Bagon Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Dragon Dance is the move of choice to set up and sweep, allowing Bagon to outspeed many threats and gain an Attack boost. Dragon Claw is the preferred STAB move for this set, but it is not boosted by Sheer Force and causes Bagon to take recoil damage from Life Orb. Rock Slide is a great coverage move that deals with Flying- and Fire-types such as Vullaby, Fletchling, Archen, Ponyta, Larvesta, and Houndour. Zen Headbutt hits Fighting-types such as Mienfoo and Timburr and Poison-types such as Koffing, Grimer, and Trubbish super effectively. Fire Fang allows Bagon to hit Bug-, Steel-, and Grass-types including Cottonee, which otherwise beats it, while Crunch is for handling Ghost-types. Set Details Maximum Attack investment is preferred to hit as hard as possible, and 196 Speed EVs allow Bagon to outspeed the whole unboosted tier. An Adamant nature allows it to hit extra hard while still being able to reach 21 Speed at +1. Life Orb allows Bagon to hit hard without taking damage thanks to Sheer Force, while Eviolite gives it some bulk and improves its longevity. Keep in mind that Eviolite gives Bagon less offensive prowess and may leave it underwhelming damage-wise. Usage Tips Bagon appreciates entry hazards to get past pesky Sturdy + Berry Juice users or other Pokemon with Sturdy that can stop a sweep in its tracks. A slow pivot such as Magnemite works well with Bagon, as Volt Switch allows it to get into battle unscathed. Setting up on a support Pokemon is recommended, as a Dragon Dance boost or two is crucial for Bagon to outspeed threats and improve its sweeping capabilities. Fairy-types should also be eliminated before setting up, as they stop Bagon dead in its tracks. Team Options As far as team options go, Bagon needs lots of support. Bagon appreciates entry hazards to KO threats that would otherwise survive an attack, especially Sturdy users. Ferroseed makes a great teammate, as it takes hits for Bagon very well and can also set up entry hazards. Staryu is a good specially based spinner which ensures that Bagon's HP isn't whittled down by entry hazards. Bagon still struggles against Spritzee, so it appreciates a teammate like Pawniard or Croagunk to take care of it. Pawniard also can also deter the use of Defog and gets rid of threats like Fletchling for Bagon.

This is Bagon's only viable set in LC, and just like its evolved form Salamence in OU, this set is used to not only heal itself and its team with Wish, but to tank attacks as well. While it doesn't have the biggest HP stat to pass Wishes with, its typing gives it useful resistances to common offensive types such as Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric, which gives it its niche. Dragon Claw is used for damage purposes, as well as to prevent Bagon from becoming Taunt bait. Fire Blast hits Steels, mainly Magnemite and Ferroseed, that will try to use Bagon as setup bait. Protect is used to ensure Bagon gets the recovery from Wish, and it also works with Toxic Spikes as it stalls out poison as well. However, if you aren't concerned about getting guaranteed recovery from Wish, Toxic can be used over Protect, as it breaks down Pokemon such as Mienfoo, Hippopotas, and others. With maximum HP investment plus the maximum investment Bagon can have with a Relaxed nature, Bagon has as much physical bulk as possible. Bagon can 2HKO Magnemite and it even has the chance to OHKO Ferroseed with 36 Special Attack EVs. After the aforementioned 36 SpA EVs are used to deal with Magnemite and Ferroseed, the remaining EVs go into SpD, as that is the only place where those EVs have any use. Using an Eviolite on this defensive set makes sense, as it boosts both Bagon's Defense and Special Defense. Roar can be used in the last slot as it works like Dragon Tail: phazes out Pokemon and racks up entry hazard damage. Other attacks such as Zen Headbutt, Crunch, Rock Slide, and Brick Break can be used over Fire Blast for a Wish passer that can deal with certain threats. Zen Headbutt can deal with Mienfoo and Croagunk, Crunch with Misdreavus and other Ghost- and Psychic-types, Rock Slide handles Larvesta, and Brick Break hits Pawniard and Ferroseed. If you decide to use one of those attacks over Fire Blast, make sure to move those Special Attack EVs into Attack. Teammates for Bagon should do two things: provide entry hazards to spread damage or status, and enjoy the Wish support Bagon can provide. Pokemon such as Omanyte, Dwebble, Ferroseed, and Pineco all love Bagon, as they can set up Spikes, and Pineco can even Rapid Spin, which is extra helpful. Dewbble, Omanyte, Pineco, and Lileep can all set up Stealth Rock as well, while Omanyte, Trubbish, and Tentacool all set up Toxic Spikes. Pokemon that can keep those hazards on the field are useful partners as well. Misdreavus is a great example, as it can block Rapid Spin, and loves the Wishes. Magnemite is another great teammate, as it traps Steel-types if Bagon isn't running Fire Blast. While you might still have doubts about Bagon's ability to tank common physical attacks in the LC metagame, below are calculations that show just how sturdy Bagon is: 236 Atk+ Drilbur Earthquake vs. 236/196+ Bagon 54.54 - 68.18% 236 Atk+ Mienfoo High Jump Kick vs. 236/196+ Bagon 54.54 - 68.18% 156 Atk Mienfoo High Jump Kick vs. 236/196+ Bagon 45.45 - 59.09% 20 Atk Hippopotas Earthquake vs. 236/196+ Bagon 31.81 - 40.9% 212 Atk+Tirtouga Stone Edge vs. 236/196+ Bagon 40.9 - 54.54%

With a Choice Scarf, Bagon outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame and thus acts as a solid sweeper late-game. Outrage is a very powerful STAB move and Bagon's primary attacking option, but due to its effect of locking Bagon into the move and preventing it from switching out, it should only be used to sweep. Fire Fang allows Bagon to hit the Steel-types who resist its STAB Dragon-type moves. Hydro Pump is useful against both Gligar and Aron, who can take Bagon's physical attacks with ease. Dragon Claw gives Bagon a reliable STAB move that's useful early-game, so it isn't forced to use Outrage to pose a threat. However, Brick Break is a solid option instead if you do not trust Hydro Pump's shaky accuracy against Aron. While the options listed above are almost always the superior choices, there are a couple of changes worth noting should you want to beat specific threats or change Bagon's playstyle slightly. With a Choice Band equipped, Bagon becomes a valuable wallbreaker, and that added power can make a world of difference. However, the loss in Speed makes Bagon much easier to revenge kill. Lastly, Hidden Power Ice is a viable option as it can OHKO Gligar after Stealth Rock damage, but doesn't do much else. While this set is effective on its own, with proper support Bagon truly becomes a force to be reckoned with. In order to give Bagon its best chance to sweep, Steel-types and Gligar need to be taken care of so that Bagon can unleash its Outrage. Houndour can easily take care of Steel-types, most notably Bronzor, while Snover is one of the best answers to Gligar in Little Cup. Stealth Rock support is also extremely helpful for Bagon due to the additional damage that can make the difference between a 2HKO and an OHKO.

While not quite as effective as its evolution, Salamence, Bagon can use Dragon Dance in order to set up a sweep. Outrage is only resisted by Steel-types, and when backed by STAB, Dragon Dance, and Bagon's high Attack stat, it becomes a powerful sweeping tool capable of tearing apart weakened teams late-game. Fire Fang has great coverage alongside Bagon's Dragon-type STAB, since it hits the common Steel-types of Little Cup, such as Bronzor, for super effective damage. Dragon Claw allows Bagon to tear holes in the opposing team early in the game without being locked in as with Outrage, and is useful in its own right as a moderately powerful STAB move. On the other hand, Brick Break is a viable option if hitting Aron is a top priority, since it is not hit super effectively by Fire Fang. As Bagon is a sweeper, you will want to make sure that it is able to set up without taking much damage and to sweep successfully. Dual screen support from the likes of Bronzor or Magnemite is extremely helpful, allowing Bagon to set up Dragon Dance with little trouble and also giving it extra protection from priority attacks while rampaging. Both of these Pokemon are also useful teammates for other reasons, too; Bronzor can deal with Gligar using its natural bulk, immunity to Earthquake, and Hidden Power Ice, while Magnemite can trap and kill opposing Steel-types thanks to its Magnet Pull ability. Stealth Rock is also crucial to facilitate Bagon's sweep, increasing residual damage and breaking any Focus Sashes. For example, the extra damage allows Bagon to OHKO Munchlax with Dragon Claw after a Dragon Dance boost.