Durant Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Iron Head is Durant's main STAB option, 2HKOing or OHKOing almost anything that doesn't resist it, such as Tapu Lele or Mega Gardevoir. Its 30% flinch chance can also allow Durant to cause the foe to flinch if there's no other way of winning. This is especially helpful against targets like Magearna and Crustle, which Durant cannot OHKO but can OHKO Durant in return. X-Scissor is a good secondary STAB move that can pick up KOs on Psychic- and Grass-types like Meloetta and Celebi. Although you won't be using X-Scissor a lot and it's the most replaceable move on the set, it's Durant's main way of beating Mega Slowbro and Mega Metagross. No Durant set is complete without Stone Edge, a valuable asset that allows it to KO any Fire- or Flying-types that don't outspeed it, most prominently Mega Charizard X and Y. With this set of moves, Durant would get walled by most Steel-types, but it also has access to Superpower, which helps it somewhat. With Superpower, Durant can OHKO Steel-type walls such as Ferrothorn and Heatran, as well as take out bulky Normal-types such as Chansey. Rock Slide can also be run instead of Stone Edge in order to more accurately hit targets such as Mega Pinsir, Volcarona, and Mega Charizard Y, though this leaves Durant unable to OHKO Mega Charizard X. Set Details Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature are necessary to maximize Durant's Speed, allowing it to outspeed Terrakion, Mega Pinsir, and Nihilego and KO them. 56 EVs are put into HP in order to allow Durant to guarantee surviving a Fake Out followed by High Jump Kick from Mega Lopunny, as well as attacks such as a +1 Waterfall from Adamant Mega Gyarados, giving you the capacity to 2HKO it with either X-Scissor or Stone Edge and not fall to it after being hit by a boosted Waterfall. The rest is put into Attack to maximize Durant's damage output. Choice Band and Hustle add up to give Durant monstrous attacking power that allows it to KO maximum Defense walls such as Chansey and Ferrothorn. Usage Tips Against Mega Gyarados, you will need to either use Stone Edge, predicting them to not Mega Evolve in fear of X-Scissor, or use X-Scissor as they fear being hit by a Stone Edge. Getting either one of these plays correct will allow Durant to 2HKO Mega Gyarados. Avoid sending Durant out against Porygon-Z, as although Hyper Beam is resisted, it will still knock out Durant. Steel-types with a neutrality or immunity to Fighting, most importantly Aegislash and Magearna, can also defeat Durant with ease. Finally, bulkier Pokemon and faster Substitute users, like Whimsicott, Mega Metagross, Type: Null, Porygon2, and Serperior, should not be considered consistent wins for Durant; even if Durant can technically hit them super effectively, they can either spam Substitute or recovery until Durant misses a move, which is eventually going to happen, and then take advantage of the protection of Substitute or the drop in Attack from Superpower to win. Team Options Durant doesn't like facing special attackers, but fortunately for Durant, Chansey really loves taking on that job, saving Durant from specially offensive Dragonite and Primarina. Mirror Coat Magnezone, or Magnezone in general, also does a great job of picking off things that threaten Durant due to its Sturdy ability, handling Pokemon such as Greninja, Magearna, and Naganadel. In return, Durant can threaten Fire-type Pokemon that normally seriously threaten Magnezone, such as Mega Charizard X and Victini. Durant is also threatened by physical attackers with Intimidate or Multiscale, most importantly Landorus-T and Dragonite, as they can take any hit from Durant and retaliate. These two are pretty hard to cover with just one Pokemon, but Fake Out + Ice Punch Mega Lopunny does a good job against them. In return, Durant can deal with the common bulkier Pokemon that Mega Lopunny struggles with the most, in particular, Meloetta and Mega Charizard X. Certain Fire-type Pokemon, such as Choice Scarf Victini and Mega Camerupt, Durant will not be able to defeat, and thus it will require the assistance of traditional Fire-type answers, such as Mega Gyarados and Primarina. Durant assists these Pokemon by blasting Grass-type Pokemon like Kartana and Tapu Bulu.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This set is all about switching in when an opportunity arises, setting up, and then hitting incredibly hard and fast. Hone Claws only raises the user's Attack stat by one stage, and is Durant's only option for boosting. While the single-stage boost might seem lacking at first glance, it's almost like Hone Claws was designed for this Pokemon. Hustle already boosts Durant's Attack stat to 475, while Hone Claws patches the loss of accuracy Hustle brings; one boost from Hone Claws and Durant sits at normal accuracy levels and an Attack stat of 712, enough to tear nearly everything apart. X-Scissor is the best Bug-type move at Durant's disposal; while it might seem pretty weak at first glance, it has enough power to hit anything that doesn't resist it for massive damage; it's also more reliable compared to Heracross's Megahorn, which is a godsend for Durant. Rock Slide covers some of the deadliest forces in the tier; both Zapdos and Darmanitan resist Durant's other moves and Rock Slide will easily KO both of these after a Hone Claws boost. Iron Head is Durant's secondary STAB, and hits several Pokemon in the tier that can withstand both X-Scissor and Rock Slide. Gligar, one of the sturdiest walls in the tier, is 2HKOed by a boosted Iron Head, while Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Rhyperior, and Heracross are OHKOed. Superpower is Durant's only option for taking down Steel-types. While Empoleon is 2HKOed by +1 Life Orb X-Scissor, other Steel-types such as Cobalion, Registeel, and Steelix can withstand several blows from the little ant's other moves due to their superior physical Defense. There aren't many other viable options Durant can use, as it needs the listed moves to cover the most threats. Substitute can be used with the right team support to ease prediction and setting up. Stone Edge is a more powerful, albeit less reliable, option for Durant to use, hitting opponents much harder on the switch, as well as having a better chance to OHKO physically defensive Zapdos when Stealth Rock is absent. The choice between Life Orb and Lum Berry should be determined by your personal preference. While Life Orb is needed to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs against sturdier opponents such as Gligar, Empoleon, and Cobalion, Lum Berry can prove a useful asset to rid Durant of any unwanted status, such as burn from Scald or paralysis from Thunder Wave. Leftovers is also an option to keep Durant healthy throughout the game. Any entry hazard support is a godsend for Durant, as it will make KOing certain walls much easier for it. Claydol and Nidoqueen are great options for setting up Stealth Rock, which will help Durant net OHKOs and 2HKOs against Pokemon such as Gligar, Empoleon, and physically defensive Zapdos. Claydol can also provide useful Rapid Spin support; while Durant is immune to Toxic Spikes, Spikes will wear it down and make it much more easier to KO. Roserade and Qwilfish can provide excellent Toxic Spikes and Spikes support for Durant. While Spikes won't help much against aerial foes, they will make Pokemon such as Suicune, Cobalion, and Slowbro much easier to take down, especially if Durant lacks Life Orb. Now comes the main issue with this Durant: its lack of coverage. If Durant lacks Superpower, almost every Steel-type in the tier will have a field day with it, by either totally crippling it and walling it to hell and back, or just setting up on it. Magneton can trap most Steel-types and KO them with its powerful Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fire. Even though Cobalion outspeeds Magneton, a Choice Scarf will patch up the latter's lower Speed stat nicely. Slowbro is also a full stop to Cobalion, and thus pairs nicely with Durant; Cobalion can even fail to 2HKO Slowbro with X-Scissor at +2, which shows how greatly Slowbro's defensive capabilities can aid Durant. Other teammates that pair up nicely with Durant to take care of Steel-types are the many powerful Fire-types in the tier; Houndoom, Victini, and Darmanitan can turn all Steel-types into crisps. While these Fire-types can greatly aid Durant, they are also some of its greatest enemies. Victini and Darmanitan commonly wield Choice Scarves and can all outspeed Durant, making the two defensive behemoths, Snorlax and Porygon2, great teammates for Durant. Snorlax has access to Thick Fat to halve the damage it takes from Fire-type attacks, while Porygon2 can Trace Flash Fire from Houndoom and Arcanine to make their STAB moves obsolete. If, however, you choose to use Superpower over Iron Head, other problems pop up. Nidoqueen resists all of Durant's moves if it lacks Iron Head, and can easily dispose of Durant with a super effective Flamethrower. Gligar is also a big, big problem, as Rock Slide pales in comparison to Iron Head as a means of taking it down. Gligar can then proceed to easily stall out Durant with Roost and repeated Earthquakes. Pokemon such as Krookodile, Suicune, Kingdra, and even Roserade are therefore great teammates. Nidoqueen is no match for these four, while Suicune, Kingdra, and Roserade can hit Gligar extremely hard. It should be noted that Nidoqueen is only 2HKOed by Iron Head, so one should pack a Pokemon to take care of it regardless of Durant's choice of moves, as a healthy Nidoqueen can come in after a teammate has gone down and spell doom for Durant.

Choice Band allows Durant to bypass the turn of setup that Hone Claws requires, and lets it hit hard right from the start. Using Choice Band also means Durant gets much better coverage as it doesn't have to give up a slot for Hone Claws. However, Choice Band does not do anything about Hustle's accuracy drop, so one must be wary about potential misses. X-Scissor is Durant's best move; it provides great STAB and coverage, and will hit a huge part of the tier incredibly hard. Rock Slide covers most Fire- and Flying-types; Zapdos is the biggest target of this move as it resists the other three. Iron Head is a great secondary STAB move and covers threats that the other moves just can't, such as Gligar and Nidoqueen. Superpower is Durant's best option against Steel-types; all Steel-types in the tier are at worst 2HKOed by Durant's Superpower. Superpower is also the easiest way for Durant to dispose of Snorlax. Entry hazards help this variant of Durant a lot, particularly in taking down bulkier opponents such as Suicune, Milotic, and Registeel. It can also keep the opponent from switching, and allow Durant to revenge kill it much more easily. Nidoqueen, Qwilfish, and Roserade are all good candidates for setting up entry hazards. These three can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, while Nidoqueen can also set up Stealth Rock. It should be noted, however, that Roserade shares a Fire-type weakness with Durant, so proper team support is needed when using it. Rapid Spin support is also highly appreciated due to the hit-and-run nature of this set. Claydol is great option for this, as it can also set up Stealth Rock and take several special moves directed at Durant. Choice Scarf-wielding Fire-types in general are huge problems. Snorlax and Porygon2 are good checks to Victini due to their typing and abilities, while Flash Fire Pokemon such as Houndoom and Arcanine can switch in on Fire-type moves directed at Durant. The lack of Life Orb leaves Durant's Iron Head unable to 2HKO Gligar and only able to 2HKO Nidoqueen at best, and both takes pitiful damage from its other moves. Therefore, Water-types such as Suicune, Slowbro, and Kingdra make good teammates. All three can hit both Gligar and Nidoqueen quite hard with their Water-type moves, while taking little damage in return.

With a Choice Scarf, Durant is able to function as an effective counter for other Choice Scarf Pokemon, as well as outspeed Tornadus and Thundurus, which otherwise hit Durant hard with their STAB moves. Crunch smacks Jellicent, making it unable to unleash a full-power Water Spout and crippling it for the remainder of the match. Rock Slide hits Tornadus and Thundurus hard, in addition to having a high flinch rate. X-Scissor OHKOes Hydreigon and gives Durant a strong STAB move, while Iron Head is Durant's only way to hit Terrakion and can cause a flinch too. With a Choice Scarf, Durant is already outspeeding most of the metagame, so an Adamant nature is used. Hustle gives all of Durant's moves the equivalent of a Choice Band boost at the cost of 20% accuracy. If the lower accuracy is a problem for you, Swarm is a decent replacement, although Durant will not often take an attack and live with under 33% health. With Durant's terrible defenses, you should simply invest all you can into Attack and Speed. You can use a Jolly nature if you fear Choice Scarf Terrakion, but the drop in power is so significant that this is rarely a good idea. Wide Guard support is greatly appreciated, as it allows Durant to eliminate Chandelure, Jellicent, and Terrakion, respectively, in two turns. Musharna can provide Durant with Helping Hand support, allowing Durant to OHKO Jellicent and Chandelure with Crunch, and Terrakion with Iron Head.

Iron Head gives Durant a reliable STAB attack and also has a 30% flinch rate. Durant's base 109 Speed allows it to make good use of the flinch chance, as it just outspeeds the musketeer trio of Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion. Rock Slide allows Durant to 2HKO Chandelure, while X-Scissor dents bulky Psychic-type Trick Room users, such as Reuniclus and Musharna, while also OHKOing some offensive Pokemon that are weak to Bug-type attacks such as Hydreigon. Protect allows Durant to shield itself from damage for a turn, possibly allowing Durant's partner to eliminate a threat. Crunch is also a good option, however, to deal heavy damage to Jellicent that try to get off a powerful Water Spout, in addition to hitting Cofagrigus, one of the few Trick Room users not covered by the rest of this set. With 58 / 112 / 48 defenses, Durant needs a Focus Sash to prevent most special attacks from OHKOing it, although Durant can use a Life Orb instead for an extra power boost. With a Life Orb and Hustle, Durant is able to OHKO 252/0 Reuniclus and has a chance to OHKO max Defense Musharna. A Jolly nature allows Durant to outpace Terrakion and hit it with a STAB super effective Iron Head, which is one of the main reasons for using Durant. Swarm boosts Durant's Bug-type moves whenever its health drops below 33%, which, in conjunction with a Focus Sash, allows for a very powerful final X-Scissor. On the other hand, Hustle allows Durant to always OHKO Terrakion with Iron Head and gives Durant more power overall; unfortunately, this comes with a loss of accuracy on all of Durant's moves. With Durant's poor defenses, there is no point in investing in bulk, allowing EVs to be fully invested in Attack and Speed. Wide Guard users such as Mienshao and Conkeldurr are great teammates for Durant, as they allow it to outspeed and 2HKO Chandelure without getting destroyed by Heat Wave. Wide Guard also helps Durant damage Choice Scarf Jellicent, which would otherwise dent Durant and its teammates. Pairing Durant with Terrakion creates a lethal Iron Head / Rock Slide combo, increasing the chance of flinch while dealing a lot of damage.

Durant's power and potential vary depending upon which ability you use; with Hustle, it gets a free Attack boost at the cost of a drop in accuracy, negating the effects of Intimidate. With Swarm, Durant's Attack is still respectable, but the only move that receives a boost when Durant's Focus Sash activates is X-Scissor. Iron Head is Durant's best STAB move, as it has a chance to flinch an opponent. Its other aforementioned STAB move, X-Scissor, can do massive damage to many common VGC 2012 Pokemon such as Latios, Tyranitar, Cresselia, Ludicolo, and many others. While Rock Slide is risky with Hustle, it gives trouble to most of Durant's counters, such as Chandelure and Volcarona. A set with Hustle should use Crunch in the last moveslot because attacking prowess is necessary, but a set with Swarm always appreciates survivability, so Protect is the alternative option. A Jolly nature is necessary in order to outspeed common threats such as Terrakion, Garchomp, Zapdos, and other fast Pokemon. 252 EVs are put into both Attack and Speed to emphasize Durant's two best stats, and the remaining 4 EVs are put in Defense due to Durant's naturally high Defense. Almost any Fake Out user, such as Hitmontop, Infernape, and Toxicroak, can allow Durant to hit faster opponents, such as Latios, Ludicolo, and Thundurus, on the first turn that the teammate is sent out. Gastrodon helps Durant tremendously by absorbing most Water-type moves that would normally deal massive damage due to Durant's extremely low Special Defense, and Chandelure gets rid of most of the Steel-types that give Durant a lot of trouble. Other Pokemon with Flash Fire can be considered, but Chandelure is the best at the job. A partner that can use Telekinesis or Gravity is useful if Durant is using Hustle in order to alleviate the accuracy loss. Partners that can use Helping Hand will make sure that Durant gets an extra boost in Attack even without using Hustle. Fighting-type partners are also good as they take out the Steel-type Pokemon that wall Durant.