[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Landorus-T might have lost the title as "Ground type of the generation" to Great Tusk; however, its set versatility, access to Intimidate, and ability to pivot with U-turn still make it a very useful pick. It is often the glue that holds a draft together, thanks to Intimidate in combination with its natural bulk and the defensive utility moves it has, making it incredibly difficult for physical walls to deal with, sometimes even if they have an Ice-type move. With a respectable base 91 Speed, Landorus-T is also a strong Choice Scarf user, and its pool of utility moves can support other offensive sets.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Its defensive typing, in conjunction with Intimidate, will make it a tough wall to break—even for neutrally attacking physical attackers—despite a lack of reliable healing. Its already high base Attack allows you to invest more EVs defensively, which allows it to set up rocks, proc its Intimidate, and pivot for a longer time.
**Offensive Utility**: When invested more in offensive stats, Landorus-T can still use moves like Stealth Rock, Taunt, and U-turn, serving as a good offensive utility pick while dishing out much stronger Ground-type attacks.
**Revenge Killer**: A base 91 Speed means that Landorus-T is outspeeding the entire unboosted metagame, barring Deoxys-S, when using a Choice Scarf. This combined with a stellar Attack stat makes Landorus-T a very viable revenge killer, even if it doesn't have the widest pool of coverage moves.
**Setup Sweeper**: With access to Swords Dance and Bulk Up, Landorus-T can use either to clean up a weakened team. Substitute also helps it set up more safely, allowing it to avoid status or scout its foes having Ice-type coverage moves.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Earthquake, Earth Power
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, U-turn, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Crunch, Hammer Arm, Outrage, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Psychic, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Gravity and Smack Down**: These are two useful moves that remove an opponent's Ground immunity but are used on slightly different occasions. Gravity works better against teams with multiple Ground immunities, while Smack Down is better against teams with just one, such as Corviknight. If you value Landorus-T having a Ground immunity on your side, be wary about using Gravity.
**Fly**: Fly + Power Herb is an option if the opposing team has a naturally decently bulky Grass-, Bug-, or Fighting-type Pokemon that would be hard to KO if not for catching it off guard with Fly, but sacrificing an item slot for something that can potentially be scouted is something that has to be considered as well.
**Scorching Sands / Body Slam**: Bulky Pokemon are commonly the answer to Landorus-T, so having moves to fish for a status infliction against those Pokemon could be a viable strategy, although it could backfire if it has to use too many of these weak moves to successfully get the status infliction.
Common Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet is a fantastic option for getting some chip damage off on the lowered attacks that will be coming after Intimidate, particularly useful in punishing opposing U-turn.
**Choice Scarf**: As previously mentioned, Landorus-T is a usable revenge killer, so Choice Scarf is the best option for revenge killing sets.
**Leftovers**: As Landorus-T is one of the rare Pokemon that is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, but not especially vulnerable to Stealth Rock, if you expect to be pivoting in and out with it a lot, Leftovers will likely be a better choice instead of Heavy-Duty Boots if you do not have another item in mind. It's useful on both utility and setup sweeper sets, although if it is expected to be U-turning a lot, it will rarely have time to get good value from Leftovers.
**Resistance Berry**: Not necessarily useful against Ice-types, Yache Berry is a good item for the Ice-type coverage moves that will assuredly be coming Landorus-T's way. It won't allow Landorus-T to live long, as the moves will still hit as hard as a 2x super effective move, but it might give Landorus-T the turn required to gain an advantage. With Water-type being much less common than Ice-type coverage moves, the other resistance Berry Landorus-T can effectively use is a Passho Berry, which is still good for surprising offensive Water-type Pokemon that threaten to OHKO Landorus-T.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry is good for recovering some health and is better for high-tempo games where Leftovers will not have time to get the value that a Sitrus Berry would.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Band**: While being locked into Earthquake is rarely ideal, even most Ground resistances will not want to take an Earthquake from a Choice Band Landorus-T. Its coverage will generally be able to assist in covering the Pokemon Earthquake does not hit, but since its physical movepool is limited, this set will often be doling out more a powerful U-turn.
**Assault Vest**: Landorus-T can use an Assault Vest to switch more easily into mixed attackers while taking advantage of Intimidate against their physical attacks. Assault Vest is particularly vulnerable to chip damage with no means of recovery, but it might make the difference against teams that have a lot of special attackers.
**Damage-boosting Items**: In matchups where Landorus-T can constantly fire off Ground-type moves, Soft Sand can be used to boost its power while still letting it switch moves.
**Power Herb**: It should only be used with a Fly set. An important thing to remember is that since this item is a one-time use, Fly will still be usable, but it will be much easier for your foe to take advantage of, so use it wisely.
Tera
========
Landorus-T seems like a very obvious choice for a Tera Captain, finally gaining access to a reliable Flying-type coverage move for offensive sets or shedding its Ice weakness on defensive sets. However, in practice it is often incredibly underwhelming due to lacking a way to boost its Speed stat on setup sets and a lack of any reliable healing making it generally pretty easy to KO. If it is chosen as a Tera Captain, the Tera type a defensive set will probably choose, Tera Water, resists both of its weaknesses, but it is also good because of its general good defensive typing, which it enjoys keeping. Tera Blast Flying + Earthquake makes for a very difficult Pokemon to switch into, and even outside of Tera Flying, it can gain much needed coverage with whichever Tera type + Tera Blast you decide to go.
Draft Strategy
========
Landorus-T checks off so many of the parameters that one looks for in a draft team that you can pretty much draft anything alongside it. Having an immunity to Ground and Electric, two very common coverage types, Landorus-T appreciates being able to switch in on those types of moves and U-turn out of unfavorable matchups into something that can handle its weak points.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types are already fantastic, so the two covering each other's weaknesses is just the cherry on top. Bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Rotom-W, and Ogerpon-W that also have pivoting moves are especially useful in forming a dangerous pivot core with Landorus-T.
**Win Conditions**: Unfortunately, without reliable speed control, Landorus-T will not realistically be winning any games by itself. Be sure to draft a Pokemon like Iron Valiant or Zarude that appreciates being pivoted into while it softens up the team for those Pokemon with Stealth Rock.
**Special Attackers**: Landorus-T loves to lure in physical walls only to pivot out into a strong special attacker that can begin punching holes into teams. In addition to Pokemon like Darkrai and Greninja, a fantastic teammate would be Gholdengo, as it appreciates a Ground immunity, while Landorus-T appreciates the Ice resistance and entry hazard removal blocking that Gholdengo provides.
**Spikes / Toxic Spikes Setters**: Landorus-T will almost always be your Stealth Rock user due to its relatively limited movepool, and with Intimidate and U-turn, it will cause a lot of pivoting on both sides of the field. You can punish all of that pivoting with hazard users like Overqwil, Tentacruel, and Glimmora, which all appreciate the Ground immunity Landorus-T gives your team.
Checks and Counters
========
**Water-types**: Most bulky Water-types can shrug off a defensive Landorus-T's Earthquake while threatening it out with a STAB move, while offensive Water-types like Greninja and Ogerpon-W are able to outspeed and OHKO with their STAB moves.
**Ice-types or Ice-type coverage**: Landorus-T will often fall victim to getting chunked by Ice-type coverage, as Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Meowscarada, and Iron Treads which would otherwise be relatively safe switch-ins for Landorus-T, can include it in their movesets.
**Ground-immune Pokemon**: Sometimes taking two turns to hit the foe with Gravity + Earthquake is not a practical solution to dealing with Ground-immune Pokemon such as Uxie, Gliscor, and opposing Landorus-T, and with no Flying-type coverage, Landorus-T has to rely on the painfully inaccurate Rock-type coverage moves or weak Crunch to hit them.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Strong special attackers, such as Terapagos and Darkrai, can take advantage of Landorus-T's middling special bulk to force it out, even with substantial investment in special bulk.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/drizzle.313217/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jcmshadow.551115/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Landorus-T might have lost the title as "Ground type of the generation" to Great Tusk; however, its set versatility, access to Intimidate, and ability to pivot with U-turn still make it a very useful pick. It is often the glue that holds a draft together, thanks to Intimidate in combination with its natural bulk and the defensive utility moves it has, making it incredibly difficult for physical walls to deal with, sometimes even if they have an Ice-type move. With a respectable base 91 Speed, Landorus-T is also a strong Choice Scarf user, and its pool of utility moves can support other offensive sets.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Its defensive typing, in conjunction with Intimidate, will make it a tough wall to break—even for neutrally attacking physical attackers—despite a lack of reliable healing. Its already high base Attack allows you to invest more EVs defensively, which allows it to set up rocks, proc its Intimidate, and pivot for a longer time.
**Offensive Utility**: When invested more in offensive stats, Landorus-T can still use moves like Stealth Rock, Taunt, and U-turn, serving as a good offensive utility pick while dishing out much stronger Ground-type attacks.
**Revenge Killer**: A base 91 Speed means that Landorus-T is outspeeding the entire unboosted metagame, barring Deoxys-S, when using a Choice Scarf. This combined with a stellar Attack stat makes Landorus-T a very viable revenge killer, even if it doesn't have the widest pool of coverage moves.
**Setup Sweeper**: With access to Swords Dance and Bulk Up, Landorus-T can use either to clean up a weakened team. Substitute also helps it set up more safely, allowing it to avoid status or scout its foes having Ice-type coverage moves.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Earthquake, Earth Power
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, U-turn, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Crunch, Hammer Arm, Outrage, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Psychic, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Gravity and Smack Down**: These are two useful moves that remove an opponent's Ground immunity but are used on slightly different occasions. Gravity works better against teams with multiple Ground immunities, while Smack Down is better against teams with just one, such as Corviknight. If you value Landorus-T having a Ground immunity on your side, be wary about using Gravity.
**Fly**: Fly + Power Herb is an option if the opposing team has a naturally decently bulky Grass-, Bug-, or Fighting-type Pokemon that would be hard to KO if not for catching it off guard with Fly, but sacrificing an item slot for something that can potentially be scouted is something that has to be considered as well.
**Scorching Sands / Body Slam**: Bulky Pokemon are commonly the answer to Landorus-T, so having moves to fish for a status infliction against those Pokemon could be a viable strategy, although it could backfire if it has to use too many of these weak moves to successfully get the status infliction.
Common Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet is a fantastic option for getting some chip damage off on the lowered attacks that will be coming after Intimidate, particularly useful in punishing opposing U-turn.
**Choice Scarf**: As previously mentioned, Landorus-T is a usable revenge killer, so Choice Scarf is the best option for revenge killing sets.
**Leftovers**: As Landorus-T is one of the rare Pokemon that is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, but not especially vulnerable to Stealth Rock, if you expect to be pivoting in and out with it a lot, Leftovers will likely be a better choice instead of Heavy-Duty Boots if you do not have another item in mind. It's useful on both utility and setup sweeper sets, although if it is expected to be U-turning a lot, it will rarely have time to get good value from Leftovers.
**Resistance Berry**: Not necessarily useful against Ice-types, Yache Berry is a good item for the Ice-type coverage moves that will assuredly be coming Landorus-T's way. It won't allow Landorus-T to live long, as the moves will still hit as hard as a 2x super effective move, but it might give Landorus-T the turn required to gain an advantage. With Water-type being much less common than Ice-type coverage moves, the other resistance Berry Landorus-T can effectively use is a Passho Berry, which is still good for surprising offensive Water-type Pokemon that threaten to OHKO Landorus-T.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry is good for recovering some health and is better for high-tempo games where Leftovers will not have time to get the value that a Sitrus Berry would.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Band**: While being locked into Earthquake is rarely ideal, even most Ground resistances will not want to take an Earthquake from a Choice Band Landorus-T. Its coverage will generally be able to assist in covering the Pokemon Earthquake does not hit, but since its physical movepool is limited, this set will often be doling out more a powerful U-turn.
**Assault Vest**: Landorus-T can use an Assault Vest to switch more easily into mixed attackers while taking advantage of Intimidate against their physical attacks. Assault Vest is particularly vulnerable to chip damage with no means of recovery, but it might make the difference against teams that have a lot of special attackers.
**Damage-boosting Items**: In matchups where Landorus-T can constantly fire off Ground-type moves, Soft Sand can be used to boost its power while still letting it switch moves.
**Power Herb**: It should only be used with a Fly set. An important thing to remember is that since this item is a one-time use, Fly will still be usable, but it will be much easier for your foe to take advantage of, so use it wisely.
Tera
========
Landorus-T seems like a very obvious choice for a Tera Captain, finally gaining access to a reliable Flying-type coverage move for offensive sets or shedding its Ice weakness on defensive sets. However, in practice it is often incredibly underwhelming due to lacking a way to boost its Speed stat on setup sets and a lack of any reliable healing making it generally pretty easy to KO. If it is chosen as a Tera Captain, the Tera type a defensive set will probably choose, Tera Water, resists both of its weaknesses, but it is also good because of its general good defensive typing, which it enjoys keeping. Tera Blast Flying + Earthquake makes for a very difficult Pokemon to switch into, and even outside of Tera Flying, it can gain much needed coverage with whichever Tera type + Tera Blast you decide to go.
Draft Strategy
========
Landorus-T checks off so many of the parameters that one looks for in a draft team that you can pretty much draft anything alongside it. Having an immunity to Ground and Electric, two very common coverage types, Landorus-T appreciates being able to switch in on those types of moves and U-turn out of unfavorable matchups into something that can handle its weak points.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types are already fantastic, so the two covering each other's weaknesses is just the cherry on top. Bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Rotom-W, and Ogerpon-W that also have pivoting moves are especially useful in forming a dangerous pivot core with Landorus-T.
**Win Conditions**: Unfortunately, without reliable speed control, Landorus-T will not realistically be winning any games by itself. Be sure to draft a Pokemon like Iron Valiant or Zarude that appreciates being pivoted into while it softens up the team for those Pokemon with Stealth Rock.
**Special Attackers**: Landorus-T loves to lure in physical walls only to pivot out into a strong special attacker that can begin punching holes into teams. In addition to Pokemon like Darkrai and Greninja, a fantastic teammate would be Gholdengo, as it appreciates a Ground immunity, while Landorus-T appreciates the Ice resistance and entry hazard removal blocking that Gholdengo provides.
**Spikes / Toxic Spikes Setters**: Landorus-T will almost always be your Stealth Rock user due to its relatively limited movepool, and with Intimidate and U-turn, it will cause a lot of pivoting on both sides of the field. You can punish all of that pivoting with hazard users like Overqwil, Tentacruel, and Glimmora, which all appreciate the Ground immunity Landorus-T gives your team.
Checks and Counters
========
**Water-types**: Most bulky Water-types can shrug off a defensive Landorus-T's Earthquake while threatening it out with a STAB move, while offensive Water-types like Greninja and Ogerpon-W are able to outspeed and OHKO with their STAB moves.
**Ice-types or Ice-type coverage**: Landorus-T will often fall victim to getting chunked by Ice-type coverage, as Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Meowscarada, and Iron Treads which would otherwise be relatively safe switch-ins for Landorus-T, can include it in their movesets.
**Ground-immune Pokemon**: Sometimes taking two turns to hit the foe with Gravity + Earthquake is not a practical solution to dealing with Ground-immune Pokemon such as Uxie, Gliscor, and opposing Landorus-T, and with no Flying-type coverage, Landorus-T has to rely on the painfully inaccurate Rock-type coverage moves or weak Crunch to hit them.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Strong special attackers, such as Terapagos and Darkrai, can take advantage of Landorus-T's middling special bulk to force it out, even with substantial investment in special bulk.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/drizzle.313217/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jcmshadow.551115/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited:
