[Overview]
<p>When people think of Forretress in Ubers, they are usually only thinking of one thing: Rapid Spin. Forretress is the premier Rapid Spin user of the Uber tier and the only one worth using. It has fairly high physical bulk, allowing it to function as a switch-in for Outrages from the likes of Rayquaza, as well as for Draco Meteors, though they do significantly more damage due to Forretress's low Special Defense. Additionally, Forretress can set up every entry hazard, making it a staple on any team, particularly stall, that requires entry hazards and Rapid Spin, which Forretress wraps up, including free shipping, into one pointed package. While its offenses are low, Forretress's attacks still get the job done. Its low base Speed might seem to be a detriment, but Forretress has Payback and STAB Gyro Ball to make up for this. Overall, Forretress isn't that great, but its Rapid Spinning capabilities are invaluable in a tier lacking viable users of the move.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Toxic Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 3: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 4: Payback
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish / Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is a combination of all Forretress's little quirks and niches in Ubers. As previously mentioned, Forretress is the only viable Rapid Spin user in Ubers. It is also one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes and has access to the invaluable Spikes. It supports the Stealth Rock-weak offensive Pokemon that populate Ubers, such as Ho-Oh and Rayquaza, as well as stall teams, which require the ability to switch into powerful attackers without worrying about hazard damage. Toxic Spikes is another important piece of Forretress's niche, as the hazard fits like a glove onto most teams. Its uses range from wearing down opposing Kyogre and Groudon, if you carry the opposite weather, to allowing special attackers carrying Substitute to be able to beat Blissey and other special walls one-on-one. Additionally, stall teams require Toxic Spikes to wear down opponents in the long run, particularly when facing other stall teams. Spikes are also very useful, both to weaken any checks to your sweepers that the opponent might have, and to add to a stall team's pile of residual damage it relies on. Alternatively, Stealth Rock can be used over another entry hazard if it cannot be fit in elsewhere on your team, but quite often it can be and therefore either form of Spikes is recommended unless it is absolutely required for Forretress to run Stealth Rock. In the realm of attacks, Payback is the best option, as it allows Forretress to get past Giratina-O, the premier spinblocker in Ubers, that lack Hidden Power Fire, which can be tested by simply luring the move and switching Forretress out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As far as Forretress's defensive investment is concerned, a specially defensive EV spread and Careful nature are necessary so that Forretress can switch into Draco Meteors from the likes of Dialga and Palkia. Gyro Ball is an option for Forretress's attack, allowing it to defeat mono-attacking Darkrai and to inflict heavy damage on Dragon Dance Rayquaza after it takes an Outrage. Hidden Power Ice could also be used, but its only real use is to turn Forretress into a godlike check to Rayquaza, though it is definitely worth it on teams that are weak to Rayquaza.</p>
<p>For support, the first teammate that should be considered is a user of Pursuit, as even with Payback Forretress struggles to beat most spinblockers. Tyranitar is the best choice because it beats Giratina-O quite handedly. A spinblocker of your own is a requirement due to the fact that Forretress usually cannot redo all of its hard work setting up entry hazards. Giratina is the defensive choice and Giratina-O the offensive choice, though the latter does not quite fit that moniker with its still quite high 150 / 100 / 100 defenses. A bulky Fire resist, such as Tyranitar or Kyogre, is recommended due to Forretress's 4x weakness to Fire. Kyogre also brings with it rain, which halves the damage Forretress takes from Fire-type attacks, and as a bonus, Forretress spins away the entry hazards that weaken the power of Water Spout. Carry the necessary support for Forretress should you choose to run it; regardless of how you feel, it really needs it, and there aren't really any other spinners out there should you not be satisfied with Forretress.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Forretress has a few other moves it could use for its attack. Explosion could be useful as a last-ditch attempt to KO a troublesome Pokemon, such as a setup sweeper or Dragon-type locked into Outrage, swinging the battle in your favor. However, Forretress needs to stay alive for as long as it can, so it must be used only after Forretress's use has fully expired, which is unlikely considering keeping a spinner around when using a Pokemon like Ho-Oh is required. Earthquake can be used to wear down Dialga, but that is its only use. Lastly, a physically defensive EV spread could be helpful to take Outrages even better; however, Forretress will lose its ability to take Draco Meteors in exchange, which invokes a number of undesirable situations. Forretress's high base Defense can do its job of weathering Outrages whether or not it is invested into, while the same cannot be said of its ability to take Draco Meteors.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Forretress's main purpose is to spin away entry hazards, a spinblocker goes a long way toward shutting it down. Giratina is extremely bulky, taking pitiful damage from Payback and blocking Rapid Spin. Giratina-O is decent as well, though it can be worn down by Payback far more easily, so it must carry Hidden Power Fire to come out on top. For that matter, any Fire-type attack from Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Heatran, Fire Arceus, Dialga, Deoxys-A, Rayquaza, and Salamence will take out Forretress due to its 4x weakness. However, it should be noted that the latter two must be wary of Gyro Ball and avoid locking themselves into Outrage. Forretress's low Special Defense can be exploited through the use of any strong neutral STAB special attack. This includes Water Spout from Kyogre, Surfs from Manaphy and Palkia, Air Slash from Shaymin-S, and Judgment from many variants of Arceus. Deoxys-S, and for that matter any fast user of Taunt, can shut Forretress down and use it as setup fodder. Generally speaking, Forretress's attacks are very weak, so any setup sweeper can use it as bait to demolish an entire team. Looking at more obscure options, Swords Dance Garchomp can set up on Forretress and 2HKO it after a single boost, with even the rare Hidden Power Ice not KOing and possibly even missing under sandy conditions. The rare Magnezone can trap and KO with Hidden Power Fire. Forretress is not difficult to defeat, but its sheer utility and unique support make it something to account for whenever building a team.</p>
<p>When people think of Forretress in Ubers, they are usually only thinking of one thing: Rapid Spin. Forretress is the premier Rapid Spin user of the Uber tier and the only one worth using. It has fairly high physical bulk, allowing it to function as a switch-in for Outrages from the likes of Rayquaza, as well as for Draco Meteors, though they do significantly more damage due to Forretress's low Special Defense. Additionally, Forretress can set up every entry hazard, making it a staple on any team, particularly stall, that requires entry hazards and Rapid Spin, which Forretress wraps up, including free shipping, into one pointed package. While its offenses are low, Forretress's attacks still get the job done. Its low base Speed might seem to be a detriment, but Forretress has Payback and STAB Gyro Ball to make up for this. Overall, Forretress isn't that great, but its Rapid Spinning capabilities are invaluable in a tier lacking viable users of the move.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Toxic Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 3: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 4: Payback
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish / Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is a combination of all Forretress's little quirks and niches in Ubers. As previously mentioned, Forretress is the only viable Rapid Spin user in Ubers. It is also one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes and has access to the invaluable Spikes. It supports the Stealth Rock-weak offensive Pokemon that populate Ubers, such as Ho-Oh and Rayquaza, as well as stall teams, which require the ability to switch into powerful attackers without worrying about hazard damage. Toxic Spikes is another important piece of Forretress's niche, as the hazard fits like a glove onto most teams. Its uses range from wearing down opposing Kyogre and Groudon, if you carry the opposite weather, to allowing special attackers carrying Substitute to be able to beat Blissey and other special walls one-on-one. Additionally, stall teams require Toxic Spikes to wear down opponents in the long run, particularly when facing other stall teams. Spikes are also very useful, both to weaken any checks to your sweepers that the opponent might have, and to add to a stall team's pile of residual damage it relies on. Alternatively, Stealth Rock can be used over another entry hazard if it cannot be fit in elsewhere on your team, but quite often it can be and therefore either form of Spikes is recommended unless it is absolutely required for Forretress to run Stealth Rock. In the realm of attacks, Payback is the best option, as it allows Forretress to get past Giratina-O, the premier spinblocker in Ubers, that lack Hidden Power Fire, which can be tested by simply luring the move and switching Forretress out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As far as Forretress's defensive investment is concerned, a specially defensive EV spread and Careful nature are necessary so that Forretress can switch into Draco Meteors from the likes of Dialga and Palkia. Gyro Ball is an option for Forretress's attack, allowing it to defeat mono-attacking Darkrai and to inflict heavy damage on Dragon Dance Rayquaza after it takes an Outrage. Hidden Power Ice could also be used, but its only real use is to turn Forretress into a godlike check to Rayquaza, though it is definitely worth it on teams that are weak to Rayquaza.</p>
<p>For support, the first teammate that should be considered is a user of Pursuit, as even with Payback Forretress struggles to beat most spinblockers. Tyranitar is the best choice because it beats Giratina-O quite handedly. A spinblocker of your own is a requirement due to the fact that Forretress usually cannot redo all of its hard work setting up entry hazards. Giratina is the defensive choice and Giratina-O the offensive choice, though the latter does not quite fit that moniker with its still quite high 150 / 100 / 100 defenses. A bulky Fire resist, such as Tyranitar or Kyogre, is recommended due to Forretress's 4x weakness to Fire. Kyogre also brings with it rain, which halves the damage Forretress takes from Fire-type attacks, and as a bonus, Forretress spins away the entry hazards that weaken the power of Water Spout. Carry the necessary support for Forretress should you choose to run it; regardless of how you feel, it really needs it, and there aren't really any other spinners out there should you not be satisfied with Forretress.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Forretress has a few other moves it could use for its attack. Explosion could be useful as a last-ditch attempt to KO a troublesome Pokemon, such as a setup sweeper or Dragon-type locked into Outrage, swinging the battle in your favor. However, Forretress needs to stay alive for as long as it can, so it must be used only after Forretress's use has fully expired, which is unlikely considering keeping a spinner around when using a Pokemon like Ho-Oh is required. Earthquake can be used to wear down Dialga, but that is its only use. Lastly, a physically defensive EV spread could be helpful to take Outrages even better; however, Forretress will lose its ability to take Draco Meteors in exchange, which invokes a number of undesirable situations. Forretress's high base Defense can do its job of weathering Outrages whether or not it is invested into, while the same cannot be said of its ability to take Draco Meteors.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Forretress's main purpose is to spin away entry hazards, a spinblocker goes a long way toward shutting it down. Giratina is extremely bulky, taking pitiful damage from Payback and blocking Rapid Spin. Giratina-O is decent as well, though it can be worn down by Payback far more easily, so it must carry Hidden Power Fire to come out on top. For that matter, any Fire-type attack from Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Heatran, Fire Arceus, Dialga, Deoxys-A, Rayquaza, and Salamence will take out Forretress due to its 4x weakness. However, it should be noted that the latter two must be wary of Gyro Ball and avoid locking themselves into Outrage. Forretress's low Special Defense can be exploited through the use of any strong neutral STAB special attack. This includes Water Spout from Kyogre, Surfs from Manaphy and Palkia, Air Slash from Shaymin-S, and Judgment from many variants of Arceus. Deoxys-S, and for that matter any fast user of Taunt, can shut Forretress down and use it as setup fodder. Generally speaking, Forretress's attacks are very weak, so any setup sweeper can use it as bait to demolish an entire team. Looking at more obscure options, Swords Dance Garchomp can set up on Forretress and 2HKO it after a single boost, with even the rare Hidden Power Ice not KOing and possibly even missing under sandy conditions. The rare Magnezone can trap and KO with Hidden Power Fire. Forretress is not difficult to defeat, but its sheer utility and unique support make it something to account for whenever building a team.</p>
