[Overview]
<p>
With Generation V bringing a plethora Though Generation V brought a multitude of offensive
ly-inclined threats into the metagame, Ferrothorn
remains an exception to the rule, holding can hold its ground against many of the most threatening Pokemon seen in competitive play. Great defensive-typing, above average-stats, and a killer support movepool make him a valuable asset to
both offensive and defensive teams alike. The
cabaility of ability to check
ing so many threats
at once, including
but not limited to Latios, Gengar, and nearly every Water-type in existence
, allows Ferrothorn many opportunities to switch in and either set up entry hazards or retaliate with
either of its
two powerful STAB moves. Much like any other Pokemon,
however, Ferrothorn does have its drawbacks
such as - namely, poor speed and a 4x Fire weakness
, but w. With the right team support
, though, Ferrothorn will almost always perform well.</p>
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Gyro Ball / Protect / Thunder Wave
move 4: Power Whip / Protect
nature: Relaxed
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
evs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpDef
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Ferrothorn's standard fare
, and is what it will be running the majority of the time. (Redundant) Spikes
work excellently works remarkably well on Ferrothorn, giving it something to do after switching in on
one of the many opponent
s that can't touch him. Leech Seed is also a very effective move, useful for preventing opposing Pokemon from setting up on it, while at the same time providing self-healing. Gyro Ball and Power Whip are Ferrothorn's best attacking options, hitting the majority of the standard metagame for at least neutral damage.
They each have their merits; the former is more useful against faster threats, most notably Dragon-types and Gengar, while the latter is more useful against Water-types and slow Pokemon, such as Reuniclus. However, because Ferrothorn's Attack stat
without any investment is less than impressive
without any investment, Protect is an appealing alternative over either move
, as it is - useful not only for scouting, but for racking up Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery as well.
Gyro Ball and Power Whip each have their own merits; the former is more useful against faster threats, most notably Dragon-types and Gengar, while the latter is more useful against Water-types and slow Pokemon, such as Reuniclus.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>
In addition to the moves listed, t Two other viable options in Ferrothorn's movepool are Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave. While
Ferrothorn is typically it is better suited for setting up Spikes,
Stealth Rock can be used Ferrothorn can replace Spikes with Stealth Rock if it is being used
in tandem with another Spikes user. Stealth Rock can also be used over Leech Seed,
although this means Ferrothorn is left without any means of recovery outside of Leftovers. Thunder Wave, despite having poor synergy with Gyro Ball
and difficulty finding an open moveslot, allows Ferrothorn to cripple many of its common counters, such as Blaziken and Hydreigon
, although it can be difficult to find an open moveslot for it. As a final additional option. Finally, Ferrothorn can use Shed Shell in order to escape from Magnezone and Wobbuffet, although this means that Ferrothorn loses out on valuable Leftovers recovery.</p>
<p>Ferrothorn can be EVed in many different ways, depending on how defensive it needs to be on each side of the damage spectrum. The given EV spread balances Ferrothorn's Defense and Special Defense
, with a slight emphasis on Defense, allowing Ferrothorn to fare better against threats such as Excadrill, Landorus, Haxorus, Gyarados, and some
variants of Scizor. However, a Sassy nature can be used
in order to
better take hits from the likes of Latios, Starmie, and Gengar
even better. EV investment can be adapted as seen fit depending on what Ferrothorn is
typically depended on to switch into more often. Finally, while not required, Ferrothorn can benefit from some investment in Attack in order to inflict more damage to foes
, such as Landorus (does more damage to all foes, not specifically Landorus - thus removed.). Anywhere between 40 and 252 EVs can be used
, ; however
, keep in mind that too much investment
severely detracts from Ferrothorn's survivability.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Gyro Ball
move 2: Power Whip
move 3:
Level GroundBulldoze
move 4: Spikes / Explosion
nature: Brave
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpDef
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this set may appear
, at first glance, to be a gimmick
at first, it is quite
far from the opposit
e. Ferrothorn may lack a large offensive movepool, but its two extremely powerful STAB moves
in, Gyro Ball and Power Whip
, backed by a respectable base 94 Attack stat
show that, make this
a set
is not to be underestimated. Steel- and Grass-type attacks have surprisingly good coverage together,
only being re
isisted by
only a handful of common threats,
mostall of which
possessare either
of Steel- or Fire-typing. While
Level Ground may haveBulldoze has a paltry
60 base power
of 60, it hits many of the Pokemon that resist Ferrothorn's STAB moves for a large amount of damage. The last moves
lot is largely
a filler; Spikes isn't the best move to be locked into, but can be useful in certain situations. Explosion's high base power, on the other hand, is
very appealing, but comes at the cost of Ferrothorn's life, and is not much more powerful than Ferrothorn's STAB-moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is so effective because of Ferrothorn's surprising power when it wields a Choice Band in tandem with
its useful bulk and typing. Because many players expect Ferrothorn to simply set up Spikes or use Leech Seed
in order to recover, it is typically, it is unlikely for the opponent to switch in a Pokemon capable of withstanding
all of Ferrothorn's attacks. Here are some damage calculations to show how powerful this set is, assuming a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 4/0 Garchomp: 94.1% - 110.9%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball (-1) vs. 0/0 Salamence: 77.9% - 91.8%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 4/0 Thundurus: 72% - 84.7%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/4 Deoxys-S: 115.5% - 136.2%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/184+ Gliscor: 58.8% - 69.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 4/0 Excadrill: 107.73% - 126.80%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/0 Conkeldurr: 65.2% - 76.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 192/64 Reuniclus: 73.6% - 86.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Reuniclus: 52.6% - 62.3%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Suicune: 83.7% - 98.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Hippowdon: 79% - 93.3%</li>
<li>Level Ground vs. 4/0 Heatran: 69.1% - 81.5%</li>
<li>Level Ground vs. 40/0 Magnezone: 70.1% - 83.8%</li>
<li>Explosion vs. 192/64 Zapdos: 80.8% - 95.1%</li>
</ul>
<p>Despite the lack of
investment in Ferrothorn's defensesdefensive investment, maximizing Ferrothorn's HP
investment still provides it with
plenty ofsufficient bulk. In fact, Ferrothorn's bulk in combination with its great defensive
- typing is one of his main selling points over other Choice Band users, such as Terrakion, Garchomp, and Scizor, as Ferrothorn
willcan often take multiple hits before going down. Unfortunately, there are several common Pokemon that Choice Band Ferrothorn struggles with
:, primarily Scizor, Skarmory, Bronzong, Zapdos, and opposing Ferrothorn. For this reason, it is wise to pair Ferrothorn up with a Fire-type. Not only do they have good synergy, but a Fire-type such as Heatran or Infernape is capable of switching in on many of the Pokemon that give this set trouble.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Thanks to Ferrothorn's great defensive typing, it is one of the easiest Pokemon to make a defensive core with. Jellicent is one of the best options, as together they resist every attacking type in the game with the exception of Ground. In addition, Jellicent is capable of blocking attempts to spin away the hazards that Ferrothorn sets up. Fire-types in general also make great teammates to Ferrothorn, as not only do they resist Ferrothorn's biggest weakness, but they also scare off many of the Pokemon that give Ferrothorn problems, such as Skarmory, Scizor, and some Jirachi. Water-types also generally have good synergy with Ferrothorn, particularly those that also possess a resistance to Fighting-type moves, such as Gyarados and Tentacruel.</p>
<p>On the subject of Fighting-type moves, Pokemon that can counter the Fighting-types that often trouble Ferrothorn can also prove to make invaluable teammates. Gliscor and Reuniclus are both good choices; Gliscor is capable of defeating nearly all Fighting-types
, with the exception of those who carry Ice-type moves specifically to counter it, while Reuniclus can set up Trick Room
, which Ferrothorn can potentially take advantage of. Reuniclus also benefits from the entry hazards that Ferrothorn can lay down,
even more so than most other sweepers.</p>
<p>Ferrothorn is
also often compared
towith Forretress when competing for a team slot. This is not surprising
, as; both Pokemon possess
a similar typing
, while also having and access to Spikes. Forretress
also has better Defense
, while Ferrothorn has superior Special Defense. In general, the team slot
willshould go to whichever the team needs more: Forretress'
s access to Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin, or Ferrothorn's superior resistances and Special Defense. Regardless, one should consider Forretress before deciding to use Ferrothorn on a team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Two of the most noteworthy moves not mentioned above are Curse and Gravity. Curse is a viable set-up move for Ferrothorn, allowing it to boost its Attack to dangerous levels while
increassimultaneously pushing its Defense through the roof
simultaneously. However, Ferrothorn is still vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, and will be OHKOed by many of them, so this set requires a great deal of team support. Gravity, on the other hand, allows Ferrothron to act as a defensive pivot on a Gravity-based team, although Gravity is generally considered a gimmicky strategy.</p>
<p>For individual sets, the standard set does not have many other options available aside from Stealth Rock and Toxic. Stealth Rock is only reccommended if there is no teammate that can set up Stealth Rock as effectively, as Ferrothorn is one of the few useful Pokemon capable of setting up Spikes. Toxic is a viable option as well, but it is generally dismissed in favor of Leech Seed, which heals Ferrothorn in addition to racking up residual damage. Rugged Helmet is also a viable item choice on the standard set, as Pokemon that use contact moves against Ferrothorn will lose 25% of their health due to the combination of Rugged Helmet and Steel Thorns. This is especially helpful in warding off Pokemon that want to use Rapid Spin against Ferrothorn,
especially since Rapid Spin does not remove entry hazards if the user faints
from Steel Thorns immediately after using the move. On the Choice Band set, Ferrothorn can use Return, Rollout, Payback, Shadow Claw, or even Leech Seed in the fourth slot, although Spikes and Explosion are generally
the superior
options.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Pokemon that carry Fire-type moves, such as Heatran, Blaziken, Zoroark, and Hydreigon, are more than capable of at the very least forcing Ferrothorn out. However, Ferrothorn is capable of surviving some weaker Fire-type attacks, such as Tyranitar's Flamethrower and Garchomp's Fire Fang. This gives Ferrothorn the opportunity to either attack back or set up entry hazards.
Likewise, uUsers of powerful Fighting-type attacks, such as Conkeldurr and Terrakion, will also scare most Ferrothorn off. Magic Bounce Xatu and Espeon, as well as Taunt Skarmory
are capable of render
ing Ferrothorn nearly useless, preventing it from laying down Spikes while providing their own form of team support in the form of either dual screens or Spikes, respectively.</p>
<p>Many Pokemon that are
often otherwise shut down by Ferrothorn, such as Latios and Starmie, are capable of crippling Ferrothorn if they choose to run Hidden Power Fire or Trick. Magnezone with either Hidden Power Fire or the combination of Charge Beam and Substitute is also capable of making Ferrothorn's life miserable. Finally, because Ferrothorn does not have reliable recovery outside of Leech Seed and Rest, it can eventually be worn down by powerful or boosted neutral hits. Be warned, however, that many of Ferrothorn's counters will dread switching in on the Choice Band set, especially if they are not expecting it.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Ferrothorn does not get a Dream World ability. However, once Dream World Chandelure is released, it is recommended that Ferrothorn opt to hold
a Shed Shell rather than Leftovers in order to avoid being trapped and OHKOed by the deadly chandelier.</p>
