[Overview]
<p>In a tier where resistances are key to any defensive Pokemon looking to garner a spot on a team, Ferroseed brings ten of those to the table along with a unique typing for Little Cup. It's no doubt that Ferroseed stands as one of the best defensive pivots around, assisting its team through its fantastic support movepool, lacking only a recovery move. Possessing Spikes, Stealth Rock, Iron Barbs, and Leech Seed makes Ferroseed the king of residual damage, capable of setting up on numerous Pokemon courtesy of the aforementioned resistances. This comes along with incredible 44 / 91 / 86 defensive stats, making Ferroseed a prime candidate as both a hazard setter and a mixed sponge. Unfortunately, the weaknesses it does have are not to be neglected; Fire-types roast Ferroseed without difficulty, and, more importantly, the plethora of Fighting-types have no trouble switching in and meddling with Ferroseed's schemes. This is magnified in the case of Scraggy, who can nab a Dragon Dance and transform into one of the most threatening sweepers in the tier with only one boost while only laughing at Ferroseed's attempts to stop it. Nonetheless, a team is made of six Pokemon, not just one, and Ferroseed certainly excels at supporting the other five.</p>
[SET]
name: Spiker
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Leech Seed / Stealth Rock
move 3: Protect / Thunder Wave
move 4: Gyro Ball / Bullet Seed
item: Eviolite
nature: Relaxed / Impish
evs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 148 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With an Eviolite, Ferroseed reaches magnificent 22 / 28 / 25 defensive stats, allowing it to stick around long enough to set up Spikes, even with only Leech Seed as a recovery option. Spikes, despite oft being forfeited in favor of Stealth Rock, is still a big threat to teams that rely on maintaining momentum, allowing many sweepers to overpower their main checks. Speaking of Stealth Rock, it could be used in the second slot if another member of the team isn't using it; this is especially notable on more offensive teams. Otherwise, Leech Seed is the best option, as it is actually Ferroseed's most reliable way to heal while causing switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Protect synergizes well with this move, easing prediction while accumulating health via Leech Seed. It also can keep Ferroseed from being taken out by a stray Hi Jump Kick, especially from Deerling or the occasional Scraggy that uses it.</p>
<p>If you decide Protect is not your style or you do not utilize Leech Seed, then Thunder Wave can be used as an alternative move in the third slot. This allows Ferroseed to catch many of its counters as they try to switch in, meaning both Ferroseed and its teammates will have an easier time busting through the zippity Pokemon common in Little Cup. It is worth mentioning that Thunder Wave weakens Gyro Ball's Base Power, so if Thunder Wave is used, then Bullet Seed is perhaps a better option than Gyro Ball in the fourth slot. Bullet Seed is notable for doing more damage to Drilbur, however, it typically has inferior coverage and power when compared to Gyro Ball. Gyro Ball discourages numerous Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Snover and Murkrow, from switching in, allowing Ferroseed more time to do its thing.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If you go for Bullet Seed instead of Gyro Ball, an Impish nature is preferred over Relaxed, and 36 of the remaining EVs can be placed into Speed. The IV value should then also be bumped up to 31. This brings Ferroseed to an astounding 7 Speed, which, despite not being totally useful, is still superior when Gyro Ball is not being used. Instead of Bullet Seed, Ferroseed could use Seed Bomb, which technically offers more consistent power than Bullet Seed; this is not preferable since Ferroseed enjoys being able to break Substitutes and the occasional critical hit. If the team has Spikes somewhere else, or decides it is too offensive to have time to set up Spikes, then Stealth Rock could be used in the first slot. Oran Berry could be used as the item to allow Ferroseed be a suicide Spiker, but Dwebble outclasses it in this regard. If one is absolutely terrified of Magnemite, Shed Shell could be used, but Magnemite is not common enough to merit this. This set faces stiff competition from Shelmet; although both do a generally decent job of setting up Spikes and taking hits from bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Staryu and Chinchou, Shelmet can typically beat Scraggy and many other Fighting-types, whereas Ferroseed can take on Shell Smash users, such as Clamperl, Tirtouga, and Omanyte, something that Shelmet can only dream of accomplishing.</p>
<p>Sweepers that appreciate Spikes are the most notable partners in crime for Ferroseed. These include Chinchou, Omanyte, and Tirtouga, which resist Fire-type moves. Elekid is also notable, as it causes a lot of switches and has a glorious Speed stat of 20; Choice Scarf Snover functions similarly. Scraggy is especially notable with Thunder Wave variants of Ferroseed, as the opponent may switch Mienfoo or Croagunk in to handle Ferroseed and have their main Scraggy counter be completely crippled. Dratini has a cool set of resistances, and greatly appreciates the opponent's team having to play around Spikes. Mantyke is another great sweeper that can provide rain support, essentially minimizing Ferroseed's weakness to Fire-type moves. Ferroseed generally fits well on rain teams; a core of Mienfoo, Staryu, and Ferroseed can sponge hits all day while maintaining offensive presence, and either of the first two can use Rain Dance. A Pokemon to absorb Fire-type moves, such as Houndour or Ponyta, is an important teammate. Munchlax is also a good option, as it can take even opposing Life Orb Houndour's Dark Pulses. Scraggy loves to switch in on this set and start setting up, so Croagunk and Mienfoo are also important teammates. Akin to many other bulky Pokemon lacking a recovery move, Ferroseed appreciates Wish support from the likes of Lickitung. A spinblocker is also vital to protect Ferroseed's beloved hazards. Misdreavus is probably the best option within the tier, as it beats Staryu, but Frillish synergizes well with Ferroseed, possessing a resistance to Fire-type moves and an immunity to Fighting-type attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Ferroseed also has Explosion in its arsenal, but this is not preferable due to the nerf imposed upon it this generation. Ferroseed, despite its low Speed, could attempt a SubSeed set, but there are better users of this. It also has access to Ingrain, but since Ferroseed doesn't have Baton Pass, Leech Seed is almost always the better option. Ferroseed has numerous boosting moves within its movepool, including Hone Claws and Rock Polish. Unfortunately, Ferroseed does not have the offensive stats or movepool to back these up. The only thing even close to viable is Curse along with Gyro Ball, but Steel has never been stellar offensive coverage. Ferroseed also has Payback, which could hit unsuspecting Misdreavus for big damage. Many bulkier teams could make use of Toxic, which works fantastically with both Leech Seed and Protect to cause switches and big passive damage. Iron Defense could allow Ferroseed to almost be a check to Gligar, but it can't wall indefinitely without reliable recovery. Although it has Rest, it lacks Sleep Talk, making this option risky and unrewarding in the long run.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fire-type moves obliterate Ferroseed. Houndour, Larvesta, and Ponyta can all take a Gyro Ball and provide intense pressure with their STAB move of choice. Fighting-types are more common, and arguably even more problematic. Mienfoo and Croagunk are two of the most common, and both can run Drain Punch to negate any damage Iron Barbs will do. Timburr is especially notable since it actually gets a Guts boost from Thunder Wave. Scraggy sets up on Ferroseed all day, and also packs a powerful Drain Punch. Heck, even Machop forces it out. Ferroseed's problems are compounded by its lack of reliable recovery, so Pokemon with massive offenses, such as Gligar or Murkrow (who can also use Heat Wave), will wear it down eventually. Magnemite is pretty significant, as it can come in on any move, trap Ferroseed, and eliminate it with Hidden Power Fire. Wynaut also traps it and can Encore it into a less-than-ideal move. Misdreavus is bulky enough to take a hit from Ferroseed as well, and typically uses Hidden Power Fighting. Bronzor can set up Stealth Rock against Ferroseed but can't do much else. Stunky occasionally runs Fire Blast, so don't automatically think Ferroseed walls it. In a similar vein, many Snover pack Hidden Power Fire to spell doom for Ferroseed. Rain was mentioned earlier as a good team for Ferroseed to fit on; this is especially so since sun teams greatly damper Ferroseed's day, despite the fact that they are very rare. Staryu must watch out for Bullet Seed, but can spin away any hazards Ferroseed might have set up. Tentacool can do the same thing while setting down Toxic Spikes. Porygon is bulky enough to Recover off any damage it may take, meanwhile boosting its Special Attack via Charge Beam.</p>
<p>In a tier where resistances are key to any defensive Pokemon looking to garner a spot on a team, Ferroseed brings ten of those to the table along with a unique typing for Little Cup. It's no doubt that Ferroseed stands as one of the best defensive pivots around, assisting its team through its fantastic support movepool, lacking only a recovery move. Possessing Spikes, Stealth Rock, Iron Barbs, and Leech Seed makes Ferroseed the king of residual damage, capable of setting up on numerous Pokemon courtesy of the aforementioned resistances. This comes along with incredible 44 / 91 / 86 defensive stats, making Ferroseed a prime candidate as both a hazard setter and a mixed sponge. Unfortunately, the weaknesses it does have are not to be neglected; Fire-types roast Ferroseed without difficulty, and, more importantly, the plethora of Fighting-types have no trouble switching in and meddling with Ferroseed's schemes. This is magnified in the case of Scraggy, who can nab a Dragon Dance and transform into one of the most threatening sweepers in the tier with only one boost while only laughing at Ferroseed's attempts to stop it. Nonetheless, a team is made of six Pokemon, not just one, and Ferroseed certainly excels at supporting the other five.</p>
[SET]
name: Spiker
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Leech Seed / Stealth Rock
move 3: Protect / Thunder Wave
move 4: Gyro Ball / Bullet Seed
item: Eviolite
nature: Relaxed / Impish
evs: 84 HP / 36 Atk / 188 Def / 148 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With an Eviolite, Ferroseed reaches magnificent 22 / 28 / 25 defensive stats, allowing it to stick around long enough to set up Spikes, even with only Leech Seed as a recovery option. Spikes, despite oft being forfeited in favor of Stealth Rock, is still a big threat to teams that rely on maintaining momentum, allowing many sweepers to overpower their main checks. Speaking of Stealth Rock, it could be used in the second slot if another member of the team isn't using it; this is especially notable on more offensive teams. Otherwise, Leech Seed is the best option, as it is actually Ferroseed's most reliable way to heal while causing switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Protect synergizes well with this move, easing prediction while accumulating health via Leech Seed. It also can keep Ferroseed from being taken out by a stray Hi Jump Kick, especially from Deerling or the occasional Scraggy that uses it.</p>
<p>If you decide Protect is not your style or you do not utilize Leech Seed, then Thunder Wave can be used as an alternative move in the third slot. This allows Ferroseed to catch many of its counters as they try to switch in, meaning both Ferroseed and its teammates will have an easier time busting through the zippity Pokemon common in Little Cup. It is worth mentioning that Thunder Wave weakens Gyro Ball's Base Power, so if Thunder Wave is used, then Bullet Seed is perhaps a better option than Gyro Ball in the fourth slot. Bullet Seed is notable for doing more damage to Drilbur, however, it typically has inferior coverage and power when compared to Gyro Ball. Gyro Ball discourages numerous Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Snover and Murkrow, from switching in, allowing Ferroseed more time to do its thing.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If you go for Bullet Seed instead of Gyro Ball, an Impish nature is preferred over Relaxed, and 36 of the remaining EVs can be placed into Speed. The IV value should then also be bumped up to 31. This brings Ferroseed to an astounding 7 Speed, which, despite not being totally useful, is still superior when Gyro Ball is not being used. Instead of Bullet Seed, Ferroseed could use Seed Bomb, which technically offers more consistent power than Bullet Seed; this is not preferable since Ferroseed enjoys being able to break Substitutes and the occasional critical hit. If the team has Spikes somewhere else, or decides it is too offensive to have time to set up Spikes, then Stealth Rock could be used in the first slot. Oran Berry could be used as the item to allow Ferroseed be a suicide Spiker, but Dwebble outclasses it in this regard. If one is absolutely terrified of Magnemite, Shed Shell could be used, but Magnemite is not common enough to merit this. This set faces stiff competition from Shelmet; although both do a generally decent job of setting up Spikes and taking hits from bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Staryu and Chinchou, Shelmet can typically beat Scraggy and many other Fighting-types, whereas Ferroseed can take on Shell Smash users, such as Clamperl, Tirtouga, and Omanyte, something that Shelmet can only dream of accomplishing.</p>
<p>Sweepers that appreciate Spikes are the most notable partners in crime for Ferroseed. These include Chinchou, Omanyte, and Tirtouga, which resist Fire-type moves. Elekid is also notable, as it causes a lot of switches and has a glorious Speed stat of 20; Choice Scarf Snover functions similarly. Scraggy is especially notable with Thunder Wave variants of Ferroseed, as the opponent may switch Mienfoo or Croagunk in to handle Ferroseed and have their main Scraggy counter be completely crippled. Dratini has a cool set of resistances, and greatly appreciates the opponent's team having to play around Spikes. Mantyke is another great sweeper that can provide rain support, essentially minimizing Ferroseed's weakness to Fire-type moves. Ferroseed generally fits well on rain teams; a core of Mienfoo, Staryu, and Ferroseed can sponge hits all day while maintaining offensive presence, and either of the first two can use Rain Dance. A Pokemon to absorb Fire-type moves, such as Houndour or Ponyta, is an important teammate. Munchlax is also a good option, as it can take even opposing Life Orb Houndour's Dark Pulses. Scraggy loves to switch in on this set and start setting up, so Croagunk and Mienfoo are also important teammates. Akin to many other bulky Pokemon lacking a recovery move, Ferroseed appreciates Wish support from the likes of Lickitung. A spinblocker is also vital to protect Ferroseed's beloved hazards. Misdreavus is probably the best option within the tier, as it beats Staryu, but Frillish synergizes well with Ferroseed, possessing a resistance to Fire-type moves and an immunity to Fighting-type attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Ferroseed also has Explosion in its arsenal, but this is not preferable due to the nerf imposed upon it this generation. Ferroseed, despite its low Speed, could attempt a SubSeed set, but there are better users of this. It also has access to Ingrain, but since Ferroseed doesn't have Baton Pass, Leech Seed is almost always the better option. Ferroseed has numerous boosting moves within its movepool, including Hone Claws and Rock Polish. Unfortunately, Ferroseed does not have the offensive stats or movepool to back these up. The only thing even close to viable is Curse along with Gyro Ball, but Steel has never been stellar offensive coverage. Ferroseed also has Payback, which could hit unsuspecting Misdreavus for big damage. Many bulkier teams could make use of Toxic, which works fantastically with both Leech Seed and Protect to cause switches and big passive damage. Iron Defense could allow Ferroseed to almost be a check to Gligar, but it can't wall indefinitely without reliable recovery. Although it has Rest, it lacks Sleep Talk, making this option risky and unrewarding in the long run.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fire-type moves obliterate Ferroseed. Houndour, Larvesta, and Ponyta can all take a Gyro Ball and provide intense pressure with their STAB move of choice. Fighting-types are more common, and arguably even more problematic. Mienfoo and Croagunk are two of the most common, and both can run Drain Punch to negate any damage Iron Barbs will do. Timburr is especially notable since it actually gets a Guts boost from Thunder Wave. Scraggy sets up on Ferroseed all day, and also packs a powerful Drain Punch. Heck, even Machop forces it out. Ferroseed's problems are compounded by its lack of reliable recovery, so Pokemon with massive offenses, such as Gligar or Murkrow (who can also use Heat Wave), will wear it down eventually. Magnemite is pretty significant, as it can come in on any move, trap Ferroseed, and eliminate it with Hidden Power Fire. Wynaut also traps it and can Encore it into a less-than-ideal move. Misdreavus is bulky enough to take a hit from Ferroseed as well, and typically uses Hidden Power Fighting. Bronzor can set up Stealth Rock against Ferroseed but can't do much else. Stunky occasionally runs Fire Blast, so don't automatically think Ferroseed walls it. In a similar vein, many Snover pack Hidden Power Fire to spell doom for Ferroseed. Rain was mentioned earlier as a good team for Ferroseed to fit on; this is especially so since sun teams greatly damper Ferroseed's day, despite the fact that they are very rare. Staryu must watch out for Bullet Seed, but can spin away any hazards Ferroseed might have set up. Tentacool can do the same thing while setting down Toxic Spikes. Porygon is bulky enough to Recover off any damage it may take, meanwhile boosting its Special Attack via Charge Beam.</p>
