Overview
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+Great defenses
+Access to Stealth Rock
+Access to two great defensive abilities in Levitate and Heatproof
+Recovery in Recycle with Berry Juice
+Its Steel Stab is unresisted
-Offensive stats are pitiful
-Knock Off prevents Recycle from working
-Steel/Psychic isn't as great a typing as it was due to the Steel-type nerf
Berry Juice + Recycle
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name: Berry Juice + Recycle
move 1: Recycle
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Flash Cannon / Psychic
move 4: Earthquake/Stealth Rock
ability: Levitate
item: Berry Juice
evs: 220 HP / 4 Atk / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 16 Spe
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Recycle allows for Berry Juice to be reused, which is, yeah, amazing recovery.
Bronzor is one of the few Pokemon in Little Cup that can pull off Toxic due to its amazing bulk.
Earthquake deals with the trapper Magnemite.
Stealth Rock can get an almost guaranteed set up with Bronzor due to Bronzor's great defensive bulk.
Flash Cannon is the STAB of choice since it deals super effective damage to Dwebble and takes out Murkrow's substitutes. I would say it deals with Fairies effectively, but both Spritzee and Flabebe can set up on Bronzor with Calm Mind.
4 SpA Bronzor Flash Cannon vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Spritzee: 8-12 (29.6 - 44.4%) -- 17.6% chance to 3HKO
4 SpA Bronzor Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Flabebe: 8-12 (33.3 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
Set Details
========
The EVs are very spread out so that Bronzor can accommodate the variety of situations it is sure to encounter. Berry Juice is a great item that will heal Bronzor for 4/5 of its total health. Levitate is almost always chosen over Heatproof because of the switch in value. You could pretend that your Bronzor has Levitate and run Heatproof, but this doesn't work as well as you might believe. Careful nature reduces Calm Mind's effectiveness, but accentuates Bronzor's special defense stat while still allowing it to deal with Magnemite.
Usage Tips
========
Bronzor's primary role has always been to set up Stealth Rock.
With this generation, Bronzor gets extra healing with Berry Juice, but gains two weaknesses to Ghost and Dark. This drastically reduces Bronzor's walling capabilities, but it still has a niche as a late game tank.
Earthquake can turn the tables on Magnemite, allowing Bronzor to effectively counter it.
Time your Recycles effectively to get maximum longevity out of Bronzor.
By using Recycle effectively, Bronzor might prompt rage switches, which if predicted effectively, can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Primary damage output in this set comes from Toxic propagated by your Recycled longevity, don't forget this and try to deal lots of damage with Flash Cannon, it won't work.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Flash Fire like Ponyta and Houndour can take super effective fire hits baited by Bronzor.
Normal type Pokemon can take Shadow Balls at no damage for Bronzor.
Chinchou is a good team mate, since it can take Flare Blitzes and Wild Charges.
Murkrow is a good team mate because of the dark typing resistances and all around amazing stats.
Counters to Dwebble on your team, such as Pancham or Mienfoo will appreciate a 25% hit to the opposing Dwebble's health due to Stealth Rock.
Bronzor can run a dual screens set, but the accommodation of Light Clay in the item slot is too great a sacrifice to make writing a set about it viable.
Other Options
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An Eviolite Bronzor is a possibility, but Berry Juice Bronzor vastly outranks it due to the Rock gets set up since Misdreavus and Ponyta wouldn't be able to one-hit-KO it most of survivability. The only good reason to run an Eviolite set would be to ensure that Stealth the time.
236 SpA Misdreavus Shadow Ball vs. 220 HP / 148+ SpD Eviolite Bronzor: 14-18 (56 - 72%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 Atk Ponyta Flare Blitz vs. 220 HP / 68 Def Eviolite Bronzor: 20-26 (80 - 104%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
If you're running Bronzor, you should have counters to these anyway, so the extra bulk doesn't matter too much.
A Berry Juice set with Calm Mind and Psychic replacing Earthquake/Stealth Rock and Toxic is possible, but Bronzor will get easily walled by Magnemite and physical attackers and you will miss out on easy Stealth Rock set up opportunities.
Bronzor can set up Trick Room for your team.
Bronzor's speed can get low enough to roll off an effective Gyro Ball.
You can use Heatproof as an ability instead of Levitate if you think your opponent won't expect that.
Checks & Counters
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Mold Breaker Drilbur negates Levitate and one hit KOs Bronzor.
Ponyta and Larvesta can one hit KO Bronzor with Flare Blitz.
Gastly and Misdreavus can one hit KO Bronzor with Shadow Ball.
Be wary against threats that learn Sucker Punch, such as Pawniard, Houndour, and Murkrow.
Croagunk can easily wall Bronzor and deal massive damage with Drain Punch.
Abra can 2 Hit KO Berry Juice Bronzor.
Bronzor can tank against against Dwebble, and deal reasonable damage with Flash Cannon.
Bronzor one hit KOs Magnemite with Earthquake.
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+Great defenses
+Access to Stealth Rock
+Access to two great defensive abilities in Levitate and Heatproof
+Recovery in Recycle with Berry Juice
+Its Steel Stab is unresisted
-Offensive stats are pitiful
-Knock Off prevents Recycle from working
-Steel/Psychic isn't as great a typing as it was due to the Steel-type nerf
Berry Juice + Recycle
########
name: Berry Juice + Recycle
move 1: Recycle
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Flash Cannon / Psychic
move 4: Earthquake/Stealth Rock
ability: Levitate
item: Berry Juice
evs: 220 HP / 4 Atk / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 148 SpD / 16 Spe
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Recycle allows for Berry Juice to be reused, which is, yeah, amazing recovery.
Bronzor is one of the few Pokemon in Little Cup that can pull off Toxic due to its amazing bulk.
Earthquake deals with the trapper Magnemite.
Stealth Rock can get an almost guaranteed set up with Bronzor due to Bronzor's great defensive bulk.
Flash Cannon is the STAB of choice since it deals super effective damage to Dwebble and takes out Murkrow's substitutes. I would say it deals with Fairies effectively, but both Spritzee and Flabebe can set up on Bronzor with Calm Mind.
4 SpA Bronzor Flash Cannon vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Spritzee: 8-12 (29.6 - 44.4%) -- 17.6% chance to 3HKO
4 SpA Bronzor Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Flabebe: 8-12 (33.3 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
Set Details
========
The EVs are very spread out so that Bronzor can accommodate the variety of situations it is sure to encounter. Berry Juice is a great item that will heal Bronzor for 4/5 of its total health. Levitate is almost always chosen over Heatproof because of the switch in value. You could pretend that your Bronzor has Levitate and run Heatproof, but this doesn't work as well as you might believe. Careful nature reduces Calm Mind's effectiveness, but accentuates Bronzor's special defense stat while still allowing it to deal with Magnemite.
Usage Tips
========
Bronzor's primary role has always been to set up Stealth Rock.
With this generation, Bronzor gets extra healing with Berry Juice, but gains two weaknesses to Ghost and Dark. This drastically reduces Bronzor's walling capabilities, but it still has a niche as a late game tank.
Earthquake can turn the tables on Magnemite, allowing Bronzor to effectively counter it.
Time your Recycles effectively to get maximum longevity out of Bronzor.
By using Recycle effectively, Bronzor might prompt rage switches, which if predicted effectively, can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Primary damage output in this set comes from Toxic propagated by your Recycled longevity, don't forget this and try to deal lots of damage with Flash Cannon, it won't work.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Flash Fire like Ponyta and Houndour can take super effective fire hits baited by Bronzor.
Normal type Pokemon can take Shadow Balls at no damage for Bronzor.
Chinchou is a good team mate, since it can take Flare Blitzes and Wild Charges.
Murkrow is a good team mate because of the dark typing resistances and all around amazing stats.
Counters to Dwebble on your team, such as Pancham or Mienfoo will appreciate a 25% hit to the opposing Dwebble's health due to Stealth Rock.
Bronzor can run a dual screens set, but the accommodation of Light Clay in the item slot is too great a sacrifice to make writing a set about it viable.
Other Options
########
An Eviolite Bronzor is a possibility, but Berry Juice Bronzor vastly outranks it due to the Rock gets set up since Misdreavus and Ponyta wouldn't be able to one-hit-KO it most of survivability. The only good reason to run an Eviolite set would be to ensure that Stealth the time.
236 SpA Misdreavus Shadow Ball vs. 220 HP / 148+ SpD Eviolite Bronzor: 14-18 (56 - 72%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 Atk Ponyta Flare Blitz vs. 220 HP / 68 Def Eviolite Bronzor: 20-26 (80 - 104%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
If you're running Bronzor, you should have counters to these anyway, so the extra bulk doesn't matter too much.
A Berry Juice set with Calm Mind and Psychic replacing Earthquake/Stealth Rock and Toxic is possible, but Bronzor will get easily walled by Magnemite and physical attackers and you will miss out on easy Stealth Rock set up opportunities.
Bronzor can set up Trick Room for your team.
Bronzor's speed can get low enough to roll off an effective Gyro Ball.
You can use Heatproof as an ability instead of Levitate if you think your opponent won't expect that.
Checks & Counters
########
Mold Breaker Drilbur negates Levitate and one hit KOs Bronzor.
Ponyta and Larvesta can one hit KO Bronzor with Flare Blitz.
Gastly and Misdreavus can one hit KO Bronzor with Shadow Ball.
Be wary against threats that learn Sucker Punch, such as Pawniard, Houndour, and Murkrow.
Croagunk can easily wall Bronzor and deal massive damage with Drain Punch.
Abra can 2 Hit KO Berry Juice Bronzor.
Bronzor can tank against against Dwebble, and deal reasonable damage with Flash Cannon.
Bronzor one hit KOs Magnemite with Earthquake.
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