Okay, it's time to do for old 'Zong. It's still as effective as ever.
Behold, it is the mighty Bronzong
[Overview]
<p>Bronzong remains unchanged in the transition to BW2. It is still a solid wall, boasting high defenses, the coveted Steel-type, and a fine support movepool. However, it receives tons of competition from other defensive Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn, who boasts a better defensive typing and a broader movepool. Bronzong still clings to its niche though; thanks to its ability and great typing, it can reliably check some threats Ferrothorn can only dream of checking, including Tornadus, Gliscor, Landorus, and Mamoswine. Bronzong is also not 4x weak to Fire, so it does not fear Fire-type attacks as much as its main competitor does.</p>
<p>However, Bronzong's ultimate downfall is its lack of reliable recovery, causing repeated hits to eventually take their toll on it. Bronzong also sports middling offensive stats—though they are often enough to damage the enemy, Bronzong cannot maintain as much pressure as Ferrothorn, another setback. Anyone using Bronzong must use it to its advantages to ensure that it is not outclassed.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Earthquake / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Bronzong's signature set, which it pulls off quite decently. Thanks to its great typing and defenses, Bronzong can reliably take repeated attacks from numerous Pokemon such as Tornadus, Kyurem-B, and Landorus. Stealth Rock is the crux of this set; Bronzong can reliably set it up using its great defenses and numerous switch-in opportunities. Gyro Ball is the STAB move of choice here, and thanks to Bronzong's poor Speed and usable base 89 Attack stat, it can put sizable dents in numerous Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice is an excellent coverage move, which hits some threats checked by Bronzong, such as Landorus, Gliscor, and Thundurus-T for good damage. Finally, the move in the last moveslot can be chosen to meet the player's needs. Earthquake is a great coverage move, and allows Bronzong to smack incoming Heatran and Magnezone. Toxic is also usable to wear down opposing bulky Pokemon, as Bronzong often cannot hit them hard enough.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum investment in HP is to attain as much bulk as possible. 168 EVs are invested into Defense to allow Bronzong to take physical onslaughts much better, particularly Outrage. The remaining is invested into Special Defense to give great overall bulk. The EV spread is, however, flexible; 104 Attack EVs can be invested if there is a need to OHKO on Heatran, Gengar, and Terrakion. A Sassy nature is chosen here to not only provide extra Special Defense, but in order to give in minimum Speed to utilize Gyro Ball effectively. The 0 IVs in Speed serve the same purpose. 2 Speed IVs may be used to enhance the power of Hidden Power Ice, but the extra power is often not necessary and additional Gyro Ball power is more appreciated as it is the attack Bronzong will be using most often. Trick Room is usable on this set due to Bronzong's low Speed and can be used for further support. Additionally, Explosion can be used for a suicide move to safely send a teammate in while dealing as much damage as possible.</p>
<p>Tyranitar is a great ally to this set, as it can take the Fire-type attacks that Bronzong tends to fare poorly against. Its Sand Stream ability also negates sun, weakening opposing sun teams while dealing residual damage that helps Bronzong better fill its role. As Bronzong has no reliable recovery, Wish support is appreciated. Both Blissey and Vaporeon are good candidates for this role; with their massive HP stats, they can restore a large amount of HP.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Gyro Ball
move 4: Earthquake / Hypnosis
item: Light Clay
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With impressive bulk and typing, Bronzong can fulfill the role of a Dual Screens user well. With its myriad of resistances and a decent offensive prowess, Bronzong stands out from the other candidates for this role, such as Deoxys-D. It also lacks the common Pursuit and U-turn weaknesses that other users of the move, such as Deoxys-D, tend to suffer from.</p>
<p>Light Screen and Reflect are the centerpieces of this set. Besides further enhancing Bronzong's staying power, they are this set's main form of support. Gyro Ball is the STAB move here, putting sizable dents in Pokemon such as Tornadus and Kyurem-B thanks to its poor Speed stat. Earthquake is a decent coverage move to pummel Heatran and Magnezone. However, Hypnosis can incapacitate incoming counters, and with the new sleep mechanics, it essentially eliminates them from the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>HP and Special Defense are maximized to give Bronzong as much special bulk as possible in order to take on Tornadus and Landorus. A Sassy nature is chosen here to maximize Special Defense while minimizing Speed to utilize Gyro Ball effectively. Finally, Light Clay is the preferred item to extend the duration of Light Screen and Reflect. Explosion is a usable move in order to sacrifice Bronzong to send in a teammate safely; however, the nerf it received this generation makes it significantly less effective. Stealth Rock can also be used, but Bronzong sadly has a case of four moveslot syndrome.</p>
<p>Pokemon who benefit from Dual Screens support are good teammates. Such Pokemon are usually frail setup sweepers such as Lucario and Azelf. Additionally, Pokemon capable of passing Wish, such as Blissey or Vaporeon, are useful teammates as well, as they can pass massive Wishes to patch up Bronzong's lack of recovery. Walls such as Gliscor and Chansey appreciate the softening of attacks to be able to wall better, and also be able to take hits from their weaker defensive stat.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thanks to Bronzong's decently wide movepool, there is enough room for some creativity in its sets. It can run Calm Mind to boost its middling 79 Special Attack and 116 Special Defense, along with two STAB moves in Psychic and Flash Cannon, although this kind of set is better left to other users of the move, such as Reuniclus. Zen Headbutt is a usable move on any of the sets for a secondary STAB, though Psychic isn't exactly a stellar offensive typing. A Choice Band set is also usable, dealing decent chunks of damage as well as being able to Trick away its item to cripple common switch-ins such as Skarmory and Forretress. Bronzong also has access to other attacking moves in Rock Slide, Grass Knot, and Signal Beam, although none of these provide much useful coverage. Rain Dance can be used to power up Swift Swim based rain teams, and it also nullifies Bronzong's weakness to Fire-type moves. Due to Bronzong being relatively heavy, Heavy Slam can have some use, although Gyro Ball is generally more reliable. Payback can be used thanks to Bronzong's poor Speed stat, although it does not provide any noteworthy coverage. Skill Swap has its use to cripple Reuniclus and poison it with Toxic, particularly on hail and sand teams, though Levitate is one of Bronzong's best aspects. Protect is also useful for Toxic stalling as well as Leftovers recovery, but sadly, Bronzong suffers from a case of four moveslot syndrome. Finally, Heatproof is a decent ability to weaken Fire-type attacks, but the immunity to Ground-type moves granted by Levitate is simply too good to let go.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Volcarona is one of the biggest checks to Bronzong, it takes little from any of Bronzong's attacks and can use it as setup bait to attain numerous Quiver Dance boosts. It can also incinerate the bell with Fire Blast. Keldeo does not care about anything Bronzong throws at it, and can eliminate Bronzong with a rain boosted Hydro Pump. Users of Taunt, particularly Sableye, are annoyances to Bronzong. Sableye can also burn Bronzong, and thus take laughably little damage from anything, though it must be wary of Toxic. Magnezone can trap Bronzong, and should it not carry Earthquake, it wear it down with repeated Thunderbolts or Hidden Power Fires due to Bronzong's lack of reliable recovery. However, it cannot come in on an Earthquake. Many Fire-types can check Bronzong and decimate it with their moves, but must be wary of an incoming Earthquake. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress laugh at Bronzong's attempts to do anything to them and can lay down multiple layers of Spikes in the process. Finally, Rotom-W also takes pitiful damage and can use its options at its disposal against Bronzong.</p>
Behold, it is the mighty Bronzong
[Overview]
<p>Bronzong remains unchanged in the transition to BW2. It is still a solid wall, boasting high defenses, the coveted Steel-type, and a fine support movepool. However, it receives tons of competition from other defensive Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn, who boasts a better defensive typing and a broader movepool. Bronzong still clings to its niche though; thanks to its ability and great typing, it can reliably check some threats Ferrothorn can only dream of checking, including Tornadus, Gliscor, Landorus, and Mamoswine. Bronzong is also not 4x weak to Fire, so it does not fear Fire-type attacks as much as its main competitor does.</p>
<p>However, Bronzong's ultimate downfall is its lack of reliable recovery, causing repeated hits to eventually take their toll on it. Bronzong also sports middling offensive stats—though they are often enough to damage the enemy, Bronzong cannot maintain as much pressure as Ferrothorn, another setback. Anyone using Bronzong must use it to its advantages to ensure that it is not outclassed.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Earthquake / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Bronzong's signature set, which it pulls off quite decently. Thanks to its great typing and defenses, Bronzong can reliably take repeated attacks from numerous Pokemon such as Tornadus, Kyurem-B, and Landorus. Stealth Rock is the crux of this set; Bronzong can reliably set it up using its great defenses and numerous switch-in opportunities. Gyro Ball is the STAB move of choice here, and thanks to Bronzong's poor Speed and usable base 89 Attack stat, it can put sizable dents in numerous Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice is an excellent coverage move, which hits some threats checked by Bronzong, such as Landorus, Gliscor, and Thundurus-T for good damage. Finally, the move in the last moveslot can be chosen to meet the player's needs. Earthquake is a great coverage move, and allows Bronzong to smack incoming Heatran and Magnezone. Toxic is also usable to wear down opposing bulky Pokemon, as Bronzong often cannot hit them hard enough.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum investment in HP is to attain as much bulk as possible. 168 EVs are invested into Defense to allow Bronzong to take physical onslaughts much better, particularly Outrage. The remaining is invested into Special Defense to give great overall bulk. The EV spread is, however, flexible; 104 Attack EVs can be invested if there is a need to OHKO on Heatran, Gengar, and Terrakion. A Sassy nature is chosen here to not only provide extra Special Defense, but in order to give in minimum Speed to utilize Gyro Ball effectively. The 0 IVs in Speed serve the same purpose. 2 Speed IVs may be used to enhance the power of Hidden Power Ice, but the extra power is often not necessary and additional Gyro Ball power is more appreciated as it is the attack Bronzong will be using most often. Trick Room is usable on this set due to Bronzong's low Speed and can be used for further support. Additionally, Explosion can be used for a suicide move to safely send a teammate in while dealing as much damage as possible.</p>
<p>Tyranitar is a great ally to this set, as it can take the Fire-type attacks that Bronzong tends to fare poorly against. Its Sand Stream ability also negates sun, weakening opposing sun teams while dealing residual damage that helps Bronzong better fill its role. As Bronzong has no reliable recovery, Wish support is appreciated. Both Blissey and Vaporeon are good candidates for this role; with their massive HP stats, they can restore a large amount of HP.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Gyro Ball
move 4: Earthquake / Hypnosis
item: Light Clay
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With impressive bulk and typing, Bronzong can fulfill the role of a Dual Screens user well. With its myriad of resistances and a decent offensive prowess, Bronzong stands out from the other candidates for this role, such as Deoxys-D. It also lacks the common Pursuit and U-turn weaknesses that other users of the move, such as Deoxys-D, tend to suffer from.</p>
<p>Light Screen and Reflect are the centerpieces of this set. Besides further enhancing Bronzong's staying power, they are this set's main form of support. Gyro Ball is the STAB move here, putting sizable dents in Pokemon such as Tornadus and Kyurem-B thanks to its poor Speed stat. Earthquake is a decent coverage move to pummel Heatran and Magnezone. However, Hypnosis can incapacitate incoming counters, and with the new sleep mechanics, it essentially eliminates them from the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>HP and Special Defense are maximized to give Bronzong as much special bulk as possible in order to take on Tornadus and Landorus. A Sassy nature is chosen here to maximize Special Defense while minimizing Speed to utilize Gyro Ball effectively. Finally, Light Clay is the preferred item to extend the duration of Light Screen and Reflect. Explosion is a usable move in order to sacrifice Bronzong to send in a teammate safely; however, the nerf it received this generation makes it significantly less effective. Stealth Rock can also be used, but Bronzong sadly has a case of four moveslot syndrome.</p>
<p>Pokemon who benefit from Dual Screens support are good teammates. Such Pokemon are usually frail setup sweepers such as Lucario and Azelf. Additionally, Pokemon capable of passing Wish, such as Blissey or Vaporeon, are useful teammates as well, as they can pass massive Wishes to patch up Bronzong's lack of recovery. Walls such as Gliscor and Chansey appreciate the softening of attacks to be able to wall better, and also be able to take hits from their weaker defensive stat.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thanks to Bronzong's decently wide movepool, there is enough room for some creativity in its sets. It can run Calm Mind to boost its middling 79 Special Attack and 116 Special Defense, along with two STAB moves in Psychic and Flash Cannon, although this kind of set is better left to other users of the move, such as Reuniclus. Zen Headbutt is a usable move on any of the sets for a secondary STAB, though Psychic isn't exactly a stellar offensive typing. A Choice Band set is also usable, dealing decent chunks of damage as well as being able to Trick away its item to cripple common switch-ins such as Skarmory and Forretress. Bronzong also has access to other attacking moves in Rock Slide, Grass Knot, and Signal Beam, although none of these provide much useful coverage. Rain Dance can be used to power up Swift Swim based rain teams, and it also nullifies Bronzong's weakness to Fire-type moves. Due to Bronzong being relatively heavy, Heavy Slam can have some use, although Gyro Ball is generally more reliable. Payback can be used thanks to Bronzong's poor Speed stat, although it does not provide any noteworthy coverage. Skill Swap has its use to cripple Reuniclus and poison it with Toxic, particularly on hail and sand teams, though Levitate is one of Bronzong's best aspects. Protect is also useful for Toxic stalling as well as Leftovers recovery, but sadly, Bronzong suffers from a case of four moveslot syndrome. Finally, Heatproof is a decent ability to weaken Fire-type attacks, but the immunity to Ground-type moves granted by Levitate is simply too good to let go.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Volcarona is one of the biggest checks to Bronzong, it takes little from any of Bronzong's attacks and can use it as setup bait to attain numerous Quiver Dance boosts. It can also incinerate the bell with Fire Blast. Keldeo does not care about anything Bronzong throws at it, and can eliminate Bronzong with a rain boosted Hydro Pump. Users of Taunt, particularly Sableye, are annoyances to Bronzong. Sableye can also burn Bronzong, and thus take laughably little damage from anything, though it must be wary of Toxic. Magnezone can trap Bronzong, and should it not carry Earthquake, it wear it down with repeated Thunderbolts or Hidden Power Fires due to Bronzong's lack of reliable recovery. However, it cannot come in on an Earthquake. Many Fire-types can check Bronzong and decimate it with their moves, but must be wary of an incoming Earthquake. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress laugh at Bronzong's attempts to do anything to them and can lay down multiple layers of Spikes in the process. Finally, Rotom-W also takes pitiful damage and can use its options at its disposal against Bronzong.</p>
