Bronzong
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QC Approvals: Iconic, Bloo and wilson46
GP Approvals: Athenodoros and Berserker Lord (stamped by Zystral)
CREDITS TO BOLOGO FOR OFFENSIVE TRICK ROOM SET WRITEUP
[Overview]
<p>Bronzong is a Pokemon with very good defensive stats, as well as a great typing, which make it a great mixed wall with tons of resistances and only one weakness (thanks to the fact that both Levitate and Heatproof remove one of them). Bronzong's Steel typing and Levitate allow it to stop many of the top threats in OU, such as Excadrill and Landorus, thus making it a very useful Pokemon to shut down Sandstorm teams. Also, Bronzong's huge movepool lets it perform many different roles, which makes it easier to fit Bronzong into teams.</p>
<p>However, Bronzong lacks a reliable recovery move and, thanks to the new sleep mechanics, Rest is no longer a good option. This hinders its ability as a wall since it won't be able to shrug off as many hits as one would want it to. Bronzong also has somewhat limited coverage and only decent offensive stats, which means it can easily be turned into set up fodder. All in all, however, Bronzong is still a tough Pokemon to defeat, and thus maintains its place as a top wall in OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 84 Atk / 80 Def / 92 SpD
ivs: 2 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With great defensive typing and bulk, Bronzong is one of the best users of Stealth Rock in OU. With this set, it has the ability to wall some of the most prominent threats in OU such as Excadrill and Landorus. Gyro Ball is Bronzong's STAB move of choice and, due to its abysmal Speed, will generally deal major damage to the opponent's Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice is very useful since most of the threats Bronzong walls are weak to Ice-type attacks; specifically, Hidden Power Ice lets it destroy Landorus and Gliscor, to name a few. The last slot belongs to Earthquake and it has a very important role: to KO Excadrill after Gyro Ball popping the Air Balloon the mole may be holding. It has a somewhat limited use besides that but Excadrill is such a threatening sweeper that it is worth it, and Bronzong would have a hard time dealing with it otherwise.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>When using the Tank set, a Sassy nature with the aforementioned defensive EVs allow Bronzong to be a sturdy mixed wall, while not reducing its offensive potential. The 84 Attack EVs allow Bronzong to hit a bit harder and a Sassy nature (and 2 Speed IVs) reduces its Speed, powering up Gyro Ball. Levitate is by far the best option, granting an immunity to Ground-type attacks that would otherwise prevent Bronzong from walling the Sandstorm teams like it's supposed to.</p>
<p>Heatproof can be used as a more gimmicky ability that can work since most opponents will leave their Fire-types in thinking they will OHKO, and Bronzong can take the attack and OHKO back. Hypnosis can be used instead of Earthquake on the last slot if one is using Bronzong on a team that can handle Excadrill, but its shaky accuracy will often let you down. Toxic is also an option to poison bulky walls that can switch in on Bronzong and wall it all day, such as Hippowdon, Vaporeon, and Jellicent; however, one must take into account that Bronzong will be hopeless against Steel-types.</p>
<p>Since Bronzong has to come in multiple times to face the threats it's supposed to wall, Wish support is priceless to make up for the lack of reliable recovery; Vaporeon has great synergy with Bronzong and can pass giant Wishes while Bronzong takes the Grass-type attacks aimed at it. Bronzong's toughest opponents are Fire- and Fighting-type Pokemon, so having a teammate to check them is mandatory; Jellicent resists one of those types and is immune to the other, and thus is a very good teammate. It's also able to cripple the Steel-types with Will-o-Wisp if Bronzong isn't running Earthquake.</p>
[SET]
Name: Offensive Trick Room
Move 1: Trick Room
Move 2: Gyro Ball
Move 3: Earthquake
Move 4: Hypnosis
Item: Macho Brace / Life Orb
Nature: Brave
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set offers a completely different take on Bronzong by abusing its unique capabilities as an offensive Pokemon. These capabilities include the bulk of Arnold Schwarznegger, more resistances than one can count on their hands, and the blessed combination of Trick Room + Gyro Ball + garbage base Speed. With this, Bronzong becomes a great lategame sweeper and check to offensive teams, while still being able to support its teammates with Trick Room.</p>
<p>Trick Room, of course, is the main move on the set. Depending on your item choice, Bronzong will be "faster" than every single Pokemon allowed in the Standard tier. It's also the move responsible for Bronzong's ability to check offensive teams. Because offensive teams often pack Pokemon with high base Speeds or Choice Scarf, these teams will be under a lot of pressure when Bronzong comes out. Gyro Ball will be the main attacking move on this set. Because of Bronzong's capability to use Gyro Ball and Trick Room with STAB, a somewhat average base 89 Attack is more than compensated for with enormous base power. A 150 base power move coupled with STAB and 100% accuracy is very dangerous even for bulky opponents. Late in the game, this can be disastrous for the opponent when their Pokemon aren't at full health. Earthquake, although weak, is only really used when you can get a KO without using Gyro Ball, which can save PP, or when the opponent both resists Gyro Ball and is weak to Earthquake. The reason for this is that a fully-powered Gyro Ball is still stronger than Earthquake, even when resisted. Hypnosis is a good choice for the 4th slot, as Explosion is no longer viable, and Hypnosis lets Bronzong incapacitate a counter, often for the rest of the match. Beware of its 60% accuracy; being screwed over 40% of the time is not a joke and it can be the difference between a win and a loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Item choice can be a very tricky decision on this set, because both have their pros and cons. Be aware that whether you choose Macho Brace or Life Orb will be the deciding factor in Gyro Ball's overall power. Macho Brace reaches 150 base power against any Pokemon with 185 Speed or higher. It's more powerful than a LO Gyro Ball until you face opponents with 288 Speed or higher. LO Gyro Ball hits harder after 288 Speed and reaches 150 base power against opponents with 377 Speed or higher, at the cost of 10% per hit. It also boosts the power of Earthquake, which can secure a few more KOs that would be impossible with Macho Brace. Macho Brace is the better option if you want Bronzong to take out a larger variety of Pokemon, as Gyro Ball is still very powerful even against slower Pokemon with Bronzong's 31 Speed. Because it reduces the amount of Pokemon that Bronzong is helpless against, while leaving Bronzong's HP alone and making Gyro Ball more reliable, Macho Brace is the recommended option. However, if you really need Bronzong to take out bulky Choice Scarf users, Life Orb can be a worthwhile option.</p>
<p>One important thing about this Bronzong is that it's not the Trick Room Supporter Bronzong. Therefore, you don't need to only use this Bronzong on a pure Trick Room team. This means that you don't need to pack a team of ridiculously slow Pokemon that all have 0 Speed IVs and a reducing nature. Remember that this Bronzong's main job is to be a lategame sweeper and a check to offensive Pokemon, not a supporter. If it just so happens to help one of your Pokemon with Trick Room after it's dead, then that's fine, but that's not its main job. Just be careful when you use Trick Room and count the turns, and you most likely won't cripple your team. Just as a note, don't use paralysis support on the same team as this Bronzong. It seems like common sense, but just remember that if something is paralyzed, it means that Gyro Ball will have terrible damage output against them.</p>
<p>The main team support that this Bronzong wants is entry hazard support. Stealth Rock and Spikes can make a lategame sweep much easier, and it helps Bronzong nab some OHKOs that it wouldn't have gotten otherwise. A Pokemon to take out Ferrothorn, opposing Bronzong, Swampert, and 252 HP/252 Def Impish Poison Heal Gliscor is a really good idea, because those Pokemon can make Bronzong's life miserable. Air Balloon Heatran with Hidden Power Grass can take out every one of them. A teammate such as Latias, Latios, Hydreygon, or Kingdra can work well too, because they not only resist Fire, but their Draco Meteors also help to take out some very annoying Pokemon such as Jellicent and Zapdos, which both have recovery and resist Gyro Ball. Bronzong will also appreciate Wish support, although it isn't mandatory by any means. Because of Bronzong's lower base HP, Wishes from Pokemon with high HP will bring Bronzong very close to full health, or in the case of Chansey and Blissey, heal it fully. This can be useful because Bronzong can pressure the opponent again with Trick Room, Gyro Ball, and Hypnosis. It should also be noted that this Bronzong is possibly one of the best receivers of a CursePass in the game, because CursePassing to this Bronzong is like passing physical Butterfly Dances that also strengthen his main STAB. Bronzong's Gyro Ball will hit like a train after a Curse or two, even against Pokemon which resist it.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Gyro Ball
move 4: Earthquake / Hypnosis
item: Light Clay
ability: Levitate
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 152 Atk / 8 Def / 96 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set capitalizes on Bronzong's great bulk and amazing defensive typing to set up both screens and support a teammate's sweep. Reflect and Light Screen are the moves that define this set, and Bronzong has the bulk to set up both of them. Gyro Ball is the strongest and most reliable move it has, and it severely hurts the numerous fast and frail threats that can't really touch Bronzong after the appropriate screen is up. Looking at the three moves above, Steel-types love to come in and attempt to KO Bronzong with repeated attacks, while at the same time stalling the screens' turns. To make those attemps void, Bronzong has Earthquake to hit them for super effective damage, most notably Magnezone, Jirachi, Metagross, and Heatran. However, one must take into account that countering the latter requires Light Screen to be set up on the switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Relaxed nature with 252 HP EVs provide Bronzong with great bulk, letting it take hits from both sides of the attacking spectrum. 152 Attack EVs let Bronzong have a chance at OHKOing the aforementioned Magnezone and Heatran with Earthquake. Light Clay is the mandatory item because, with it, the screens last eight turns instead of five, which may be the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful setup. Hypnosis is very unreliable due to its 60% accuracy but it can shut down an opponent's Pokemon if it hits, providing Bronzong with one more turn to set up. The Attack EVs can be moved to one of the defenses, since most Magnezones and Heatrans hold Air Balloon and can therefore switch in safely and threaten Bronzong.</p>
<p>While Bronzong performs its task of setting up screens well, the lack of recovery means Bronzong will often find itself taking too much damage to be able to repeat the process. To solve this, pairing Bronzong with a Wish passer can prove to be invaluable; Vaporeon is the best teammate as it can switch in on Fire-type attacks and attracts Grass-type attacks for Bronzong to switch into. Any sweeper loves to take half damage from the opponent's attacks while setting up but the frailer ones benefit the most from the screens. Cloyster and Terrakion are some examples of sweepers that can be deadly after one turn of setup; taking into account that screens can get them one extra turn, it usually means game over for your opponent.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Support
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Light Screen / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Trick Room is a slightly gimmick strategy, and it's risky to dedicate a whole team to that strategy, but it can shut down many common playstyles of the metagame, namely the weather teams, and Bronzong, due to its many useful resistances, is one of the best Pokemon to set it up. Trick Room is this set's main move and it works very well with Bronzong's low base Speed, letting it outspeed the many fast sweepers in OU after the setup. Gyro Ball is the STAB move of choice, and is a very powerful and reliable move that will often have 150 Base Power due to Bronzong's abysmal Speed. Stealth Rock is very important to support the team's sweepers, allowing them to achieve KOs they usually wouldn't. It also makes it much easier to counter / check some Pokemon in OU such as Volcarona, Gyarados, Dragonite, and Salamence. The last slot consists of another support option. Due to a Relaxed nature boosting its Defense, Light Screen is the preferred option but it is really up to what the team needs.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since this set is more focused on supporting rather than inflicting damage, Relaxed is the preferred nature to boost Bronzong's Defense and let it set up Trick Room more than once. 252 HP EVs boost Bronzong's bulk with the remaining EVs being placed on both defenses to let it take hits from both sides of the spectrum. Leftovers is Bronzong's best attempt at recovery and is simply crucial for the durability it provides. Reflect is a viable option to replace Light Screen and is only considered an inferior alternative because Bronzong already has greater Defense and would therefore benefit less from it.</p>
<p>This set's job is to set up so any Pokemon that carries Taunt can pretty much nullify it, providing it isn't weak to Gyro Ball. Mew is one the examples, being able to Taunt Bronzong and then burn it, forcing it to switch. The best teammates are slow and hard-hitting Pokemon since they can use Trick Room to effectively sweep, something some of them would find much harder to do outside of it. Conkeldurr, Marowak, and Rhyperior are some examples of such Pokemon, and even though the former can sweep outside of Trick Room, it does enjoy going first and destroying with its STAB Fighting-type attacks. The latter two are slow and very hard-hitting Pokemon that enjoy those 4 turns to open some holes on the opponent's team. Slowbro and Reuniclus share a Psychic-type with Bronzong but are able to perform well as special sweepers under Trick Room and both have good synergy with Bronzong.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bronzong has a huge movepool and therefore has some other options not viable enough to deserve their own sets but useful in specific situations. With access to Trick and a very powerful STAB Gyro Ball, Bronzong can run a Choice Band set with Zen Headbutt and Earthquake as coverage moves, allowing it to hit hard as well as cripple a wall with a Choice Band. Explosion is an option, especially for the Dual Screens set, but it isn't as powerful as it used to be and is therefore not recomended. Bronzong has access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day, and, with the Drizzle + Swift Swim ban, it is a very good Rain Dancer, since rain cancels its Fire-type weakness and it can support some fearsome sweepers such as Kingdra, Kabutops, and Ludicolo. Calm Mind is the only boosting move Bronzong gets but it doesn't get that many special moves to go with it. The only viable options are Psychic, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot, Flash Cannon, and the omnipresent Hidden Power. Finally, and, as a more gimmicky option, it can run Skill Swap to ruin some walls such as Gliscor with Poison Heal but it isn't that viable because its targets are very limited.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bronzong's main job the majority of the time is to set up, so Pokemon that can prevent it are generally Bronzong's counters. Jellicent with Taunt is one of the main counters as it can take everything Bronzong can launch at it and prevent it from setting up. Ferrothorn is another example; it can't outright beat Bronzong but it can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock while also being able to use Leech Seed to heal itself. Heatran and Magnezone can come in on Bronzong as long as they hold an Air Balloon and proceed to destroy it. Even though it's rare, physically defensive Jirachi can set up Calm Minds on Bronzong while healing with Wish and laughing at un-STABed Earthquakes. Conkeldurr can take any attack Bronzong may carry and it actually enjoys Toxic so it can set up Bulk Up and proceed to sweep.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Bronzong gets Heavy Metal as its Dream World ability. Since both Levitate and Heatproof allow it to be immune or at least neutral to one of its weaknesses, this ability has no merit over either of them.</p>
