What is a good moveset for Dragonite?
If you have a good competitive moveset for Dragonite,post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.
Be sure to includefull set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated.Access the full list of guidelines here.
Dragonite Pokédex and learnsetfor reference.
Pleaselog inorregisterto add a comment.
Gen V
Dragonite (M) @ LeftoversAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 Atk / 156 SpD / 100 SpeCareful Nature- Dragon Dance- Roost- Dragon Claw- Fire Punch
Set up Dragon Dance then start hitting the opponent hard. Dragon Claw provides STAB, while Fire Punch deals with Steel types. Multiscale is a great ability, giving Dragonite incredible bulk, possibly allowing it to survive an Ice attack even. You can then use Roost to get yourself back up to full health to make use of Multiscale. Leftovers provides more bulk. Your EVs give you nice bulk, and good stats for sweeping with Dragon Dance.
Gen 5 OU
First move I see on any Dragonite: Dragon Dance. Well, say hello to Parashuffler Dragonite.
Dragonite (M) @ LeftoversAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 156 SpD / 4 SpeImpish Nature- Substitute- Thunder Wave- Dragon Tail- Roost
Parashuffler Dragonite is one of the most underrated sets of all time. This can team holes in entire teams using only 1 attacking move. The Lefties gives me constant recovery, and lowers the usage of Roost. My EVs even my Defenses out at275and386HP. Beast, huh? Substitute lets me avoid some damage, and helps on Walls that will try to set up on me. Thunder Wave cripples many Sweepers, and occasionally haxes them, giving me a free Dragon Tail to cripple another. Dragon Tail Phazes foes, many of which will be Paralyzed by Thunder Wave. Finally, Roost gives me reliable recovery and prolongs my support. You can find a different form of ithere, but I don’t recommend it because you are killed by Physical moves. The set I posted is even better if you have Hazards up.
Hope you like!
Sleeping dragon of DEATH!
Dragonair @ EvioliteAbility: Marvel ScaleEVs: 58 HP or Atk / 252 SpD / 200 DefCareful Nature-Rest-Sleep Talk-Dragon Dance-Dragon Tail
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb / LeftoversAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Def or SpD or SpeMild Nature- Superpower- Roost / Light Screen- Draco Meteor- Haze
Pretty simple set here. The idea is to have a Dragonite that can phaze out opponents. He can use Superpower to break down Tyranitar, and Draco Meteor offers STAB. The stat drops you get with all these moves are cancelled out thanks to Haze, and he can also cancel out the opponent. Roost is there to restore his health and reactivate his ability. It also lets him switch in on Pokemon that try to come in. He also resists the main priority moves, mainly Mach Punch and Aqua Jet. Watch out for Ice Shard though.
Role: Mixed Tank / ScreenerDragonite (M) @ Light ClayAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 100 HP / 96 Atk / 156 Def / 156 SpANaughty Nature- Outrage- Light Screen- Fire Blast- Roost
I had to test this, and I just wanted to share the quote that the guy I battled used.
Light Screen provides great team support for other tanks running around, and lets you use a Naughty Nature for Mixed Attacking. Yay!
Outrage just lets you bulk jank off while you tear through a small portion of your opponent’s team, not forgetting Multiscale lets you take the attack setting up Light Screen much better, and Fire Blast covers Steel Types (very defensive physically) and Ice types (major weakness) Fairly well, Light Clay makes your Light Screen worth while lasting for 8 turns.
Dragonite@ LeftoversAbility: Multiscale / Inner FocusEVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Dragon Dance- Fire Punch- Thunder Punch- Dragon Claw
Okay! So here you have another Sweeper set for Dragonite. You have Dragon Dance for when a foe decides to switch out, or whenever you get a chance to get some stat boosting in. Next is Fire Punch to help destroy Ice types and random coverage, and same goes with Thunder Punch. Use when needed!Dragon Claw is the STAB attack for every other type of Pokemon that won’t take a super effective move in their face. With two Dragon Dances, Dragonite might be able to sweep an entire team, but good luck with setting up two Dances first! Leftovers is for healing your HP back while sweeping, if nothing hits you. Heck, if you have Multi Scale, and Leftovers heals your HP full, you’ll be protected again!
Dragonair @ EvoliteAbility: Shed SkinEVs: 252 Def / 6 SpA / 252 SpDBold Nature- Rest- Flamethrower- Toxic- Dragon Pulse
Restis 1 turn thanks to Shed Skin so it is reliable healing.Flamethrowercovers Steels.Toxicis for stalling.Dragon Pulseis for covering the one weakness and STAB.
A weird set here. Yet surprisingly effective….
Dragonite @ LeftoversAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 248 HP / 84 Atk / 176 SpDCareful Nature- Hone Claws- Substitute- Dragon Rush- Roost
A set that works off his higher attack stat but at the same time uses his bulk effectively. Hone Claws allows him to have a moderately high attack and makes Dragon Rush quite usable. Substitute helps make him more bulky and can help to keep Multisclae in play. Dragon Rush will almost always hit after one Hone Claws and is a good medium between Dragon Claw and Outrage. Last, Roost increases him longevity.
Excuse another answer to this list but with gen 6 coming up, a new and powerful set has been introduced
Dragonite @ Weakness PolicyAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeAdamant / Jolly Nature- Agility- Dragon Claw / Outrage- Earthquake- Fire Punch
Make sure you face a Pokemon that would use a super effective move on you (NOT MAMOSWINE). Multiscale should let you take that hit, and on the same turn, you use Agility. Now you basically Shell Smashed yourself without defense drops and baton passes :)
I have a very efficient set:Dragonite @ Lum BerryAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Dragon Claw- Dragon Dance- Extreme Speed- Fire Punch
Strategy:Simply get up a few DDs and that should be efficient because of Lum Berry and Multiscale. Use Dragon Claw for STAB, Fire Punch on some types, and Extreme Speed for enemies on low health. Then, enjoy a short sweep.
Double/Triple battle
Dragonite (M) @ Choice ScarfAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Rock Slide- Earthquake- Dragon Claw- Fly
I like teaming it up with an Audino. Rock Slide and Earthquake hit multiple foes. Dragon Claw is STAB. Fly is STAB that is less predictable in Triples and can hit any foe.
Here’s my moveset for Dragonite if it were to be placed on a rain team:
Dragonite @ Choice SpecsAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeModest Nature- Draco Meteor- Hurricane- Thunder- Surf
Draco Meteor: Powerful STABHurricane: Another Powerful STAB that gets 100 % accuracy in Rain and a chance to confuseThunder: Great move that compliments Hurricane since it also gains 100 % accuracy in Rain and a chance to ParalyzeSurf:Awesome move to use in the rain
Okay here’s the catch with this Dragonite: In order to achieve its best usage potential, you’ll need a Pokémon that can set up Rain Dance as a move, or better yet. have a Pokemon that can set a permanent Rain, notably Politoed (via Dream World) or Kyogre would be a use especially for Double Battles respectively. That would make Dragonite your best rain sweeper in the entire meta-game!
Bulky Dragon Dance
Zeyphr (Dragonite) @ LeftoversAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 240 SpDAdamant Nature- Fire Punch / Earthquake / Heal Bell- Dragon Dance- Roost- Dragon Claw / Outrage
This Set & EVs ensure that dragon will maintain its bulk and ALWAYS get 2HKOed by ice beam. Also giving these EVs allows Dragonite to take hits from Special Attackers like a charm.Now Fire Punch is used for those pesky steels, while Earthquake punishes Heatran & Jirachi. Now Heal bell is uncommon but it supports your team helpfully by removing status problems on your teams. Dragon Dance is for the boost of more power and thus the speed. Dragon Claw is the main choice of attack because Dragonite’s main role is to support and to tank hits. While Outrage is for more power + bringing in the confusion .
I’m kind of new here, and wanted to suggest my first moveset on Dragonite. I’m seriously shocked that no one has done this.
Role: The Guarded Sweeper
Dragonite @ Muscle BandAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Waterfall- Dragon Dance- Safeguard- Outrage
This one may need some explaining. Waterfall is a very good water type move with a decent chance of flinch, Dragon Dance is to raise attack and speed, and Safeguard is to set up for an Outrage sweep. Once you set up this Dragonite paired with the Muscle Band, you’re pretty much unstoppable.
Gen 5 Dragonair
Dragonair @ EvioliteAbility: Marvel ScaleEVs: 228 HP / 188 SpD / 92 SpeCareful Nature- Rest- Sleep Talk- Dragon Dance- Outrage
First note that the intended format for this set is a Gen 5 one, meaning that there is no fairies. It can be used in Gen 5 NU, if you want a suggested tier. Anyway, onto the explanation of the set. Eviolite makes it surprisingly bulky, which is a nice touch. The EVs make it pretty bulky as well, and they also give it a bit more speed. I’ll explain why there are no Defense EVs in a second. Careful lowers it’s Special Attack, which is pretty useless for this set, and raises its Special Defense. Rest cures it of status and restores its HP. I didn’t feel the need to use Defense EVs on it because of Marvel Scale. When it has a status, Marvel Scale multiplies Defense by 1.5x. So, when it uses Rest, it’s Defense gets the 1.5x multiplier from Eviolite and the 1.5x multiplier from Marvel Scale, which makes it have really solid Defense. Sleep Talk allows it to use moves while it’s asleep, completing the RestTalk combo. Dragon Dace boosts it’s Attack, which has no EV investment, and it’s Speed, which isn’t that amazing, even with the 92 Speed EVs. Outrage, in Gen 5, can do damage to every Pokémon except Shedinja, since Fairy types don’t exist. It’s pretty strong STAB, with 120 BP.
Gen 8 OUDragonite @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Hone Claws- Agility- Dragon Rush- Iron Tail
While I’m aware that Dragonite has access to Dragon Dance, I wanted to do something different. Agility doubles your speed. Hone Class boosts your attack and accuracy. Dragon Rush is STAB and has its accuracy boosted thanks to Hone Claws. Iron Tail deals with fairy, ice, and rock types and also has its accuracy boosted due to Hone Claws.
Dragonite @ Weakness PolicyAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Earthquake- Iron Head- Dragon Dance- Dragon Claw
National Dex UUDragonite @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpDCareful Nature- Dual Wingbeat- Defog / Toxic- Roost- Heal Bell
Specially defensive utility set. Dual Wingbeat is STAB that hits twice, meaning it can break sashes and Sturdy. Defog is for clearing entry hazards. Toxic is an option if you want to poison Pokémon switching in if you already have a Defog Pokémon on your team. Roost is for healing. Heal Bell provides support to your teammates as if heals their status conditions such as poisoning. This set is best used on stall teams.
Gen 8 OU
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: MultiscaleEVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 144 SpD / 28 SpeJolly Nature- Dual Wingbeat- Substitute- Dragon Dance- Roost
With Dragonite gaining new tools in Gen 8, like a better STAB in Dual Wingbeat as well as Heavy-Duty Boots to beat Dragonite’s best counter in Stealth Rock, I decided to make a SubDdance set. This one is similar to a set from Gen 5 OU, which used Dragon Claw as its only attacking move. The set unfortunately fell out of favor with the new Dragon Claw immune Fairy types in Gen 6 and Clefable’s domination of Gen 6 OU, and with the metagame defining, part Fairy type Alolan Guardians being introduced in Gen 7. However, Dual Wingbeat is a STAB move with no immunities, making it a nice replacement for Dragon Claw. Substitute allows you to set up more easily and dodge moves and abilities like Heatran’s Toxic and Landorus-Therian’s Intimidate. Dragon Dance boosts Dragonite’s subpar Speed as well as the power of Dual Wingbeat, allowing Dragonite to blend defensive utility with offensive strength. Roost is obligatory recovery, letting Dragonite regain Multiscale, set up easily, and be a massive pain in the ass.
28 Speed and Jolly let unboosted Dragonite outspeed 120 Speed neutral nature Heatran by 1 point.252 HP and 84 Defense let Dragonite never die to Garchomp’s Swords Dance boosted Life Orb Scale Shot (3 hits).252 HP and 144 Special Defense make Kyurem’s Modest Choice Specs Freeze-Dry only a 6.3% chance to OHKO (!!!)
*all of these calcs use Multiscale
GEN 8 OU SWEEPER/STALLBarney (Dragonite) @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: MultiscaleShiny: YesEVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpDCareful Nature- Substitute- Roost- Dual Wingbeat- Dragon DanceThis looks kinda funky but it worked really well for me. First you have your sp.def and multiscale for any ice beams. First you have to sub then dragon dance if something is a threat use roost to get your hp to full and I believe that multiscale will then affect Substitute giving you more time to set up dragon dance. Afterwrds procced to sweep with dual wingbeat. Flying moves are more effective because fairy types will block you completely rendering all the setting up useless.
