FINALLY GOT THIS UP
look at all of that DEFENSE
· One hidden gem about Aggron as a RP sweeper is its natural physical defense makes priority a mediocre option oftentimes. It is only 3HKOed by LO Kabutops's Aqua Jet even though it has no investment whatsoever.
· Head Smash wrecks
· Earthquake hits Rock-resists (consistency is more important on a set like this)
· Heavy Slam doesn't miss, hits Fighting-types, and is still in general strong.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
· Jolly for Accelgor, but the loss of power is noticeable against stuff like Slowking and Lanturn.
· Hard Stone if you don't want Aggron to suffer recoil – you are probably using Head Smash most of the time anyway.
· Lum Berry if you suspect Paralysis or a Burn will ruin everything, but this is pretty rare
· Screw Fighting-types – Mach Punch is like the only priority move that actually does damage and Poliwrath walls Aggron hard. Rotom is an excellent partner due to this, being immune to fighting and having Thunderbolt to donk Poliwrath. It also takes on Aqua Jet users like Kabutops and Samurott alright.
· There are four common Pokémon that can outspeed Aggron after the boost – Accelgor, Scarf Rotom, Scarf Rotom-C, and Scarf Manectric. Druddigon is a pretty good switch into their strongest moves and can Sucker Punch them or hit them with a STAB move. If you suspect the Electric-types are going to Volt Switch Ground-types such as Golurk can stop them from trying to get momentum.
· Poliwrath for Rock- and Steel-types as mentioned before. You may want to consider Magneton support to ensure Steel-types are gone as Aggron has a really rough time with some of them, like Ferroseed and Steelix who can stop a sweep.
· Torterra
· Steelix
· Rhydon
· Ferroseed
· Alomomola
· Specs (and only Specs!) Magneton
· Tangrowth
· Hitmonchan (Mach Punch, can take a hit)
Hariyama
· RP can be revenge killed by Accelgor or Scarf Rotom-C or Scarf Primeape or something.
· Anything faster than it with a strong special attack like Sceptile, Omastar, Typhlosion, and a bunch of other stuff
[Overview]
<p>Aggron is a terrifying presence on the battlefield thanks to its rare combination of Head Smash and Rock Head, meaning that it can use the move without any drawbacks outside of missing. As a result of this, and its rather large physical movepool, Aggron is one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into in the tier. Aggron is also one of the few Steel-types in the tier, and its high Defense makes it surprisingly resilient. Unfortunately, like other Pokemon of its types, Aggron has low Special Defense combined with major weaknesses to Water, Fighting, and Ground; this, combined with a rather low Speed stat makes Aggron vulnerable to a lot of threats, although many cannot switch into its powerful Head Smash.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Earthquake / Low Kick
move 3: Heavy Slam
move 4: Aqua Tail / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The obscene power Head Smash carries, combined with the fact that it has no recoil, means that Aggron will rarely have to use any other move, making Choice Band a perfect fit for Aggron. Every team should have a reliable switch-in for Head Smash, as otherwise whenever Aggron gets on the field, it will likely net a KO. Due to the numerous Pokemon that Aggron can switch into and immediately threaten thanks to its large amount of resistances and titanic physical bulk, such as Cinccino, Escavalier, and Spiritomb, Aggron gets more opportunities to switch in than one would expect from its typing and unleash Head Smash, which is strong enough to potentially OHKO Magneton after a layer of Spikes!</p>
<p>Aggron even has coverage moves to deal with the majority of Pokemon that resist Head Smash. Both Earthquake and Low Kick allow Aggron to hit Steel-types, but Earthquake is preferred in order to OHKO Magneton without any support, which could otherwise trap and KO Aggron—Low Kick does not OHKO any variant of Magneton. However, Low Kick does allow Aggron to 2HKO Steelix, a Pokemon that takes nothing from Head Smash. Due to Aggron's immense weight, Heavy Slam is a reliable alternative STAB that will hit most Pokemon for full power and not miss, along with hitting Fighting-types neutrally and 2HKOing Rhydon. The last slot is fairly situational, but Aqua Tail is preferred to OHKO both Rhydon and Golurk, which can be annoying to deal with. However, Fire Punch allows Aggron to OHKO and 2HKO Ferroseed and Torterra, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite being slow, Aggron's weaknesses make investing in bulk not worth it as it will usually be OHKOed by Earthquakes, Close Combats, and practically any move it is weak to on the special side regardless of investment. However, if you do desire bulk to take resisted hits better, 140 Speed EVs is the lowest Aggron should go, as it allows Aggron to outspeed Lanturn before it can use Scald. Superpower is an option over Low Kick or Earthquake, as it is consistently strong on the first hit while still providing Fighting-type coverage to hit Ferroseed. However, the stat drops are usually not worth it.</p>
<p>Despite its damage output, there are a few Pokemon that can take a Head Smash, namely Ground-, Steel-, Fighting-, and some Rock-types. Poliwrath has a large amount of physical bulk and resistances that allow it to take on hits from most of the aforementioned Pokemon, and proceed to phaze them out and wear them down with Circle Throw. On the offensive side, Aggron is vulnerable to Earthquake and Close Combat, both of which it is 4x weak to. Uxie can take these moves easily thanks to its massive bulk and resistances, possibly allowing it to set up Calm Mind or cripple the opposing Pokemon with status. Moltres, on the other hand, can OHKO STAB users of these moves while also resisting both types. Under Trick Room, Aggron is nothing short of terrifying due to its low Speed then becoming an advantage. Slowking is the best option for a setter, as it can take Water-, Fighting-, and Fire-type attacks aimed at Aggron with ease. Other Psychic-types such as Mesprit and Exeggutor can also set up Trick Room if Slowking is performing a different role on your team already, and both can set up on Ground-type moves. Note that, if Aggron is on a Trick Room team, a Brave nature and minimum Speed should be used.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Heavy Slam
item: Life Orb
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Aggron has always had problems with its Speed stat, but fortunately, its access to Rock Polish allows it to fix this issue. This variant of Aggron is one of the most difficult Pokemon in RU for offensive teams to deal with, as it outspeeds the majority of the tier, including the popular Choice Scarf Emboar, hits obscenely hard, and is surprisingly hard to take down with priority; to put it in perspective, Life Orb Adamant Kabutops can only 3HKO Aggron with Aqua Jet, despite it being weak to the move and having no defensive investment whatsoever. Aside from Rock Polish, this set functions similarly to the Choice Band set. Head Smash will be used most frequently and is likely to OHKO any offensive Pokemon that doesn't resist the move. Earthquake covers Steel-types that resist the move, and Heavy Slam can serve as an alternative STAB and is Aggron's best option against most Fighting-types. Note that the power Heavy Slam can provide means that Aggron should not run the usually superior Autotomize over Rock Polish.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While a Jolly nature lets Aggron outspeed Accelgor, an Adamant nature is preferred because, without it, Aggron cannot OHKO offensive Slowking or Lanturn, which could potentially end a sweep. A Life Orb is suggested in order to make everything hit harder, but the recoil damage can end up being a bit annoying. Although Life Orb is almost always worth the recoil, a Hard Stone is an alternative option in order to power up only Head Smash, the main move that will be used. While Lum Berry is a common item on sweepers such as Aggron, the likeliness of Aggron getting statused isn't high enough to give up power.</p>
<p>Fighting-types are irritating for this set to deal with, as Mach Punch comes very close to an OHKO on Aggron for most Pokemon and Poliwrath walls Aggron easily. Rotom is an excellent partner as a result, due to it being immune to Fighting, having access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple them, and Thunderbolt to hit Poliwrath hard. It also takes on Aqua Jet users such as Kabutops and Samurott decently in case they try and finish off a weakened Aggron. A few common Pokemon can outspeed and threaten Aggron after the boost, including Accelgor, Choice Scarf Rotom-C, and Choice Scarf Manectric. Druddigon makes a decent switch-in to their strongest moves and can retaliate with a STAB move or Sucker Punch. If you suspect the Electric-types will try to use Volt Switch, Ground-types such as Golurk can stop their momentum. Golurk has the advantage of being able to check Accelgor as well. Rock- and Steel-types have high Defense and take Head Smash on well and might be able to sponge an Earthquake, so Poliwrath makes a good partner to switch in and wear them down with Circle Throw. Magneton support should be considered to eliminate some threats to Aggron, such as Steelix and Ferroseed, that it has no hope of breaking through.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Aggron has an expansive movepool that gives it a lot to choose from. Chief among these is Stealth Rock, which is always a useful support move, and Aggron has a rather high offensive presence and Steel-typing to help set it up. Unfortunately, offensive Stealth Rock sets are almost always outclassed by Rhydon, and defensive Stealth Rock sets are almost always outclassed by Steelix. SubPunch is a nifty strategy, but a Choice Band-boosted Low Kick hits Rhydon equally hard and Steelix even harder than a Leftovers Focus Punch. Aggron has several support moves, such as Thunder Wave, Taunt, and phazing moves in Dragon Tail and Roar, but such support moves don't help Aggron much due to its generally offensive role.</p>
<p>A Choice Scarf can help patch up Aggron's Speed while still being able to hit hard, but even with this item, it's a bit on the slow side. Aggron can set up using Hone Claws, which will also patch up the accuracy of Head Smash, but finding opportunities to set it up can be difficult. A combination of Metal Burst and Sturdy can take down an opponent by surprise, but it takes away almost everything Aggron can do, such as its recoil-less Head Smash. Iron Head can be used over Heavy Slam for consistency on any set, hitting Hariyama in particular a lot harder, but it is otherwise inferior. Ice Punch can be used for Torterra, but Torterra is uncommon enough to ignore despite it threatening Aggron. Finally, Aggron is one of many Pokemon that got an obnoxiously large special movepool, with goodies such as Thunderbolt and Fire Blast. While it might seem like Aggron can use these moves similarly to Pokemon such as Absol, the raw power of Head Smash and its equally large physical movepool makes it 2HKO almost every physical wall regardless.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Switching into Aggron requires a healthy amount of physical bulk and a Rock resistance, as Aggron will 2HKO at worst most Pokemon otherwise, making it tough to counter. Poliwrath is the most reliable check for Aggron, as Aggron cannot hit Poliwrath very hard while Poliwrath can phaze it out with a 4x super effective Circle Throw or use Scald to hit its weaker Special Defense. Physically defensive Torterra is also a good switch-in, and its reliable recovery and access to a STAB Earthquake allow it to come out on top. Other variants of Torterra get 2HKOed by Head Smash, but at the very least they can outspeed Aggron in this case. Steelix only fears Low Kick and takes Head Smash extremely well,while being able to retaliate with Earthquake. Steelix also cannot be 2HKOed by even a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake, putting it at an immediate advantage. Rhydon is similar, but it also takes notable damage from Heavy Slam and Aqua Tail, so it needs to tread more carefully. Ferroseed takes little damage from most of Aggron's moves other than Fire Punch, and can set up hazards on it easily. On the offensive side, Choice Specs Magenton can trap and OHKO Aggron, but Magneton risks getting OHKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Head Smash with a bit of prior damage, and easily falls to an Earthquake, so it's a bit unreliable outside of the revenge kill.</p>
<p>Tangrowth and Alomomola, despite their high physical bulk, don't take Head Smashes all that well, but they can wall any other attack and take a Head Smash if they need to, and Regenerator can help mitigate damage from the switch into a Head Smash. Hariyama can OHKO Aggron easily, but Head Smash can leave its mark on Hariyama, and unless it maximizes Speed (which is not recommended), it risks getting outsped and 2HKOed. Gurdurr and Hitmonchan can actually leave a mark on Aggron with Mach Punch in the case of the Rock Polish set, with Gurdurr in particular being able to take a Head Smash. The Rock Polish set can be revenge killed by Accelgor (as long as it's not Jolly), as well as Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Primeape and Rotom-C. Aggron's low special bulk also ensures that it will not be able to take hits from Sceptile, Omastar, Typhlosion, or other special attackers, so long as it hasn't used Rock Polish to outspeed them.</p>
look at all of that DEFENSE
- head smash + rock head = rekd
- hard to switch into thanks to its pretty wide movepool and the raw power of head smash
- one of the few steel-types in the tier and it has a ton of natural defense
- kinda slow, some common weaknesses such as Water, Ground, and Fighting
- low special bulk doesn't help the above
- With a very easy to spam move, a Choice Band goes well with Aggron
- Use Head Smash and watch stuff die.
- Earthquake is mainly so then you don't get trapped and killed by Magneton - Low Kick does not OHKO any variant of Magneton. Low Kick does 2HKO Steelix though, which gets a free switch
- Aggron is like 800 pounds and will hit most stuff for full power with Heavy Slam and can hit Fighting-types neutrally and 2HKOs Rhydon. It also won't miss and provides an alternative STAB.
- Aqua Tail is preferred because Golurk and Rhydon (yes, even with Heavy Slam) are annoying to deal with, so you can OHKO both.
- Fire Punch because of Ferroseed, it can OHKO it occasionally, and 2HKOing most Torterra.
- Although its slow you should still run max speed, no point in investing in bulk (especially when Aggron OHKOs itself) However, 140 speed catches Lanturn if you do desire some additional bulk.
- Superpower is weird. Usually you are better off using Low Kick or Earthquake, but it has the advantage of still hitting Ferroseed somewhat hard while being consistently strong. Regardless, the stat drops, man.
- Can't really think of much…
- There are a few Pokémon that can survive Head Smashes, namely Ground, Rock, or Steel-types. Poliwrath can take hits from all of these Pokémon thanks to its good defense and wear them down with Circle Throws.
- On the offensive side, Earthquakes and Close Combats will make Aggron crumble or be severly weakened. Uxie can take these moves easy and potentially set up with CM against them. Moltres can just wreck these Pokémon typically with its raw power while switching in as well.
- Under Trick Room Aggron is nothing short of terrifying. Slowking can set this up and take on Water-attacks and Fighting attacks (and Fire-attacks) aimed at Aggron with ease. Other psychics like Uxie and Mesprit are ok too.
· One hidden gem about Aggron as a RP sweeper is its natural physical defense makes priority a mediocre option oftentimes. It is only 3HKOed by LO Kabutops's Aqua Jet even though it has no investment whatsoever.
· Head Smash wrecks
· Earthquake hits Rock-resists (consistency is more important on a set like this)
· Heavy Slam doesn't miss, hits Fighting-types, and is still in general strong.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
· Jolly for Accelgor, but the loss of power is noticeable against stuff like Slowking and Lanturn.
· Hard Stone if you don't want Aggron to suffer recoil – you are probably using Head Smash most of the time anyway.
· Lum Berry if you suspect Paralysis or a Burn will ruin everything, but this is pretty rare
· Screw Fighting-types – Mach Punch is like the only priority move that actually does damage and Poliwrath walls Aggron hard. Rotom is an excellent partner due to this, being immune to fighting and having Thunderbolt to donk Poliwrath. It also takes on Aqua Jet users like Kabutops and Samurott alright.
· There are four common Pokémon that can outspeed Aggron after the boost – Accelgor, Scarf Rotom, Scarf Rotom-C, and Scarf Manectric. Druddigon is a pretty good switch into their strongest moves and can Sucker Punch them or hit them with a STAB move. If you suspect the Electric-types are going to Volt Switch Ground-types such as Golurk can stop them from trying to get momentum.
· Poliwrath for Rock- and Steel-types as mentioned before. You may want to consider Magneton support to ensure Steel-types are gone as Aggron has a really rough time with some of them, like Ferroseed and Steelix who can stop a sweep.
- This is long
- SubPunch. However, Choice Band Low Kick hits Rhydon equally hard and hits Steelix even harder than a Leftovers Focus Punch.
- Stealth Rock. Usually, offensive is outclassed by Rhydon, defensive is outclassed by Steelix.
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Ice Punch
- Curse
- Hone Claws
- Iron Head
- Metal Burst
- Dragon Tail or Roar
- Bunch of weird stuff like Fire Blast and Ice Beam but generally you can find a physical move as an alternative, or Head Smash to 2HKO those physical walls you are trying to get anyway. it also has no special attack at all.
- Choice Scarf
· Torterra
· Steelix
· Rhydon
· Ferroseed
· Alomomola
· Specs (and only Specs!) Magneton
· Tangrowth
· Hitmonchan (Mach Punch, can take a hit)
Hariyama
· RP can be revenge killed by Accelgor or Scarf Rotom-C or Scarf Primeape or something.
· Anything faster than it with a strong special attack like Sceptile, Omastar, Typhlosion, and a bunch of other stuff
[Overview]
<p>Aggron is a terrifying presence on the battlefield thanks to its rare combination of Head Smash and Rock Head, meaning that it can use the move without any drawbacks outside of missing. As a result of this, and its rather large physical movepool, Aggron is one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into in the tier. Aggron is also one of the few Steel-types in the tier, and its high Defense makes it surprisingly resilient. Unfortunately, like other Pokemon of its types, Aggron has low Special Defense combined with major weaknesses to Water, Fighting, and Ground; this, combined with a rather low Speed stat makes Aggron vulnerable to a lot of threats, although many cannot switch into its powerful Head Smash.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Earthquake / Low Kick
move 3: Heavy Slam
move 4: Aqua Tail / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The obscene power Head Smash carries, combined with the fact that it has no recoil, means that Aggron will rarely have to use any other move, making Choice Band a perfect fit for Aggron. Every team should have a reliable switch-in for Head Smash, as otherwise whenever Aggron gets on the field, it will likely net a KO. Due to the numerous Pokemon that Aggron can switch into and immediately threaten thanks to its large amount of resistances and titanic physical bulk, such as Cinccino, Escavalier, and Spiritomb, Aggron gets more opportunities to switch in than one would expect from its typing and unleash Head Smash, which is strong enough to potentially OHKO Magneton after a layer of Spikes!</p>
<p>Aggron even has coverage moves to deal with the majority of Pokemon that resist Head Smash. Both Earthquake and Low Kick allow Aggron to hit Steel-types, but Earthquake is preferred in order to OHKO Magneton without any support, which could otherwise trap and KO Aggron—Low Kick does not OHKO any variant of Magneton. However, Low Kick does allow Aggron to 2HKO Steelix, a Pokemon that takes nothing from Head Smash. Due to Aggron's immense weight, Heavy Slam is a reliable alternative STAB that will hit most Pokemon for full power and not miss, along with hitting Fighting-types neutrally and 2HKOing Rhydon. The last slot is fairly situational, but Aqua Tail is preferred to OHKO both Rhydon and Golurk, which can be annoying to deal with. However, Fire Punch allows Aggron to OHKO and 2HKO Ferroseed and Torterra, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite being slow, Aggron's weaknesses make investing in bulk not worth it as it will usually be OHKOed by Earthquakes, Close Combats, and practically any move it is weak to on the special side regardless of investment. However, if you do desire bulk to take resisted hits better, 140 Speed EVs is the lowest Aggron should go, as it allows Aggron to outspeed Lanturn before it can use Scald. Superpower is an option over Low Kick or Earthquake, as it is consistently strong on the first hit while still providing Fighting-type coverage to hit Ferroseed. However, the stat drops are usually not worth it.</p>
<p>Despite its damage output, there are a few Pokemon that can take a Head Smash, namely Ground-, Steel-, Fighting-, and some Rock-types. Poliwrath has a large amount of physical bulk and resistances that allow it to take on hits from most of the aforementioned Pokemon, and proceed to phaze them out and wear them down with Circle Throw. On the offensive side, Aggron is vulnerable to Earthquake and Close Combat, both of which it is 4x weak to. Uxie can take these moves easily thanks to its massive bulk and resistances, possibly allowing it to set up Calm Mind or cripple the opposing Pokemon with status. Moltres, on the other hand, can OHKO STAB users of these moves while also resisting both types. Under Trick Room, Aggron is nothing short of terrifying due to its low Speed then becoming an advantage. Slowking is the best option for a setter, as it can take Water-, Fighting-, and Fire-type attacks aimed at Aggron with ease. Other Psychic-types such as Mesprit and Exeggutor can also set up Trick Room if Slowking is performing a different role on your team already, and both can set up on Ground-type moves. Note that, if Aggron is on a Trick Room team, a Brave nature and minimum Speed should be used.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Heavy Slam
item: Life Orb
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Aggron has always had problems with its Speed stat, but fortunately, its access to Rock Polish allows it to fix this issue. This variant of Aggron is one of the most difficult Pokemon in RU for offensive teams to deal with, as it outspeeds the majority of the tier, including the popular Choice Scarf Emboar, hits obscenely hard, and is surprisingly hard to take down with priority; to put it in perspective, Life Orb Adamant Kabutops can only 3HKO Aggron with Aqua Jet, despite it being weak to the move and having no defensive investment whatsoever. Aside from Rock Polish, this set functions similarly to the Choice Band set. Head Smash will be used most frequently and is likely to OHKO any offensive Pokemon that doesn't resist the move. Earthquake covers Steel-types that resist the move, and Heavy Slam can serve as an alternative STAB and is Aggron's best option against most Fighting-types. Note that the power Heavy Slam can provide means that Aggron should not run the usually superior Autotomize over Rock Polish.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While a Jolly nature lets Aggron outspeed Accelgor, an Adamant nature is preferred because, without it, Aggron cannot OHKO offensive Slowking or Lanturn, which could potentially end a sweep. A Life Orb is suggested in order to make everything hit harder, but the recoil damage can end up being a bit annoying. Although Life Orb is almost always worth the recoil, a Hard Stone is an alternative option in order to power up only Head Smash, the main move that will be used. While Lum Berry is a common item on sweepers such as Aggron, the likeliness of Aggron getting statused isn't high enough to give up power.</p>
<p>Fighting-types are irritating for this set to deal with, as Mach Punch comes very close to an OHKO on Aggron for most Pokemon and Poliwrath walls Aggron easily. Rotom is an excellent partner as a result, due to it being immune to Fighting, having access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple them, and Thunderbolt to hit Poliwrath hard. It also takes on Aqua Jet users such as Kabutops and Samurott decently in case they try and finish off a weakened Aggron. A few common Pokemon can outspeed and threaten Aggron after the boost, including Accelgor, Choice Scarf Rotom-C, and Choice Scarf Manectric. Druddigon makes a decent switch-in to their strongest moves and can retaliate with a STAB move or Sucker Punch. If you suspect the Electric-types will try to use Volt Switch, Ground-types such as Golurk can stop their momentum. Golurk has the advantage of being able to check Accelgor as well. Rock- and Steel-types have high Defense and take Head Smash on well and might be able to sponge an Earthquake, so Poliwrath makes a good partner to switch in and wear them down with Circle Throw. Magneton support should be considered to eliminate some threats to Aggron, such as Steelix and Ferroseed, that it has no hope of breaking through.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Aggron has an expansive movepool that gives it a lot to choose from. Chief among these is Stealth Rock, which is always a useful support move, and Aggron has a rather high offensive presence and Steel-typing to help set it up. Unfortunately, offensive Stealth Rock sets are almost always outclassed by Rhydon, and defensive Stealth Rock sets are almost always outclassed by Steelix. SubPunch is a nifty strategy, but a Choice Band-boosted Low Kick hits Rhydon equally hard and Steelix even harder than a Leftovers Focus Punch. Aggron has several support moves, such as Thunder Wave, Taunt, and phazing moves in Dragon Tail and Roar, but such support moves don't help Aggron much due to its generally offensive role.</p>
<p>A Choice Scarf can help patch up Aggron's Speed while still being able to hit hard, but even with this item, it's a bit on the slow side. Aggron can set up using Hone Claws, which will also patch up the accuracy of Head Smash, but finding opportunities to set it up can be difficult. A combination of Metal Burst and Sturdy can take down an opponent by surprise, but it takes away almost everything Aggron can do, such as its recoil-less Head Smash. Iron Head can be used over Heavy Slam for consistency on any set, hitting Hariyama in particular a lot harder, but it is otherwise inferior. Ice Punch can be used for Torterra, but Torterra is uncommon enough to ignore despite it threatening Aggron. Finally, Aggron is one of many Pokemon that got an obnoxiously large special movepool, with goodies such as Thunderbolt and Fire Blast. While it might seem like Aggron can use these moves similarly to Pokemon such as Absol, the raw power of Head Smash and its equally large physical movepool makes it 2HKO almost every physical wall regardless.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Switching into Aggron requires a healthy amount of physical bulk and a Rock resistance, as Aggron will 2HKO at worst most Pokemon otherwise, making it tough to counter. Poliwrath is the most reliable check for Aggron, as Aggron cannot hit Poliwrath very hard while Poliwrath can phaze it out with a 4x super effective Circle Throw or use Scald to hit its weaker Special Defense. Physically defensive Torterra is also a good switch-in, and its reliable recovery and access to a STAB Earthquake allow it to come out on top. Other variants of Torterra get 2HKOed by Head Smash, but at the very least they can outspeed Aggron in this case. Steelix only fears Low Kick and takes Head Smash extremely well,while being able to retaliate with Earthquake. Steelix also cannot be 2HKOed by even a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake, putting it at an immediate advantage. Rhydon is similar, but it also takes notable damage from Heavy Slam and Aqua Tail, so it needs to tread more carefully. Ferroseed takes little damage from most of Aggron's moves other than Fire Punch, and can set up hazards on it easily. On the offensive side, Choice Specs Magenton can trap and OHKO Aggron, but Magneton risks getting OHKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Head Smash with a bit of prior damage, and easily falls to an Earthquake, so it's a bit unreliable outside of the revenge kill.</p>
<p>Tangrowth and Alomomola, despite their high physical bulk, don't take Head Smashes all that well, but they can wall any other attack and take a Head Smash if they need to, and Regenerator can help mitigate damage from the switch into a Head Smash. Hariyama can OHKO Aggron easily, but Head Smash can leave its mark on Hariyama, and unless it maximizes Speed (which is not recommended), it risks getting outsped and 2HKOed. Gurdurr and Hitmonchan can actually leave a mark on Aggron with Mach Punch in the case of the Rock Polish set, with Gurdurr in particular being able to take a Head Smash. The Rock Polish set can be revenge killed by Accelgor (as long as it's not Jolly), as well as Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Primeape and Rotom-C. Aggron's low special bulk also ensures that it will not be able to take hits from Sceptile, Omastar, Typhlosion, or other special attackers, so long as it hasn't used Rock Polish to outspeed them.</p>
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