[OVERVIEW]
Bronzong is a solid contender as a Trick Room setter thanks to its access to the rare combination of Hypnosis and the ability to improve its accuracy through Z-Trick Room, a means by which Bronzong can put significant pressure onto the opponent by neutering key threats. Solid bulk and a Steel / Psychic typing granting it nine resistances give it great odds at setting Trick Room successfully; the latter notably grants a double resistance to Psychic, which is useful against Psychic-type spam archetype teams. Further, the option to choose between Levitate and Heatproof complements this, as Bronzong can choose one of two major weaknesses to mitigate. That said, weaknesses to Fire-types like Heatran and Mega Charizard, as well as to Dark-types like Hoopa-U, don't do favors for its longevity given their popularity. Similar can be said for the ever-present Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko, which are able to prevent the use of Hypnosis. The amount of competition Bronzong faces as a Trick Room setter also means that if tools like Hypnosis are not taken proper advantage of, alternatives such as Hoopa-U and Diancie are likely to be more appropriate.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Hypnosis
move 4: Protect
item: Psychium Z
ability: Heatproof / Levitate
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room grants Bronzong and its slow teammates speed control by reversing the turn order. Gyro Ball is often Bronzong's strongest STAB move, being mostly chosen as a means of dealing good neutral damage against fast foes, but it notably allows Bronzong to OHKO Tapu Lele. Hypnosis sends the foe to sleep and, while usually inaccurate, is aided by the accuracy boost gained from Z-Trick Room. It allows Bronzong to put pressure on the opponent by shutting down key threats. Protect allows Bronzong to shield itself while an ally KOes a threat or switches into a more appropriate partner, such as a Trick Room sweeper.
Set Details
========
Psychium Z allows the use of Z-Trick Room, which boosts accuracy, notably making Hypnosis 80% accurate. Heatproof is the primary ability thanks to it granting a 50% reduction in Fire damage, which is valuable given the prevalence of Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran. That said, Levitate can also be useful if immunity to the STAB moves of Ground-type attackers such as Landorus-T is preferred. The EVs and Relaxed nature prevent Brave Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury from OHKOing Bronzong. Speed is minimized to move quicker under Trick Room and to increase Gyro Ball's Speed-dependent damage.
Usage Tips
========
It's recommended that Bronzong be put in the lead position to be able to set Trick Room as soon as possible and to provide an easy way for it to get onto the field with the proper support. Such support comes in the form of Fake Out, redirection such as Rage Powder, and Intimidate, which improve its chances of successfully using Trick Room. Don't be overly concerned about Taunt on the first turn, as Z-Trick Room bypasses Taunt. After Trick Room is set up, your goal should be to bring out the Trick Room sweeper with the highest damage output to make use of it, using Hypnosis to provide safer opportunities for them to switch in where necessary.
Bronzong's Hypnosis putting pressure onto your opponent makes it a priority target, particularly given the accuracy loss associated with switching, so taking countermeasures such as keeping Tapu Bulu or Tapu Lele in the back to remove Electric and Misty Terrain is reasonable. That said, Hypnosis's accuracy still isn't perfect after an accuracy boost, so avoid putting yourself into situations where it missing will cost you the battle. If you think Bronzong can set Trick Room again in the late-game and don't immediately require the benefits that Z-Trick Room grants, you may opt to save it for later in the match. When you do so, avoid switching Bronzong back in directly to attacks, as it lacks a form of recovery and needs all the bulk it can to maximize its chances of setting up Trick Room again.
Team Options
========
In order to make proper use of Hypnosis, Electric Terrain and Misty Terrain must be kept off the field, making Tapu Bulu an almost mandatory partner. It reducing the damage of Ground-type attacks and providing recovery, which Bronzong otherwise lacks, are nice bonuses as well. Tapu Lele can equally remove Electric and Misty Terrain, should you prefer it, though it has less natural synergy with Bronzong. Support to aid Bronzong in setting up Trick Room is also essential to ensure this occurs successfully. Fake Out users such as Scrafty are prime candidates for this, as they can cause flinches against the foe most hindersome to Trick Room's setup. Scrafty's can also eliminate Dark-types in addition to softening physical blows through Intimidate. Redirection from users such as Rage Powder Amoonguss can provide another means of more safely setting up Trick Room.
On dedicated Trick Room teams, having a second Trick Room setter is often important to ensure the field condition remains active for the entire match. Trick Room Hoopa-U, for example, is a good offensive partner for Bronzong, as it can beat the Ghost-types that threaten Bronzong. Trick Room Diancie is a good partner for Levitate Bronzong, as it can threaten Fire-types and enjoys having a Ground-type switch-in. The high damage output of spread attackers like Diancie is also great for capitalizing off Trick Room's limited turns. Heatran is an excellent example of this, and it does a good job at handling Fire-types with access to both Flash Fire and Earth Power. Hyper Voice Sylveon can beat the Dark-types that threaten Bronzong. Earthquake users such as Landorus-T also deal spread damage, eliminating threatening Fire-types quite freely alongside Levitate Bronzong thanks to its Ground immunity. Landorus-T can also pivot out with U-turn on the turn Trick Room is used to bring out a more appropriate sweeper and, like Scrafty, can Intimidate both foes. Finally, Water-types such as Araquanid and Azumarill can check Fire-types, and both those mentioned are slow enough to function well under Trick Room.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stealth Rock deals significant damage to foes like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, though the passive means by which it accomplishes this doesn't encourage them to leave the field on its own. Explosion can be used to deal good neutral damage to both foes and allow an ally a safe switch in to start making use of Trick Room. Safeguard is a great option to shut down Spore Amoonguss, which would otherwise prove problematic. Toxic can help Bronzong eliminate slow and bulky foes such as Zapdos, Porygon2, and Cresselia, which Bronzong also struggles against.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: While Heatproof Bronzong takes neutral damage from them, Levitate Bronzong is heavily threatened by Fire-types such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Victini, which all resist Steel and hit Bronzong hard with their STAB super effective moves. Substitute Heatran is especially noteworthy for its sleep immunity and ability to attack safely in Trick Room.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Hoopa-U, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon threaten Bronzong with their various STAB moves. Hoopa-U is particularly dangerous, as Hyperspace Fury can OHKO Bronzong even through Protect.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Mega Gengar can hit Bronzong hard with their respective super effective STAB moves. Aegislash is generally the more effective of the two, as it resists Steel and can set up a Substitute to gain sleep immunity, while Mega Gengar takes reasonable damage from Gyro Ball.
**Ground-types**: Zygarde's Thousand Arrows hits Bronzong for good damage regardless of whether it has Levitate or not. Other Ground-types such as Landorus and Excadrill can prove equally as great against Heatproof Bronzong, though they are ineffectual against Levitate variants.
**Intimidate and Burns**: While Bronzong is mostly used as support, Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Salamence and Will-O-Wisp users like Rotom-W nevertheless reduce what little offensive capability Bronzong has.
**Electric and Misty Terrain**: Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini summoning Electric Terrain and Misty Terrain, respectively, is problematic for Bronzong because they prevent the use of Hypnosis.
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Tapu Lele and Gengar almost entirely shut down Bronzong by preventing it from using status moves. That said, remember that Z-Trick Room bypasses Taunt, so its use on Bronzong's first turn will be ineffectual.
**Sleep**: Spore Amoonguss and Sleep Powder Venusaur can prevent Trick Room's setup with the use of their sleep-inducing moves. Amoonguss distinguishes itself with its low Speed, as it outpaces Bronzong under Trick Room.
Bronzong is a solid contender as a Trick Room setter thanks to its access to the rare combination of Hypnosis and the ability to improve its accuracy through Z-Trick Room, a means by which Bronzong can put significant pressure onto the opponent by neutering key threats. Solid bulk and a Steel / Psychic typing granting it nine resistances give it great odds at setting Trick Room successfully; the latter notably grants a double resistance to Psychic, which is useful against Psychic-type spam archetype teams. Further, the option to choose between Levitate and Heatproof complements this, as Bronzong can choose one of two major weaknesses to mitigate. That said, weaknesses to Fire-types like Heatran and Mega Charizard, as well as to Dark-types like Hoopa-U, don't do favors for its longevity given their popularity. Similar can be said for the ever-present Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko, which are able to prevent the use of Hypnosis. The amount of competition Bronzong faces as a Trick Room setter also means that if tools like Hypnosis are not taken proper advantage of, alternatives such as Hoopa-U and Diancie are likely to be more appropriate.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Hypnosis
move 4: Protect
item: Psychium Z
ability: Heatproof / Levitate
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room grants Bronzong and its slow teammates speed control by reversing the turn order. Gyro Ball is often Bronzong's strongest STAB move, being mostly chosen as a means of dealing good neutral damage against fast foes, but it notably allows Bronzong to OHKO Tapu Lele. Hypnosis sends the foe to sleep and, while usually inaccurate, is aided by the accuracy boost gained from Z-Trick Room. It allows Bronzong to put pressure on the opponent by shutting down key threats. Protect allows Bronzong to shield itself while an ally KOes a threat or switches into a more appropriate partner, such as a Trick Room sweeper.
Set Details
========
Psychium Z allows the use of Z-Trick Room, which boosts accuracy, notably making Hypnosis 80% accurate. Heatproof is the primary ability thanks to it granting a 50% reduction in Fire damage, which is valuable given the prevalence of Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran. That said, Levitate can also be useful if immunity to the STAB moves of Ground-type attackers such as Landorus-T is preferred. The EVs and Relaxed nature prevent Brave Hoopa-U's Hyperspace Fury from OHKOing Bronzong. Speed is minimized to move quicker under Trick Room and to increase Gyro Ball's Speed-dependent damage.
Usage Tips
========
It's recommended that Bronzong be put in the lead position to be able to set Trick Room as soon as possible and to provide an easy way for it to get onto the field with the proper support. Such support comes in the form of Fake Out, redirection such as Rage Powder, and Intimidate, which improve its chances of successfully using Trick Room. Don't be overly concerned about Taunt on the first turn, as Z-Trick Room bypasses Taunt. After Trick Room is set up, your goal should be to bring out the Trick Room sweeper with the highest damage output to make use of it, using Hypnosis to provide safer opportunities for them to switch in where necessary.
Bronzong's Hypnosis putting pressure onto your opponent makes it a priority target, particularly given the accuracy loss associated with switching, so taking countermeasures such as keeping Tapu Bulu or Tapu Lele in the back to remove Electric and Misty Terrain is reasonable. That said, Hypnosis's accuracy still isn't perfect after an accuracy boost, so avoid putting yourself into situations where it missing will cost you the battle. If you think Bronzong can set Trick Room again in the late-game and don't immediately require the benefits that Z-Trick Room grants, you may opt to save it for later in the match. When you do so, avoid switching Bronzong back in directly to attacks, as it lacks a form of recovery and needs all the bulk it can to maximize its chances of setting up Trick Room again.
Team Options
========
In order to make proper use of Hypnosis, Electric Terrain and Misty Terrain must be kept off the field, making Tapu Bulu an almost mandatory partner. It reducing the damage of Ground-type attacks and providing recovery, which Bronzong otherwise lacks, are nice bonuses as well. Tapu Lele can equally remove Electric and Misty Terrain, should you prefer it, though it has less natural synergy with Bronzong. Support to aid Bronzong in setting up Trick Room is also essential to ensure this occurs successfully. Fake Out users such as Scrafty are prime candidates for this, as they can cause flinches against the foe most hindersome to Trick Room's setup. Scrafty's can also eliminate Dark-types in addition to softening physical blows through Intimidate. Redirection from users such as Rage Powder Amoonguss can provide another means of more safely setting up Trick Room.
On dedicated Trick Room teams, having a second Trick Room setter is often important to ensure the field condition remains active for the entire match. Trick Room Hoopa-U, for example, is a good offensive partner for Bronzong, as it can beat the Ghost-types that threaten Bronzong. Trick Room Diancie is a good partner for Levitate Bronzong, as it can threaten Fire-types and enjoys having a Ground-type switch-in. The high damage output of spread attackers like Diancie is also great for capitalizing off Trick Room's limited turns. Heatran is an excellent example of this, and it does a good job at handling Fire-types with access to both Flash Fire and Earth Power. Hyper Voice Sylveon can beat the Dark-types that threaten Bronzong. Earthquake users such as Landorus-T also deal spread damage, eliminating threatening Fire-types quite freely alongside Levitate Bronzong thanks to its Ground immunity. Landorus-T can also pivot out with U-turn on the turn Trick Room is used to bring out a more appropriate sweeper and, like Scrafty, can Intimidate both foes. Finally, Water-types such as Araquanid and Azumarill can check Fire-types, and both those mentioned are slow enough to function well under Trick Room.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stealth Rock deals significant damage to foes like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, though the passive means by which it accomplishes this doesn't encourage them to leave the field on its own. Explosion can be used to deal good neutral damage to both foes and allow an ally a safe switch in to start making use of Trick Room. Safeguard is a great option to shut down Spore Amoonguss, which would otherwise prove problematic. Toxic can help Bronzong eliminate slow and bulky foes such as Zapdos, Porygon2, and Cresselia, which Bronzong also struggles against.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: While Heatproof Bronzong takes neutral damage from them, Levitate Bronzong is heavily threatened by Fire-types such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Victini, which all resist Steel and hit Bronzong hard with their STAB super effective moves. Substitute Heatran is especially noteworthy for its sleep immunity and ability to attack safely in Trick Room.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Hoopa-U, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon threaten Bronzong with their various STAB moves. Hoopa-U is particularly dangerous, as Hyperspace Fury can OHKO Bronzong even through Protect.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Mega Gengar can hit Bronzong hard with their respective super effective STAB moves. Aegislash is generally the more effective of the two, as it resists Steel and can set up a Substitute to gain sleep immunity, while Mega Gengar takes reasonable damage from Gyro Ball.
**Ground-types**: Zygarde's Thousand Arrows hits Bronzong for good damage regardless of whether it has Levitate or not. Other Ground-types such as Landorus and Excadrill can prove equally as great against Heatproof Bronzong, though they are ineffectual against Levitate variants.
**Intimidate and Burns**: While Bronzong is mostly used as support, Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Salamence and Will-O-Wisp users like Rotom-W nevertheless reduce what little offensive capability Bronzong has.
**Electric and Misty Terrain**: Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini summoning Electric Terrain and Misty Terrain, respectively, is problematic for Bronzong because they prevent the use of Hypnosis.
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Tapu Lele and Gengar almost entirely shut down Bronzong by preventing it from using status moves. That said, remember that Z-Trick Room bypasses Taunt, so its use on Bronzong's first turn will be ineffectual.
**Sleep**: Spore Amoonguss and Sleep Powder Venusaur can prevent Trick Room's setup with the use of their sleep-inducing moves. Amoonguss distinguishes itself with its low Speed, as it outpaces Bronzong under Trick Room.
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