Battle Stadium Singles blog #23 — Dialga + Moltres (Season 23; Series 10)
To see off the only non-Dynamax ruleset for ranked singles we've had so far this generation, I wanted to build something special; to make things as memorable for myself as possible, and hopefully not too off-putting as a read, either.
After a fair amount of games with various Mewtwo builds, I came upon koyomi1160's Dialga-Moltres core, a fun way to humble some of the archetypes du jour.
Of course, when you do intentionally cripple yourself by running Dialga over Zacian, Eternatus, Calyrex-S, or Kyogre, there has to be some outplaying to be done.
This lingering sideways camera angle happened after getting hit by Outrage. Intended behavior? Who knows.
(Dialga-Urshifu-Garchomp vs. Dragonite-Zapdos-Kyogre).
252 Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 124 HP / 0 Def Dialga: 158-188 (82.7 - 98.4%).
(158, 162, 162, 164, 168, 168, 170, 170, 174, 176, 176, 180, 182, 182, 186, 188).
"Moltres-sama, I kneel".
One of the few upsides of having Zacian in the format is the viability of things that resist its most common offensive coverage, like Moltres, Arcanine, or even defensive Volcarona. And then there's this.
And but one of the many, many, many downsides: the standard Focus Sash Pheromosa not only carries Throat Chop for Calyrex-S, but also comes with Ice Beam over Triple Axel, a contact move, to play around defensive Landorus and Zapdos.
Shiny Zacian and Zamazenta were finally released during October 2021.
The fact that Scale Shot can flat out miss or just casually 5-hit like this is a range of outcomes we could do without.
What can end up happening when you miss the first two Draco Meteors of the game.
(Dialga-Moltres-Garchomp vs. Urshifu-SS-Slowking-Eternatus).
When both players have the same number of pokemon, the winner is decided by the total percentage of HP remaining.
No amount of preparation can save you from the Choice Scarf Horn Drill...
...nor the 20% Sheer Cold.
Imposter! Wait...that's not Ditto.
(Dialga-Moltres-Garchomp vs. Hippowdon-Zacian-Moltres).
I know Draco Meteor is supposed to be an attack that calls forth rocks from the sky or whatever, but I'd like to think they are, in fact, gastroliths — necessary for the dragon physiology somehow. In which case this would be two Dialgas projectile vomiting on each other.
Hereditary monarchy is an abomination, but, that being said..."Long live the King!"
1) Team overview
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/f816a36d875f8d45
Rental: defunct as of 01-Nov-21 due to retired ruleset.
In case it is not immediately self-evident, the name of the game is very much just to click Dialga's Choice Specs boosted moves as greedily as possible, with defensive coverage provided by Moltres, actual sweeping prowess by Garchomp, and limited restricted archetype-based defensive answers in Rillaboom (Kyogre) and Slowking-G (Eternatus, Xerneas).
Dialga
Compared to Zacian, Calyrex-S, Eternatus, and Kyogre, Dialga does not seem to have much going for it. Not only is it slower than all of these four (as they play out in the format), but, worse still, it also has less native bulk than all of them, apart from Calyrex-S, of course.
What, then, is the niche Dialga fills that warrants running it over objectively superior restricted threats? The one and only correct answer, of course, is the biblical firepower of its Choice Specs Draco Meteor in a non-Dynamax environment.
And despite its many shortcomings, this offensive mode is indeed made possible by Dialga's myriad resistances, enabling it to repeatedly pivot in to get its moves off. Dialga is also relatively Ditto-proof, something none of the four aforementioned format-dominating restricted pokemon can say.
As for the specific investments here, as stated by the core's original author, the defensive EVs on this set are geared mainly towards living Choice Scarf Landorus' 252 Att Earthquake from full; the real Speed stat of 129 being aimed at beating things creeping past Adamant Dracovish's (61.7% Adamant, 34.9% Sand Rush) 127.
Although Pressure is, defensively speaking, a more or less useless ability on sets like this, the fact that it gives off a toast notification upon entering battle should not be discounted, as it gains you information about opposing sets in the lead match-up based on toast order (Tapu Fini, Landorus, bulky slow Kyogre).
Moltres
Regarding the choice of hold item here, as the Dialga-Moltres core's original author notes, although Heavy-Duty Boots are indeed an option, the Dialga lead threatens all of the prominent Stealth Rock setters with the clean Draco Meteor/Ice Beam 1HKO.
And in any case, a major reason for the veritable Rocky Helmet Renaissance this series has seen, apart from the lack of Dynamax, is getting chip damage on Zacian to get it in KO range while healing off its damage (Zapdos, Arcanine). In Moltres' case this translantes to simultaneously rolling for a Flame Body proc, with things like Focus Sash Urshifu being a secondary consideration.
On the topic of Zacian, what makes Moltres an especially good defensive pair for Dialga is, in no small part, the fact that the format's top dog seldom carries the coverage necessary to cleanly get through both Dialga (Close Combat / Sacred Sword) and Moltres (Wild Charge).
The EVs are therefore as defensive as possible to make Zacian and Urshifu have the worst possible time breaking through, ideally turning some 1HKOs into 2HKOs (252 Att Surging Strikes), and 2HKOs into 3HKOs (252 Att Wicked Blow), with Speed creep allotted in order to outspeed uninvested (defensive) Landorus-T's native stat of 111 by one.
In terms of secondary offensive coverage, the author's anti-Heatran tech of Scorching Sands didn't really do anything for me. But because of what Moltres' role is, other options, such as U-Turn, would only feel needlessly greedy for when you actually do run into Heatran while having somehow benched Garchomp.
The shocking fact that Moltres' movepool is so atrocious, especially for a generation 1 pokemon of all things, lacking even basic support tools such as Taunt and Whirlwind, does it no favors in this department, either.
Garchomp
This is the bog standard Focus Sash set, really rising to prominence during this, the last season of the Series 10 ruleset, Garchomp's ascent mirroring that of Eternatus, which, for its part, has long since surpassed Kyogre in usage, and is in contention with Calyrex-S as the second most popular restricted pokemon in use.
The set itself is a potent wall-breaker with Swords Dance, access to sweep-enabling Speed boosting via Scale Shot making Garchomp really stand out among other Focus Sash users such as Urshifu, Cinderace, and Calyrex-S.
Urshifu-Single-Strike
The Choice Band Wicked Blow bear exists for punching holes into the defensive cycles on hard stall and slow bulky offense, two things that can heal off Dialga hits, usually for Garchomp to go through.
Because of the popularity of Gothitelle — going up by around 25 places in usage in the two months since its season 21 finish of #52 — under the current ruleset, both to beat stall and to trap and target-kill a Zacian counter like Quagsire or Toxapex on offensive teams, Urshifu also does the job of preventing the team from getting outright checkmated by a Gothitelle that catches a -2 SpAtt Dialga.
As far as the moveset goes, the combination of Sucker Punch and U-Turn were chosen for momentum plays, as well as for racking up chip damage through Rocky Helmet and Rough Skin to actually put things in Sucker Punch range, Sucker Punch also marginally improving an otherwise inconsistent Calyrex-S match-up.
Aside from Scale Shot Garchomp, this team is on the slower side, so dealing with things like Choice Scarf Darmanitan is made more manageable with potent priority.
Rillaboom
This is the EV-spread used by the team's original author, the primary defensive benchmark being to give the team two survivable switches into 252 SpAtt Water Spout in the Kyogre match-up.
Besides seeing play against most Kyogre archetypes, Rillaboom only really avoids getting entirely benched versus Calyrex-S, against which it can opt to lead, living any hit, with a Knock Off or a slow pivot in U-Turn being available for Garchomp/Dialga insertion against a probable Landorus or Zapdos switching in.
Slowking-Galar
Slowking has two primary targets here: Eternatus and Xerneas, switching into anything either one of them can muster, and still winning the hypothetical 1v1 afterwards.
Calm Mind + Slack Off also lets Slowking come in on and effectively contest both Toxapex and Porygon2. This not only helps with refreshing the Dialga cycle, but also gives an out against bulky offense for when Urshifu is unavailable.
2) Usage notes
Aside from Zacian, the most prominent Fairy-type around threatening to immune your main attack is Tapu Fini. True enough, defensive boosting Taunt sets are particularly obnoxious to get through, especially considering Rillaboom should not really see much play against anything other than Kyogre.
However, the fact that a full half (48% at the time of writing) of all Tapu Fini are being wasted — from this team's point of view — on Choice Specs sets, is a major relief, being considerably easier to crack, or even attrition with Moltres or Slowking. In general, though, it has to be said that being down on momentum against Tapu Fini feels bad whether it's an offensive Moonblast set, or a Calm Mind user.
Without access to Whirlwind/Roar or Haze, other, more dedicated set-up strategies, such as Baton Pass, are also difficult to deal with. While the most common partner for Screens mode — Xerneas + Volcarona — is put away convincingly by Slowking, and the occasional Necrozma Dusk-Mane behind screens gets dealt with by Wicked Blow, any kind of convoluted boosting chains involving Blaziken/Scolipede/Drifblim are difficult to disrupt despite how telegraphed they can be.
Finally, as this team has access to Sucker Punch, Focus Sash Scale Shot, and Grassy Glide, I decided I would forgo a proper hard counter to Calyrex-S (e.g. Porygon2, Mandibuzz), making that match-up also potentially painful.
Rating where I left it before the final two days of play in the season.
2.1 Usual team compositions
Dialga-Moltres-Garchomp
Dialga-Urshifu-
2.2 VS team select screen
Restricted-based thinking of match-ups underlines what a sad state of affairs it is to have plainly overstatted things existing in the format, and what that does to archetypes and playstyles that have existed in rankes singles since its very inception. But it is what it is.
Zacian offense/momentum
- Gameplay can be boiled down to slow pivoting in one's own restricted pokemon (Zacian) while barely checking or wearing down the opposing restricted pokemon.
- Can run Gothitelle to remove things that hard wall most Zacian sets, like Quagsire and Toxapex.
- May also opt for something like Polteageist or Dragapult Baton Pass.
- Moldular sand-core of Hippowdon-Dracovish is possible.
Dialga-Moltres-
Dialga-Moltres-Garchomp
Zacian teams come in many shapes and sizes, but tend towards bulky offense or hyper offense. A good approach is to force Dialga turn one, having Moltres in the back for the Zacian, and an appropriate third (likely Garchomp) based on the opposing six.
Kyogre offense/momentum
- Usually paired with Ferrothorn and Zapdos or Landorus-T, other pivots to get Kyogre into attack position include Rillaboom, Scizor, and Urshifu.
- You more or less have to assume Choice Scarf on the part of Kyogre, but because it is at times paired with things like Ditto and Darmanitan, spending a few seconds extra to try to work out what items everything is running can really help.
Dialga-Rillaboom-
Rillaboom's best match-up, and because its EVs let it come in on two Water Spouts, Dialga can try to counterlead an anti-Rillaboom lead like Zapdos for free.
Dialga also lives a Water Spout (up to Timid Choice Specs), but doesn't quite 1HKO back, meaning its health should probably be preserved if the opposing team has multiple things natively faster than Dialga.
Hard Stall
- Usual restricted pokemon: Eternatus, Ho-Oh; though, really, any restricted pokemon works.
- Eternatus tends to be a purely defensive set, but you can never know for sure.
- Chansey as a major timer win-condition (Substitute + Minimize).
- Other staples: Quagsire, Toxapex, Tyranitar/Mandibuzz/Umbreon, Skarmory, Tapu Bulu (especially Ho-Oh variants).
Dialga-Garchomp-Urshifu/Slowking
Urshifu-Dialga-Garchomp/Slowking
Slowking-G dominates Eternatus so long as you're ahead on the tie-break win-conditions, because Eternatus can opt to Pressure / timer stall with Cosmic Power and Substitute. Therefore, both for Dialga and Slowking's sake, facing offensive, or at the very least, non-Substitute variants of Eternatus is vastly preferred.
Urshifu is usually a good idea against many non-Eternatus variants of stall, because everything else either has a hard time healing off its damage after switching in due to being natively slower (Ho-Oh, Zygarde-C), or risks getting deleted switching in (Yveltal, Calyrex-S).
Xerneas set-up
- Xerneas is the most common sweeper on Screens mode (Grimmsnarl, Regieleki, Klefki etc.).
- Zacian makes Xerneas teams partial to running Ditto, as well as Volcarona as an alternate sweeper.
Rillaboom/Dialga-Garchomp-Slowking
Slowking needs to be healthy in the back against whatever screens or cripple opening they have, able to switch in on Geomancy or Quiver Dance, and still contest the match-up by using a combination of Calm Mind and Slack Off through any screens turns, until the Xerneas or Volcarona is Psyshock range.
Rillaboom can lead against screens setters because can sit in front them for several turns, eating up screens time, and can Knock Off their Light Clay on turn one. And if the follow-up to screens is Volcarona, a Focus Sash intact Garchomp in the back threatens the 1HKO with Stone Edge.
Calyrex-S offense/momentum
- Plays out not too dissimilarly to Zacian offense, with defensive pivots aplenty.
Dialga-Garchomp-
Rillaboom-Garchomp-
Garchomp (Scale Shot) tends to be the win condition to play for here because of how inconsistent Rillaboom and Urshifu are at checking Calyrex-S.
Indeed, while Rillaboom and Urshifu do have moves to click against Calyrex-S, they don't exactly enjoy a defensive Zapdos switching in; with Garchomp on this team, Urshifu should telegraph either Choice Scarf (can't break defensive Zapdos) or Choice Band (low likelihood of Sucker Punch), making Clayrex-S an alright lead.
Dialga lives any unboosted/non-Choice Specs hit from Clayrex-S, but has to play around Focus Sash, so trying to discern the opposing hold item distribution is valuable when deciding on the early game.
Eternatus offense/momentum
- Inferred from Eternatus' partners: if paired with the usual bulky offense fare (slow pivots), a hyper offense line-up (Eternatus + Focus Sash user + Choice Scarf or suicide lead), or even speed control set-up (Sticky Web), Eternatus tends to be a Life Orb or Power Herb sweeper set, the complete opposite of the Substitute/Cosmic Power attiriton one would expect from hard stall.
Dialga-Garchomp-
Urshifu-Slowking-Garchomp/Dialga
-Moltres-Slowking
Garchomp with its Focus Sash intact in the back tends to be the main out.
Slowking destroys Eternatus, but is completely dead against physical attackers from hyper offense (Cinderace, Urshifu, Garchomp, Mimikyu etc.), something Moltres would remedy if opting for what passes for a cushion style in a non-Dynamax ruleset (-Moltres-Slowking).
Necrozma Dusk-Mane offense/momentum
- Tapu Fini and Landorus are Dusk-Mane's two most iconic partners.
- Being forced into carrying a hard counter to Calyrex-S, Dusk-Mane teams more or less require Porygon2, or a SpDef-invested Dark-type like Tyranitar, Mandibuzz, or Umbreon.
Dialga-Urshifu-Garchomp
Rillaboom-Urshifu-
Dialga's resistances line up well against Dusk-Mane's offensive coverage (only a third run Earthquake), but the opposite is also true — Dusk-Mane not only resists Dialga's STABs, but also usually carries a healing move in Moonlight/Morning Sun. This means this can easily turn into a match-up where Dialga is benched, especially if their anti Calyrex-S tool is Porygon2.
Another upside that bears mentioning regarding Dialga is that it tends to be natively faster than everything against a standard line-up of Tapu Fini-Landorus-Dusk-Mane.
In any case, my experience against Dusk-Mane teams has been that a great deal hinges on how the opposing Tapu Fini plays out due to the Urshifu and/or Garchomp endgame this team should be going for.
Tapu Fini is also what makes an otherwise decent Moltres game tricky, its Misty Terrain turns allowing Dusk-Mane ample time to snowball well and truly out of control.
Dedicated set-up
- Suicide/cripple lead into Baton Passer with a Power Trip/Stored Power user or an otherwise outclassed restricted threat as recipient.
- Baton Passers: Blaziken, Scolipede, Drifblim.
- Polteageist and Dubwool as Baton Passers can also represent a significant offensive threat in their own right.
Urshifu-Rillaboom-Garchomp
Garchomp-Urshifu-
This has the potential to be the worst match-up for this team, depending on the exact composition of the opposing flowchart. Bulk Up Blaziken should be particularly formidable in this regard, to give but one example.
In general though, Urshifu's Wicked Blow goes through Scolipede's defensive boosts, whereas a Focus Sash intact Garchomp in the back can usually contest things that only have offensive boosts.
Evasion passing via Drifblim more or less requires a well-timed insertion of Rillaboom for the Grassy Terrain to prevent its Electric/Psychic/Misty Seed from going off for Unburden to trigger, which is a hard ask.
3) In conclusion
So, yes, there really is no feeling quite like the one where you lead some of the biggest nukes in the game (Choice Specs Draco Meteor and Choice Band Wicked Blow) — and get away with it.
In other news, the ruleset for Series 11 was finally announced, and it's the one from Series 8. Also known as the Dragon King Cup format, this is the very same ruleset whose previous three-month outing did more damage to the format — playerbase wise — than anything else thus far. And it's back for another three months.
But rather than inviting ridicule and just displaying overall bad form by complaining about ruleset changes in a children's video game — no matter how calamitous thay may in fact be — I will simply link my previous conclusions on the topic, and leave it at that:
To conclude on a more positive note, by the end of season 17, the upcoming ruleset was getting more and more figured out, so there are some neat corners to cut to try to make things interesting again, if nothing else. Whatever the case ends up being, I do look forward to trying out some fun stuff to begin with, as everyone should.
Finally, I will also be covering the Gym Challenge tournament announced for 12-14 November.
[Edit 08-Nov-2021: I won't be playing in Gym Challenge after all. This is in no small part due to sublime levels of unfun experienced during extensive testing in three separate friendly competitions with the ruleset.]
- Tox
SW-0021-9848-8999
