taken over from Soulblaster
[OVERVIEW]
With access to three forms of entry hazards, Rapid Spin, and Sturdy, Forretress has a decent niche in the Ubers metagame. Forretress makes for a good user of Custap Berry thanks to Sturdy, which allows it either to set up a second layer of entry hazards against foes that attempt to 2HKO it or to use Explosion to block Rapid Spin and Defog for a turn and allow a teammate to switch in and maintain offensive pressure. Despite having a useful Custap Berry set, this is Forretress's only viable set in the current metagame. Forretress finds itself quite vulnerable to sleep inducers, Taunt users, and Magic Bounce users, as they can all prevent Forretress from setting up entry hazards. Furthermore, Forretress faces serious competition from Deoxys-A, Deoxys-S, and Ferrothorn as an entry hazard setter. Despite this, Forretress carves itself a niche as a viable Custap Berry user thanks to its unique combination of traits.
[SET]
name: Custap Lead
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Toxic Spikes / Gyro Ball
move 3: Spikes
move 4: Explosion
item: Custap Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin removes entry hazards from your side of the field, which is helpful against opposing entry hazard leads. Toxic Spikes allows Forretress's offensive teammates to overwhelm and break down opposing walls much more easily thanks to the residual damage from poison. With Forretress's low Speed, Gyro Ball is a viable option to deal considerable damage to faster foes. It OHKOes Mega Diancie, which would otherwise be a huge problem for Forretress due to Magic Bounce. It also heavily pressures opposing Deoxys-S and can score either a 2HKO or a 3HKO on it depending which variant it is; 0 HP / 0 Def entry hazard lead Deoxys-S, for example, can be taken down with Gyro Ball + Rapid Spin. Spikes is another useful entry hazard which punishes the foe's switches and gives Forretress's teammates a better chance at breaking down their checks and sweeping. Explosion's main use is blocking Defog and Rapid Spin for a turn after Forretress has been brought into Custap Berry's activation range, which is incredibly important to ensure that its entry hazards stay set up. Explosion also does a good chunk of damage against many foes thanks to its high Base Power and Forretress's maximum Attack investment, allowing Forretress's teammates to easily switch in afterwards and threaten the foe.
Set Details
========
Sturdy is an incredibly useful ability, as it gives Forretress a reliable way of activating its Custap Berry. Once Forretress is below 25% HP, its next move will move first in its priority bracket, giving Forretress a chance to either set up another layer of entry hazards, remove entry hazards from your side of the field with Rapid Spin, or block opposing Defog or Rapid Spin users from removing entry hazards with Explosion. The only stat that Forretress needs to invest in is Attack; maximum investment and a Brave nature ensure that Forretress's attacking moves hit hard as possible. No IVs are used in HP, Defense, and Special Defense so that Forretress is more easily brought below 25% HP from a foe's attacks, allowing Custap Berry to activate. A Brave nature and no Speed IVs are used to make Forretress as slow as possible, powering up Gyro Ball.
Usage Tips
========
Forretress should primarily be used as a lead to get entry hazards set up as soon as possible, allowing its teammates to start applying offensive pressure to the opponent's team. If Forretress is running both Toxic Spikes and Spikes, quickly analyze the opponent's team to decide which one will be the most beneficial; Toxic Spikes will often help with pressuring bulkier teams as well as several Calm Mind Arceus variants, whereas Spikes can be the superior option versus more offensive teams, as well as teams with grounded Steel- or Poison-types. Keep in mind that it's preferable to set up only one layer of Toxic Spikes due to the hyper offensive nature of Forretress's teammates.
When Forretress is at low health and is faced with an opposing Defog or Rapid Spin user, it can move first with its Custap Berry and use Explosion to block entry hazard removal for a turn. It's also worth noting that, if Forretress is up against a Rapid Spin user, switching to a Ghost-type teammate such as Giratina-O or Ghost Arceus is usually preferred to using Explosion in order to block Rapid Spin. If Forretress is faced with an opposing Defog user, but its HP hasn't yet dropped down to Custap Berry's activation range, it's perfectly alright for Forretress to continue setting up entry hazards as the foe tries to clear them. This is because Spikes and Toxic Spikes both have higher PP than Defog, meaning the foe will eventually be forced to either switch out or attack Forretress. If the foe decides to attack Forretress and brings it down to Custap Berry's activation range, Explosion can be used the next turn to block Defog. From there, one of Forretress's teammates can come in and pressure the foe, punishing it severely if it decides to stay in and use Defog, or potentially preventing Defog entirely by forcing a switch or OHKOing the foe, providing your team with great offensive momentum.
Forretress can find itself being fodder for certain setup sweepers, especially Mega Salamence, which can make use of Intimidate, its high physical bulk, and Roost to comfortably set up Dragon Dances on Forretress. Other Pokemon such as Calm Mind Arceus and Double Dance Groudon can set up on Forretress in a similar fashion, but this can be worked around by weakening them with Explosion after setting up a layer of entry hazards, allowing a teammate with a strong priority move to come in and finish them off. Something important to note is that it's not always necessary to use Explosion with Forretress after it's done its job early-game; a Forretress at less than 25% health with Custap Berry still intact can be preserved for several uses later in the game. For example, it can be used to revenge kill a setup sweeper such as Geomancy Xerneas with Gyro Ball. Alternatively, it can be used for a quick Rapid Spin in the late-game, giving a teammate such as Ho-Oh a better shot at cleaning up.
Team Options
========
A spinblocker such as Ghost Arceus, Giratina-O, or Mega Gengar can make for a good teammate to keep Forretress's entry hazards up. Taunt users such as Mewtwo and Mega Aerodactyl pair well with Forretress, as they can prevent opposing Defog users from clearing entry hazards. Primal Groudon is a useful teammate, as it can defeat the Magic Bounce users that give Forretress trouble as well as set up Stealth Rock, complementing the entry hazards that Forretress can set up. Primal Groudon also makes for a great offensive teammate; Rock Polish variants, for example, have a much easier time sweeping with entry hazard support. Other strong offensive Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Salamence also pair well with Forretress, as they appreciate the entry hazard support provided by Forretress to help them sweep, and they can ensure that entry hazards stay set up thanks to their strong offensive presence.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Forretress has access to Stealth Rock and can run the move over Toxic Spikes or Spikes if desired. Volt Switch allows Forretress to pivot out after it has done its job, but Explosion is oftentimes the superior choice, especially considering it prevents entry hazard removal for one turn. Mental Herb is an option to allow Forretress to set up entry hazards after being Taunted, but Forretress loses a lot of its usefulness if it's not running Custap Berry. Counter can be used to get a surprise KO on physical attackers, but Forretress generally doesn't have room for the move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Magic Bounce Users**: Pokemon with Magic Bounce such as Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie can bounce back Forretress's entry hazards, making it hard for Forretress to accomplish much. Mega Diancie is a shaky answer, however, as it risks being OHKOed by Gyro Ball. Mega Sableye is a much more reliable answer to Forretress, as it takes very little damage from Gyro Ball thanks to its low base Speed, and is immune to Rapid Spin and Explosion thanks to its Ghost typing.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mewtwo, and Deoxys-S can all prevent Forretress from setting up entry hazards. Frailer Taunt users such as Deoxys-S need to be wary of Gyro Ball, however.
**Darkrai**: Darkrai can comfortably lead against Forretress and put it to sleep with Dark Void, preventing it from setting up entry hazards. From there, it can set up Nasty Plot, use Substitute, or simply attack. Keep in mind that Darkrai's low physical bulk means it won't take Gyro Ball or Explosion well, which could prove problematic if Dark Void misses.
**Pokemon that Bypass Sturdy**: Thanks to their abilities, Pokemon such as Reshiram and Kyurem-W can bypass Sturdy and easily OHKO Forretress with Fire-type attacks.
**Mega Salamence**: Bulky Mega Salamence with Dragon Dance can set up on Forretress without much trouble thanks to Intimidate, its high physical bulk, and Roost, which pose a large threat to Forretress and its team. In addition, Defog Mega Salamence can potentially paralyze Forretress with Body Slam and then repeatedly use Defog and aim for a turn of full paralysis before KOing Forretress.
[OVERVIEW]
With access to three forms of entry hazards, Rapid Spin, and Sturdy, Forretress has a decent niche in the Ubers metagame. Forretress makes for a good user of Custap Berry thanks to Sturdy, which allows it either to set up a second layer of entry hazards against foes that attempt to 2HKO it or to use Explosion to block Rapid Spin and Defog for a turn and allow a teammate to switch in and maintain offensive pressure. Despite having a useful Custap Berry set, this is Forretress's only viable set in the current metagame. Forretress finds itself quite vulnerable to sleep inducers, Taunt users, and Magic Bounce users, as they can all prevent Forretress from setting up entry hazards. Furthermore, Forretress faces serious competition from Deoxys-A, Deoxys-S, and Ferrothorn as an entry hazard setter. Despite this, Forretress carves itself a niche as a viable Custap Berry user thanks to its unique combination of traits.
[SET]
name: Custap Lead
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Toxic Spikes / Gyro Ball
move 3: Spikes
move 4: Explosion
item: Custap Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin removes entry hazards from your side of the field, which is helpful against opposing entry hazard leads. Toxic Spikes allows Forretress's offensive teammates to overwhelm and break down opposing walls much more easily thanks to the residual damage from poison. With Forretress's low Speed, Gyro Ball is a viable option to deal considerable damage to faster foes. It OHKOes Mega Diancie, which would otherwise be a huge problem for Forretress due to Magic Bounce. It also heavily pressures opposing Deoxys-S and can score either a 2HKO or a 3HKO on it depending which variant it is; 0 HP / 0 Def entry hazard lead Deoxys-S, for example, can be taken down with Gyro Ball + Rapid Spin. Spikes is another useful entry hazard which punishes the foe's switches and gives Forretress's teammates a better chance at breaking down their checks and sweeping. Explosion's main use is blocking Defog and Rapid Spin for a turn after Forretress has been brought into Custap Berry's activation range, which is incredibly important to ensure that its entry hazards stay set up. Explosion also does a good chunk of damage against many foes thanks to its high Base Power and Forretress's maximum Attack investment, allowing Forretress's teammates to easily switch in afterwards and threaten the foe.
Set Details
========
Sturdy is an incredibly useful ability, as it gives Forretress a reliable way of activating its Custap Berry. Once Forretress is below 25% HP, its next move will move first in its priority bracket, giving Forretress a chance to either set up another layer of entry hazards, remove entry hazards from your side of the field with Rapid Spin, or block opposing Defog or Rapid Spin users from removing entry hazards with Explosion. The only stat that Forretress needs to invest in is Attack; maximum investment and a Brave nature ensure that Forretress's attacking moves hit hard as possible. No IVs are used in HP, Defense, and Special Defense so that Forretress is more easily brought below 25% HP from a foe's attacks, allowing Custap Berry to activate. A Brave nature and no Speed IVs are used to make Forretress as slow as possible, powering up Gyro Ball.
Usage Tips
========
Forretress should primarily be used as a lead to get entry hazards set up as soon as possible, allowing its teammates to start applying offensive pressure to the opponent's team. If Forretress is running both Toxic Spikes and Spikes, quickly analyze the opponent's team to decide which one will be the most beneficial; Toxic Spikes will often help with pressuring bulkier teams as well as several Calm Mind Arceus variants, whereas Spikes can be the superior option versus more offensive teams, as well as teams with grounded Steel- or Poison-types. Keep in mind that it's preferable to set up only one layer of Toxic Spikes due to the hyper offensive nature of Forretress's teammates.
When Forretress is at low health and is faced with an opposing Defog or Rapid Spin user, it can move first with its Custap Berry and use Explosion to block entry hazard removal for a turn. It's also worth noting that, if Forretress is up against a Rapid Spin user, switching to a Ghost-type teammate such as Giratina-O or Ghost Arceus is usually preferred to using Explosion in order to block Rapid Spin. If Forretress is faced with an opposing Defog user, but its HP hasn't yet dropped down to Custap Berry's activation range, it's perfectly alright for Forretress to continue setting up entry hazards as the foe tries to clear them. This is because Spikes and Toxic Spikes both have higher PP than Defog, meaning the foe will eventually be forced to either switch out or attack Forretress. If the foe decides to attack Forretress and brings it down to Custap Berry's activation range, Explosion can be used the next turn to block Defog. From there, one of Forretress's teammates can come in and pressure the foe, punishing it severely if it decides to stay in and use Defog, or potentially preventing Defog entirely by forcing a switch or OHKOing the foe, providing your team with great offensive momentum.
Forretress can find itself being fodder for certain setup sweepers, especially Mega Salamence, which can make use of Intimidate, its high physical bulk, and Roost to comfortably set up Dragon Dances on Forretress. Other Pokemon such as Calm Mind Arceus and Double Dance Groudon can set up on Forretress in a similar fashion, but this can be worked around by weakening them with Explosion after setting up a layer of entry hazards, allowing a teammate with a strong priority move to come in and finish them off. Something important to note is that it's not always necessary to use Explosion with Forretress after it's done its job early-game; a Forretress at less than 25% health with Custap Berry still intact can be preserved for several uses later in the game. For example, it can be used to revenge kill a setup sweeper such as Geomancy Xerneas with Gyro Ball. Alternatively, it can be used for a quick Rapid Spin in the late-game, giving a teammate such as Ho-Oh a better shot at cleaning up.
Team Options
========
A spinblocker such as Ghost Arceus, Giratina-O, or Mega Gengar can make for a good teammate to keep Forretress's entry hazards up. Taunt users such as Mewtwo and Mega Aerodactyl pair well with Forretress, as they can prevent opposing Defog users from clearing entry hazards. Primal Groudon is a useful teammate, as it can defeat the Magic Bounce users that give Forretress trouble as well as set up Stealth Rock, complementing the entry hazards that Forretress can set up. Primal Groudon also makes for a great offensive teammate; Rock Polish variants, for example, have a much easier time sweeping with entry hazard support. Other strong offensive Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Salamence also pair well with Forretress, as they appreciate the entry hazard support provided by Forretress to help them sweep, and they can ensure that entry hazards stay set up thanks to their strong offensive presence.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Forretress has access to Stealth Rock and can run the move over Toxic Spikes or Spikes if desired. Volt Switch allows Forretress to pivot out after it has done its job, but Explosion is oftentimes the superior choice, especially considering it prevents entry hazard removal for one turn. Mental Herb is an option to allow Forretress to set up entry hazards after being Taunted, but Forretress loses a lot of its usefulness if it's not running Custap Berry. Counter can be used to get a surprise KO on physical attackers, but Forretress generally doesn't have room for the move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Magic Bounce Users**: Pokemon with Magic Bounce such as Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie can bounce back Forretress's entry hazards, making it hard for Forretress to accomplish much. Mega Diancie is a shaky answer, however, as it risks being OHKOed by Gyro Ball. Mega Sableye is a much more reliable answer to Forretress, as it takes very little damage from Gyro Ball thanks to its low base Speed, and is immune to Rapid Spin and Explosion thanks to its Ghost typing.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mewtwo, and Deoxys-S can all prevent Forretress from setting up entry hazards. Frailer Taunt users such as Deoxys-S need to be wary of Gyro Ball, however.
**Darkrai**: Darkrai can comfortably lead against Forretress and put it to sleep with Dark Void, preventing it from setting up entry hazards. From there, it can set up Nasty Plot, use Substitute, or simply attack. Keep in mind that Darkrai's low physical bulk means it won't take Gyro Ball or Explosion well, which could prove problematic if Dark Void misses.
**Pokemon that Bypass Sturdy**: Thanks to their abilities, Pokemon such as Reshiram and Kyurem-W can bypass Sturdy and easily OHKO Forretress with Fire-type attacks.
**Mega Salamence**: Bulky Mega Salamence with Dragon Dance can set up on Forretress without much trouble thanks to Intimidate, its high physical bulk, and Roost, which pose a large threat to Forretress and its team. In addition, Defog Mega Salamence can potentially paralyze Forretress with Body Slam and then repeatedly use Defog and aim for a turn of full paralysis before KOing Forretress.
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