The set:
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Fang/Thunder Fang/Toxic/Pursuit
item: Life Orb/Expert Belt
ability: Pressure
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 atk, 216 speed, 42 sp atk
Initially, this set is very similar to the Life Orb set listed on the current Aerodactyl Analysis. The main difference is the shifting of EV's to sp atk and the presence of Fire Blast. Aerodactyl's base 60 sp atk, while far from impressive, is enough to do serious damage to Skarmory, who would otherwise wall Aerodactyl quite effectively (An Adamant, CB Stone Edge doesn't even 2HKO). The single most important damage calculation:
64.37% - 75.45% to a 252 hp Skarmory (Fire Blast).
An easy 2HKO. However, another interesting point is that it may be possible for Aerodactyl to Stone Edge first, and then score a KO with Fire Blast afterwards. Stone Edge does:
32.04% - 37.72% to an Impish, 252 hp, 252 def Skarmory (Stone Edge).
Adding the numbers up, you've got 96.41% - 113.17% damage total without lefties (pretty good chance of a KO, since not all Skarmories carry leftovers), and 90.41% - 107.17% total damage with them, still a decent chance.
With Stealth Rock factored into the equation, however, Skarmory takes 12.5% extra damage upon switching in, meaning that a Stone Edge and Fire Blast from this Aerodactyl will always KO Skarm if SR is up (assuming neither move misses, of course).
Fire Blasts's applications are a bit limited elsewhere, but it does have some use. Against Bronzong, another pokemon that would do an effective job of walling Aerodactyl (and doing heavy damage to it with a STAB Gyro Ball), a Life Orb'd Fire Blast does:
42.01% - 49.70% to a 252 HP, Neutral Nature Bronzong.
31.36% - 36.98% to a 252 HP, 252 sp def, Positive Nature Bronzong.
With leftovers recovery factored in, a 2HKO isn't going to happen even if SR is up. Aerodactyl isn't going to want to stay in on Bronzong either if it's unsure of a KO, since it risks taking a STAB Gyro Ball or a Hypnosis. However, unlike Skarmory, Bronzong lacks a reliable healing move, so repeated Fire Blasts will wear it down fairly quickly if you predict right. It is notable that Fire Fang will do slightly more if the enemy Bronzong has equal defenses (assuming this Aerodactyl's 252 atk, 42 sp atk spread), but Bronzongs that opponents will switch into Aerodactyl are more likely to be physically-oriented versions, and the main target of Fire Blast is Skarmory, anyways.
As for other pokemon that Fire Blast would have uses on...Scizor and Forretress would both be fairly effective switches on Aerodactyl - despite not resisting any of his core attacks, their high defense stats and STAB steel moves would pose a danger. Both of them are 1HKO'd by Fire Blast even with Expert Belt (assuming 252 hp EV's). One last pokemon that Fire Blast is useful for is Tangrowth, who can switch in fairly safely (Stone Edge does 28.71% - 33.66% to a 252/252 Impish Tangrowth, Ice Fang does even less) and threaten Aerodactyl with a variety of moves (Stun Spore seriously cripples Aerodactyl, Power Whip has a chance of a OHKO even with no attack EV's, etc). Fire Blast does 68.32% - 80.45% damage against the same Tangrowth, easily KOing if it's taken some previous damage.
As for the other options...Toxic is a potential option for dealing with bulky Ground types that would be otherwise be good switch-ins on Aerodactyl (Hippodown, Donphan, Swampert, Gliscor, etc). Toxic will severely hurt their long-term durability, limiting the number of times they can switch in effectively. And Fire Blast (along with EQ) covers any steel types that would otherwise block Toxic. Ice Fang does a decent chunk of damage to the aforementioned Ground types, while Thunder Fang hits bulky Water types for a lot of damage (since Stone Edge out-powers Thunder Fang, though, it's a lesser option), and Pursuit is always an effective revenge-kill option when combined with Aerodactyl's high speed and attack. Unfortunately, the only other notable special attack that Aerodactyl gets besides FB/Flamethrower is Dragon Pulse, which would only really be useful for Garchomp. And even then, Ice Fang would probably work better.
So...go ahead and comment. This is my first time submitting a set like this so it's probably a bit messy, but I do feel that Fire Blast is a good option on a Life Orb Aerodactyl and it deserves a set of it's own.
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Fang/Thunder Fang/Toxic/Pursuit
item: Life Orb/Expert Belt
ability: Pressure
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 atk, 216 speed, 42 sp atk
Initially, this set is very similar to the Life Orb set listed on the current Aerodactyl Analysis. The main difference is the shifting of EV's to sp atk and the presence of Fire Blast. Aerodactyl's base 60 sp atk, while far from impressive, is enough to do serious damage to Skarmory, who would otherwise wall Aerodactyl quite effectively (An Adamant, CB Stone Edge doesn't even 2HKO). The single most important damage calculation:
64.37% - 75.45% to a 252 hp Skarmory (Fire Blast).
An easy 2HKO. However, another interesting point is that it may be possible for Aerodactyl to Stone Edge first, and then score a KO with Fire Blast afterwards. Stone Edge does:
32.04% - 37.72% to an Impish, 252 hp, 252 def Skarmory (Stone Edge).
Adding the numbers up, you've got 96.41% - 113.17% damage total without lefties (pretty good chance of a KO, since not all Skarmories carry leftovers), and 90.41% - 107.17% total damage with them, still a decent chance.
With Stealth Rock factored into the equation, however, Skarmory takes 12.5% extra damage upon switching in, meaning that a Stone Edge and Fire Blast from this Aerodactyl will always KO Skarm if SR is up (assuming neither move misses, of course).
Fire Blasts's applications are a bit limited elsewhere, but it does have some use. Against Bronzong, another pokemon that would do an effective job of walling Aerodactyl (and doing heavy damage to it with a STAB Gyro Ball), a Life Orb'd Fire Blast does:
42.01% - 49.70% to a 252 HP, Neutral Nature Bronzong.
31.36% - 36.98% to a 252 HP, 252 sp def, Positive Nature Bronzong.
With leftovers recovery factored in, a 2HKO isn't going to happen even if SR is up. Aerodactyl isn't going to want to stay in on Bronzong either if it's unsure of a KO, since it risks taking a STAB Gyro Ball or a Hypnosis. However, unlike Skarmory, Bronzong lacks a reliable healing move, so repeated Fire Blasts will wear it down fairly quickly if you predict right. It is notable that Fire Fang will do slightly more if the enemy Bronzong has equal defenses (assuming this Aerodactyl's 252 atk, 42 sp atk spread), but Bronzongs that opponents will switch into Aerodactyl are more likely to be physically-oriented versions, and the main target of Fire Blast is Skarmory, anyways.
As for other pokemon that Fire Blast would have uses on...Scizor and Forretress would both be fairly effective switches on Aerodactyl - despite not resisting any of his core attacks, their high defense stats and STAB steel moves would pose a danger. Both of them are 1HKO'd by Fire Blast even with Expert Belt (assuming 252 hp EV's). One last pokemon that Fire Blast is useful for is Tangrowth, who can switch in fairly safely (Stone Edge does 28.71% - 33.66% to a 252/252 Impish Tangrowth, Ice Fang does even less) and threaten Aerodactyl with a variety of moves (Stun Spore seriously cripples Aerodactyl, Power Whip has a chance of a OHKO even with no attack EV's, etc). Fire Blast does 68.32% - 80.45% damage against the same Tangrowth, easily KOing if it's taken some previous damage.
As for the other options...Toxic is a potential option for dealing with bulky Ground types that would be otherwise be good switch-ins on Aerodactyl (Hippodown, Donphan, Swampert, Gliscor, etc). Toxic will severely hurt their long-term durability, limiting the number of times they can switch in effectively. And Fire Blast (along with EQ) covers any steel types that would otherwise block Toxic. Ice Fang does a decent chunk of damage to the aforementioned Ground types, while Thunder Fang hits bulky Water types for a lot of damage (since Stone Edge out-powers Thunder Fang, though, it's a lesser option), and Pursuit is always an effective revenge-kill option when combined with Aerodactyl's high speed and attack. Unfortunately, the only other notable special attack that Aerodactyl gets besides FB/Flamethrower is Dragon Pulse, which would only really be useful for Garchomp. And even then, Ice Fang would probably work better.
So...go ahead and comment. This is my first time submitting a set like this so it's probably a bit messy, but I do feel that Fire Blast is a good option on a Life Orb Aerodactyl and it deserves a set of it's own.
