Harpp
No rain, no flowers.
[OVERVIEW]
Fighting
========
Terrakion can also utilize a Swords Dance set with Rockium Z to wallbreak against types like Flying, Psychic, and Water. Rock Polish lets it threaten offensive types like Electric. Substitute can be used to take advantage of forced switches and protect it from status moves.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance (Fighting)
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Rock Polish / Substitute
item: Rockium Z
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Terrakion's already impressive Attack stat to frightening levels, allowing it to wallbreak easily after a boost. Stone Edge is Terrakion's STAB attack and hits Flying- and Bug-type Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y and Mega Pinsir, and it can be used in conjunction with Rockium Z to break past Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Toxapex, and Slowbro after a Swords Dance boost. Close Combat is Terrakion's other reliable STAB move and has great coverage with Stone Edge, hitting Steel- and Ground-type Pokemon such as Celesteela, Swampert, Garchomp, and Hippowdon hard. Rock Polish allows Terrakion to boost its Speed, allowing it to outspeed threats such as Latios, Tapu Koko, and Modest Alolan Raichu in Electric Terrain. Substitute can be used over Rock Polish to safeguard Terrakion against status moves from Pokemon like Mega Sableye and to take advantage of the switches Terrakion forces. Additionally, it provides Terrakion with a safety net against revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Latios and Tapu Koko.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment makes Terrakion hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Terrakion to outspeed threats like Mega Pinsir and Speed tie with other base 108 Speed Pokemon such as Cobalion and Keldeo. Rockium Z lets Terrakion utilize a 180-Base Power Continental Crush, allowing it to get past checks such as Toxapex and Slowbro.
Usage Tips
========
Against bulky types like Poison, Flying, and Water, Terrakion should set up Swords Dance in order to break their defensive cores. Against an offensive type like Electric, Terrakion should prioritize setting up Rock Polish in order to clean weakened teams late-game. As Continental Crush is a one-time attack, it should be used cautiously against walls and should not be wasted, as otherwise Terrakion will be unable to get past walls such as Slowbro, Toxapex, and Mega Venusaur. It should also be used cautiously against Protect and Baneful Bunker users such as Celesteela and Toxapex, as protection moves vastly decrease its damage output. Status conditions such as Scald burns and paralysis from Pokemon such as Toxapex and Zapdos should be avoided at all costs, as they severely hamper Terrakion's ability to wallbreak or clean late-game. If Substitute is used, it should be utilized against Pokemon like Mega Sableye that rely on status moves to check offensive foes. Due to Terrakion's average bulk and poor defensive typing, it should be brought in via safe switches after a teammate has fainted or smart double switches in the battle. Its average bulk allows it to live some strong attacks such as a Magnet-boosted Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko, however, and hence it should avoid taking unnecessary chip damage which may prevent it from setting up successfully. Entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web should be kept away, as Toxic Spikes puts Terrakion on a timer, limiting its potential to sweep with Rock Polish, and Sticky Web makes Terrakion more prone to being revenge killed.
Team Options
========
Cobalion provides essential utility support in the form of Stealth Rock to score easier KOs and Thunder Wave to slow down faster threats such as Latios for Terrakion. Cobalion can also use Taunt to deny entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web. It has a neutrality to Fairy-type attacks, allowing Cobalion to beat threats like Mega Diancie for Terrakion. Hawlucha can provide Defog support so that Terrakion is not hindered by hazards such as Sticky Web and Toxic Spikes against Bug-, Poison-, and Water-type teams. In return, Terrakion weakens walls for Hawlucha to have an easier time cleaning late-game. Keldeo and Terrakion form a very good wallbreaking core. Keldeo can beat Mega Sableye and Hippowdon, and Terrakion can take advantage of walls weakened by Keldeo to clean teams by using Rock Polish. Lucario can help check Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Diancie with its Steel-type STAB moves and revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Latios with Extreme Speed. Choice Scarf Heracross and Buzzwole can help deal with Psychic-types like non-Choice Scarf Latios. Heracross can also beat defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye and Mega Slowbro thanks to its ability Guts, while Buzzwole with Ice Punch improves the Dragon-type matchup for Terrakion. Breloom helps in checking bulky Ground- and Water-type Pokemon like Hippowdon and Swampert. Its Spore also allows for setup opportunities for Terrakion. Mega Gallade helps weaken defensive cores and takes out Pokemon such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur thanks to its STAB Zen Headbutt, relieving pressure off from Terrakion and allowing it to clean late-game with a Rock Polish boost. Mega Gallade is also able to deal with Psychic-types such as Jirachi and Latios with Knock Off or Shadow Sneak.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fighting
--------
* Remove Swords Dance set from OO.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fighting
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**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. However, the Swords Dance set can break such defensive Pokemon.
**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. However, this is not the case if Terrakion manages to set up a Rock Polish.
**Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex both easily wall Terrakion due to their resistance to Close Combat, allowing them to recover lost health and wear it down with super effective moves in Giga Drain and Scald, respectively. Mega Venusaur and Toxapex need to watch out for the Swords Dance set, though.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Harpp, 320110]]
- Fighting analysis by: [[Harpp, 320110]]
- Quality checked by: [[maroon, 305839], [Decem, 362454 ], [Moosical, 215618]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Electrolyte, 148071], [Frostration, 447027]]
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