Overview
########
Registeel boasts a pure Steel typing which is incredible in the metagame right now due to its resistances to Rock-, Grass-, Dragon-, Flying-, and Poison-type moves, making it a reliable check to top tier Pokemon such as Dragalge, Tyrantrum, Serperior, and Mega Sceptile. In addition to that, it has 80 HP as well as 150 Defense and Special Defense, which makes it incredibly bulky, but sadly it lacks recovery outside of Rest. It has no offensive presence whatsoever unless it's running Curse, and it's limited to using Seismic Toss to deal any sort of damage. Additionally, it suffers severe competition from Bronzong as a defensive Steel-type seeing as it also has access to Stealth Rock, while having Levitate and a higher offensive presence while being neutral to Fighting-type moves. On the other hand, Registeel isn't weak to Knock Off or Pursuit like Bronzong is, and has Thunder Wave to cripple faster Pokemon severely. Registeel also has access to Curse, which makes it a fantastic sweeper to have for balance or semi-stall teams, being able to easily check Pokemon such as Substitute + Calm Mind Cresselia and Dragalge. Finally, unless it carries Curse, it can be set up fodder for Pokemon such as Substitute + Calm Mind Meloetta and Bulk Up Braviary.
Curse
########
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Rest
move 3: Sleep Talk
move 4: Iron Head
ability: Clear Body
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Curse is used to boost both Defense and Attack at once, while lowering Speed, which doesn't really matter seeing as Registeel is naturally slow anyway. Rest is Registeel's primary and only method of recovery, while Sleep Talk is used to not give opponents free turns while Registeel is resting. Iron Head is the only viable STAB attacking option Registeel has available.
Set Details
========
Registeel uses Curse to boost Defense, so maximizing HP and Special Defense is better to allow it to check special attacking threats better, most notable being Dragalge and Mega Sceptile. Leftovers is a staple on all defensive Pokemon, and Registeel is no different.
Usage Tips
========
Bring it on Pokemon that it walls, such as Sceptile, Dragalge, Alomomola, Bronzong, Aromatisse, or any special attacker or wall with no super effective move or Taunt, and start setting up for a sweep. Curse allows Registeel to act as an exceptional set up sweeper for balanced or stall-oriented teams, especially because it can outlast all Calm Mind Psychic-type boosters that threaten stall teams. For that reason, it should only be brought in when all its checks and counters have at least been eliminated or weakened enough, so that it can successfully sweep. It can also be used to check the Pokemon it normally does throughout the match, as it can easily use Rest and regain all its health back whenever it needs to.
Team Options
========
Because this set lacks Thunder Wave and Toxic, it gives a free switch to anything that resists Iron Head and can hurt Registeel hard, and that's pretty much all Fire- and Ground-types. For that reason, Pokemon that can counter them are good teammates for Registeel, and Lanturn is good as it can counter Moltres and has STAB Scald to threaten Water-types despite it's shared weakness with Registeel to Ground. Additionally, it has Heal Bell which can help Registeel to not be forced to use Rest when its statused, or wake it up if need be. Specially Defensive Alomomola can also handle both Ground-types and Moltres rather well, while being able to provide Wish support. Same goes to Slowking, but it doesn't learn Wish. Toxic Spikes can be quite helpful to Registeel for putting a timer on opposing Pokemon as Registeel sets up, while breaking Pokemon such as Alomomola for Registeel to have an easier time; Weezing and Drapion can both set up Toxic Spikes, although Drapion's weakness to Ground can be quite troublesome. Finally, both Gligar and Golbat are decent defoggers that can counter Hitmonlee while being decent checks to Sawk and Pangoro, all of which can threaten Registeel quite a bit.
Specially Defensive
########
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Protect
ability: Clear Body
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is used because it's an essential entry hazard in the RU tier, and because Registeel is an excellent setter. Thunder Wave allows Registeel to disturb some offensive teams by spreading around paralysis, something Bronzong can't do. On the other hand, Toxic is useful so that Registeel can cripple walls such as Slowking, Alomomola, and Gligar, as otherwise it can't hurt them much with Seismic Toss seeing as they all have some sort of reliable recovery. Seismic Toss is used to make up for Registeel's poor attacking stat by making it dish out consistent damage so that it's not entirely passive. On the last slot Protect is good to scout for moves or Choice-locked Pokemon, and it can also work in tandem with Toxic to stall out opposing Pokemon, as well as draining PP from moves such as Fire Blast and Focus Blast throughout the match. Finally, Iron Head could be used alongside Thunder Wave for the paraflinch chance, but because of Registeel's non-existent offensive presence, Seismic Toss's consistent damage is preferred.
Set Details
========
Specially Defensive spread allows Registeel to check a lot of special attackers including Mega Pidgeot, Sceptile, Meloetta, and most importantly, Dragalge. Calm nature is used to minimize Foul Play damage, but if Iron Head is used on the set then Careful is better to not reduce Attack. Leftovers is a staple on most defensive Pokemon, and it's used for passive recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Use this Registeel to check special attackers such as Dragalge, Sceptile, Meloetta, and other Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow and Mega Glalie, provided the former three don't carry Focus Blast and the latter two don't carry Earthquake, although Registeel can take those hits relatively well if it absolutely has to. Use Thunder Wave to neutralize faster threats, while Toxic should be used against defensive threats such as Alomomola, so the choice between them comes down to your preference. Stealth Rock can be used whenever you need it and get a chance to set them up; be it early-, mid-, or late-game. Finally, use Protect to scout for a move that could potentially be dangerous to Registeel, or to scout Choice-locked Pokemon, but be careful because some people can predict a Protect, particularly after it's first been revealed, and take advantage of it either by switching out or setting up.
Team Options
========
- Wish support is nearly mandatory as otherwise Registeel will go down to repeated attacks from the likes of Dragalge and Pidgeot; there Alomomola and Aromatisse (which also has heal bell for random scald burns or willos), the latter which has excellent defensive synergy, are excellent.
- switch-ins to fighting-types are appreciated; gligar and golbat can do this
- likewise, switch-ins to fire types; lanturn, slowking, spdef mola are solid options
- this set is set-up fodder for pokemon such as SubCM meloetta and SubBU braviary, so pairing it with a phazer or a counter to those mons is good: rhyperior can roar both while countering braviary, although it stacks fighting and ground weaknesses. drapion can also whirlwind while setting up t.spikes, although that could clash with registeel's t-wave
Other Options
########
Registeel can use a physically defensive spread with max HP, max Defense, and a Bold or Impish nature depending on the set, but it's typing is better suited to walling special attackers rather than physical ones, due to its weakness to many physical moves such as Close Combat, High Jump Kick, and Earthquake, which are very common in RU. There are some moves Registeel can run, but they're all sub-optimal at best and niche. Explosion is one of them, but as has been stated Registeel's Attack is pretty bad, so Explosion won't do much damage to anything that has any sort of Defense. Block can be used to trap some Pokemon and stall them out with Toxic or paraflinch, or potentially set up with Curse, but it generally has no place for that on any of its set. Finally, the most viable of all its options is Counter, which can take some Pokemon like Cobalion by surprise.
Checks & Counters
########
**Ground-types**: Immune to Thunder Wave and carry Earthquake. Rhyperior only dislikes the potential Toxic and can 2HKO with Earthquake, and the same goes to Gligar, Quagsire, and Steelix, except they dont 2HKO, and barring Steelix, they all dislike Toxic. Additionally, Dugtrio can trap and 2HKO with Earthquake. Lastly, Mega Camerupt is immune to Thunder Wave (but its slow already), has two super effective STAB moves, and can take advantage of Registeel to set up Stealth Rock or spread burns with Will-O-Wisp.
**Fighting-types**: Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Sawk can OHKO Specially Defensive variants but must be wary of Thunder Wave. They also can't OHKO +1 def Registeel. Cobalion can Taunt any Thunder Wave attempts or to prevent stting up with Curse, and has Close Combat to KO Registeel. Finally, Pangoro can set up Swords Dance or simply hammer it with a Choice Band Superpower.
**Fire-types**: While not being able to OHKO it, all Fire-types except Fletchinder can take on Registeel rather well, only hating Thunder Wave. Mega Camerupt is immune to Thunder Wave however, while being able to easily 2HKO Registeel. Moltres dislikes Thunder Wave but can also 2HKO, same goes to Houndoom and Emboar.
**Miscelleanous (GP pls fix spelling)**: Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary and Substitute + Calm Mind Meloetta/Cresselia, as well as Calm Mind Reuniclus can capitalize on the Specially Defensive set and use it as set up fodder as it fails to break their substitutes with Seismic Toss, and eventually beat it despite it being a slow process. Doublade is immune to Toxic and Seismic Toss, doesn't mind Thunder Wave as much, and takes pitiful damage from Iron Head even at +6, while it can set up Swords Dance itself and beat Registeel with either repeated Shadow Claws or Sacred Sword. Thanks to Registeel's lack of recovery outside of Rest, it can be offensively pressured by the Pokemon it's supposed to check due to switching in too much. Focus Blast Mega Sceptile for example can do a respectable amount of damage, and Pidgeot's Heat Wave does ~33%. It can also be pressured to not receive wishes from its teammates, by also pressuring them.
Last edited:
