Gary
Can be abrasive at times (no joke)
Skeleton done by Ezio
Weather nerf ain't taken me down!
[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Tyranitar has high Attack and fantastic bulk.</li>
<li>Its Dark-type STAB move's, Crunch and Pursuit, are now neutral to the Steel-type.</li>
<li>Posses a very diverse movepool with access to Fire Blast, Ice Beam, and Stealth Rock.</li>
<li>Assault Vest and the nerfs to many special attacks allow Tyranitar to take special hits even better than before.</li>
<li>It was gifted with a very powerful, bulky Mega Evolution.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>Sand Stream now only activates sandstorm for 5 turns instead of indefinitely.</li>
<li>Its weakness to common Fighting-type attacks, most forms of priority, and the new Fairy-type really hinder its defensive capabilities.</li>
<li>Tyranitar is very slow.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Support<br />
move 1: Stealth Rock / Fire Blast<br />
move 2: Pursuit<br />
move 3: Crunch<br />
move 4: Rock Slide<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Leftovers / Assault Vest<br />
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD<br />
nature: Careful / Sassy</p>
<p>Tyranitar's impressive bulk combined with its useful resistances and movepool allow it to function as a formidable tank. While sandstorm is in effect, Tyranitar has an incredibly high Special Defense stat, and with full investment it can take on a wide variety of special attackers in OU, such as Goodra, Starmie, and Noivern. Furthermore, Tyranitar is one of the best overall answers to Talonflame, resisting both of its STAB moves and threatening to OHKO back with Rock Slide. Stealth Rock is a fantastic option on Tyranitar because it finds a lot of opportunities to set them up against many offensive and defensive threats. On top of this, the Pokemon with access to Magic Bounce are all threatened by Tyranitar's Dark-type moves, which keeps them from being able to switch in safely. If you already have a user of Stealth Rock on your team, then Fire Blast is a fine option for nailing Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn before they try to set up entry hazards on Tyranitar. Pursuit is incredibly useful for trapping Gengar, Starmie, and other frail sweepers such as Talonflame before they try to switch out. Crunch provides Tyranitar with a more powerful Dark-type STAB move to use against bulkier Pokemon that don't fear Pursuit, such as Aegislash, Gourgeist, and Trevanent. Rock Slide rounds off the set by giving Tyranitar a Rock-type STAB to hit Salamence, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame, but Fire Blast is still an option if hitting physically defensive Steel-types is more important.</p>
<p>A Careful nature and max investment in Special Defense gives Tyranitar as much durability as possible, but a Sassy nature is preferred if you choose to run Fire Blast or Ice Beam so they aren't weakened by the lowered Special Attack. Speaking of which, Ice Beam is a fine alternative to Fire Blast or Rock Slide if Gliscor is an issue, and it can also hit Garchomp and Dragonite very hard on the switch. Earthquake has great synergy with Rock Slide and can deal solid damage to Aegislash without having to worry about the massive Attack drop from King's Shield. Stone Edge is always an option over Rock Slide if you prefer power over accuracy, but it's not recommended. The choice of item depends entirely on what role you want Tyranitar to fulfill for your team. Leftovers gives this set much-needed passive recovery so Tyranitar isn't worn down so easily and allows Stealth Rock to be used. Assault Vest on the other hand forgoes the ability to use Stealth Rock and passive recovery for an absolutely absurd amount of special bulk that makes Tyranitar capable of withstanding almost any form of special attacking moves in the tier, and it's the better option overall if you need Tyranitar to function as more of a sponge. Smooth Rock is an option if maintaining Sand Stream for eight turns is more important than the extra bulk or longevity, and it pairs well with Sand Rush Excadrill because the extra turns give it more opportunities to sweep. Tyranitarite is always an option if your team has an expendable Mega slot. With this item, Tyranitar's bulk, offensive presence, and even Speed are all significantly increased once it Mega Evolves, but it has a downside of no recovery or the ability to run another Mega Evolution with it.</p>
<p>Tyranitar is best paired with Pokemon that appreciate the lack of Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Lucario have the best overall synergy with Tyranitar because they can sweep more efficiently once Ghost- and Psychic-types are disposed of. On the flip side, Tyranitar needs to be paired with teammates that can either wall or check Fighting-type Pokemon. Gourgeist has amazing defensive synergy with Tyranitar because it counters most of the Fighting-types, as well Azumarill, which completely destroys Tyranitar. Talonflame can check Breloom, Lucario, and Conkeldurr with its STAB priority Brave Bird, while Starmie threatens them with Psyshock. Mega Venusaur is a fantastic check to Rotom-W and Azumarill, and it performs best when Psychic-type Pokemon are absent. It's highly recommended to run a Rapid Spin user if you choose not to run Leftovers, or else Tyranitar will be easily worn down. Excadrill is a good choice because it can also use its ability, Sand Rush, to take advantage of Tyranitar's Sand Stream.</p>
<p>name: Choice Scarf<br />
move 1: Pursuit<br />
move 2: Crunch<br />
move 3: Earthquake<br />
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Beam<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Choice Scarf<br />
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe<br />
nature: Jolly</p>
<p>When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Tyranitar's abysmal Speed stat is drastically increased, allowing for it to pose as a solid revenge killer. With its access to Pursuit and great coverage, Tyranitar can revenge kill a large pool of offensive Pokemon that reside in the tier, such as Starmie, Espeon, Talonflame, Gengar, Volcarona, and Salamence. Keep in mind that Tyranitar still misses out on Alakazam and Greninja, both of which can deal massive damage with a coverage move. Pursuit is the most important move of the set, as it allows Tyranitar to trap and OHKO Starmie, Gengar, and Espeon before they try to switch out, while also denting frail sweepers like Talonflame. Crunch offers Tyranitar with a reliable STAB Dark-type move to hit bulkier Pokemon such as Metagross, Gourgeist, and Trevanent harder than Pursuit. Earthquake hits Magnezone, Toxicroak, and Lucario for super effective damage, and it most importantly deals solid indirect damage to Aegislash so it can't cripple Tyranitar with King's Shield. The last move depends solely on what you need Tyranitar to revenge kill. Stone Edge gives Tyranitar a powerful STAB Rock-type move to smash Talonflame, Salamence, and Volcarona, while Ice Beam is specifically for Gliscor, Garchomp, and Zygarde, which would wall this set otherwise.</p>
<p>Maximum Speed investment is necessary to ensure that Tyranitar can outspeed Starmie and other base 115 Speed Pokemon. It should be noted that Tyranitar has the capability of coming into weaker special attacks due to its naturally high Special Defense, which could potentially put the opponent in a checkmate situation. Because of Ice Beam being heavily weakened by the Jolly nature, it's highly recommended to run a Hasty nature in order to always OHKO Gliscor and sometimes Garchomp after Stealth Rock, but keep in mind that the lowered Special Defense will be greatly missed. Fire Blast is an option in the last moveslot to hit Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn harder than anything else. Fighting-type Pokemon can stop this set cold, so pairing Tyranitar with something like Talonflame, Starmie, or Alakazam is highly recommended. Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss are both hard counters to Rotom-W, which threatens to cripple Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. Excadrill pairs well with Tyranitar because of its Sand Rush ability and it can also provide Rapid Spin support to allow for more switch-in opportunities.</p>
<p>name: Choice Band<br />
move 1: Crunch<br />
move 2: Pursuit<br />
move 3: Stone Edge<br />
move 4: Earthquake / Ice Fang<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Choice Band<br />
evs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant</p>
<p>A Choice Band not only turns Tyranitar into one of the most terrifying Pokemon in the metagame, but also into a fearsome wallbreaker. With its 134 base Attack, near-perfect STAB combination coverage-wise, and insane bulk, Choice Band Tyranitar is the definition of a hard-hitting tank. Because of the Steel-type no longer resisting Dark-type moves, Tyranitar is now a lot harder to switch into. Crunch is the main Dark-type STAB move used rip apart Ghost-types such as Gourgeist and Trevanent while dealing heavy damage to pretty much everything else. Pursuit is what makes this set so terrifying; Starmie, Gengar, and Espeon are all OHKOed regardless of whether they switch out or not, allowing Tyranitar to trap them with ease. Talonflame and other frail sweepers also take massive damage from Pursuit if they decide to switch out. Stone Edge is an incredibly powerful STAB Rock-type move that just obliterates anything that doesn't resist it, OHKOing Talonflame, Volcarona, Dragonite, and Gyarados with ease. In fact, Stone Edge is so powerful that it has the capability to 2HKO physically defensive Skarmory after Stealth Rock, an insane feat. Earthquake hits Lucario and Toxicroak for super effective damage while also avoiding the Attack drop from Aegislash's King's Shield. If Aegislash isn't much of an issue, Ice Fang is a fantastic alternative to break through Gliscor, also OHKOing Garchomp on the switch.</p>
<p>The EVs and Adamant nature are to ensure that Tyranitar hits as hard as possible, while the Speed EVs are to outpace Skarmory and 2HKO it on the switch before it can Roost off the damage. Keep in mind that Tyranitar's insane bulk makes it more than capable of switching into a myriad ofnon-super effective special attacks, which instantly puts the opponent in a bad situation. Fire Fang is an option in the final moveslot for dealing a massive amount of damage to Ferrothorn and Forretress, but it's useless otherwise, because Stone Edge and Crunch already do a decent chunk to them. Although this set needs little support to succeed, there are still a few teammates that should be partnered with Tyranitar in order for it to reach its maximum potential. Lucario is by far one of the most annoying Pokemon for Choice Band Tyranitar to face, as it can set up on Tyranitar's Dark-type STAB moves, get an Attack boost due to its ability, Justified, and proceed to slaughter Tyranitar. With that said, Breloom and Talonflame are great checks to Lucario due to their powerful STAB priority moves. Dugtrio can trap Lucario and many other problematic Pokemon, such as opposing Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Toxicroak. Starmie provides Tyranitar with valuable Rapid Spin support and a solid check to Fighting-types in exchange for the removal of special walls such as Blissey. Azumarill is quite problematic, as it resists Crunch and can OHKO Tyranitar with Play Rough. Mega Venasaur completely walls Azumarill and has good defensive synergy with Tyranitar.</p>
<p>name: Dragon Dance<br />
move 1: Dragon Dance<br />
move 2: Crunch<br />
move 3: Stone Edge<br />
move 4: Earthquake / Ice Fang<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Tyranitarite<br />
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe<br />
nature: Jolly</p>
<p>Tyranitar recently received an incredible buff in the form of a Mega Evolution with significantly higher defenses, higher Attack, and most importantly a juiced-up Speed stat. Although Tyranitar was once deemed too slow to run a successful Dragon Dance set, Mega Tyranitar reaches an impressive 397 Speed after a single boost, allowing it to outspeed almost all of the unboosted metagame. On top of all this, Mega Tyranitar's incredibly high Attack stat and monstrous defenses makes it one of the most terrifying sweepers in the metagame, capable of tearing apart the tier once it sets up, and even has the ability to take a lot more physical attacks. For example, Mega Tyranitar takes only 66.66 - 78.94% from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. Crunch is very powerful coming off of a base 164 Attack stat, decimating Starmie, Gengar, and Trevanent, while dealing an incredible amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Even Ferrothorn is potentially 2HKOed by a +1 Crunch after Stealth Rock. Stone Edge destroys Fire-types such as Talonflame, Volcarona, and both Mega Charizard evolutions. Skarmory and Forretress both face a 2HKO from Stone Edge, while a majority of the tier is just straight up OHKOed by it. Earthquake rounds off the set by hitting Aegislash without having to worry about the massive Attack drop while also smashing Lucario, Excadrill, and opposing Tyranitar. If these aforementioned threats aren't much of a problem, Ice Fang is an alternative to OHKO defensive Gliscor, Garchomp, and Zygarde while dealing solid damage to Hippowdon.</p>
<p>Max Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are so that Mega Tyranitar can hit as hard as possible while being able to outspeed a majority of the tier after a boost. Although an Adamant nature may seem tempting due to the incredible boost in power, Mega Tyranitar will miss out on outspeeding Greninja, Noivern, and Alakazam. Fire Fang is a decent option in the last moveslot to always OHKO Scizor and Ferrothorn at +1, but Stone Edge and Crunch already hit both of them so hard that Earthquake and Ice Fang are preferred for better coverage. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Breloom, Chesnaught, and Conkeldurr are a still a big issue for Tyranitar, as they resist both of its STAB moves and take little damage from coverage moves. Talonflame can retaliate against them with Brave Bird, while Espeon checks them with Psychic and has the added bonus of potentially bouncing back entry hazards. Speaking of which, entry hazards are very important in snagging certain OHKOes, such as on defensive Gliscor, Scizor, and also breaking Focus Sashes. Skarmory has great defensive synergy with Tyranitar and can set up entry hazards in the face of Fighting-types. Mega Tyranitar struggles to break through Hippowdon, so Greninja is a recommended partner because it can blast through Hippowdon with a STAB Water-type move, while also having the added advantage of setting up Spikes.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Hippowdon is probably the most reliable Tyranitar counter because it can easily stall out physical attacks with Slack Off and lacks a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves. Tyranitar lacking Ice Beam are generally shut down by Gliscor, while those lacking Fire Blast have trouble breaking through Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and other bulky Steel-type Pokemon. Fighting-types resist both of Tyranitar's STABs and can retaliate with powerful super effective moves. Chesnaught can use Leech Seed and Spiky Shield to drain Tyranitar's health and often carries a Fighting-type move.</p>
<p>Any faster Pokemon packing a Fighting-type move can easily dispatch Tyranitar's defensive sets. Any Speed-boosting Tyranitar is vulnerable to Mach Punch from Breloom, while Scizor can deal massive damage to it with Bullet Punch, as can Azumarill with Aqua Jet or Play Rough. Azumarill is a great check to most of Tyranitar's sets in general with a powerful STAB Play Rough or Waterfall. Conkeldurr resists both of Tyranitar's STAB moves and can can threaten to decimate it with Drain Punch. Garchomp and Lucario can potentially set up by forcing out Tyranitar with their powerful Close Combat and Earthquake. Dugtrio has the ability to trap and dispose of Tyranitar thanks to its ability, Arena Trap. Diggersby can decimate Tyranitar with a STAB Earthquake.</p>
Weather nerf ain't taken me down!
[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Tyranitar has high Attack and fantastic bulk.</li>
<li>Its Dark-type STAB move's, Crunch and Pursuit, are now neutral to the Steel-type.</li>
<li>Posses a very diverse movepool with access to Fire Blast, Ice Beam, and Stealth Rock.</li>
<li>Assault Vest and the nerfs to many special attacks allow Tyranitar to take special hits even better than before.</li>
<li>It was gifted with a very powerful, bulky Mega Evolution.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>Sand Stream now only activates sandstorm for 5 turns instead of indefinitely.</li>
<li>Its weakness to common Fighting-type attacks, most forms of priority, and the new Fairy-type really hinder its defensive capabilities.</li>
<li>Tyranitar is very slow.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Support<br />
move 1: Stealth Rock / Fire Blast<br />
move 2: Pursuit<br />
move 3: Crunch<br />
move 4: Rock Slide<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Leftovers / Assault Vest<br />
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD<br />
nature: Careful / Sassy</p>
<p>Tyranitar's impressive bulk combined with its useful resistances and movepool allow it to function as a formidable tank. While sandstorm is in effect, Tyranitar has an incredibly high Special Defense stat, and with full investment it can take on a wide variety of special attackers in OU, such as Goodra, Starmie, and Noivern. Furthermore, Tyranitar is one of the best overall answers to Talonflame, resisting both of its STAB moves and threatening to OHKO back with Rock Slide. Stealth Rock is a fantastic option on Tyranitar because it finds a lot of opportunities to set them up against many offensive and defensive threats. On top of this, the Pokemon with access to Magic Bounce are all threatened by Tyranitar's Dark-type moves, which keeps them from being able to switch in safely. If you already have a user of Stealth Rock on your team, then Fire Blast is a fine option for nailing Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn before they try to set up entry hazards on Tyranitar. Pursuit is incredibly useful for trapping Gengar, Starmie, and other frail sweepers such as Talonflame before they try to switch out. Crunch provides Tyranitar with a more powerful Dark-type STAB move to use against bulkier Pokemon that don't fear Pursuit, such as Aegislash, Gourgeist, and Trevanent. Rock Slide rounds off the set by giving Tyranitar a Rock-type STAB to hit Salamence, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame, but Fire Blast is still an option if hitting physically defensive Steel-types is more important.</p>
<p>A Careful nature and max investment in Special Defense gives Tyranitar as much durability as possible, but a Sassy nature is preferred if you choose to run Fire Blast or Ice Beam so they aren't weakened by the lowered Special Attack. Speaking of which, Ice Beam is a fine alternative to Fire Blast or Rock Slide if Gliscor is an issue, and it can also hit Garchomp and Dragonite very hard on the switch. Earthquake has great synergy with Rock Slide and can deal solid damage to Aegislash without having to worry about the massive Attack drop from King's Shield. Stone Edge is always an option over Rock Slide if you prefer power over accuracy, but it's not recommended. The choice of item depends entirely on what role you want Tyranitar to fulfill for your team. Leftovers gives this set much-needed passive recovery so Tyranitar isn't worn down so easily and allows Stealth Rock to be used. Assault Vest on the other hand forgoes the ability to use Stealth Rock and passive recovery for an absolutely absurd amount of special bulk that makes Tyranitar capable of withstanding almost any form of special attacking moves in the tier, and it's the better option overall if you need Tyranitar to function as more of a sponge. Smooth Rock is an option if maintaining Sand Stream for eight turns is more important than the extra bulk or longevity, and it pairs well with Sand Rush Excadrill because the extra turns give it more opportunities to sweep. Tyranitarite is always an option if your team has an expendable Mega slot. With this item, Tyranitar's bulk, offensive presence, and even Speed are all significantly increased once it Mega Evolves, but it has a downside of no recovery or the ability to run another Mega Evolution with it.</p>
<p>Tyranitar is best paired with Pokemon that appreciate the lack of Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Lucario have the best overall synergy with Tyranitar because they can sweep more efficiently once Ghost- and Psychic-types are disposed of. On the flip side, Tyranitar needs to be paired with teammates that can either wall or check Fighting-type Pokemon. Gourgeist has amazing defensive synergy with Tyranitar because it counters most of the Fighting-types, as well Azumarill, which completely destroys Tyranitar. Talonflame can check Breloom, Lucario, and Conkeldurr with its STAB priority Brave Bird, while Starmie threatens them with Psyshock. Mega Venusaur is a fantastic check to Rotom-W and Azumarill, and it performs best when Psychic-type Pokemon are absent. It's highly recommended to run a Rapid Spin user if you choose not to run Leftovers, or else Tyranitar will be easily worn down. Excadrill is a good choice because it can also use its ability, Sand Rush, to take advantage of Tyranitar's Sand Stream.</p>
<p>name: Choice Scarf<br />
move 1: Pursuit<br />
move 2: Crunch<br />
move 3: Earthquake<br />
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Beam<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Choice Scarf<br />
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe<br />
nature: Jolly</p>
<p>When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Tyranitar's abysmal Speed stat is drastically increased, allowing for it to pose as a solid revenge killer. With its access to Pursuit and great coverage, Tyranitar can revenge kill a large pool of offensive Pokemon that reside in the tier, such as Starmie, Espeon, Talonflame, Gengar, Volcarona, and Salamence. Keep in mind that Tyranitar still misses out on Alakazam and Greninja, both of which can deal massive damage with a coverage move. Pursuit is the most important move of the set, as it allows Tyranitar to trap and OHKO Starmie, Gengar, and Espeon before they try to switch out, while also denting frail sweepers like Talonflame. Crunch offers Tyranitar with a reliable STAB Dark-type move to hit bulkier Pokemon such as Metagross, Gourgeist, and Trevanent harder than Pursuit. Earthquake hits Magnezone, Toxicroak, and Lucario for super effective damage, and it most importantly deals solid indirect damage to Aegislash so it can't cripple Tyranitar with King's Shield. The last move depends solely on what you need Tyranitar to revenge kill. Stone Edge gives Tyranitar a powerful STAB Rock-type move to smash Talonflame, Salamence, and Volcarona, while Ice Beam is specifically for Gliscor, Garchomp, and Zygarde, which would wall this set otherwise.</p>
<p>Maximum Speed investment is necessary to ensure that Tyranitar can outspeed Starmie and other base 115 Speed Pokemon. It should be noted that Tyranitar has the capability of coming into weaker special attacks due to its naturally high Special Defense, which could potentially put the opponent in a checkmate situation. Because of Ice Beam being heavily weakened by the Jolly nature, it's highly recommended to run a Hasty nature in order to always OHKO Gliscor and sometimes Garchomp after Stealth Rock, but keep in mind that the lowered Special Defense will be greatly missed. Fire Blast is an option in the last moveslot to hit Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn harder than anything else. Fighting-type Pokemon can stop this set cold, so pairing Tyranitar with something like Talonflame, Starmie, or Alakazam is highly recommended. Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss are both hard counters to Rotom-W, which threatens to cripple Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. Excadrill pairs well with Tyranitar because of its Sand Rush ability and it can also provide Rapid Spin support to allow for more switch-in opportunities.</p>
<p>name: Choice Band<br />
move 1: Crunch<br />
move 2: Pursuit<br />
move 3: Stone Edge<br />
move 4: Earthquake / Ice Fang<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Choice Band<br />
evs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant</p>
<p>A Choice Band not only turns Tyranitar into one of the most terrifying Pokemon in the metagame, but also into a fearsome wallbreaker. With its 134 base Attack, near-perfect STAB combination coverage-wise, and insane bulk, Choice Band Tyranitar is the definition of a hard-hitting tank. Because of the Steel-type no longer resisting Dark-type moves, Tyranitar is now a lot harder to switch into. Crunch is the main Dark-type STAB move used rip apart Ghost-types such as Gourgeist and Trevanent while dealing heavy damage to pretty much everything else. Pursuit is what makes this set so terrifying; Starmie, Gengar, and Espeon are all OHKOed regardless of whether they switch out or not, allowing Tyranitar to trap them with ease. Talonflame and other frail sweepers also take massive damage from Pursuit if they decide to switch out. Stone Edge is an incredibly powerful STAB Rock-type move that just obliterates anything that doesn't resist it, OHKOing Talonflame, Volcarona, Dragonite, and Gyarados with ease. In fact, Stone Edge is so powerful that it has the capability to 2HKO physically defensive Skarmory after Stealth Rock, an insane feat. Earthquake hits Lucario and Toxicroak for super effective damage while also avoiding the Attack drop from Aegislash's King's Shield. If Aegislash isn't much of an issue, Ice Fang is a fantastic alternative to break through Gliscor, also OHKOing Garchomp on the switch.</p>
<p>The EVs and Adamant nature are to ensure that Tyranitar hits as hard as possible, while the Speed EVs are to outpace Skarmory and 2HKO it on the switch before it can Roost off the damage. Keep in mind that Tyranitar's insane bulk makes it more than capable of switching into a myriad ofnon-super effective special attacks, which instantly puts the opponent in a bad situation. Fire Fang is an option in the final moveslot for dealing a massive amount of damage to Ferrothorn and Forretress, but it's useless otherwise, because Stone Edge and Crunch already do a decent chunk to them. Although this set needs little support to succeed, there are still a few teammates that should be partnered with Tyranitar in order for it to reach its maximum potential. Lucario is by far one of the most annoying Pokemon for Choice Band Tyranitar to face, as it can set up on Tyranitar's Dark-type STAB moves, get an Attack boost due to its ability, Justified, and proceed to slaughter Tyranitar. With that said, Breloom and Talonflame are great checks to Lucario due to their powerful STAB priority moves. Dugtrio can trap Lucario and many other problematic Pokemon, such as opposing Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Toxicroak. Starmie provides Tyranitar with valuable Rapid Spin support and a solid check to Fighting-types in exchange for the removal of special walls such as Blissey. Azumarill is quite problematic, as it resists Crunch and can OHKO Tyranitar with Play Rough. Mega Venasaur completely walls Azumarill and has good defensive synergy with Tyranitar.</p>
<p>name: Dragon Dance<br />
move 1: Dragon Dance<br />
move 2: Crunch<br />
move 3: Stone Edge<br />
move 4: Earthquake / Ice Fang<br />
ability: Sand Stream<br />
item: Tyranitarite<br />
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe<br />
nature: Jolly</p>
<p>Tyranitar recently received an incredible buff in the form of a Mega Evolution with significantly higher defenses, higher Attack, and most importantly a juiced-up Speed stat. Although Tyranitar was once deemed too slow to run a successful Dragon Dance set, Mega Tyranitar reaches an impressive 397 Speed after a single boost, allowing it to outspeed almost all of the unboosted metagame. On top of all this, Mega Tyranitar's incredibly high Attack stat and monstrous defenses makes it one of the most terrifying sweepers in the metagame, capable of tearing apart the tier once it sets up, and even has the ability to take a lot more physical attacks. For example, Mega Tyranitar takes only 66.66 - 78.94% from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. Crunch is very powerful coming off of a base 164 Attack stat, decimating Starmie, Gengar, and Trevanent, while dealing an incredible amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Even Ferrothorn is potentially 2HKOed by a +1 Crunch after Stealth Rock. Stone Edge destroys Fire-types such as Talonflame, Volcarona, and both Mega Charizard evolutions. Skarmory and Forretress both face a 2HKO from Stone Edge, while a majority of the tier is just straight up OHKOed by it. Earthquake rounds off the set by hitting Aegislash without having to worry about the massive Attack drop while also smashing Lucario, Excadrill, and opposing Tyranitar. If these aforementioned threats aren't much of a problem, Ice Fang is an alternative to OHKO defensive Gliscor, Garchomp, and Zygarde while dealing solid damage to Hippowdon.</p>
<p>Max Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are so that Mega Tyranitar can hit as hard as possible while being able to outspeed a majority of the tier after a boost. Although an Adamant nature may seem tempting due to the incredible boost in power, Mega Tyranitar will miss out on outspeeding Greninja, Noivern, and Alakazam. Fire Fang is a decent option in the last moveslot to always OHKO Scizor and Ferrothorn at +1, but Stone Edge and Crunch already hit both of them so hard that Earthquake and Ice Fang are preferred for better coverage. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Breloom, Chesnaught, and Conkeldurr are a still a big issue for Tyranitar, as they resist both of its STAB moves and take little damage from coverage moves. Talonflame can retaliate against them with Brave Bird, while Espeon checks them with Psychic and has the added bonus of potentially bouncing back entry hazards. Speaking of which, entry hazards are very important in snagging certain OHKOes, such as on defensive Gliscor, Scizor, and also breaking Focus Sashes. Skarmory has great defensive synergy with Tyranitar and can set up entry hazards in the face of Fighting-types. Mega Tyranitar struggles to break through Hippowdon, so Greninja is a recommended partner because it can blast through Hippowdon with a STAB Water-type move, while also having the added advantage of setting up Spikes.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Hippowdon is probably the most reliable Tyranitar counter because it can easily stall out physical attacks with Slack Off and lacks a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves. Tyranitar lacking Ice Beam are generally shut down by Gliscor, while those lacking Fire Blast have trouble breaking through Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and other bulky Steel-type Pokemon. Fighting-types resist both of Tyranitar's STABs and can retaliate with powerful super effective moves. Chesnaught can use Leech Seed and Spiky Shield to drain Tyranitar's health and often carries a Fighting-type move.</p>
<p>Any faster Pokemon packing a Fighting-type move can easily dispatch Tyranitar's defensive sets. Any Speed-boosting Tyranitar is vulnerable to Mach Punch from Breloom, while Scizor can deal massive damage to it with Bullet Punch, as can Azumarill with Aqua Jet or Play Rough. Azumarill is a great check to most of Tyranitar's sets in general with a powerful STAB Play Rough or Waterfall. Conkeldurr resists both of Tyranitar's STAB moves and can can threaten to decimate it with Drain Punch. Garchomp and Lucario can potentially set up by forcing out Tyranitar with their powerful Close Combat and Earthquake. Dugtrio has the ability to trap and dispose of Tyranitar thanks to its ability, Arena Trap. Diggersby can decimate Tyranitar with a STAB Earthquake.</p>
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