[OVERVIEW]
While definitely not a top-tier defensive threat, Bronzor has managed to carve out a defensive niche, boasting the ability to check powerful offensive Pokemon such as Golem and Arbok, thanks to its great defensive typing in combination with its Levitate ability. Bronzor works best on defensive or balanced teams, where it can utilize its incredible nine resistances and two immunities to reliably set Stealth Rock facing a variety of common threats in the PU metagame such as Chatot, Articuno, and Golem. Unfortunately not all is good for Bronzor, as very low offensive stats combined with very low Speed make it very passive, meaning it can be taken advantage of by a variety of boosting sweepers as well as most offensive Pokemon. Bronzor's impressive list of resistances and immunities is somewhat offset by its weakness to common typings in Dark and Fire. Lastly, Bronzor's only form of reliable recovery is Rest, which renders it useless for two turns, and thus using Bronzor often requires the use of a cleric to support it.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Psywave
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Rest
item: Eviolite
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is a necessity for every team, and Bronzor's fantastic bulk combined with good typing makes it a reliable Stealth Rock setter that is usually able to set the hazard multiple times if required. Psywave is used to deal direct damage, between 50 HP and 150 HP, making it tougher for Pokemon such as Rotom-F and Grumpig to take advantage of Bronzor and use it as setup fodder. Toxic is used to catch Pokemon that may try to switch in and take advantage of Bronzor's passivity while also generally wearing down defensive Pokemon. Rest gives Bronzor a somewhat reliable means of recovery, although it makes it vulnerable for the two turns that it is asleep.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP with heavy Defense investment enables Bronzor to act as a reliable physical wall, dealing with Pokemon such as Muk, Stoutland, and Bouffalant. 112 Special Defense investment buffers Bronzor when facing special attackers such as Mr. Mime and lets it avoid the 3HKO from Grumpig's Shadow Ball and +6 Clefairy's Moonblast. Levitate is Bronzor's ability of choice, granting it a value Ground immunity and setting it apart from Metang.
Usage Tips
========
Bronzor is used mainly to check physical threats such as Golem, Mawile, and Muk. Bring Bronzor in against these Pokemon, and proceed to set up Stealth Rock or spread status via Toxic. While getting up Stealth Rock will often be the first priority, if a powerful wallbreaker or boosting threat such as Cacturne or Gorebyss is threatening to switch in on Bronzor, don't be afraid to try to Toxic it as it switches in to wear it down; Bronzor can always set Stealth Rock at a later stage in the battle. Another thing to keep in mind is that Bronzor's low Speed stat means that it will almost always be moving second; this is relevant because if Bronzor wants to recover with Rest, it must do so earlier rather than later to avoid being outsped and KOed on the turn it tries to recover.
Team Options
========
With Bronzor being incapacitated for two turns once it clicks Rest, a reliable cleric such as Audino, Altaria, or Clefairy is often a good start when looking for teammates. It is usually easy to fit one or even two of these Pokemon alongside Bronzor due to the fact that they share great defensive synergy. Altaria deals with Knock Off users such as Leafeon and Pawniard, while Audino and Clefairy handle powerful special attackers such as Floatzel and Cacturne. Muk is another Pokemon that pairs well with Bronzor, as Bronzor can soak up attacks from Ground-types such as Golem and Gabite, while Muk can easily handle special attackers such as Rotom-F, Combusken, and Cacturne. Pelipper is another good partner, able to act as somewhat of a reliable Knock Off sponge, while also dealing with threatening Fire-types such as Monferno and Combusken.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If Bronzor is only being relied on to take on physical threats such as Stoutland and Golem, maximum Defense investment can be used instead of a mixed defensive spread. Sleep Talk or Psych Up can be user over Stealth Rock if another member on Bronzor's team is already a capable Stealth Rock setter. Psych Up allows Bronzor to steal the boosts from Pokemon such as Calm Mind Duosion and Bulk Up Ursaring, preventing them from boosting up and breaking through Bronzor. Sleep Talk gives Bronzor a chance to throw out Toxic or Psywave while still asleep, making it slightly less passive and reducing the need for Bronzor to be paired with a cleric.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Pawniard, Cacturne, and Krokorok not only are immune to Bronzor's only attacking move, Psywave, but they also threaten Bronzor with their Dark STAB moves. Pawniard is a particularly good counter because it is immune to both Psywave and Toxic and can Pursuit trap Bronzor reliably.
**Fire-types**: Rapidash, Monferno, and Combusken are just a few of a slew of Fire-types that are able to threaten Bronzor with their powerful, super effective STAB attacks.
**Taunt users**: Taunt prevents Bronzor from using important utility moves like Rest and Toxic. Offensive Taunt users such as Floatzel and Grumpig are the best examples of Pokemon that utilize this strategy, as they can weaken Bronzor and then Taunt it to prevent recovery.
**Boosting Sweepers**: With Bronzor relying on Toxic and Psywave as its only way to deal damage, Pokemon that can boost quickly such as Shell Smash Gorebyss, Nasty Plot Chatot, and Swords Dance Leafeon will often be able to overwhelm Bronzor, as it is far too passive to threaten them.
**Losing Eviolite**: Bronzor relies heavily on its Eviolite to remain effective, as without it its bulk is significant decreased, simply failing to check common Pokemon such as Stoutland and Golem, which it would usually be relied upon to deal with. Trick users such as Mr. Mime and Rotom-F can be used to rid Bronzor of its Eviolite, while defensive Knock Off users such as Clefairy and Mawile are often able to lure Bronzor in and remove its item.
While definitely not a top-tier defensive threat, Bronzor has managed to carve out a defensive niche, boasting the ability to check powerful offensive Pokemon such as Golem and Arbok, thanks to its great defensive typing in combination with its Levitate ability. Bronzor works best on defensive or balanced teams, where it can utilize its incredible nine resistances and two immunities to reliably set Stealth Rock facing a variety of common threats in the PU metagame such as Chatot, Articuno, and Golem. Unfortunately not all is good for Bronzor, as very low offensive stats combined with very low Speed make it very passive, meaning it can be taken advantage of by a variety of boosting sweepers as well as most offensive Pokemon. Bronzor's impressive list of resistances and immunities is somewhat offset by its weakness to common typings in Dark and Fire. Lastly, Bronzor's only form of reliable recovery is Rest, which renders it useless for two turns, and thus using Bronzor often requires the use of a cleric to support it.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Psywave
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Rest
item: Eviolite
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is a necessity for every team, and Bronzor's fantastic bulk combined with good typing makes it a reliable Stealth Rock setter that is usually able to set the hazard multiple times if required. Psywave is used to deal direct damage, between 50 HP and 150 HP, making it tougher for Pokemon such as Rotom-F and Grumpig to take advantage of Bronzor and use it as setup fodder. Toxic is used to catch Pokemon that may try to switch in and take advantage of Bronzor's passivity while also generally wearing down defensive Pokemon. Rest gives Bronzor a somewhat reliable means of recovery, although it makes it vulnerable for the two turns that it is asleep.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP with heavy Defense investment enables Bronzor to act as a reliable physical wall, dealing with Pokemon such as Muk, Stoutland, and Bouffalant. 112 Special Defense investment buffers Bronzor when facing special attackers such as Mr. Mime and lets it avoid the 3HKO from Grumpig's Shadow Ball and +6 Clefairy's Moonblast. Levitate is Bronzor's ability of choice, granting it a value Ground immunity and setting it apart from Metang.
Usage Tips
========
Bronzor is used mainly to check physical threats such as Golem, Mawile, and Muk. Bring Bronzor in against these Pokemon, and proceed to set up Stealth Rock or spread status via Toxic. While getting up Stealth Rock will often be the first priority, if a powerful wallbreaker or boosting threat such as Cacturne or Gorebyss is threatening to switch in on Bronzor, don't be afraid to try to Toxic it as it switches in to wear it down; Bronzor can always set Stealth Rock at a later stage in the battle. Another thing to keep in mind is that Bronzor's low Speed stat means that it will almost always be moving second; this is relevant because if Bronzor wants to recover with Rest, it must do so earlier rather than later to avoid being outsped and KOed on the turn it tries to recover.
Team Options
========
With Bronzor being incapacitated for two turns once it clicks Rest, a reliable cleric such as Audino, Altaria, or Clefairy is often a good start when looking for teammates. It is usually easy to fit one or even two of these Pokemon alongside Bronzor due to the fact that they share great defensive synergy. Altaria deals with Knock Off users such as Leafeon and Pawniard, while Audino and Clefairy handle powerful special attackers such as Floatzel and Cacturne. Muk is another Pokemon that pairs well with Bronzor, as Bronzor can soak up attacks from Ground-types such as Golem and Gabite, while Muk can easily handle special attackers such as Rotom-F, Combusken, and Cacturne. Pelipper is another good partner, able to act as somewhat of a reliable Knock Off sponge, while also dealing with threatening Fire-types such as Monferno and Combusken.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If Bronzor is only being relied on to take on physical threats such as Stoutland and Golem, maximum Defense investment can be used instead of a mixed defensive spread. Sleep Talk or Psych Up can be user over Stealth Rock if another member on Bronzor's team is already a capable Stealth Rock setter. Psych Up allows Bronzor to steal the boosts from Pokemon such as Calm Mind Duosion and Bulk Up Ursaring, preventing them from boosting up and breaking through Bronzor. Sleep Talk gives Bronzor a chance to throw out Toxic or Psywave while still asleep, making it slightly less passive and reducing the need for Bronzor to be paired with a cleric.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Pawniard, Cacturne, and Krokorok not only are immune to Bronzor's only attacking move, Psywave, but they also threaten Bronzor with their Dark STAB moves. Pawniard is a particularly good counter because it is immune to both Psywave and Toxic and can Pursuit trap Bronzor reliably.
**Fire-types**: Rapidash, Monferno, and Combusken are just a few of a slew of Fire-types that are able to threaten Bronzor with their powerful, super effective STAB attacks.
**Taunt users**: Taunt prevents Bronzor from using important utility moves like Rest and Toxic. Offensive Taunt users such as Floatzel and Grumpig are the best examples of Pokemon that utilize this strategy, as they can weaken Bronzor and then Taunt it to prevent recovery.
**Boosting Sweepers**: With Bronzor relying on Toxic and Psywave as its only way to deal damage, Pokemon that can boost quickly such as Shell Smash Gorebyss, Nasty Plot Chatot, and Swords Dance Leafeon will often be able to overwhelm Bronzor, as it is far too passive to threaten them.
**Losing Eviolite**: Bronzor relies heavily on its Eviolite to remain effective, as without it its bulk is significant decreased, simply failing to check common Pokemon such as Stoutland and Golem, which it would usually be relied upon to deal with. Trick users such as Mr. Mime and Rotom-F can be used to rid Bronzor of its Eviolite, while defensive Knock Off users such as Clefairy and Mawile are often able to lure Bronzor in and remove its item.
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