[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 12-13 points
**Overview**: Ferrothorn stands out as a solid defensive wall, with great Grass / Steel typing, the ability to punish physical attackers with Iron Barbs, mixed bulk that allows it to constantly pivot throughout a match, and access to a plethora of utility moves that allow it to put pressure on the opponent. Despite its great qualities, Ferrothorn is extremely slow and opponents tend to predict what it will do as it enters the field, which can be taken advantage of by offensive foes, as well as Substitute and Taunt, especially due to its lack of coverage. Additionally, its 4x weakness to Fire means it has to be wary of any foe that carries Hidden Power Fire to check Ferrothorn.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Ferrothorn excels in using its great bulk to support its team with its utility movepool. It has access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock which it can find plenty of opportunities to set up thanks to its bulk. It can also disrupt foes with Leech Seed, Knock Off, Thunder Wave and Toxic, putting pressure in its own way for its teammates to exploit later.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Power Whip, Gyro Ball, Iron Head
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Toxic, Leech Seed, Protect, Thunder Wave, Knock Off
**Coverage**: Shadow Claw, Poison Jab
Niche Moves
========
**Explosion**: If Ferrothorn is no longer needed or it struggles to deal with a foe, Explosion can be used to deal nuclear damage and providing a safe switch-in to a teammate to clean up.
**Endeavor**: Ferrothorn can utilize Endeavor to bring a foe down to low enough health for it to take out later if its equipped with Custap Berry, or to cripple it enough for a teammate to take out later.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides Ferrothorn the staying power it needs with passive recovery, making it harder to take down, especially if Leech Seed is in effect.
**Rocky Helmet**: Paired with Iron Barbs and its great bulk, Rocky Helmet adds to the chip damage Ferrothorn punishes foes with if they use a contact or pivoting move, sometimes dealing more damage than the foe intended.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Ferrothorn can use Chople or Occa Berry well to shrug off an otherwise powerful attack that can cripple it heavily, allowing it to punish the foe back with a well-timed Toxic or Thunder Wave.
**Pinch Berries**: If the passive recovery from Leftovers isn't enough, Ferrothorn can use Pinch Berries for an immediate boost to its health which can provide it more opportunities to disrupt opponents.
**Mental Herb**: Ferrothorn's low Speed and reliance on status moves means that it can fall victim to Taunt or Encore quite easily, so Mental Herb provides it a one-time opportunity to bypass this issue.
Draft Strategy
========
Ferrothorn is drafted to form a defensive backbone for your team. While it excels in its role to provide support and disrupt opponents, it can be taken advantage of easily by well-prepared foes, so it must be drafted alongside powerful offensive teammates to take advantage of the disruption and entry hazards it sets up.
**Offensive Teammates**: Generally speaking, any offensive partner appreciates Ferrothorn's presence to setup hazards and have an easier time taking down a foe. Setup sweepers such as Mega Charizard X and Zygarde love being able to come in on a weakened foe and become a wincon, whereas wallbreakers such as Kyurem-B and Latios appreciate foes being weakened so that they can remove a foe through their strong attacks.
**Defensive Pivots**: Ferrothorn appreciates the presence of Pokemon such as Zapdos, Uxie and Rotom-W, all of which can form a defensive core with Ferrothorn to provide momentum and disrupt opponents, as well as freeing up a moveslot to provide either additional coverage or status for a problematic foe.
Checks and Counters
========
**Z-Moves and Powerful Attacks**: Despite its great bulk, Ferrothorn can easily be overwhelmed by opposing wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham and Victini, especially as its only form of healing is through Leech Seed. In addition, it can also take severe damage from Z-Moves from the likes of Landorus-T and Kyurem-B, which it may not recover from quickly due to its low Speed.
**Taunt / Encore**: Ferrothorn’s reliance to use status moves can be quickly shut down by Taunt and Encore and limit what it can do on the field.
**Setup Sweepers**: Pokemon such as Infernape, Necrozma and Mega Gallade can take advantage of Ferrothorn’s near passive nature to set up a Substitute and setup on it.
**Fire-type Coverage**: Ferrothorn's 4x weakness to Fire-type moves can be preyed upon easily due to the wide distribution of Hidden Power Fire, or Fire-type coverage from Mega Mawile, Garchomp and Zeraora which can melt Ferrothorn down if its not careful.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 12-13 points
**Overview**: Ferrothorn stands out as a solid defensive wall, with great Grass / Steel typing, the ability to punish physical attackers with Iron Barbs, mixed bulk that allows it to constantly pivot throughout a match, and access to a plethora of utility moves that allow it to put pressure on the opponent. Despite its great qualities, Ferrothorn is extremely slow and opponents tend to predict what it will do as it enters the field, which can be taken advantage of by offensive foes, as well as Substitute and Taunt, especially due to its lack of coverage. Additionally, its 4x weakness to Fire means it has to be wary of any foe that carries Hidden Power Fire to check Ferrothorn.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Ferrothorn excels in using its great bulk to support its team with its utility movepool. It has access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock which it can find plenty of opportunities to set up thanks to its bulk. It can also disrupt foes with Leech Seed, Knock Off, Thunder Wave and Toxic, putting pressure in its own way for its teammates to exploit later.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Power Whip, Gyro Ball, Iron Head
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Toxic, Leech Seed, Protect, Thunder Wave, Knock Off
**Coverage**: Shadow Claw, Poison Jab
Niche Moves
========
**Explosion**: If Ferrothorn is no longer needed or it struggles to deal with a foe, Explosion can be used to deal nuclear damage and providing a safe switch-in to a teammate to clean up.
**Endeavor**: Ferrothorn can utilize Endeavor to bring a foe down to low enough health for it to take out later if its equipped with Custap Berry, or to cripple it enough for a teammate to take out later.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides Ferrothorn the staying power it needs with passive recovery, making it harder to take down, especially if Leech Seed is in effect.
**Rocky Helmet**: Paired with Iron Barbs and its great bulk, Rocky Helmet adds to the chip damage Ferrothorn punishes foes with if they use a contact or pivoting move, sometimes dealing more damage than the foe intended.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Ferrothorn can use Chople or Occa Berry well to shrug off an otherwise powerful attack that can cripple it heavily, allowing it to punish the foe back with a well-timed Toxic or Thunder Wave.
**Pinch Berries**: If the passive recovery from Leftovers isn't enough, Ferrothorn can use Pinch Berries for an immediate boost to its health which can provide it more opportunities to disrupt opponents.
**Mental Herb**: Ferrothorn's low Speed and reliance on status moves means that it can fall victim to Taunt or Encore quite easily, so Mental Herb provides it a one-time opportunity to bypass this issue.
Draft Strategy
========
Ferrothorn is drafted to form a defensive backbone for your team. While it excels in its role to provide support and disrupt opponents, it can be taken advantage of easily by well-prepared foes, so it must be drafted alongside powerful offensive teammates to take advantage of the disruption and entry hazards it sets up.
**Offensive Teammates**: Generally speaking, any offensive partner appreciates Ferrothorn's presence to setup hazards and have an easier time taking down a foe. Setup sweepers such as Mega Charizard X and Zygarde love being able to come in on a weakened foe and become a wincon, whereas wallbreakers such as Kyurem-B and Latios appreciate foes being weakened so that they can remove a foe through their strong attacks.
**Defensive Pivots**: Ferrothorn appreciates the presence of Pokemon such as Zapdos, Uxie and Rotom-W, all of which can form a defensive core with Ferrothorn to provide momentum and disrupt opponents, as well as freeing up a moveslot to provide either additional coverage or status for a problematic foe.
Checks and Counters
========
**Z-Moves and Powerful Attacks**: Despite its great bulk, Ferrothorn can easily be overwhelmed by opposing wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham and Victini, especially as its only form of healing is through Leech Seed. In addition, it can also take severe damage from Z-Moves from the likes of Landorus-T and Kyurem-B, which it may not recover from quickly due to its low Speed.
**Taunt / Encore**: Ferrothorn’s reliance to use status moves can be quickly shut down by Taunt and Encore and limit what it can do on the field.
**Setup Sweepers**: Pokemon such as Infernape, Necrozma and Mega Gallade can take advantage of Ferrothorn’s near passive nature to set up a Substitute and setup on it.
**Fire-type Coverage**: Ferrothorn's 4x weakness to Fire-type moves can be preyed upon easily due to the wide distribution of Hidden Power Fire, or Fire-type coverage from Mega Mawile, Garchomp and Zeraora which can melt Ferrothorn down if its not careful.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
