[OVERVIEW]
Iron Valiant stands out as a top tier offensive Pokemon in the tier, able to utilise its Speed, high attacking stats either physically or specially, and a wide movepool of setup, coverage, and utility to devestate any Pokemon that might attempt to check it. Set variety such as Swords Dance, Calm Mind, Mixed, or Choice Specs have very different counterplay from each other, and thus a well played Iron Valiant can take out Pokemon such as Zapdos or Galarian Slowking that might want to check its other sets. Iron Valiant can be an incredible late game cleaner and revenge killer with Booster Energy, able to outspeed and subsequently threaten Pokemon such as Zamazenta, Dragon Dance Dragonite, and Darkrai. Choice Specs can be used to break through otherwise common Iron Valiant answers such as Galarian Slowking and Assault Vest Alomomola due to its sheer power, while still being able to check opposing offense Pokemon such as Darkrai and Weavile through its access to Vacuum Wave. Iron Valiant can furthermore dip into its utility movepool, with options such as Encore, Destiny Bond, and Trick either giving it more setup turns, allowing it to surprise typical counterplay even further, or emergency checking opposing offensive threats. However, Pokemon such as Hatterene, Moltres, Tinkaton, Assault Vest Primarina, and Tera Poison Pokemon such as Ting-Lu and Hisuian Samurott, can check the vast majority of its sets, while Pokemon such as Dondozo and Galarian Slowking are able to take on specific sets such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind respectively, once they have been identified. Iron Valiant also struggles to fit all the coverage options it wants, especially so if it decides to utilise setup and utility options. Thus, Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clodsire can wall it effectively if it does not have options such as Thunderbolt and Psyshock respectively. Furthermore, its low bulk does impede its sweeping potential, as priority users such as Dragonite, Weavile, Rillaboom, and especially Scizor can revenge kill it once it has been weakened. This low bulk also means that Iron Valiant can struggle to find setup opportunities, as while it can theoretically force out Pokemon such as Great Tusk and Heatran, they can simply stay in and trade with it due to its lack of immediate power damage, potentially trading or outright winning against Iron Valiant. Iron Valiant also can lack defensive utility, as while it can check Pokemon such as Kingambit and Lokix, it is lacking compared to other sweepers such as Dragonite and Zamazenta and thus this means that Iron Valiant can only really slot on more offensive teams as a result.
Other Options
=============
A set with Heavy Duty Boots allows Iron Valiant to consistently switch into battle over the course of a longer game by ignoring entry hazards, letting it fit on balance teams to combat hazard-stacking strategies, providing the archetype with a Knock Off user and speed control as well as disruption with Encore. Choice Scarf gives Iron Valiant a permanent speed boost so it can consistently revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Zamazenta while also allowing it to use Trick to cripple opposing walls such as Alomomola and Corviknight. Taunt can be used to allow Iron Valiant to stop recovery attempts from the likes of Corviknight and Garganacl, while also stopping Ting-Lu from phazing it with Whirlwind. Tera Blast Ground allows Iron Valiant to compress coverage into a single slot to smack Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking, Galarian Weezing, Iron Moth, and Gholdengo for super effective damage, while also gaining an immunity to Raging Bolt's Thunderclap and a resistance to Poison-type attacks such as Sludge Bomb from Galarian Slowking. Tera Water alongside Liquidation can be used on Swords Dance sets to allow Iron Valiant to secure OHKO's against the likes of Landorus-T and Gliscor that could otherwise take a hit from it. Focus Blast is an option on Calm Mind sets to hit Garganacl, Heatran, and Iron Treads for super effective damage while securing larger hits against Kyurem and Ting-Lu, OHKO'ing the former at neutral while having a chance to 2HKO the latter with Stealth Rock. Choice Band sets can be used to lure in and break through traditional checks to physical Iron Valiant such as OHKO'ing Gholdengo and Great Tusk, and 2HKO'ing Alomomola, Corviknight, and Hatterene, while also being able to use Trick against physical walls such as Moltres and Dondozo it may not threaten as easily, which can also help teammates such as Kingambit and Dragonite that are otherwise walled by them. Life Orb or Expert Belt is an option to increase the power of Iron Valiants Mixed all-out attacking sets, though the recoil damage from Life Orb can hurt its ability to repeatedly wallbreak and stay out of revenge killing range from Pokemon such as Dragonite, while Expert Belt doesn't help it against Pokemon such as Galarian Weezing that already wall Iron Valiant. Substitute is an option on Swords Dance and Calm Mind sets to allow Iron Valiant to scout opposing Pokemon to give it a free turn of setup while also protecting it against revenge killers such as Extreme Speed Dragonite or Choice Scarf Darkrai. Ice Punch and Thunder Punch can allow Iron Valiant to acheive bolt beam coverage on SD sets, allowing it to hit Pokemon such as Gliscor and Alomomola for super effective damage. However, dropping either Knock Off or Close Combat can allow Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking and Garganacl to potentially take on Iron Valiant. An Adamant nature alongside Shadow Sneak can be used on Sticky Web teams to give Swords Dance Iron Valiant a lot more power while still retaining some of its revenge killing and late game-cleaning capabilities.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Iron Valiant stands out as a top tier offensive Pokemon in the tier, able to utilise its Speed, high attacking stats either physically or specially, and a wide movepool of setup, coverage, and utility to devestate any Pokemon that might attempt to check it. Set variety such as Swords Dance, Calm Mind, Mixed, or Choice Specs have very different counterplay from each other, and thus a well played Iron Valiant can take out Pokemon such as Zapdos or Galarian Slowking that might want to check its other sets. Iron Valiant can be an incredible late game cleaner and revenge killer with Booster Energy, able to outspeed and subsequently threaten Pokemon such as Zamazenta, Dragon Dance Dragonite, and Darkrai. Choice Specs can be used to break through otherwise common Iron Valiant answers such as Galarian Slowking and Assault Vest Alomomola due to its sheer power, while still being able to check opposing offense Pokemon such as Darkrai and Weavile through its access to Vacuum Wave. Iron Valiant can furthermore dip into its utility movepool, with options such as Encore, Destiny Bond, and Trick either giving it more setup turns, allowing it to surprise typical counterplay even further, or emergency checking opposing offensive threats. However, Pokemon such as Hatterene, Moltres, Tinkaton, Assault Vest Primarina, and Tera Poison Pokemon such as Ting-Lu and Hisuian Samurott, can check the vast majority of its sets, while Pokemon such as Dondozo and Galarian Slowking are able to take on specific sets such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind respectively, once they have been identified. Iron Valiant also struggles to fit all the coverage options it wants, especially so if it decides to utilise setup and utility options. Thus, Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clodsire can wall it effectively if it does not have options such as Thunderbolt and Psyshock respectively. Furthermore, its low bulk does impede its sweeping potential, as priority users such as Dragonite, Weavile, Rillaboom, and especially Scizor can revenge kill it once it has been weakened. This low bulk also means that Iron Valiant can struggle to find setup opportunities, as while it can theoretically force out Pokemon such as Great Tusk and Heatran, they can simply stay in and trade with it due to its lack of immediate power damage, potentially trading or outright winning against Iron Valiant. Iron Valiant also can lack defensive utility, as while it can check Pokemon such as Kingambit and Lokix, it is lacking compared to other sweepers such as Dragonite and Zamazenta and thus this means that Iron Valiant can only really slot on more offensive teams as a result.
Other Options
=============
A set with Heavy Duty Boots allows Iron Valiant to consistently switch into battle over the course of a longer game by ignoring entry hazards, letting it fit on balance teams to combat hazard-stacking strategies, providing the archetype with a Knock Off user and speed control as well as disruption with Encore. Choice Scarf gives Iron Valiant a permanent speed boost so it can consistently revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Zamazenta while also allowing it to use Trick to cripple opposing walls such as Alomomola and Corviknight. Taunt can be used to allow Iron Valiant to stop recovery attempts from the likes of Corviknight and Garganacl, while also stopping Ting-Lu from phazing it with Whirlwind. Tera Blast Ground allows Iron Valiant to compress coverage into a single slot to smack Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking, Galarian Weezing, Iron Moth, and Gholdengo for super effective damage, while also gaining an immunity to Raging Bolt's Thunderclap and a resistance to Poison-type attacks such as Sludge Bomb from Galarian Slowking. Tera Water alongside Liquidation can be used on Swords Dance sets to allow Iron Valiant to secure OHKO's against the likes of Landorus-T and Gliscor that could otherwise take a hit from it. Focus Blast is an option on Calm Mind sets to hit Garganacl, Heatran, and Iron Treads for super effective damage while securing larger hits against Kyurem and Ting-Lu, OHKO'ing the former at neutral while having a chance to 2HKO the latter with Stealth Rock. Choice Band sets can be used to lure in and break through traditional checks to physical Iron Valiant such as OHKO'ing Gholdengo and Great Tusk, and 2HKO'ing Alomomola, Corviknight, and Hatterene, while also being able to use Trick against physical walls such as Moltres and Dondozo it may not threaten as easily, which can also help teammates such as Kingambit and Dragonite that are otherwise walled by them. Life Orb or Expert Belt is an option to increase the power of Iron Valiants Mixed all-out attacking sets, though the recoil damage from Life Orb can hurt its ability to repeatedly wallbreak and stay out of revenge killing range from Pokemon such as Dragonite, while Expert Belt doesn't help it against Pokemon such as Galarian Weezing that already wall Iron Valiant. Substitute is an option on Swords Dance and Calm Mind sets to allow Iron Valiant to scout opposing Pokemon to give it a free turn of setup while also protecting it against revenge killers such as Extreme Speed Dragonite or Choice Scarf Darkrai. Ice Punch and Thunder Punch can allow Iron Valiant to acheive bolt beam coverage on SD sets, allowing it to hit Pokemon such as Gliscor and Alomomola for super effective damage. However, dropping either Knock Off or Close Combat can allow Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking and Garganacl to potentially take on Iron Valiant. An Adamant nature alongside Shadow Sneak can be used on Sticky Web teams to give Swords Dance Iron Valiant a lot more power while still retaining some of its revenge killing and late game-cleaning capabilities.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
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