Overview
########
To put it plainly, Landorus-T is one of the best non-Mega Pokemon in VGC. It offers the insanely useful Intimidate support, coupled with U-turn to help abuse it; solid offense with Earthquake; good typing; and all-around good stats. The only things Landorus-T really struggles with are its obvious weaknesses to Ice-types, rain teams, and Pokemon running coverage moves such as Ice Beam.
Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Superpower / Stone Edge / Knock Off
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Earthquake and Rock Slide are Landorus-T's main forms of offense, as spread damage coming off a base 145 Attack is very useful. U-turn 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. Choice Band-boosted Superpower KOes Kangaskhan, though Choice Scarf Landorus-T can't always OHKO. Stone Edge ignores Wide Guard and fares better against bulky Mega Charizard Y with Intimidate support. Knock Off scouts items, though outside of that, Dark is just a solid type to lock yourself into.
Set Details
========
Choice Scarf lets Landorus-T outspeed the majority of the metagame and spam Earthquake and Rock Slide, while Choice Band is used for the sheer power of a STAB, Choice Band-boosted Earthquake. Adamant is used because Jolly doesn't outspeed anything important and offers less power. Choice Scarf Landorus-T prefers to have its Attack and Speed maxed, but Choice Band can afford to go for a bulkier EV spread to survive weaker Ice Beams and Hydro Pumps from Pokemon such as defensive Rotom-W and Politoed. Choice Band can even use a Careful nature to make it even bulkier and closer to a bulky pivot than a Choice Band user. Bulkier EV spreads should aim for outspeeding Adamant Bisharp (92 Spe) or Jolly Smeargle (228 Spe).
Usage Tips
========
When using Choiced Landorus-T, don't be shy about switching constantly to abuse Intimidate and switch moves. U-turn helps wear down foes, doing so especially well with Choice Band, so use that to switch out if Landorus-T is not immediately threatened. Otherwise, throw out Earthquakes and Rock Slide and maybe use its coverage move every now and then.
Team Options
========
Anything immune to Landorus-T's Earthquake makes a good partner. Thundurus and Cresselia help Choice Band Landorus-T outspeed opposing Pokemon and/or nab some KOs, while 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. Another Intimidate user such as Scrafty 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 opponent at -3 Attack in one turn. You can refresh Scrafty'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 turn an Attack drop into a boost. Other than that, just about everything can Protect against Earthquakes and enjoys Intimidate support.
Physical Attacker
########
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn / Superpower / Knock Off
move 4: Protect / U-Turn
ability: Intimidate
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Assault Vest
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Protect can discourage opponents from double targeting Landorus-T and scout for Ice- and Water-type moves. Earthquake and Rock Slide will be Landorus-T's, U-turn is for safe switches and Intimidate spamming, and Superpower and Knock Off are coverage moves against threats such as Cresselia and Kangaskhan.
Set Details
========
If you find Landorus-T being Choice-locked into Earthquake or forced to go for Rock Slide in order to not KO its partner late-game more often than you'd like, then this is the set for you. Max Speed and Attack investment is necessary for Life Orb and Focus Sash because defensive investment would be wasted with the two items, but for Assault Vest, Landorus-T would much prefer an EV spread such as 164 HP / 172 Atk / 4 Def / 76 SpD / 92 Spe to make it a better offensive pivot and bulkier in general. A Careful nature could work with Assault Vest, too, allowing Landorus-T to survive attacks such as Modest Suicune's Ice Beam.
Usage Tips
========
Just spam Earthquake with a partner Flying-type or Levitate user, and U-turn or switch out to refresh Intimidate. However, Focus Sash Landorus-T might want to just stay in and attack more than the other items, as any damage at all will render its item useless.
Team Options
========
Non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T appreciates speed control. Thundurus and Cresselia are your number one picks for this job. Mega Charizard Y, Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Hydreigon are good offensive partners as well. Mega Charizard Y deserves a special mention, as Drought combats Politoed and Landorus-T's Intimidate allows Charizard to live Rock Slides much more easily. Outside of that, anything with Protect, which is the vast majority of the metagame, and anything that enjoys Intimidate support likes having Landorus-T as a partner.
Other Options
########
Lum and Yache Berries keep Landorus-T from being burned or OHKOed by Ice Beam; however, without proper investment, STAB Ice Beams will still OHKO through Yache. Rock Tomb isn't a spread move and is obviously weaker than Stone Edge, but offers the utility of speed control. Explosion should probably be used on a Choice Band set, which allows 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 yourself faint can backfire very easily 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 in a day and age when 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.
Checks & Counters
########
**Ice-type Moves/Pokemon**: Mamoswine and Abomasnow make very short work of Landorus-T, and bulkier Ice Beam users such as Suicune and Cresselia can OHKO it or deal huge damage, 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. Rotom-W can OHKO with Hydro Pump and is immune to Earthquake. Milotic feeds off Landorus-T's Intimidate with Competitive, threatens to KO even without a boost, and is bulky enough to take multiple Earthquakes. In a similar vein to Competitive Milotic, Bisharp feeds off Intimidate with Defiant, but can't reliably OHKO Landorus-T with Sucker Punch and is OHKOed in return by Earthquake. Gyarados and Swampert inhibit Landorus-T's damage output with Intimidate and Wide Guard, respectively, and can OHKO with a STAB move at +0 or with an Ice move at -1.
**Burn/Intimidate**: As with anything that uses 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. 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 Fake Out to neutralize it for a turn or KO it directly.
########
To put it plainly, Landorus-T is one of the best non-Mega Pokemon in VGC. It offers the insanely useful Intimidate support, coupled with U-turn to help abuse it; solid offense with Earthquake; good typing; and all-around good stats. The only things Landorus-T really struggles with are its obvious weaknesses to Ice-types, rain teams, and Pokemon running coverage moves such as Ice Beam.
Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Superpower / Stone Edge / Knock Off
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Earthquake and Rock Slide are Landorus-T's main forms of offense, as spread damage coming off a base 145 Attack is very useful. U-turn 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. Choice Band-boosted Superpower KOes Kangaskhan, though Choice Scarf Landorus-T can't always OHKO. Stone Edge ignores Wide Guard and fares better against bulky Mega Charizard Y with Intimidate support. Knock Off scouts items, though outside of that, Dark is just a solid type to lock yourself into.
Set Details
========
Choice Scarf lets Landorus-T outspeed the majority of the metagame and spam Earthquake and Rock Slide, while Choice Band is used for the sheer power of a STAB, Choice Band-boosted Earthquake. Adamant is used because Jolly doesn't outspeed anything important and offers less power. Choice Scarf Landorus-T prefers to have its Attack and Speed maxed, but Choice Band can afford to go for a bulkier EV spread to survive weaker Ice Beams and Hydro Pumps from Pokemon such as defensive Rotom-W and Politoed. Choice Band can even use a Careful nature to make it even bulkier and closer to a bulky pivot than a Choice Band user. Bulkier EV spreads should aim for outspeeding Adamant Bisharp (92 Spe) or Jolly Smeargle (228 Spe).
Usage Tips
========
When using Choiced Landorus-T, don't be shy about switching constantly to abuse Intimidate and switch moves. U-turn helps wear down foes, doing so especially well with Choice Band, so use that to switch out if Landorus-T is not immediately threatened. Otherwise, throw out Earthquakes and Rock Slide and maybe use its coverage move every now and then.
Team Options
========
Anything immune to Landorus-T's Earthquake makes a good partner. Thundurus and Cresselia help Choice Band Landorus-T outspeed opposing Pokemon and/or nab some KOs, while 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. Another Intimidate user such as Scrafty 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 opponent at -3 Attack in one turn. You can refresh Scrafty'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 turn an Attack drop into a boost. Other than that, just about everything can Protect against Earthquakes and enjoys Intimidate support.
Physical Attacker
########
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn / Superpower / Knock Off
move 4: Protect / U-Turn
ability: Intimidate
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Assault Vest
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Protect can discourage opponents from double targeting Landorus-T and scout for Ice- and Water-type moves. Earthquake and Rock Slide will be Landorus-T's, U-turn is for safe switches and Intimidate spamming, and Superpower and Knock Off are coverage moves against threats such as Cresselia and Kangaskhan.
Set Details
========
If you find Landorus-T being Choice-locked into Earthquake or forced to go for Rock Slide in order to not KO its partner late-game more often than you'd like, then this is the set for you. Max Speed and Attack investment is necessary for Life Orb and Focus Sash because defensive investment would be wasted with the two items, but for Assault Vest, Landorus-T would much prefer an EV spread such as 164 HP / 172 Atk / 4 Def / 76 SpD / 92 Spe to make it a better offensive pivot and bulkier in general. A Careful nature could work with Assault Vest, too, allowing Landorus-T to survive attacks such as Modest Suicune's Ice Beam.
Usage Tips
========
Just spam Earthquake with a partner Flying-type or Levitate user, and U-turn or switch out to refresh Intimidate. However, Focus Sash Landorus-T might want to just stay in and attack more than the other items, as any damage at all will render its item useless.
Team Options
========
Non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T appreciates speed control. Thundurus and Cresselia are your number one picks for this job. Mega Charizard Y, Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Hydreigon are good offensive partners as well. Mega Charizard Y deserves a special mention, as Drought combats Politoed and Landorus-T's Intimidate allows Charizard to live Rock Slides much more easily. Outside of that, anything with Protect, which is the vast majority of the metagame, and anything that enjoys Intimidate support likes having Landorus-T as a partner.
Other Options
########
Lum and Yache Berries keep Landorus-T from being burned or OHKOed by Ice Beam; however, without proper investment, STAB Ice Beams will still OHKO through Yache. Rock Tomb isn't a spread move and is obviously weaker than Stone Edge, but offers the utility of speed control. Explosion should probably be used on a Choice Band set, which allows 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 yourself faint can backfire very easily 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 in a day and age when 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.
Checks & Counters
########
**Ice-type Moves/Pokemon**: Mamoswine and Abomasnow make very short work of Landorus-T, and bulkier Ice Beam users such as Suicune and Cresselia can OHKO it or deal huge damage, 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. Rotom-W can OHKO with Hydro Pump and is immune to Earthquake. Milotic feeds off Landorus-T's Intimidate with Competitive, threatens to KO even without a boost, and is bulky enough to take multiple Earthquakes. In a similar vein to Competitive Milotic, Bisharp feeds off Intimidate with Defiant, but can't reliably OHKO Landorus-T with Sucker Punch and is OHKOed in return by Earthquake. Gyarados and Swampert inhibit Landorus-T's damage output with Intimidate and Wide Guard, respectively, and can OHKO with a STAB move at +0 or with an Ice move at -1.
**Burn/Intimidate**: As with anything that uses 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. 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 Fake Out to neutralize it for a turn or KO it directly.
Overview
########
Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Superpower / Stone Edge / Knock Off
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Physical Attacker
########
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn / Superpower / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Other Options
########
Checks & Counters
########
########
- intimidate, strong stats
- supports the team just by being there, has good typing for synergy
- STAB eq is always useful
- ice weakness, weak to rain teams
- basically all there is to landog. basically the best non mega in the game right now
Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Superpower / Stone Edge / Knock Off
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
- eq is strong
- rock slide is strong-ish, can flinch
- u-turn to help with intimidate spam
- superpower for kangaskhan
- knock off for item scouting, cresselia, etc
- stone edge to get around wide guard, does more to mons built to live rock slide
Set Details
========
- scarf for speed, band for POWER
- band can go for a slower, bulkier EV spread: 94 EVs beats bisharp, 228 beats smeargle (dark void)
- careful nature is usable to make landorus bulky and powerful. 164 HP / 172 Atk / 4 Def / 76 SpD / 92 Spe allows landog to take non-STAB ice beams from mons like suicune and politoed and random HP ice
- jolly loses out on power, but is worth it to outspeed mons built to outspeed adamant landog.
Usage Tips
========
- be switch happy with landog! get the most out of intimidate
- u-turn on slower things with ice moves to help your teammates kill them
- throw out earthquakes when you're not threatening your partner too. otherwise toss rocks.
Team Options
========
- thundurus, cress are immune to EQ, supply speed control for CB and help prevent trick room for scarf
- overall, anything that is immune to EQ makes a good partner for landog. charizard-y likes intimidate and you can spam spread moves pretty safely. rotom-h is a good alternative in the 'ground immune fire-type' department.
- double intimidate is good when bisharp's not around. if you switch with your second intimidate mon and u-turn landorus to switch it back in, you can get a bunch of intimidates off in one turn.
- rotom-w has excellent synergy with landog and helps check rain teams
Physical Attacker
########
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: U-turn / Superpower / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
- protect helps landog live longer against mons with ice moves
- eq is strong
- rock slide is strong-ish, can flinch
- superpower for kang, single target attack for mons like bisharp and hydreigon
- knock off for item scouting, sitrus removal (cress)
- u-turn to help with intimidate spam
Set Details
========
- being able to protect and not be locked into EQ lategame are big draws to a non-choice set
- max/max for damage output, bulk is dumb with sash and LO
- sash lets landog live ice beams and hydro pumps, LO for STRENGTH
- jolly shouldn't be used, really
Usage Tips
========
- less hit/run oriented than a choice set
- more speed control reliant
- more inclined to stay in and spam EQ safely
- when in doubt, u-turn out
Team Options
========
- this landog likes speed control more than choice landog, so thund/cress
- overall, anything that is immune to EQ makes a good partner for landog. charizard-y likes intimidate and you can spam spread moves pretty safely. rotom-h is a good alternative in the 'ground immune fire-type' department.
- rotom-w
Other Options
########
- assault vest
- lum/yache berry
- rock tomb
- explosion
- substitute+leftovers
Checks & Counters
########
- straightforward weaknesses mostly, part of why it's such a good mon
- mamoswine, cress ice beam, other strong ice moves (like megagross ice punch, random hp ice)
- waters = politoed/ludi, suicune, rotom-w, milotic (competitive)
- physical mons that poop on it despite intimidate = swampert, gyarados,
- burns/intimidates (sableye, gengar, hitmontop/scrafty, etc)
Last edited:
