Ferrothorn
QC Approved (Iconic, Bloo, Pk Gaming)
GP Approved (2/2)
-----
[Overview]
<p>With Generation V bringing a plethora of offensively-inclined threats into the metagame, Ferrothorn remains an exception to the rule, holding its ground against many of the most threatening Pokemon seen in competitive play. Great defensive typing, above average stats, and a killer support movepool make him a valuable asset to both offensive and defensive teams alike. The ability to check so many threats at once, including but not limited to Latios, Gengar, and nearly every Water-type in existence allows Ferrothorn many opportunities to switch in and either set up entry hazards or retaliate with either of its two powerful STAB moves. Much like any other Pokemon, Ferrothorn does have its drawbacks in its poor Speed and 4x Fire weakness, but with the right team support, Ferrothorn will almost always perform well.</p>
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Gyro Ball / Protect / Thunder Wave
move 4: Power Whip / Protect
nature: Relaxed
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
evs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Ferrothorn's standard fare, and is what it will be running the majority of the time. Spikes work excellently on Ferrothorn, giving it something to do after switching in on an opponent that can't touch him. Leech Seed is also a very effective move, useful for preventing opposing Pokemon from setting up on it, while at the same time providing self-healing. Gyro Ball and Power Whip are Ferrothorn's best attacking options, hitting the majority of the standard metagame for at least neutral damage. However, because Ferrothorn's Attack stat is less than impressive without any investment, Protect is an appealing alternative over either move, as it is useful not only for scouting, but for racking up Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery as well. Gyro Ball and Power Whip each have their own merits; the former is more useful against faster threats, most notably Dragon-types and Gengar, while the latter is more useful against Water-types and slow Pokemon, such as Reuniclus.</p>
<p>In addition to the moves listed, two other viable options in Ferrothorn's movepool are Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave. While Ferrothorn is typically better suited for setting up Spikes, Stealth Rock can be used if it is being used with another Spikes user. Stealth Rock can also be used over Leech Seed, although this means Ferrothorn is left without any means of recovery outside of Leftovers. Thunder Wave, despite having poor synergy with Gyro Ball, allows Ferrothorn to cripple many of its common counters, such as Infernape and Hydreigon, although it can be difficult to find an open moveslot for it. As a final additional option, Ferrothorn can use Shed Shell in order to escape from Magnezone and Wobbuffet, although this means that Ferrothorn loses out on valuable Leftovers recovery.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Ferrothorn can be EVed in many different ways, depending on how defensive it needs to be on each side of the damage spectrum. The given EV spread balances Ferrothorn's Defense and Special Defense, with a slight emphasis on Defense, allowing Ferrothorn to fare better against threats such as Excadrill, Landorus, Haxorus, Gyarados, and some variants of Scizor. However, a Sassy nature can be used in order to take hits from the likes of Latios, Starmie, and Gengar even better. EV investment can be adapted as seen fit depending on what Ferrothorn is typically depended on to switch into more often. Finally, while not required, Ferrothorn can benefit from some investment in Attack in order to inflict more damage to foes, such as Landorus. Anywhere between 40 and 252 EVs can be used, however keep in mind that too much investment severely detracts from Ferrothorn's survivability.</p>
<p>Thanks to Ferrothorn's great defensive typing, it is one of the easiest Pokemon to make a defensive core with. Jellicent is one of the best options, as together, they resist every attacking type in the game with the exceptions of Ground and Flying. In addition, Jellicent is capable of blocking attempts to spin away the hazards that Ferrothorn sets up. Fire-types in general also make great teammates to Ferrothorn, as not only do they resist Ferrothorn's biggest weakness, but they also scare off many of the Pokemon that give Ferrothorn problems, such as Skarmory, Scizor, and some Jirachi. Water-types also generally have good synergy with Ferrothorn, particularly those that also possess a resistance to Fighting-type moves, such as Gyarados and Tentacruel.</p>
<p>Ferrothorn is also often compared to Forretress when competing for a team slot. This is not surprising, as both Pokemon possess a similar typing, while also having access to Spikes. Forretress also has better Defense while Ferrothorn has superior Special Defense. In general, the team slot will go to whichever the team needs more: Forretress' access to Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin, or Ferrothorn's superior resistances and Special Defense. Regardless, one should consider Forretress before deciding to use Ferrothorn on a team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Gyro Ball
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Bulldoze
move 4: Spikes / Explosion
nature: Brave
item: Choice Band
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this set may appear to be a gimmick at first, it is quite far from it. Ferrothorn may lack a large offensive movepool, but its two extremely powerful STAB moves in Gyro Ball and Power Whip backed by a respectable base 94 Attack stat show that this set is not to be underestimated. Steel- and Grass-type attacks have surprisingly good coverage together, only being reisisted by a handful of common threats, most of which possess either Steel or Fire typing. Despite Bulldoze's paltry base power of 60, it hits many of the Pokemon that resist Ferrothorn's STAB moves for a large amount of damage. The last moveslot is largely filler; Spikes isn't the best move to be locked into, but can be useful in certain situations. Explosion's high Base Power, on the other hand, is very appealing, but comes at the cost of Ferrothorn's life, and is not much more powerful than Ferrothorn's STAB moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is so effective because of Ferrothorn's surprising power when it wields a Choice Band in tandem with its useful bulk and typing. Because many players expect Ferrothorn to simply set up Spikes or use Leech Seed in order to recover, it is typically unlikely for the opponent to switch in a Pokemon capable of withstanding all of Ferrothorn's attacks. Here are some damage calculations to show how powerful this set is, assuming a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Gyro Ball (-1) vs. 0/0 Salamence: 77.9% - 91.8%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 4/0 Thundurus: 72% - 84.7%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/4 Deoxys-S: 115.5% - 136.2%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/184+ Gliscor: 58.8% - 69.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 4/0 Excadrill: 107.73% - 126.80%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/0 Conkeldurr: 65.2% - 76.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 192/64 Reuniclus: 73.6% - 86.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Reuniclus: 52.6% - 62.3%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Suicune: 83.7% - 98.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Hippowdon: 79% - 93.3%</li>
<li>Bulldoze vs. 4/0 Heatran: 69.1% - 81.5%</li>
<li>Bulldoze vs. 40/0 Magnezone: 70.1% - 83.8%</li>
<li>Explosion vs. 192/64 Zapdos: 80.8% - 95.1%</li>
</ul>
<p>Despite the lack of investment in Ferrothorn's defenses, maximizing Ferrothorn's HP investment still provides it with plenty of bulk. In fact, Ferrothorn's bulk in combination with its great defensive typing is one of his main selling points over other Choice Band users, such as Terrakion, and Scizor, as Ferrothorn will often take multiple hits before going down. Unfortunately, there are several common Pokemon that Choice Band Ferrothorn struggles with, namely Scizor, Skarmory, Bronzong, Zapdos, and opposing Ferrothorn. For this reason, it is wise to pair Ferrothorn up with a Fire-type. Not only do they have good synergy, but a Fire-type such as Heatran or Infernape is capable of switching in on many of the Pokemon that give this set trouble.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Two of the most noteworthy moves not mentioned above are Curse and Gravity. Curse is a viable set-up move for Ferrothorn, allowing it to boost its Attack to dangerous levels while simultaneously increasing its Defense through the roof. However, Ferrothorn is still vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, and will be OHKOed by many of them, so this set requires a great deal of team support. Gravity, on the other hand, allows Ferrothorn to act as a defensive pivot on a Gravity-based team, although Gravity is generally considered a gimmicky strategy.</p>
<p>For individual sets, the standard set does not have many other options available aside from Stealth Rock and Toxic. Stealth Rock is only recommended if there is no teammate that can set up Stealth Rock as effectively, as Ferrothorn is one of the few useful Pokemon capable of setting up Spikes. Toxic is a viable option as well, but it is generally dismissed in favor of Leech Seed, which heals Ferrothorn in addition to racking up residual damage. Rugged Helmet is also a viable item choice on the standard set, as Pokemon that use contact moves against Ferrothorn will lose 25% of their health due to the combination of Rugged Helmet and Steel Thorns. This is especially helpful in warding off Pokemon that want to use Rapid Spin against Ferrothorn, especially since Rapid Spin does not remove entry hazards if the user faints from Steel Thorns immediately after using the move. On the Choice Band set, Ferrothorn can use Return, Rollout, Payback, Shadow Claw, or even Leech Seed in the fourth slot, although Spikes and Explosion are generally superior options.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Pokemon that carry Fire-type moves, such as Heatran, Infernape, Zoroark, and Hydreigon, are more than capable of forcing Ferrothorn out. However, Ferrothorn is capable of surviving some weaker Fire-type attacks, such as Tyranitar's Flamethrower. This gives Ferrothorn the opportunity to either attack back or set up entry hazards. Likewise, users of powerful Fighting-type attacks, such as Conkeldurr and Terrakion, will also scare most Ferrothorn off. Magic Bounce Xatu and Espeon, as well as Taunt Skarmory are capable of rendering Ferrothorn nearly useless, preventing it from laying down Spikes while providing their own form of team support in the form of either dual screens or Spikes, respectively.</p>
<p>Many Pokemon that are often otherwise shut down by Ferrothorn, such as Latios and Starmie, are capable of crippling Ferrothorn if they choose to run Hidden Power Fire or Trick. Magnezone with either Hidden Power Fire or the combination of Charge Beam and Substitute is also capable of making Ferrothorn's life miserable. Finally, because Ferrothorn does not have reliable recovery outside of Leech Seed and Rest, it can eventually be worn down by powerful or boosted neutral hits. Be warned, however, that many of Ferrothorn's counters will dread switching in on the Choice Band set, especially if they are not expecting it.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Ferrothorn does not get a Dream World ability. However, once Dream World Chandelure is released, it is recommended that Ferrothorn opt to hold a Shed Shell rather than Leftovers in order to avoid being trapped and OHKOed by the deadly chandelier.</p>
QC Approved (Iconic, Bloo, Pk Gaming)
GP Approved (2/2)
-----
[Overview]
<p>With Generation V bringing a plethora of offensively-inclined threats into the metagame, Ferrothorn remains an exception to the rule, holding its ground against many of the most threatening Pokemon seen in competitive play. Great defensive typing, above average stats, and a killer support movepool make him a valuable asset to both offensive and defensive teams alike. The ability to check so many threats at once, including but not limited to Latios, Gengar, and nearly every Water-type in existence allows Ferrothorn many opportunities to switch in and either set up entry hazards or retaliate with either of its two powerful STAB moves. Much like any other Pokemon, Ferrothorn does have its drawbacks in its poor Speed and 4x Fire weakness, but with the right team support, Ferrothorn will almost always perform well.</p>
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Gyro Ball / Protect / Thunder Wave
move 4: Power Whip / Protect
nature: Relaxed
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
evs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Ferrothorn's standard fare, and is what it will be running the majority of the time. Spikes work excellently on Ferrothorn, giving it something to do after switching in on an opponent that can't touch him. Leech Seed is also a very effective move, useful for preventing opposing Pokemon from setting up on it, while at the same time providing self-healing. Gyro Ball and Power Whip are Ferrothorn's best attacking options, hitting the majority of the standard metagame for at least neutral damage. However, because Ferrothorn's Attack stat is less than impressive without any investment, Protect is an appealing alternative over either move, as it is useful not only for scouting, but for racking up Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery as well. Gyro Ball and Power Whip each have their own merits; the former is more useful against faster threats, most notably Dragon-types and Gengar, while the latter is more useful against Water-types and slow Pokemon, such as Reuniclus.</p>
<p>In addition to the moves listed, two other viable options in Ferrothorn's movepool are Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave. While Ferrothorn is typically better suited for setting up Spikes, Stealth Rock can be used if it is being used with another Spikes user. Stealth Rock can also be used over Leech Seed, although this means Ferrothorn is left without any means of recovery outside of Leftovers. Thunder Wave, despite having poor synergy with Gyro Ball, allows Ferrothorn to cripple many of its common counters, such as Infernape and Hydreigon, although it can be difficult to find an open moveslot for it. As a final additional option, Ferrothorn can use Shed Shell in order to escape from Magnezone and Wobbuffet, although this means that Ferrothorn loses out on valuable Leftovers recovery.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Ferrothorn can be EVed in many different ways, depending on how defensive it needs to be on each side of the damage spectrum. The given EV spread balances Ferrothorn's Defense and Special Defense, with a slight emphasis on Defense, allowing Ferrothorn to fare better against threats such as Excadrill, Landorus, Haxorus, Gyarados, and some variants of Scizor. However, a Sassy nature can be used in order to take hits from the likes of Latios, Starmie, and Gengar even better. EV investment can be adapted as seen fit depending on what Ferrothorn is typically depended on to switch into more often. Finally, while not required, Ferrothorn can benefit from some investment in Attack in order to inflict more damage to foes, such as Landorus. Anywhere between 40 and 252 EVs can be used, however keep in mind that too much investment severely detracts from Ferrothorn's survivability.</p>
<p>Thanks to Ferrothorn's great defensive typing, it is one of the easiest Pokemon to make a defensive core with. Jellicent is one of the best options, as together, they resist every attacking type in the game with the exceptions of Ground and Flying. In addition, Jellicent is capable of blocking attempts to spin away the hazards that Ferrothorn sets up. Fire-types in general also make great teammates to Ferrothorn, as not only do they resist Ferrothorn's biggest weakness, but they also scare off many of the Pokemon that give Ferrothorn problems, such as Skarmory, Scizor, and some Jirachi. Water-types also generally have good synergy with Ferrothorn, particularly those that also possess a resistance to Fighting-type moves, such as Gyarados and Tentacruel.</p>
<p>Ferrothorn is also often compared to Forretress when competing for a team slot. This is not surprising, as both Pokemon possess a similar typing, while also having access to Spikes. Forretress also has better Defense while Ferrothorn has superior Special Defense. In general, the team slot will go to whichever the team needs more: Forretress' access to Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin, or Ferrothorn's superior resistances and Special Defense. Regardless, one should consider Forretress before deciding to use Ferrothorn on a team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Gyro Ball
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Bulldoze
move 4: Spikes / Explosion
nature: Brave
item: Choice Band
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this set may appear to be a gimmick at first, it is quite far from it. Ferrothorn may lack a large offensive movepool, but its two extremely powerful STAB moves in Gyro Ball and Power Whip backed by a respectable base 94 Attack stat show that this set is not to be underestimated. Steel- and Grass-type attacks have surprisingly good coverage together, only being reisisted by a handful of common threats, most of which possess either Steel or Fire typing. Despite Bulldoze's paltry base power of 60, it hits many of the Pokemon that resist Ferrothorn's STAB moves for a large amount of damage. The last moveslot is largely filler; Spikes isn't the best move to be locked into, but can be useful in certain situations. Explosion's high Base Power, on the other hand, is very appealing, but comes at the cost of Ferrothorn's life, and is not much more powerful than Ferrothorn's STAB moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is so effective because of Ferrothorn's surprising power when it wields a Choice Band in tandem with its useful bulk and typing. Because many players expect Ferrothorn to simply set up Spikes or use Leech Seed in order to recover, it is typically unlikely for the opponent to switch in a Pokemon capable of withstanding all of Ferrothorn's attacks. Here are some damage calculations to show how powerful this set is, assuming a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Gyro Ball (-1) vs. 0/0 Salamence: 77.9% - 91.8%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 4/0 Thundurus: 72% - 84.7%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/4 Deoxys-S: 115.5% - 136.2%</li>
<li>Gyro Ball vs. 252/184+ Gliscor: 58.8% - 69.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 4/0 Excadrill: 107.73% - 126.80%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/0 Conkeldurr: 65.2% - 76.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 192/64 Reuniclus: 73.6% - 86.8%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Reuniclus: 52.6% - 62.3%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Suicune: 83.7% - 98.5%</li>
<li>Power Whip vs. 252/252+ Hippowdon: 79% - 93.3%</li>
<li>Bulldoze vs. 4/0 Heatran: 69.1% - 81.5%</li>
<li>Bulldoze vs. 40/0 Magnezone: 70.1% - 83.8%</li>
<li>Explosion vs. 192/64 Zapdos: 80.8% - 95.1%</li>
</ul>
<p>Despite the lack of investment in Ferrothorn's defenses, maximizing Ferrothorn's HP investment still provides it with plenty of bulk. In fact, Ferrothorn's bulk in combination with its great defensive typing is one of his main selling points over other Choice Band users, such as Terrakion, and Scizor, as Ferrothorn will often take multiple hits before going down. Unfortunately, there are several common Pokemon that Choice Band Ferrothorn struggles with, namely Scizor, Skarmory, Bronzong, Zapdos, and opposing Ferrothorn. For this reason, it is wise to pair Ferrothorn up with a Fire-type. Not only do they have good synergy, but a Fire-type such as Heatran or Infernape is capable of switching in on many of the Pokemon that give this set trouble.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Two of the most noteworthy moves not mentioned above are Curse and Gravity. Curse is a viable set-up move for Ferrothorn, allowing it to boost its Attack to dangerous levels while simultaneously increasing its Defense through the roof. However, Ferrothorn is still vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, and will be OHKOed by many of them, so this set requires a great deal of team support. Gravity, on the other hand, allows Ferrothorn to act as a defensive pivot on a Gravity-based team, although Gravity is generally considered a gimmicky strategy.</p>
<p>For individual sets, the standard set does not have many other options available aside from Stealth Rock and Toxic. Stealth Rock is only recommended if there is no teammate that can set up Stealth Rock as effectively, as Ferrothorn is one of the few useful Pokemon capable of setting up Spikes. Toxic is a viable option as well, but it is generally dismissed in favor of Leech Seed, which heals Ferrothorn in addition to racking up residual damage. Rugged Helmet is also a viable item choice on the standard set, as Pokemon that use contact moves against Ferrothorn will lose 25% of their health due to the combination of Rugged Helmet and Steel Thorns. This is especially helpful in warding off Pokemon that want to use Rapid Spin against Ferrothorn, especially since Rapid Spin does not remove entry hazards if the user faints from Steel Thorns immediately after using the move. On the Choice Band set, Ferrothorn can use Return, Rollout, Payback, Shadow Claw, or even Leech Seed in the fourth slot, although Spikes and Explosion are generally superior options.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Pokemon that carry Fire-type moves, such as Heatran, Infernape, Zoroark, and Hydreigon, are more than capable of forcing Ferrothorn out. However, Ferrothorn is capable of surviving some weaker Fire-type attacks, such as Tyranitar's Flamethrower. This gives Ferrothorn the opportunity to either attack back or set up entry hazards. Likewise, users of powerful Fighting-type attacks, such as Conkeldurr and Terrakion, will also scare most Ferrothorn off. Magic Bounce Xatu and Espeon, as well as Taunt Skarmory are capable of rendering Ferrothorn nearly useless, preventing it from laying down Spikes while providing their own form of team support in the form of either dual screens or Spikes, respectively.</p>
<p>Many Pokemon that are often otherwise shut down by Ferrothorn, such as Latios and Starmie, are capable of crippling Ferrothorn if they choose to run Hidden Power Fire or Trick. Magnezone with either Hidden Power Fire or the combination of Charge Beam and Substitute is also capable of making Ferrothorn's life miserable. Finally, because Ferrothorn does not have reliable recovery outside of Leech Seed and Rest, it can eventually be worn down by powerful or boosted neutral hits. Be warned, however, that many of Ferrothorn's counters will dread switching in on the Choice Band set, especially if they are not expecting it.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Ferrothorn does not get a Dream World ability. However, once Dream World Chandelure is released, it is recommended that Ferrothorn opt to hold a Shed Shell rather than Leftovers in order to avoid being trapped and OHKOed by the deadly chandelier.</p>
