[OVERVIEW]
Forretress is generally outclassed by the majority of Pokemon in the tier, though it can leverage its great physical bulk and diverse movepool to carve out a niche on certain team structures. It is incredibly flexible as an entry hazard setter, capable of running Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes as needed for its team, sometimes using several of these on the same set. With access to Volt Switch, Forretress functions nicely as a slow pivot for teams relying on wallbreakers that can struggle to hit the field consistently, providing safe entry points for teammates like Gengar and Volcanion. While Forretress is a capable spinner for teams that want reliable hazard removal, it competes with a staple Pokemon, Cyclizar, which is one of the few Pokemon that can offer more utility than it. However, Forretress can compress both the removal and setter roles into one teamslot, freeing up its teammates at the cost of being a generally inferior Pokemon. This role compression has allowed Forretress to find usage on weather teams and offensive structures that want to stack as many hazards as possible to enable their offensive pieces, notably Basculegion-F, to clean games consistently.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Gyro Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Sturdy
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD
tera type: Ghost / Fighting
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Forretress is a solid choice for the support slot on teams, compressing multiple key positions into one teamslot. Spikes allows it to pair with a Stealth Rock setter, like Hippowdon or Rhyperior, to get up multiple layers of entry hazards. Body Press, with the allocated 164 EVs in Defense, threatens an OHKO on Cyclizar after hazard chip damage. Volt Switch enables Forretress to use its bulk to sponge attacks before slowly pivoting into its teammates, letting frail Pokemon like Barraskewda and Gengar hit the field safely. Gyro Ball hits hard against faster foes like Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Ribombee. Leftovers provides Forretress with consistent recovery, helping it stick around longer to stack layers of Spikes. Tera Ghost can be used to spinblock against Cyclizar and opposing Forretress, while Tera Fighting can bolster the strength of Body Press to secure OHKOs on strong threats like Bisharp, Hisuian Goodra, and Terrakion.
Despite its naturally defensive profile, Forretress often finds itself on offensively oriented teams, especially on rain and sun teams that can appreciate the entry hazard support and slow pivoting it can provide. With its great bulk and capacity to compress the hazard setter and physical wall roles into one teamslot, offensive structures can more easily stack threats together. Rain is a notable archetype for Forretress, as it can allow teams to use multiple Swift Swim users consistently, such as Barraskewda, Basculegion-F, and Overqwil, without needing to worry as much about how to switch between them in-game. Sun teams use Forretress in a similar capacity, as it allows Hisuian Lilligant, Slither Wing, and Venusaur to more efficiently pair up. Hyper offense teams can pair Forretress with a Ghost-type partner, such as Gengar and Hisuian Zoroark, to spinblock and prompt a Knock Off from Cyclizar; Armarouge can take Cyclizar's weaker Knock Off to activate both Weak Armor and Weakness Policy, hitting the field relatively safely while securing multiple boosts and immediately threatening to clean games. Other teammates that appreciate the slow pivots and hazard support provided by Forretress include wallbreakers like Mamoswine and Volcanion, which can threaten massive damage immediately upon hitting the field.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Forretress has access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes, and it can use any combination of them depending on the needs of the team it is on. Rapid Spin allows it to remove entry hazards from its side. Thunder Wave can be used to enable paralysis-spam structures and slow down foes to free up teammates like Crawdaunt and Gallade. Counter and Earthquake are both niche picks capable of picking up surprise KOs on threats like Bisharp and Lucario. Eject Button lets Forretress use its bulk to tank an attack and get a teammate on the field safely, which can be vital on weather teams that want to maximize their turns. Red Card can phaze setup sweepers like Bisharp, Fezandipiti, and Mimikyu. Iron Defense can be used to form strong IronPress sets, though such sets struggle to beat common checks like Noivern and Slowbro and lack recovery outside of Rest.
Checks and Counters
====
**Special Attackers**: While Forretress is capable of sponging physical attacks, it struggles to take any special attack thrown its way, even struggling to wall Gardevoir despite resisting its STAB moves. With a plethora of strong special wallbreakers like Basculegion-F, Magnezone, and Volcanion slotting onto teams comfortably, Forretress has to be careful to not get blown away.
**Fire-types**: Armarouge and Volcanion can both annihilate Forretress with ease using their Fire-type STAB attacks, as can even physical attackers like Entei and Infernape. Talonflame does not often run Fire-type attacks, but Rapid Spin can activate its Flame Body, and Talonflame can use Defog against Forretress.
**Disruption**: While Forretress can use its slowness to its advantage at times, it can also be a big hindrance. Encore users like Jirachi and Maushold can lock it into an unviable position, using it as setup fodder. Trick users like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Hisuian Zoroark can similarly disrupt Forretress, preventing it from using its utility by giving it a Choice item.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/goldcat.359771/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Forretress is generally outclassed by the majority of Pokemon in the tier, though it can leverage its great physical bulk and diverse movepool to carve out a niche on certain team structures. It is incredibly flexible as an entry hazard setter, capable of running Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes as needed for its team, sometimes using several of these on the same set. With access to Volt Switch, Forretress functions nicely as a slow pivot for teams relying on wallbreakers that can struggle to hit the field consistently, providing safe entry points for teammates like Gengar and Volcanion. While Forretress is a capable spinner for teams that want reliable hazard removal, it competes with a staple Pokemon, Cyclizar, which is one of the few Pokemon that can offer more utility than it. However, Forretress can compress both the removal and setter roles into one teamslot, freeing up its teammates at the cost of being a generally inferior Pokemon. This role compression has allowed Forretress to find usage on weather teams and offensive structures that want to stack as many hazards as possible to enable their offensive pieces, notably Basculegion-F, to clean games consistently.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Gyro Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Sturdy
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD
tera type: Ghost / Fighting
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Forretress is a solid choice for the support slot on teams, compressing multiple key positions into one teamslot. Spikes allows it to pair with a Stealth Rock setter, like Hippowdon or Rhyperior, to get up multiple layers of entry hazards. Body Press, with the allocated 164 EVs in Defense, threatens an OHKO on Cyclizar after hazard chip damage. Volt Switch enables Forretress to use its bulk to sponge attacks before slowly pivoting into its teammates, letting frail Pokemon like Barraskewda and Gengar hit the field safely. Gyro Ball hits hard against faster foes like Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Ribombee. Leftovers provides Forretress with consistent recovery, helping it stick around longer to stack layers of Spikes. Tera Ghost can be used to spinblock against Cyclizar and opposing Forretress, while Tera Fighting can bolster the strength of Body Press to secure OHKOs on strong threats like Bisharp, Hisuian Goodra, and Terrakion.
Despite its naturally defensive profile, Forretress often finds itself on offensively oriented teams, especially on rain and sun teams that can appreciate the entry hazard support and slow pivoting it can provide. With its great bulk and capacity to compress the hazard setter and physical wall roles into one teamslot, offensive structures can more easily stack threats together. Rain is a notable archetype for Forretress, as it can allow teams to use multiple Swift Swim users consistently, such as Barraskewda, Basculegion-F, and Overqwil, without needing to worry as much about how to switch between them in-game. Sun teams use Forretress in a similar capacity, as it allows Hisuian Lilligant, Slither Wing, and Venusaur to more efficiently pair up. Hyper offense teams can pair Forretress with a Ghost-type partner, such as Gengar and Hisuian Zoroark, to spinblock and prompt a Knock Off from Cyclizar; Armarouge can take Cyclizar's weaker Knock Off to activate both Weak Armor and Weakness Policy, hitting the field relatively safely while securing multiple boosts and immediately threatening to clean games. Other teammates that appreciate the slow pivots and hazard support provided by Forretress include wallbreakers like Mamoswine and Volcanion, which can threaten massive damage immediately upon hitting the field.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Forretress has access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes, and it can use any combination of them depending on the needs of the team it is on. Rapid Spin allows it to remove entry hazards from its side. Thunder Wave can be used to enable paralysis-spam structures and slow down foes to free up teammates like Crawdaunt and Gallade. Counter and Earthquake are both niche picks capable of picking up surprise KOs on threats like Bisharp and Lucario. Eject Button lets Forretress use its bulk to tank an attack and get a teammate on the field safely, which can be vital on weather teams that want to maximize their turns. Red Card can phaze setup sweepers like Bisharp, Fezandipiti, and Mimikyu. Iron Defense can be used to form strong IronPress sets, though such sets struggle to beat common checks like Noivern and Slowbro and lack recovery outside of Rest.
Checks and Counters
====
**Special Attackers**: While Forretress is capable of sponging physical attacks, it struggles to take any special attack thrown its way, even struggling to wall Gardevoir despite resisting its STAB moves. With a plethora of strong special wallbreakers like Basculegion-F, Magnezone, and Volcanion slotting onto teams comfortably, Forretress has to be careful to not get blown away.
**Fire-types**: Armarouge and Volcanion can both annihilate Forretress with ease using their Fire-type STAB attacks, as can even physical attackers like Entei and Infernape. Talonflame does not often run Fire-type attacks, but Rapid Spin can activate its Flame Body, and Talonflame can use Defog against Forretress.
**Disruption**: While Forretress can use its slowness to its advantage at times, it can also be a big hindrance. Encore users like Jirachi and Maushold can lock it into an unviable position, using it as setup fodder. Trick users like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Hisuian Zoroark can similarly disrupt Forretress, preventing it from using its utility by giving it a Choice item.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/goldcat.359771/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited:
