The Pokemon he used to be.

[Darkerones]

This topic is over the usage of Tyranitar. Not how many people use it but how it is being used.

It's almost like people are ignoring it's great offensive stats just because it is a weather starter. I'm seeing more and more defensive T-tars and Utility T-tars and close to no DD tyranitar or choiced Tyranitars. It saddens me a bit to see him not being used as the powerful physical sweeper/stallbreaker he was meant to be when first released in GSC.

I'm by no means saying using the standard weather lead sets is wrong. I'm saying it's wrong not to consider using it like the powerhouse it is. If sandstorm doesn't fancy you then his DW ability Unnerve is not bad at all and with it he is no longer limited to his role as a sandstorm starter and can be used more offensivley like in previous Generations. Some weather starters like Politoed and Abomasnow are meant to be stuck to their weather starter jobs but Tyranitar has potential beyond that. Does anyone share my views?

[ChaosBlizzard]

Mine is a sweeper. I often switch him in, not even realizing consciously that he changed the weather, and have a kind of "oh yeah, haha" moment when my opponent is forced to take two turns to switch back in their Politoad/Ninetails again.

[Cometk]

This topic is over the usage of Tyranitar. Not how many people use it but how it is being used.

It's almost like people are ignoring it's great offensive stats just because it is a weather starter. I'm seeing more and more defensive T-tars and Utility T-tars and close to no DD tyranitar or choiced Tyranitars. It saddens me a bit to see him not being used as the powerful physical sweeper/stallbreaker he was meant to be when first released in GSC.

I'm by no means saying using the standard weather lead sets is wrong. I'm saying it's wrong not to consider using it like the powerhouse it is. If sandstorm doesn't fancy you then his DW ability Unnerve is not bad at all and with it he is no longer limited to his role as a sandstorm starter and can be used more offensivley like in previous Generations. Some weather starters like Politoed and Abomasnow are meant to be stuck to their weather starter jobs but Tyranitar has potential beyond that. Does anyone share my views?

the difference between scarftar and spD tar is that one counters latios and the other checks him

dd tar is bad because of scizor and conkeldurr. and even excadrill, and the ironic thing is how tar forces that one on himself.

[Fortunato]

Well there are 2 sets that easily stand out among the others in todays metagame.

Those are the specially defensive set that is used for more weather reliant teams that need sand to work well and the other is his scarf set that is more for teams that need weather but aren't totally reliant on it. Scarftar is really incredible since he can easily revenge a lot of annoying threats.

Anyways he can run a band set pretty well but that doesn't work very well this gen and neither does a DD set due to the power increase and the predominance of mach punch

[Blue Harvest]

Scizor, Skarmory, Breloom, Terrakion, Virizion, Excadrill, Scarf Landlos, CONKLEDURR and others are so common now that running a frail DD Tyranitar means more often than not you will not sweep anything.

Specially Defensive TTar is good for taking on Lati@s who are ENORMOUS threats.

But still Tyranitar has other uses now. Choice Scarf Tyranitar still checks a bunch of stuff. Sub / Dark Pulse / Fire Blast / Focus Punch "Tyraniboah" is still good. Choice Band Tyranitar can work, especially Specially Defensive. Dragon Dance is good but its probably the least viable common TTar set in OU right now.

[Dattebayo]

The same can be said with Politoed and Ninetales; they're only OU because of their DW abilities, and they will most likely not use them for offensive purposes.

[kadabra spoon]

ecadrill is a pretty good sweeper...

[ilucado]

Ninetails Sweeps hard if it sets 2 NastyP and as HP ice/flameT/solarB with Jolly nature Maxed spd and sp att

[hallstromjr]

He's weak to two common priority moves: Mach Punch and Bullet Punch. People dont like him being as frail so they dont lose him to Breloom, Conk, Metagross, Scizor, etc. When hes bulky, he still has excellent offensive stats, which is why so many people run that.

[Darkerones]

I do realize that Conkeldurr and Scizor an the like stop it cold (and btw with Unnerve Excadrill doesn't get the SR boost and with a DD T-tar outspeeds it) but all I'm saying is it shouldn't be stuck doing just the weather jobs.


Tyraniboah was a favorite of mine and the Speccially defensive DD set Blue harvest mentioned sounds appealing. I remember the Choice Scarf Tyranitars in DPP that almost made me wanna rage quit,I don't see ANY of that anymore. Politoed and Ninetales are stuck to their weather sets because they can't do anything outside of that! Tyranitar can fill in several niches that I believe nobody is taking advantage of.

(I'm sorry ninetales,I love you but you suck in OU!)

[Cuddlebuns]

(and btw with Unnerve Excadrill doesn't get the SR boost and with a DD T-tar outspeeds it)

How does Unnerve stop SR? I thought it just prevented the opponent from using berries.

I have the most random TTar set I made back when I first got into competitive battling and had no idea what I was doing: Choice Band w/ Payback, Avalanche, Thunderpunch, Earthquake. It's not amazing obviously but also not as terrible as it sounds, at least in my limited experience with it on PO (works great in Battle Tower/Subway though ).

[Moneyy]

I hate the sand stream ability, so I'm going to have to use the DW ability. Tyranitar is a great Pokemon though.

[Darkerones]

How does Unnerve stop SR? I thought it just prevented the opponent from using berries.

I have the most random TTar set I made back when I first got into competitive battling and had no idea what I was doing: Choice Band w/ Payback, Avalanche, Thunderpunch, Earthquake. It's not amazing obviously but also not as terrible as it sounds, at least in my limited experience with it on PO (works great in Battle Tower/Subway though ).

I meant by using unnerve you wouldn't be providing the sandstorm for Excadrill.

[3.14kachu]

I think Tyranitar with Unnerve is great. It has a great potential to show up on Rain and Sun teams and surprise the foe. I also run a defensive version of Unnerve Tyranitar as a counterpart to Shedinja in Rotation Battles, but that takes a lot of prediction.

[Cuddlebuns]

I meant by using unnerve you wouldn't be providing the sandstorm for Excadrill.

True, but most people using Excadrill will set up sandstorm themselves.

[hallstromjr]

True, but most people using Excadrill will set up sandstorm themselves.

But some people through Excadrill on a team just to counter Sand teams..I've done it myself.

Back on subject..Unnerve Tyranitar can be a big surprise for the opponent. They will all think "Here comes the sand team" and will be very shocked when the dirt doesnt blow.

[palingensia]

the problem with not using sand stream tyranitar is you don't instantly get +1 spd, which means you can't come in on latios at all, in addition to not being able to control the weather. and with the lack of pinch berries you really only nullify resist berries and lum berry, neither of which are really used i believe.

[ChaosBlizzard]

and with the lack of pinch berries you really only nullify resist berries and lum berry, neither of which are really used i believe.

Using Unnerve over Sand Stream isn't to prevent your opponent from using berries, it is simply because it is not Sand Stream. It could be literally anything so long as it wasn't Sand Stream and it would fit this purpose. The point is to bluff Sand Stream in the preview screen, like bluffing a Choice item.

That said, resist berries aren't terribly common, but they are used somewhat. The Lum berry is quite common however.

[Latias_]

DDtar is bad because of priority and Excadrill, and there's pretty much no way you can set up a dragon dance safely since they'll just switch Scizor / Conkeldurr / Excadrill / Breloom in. Unlike last generation where Tyranitar could run a dd set with fire punch and a babiri berry to deal with Scizor and not be worried about priority.

Tyranitar is useful mainly for setting up rocks, sandstorm, and countering Latias, Latios and Reuniclus.

[PoignantLyrics]

Can people stop suggesting Unnerve>Sandstream?

It's an idiotic choice which serves no purpose. Bluffing a Sand team? What the hell does that achieve? All it does is make your opponent think they have to get themselves into a weather war, only to realise you're being an idiot and not running the main beneficial aspect of Tyranitar this generation.

Many people have stated in this thread that Sandstream is almost a necessity on TTar these days - it allows it to check Latios, and the fact it can support your team with weather is one of the main reasons it's actually used at all this Gen. Without Sandstream, Tyranitar would be a mediocre, mid/low OU Pokemon.