In-battle formes
Base
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| HP: | 105 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Attack: | 150 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 90 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 150 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 90 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 95 |
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Mega
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| HP: | 105 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Attack: | 180 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 180 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 115 |
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Strategies
- en
Overview
As the premier offensive threat in Anything Goes, Mega Rayquaza boasts incredible attacking stats backed by a stellar movepool. Base 115 Speed is quite solid and lets it outpace many offensive threats, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde-C. Mega Rayquaza further benefits from being able to hold an item unlike other Mega Evolutions, making it unpredictable and dangerous. This allows it to run multiple movesets viably, making Mega Rayquaza incredibly difficult to deal with before its set is revealed. However, while base 115 speed is quite fast, Mega Rayquaza can be outpaced by Arceus as well as other faster threats such as Mega Gengar and Ultra Necrozma. While its bulk is above average for an offensive threat when combined with Delta Stream, repeated uses of Dragon Ascent leave it vulnerable to priority from the likes of Arceus and Marshadow.
Dragon Dance
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Moves
Dragon Ascent is required for Mega Evolution and provides Mega Rayquaza a powerful Flying-type attack. Dragon Dance allows Mega Rayquaza to outpace most threats and threaten to sweep. Extreme Speed picks off faster Pokemon and revenge kills weakened threats. Earthquake can hit many Flying-type answers, including Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Steel, and Necrozma-DM. V-create is a potent option that allows Mega Rayquaza to beat certain checks such as Celesteela and Skarmory. However, the Speed drop from usage limits Mega Rayquaza's ability as a sweeper and leaves it unable to defeat Arceus-Rock or Tyranitar alone.
Set Details
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature maximize Mega Rayquaza's offensive power, while 252 Speed EVs allow it to Speed tie with opposing Mega Rayquaza as well as outspeed the likes of Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and bulkier Arceus formes. Life Orb is used to boost Rayquaza's attacking abilities, allowing Dragon Ascent to 2HKO almost anything that does not resist Flying.
Usage Tips
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza should set up sparingly, as once it has set up Dragon Dance, it is unlikely to switch out until it has been revenge killed. Try to bring Mega Rayquaza on Pokemon it can counter or force out, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Eliminating priority users such as Marshadow and opposing Mega Rayquaza before attempting to set up is necessary to avoid being revenge killed after just one KO. Against bulkier teams, Dragon Ascent may be spammed liberally to deal heavy damage to switch-ins. Try to keep Mega Rayquaza healthy in case it is needed for revenge killing purposes; however, it is often a good choice to utilize Mega Rayquaza to heavily damage a threat such as Arceus-Fairy so teammates such as Bulk Up Marshadow can sweep later on.
Team Options
Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza is incredibly versatile and as such can work well with almost anything due to its sheer power and utility. However, Mega Rayquaza does greatly appreciate suicide leads such as Deoxys-S and Excadrill that can set up and prevent entry hazards. As offensive partners, Rock Polish Necrozma-DM greatly appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to weaken checks such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, while in return it can counter troublesome Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Primal Kyogre pairs well with Mega Rayquaza, since both of them pressure Primal Groudon, while Kyogre also heavily threatens most support Arceus formes. Yveltal and Groudon provide strong offensive presences that can weaken many of Mega Rayquaza's checks. Calm Mind Arceus-Steel can clean late-game after Mega Rayquaza has worn down many of its checks, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Kyogre, and Primal Groudon. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates Mega Rayquaza's ability to pressure Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon. Lunala along with Rayquaza can completely tear apart defensive cores, as the two have perfect offensive coverage.
Choice Scarf
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Moves
Dragon Ascent hits decently hard even without Life Orb and can 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier. V-create is fantastic coverage that hits Steel-types, notably Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM, super effectively. Draco Meteor OHKOes Zygarde before Power Construct as well as hitting Tyranitar and Primal Groudon for more damage than Dragon Ascent would. Earthquake can hit Arceus-Rock and Steel-types without dropping Mega Rayquaza's Speed, and Surf is used to OHKO Primal Groudon and can hit Arceus-Rock as well. Toxic can cripple common switch-ins that will not be 2HKOed by any of Mega Rayquaza's moves, such as bulky Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground. If necessary, Defog is an option for entry hazard removal and should be considered if the team lacks another Defogger.
Set Details
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO most of the metagame with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature as well as a Choice Scarf ensure that Mega Rayquaza outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame as well as Adamant Necrozma-DM after a Rock Polish. A Naive nature is chosen to ensure Mega Rayquaza takes less damage from Extreme Speed from Arceus and Mega Rayquaza as well as Shadow Sneak from Marshadow.
Usage Tips
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza should be brought in primarily for revenge killing, but it can also come in on Pokemon it can check, such as Primal Groudon. If Mega Rayquaza is needed to revenge kill key threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Arceus-Steel, be sure to keep it healthy throughout the game. Since Life Orb is the most common item on Mega Rayquaza, try to avoid revealing Choice Scarf until needed, since it may be able to net unexpected OHKOs. Against faster offensive teams, Mega Rayquaza can be utilized late-game as a cleaner as well.
Team Options
Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza appreciates Defog support from teammates, and Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Dark are fantastic teammates that can provide that. Primal Groudon and specially defensive Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support as well as take on troublesome Fairy-types that threaten out Mega Rayquaza. Ferrothorn and Primal Kyogre can take on many of the common switch-ins to Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza, especially Arceus-Rock. Zygarde-C can check a myriad of physically attacking Pokemon that can force Mega Rayquaza out, including Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Arceus. Yveltal can work with Mega Rayquaza in pressuring bulky Arceus and chipping away at the defensive core.
Choice Band
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Moves
Choice Band-boosted Dragon Ascent hits extremely hard, being able to 2HKO almost everything that does not resist Flying. V-create hits equally hard and OHKOes the Steel-types that resist Dragon Ascent. Extreme Speed is fantastic for revenge killing, being able to pick off weakened threats. Earthquake hits Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar that resist Dragon Ascent for super effective damage. Waterfall is a weaker option that can OHKO Primal Groudon as well as hit Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar. Outrage is an extremely powerful option that can threaten to 2HKO Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar, but it is risky due to it leaving Mega Rayquaza open to being revenge killed by Fairy-types.
Set Details
252 Attack EVs backed by an Adamant nature and a Choice Band take Mega Rayquaza's attacking potential to stellar heights. 252 Speed EVs allow Mega Rayquaza to outspeed most bulky walls as well as Speed tie opposing Mega Rayquaza. An Adamant nature is usually prefered for maximum wallbreaking potential, but a Jolly nature can be chosen if it is necessary to outspeed faster support Arceus formes and opposing Mega Rayquaza.
Usage Tips
As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza's primary purpose is as a wallbreaker, try to bring it in often early-game on Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre. Prediction is key, since with Choice Band, Mega Rayquaza may be locked into an unfavorable move. Dragon Ascent is generally the best move to spam, with Earthquake and V-create primarily being used to land an OHKO or a 2HKO on switch-ins that resist Flying. As Choice Band Mega Rayquaza is not particularly common, the sheer surprise may be enough to catch opponents off guard with OHKOs on threats such as Primal Kyogre that no other sets can do. Mega Rayquaza can also be utilized to revenge kill faster weakened threats with Extreme Speed, but this can be risky due to momentum being lost after Mega Rayquaza is locked into the move.
Team Options
Choice Band Mega Rayquaza can easily break a large hole in many teams, and as such cleaners such as Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, and Swords Dance Ultra-Necrozma work well with this set. Groudon-Primal and Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support to weaken switch-ins. Arceus-Fairy is a great teammate, as it provides Defog support as well as a check to Zygarde-C, one of the most common switch-ins to Rayquaza. Ho-Oh can check a majority of Calm Mind Arceus formes that Choice Band Mega Rayquaza struggles against because they outspeed it. Tyranitar and Life Orb Marshadow can Pursuit trap Mega Gengar, as this set is very prone to being trapped and eliminated.
Mixed Attacker
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Moves
Dragon Ascent inflicts heavy physical damage, aiming to 2HKO most Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Draco Meteor backed by a Life Orb hits very hard and can OHKO Zygarde-C, offensive variants of Primal Groudon, and Yveltal. Extreme Speed is a fantastic revenge killing tool, being able to pick off weakened Ultra Necrozma and Xerneas. V-create is the preferred coverage option, as it hits Steel-types that resist both Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent for an OHKO. Earthquake is an alternative option to hit Arceus-Rock for a 2HKO. Surf can OHKO defensive variants of Primal Groudon and hit Arceus-Rock as well.
Set Details
252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Rayquaza's attacking prowess, allowing it to 2HKO or OHKO most Pokemon with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. 252 Speed EVs with a positive Speed nature ensure that Mega Rayquaza can outspeed bulky walls and opposing Mega Rayquaza. A Naive or Naughty nature is chosen to reduce damage from opposing priority moves.
Usage Tips
Mixed Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's most important quality is its ability to OHKO Zygarde-C and physically defensive Yveltal as well as offensive Primal Groudon with Draco Meteor. As such, taking advantage of the ability to bluff Dragon Dance is the key to this set, allowing it to catch the aforementioned walls off guard. If not needed to revenge kill threats such as Ultra Necrozma and Primal Kyogre, Mega Rayquaza should be brought in as much as possible so it can punch holes in defensive cores early in the game. Longevity is not as much of a concern for this set, as it is meant to do damage early-game to allow teammates to attempt sweeping later on.
Team Options
Mixed Rayquaza excels at luring physically defensive Zygarde-C and Yveltal to enable other teammates to sweep, notably Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma, and Bulk Up Marshadow. Ho-Oh greatly appreciates the pressure that Mega Rayquaza applies on Zygarde-C as well as Arceus-Water, and can it provide a stop to most Calm Mind Arceus formes. Arceus-Rock hard walls this set if it's running V-create, so Arceus-Steel and Arceus-Ground, along with Primal Kyogre, are fantastic teammates to switch into its STAB attacks. All variants of Primal Groudon pair well with this Mega Rayquaza set, since Primal Groudon will often find its checks pressured by Mega Rayquaza and can help it by setting Stealth Rock. Xerneas can provide both Defog support and a way of keeping faster foes in check when equipped with a Choice Scarf.
Other Options
Swords Dance instead of Dragon Dance gives Mega Rayquaza tremendous power, allowing it to break past many of its checks such as defensive Zygarde-C and Arceus-Fairy. However, the lack of a Speed boost leaves it vulnerable to faster support Arceus formes as well as Marshadow and Mega Gengar. A Choice Specs set with Draco Meteor, Overheat, Surf, and Dragon Ascent is an option to take advantage of Rayquaza's Special Attack, yet it is quite lackluster due to the restriction of Dragon Ascent and lack of special coverage. Bulk Up is an alternative setup move over Dragon Dance that makes Rayquaza harder to revenge kill but is usually inferior to the Speed boost gained from Dragon Dance. Substitute can be run on the Dragon Dance set over Extreme Speed to ease predictions and prevent status. However, the utility gained from Extreme Speed overshadows this benefit for the most part. Outrage is an alternative move on many sets, but it is generally an inferior move compared to Dragon Ascent. Likewise, Overheat can be used over V-create on the mixed Life Orb set, but since it is much weaker, it is not generally used.
Checks and Counters
Mega Rayquaza is unique in that it is nearly impossible to counter, and as such only the best checks are presented.
Bulky Fairy-types: Bulky Fairy-types, such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, can take even any boosted hit most of the time and OHKO Mega Rayquaza with their STAB moves. However, both get 2HKOed by Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, limiting their ability to switch in.
Rock-types: Shuca Berry Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock can switch in on both Dragon Ascent and V-create. Unfortunately, Tyranitar gets 2HKOed by Draco Meteor, while Arceus-Rock will either get OHKOed by +1 Life Orb boosted Earthquake or 2HKOed by Draco Meteor if it is more physically defensive.
Bulky Walls: Defensive Zygarde-C, Lugia, and Giratina are able to avoid the OHKO from Life Orb Mega Rayquaza's +1 Dragon Ascent as well as the 2HKO from its unboosted Dragon Ascent. In return, they can retaliate with either Dragon Tail or Ice Beam. Unfortunately, Lugia loses to Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, Zygarde-C gets OHKOed by Draco Meteor, and Giratina falls to both.
Steel-types: Skarmory and Celesteela can easily wall out the Dragon Dance variant with Earthquake, but V-create OHKOes both. Arceus-Steel and Necrozma-DM can switch in on Dragon Ascent, but both fall prey to V-create as well.
Revenge Killers: Mega Gengar and Marshadow are immune to Extreme Speed and can pick off a weakened Mega Rayquaza. Marshadow also carries Shadow Sneak, allowing it to revenge kill Mega Rayquaza even after a Dragon Dance. Other faster threats include Ultra Necrozma and Choice Scarf Xerneas, but they take heavy damage from Extreme Speed.
Bulky Arceus Formes: Many bulky Arceus formes can avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and an OHKO from +1 Life Orb boosted Dragon Ascent, rendering them viable checks in specific scenarios. However, the inability to OHKO Mega Rayquaza from full makes Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dark much less viable than Arceus-Fairy as a check.
Stealth Rock: One of the best ways to hinder Mega Rayquaza is to set up Stealth Rock, as Rayquaza will take 25% of damage from the entry hazard every single time it switches in, making it easier to revenge kill.
Status: Mega Rayquaza hates status in general, with some sets such as Choice Scarf especially disliking paralysis and others like Dragon Dance and Choice Band being completely neutered by burns. Hence, inflicting Mega Rayquaza with status is a good way to limit its versatility and wear it down.
Credits
- Written by Catalystic
- Quality checked by PurpleGatorade, Veraedardy, and MZ
- Grammar checked by Lumari and Astra
