[Overview]
If you're looking for a Pokemon that can put all three foes in mortal danger at once, you don't really get much better than Landorus-T! With a high Attack stat and access to Earthquake and Rock Slide, Landorus-T is fully capable of devastating every Pokemon on the field in one turn. To make the deal even sweeter, Landorus-T has the amazing ability Intimidate, softening the attacks of any physical Pokemon that dare lead against it. Finally, Landorus-T's typing is quite swell, giving it an immunity of its own to opposing Earthquakes without the usual Rock Slide weakness.
Landorus-T is one of the kings of the middle position in Battle Spot Triples, so most competent teams will have a game plan for it. Unfortunately, said game plan can be as simple as running some Wide Guard Pokemon. When Wide Guard is thrown up, Landorus-T's offensive capabilities are severely compromised, leaving it highly reliant on teammates to pick up the slack. Additionally, Landorus-T's typing gives it a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, which are fairly common. Finally, Landorus-T, being a Ground-type, absolutely hates facing common rain teams. Landorus-T's flaws deserve some pause for thought, but Landorus-T is so prominent in Battle Spot Triples that waltzing in unprepared for it would never prove successful.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Superpower / Knock Off / Rock Tomb
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake and Rock Slide are Landorus-T's main forms of offense, as spread damage coming off base 145 Attack is very useful. U-turn saves Landorus-T from Perish Song and helps Landorus-T bounce out to allow safe switches or just to get damage off while ensuring another Intimidate. The last slot is mainly for coverage purposes. Knock Off hits Wide Guard Aegislash hard, removes items, and is just a solid offensive type to lock Landorus-T into. Rock Tomb gives Landorus-T some minor speed control and ignores Wide Guard, while Stone Edge lets Landorus-T fare better against bulky Mega Charizard Y.
Set Details
========
Adamant is the nature of choice, giving Landorus-T the power it needs to spread Earthquake. 228 Speed EVs are recommended for outspeeding Choice Scarf Smeargle. While maximum Speed can be helpful in some mirror matches against other Landorus-T, being slower allows your Landorus-T to U-turn out after your opponent's, which gives you a slight edge in scouting. Jolly should only be used if your team is especially scared of Choice Scarf Braviary, which can OHKO Landorus-T with +1 Brave Bird.
Usage Tips
========
When using Choice Scarf Landorus-T, don't be shy about switching constantly to take full advantage of Intimidate and the ability to switch moves. U-turn helps wear down foes, so use that to switch out if Landorus-T is not immediately threatened (especially against Perish Song teams).
It might be tempting to throw out Earthquake and Rock Slide as much as possible, but beware of this tactic you are facing users of Wide Guard such as Aegislash and Hitmontop. If you feel pressured to leave Landorus-T in against these Pokemon and have no means of stopping Wide Guard, using one of its other coverage moves is less risky.
An important aspect of Landorus-T is where to place it. Landorus-T makes an excellent lead in the middle, allowing it to Intimidate all three foes while threatening all of them with its spread attacks. However, later in the game, Landorus-T can work fine in one of the corners if that means avoiding an Ice Beam or Intimidating the only relevant Pokemon. Putting Landorus-T on the side will also mean avoiding hitting your other side Pokemon with Earthquake, which increases its attacking options. Choice Scarf Landorus-T's Speed also makes it great at shifting while in the corner, potentially saving your middle Pokemon from a KO if Landorus-T doesn't use Earthquake. One final note is that if you see a Defiant or Competitive user such as Bisharp, Milotic, or Braviary, leading with Landorus-T is highly discouraged, as Landorus-T will give its foe an offensive boost.
Team Options
========
Anything immune to Landorus-T's Earthquake makes a good partner. Mega Charizard Y, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H can throw out their STAB moves alongside Landorus-T to beat down the opponent with constant spread moves. If you want to protect your whole team from your Landorus-T's Earthquakes, carrying Wide Guard support isn't a bad idea. Wide Guard users that work well with Landorus-T include Hitmontop, Aegislash, and Hariyama. Another Intimidate user such as Hitmontop or Gyarados also works well (except when you're faced with Bisharp or Milotic), as you can switch them out, use U-turn with Landorus-T, and switch them back in to put your foes at -3 Attack in one turn. You can refresh Hitmontop's Fake Out this way as well. Be wary of doing this when the opponent has Bisharp, as Defiant can take advantage of Intimidate and turns an Attack drop into a boost. Other than that, just about everything can use Protect against Landorus-T's Earthquakes and enjoys Intimidate support.
It is almost required to run anti-Wide Guard support in the form of Feint or Snatch with Landorus-T, as the move's presence dramatically reduces Landorus-T's offensive capabilities. Common Wide Guard Pokemon to look out for include Hitmontop, Aegislash, Smeargle, Hariyama, Mienshao, Swampert, and Aerodactyl. Talonflame, Rotom-W, and Crobat are superb Snatch-using teammates, thanks to their Earthquake immunity, while Meowstic is notable for being able to use Safeguard to protect Landorus-T from status moves. Other good Snatch and Feint users to consider include Hitmontop, Hariyama, and Mienshao. Choice Scarf Landorus-T also despises Trick Room because of its high Speed, so carrying a Trick Room user of your own isn't a bad idea to nullify your opponent's use of it. Dusclops and Kecleon are especially good choices, as they have access to Snatch and Feint, respectively, while Chandelure and Mega Gardevoir can stop Trick Room and Protect with Imprison.
Landorus-T is a very high-value target, especially because you'll most often send it out in the middle of the battlefield, so consider some fast Pokemon to shift in Landorus-T's place to take Ice-type attacks. Talonflame and Meowstic do a good job of taking weaker Ice-type attacks from the likes of Zapdos and Cresselia, while Hariyama and Jellicent do an excellent job of taking Ice Beams under Trick Room.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Superpower / Knock Off / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Without a Choice item, Landorus-T does much better against Wide Guard Pokemon and is able to take advantage of its good bulk. Earthquake and Rock Slide are Landorus-T's main attacks, while U-turn is for safe switches and Intimidate spamming. Superpower lets Landorus-T destroy Bisharp under Wide Guard, and slam Mega Kangaskhan. If your team can handle those two threats just fine, consider Knock Off for hitting Aegislash while under Wide Guard, and hitting Cresselia harder. If you aren't running Assault Vest, Protect can be a nice option to punish foes targeting Landorus-T.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Attack investment lets Landorus-T make the best use of Assault Vest's added special bulk while still giving it good attacking power. If you need more bulk, a Careful nature can be used to survive Modest Suicune's Ice Beam. If you're more worried about Landorus-T outspeeding threats such as Smeargle, consider running at least 228 Speed EVs to outspeed Focus Sash variants.
There are three other items worth mentioning if you're willing to give up bulk. Lum Berry allows Landorus-T to take one Dark Void from Smeargle and avoid Will-O-Wisp; Focus Sash lets Landorus-T take one powerful attack; and Life Orb makes Landorus-T incredibly powerful.
Usage Tips
========
Usually, Landorus-T works best when sent out in the middle of the battlefield, as this lets Landorus-T Intimidate all three opposing Pokemon. This works especially well early in the game, but be warned: if you see Bisharp, Milotic, or Braviary in Team Preview, it's best not to lead with Landorus-T, as their abilities will get their offensive stats a boost from Intimidate. Landorus-T doesn't always have to be sent out in the middle, though, as being sent on one of the side positions ensures that Landorus-T's Earthquake won't hit the Pokemon on the other side, freeing that teammate from using Protect.
While this Landorus-T may not be restricted by a Choice item, be wary of blindly using Earthquake and Rock Slide against common Wide Guard users such as Hitmontop, Hariyama, and Aegislash, as they can use the turn wasted in using a spread attack to gain the upper hand. If you can't send out a Feint or Snatch Pokemon against these threats, you're probably best off using Knock Off, Superpower, or U-turn if Landorus-T must attack.
As many opponents will assume Landorus-T is carrying a Choice Scarf, consider switching Landorus-T out before you use more than one move or using U-turn if your opponent's Pokemon are all slower than Landorus-T. If you fool your opponent into thinking that your Landorus-T is carrying a Choice Scarf, this can shift momentum to your side with a surprise Knock Off or Superpower!
Team Options
========
Landorus-T appreciates speed control, especially in the form of Tailwind. Talonflame is your number one pick for this job, thanks to its excellent support movepool, but Mega Charizard Y deserves a special mention, as Drought combats Politoed and Landorus-T's Intimidate allows Mega Charizard Y to survive Rock Slides much more easily. Other good options for Tailwind users include Zapdos (which can fry Water-types with Thunderbolt), Crobat (which, much like Talonflame, has access to Snatch), and Hydreigon (which can smash Aegislash with Dark Pulse). Thunder Wave from users such as Cresselia, Rotom-W, and Male Meowstic can also work well against individual speedy Pokemon, while Icy Wind from Cresselia or Suicune can work well against Taunt. Milotic deserves special mention as an Icy Wind user, as its ability Competitive can make your opponent reluctant to use Intimidate against Landorus-T. Finally, while Landorus-T itself is not a huge fan of Trick Room, it still fits well on partial Trick Room teams, and this can be an especially effective way for Landorus-T to push offensive pressure on Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Kingdra.
Always prepare for Landorus-T's greatest triples threat, Wide Guard, as a Landorus-T unable to use its spread attacks becomes far less effective. The usual Wide Guard suspects to watch out for include Hitmontop, Aegislash, Smeargle, Hariyama, Mienshao, Swampert, and Aerodactyl. The best solution against Wide Guard is to pack users of Feint or Snatch to nullify it. Talonflame, Rotom-W, and Crobat deserve special mentions, as they happen to be immune to Landorus-T's Earthquakes. Other reliable options to consider include Hitmontop, Hariyama, Meowstic, Clefairy, and, if you're using Landorus-T on Trick Room, Dusclops and Kecleon. Also note that, ironically, Landorus-T appreciates Wide Guard support to protect its own teammates, so consider using any one of Landorus-T's great nemeses for additional support!
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Yache Berry can keep Landorus-T from being OHKOed by Ice Beam; however, without proper investment, STAB Ice Beams will still OHKO through it. Explosion is an option on a Choice Band set, allowing Landorus-T to sacrifice itself in the interest of getting a frail threat such as Gardevoir or non-Mega-Evolved Salamence in for free while doing massive damage, though making your own Pokemon faint is very easy in a metagame crawling with Protect. Substitute is interesting for a Landorus-T that likes to stay in as opposed to bouncing around for Intimidate spam, though it is less useful when Mega Kangaskhan and Sylveon can simply ignore or break through these Substitutes with ease. Earth Plate powers up Earthquake without forcing Landorus-T to lock itself into a move or sacrificing bulk, though the usefulness of this is limited to improving matchups against team-specific threats such as Mega Mawile.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Wide Guard**: Quite possibly Landorus-T's Achilles heel, Wide Guard nullifies Earthquake and Rock Slide, dramatically reducing Landorus-T's usefulness. Common users of Wide Guard include Hitmontop, Aegislash, Smeargle, Hariyama, Mienshao, Swampert, and Aerodactyl.
**Ice-type Moves and Pokemon**: Mamoswine and Abomasnow make very short work of Landorus-T with their STAB Ice-type attacks, and bulkier Ice Beam users such as Suicune and Cresselia can OHKO or deal huge damage to it, while Landorus-T does little to no damage in return with its main means of offense, Earthquake and Rock Slide.
**Water-types**: The combination of Politoed, Ludicolo, and Kingdra gives Landorus-T a very hard time, as it can't outspeed Swift Swim users even with a Choice Scarf and each can threaten a KO with a Water-type move or Ice Beam. Mega Blastoise sometimes runs Water Pulse, allowing it to OHKO Landorus-T no matter where on the battlefield it resides. Rotom-W can OHKO Landorus-T with Hydro Pump and is immune to Earthquake. While Jellicent gets hit hard by Knock Off, it's almost always run on Trick Room teams, usually giving it the chance to OHKO Landorus-T with a powerful Water Spout. Gyarados inhibits Landorus-T's damage output with Intimidate and can OHKO it with a STAB move at +0 or with Ice Fang at -1.
**Defiant or Competitive Pokemon**: Milotic's Special Attack is doubled by Landorus-T's Intimidate, giving it a huge offensive advantage if it comes in at the right time, easily OHKOing with a boost. Choice Scarf Braviary is also a problem, as it outspeeds Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T when running a Jolly nature and can threaten to OHKO it with a boosted Brave Bird. While Bisharp is a poor answer to Landorus-T alone, a boosted Sucker Punch deals a serious amount of damage, and it can be especially devastating when paired with a Wide Guard Pokemon.
**Burns and Intimidate**: As with anything that relies on its Attack stat, Intimidating Landorus-T or burning it can quickly reduce its damage output. Sableye, Gengar, and Rotom-W can somewhat reliably burn Landorus-T with Will-O-Wisp thanks to Prankster or Levitate, while Dusclops's sheer bulk ensures it'll live to fire off Will-O-Wisp. Scrafty, Hitmontop, and Gyarados are top picks to Intimidate Landorus-T, as they resist or are immune to most of Landorus-T's offensive options and can use Fake Out to neutralize it for a turn or KO it directly.
**Trick Room**: Landorus-T's decent base 91 Speed makes it extremely vulnerable to Trick Room, as the heavy hitters of Trick Room tend to be powerful special attackers such as Sylveon, Mega Camerupt, and Heatran.
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