Aerodactyl

Lord Alphose

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WreckDra, you can implement this now.
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Overview
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Aerodactyl has always served a considerable role in all VGC formats thus far by being the fastest support Pokemon around. This has not changed in VGC 2014 where,(AC) as it continues to pull off its old Tailwind and Rock Slide shenanigans, though Aerodactyl has found new ways to support its team. Sky Drop is a tool that has been unbanned in VGC 2014 and is one of the best support moves around. Aerodactyl just happens to be one of the best users of the move. While it's not new, Wide Guard also received a buff to where it can be repeatedly used without fail which is fantastic, considering Aerodactyl itself is weak to Rock Slide. Its old moves have also gottenbecome considerably more useful.(The moves themselves haven't gotten better, I assume, they're just more useful now.) Rock Slide now has two very dangerous targets that it can OHKO in Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, so fast flinching potential is not the only thing Rock Slide can be used for. Lastly, Aerodactyl received a Mega Evolution in VGC 2014 that has much more bulk, power, and powerSpeed than its base forme while also having its already amazing Speed stat improved upon. However, Aerodactyl does not lve in a perfect world. Iits old problem of being weak to common Electric-types still remains, even though Electric-types in the 2014 format are considerably different from 2012. Aerodactyl has subpar(Lord Google says it's one word.) defenses in general, meaning it is heavily reliant on a Focus Sash or Aerodactylite. Talonflame and Noivern have also come along to challenge Aerodactyl's niche as a Tailwind user, although all three of them have other roles that keep them separate from each other. Overall, Aerodactyl is still a fantastic source of fast support and should never be underestimated when faced.

Speedy Support
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name: Speedy Support
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Sky Drop
move 3: Tailwind / Wide Guard
move 4: Protect / Wide Guard
ability: Unnerve / Pressure
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
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Rock Slide and Sky Drop are probably Aerodactyl's two best options for just about any support set it can run. Aerodactyl's extremely high Speed stat means that Rock Slide will usually go before your opponents two Pokemon, making full use of Rock Slide's nasty flinch chance. Flinch fishing is a sport Aerodactyl commonly takes part in. Rock Slide also allows Aerodactyl to check Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and other weakened Pokemon that have a weakness to it. Sky Drop is an extremely irritating STAB move that gives Aerodactyl's partner a free one on one match up for a turn. Tailwind is one of the best Speed control moves in the game and is the heart and soul of some teams. Aerodactyl is a very reliable user of the move thanks to its already ridiculous Speed stat and its Focus Sash. The Speed increase Aerodactyl receives from Tailwind also makes Rock Slide flinch fishing more potent. Protect is to block the annoying Fake Out that flies freelyare so common in VGC 2014 so that Aerodactyl's Focus Sash is not broken before it can even move. tThe ability to Protect Aerodactyl for a turn is also very useful in many situations. Wide Guard is a supportive move that keeps Aerodactyl and its teammate safe from the likes ofspread moves, such as Rock Slide, Surf, Earthquake and other common spread moves. Taunt makes Pokemon like Smeargle and Amoonguss next to useless and stops Trick Room setters from ruining Aerodactyl's potential Tailwind. Ice Fang is a neat coverage move to punish Salamence and Garchomp leads while also bringing Noivern down to its Focus Sash. Note that your ownits Focus Sash will likely be broken if you useit hits Garchomp with Ice Fang on Garchomp.

Set Details
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The EVs are very straightforward in that they allow Aerodactyl to Speed tie with other Aerodactyl and Mega Gengar while also outspeeding everything below Bbase 130 Speed, besides Choice Scarf users. The Attack investment is to make sure Aerodactyl iswill hitting as hard as possible without a positive nature. Unnerve is a useful supporting ability that stops the useconsumption of common berries such as Sitrus and Lum Berriesy. However, Unnerve has priority when announcing itself,(I don't actually even know what that means, so change that to make it a little bit more understandable.) so if you would rather scout for a Choice Scarf on Salamence or Gardevoir, then Pressure is preferred. A bulkier spread of 252 HP / 44 Atk / 212 Spe can be used if you wish to use your Focus Sash elsewhere on your team, but the Focus Sash variant is generally preferred.

Usage Tips
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When against Fake Out users, the safest play on the first turn is to Protect Aerodactyl and its partner if either of them are carrying it. This ensures your Focus Sash will remain intact for the turn you use Tailwind, Sky Drop, or Rock Slide. Note that Aerodactyl is hardly ever dead weight due to its ability to fishing for flincheflinch the opponents with Rock Slide and the support Sky Drop provides. Knowing this, don't trealet Aerodactyl as if it were death fodderdie if you don't need to. Use Sky Drop to give Aerodactyl's partner a free turn with an opponent that cannot do too much to it. This is extremely useful for set up sweepers since it removes the threat of a double target for a turn. It should be noted that Aerodactyl cannot use Sky Drop on Pokemon weighing over 200 kg. Gyarados and Rhyperior are Pokemon that come to mind in this weight bracket, although Aerodactyl should not stay in on Rhyperior and should useing Rock Slide on Gyarados is generally more beneficial. Sky Drop can also end Aerodactyl since it cannot Protect itself when dropping the opponent, so use the move wisely. Tailwind should be used only when needed since it only lasts three turns after it is set up. With that said, Aerodactyl should be saved until it is needed to set up Tailwind as the move allows many slower attackers to easily get the upper hand on their normallyotherwise faster checks. If Aerodactyl is up against Trick Room without Taunt, it is generally in your best interest to leave Aerodactyl behind for the match due to Aerodactyl's naturally high Speed and Trick Room making Tailwind a monstrous backfire if used. If you do have Taunt though, feel free to Taunt any Trick Room setter that isn't an Aromatisse, as long as there are no Fake Out users along side the Trick Room user.

Team Options
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Any slow attacker is a good partner for Aerodactyl really due to its ability to use Tailwind, put an opponent out of play for a turn, and the occasional Rock Slide flinch that couldly allow its partner to live another turn with a Rock Slide flinch. Bisharp and Kangaskhan are two perfect examples of beneficiaries from Aerodactyl's support abilities. Bisharp not only benefits greatly from the Tailwind Aerodactyl provides, but Assurance also turns into a 120 Base Power STAB move when an opponent is hit by Aerodactyl's Rock Slide first. Mega Kangaskhan isn't exactly slow, but it still greatly benefits from Tailwind, while it also enjoys the turn to Power-Up Punch while not fearing a double target due to Sky Drop. In a similar vein, Sky Drop can give Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Gyarados and its respective, Mega EvolutionGyarados, Dragon Dance Scrafty, and Dragon Dance Mega Tyranitar a much needed opportunity to set up. If EVed correctly, tThese Pokemon can KO their respective checks after setting up the same turn as Aerodactyl drops said check.(Wait, they can remove a check but Aerodactyl is going to remove the check?) Beneficiaries from Wide Guard include Mega Charizard Y and Aegislash as both of them are commonly targeted by spread moves. Both of them greatly appreciate Tailwind support.

Mega Aerodactyl
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name: Mega Aerodactyl
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Sky Drop
move 3: Roost
move 4: Protect
ability: Pressure
item: Aerodactylite
evs: 220 HP / 52 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpDef / 228 Spde(Be sure to fix this.)
nature: Jolly

Moves
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Mega Aerodactyl is the fastest unboosted user of Rock Slide in VGC 2014, which means just about anything your opponent can have will risk getting flinched if Mega Aerodactyl uses Rock Slide. Because Rock Slide also receives a boost from STAB and coming off of Mega Aerodactyl's base 135 Attack stat, the damage output is not bad at all, even with minimal Attack investment. STAB-boosted Rock Slide also makes Mega Aerodactyl Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y's worbiggest nightmathreat as it resists Gale Wings Brave Bird from Talonflame, outpaces both of them normally, and OHKOes both of them with a single hit, not to mention their partner will more than likely of flinching. Mega Aerodactyl's Speed and Tough Claws-boosted Sky Drop make it a terror to face when paired with a set up sweeper or a powerful Pokemon that needs an opponent put out of play for a turn. Also, it eases prediction when targeting the Pokemon that Mega Aerodactyl has picked up since it cannot Protect on the turn it falls. Similarly, Mega Aerodactyl cannot use Protect when using Sky Drop on the opponent either and, unlike its supportive cousin set, does not have a Focus Sash to save it from a potential KO on its way down. USo, use Sky Drop conservatively. Roost is used to boostincrease Mega Aerodactyl's longevity so it can keep flinch fishing with Rock Slide or supporting its teammates with Sky Drop. Roost makes Mega Aerodactyl a much larger pain to face in general. Protect is to give Mega Aerodactyl's partner a turn to KO or cripple Mega Aerodactyl's check /or counter as well as havingto use in to many situations to mention. Taunt can be used to help Mega Aerodactyl against Smeargle and Amoonguss, s well anand makinge them more or less useless. Tailwind is an fantastic Speed control move that a good amount of teams are based around. Although Mega Aerodactyl generally isn't on Tailwind teams, it can still use the move and should never be completely out of question when choosing a Tailwind user. Wide Guard can save many of Mega Aerodactyl's teammates from the multitude of spread moves that are thrown arounused.

Set Details
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The EVs are rather specific in that they allow Mega Aerodactyl to sponge a Choice Specs Thunderbolt from Rotom-A formes while in Sandstorm. It is also able to survive a critical hit Stone Edge from a Salamence with a hindering Attack nature. The Speed investment is thereused to outrun Talonflame before Mega Evolving and to outrun base 80 Speed Pokemon with a Choice Scarf, namely Rotom-A and Gardevoir, after. Unnerve has elevated priority when announcing itself, so Pressure is used instead to scout for Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Salamence before Aerodactyl Mega Evolves. Unnerve is also useless since it will become Tough Claws after Aerodactyl Mega Evolves.

Usage Tips
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Mega Aerodactyl has much more potential staying power than its base forme, so make use of this staying power by using Roost and Protect at the correct times. Make sure that Mega Aerodactyl is in a Sandstorm when it is out as the Special Defense boost from Sandstorm is extremely noticeable and will end upcan savinge Mega Aerodactyl a lot of the time. When using Sky Drop, be sure to have planned out how you are going to keep Mega Aerodactyl safe when it drops the opponent since it predictably cannot puse Protect this turn. Similarly, use the turn that an opponent is dropped to your advantage since the opponent cannot use Protect that turn either, leaving them open to a potential KO. This can also save Mega Aerodactyl if the opponent in question had the ability to KO it. Burns take a good chunk out of Mega Aerodactyl's survivability, especially when using Sky Drop, while also weakening it its two attacking moves. Keeping burns away from Mega Aerodactyl is pretty important, especially in a format saturated withfull of Will-O-Wisp users. Whenever Mega Aerodactyl has done its job and is left with nothing to do, it can always fish for Rock Slide flinches.

Team Options
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Sand Stream is always needed when using Mega Aerodactyl in order to ensure that it gets the most out of its bulk investment. This makes Hippowdon and Tyranitar very good partners despite the weaknesses both of they share with Mega Aerodactyl. However, Amoonguss and Ferrothorn can help cover these weaknesses while also dealing with Mega Aerodactyl's most common counter: Rotom-W. Pokemon that require set- up(No dash) and powerful attackers enjoy Mega Aerodactyl's consistent Sky Drop support and the occasional flinch from Rock Slide. Hydreigon, Aegislash, Gyarados, Scrafty, Bisharp and many more fall under this category.

Other Options
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Stone Edge is Aerodactyl's strongest STAB Rock-type move but its poor accuracy and Rock Slide's flinch chance and spread effect make Stone Edge a rather poor option in comparison. Iron Head can be used on Mega Aerodactyl to KO Choice Scarf Gardevoir but Mega Aerodactyl does not have the moveslot for a luxury coverage move like this. Smack Down is an interesting STAB option for any Aerodactyl that can be used on a team based around heavy usage of Earthquake, but Rock Slide is preferred on most team builds. Rock Tomb is a spread STAB move with a guaranteed Speed lowering effect and can be used for limited Speed control. It is weak when compared to Rock Slide,(AC) though,(AC) and Aerodactyl already has a much more reliable Speed control method inwith Tailwind. Fire Fang is a usable Fire-type move to hit Mawile and Aegislash to an extent. Be careful when using it against Ferrothorn because Aerodactyl will break its Focus Sash on Iron Barbs and could be KOed in the same turn if Ferrothorn gouses for Gyro Ball. Fire Blast is also an option because of this. With good Special Attack IVs and a Special Attack hindering nature, Fire Blast does slightly more damage than Fire Fang will depending on the Pokemon targeted. It will also save Aerodactyl's Focus Sash should it attack Ferrothorn, allowing it to live the possible incoming Gyro Ball after. Both Fire-type moves are very difficult to fit on a set since there is hardly any room luxuryfor coverage moves like them on either Aerodactyl set.

Checks & Counters
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**Electric-types**: Mega Manectric can outrun Aerodactyl and either bring it down to its Focus Sash, or KO it, should it have taken prior damage. Mega Aerodactyl can outspeed Mega Manectric and can use Sky Drop on it to stall a turn although it will get hit hard by Manectric on its way down. Mega Manectric also Intimidates Aerodactyl, making Rock Slide and Sky Drop less powerful. All formes of bulky Rotom-A can all take a hit from any Aerodactyl and either bring it down to its Focus Sash to set up a KO, KO it if it has taken prior damage, or cripple Mega Aerodactyl with Will-O-Wisp. However, Rotom-H and Rotom-S lose if they flinch from Rock Slide. Choice Scarf Rotom-A variants don't need to worry about Rock Slide's flinch chance from base Aerodactyl as they can outspeed it and they will still bring it down to its Focus Sash or KO it.

**Steel-types**: Mawile not only Intimidates Aerodactyl but it can also KO it or bring it down to its Focus Sash after it Mega Evolves with Iron Head. It can also bypass Rock Slide's flinch chance with Sucker Punch. Mega Mawile can easily set up a Substitute or Swords Dance on any Aerodactyl lacking Taunt or the rare Fire-type attack. Aegislash can easily set up a Substitute in front of any Aerodactyl lacking Taunt and can KO it or bring it down to its Focus Sash with Flash Cannon. Aerodactyl's rare Fire-type attacks do next to nothing to an Aegislash in sShield fForme. Ferrothorn can KO Aerodactyl much like the other two but it needs to watch out for extremely uncommon Fire Blast.(Yeah, I doubt anyone is going to run Fire Blast, so this mention is probably unnecessary.)

**Swift Swim uUsers in rain**: Every single user of Swift Swim can KO Aerodactyl with their STAB attacks while outrunning it under rain.

**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine ignores Aerodactyl's Focus Sash by KOing it with Icicle Spear. It can also bypass Rock Slide's flinch chance with Ice Shard.

**Sableye**: Sableye bypasses Rock Slide's flinch chance with its ability Prankster,(AC) giving +1 priority to all of its non-attacking moves. It can shut down Aerodactyl's ability to use Protect and set up Tailwind with priority Taunt and can also burn Aerodactyl with Will-O-Wisp.

**Rhyperior**: Rhyperior can KO Aerodactyl regardless of its Focus Sash with Rock Blast. It is immune to Sky Drop and its high Defense coupled with its resistance to Rock Slide means Aerodactyl can do literally do nothinglittle to it. It is also a common user of Wide Guard which can block Rock Slide entirely.

**Gyarados**: Gyarados can Thunder Wave both Aerodactyl and its partner, making Tailwind effectively useless and almost ensuringe Aerodactyl can never set it up again. It Intimidates Aerodactyl and also KOes or brings it down to its Focus Sash with Waterfall. Gyarados does have a weakness to Rock Slide though,(AC) so it will lose if it flinches too many times.

Well done. Just try to avoid all the fluff next time. Shoot for short and simple over drawn out.

GP 2/2
 
Last edited:

Inspirited

There is usually higher ground.
is a Contributor Alumnus
However, Unnerve has priority when announcing itself,(I don't actually even know what that means, so change that to make it a little bit more understandable.)
In the ingame of XY, Unnerve will always go first when abilities announce their flavor texts regardless of your opponent's Pokemon's Speed. (this isn't the case on PS for some reason but I did put it in the bug tracker earlier today)
Example using Unnerve Aerodactyl:
You send out and Unnerve Aerodactyl and your opponent sends out an Choice Scarf Salamence with Intimidate. Unnerve will activate and reveal its flavor text before Salamence's Intimidate activates although Salamence is faster due to it Choice Scarf.

Example using Pressure Aerodactyl:
You send out Pressure Aerodactyl while your opponent sends out Choice Scarf Salamence with Intimidate. Intimidate will activate and show its effect and flavor text before Aerodactyl's Pressure, indicating that Salamence is somehow faster than your max Speed Jolly natured Aerodactyl. This means Salamence is carrying a Choice Scarf. If Pressure activates first before Intimidate, then Salamence is not faster then Aerodactyl.

I am unsure of how to better explain it at the moment, but I will PM it to you for checking when I come up with something.

If EVed correctly, tThese Pokemon can KO their respective checks after setting up the same turn as Aerodactyl drops said check.(Wait, they can remove a check but Aerodactyl is going to remove the check?)
The EVed correctly statement is kind of important since you want Dragon Dance users to outslow Aerodactyl by 1 point when they are at +1. You want your Dragon Dance user to be EVed to have 133 Spe. (100 EVs on Zard, ect.)
Example:
You have Aerodactyl and a Charizard (DD Mega Charizard X) out on the field while your opponent leads with a Garchomp and a Rotom-H. The only threat to Charizard at this time is Garchomp whom you have Aerodactyl take into the sky with Sky Drop while Charizard Mega Evolves and uses Dragon Dance. Rotom-H will use TBolt / Volt Switch which will either miss Aero, or do small damage to Mega Zard X. Mega Charizard X, after its Dragon Dance, can now hit a Garchomp with Dragon Claw when it is dropped by Aerodactyl. If Mega Charizard X outspeeds Aerodactyl at +1, then it cannot hit Garchomp because Aerodactyl drops it after Charizard has moved. It is then susceptible to Garchomp's own Dragon Claw / Earthquake. There are also a couple situations like this involving DD Gyarados and its checks as well.

Protect is to give Mega Aerodactyl's partner a turn to KO or cripple Mega Aerodactyl's check /or counter as well as havingto use in to many situations to mention.
I ended up changing this because of the grammar standard that says Pokemon don't Die, they faint:
WreckDra said:
Knowing this, don't play Aerodactyl recklessly if you don't need to.
I hope this is fine with you.
 

Lord Alphose

All these squares make a circle
is a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Okay, those look fine to me. And the "Knowing this..." part looks good, since it isn't quite fluff. It actually has some practical value to it that could potentially help some noob someday.
 

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