Community POTW #010

[Serebii]

Time for the next Pokémon of the Week

This week is a classic

This week we're covering Tyranitar

https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/tyranitar/

Go nuts

 

[Galefuun]

Believe in the Peeko

Dragon Dance
Stone Edge
Crunch
Fire Punch/ Superpower/ Earthquake
Item: Weakness Policy
Ability: Sand Stream
Nature: Adamant
EV Spread: 252 Atk 252 Sp 4 See

With amazing bulk TTar can run as a reliable late-game bulky sweeper. Max speed investment is needed to Outspeed Rotom after a Dragon Dance. With Sand Stream plus access to Dynamax TTar can tank a super effective hit activating it's Weakness Policy to give it monstrous offensive power. Stone Edge and Crunch are you're run-of-the-mill STAB coverage. Fire punch is helpful against Ferrothorn and Corviknight obliterated them after getting boosted. Meanwhile Superpower can punish Bisharp and other TTar's from ruining you're day. Earthquake can stop Electric types.


Partners:

Gyarados: Can check Gastrodon and Seismitoad thanks to power whip, pummeling bulky answers to TTAR.
Togekiss: Answers Fighting types well and offers great coverage.
Rotom W/H/M : All are useful electric types that can take out Mandibuzz and Corviknight. The difference comes from their coverage.
Mow can handle Toad and Don while being a crucial answer to Rotom W.
Wash is there to take out Hippowdon and Excadrill.
Heat obilterates steel types in it's Vicinity.

 

[SwiftGrovyle]

Lol you guys know if I’m here someone messed up on the latest. This is the first set you put up:
Movesets

Choice Scarf

-U-Turn
-Nuzzle
-Zing Zap
-Iron Head / Volt Switch
Item Attached: Lightning Rod / Iron Barbs
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature

Togedemaru doesn’t get serene grace. You even mentioned in the introductory that it gets Iron Barbs and Lightning Rod, and it’s Hidden Ability is Sturdy. This is why we talk about abilities separately before the main sets.

As for our old boy T-tar, lemme give you something interesting for “other options”:
1. An Assualt Vest set seems plausible, because it would stack nicely with the additional Special Defense boost that Rock types get from sandstorms, giving an approximate 2.2x multiplier. But T-tar mostly benefits from its bulk to impose on its opponents and set up. This would mostly work best in a format that would allow Dynamaxing, especially given the extra health and the ability to apply Max Knuckles, Quakes, and the occasional Max Lightning.

2. Weakness Policy seems really nice, especially when you can set up a Dragon Dance alongside it, but truthfully, it’s situational, especially with that 4x weakness to Fighting. Again, it’s another option that would be best in a format that allows Dynamaxing.

 

[Divine Retribution]

Tyranitar suffered pretty badly this generation due to losing Pursuit, which he was previously the best user of. Despite that, he's still absolutely a viable pick as he still has the same combination of fantastic stats, an immense movepool, and great offensive typing that he's always had, but he can no longer reliably prevent the likes of Gengar and Choice-locked Aegislash from ravaging the rest of his team as they are free to switch out of him without risking Pursuit.

He also got handed a mixed bag in Dynamax. On one hand, his typing really isn't optimal for Dynamaxing. He doesn't particularly benefit from the side effects of either of his STABs. He already naturally summons Sandstorm with his ability, so Max Rockfall is kind of redundant, and being primarily physically inclined, he doesn't really benefit from the Sp. Def drops from Max Darkness either. On the other hand, the HP boost from Dynamax takes him from bulky to insane, snacking on even 4X effective Fighting moves quite comfortably in many cases.

252 SpA Choice Specs Gengar Focus Blast vs. 168 HP / 0 SpD Dynamaxed Tyranitar in Sand: 264-312 (68.9 - 81.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Aegislash-Blade Close Combat vs. 168 HP / 0 Def Dynamaxed Tyranitar: 280-332 (73.1 - 86.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Weakness Policy is a gimmick if you don't intend to Dynamax him, but if you do intend to Dynamax him, almost nothing is going to OHKO him and he has a ton of weaknesses to exploit it with, so he can usually safely activate it. On the other hand, even after a Dragon Dance he's quite slow and vulnerable to being revengekilled by common Scarfers, so you need to make sure those Pokemon are dealt with beforehand, or some sort of Speed control (such as Sticky Web) is offered.

 

[Mestorn]

Tyranitar, pseudo-legendary of the 2nd generation, one of the premier Sandstorm setters and terror of many teams. Tyranitar has been a nightmare since its inception, and looks to remain that way, even into the future.

Tyrant in the Sand (Doubles/VGC)
Tyranitar
Ability: Sandstream
Item: Smooth Rock/Air Balloon
-Rock Slide
-Crunch/Snarl/Assurance
-Breaking Swipe/Earthquake
-Protect
Nature: Adamant (+ATK, -SATK) OR Brave (+ATK -SPE)
EVs: 84 HP/204 ATK/4 DEF/0/12 SDEF/204 SPE OR 180 HP/252 ATK/76 SATK

Tyranitar is a terror in doubles having a wide and varied moveset and a myriad of support option. Of most significant note is it's ability Sand Stream. Tyranitar remains one of the best users of the ability, synergizing with Sandstorm, getting a sizeable SDEF boost and getting chip damage on opponents, allowing it to reach for KOs that would otherwise be out of reach. This, on top of fueling other abilities like Excadrill's Sand Rush, Rhyperior's SDEF boost and countering other weathers like Torkoal's Drought and Pelipper's Drizzle can immediately reverse momentum back to your side (note that Torkoal is naturally slower than Tyranitar, so if they are sent out at the same time, Torkoal's Drought will take precedence).

Rock Slide is the STAB of choice, hitting both targets and having a decent flinch chance on the off chance that Tyranitar outpspeeds the opposition (or out slows under trick room). For your secondary STAB you have a few choices. Crunch is the reliable single target STAB of Choice, hitting hard with no drawbacks. Assurance is an interesting choice, for if Tyranitar is paired with a faster Pokémon that can hit both opponents with a spread move or if you want to focus fire, Assurance becomes a massive base 120 Dark move that will likely take out anything that doesn't resist/extremely bulky. However, focus firing can be risky if your opponent decides to protect, so keep that in mind. Snarl while weak (and requiring different investment), but as a STAB spread move that reduces SATK, it certainly has its merits.

For coverage moves, Earthquake is as always a fantastic option hitting a wide variety of types hard for massive damage, while Breaking Swipe is an excellent counterpart to Snarl, being physical and reducing both target's ATK, though being Dragon typed means relatively poor coverage and no selled by fairies.

Protect is fantastic for Doubles, and especially Tyranitar enabling it to get a bit more chip damage with Sandstorm, as well as blocking focus fire attempts on the relatively bulky Tyranitar. Additionally many of Sandstorm's best abusers (Excadrill, Rhyperior) like Earthquake, which Tyranitar does not like eating.

For items, Smooth Rock enables a longer Sandstorm while Air Balloon enables both Tyranitar and its earthquaking partner to attack as well as blocking other Ground type assaults.

 

[GeeGee]

Pros:
+Dark/Rock is a powerful typing both offensively and defensively, providing some key resistances such as dark, ghost, fire and flying
+134/95/61 offenses and a huge offensive movepool make Tyranitar a monster threat that can dish out a ton of damage
+100/110/100 defenses make Tyranitar ridiculously beefy and almost impossible to OHKO or even 2HKO when dynamaxed
+sand stream provides sand support for Excadrill, as well as raising all rock types special defense, and also dealing chip damage and breaking sturdies and sashes

Cons:
-Rock/Dark has a ton of weaknesses, including a nasty 4x to fighting, as well as ground, water, grass, fairy, and more
-61 speed is pretty low, even with a tailwind or dragon dance boost

VGC
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
Item: Weakness policy
Ability: Sand stream
Ev's: 252 HP/4Atk/252Spe
Moves: -Crunch
-Rock slide
-Superpower/Fire Punch/Iron Tail
-Protect

Max HP and Max Speed are ideal for weakness policy, giving Tryanitar a huge health pool (especially when dynamxed) and the weakness policy grants Tyranitar a lot of damage even without investment thanks to its naturally high attack. Max speed is nice to become a serious threat with +2 attack and especially with speed support like tailwind or thunder wave, but you can run a bulkier spread instead if you want. Crunch and rock slide are the main STABs, Superpower hits other Tyranitar, Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Duraludon. Fire punch hits Corviknight and Whimsicott, as well as Rotom-M.