[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Headlong Rush
move 2: Ice Spinner
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Knock Off / Stealth Rock
item: Rocky Helmet / Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
tera type: Water / Steel
ability: Protosynthesis
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Defensive Great Tusk focuses on its great defensive typing and natural physical bulk to act as an amazing defensive check to Pokemon such as Kingambit, Dragonite, and physical Iron Treads while providing excellent utility for its teammates. Headlong Rush is used over Earthquake to secure an OHKO on uninvested Gholdengo and bulky Cinderace, as well as giving it the chance to OHKO Raging Bolt. Ice Spinner gives Great Tusk the ability to 2HKO the likes of Landorus-T, Tera Flying Roaring Moon, Gliscor, and the aforementioned Dragonite. It also gives Great Tusk a means of hitting other Flying- and Grass-types that would otherwise feel safe switching in such as Enamorus and Rillaboom, with the latter's Grassy Terrain being removed. Ice Spinner is also able to slam Pokemon that opt for Tera Flying, namely Raging Bolt and Kingambit. Rapid Spin is an amazing tool for Great Tusk thanks to how well it is able to match up against other Stealth Rock setters such as Landorus-T, Ting-Lu, and Glimmora. Rapid Spin's Speed boost also lets Great Tusk keep up with Dragon Dance Dragonite while letting it outspeed targets such as Dragapult, Iron Crown, Cinderace, and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. The final moveslot comes down to either Knock Off or Stealth Rock. Knock Off is a great way to force further progress on the hazard-stacking teams Great Tusk finds itself on by removing Heavy-Duty Boots from common switch-ins such as Moltres, Zapdos, Sinistcha, and Alomomola and Air Balloon Gholdengo; however, it has to be wary of Flame Body and Static from the former two. Stealth Rock, on the other hand, is able to compress hazard setting and hazard removal to help free up Great Tusk's teammates of the responsibility while taking advantage of the switches that it can force, especially after a Rapid Spin, from opponents like the aforementioned Landorus-T and Glimmora, as well as Galarian Slowking and Dragonite. Rocky Helmet can be used to further punish the Pokemon Great Tusk aims to check like Kingambit and Gliscor Scizor while forcing chip damage on other physical attackers such as Lokix and Hisuian Samurott by punishing the use of Knock Off. Rocky Helmet also forces Dragonite to break its' own Multiscale upon contact, giving Great Tusk an immediate OHKO on it. Leftovers are a solid option to increase Great Tusk's own longevity, giving it more opportunities to Rapid Spin away hazards or set them up if it opts for Stealth Rock, whereas Heavy-Duty Boots can be run on teams that are more reliant on Great Tusk to remove hazards. Max Speed is run on Great Tusk to ensure it is able to outspeed Glimmora, as well as other targets such as Gholdengo, Samurott-Hisui, and Dragonite.
Great Tusk fits perfectly on bulky offense and balance teams wanting to make use of its defensive capabilities and strong utility options. It functions as the tier's most versatile form of hazard removal while maintaining an offensive presence with its high-power STAB moves and strong coverage. Powerful offensive partners that appreciate its ability to remove hazards, remove items, or set hazards such as Ogerpon-W, non-Heavy-Duty Boots Kyurem, and Raging Bolt do an excellent job at punching roles through the opposing team. These partners are also able to effectively handle opposing Pokemon that Great Tusk might struggle with, such as Moltres, Zapdos, and Alomomola. Other teammates that share similar checks to Great Tusk, such as Kingambit and Zamazenta, appreciate the ability to remove items and chip down the previously mentioned threats into range, like removing Moltres's and Zapdos's Heavy-Duty Boots or chipping Zamazenta into range of their attacks, forcing it to use Rest. Dragonite and Garganacl love Great Tusk's ability to remove hazards, allowing them to drop their Heavy-Duty Boots. This is in favor of Choice Band on the former to act as a powerful and immediate wallbreaker, whereas Garganacl is able to run Leftovers to further boost its longevity, meaning it isn't forced to use Recover as often and can therefore focus on using Salt Cure to chip down the opposing team. Defensive partners such as Galarian Slowking and Moltres help shut down Pokemon such as Enamorus, Iron Valiant, Iron Moth, and Kyurem, which Great Tusk can not handle. Galarian Slowking also acts as a special wall that appreciates Great Tusk taking on the likes of Kingambit, Gliscor, and Lokix for it, while Moltres can act as a safer check to Roaring Moon and Cinderace. Other hazard setters that can relieve Great Tusk, such as Landorus-T and Tinkaton, or ones that complement it with Spikes, such as Ting-Lu and Hisuian Samurott, work wonderfully with it; the latter two are also able to handle the Ghost-type Pokemon that may try to block Rapid Spin from Great Tusk. Other Pokemon that are able to deal with Ghost-types such as Dragapult, Darkrai, and Lokix are helpful: the former two being able to act as strong special attacking wallbreakers that can break through Pokemon Great Tusk can't, such as Hatterene, Dondozo, and Corviknight, while Lokix can act as a strong pivot and revenge killer, taking care of Ting-Lu, Ogerpon-W, and Rillaboom for Great Tusk while it removes hazards for Lokix and chips down checks like opposing Great Tusk and Landorus-T.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tidal.540420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/viivian.584916/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
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