[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Terrakion is a solid middle-of-the-road wall breaker and revenge killer. The fact that its STAB moves give it almost near-perfect coverage allows it to function great in both of these roles while also freeing up moveslots for more niche sets. Unfortunately, Terrakion's offensive typing is very weakness-laden defensively. This means that its teammates need to pick up the slack on the defensive side. The only defensive benefit Terrakion really brings is to function as a Knock Off absorber, as resisting Dark and getting an Attack boost after getting hit can be beneficial for its teammates.
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Terrakion's combination of its STAB moves and high Attack stat coupled with its above-average Speed stat means it can act as a solid wallbreaker. With Rock / Fighting providing near-perfect coverage, this frees up its other moveslots for coverage, utility, or Swords Dance.
**Revenge Killer**: Terrakion's solid Speed stat coupled with a Choice Scarf can turn it into a very potent revenge killer. Access to a great combination of STAB moves allows it to revenge kill a solid portion of the metagame.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Close Combat, Sacred Sword, Rock Blast, Rock Slide
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Smack Down, Brick Break, Substitute, Taunt, Roar
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Zen Headbutt, X-Scissor, Poison Jab, Iron Head, Quick Attack, High Horsepower
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure is often paired with Salac Berry, allowing Terrakion to effectively boost its Speed on wallbreaking and setup sets.
**Reversal**: Reversal is combined with Endure and commonly Salac Berry to turn Terrakion into a potent late-game cleaner.
**Upper Hand**: Upper Hand has a usable niche on Swords Dance sets when Terrakion is faced with strong priority users, allowing it to turn the tide against them and beat them one-on-one.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is commonly used to turn Terrakion into a great revenge killer, allowing it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. Furthermore, this doubles as a late-game cleaner, exploiting holes made in the opposing team.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is used to push Terrakion's already respectable wallbreaking capabilities to another level. This allows it to punch holes in the opposing team as well as clean up once holes have been punched.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Damage-boosting items can help Terrakion elevate its power without the drawbacks of a Choice item, allowing it to punch holes into the opposing team without losing its flexibility in moves. Damage-boosting items are also used on Swords Dance sets to allow for specific OHKOs after a boost.
**Lum Berry**: Lum Berry is mostly used on Swords Dance sets where foes can threaten to cripple it with burn or paralysis, allowing Terrakion to ignore them once.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is always a solid item in matchups where Terrakion does not need to boost its damage output or act as a revenge killer. It is also an option on Swords Dance sets, as they allow Terrakion to set up more than once if the need for that arises.
**Salac Berry**: Salac Berry is Terrakion's only option to boost its Speed without being locked in a move. It can reliably be activated via Substitute or Endure.
**Resistance Berries**: Terrakion can benefit from Resistance Berries to take a hit and set up or trade with a faster foe.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash can be used on Terrakion to turn it into a suicide lead that sets up Stealth Rock, punch a hole into an opposing foe via its hard-hitting STAB attacks, or reliably set up a Swords Dance.
Tera
========
Terrakion is a decent Tera Captain; however, it is only really used as a secondary Tera Captain, as its cost allows it to be paired with better Tera Captains. If you make Terrakion a Tera Captain, it can benefit from defensive Tera Types to shore up its terrible defensive profile. Tera Steel, Water, and Ghost can all grant it a free turn to fire off its high-powered attacks, whereas Tera Fighting boosts its Fighting-type STAB attacks to a whole new level.
Draft Strategy
========
Terrakion is an offensive Pokemon through and through. Its defensive profile means that its teammates should pick up the slack, so it appreciates a solid defensive backbone. Terrakion's ability to punch holes into an opposing team means that late-game cleaners excel with it, and additional offense can allow it to be a fantastic cleaner in its own right.
**Slow Pivots**: Terrakion's middling bulk means it loves having a slow pivot to get it in safely, as that allows it to fulfill its role to the best potential. Corviknight, Galarian Slowking, and Moltres can all perform this role greatly while also supporting other teammates.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark-types help Terrakion get rid of Ghost-types that can freely switch into its Fighting-type STAB moves. Ghost-types fulfill the same role with the granted benefit that they tend to get hit by Dark-type moves, allowing Terrakion to get a boost from Justified. Meowscarada, Gholdengo, and Weavile are all excellent partners for Terrakion.
**Late-game Cleaners**: Terrakion's ability to punch holes into the opposing defenses means that late-game cleaners can have an especially good time at closing out games. Iron Valiant, Gouging Fire, and Raging Bolt all can fulfill this role greatly. They can also switch roles where they punch holes and Terrakion functions as the late-game cleaner.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: While Terrakion can run Stealth Rock, it prefers another teammate for this role, as that frees up space in what it can do. Every form of entry hazard helps Terrakion, and the chip they deal can turn a 2HKO into a OHKO. Teammates such as Galarian Slowking, Glimmora, and Great Tusk all can help with this.
Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost-Types**: Terrakion relies on Choice items, allowing Ghost-types to come in for free and get a free turn when Terrakion uses its Fighting-type moves. This means that Ghost-types like Gholdengo and Sinistcha that can set up can use this free turn to become a scary threat.
**Faster Pokemon**: While Terrakion's typing provides it with a great offensive profile, its defensive profile leaves something to be desired. This means that a lot of common types hit Terrakion for super effective damage with a bunch of scary attackers being faster than it. Meowscarada, Iron Valiant, and Serperior all threaten to cleanly OHKO it.
**Strong Priority Users**: Terrakion has a weakness against some of the strongest priority users in the format, which means that they can come in and revenge kill most versions of Terrakion. Bullet Punch from Scizor, Jet Punch from Palafin, Aqua Jet from Hisuian Samurott, and Mach Punch from Breloom are some common STAB priority attacks that Terrakion is weak against.
**Status**: Terrakion needs both its Speed and Attack to function in every role it commonly wants to fill, meaning it is especially susceptible to both burn and paralysis. These statuses are especially scary when coming in on the switch. Hisuian Zoroark, Rotom-W, and Galarian Weezing-are some premiere status spreaders that have a good matchup into Terrakion.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/twentytwan.610572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Terrakion is a solid middle-of-the-road wall breaker and revenge killer. The fact that its STAB moves give it almost near-perfect coverage allows it to function great in both of these roles while also freeing up moveslots for more niche sets. Unfortunately, Terrakion's offensive typing is very weakness-laden defensively. This means that its teammates need to pick up the slack on the defensive side. The only defensive benefit Terrakion really brings is to function as a Knock Off absorber, as resisting Dark and getting an Attack boost after getting hit can be beneficial for its teammates.
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Terrakion's combination of its STAB moves and high Attack stat coupled with its above-average Speed stat means it can act as a solid wallbreaker. With Rock / Fighting providing near-perfect coverage, this frees up its other moveslots for coverage, utility, or Swords Dance.
**Revenge Killer**: Terrakion's solid Speed stat coupled with a Choice Scarf can turn it into a very potent revenge killer. Access to a great combination of STAB moves allows it to revenge kill a solid portion of the metagame.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Close Combat, Sacred Sword, Rock Blast, Rock Slide
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Smack Down, Brick Break, Substitute, Taunt, Roar
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Zen Headbutt, X-Scissor, Poison Jab, Iron Head, Quick Attack, High Horsepower
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure is often paired with Salac Berry, allowing Terrakion to effectively boost its Speed on wallbreaking and setup sets.
**Reversal**: Reversal is combined with Endure and commonly Salac Berry to turn Terrakion into a potent late-game cleaner.
**Upper Hand**: Upper Hand has a usable niche on Swords Dance sets when Terrakion is faced with strong priority users, allowing it to turn the tide against them and beat them one-on-one.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is commonly used to turn Terrakion into a great revenge killer, allowing it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. Furthermore, this doubles as a late-game cleaner, exploiting holes made in the opposing team.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is used to push Terrakion's already respectable wallbreaking capabilities to another level. This allows it to punch holes in the opposing team as well as clean up once holes have been punched.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Damage-boosting items can help Terrakion elevate its power without the drawbacks of a Choice item, allowing it to punch holes into the opposing team without losing its flexibility in moves. Damage-boosting items are also used on Swords Dance sets to allow for specific OHKOs after a boost.
**Lum Berry**: Lum Berry is mostly used on Swords Dance sets where foes can threaten to cripple it with burn or paralysis, allowing Terrakion to ignore them once.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is always a solid item in matchups where Terrakion does not need to boost its damage output or act as a revenge killer. It is also an option on Swords Dance sets, as they allow Terrakion to set up more than once if the need for that arises.
**Salac Berry**: Salac Berry is Terrakion's only option to boost its Speed without being locked in a move. It can reliably be activated via Substitute or Endure.
**Resistance Berries**: Terrakion can benefit from Resistance Berries to take a hit and set up or trade with a faster foe.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash can be used on Terrakion to turn it into a suicide lead that sets up Stealth Rock, punch a hole into an opposing foe via its hard-hitting STAB attacks, or reliably set up a Swords Dance.
Tera
========
Terrakion is a decent Tera Captain; however, it is only really used as a secondary Tera Captain, as its cost allows it to be paired with better Tera Captains. If you make Terrakion a Tera Captain, it can benefit from defensive Tera Types to shore up its terrible defensive profile. Tera Steel, Water, and Ghost can all grant it a free turn to fire off its high-powered attacks, whereas Tera Fighting boosts its Fighting-type STAB attacks to a whole new level.
Draft Strategy
========
Terrakion is an offensive Pokemon through and through. Its defensive profile means that its teammates should pick up the slack, so it appreciates a solid defensive backbone. Terrakion's ability to punch holes into an opposing team means that late-game cleaners excel with it, and additional offense can allow it to be a fantastic cleaner in its own right.
**Slow Pivots**: Terrakion's middling bulk means it loves having a slow pivot to get it in safely, as that allows it to fulfill its role to the best potential. Corviknight, Galarian Slowking, and Moltres can all perform this role greatly while also supporting other teammates.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark-types help Terrakion get rid of Ghost-types that can freely switch into its Fighting-type STAB moves. Ghost-types fulfill the same role with the granted benefit that they tend to get hit by Dark-type moves, allowing Terrakion to get a boost from Justified. Meowscarada, Gholdengo, and Weavile are all excellent partners for Terrakion.
**Late-game Cleaners**: Terrakion's ability to punch holes into the opposing defenses means that late-game cleaners can have an especially good time at closing out games. Iron Valiant, Gouging Fire, and Raging Bolt all can fulfill this role greatly. They can also switch roles where they punch holes and Terrakion functions as the late-game cleaner.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: While Terrakion can run Stealth Rock, it prefers another teammate for this role, as that frees up space in what it can do. Every form of entry hazard helps Terrakion, and the chip they deal can turn a 2HKO into a OHKO. Teammates such as Galarian Slowking, Glimmora, and Great Tusk all can help with this.
Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost-Types**: Terrakion relies on Choice items, allowing Ghost-types to come in for free and get a free turn when Terrakion uses its Fighting-type moves. This means that Ghost-types like Gholdengo and Sinistcha that can set up can use this free turn to become a scary threat.
**Faster Pokemon**: While Terrakion's typing provides it with a great offensive profile, its defensive profile leaves something to be desired. This means that a lot of common types hit Terrakion for super effective damage with a bunch of scary attackers being faster than it. Meowscarada, Iron Valiant, and Serperior all threaten to cleanly OHKO it.
**Strong Priority Users**: Terrakion has a weakness against some of the strongest priority users in the format, which means that they can come in and revenge kill most versions of Terrakion. Bullet Punch from Scizor, Jet Punch from Palafin, Aqua Jet from Hisuian Samurott, and Mach Punch from Breloom are some common STAB priority attacks that Terrakion is weak against.
**Status**: Terrakion needs both its Speed and Attack to function in every role it commonly wants to fill, meaning it is especially susceptible to both burn and paralysis. These statuses are especially scary when coming in on the switch. Hisuian Zoroark, Rotom-W, and Galarian Weezing
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/twentytwan.610572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
