[SET]
Desolate Land (Iron Moth) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fiery Dance / Flamethrower
- Solar Beam / Toxic Spikes / Sludge Wave
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
[SET COMMENTS]
Iron Moth functions as a great offensive pivot, leveraging its solid typing bolstered by Desolate Land, high Special Attack, solid bulk and Speed, and deep coverage movepool to soft-check powerful threats like Zapdos, Gholdengo, and Moltres. Fiery Dance is preferred to potentially turn Iron Moth into a dangerous setup sweeper, but bulky variants can opt for Flamethrower for more consistent damage overall as well as more PP. Solar Beam is the preferred second move, immediately threatening checks like Manaphy and Swampert. Toxic Spikes allows Iron Moth to wear down bulky RegenVest foes like Roaring Moon and Manaphy over time, while Sludge Wave threatens Zapdos, Scream Tail, and Primarina. U-turn allows Iron Moth to pivot out of disadvantageous matchups like Well-Baked Body Steel-types, incoming Primordial Sea users, and Swampert if lacking Solar Beam. An offensive spread is usually preferred, especially if running coverage moves, but alternatively, a set with maximum HP and Speed can be used to be a more effective switch-in to foes like Zapdos and Primarina.
Iron Moth finds itself best suited for balance or bulky offense teams that highly appreciate the combination of defensive utility and offensive firepower it brings. Offensive pivots like Meowscarada, Roaring Moon, and Slither Wing are especially great teammates, forming a potent VoltTurn core with Iron Moth. Roaring Moon threatens Psychic-types like Deoxys-S, Azelf, and Iron Crown while acting as a secondary check to Zapdos, which can otherwise come in on Iron Moth's Fire-type moves for free. Iron Moth, meanwhile, threatens the physical walls that Roaring Moon can struggle to make progress against. Iron Moth is incredibly vulnerable to Knock Off and, if its item gets removed, entry hazards, making Great Tusk and Corviknight amazing teammates. Even with specialized coverage, Iron Moth struggles to make progress against special walls like Swampert, Meloetta, and Chansey, and its Speed stat leaves much to be desired, meaning fast physical wallbreakers that can handle these special walls like Chien-Pao, Roaring Moon, and Zamazenta are near mandatory; these teammates also greatly appreciate Toxic Spikes wearing down checks like Great Tusk and physically defensive Manaphy.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gimmicky.540420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fuck-it-you-also-get-to-be-a-fish.580765/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Moth has a deep movepool it can dig into to suit the needs of its team. Overheat is an incredibly powerful nuke on Desolate Land and Hadron Engine sets at the cost of being more punishable by Fire-resistant foes like Roaring Moon. Toxic is an option over Toxic Spikes on Desolate Land sets to directly threaten enemies with debilitating status, but Toxic Spikes is usually preferred for its ability to status multiple foes. Energy Ball is an option over Solar Beam on Desolate Land sets to hit Primordial Sea Primarina and to not get locked in against Primordial Sea Zapdos, but Solar Beam is generally preferred for its power. Both Iron Moth sets can look into their movepool for options like Psychic for opposing Iron Moth and Pecharunt or, on Desolate Land sets, Dazzling Gleam to hit Roaring Moon on the switch in, but these moves are either too risky to use or don't provide enough value compared to the suggested moves. Iron Moth can consider dropping a coverage move for Toxic to threaten checks like Swampert and Blissey, but this is usually less useful than a third attacking move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Primordial Sea Users**: Primordial Sea users like Ogerpon-W, Archaludon, and Zapdos all immensely threaten Iron Moth; Ogerpon-W forces it out with STAB attacks and the threat of a Swords Dance, Archaludon forces it out with Earthquake, and Zapdos forces it out with Weather Ball or its STAB moves. All-out attacking Iron Moth sets struggle less against Primordial Sea users.
**Roaring Moon**: Roaring Moon, especially its bulkier sets, is particularly apt at switching into, checking, and OHKOing Iron Moth, forcing it out.
**RegenVest Users**: RegenVest users like Swampert and Meloetta effortlessly sponge Iron Moth's hits while threatening it hard in return.
**Faster Attackers**: Revenge killers like Chien-Pao, Deoxys-S, and Zamazenta can outspeed and cleanly OHKO Iron Moth.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gimmicky.540420/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fuck-it-you-also-get-to-be-a-fish.580765/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Desolate Land (Iron Moth) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fiery Dance / Flamethrower
- Solar Beam / Toxic Spikes / Sludge Wave
- U-turn
- Morning Sun
[SET COMMENTS]
Iron Moth functions as a great offensive pivot, leveraging its solid typing bolstered by Desolate Land, high Special Attack, solid bulk and Speed, and deep coverage movepool to soft-check powerful threats like Zapdos, Gholdengo, and Moltres. Fiery Dance is preferred to potentially turn Iron Moth into a dangerous setup sweeper, but bulky variants can opt for Flamethrower for more consistent damage overall as well as more PP. Solar Beam is the preferred second move, immediately threatening checks like Manaphy and Swampert. Toxic Spikes allows Iron Moth to wear down bulky RegenVest foes like Roaring Moon and Manaphy over time, while Sludge Wave threatens Zapdos, Scream Tail, and Primarina. U-turn allows Iron Moth to pivot out of disadvantageous matchups like Well-Baked Body Steel-types, incoming Primordial Sea users, and Swampert if lacking Solar Beam. An offensive spread is usually preferred, especially if running coverage moves, but alternatively, a set with maximum HP and Speed can be used to be a more effective switch-in to foes like Zapdos and Primarina.
Iron Moth finds itself best suited for balance or bulky offense teams that highly appreciate the combination of defensive utility and offensive firepower it brings. Offensive pivots like Meowscarada, Roaring Moon, and Slither Wing are especially great teammates, forming a potent VoltTurn core with Iron Moth. Roaring Moon threatens Psychic-types like Deoxys-S, Azelf, and Iron Crown while acting as a secondary check to Zapdos, which can otherwise come in on Iron Moth's Fire-type moves for free. Iron Moth, meanwhile, threatens the physical walls that Roaring Moon can struggle to make progress against. Iron Moth is incredibly vulnerable to Knock Off and, if its item gets removed, entry hazards, making Great Tusk and Corviknight amazing teammates. Even with specialized coverage, Iron Moth struggles to make progress against special walls like Swampert, Meloetta, and Chansey, and its Speed stat leaves much to be desired, meaning fast physical wallbreakers that can handle these special walls like Chien-Pao, Roaring Moon, and Zamazenta are near mandatory; these teammates also greatly appreciate Toxic Spikes wearing down checks like Great Tusk and physically defensive Manaphy.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gimmicky.540420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fuck-it-you-also-get-to-be-a-fish.580765/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Iron Moth has a deep movepool it can dig into to suit the needs of its team. Overheat is an incredibly powerful nuke on Desolate Land and Hadron Engine sets at the cost of being more punishable by Fire-resistant foes like Roaring Moon. Toxic is an option over Toxic Spikes on Desolate Land sets to directly threaten enemies with debilitating status, but Toxic Spikes is usually preferred for its ability to status multiple foes. Energy Ball is an option over Solar Beam on Desolate Land sets to hit Primordial Sea Primarina and to not get locked in against Primordial Sea Zapdos, but Solar Beam is generally preferred for its power. Both Iron Moth sets can look into their movepool for options like Psychic for opposing Iron Moth and Pecharunt or, on Desolate Land sets, Dazzling Gleam to hit Roaring Moon on the switch in, but these moves are either too risky to use or don't provide enough value compared to the suggested moves. Iron Moth can consider dropping a coverage move for Toxic to threaten checks like Swampert and Blissey, but this is usually less useful than a third attacking move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Primordial Sea Users**: Primordial Sea users like Ogerpon-W, Archaludon, and Zapdos all immensely threaten Iron Moth; Ogerpon-W forces it out with STAB attacks and the threat of a Swords Dance, Archaludon forces it out with Earthquake, and Zapdos forces it out with Weather Ball or its STAB moves. All-out attacking Iron Moth sets struggle less against Primordial Sea users.
**Roaring Moon**: Roaring Moon, especially its bulkier sets, is particularly apt at switching into, checking, and OHKOing Iron Moth, forcing it out.
**RegenVest Users**: RegenVest users like Swampert and Meloetta effortlessly sponge Iron Moth's hits while threatening it hard in return.
**Faster Attackers**: Revenge killers like Chien-Pao, Deoxys-S, and Zamazenta can outspeed and cleanly OHKO Iron Moth.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gimmicky.540420/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fuck-it-you-also-get-to-be-a-fish.580765/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited: