Competitive Information for Dragonite [Sword/Shield]
Dragon / Flying
Abilities:
Movesets for Singles
What is a good competitive moveset for Dragonite? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in Sword/Shield Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
RillaboomCoalossalUrshifu-Rapid-StrikeUrshifuBlacephalonThundurusRegigigasWeezingRegielekiKartana
Dragonite is a phenomenal Dragon and Flying-typed Pokemon. It's a super common sight to see Dragonite out in the 8th generation battlefield. Dragonite can usually be found in the OU tier (Overused). Dragonite is weak to Dragon, Fairy, Ice, and Rock-typed attacks.
Item: Weakness Policy / Safety Goggles
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 52 Hp / 204 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Claw / Breaking Swipe
- Extreme Speed
- Aqua Jet
- Dual Wingbeat / Fly
Physical Sweeper Dragonite (Popular/Trending)
Dragonite is a notable Physical Sweeper for single battles. It's designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Weakness Policy activates if Dragonite is hit by a super effective move. The Weakness Policy is consumed and its Attack and Special Attack are increased by two stages each. Safety Goggles grant Dragonite immunity to powder and spore moves along with damage from hail and sandstorm. With Inner Focus, Dragonite cannot be made to flinch. Immune to intimidate.
◆ Breaking Swipe is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Dragon-type move (100% chance to lower the foes attack by 1 stage).
◆ Extreme Speed is a physical priority-increased 80-base power Normal-type move (nearly always goes first).
◆ Aqua Jet is a physical priority-increased 40-base power Water-type move (usually goes first).
◆ Dual Wingbeat is a physical STAB-boosted 40-base power Flying-type move (hits 2 times in one turn).
◆ Fly is a physical STAB-boosted 90-base power Flying-type move (flies up on first turn, then strikes the next turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is10a95
Item: Weakness Policy / Safety Goggles
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Mild (+SpA, -Def)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Draco Meteor
- Hurricane
- Dragon Dance
- Protect
Special Sweeper Dragonite (Popular/Trending)
Dragonite is a spectacular Special Sweeper for single battles. It's designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Weakness Policy activates if Dragonite is hit by a super effective move. The Weakness Policy is consumed and its Attack and Special Attack are increased by two stages each. Safety Goggles grant Dragonite immunity to powder and spore moves along with damage from hail and sandstorm. With Inner Focus, Dragonite cannot be made to flinch. Immune to intimidate.
◆ Hurricane is a special STAB-boosted 110-base power Flying-type move (30% chance to confuse target. Can't miss in rain).
◆ Dragon Dance is a status move (raises your Dragonite's attack and speed by 1 stage).
◆ Protect is a status move (prevents moves from affecting your Dragonite this turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is11a95
Item: Yache Berry / Eject Pack
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Earthquake / Aqua Tail
- Superpower
- Dual Wingbeat / Wing Attack
Physical Sweeper Dragonite (Multiscale)
Dragonite is an outstanding Physical Sweeper for single battles. It's primary goal is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. Earthquake or Aqua Tail are added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed. With a Eject Pack equipped to it, if Dragonite's stat stages are lowered, it switches to a chosen ally then the Eject Pack gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a nice amount of damage.
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Aqua Tail is a physical 90-base power Water-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Dragonite's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Dual Wingbeat is a physical STAB-boosted 40-base power Flying-type move (hits 2 times in one turn).
◆ Wing Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Flying-type move that deals damage.
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is12a95
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 252 Hp / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Moveset:
- Draco Meteor
- Roost
- Fire Blast / Flamethrower
- Thunder Wave
Dragonite Special Tank (Tanky Mailman)
Dragonite is an outstanding Special Tank for single battles. This moveset is designed to take a great amount of hits from special attacks while dealing some decent damage. Life Orb boosts the power of Dragonite's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. This set is from Smogon's BW Tank Dragonite build
This Dragonite set can take on a variety of roles for a team, including paralysis spreader, sweeper, lure, and a check to some of the top threats of the metagame. Thunder Wave allows Dragonite to support slower teammates as well as itself, which most importantly means that it gets more opportunities to use Roost, possibly reactivating Multiscale in the process, allowing it to survive an otherwise fatal hit. With Thunder Wave slowing opposing Pokemon down, Dragonite can invest all of its EVs in bulk and power, making it so Dragonite can function as an effective tank. In a similar vein with Tinkerbell Celebi, Dragonite should aim to spread paralysis early-game and fire off strong attacks later. While Dragonite's 100 base Special Attack doesn't seem like much, it is more than enough to hit a pretty decent majority of the metagame hard thanks to high-power attacks in Draco Meteor and Fire Blast.
Due to the heavy threat level of the omnipresent Dragon Dance and Choice Band variants of Dragonite, this set can also act as an effective lure, dealing heavy damage to physical walls such as Slowbro, Gliscor, and Skarmory that might switch in expecting to take an Outrage only to meet a Draco Meteor or a Fire Blast, paving the way for physical sweepers, such as Terrakion and Scizor, to sweep. Luring in physical walls is something rain variants of Dragonite cannot do, as special attacks such as Hurricane and Thunder might be expected under these conditions. If Dragonite is using Leftovers and Thunder Wave happens to be revealed before either of Dragonite's attacks are, it can effectively bluff being the Multiscale shuffler set and surprise foes with a powerful attack, as Multiscale shuffler Dragonite typically does not invest in its offenses. Draco Meteor is Dragonite's strongest attack, and thanks to the STAB boost it receives, only a handful of non-Steel-type Pokemon are able to switch in to it and live to tell the tale. Fire Blast provides excellent coverage alongside Draco Meteor, with the combination of the two attacks only resisted by Heatran. Flamethrower is a viable alternative to Fire Blast, but the drop in power is noticeable. However, if sun support is provided, Flamethrower is generally the better option, as with the sun boost, Flamethrower gets all the KOs Fire Blast would, in addition to having perfect accuracy.
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Fire Blast is a special 110-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Thunder Wave is a status move (paralyzes the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is13a95
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 215 Hp / 215 Def / 80 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance
- Safeguard
- Outrage / Dragon Tail
- Thunder Punch
Dragonite Physical Wall (Safeguard Dragon)
Dragonite is a sensational Physical Wall for single battles. It is meant to take a mighty amount of physical hits while dealing some decent damage. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Dragonite last longer regaining it's life every turn. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved.
◆ Safeguard is a status move (for 5 turns, protects Dragonite's party from status).
◆ Outrage is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Dragon-type move (lasts 2-3 turns. Confuses your Dragonite afterwards).
◆ Dragon Tail is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Dragon-type move (forces the target to switch to a random ally).
◆ Thunder Punch is a physical 75-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is14a95
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Moveset:
- Dragon Tail
- Roost
- Substitute
- Thunder Wave / Flamethrower
Dragonite Special Wall (Shufflenite)
Dragonite is a spectacular Special Wall for single battles. It attempts to take a good amount of hits from special attacks while dealing some decent damage. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Dragonite last longer regaining it's vitality every turn. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. The goal is to shuffle the opposing team in order to rack up entry hazard damage as well as damage from Dragon Tail, possibly spreading paralysis if it has a chance or instead utilizing Flamethrower in that slot to hit Steel/Fairy-types hard that otherwise do well against Dragonite.
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Substitute is a status move (Dragonite takes 1/4 its max hp to put in a substitute).
◆ Thunder Wave is a status move (paralyzes the target).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is15a95
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw / Dragon Tail
- Earthquake / Roost
- Fire Punch / Waterfall
Dragonite Physical Sweeper (Physical Fury Dragonite)
Dragonite is a notable Physical Sweeper for single battles. It is meant to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Dragonite last longer regaining it's life every turn. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. Multiscale helps keep you alive long enough to get a Dragon Dance off and get that speed boost to start wrecking the next turn.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a nice amount of damage.
◆ Dragon Tail is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Dragon-type move (forces the target to switch to a random ally).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Fire Punch is a physical 75-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Waterfall is a physical 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is16a95
Item: Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 128 Hp / 252 Atk / 128 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Claw
- Extreme Speed
- Agility
- Earthquake
Dragonite Physical Tank (Agility Policy Dragonite)
Dragonite is an awesome Physical Tank for single battles. This moveset is designed to take a large amount of physical hits while dealing some decent damage. Weakness Policy activates if Dragonite is hit by a super effective move. The Weakness Policy is consumed and its Attack and Special Attack are increased by two stages each. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. If possible speed yourself up with agility first turn while you take the hit and hopefully get the policy boost. Multiscale should help soften the blow giving you ample opportunity next turn to proceed and kill everything.
◆ Extreme Speed is a physical priority-increased 80-base power Normal-type move (nearly always goes first).
◆ Agility is a status move (raises your Dragonite's speed by 2 stages).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is17a95
Movesets for Doubles
What is a good doubles moveset for Dragonite? These builds have been optimized for Sword/Shield Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
RillaboomCoalossalUrshifu-Rapid-StrikeUrshifuBlacephalonThundurusRegigigasWeezingRegielekiKartana
Item: Yache Berry / Eject Pack
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Breaking Swipe / Outrage
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
Doubles Physical Sweeper Dragonite (Multiscale)
Dragonite is a spectacular Physical Sweeper for double battles. It's primary goal is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Multiscale, if Dragonite is at full hp damage taken from attacks is halved. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed. With a Eject Pack equipped to it, if Dragonite's stat stages are lowered, it switches to a chosen ally then the Eject Pack gets consumed.
◆ Outrage is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Dragon-type move (lasts 2-3 turns. Confuses your Dragonite afterwards).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Bulldoze is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent Pokemon speed by 1 stage).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Dragonite's attack and defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/id10a95
Movepool
Wondering what moves can Dragonite learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Dragonite can perform in Sword/Shield. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive SS Move and Ability Combos for Dragonite
- Moves: Safeguard + Outrage
- Moves: Rain dance + Thunder
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Thunderbolt + Ice beam
- Moves: Body Press + Curse
- Moves: Body Press + Skull Bash
- Moves: Body Press + Steel Wing
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Zap Cannon
- Moves with Priority: Detect, Endure, Protect, Aqua Jet, Extreme Speed
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog, Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Thunder Wave, Toxic
Moves that boost Dragonite's stats
- Agility
- Curse
- Dragon Dance
- Hone Claws
- Power-Up Punch
- Scale Shot
- Skull Bash
- Steel Wing
Most notable and possible best moves for Dragonite
- Aqua Jet
- Breaking Swipe
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Tail
- Dual Wingbeat
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Fire Punch
- Fly
- Hurricane
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Ice Punch
- Iron Head
- Light Screen
- Protect
- Reflect
- Rest
- Rock Slide
- Roost
- Scale Shot
- Thunder Punch
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Dragonite in Sword and Shield
- Jolly Nature ( 52/204/0/0/0/252 )
- Mild Nature ( 4/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Optimize Dragonite's EV spread for Pokemon Sword and Shield
Related Videos
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Here are the best movesets for Dragonite. Top rated Dragonite Sword/Shield movesets. You can find Dragonite builds Sword/Shield. Dragonite movesets Sword/Shield are listed here. VGC Dragonite Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Dragonite in Sword/Shield along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution