[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Magma Storm
move 2: Earth Power / Protect
move 3: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Air Balloon / Leftovers
ability: Flame Body
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set turns Heatran into a physically defensive tank that can take hits from some of the most dangerous physical threats in the metagame, such as Weavile, Melmetal, and Rillaboom. Magma Storm is a powerful STAB move that allows Heatran to accumulate chip damage on checks like Garchomp and Landorus-T that can immediately force it out. Earth Power provides Heatran great coverage to hit Pokemon that resist Magma Storm, such as opposing Heatran, Toxapex, and Volcanion. Protect is an alternative if Heatran is fine with forgoing its ability to remove passive switch-ins such as Blissey and Toxapex so it can scout moves while accumulating extra rounds of passive recovery if running Leftovers. In this case, Toxic and Will-O-Wisp are great status options in the third moveslot: Toxic puts long-term switch-ins such as Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Dragonite on a timer while Will-O-Wisp cripples more offensive checks such as Swords Dance Garchomp, Choice Band Tyranitar and Urshifu-R. Taunt should be run in this moveslot if Heatran wishes to maximize its trapping capabilities with Magma Storm and Earth Power, as it allows Heatran to trap and remove passive switch-ins like Blissey and Toxapex. Finally, Stealth Rock is a great fourth move as Heatran is one of the best hazard setters in the metagame: it can beat most defoggers in the tier, with its most notable victims being Corviknight and Zapdos, while its defensive typing and bulk maximizes its hazard setting opportunities as it can come in on many passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Clefable. With 20 Speed EVs, Heatran outspeeds uninvested Buzzwole while the rest is dumped into HP and Defense to maximize physical bulk. Faster EV spreads can be considered if running Will-O-Wisp to get the jump on Pokemon like Choice Band Tyranitar that would otherwise obliterate it with Earthquake or Superpower, while mixed defensive spreads can also be run on offensive teams to be more of a blanket check against special and physical threats in the metagame, such as Tapu Lele for the former and Weavile for the latter. Flame Body is the ability of choice on this set as it allows Heatran to punish contact moves such as Double Iron Bash from Melmetal, Knock Off from Weavile and Kartana as well as U-turn from Rillaboom. It also allows Heatran to fish for burns against predicted U-turns from the likes of Landorus-T and Urshifu-R that it would otherwise never stay or come in on, making pivoting more difficult for the opponent.
Team Options
========
Physically defensive Heatran is mainly used on offensive teams that want a Steel-type alternative to Melmetal. Heatran is unable to check Choice Specs Dragapult effectively and fatally weak to Water- and Ground-type attacks that Melmetal can take in a pinch, but is much more capable of forcing progress with its higher Speed tier that allows it to outspeed Pokemon that threaten both Melmetal and Heatran like Tyranitar, ability to set Stealth Rock, and combination of Magma Storm, Earth Power, Taunt, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp. Flame Body may also cripple strong physical attackers, potentially allowing offensive teammates to come in and take advantage of a weakened threat. Therefore, offensive partners that can take advantage of the progress Heatran generates make for wonderful teammates. Rillaboom is an exemplary teammate for physically defensive Heatran as the Grassy Terrain it sets up weakens Earthquake, allowing Heatran to either set up Stealth Rock or use a status move in front of Ground-types like Hippowdon and Gastrodon without fearing a KO. Heatran also loves the passive recovery Grassy Terrain provides, especially if running Protect. Moreover, Rillaboom's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off allows Heatran's Stealth Rock to inflict damage on its switch-ins, especially since most of them are weak to Stealth Rock, such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T. Weavile is another offensive Pokemon that has good synergy with Heatran as it can threaten out Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-Therian while offensively checking Dragapult. Tapu Fini also pairs nicely with Heatran as well since Choice Scarf sets can take hits from and revenge kill Dragapult while bulkier Calm Mind and Whirlpool sets can check the aforementioned threats to Heatran effectively. As for defensive teammates, Zapdos and Tornadus-T are great partners as they can deal with the Fighting- and Ground-type attacks that threaten Heatran while appreciating Heatran's ability to check Weavile. Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W can share the burden of checking physical threats like Melmetal and Weavile while being a stopgap against Volcanion and Barraskewda, Pokemon that threaten Heatran with their Water-type STAB moves. Rotom-W is also a sturdy Garchomp and Landorus-T check with its access to Levitate and Will-O-Wisp. Specially defensive Pokemon are mandatory defensive partners as this Heatran set does not have the investment to check special threats such as Tapu Lele, Dragapult, Blacephalon, and Volcarona. Specially defensive Landorus-T is a wonderful teammate as it checks all four Pokemon with its special bulk and access to a strong Knock Off and STAB Earthquake. Gastrodon is a great alternative on bulkier builds as its typing and access to reliable recovery allows it to stymie the aforementioned threats in the long run. Secondary Fairy-type checks such as Ferrothorn and Galarian Slowking are also appreciated as most of the tier's Fairy-types are specially oriented, such as Clefable, Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention as its Spikes forms a hazard stacking core with Heatran's Stealth Rock, wearing down grounded switch-ins to Heatran like Gastrodon, Hippowdon, Tapu Fini, and Garchomp immensely.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/airfare.456987/
Grammar checked by:
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Magma Storm
move 2: Earth Power / Protect
move 3: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Air Balloon / Leftovers
ability: Flame Body
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set turns Heatran into a physically defensive tank that can take hits from some of the most dangerous physical threats in the metagame, such as Weavile, Melmetal, and Rillaboom. Magma Storm is a powerful STAB move that allows Heatran to accumulate chip damage on checks like Garchomp and Landorus-T that can immediately force it out. Earth Power provides Heatran great coverage to hit Pokemon that resist Magma Storm, such as opposing Heatran, Toxapex, and Volcanion. Protect is an alternative if Heatran is fine with forgoing its ability to remove passive switch-ins such as Blissey and Toxapex so it can scout moves while accumulating extra rounds of passive recovery if running Leftovers. In this case, Toxic and Will-O-Wisp are great status options in the third moveslot: Toxic puts long-term switch-ins such as Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Dragonite on a timer while Will-O-Wisp cripples more offensive checks such as Swords Dance Garchomp, Choice Band Tyranitar and Urshifu-R. Taunt should be run in this moveslot if Heatran wishes to maximize its trapping capabilities with Magma Storm and Earth Power, as it allows Heatran to trap and remove passive switch-ins like Blissey and Toxapex. Finally, Stealth Rock is a great fourth move as Heatran is one of the best hazard setters in the metagame: it can beat most defoggers in the tier, with its most notable victims being Corviknight and Zapdos, while its defensive typing and bulk maximizes its hazard setting opportunities as it can come in on many passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Clefable. With 20 Speed EVs, Heatran outspeeds uninvested Buzzwole while the rest is dumped into HP and Defense to maximize physical bulk. Faster EV spreads can be considered if running Will-O-Wisp to get the jump on Pokemon like Choice Band Tyranitar that would otherwise obliterate it with Earthquake or Superpower, while mixed defensive spreads can also be run on offensive teams to be more of a blanket check against special and physical threats in the metagame, such as Tapu Lele for the former and Weavile for the latter. Flame Body is the ability of choice on this set as it allows Heatran to punish contact moves such as Double Iron Bash from Melmetal, Knock Off from Weavile and Kartana as well as U-turn from Rillaboom. It also allows Heatran to fish for burns against predicted U-turns from the likes of Landorus-T and Urshifu-R that it would otherwise never stay or come in on, making pivoting more difficult for the opponent.
Team Options
========
Physically defensive Heatran is mainly used on offensive teams that want a Steel-type alternative to Melmetal. Heatran is unable to check Choice Specs Dragapult effectively and fatally weak to Water- and Ground-type attacks that Melmetal can take in a pinch, but is much more capable of forcing progress with its higher Speed tier that allows it to outspeed Pokemon that threaten both Melmetal and Heatran like Tyranitar, ability to set Stealth Rock, and combination of Magma Storm, Earth Power, Taunt, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp. Flame Body may also cripple strong physical attackers, potentially allowing offensive teammates to come in and take advantage of a weakened threat. Therefore, offensive partners that can take advantage of the progress Heatran generates make for wonderful teammates. Rillaboom is an exemplary teammate for physically defensive Heatran as the Grassy Terrain it sets up weakens Earthquake, allowing Heatran to either set up Stealth Rock or use a status move in front of Ground-types like Hippowdon and Gastrodon without fearing a KO. Heatran also loves the passive recovery Grassy Terrain provides, especially if running Protect. Moreover, Rillaboom's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off allows Heatran's Stealth Rock to inflict damage on its switch-ins, especially since most of them are weak to Stealth Rock, such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T. Weavile is another offensive Pokemon that has good synergy with Heatran as it can threaten out Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-Therian while offensively checking Dragapult. Tapu Fini also pairs nicely with Heatran as well since Choice Scarf sets can take hits from and revenge kill Dragapult while bulkier Calm Mind and Whirlpool sets can check the aforementioned threats to Heatran effectively. As for defensive teammates, Zapdos and Tornadus-T are great partners as they can deal with the Fighting- and Ground-type attacks that threaten Heatran while appreciating Heatran's ability to check Weavile. Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W can share the burden of checking physical threats like Melmetal and Weavile while being a stopgap against Volcanion and Barraskewda, Pokemon that threaten Heatran with their Water-type STAB moves. Rotom-W is also a sturdy Garchomp and Landorus-T check with its access to Levitate and Will-O-Wisp. Specially defensive Pokemon are mandatory defensive partners as this Heatran set does not have the investment to check special threats such as Tapu Lele, Dragapult, Blacephalon, and Volcarona. Specially defensive Landorus-T is a wonderful teammate as it checks all four Pokemon with its special bulk and access to a strong Knock Off and STAB Earthquake. Gastrodon is a great alternative on bulkier builds as its typing and access to reliable recovery allows it to stymie the aforementioned threats in the long run. Secondary Fairy-type checks such as Ferrothorn and Galarian Slowking are also appreciated as most of the tier's Fairy-types are specially oriented, such as Clefable, Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention as its Spikes forms a hazard stacking core with Heatran's Stealth Rock, wearing down grounded switch-ins to Heatran like Gastrodon, Hippowdon, Tapu Fini, and Garchomp immensely.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/airfare.456987/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
