Aerodactyl
Fossil Pokémon
A Pokémon that roamed the skies in the dinosaur era. Its teeth are like saw blades.
Base Stats
Type Effectiveness
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Evolution Chain
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Details
Sprites
Competitive
Strategy Overview
Aerodactyl's typing and Speed allows it to perform multiple roles on a team. Aerodactyl is a great pivot for offensive teams thanks to its typing, which grants it resistances to common types such as Fire- and Normal-type attacks; it also has reliable recovery with Roost, so it can take advantage of any lull in a battle.
The Rock / Flying typing is a double-edged sword because it leaves Aerodactyl vulnerable to common Water-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks. A weakness to Stealth Rock means that Aerodactyl will need support from its team to reach its full potential, otherwise Stealth Rock will be a constant annoyance by draining Aerodactyl's health. Aerodactyl's Speed and high offensive pressure makes it a fantastic presence on heavy offensive teams, but its utility on more defensive teams is a bit limited due to its frailty. Although, combining the power of a Life Orb or Choice Band wielder with the Speed of most Choice Scarf users is a beautiful thing to have. Finally, don't use Aerodactyl as a dedicated lead; its glory days as a DPP OU lead are far behind it.
Most Used Moves
Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc