Forretress

[One Take or Die]

**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards

**Price Range**: 6-7 points

**Overview**: Forretress is an effective budget Steel that provides a myriad of useful services. Its access to three types of hazards in addition to the coveted Rapid Spin provides incredible role compression which allows for more variety from higher-budget threats. Forretress also boasts an impressive 140 base Defense stat, allowing it to take on many common physical offensive threats. Where Forretress struggles is in its other stats, which are each lackluster in performing the duties you would want in a hazard setter. Its Bug-Steel typing and Sturdy ability are incredible defensively but don’t help this Pokemon much offensively.


[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Hazards**: With access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, Forretress will almost always run hazards of some sort when being used in draft. Thunder Wave is a helpful addition to Forretress’s kit which provides extra utility and enabling for a sweeper. Forretress can also maximize the effects of its hazard stacking by using Steel Beam or Explosion, allowing it to bring a sweeper or wallbreaker in safely after use in order to prevent Defog, Rapid Spin, Tidy Up, etc.

**Rapid Spin**: Forretress is quite effective in its role as a budget spinner. Sturdy plus Heavy Duty Boots allows for a guaranteed spin in matchups where early hazards might be overwhelming by allowing Forretress to tank any hit, even those from a strong offensive Special Attacker. Forretress’s strong Defense and Bug-Steel type also means that with a Rocky Helmet and Rapid Spin speed boosts, this Pokemon can win the hazard war vs. common hazard facilitators like Iron Treads. Forretress’s main weakness as a spinner is its inability to properly deal with common Ghost types that will block the Rapid Spin altogether.

**Slow Pivot**: Forretress makes for a surprisingly effective slow pivot in many matchups with access to the move Volt Switch. Having just one weakness to Fire, Forretress can switch into a variety of threats at least once and Volt Switch out in order to bring in a stronger Pokemon for free. The Assault Vest item amplifies this role when dealing with strong Special Attackers.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gyro Ball, Heavy Slam, Iron Head, Lunge, Pin Missile

**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse, Rapid Spin

**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Thunder Wave, Rapid Spin, Volt Switch, Gravity, Pain Split, Reflect, Light Screen, Metal Sound

**Coverage**: Body Press, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Poison Jab, Ice Spinner, Payback

Niche Moves
========
**Steel Beam/Explosion**: Great for enabling offense

**Pounce**: In addition to Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, good for lowering speed

**Endure**: Good if running Custap into a hazard heavy matchup, but only if Custap Forretess isn’t just sacked early game

Common Items
========
**Heavy Duty Boots**: Good for keeping Fortress’s sturdy intact and allowing it to spin or set hazards

**Rocky Helmet**: Good for getting necessary chip on physical attackers and U-turn, also helps beat other hazard users

**Custap Berry**: Allows Forretress to perform an extra action after knocked down to Sturdy. Most effective as a lead

**Leftovers**: Good for increasing Forretress’s longevity, though usually subbed out for a better option

**Sitrus Berry**: Good in conjunction with Forretress’s strong Defense and lack of recovery

Niche Items
========

**Assault Vest**: Good for pivot Forretress to switch into Special attackers

**Occa Berry**: Allows Forretress to resist its only weakness for one turn

**Choice Band**: Usable if no Steel resist


Tera
========
This Pokemon is almost never going to want to be a Tera captain, as you’d be forfeiting one of the only things that make it usable being its Bug-Steel typing. You’d also be forfeiting the opportunity to Terastalize something stronger. If you were to Terastalize this Pokemon, there would only be one viable option: Tera Ghost. This would only be in order to help Forretress win a specific hazard war. Tera Water is also usable in order to beat strong hazard removers like Cinderace if you should happen to pick this Pokemon as your Tera captain, but once again, it is ill-advised.


Draft Strategy
========
Forretress is best used on a draft as a secondary Fairy resist, hazard remover, and Stealth Rock user. It should not be picked up until these three roles are completed on your draft, as if it is, you will be using a 7 point Pokemon for a critical purpose most matchups. However, once those roles are covered, Forretress does a great job alleviating the pressure your stronger Pokemon will face trying to fill these positions. Forretress also typically functions better on offensive style drafts, as its lack of longevity leaves it rather useless on bulkier squads.


**Hazard Facilitator**: Forretress can be the Pokémon getting up hazards and keeping them away, while also using Steel Beam or Explosion in the process, allowing for Pokemon like Great Tusk and Garchomp to boost speed and click buttons more freely, or set up the hazards not set up by Forretress. This type of strategy allows for a Special sweeper like Greninja or Iron Valiant to come in late game and win easily.


**Pivot**: Forretress can get an opportunity usually once a game to remove hazards and/or set them up, and using this in conjunction with a slow Volt Switch can be very effective for enabling a set up sweeper such as Volcarona or Dragonite. Forretress does a good job enabling sweepers and wallbreakers with its Thunder Wave access as well.



Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost Types**: Forretress can’t Rapid Spin on Ghost types, and furthermore, can’t typically beat them very well outside of Earthquake and Payback, both of which aren’t very reliable with its weak offensive stats.

**Cinderace**: Cinderace can shut down everything Forretress wants to accomplish by clicking two buttons it wants to bring 90% of matchups: Court Change and Pyro Ball.

**Special attackers**: Forretress struggles to not get muscled through by just about every Special Attacker in the game. Most attackers that it can wall the STAB of, like Gardevoir and Enamorus, have access to Mystical Fire to completely neutralize Forretress, and that’s if Forretress should be so lucky to live two Moonblasts at any point in the game.


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[Nyx]

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One Take or Die, post: 10052611, member: 657494

**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards

**Price Range**: 6-7 points

**Overview**: Forretress is an effective passable budget Steel that provides a myriad of useful services. Its access to three types of hazards in addition to the coveted Rapid Spin provides incredible solid role compression which allows for more variety from higher-budget threats its more versatile teammates. Forretress also boasts an impressive 140 base Defense stat, allowing it to take on many common physical offensive threats, so long as they don’t have Fire-type coverage. Where Forretress struggles is in its other stats, which are each lackluster in performing the duties you would want in a hazard setter. Its Bug-Steel typing and Sturdy ability are incredible defensively but don’t help this Pokemon much offensively helpful defensively but, it’s deep flaws diminish the usefulness of these. This is way too positive about a 6pt mon that is deeply flawed. It’s not an effective steel type, it’s a usable last resort. You also shouldn’t ever state stat numbers or explain what a move does, that’s considered dex info


[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Hazards Entry Hazard Control**: With access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, Forretress will almost always run hazards of some sort when being used in draft. Thunder Wave is a helpful addition to Forretress’s kit which provides extra utility and enabling for a sweeper. Forretress can also maximize the effects of its hazard stacking by using Steel Beam or Explosion, allowing it to bring a sweeper or wallbreaker in safely after use in order to prevent Defog, Rapid Spin, Tidy Up, etc. This is assuming that the hazard removal hasn’t switch in as it’s setting up multiple hazards, highly unlikely already, and that the removal is slower than Forre, also unlikely af given that 4 fully evolved removers exist in the tier that are slower than it, and 2 of them are avalugg. Merge rapid spin into this as the mons primary use is to both set up hazards and keep them off your side. Id also swap twave for volt switch

**Rapid Spin**: Forretress is quite effective in its role as a budget spinner. Sturdy plus Heavy Duty Boots allows for a guaranteed spin in matchups where early hazards might be overwhelming by allowing Forretress to tank any hit, even those from a strong offensive Special Attacker. Forretress’s strong Defense and Bug-Steel type also means that with a Rocky Helmet and Rapid Spin speed boosts, this Pokemon can win the hazard war vs. common hazard facilitators like Great Tusk and Iron Treads. Forretress’s main weakness as a spinner is its inability to properly deal with common Ghost types that will block the Rapid Spin altogether. Merge with above

**Slow Pivot**: Forretress makes for a surprisingly effective slow pivot in many matchups with access to the move Volt Switch. Having just one weakness to Fire, Forretress can switch into a variety of threats at least once and Volt Switch out in order to bring in a stronger Pokemon for free. The Assault Vest item amplifies this role when dealing with strong Special Attackers. This just isn’t a set, you never run forre as a dedicated pivot. You run volt on a hazard control set as a 4th move.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gyro Ball, Heavy Slam, Iron Head, Lunge, Pin Missile

**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse, Rapid Spin

**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Thunder Wave, Rapid Spin, Volt Switch, Gravity, Pain Split, Reflect, Light Screen, Metal Sound

**Coverage**: Body Press, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Poison Jab, Ice Spinner, Payback

Niche Moves
========
**Steel Beam/Explosion**: Great for enabling offense expand on this. How is it better than volt switch. You can’t write 4 words and call it done

**Pounce / Bulldoze / Rock Tomb**: In addition to Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, good for lowering speed explain why you’d use these moves, in what scenarios they’re better than twave in

**Endure**: Good if running Custap into a hazard heavy matchup, but only if Custap Forretess isn’t just sacked early game again expand on this, why would you run custap in the first place, what does it enable in said matchups. You can’t write one liners for something unless it’s absurdly obvious. QC2 might delete this either way but I’m impartial.

Common Items
========
**Heavy Duty Boots**: Good for keeping Fortress’s sturdy intact and allowing it to spin or set hazards mention how it helps with longevity too

**Rocky Helmet**: Good for getting necessary chip on physical attackers and U-turn, also helps beat other hazard users how does it help beat other hazard users, explain that

**Custap Berry**: Allows Forretress to perform an extra action after knocked down to Sturdy. Most effective as a lead move to niche

**Leftovers**: Good for increasing Forretress’s longevity, though usually subbed out for a better option move to niche and expand upon why you’d use it over boots or Sitrus

**Sitrus Berry**: Good in conjunction with Forretress’s strong Defense and lack of recovery niche and explain when it’s usable over boots

Niche Items
========

**Assault Vest**: Good for pivot Forretress to switch into Special attackers

**Occa Berry**: Allows Forretress to resist its only weakness for one turn this isn’t what an occa berry does. You take half damage. Explain what forre gains from this halved damage.

**Choice Band**: Usable if no Steel resist


Tera
========
This Pokemon is almost never going to want to be a Tera captain, as you’d be forfeiting one of the only things that make it usable being its Bug-Steel typing. You’d also be forfeiting the opportunity to Terastalize something stronger. If you were to Terastalize this Pokemon, there would only be one viable option: Tera Ghost. This would only be in order to help Forretress win a specific hazard war. Tera Water is also usable in order to beat strong hazard removers like Cinderace if you should happen to pick this Pokemon as your Tera captain, but once again, it is ill-advised. Content isn’t wrong but for a mon you’re saying shouldn’t Tera this is far too much, just make it as simple as: If you do make it your Tera Captain, Ghost and Water can be solid options to help it carry out its roles easier

Draft Strategy
========
Forretress is best used on a draft as a secondary Fairy resist, hazard remover, and Stealth Rock user. It should not be picked up until these three roles are completed on your draft, as if it is, you will be using a 7 point Pokemon for a critical purpose most matchups. However, once those roles are covered, Forretress does a great job alleviating the pressure your stronger Pokemon will face trying to fill these positions. Forretress also typically functions better on offensive style drafts, as its lack of longevity leaves it rather useless on bulkier squads. This is again inherently too positive, it’s worded to sound like Forre is your first choice, when in reality, even for the roles it fills, it’s your backup choice on 99% of teams. this section should also rarely be longer than 2 sentences, you explain the roles earlier and the mons that it works with in the below


**Hazard Facilitator**: Forretress can be the Pokémon getting up hazards and keeping them away, while also using Steel Beam or Explosion in the process, allowing for Pokemon like Great Tusk and Garchomp to boost speed and click buttons more freely, or set up the hazards not set up by Forretress. This type of strategy allows for a Special sweeper like Greninja or Iron Valiant to come in late game and win easily.


**Pivot**: Forretress can get an opportunity usually once a game to remove hazards and/or set them up, and using this in conjunction with a slow Volt Switch can be very effective for enabling a set up sweeper such as Volcarona or Dragonite. Forretress does a good job enabling sweepers and wallbreakers with its Thunder Wave access as well.

This isn’t what draft strategy outlines. Id recommend bullet points on points such as Wallbreakers, Specially Defensive Pokemon, Fire-type Checks, and any other roles you’d expect filled before even considering a forretress on your team

Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost Types**: Forretress can’t Rapid Spin on Ghost types, and furthermore, can’t typically beat them very well outside of Earthquake and Payback, both of which aren’t very reliable with its weak offensive stats. I’d mention that it‘a also vulnerable to Tera Ghost on any setup threat, and list 3 examples

**Cinderace**: Cinderace can shut down everything Forretress wants to accomplish by clicking two buttons it wants to bring 90% of matchups: Court Change and Pyro Ball. You rarely should list a single pokemon, let alone one that forre can at least touch with eq/volt on the switch in

**Special attackers**: Forretress struggles to not get muscled through by just about every Special Attacker in the game. Most attackers that it can wall the STAB of, like Gardevoir and Enamorus, have access to Mystical Fire to completely neutralize Forretress, and that’s if Forretress should be so lucky to live two Moonblasts at any point in the game. Conflicting statements here, how can it simultaneously wall the stabs and then fail to live 2 moonblasts. Id mention its pitiful special bulk, meaning that it’s otherwise strong defensive typing is compromised by the fact that it can’t check stab resisted hits from breakers, and then list three examples


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Written by:
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Not giving this a stamp. It needs a lot of work at the moment. Please read through some existing on-site analyses for cheaper Pokemon, it seems that you’ve not done so before and it’ll help when trying to understand some of my points on content and on writing style. Tag me here once you’re done and I’ll give it another look.

 

[Nyx]

One Take or Die expressed to staff that they'll be quitting, thus this analysis will be locked and put up for reservation again