[Guide] [Competitive] Yatagaryu

[Cataclyptic]

Yatagaryu 
Electric/Dragon

Weaknesses (4x): Nuclear
Weaknesses (2x): Dragon, Fairy, Ground, Ice
Resistances (1/2x): Fire, Flying, Grass, Steel, Water
Resistances (1/4x): Electric

HP: 90                  (290-384)
AT: 90                  (166-306)
DF: 85                   (157-295)
SA: 130                (238-394)
SD: 85                  (157-295)
SP: 120                (220-372)
Total: 600
 
Overview

In game lore states that the ninjas of Tsukinami village worship Yatagaryu. They are not wrong to do so. It has the typing of Zekrom, a small but concise movepool that lets it sweep most anything, a fantastic ability and stats, great speed in a metagame that relies on speed and can probably beat Chuck Norris too. Yatagaryu is a titan of the Uranium metagame, so much so that there have been calls for it to be kicked upstairs to Ubers.
 
The Stormbringer Pokemon is capable of a variety of offense sets, each different in their own subtle ways, but having the commonality of ripping everything to shreds. Its ability, Stormbringer, gives it a 100% accurate Thunder, makes all electric moves get boosted 50% and even deals electric chip damage on odd turns much like Stealth Rock does, except for the electric type. Combined with its pseudo legendary stats, this thing can produce extraordinarily powerful attacks.
 
Yatagaryu is not invincible though- most sets are weak to Inflagetah, its mega and Mega Archilles which can take it down with Earthquake. It’s counterpart Laissure is immune to its greatest strength and can fire back an supereffective Earthquake. However, the list of things that can actually counter Yatagaryu are few. Fear the Stormbringer, for its reckoning can be quelled but a little.
 
(Sets are in order of what I believe to be most to least viable)
 
The Storm Cometh
(Choice’d set)
@ Choice Scarf/ Choice Specs
Modest/Timid: 252 SpAt, 252 Spe, 4 HP
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor/ Dragon Pulse
- U Turn/ Volt Switch
- Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a pokémon with such great special attack and speed can be boosted further with Choice items. Choice Scarf is the first item on the list, with a Timid nature and max speed it can outspeed everything except for Choice Scarfed Alpico. With a modest nature it can outspeed any choice scarfed mons below 104 base speed, as well as all non choiced pokemon, so still pretty good. With a choice specs equipped it becomes an absurdly powerful wallbreaker, a Timid nature is recommended but if you have something like Sticky web support, go for Modest and break everything.
 
The only required move here is Thunder, which gets boosted by stormbringer tuning it into a 100% accurate 270bp spammable move after all the math is done. Thunder is so absurdly powerful that it deals great damage to even things that resist it. Next we need a dragon move to take care of pesky ground types- Dragon Pulse for consistency or Draco Meteor for pure power- the latter is recommended since this set likes to switch a lot. After that you have your scouting move: Volt Switch is boosted by stormbringer and STAB but grounds ruin it, while U turn works on anything, so take your pick.
 
Finally we have Focus Blast to round out the coverage, or Hidden Power Ice if you want a weaker but more reliable method of damage dealing. Focus Blast hits Lanthan and Metalynx formes for supereffective damage whereas HP Ice hits Luxelong (which would otherwise be a perfect counter to this set), Cocancer and Laissure, though it can be argued that Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor hits the last two more effectively.
 
This set is designed to hit hard then switch out. Some prediction is required in order to make full use of this set, for instance using Volt Switch/ U Turn to scout for counters, or to predict the right move to use since both Yatagaryu’s STABS’s have immunities. It is recommended to use a Timid nature with Choice Specs and a Modest nature with Choice Scarf.
 
Ninjutsu
(Non choiced special attacker)
@ Life Orb
Timid/Modest: 252 SpAt, 252 Spe, 4 HP
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor
- Focus Blast / Hidden Polwer Ice
- Roost
 
This set functions similarly to the above set, except now you have the freedom to switch moves and heal off damage. You have three options to wreck havoc on your opponent’s team, so switch in Yatagaryu, pick the best one, then switch out once checks and counters show up. Roost off any damage, keep pressuring the opponent until you win. Thunder is the STAB of choice for its immense power, Draco Meteor is the same way for its power and the SpAt drop isn’t too bad since this set switches out a lot. The final move is either Focus Blast or HP Ice, depending on what you want to hit harder: Lanthan or Luxelong.
 
Functioning as a wallbreaker/sweeper depending on the conditions, this one requires less prediction that the first set but also tends to not hit as fast or hard. Playing somewhat conservatively is your best bet for this set.
 
 
Stormbreaker
(Wallbreaker)
@ Life Orb
Timid: 252 SpAt, 252 Spe, 4 HP
- Nasty Plot
- Thunder
- Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
- Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice
 
A more one dimensional set, but nonetheless still very effective. Use Nasty Plot to setup and sweep with the appropriate coverage moves. Once again Thunder is a given due to its immense power. This time Dragon Pulse is the preferred move of choice due to being reliable, but Draco Meteor can be used in case you want even more absurd power at a cost of losing that boost. Finally we have Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ice: Focus Blast is a great move for hitting otherwise resisted things like Lanthan and Metalynx, while Hidden Power Ice can be used to decimate Yatagaryu’s usual counters, barring Scarf’d pokémon.
 
As a wallbreaker this set is designed either for early game hole punching or late game sweeping. If you want to use it early game, set up when you can and just wreck things so that your other pokémon have an easier time sweeping. For a late game approach, get rid of Yatagaryu’s potential counters, set up, and have fun watching your opponent weep.
 

 
Calm Before the Stormbringer
(CM sweeper)
@ Leftovers / Lum Berry / Life Orb
Timid: 252 SpAt, 252 Spe, 4 SpDf (30IV’s in HP)
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt / Thunder
- Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor / Hidden Power Ice
- Roost
 
A Calm Mind set is not too impossible to pull off. If you can get rid of any physical attackers your opponent has / potential counters, Calm Mind might secure the game. Your item choice comes down to three options: do you want extra healing to boost more, a way to get out of status once, or the ability to cause more havoc? After you’ve decided that, Calm Mind is a must on this set, as is Roost to heal off any damage you take (especially if you choose life Orb).
 
Your attacking moves should be an electric move of choice, then either a dragon move or HP Ice. Thunderbolt is preferred on this set solely because it takes a couple CM boosts to be safe, and by the time you do Stormbringer is likely worn out, making Thunder have 70% accuracy again. Dragon Pulse is another reliable STAB, while Draco Meteor can hit harder but unlike the Nasty Plot set, takes more turns to set up. Hidden Power Ice is another feasible option as Electric/Ice is nearly unresisted in the metagame.
 
This set is more cautious than the others because Yatagaryu doesn’t have a very good special defense stat. It takes more than a couple boosts to make sure this thing is ready for sweeping, but it makes up for that by having Roost in its arsenal to heal damage over the course of a battle.
 
Screw You, Ground Types
(Magnet Rise)
@ Life Orb/ Leftovers
Timid: 252 SpAt, 252 Spe, 4 HP
- Magnet Rise
- Thunder
- Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Ice
- Calm Mind/Nasty Plot / Hidden Power Ice / Focus Blast
 
A somewhat niche set that can be used to surprise counters. With Magnet Rise, Yatagaryu can be immune to ground moves, allowing it to potentially sweep unhindered. Lanthan and Laissure in particular need to worry about this set because they will not be able to spam Earthquakes/ Subductions, leaving them with few options to hit the Stormbringer Pokemon. After Magnet Rise, Thunder is an obvious choice, then a potential dragon move or HP Ice to get more coverage, rounding it off with possibly another setup move or another coverage move.
 
Other Options

- A mixed sweeper set with Dragon Dance, Outrage, Dragon Claw or Megahorn can possibly be feasible but it’s also likely outclassed by the pure special sets in power.
- Hurricane or Air Slash can be potential coverage moves if your team is wary of Seikamater, Garlikid or Wintoger. It doesn’t hit much else harder than Thunder/Dragon Pulse otherwise.


Team Options

Most Yatagaryu sets like switching, so entry hazard removal is key. Or it would be if we had those. Instead, try just keeping hazards off the field with Taunt and Magic Bounce pokémon, especially sticky Web. Harzard support for your side is always appreciated by sweepers to score more KO’s, Laissure in particular can set up Spikes, Stealth Rock, and is immune to stormbringer.
 
Pokemon that can get rid of Yatagaryu’s counters and resist Stormbringer are much appreciated, like Metalynx and its mega, who can get rid of ground types that otherwise threaten the dragon. Syrentide and its mega also make a good partner for this reason, though they have to be careful with stormbringer.
 
Playing against Yatagaryu
 
There isn’t much that can stop this thing, plain and simple. Specially Defensive Lanthan, M-Metalynx and Luxelong are the only things that can truly take hits from all Yatagaryu sets and live, but Lanthan and M-Metalynx have to be careful about Focus Blast while Luxelong is vulnerable to HP ice, especially if Yatagaryu Nasty Plots. Unfortunately this thing has so much sheer power that even dedicated walls crumble before it. 
 
Wearing down the Stormbringer is your best bet, as it is vulnerable to all types of entry hazards. If Yatagaryu is Choice’d, prediction and immunity to its STABs is key. Ice Shard users can pick it off once it’s weakened. Tailwind or Sticky Web support can take away Yatagaryu’s prized speed and bring it down to more manageable levels.