[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Encore / Spirit Break
item: Booster Energy
tera type: Dark / Steel
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance Iron Valiant is an excellent cleaner and wallbreaker, leveraging its high threat level as an expected special attacker to force out many common physical walls such as Great Tusk and Zamazenta in order to set up a Swords Dance. It can then KO or cripple many of its standard checks such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Moltres with a boosted Knock Off. Encore allows Iron Valiant to lock many Pokemon such as Garganacl, Kingambit, and Raging Bolt into disadvantageous moves, giving it more setup opportunities, while also ending potential sweeps from Pokemon, such as Dragon Dance Kyurem, Swords Dance Kingambit, and Calm Mind Raging Bolt if they use a setup move. Alternatively, Spirit Break can be used, allowing Iron Valiant to OHKO Great Tusk, unboosted Zamazenta, and opposing Iron Valiant after a Swords Dance boost. Iron Valiant is a fantastic user of Terastallization, as it makes use of a potential free turn to more easily set up Swords Dance. Tera Dark allows Iron Valiant to OHKO both Galarian Slowking and Dragapult with Knock Off without setting up Swords Dance. Tera Dark Knock Off also deals significantly higher damage to both Zapdos and Moltres. Meanwhile, Tera Steel allows Iron Valiant to flip all of its weaknesses into resistances, letting it set up on otherwise lethal attacks such as Gholdengo's Make It Rain, Corviknight's Brave Bird, and Galarian Slowking's Sludge Bomb, while also granting Iron Valiant a Toxic immunity, which is valuable against Pokemon such as Gliscor and Toxapex. Iron Valiant's wide coverage and high Speed allow it to run many alternative coverage moves and Tera types depending on your preferences. Tera Water can be used with Liquidation to OHKO key physical walls like Moltres, Gliscor, and Landorus-T after a Swords Dance boost. Tera Electric is another option, granting Iron Valiant a paralysis immunity, which can be helpful in letting it set up against Zapdos. Ice Punch can be used to nail Landorus-T and Gliscor without Terastallizing. Moonblast allows Iron Valiant a chance to directly OHKO offensive Great Tusk without setting up, which can be useful to open up certain partners such as Kingambit. If Iron Valiant is being used with Sticky Web support, it can run an Adamant nature instead so that Booster Energy raises its Attack instead, making it a more potent wallbreaker. Iron Valiant can also make use of alternative utility options bolstered by its high Speed. Destiny Bond allows Iron Valiant to effectively trade with an enemy Pokemon of its choice, while Taunt allows Iron Valiant to prevent key Pokemon such as Zapdos from recovering, making it easier for a partner to KO.
Iron Valiant works best on hyper and bulky offensive teams as an late-game cleaner and speed control. It greatly appreciates entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Hisuian Samurott, Glimmora, Ting-Lu, and Iron Treads in order to improve its wallbreaking power. In turn, Iron Valiant can make their hazards even more potent by knocking off Heavy-Duty Boots from key targets like Dragonite and Galarian Slowking. Sticky Web setters such as Araquanid and Ribombee are also great partners, as Sticky Web can alleviate potential Speed ties from opposing Iron Valiant while also allowing slowing down Iron Valiant's other offensive checks like Choice Scarf Darkrai and Iron Boulder. Iron Valiant is excellent at luring and weakening many of the checks to its special sets such as Gholdengo, Moltres, and Galarian Slowking. Pokemon that benefit from these threats being weakened or removed, like Zamazenta, Kyurem, and Primarina, are thus excellent partners, as it becomes much easier for these Pokemon to sweep if their typical checks are weakened. Iron Valiant is a solid check to Raging Bolt, Hisuian Samurott, and Kingambit with Encore, making it a great teammate for partners that may struggle against these Pokemon, like Gholdengo, Darkrai, and Galarian Slowking. While Iron Valiant exerts a great deal of offensive pressure, it can still struggle with key defensive Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dondozo. Pokemon such as Kyurem and Ogerpon-W can immediately pressure and KO these Pokemon; although it does not KO these Pokemon outright, Roaring Moon is also quite reliable at heavily weakening these Pokemon with Knock Off and preventing recovery with Taunt. Iron Valiant's defensive profile is rather limited given its poor bulk. Support from bulky pivots such as Galarian Slowking, Zapdos, Moltres, and Landorus-T is thus appreciated to bring it in safely. In particular, both Zapdos and Moltres can punish powerful priority moves from key foes such as Dragonite and Scizor with their abilities. Gholdengo resists all of Iron Valiant's weaknesses and can spread paralysis to help Iron Valiant outspeed foes such as Darkrai and Zamazenta even after its Booster Energy is consumed. While this Iron Valiant set is great at luring Galarian Slowking and Gholdengo, it can still struggle against these Pokemon one-on-one, particularly if they are running Colbur Berry. Partners that can exploit them, such as Kingambit, Hisuian Samurott, Darkrai, and Ting-Lu, are thus recommended. Iron Valiant can struggle against Toxic Spikes given that it is not running Heavy-Duty Boots, so a Toxic Spikes absorber, such as Galarian Slowking or Iron Moth, is recommended. Iron Valiant can have an awkward time against Iron Moth, which can survive any attack barring Liquidation at +2 and KO back with Sludge Wave. Pokemon that can check Iron Moth, such as Dragonite, Hisuian Samurott, and Landorus-T, are therefore great partners.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/magcargo.177111/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ninth.612443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Encore / Spirit Break
item: Booster Energy
tera type: Dark / Steel
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance Iron Valiant is an excellent cleaner and wallbreaker, leveraging its high threat level as an expected special attacker to force out many common physical walls such as Great Tusk and Zamazenta in order to set up a Swords Dance. It can then KO or cripple many of its standard checks such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Moltres with a boosted Knock Off. Encore allows Iron Valiant to lock many Pokemon such as Garganacl, Kingambit, and Raging Bolt into disadvantageous moves, giving it more setup opportunities, while also ending potential sweeps from Pokemon, such as Dragon Dance Kyurem, Swords Dance Kingambit, and Calm Mind Raging Bolt if they use a setup move. Alternatively, Spirit Break can be used, allowing Iron Valiant to OHKO Great Tusk, unboosted Zamazenta, and opposing Iron Valiant after a Swords Dance boost. Iron Valiant is a fantastic user of Terastallization, as it makes use of a potential free turn to more easily set up Swords Dance. Tera Dark allows Iron Valiant to OHKO both Galarian Slowking and Dragapult with Knock Off without setting up Swords Dance. Tera Dark Knock Off also deals significantly higher damage to both Zapdos and Moltres. Meanwhile, Tera Steel allows Iron Valiant to flip all of its weaknesses into resistances, letting it set up on otherwise lethal attacks such as Gholdengo's Make It Rain, Corviknight's Brave Bird, and Galarian Slowking's Sludge Bomb, while also granting Iron Valiant a Toxic immunity, which is valuable against Pokemon such as Gliscor and Toxapex. Iron Valiant's wide coverage and high Speed allow it to run many alternative coverage moves and Tera types depending on your preferences. Tera Water can be used with Liquidation to OHKO key physical walls like Moltres, Gliscor, and Landorus-T after a Swords Dance boost. Tera Electric is another option, granting Iron Valiant a paralysis immunity, which can be helpful in letting it set up against Zapdos. Ice Punch can be used to nail Landorus-T and Gliscor without Terastallizing. Moonblast allows Iron Valiant a chance to directly OHKO offensive Great Tusk without setting up, which can be useful to open up certain partners such as Kingambit. If Iron Valiant is being used with Sticky Web support, it can run an Adamant nature instead so that Booster Energy raises its Attack instead, making it a more potent wallbreaker. Iron Valiant can also make use of alternative utility options bolstered by its high Speed. Destiny Bond allows Iron Valiant to effectively trade with an enemy Pokemon of its choice, while Taunt allows Iron Valiant to prevent key Pokemon such as Zapdos from recovering, making it easier for a partner to KO.
Iron Valiant works best on hyper and bulky offensive teams as an late-game cleaner and speed control. It greatly appreciates entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Hisuian Samurott, Glimmora, Ting-Lu, and Iron Treads in order to improve its wallbreaking power. In turn, Iron Valiant can make their hazards even more potent by knocking off Heavy-Duty Boots from key targets like Dragonite and Galarian Slowking. Sticky Web setters such as Araquanid and Ribombee are also great partners, as Sticky Web can alleviate potential Speed ties from opposing Iron Valiant while also allowing slowing down Iron Valiant's other offensive checks like Choice Scarf Darkrai and Iron Boulder. Iron Valiant is excellent at luring and weakening many of the checks to its special sets such as Gholdengo, Moltres, and Galarian Slowking. Pokemon that benefit from these threats being weakened or removed, like Zamazenta, Kyurem, and Primarina, are thus excellent partners, as it becomes much easier for these Pokemon to sweep if their typical checks are weakened. Iron Valiant is a solid check to Raging Bolt, Hisuian Samurott, and Kingambit with Encore, making it a great teammate for partners that may struggle against these Pokemon, like Gholdengo, Darkrai, and Galarian Slowking. While Iron Valiant exerts a great deal of offensive pressure, it can still struggle with key defensive Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dondozo. Pokemon such as Kyurem and Ogerpon-W can immediately pressure and KO these Pokemon; although it does not KO these Pokemon outright, Roaring Moon is also quite reliable at heavily weakening these Pokemon with Knock Off and preventing recovery with Taunt. Iron Valiant's defensive profile is rather limited given its poor bulk. Support from bulky pivots such as Galarian Slowking, Zapdos, Moltres, and Landorus-T is thus appreciated to bring it in safely. In particular, both Zapdos and Moltres can punish powerful priority moves from key foes such as Dragonite and Scizor with their abilities. Gholdengo resists all of Iron Valiant's weaknesses and can spread paralysis to help Iron Valiant outspeed foes such as Darkrai and Zamazenta even after its Booster Energy is consumed. While this Iron Valiant set is great at luring Galarian Slowking and Gholdengo, it can still struggle against these Pokemon one-on-one, particularly if they are running Colbur Berry. Partners that can exploit them, such as Kingambit, Hisuian Samurott, Darkrai, and Ting-Lu, are thus recommended. Iron Valiant can struggle against Toxic Spikes given that it is not running Heavy-Duty Boots, so a Toxic Spikes absorber, such as Galarian Slowking or Iron Moth, is recommended. Iron Valiant can have an awkward time against Iron Moth, which can survive any attack barring Liquidation at +2 and KO back with Sludge Wave. Pokemon that can check Iron Moth, such as Dragonite, Hisuian Samurott, and Landorus-T, are therefore great partners.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/magcargo.177111/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ninth.612443/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
