Iron Thorns

[fayestra]

Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 70 SpAtk / 84 SpDef / 72 Speed
Abilities: Quark Drive
Notable Moves:

• Wild Charge
• Volt Switch
• Stone Edge
• Ice Punch
• Fire Punch
• Low Kick
• Body Press
• Iron Head
• Earthquake
• Swords Dance
• Dragon Dance
• Spikes
• Stealth Rock

Full Movepool

Level-Up:
1: Electric Terrain
1: Iron Defense
1: Fire Fang
1: Ice Fang
1: Thunder Fang
1: Rock Throw
7: Screech
21: Rock Tomb
28: Bite
35: Charge
42: Rock Slide
49: Sandstorm
56: Wild Charge
63: Pin Missile
70: Earthquake
77: Stealth Rock
84: Stone Edge
91: Giga Impact

TM:
1: Take Down
6: Scary Face
7: Protect
8: Fire Fang
9: Thunder Fang
10: Ice Fang
12: Low Kick
23: Charge Beam
25: Facade
28: Bulldoze
30: Snarl
31: Metal Claw
36: Rock Tomb
43: Fling
44: Dragon Tail
47: Endure
48: Volt Switch
49: Sunny Day
50: Rain Dance
51: Sandstorm
55: Dig
58: Brick Break
66: Body Slam
67: Fire Punch
68: Thunder Punch
69: Ice Punch
72: Electro Ball
76: Rock Blast
78: Dragon Claw
82: Thunder Wave
84: Stomping Tantrum
85: Rest
86: Rock Slide
87: Taunt
88: Swords Dance
89: Body Press
90: Spikes
96: Eerie Impulse
99: Iron Head
100: Dragon Dance
101: Power Gem
103: Substitute
104: Iron Defense
108: Crunch
116: Stealth Rock
121: Heavy Slam
125: Flamethrower
126: Thunderbolt
133: Earth Power
135: Ice Beam
141: Fire Blast
143: Blizzard
147: Wild Charge
149: Earthquake
150: Stone Edge
152: Giga Impact
158: Focus Blast
163: Hyper Beam
166: Thunder
171: Tera Blast

Ability: Quark Drive - When Electric Terrain is active or this Pokémon uses a Booster Energy, their highest non-HP stat is increased (1.5x if Speed, 1.3x for all other stats)

Pros:

• Powerful 134 Attack, along with potential boosts from its ability and setup moves
• Lots of great coverage moves to go with that Attack
• Can set hazards
• Solid physical bulk with 100 HP and 110 Defense

Cons:

• Slow Base Speed that is outsped by the majority of opposing mons if it doesn't get setup or support
• Mediocre Special Defense and a poor defensive typing that comes with a quadruple Ground weakness
• Lacks reliable recovery

Terastalize Potential:

• Terastalization can improve Iron Thorns' poor defensive typing, giving it better longevity and more time to setup stat boosts or hazards. Flying turns its 4x Ground weakness into an immunity, hazard sets can use Tera-Ghost to spinblock, and Water is a generally good defensive type that's neutral to all of its regular weaknesses other than Grass.
• With its great Attack and physical movepool, Iron Thorns also has a plethora of offensive Tera options, such as Electric, Ground or Fighting, either to muscle past bulky pokemon or guarantee OHKO's.

Potential Sets
Setup Sweeper
Iron Thorns @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying / Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance / Swords Dance
- Wild Charge / Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

With its high base Attack, Booster Energy, and a Sword/Dragon Dance, Iron Thorns packs a massive punch that very few mons can hope to survive. Max Speed investment at +1 lets it outspeed almost everything in the tier, if they don't have their own speed boost or use priority. Rock and Electric aren't the most synergistic when it comes to coverage, so this set was given one STAB + Ice and Ground instead. Defensive Tera types are listed to give more opportunities to setup with useful resistances and more manageable weaknesses. Screens support can help it safely set up, and Thunder Punch can be run as Electric STAB to avoid the recoil from Wild Charge.

Hazard Setter
Iron Thorns @ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost / Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Wild Charge / Stone Edge
- Ice Punch / Earthquake / Body Press

This set invests in bulk to survive hits as it sets up hazards. Tera-Ghost allows it to spinblock, and its attacking types threaten the Defog users. Could also invest in Attack if you want to reach a specific damage threshold. Elec+Ice or Rock+Ground are good coverage combos, and the defense investment makes Body Press an appealing option.

Choice Band
Iron Thorns @ Choice Band
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ground / Electric / Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Wild Charge / Stone Edge
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Volt Switch / Wild Charge / Stone Edge / Low Kick

Big, beefy beatstick that can OHKO a ton of mons, and then 2HKO almost everything else that isn't Quagsire. Volt Switch can be used to pivot out, and there's fantastic coverage that can hit the majority of pokemon for super-effective damage.

 

[STEELDRAGON]

Iron Thorns @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Stone Edge
-Wild Charge
-Tera Blast
-Dragon Dance

This Iron Thorns set has made me a believer. It lures Ground and Grass types and either OHKOes or makes them set up bait. The typing is a double edged sword though since it leaves you much more vulnerable to first impressions ans brave birds from Lokix and the Pokémon. It outspeeds every unboosted pokemon except Barraskewda and it gets slaughtered. Other sets aren't generally aren't worth using.