Gen 5 [BW] Stealth Rock Lairon [DONE]

[Gangsta Spongebob]

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Roar / Earthquake / Superpower
item: Eviolite
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
A potent offensive presence and strong defensive utility make Lairon ZU's premier physical tank and one of its most threatening wallbreakers. Lairon's massive physical bulk and typing let it switch into many notable foes, most significantly offensive pivot Persian, letting players punish the use of some of the tier's best Pokemon. Given that Lairon easily finds switch-in opportunities and that it forces out most slower targets, it's a very reliable setter of Stealth Rock. Head Smash serves as Lairon's offensive claim to fame, being a brutally powerful attack that 2HKOes nearly every neutral target, making Lairon exceptionally hard to switch into. However, given its horrendous accuracy, Head Smash should be used with caution, usually only when the player can afford a miss or when its power is needed. Iron Head serves as a more accurate STAB move, with the added benefit of hitting Rock-types, mainly Solrock, for super effective damage. Roar lets Lairon phaze, something that pairs well with the residual damage from Lairon's own Stealth Rock. Alternatively, Earthquake serves as coverage against opposing Steel-types, OHKOing Choice Band Lairon and 2HKOing Pawniard and other Lairon variants. Against Poison- and Electric-types, while it's slightly weaker than Head Smash, Earthquake usually reaches similar KO thresholds while being perfectly accurate. Superpower is another option to hit Steel-types, notably OHKOing Pawniard and reaching higher damage ranges against opposing Lairon. However, Superpower must be used carefully, as its accompanying Attack and Defense drop makes Lairon quite weak and easy to KO before switching out. Compared to Head Smash, Superpower also does marginally more damage to Normal-types like Slaking on its first use while being perfectly accurate. Lairon's Speed is maximized to let it outpace as many defensive foes as possible, because Lairon's terrible base Speed will lead to it being outsped by walls such as Solrock and Ivysaur if it has no investment. Jolly is an option to help it outspeed opposing Lairon, though Lairon still fails to OHKO itself and thus only tenuously wins the one-on-one if it's running Earthquake. Rock Head is used to maintain Lairon's longevity as it uses Head Smash.

Lairon's ability to dominate ZU's best Pokemon in Persian, access to Stealth Rock, and potent offensive power let it fit on the vast majority of team styles. Offensive and defensive teammates such as Simisear, Mr. Mime, Muk, and Clefairy appreciate Lairon's ability to take on common offensive threats such as the aforementioned Persian and others like Pawniard and Emolga while also wearing down the opposing team with Stealth Rock. The biggest threat to Lairon is the prevalence of Ground- and Fighting-type coverage moves, which let Pokemon it'd otherwise wall, like Emolga, threaten it. Notably, while not very common, Persian sometimes runs a mixed wallbreaker set with a super effective Hidden Power. However, since Lairon is rarely OHKOed by these attacks, while it usually OHKOes back, letting Lairon take this damage in exchange for a KO is a generally advantageous trade against a foe like Persian, which works fine on offensive teams. Defensive and balance teams can instead afford backup walls like Vullaby and Frillish to scout for super effective coverage and pick up Lairon's slack in the event it gets KOed prematurely. These teams can also use Wish and cleric moves on Pokemon like Meganium and Clefairy to keep Lairon healthy. Lairon also struggles with some walls like Meganium and Solrock, so pairing it with wallbreakers like Simisear and Kingler can help it break through them. Pivots like Mienfoo and Vullaby can help Lairon and its wallbreaking partners get onto the field against foes that are risky to switch into. While extremely difficult to fit on teams, Spikes support from teammates like Shelmet pairs well with Roar and Lairon's ability to force out many foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/

 

[Mirbro]

Dear SSJ,

Good job. I would suggest to make this 1/1 as it is really good and you have a lot of experience already SSJ.

qc 1/?

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Roar / Earthquake / Superpower
item: Eviolite
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
A potent offensive presence and strong defensive utility make Lairon ZU's premier physical tank and one of its most threatening wallbreakers. Lairon's massive physical bulk and typing let it switch into many notable foes, most significantly offensive pivot Persian, letting players punish the use of some of the tier's best Pokemon. Given that Lairon easily finds switch-in opportunities and that it forces out most slower targets, it's a very reliable setter of Stealth Rock. Head Smash serves as Lairon's offensive claim to fame: it's a brutally powerful attack that 2HKOes nearly every neutral target, making Lairon exceptionally hard to switch into. However, given its horrendous accuracy, Head Smash should be used with caution, usually only when the player can afford a miss or when its power is needed. Iron Head serves as a more accurate STAB move, with the added benefit of hitting Rock-types, mainly Solrock, for super effective damage. Roar lets Lairon phaze, something that pairs well with the residual damage from Lairon's own Stealth Rocks. Alternatively, Earthquake serves as coverage against opposing Steel-types, OHKOing Choice Band Lairon and 2HKOing Pawniard and other Lairon variants. Against Poison- and Electric-types, while it's slightly weaker than Head Smash, Earthquake usually reaches similar KO thresholds while being perfectly accurate. Superpower is another alternative to hit Steel-types, with it notably OHKOing Pawniard and reaching higher damage ranges against opposing Lairon. However, Superpower must be used carefully, as its accompanying Attack and Defense drop makes Lairon quite weak and easy to KO before switching out. Compared to Head Smash, Superpower also does marginally more damage to Normal-types in its first use while being perfectly accurate. Lairon's Speed is maximized in order to let it outpace as many foes as possible. Jolly is an option to help it outspeed opposing Lairon, though the drop in power means Lairon has a harder time KOing them. Rock Head is used to maintain Lairon's longevity as it uses Head Smash.

Lairon's ability to dominate the tier's best Pokemon (maybe better saying Persian as well), access to Stealth Rock, and potent offensive power let it fit on just about every team style. The biggest threat to Lairon is the prevalence of Ground- and Fighting-type coverage moves, which let Pokemon it'd otherwise wall, like Emolga, threaten it. Notably, while not very common, Persian sometimes runs a Mixed Wallbreaker set with a super effective Hidden Power. However, since Lairon is rarely OHKOed by these attacks, while it usually OHKOes back, letting Lairon take this damage in exchange for a KO is a pretty advantageous trade against a foe like Persian, which works fine on offensive teams. Defensive and balance teams can instead afford backup walls like Vullaby and Frillish to scout for super effective coverage and pick up Lairon's slack in the event it gets KOed prematurely. These teams can also use Wish and cleric moves on Pokemon like Meganium and Clefairy to keep Lairon healthy. Lairon also struggles with some walls like Meganium and Solrock, so pairing it with wallbreakers like Simisear and Kingler can help it break through them. Pivots like Mienfoo and Vullaby can help Lairon and its wallbreaking partners get onto the field against foes that are risky to switch into. While extremely difficult to fit on teams, Spikes support pairs well with Roar and Lairon's ability to force out many foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
Grammar checked by:

 

[Gangsta Spongebob]

Implemented, though I don't believe I can get this to GP with one Check unfortunately

 

[sleid]

dw Mirbro, i got you covered. great work SSJ!

QC 2/2

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Roar / Earthquake / Superpower
item: Eviolite
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
A potent offensive presence and strong defensive utility make Lairon ZU's premier physical tank and one of its most threatening wallbreakers. Lairon's massive physical bulk and typing let it switch into many notable foes, most significantly offensive pivot Persian, letting players punish the use of some of the tier's best Pokemon. Given that Lairon easily finds switch-in opportunities and that it forces out most slower targets, it's a very reliable setter of Stealth Rock. Head Smash serves as Lairon's offensive claim to fame, being a brutally powerful attack that 2HKOes nearly every neutral target, making Lairon exceptionally hard to switch into. However, given its horrendous accuracy, Head Smash should be used with caution, usually only when the player can afford a miss or when its power is needed. Iron Head serves as a more accurate STAB move, with the added benefit of hitting Rock-types, mainly Solrock, for super effective damage. Roar lets Lairon phaze, something that pairs well with the residual damage from Lairon's own Stealth Rocks. Alternatively, Earthquake serves as coverage against opposing Steel-types, OHKOing Choice Band Lairon and 2HKOing Pawniard and other Lairon variants. Against Poison- and Electric-types, while it's slightly weaker than Head Smash, Earthquake usually reaches similar KO thresholds while being perfectly accurate. Superpower is another option to hit Steel-types, with it notably OHKOing Pawniard and reaching higher damage ranges against opposing Lairon. However, Superpower must be used carefully, as its accompanying Attack and Defense drop makes Lairon quite weak and easy to KO before switching out. Compared to Head Smash, Superpower also does marginally more damage to Normal-types like Slaking in its first use while being perfectly accurate. Lairon's Speed is maximized in order to let it outpace as many foes as possible (maybe mention any notable targets that it wants to outspeed with max Speed). Jolly is an option to help it outspeed opposing Lairon, though the drop in power means Lairon has a harder time KOing itself. Rock Head is used to maintain Lairon's longevity as it uses Head Smash.

Lairon's ability to dominate ZU's best Pokemon in Persian, access to Stealth Rock, and potent offensive power let it fit in the vast majority of team styles. The biggest threat to Lairon is the prevalence of Ground- and Fighting-type coverage moves, which let Pokemon it'd otherwise wall, like Emolga, threaten it. Notably, while not very common, Persian sometimes runs a Mixed Wallbreaker set with a super effective Hidden Power. However, since Lairon is rarely OHKOed by these attacks, while it usually OHKOes back, letting Lairon take this damage in exchange for a KO is a generally advantageous trade against a foe like Persian, which works fine on offensive teams. Defensive and balance teams can instead afford backup walls like Vullaby and Frillish to scout for super effective coverage and pick up Lairon's slack in the event it gets KOed prematurely. These teams can also use Wish and cleric moves on Pokemon like Meganium and Clefairy to keep Lairon healthy. Lairon also struggles with some walls like Meganium and Solrock, so pairing it with wallbreakers like Simisear and Kingler can help it break through them. Pivots like Mienfoo and Vullaby can help Lairon and its wallbreaking partners get onto the field against foes that are risky to switch into. While extremely difficult to fit on teams, Spikes support from teammates like Shelmet pairs well with Roar and Lairon's ability to force out many foes.

might be good to touch on Stealth Rock and how it supports its teammates with it. like softening up targets to be put into KO range by fast attackers, scarfers and priority users. you mention its great defensive utility and its ability to be a physical tank in the first sentence, do an mons appreciate its ability to switch in and take hits from anyone besides persian (like glaceon, pawn, etc)

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:

 

[Gangsta Spongebob]

Implemented! GP Team

 

[SolarBeam]

1/1, GP Team done

Minimal changes, awesome writeup.

the rocker

blue = add
red = remove

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Head Smash
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Roar / Earthquake / Superpower
item: Eviolite
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
A potent offensive presence and strong defensive utility make Lairon ZU's premier physical tank and one of its most threatening wallbreakers. Lairon's massive physical bulk and typing let it switch into many notable foes, most significantly offensive pivot Persian, letting players punish the use of some of the tier's best Pokemon. Given that Lairon easily finds switch-in opportunities and that it forces out most slower targets, it's a very reliable setter of Stealth Rock. Head Smash serves as Lairon's offensive claim to fame, being a brutally powerful attack that 2HKOes nearly every neutral target, making Lairon exceptionally hard to switch into. However, given its horrendous accuracy, Head Smash should be used with caution, usually only when the player can afford a miss or when its power is needed. Iron Head serves as a more accurate STAB move, with the added benefit of hitting Rock-types, mainly Solrock, for super effective damage. Roar lets Lairon phaze, something that pairs well with the residual damage from Lairon's own Stealth Rocks Rock. Alternatively, Earthquake serves as coverage against opposing Steel-types, OHKOing Choice Band Lairon and 2HKOing Pawniard and other Lairon variants. Against Poison- and Electric-types, while it's slightly weaker than Head Smash, Earthquake usually reaches similar KO thresholds while being perfectly accurate. Superpower is another option to hit Steel-types, with it notably OHKOing Pawniard and reaching higher damage ranges against opposing Lairon. However, Superpower must be used carefully, as its accompanying Attack and Defense drop makes Lairon quite weak and easy to KO before switching out. Compared to Head Smash, Superpower also does marginally more damage to Normal-types like Slaking in on its first use while being perfectly accurate. Lairon's Speed is maximized in order to let it outpace as many defensive foes as possible, because Lairon's terrible base Speed will lead to it being outsped by walls such as Solrock and Ivysaur if it has no investment. Jolly is an option to help it outspeed opposing Lairon, though Lairon still fails to OHKO itself and thus only tenuously wins the one-on-one if it's running Earthquake. Rock Head is used to maintain Lairon's longevity as it uses Head Smash.

Lairon's ability to dominate ZU's best Pokemon in Persian, access to Stealth Rock, and potent offensive power let it fit in on the vast majority of team styles. Offensive and defensive teammates such as Simisear, Mr. Mime, Muk, and Clefairy appreciate Lairon's ability to take on common offensive threats such as the aforementioned Persian and others like Pawniard and Emolga while also wearing down the opposing team with Stealth Rock. The biggest threat to Lairon is the prevalence of Ground- and Fighting-type coverage moves, which let Pokemon it'd otherwise wall, like Emolga, threaten it. Notably, while not very common, Persian sometimes runs a Mixed Wallbreaker mixed wallbreaker set with a super effective Hidden Power. However, since Lairon is rarely OHKOed by these attacks, while it usually OHKOes back, letting Lairon take this damage in exchange for a KO is a generally advantageous trade against a foe like Persian, which works fine on offensive teams. Defensive and balance teams can instead afford backup walls like Vullaby and Frillish to scout for super effective coverage and pick up Lairon's slack in the event it gets KOed prematurely. These teams can also use Wish and cleric moves on Pokemon like Meganium and Clefairy to keep Lairon healthy. Lairon also struggles with some walls like Meganium and Solrock, so pairing it with wallbreakers like Simisear and Kingler can help it break through them. Pivots like Mienfoo and Vullaby can help Lairon and its wallbreaking partners get onto the field against foes that are risky to switch into. While extremely difficult to fit on teams, Spikes support from teammates like Shelmet pairs well with Roar and Lairon's ability to force out many foes.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/