[OVERVIEW]
Steel
========
* Heatran is basically a must-have on any Steel-type team, as its unique typing in tandem with a fantastic ability in Flash Fire allows it to handle a great amount of Pokemon that would otherwise be extremely troublesome to Steel-type teams, such as Victini, Volcarona, and Salazzle.
* Heatran is a very reliable Stealth Rock setter on Steel-type teams.
* Its great natural bulk allow it to check a plethora of Pokemon that are a huge annoyance to Steel-type teams, such as Zapdos, Magnezone, and Mega Venusaur.
* Heatran is very versatile and is able to act as a Stallbreaker, Defensive Pivot, and even an Offensive Trapper with Magma Storm.
* Heatran isn't only good defensively, as its high Special Attack allows it to fill the role of a Specially Offensive Attacker.
* Its mediocre Speed stat means Heatran is easy to revenge-kill and is threatened into switching out by a lot of Pokemon faster than it.
* Weaknesses to common types such as Water, Fighting, and most notably Ground slightly hinder Heatran's viability. However, most of its weaknesses are easily covered up by teammates such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Doublade.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Lava Plume
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Solar Beam / Taunt
item: Grassium Z / Air Balloon
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Lava Plume is a great spammable STAB attack which has a chance to heavily deter physical Pokemon from switching in, as they risk getting burned.
* Earth Power is used to hit Pokemon that are able to carelessly switch in to Lava Plume, such as Toxapex and Volcanion.
* Stone Edge is mainly used to target Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Talonflame, as Heatran will almost always be your primary switch-in to both of them.
* Solar Beam, in combination with Grassium Z, will turn into 190 BP Bloom Doom, which will annihilate any otherwise safe switch-ins to Heatran, such as Slowbro and Swampert.
* Taunt + Air Balloon is another fantastic option to run on offensive Heatran; however, Heatran now faces the problem of not being able to reliably punish switch-ins like Seismitoad and Keldeo.
* Magma Storm works fantastically in combination with Bloom Doom, as it forces Pokemon like Slowbro, Gastrodon, and Rotom to stay in, stopping them from scouting for Bloom Doom and essentially guaranteeing a kill. However, Magma Storm also has multiple drawbacks, namely its low PP and inconsistency due to its 75% accuracy.
* Fire Blast is a fine option over Lava Plume to guarantee an OHKO on non-AV Magerna, as well as to hit harder against Celesteela and other Pokemon with a naturally high Special Defense stat. However, its accuracy and low PP make it undesirable, as Heatran's Fire-type STAB is supposed to be extremely spammable.
Set Details
========
* EVs are fairly standard; near max Special Attack and max Speed, with enough Attack investment to get a guaranteed OHKO on Mega Charizard Y with Stone Edge. However, since Mega Charizard Y also has a decent chance to OHKO Heatran with Focus Blast, 80 EVs can be put in HP to guarantee that Heatran will always live a Focus Blast from it and kill it in return with Stone Edge.
* Timid Nature is generally preferred over a nature that doesn't lower Heatran's Attack stat, as Stone Edge will still be strong enough to OHKO Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Talonflame.
* Grassium Z with Solar Beam gives Heatran a 190 BP Bloom Doom, which is primarily used to catch bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Suicune off guard, dealing heavy damage even after Calm Mind boosts.
* Air Balloon is a great choice on offensive Heatran as it allows for a guaranteed safe switch-in to (defensive) Heatran lacking Stone Edge, while also providing a safety net against bulky Roost Volcarona, since both are completely unable to hit Heatran with any attack. Air Balloon also lets Heatran beat HP Ground variants of Volcarona, which are typically designed to beat Heatran.
Usage Tips
========
* Heatran's role on Steel-type teams is to act as a general offensive pivot, using its bulk to continuously switch in on weaker special attackers that it can beat, and supporting the team early-game with occasional Lava Plume burns.
* Switch Heatran in on attackers it can take a couple of hits from, such as Latios, Scizor, and most Fairy-types.
* Avoid revealing the fact that Heatran is carrying Z-move Bloom Doom too early by keeping your Heatran at full health. A Heatran not carrying either Air Balloon or Leftovers is almost guaranteed to have Grassium Z, meaning your opponent will be able to check for it via scouting.
* If Heatran carries Taunt, it can disrupt enemy attempts to remove entry hazards by baiting in some Defoggers that often beat Heatran, such as Mantine, and preventing them from using Defog to get rid of entry hazards on their side of the field.
* When using Air Balloon, avoid letting Heatran take hits it doesn't need to, especially when against Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, or other Pokemon which are reliant on Ground coverage to beat Heatran.
* Air Balloon also lets Heatran switch into Scarf Excadrill and Landorus-T on a predicted Earthquake, although it has to be extremely wary of its Air Balloon getting popped.
Team Options
========
* Skarmory should almost always be used in combination with Heatran, as they cover each others checks and counters quite well, with Skarmory most notably able to switch into Ground-type attacks for Heatran.
* Magearna is a great partner for Heatran as it deals with all Dark-type Pokemon Heatran struggles with, such as CM Mega Sableye and Hoopa-U.
* Ferrothorn is a perfect teammate for Offensive Heatran as it makes for a great switch-in for Pokemon that can easily scare Heatran out, such as Azumarill. It also lessens the necessity for Heatran to run Bloom Doom since it's one of the greatest Water-type checks on Steel teams.
* Heatran with Bloom Doom helps Pokemon like Scizor and Doublade sweep easier by removing bulky Water-types such as Gastrodon and Rotom.
* Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Excadrill, and other Steel-type Pokemon that are weak to Fire pair well with Heatran as it gives them a semi-reliable switch-in to most Fire-types in the tier. Excadrill supports this set especially well by using Rapid Spin to get rid of Stealth Rock, which annoys this Heatran set a lot due to its lack of recovery.
* Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, and Doublade also help out with Heatran's weakness to common Fighting-type Pokemon such as Terrakion and Heracross.
* Magnezone is able to deal with most Water-types that annoy Heatran, such as Slowbro and Toxapex. In return, Heatran deals with most Electric-types that Magnezone struggles to beat.
* Bisharp works well with Bloom Doom Heatran as it lures in and removes the bulky Ground- and Water-types that Heatran has such trouble dealing with.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Lava Plume
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Toxic / Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock / Stone Edge / Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 136 SpD / 124 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Lava Plume is a great STAB attack for defensive Heatran as it has the chance to heavily punish Pokemon that would normally be considered a safe switch-in to Heatran, such as Garchomp and Tyranitar, by burning them.
* Earth Power is mainly used to target Pokemon like Volcanion, Mega Charizard X, and most other Fire-type Pokemon that would otherwise easily switch in on a Lava Plume. It is also crucial to be able to hit opposing Heatran's with, as they'll otherwise be able to easily switch in without having to fear anything.
* Toxic is used to annoy Pokemon that aren't really bothered by any of Heatran's moves otherwise, such as Specially Defensive Zapdos, Mantine, and Slowbro.
* Taunt makes Heatran a decent stallbreaker, giving it the ability to completely shut down Specially Defensive walls like Chansey and Zapdos. It also shuts down any potential set-up moves, namely Calm Mind users.
* Taunt and Toxic used together make Heatran a fantastic Stallbreaker, completely shutting down common defensive cores.
* Stealth Rock is used to rack up chip-damage on opponents, as depending on the opponent's type it can heavily punish switch-ins. It is especially annoying in combination with Taunt, stopping opponents from using recovery moves or Defog to deal with Stealth Rock.
* If Stealth Rock is available elsewhere on the Steel-type team, Heatran can forego using it and replacing it with Stone Edge, which is able to break opposing Heatran's Air Balloon and deal with Charizard, Volcarona, and Talonflame.
Set Details
========
* The EV Spread is designed to make the most out of Heatran's defensive capabilities while still letting it outpace a couple of Pokemon it would otherwise be heavily annoyed by, such as Modest Magnezone and other Base 60 Speed Pokemon like Alolan Marowak and -Golem. However, this speed isn't mandatory and investing more in Special Defense is also completely fine as long as you put in at least 20 Speed EVs to outpace uninvested Buzzwole.
* Flash Fire is obviously chosen as Heatran's ability, as it has an incredibly huge niche in being the only Fire-immune Pokemon that Steel-type teams have available to work with. Getting hit with a Fire-type attack will also boost Lava Plume's power by a significant amount, making it easier to break through Specially Defensive walls.
* Calm Nature is chosen to allow Heatran to switch in on Latios, Mega Charizard Y, Magearna, and a plethora of other Specially Offensive Pokemon that Heatran is supposed to check.
* Leftovers is the preferred item on this set, as the passive recovery it provides Heatran with can be absolutely essential to keeping Heatran alive and healthy throughout the match.
* When using Stone Edge, be sure to move 24 EVs out of either Special Defense or Speed into Attack, to ensure an OHKO on Mega Charizard Y.
Usage Tips
========
* Heatran should mostly be used to pivot into Fire-type attackers that threaten the rest of the Steel-type team, such as Victini and Salazzle. From there on, it can proceed to set up Stealth Rock to support the rest of the team as well as punish switch-ins, Toxic a potential switch-in, or go for a potentially Flash Fire-boosted Lava Plume to have a chance of burning the opponent.
* Use Heatran to switch in on weaker Special Attackers that don't have a reliable way to heavily damage it, such as Latios and Zapdos.
* Taunt alone is mainly used to stop defensive Pokemon like Porygon2 and Zapdos from recovering up, as well as to prevent hazard removal via Defog. When used in combination with Toxic, it lets Heatran act as a great Stallbreaker, breaking down common defensive cores on its own.
* Avoid letting Heatran lose its item via Knock Off, as Leftovers are absolutely crucial for Heatran to stay healthy throughout the match.
Team Options
========
* Heatran's best and most obvious partner on Steel-type teams is Skarmory, as they cover eachother's weaknesses almost perfectly. Skarmory can switch in on pretty much any Ground-type Pokemon that threatens Heatran out, and Heatran can switch in on Fire-type Pokemon and most Electric-type Pokemon, although it has to watch out for Choice Band Tapu Koko and Golem-A as they both threaten the core with strong physical Electric-type attacks. Skarmory also handles most Fighting-type Pokemon that scare out Heatran, besides Special Lucario, Keldeo, and Kommo-O.
* Ferrothorn is also a fantastic partner for Heatran as they cover each others weakness to Fire and Water respectively, whilst Ferrothorn can provide Heatran with an Electric resistance, additional hazards, Leech Seed, and a Ground neutrality.
* Skarmory and Ferrothorn also free up eachothers moveslots, giving Heatran the freedom to run Stone Edge, Taunt, or any other moves it otherwise may not have been able to fit on its set by foregoing Stealth Rock.
* Doublade, Magearna, Mega Metagross, and Excadrill all support Heatran in their own ways, taking on different threats that Heatran struggles against, such as Hoopa-U, Keldeo, and Thundurus. The Rapid Spin support Excadrill provides is also a great help in keeping Heatran healthy.
* Bisharp, Mega Scizor, and Magnezone all have their own ways to deal with Pokemon that annoy Heatran, stopping threats such as Slowbro, Gliscor, and Mega Metagross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Steel
-----------
* Choice Scarf Heatran can act as an unexpected Revenge Killer, picking up KO's on Pokemon that are normally able to outpace and faint Heatran, such as Mega Metagross and Infernape. However, Heatran's Speed is only mediocre and it is still outpaced by common Choice Scarf-users like Excadrill.
* Heatran can use a Substitute + Toxic set with Lava Plume and either Earth Power or Taunt to act as an incredibly annoying stallbreaker which poses a real threat to more defensive team structures. However, Heatran already suffers from an overcrowded moveset as is, meaning it will have to give up Stealth Rock, Toxic, Earth Power, or Taunt to make room for the set.
* Protect can be added over any of the slashed moves on Heatran's set, as it eases prediction and works great in tandem with Leftovers. However, Heatran will have to give up one of its other move for Protect, which means it will be either unable to punish Bulky Water-types from switching in via Toxic, hit opposing Heatran with Earth Power, or target certain Fire-types with Stone Edge.
* To act as a great unexpected wallbreaker, Heatran can abuse Choice Specs + Eruption to plow through teams that don't have many sturdy Fire checks. However, Heatran's coverage moves are very much limited to Earth Power, HP Ice, and the occasional Ancient Power, making Heatran fairly easy to take advantage of. Magearna works great here as this set works best under Trick Room, and Magearna is the most viable Pokemon on Steel-type teams that learns it.
Checks and Counters
===================
Steel
----------
**Water-types**: Most Water-types don't really care about anything Heatran wants to throw at them, besides a Bloom Doom, and can easily spam their respective Water-type STAB attacks once switched in on Heatran. Pokemon like Keldeo and Greninja are incredibly difficult to deal with for most Steel-type Teams, and Heatran only adds up to this problem.
**Ground-types**: Any Ground-type is able to OHKO Heatran from full HP once its Air Balloon is broken. However, most Ground-type Pokemon very much despise having to switch in on Lava Plume, as they risk getting burned and damaged in the process.
**Fighting-types**: Almost any Fighting-type Pokemon is able to OHKO Heatran with their STAB attacks and are in general incredibly hard to deal with for Steel-type Teams, especially Keldeo.
**Specially Defensive walls**: If Heatran is lacking Taunt and/or Toxic, it often finds itself struggling to break through Specially Defensive Pokemon such as Chansey.
**Residual Damage**: Heatran does not have any reliable way to recover its HP, especially when not using Leftovers. Any residual damage will permanently wear it down, so avoid letting Heatran take unnecessary damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes.
**Heatran**: Heatran vs Heatran matchup is already awkward as is, but if you are using Defensive Heatran and are faced up versus an offensive Heatran with Air Balloon, the Leftovers Heatran will end up being completely walled by the opposing Heatran until their Air Balloon gets popped.
**Ground-Type move-lures**: Pokemon that are normally checked by Heatran such as Mega Charizard X and Volcarona can both run coverage moves, being Earthquake and Hidden Power Ground respectively, to find their way past Heatran. None of these work on an Air Balloon Heatran though, so it is crucial to keep Heatran's Air Balloon intact as long as possible, especially for Volcarona, which is completely walled by Heatran otherwise.
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