[OVERVIEW]
Landorus-T has a claim for being the best Pokemon in SS OU. It is the quintessential "glue" Pokemon, and everything it provides, from its strong Earthquake to its utility to its immunities, is a trait that OU teams want. Intimidate and its natural bulk lets Landorus-T handle physical attackers like Garchomp and Blaziken, and with investment, it deals with special attackers like Tapu Koko and Heatran just as well. Landorus-T also can dominate the entry hazard game, as it can both set Stealth Rock and blow hazards away with Defog, notably being one of the few Pokemon to be able to do so on Heatran. Its typing lets it absorb Electric- and Ground-type attacks, which are both quite common in SS OU. Access to great utility moves like Knock Off, Toxic, and U-turn completes the Landorus-T package as one of the best defensive options in the metagame. Furthermore, Landorus-T can run a myriad of tech options like Explosion and alternate sets like Swords Dance to suit whatever a team may need. The only downsides to Landorus-T are that Weavile and Urshifu-R, the two best physical attackers in the metagame, can force it out and that it is prone to getting worn down by repeatedly switching into Stealth Rock and taking Toxic. However, don't get it twisted; Landorus-T is a metagame centralizer and a Pokemon you should always consider when teambuilding.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Toxic / Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Defog / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Specially defensive Landorus-T has it all: a great typing, Intimidate, excellent bulk, a strong STAB move, and all the utility moves it could ever need. It is the premier defensive pivot in the metagame. Toxic punishes defensive and offensive foes alike, such as opposing Landorus-T and Zapdos, which may seek to switch into Landorus-T's Earthquake. Alternatively, Knock Off gives Landorus-T a way to make permanent progress against switch-ins like Corviknight and Skarmory while still crippling other Pokemon that rely on Heavy-Duty Boots like Zapdos and Tornadus-T. Landorus-T can run either Defog or Stealth Rock; being able to use Defog against Heatran makes it one of the best Defoggers in the tier. 16 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Tyranitar. The rest of the investment is placed in Special Defense and HP to maximize Landorus-T's ability to check the tier's many special attackers such as Dragapult and Zapdos. Alternatively, 0 Speed investment with a negative nature and only 23 Speed IVs let Landorus-T be as slow as possible for a slow U-turn while still outspeeding Adamant Crawdaunt.
Team Options
========
Landorus-T offers immense defensive role compression; accordingly, it can be found on a variety of team archetypes. Because Landorus-T is reliant on Leftovers for recovery, Knock Off absorbers like Clefable and Ferrothorn make for good partners. These Pokemon along with other options like Buzzwole and Toxapex also help check Weavile, Landorus-T's number one offensive check. Landorus-T often baits in physical walls like Corviknight and Ferrothorn, making wallbreakers like Dragapult and Heatran great recipients of its U-turn. Its slow U-turn is also very helpful for getting frail Pokemon like Kartana and Tapu Lele onto the field; they also appreciate Landorus-T keeping entry hazards off the field. Other defensive pivots like Corviknight and Slowbro take some of the onus off of Landorus-T to check so many things at once; they also help deal with Melmetal, which is capable of powering through Landorus-T's uninvested Defense. Slowbro additionally checks Urshifu-R, a huge offensive threat to Landorus-T. Late-game sweepers like Weavile and Dragonite take great advantage of Landorus-T crippling shared checks like Tapu Fini and Zapdos with Toxic and Knock Off. Finally, pairing Landorus-T with other specially bulky Pokemon like Slowking and Heatran helps make up for its lack of recovery and weakness to exceptionally strong wallbreakers like Tapu Lele.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Landorus-T may use a Choice Scarf or Choice Band alongside Earthquake, U-turn, Knock Off, and Stone Edge to score surprise KOs against Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Dragapult, and Clefable, but these sets are generally inconsistent. Hyper offense teams may opt to run a Focus Sash with Explosion + Stealth Rock as a lead to ensure that Stealth Rock gets up and stays up, but understand that Weavile and Urshifu-R can bypass Focus Sash with their super effective multi-hit moves. Swords Dance sets, but sometimes defensive sets as well, may opt for Soft Sand for additional power on Earthquake. Smack Down is an option that prevents Corviknight and Zapdos from staying in on Landorus-T. Rocky Helmet is an option on its defensive set to punish U-turn from opposing Landorus-T, but this denies Landorus-T any chance of recovery, making it much easier to wear down.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-types and Ice-type Coverage**: Landorus-T's double weakness to Ice allows Ice-type Pokemon like Weavile and Arctozolt to force it out. Ice-type coverage from Pokemon like Dragonite and Buzzwole also heavily pressures Landorus-T, forcing a switch.
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W can switch into Landorus-T's Earthquake and pressure it with a super effective STAB Water-type attack. Offensive Water-types like Barraskewda and Urshifu-R force Landorus-T out and can keep momentum up with their pivoting moves.
**Strong Attackers**: Particularly strong attackers like Choice Band Tyranitar and Choice Specs Tapu Lele can break through Landorus-T. Weaker ones like Dragapult and offensive Zapdos can quickly wear it down throughout a game as well.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Ferrothorn and Tangrowth easily come in on Landorus-T's Earthquake and Knock Off and pressure it with their own Knock Off; Ferrothorn can even switch into Landorus-T's Toxic. Rillaboom can deal heavy damage to Landorus-T with Grassy Glide or Wood Hammer, and its Grassy Terrain weakens Landorus-T's Earthquake.
**Corviknight and Skarmory**: Corviknight and Skarmory are Landorus-T's best answers. Both are immune to Toxic and Earthquake, and neither care about taking Knock Off. Corviknight ensures that Landorus-T's Stealth Rock never stays on the field, and Skarmory can set Spikes against it freely. They can even run Rocky Helmet to chip away at Landorus-T when it uses U-turn.
**Knock Off and Status**: Because Landorus-T is reliant on Leftovers for recovery, Pokemon like Clefable and Tornadus-T can pressure it with Knock Off. Similarly, burn from Pokemon like Toxapex and Toxic from Pokemon like Garchomp can put Landorus-T on a timer, as it is often needed to come in repeatedly throughout a game, racking up residual damage.
[SET CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dex.277988/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Landorus-T has a claim for being the best Pokemon in SS OU. It is the quintessential "glue" Pokemon, and everything it provides, from its strong Earthquake to its utility to its immunities, is a trait that OU teams want. Intimidate and its natural bulk lets Landorus-T handle physical attackers like Garchomp and Blaziken, and with investment, it deals with special attackers like Tapu Koko and Heatran just as well. Landorus-T also can dominate the entry hazard game, as it can both set Stealth Rock and blow hazards away with Defog, notably being one of the few Pokemon to be able to do so on Heatran. Its typing lets it absorb Electric- and Ground-type attacks, which are both quite common in SS OU. Access to great utility moves like Knock Off, Toxic, and U-turn completes the Landorus-T package as one of the best defensive options in the metagame. Furthermore, Landorus-T can run a myriad of tech options like Explosion and alternate sets like Swords Dance to suit whatever a team may need. The only downsides to Landorus-T are that Weavile and Urshifu-R, the two best physical attackers in the metagame, can force it out and that it is prone to getting worn down by repeatedly switching into Stealth Rock and taking Toxic. However, don't get it twisted; Landorus-T is a metagame centralizer and a Pokemon you should always consider when teambuilding.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Toxic / Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Defog / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Specially defensive Landorus-T has it all: a great typing, Intimidate, excellent bulk, a strong STAB move, and all the utility moves it could ever need. It is the premier defensive pivot in the metagame. Toxic punishes defensive and offensive foes alike, such as opposing Landorus-T and Zapdos, which may seek to switch into Landorus-T's Earthquake. Alternatively, Knock Off gives Landorus-T a way to make permanent progress against switch-ins like Corviknight and Skarmory while still crippling other Pokemon that rely on Heavy-Duty Boots like Zapdos and Tornadus-T. Landorus-T can run either Defog or Stealth Rock; being able to use Defog against Heatran makes it one of the best Defoggers in the tier. 16 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Tyranitar. The rest of the investment is placed in Special Defense and HP to maximize Landorus-T's ability to check the tier's many special attackers such as Dragapult and Zapdos. Alternatively, 0 Speed investment with a negative nature and only 23 Speed IVs let Landorus-T be as slow as possible for a slow U-turn while still outspeeding Adamant Crawdaunt.
Team Options
========
Landorus-T offers immense defensive role compression; accordingly, it can be found on a variety of team archetypes. Because Landorus-T is reliant on Leftovers for recovery, Knock Off absorbers like Clefable and Ferrothorn make for good partners. These Pokemon along with other options like Buzzwole and Toxapex also help check Weavile, Landorus-T's number one offensive check. Landorus-T often baits in physical walls like Corviknight and Ferrothorn, making wallbreakers like Dragapult and Heatran great recipients of its U-turn. Its slow U-turn is also very helpful for getting frail Pokemon like Kartana and Tapu Lele onto the field; they also appreciate Landorus-T keeping entry hazards off the field. Other defensive pivots like Corviknight and Slowbro take some of the onus off of Landorus-T to check so many things at once; they also help deal with Melmetal, which is capable of powering through Landorus-T's uninvested Defense. Slowbro additionally checks Urshifu-R, a huge offensive threat to Landorus-T. Late-game sweepers like Weavile and Dragonite take great advantage of Landorus-T crippling shared checks like Tapu Fini and Zapdos with Toxic and Knock Off. Finally, pairing Landorus-T with other specially bulky Pokemon like Slowking and Heatran helps make up for its lack of recovery and weakness to exceptionally strong wallbreakers like Tapu Lele.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Landorus-T may use a Choice Scarf or Choice Band alongside Earthquake, U-turn, Knock Off, and Stone Edge to score surprise KOs against Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Dragapult, and Clefable, but these sets are generally inconsistent. Hyper offense teams may opt to run a Focus Sash with Explosion + Stealth Rock as a lead to ensure that Stealth Rock gets up and stays up, but understand that Weavile and Urshifu-R can bypass Focus Sash with their super effective multi-hit moves. Swords Dance sets, but sometimes defensive sets as well, may opt for Soft Sand for additional power on Earthquake. Smack Down is an option that prevents Corviknight and Zapdos from staying in on Landorus-T. Rocky Helmet is an option on its defensive set to punish U-turn from opposing Landorus-T, but this denies Landorus-T any chance of recovery, making it much easier to wear down.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-types and Ice-type Coverage**: Landorus-T's double weakness to Ice allows Ice-type Pokemon like Weavile and Arctozolt to force it out. Ice-type coverage from Pokemon like Dragonite and Buzzwole also heavily pressures Landorus-T, forcing a switch.
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W can switch into Landorus-T's Earthquake and pressure it with a super effective STAB Water-type attack. Offensive Water-types like Barraskewda and Urshifu-R force Landorus-T out and can keep momentum up with their pivoting moves.
**Strong Attackers**: Particularly strong attackers like Choice Band Tyranitar and Choice Specs Tapu Lele can break through Landorus-T. Weaker ones like Dragapult and offensive Zapdos can quickly wear it down throughout a game as well.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Ferrothorn and Tangrowth easily come in on Landorus-T's Earthquake and Knock Off and pressure it with their own Knock Off; Ferrothorn can even switch into Landorus-T's Toxic. Rillaboom can deal heavy damage to Landorus-T with Grassy Glide or Wood Hammer, and its Grassy Terrain weakens Landorus-T's Earthquake.
**Corviknight and Skarmory**: Corviknight and Skarmory are Landorus-T's best answers. Both are immune to Toxic and Earthquake, and neither care about taking Knock Off. Corviknight ensures that Landorus-T's Stealth Rock never stays on the field, and Skarmory can set Spikes against it freely. They can even run Rocky Helmet to chip away at Landorus-T when it uses U-turn.
**Knock Off and Status**: Because Landorus-T is reliant on Leftovers for recovery, Pokemon like Clefable and Tornadus-T can pressure it with Knock Off. Similarly, burn from Pokemon like Toxapex and Toxic from Pokemon like Garchomp can put Landorus-T on a timer, as it is often needed to come in repeatedly throughout a game, racking up residual damage.
[SET CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dex.277988/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
