[OVERVIEW]
Ferrothorn's reasonable 74 / 131 / 116 bulk and many resistances allow it to act as a reliable check to many specific threats, including Poison Heal users such as Primal Kyogre, Regigigas, and Xerneas, as well as check a variety of other Pokemon such as Mega Diancie, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, and Zekrom. Ferrothorn has a niche over the bulkier Registeel and other Steel-types mainly thanks to its Grass typing, which offers a neutrality to Ground-type attacks, a resistance to Water and Electric, and a key immunity to Spore that other Steel-types must forego another item to gain through Safety Goggles. Ferrothorn also benefits from its lower Speed stat, which helps with slow pivoting and utilizing Core Enforcer to suppress abilities. In addition to its many resistances, Flash Fire is used to remove the 4x weakness to Fire, which is a common coverage type for Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Xerneas. Thanks to its dual typing, Ferrothorn can check some Zekrom and Primal Kyogre sets, which other Steel-types struggle with. The main drawbacks of Ferrothorn are the competition it faces from Registeel due to Registeel's higher bulk and its lack of Ice and Flying resistances, which limits its use in checking most Mega Rayquaza sets and Kyurem-B, an otherwise common role for Steel-types. Its lower bulk, while mitigated by resistances, does limit Ferrothorn's ability to take hits from wallbreakers that can hit it neutrally such as Adaptability Mega Gengar and Mega Garchomp. Also, Ferrothorn suffers from being predictable due to almost always needing Flash Fire to avoid OHKOs from common Fire-type coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Flash Fire
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: Anchor Shot / U-turn
move 3: Entrainment / Core Enforcer / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Topsy-Turvy / Spectral Thief
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up offers reliable recovery, allowing Ferrothorn to stay healthy throughout the battle and switch in more frequently, enabling it to be an effective wall. Anchor Shot traps Imposter users to self-Imposter-proof the set, as well as Poison Heal users, which are then KOed once their ability is removed. Anchor Shot is also a reasonably powered STAB attack that threatens some Pokemon that Ferrothorn can check, such as Xerneas and especially Mega Diancie, to force them out. Anchor Shot's good PP helps with trapping to PP stall. U-turn utilizes Ferrothorn's low Speed to slow pivot, which can be used to gain momentum and potentially bring in wallbreakers without risk. However, without Anchor Shot, the set is much more passive, as it cannot force out Mega Diancie and requires a separate Pokemon to Imposter-proof it. Entrainment and Core Enforcer are both used to remove abilities, especially Poison Heal. Entrainment can affect Xerneas and other Fairy-types and has more PP, whereas Core Enforcer can do valuable chip damage and break Focus Sash. Entrainment also reveals the abilities of foes, which can be useful for scouting and is effective if the opponent switches. Ferrothorn can also use Will-O-Wisp as a possible alternative to ability removal, crippling some switch-ins that can otherwise take advantage of its passivity, most notably Mega Mewtwo X, and providing valuable chip damage against other defensive Pokemon. However, without Entrainment or Core Enforcer, Topsy-Turvy is necessary to check Regigigas, and certain variations of Poison Heal sweepers will be harder to deal with. Spectral Thief and Topsy-Turvy both prevent setup, which helps to reduce how much Ferrothorn's passivity can be exploited, making it a more reliable answer to Poison Heal sweepers, which typically use setup and can otherwise break through more easily after some prior damage or with Lovely Kiss. Topsy-Turvy can affect Regigigas but is blocked by Substitute, whereas Spectral Thief leaves Ferrothorn less passive and can threaten Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar, which can otherwise set up with little risk.
Set Details
========
Flash Fire removes Ferrothorn's otherwise crippling Fire weakness, allowing it to check Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Xerneas, which often have Fire coverage. A Sassy nature is used to better check Poison Heal Kyogre, which otherwise has a chance to 2HKO with Water Spout after using Quiver Dance, and to take less from -ate Boomburst from Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. This nature also minimizes Speed, making Core Enforcer more effective at suppressing abilities. Maximum EVs are invested in every stat except in Speed for maximum bulk and damage output. Leftovers helps to compensate for Ferrothorn's slightly lackluster bulk to avoid key 2HKOs such as from Water Spout Primal Kyogre at +1 or in rain. Leftovers also provides passive recovery, which allows it to switch into defensive Pokemon and entry hazards with less risk of being worn down and preserves recovery PP against a trapped Imposter user.
Usage Tips
========
As with most sets in BH, Ferrothorn is best used after careful scouting. This helps to avoid switching into lures such as Tinted Lens Primal Kyogre or into moves such as Trick and Fighting-type coverage, both of which can affect its ability to consistently check other threats. If the opponent's team has a Regigigas or a Xerneas with Poison Heal, Ferrothorn should be used carefully to avoid being worn down or KOed by a lure, since these sweepers are difficult to play around without a dedicated answer. Ferrothorn's immunity to poison and resistances to Core Enforcer and Stealth Rock let it switch into a variety of passive Pokemon, such as some Giratina sets, with very low risk. Anchor Shot should usually be used against Imposter users or if a switch to an Imposter user is predicted, as it will trap them and remove them from the battle, as well as against Poison Heal users that need to be trapped. Thanks to Anchor Shot's high PP, it can be used liberally and can dissuade most frail Pokemon from switching in. Once the opposing Pokemon's sets have been scouted, it's possible other Pokemon will be vulnerable to trapping as well. If Core Enforcer is used, the PP should be conserved (especially if Ferrothorn is being used to PP stall), since without it, Ferrothorn fails to counter Regigigas and, when not running Topsy-Turvy, can even be set up on.
Team Options
========
Since Ferrothorn cannot check -ate users such as Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-W, a Pokemon to check them such as Fur Coat Chansey or a Soundproof user such as Mega Slowbro (which also resists Fighting-type attacks) is appreciated. Mega Tyranitar is a good partner, as it helps to cover some Mega Rayquaza sets such as Aerilate with Fire-type coverage and appreciates Ferrothorn dealing with Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie. Imposter users make good teammates to scout for lures such as Secret Sword Xerneas and Tinted Lens Primal Kyogre. Giratina is a good partner, as it can cover Ferrothorn's Fighting weakness thanks to its Ghost typing, which allows it to check many Mega Mewtwo X sets, while Ferrothorn can comfortably switch into Xerneas, Mega Diancie, and Dragon-type attacks such as Core Enforcer. Other Mega Mewtwo X checks such as Cresselia can make good partners for Ferrothorn; depending on the set, Cresselia can also check many wallbreakers that force out Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Unaware is also an option for Ferrothorn, allowing it to better check Pokemon with setup that lack Fire moves such as Zekrom and Primal Kyogre, but due to its easily exploitable weakness, Ferrothorn needs considerably more team support when using this set. Unaware Ferrothorn utilizes similar moves to the Flash Fire set, but a utility move such as Defog or Stealth Rock replaces Spectral Thief or Topsy-Turvy. Ferrothorn can make a good Defogger due to its ability to switch into most defensive and some offensive Stealth Rock setters (such as Mega Diancie) and immunity to Toxic Spikes and resistance to Stealth Rock. Ferrothorn can also set Stealth Rock effectively when running Anchor Shot, since this stops Imposter users from setting hazards themselves more than once. Other status moves such as Toxic or Poison Fang can be employed to make Ferrothorn harder to switch into, with the added benefit that they cannot be used against it by Imposter users. These can help to cripple or wear down some of its checks such as Mega Mewtwo X and can also cripple and force out some defensive Pokemon, such as Magic Bounce Giratina and RegenVest Kyogre. Prankster Ferrothorn can be used but is largely outclassed by other Steel-types such as Registeel and Aegislash, as they have better bulk and crucial resistances to Ice- and Flying-type attacks, letting them reliably check Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-B sets. Also, because of its 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks, Ferrothorn will usually be OHKOed when switching into Fire-type coverage moves such as V-create from Pixilate Mega Diancie if the opponent predicts correctly, whereas other Steel-types would survive. However, Prankster Ferrothorn does provide a more reliable Regigigas check than Prankster Registeel or Aegislash. Worry Seed can be used over Entrainment to largely the same effect and can even remove Normalize from Mega Gengar after it uses Entrainment, stopping it from giving Normalize to any more teammates until it switches. However, Ferrothorn is far from being a Mega Gengar check, and Entrainment has more PP, so this should be seen as an emergency option on teams lacking a real check. Rocky Helmet is an option that can be useful in wearing down opposing pivots that utilize U-turn and Mega Diancie if it uses Fake Out or Extreme Speed as Ferrothorn switches in. However, not using Leftovers makes Ferrothorn much harder to keep healthy and increases the number of moves that can 2HKO it, such as Water Spout from Primal Kyogre in rain.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Mewtwo X**: Thanks to Mega Mewtwo X's base 190 Attack, its super effective STAB Fighting-type attacks threaten to OHKO Ferrothorn even without boosting ability or item. Mega Mewtwo X can also come in on most of Ferrothorn's moves with minimal risk, with Anchor Shot being a 5HKO and even Spectral Thief only a possible 3HKO. However, sets with Will-O-Wisp can cripple most Mega Mewtwo X if it switches in directly.
**Wallbreakers**: Strong wallbreakers with neutral or super effective STAB moves are rarely threatened by Ferrothorn and will typically do enough damage to force it out. Examples include Adaptability Mega Garchomp and Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, both of which can cleanly 2HKO Ferrothorn, even if it removes their abilities after the first hit with Core Enforcer or Entrainment, and can survive any of Ferrothorn's moves comfortably.
**Choice Specs Aerilate and Refrigerate users**: Both Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-W outspeed and OHKO Ferrothorn with their -ate Boombursts. Mega Rayquaza can come in fairly safely on most of Ferrothorn's moves (with Core Enforcer being a 4HKO), while Kyurem-W can be 2HKOed by Anchor Shot, so it is a softer check. Both are forced out if they switch into Entrainment, but there is little cost to this besides momentum. Non-Choice Specs Refrigerate Kyurem-B also threatens Ferrothorn but not to quite the same degree.
**Mega Gengar**: Normalize Mega Gengar easily forces out Ferrothorn since after using Entrainment, Mega Gengar will be immune to most or all of Ferrothorn's moves, allowing it to set up or attack Ferrothorn with no cost. Other Mega Gengar sets such as Choice Specs Adaptability can do a lot of damage to Ferrothorn and KO after some prior damage. However, due to Mega Gengar's low bulk and the fear of losing Normalize to Entrainment, it is unlikely to be switched in directly.
**Fighting-type Coverage**: Many Pokemon that Ferrothorn can often check will force it out or even counter it if they run unusual Fighting-type coverage such as Secret Sword Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo Y.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Willdbeast, 285201]]
- Quality checked by: [[ScarfWynaut, 221682], [Funbot28, 255984], [GL Volkner, 330455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Electrolyte, 148072], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Ferrothorn's reasonable 74 / 131 / 116 bulk and many resistances allow it to act as a reliable check to many specific threats, including Poison Heal users such as Primal Kyogre, Regigigas, and Xerneas, as well as check a variety of other Pokemon such as Mega Diancie, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, and Zekrom. Ferrothorn has a niche over the bulkier Registeel and other Steel-types mainly thanks to its Grass typing, which offers a neutrality to Ground-type attacks, a resistance to Water and Electric, and a key immunity to Spore that other Steel-types must forego another item to gain through Safety Goggles. Ferrothorn also benefits from its lower Speed stat, which helps with slow pivoting and utilizing Core Enforcer to suppress abilities. In addition to its many resistances, Flash Fire is used to remove the 4x weakness to Fire, which is a common coverage type for Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Xerneas. Thanks to its dual typing, Ferrothorn can check some Zekrom and Primal Kyogre sets, which other Steel-types struggle with. The main drawbacks of Ferrothorn are the competition it faces from Registeel due to Registeel's higher bulk and its lack of Ice and Flying resistances, which limits its use in checking most Mega Rayquaza sets and Kyurem-B, an otherwise common role for Steel-types. Its lower bulk, while mitigated by resistances, does limit Ferrothorn's ability to take hits from wallbreakers that can hit it neutrally such as Adaptability Mega Gengar and Mega Garchomp. Also, Ferrothorn suffers from being predictable due to almost always needing Flash Fire to avoid OHKOs from common Fire-type coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Flash Fire
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: Anchor Shot / U-turn
move 3: Entrainment / Core Enforcer / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Topsy-Turvy / Spectral Thief
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up offers reliable recovery, allowing Ferrothorn to stay healthy throughout the battle and switch in more frequently, enabling it to be an effective wall. Anchor Shot traps Imposter users to self-Imposter-proof the set, as well as Poison Heal users, which are then KOed once their ability is removed. Anchor Shot is also a reasonably powered STAB attack that threatens some Pokemon that Ferrothorn can check, such as Xerneas and especially Mega Diancie, to force them out. Anchor Shot's good PP helps with trapping to PP stall. U-turn utilizes Ferrothorn's low Speed to slow pivot, which can be used to gain momentum and potentially bring in wallbreakers without risk. However, without Anchor Shot, the set is much more passive, as it cannot force out Mega Diancie and requires a separate Pokemon to Imposter-proof it. Entrainment and Core Enforcer are both used to remove abilities, especially Poison Heal. Entrainment can affect Xerneas and other Fairy-types and has more PP, whereas Core Enforcer can do valuable chip damage and break Focus Sash. Entrainment also reveals the abilities of foes, which can be useful for scouting and is effective if the opponent switches. Ferrothorn can also use Will-O-Wisp as a possible alternative to ability removal, crippling some switch-ins that can otherwise take advantage of its passivity, most notably Mega Mewtwo X, and providing valuable chip damage against other defensive Pokemon. However, without Entrainment or Core Enforcer, Topsy-Turvy is necessary to check Regigigas, and certain variations of Poison Heal sweepers will be harder to deal with. Spectral Thief and Topsy-Turvy both prevent setup, which helps to reduce how much Ferrothorn's passivity can be exploited, making it a more reliable answer to Poison Heal sweepers, which typically use setup and can otherwise break through more easily after some prior damage or with Lovely Kiss. Topsy-Turvy can affect Regigigas but is blocked by Substitute, whereas Spectral Thief leaves Ferrothorn less passive and can threaten Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar, which can otherwise set up with little risk.
Set Details
========
Flash Fire removes Ferrothorn's otherwise crippling Fire weakness, allowing it to check Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Xerneas, which often have Fire coverage. A Sassy nature is used to better check Poison Heal Kyogre, which otherwise has a chance to 2HKO with Water Spout after using Quiver Dance, and to take less from -ate Boomburst from Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. This nature also minimizes Speed, making Core Enforcer more effective at suppressing abilities. Maximum EVs are invested in every stat except in Speed for maximum bulk and damage output. Leftovers helps to compensate for Ferrothorn's slightly lackluster bulk to avoid key 2HKOs such as from Water Spout Primal Kyogre at +1 or in rain. Leftovers also provides passive recovery, which allows it to switch into defensive Pokemon and entry hazards with less risk of being worn down and preserves recovery PP against a trapped Imposter user.
Usage Tips
========
As with most sets in BH, Ferrothorn is best used after careful scouting. This helps to avoid switching into lures such as Tinted Lens Primal Kyogre or into moves such as Trick and Fighting-type coverage, both of which can affect its ability to consistently check other threats. If the opponent's team has a Regigigas or a Xerneas with Poison Heal, Ferrothorn should be used carefully to avoid being worn down or KOed by a lure, since these sweepers are difficult to play around without a dedicated answer. Ferrothorn's immunity to poison and resistances to Core Enforcer and Stealth Rock let it switch into a variety of passive Pokemon, such as some Giratina sets, with very low risk. Anchor Shot should usually be used against Imposter users or if a switch to an Imposter user is predicted, as it will trap them and remove them from the battle, as well as against Poison Heal users that need to be trapped. Thanks to Anchor Shot's high PP, it can be used liberally and can dissuade most frail Pokemon from switching in. Once the opposing Pokemon's sets have been scouted, it's possible other Pokemon will be vulnerable to trapping as well. If Core Enforcer is used, the PP should be conserved (especially if Ferrothorn is being used to PP stall), since without it, Ferrothorn fails to counter Regigigas and, when not running Topsy-Turvy, can even be set up on.
Team Options
========
Since Ferrothorn cannot check -ate users such as Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-W, a Pokemon to check them such as Fur Coat Chansey or a Soundproof user such as Mega Slowbro (which also resists Fighting-type attacks) is appreciated. Mega Tyranitar is a good partner, as it helps to cover some Mega Rayquaza sets such as Aerilate with Fire-type coverage and appreciates Ferrothorn dealing with Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie. Imposter users make good teammates to scout for lures such as Secret Sword Xerneas and Tinted Lens Primal Kyogre. Giratina is a good partner, as it can cover Ferrothorn's Fighting weakness thanks to its Ghost typing, which allows it to check many Mega Mewtwo X sets, while Ferrothorn can comfortably switch into Xerneas, Mega Diancie, and Dragon-type attacks such as Core Enforcer. Other Mega Mewtwo X checks such as Cresselia can make good partners for Ferrothorn; depending on the set, Cresselia can also check many wallbreakers that force out Ferrothorn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Unaware is also an option for Ferrothorn, allowing it to better check Pokemon with setup that lack Fire moves such as Zekrom and Primal Kyogre, but due to its easily exploitable weakness, Ferrothorn needs considerably more team support when using this set. Unaware Ferrothorn utilizes similar moves to the Flash Fire set, but a utility move such as Defog or Stealth Rock replaces Spectral Thief or Topsy-Turvy. Ferrothorn can make a good Defogger due to its ability to switch into most defensive and some offensive Stealth Rock setters (such as Mega Diancie) and immunity to Toxic Spikes and resistance to Stealth Rock. Ferrothorn can also set Stealth Rock effectively when running Anchor Shot, since this stops Imposter users from setting hazards themselves more than once. Other status moves such as Toxic or Poison Fang can be employed to make Ferrothorn harder to switch into, with the added benefit that they cannot be used against it by Imposter users. These can help to cripple or wear down some of its checks such as Mega Mewtwo X and can also cripple and force out some defensive Pokemon, such as Magic Bounce Giratina and RegenVest Kyogre. Prankster Ferrothorn can be used but is largely outclassed by other Steel-types such as Registeel and Aegislash, as they have better bulk and crucial resistances to Ice- and Flying-type attacks, letting them reliably check Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-B sets. Also, because of its 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks, Ferrothorn will usually be OHKOed when switching into Fire-type coverage moves such as V-create from Pixilate Mega Diancie if the opponent predicts correctly, whereas other Steel-types would survive. However, Prankster Ferrothorn does provide a more reliable Regigigas check than Prankster Registeel or Aegislash. Worry Seed can be used over Entrainment to largely the same effect and can even remove Normalize from Mega Gengar after it uses Entrainment, stopping it from giving Normalize to any more teammates until it switches. However, Ferrothorn is far from being a Mega Gengar check, and Entrainment has more PP, so this should be seen as an emergency option on teams lacking a real check. Rocky Helmet is an option that can be useful in wearing down opposing pivots that utilize U-turn and Mega Diancie if it uses Fake Out or Extreme Speed as Ferrothorn switches in. However, not using Leftovers makes Ferrothorn much harder to keep healthy and increases the number of moves that can 2HKO it, such as Water Spout from Primal Kyogre in rain.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Mewtwo X**: Thanks to Mega Mewtwo X's base 190 Attack, its super effective STAB Fighting-type attacks threaten to OHKO Ferrothorn even without boosting ability or item. Mega Mewtwo X can also come in on most of Ferrothorn's moves with minimal risk, with Anchor Shot being a 5HKO and even Spectral Thief only a possible 3HKO. However, sets with Will-O-Wisp can cripple most Mega Mewtwo X if it switches in directly.
**Wallbreakers**: Strong wallbreakers with neutral or super effective STAB moves are rarely threatened by Ferrothorn and will typically do enough damage to force it out. Examples include Adaptability Mega Garchomp and Choice Band Mega Rayquaza, both of which can cleanly 2HKO Ferrothorn, even if it removes their abilities after the first hit with Core Enforcer or Entrainment, and can survive any of Ferrothorn's moves comfortably.
**Choice Specs Aerilate and Refrigerate users**: Both Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza and Kyurem-W outspeed and OHKO Ferrothorn with their -ate Boombursts. Mega Rayquaza can come in fairly safely on most of Ferrothorn's moves (with Core Enforcer being a 4HKO), while Kyurem-W can be 2HKOed by Anchor Shot, so it is a softer check. Both are forced out if they switch into Entrainment, but there is little cost to this besides momentum. Non-Choice Specs Refrigerate Kyurem-B also threatens Ferrothorn but not to quite the same degree.
**Mega Gengar**: Normalize Mega Gengar easily forces out Ferrothorn since after using Entrainment, Mega Gengar will be immune to most or all of Ferrothorn's moves, allowing it to set up or attack Ferrothorn with no cost. Other Mega Gengar sets such as Choice Specs Adaptability can do a lot of damage to Ferrothorn and KO after some prior damage. However, due to Mega Gengar's low bulk and the fear of losing Normalize to Entrainment, it is unlikely to be switched in directly.
**Fighting-type Coverage**: Many Pokemon that Ferrothorn can often check will force it out or even counter it if they run unusual Fighting-type coverage such as Secret Sword Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo Y.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Willdbeast, 285201]]
- Quality checked by: [[ScarfWynaut, 221682], [Funbot28, 255984], [GL Volkner, 330455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Electrolyte, 148072], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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