Monotype Terrakion (Fighting) QC: [3/3] (Written) GP: [2/2]

[Lumari]

remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2

check

[OVERVIEW]

Fighting
========

Terrakion is a great revenge killer for Fighting, as its high Attack, great Speed tier, and useful STAB combination allow it to take out many threats to Fighting the type such as Mega Pinsir and Tapu Koko. Terrakion's high Speed tier allows it to naturally outspeed many fast threats such as Mega Pinsir, Blacephalon, and Nihilego with full Speed investment and a Jolly nature. Thanks to its respectable Attack stat and two powerful STAB moves in Stone Edge and Close Combat, Terrakion can be a great offensive threat against Bug, Flying, and Fire teams. Its movepool also allows it to utilize useful coverage moves such as Earthquake, Iron Head, and Poison Jab, allowing it to deal with a wide variety of Pokemon, with some notable examples being Tapu Koko, Mega Diancie, and Tapu Bulu. This combined with its Rock typing allows Terrakion to take a few Flying-type attacks, which is key against types like Bug and Flying. Terrakion also has decent bulk and can take neutral hits from Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Mega Pidgeot. Despite its defensive merits, though, Terrakion's typing leaves it weak to other common types like Water and Ground. Even with its high-powered STAB moves and Attack stat, Terrakion cannot break past Pokemon such as Skarmory and Mega Venusaur due to their high Defense. Along with most its teammates, Terrakion is highly crippled by any status ailment, as they always hinder its ability to effectively sweep and revenge kill.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf Sweeper (Fighting)
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Iron Head / Poison Jab
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Stone Edge is a powerful STAB move that allows Terrakion to hit important threats to Fighting like Mega Pinsir, Volcarona, and Victini as well as hit Flying-types that threaten the rest of the team, such as Mega Charizard Y and Zapdos. Close Combat is Terrakion's most consistent and powerful STAB move and allows it to threaten Normal- and Steel-types like Chansey and Heatran. Earthquake and Iron Head serve as useful coverage moves for KOing Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Choice Specs Gengar after Stealth Rock damage and OHKOing Mega Diancie, respectively. Poison Jab can be used instead to OHKO Tapu Bulu and hit other Fairy-types that are otherwise hit neutrally by Iron Head such as Azumarill.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature and a Choice Scarf allows Terrakion to outspeed a majority of the metagame, including fast threats like Life Orb Latios, Choice Scarf Victini, and +1 Mega Sharpedo after a Speed Boost. Maximum Attack investment allows Terrakion to hit as hard as possible. Justified is Terrakion's default ability and allows it to gain an Attack boost after getting hit by a Dark-type attack, which can be useful for punishing bulky Knock Off users such as Armaldo.

Usage Tips
========

Terrakion is used best as a revenge killer, so sending it in after a teammate has been KOed allows it to effectively make use of its power and Speed to KO the opposing threat. Refrain from staying in on walls like Toxapex, Mega Sableye, and Slowbro, as they can compromise Terrakion's Speed with paralysis and hurt its power with burn, causing Terrakion to be less useful throughout the match. Terrakion should also not stay in against faster revenge killers like Choice Scarf Latios and priority revenge killers like Azumarill and Scizor—especially after using Close Combat, which drops both of Terrakion's defenses by one stage and can rack up as long as it stays in. Terrakion can also sweep teams late-game after all of the opposing team's walls have been taken down. In certain matchups, such as Bug, Terrakion should be preserved, as its typing allows it to check certain threats to the team, most notably Mega Pinsir. Avoid getting Choice-locked into unfavorable moves against certain Pokemon, as bulky setup sweepers like Mega Scizor and Mega Altaria will take advantage of this and set up on Terrakion. Terrakion can be switched into weakened or passive Pokemon like Armaldo, as its bulk allows it to take some damage and return it with its powerful moves.

Team Options
========

Cobalion can provide Terrakion with Stealth Rock support, allowing it to get KOs on Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Dragonite after chip damage. Cobalion can also slow down some fast threats like Choice Scarf Greninja with Thunder Wave and pivot with Volt Switch. Keldeo threatens Ground-types like Hippowdon, Garchomp, and Gliscor with its STAB Hydro Pump and coverage move Icy Wind. This helps Terrakion immensely, as these Pokemon can effectively check it due to their typing and bulk. Keldeo is also a powerful wallbreaker capable of breaking through physical walls such as Mega Sableye and Skarmory who that otherwise check Terrakion. Breloom can put foes to sleep using Spore and also take down bulky Pokemon like Gastrodon and Swampert with its Technician-boosted STAB Bullet Seed, allowing Terrakion to sweep more effectively. Hawlucha provides great support to Terrakion with Defog, clearing Sticky Web and Toxic Spikes from the field while also taking care of opposing Grass-types like Mega Venusaur that otherwise completely wall Terrakion. It can also act as a secondary cleaner to take care of certain matchups that Terrakion falters in like Grass and Water. Both Buzzwole and Heracross are great Choice Scarf users that complement Terrakion, as they eliminate Psychic-types such as Slowbro and Mew. Additionally, Heracross can use Pursuit to trap threats like Choice Scarf Latios after it locks itself locked into Defog, and Buzzwole can use Ice Punch to hit Landorus-T and Gliscor. Mega Gallade helps break past physical tanks such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur thanks to its monstrous Attack stat paired with Swords Dance and powerful STAB moves. Terrakion in return can get rid of Mega Gallade's checks like Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu with its superior Speed and movepool. Kommo-o works great with Terrakion, as it's a great special sweeper that can threaten opposing defensive Pokemon like Hippowdon and Mega Venusaur with its powerful Clangorous Soulblaze and help weaken opposing Steel- and Fairy-types that threaten Terrakion like Skarmory and Azumarill with its coverage options in Flamethrower and Poison Jab.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fighting
--------

Rock Slide can be used over Earthquake as a more consistent STAB option, but it's a weaker move, misses crucial KOs on Pokemon like Zapdos, and limits Terrakion's overall coverage. Terrakion can use a Rockium Z set consisting of Swords Dance, Stone Edge, Close Combat, and Substitute or Rock Polish to act as a setup sweeper that can tear down walls like Celesteela while also punishing passive Pokemon like Armaldo and capitalizing on predicted switches. However, this leaves Terrakion open to Haze users and phazers and limits its coverage. Terrakion can also use a Choice Band set to become a wallbreaker capable of 2HKOing Pokemon like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. This set, however, allows Terrakion to be outsped by Pokemon without a Choice Scarf, such as Mega Diancie and Mega Gallade.

Checks and Counters
===================
Fighting
--------

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Slowbro, Skarmory, and Clefable take all of Terrakion's attacks and can wear it down with their STAB attacks or recover any lost health with recovery moves.

**Fairy- and Psychic-types**: Pokemon such as Mimikyu and Choice Scarf Latios can easily revenge kill Terrakion with their super effective STAB moves.

**Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Gliscor can take hits from Terrakion, as their typing resists they Stone Edge. This, along with their bulk and access to Earthquake, allows them effectively check Terrakion by using Earthquake to KO it.

**Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex both easily wall Terrakion due to their typing resisting resistance to Close Combat, allowing them to recover lost health and wear it down with super effective moves in Giga Drain and Scald, respectively.

**Priority**: Due to its Rock typing, Pokemon such as Azumarill, Breloom, and Mega Scizor threaten Terrakion with their respective priority moves in Aqua Jet, Mach Punch, and Bullet Punch.

**Revenge Killers**: Even with a Choice Scarf, Terrakion is still outsped by faster Choice Scarf users such as Latios and Greninja and is KOed by their super effective moves.

**Status**: Pokemon such as Klefki and Mega Sableye can hit Terrakion with status moves that hinder Terrakion's ability to sweep and revenge kill, as paralysis slows Terrakion down, while burn halves its power.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Fighting analysis by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Quality Checked by: [[Tyke, 243751], [Eien, 100418], [KevinElf, 314540]]
- Grammar checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [x, useridforx]]

 

[Namranan]

Thanks for the check Plumberjack!

The entire check was implemented, this article is now finally ready to be uploaded!

 

[Eien]

Uploaded