OU Aerodactyl

CyclicCompound

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Usage Tips in both sets need to be expanded a lot, particularly in the second set. Even "straightforward" sets can have a lot to mention - when can you sacrifice Mega Aerodactyl? When should you keep it? When do you use Taunt, or Roost, or a certain coverage move? Try to fill this section up with as much relevant information as possible. Right now, a new user might be a little confused. State more specifically what a "stallbreaker" is, since this term is often unfamiliar to newer players.

In the stallbreaker team options, mention Toxic support, as the presence of Taunt means poisoned Pokemon will waste turns trying to recover. You also need to mention a Pokemon to take care of Mega Venusaur, as it is very common on stall, balanced, and bulky offensive teams alike and can easily threaten Mega Aerodactyl thanks to its bulk and super effective Giga Drain if Aerodactyl attempts to Roost.

Mention Stealth Rock in the moves section of the second set, as Mega Aerodactyl is a capable (though not ideal) setter. You need more wallbreakers in team options that can deal with the physically bulky Pokemon mentioned in checks and counters.

Fix all of those things and tag me when you're finished, I'll take another look at it.
 

alexwolf

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Mega Aero with HP and Defense investment is a great Pokemon on defensive teams, to counter threats such as Landorus, Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Staraptor, Tornadus-T, and Mega Zard Y. It also helps defensive teams to not be very passive, by giving them a Pokemon that can outspeed and revenge kill Pokemon, a very useful trait.

So yeah, i think that either a defensive set should be added, or at least a defensive spread should be mention in the Set Details of the Taunt + Roost set.
 

CyclicCompound

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Okay, good, usage tips are much better now. You'll still need to expand team options, particularly in the second set - the only wallbreaking-capable Pokemon mentioned is Keldeo, who cannot typically wallbreak against fully defensive teams.

Landorus-T should be mentioned under checks and counters, probably under the "bulkier pokemon" section. I'd actually like to see this split into two sections - one for bulky attackers and one for defensive walls. Bulky offensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Rhyperior, Mega Mawile, and Heatran (for non-EQ sets) should be under bulky attackers, while proper physical walls like Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Slowbro should be in another.

I'd give this a QC check but I want to wait until we explore a defensive set.
 

Jukain

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k so i actually prefer aerial ace + aqua tail on taunt roost coverage after testing with tesung and by myself quite a few times at this point. it's just better coverage than edgequake on the relevant threats of this meta. you get nice se coverage on hera and medi. you're faster than keldeo and with aa can actually revenge kill it. aqua tail busts through landi with ease and actually lets you do nice damage to landt/gliscor/hippo. aqua tail still covers rak/tran. have a nice 4x se move with which to hit breloom. taunt + aqua tail still breaks skarm. basically you get great, relevant coverage vs mons aero should be able to check and in general, plus you don't have to worry about stone edge missing all the time as your moves are significantly more accurate. any thoughts?
 

alexwolf

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For a defensive spread i have been using this: 240 HP / 165 Atk / 104 Spe with a Jolly nature, and the moveset that Jukain mentioned, Taunt / Roost / Aqua Tail / Aerial Ace. The Atk EVs allow Mega Aero to always 2HKO defensive Mega Venu after SR, so you don't have to go to Taunt or Aerial Ace mindgames, they give to Mega Aero a 43.8% chance to OHKO Keldeo and Terrakion after SR, and a 93.8% chance to OHKO Landorus after SR (Aero checks this). The HP EVs allow Mega Aero to avoid the 2HKO from CB Talonflame and Mega Pinsir's Return, and that's it i think. 104 Spe EVs outspeed Thundurus before MEvo and up to Greninja and +1 Dragonite after MEvo. Rock Slide over Aqua Tail is still a very good option though, because Rock Slide OHKOes BU Talonflame regardless of boosts, OHKOes Mega Pinsir and Staraptor, OHKOes Mega Zard Y, and OHKOes Thundurus, which is useful if you rely on Mega Aero to deal with NP Thundurus. 3 attacks is also perfectly viable as Taunt is not mandatory.

Oh, and i definitely agree that Aqua Tail + Aerial Ace > Stone Edge + Earthquake, you can actually beat bulky Ground-types reliably, revenge kill Keldeo, Mega Medicham, and Mega Heracross, and beat some Grass-types that could check you before, such as Mega Venusaur, Breloom, and Amoonguss. And what does Earthquake even cover? Heatran is 2HKOed by Aqua Tail and can only hope for a 30% chance to burn with Lava Plume, and most other stuff are dealt with by Aqua Tail better (Terrakion, Tyranitar, Excadrill). Earthquake has its uses against Bisharp, Lucario, Magnezone, Raikou, and Mega Ampharos, but none of those wants to switch into Mega Aero in the first place, except maybe from Mega Ampharos. On the other hand, Aqua Tail covers the way more important Hippowdon, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Landorus, and Fire-types, so that Mega Aero is free to use Aerial Ace to deal with Fighting- and Grass-types.
 
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alexwolf

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The spread on the Roost + Taunt set should be this: 244 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe with Adamant. Atk EVs allow Mega Aerodactyl to OHKO Keldeo and Terrakion 99% of the time with Aqua Tail and Aerial Ace respectively, 44 Def prevents CB Talonflame from 2HKOing, and Speed allows Mega Aero to outspeed base 110s before MEvolving and anything up to Grenina and Weavile after MEvolving.
 
Please fix your checks and counters; they show no indication of what Pokemon even uses the moves that cripple it (status, priority). You need to elaborate on the common battle conditions as well.

**Status**: All forms of status cripple Mega Aerodactyl in some way; Will-o-Wisp neuters its Attack, Thunder Wave cripples its Speed, and Toxic sets it on a timer.

Almost all status users barring Thundurus are slower for their status moves, so they already lose to the Taunt set. The offensive set has Ice Fang for Toxic Gliscor, Fire Fang for Ferrothorn, Earthquake for Will-o-Wisp Heatran, Stone Edge for Will-o-Wisp Mega Charizard X. Make sure your checks and counters have examples that show common battle conditions, and are actually relevant to the Pokemon in question, which isn't really for the status section. It is comparable to me writing an analysis on Alomomola and saying that the move Petal Blizzard is a counter.

Tag me once you're done and I'll go over it again.
 
Sandstorm support is great for Mega Aero and Hippodown has a good synergy with it, you should mention this in Team Options.
 

alexwolf

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The spread on the Roost + Taunt set should be this: 244 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe with Adamant. Atk EVs allow Mega Aerodactyl to OHKO Keldeo and Terrakion 99% of the time with Aqua Tail and Aerial Ace respectively, 44 Def prevents CB Talonflame from 2HKOing, and Speed allows Mega Aero to outspeed base 110s before MEvolving and anything up to Grenina and Weavile after MEvolving.
What about this unfixable?
 
I am not talking about the defensive set, i am talking about a better spread on the RoostTaunt set.
I'm talking about this post:
Mega Aero with HP and Defense investment is a great Pokemon on defensive teams, to counter threats such as Landorus, Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Staraptor, Tornadus-T, and Mega Zard Y. It also helps defensive teams to not be very passive, by giving them a Pokemon that can outspeed and revenge kill Pokemon, a very useful trait.

So yeah, i think that either a defensive set should be added, or at least a defensive spread should be mention in the Set Details of the Taunt + Roost set.

And yeah, I'll edit in the correct EV spread rn.

EDIT; Added
 
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alexwolf

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I am talking about this one:
The spread on the Roost + Taunt set should be this: 244 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe with Adamant. Atk EVs allow Mega Aerodactyl to OHKO Keldeo and Terrakion 99% of the time with Aqua Tail and Aerial Ace respectively, 44 Def prevents CB Talonflame from 2HKOing, and Speed allows Mega Aero to outspeed base 110s before MEvolving and anything up to Grenina and Weavile after MEvolving.
:D
 

alexwolf

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I am not talking about the defensive set, i am talking about the Roost + Taunt set and suggest a minor EV change that allows Mega Aero to OHKO Terrakion and Keldeo more reliably without really missing the extra Speed.
 

fleurdyleurse

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hi
Overview
########
When wielding its mMega sStone, Aerodactyl can mMega eEvolve into a powerful Pokemon with a blazing fast Speed stat of 150 and a high Attack stat of 135. Mega Aerodactyl's typing enables it to check Talonflame because itAerodactyl resists itTalonflame's main STAB attacks and can easily OHKO in return with its own STAB moves. Mega Aerodactyl's great Speed and coverage, along with its ability to check many offensive threats, makes it a very good Pokemon. This is quite important for hyper offense teams, which often lack a solid way to stop Talonflame. BirdS spam, in general, is also taken care of quite nicely,; this includemeans Staraptor and Mega Pinsir are dealt with. Mega Aerodactyl has surprisingly good bulk of 80 / 85 / 95, which allows it to sponge some neutral hits, and, with its unique resistances, it has nice sustainability. Its ability is also quite good, boosting its coverage moves to even more powerful levels and acting as a recoilless Life Orb. Its movepool is also quite large and enables it to utilize many options. The combination of Taunt and Roost also allows it to stay healthy throughout the match.
However, Mega Aerodactyl has a few flaws the hold it back from being a top threat. Firstly, it's weakness to the ever -present Stealth Rock is a real damper, as it instantly strippings away 25% of itAerodactyl's health just for switching in. Its typing comes with unfortunate weaknesses to common Water-, Rock-, and Ice-type moves as well. Common priority moves of these types also put a massive thorn in Aerodactyl's side, some priority includes Megauch as Scizor's Bullet Punch and Azumarill's Aqua Jet. Finally, its Speed isn't that great when running Adamant before it mMega eEvolves, leaving it outspeed by quite a lotfew Pokemon.
Stallbreaker
########
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Aerial Ace
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Roost
ability: Pressure
item: Aerodactylite
evs: 244 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Taunt is the main focus of this set, and allows itAerodactyl to shut down many defensive threats, such as Chansey, that rely on status moves, while; it also having haprevents theirm from recovery taken awaying health. Taunt also allows Mega Aerodactyl to beat threats it normally can't, such as Skarmory, Mew, and Hippowdon lacking Stone Edge. Aerial Ace is very good because it hits Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, and Keldeo super effectively. Running Aerial Ace ensures that Mega Aerodactyl can beat Grass-types that would otherwise wall it, such as Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur, and Breloom. Aqua Tail gets great coverage and hits Ground-types likesuch as Landorus and Hippowdon, while also hitting some other Pokemon such as Terrakion and Heatran for super effective damage. Aqua Tail and Taunt also allow Mega Aerodactyl to beat Skarmory, which it cannot do otherwise. Roost is Mega Aerodactyl's form of recovery, mitigating hazard damage and allowing it to stay healthy throughout the match. This set could also run a coverage move to handle a specific threat to your team,; however, this set usually covers most of the metagame as it is. Rock Slide is a notable option over Aqua Tail because of its ability to OHKO Talonflame, Mega Pinsir, Staraptor, Mega Charizard Y, and Thundurus, which Aerodactyl fails to do otherwise.
Set Details
========
44 Defense EVs are very important because they enable to Mega Aerodactyl to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird 100% ofall the time. 244 Attack EVs allow Mega Aerodactyl to OHKO Keldeo with Aerial Ace and Terrakion with Aqua Tail, while the Speed investment outspeeds Pokemon with base 110s Speed before mMega eEvolving, and anything up to Greninja after Mega Evolving. Theseis spread also allows defensive teams to not be so passive, because Mega Aerodactyl can outspeed and revenge kill many Pokemon thanks to its high Speed. Aerodactylite is chosen over another item such as Leftovers to enable Aerodactyl to mMega eEvolve and gain a lot of bulk, power, and Speed. Speaking of Leftovers, it may seem appealing, but, in the long run, Aerodactylite provides many more probenefits than Leftovers does, and Roost keeps it healthy as it is.
Usage Tips
========
Should the opponent carry a Talonflame, it's best to preserve Mega Aerodactyl to wall it. This is also a great idea against BirdS spam teams in general. The focus of this set is to break Sstall, making it much more effective against Sstall, so; always keep this in mind. Stallbreaking quite literally means a Pokemon who is very effective against Sstall teams and can often severely limit them. When facing Sstall teams, Taunt is key. Taunt prevents hazards from being set, status from being spread, and recovery moves from bein generalg used. Taunt is great versus entry hazard leads as well, meaning that leading with Mega Aerodactyl isn't a bad idea either, as it can mega eMgea Evolve early on in the game while keeping hazards off the field. Taunt is generally as wellso to prevent itMega Aerodactyl from being inflicted by status. Roost should be used when Mega Aerodactyl's health is below medium, but it should not be playused recklessly as it has limited PP. Keep in mind that Roost removes Mega Aerodactyl's type temporarily, meaning it can be hit with Earthquake on thise turn it uses Roost, so be cautious.
Team Options
========
Firstly, cleric support from the likes of Sylveon or Clefable is always helpful to rid status ailments and keep Mega Aerodactyl alive and healthy. The aforementioned Pokemon also have good synergy with Mega Aerodactyl, which is also an important factor when choosing any teammate. Toxic support is great because Taunt means that any poisoned Pokemon cannot recover theirits health, effectively crippling them. Hazard removal is beneficial because Mega Aerodactyl is weak to Stealth Rock, thus making Rapid Spin support from Excadrill or Defog support from Latios a good idea. Quagsire has nice synergy with Mega Aerodactyl and can wall powerful threats such as Garchomp and Mega Mawile that Mega Aerodactyl struggles against otherwise. Partners to break through Mega Venusaur are much appreciated, such partners include Kyurem-B or Landorus.
Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake / Fire Fang
move 3: Ice Fang
move 4: Aerial Ace
ability: Pressure
item: Aerodactylite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
This set takes a more offensively oriented approach than the lastprevious set. Stone Edge is a powerful STAB move, and, although it's not boosted by Tough Claws, still hits quite hard. Earthquake forms the infamous EdgeQuake combo and gets nearly flawless coverage. Fire Fang is also very helpful because it's boosted by Tough Claws and hits Steel-types, while also hitting Skarmory. Ice Fang is further boosted by Tough Claws and is important to hit Landorus and Garchomp, while hitting Hippowdon for decent damage. Aerial Ace is another STAB move boosted by Tough Claws,; it also hits Mega Venusaur and gets decent coverage all around. Aqua Tail isn't listed but is certainly a viable option to hit Hippowdon harder than Ice Fang,; however, Ice Fang gets much better coverage all-around and has the key niche of hitting Garchomp very hard. Hone Claws is Mega Aerodactyl's only way to boost Attack, but it's somewhat subpar compared to other setup sweepers such as Azumarill. Stealth Rock is another option because it provides support for its team and wears down potential switch -ins, although this is better left to a teammate.
Set Details
========
The current EV spread maximizes Mega Aerodactyl's power and Speed. The Speed EVs can be readjusted to outspeed certain Pokemon as well,; for example, with 176 Speed EVs, Mega Aerodactyl can outspeed max Speed Greninja after mMega eEvolving and invest more in bulk. 4 Defense EVs ensure Mega Aerodactyl takes minimal entry hazard damage as opposed to running 4 HP. Adamant nature increases Mega Aerodactyl's damage output, while Jolly doesn't allow Mega Aerodactyl to outspeed anything notable. Aerodactylite is used over a Life Orb or a Choice Band to allow Aerodactyl to mMega eEvolve and gain Tough Claws, Speed, bulk, and a lot more probenefits than other items provide.
Usage Tips
========
It is best to mMega eEvolve as soon as possible, gaining bulk and Speed, whereas before mMega eEvolving, it's not particularly bulky or fast. This is important because it can be outsped by quite a bit before mMega eEvolution, so be cautious! Using coverage when it is super effective is a given, and this set has plenty of coverage to hit the vast majority of OU. This set plays fairly simply, and there's not much to explain really, only to; attack when appropriate is the main thing to do. Prediction is also a key factor to this set, as if a Pokemon can correctly predict what move Mega Aerodactyl will use, the opponent can gain a free switch-in to a potential check or counter. Mega Aerodactyl can be used either early -game or late -game. When used during early -game, it should focus on wearing down offensive teams so a teammate can sweep a bit later in the match, while it can clean up late game if its partners have worn down bulkier Pokemon. Also, do note that thanks to Mega Aerodactyl's naturally high Speed, it can revenge kill some slower scarfers.
Team Options
========
As mentioned previously, Rapid Spin or Defog support is needed, making Latios and Excadrill good partners in this regard. Keldeo offers nice synergy and can break through Hippowdon with ease. Landorus is another wallbreaker that greatly helps by breaking down bulkier teams with ease. Klefki is an interesting partner that gets great synergy with Aerodactyl, can set Spikes to wear down switch -ins, and also paralyzes Choice Scarf users threatening to revenge kill Mega Aerodactyl. Hazard support, in general, is very good to wear down bulkier Pokemon and other switch -ins, meaning Tyranitar and Ferrothorn are also good partners to lay down Stealth Rock, or Spikes, in the latter's case. Hippowdon offers good synergy and provides Sand, which wears down the opponent slowly and boosts Mega Aerodactyl's Special Defense.
Other Options
########
Crunch is the first option because it provides nice coverage all-around and is also boosted by Tough Claws. Rock Slide is usable over Stone Edge for accuracy, but the power is greatly missed. Tailwind is a neatuseful option as a last-ditch resort to allow a weakened sweeper to come in after Mega Aerodactyl has fainted and aim to sweep once again. Iron Head is boosted by Tough Claws and hits Fairy-types hard, but has little use aside from this. A lead with Focus Sash and Stealth Rock could be used thanks to Aerodactyl's naturally high Speed. Thunder Fang hits Slowbro and other Water-types, while also being boosted by Tough Claws, but it has little use otherwise. Roar can be used to phasze, but Mega Aerodactyl's not bulky enough to pull it off and is way too fast as well. Fire Blast hits Skarmory and Ferrothorn very hard, but Fire Fang is often a much better choice. Finally, Rock Polish could be used if you really wanted to be super fast, but it's often a wasted moveslot.
Checks & Counters
########
**Types iIt's Weak To:** Mega Aerodactyl is weak to common Electric-, Ice-, Rock-, Steel-, and Water-type attacking moves, and it doesn't have the bulk to stomach these hits very well.
**Defensive Walls**: Bulkier Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Slowbro can live even super effective attacks and can regain health, while slowly wearing down Aerodactyl.
**Bulky Attackers**: Bulkier Pokemon that also have an offensive presence such as Landorus-T, Mega Mawile, and Rhyperior are good checks that can threaten iMega Aerodactyl ummediately in return,.
**Priority**: Mega Aerodactyl is weak to Aqua Jet and Bullet Punch, which both avoid Mega Aerodactyl's high natural Speed and hit it hard.


gp 1/2
 
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Ender

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Overview
########

When wielding its Mega Stone, Aerodactyl can Mega Evolve into a powerful Pokemon with a blazing fast Speed stat of 150 and a high Attack stat of 135. Mega Aerodactyl's typing enables it to check Talonflame because Aerodactyl resists Talonflame's main STAB attacks and can easily OHKO in return with its own STAB moves. Mega Aerodactyl's great Speed and coverage, along with its ability to check many offensive threats, makes it a very good Pokemon. This is quite important for hyper offense teams, which often lack a solid way to stop Talonflame. Birdspam, in general, is also taken care of quite nicely, [; to ,] as Aerodactyl easily defeats this means Staraptor and Mega Pinsir are dealt with. Mega Aerodactyl has surprisingly good bulk of 80 / 85 / 95 defenses, which allows it to sponge some neutral hits, and, with its unique resistances, it has nice longevity sustainability. Its ability boosts is also quite good, boosting its coverage moves to even more powerful levels and acts as a recoil-less Life Orb. Its movepool is also quite large and enables it to utilize many options. Additionally, the combination of Taunt and Roost also allows it to stay healthy throughout the match.
[consider making this just a single paragraph]
However, Mega Aerodactyl's weakness to the ever-present Stealth Rock is a real damper, as it instantly strips away 25% of Aerodactyl's health just for switching in. Its typing comes with unfortunate weaknesses to common Water-, Rock-, and Ice-type moves as well. Common priority moves of these types such as Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch and Azumarill's Aqua Jet are also put a massive thorn in Aerodactyl's side such as Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch and Azumarill's Aqua Jet. Finally, its Speed isn't stellar that great when running Adamant before it Mega Evolves, leaving it outsped by quite a few Pokemon.

Stallbreaker
########
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Aerial Ace
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Roost
ability: Pressure
item: Aerodactylite
evs: 244 Atk / 44 Def / 220 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Taunt is the main focus of this set [removed ,] and allows Aerodactyl to shut down many defensive threats, such as Chansey, that rely on status moves; it also prevents these threats them from recovering health. Taunt also allows Mega Aerodactyl to beat threats it normally can't, such as Skarmory, Mew, and Hippowdon lacking Stone Edge. Aerial Ace is very good because it hits Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, and Keldeo super effectively. Running Aerial Ace ensures that Mega Aerodactyl can beat Grass-types that would otherwise wall it, such as Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur, and Breloom. Aqua Tail gets great coverage and hits Ground-types such as Landorus and Hippowdon, while it also hits also hitting some other Pokemon such as Terrakion and Heatran for super effective damage. Aqua Tail and Taunt also allow Mega Aerodactyl to beat Skarmory, which it cannot do otherwise. Roost is Mega Aerodactyl's form of recovery, mitigating hazard damage and allowing it to stay healthy throughout the match. This set could also run a coverage move to handle a specific threat to your team; however, it usually covers most of the metagame as it is. Rock Slide is a notable option over Aqua Tail because of its ability to OHKO Talonflame, Mega Pinsir, Staraptor, Mega Charizard Y, and Thundurus, which Aerodactyl cannot otherwise do fails to do otherwise.

Set Details
========

44 Defense EVs are very important because they enable to Mega Aerodactyl to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird all the time. 244 Attack EVs allow Mega Aerodactyl to OHKO Keldeo with Aerial Ace and Terrakion with Aqua Tail, while the Speed investment outspeeds Pokemon with 110 base Speed before Mega Evolving, and anything up to Greninja after Mega Evolving. This spread also allows gives defensive teams some offensive presence to not be so passive, because Mega Aerodactyl can outspeed and revenge kill many Pokemon thanks to its high Speed. Aerodactylite is chosen over another item such as Leftovers to enable Aerodactyl to Mega Evolve and gain a lot of bulk, power, and Speed. Speaking of Leftovers, it may seem appealing, but, In the long run, Aerodactylite provides many more benefits than Leftovers does, and Roost keeps it healthy as it is.

Usage Tips
========

Should the opponent carry a Talonflame, it's best to preserve Mega Aerodactyl to wall it. This is also a great idea against Birdspam teams in general. Keep in mind that this set is meant to break stall and thus is most effective against stall teams. The focus of this set is to break stall, making it much more effective against stall; always keep this in mind. Stallbreaking quite literally means a Pokemon who is very effective against stall teams and can often severely limit them. When facing Stall teams, Taunt is key. Taunt prevents hazards from being set, status from being spread, and recovery moves being used. Taunt is great versus against entry hazard leads as well, meaning that leading with Mega Aerodactyl isn't a bad idea either, as it can Mega Evolve early on in the game while keeping hazards off the field. Taunt is also to prevents Mega Aerodactyl from being inflicted with by status. Roost should be used when Mega Aerodactyl's health is low, but it should not be used recklessly, [comma] as it has limited PP. Keep in mind that Roost removes Mega Aerodactyl's type temporarily, meaning it can be hit with Earthquake on the turn it used Roost, so be cautious.

Team Options
========

Firstly, Cleric support from the likes of Sylveon or Clefable is always helpful to remove rid status ailments and keep Mega Aerodactyl alive and healthy. These aforementioned Pokemon also have good synergy with Mega Aerodactyl, which is also an important factor to consider when choosing any teammate. Toxic support is great because Taunt means that any poisoned Pokemon cannot recover its health, effectively crippling it them. Hazard removal is beneficial because Mega Aerodactyl is weak to Stealth Rock, thus making Rapid Spin support from Excadrill or Defog support from Latios a good idea. Quagsire has nice synergy with Mega Aerodactyl and can wall powerful threats such as Garchomp that Mega Aerodactyl struggles against otherwise. Partners such as Kyurem-B or Landorus that can to break through Mega Venusaur are much appreciated, such partners include Kyurem-B or Landorus.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake / Fire Fang
move 3: Ice Fang
move 4: Aerial Ace
ability: Pressure
item: Aerodactylite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

This set takes a more offensively oriented approach than the previous set. Stone Edge is a powerful STAB move, and, although it's not boosted by Tough Claws, it hits quite hard. Earthquake completes forms the infamous EdgeQuake combo and gets nearly flawless coverage. Fire Fang is also very helpful because it's boosted by Tough Claws and hits Steel-types, while also hitting Skarmory. Ice Fang is further boosted by Tough Claws and is important to hit Landorus and Garchomp, while also hitting Hippowdon for decent damage. Aerial Ace is another STAB move boosted by Tough Claws; it also hits Mega Venusaur and gets decent coverage all around. Aqua Tail isn't listed but is certainly a viable option to hit Hippowdon harder than Ice Fang; however, Ice Fang gets much better coverage all-around and specifically hits has the key niche of hitting Garchomp very hard. Hone Claws is Mega Aerodactyl's only way to boost Attack, but the result is it's somewhat subpar compared to what other setup sweepers such as Azumarill can do. Stealth Rock is another option because it provides support for its team and wears down potential switch-ins, although this is better left to a teammate.

Set Details
========

The current EV spread maximizes Mega Aerodactyl's power and Speed. The Speed EVs can be readjusted to outspeed certain Pokemon as well; for example, with 176 Speed EVs, Mega Aerodactyl can outspeed max Speed Greninja after Mega Evolving and invest more in bulk. 4 Defense EVs instead of 4 HP EVs ensure Mega Aerodactyl takes minimal entry hazard damage as opposed to running 4 HP. Adamant nature increases Mega Aerodactyl's damage output, while Jolly doesn't allow Mega Aerodactyl to outspeed anything notable. Aerodactylite is used over a Life Orb or a Choice Band to allow Aerodactyl to Mega Evolve and gain Tough Claws, Speed, bulk, and a lot more benefits than other items provide.

Usage Tips
========

It is best to Mega Evolve as soon as possible [removed ,] to gain gaining bulk and Speed, whereas before Mega Evolving, it's not particularly bulky or fast. This is important because it can be outsped by quite a bit before Mega Evolution, so be cautious! Using coverage moves when it is super effective is a given, and this set has plenty of coverage moves to hit the vast majority of OU with. This set plays fairly simply, and there's not much to explain: [; to :] attacking when appropriate is the main objective of this set thing to do. Prediction is also a key factor for to this set, as if a Pokemon can correctly predict what move Mega Aerodactyl will use, the opponent can gain a free switch-in to a potential check or counter. Mega Aerodactyl can be used either early-game or late-game. When used early-game, it should focus on wearing down offensive teams so a teammate can sweep a bit later in the match, while it can clean up late-game if its partners have worn down bulkier Pokemon. Also, do note that thanks to Mega Aerodactyl's naturally high Speed, it can revenge kill some slower Scarfers.

Team Options
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As mentioned previously, Rapid Spin or Defog support is needed, making Latios and Excadrill good partners in this regard. Keldeo offers nice synergy and can break through Hippowdon with ease. Landorus is another wallbreaker that greatly helps by breaking down bulkier teams with ease. Klefki is an interesting partner that gets great synergy with Aerodactyl, can set Spikes to wear down switch-ins, and also paralyzes Choice Scarf users threatening to revenge kill Mega Aerodactyl. Hazard support, in general, is very good useful to wear down bulkier Pokemon and other switch-ins, making meaning Tyranitar and Ferrothorn are also good partners as well to lay down Stealth Rock, or Spikes, in the latter's case. Hippowdon offers good synergy and provides Sand, which wears down the opponent slowly and boosts Mega Aerodactyl's Special Defense.

Other Options
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Crunch is the first option because it provides nice coverage all-around and is also boosted by Tough Claws. Rock Slide is usable over Stone Edge for accuracy, but the Stone Edge's power is greatly missed. Tailwind is a useful option as a last-ditch effort resort to allow a weakened sweeper to come in after Mega Aerodactyl has fainted and aim try to sweep once again. Iron Head is boosted by Tough Claws and hits Fairy-types hard, but has little use aside from this. A lead set with Focus Sash and Stealth Rock could be used thanks to Aerodactyl's naturally high Speed. Thunder Fang hits Slowbro and other Water-types, while also being boosted by Tough Claws, but it has little use otherwise. Roar can be used to phaze, but Mega Aerodactyl is not bulky enough to pull it off and is way much too fast as well. Fire Blast hits Skarmory and Ferrothorn very hard, but Fire Fang is often a much better choice. Finally, Rock Polish could be used if you really wanted to be super fast, but it's often a wasted moveslot.

Checks & Counters
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**Types It's Weak To**: [changed position of :] Mega Aerodactyl is weak to common Electric-, Ice-, Rock-, Steel-, and Water-type attacking moves, and it doesn't have the bulk to stomach these hits very well.

**Defensive Walls**: Bulkier Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Slowbro can survive live even super effective attacks and can regain health, while slowly wearing down Aerodactyl.

**Bulky Attackers**: Bulkier Pokemon that also have offensive presence such as Landorus-T and Rhyperior are good checks that can immediately threaten Mega Aerodactyl immediately in return.

**Priority**: Mega Aerodactyl is weak to Aqua Jet and Bullet Punch, both of which circumvent which both avoid Mega Aerodactyl's naturally high natural Speed and hit it hard.
 
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