Landorus
[QC 3/3] -- Nayrz / Fireburn / WreckDra
[GP 2/2] -- Snobalt / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Landorus functions as a strong wallbreaker in Ubers thanks to the combination of Life Orb and Sheer Force, which provides it with a great amount of power while negating Life Orb recoil. It also has many coverage moves, making it difficult to switch into; however, it cannot run all of its coverage moves at the same time. Landorus's typing gives it an immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Ground-type attacks, as well as a neutrality to Stealth Rock. It has a decent base 101 Speed, which allows it to outspeed the many Uber Pokemon that have base Speed stats between 90 and 100, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Xerneas. Unfortunately, Landorus is relatively frail, so it has difficulty switching in and doesn't offer much defensive utility besides being an offensive check to Ground Arceus. Landorus also faces fierce competition with other stronger special attackers and wallbreakers in the Ubers metagame, making it nearly impossible to fit on a team.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earth Power is Landorus's primary STAB move, which, when boosted by Life Orb and Sheer Force, hits most foes very hard. Knock Off hits Latias and Latios while crippling other switch-ins by removing their items. Rock Slide OHKOes Ho-Oh and hits other Flying-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Ice primarily hits Mega Salamence and Rayquaza for super effective damage. Sludge Wave can also be used to hit Fairy-types and Grass- and Flying-types that resist or are immune to Earth Power, such as Grass Arceus and Mega Salamence. Focus Blast is another viable option, as it hits Normal-types, such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Blissey, and Steel-types that Earth Power does not hit as hard, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory.
Set Details
========
Life Orb boosts the power of Landorus's attacks and works well with Sheer Force, which offers additional power and cancels Life Orb recoil for most of Landorus's attacks besides Knock Off and Hidden Power. 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Landorus's power so that it can wallbreak more effectively, and 252 Speed EVs take advantage of Landorus's decent Speed tier. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Attack to give slightly more power to Knock Off and Rock Slide. A Rash nature is preferred, as it allows Landorus to 2HKO most Arceus formes and OHKO all Primal Groudon variants; a Naive nature can also be used, as it gives Landorus additional Speed to always outspeed maximum Speed Pokemon with a base Speed stat between 90 and 100.
Usage Tips
========
Landorus is frail and has difficulty taking hits consistently, so try to safely switch Landorus in via its immunities and double switching. Assess the importance of making trades, as some attacks may not OHKO a foe; however, sacrificing Landorus to weaken a foe may be worth it if said foe is threatening or if one of Landorus's teammates greatly benefits from the foe being weakened. Prediction is needed to hit switch-ins with the appropriate coverage move, as Landorus will be forced out by faster foes if they switch in safely using an immunity or resistance. It should be noted that Landorus can be worn down from Life Orb recoil when using Knock Off and Hidden Power; as such, if being healthy later on is important in order to avoid certain KOs, these moves should be used sparingly.
Team Options
========
Dark-types make for good teammates, as they deal with Giratina-O, Latias, and Latios; Tyranitar is especially useful because it can trap Latias and Latios with Pursuit. Stealth Rock support is also useful because it weakens Flying-types that can switch into Landorus's Earth Power. Ghost-types are also good teammates for Landorus, as they can switch into Extreme Speed, which can be used to revenge KO Landorus. Mega Gengar is an especially useful teammate, as it can remove common checks to Landorus, such as Lugia, Skarmory, Shaymin-S, and some support Arceus formes. Primal Kyogre checks, such as Latias, Latios, and Primal Groudon, make for good partners as well. Fast sweepers, such as Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Salamence, appreciate Landorus's ability to break down walls so that they can sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Landorus can be a decent Stealth Rock setter if none of its teammates can fill that role. Calm Mind allows Landorus to break through slower teams more easily, though it is still susceptible to being revenge killed by faster threats. Substitute eases prediction and makes Landorus more difficult to revenge kill, and Rock Polish can be used to make Landorus a fast setup sweeper; however, both Substitute and Rock Polish sets are easier to wall due to the loss of a coverage move. Grass Knot hits Primal Kyogre for super effective damage. Hidden Power Fire can hit Steel-types such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn for super effective damage, though Focus Blast tends to be more useful in general. U-turn can be used to gain momentum, wearing down Landorus's common checks in the process, as they will be forced out while taking damage from entry hazards and U-turn. Gravity is an interesting option that allows Landorus to hit Flying-types and Pokemon that have Levitate with Earth Power.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Lugia**: Lugia is immune to Earth Power and has exceptional bulk that allows it to take all of Landorus's attacks with ease. Lugia can then hit Landorus with a 4x super effective Ice Beam or phaze it with Whirlwind. However, Landorus can Knock Off Lugia's item in the process.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O has an immunity to Earth Power thanks to Levitate and cannot be 2HKOed by any of Landorus's other moves. Giratina-O can then hit Landorus with a powerful Shadow Force and proceed to pick it off with Shadow Sneak, or it can phaze Landorus with Dragon Tail. However, it cannot consistently counter Landorus because Giratina-O can be worn down relatively easily.
**Skarmory**: While Skarmory does not do much damage to Landorus in return, it can switch into most of Landorus's attacks, use Roost to restore its HP, and set up Spikes. Skarmory must be wary of Focus Blast, however, which can easily 2HKO it and has a chance to OHKO it if Sturdy is not intact.
**Support Arceus**: Support Arceus formes can switch into Landorus and use Recover and Judgment to deal with it; however, Arceus formes with little Speed investment can be outsped by Landorus and 2HKOed by Earth Power. Grass Arceus is an especially good check to Landorus, as it resists Earth Power and can OHKO Landorus with Ice Beam.
**Latias and Latios**: Latias and Latios are immune to Earth Power, outspeed Landorus, and threaten it with a powerful Draco Meteor. However, both Latias and Latios fear Knock Off, which will deal heavy damage and rid them of their coveted Soul Dew.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre struggles to switch into Landorus's Earth Power, but it can do so with sufficient bulk investment and threaten Landorus with a powerful Origin Pulse, Scald, or Ice Beam.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types can switch into Landorus thanks to their imunity to Earth Power and proceed to threaten Landorus out. Mega Aerodactyl outspeeds Landorus and 2HKOes it with Stone Edge. Shaymin-S is immune to Earth Power and threatens to outspeed and OHKO Landorus with a Life Orb-boosted Seed Flare or Hidden Power Ice. Rayquaza does not outspeed Landorus, but it can switch into Earth Power and threaten Landorus with a powerful Dragon Ascent or Draco Meteor; however, all three fear Rock Slide. Mega Salamence does not fear Rock Slide and threatens Landorus with Double-Edge and Return, but it must be wary of Hidden Power Ice, along with Shaymin-S and Rayquaza.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Pokemon that can revenge kill Landorus can beat it one-on-one or force it out, but they struggle to switch in. Mewtwo outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam or Ice Punch. Deoxys-A also outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam or Psycho Boost. Darkrai can put Landorus to sleep with Dark Void and set up with Nasty Plot; it also can KO Landorus with Dark Pulse if Landorus has taken a bit of prior damage. Finally, Choice Scarf Genesect outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam.
**Priority Attackers**: Pokemon with priority moves can revenge kill a weakened Landorus, as it is relatively frail. Extreme Killer Arceus and Rayquaza can both hit Landorus with a strong Extreme Speed, while Mega Scizor can hit it with Bullet Punch and Yveltal can hit it with Sucker Punch.
[QC 3/3] -- Nayrz / Fireburn / WreckDra
[GP 2/2] -- Snobalt / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Landorus functions as a strong wallbreaker in Ubers thanks to the combination of Life Orb and Sheer Force, which provides it with a great amount of power while negating Life Orb recoil. It also has many coverage moves, making it difficult to switch into; however, it cannot run all of its coverage moves at the same time. Landorus's typing gives it an immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Ground-type attacks, as well as a neutrality to Stealth Rock. It has a decent base 101 Speed, which allows it to outspeed the many Uber Pokemon that have base Speed stats between 90 and 100, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Xerneas. Unfortunately, Landorus is relatively frail, so it has difficulty switching in and doesn't offer much defensive utility besides being an offensive check to Ground Arceus. Landorus also faces fierce competition with other stronger special attackers and wallbreakers in the Ubers metagame, making it nearly impossible to fit on a team.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earth Power is Landorus's primary STAB move, which, when boosted by Life Orb and Sheer Force, hits most foes very hard. Knock Off hits Latias and Latios while crippling other switch-ins by removing their items. Rock Slide OHKOes Ho-Oh and hits other Flying-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Ice primarily hits Mega Salamence and Rayquaza for super effective damage. Sludge Wave can also be used to hit Fairy-types and Grass- and Flying-types that resist or are immune to Earth Power, such as Grass Arceus and Mega Salamence. Focus Blast is another viable option, as it hits Normal-types, such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Blissey, and Steel-types that Earth Power does not hit as hard, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory.
Set Details
========
Life Orb boosts the power of Landorus's attacks and works well with Sheer Force, which offers additional power and cancels Life Orb recoil for most of Landorus's attacks besides Knock Off and Hidden Power. 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Landorus's power so that it can wallbreak more effectively, and 252 Speed EVs take advantage of Landorus's decent Speed tier. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Attack to give slightly more power to Knock Off and Rock Slide. A Rash nature is preferred, as it allows Landorus to 2HKO most Arceus formes and OHKO all Primal Groudon variants; a Naive nature can also be used, as it gives Landorus additional Speed to always outspeed maximum Speed Pokemon with a base Speed stat between 90 and 100.
Usage Tips
========
Landorus is frail and has difficulty taking hits consistently, so try to safely switch Landorus in via its immunities and double switching. Assess the importance of making trades, as some attacks may not OHKO a foe; however, sacrificing Landorus to weaken a foe may be worth it if said foe is threatening or if one of Landorus's teammates greatly benefits from the foe being weakened. Prediction is needed to hit switch-ins with the appropriate coverage move, as Landorus will be forced out by faster foes if they switch in safely using an immunity or resistance. It should be noted that Landorus can be worn down from Life Orb recoil when using Knock Off and Hidden Power; as such, if being healthy later on is important in order to avoid certain KOs, these moves should be used sparingly.
Team Options
========
Dark-types make for good teammates, as they deal with Giratina-O, Latias, and Latios; Tyranitar is especially useful because it can trap Latias and Latios with Pursuit. Stealth Rock support is also useful because it weakens Flying-types that can switch into Landorus's Earth Power. Ghost-types are also good teammates for Landorus, as they can switch into Extreme Speed, which can be used to revenge KO Landorus. Mega Gengar is an especially useful teammate, as it can remove common checks to Landorus, such as Lugia, Skarmory, Shaymin-S, and some support Arceus formes. Primal Kyogre checks, such as Latias, Latios, and Primal Groudon, make for good partners as well. Fast sweepers, such as Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Salamence, appreciate Landorus's ability to break down walls so that they can sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Landorus can be a decent Stealth Rock setter if none of its teammates can fill that role. Calm Mind allows Landorus to break through slower teams more easily, though it is still susceptible to being revenge killed by faster threats. Substitute eases prediction and makes Landorus more difficult to revenge kill, and Rock Polish can be used to make Landorus a fast setup sweeper; however, both Substitute and Rock Polish sets are easier to wall due to the loss of a coverage move. Grass Knot hits Primal Kyogre for super effective damage. Hidden Power Fire can hit Steel-types such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn for super effective damage, though Focus Blast tends to be more useful in general. U-turn can be used to gain momentum, wearing down Landorus's common checks in the process, as they will be forced out while taking damage from entry hazards and U-turn. Gravity is an interesting option that allows Landorus to hit Flying-types and Pokemon that have Levitate with Earth Power.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Lugia**: Lugia is immune to Earth Power and has exceptional bulk that allows it to take all of Landorus's attacks with ease. Lugia can then hit Landorus with a 4x super effective Ice Beam or phaze it with Whirlwind. However, Landorus can Knock Off Lugia's item in the process.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O has an immunity to Earth Power thanks to Levitate and cannot be 2HKOed by any of Landorus's other moves. Giratina-O can then hit Landorus with a powerful Shadow Force and proceed to pick it off with Shadow Sneak, or it can phaze Landorus with Dragon Tail. However, it cannot consistently counter Landorus because Giratina-O can be worn down relatively easily.
**Skarmory**: While Skarmory does not do much damage to Landorus in return, it can switch into most of Landorus's attacks, use Roost to restore its HP, and set up Spikes. Skarmory must be wary of Focus Blast, however, which can easily 2HKO it and has a chance to OHKO it if Sturdy is not intact.
**Support Arceus**: Support Arceus formes can switch into Landorus and use Recover and Judgment to deal with it; however, Arceus formes with little Speed investment can be outsped by Landorus and 2HKOed by Earth Power. Grass Arceus is an especially good check to Landorus, as it resists Earth Power and can OHKO Landorus with Ice Beam.
**Latias and Latios**: Latias and Latios are immune to Earth Power, outspeed Landorus, and threaten it with a powerful Draco Meteor. However, both Latias and Latios fear Knock Off, which will deal heavy damage and rid them of their coveted Soul Dew.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre struggles to switch into Landorus's Earth Power, but it can do so with sufficient bulk investment and threaten Landorus with a powerful Origin Pulse, Scald, or Ice Beam.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types can switch into Landorus thanks to their imunity to Earth Power and proceed to threaten Landorus out. Mega Aerodactyl outspeeds Landorus and 2HKOes it with Stone Edge. Shaymin-S is immune to Earth Power and threatens to outspeed and OHKO Landorus with a Life Orb-boosted Seed Flare or Hidden Power Ice. Rayquaza does not outspeed Landorus, but it can switch into Earth Power and threaten Landorus with a powerful Dragon Ascent or Draco Meteor; however, all three fear Rock Slide. Mega Salamence does not fear Rock Slide and threatens Landorus with Double-Edge and Return, but it must be wary of Hidden Power Ice, along with Shaymin-S and Rayquaza.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Pokemon that can revenge kill Landorus can beat it one-on-one or force it out, but they struggle to switch in. Mewtwo outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam or Ice Punch. Deoxys-A also outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam or Psycho Boost. Darkrai can put Landorus to sleep with Dark Void and set up with Nasty Plot; it also can KO Landorus with Dark Pulse if Landorus has taken a bit of prior damage. Finally, Choice Scarf Genesect outspeeds Landorus and can OHKO it with Ice Beam.
**Priority Attackers**: Pokemon with priority moves can revenge kill a weakened Landorus, as it is relatively frail. Extreme Killer Arceus and Rayquaza can both hit Landorus with a strong Extreme Speed, while Mega Scizor can hit it with Bullet Punch and Yveltal can hit it with Sucker Punch.
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