Flygon
[Overview]
<p>Flygon was well-known in DPP for being the best Choice Scarf user in the tier; however, this generation has brought so many new threats to OU, that it has dropped down to UU, where it fits in just right. Being one of only two fully evolved Dragon-types in the tier is one of its main draws, but unlike its fellow Dragon-type, Kingdra, it lacks good boosting moves; but fret not, as Flygon doesn't need them in order to do what it does best. Its fantastic typing, which leaves it with only two weaknesses and gives it a great STAB combination that is only resisted by Bronzong in the tier, along with access to U-turn, and its ability, Levitate, which gives it an immunity to Spikes, make it one of the best Choice item users in the tier. In general, the only thing about Flygon which you might find disappointing is its relatively average Attack stat, but if you play to its strengths, it will never let you down, as it is just such a fantastic team player.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This has been Flygon's standard set since its days in DPP OU. It is widely regarded as one of the best Choice Scarf users, due to its good STAB coverage, virtual immunity to entry hazards, and access to U-turn. Offensive teams always have trouble keeping up with it, because they're never quite sure whether it's going to attack or simply U-turn to maintain momentum on its side. Earthquake and Outrage are Flygon's fantastic STAB moves which give it neutral coverage on everything in the metagame, bar Bronzong. They're both high powered moves, so they should make a dent in just about anything, despite Flygon's average Attack stat. You should, however, be very careful of using them carelessly, as they're not difficult to take advantage of and the latter can even end up getting Flygon killed. The final moveslot is quite filler, but Fire Punch does a little damage to Bronzong and takes care of Escavalier, who otherwise switches in with little fear.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are straightforward: maximum Speed and Attack for optimal revenge killing capabilities, with the remainder thrown into Special Defense to mess with Download Pokemon. A Jolly nature is preferable because it lets Flygon outrun other common Choice Scarf users, such as Darmanitan and Krookodile, but an Adamant one is usable if your team has another way of dealing with these threats. Also worthy of note is that Adamant Flygon still outruns Jolly Heracross and other positive base Speed 85 Pokemon. Dragon Claw is a useful alternative in the fourth moveslot, as it gives Flygon a reliable STAB move to hit Levitating threats such as Mismagius without the need to lock itself into Outrage. However, its overall damage output is quite pathetic, so be conscious of this if you opt to use it. Stone Edge is also usable, primarily for Zapdos, but it's not very reliable due to its shaky accuracy and the fact that the same Steel-types which like to come in on Outrage, resist it.</p>
<p>Due to its tendency to spam U-turn, Flygon often forces your opponent to switch a lot. Because of this, Spikes support from Pokemon such as Froslass or Roserade is appreciated. Steel-types make excellent defensive partners, as they can easily switch in on Ice- and Dragon-type attacks aimed at Flygon. Bronzong is especially noteworthy, as it can also lay down Stealth Rock to rack up even more residual damage. Offensively, Grass- and Fire-types, such as Shaymin and Victini, are the best partners. The former can come into the bulky Water-types, such as Slowbro, that Flygon typically U-turn's out of and threaten with a high powered STAB move, whereas the latter can do the same with Steel-types.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn / Roost
move 4: Dragon Claw / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although it looks similar, this set plays quite differently from the first one. Instead of focusing on scouting and revenge killing, its purpose is to do as much damage as possible to the opposing team. A Choice Band allows Flygon to 2HKO almost everything in the metagame with the appropriate move, while a Life Orb gives up a bit of power and access to U-turn in exchange for Roost and the ability to switch moves. The magic of this set lies in Flygon's excellent dual STAB. Outrage is Flygon's strongest move and is the move you'll be using most. Earthquake is used mostly to hit the Steel-types that resist Outrage, bar Bronzong and possibly Escavalier. Dragon Claw simply gives Flygon a Dragon-type STAB to use should it need to finish off a slower threat which can tank an Earthquake, but doesn't want to be locked into Outrage afterwards. Fire Punch gives Flygon a good way of heavily damaging Bronzong, which resists every other move on this set, and also nets an OHKO against Escavalier.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs simply maximize Flygon's offensive potential and ensure that opposing Download Pokemon don't get a Special Attack boost when they switch in. A Jolly nature is preferred because Flygon likes to outpace enemy Roserade, non-Scarf Darmanitan and Krookodile, and at worst, tie with opposing base Speed 100s, but an Adamant one is usable if you don't mind missing out on these things. Toxic is a useful alternative in the fourth moveslot, as it lets Flygon cripple some of its common switch ins, namely Gligar, defensive Zapdos, and bulky Water-types. As a final note, U-turn should be used with Choice Band, while Roost should be used with Life Orb.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are useful to make Flygon an even bigger threat, especially if using U-turn, as with compounded residual damage, it becomes even harder to tank its hits. Therefore, its a good idea to pair Flygon with Spikes users, such as Froslass and Roserade; the former is able to switch into the Ice-type moves aimed at Flygon, while the latter can set up on the bulky Water-types that usually switch into it. Defensively, Steel-types such as Escavalier make good partners, as their presence on your team discourages the use of Outrage as a means of dealing with Flygon. Kingdra makes a good offensive partner, as Flygon can use its offensive prowess to weaken the opposing designated Dragon counter and then have Kingdra sweep later. Similarly, Krookodile can take advantage of the weakened Ground-type resists Flygon will likely leave behind and use the opportunity to sweep late game.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Flygon's stats and movepool are best suited for the specific roles outlined above, but it does have some interesting alternatives which can be used if your heart so desires. A Mixed Life Orb attacker with Draco Meteor, Earthquake, Fire Blast and Outrage is viable, but due to Flygon's lackluster base 80 Special Attack, its damage output is usually disappointing. Although it lacks the conventional boosting moves, Flygon does get Hone Claws; however, the Attack boost is minimal and it cannot take advantage of the Accuracy boost, leaving this a subpar option. A SubRoost + Toxic set is also somewhat viable, as Flygon's STAB Earthquake will hit Poison- and Steel-types super effectively. The problem is that Flygon has to not only give up its Dragon-type STAB, but also a lot of Attack in favor of investing in bulk, which makes this set unappealing. A Choice Specs set with Earth Power, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse or U-turn, and Fire Blast is also an option, but it runs into the same problem as the Mixed LO set— Flygon's below average Special Attack. Other interesting moves Flygon has access to include ThunderPunch, Crunch, and Dragon Tail, all of which can be used if your team is in need of such tools.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The Choice Scarf set is not very threatening offensively, but countering it is a pain because of its tendency to use U-turn a lot. On the other hand, the Physical Attacker is extremely threatening offensively, as it can 2HKO a huge part of the metagame with the appropriate move. Gligar is probably the only hard counter to any Flygon set, as it has sufficient bulk to take even repeated Choice Band Outrages, Roost to heal off the damage, and usually carry Toxic to slowly wear the dragon down. Bronzong is the next best thing, as it resists both of Flygon's STAB moves and has a strong Gyro Ball to threaten back with. It needs to watch out for Fire-type moves though. Escavalier is in a similar boat, and can even Pursuit an escaping Flygon, but it needs to be careful of switching into Earthquake as well as Fire-type moves, as they do a lot of damage. Slowbro is generally a safe bet, especially since it has Regenerator to heal off any damage U-turn might cause; however, even it succumbs to repeated Choice Band Outrages. Suicune and Milotic work similarly, but they lack Regenerator, so they'll be hard pressed to keep up with repeated U-turns coupled with entry hazard damage. A Physically Defensive Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice is also a pretty good check, as it has access to Roost to heal off any damage incurred, although it needs to watch out for Stone Edge and Choice Band Outrages.</p>
