Ubers Landorus

[11:53 PM] Nayrz: what landorus
[11:54 PM] DMDW: landorus incarnate the guy that uses sheer force
[11:54 PM] Nayrz: forgot we had that in the tier


[OVERVIEW]

* Landorus is a powerful wallbreaker that causes problems for nearly all defensive cores in the tier. With Life Orb- and Sheer Force-boosted attacks, it is capable of easily OHKOing bulky foes, such as Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex.
* Access to a wide array of coverage moves makes Landorus harder to defensively handle. Landorus's ability to harshly punish common Ground-immune Pokemon with Hidden Power Ice and Sheer Force-boosted Rock Slide makes it considerably difficult for many teams to switch into.
* A unique Speed tier lets Landorus outpace common foes, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Xerneas, and Yveltal. This lets Landorus viably run a Rash nature to make its attacks even more powerful.
* Landorus's ability to force many switches, pressure Defog Arceus formes, and threaten common Stealth Rock setters like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM gives it a solid role compression as a wallbreaker and Stealth Rock setter.
* However, Landorus is relatively frail, and it doesn't have any notable resistances and immunities apart from being immune to Ground. Even this cannot be properly taken advantage of due to Ground-types like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground being able to OHKO Landorus on the switch.
* Landorus's frailty and lack of useful resistances leave it vulnerable to essentially every faster foe, such as support Arceus formes, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and every Choice Scarf user. This makes it very hard for Landorus to function against any offensive teams.
* These detrimental factors leave Landorus hard to justify and overshadowed by other strong attackers like Rayquaza, Lunala, and Mewtwo; the former two have much more spammable STAB moves and perform much better against offensive teams, while the latter has a significantly better Speed tier and even wider options for coverage moves.


[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Earth Power is Landorus's strongest STAB move and allows it to 2HKO most neutral targets. It notably reaches a guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Toxapex.
* Rock Slide is another Sheer Force-boosted move that punishes Flying-types such as Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Rayquaza that are immune to Earth Power by OHKOing or 2HKOing them.
* Landorus can take advantage of its ability to pressure many Defog users and common entry hazard setters to viably use Stealth Rock. Landorus's ability to effectively use Stealth Rock and function as a wallbreaker sets it apart from other wallbreakers in the tier.
* Knock Off hinders walls that can handle both Earth Power and Rock Slide, such as Lugia, Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The move also has benefits of removing items such as Leftovers, Eviolite, and Shed Shell from said switch-ins.
* Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Rayquaza and Mega Salamence and 2HKOes Zygarde-C. It also 3HKOes Giratina-O, which takes all of Landorus's other moves with ease.

Set Details
========

* Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Landorus to take advantage of its Speed tier and outspeed every foe with base 100 Speed while maintaining as much offensive potential as possible.
* A Rash nature allows Landorus to have enough power to outright OHKO Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Magearna and 2HKO support Arceus formes with Earth Power while outspeeding neutral-natured Xerneas and Yveltal.
* A Naive nature is an alternative option that trades Landorus's damage output for the ability to outspeed maximum Speed Xerneas, Yveltal, and Rayquaza.
* Life Orb allows Landorus to utilize Earth Power and Rock Slide with Sheer Force without taking recoil damage while boosting coverage moves such as Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice.

Usage Tips
========

* Landorus is best suited for disrupting defensive cores with strong Earth Powers and various coverage moves. It can thus be used early to pressure foes and set Stealth Rock on forced switch.
* It's difficult to switch Landorus into any sort of attacks due to its frailty, so it is strongly advised to switch it in through pivoting or an aggressive double switch.
* If Landorus opted for Stealth Rock, pay attention to the opposing team and figure out which Pokemon have a chance to carry Defog. While Landorus can pressure Defog users like Arceus formes and practically most Flying-types, it tends to struggle doing much against the likes of Giratina-O, Lugia, and Skarmory. Therefore, it is better to weaken or eliminate them so Landorus can effectively set Stealth Rock and keep it on the opposing field.
* On the other hand, if Landorus opted for Knock Off, it can be a more potent wallbreaker that hinders its checks like Lugia and Chansey by removing their items. Since opponents have tendencies to switch Flying-types like Lugia and Celesteela and special walls like Chansey and Blissey into Landorus, it is better to use Knock Off early instead of recklessly spamming Earth Power so Landorus or its teammates can deal with them easier.
* Landorus takes Life Orb recoil from every use of Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice and thus should use them with care, or it will unnecessarily wear itself down over the match.


Team Options
========

* Landorus serves as a powerful wallbreaker that can disrupt defensive teams relatively well; therefore, it fits well on teams that can benefit from weakened or hindered walls.
* Primal Groudon can opt to run more offensive sets if Landorus has Stealth Rock. In exchange, Primal Groudon can switch into Primal Kyogre and threaten Ground-immune Steel-types. Variants with Toxic can lure in Lugia, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O and put them on a timer. Should Landorus forgo Stealth Rock, Arceus-Fairy is an effective option that checks Marshadow and Yveltal, and it can also threaten Giratina-O.
* Necrozma-DM can take advantage of Landorus's defensive checks such as numerous Arceus formes and Chansey. Offensive variants can set up on foes like Arceus-Water and Celesteela, while defensive variants can run Stealth Rock to let Landorus run Knock Off and maximize its wallbreaking potency. Defensive Necrozma-DM also serves as a consistent switch-in to Arceus formes, which are Landorus's common switch-ins.
* Various Arceus formes provide Landorus with a shelter from attacks. Most of them are capable of checking faster foes like Mega Lucario thanks to their Speed and Mega Salamence if carrying Ice Beam. Arceus-Water in particular proves to be a solid partner thanks to its ability to handle problematic foes like Arceus-Ground.
* Yveltal pressures Lugia and Giratina-O and draws in Magearna and Tyranitar, which Landorus can take advantage of. Variants with U-turn can bring Landorus in safely. Mega Scizor and Magearna can also serve as pivots that can bring Landorus in safely while additionally checking Fairy-types and switching into Toxic.
* Mega Gengar appreciates the presence of a strong wallbreaker that threatens bulky foes such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, Magearna, and Tyranitar, all of which it would otherwise struggle against. Landorus also rids Blissey and Skarmory of Shed Shell and allows Mega Gengar to trap and remove them. In return, Mega Gengar can trap Lugia and certain Arceus formes, depending on their typing, or force a trade with an offensive threat that Landorus struggles to deal with by using Destiny Bond.
* Setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario appreciate Landorus setting Stealth Rock and putting massive holes in the opposing team. Xerneas appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Magearna while removing Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off, leaving it unable to check Xerneas later in the match. Swords Dance Arceus can pick on weakened teams with ease with boosted Extreme Speed and can take advantage of Celesteela, Chansey, and other passive defensive Pokemon if using Substitute. Mega Lucario switches into Toxic from the likes of Lugia, Celesteela, and Chansey and uses the latter two as a setup fodder while threatening Ferrothorn.
* Marshadow greatly appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex. It can also potentially use different sets, since Landorus has a tool that Marshadow will otherwise need, such as Hidden Power Ice and a Rock-type move. Marshadium Z variants especially do an excellent job taking out support Arceus formes, Giratina-O, and Lugia for Landorus. Marshadow in general appreciates Landorus's high damage against defensive cores and Stealth Rock support.
* Especially if Landorus opted for a Rash nature, Sticky Web is a strategy that can be employed. If said entry hazard is set up, Landorus becomes an even greater threat that can threaten support Arceus formes with Defog by potentially 2HKOing them with Earth Power. Due to Landorus's inability to threaten Defog users such as Giratina-Oand Lugia, Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo can fit alongside it in this strategy.


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Focus Blast allows Landorus to 2HKO Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory while doing the same to Chansey once Eviolite has been removed.
* Sludge Wave gives Rash Landorus a chance to take out Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage but has almost no relevant use outsides of this.
* Gravity allows Landorus to temporarily hit Flying-types with Earth Power, but this relies on a forced switch to be set up and also leaves Landorus and its teammates vulnerable to Ground-type moves, which can be detrimental against threats like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground.
* Landorus has access to setup moves such as Calm Mind and Rock Polish. The former might be an appealing option that boosts Landorus' sheer power to even further levels, but it isn't efficient due to Landorus having to run a mixed moveset to effectively wallbreak. The latter boosts Landorus's Speed and potentially allows it to clean up late-game, but this is simply outclassed by other setup sweepers like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM.


Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Foes**: Landorus's poor bulk leaves it vulnerable to most faster threats in the tier. Most support Arceus formes, although they are 2HKOed by Earth Power, naturally outspeed Landorus, have access to Recover to keep themselves healthy, and commonly employ Ice Beam, which can easily dispose of Landorus. Mega Salamence, Marshadow, Deoxys-A, Mewtwo, and Ultra Necrozma can outspeed and OHKO Landorus. Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Yveltal can easily KO Landorus after some prior damage.

**Lugia**: Thanks to its massive bulk that is further complemented by Multiscale and an immunity to Earth Power, Lugia can switch into Landorus with impunity and threaten to KO back with Ice Beam or set Landorus on timer using Toxic. It is quite hindered by a well-timed Knock Off, however.

**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O's great defensive stats and Levitate allow it to switch into most of Landorus's moves, and even Knock Off fails to do much damage due to Griseous Orb. However, it is susceptible to residual damage and is 3HKOed by Hidden Power Ice, so it cannot consistently switch into Landorus.

**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Celesteela, Skarmory, and the rare Bronzong are immune to Earth Power and take at most neutral damage from Rock Slide. However, none of them appreciate losing their items to Knock Off, and the former two are 2HKOed by Focus Blast.

**Specially Defensive Foes**: Defensive Primal Kyogre is not 2HKOed by Earth Power and can OHKO back using Scald or Ice Beam. Chansey and Blissey, although they are greatly hindered by Knock Off and dislike Focus Blast, can otherwise comfortably take on Landorus.
 
Last edited:
Revamped stuff because Stealth Rock seemed necessary most of the time (otherwise Landorus can't really justify its use over other wallbreakers)
 
Last edited:

Cynara

Banned deucer.
Add dusk mane to Team options for an offensive partner, mention how it synergies, Support arcs such as water are also good as they handle common threats to landorus defensively.

This is good

QC: 1/3
 
Imagine forgetting to talk about the second most relevant 'mon in the tier and yes that's what happened
* Necrozma-DM can take advantage of Landorus' defensive checks by using numerous Arceus formes and Chansey by taking advantage of them. Offensive variants can set up on foes like Arceus-Water and Celesteela, while defensive variants can run Stealth Rock and let Landorus run Knock Off, maximize its wallbreaking potency. Defensive Necrozma-DM also serves as a consistent switch-in to Arceus formes, which are Landorus' common switch-ins.
* Various Arceus formes provide Landorus a shelter from attacks. Most of them are capable of checking faster foes like Mega Lucario thanks to their Speed and Mega Salamence if carrying Ice Beam. Arceus-Water in particular proves to be a solid partner thanks to its ability to handle problematic foes like Arceus-Ground.
Implemented.
 
* Landorus can take advantage of its ability to pressure many Defog users and common entry hazard setters to viably use Stealth Rock. Landorus's ability to effectively use Stealth Rock and function as a wallbreaker sets itself from other wallbreakers in the tier.
Implemented, tossing this to GP.
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

* Landorus is a powerful wallbreaker that causes a problem to problems for nearly all defensive cores in the tier. With Life Ob Orb- and Sheer Force-boosted attacks, it is capable of easily OHKOing bulky foes, such as Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex.
* Access to a wide array of coverage moves makes ("access to" is being referred here, which is singular) Landorus harder to defensively handle. Landorus's ability to harshly punish common Ground-immune Pokemon by using Hidden Power Ice and Sheer Force-boosted Rock Slide makes it considerably difficult for many teams to switch into.
* A unique Speed tier lets Landorus outpace common foes, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Xerneas, and Yveltal. This lets Landorus to (think I explained this in your Zyg analysis) viably run a Rash nature to make its attacks even more powerful.
* Landorus's ability to force many switches, pressure Defog Arceus formes, and threaten common Stealth Rock setters like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM allows it to compress a role of gives it solid role compression as a wallbreaker and a Stealth Rock setter.
* However, Landorus is relatively frail, and it doesn't have any notable resistances and immunities apart from being immune to Ground-types Ground. Even this can not cannot be utilized due to Ground-types like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground being able to OHKO Landorus on the switch.
* Mentioned Landorus's frailty and lack of useful resistances leave Landorus it vulnerable to essentially every faster foes foe, such as support Arceus formes, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and every Choice Scarf users user. This makes Landorus very hard to function against essentially any offensive teams.
* These detrimental factors leave Landorus hard to justify its use and overshadowed by other strong attackers like Rayquaza, Lunala, and Mewtwo; the former two have much more spammable STAB moves and perform much better against offensive teams, while the latter has a significantly better Speed tier and even wider options for coverage moves.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Earth Power is the strongest STAB move that and allows Landorus to 2HKO most of the neutral targets. It notably features a guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Toxapex.
* Rock Slide is another Sheer Force-boosted move that punishes Flying-types such as Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Rayquaza that are immune to Earth Power by OHKOing or 2HKOing them all.
* Landorus can take advantage of its ability to pressure many Defog users and common entry hazard setters to viably use Stealth Rock. Landorus's ability to effectively use Stealth Rock and function as a wallbreaker sets itself apart from other wallbreakers in the tier.
* Knock Off hinders walls that can handle both Earth Power and Rock Slide, such as Lugia, Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The move also has benefits of removing items such as Leftovers, Eviolite, and Shed Shell from said switch-ins.
* Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Rayquaza and Mega Salamence and 2HKOes Zygarde-C. It also 3HKOes Giratina-O, which takes all of Landorus's other moves from Landorus with ease.

Set Details
========

* Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Landorus to take advantage of its Speed tier and outspeed every foe with base 100 Speed while maintaining as much offensive potential as possible.
* A Rash nature allows Landorus to have enough power to outright OHKO Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Magearna and 2HKO support Arceus forms formes with Earth Power while outspeeding neutral-natured Xerneas and Yveltal.
* A Naive nature is a an alternative option that trades Landorus's damage output with an for the ability to outspeed maximum Speed Xerneas, Yveltal, and Rayquaza.
* Life Orb allows Landorus to utilize Earth Power and Rock Slide with Sheer Force while without taking recoil damage and while boosting coverage moves such as Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice.

Usage Tips
========

* Landorus is best suited for disrupting defensive cores with strong Earth Powers and various coverage moves. It can therefore thus be used early to pressure foes and set Stealth Rock early on forced switch.
* Frailty makes Landorus It's difficult to switch Landorus into any sort of attacks due to its frailty, so it is strongly advised to switch it in through pivoting or an aggressive double switch.
* If Landorus opted for Stealth Rock, look out for pay attention to the opposing team and figure out which Pokemon has have a chance to carry Defog. While Landorus can pressure Defog users like Arceus formes and practically most Flying-types, it tends to struggle doing much against the likes of Giratina-O, Lugia, and Skarmory. Therefore, it is better to weaken or eliminate them so that Landorus can effectively set entry hazard Stealth Rock and keep it on the opposing field.
* On the other hand, if Landorus opted for Knock Off, it can be a more potent wallbreaker that hinders its checks like Lugia and Chansey by removing their items. Since opponents have tendencies to switch Flying-types like Lugia or and Celesteela and special walls like Chansey or and Blissey into Landorus, it is better to use Knock Off early instead of recklessly spamming Earth Power so that Landorus or its teammates can deal with them easier more easily.
* Landorus takes Life Orb recoil from every use of Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice and therefore thus should use them with care, or it will unnecessarily wear itself down itself over the match.


Team Options
========

* Landorus serves as a powerful wallbreaker that can disrupt defensive teams relatively well;(SC) and therefore,(AC) it fits well in on teams that can benefit from weakened or hindered walls.
* Primal Groudon can opt to run more offensive sets if Landorus has Stealth Rock. In exchange, Primal Groudon can switch into Primal Kyogre and threaten Ground-immune Steel-types. Variants with Toxic can lure and put in Lugia, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O and put them on timer. Should Landorus forgo Stealth Rock, Arceus-Fairy is an effective Stealth Rock user that checks Marshadow and Yveltal, and it can also threaten Giratina-O.
* Necrozma-DM can take advantage of Landorus's defensive checks such as numerous Arceus formes and Chansey by taking advantage of them (very redundant). Offensive variants can set up on foes like Arceus-Water and Celesteela, while defensive variants can run Stealth Rock and to let Landorus run Knock Off and maximize its wallbreaking potency. Defensive Necrozma-DM also serves as a consistent switch-in to Arceus formes, which are Landorus's common switch-ins.
* Various Arceus formes provide Landorus with a shelter from attacks. Most of them are capable of checking faster foes like Mega Lucario thanks to their Speed and Mega Salamence if carrying Ice Beam. Arceus-Water in particular proves to be a solid partner thanks to its ability to handle problematic foes like Arceus-Ground.
* Yveltal pressures Lugia and Giratina-O and draws in Magearna and Tyranitar,(AC) which Landorus can take advantage of. Variants with U-turn can bring Landorus in safely. Mega Scizor and Magearna can also serve as pivots that can bring Landorus in safely while additionally checking Fairy-types and switching into Toxic.
* Mega Gengar appreciates the presence of a strong wallbreaker that threatens bulky foes such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, Magearna, and Tyranitar, all of which it would otherwise struggle against. Landorus also rids Blissey and Skarmory of Shed Shell and allows Mega Gengar to trap and remove them. In return,(AC) Mega Gengar in return can trap Lugia and certain Arceus formes,(AC) depending on their typing, or force a trade with an offensive threat that Landorus struggles to deal with by using Destiny Bond.
* Setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario appreciate Landorus setting Stealth Rock and putting massive holes on in the opposing team;(SC).(period) Xerneas appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Magearna while removing Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off, leaving it unable to check Xerneas later in the match. Swords Dance Arceus can pick on weakened teams with ease with boosted Extreme Speed and can take advantage of Celesteela, Chansey, and other passive defensive Pokemon if using Substitute. Mega Lucario switches into Toxic from the likes of Lugia, Celesteela, and Chansey,(RC) and uses the latter two as a setup fodder while threatening Ferrothorn.
* Marshadow greatly appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex. It can also potentially use different sets,(AC) since Landorus has a tool that Marshadow will otherwise need, such as Hidden Power Ice and a Rock-type move. Marshadium Z variants especially do an excellent job taking out support Arceus formes, Giratina-O, and Lugia for Landorus. Marshadow in general appreciates the damage that Landorus causes on Landorus's high damage against defensive cores, Stealth Rock support, and an ability do deal with special walls like Chansey.
* Especially if Landorus opted for a Rash nature, Sticky Web is a considerable strategy that can be employed. If said entry hazard is set up, Landorus becomes an even greater threat that can threaten support Arceus formes with Defog by potentially 2HKOing them with Earth Power. Due to its inability to threaten Defog users such as Giraitna-O or and Lugia, Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo can fit alongside in this strategy.


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Focus Blast allows Landorus to 2HKO Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory while doing the same to Chansey once Eviolite has been knocked off removed.
* Sludge Wave gives Rash Landorus a chance to take out Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage,(RC) but it (otherwise it can sound like this refers to Xerneas) has almost no relevant use outsides of this.
* Gravity allows Landorus to temporarily hit Flying-types with Earth Power, but not only this relies on a forced switch to be set up,(RC) but it and also leaves Landorus itself and its teammates vulnerable to Ground-type moves which can be detrimental against threats like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground.
* Landorus has an access to setup moves such as Calm Mind and Rock Polish. The former might be an appealing option that boosts Landorus's sheer power to even further levels,(AC) but it isn't efficient due to it Landorus having to run a mixed moveset to effectively wallbreak. The latter fixes boosts (overview says that its Speed tier is good) Landorus's Speed and potentially allows it to clean up late-(AH)game, but this is simply outclassed by other setup sweepers like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM.


Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Foes**: Landorus's poor bulk leaves it prone to most faster threats in the tier. Most support Arceus forms formes, although they are 2HKOed by Earth Power, naturally outspeed Landorus, have access to Recover to keep themselves healthy, and commonly employ Ice Beam,(AC) which that can easily dispose of Landorus in return. Mega Salamence, Marshadow, Deoxys-A, Mewtwo, and Ultra Necrozma can outspeed and OHKO Landorus. Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Yveltal can easily KO Landorus after some prior damage.

**Lugia**: Thanks to its massive bulk that is further complemented by Multiscale and an immunity to Earth Power, Lugia can switch into Landorus with impunity and threaten to KO back with Ice Beam or set Landorus on timer using Toxic. It is quite hindered by a well-timed Knock Off, however.

**Giratina-O**: Likewise,(RC) Giratina-O's great defensive stats and Levitate allows allow it to switch into most of moves from Landorus Landorus's moves, and even Knock Off fails to do much damage due to Griseous Orb. However, it is prone to residual damage and is 3HKOd by Hidden Power Ice,(AC) so it and therefore cannot consistently switch into Landorus.

**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Celesteela, Skarmory,(AC) and the rare Bronzong are immune to Earth Power and take at most neutral damage from Rock Slide. However, none of them appreicate appreciate losing their items to Knock Off,(AC) and the former two are 2HKOed by Focus Blast.

**Specially Defensive Foes**: Defensive Primal Kyogre is not 2HKOed by Earth Power and can OHKO back using Scald or Ice Beam. Chansey and Blissey, although they are greatly hindered by Knock Off and dislike Focus Blast, can otherwise comfortably take on Landorus.
GP 1/2
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

* Landorus is a powerful wallbreaker that causes problems for nearly all defensive cores in the tier. With Life Orb- and Sheer Force-boosted attacks, it is capable of easily OHKOing bulky foes, such as Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex.
* Access to a wide array of coverage moves makes Landorus harder to defensively handle. Landorus's ability to harshly punish common Ground-immune Pokemon by using with Hidden Power Ice and Sheer Force-boosted Rock Slide makes it considerably difficult for many teams to switch into.
* A unique Speed tier lets Landorus outpace common foes, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Xerneas, and Yveltal. This lets Landorus viably run a Rash nature to make its attacks even more powerful.
* Landorus's ability to force many switches, pressure Defog Arceus formes, and threaten common Stealth Rock setters like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM gives it a solid role compression as a wallbreaker and Stealth Rock setter.
* However, Landorus is relatively frail, and it doesn't have any notable resistances and immunities apart from being immune to Ground. Even this cannot be utilized properly taken advantage of due to Ground-types like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground being able to OHKO Landorus on the switch.
* Landorus's frailty and lack of useful resistances leave it vulnerable to essentially every faster foe, such as support Arceus formes, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and every Choice Scarf user. This makes Landorus it very hard for Landorus to function against any offensive teams.
* These detrimental factors leave Landorus hard to justify and overshadowed by other strong attackers like Rayquaza, Lunala, and Mewtwo; the former two have much more spammable STAB moves and perform much better against offensive teams, while the latter has a significantly better Speed tier and even wider options for coverage moves.


[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Earth Power is the Landorus's strongest STAB move and allows Landorus it to 2HKO most neutral targets. It notably features reaches a guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Toxapex.
* Rock Slide is another Sheer Force-boosted move that punishes Flying-types such as Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Rayquaza that are immune to Earth Power by OHKOing or 2HKOing them.
* Landorus can take advantage of its ability to pressure many Defog users and common entry hazard setters to viably use Stealth Rock. Landorus's ability to effectively use Stealth Rock and function as a wallbreaker sets itself it apart from other wallbreakers in the tier.
* Knock Off hinders walls that can handle both Earth Power and Rock Slide, such as Lugia, Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The move also has benefits of removing items such as Leftovers, Eviolite, and Shed Shell from said switch-ins.
* Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Rayquaza and Mega Salamence and 2HKOes Zygarde-C. It also 3HKOes Giratina-O, which takes all of Landorus's other moves with ease.

Set Details
========

* Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Landorus to take advantage of its Speed tier and outspeed every foe with base 100 Speed while maintaining as much offensive potential as possible.
* A Rash nature allows Landorus to have enough power to outright OHKO Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Magearna and 2HKO support Arceus formes with Earth Power while outspeeding neutral-natured Xerneas and Yveltal.
* A Naive nature is an alternative option that trades Landorus' Landorus's damage output for the ability to outspeed maximum Speed Xerneas, Yveltal, and Rayquaza.
* Life Orb allows Landorus to utilize Earth Power and Rock Slide with Sheer Force without taking recoil damage while boosting coverage moves such as Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice.

Usage Tips
========

* Landorus is best suited for disrupting defensive cores with strong Earth Powers and various coverage moves. It can thus be used early to pressure foes and set Stealth Rock on forced switch.
* It's difficult to switch Landorus into any sort of attacks due to its frailty, so it is strongly advised to switch it in through pivoting or an aggressive double switch.
* If Landorus opted for Stealth Rock, pay attention to the opposing team and figure out which Pokemon have a chance to carry Defog. While Landorus can pressure Defog users like Arceus formes and practically most Flying-types, it tends to struggle doing much against the likes of Giratina-O, Lugia, and Skarmory. Therefore, it is better to weaken or eliminate them so Landorus can effectively set Stealth Rock and keep it on the opposing field.
* On the other hand, if Landorus opted for Knock Off, it can be a more potent wallbreaker that hinders its checks like Lugia and Chansey by removing their items. Since opponents have tendencies to switch Flying-types like Lugia and Celesteela and special walls like Chansey and Blissey into Landorus, it is better to use Knock Off early instead of recklessly spamming Earth Power so Landorus or its teammates can deal with them easier.
* Landorus takes Life Orb recoil from every use of Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice and thus should use them with care, or it will unnecessarily wear itself down over the match.


Team Options
========

* Landorus serves as a powerful wallbreaker that can disrupt defensive teams relatively well; therefore, it fits well on teams that can benefit from weakened or hindered walls.
* Primal Groudon can opt to run more offensive sets if Landorus has Stealth Rock. In exchange, Primal Groudon can switch into Primal Kyogre and threaten Ground-immune Steel-types. Variants with Toxic can lure in Lugia, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O and put them on a timer. Should Landorus forgo Stealth Rock, Arceus-Fairy is an effective Stealth Rock user option that checks Marshadow and Yveltal, and it can also threaten Giratina-O.
* Necrozma-DM can take advantage of Landorus's defensive checks such as numerous Arceus formes and Chansey. Offensive variants can set up on foes like Arceus-Water and Celesteela, while defensive variants can run Stealth Rock to let Landorus run Knock Off and maximize its wallbreaking potency. Defensive Necrozma-DM also serves as a consistent switch-in to Arceus formes, which are Landorus's common switch-ins.
* Various Arceus formes provide Landorus with a shelter from attacks. Most of them are capable of checking faster foes like Mega Lucario thanks to their Speed and Mega Salamence if carrying Ice Beam. Arceus-Water in particular proves to be a solid partner thanks to its ability to handle problematic foes like Arceus-Ground.
* Yveltal pressures Lugia and Giratina-O and draws in Magearna and Tyranitar, which Landorus can take advantage of. Variants with U-turn can bring Landorus in safely. Mega Scizor and Magearna can also serve as pivots that can bring Landorus in safely while additionally checking Fairy-types and switching into Toxic.
* Mega Gengar appreciates the presence of a strong wallbreaker that threatens bulky foes such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, Magearna, and Tyranitar, all of which it would otherwise struggle against. Landorus also rids Blissey and Skarmory of Shed Shell and allows Mega Gengar to trap and remove them. In return, Mega Gengar can trap Lugia and certain Arceus formes, depending on their typing, or force a trade with an offensive threat that Landorus struggles to deal with by using Destiny Bond.
* Setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario appreciate Landorus setting Stealth Rock and putting massive holes in the opposing team. Xerneas appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Magearna while removing Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off, leaving it unable to check Xerneas later in the match. Swords Dance Arceus can pick on weakened teams with ease with boosted Extreme Speed and can take advantage of Celesteela, Chansey, and other passive defensive Pokemon if using Substitute. Mega Lucario switches into Toxic from the likes of Lugia, Celesteela, and Chansey and uses the latter two as a setup fodder while threatening Ferrothorn.
* Marshadow greatly appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex. It can also potentially use different sets, since Landorus has a tool that Marshadow will otherwise need, such as Hidden Power Ice and a Rock-type move. Marshadium Z variants especially do an excellent job taking out support Arceus formes, Giratina-O, and Lugia for Landorus. Marshadow in general appreciates Landorus's high damage against defensive cores and Stealth Rock support.
* Especially if Landorus opted for a Rash nature, Sticky Web is a considerable strategy that can be employed. If said entry hazard is set up, Landorus becomes an even greater threat that can threaten support Arceus formes with Defog by potentially 2HKOing them with Earth Power. Due to its Landorus's inability to threaten Defog users such as Giraitna-O Giratina-O and Lugia, Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo can fit alongside it in this strategy.


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Focus Blast allows Landorus to 2HKO Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory while doing the same to Chansey once Eviolite has been removed.
* Sludge Wave gives Rash Landorus a chance to take out Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage but has almost no relevant use outsides of this.
* Gravity allows Landorus to temporarily hit Flying-types with Earth Power, but this relies on a forced switch to be set up and also leaves Landorus and its teammates vulnerable to Ground-type moves, (AC) which can be detrimental against threats like Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground.
* Landorus has access to setup moves such as Calm Mind and Rock Polish. The former might be an appealing option that boosts Landorus' sheer power to even further levels, but it isn't efficient due to Landorus having to run a mixed moveset to effectively wallbreak. The latter boosts Landorus's Speed and potentially allows it to clean up late-game, but this is simply outclassed by other setup sweepers like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM.


Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Foes**: Landorus's poor bulk leaves it prone vulnerable to most faster threats in the tier. Most support Arceus formes, although they are 2HKOed by Earth Power, naturally outspeed Landorus, have access to Recover to keep themselves healthy, and commonly employ Ice Beam, which can easily dispose of Landorus. Mega Salamence, Marshadow, Deoxys-A, Mewtwo, and Ultra Necrozma can outspeed and OHKO Landorus. Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Yveltal can easily KO Landorus after some prior damage.

**Lugia**: Thanks to its massive bulk that is further complemented by Multiscale and an immunity to Earth Power, Lugia can switch into Landorus with impunity and threaten to KO back with Ice Beam or set Landorus on timer using Toxic. It is quite hindered by a well-timed Knock Off, however.

**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O's great defensive stats and Levitate allow it to switch into most of Landorus's moves, and even Knock Off fails to do much damage due to Griseous Orb. However, it is prone susceptible to residual damage and is 3HKOd 3HKOed by Hidden Power Ice, so it cannot consistently switch into Landorus.

**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Celesteela, Skarmory, and the rare Bronzong are immune to Earth Power and take at most neutral damage from Rock Slide. However, none of them appreciate losing their items to Knock Off, and the former two are 2HKOed by Focus Blast.

**Specially Defensive Foes**: Defensive Primal Kyogre is not 2HKOed by Earth Power and can OHKO back using Scald or Ice Beam. Chansey and Blissey, although they are greatly hindered by Knock Off and dislike Focus Blast, can otherwise comfortably take on Landorus.
 
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