Ohohoh... following the most recent news regarding the Hoenn remakes, Im sure at least someone here is excited for what is in store for Rayquaza. I know this group isnt much for legends, but every now and again an opponent requests a battle of epic proportions. Its hard to get your mitts on a legend with competitive stats, but a good legends battle is oh so worth the trouble. Now then, Rayquaza. The almighty Ziz of the Pokemon Behemoth and Leviathan story. Hes one of the most popular legends to date, and its pretty obvious why. His appearance is that of an almighty Eastern Dragon and has the power to match his mighty stature. His offenses, both normal and special, are equal at base 150, which is incredibly high, even for a legendary. His movepool is also INCREDIBLY generous, from chilling Ice Beams to brutal Fire Blasts, and everything in between. If you are lucky, you might even get a rare event Rayquaza that packs the legendary move V-Create. With access to Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, Rayquaza will hardly ever have a problem with smashing whatever stands in his way. However, Rayquaza isnt all perfect. His typing leaves him vulnerable to the ever so threatening Ice Beam. Rayquaza is never fond of an Ice Beam. His defenses are also not very impressive by uber standards, as 105/90/90 defenses are quite average. He might be able to tank one hit while setting up a Dragon Dance, but dont expect miracles. Also, base 95 speed is hitting just under the bar of fast, as many common powerhouses break 100-110 base speed. Either Choice Scarf or a Dragon Dance is required if Rayquaza ever hopes to sweep a team. His Air Lock ability is also rather situational, only ever coming into play if your opponent has abilities such as Swift Swim or Chlorophyll. But these flaws are dwarfed when comparing them to Rayquazas sheer offensive potential. Now, lets begin giving our feisty dragon some options. A Jolly/Adamant Rayquaza spread with 252 speed, 252 attack, and 4 HP is what we shall start with. The decision of nature is up to the user if they want more attack or more speed. Dragon Dance Outrage Extreme Speed Earthquake/V-Create Item: Life Orb This set is a classic. Boosting Rayquazas speed and attack to astronomical levels then going in for the sweep. Dragon Dance accomplishes this, as Rayquazas bulk is just enough to tank some neutral hits, such as a Psystrike from Mega Mewtwo Y. After than, Outrage will absolutely demolish anything that is in Rayquazas way, while Extreme Speed can take out any weakened opponents who might think to use priority moves such as Ice Shard. Earthquake can take out pesky Steel types who resist the Outrage onslaught, while V-Create, if you can get it, will provide an absolutely nuclear amount of power to get past Pokemon like Steel Type Arceus and Xerneas. The same set above can also use either a Choice Band or a Choice Scarf and use Dragon Claw instead of Dragon Dance if you desire to have immediate power or speed without having to use Dragon Dance beforehand, but keep in mind the limitations of less speed or less attack while being limited to only one move. Swords Dance could be used instead of Dragon Dance if you want a super powered Wallbreaker, but Dragon Dance is better for a good sweep. A Hasty nature can also be used to surprise an opponent with a mixed set. 252 special attack, 252 speed, and 4 attack can be used for this set. You can also choose to maximize attack instead of special attack if you want to keep your Rayquaza mainly physical. Draco Meteor Fire Blast/V-Create Extreme Speed Earthquake/Outrage Item: Life Orb Lets face it. Draco Meteor is terrifying. Draco Meteor coming off of 150 base special attack is brutal. Getting hit with that Draco Meteor is almost always a death sentence. You cannot ignore power of that volume. This Rayquaza is designed to break physical walls such as Groudon and then continuing the rampage with its physical moves instead of switching out after the special attack drop. An opponent will normally expect a user of Draco Meteor to switch out afterwards, but Rayquaza has better things to do than retreat. V-Create (if you have it) Earthquake, Outrage, or Extreme Speed will keep Rayquaza fighting for as long as it can. Fire Blast can also be used if you want to get off some more special offense before the inevitable drop in power from Draco Meteor. The biggest problem with this set is its speed. While its reasonably fast, the likes of Xerneas and Mewtwo will still outspeed the poor Dragon. Therefore, make you you are familiar with the speed of the Pokemon you are facing. It could be the difference between a rampage and potential cut short. The Special Rayquaza is a road hardly traveled, so using one can surprise your opponent and seal an unexpected victory. A Timid/Modest one with 252 special attack, 252 speed, and 4 HP will be used for this role. The difference between Timid and Modest in sweeping potential vs wallbreaking abilities. Draco Meteor Thunderbolt Ice Beam Overheat Item: Choice Specs A rather shabby set, but it does what it needs to do. Hit-and-run tactics are the basis of this set. Make sure Rayquaza hits whatever it needs to hit HARD then be sure to have someone to switch out to safely after Rayquaza loses its special attack or the advantage. Draco Meteor, like before, hits like a monster, decimating nearly everything in its path. Thunderbolt for weakened water and flying types, Ice Beam for weakened Grass, Dragon, Ground, and Flying types, and Overheat to muscle past Steel and Fairy types who resist Draco Meteor. The immediate power from Choice Specs is what this set is focused on, as a life orb isnt enough to break some of the more defensive legends. While it may be tempting to use Thunderbolt or Ice Beam in situations, Draco Meteors neutral power dwarfs whatever super effective damage these moves might cause. They are purely for coverage or for when you need to attack safely for a sweep. This set may not be as effective as the physical or mixed sets, but it sure is a surprise to an opponent who is expecting a physical move and is hit with a powerful special attack instead. When using Rayquaza, one must ask if you have the right team to support it. Anything that can get rid of Stealth Rock is appreciated by Rayquaza, as Stealth Rock hurts Rayquaza quite a bit and can hamper its abilities to set up. A Pokemon who can reliably kill opposing Fairy types, such as Dialga, is also good support for Rayquaza. Anything capable of stopping Geomancy Xerneas is key to Rayquazas success, so anything that can Roar it away as it sets up or tank its boosted hits and OHKO it back should be worked into Rayquazas team. Anything that can also tank hits from powerful revenge killers that aim at Rayquaza are good teammates, like Giratina, Yveltal, or Lugia. Anything that can use either U-Turn or Volt Switch, such as Landorus or Genesect, can ensure that Rayquaza can safely come in and set up without having to worry about taking a hit beforehand. Paralysis spreaders such as Klefki and Thundurus can ensure Rayquaza is never outsped when he begins the onslaught. Rayquaza. The myth. The legend. The one everyone wanted as a kid and bragged when they had it. Even though the common competitive scene bans his usage, there are the select few competitions that call for the mightiest of all the monsters, and Rayquaza is ever so eager to heed this call. (If anyone is interested in arranging teams for such matches, Id be more than happy to help them acquire competitive legendaries such as Rayquaza)
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 20:12:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015