What it does
Draco Meteor is a Special Dragon-type move with 130 base power, 90% accuracy. After it lands, the user's Sp. Atk drops by two stages — taking subsequent damage output to roughly 44% of baseline. That's the whole move in one paragraph. High enough power to one-shot most unboosted targets, a drawback that cripples sustained use.
The 2-stage Sp. Atk drop is severe. Without recovery, the next special attack from the same Pokemon hits like a low-powered coverage move. In singles, you switch out, the stat resets, and you switch back — the cost is a turn and positioning, which is manageable. In doubles, a switch consumes a full turn and removes one of your two active Pokemon from the field while the opponent's both still act. The dynamic is different enough that you need a plan before you use the move, not after.
Three realistic approaches in doubles:
One: use it to KO a target and switch out, planning the recovery as part of the sequence. The move does its job, you accept the exit, the stat resets in the back.
Two: pair it with White Herb, which fires automatically and restores the Sp. Atk drop on the same turn. One-time item, but the trade is clean.
Three: accept the weakened state, use Draco Meteor as a situational nuke and continue with reduced output or an eventual KO. Works on a Pokemon that has secondary contributions beyond attacking.
Who runs it
Hydreigon (95%) almost always carries Draco Meteor. High Special Attack, solid Speed, and Dragon STAB makes it the most efficient delivery platform in the format. Its standard pairing with Choice Specs creates a situation where switching out to change moves simultaneously resets the Sp. Atk drop — two costs folded into one necessary action.
Noivern (74%) has the Speed to matter. Landing Draco Meteor before the opponent acts is its core value proposition — being faster than most of the format means the damage lands before the target can respond. After the nuke, Noivern exits or accepts the weakened state depending on the position.
Drampa (57%) trades Speed for higher Special Attack. Its position in doubles is typically as a cleanup attacker — when opposing leads have taken damage and your own are positioned well, Drampa comes in and fires a full-power Draco Meteor into the softened targets.
Archaludon (48%) is a dual-type with defensive typing that lets it survive long enough to matter. Draco Meteor is its Dragon STAB nuke alongside its Steel-type durability.
Goodra (42%) has bulk to back up the Sp. Atk drop — it doesn't get KO'd after firing the move, so it can contribute defensively or pivot while weakened.
Dragapult (29%) is one of the fastest Pokemon in the format. Firing Draco Meteor before most opponents act is nearly guaranteed, and its Speed makes the switch-out cycle more functional: it goes first, deals damage, exits, and later returns to move first again.
Altaria (21%) has Mega Evolution access, which significantly improves its Special Attack and makes Draco Meteor substantially more threatening post-mega.
Kommo-o (6%) mostly runs physically, so Draco Meteor is a secondary option there rather than a core one.
How to use it
Draco Meteor works best as a targeted removal move, not a sustained damage move. Pick a specific target each time you use it — either something that gets KO'd by the hit, or something that takes enough damage to lose a key option on the following turn. Using it as 'just high damage' while planning to stay in and continue is rarely the right call in doubles.
Plan your switch before you fire, not after. If you're going to switch out to reset the Sp. Atk drop, know where your backup Pokemon lands and whether the field position is favorable. A blind switch into an unfavorable matchup wastes the lead the nuke just created.
The Choice Specs combination is standard for a reason. 1.5x Sp. Atk multiplied by 130 power eliminates things that have any business being on the field. The forced switch-out requirement synergizes with stat reset — two costs become one move. If your team's switch flow is clean, there's minimal downside.
Track the typing. Dragon hits Dragon for 2x, which makes Draco Meteor devastating in Dragon mirrors. It does zero to Steel-types and zero to Fairy-types. If the opponent's defensive core includes either, Draco Meteor is blocked entirely — you need other coverage to address those.
Tips & strategy
In singles, the Draco Meteor switch cycle is a clean two-turn loop: fire, switch out, reset, switch back. In doubles, that same cycle costs a full turn where the opponent has both Pokemon acting while you only have one. The asymmetry means you pay more per use.
The right doubles context for Draco Meteor: the hit removes a threat that was either ending your run or blocking your endgame. If the hit just chips something without changing the game state, the Sp. Atk loss on a Pokemon you're still using is a losing trade compared to a lower-power move with no downside.
The 90% accuracy deserves attention on close games. Missing in a turn where you needed the hit to stabilize is a real outcome — not theoretical. If the game is already in a winning position and the KO isn't required to maintain it, Dragon Pulse at 100% accuracy and 85 power is sometimes cleaner. Save the accuracy risk for when the power gap actually matters.