GiraGoomy
when you see a good meme
Overview
########
Terrakion is a large threat in VGC, and it has earned that title for a good reason. Terrakion has one of the best offensive typings in the game, which is backed up by a solid Attack stat and an impeccable Speed tier. It also has a variety of moves to support its team, such as Quick Guard and Taunt, really making this Pokemon an all-round good team player. It has the ability to check a large amount of Pokemon common, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Heatran, and Bisharp, and causes troubles for your opponents, as its item of choice is extremely versatile and hard to predict. However, Terrakion has a fairly bad defensive typing and is highly affected by Intimidate and burns, as they can cripple Terrakion. Terrakion also suffers versus some Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Cresselia, and Sylveon. It's also very weak to speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind, as it relies on its Speed stat very often and doesn't have a solid priority attack to hit through the speed control, which is very unfortunate.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Guard / Taunt
move 4: Protect
ability: Justified
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Terrakion has one of the best, if not the best, offensive typings in the game, and the main aim of its moveset is to use that typing to its full advantage. Close Combat is the Fighting-type STAB attack Terrakion will use, and its huge 120 Base Power backed up by Terrakion's base 129 Attack stat means it can deal large amounts of damage to foes that don't resist it. Rock Slide is a great STAB spread move that also has a handy 30% chance to cause each of the opposing Pokemon to flinch. Quick Guard allows Terrakion to support the rest of the team and itself by blocking priority moves including Fake Out if Terrakion is faster than the Fake Out user. Taunt has the ability to help Terrakion deal with speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind, which would typically trouble it. Protect is used for scouting or blocking attacks and is one of the best moves in doubles.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is typically the better nature on this Terrakion set, as it makes the most out of Terrakion's Speed stat and allows Quick Guard to block more Fake Outs than Terrakion could with Adamant, such as Meinshao and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan. The EV spread allows Terrakion to make the most out of its best attacks and hit fast and hard. Focus Sash is a good item for Terrakion, as it allows Terrakion to always survive one attack, which could allow it to stay around on the battlefield for more than that one turn. Life Orb is another option to let Terrakion deal more damage then it would with Focus Sash. Lum Berry can help with burns, paralysis and sleep. It also makes Swagger + Lum Berry a potential combination. Because the third moveslot is flexible, Substitute is another option to run to help Terrakion stay on the battlefield even longer.
Usage Tips
========
Because Terrakion commonly can't switch in to many attacks, try to avoid bringing in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a super effective move against it. This is also so you don't potentially break Terrakion's Focus Sash, which will allow Terrakion to stay around longer. Terrakion is a Pokemon that hits hard and is very good at doing it. This means it's typically a good idea to bring Terrakion to a battle where it can threaten a lot of the opposing Pokemon or deal a good amount of damage to the majority of the opponent's team. However, due to the fact that Terrakion can be stopped by various forms of speed control, it is typically not a good idea to bring Terrakion into a battle if your opponent is using strategies such as Trick Room or Tailwind offense.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Defiant or Competitive such as Bisharp and Milotic are good partners for Terrakion, as they can prevent Intimidate users from switching in, which is helpful because Intimidate greatly affects Terrakion's damage output and use on the field. Terrakion can also benefit from its own speed control to help versus other forms of speed control, which is what makes Togekiss such a good partner. Not only can Togekiss learn Tailwind, but it also is a Flying-type and can help with Terrakion's Ground weakness and can use Follow Me to redirect Fighting-type moves which would typically be aimed at Terrakion. Thundurus is also a good partner for Terrakion, as it can Thunder Wave threats to weaken them or use Taunt to prevent Trick Room and Tailwind. Lastly, Whimsicott is able to use Tailwind and Encore to benefit Terrakion; it also has access to Beat Up, which can be used to give Terrakion a +4 Attack boost from Justified.
Choiced
########
name: Choiced
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Iron Head / Poison Jab
ability: Justified
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
With a choice item, Terrakion sacrifices its flexibility in move choice for either blistering speed or intense attack power. Close Combat is the main Fighting-type attack that every Terrakion will use. Combined with Terrakion's Attack stat and the high Base Power of the move, Close Combat can deal a lot of damage to all targets that don't resist it and put large dents in teams. Rock Slide has the ability to hit many Pokemon that resist Close Combat for super effective damage. Rock Slide also has a nice 30% flinch chance, which can create free turns for the rest of your team or even swing momentum in your favor in tough situations. X-Scissor has the ability to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Latios for super effective damage, which is helpful because they threaten Terrakion. Iron Head is the final move to help deal with Fairy-types, mainly Sylveon, and also has a 30% flinch chance. There is no real reason to run Poison Jab unless you need something extra to deal with Azumarill.
Set Details
========
Adamant is the optimal nature for Choice Scarf Terrakion because it is able to outspeed every legal Pokemon barring those with Tailwind or Thunder Wave support, boosts, or their own Choice Scarf. The only reason to run Jolly is if you are scared of these foes outspeeding Terrakion otherwise, Adamant is the way to go to ensure maximum damage output. 252 Atk / 252 Spe give Terrakion its maximum Speed and maximum damage output. There is typically no good reason to run Poison Jab over Iron Head unless you want to hit Azumarill harder. Choice Band is the other Choice item you'd want to use to allow Terrakion to hit extremely hard.
Usage Tips
========
Terrakion does not like having to switch into attacks due to its offensive nature. It's a better option to not switch Terrakion into an attack unless it's 100% safe or you have no other option. Speed control still has a great effect on Terrakion, and now that Terrakion is locked into an item, it will be affected even more greatly. However, if the opponent does not have a solid form of speed control and is threatened by Terrakion, this Pokemon can deal large amounts of damage, making it easier for the rest of your team to clean up.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Defiant and Competitive are better than ever on a team with a Choice-locked Terrakion, as it is highly prone to Intimidate and Icy Wind. Taunt users are great to use with Terrakion, as they can prevent various forms of speed control from going up, such as Tailwind and Trick Room. This is what makes Thundurus such a great partner. Some players opt to use Terrakion with Mega Charizard Y or Gyarados in an attempt to stop or limit the effects of rain, which would otherwise hurt Terrakion.
Other Options
########
Stone Edge can be used over or alongside Rock Slide in order to get around Wide Guard and deal greater overall damage. Sacred Sword is an option to run over Close Combat to avoid lowering Terrakion's defenses, but the drop in power is noticable. Earthquake is an option to use so Terrakion isn't completely walled by Aegislash. Double Kick is a niche move to KO some Pokemon at low health through Substitute and to break Focus Sashes. It's useful against threats such as Focus Sash Smeargle and Focus Sash Bisharp, which might threaten Terrakion with a Dark Void or Iron Head respectively. Swords Dance is a good move to boost Terrakion's stats to make it hit harder but should only be used when you have support such as Follow Me and Rage Powder to help Terrakion set up.
Checks and Counters
########
**Intimidate and Burns**: Terrakion is very vulnerable to Intimidate and burns, which cripple its Attack stat, meaning it can lose its ability to hit hard.
**Typing Advantage**: Pokemon that can outspeed and threaten Terrakion due to a type advantage are solid checks to it, as they could possibly be carrying a move that can OHKO Terrakion. Azumarill, Greninja, and Swift Swim Pokemon in rain can all achieve this.
**Speed Control**: Terrakion relies on its Speed stat pretty often, so any form of speed control such as Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind, or Trick Room definitely threatens it.
**Landorus-T**: Landorus-T can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks and threaten it with a super effective Earthquake or Superpower. It also has the ability Intimidate to cripple Terrakion's Attack stat.
**Aegislash**: Aegislash can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks and threaten it with a super effective Flash Cannon or Sacred Sword.
########
Terrakion is a large threat in VGC, and it has earned that title for a good reason. Terrakion has one of the best offensive typings in the game, which is backed up by a solid Attack stat and an impeccable Speed tier. It also has a variety of moves to support its team, such as Quick Guard and Taunt, really making this Pokemon an all-round good team player. It has the ability to check a large amount of Pokemon common, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Heatran, and Bisharp, and causes troubles for your opponents, as its item of choice is extremely versatile and hard to predict. However, Terrakion has a fairly bad defensive typing and is highly affected by Intimidate and burns, as they can cripple Terrakion. Terrakion also suffers versus some Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Cresselia, and Sylveon. It's also very weak to speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind, as it relies on its Speed stat very often and doesn't have a solid priority attack to hit through the speed control, which is very unfortunate.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Guard / Taunt
move 4: Protect
ability: Justified
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Terrakion has one of the best, if not the best, offensive typings in the game, and the main aim of its moveset is to use that typing to its full advantage. Close Combat is the Fighting-type STAB attack Terrakion will use, and its huge 120 Base Power backed up by Terrakion's base 129 Attack stat means it can deal large amounts of damage to foes that don't resist it. Rock Slide is a great STAB spread move that also has a handy 30% chance to cause each of the opposing Pokemon to flinch. Quick Guard allows Terrakion to support the rest of the team and itself by blocking priority moves including Fake Out if Terrakion is faster than the Fake Out user. Taunt has the ability to help Terrakion deal with speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind, which would typically trouble it. Protect is used for scouting or blocking attacks and is one of the best moves in doubles.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is typically the better nature on this Terrakion set, as it makes the most out of Terrakion's Speed stat and allows Quick Guard to block more Fake Outs than Terrakion could with Adamant, such as Meinshao and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan. The EV spread allows Terrakion to make the most out of its best attacks and hit fast and hard. Focus Sash is a good item for Terrakion, as it allows Terrakion to always survive one attack, which could allow it to stay around on the battlefield for more than that one turn. Life Orb is another option to let Terrakion deal more damage then it would with Focus Sash. Lum Berry can help with burns, paralysis and sleep. It also makes Swagger + Lum Berry a potential combination. Because the third moveslot is flexible, Substitute is another option to run to help Terrakion stay on the battlefield even longer.
Usage Tips
========
Because Terrakion commonly can't switch in to many attacks, try to avoid bringing in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a super effective move against it. This is also so you don't potentially break Terrakion's Focus Sash, which will allow Terrakion to stay around longer. Terrakion is a Pokemon that hits hard and is very good at doing it. This means it's typically a good idea to bring Terrakion to a battle where it can threaten a lot of the opposing Pokemon or deal a good amount of damage to the majority of the opponent's team. However, due to the fact that Terrakion can be stopped by various forms of speed control, it is typically not a good idea to bring Terrakion into a battle if your opponent is using strategies such as Trick Room or Tailwind offense.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Defiant or Competitive such as Bisharp and Milotic are good partners for Terrakion, as they can prevent Intimidate users from switching in, which is helpful because Intimidate greatly affects Terrakion's damage output and use on the field. Terrakion can also benefit from its own speed control to help versus other forms of speed control, which is what makes Togekiss such a good partner. Not only can Togekiss learn Tailwind, but it also is a Flying-type and can help with Terrakion's Ground weakness and can use Follow Me to redirect Fighting-type moves which would typically be aimed at Terrakion. Thundurus is also a good partner for Terrakion, as it can Thunder Wave threats to weaken them or use Taunt to prevent Trick Room and Tailwind. Lastly, Whimsicott is able to use Tailwind and Encore to benefit Terrakion; it also has access to Beat Up, which can be used to give Terrakion a +4 Attack boost from Justified.
Choiced
########
name: Choiced
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Iron Head / Poison Jab
ability: Justified
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
With a choice item, Terrakion sacrifices its flexibility in move choice for either blistering speed or intense attack power. Close Combat is the main Fighting-type attack that every Terrakion will use. Combined with Terrakion's Attack stat and the high Base Power of the move, Close Combat can deal a lot of damage to all targets that don't resist it and put large dents in teams. Rock Slide has the ability to hit many Pokemon that resist Close Combat for super effective damage. Rock Slide also has a nice 30% flinch chance, which can create free turns for the rest of your team or even swing momentum in your favor in tough situations. X-Scissor has the ability to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Latios for super effective damage, which is helpful because they threaten Terrakion. Iron Head is the final move to help deal with Fairy-types, mainly Sylveon, and also has a 30% flinch chance. There is no real reason to run Poison Jab unless you need something extra to deal with Azumarill.
Set Details
========
Adamant is the optimal nature for Choice Scarf Terrakion because it is able to outspeed every legal Pokemon barring those with Tailwind or Thunder Wave support, boosts, or their own Choice Scarf. The only reason to run Jolly is if you are scared of these foes outspeeding Terrakion otherwise, Adamant is the way to go to ensure maximum damage output. 252 Atk / 252 Spe give Terrakion its maximum Speed and maximum damage output. There is typically no good reason to run Poison Jab over Iron Head unless you want to hit Azumarill harder. Choice Band is the other Choice item you'd want to use to allow Terrakion to hit extremely hard.
Usage Tips
========
Terrakion does not like having to switch into attacks due to its offensive nature. It's a better option to not switch Terrakion into an attack unless it's 100% safe or you have no other option. Speed control still has a great effect on Terrakion, and now that Terrakion is locked into an item, it will be affected even more greatly. However, if the opponent does not have a solid form of speed control and is threatened by Terrakion, this Pokemon can deal large amounts of damage, making it easier for the rest of your team to clean up.
Team Options
========
Pokemon with Defiant and Competitive are better than ever on a team with a Choice-locked Terrakion, as it is highly prone to Intimidate and Icy Wind. Taunt users are great to use with Terrakion, as they can prevent various forms of speed control from going up, such as Tailwind and Trick Room. This is what makes Thundurus such a great partner. Some players opt to use Terrakion with Mega Charizard Y or Gyarados in an attempt to stop or limit the effects of rain, which would otherwise hurt Terrakion.
Other Options
########
Stone Edge can be used over or alongside Rock Slide in order to get around Wide Guard and deal greater overall damage. Sacred Sword is an option to run over Close Combat to avoid lowering Terrakion's defenses, but the drop in power is noticable. Earthquake is an option to use so Terrakion isn't completely walled by Aegislash. Double Kick is a niche move to KO some Pokemon at low health through Substitute and to break Focus Sashes. It's useful against threats such as Focus Sash Smeargle and Focus Sash Bisharp, which might threaten Terrakion with a Dark Void or Iron Head respectively. Swords Dance is a good move to boost Terrakion's stats to make it hit harder but should only be used when you have support such as Follow Me and Rage Powder to help Terrakion set up.
Checks and Counters
########
**Intimidate and Burns**: Terrakion is very vulnerable to Intimidate and burns, which cripple its Attack stat, meaning it can lose its ability to hit hard.
**Typing Advantage**: Pokemon that can outspeed and threaten Terrakion due to a type advantage are solid checks to it, as they could possibly be carrying a move that can OHKO Terrakion. Azumarill, Greninja, and Swift Swim Pokemon in rain can all achieve this.
**Speed Control**: Terrakion relies on its Speed stat pretty often, so any form of speed control such as Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind, or Trick Room definitely threatens it.
**Landorus-T**: Landorus-T can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks and threaten it with a super effective Earthquake or Superpower. It also has the ability Intimidate to cripple Terrakion's Attack stat.
**Aegislash**: Aegislash can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks and threaten it with a super effective Flash Cannon or Sacred Sword.
Overview
########
[Pros]
- Has a fairly good Attack stat.
- Is in a great Speed tier.
- Has decent enough defences to survive attacks.
- Has one of the best offensive typings in the current metagame.
- Useful support options in Quick Guard, Helping Hand, etc.
- Checks a good amount of threats such as Mega-Kangaskhan, Bisharp, Heatran and more baring status.
- Can run a variety of items to support its team.
[Cons]
- Moveset can be fairly predictable.
- Has a bad defensive typing being weak to Fairy, Fighting, Water, Grass, Ground, Psychic and Steel.
- Crippled by Burn/Intimidate to lower it's Attack.
- Weak to common Pokemon in the tier such as Landorus-T, Cresselia and Latios without having a reliable attack to hit them back.
- Is weak to most forms of Speed Control (Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind, etc).
- Doesn't get a solid priority move if it were to be hurt through forms of Speed Control.
Standard
########
name: Standard
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Guard / Taunt
move 4: Protect
ability: Justified
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
- Close Combat is the main STAB Fighting Attack every Terrakion will go for. It's a huge 120 Base Power attack and when factoring in STAB and Terrakion's Attack Stat of 129 can deal large amounts of damage to opponents who are unable to resist it.
- Rock Slide is a spread move that also gets STAB due to Terrakion's Rock Typing. Not only does it allow Terrakion to hit Bug Types and Flying Types for super-effective damage in which they'd resist Close Combat, but it also allows Terrakion to hit both opponents at once since it's a spread attack which can be crucial at times in a battle. Not to mention it also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponents Pokemon which can create free turns for the rest of your team.
- Quick Guard allows Terrakion to support the rest of the team and itself by blocking moves such as Bullet Punch, Gale Wings Flying Type attacks, possible Fake Out's, and more. Taunt has the ability to help Terrakion deal with speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind.
- Protect allows Terrakion to avoid taking damage for one turn at the cost of not doing anything else for that turn. It is useful when facing Pokemon with Super-Effective moves against it, when facing Pokemon with Fake Out, when scouting for what the opponent will do and more.
Set Details
========
Jolly Nature is typically always the better nature on this Terrakion set just so it can make the most out of it's Speed Stat and allow Quick Guard to block more Fake Out's than it would with Adamant, with Mienshao being a prime example. The EV spread of 252/252 allows Terrakion to make the most out of it's best attacks, being fast and hitting hard. Focus Sash is a good item for Terrakion as it allows Terrakion to always survive one attack, which could allow it to stay around on the battlefield for more than that one turn. Life Orb is the other option to give Terrakion even more of an offensive presence on the field dealing more damage then it would with Focus Sash. Lum Berry is an item you can run on this set as well as it can help with Burns, Paralysis and Sleep. It also makes Swagger + Lum Berry a potential combination. Since the third moveslot is so flexible, Substitute is another option to run to help Terrakion stay on the battlefield even longer.
Usage Tips
========
- Try to avoid switching in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a Super Effective move against it. This is so you don't potentially waste your Focus Sash or get hit unexpectedly since Terrakion doesn't have a very good defensive typing.
- It is typically a good idea to bring Terrakion to a battle if you're opponent is using a Mega-Kangaskhan, a lot of Pokemon with priority or Pokemon that Terrakion can threaten as it does well against all of them.
- It is typically a good idea to not bring Terrakion to a battle if your opponent is using heavy forms of Speed Control such as Trick Room or Tailwind.
Team Options
========
- Defiant and Competitive can help Terrakion with it's Intimidate weakness and possible Icy Wind weakness. An example of a Pokemon you can use to help Terrakion is Bisharp since it also helps with the Fairy and Psychic weakness Terrakion has. However you'll still need to watch out for Burns, Fighting Types and Ground Types.
- Terrakion benefits from it's own Speed Control to counter other forms of Speed Control. For example, Togekiss can be used to setup a Tailwind for Terrakion if the opponent has Tailwind up or paralyse a Pokemon with Thunder Wave while also having Follow Me to support Terrakion's Fighting Weakness and since it's a Flying Type it supports Terrakion's Ground Weakness.
- Thundurus is a good Pokemon to use with Terrakion. Not only is able to use Taunt and Thunder Wave to help vs various forms of speed control, but it is also a Flying Type to help with Terrakion's ground weakness and has coverage in HP Ice to take out threats such as Landorus-T while still being bulky enough to support the rest of the team.
- Although not highly looked upon by better players, Whimsicott is a partner option with Terrakion due to it's ability to efficiently use Beat Up on Terrakion giving it a +4 boost in attack which can be very helpful in tight situations.
Choiced
########
name: Choiced
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Iron Head / Poison Jab
ability: Justified
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
- Close Combat is the main STAB Fighting Attack every Terrakion will go for. It's a huge 120 Base Power attack and when factoring in STAB and Terrakion's Attack Stat of 129 can deal large amounts of damage to opponents who are unable to resist it.
- Rock Slide is a spread move that also gets STAB due to Terrakion's Rock Typing. Not only does it allow Terrakion to hit Bug Types and Flying Types for super-effective damage in which they'd resist Close Combat, but it also allows Terrakion to hit both opponents at once since it's a spread attack which can be crucial at times in a battle. Not to mention it also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponents Pokemon which can create free turns for the rest of your team.
- Iron Head and Poison Jab are both used for coverage against Fairy Types. Iron Head is the more common move for the flinch chance but some opt to go with Poison Jab for the poison chance.
- X-Scissor is the coverage move Terrakion uses for Psychic and Grass Types.
Set Details
========
Adamant Nature is the optimal nature for Scarf Terrakion since it is able to outspeed every legal Pokemon baring Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Boosts and opposing Scarf Pokemon. The only reason to run Jolly is if you are scared of these things, otherwise Adamant is the way to go to ensure maximum damage output. Once again 252/252 is the best spread to give Terrakion it's maximum speed and maximum damage output. There is typically no good reason to run Iron Head over Poison Jab, unless you want to hit Azumarill harder. Choice Band is the other choice item you'd want to use to allow Terrakion to hit extremely hard.
Usage Tips
========
- Try to avoid switching in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a Super Effective move against it. This is so you don't potentially waste your Focus Sash or get hit unexpectedly since Terrakion doesn't have a very good defensive typing.
- Terrakion is a good option to bring in a battle if your opponent has a fast team but nothing to outspeed Terrakion with little Speed Control.
- Try to avoid bringing Terrakion against Trick Room teams, Tailwind teams or Rain teams. This is because most of these playstyles have Pokemon that can move before Terrakion and OHKO it.
Team Options
========
- Defiant and Competitive Pokemon are even better here, especially since Scarf Terrakion is more prone to Intimidate and Icy Wind compared to it's other set.
- Taunt is better than ever to stop Tailwind and Trick Room. Thundurus is still one of the best options to support Terrakion.
- Pokemon such as Cresselia who are bulky and can use Sunny Day to counter rain are very good with Terrakion since it doesn't do very well against rain what so ever.
Other Options
########
- Stone Edge is an option you can use over Rock Slide in order to try avoid Wide Guard or hit things harder than Rock Slide would.
- Sacred Sword can be used over Close Combat so you don't end up lowering your defences improving your overall bulk.
- Earthquake is an option to hit Aegislash so you aren't completely countered by it.
- Double Kick is an extremely niche move that some Scarf'ed Fighting Types have run before to KO some Pokemon at low health through Substitute and to break Sashes but should only be used over X-Scissor on Scarf Sets since X-Scissor isn't doing a lot to common Psychic type Pokemon anyway.
- Swords Dance and other boosting moves are good moves to boost Terrakion's stats to make it hit harder but should only be used when you have support such as Follow Me and Rage Powder with it.
Checks and Counters
########
- **Intimidate and Burns**: Terrakion is very much prone to Intimidate and Burn as it cripples it's Attack stat meaning it can lose it's ability to hit hard.
- **Typing Advantage**: Pokemon that can outspeed and threaten Terrakion due to a Type Advantage are solid checks to it due to the fact they could possibly be carrying a move that can OHKO Terrakion itself.
- **Speed Control**: Terrakion relies on it's Speed stat pretty often so Speed Control such as Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind and Trick Room definitely threaten it.
- Landorus-T: Landorus-T can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks while also threatening it with a super-effective Earthquake and Intimidate.
- Aegislash: Aegislash can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks while also threatening it with a super-effective Flash Cannon.
########
[Pros]
- Has a fairly good Attack stat.
- Is in a great Speed tier.
- Has decent enough defences to survive attacks.
- Has one of the best offensive typings in the current metagame.
- Useful support options in Quick Guard, Helping Hand, etc.
- Checks a good amount of threats such as Mega-Kangaskhan, Bisharp, Heatran and more baring status.
- Can run a variety of items to support its team.
[Cons]
- Moveset can be fairly predictable.
- Has a bad defensive typing being weak to Fairy, Fighting, Water, Grass, Ground, Psychic and Steel.
- Crippled by Burn/Intimidate to lower it's Attack.
- Weak to common Pokemon in the tier such as Landorus-T, Cresselia and Latios without having a reliable attack to hit them back.
- Is weak to most forms of Speed Control (Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind, etc).
- Doesn't get a solid priority move if it were to be hurt through forms of Speed Control.
Standard
########
name: Standard
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Guard / Taunt
move 4: Protect
ability: Justified
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Lum Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
- Close Combat is the main STAB Fighting Attack every Terrakion will go for. It's a huge 120 Base Power attack and when factoring in STAB and Terrakion's Attack Stat of 129 can deal large amounts of damage to opponents who are unable to resist it.
- Rock Slide is a spread move that also gets STAB due to Terrakion's Rock Typing. Not only does it allow Terrakion to hit Bug Types and Flying Types for super-effective damage in which they'd resist Close Combat, but it also allows Terrakion to hit both opponents at once since it's a spread attack which can be crucial at times in a battle. Not to mention it also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponents Pokemon which can create free turns for the rest of your team.
- Quick Guard allows Terrakion to support the rest of the team and itself by blocking moves such as Bullet Punch, Gale Wings Flying Type attacks, possible Fake Out's, and more. Taunt has the ability to help Terrakion deal with speed control such as Trick Room and Tailwind.
- Protect allows Terrakion to avoid taking damage for one turn at the cost of not doing anything else for that turn. It is useful when facing Pokemon with Super-Effective moves against it, when facing Pokemon with Fake Out, when scouting for what the opponent will do and more.
Set Details
========
Jolly Nature is typically always the better nature on this Terrakion set just so it can make the most out of it's Speed Stat and allow Quick Guard to block more Fake Out's than it would with Adamant, with Mienshao being a prime example. The EV spread of 252/252 allows Terrakion to make the most out of it's best attacks, being fast and hitting hard. Focus Sash is a good item for Terrakion as it allows Terrakion to always survive one attack, which could allow it to stay around on the battlefield for more than that one turn. Life Orb is the other option to give Terrakion even more of an offensive presence on the field dealing more damage then it would with Focus Sash. Lum Berry is an item you can run on this set as well as it can help with Burns, Paralysis and Sleep. It also makes Swagger + Lum Berry a potential combination. Since the third moveslot is so flexible, Substitute is another option to run to help Terrakion stay on the battlefield even longer.
Usage Tips
========
- Try to avoid switching in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a Super Effective move against it. This is so you don't potentially waste your Focus Sash or get hit unexpectedly since Terrakion doesn't have a very good defensive typing.
- It is typically a good idea to bring Terrakion to a battle if you're opponent is using a Mega-Kangaskhan, a lot of Pokemon with priority or Pokemon that Terrakion can threaten as it does well against all of them.
- It is typically a good idea to not bring Terrakion to a battle if your opponent is using heavy forms of Speed Control such as Trick Room or Tailwind.
Team Options
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- Defiant and Competitive can help Terrakion with it's Intimidate weakness and possible Icy Wind weakness. An example of a Pokemon you can use to help Terrakion is Bisharp since it also helps with the Fairy and Psychic weakness Terrakion has. However you'll still need to watch out for Burns, Fighting Types and Ground Types.
- Terrakion benefits from it's own Speed Control to counter other forms of Speed Control. For example, Togekiss can be used to setup a Tailwind for Terrakion if the opponent has Tailwind up or paralyse a Pokemon with Thunder Wave while also having Follow Me to support Terrakion's Fighting Weakness and since it's a Flying Type it supports Terrakion's Ground Weakness.
- Thundurus is a good Pokemon to use with Terrakion. Not only is able to use Taunt and Thunder Wave to help vs various forms of speed control, but it is also a Flying Type to help with Terrakion's ground weakness and has coverage in HP Ice to take out threats such as Landorus-T while still being bulky enough to support the rest of the team.
- Although not highly looked upon by better players, Whimsicott is a partner option with Terrakion due to it's ability to efficiently use Beat Up on Terrakion giving it a +4 boost in attack which can be very helpful in tight situations.
Choiced
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name: Choiced
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Iron Head / Poison Jab
ability: Justified
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
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- Close Combat is the main STAB Fighting Attack every Terrakion will go for. It's a huge 120 Base Power attack and when factoring in STAB and Terrakion's Attack Stat of 129 can deal large amounts of damage to opponents who are unable to resist it.
- Rock Slide is a spread move that also gets STAB due to Terrakion's Rock Typing. Not only does it allow Terrakion to hit Bug Types and Flying Types for super-effective damage in which they'd resist Close Combat, but it also allows Terrakion to hit both opponents at once since it's a spread attack which can be crucial at times in a battle. Not to mention it also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponents Pokemon which can create free turns for the rest of your team.
- Iron Head and Poison Jab are both used for coverage against Fairy Types. Iron Head is the more common move for the flinch chance but some opt to go with Poison Jab for the poison chance.
- X-Scissor is the coverage move Terrakion uses for Psychic and Grass Types.
Set Details
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Adamant Nature is the optimal nature for Scarf Terrakion since it is able to outspeed every legal Pokemon baring Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Boosts and opposing Scarf Pokemon. The only reason to run Jolly is if you are scared of these things, otherwise Adamant is the way to go to ensure maximum damage output. Once again 252/252 is the best spread to give Terrakion it's maximum speed and maximum damage output. There is typically no good reason to run Iron Head over Poison Jab, unless you want to hit Azumarill harder. Choice Band is the other choice item you'd want to use to allow Terrakion to hit extremely hard.
Usage Tips
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- Try to avoid switching in Terrakion on Pokemon that may have a Super Effective move against it. This is so you don't potentially waste your Focus Sash or get hit unexpectedly since Terrakion doesn't have a very good defensive typing.
- Terrakion is a good option to bring in a battle if your opponent has a fast team but nothing to outspeed Terrakion with little Speed Control.
- Try to avoid bringing Terrakion against Trick Room teams, Tailwind teams or Rain teams. This is because most of these playstyles have Pokemon that can move before Terrakion and OHKO it.
Team Options
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- Defiant and Competitive Pokemon are even better here, especially since Scarf Terrakion is more prone to Intimidate and Icy Wind compared to it's other set.
- Taunt is better than ever to stop Tailwind and Trick Room. Thundurus is still one of the best options to support Terrakion.
- Pokemon such as Cresselia who are bulky and can use Sunny Day to counter rain are very good with Terrakion since it doesn't do very well against rain what so ever.
Other Options
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- Stone Edge is an option you can use over Rock Slide in order to try avoid Wide Guard or hit things harder than Rock Slide would.
- Sacred Sword can be used over Close Combat so you don't end up lowering your defences improving your overall bulk.
- Earthquake is an option to hit Aegislash so you aren't completely countered by it.
- Double Kick is an extremely niche move that some Scarf'ed Fighting Types have run before to KO some Pokemon at low health through Substitute and to break Sashes but should only be used over X-Scissor on Scarf Sets since X-Scissor isn't doing a lot to common Psychic type Pokemon anyway.
- Swords Dance and other boosting moves are good moves to boost Terrakion's stats to make it hit harder but should only be used when you have support such as Follow Me and Rage Powder with it.
Checks and Counters
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- **Intimidate and Burns**: Terrakion is very much prone to Intimidate and Burn as it cripples it's Attack stat meaning it can lose it's ability to hit hard.
- **Typing Advantage**: Pokemon that can outspeed and threaten Terrakion due to a Type Advantage are solid checks to it due to the fact they could possibly be carrying a move that can OHKO Terrakion itself.
- **Speed Control**: Terrakion relies on it's Speed stat pretty often so Speed Control such as Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind and Trick Room definitely threaten it.
- Landorus-T: Landorus-T can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks while also threatening it with a super-effective Earthquake and Intimidate.
- Aegislash: Aegislash can switch in on any of Terrakion's attacks while also threatening it with a super-effective Flash Cannon.
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