[OVERVIEW]
- Bronzong has excellent defensive typing, solid mixed bulk, resistance to Stealth Rock, and immunity to other entry hazards.
- Bronzong provides valuable team support as a Stealth Rock setter.
- Levitate gives Bronzong a niche over other bulky Steel-types, allowing it to switch in without fear of Ground-type coverage from threats such as Tyrantrum or Diancie.
- Bronzong can check or counter many prominent threats, such as Tyrantrum, Diancie, Mega Abomasnow, and Mega Glalie.
- Bronzong's weakness to Pursuit hinders its ability to switch in freely, which is especially dangerous because of how common a Pursuit-trapper such as Absol is paired with foes Bronzong checks. Its weakness to the extremely common Knock Off also hurts it.
- Bronzong's relatively low base Attack and base Special Attack mean that it is easily walled and only has the potential to deal significant damage against foes that it hits super effectively.
- Bronzong is outsped by nearly everything in the tier, particularly when running Gyro Ball.
- Bronzong faces competition from Mega Steelix, which has a far better offensive presence and isn't weak to Pursuit or Knock Off, though Bronzong doesn't take up a mega slot and its immunity to Ground-type coverage is rather substantial.
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Gyro Ball / Heavy Slam
move 4: Earthquake / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Relaxed / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Stealth Rock wears down foes and discourages switch-ins.
- Toxic deals damage to the foe, which is especially helpful against bulky foes with recovery moves. It also synergizes well with Stealth Rock because it encourages the opponent to switch and take hazard damage.
- Gyro Ball hits fast foes for massive damage, such as Mega Glalie and Tyrantrum.
- Heavy Slam is an option to deal far greater damage to Fairy-types, such as Diancie and Aromatisse.
- Earthquake is super effective against foes that are immune to Toxic, such as Drapion, Qwilfish, and Mega Steelix, as well as Fire-Types, such as Delphox and Houndoom.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative to hit Mega Abomasnow for 4x damage, as well as Durant and Escavalier.
Set Details
========
- Full investment in HP improves Bronzong's mixed bulk.
- 168 points in Defense hits a jump point and allows it to more easily survive Tyrantrum's Head Smash and Mega Abomasnow's Wood Hammer.
- 88 points in Special Defense allows Bronzong to take less damage from Mega Abomasnow's Blizzard and any of Meloetta's attacks, barring Shadow Ball.
- A Relaxed nature with 0 IVs improves the power of Gyro Ball, though an Impish nature is preferred when using Heavy Slam because it allows Bronzong to outspeed uninvested base 30 Speed foes and under, such as Amoonguss and Aromatisse.
- Leftovers provides passive recovery and allows Bronzong to switch in more often.
Usage Tips
========
- Thanks to Bronzong's excellent typing, it's not too difficult to find an opportunity to switch it in, though be aware of Fire-type coverage and Knock Off.
- Bronzong causes a lot of switches, so use this opportunity to set up Stealth Rock or hit the expected switch-in with an attack or Toxic.
- Alternatively, you can use this free switch to bring in a wallbreaker such as Exploud to rip apart the opponent's switch-in.
- Be cautious when facing an opponent with a Pursuit-trapper, especially if the opponent also has a threat that Bronzong checks, such as Tyrantrum.
Team Options
========
- Thanks to Bronzong's immunity to Poison-types and resistance to Steel-types, it pairs well with with Fairy-types, such as Diancie, Aromatisse, Mega Audino, Granbull, and Togetic. In turn, these Fairy-types can rid Bronzong of a status ailment with Heal Bell and check the Dark-types it struggles against. Diancie makes for a particularly effective partner because it also checks Fire-types and appreciates the move slot that Bronzong frees up with Stealth Rock.
- Because Bronzong lacks active recovery, Wish support from Aromatisse and Mega Audino, as well as Alomomola is very helpful.
- To patch up Bronzong's weakness to Fire-types, Water-types such as Alomomola, Quagsire, Sharpedo, and Samurott make for effective partners.
- Rapid Spin support from Blastoise or Hitmontop is appreciated because the former also checks Fire-types while the latter can check some Dark-types. Defog support from Flygon is also good because it also checks Fire-types.
- Qwilfish and Garbodor make for a nice hazard stacking core and appreciate Bronzong's immunity to Ground-types. The former is also nice for checking Emboar.
- Virizion and Emboar appreciate Bronzong's ability to pivot in against Fairy- and Ground-types respecitvely, such as Granbull and Seismitoad while also being a good check for Dark-types.
- Wallbreakers such as Choice Band Tyrantrum, Exploud, and Choice Specs Meloetta appreciate the free switches Bronzong provides as the foe switches out.
- While not the most common, Ghost-types can be difficult for Bronzong, so Dark-types such as Sharpedo, Absol, Drapion, Houndoom, and Spiritomb are helpful. Drapion and Houndoom also appreciate Bronzong's immunity to Ground-type attacks, Spiritomb provides spinblocking, and all of them appreciate Bronzong pivoting into Fairy-type attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Iron Head can be used as a middle ground in terms of power between Gyro Ball and Heavy Slam. It hits fast foes such as Tyrantrum and Mega Glalie for far less damage than Gyro Ball, but hits Fairy-types harder. It also deals less damage to Fairy-types than Heavy Slam, but hits fast foes harder. Iron Head also hits Mega Abomasnow for more damage than either Gyro Ball or Heavy Slam, though Hidden Power Fire is generally preferred.
- If you find Bronzong's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off to be too great of a strain, Colbur Berry is a decent option, though missing out on passive recovery each turn hurts.
- Bronzong can be used as a Trick Room setter with an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def and a Brave nature, though dedicated Trick Room teams aren't very viable in RU.
- Bronzong can run dual screens with Light Clay, though it faces competition in this role with Uxie, which is much faster, a bit bulkier, and has an easier time pivoting out thanks to U-turn.
- Likewise, Bronzong can be used a weather setter as well, though it faces competition from Uxie in this role as well.
- Psywave is an interesting option that can be used to take on bulky Water-types lacking recovery and Mega Steelix, which takes very little from Bronzong's standard attacks.
- Hypnosis can be used to surprise expected switch-ins, but it's low accuracy combined with Bronzong's low Speed makes this a poor option.
- Hidden Power Ice can be used to hit Flygon or Hidden Power Grass can be used to for Seismitoad and Quagsire, but it's generally better to check these threats with Bronzong's teammates.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types and Pursuit-trappers**: Pursuit-trappers such as Absol, Escavalier, Spiritomb, Drapion, and Sneasel can pivot in on an expected switch into Bronzong and cause 50/50 situations between Pursuit or their other Dark-type STAB. Sharpedo and Scrafty can also deal massive damage, 2HKOing Bronzong with Sharpedo's Crunch or Dark Pulse and Scrafty's Knock Off after a +1.
**Fire-types**: While they have to be careful of switching into an Earthquake, Fire-types such as Delphox, Emboar, and Houndoom all outspeed Bronzong and have the potential to OHKO it after Stealth Rock damage. Mega Camerupt is outsped by Impish Bronzong, but can survive an Earthquake and OHKO.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Seismitoad, Blastoise, Jellicent, Quagsire, and Slowking, resist Bronzong's Steel-type STAB and can survive an Earthquake. While none of them like being hit with Toxic, there's little that Bronzong can do offensively against these foes.
**Ghost-types**: While not as common as Fire- and Dark-types, Ghost-types such as offensive Cofagrigus, Trevenant, and Mega Banette can 2HKO Bronzong while Rotom and defensive Cofagrigus can 3HKO it while taking little damage.
**Coverage Attacks**: Eelektross is immune to Earthquake, resists Bronzong's Steel-type STABs, and can hit Bronzong for super effective damage with either Flamethrower or Knock Off. While Manectric has to watch out for Earthquake, both Overheat and Flamethrower deal significant damage to Brozong. Exploud's Fire Blast, Meloetta's Shadow Ball, and Sigilyph's Heat Wave all 2HKO Bronzong.
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