthquake covers most Steel-types, Primal Groudon, Tyranitar, and Arceus-Rock.
* Aqua Tail is immensely useful against all Ground-types, most notably Primal Groudon, and allows Rayquaza to be an efficient check to them in tandem with Charti Berry.
Set Details
========
* Maxmimum investment in Attack and Speed brings out the greatest offensive potential in physical Rayquaza sets.
* Life Orb is the preferred item due to its power and flexibility and can give Rayquaza immediate power before using Dragon Dance.
* Charti Berry is useful for offensive teams lacking a check to Ground-types, most notably Rock Polish Primal Groudon, as it allows Rayquaza to deal with said type's most common and possibly only coverage options: Earthquake and Stone Edge. However, Rayquaza is extremely weak without a boost when using Charti Berry over Life Orb.
* An Adamant nature is the most useful option, especially with Charti Berry, as it gives Rayquaza the most power before and after a Dragon Dance. Jolly is also a solid option, as it allows Rayquaza to outspeed some slower support Arceus variants and some Lugia defensive EV spreads before a boost, as well as outspeed Deoxys-A, Pheromosa, and common neutral-Speed Choice Scarf users such as Lunala, Xerneas, and Yveltal after a Dragon Dance.
* 29 HP IVs can be used on Life Orb variants of this set to minimize recoil.
Usage Tips
========
* The best way to safely get off a Dragon Dance is not to find targets that don't harm Rayquaza, which are few, but to instead use Rayquaza's offensive presence to force switches against targets that can't take a Dragon Ascent well.
* Use this variant of Rayquaza as a wallbreaker earlier in the match until its checks, bulky attackers that can take a boosted move, or Intimidate users are weakened enough for it to set up a Dragon Dance and sweep the opposing team.
* Rayquaza can limit Deoxys-S to one layer of entry hazards with Dragon Ascent and a follow-up Extreme Speed.
* Extreme Speed is always a useful tool to revenge kill faster offensive threats and should be used more liberally on Adamant variants if frailer threats outspeed it after a Dragon Dance, such as Deoxys-A.
* When using Charti Berry and Aqua Tail, be careful when setting up or switching in on Primal Groudon if a potential Dragon Claw or Dragon Tail has not been scouted yet.
Team Options
========
* Mega Gengar can trap and either remove or severely damage Rayquaza's checks as well as bulkier offensive threats other than Yveltal, opening up potential sweeps or KOs.
* Stealth Rock setters are helpful in wearing down opponents for Rayquaza. Primal Groudon and Dialga are effective Stealth Rock setters while carrying solid defensive utility and a great offensive presence.
* Entry hazard removal is very useful for Rayquaza to effectively check Primal Groudon with Charti Berry. Giratina-O, Excadrill, and some support Arceus formes are capable of this without sacrificing too much momentum.
* Tapu Koko can wear down support Arceus formes and bulky attackers with Nature's Madness and create a beneficial time for Rayquaza to set up with a U-turn on a predicted switch-in.
* Deoxys-A can set Spikes or assist Rayquaza by severely damaging many defensive teams with its powerful coverage options.
* If not using Charti Berry, Rock Polish Primal Groudon checks such as Arceus-Ground and Giratina-O are good partners to prevent it from setting up on Rayquaza.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Dragon Ascent
move 2: V-create
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Earthquake / Aqua Tail
item: Choice Band
ability: Air Lock
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dragon Ascent backed with Choice Band does ridiculous damage, snagging KOs on Primal Kyogre, Yveltal, and Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage.
* V-Create atomizes practically any Steel-type switch-in imaginable, but Rayquaza usually can't stay in after a single use.
* Extreme Speed is a rather powerful priority option with Choice Band, and can net more revenge kill opportunities than Life Orb variants can.
* Earthquake hits Dialga, Primal Groudon, and Rock-types hard.
* Aqua Tail can OHKO Primal Groudon as well as hit most of Earthquake's targets, but it isn't as consistent and misses out on some targets such as Dialga.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed and Attack investment maximizes Rayquaza's physical attacking potential.
* A Jolly nature lets Rayquaza outspeed positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon and some slower support Arceus variants such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Dragon.
* Choice Band is the main reason to use this Rayquaza set, maximizing its initial physical damage.
Usage Tips
========
* As with most Choice item users, be careful when locking Rayquaza into moves such as Dragon Ascent and Extreme Speed if an opposing Arceus has not revealed its type, which can prove detrimental against offensive formes such as Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Ghost.
* Choice Band Rayquaza is best suited against more defensive matchups such as balance and stall to pave the way for other teammates to sweep, but using Extreme Speed more often against offense is a better option when dealing with faster opponents.
* Choice Band Rayquaza appreciates entry hazards and chip damage when wallbreaking, especially against common detriments to physical attackers such as Lugia and Intimidate Salamence.
* This Rayquaza set can give Zygarde-C and Defog users such as Giratina-O more opportunities to come in than the mixed attacker set.
* When dealing with Rayquaza's usual checks such as Arceus-Water and Lugia, try to feign a different set as much as possible to potentially lure them in when weakened and remove them.
* Dragon Ascent is generally the safest and most powerful move to lock Rayquaza into, so when in doubt, Dragon Ascent away.
Team Options
========
* Sweepers or offensive threats such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Geomancy Xerneas, and Arceus appreciate Choice Band Rayquaza denting most of their checks with Dragon Ascent or its coverage moves.
* Stealth Rock setters are incredibly useful in assisting Rayquaza with residual damage; Primal Groudon, Dialga, and both Deoxys-A and Deoxys-S offensively synergize with Rayquaza well.
* Mega Salamence is a great offensive partner with Rayquaza, regardless of their poor defensive synergy, as Aerilate Double-Edge and Choice Band Dragon Ascent can overwhelm most defensive cores.
* Swords Dance Arceus-Ground loves Rayquaza's ability to eliminate Celesteela and other Steel-types with Levitate and can threaten Rock-types effectively.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Focus Sash is a stellar option for anti-leading common entry hazard setters such as Dialga, Primal Groudon, both Deoxys-S and Deoxys-A, and Tyranitar due to Air Lock negating Sandstorm damage. Focus Sash also can prove useful in some revenge kill scenarios, but it does not give Rayquaza any additional power.
* Lum Berry can allow Rayquaza to shrug off crippling paralysis and burns and let it switch into more defensive variants of Primal Groudon more reliably, but it also does not provide Rayquaza any additional power.
* Swords Dance gives Rayquaza ridiculous wallbreaking power, but it does not assist Rayquaza in any way against offensive teams and walls such as Lugia and Zygarde-C.
* Choice Scarf allows Rayquaza to be a powerful revenge killer, but it does not provide Rayquaza offensive power like Life Orb does and is generally not needed due to Extreme Speed.
* The combination of Swords Dance and Tailwind with Flyinium Z is an effective Double Dance variant that gives Rayquaza flexibility in multiple matchups at the cost of two moveslots. Z-Tailwind supports teammates, outspeeds some variants of Z-Geomancy Xerneas with a Jolly nature, and gives Rayquaza a 50% critical hit chance, while the combination of Swords Dance and Supersonic Skystrike can blow away usual defensive checks such as Zygarde-C and Celesteela.
* Normalium Z and Celebrate can boosts all of Rayquaza's stats and has more defensive utility than Dragon Dance, but Rayquaza is weak without Life Orb, only has one chance to set up in the entire match, and is left with only three other moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Lugia**: Lugia can comfortably switch in on any of Rayquaza's moves due to Multiscale and can either stall out slower sets with Roost and Toxic or 2HKO Rayquaza with Ice Beam. However, Lugia cannot safely switch in on Choice Band or Mixed Attacker variants if Stealth Rock is up.
**Support Arceus**: The most common answers to Rayquaza, certain formes such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Dragon, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Rock can potentially outspeed and KO Rayquaza with either a STAB Judgment or one of their coverage moves. However, formes such as Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Dragon cannot switch in safely against some of Rayquaza's coverage options, while Choice Band variants can potentially outspeed bulkier spreads that Arceus-Water carries.
**Fast Attackers**: Rayquaza's rather mundane Speed tier and less-than-stellar bulk mean it can be occasionally picked off by faster threats. Mega Salamence, Lunala, Yveltal, Mega Gengar, Arceus-Normal, and most Choice Scarf users are perfectly capable of revenge killing Rayquaza if it hasn't boosted with Dragon Dance.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C can hard-wall every Rayquaza set other than the Mixed Attacker variant, either severely damaging it with Dragon Tail or crippling it with Glare.
**Bulky Attackers**: Shuca Berry Dialga and Zekrom, Giratina-O, Mega Salamence, and both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre can take a hit from Rayquaza and either KO it or cripple it with potential status. However, none of these can actually switch into Rayquaza comfortably, and they are only able to come in on predicted switches or after a Pokemon has been KOed by Rayquaza.
**Levitating Steel-types**: Celesteela, Skarmory, and Bronzong can tackle most Rayquaza variants if they carry Earthquake over V-create and are great answers to Dragon Dance variants. However, none of them can take a V-create from either mixed Attacker or Choice Band sets whatsoever.
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