[OVERVIEW]
Iron Thorns is a great Pokemon on hyper offense thanks to its access to Dragon Dance and ability to use Booster Energy. Iron Thorns can take advantage of Dragon Dance coupled with an Attack-boosting Booster Energy with its good STAB and coverage moves, which lets it put a lot of pressure on defensive tanks like Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Galarian Slowbro. Iron Thorns can also find setup opportunities against common Pokemon like Kilowattrel and leads like Galvantul. It also has access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes, which it can capitalize on with a Speed-boosting Booster Energy to become a solid lead entry hazards setter. However, bulkier spinners like Tsareena and Avalugg can either beat lead Iron Thorns one-on-one or force it to Terastallize, and its middling speed makes it outsped by many Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Mienshao, and Inteleon even after a Dragon Dance boost. Iron Thorns is also often forced to terastallize as its typing makes it weak to common Pokemon like Flygon, Mienshao, and Vileplume. This is also further emphasized by the fact that Iron Thorns has to choose between being walled by Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena or Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Supercell Slam
move 3: Earthquake / Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Tera Blast
item: Booster Energy / Air Balloon
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Fairy / Grass / Flying
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Earthquake lets Iron Thorns target Steel- and Poison-types like Copperajah, Registeel, and Galarian Slowbro. Alternatively, Stone Edge gives Iron Throns a powerful move to throw off into Grass-types, and it lets Iron Thorns destroy Flying-types like Kilowattrel and Tornadus without worry of Supercell Slam's recoil. Ice Punch threatens Grass-types and certain Ground-type like Flygon and Vileplume, while Tera Blast Grass lets Iron Thorns target more defensive Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon more effectively; on top of that, Tera Grass provides Iron Thorns with useful resistances to Water, Grass, and Ground, letting it take Paldean Tauros-W's and Basculegion's Aqua Jet, Tsareena's Power Whip, and Flygon's Earthquake. Alternatively, Iron Thorns could capitalize on Loaded Dice by running Rock Blast and Pin Missile along with Supercell Slam, but generally, its other attacks help it out more. Booster Energy gives it a useful boost to its Attack, while Air Balloon provides Iron Thorns a temporary but useful Ground-type immunity giving it more setup opportunities against Gligar and Flygon. However, Tera Fairy gives it a useful Fighting-type resistance and with Air Ballon it allows Iron thorns to wall Flygon. Tera Flying could also be used, as it both gives Iron Thorns a Ground immunity and a Fighting resistance, but Iron Thorns will still be vulnerable to being taken out by Flygon's Dragon-type STAB attacks and Aqua Jet from the aforementioned Water-types.
Ground-types like Flygon and Swampert can be roadblocks for Irons Thorns; so it best partners with Pokemon like Decidueye, Torterra, and Paldean Tauros to check them. Choice Scarf Fighting-types like Mienshao and Paldean Tauros-W can easily revenge kill a 1+ Iron Thorns. Thus, it greatly partners with Pokemon that can take advantage of them like Munkidori, Tornadus, and Cresselia. Bulky Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena can cause some problems for Iron Thorns; so it best pairs with Fire-types like Weakness Policy Incineroar, Air Balloon Chandelure, and Choice Scarf Hisuian Typhlosion to check them. Iron Thorns appreciates Sticky Web support from Galvantula and Araquanid as they can fix its middling speed, letting Iron Thorns outspeed Choice Scarf foes like Inteleon, Mienshao, and Munkidori. On Sticky Web teams, other setup sweepers like Calm Mind Chandelure, Nasty Plot Munkidori, and Swords Dance Toxicroak are great partners for Iron Thorns; since they all can overwhelm Ground-types like Flygon and Palossand, and can handle Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena. Thwackey is a excellent partner for Iron Thorns, as it sets Grassy Terrain to weaken an incoming Earthquake. Additionally, it can also supply Iron Thorns with Terrain sweepers like Oricorio-E, Grafaiai, and Hitmonlee, which they can weaken Ground-, Poison-, and Steel-types that Iron Thorns might struggle against.
[SET]
name: Lead Entry Hazards Setter
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Taunt
item: Booster Energy
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 23 Atk
tera type: Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast lets Iron Thorns not worry about Focus Sash leads like Galvantula, Smeargle, and Brambleghast. Taunt lets Iron Thorns simultaneously stop the opponent from setting entry hazards, and it blocks Talonflame from going for Defog. 23 Attack IVs alongside a Timid nature ensures that Iron Thorns boost its speed from Booster Energy. Tera Ghost allows Iron Thorns to spinblocking against Brambleghast and Tentacruel, while giving it a useful immunity to Fighting-type attacks.
Powerful setup sweepers like Flygon, Mienshao, and Breloom appreciates Iron Thorns entry hazards, since it helps them worn down physical walls like Vileplume and Galarian Slowbro. Iron Thorns pairs well with Defog deterrents such as Kilowattrel, Tornadus, and Galarian Articuno and spinblockers like Decidueye, Chandelure, and Brambleghast as they handle Defog Talonflame and Rapid Spin users like Tsareena and Tentacruel. Ground- and Fighting-types like Palossand and Mienshao can easily take out lead Iron Thorns; so setup sweepers like Flygon, Torterra, and Munkidori can easily take advantage of them. Grassy and Psychic terrain teams heavily benefit from Iron Thorns’s hazard setting and denying capabilities.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Iron Thorns can run a Swords Dance set with either a Speed- or Attack-boosting Booster Energy to become a dangerous wallbreaker. Wild Charge can be used over Supercell Slam for its better accuracy on top of the fact that it doesn't take away half of Iron Thorns’s health if it predicts poorly or thuds into a Protect, but it forces constant recoil and is weaker. Iron Head lets it target Fairy-types like Sylveon, Diancie, and Tera Fairy Galarian Slowbro; however, Supercell Slam and Earthquake tend to do enough damage. Lum Berry can be used on Dragon Dance sets, as it can let Iron Thorns to better handle status attempts from Talonflame and Galarian Slowbro.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Flygon, Gligar, and Palossand can easily destroy Irons Thorns with their STAB Ground-type attacks, but none of them want to switch into Ice Punch. Swampert and Gastrodon can take both of Irons Thorns STAB attacks, stopping Iron Thorns's sweep. However, both of them have to be wary about Tera Blast Grass.
**Fighting-types**: Mienshao, Toxicroak, Breloom, and Paldean Tauros-W can threaten Iron Thorns with their Close Combat, while the latter two have priority attacks to revenge kill Iron Thorns after it’s been weakened.
**Grass-types**: Brambleghast, Rotom-C, and Breloom can easily destroy Iron Thorns with their STAB attacks. Defensive Grass-types like Tsareena and Vileplume can tank its STAB attacks and the latter can use Strength Sap against Iron Thorns; however, all of these Grass-types can’t directly switch-in against Iron Thorn's Ice Punch.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Mienshao, and Inteleon all outspeed a +1 Iron Thorns, and they can threaten it with their powerful attacks, while other Choice Scarf foes like Chandelure, Munkidori, and Cresselia can cripple Iron Thorns with Trick.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Iron Thorns is a great Pokemon on hyper offense thanks to its access to Dragon Dance and ability to use Booster Energy. Iron Thorns can take advantage of Dragon Dance coupled with an Attack-boosting Booster Energy with its good STAB and coverage moves, which lets it put a lot of pressure on defensive tanks like Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Galarian Slowbro. Iron Thorns can also find setup opportunities against common Pokemon like Kilowattrel and leads like Galvantul. It also has access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes, which it can capitalize on with a Speed-boosting Booster Energy to become a solid lead entry hazards setter. However, bulkier spinners like Tsareena and Avalugg can either beat lead Iron Thorns one-on-one or force it to Terastallize, and its middling speed makes it outsped by many Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Mienshao, and Inteleon even after a Dragon Dance boost. Iron Thorns is also often forced to terastallize as its typing makes it weak to common Pokemon like Flygon, Mienshao, and Vileplume. This is also further emphasized by the fact that Iron Thorns has to choose between being walled by Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena or Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Supercell Slam
move 3: Earthquake / Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Tera Blast
item: Booster Energy / Air Balloon
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Fairy / Grass / Flying
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Earthquake lets Iron Thorns target Steel- and Poison-types like Copperajah, Registeel, and Galarian Slowbro. Alternatively, Stone Edge gives Iron Throns a powerful move to throw off into Grass-types, and it lets Iron Thorns destroy Flying-types like Kilowattrel and Tornadus without worry of Supercell Slam's recoil. Ice Punch threatens Grass-types and certain Ground-type like Flygon and Vileplume, while Tera Blast Grass lets Iron Thorns target more defensive Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon more effectively; on top of that, Tera Grass provides Iron Thorns with useful resistances to Water, Grass, and Ground, letting it take Paldean Tauros-W's and Basculegion's Aqua Jet, Tsareena's Power Whip, and Flygon's Earthquake. Alternatively, Iron Thorns could capitalize on Loaded Dice by running Rock Blast and Pin Missile along with Supercell Slam, but generally, its other attacks help it out more. Booster Energy gives it a useful boost to its Attack, while Air Balloon provides Iron Thorns a temporary but useful Ground-type immunity giving it more setup opportunities against Gligar and Flygon. However, Tera Fairy gives it a useful Fighting-type resistance and with Air Ballon it allows Iron thorns to wall Flygon. Tera Flying could also be used, as it both gives Iron Thorns a Ground immunity and a Fighting resistance, but Iron Thorns will still be vulnerable to being taken out by Flygon's Dragon-type STAB attacks and Aqua Jet from the aforementioned Water-types.
Ground-types like Flygon and Swampert can be roadblocks for Irons Thorns; so it best partners with Pokemon like Decidueye, Torterra, and Paldean Tauros to check them. Choice Scarf Fighting-types like Mienshao and Paldean Tauros-W can easily revenge kill a 1+ Iron Thorns. Thus, it greatly partners with Pokemon that can take advantage of them like Munkidori, Tornadus, and Cresselia. Bulky Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena can cause some problems for Iron Thorns; so it best pairs with Fire-types like Weakness Policy Incineroar, Air Balloon Chandelure, and Choice Scarf Hisuian Typhlosion to check them. Iron Thorns appreciates Sticky Web support from Galvantula and Araquanid as they can fix its middling speed, letting Iron Thorns outspeed Choice Scarf foes like Inteleon, Mienshao, and Munkidori. On Sticky Web teams, other setup sweepers like Calm Mind Chandelure, Nasty Plot Munkidori, and Swords Dance Toxicroak are great partners for Iron Thorns; since they all can overwhelm Ground-types like Flygon and Palossand, and can handle Grass-types like Vileplume and Tsareena. Thwackey is a excellent partner for Iron Thorns, as it sets Grassy Terrain to weaken an incoming Earthquake. Additionally, it can also supply Iron Thorns with Terrain sweepers like Oricorio-E, Grafaiai, and Hitmonlee, which they can weaken Ground-, Poison-, and Steel-types that Iron Thorns might struggle against.
[SET]
name: Lead Entry Hazards Setter
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Taunt
item: Booster Energy
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 23 Atk
tera type: Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast lets Iron Thorns not worry about Focus Sash leads like Galvantula, Smeargle, and Brambleghast. Taunt lets Iron Thorns simultaneously stop the opponent from setting entry hazards, and it blocks Talonflame from going for Defog. 23 Attack IVs alongside a Timid nature ensures that Iron Thorns boost its speed from Booster Energy. Tera Ghost allows Iron Thorns to spinblocking against Brambleghast and Tentacruel, while giving it a useful immunity to Fighting-type attacks.
Powerful setup sweepers like Flygon, Mienshao, and Breloom appreciates Iron Thorns entry hazards, since it helps them worn down physical walls like Vileplume and Galarian Slowbro. Iron Thorns pairs well with Defog deterrents such as Kilowattrel, Tornadus, and Galarian Articuno and spinblockers like Decidueye, Chandelure, and Brambleghast as they handle Defog Talonflame and Rapid Spin users like Tsareena and Tentacruel. Ground- and Fighting-types like Palossand and Mienshao can easily take out lead Iron Thorns; so setup sweepers like Flygon, Torterra, and Munkidori can easily take advantage of them. Grassy and Psychic terrain teams heavily benefit from Iron Thorns’s hazard setting and denying capabilities.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Iron Thorns can run a Swords Dance set with either a Speed- or Attack-boosting Booster Energy to become a dangerous wallbreaker. Wild Charge can be used over Supercell Slam for its better accuracy on top of the fact that it doesn't take away half of Iron Thorns’s health if it predicts poorly or thuds into a Protect, but it forces constant recoil and is weaker. Iron Head lets it target Fairy-types like Sylveon, Diancie, and Tera Fairy Galarian Slowbro; however, Supercell Slam and Earthquake tend to do enough damage. Lum Berry can be used on Dragon Dance sets, as it can let Iron Thorns to better handle status attempts from Talonflame and Galarian Slowbro.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Flygon, Gligar, and Palossand can easily destroy Irons Thorns with their STAB Ground-type attacks, but none of them want to switch into Ice Punch. Swampert and Gastrodon can take both of Irons Thorns STAB attacks, stopping Iron Thorns's sweep. However, both of them have to be wary about Tera Blast Grass.
**Fighting-types**: Mienshao, Toxicroak, Breloom, and Paldean Tauros-W can threaten Iron Thorns with their Close Combat, while the latter two have priority attacks to revenge kill Iron Thorns after it’s been weakened.
**Grass-types**: Brambleghast, Rotom-C, and Breloom can easily destroy Iron Thorns with their STAB attacks. Defensive Grass-types like Tsareena and Vileplume can tank its STAB attacks and the latter can use Strength Sap against Iron Thorns; however, all of these Grass-types can’t directly switch-in against Iron Thorn's Ice Punch.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Mienshao, and Inteleon all outspeed a +1 Iron Thorns, and they can threaten it with their powerful attacks, while other Choice Scarf foes like Chandelure, Munkidori, and Cresselia can cripple Iron Thorns with Trick.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited:
