BWcord does it better guys. [Overview]
As a Steel type, Forretress provides excellent team support and utility with Rapid Spin and Spikes, along with an impressive 140 base defense stat and a decent HP stat of 75 to go with it, which allows it to check some of the scariest threats in the tier, including Mamoswine, Garchomp, and being one of the few defensive checks to Choice Band Kyurem Black. It also has a great move pool, with access to utility moves in Spikes And Toxic, as well as Pain split for recovery, as well as volt switch for a momentum saver. It also can pump out offensive support too, with Gyro Ball and Earthquake to provide an answer to Dragonite lacking Fire Punch, and Explosion being able to enable offensive set up sweepers when paired with the amazing ability Sturdy, which lets it stomach hits from offensive Heatran and Magnezone to either get hazards up or threaten them directly with earthquake.
However, its middling Special Defense stat means it can't repeatedly take Choice Specs Draco Meteors from Latios without running low on health, which is detrimental to its game plan. It also is a prime trapping target for Magnezone and Heatran, the former being able to eliminate it without much issue while being able to float over Earthquake with an Air Balloon, while the ladder can force it out with Magma Storm while getting Stealth Rock up in the process. Forretress also fails to spin versus the premier spinblocker Jellicent, which can force it out with Will-O-Wisp, and it cannot repeatedly keep hazards off the field while being worn down by Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs and Skarmory's Rocky Helmet. Forretress is also too weak to damage Reuniclus and Volcarona, who can set up on it with ease. Forretress also suffers from having too many options that it wants to run, which leads to it sometimes lacking certain coverage moves to hit Kyurem-Black or Dragonite, and can lead to it being set up fodder for Volcarona and Swords Dance Garchomp. But if given the right partners, then it can thrive in the face of danger.
[SET]
Name: Standard
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy/Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 2 Spe
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Gyro Ball
- earthquake/hidden power ice
[SET DESCRIPTION]
Forretress sets Spikes and spins hazards away, which it can do multiple times per game due to its physical bulk. Gyro Ball makes Forretress a great check to Kyurem-Black and stops Tyranitar without Fire Blast, allowing for a teammate such as Latios to reap the rewards. it also is strong enough to deter Latios, Dragonite, and Earthquake is a good option to hit Excadrill hard while simultaneously preventing Scarf Magnezone and Offensive Heatran from freely switching in. However, Hidden Power Ice brings a great lure to Dragonite lacking Fire Punch and can do good damage to Landorus-Therian and Swords Dance Gliscor, which prevents them from coming in freely and setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up multiple boosts to overwhelm Forretress.
[SET DETAILS]
Max defense and HP allow Forretress to stomach strong hits from Choice Band Terrakion, Swords Dance Garchomp, Life Orb Breloom, and Choice Band Kyurem-Black. a Relaxed nature is recommended if running a special move as it doesn't reduce the damage output, and also makes Gyro Ball stronger against Latios and Tyranitar. Sturdy is used to allow for a backup check to an out of control Dragonite or Volcarona in a pinch. However, Overcoat can prove to be helpful if running Abomasnow, as it can freely use its leftovers recovery to stand strong versus physical attackers.
[TEAM OPTIONS]
Forretress finds itself right at home on sand teams and hail teams that want to compress a Spikes and Rapid Spin slot so they can run Water resists like Celebi or Rotom-wash, or Special Walls like Jirachi. Tyranitar sets Sand, and can Pursuit trap Reuniclus and Alakazam, which can both use Forretress as either fodder or a free KO. Jellicent can stop spinners like Tentacruel and Excadrill from removing hazards, further pushing the residual damage on the opposing team. Xatu is also a nice option on these teams as it can bounce away hazards faster than you can say Guh. Chansey and Blissey are fantastic partners for Forretress, as they tanks special moves with ease, and checks Magnezone and Volcarona, while forretress checks Terrakion and Kyurem-Black for Blissey. Gliscor sets Stealth rock, provides an Earthquake immunity, and can deny hazards with Taunt. Hippowdon is also a great partner for Forretress, as it sets stealth rocks and offers more support against Volcarona with rock slide. Reuniclus also pairs well with Forretress, as the spikes that it puts down can help enable a Reuniclus sweep in the end-game.
[OTHER OPTIONS]
Forretress makes pretty good use of Pain Split to gain recovery from a healthier Pokémon and boost its longevity and use in a game. however, it is unreliable at that role, and using it makes Forretress unable to either hit Dragonite or Terrakion and Kyurem-Black. Other Utility moves like Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes are nice to further chip away at teams that are unprepared, but Forretress cannot keep stealth rocks up reliably, and Toxic spikes are useless against Poison and levitators. Toxic is also a good option to Hit Gastrodon and Jellicent, the ladder being able to stop Forretress from keeping hazards off, but it doesn't hit a lot of other targets, and is useless versus many common threats on sand teams, including Clefable, Reuniclus, and Gliscor. additionally, many pokemon run lum berry, such as Dragonite and Volcarona. Hidden Power Fire is an excellent lure for Scizor and Ferrothorn, but otherwise has poor coverage and damage output, making forretress useless versus Keldeo and Substitute Kyurem-Black. Volt switch provides good momentum, but it doesnt help versus ground types, and means that Forretress will more often switch out then in, making it a lot more passive. Explosion also enables offensive teams when paired with sturdy, but many of the common pokemon in the tier, such as Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, and Landorus-Therian, can shrug it off with relative ease. Counter is also a nice option to stop Dragonite with multiple boosts and can use its bulk to pick off common pokemon like Landorus-Therian and Excadrill, but it otherwise has no utility aside from that, and is useless versus mixed attackers as they will target its weaker special defense.
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
Trappers: Magnezone can remove Forretress without much issue, and Heatran can bypass sturdy with Magma Storm, and set up rocks once it's gone.
Set up sweepers: Volcarona and Reuniclus can tank most of what forretress can do, and set up Quiver dances and Calm minds to steamroll the rest of its team. Dragonite can set up on Forretress lacking Hidden power ice, and Scizor can stack Swords dance boosts on Forretress lacking Hidden Power Fire.
Hazards and Ghost types: Hazards limit how many times Forretress can switch in, and will decrease its ability to tank hits. Jellicent can wall whatever Forretress tries to do, and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, or prevent it from setting hazards with Taunt.
Strong special attackers: Choice Specs Latios can chip down forretress over the course of the game, and Keldeo can offload devastating Choice Specs boosted hydro pumps for free, or set up with Calm mind. Alakazam with Hidden Power fire also scare away Forretress, however it can take non-hidden power Alakazam.
Bulky walls: Clefable can knock off valuable leftovers from Forretress, and can paralyze it with thunder wave, making it very easy to play around. Blissey can do the same, except it can support its teammates with wish too. Ferrothorn can get hazards for free against non Hidden Power Fire Forretress, and can make it very hard for it to find chances to spin later in the game.
As a Steel type, Forretress provides excellent team support and utility with Rapid Spin and Spikes, along with an impressive 140 base defense stat and a decent HP stat of 75 to go with it, which allows it to check some of the scariest threats in the tier, including Mamoswine, Garchomp, and being one of the few defensive checks to Choice Band Kyurem Black. It also has a great move pool, with access to utility moves in Spikes And Toxic, as well as Pain split for recovery, as well as volt switch for a momentum saver. It also can pump out offensive support too, with Gyro Ball and Earthquake to provide an answer to Dragonite lacking Fire Punch, and Explosion being able to enable offensive set up sweepers when paired with the amazing ability Sturdy, which lets it stomach hits from offensive Heatran and Magnezone to either get hazards up or threaten them directly with earthquake.
However, its middling Special Defense stat means it can't repeatedly take Choice Specs Draco Meteors from Latios without running low on health, which is detrimental to its game plan. It also is a prime trapping target for Magnezone and Heatran, the former being able to eliminate it without much issue while being able to float over Earthquake with an Air Balloon, while the ladder can force it out with Magma Storm while getting Stealth Rock up in the process. Forretress also fails to spin versus the premier spinblocker Jellicent, which can force it out with Will-O-Wisp, and it cannot repeatedly keep hazards off the field while being worn down by Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs and Skarmory's Rocky Helmet. Forretress is also too weak to damage Reuniclus and Volcarona, who can set up on it with ease. Forretress also suffers from having too many options that it wants to run, which leads to it sometimes lacking certain coverage moves to hit Kyurem-Black or Dragonite, and can lead to it being set up fodder for Volcarona and Swords Dance Garchomp. But if given the right partners, then it can thrive in the face of danger.
[SET]
Name: Standard
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy/Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 2 Spe
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Gyro Ball
- earthquake/hidden power ice
[SET DESCRIPTION]
Forretress sets Spikes and spins hazards away, which it can do multiple times per game due to its physical bulk. Gyro Ball makes Forretress a great check to Kyurem-Black and stops Tyranitar without Fire Blast, allowing for a teammate such as Latios to reap the rewards. it also is strong enough to deter Latios, Dragonite, and Earthquake is a good option to hit Excadrill hard while simultaneously preventing Scarf Magnezone and Offensive Heatran from freely switching in. However, Hidden Power Ice brings a great lure to Dragonite lacking Fire Punch and can do good damage to Landorus-Therian and Swords Dance Gliscor, which prevents them from coming in freely and setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up multiple boosts to overwhelm Forretress.
[SET DETAILS]
Max defense and HP allow Forretress to stomach strong hits from Choice Band Terrakion, Swords Dance Garchomp, Life Orb Breloom, and Choice Band Kyurem-Black. a Relaxed nature is recommended if running a special move as it doesn't reduce the damage output, and also makes Gyro Ball stronger against Latios and Tyranitar. Sturdy is used to allow for a backup check to an out of control Dragonite or Volcarona in a pinch. However, Overcoat can prove to be helpful if running Abomasnow, as it can freely use its leftovers recovery to stand strong versus physical attackers.
[TEAM OPTIONS]
Forretress finds itself right at home on sand teams and hail teams that want to compress a Spikes and Rapid Spin slot so they can run Water resists like Celebi or Rotom-wash, or Special Walls like Jirachi. Tyranitar sets Sand, and can Pursuit trap Reuniclus and Alakazam, which can both use Forretress as either fodder or a free KO. Jellicent can stop spinners like Tentacruel and Excadrill from removing hazards, further pushing the residual damage on the opposing team. Xatu is also a nice option on these teams as it can bounce away hazards faster than you can say Guh. Chansey and Blissey are fantastic partners for Forretress, as they tanks special moves with ease, and checks Magnezone and Volcarona, while forretress checks Terrakion and Kyurem-Black for Blissey. Gliscor sets Stealth rock, provides an Earthquake immunity, and can deny hazards with Taunt. Hippowdon is also a great partner for Forretress, as it sets stealth rocks and offers more support against Volcarona with rock slide. Reuniclus also pairs well with Forretress, as the spikes that it puts down can help enable a Reuniclus sweep in the end-game.
[OTHER OPTIONS]
Forretress makes pretty good use of Pain Split to gain recovery from a healthier Pokémon and boost its longevity and use in a game. however, it is unreliable at that role, and using it makes Forretress unable to either hit Dragonite or Terrakion and Kyurem-Black. Other Utility moves like Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes are nice to further chip away at teams that are unprepared, but Forretress cannot keep stealth rocks up reliably, and Toxic spikes are useless against Poison and levitators. Toxic is also a good option to Hit Gastrodon and Jellicent, the ladder being able to stop Forretress from keeping hazards off, but it doesn't hit a lot of other targets, and is useless versus many common threats on sand teams, including Clefable, Reuniclus, and Gliscor. additionally, many pokemon run lum berry, such as Dragonite and Volcarona. Hidden Power Fire is an excellent lure for Scizor and Ferrothorn, but otherwise has poor coverage and damage output, making forretress useless versus Keldeo and Substitute Kyurem-Black. Volt switch provides good momentum, but it doesnt help versus ground types, and means that Forretress will more often switch out then in, making it a lot more passive. Explosion also enables offensive teams when paired with sturdy, but many of the common pokemon in the tier, such as Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, and Landorus-Therian, can shrug it off with relative ease. Counter is also a nice option to stop Dragonite with multiple boosts and can use its bulk to pick off common pokemon like Landorus-Therian and Excadrill, but it otherwise has no utility aside from that, and is useless versus mixed attackers as they will target its weaker special defense.
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
Trappers: Magnezone can remove Forretress without much issue, and Heatran can bypass sturdy with Magma Storm, and set up rocks once it's gone.
Set up sweepers: Volcarona and Reuniclus can tank most of what forretress can do, and set up Quiver dances and Calm minds to steamroll the rest of its team. Dragonite can set up on Forretress lacking Hidden power ice, and Scizor can stack Swords dance boosts on Forretress lacking Hidden Power Fire.
Hazards and Ghost types: Hazards limit how many times Forretress can switch in, and will decrease its ability to tank hits. Jellicent can wall whatever Forretress tries to do, and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, or prevent it from setting hazards with Taunt.
Strong special attackers: Choice Specs Latios can chip down forretress over the course of the game, and Keldeo can offload devastating Choice Specs boosted hydro pumps for free, or set up with Calm mind. Alakazam with Hidden Power fire also scare away Forretress, however it can take non-hidden power Alakazam.
Bulky walls: Clefable can knock off valuable leftovers from Forretress, and can paralyze it with thunder wave, making it very easy to play around. Blissey can do the same, except it can support its teammates with wish too. Ferrothorn can get hazards for free against non Hidden Power Fire Forretress, and can make it very hard for it to find chances to spin later in the game.
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