Hilomilo
High-low My-low
[OVERVIEW]
Terrakion is a premier threat in the UU metagame thanks to its plethora of fantastic offensive traits. Its extremely high Attack and access to Swords Dance allow it to pose a huge threat as a setup sweeper and wallbreaker, and Rockium Z further solidifies its sweeping capabilities by allowing it to easily break past conventional checks with a boosted Continental Crush. Terrakion also sits in a very comfortable Speed tier, capable of outpacing a good portion of the unboosted metagame and tying with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion. Further bolstering Terrakion's offensive prowess is an amazing offensive Rock / Fighting typing, which offers excellent STAB coverage and, alongside access to good coverage options like Earthquake, allows Terrakion to hit most of the tier for super effective damage. Terrakion also has a fairly useful ability in Justified, which allows it to switch in on Dark-type attacks from the likes of Mandibuzz and Hydreigon and receive a +1 boost in Attack as a result. Unfortunately, despite its several perks, Terrakion is cursed with little to no defensive utility. Despite Terrakion's decent bulk for an offensive Pokemon, said bulk is offset by weaknesses to common types in Psychic, Water, Fairy, Fighting, Ground, and Steel and to common priority attacks in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch. Also, after using a Z-Move, Terrakion can tend to be easily exploited by bulky threats like Swampert, Hippowdon, and Amoonguss, which it cannot break through. Lastly, despite its good Speed, Terrakion is outsped by common threats in Latias, Starmie, and Talonflame.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish / Substitute
item: Rockium Z / Salac Berry
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge is a powerful STAB option that, when boosted, is capable of denting a huge portion of a the metagame. With Rockium Z, Stone Edge turns into an obscenely powerful Continental Crush that is capable of breaking past foes that could otherwise tank a hit and KO or cripple Terrakion such as Amoonguss, Slowbro, and Gliscor. Close Combat gives Terrakion excellent coverage alongside Stone Edge and a way of breaking past most Pokemon resistant to Stone Edge, such as Cobalion, Magneton, Krookodile, and to lesser extents Hippowdon and Swampert. Swords Dance provides Terrakion with a vital boost in power, allowing it to secure an OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge as well as OHKOs on the likes of Alomomola, bulky Celebi, and Gliscor with Continental Crush. Rock Polish gives Terrakion a way of boosting its Speed, which lets it outpace every Choice Scarf user as well as Pokemon that would otherwise revenge kill it like Latias, Starmie, and Zygarde-10%. Substitute is an option over Rock Polish when Terrakion is using a Salac Berry and can be used on forced switches to create setup opportunities and help Terrakion evade status conditions.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack gives Terrakion as much offensive prowess as possible with a neutral nature, allowing it to secure an OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge and a 2HKO on the likes of Swampert and Hippowdon with boosted Close Combat. Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature allows Terrakion to Speed tie with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion before a boost and outpace everything slower than these threats. It also allows Terrakion to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after using Rock Polish. Rockium Z is the main item of choice, as it allows Terrakion to break past almost all of its conventional checks with a +2 Continental Crush. Salac Berry, however, can be used on sets utilizing Substitute to give Terrakion a +1 boost in Speed at 25% HP, severely limiting reliable counterplay. Life Orb is also an option under the circumstance that another teammate is using a Z-Crystal, as Terrakion's attacks will receive a notable boost in power. Shuca Berry is another option for more reliably taking on threats like Hippowdon, Choice Scarf Krookodile, and non-Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl. Justified is Terrakion's only available ability but is useful for boosting its Attack stat upon switching into Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Terrakion's fantastic offensive typing and Speed tier allow it to force out several common Pokemon, including Volcanion, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Mandibuzz, and proceed to set up. If against an offensive team, Terrakion should usually look to set up first with Rock Polish, as it will then be able to outspeed anything on the opposing team unless a foe is heavily boosted. From there, Terrakion can usually threaten most offensive Pokemon and possibly even nab an opportunity to set up with Swords Dance after forcing them out. However, against defensively oriented teams, Swords Dance is the preferred setup option, as Terrakion will already outspeed most Pokemon on these teams. If Substitute is being used over Rock Polish, Terrakion should look to set up with it on forced switches, as from there, it can find an opportunity to set up with a boosting move, which is particularly useful against offensively oriented teams. Continental Crush should be used with caution, as it can only be used once and is crucial for breaking past the likes of Gliscor, Suicune, Amoonguss, and Alomomola. Therefore, Terrakion should always make sure that a foe that resists the attack, such as Klefki or Swampert, cannot switch in and tank it. If holding Rockium Z, Terrakion can be utilized as a decent switch-in to Knock Off from the likes of Mandibuzz and Choice-locked Krookodile, as it won't have its item removed and will receive an extremely useful boost to its Attack as well as an opportunity to set up. Despite its amazing offensive prowess after boosting, Terrakion must be wary of super effective priority moves that can impede its sweep, such as Aqua Jet from Crawdaunt, Bullet Punch from Scizor, and Vacuum Wave from Infernape. As such, these threats should have potential priority attacks scouted out and should be removed accordingly before Terrakion sweeps.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Gliscor, Klefki, and Azelf can aid Terrakion in securing important KOs. For example, Stealth Rock guarantees OHKOs on Gliscor and Suicune with a boosted Continental Crush. While Terrakion has very limited switch-ins, the majority of them, including Slowbro, Doublade, and Celebi, are heavily pressured by Dark-types like Weavile, Krookodile, and Mega Absol, which therefore make adequate partners. Grass-types such as Roserade and Celebi can pressure the Ground- and Water-types that sometimes trouble Terrakion after it's used its Z-Move and help deal with Unaware Quagsire. Amoonguss in particular can cripple a foe with Spore, which can grant Terrakion a setup opportunity. Magneton is an exceptional partner, as its Magnet Pull ability allows it to trap and KO Terrakion's most reliable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Forretress. Other checks to the aforementioned Pokemon, such as Infernape, Nidoking, and Volcanion, can also aid Terrakion in removing the few Pokemon that impede its sweep. Lastly, Psychic-types generally make useful partners, as they can help to break past Fighting-types that threaten Terrakion with priority, like Infernape and Toxicroak, and take care of defensive Poison-types.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide / Quick Attack
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is an extremely powerful STAB attack with Choice Band and is capable of hitting anything that doesn't resist it for quite a bit of damage. Stone Edge offers excellent coverage alongside Close Combat, hitting Flying-types like Togekiss and Mandibuzz super effectively as well as allowing Terrakion to OHKO Latias after Stealth Rock. Rock Slide provides Terrakion with a more reliable Rock-type attack due to its better accuracy and is useful for consistently finishing off weakened foes. Quick Attack can be used over Rock Slide as a way of picking off weakened threats with priority, but it should only be used under the circumstance that it can KO a foe, as it is quite weak. Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage and allows it to hit Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, 2HKOing Doublade and OHKOing Nidoqueen.
Set Details
========
Choice Band alongside maximum Attack investment puts as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, allowing it to 2HKO the entire metagame with the appropriate coverage moves. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature gives Terrakion as much Speed as possible and allows it to outpace several offensive threats, including Celebi, Volcanion, Krookodile, and offensive Tentacruel, and Speed tie with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion. Justified is Terrakion's only available ability but is useful for giving it an Attack boost upon being hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
This set's main function is as a wallbreaker that aims to weaken foes for teammates looking to sweep. Accordingly, Terrakion should be brought out in the early-game to heavily weaken opposing Pokemon. Due to the nature of Choice Band, it's best that Terrakion predicts carefully when choosing an attack to be locked into, as it will generate a free turn for the opponent if you choose an attack resisted by its foe. For example, Terrakion should predict switches into threats that resist Close Combat, like Latias, Starmie, and Celebi, and nail them with Stone Edge instead. Terrakion should refrain from staying in on foes that it can't OHKO, especially after Close Combat drops its defenses, as its poor defensive typing and only decent bulk prevent it from tanking attacks too reliably. Terrakion's typing also means that it should almost never be switched into attacks and instead should be brought in with a pivot or after a teammate has fainted. Despite Justified, Choice Band Terrakion should usually refrain from switching into Knock Off. While it does enjoy the Attack boost that's equivalent to that of Choice Band and the ability to use any of its moves, it's still quite susceptible to revenge killers, which can ultimately waste its lost Choice Band and Attack boost.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Raikou, Celebi, and Talonflame are appreciative of Terrakion's ability to heavily weaken various Pokemon that they'd otherwise have trouble breaking past when sweeping. Latias is a particularly useful partner, as it has great synergy with Terrakion. Latias can switch into and defeat the Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-types that aim to KO Terrakion, while Terrakion can cover the Steel- and Dark-types that Latias often struggles with. Thunder Wave Togekiss and Stun Spore Amoonguss are also useful partners, as they can often come in on most of Terrakion's checks, lure in Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, respectively, and cripple them with paralysis to allow Terrakion to outspeed them. Entry hazard setters like Azelf, Hippowdon, and Roserade can aid Terrakion in securing various KOs, such as an OHKO on Metagross with Earthquake after three layers of Spikes and a 2HKO on Alomomola with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage. Klefki is a particularly useful entry hazard setter, as it can set Spikes up while using Thunder Wave to allow Terrakion to outspeed the likes of Latias, Starmie, and Mega Aerodactyl. Grass-types such as Decidueye and Celebi and Electric-types such as Raikou and Magneton are useful for their ability to pressure the bulky Water-types that can tank Terrakion's hits, and Magneton can also use Magnet Pull to trap and eliminate some of this set's most notable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Klefki. Dark-types such as Weavile, Krookodile, and Hydreigon can pressure bulky Psychic-types that Terrakion can struggle to break through like Celebi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus. The former two also come with the benefit of Pursuit, which can guarantee the removal of these Pokemon. Slow pivots like Scizor, Magneton, and Celebi can help safely bring Terrakion into play.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Swords Dance / Taunt
item: Focus Sash
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock gives Terrakion a way of setting entry hazards up for its team, allowing for good chip damage on foes. Stone Edge is a powerful STAB move that, even without a Choice Band or offensive boosts, hits most neutral targets quite hard. Close Combat complements Stone Edge quite nicely, giving Terrakion a way of hitting Steel-types like Cobalion and Magneton hard. Swords Dance is used to punish Pokemon commonly used to defensively check Terrrakion such as Jellicent, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Taunt allows Terrakion to prevent foes from setting up their own entry hazards and prevents the use of Defog and other status moves.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in both Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature optimizes Terrakion's offensive capabilities while giving it good enough Speed to outpace most opposing leads and reliably use Taunt or Stealth Rock. Focus Sash guarantees that Terrakion will set Stealth Rock up, and if it is still intact after, it can allow for reliable setup. Shuca Berry is an option that allows Terrakion to survive hits from Hippowdon and Gliscor to set Stealth Rock up or use Swords Dance, but it plays a similar role to Focus Sash, which allows Terrakion to take any hit.
Usage Tips
========
This set's main function is as a lead due to Terrakion's ability to set Stealth Rock up consistently because of its good Speed. While Terrakion will usually lead, it is best not to put it into play first if foes like Azelf and Froslass are on the opposing team. This is because both outspeed Terrakion and can use Taunt to prevent it from setting Stealth Rock up, and Froslass in particular can also threaten Terrakion with status conditions and Destiny Bond. If other potential Stealth Rock users such as Gliscor and Cobalion are on your team, it is possible to bluff a Choice set, which is useful against Pokemon like Krookodile and Togekiss. Taunt should be used whenever a slower foe is predicted to use a status move, meaning that the likes of Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Empoleon generally make good targets of it. If a faster foe with Taunt such as Azelf or Froslass is predicted to use the move, it is best for Terrakion to just attack, as this will use up the foe's Focus Sash and prevent it from being of much use later in the match.
Team Options
========
This set should only be used on heavily offensive teams, as Terrakion's main function is as a suicide lead that can sufficiently damage bulkier teams. Means of keeping opponents from removing Terrakion's Stealth Rock are key to the success of this set, which makes spinblockers like Decidueye and Doublade good teammates. Tornadus's Defiant ability can make it a good teammate as well due to its ability to deter Defog. Various setup sweepers, such as Cobalion, Venomoth, Latias, and Celebi, appreciate the entry hazard support that Terrakion provides due to the good chip damage allowing for easier sweeps.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is Terrakion's strongest STAB attack and is capable of hitting anything that isn't resistant to it quite hard. Stone Edge adequately covers the likes of Crobat, Togekiss, and Talonflame, which can otherwise comfortably switch in. Rock Slide is a more reliable Rock-type attack and allows Terrakion to more consistently revenge kill weakened foes as well as preserve the PP of Stone Edge. Toxic is an option over Rock Slide for wearing down bulky switch-ins like Hippowdon and Suicune, though the loss of momentum after using the move should be noted. Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage, being used to cover Poison-types like Nidoking and Nidoqueen as well as various Steel-types like Klefki and Doublade.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with Choice Scarf and a Timid nature is essential for giving Terrakion as much Speed as possible, allowing it to perform as a threatening revenge killer. Maximum Attack investment puts as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, notably allowing it to OHKO Togekiss with Stone Edge after Stealth Rock as well as 2HKO the likes of Tentacruel and Nidoqueen with Earthquake. Justified is the only possible ability but is situationally useful for boosting Terrakion's Attack after it is hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
This set's primary function is as a revenge killer given Terrakion's great Speed with a Choice Scarf. Consequently, Terrakion should switch in on and KO a weakened foe with pivot support or after a teammate faints. Once faster threats have been revenge killed, Terrakion can attempt to clean up late-game due to its good power and great Speed, though a lot of team support is required for this to happen. While Justified can at times be put to use, Terrakion should only sparingly switch into Dark-type attacks. If opposing Choice Scarf users and faster Pokemon are removed, Terrakion should feel free to then switch in on Knock Off to gain an Attack boost and become able to switch between its moves. If not, however, then Terrakion should only switch in on non-Knock Off Dark-type attacks like Mandibuzz's Foul Play and Hydreigon's Dark Pulse. Much like with the Choice Band set, Terrakion should refrain from staying in on threats that it can't KO. While +1 Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Infernape are all examples of Pokemon that Terrakion can OHKO without prior damage, Terrakion must be more careful in trying to revenge kill bulkier threats that may withstand a hit, such as Latias, Mega Blastoise, and Gliscor, so as not to miss the KO and take heavy damage. The choice between using Stone Edge and Rock Slide should depend on whether or not the desired target is KOed by Rock Slide. Rock Slide can be used on Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Aerodactyl, and Alolan Ninetales, which are usually OHKOed from full HP, while bulkier threats like Mandibuzz, Togekiss, and Entei should be hit with Stone Edge for a more reliable revenge kill.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Latias, Cobalion, and Talonflame appreciate Terrakion's ability to revenge kill other setup sweepers, as this allows them to more reliably sweep later on in matches. If Terrakion wishes to clean late-game with this set, it should utilize wallbreakers like Nidoking, Choice Specs Raikou, and Volcanion as partners due to the fact that it will need most threats weakened a fair amount. Electric-types like Raikou and Grass-types like Celebi can be helpful for breaking past bulky Water-types, which are otherwise huge nuisances to this set. Bulky Psychic-types can also be troublesome, which is why Terrakion appreciates Pokemon that can pressure them like Crawdaunt, Krookodile, Chandelure, and Hydreigon. Entry hazard support is quite useful to Terrakion, as with Stealth Rock, it is capable of more reliably OHKOing the likes of Togekiss, Cobalion, and Intimidate Krookodile with the appropriate attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fightinium Z can be used over Rockium Z on the setup sweeper set, but this is better done by Cobalion due to its better defensive typing for setup and Terrakion's ability to cover more threats with Rockium Z anyway. Poison Jab is an option for hitting Fairy-types like Primarina and Sylveon hard, though both often take sufficient damage from Stone Edge and running Poison Jab ultimately worsens coverage. X-Scissor is also an option for hitting threats like Celebi and Slowbro, though this has the same problems as running Poison Jab.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Terrakion's biggest struggle is with bulky Water-types like Alomomola, Suicune, Quagsire, and Slowbro, as they can tank even a boosted Continental Crush, easily take hits from Terrakion's other sets, and threaten to KO Terrakion or burn it with Scald.
**Priority**: Terrakion's poor typing leaves it susceptible to multiple forms of priority, including Scizor's Bullet Punch, Infernape's and Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, which are especially troublesome after Close Combat lowers Terrakion's defenses.
**Ground-types**: Hippowdon and Swampert can easily tank a boosted Continental Crush or Close Combat and proceed to dent Terrakion with super effective STAB attacks. Both must be wary of Toxic, however.
**Psychic-types**: Latias and Starmie both outspeed and threaten to OHKO Terrakion before it's boosted, while bulkier Psychic-types like Celebi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus can usually tank a hit and retaliate with super effective STAB attacks or status, which cripples Terrakion.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Celebi and Amoonguss fear Continental Crush but can otherwise tank a hit and nail Terrakion with super effective STAB Giga Drain, recovering damage taken and picking it off.
**Doublade**: Doublade's high Defense stat with an Eviolite alongside its resistances and immunities to Terrakion's STAB attacks allows it to adequately check Terrakion and threaten to KO it with STAB Iron Head. It should be wary of a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake, however.
Terrakion is a premier threat in the UU metagame thanks to its plethora of fantastic offensive traits. Its extremely high Attack and access to Swords Dance allow it to pose a huge threat as a setup sweeper and wallbreaker, and Rockium Z further solidifies its sweeping capabilities by allowing it to easily break past conventional checks with a boosted Continental Crush. Terrakion also sits in a very comfortable Speed tier, capable of outpacing a good portion of the unboosted metagame and tying with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion. Further bolstering Terrakion's offensive prowess is an amazing offensive Rock / Fighting typing, which offers excellent STAB coverage and, alongside access to good coverage options like Earthquake, allows Terrakion to hit most of the tier for super effective damage. Terrakion also has a fairly useful ability in Justified, which allows it to switch in on Dark-type attacks from the likes of Mandibuzz and Hydreigon and receive a +1 boost in Attack as a result. Unfortunately, despite its several perks, Terrakion is cursed with little to no defensive utility. Despite Terrakion's decent bulk for an offensive Pokemon, said bulk is offset by weaknesses to common types in Psychic, Water, Fairy, Fighting, Ground, and Steel and to common priority attacks in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch. Also, after using a Z-Move, Terrakion can tend to be easily exploited by bulky threats like Swampert, Hippowdon, and Amoonguss, which it cannot break through. Lastly, despite its good Speed, Terrakion is outsped by common threats in Latias, Starmie, and Talonflame.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish / Substitute
item: Rockium Z / Salac Berry
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge is a powerful STAB option that, when boosted, is capable of denting a huge portion of a the metagame. With Rockium Z, Stone Edge turns into an obscenely powerful Continental Crush that is capable of breaking past foes that could otherwise tank a hit and KO or cripple Terrakion such as Amoonguss, Slowbro, and Gliscor. Close Combat gives Terrakion excellent coverage alongside Stone Edge and a way of breaking past most Pokemon resistant to Stone Edge, such as Cobalion, Magneton, Krookodile, and to lesser extents Hippowdon and Swampert. Swords Dance provides Terrakion with a vital boost in power, allowing it to secure an OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge as well as OHKOs on the likes of Alomomola, bulky Celebi, and Gliscor with Continental Crush. Rock Polish gives Terrakion a way of boosting its Speed, which lets it outpace every Choice Scarf user as well as Pokemon that would otherwise revenge kill it like Latias, Starmie, and Zygarde-10%. Substitute is an option over Rock Polish when Terrakion is using a Salac Berry and can be used on forced switches to create setup opportunities and help Terrakion evade status conditions.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack gives Terrakion as much offensive prowess as possible with a neutral nature, allowing it to secure an OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge and a 2HKO on the likes of Swampert and Hippowdon with boosted Close Combat. Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature allows Terrakion to Speed tie with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion before a boost and outpace everything slower than these threats. It also allows Terrakion to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after using Rock Polish. Rockium Z is the main item of choice, as it allows Terrakion to break past almost all of its conventional checks with a +2 Continental Crush. Salac Berry, however, can be used on sets utilizing Substitute to give Terrakion a +1 boost in Speed at 25% HP, severely limiting reliable counterplay. Life Orb is also an option under the circumstance that another teammate is using a Z-Crystal, as Terrakion's attacks will receive a notable boost in power. Shuca Berry is another option for more reliably taking on threats like Hippowdon, Choice Scarf Krookodile, and non-Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl. Justified is Terrakion's only available ability but is useful for boosting its Attack stat upon switching into Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Terrakion's fantastic offensive typing and Speed tier allow it to force out several common Pokemon, including Volcanion, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Mandibuzz, and proceed to set up. If against an offensive team, Terrakion should usually look to set up first with Rock Polish, as it will then be able to outspeed anything on the opposing team unless a foe is heavily boosted. From there, Terrakion can usually threaten most offensive Pokemon and possibly even nab an opportunity to set up with Swords Dance after forcing them out. However, against defensively oriented teams, Swords Dance is the preferred setup option, as Terrakion will already outspeed most Pokemon on these teams. If Substitute is being used over Rock Polish, Terrakion should look to set up with it on forced switches, as from there, it can find an opportunity to set up with a boosting move, which is particularly useful against offensively oriented teams. Continental Crush should be used with caution, as it can only be used once and is crucial for breaking past the likes of Gliscor, Suicune, Amoonguss, and Alomomola. Therefore, Terrakion should always make sure that a foe that resists the attack, such as Klefki or Swampert, cannot switch in and tank it. If holding Rockium Z, Terrakion can be utilized as a decent switch-in to Knock Off from the likes of Mandibuzz and Choice-locked Krookodile, as it won't have its item removed and will receive an extremely useful boost to its Attack as well as an opportunity to set up. Despite its amazing offensive prowess after boosting, Terrakion must be wary of super effective priority moves that can impede its sweep, such as Aqua Jet from Crawdaunt, Bullet Punch from Scizor, and Vacuum Wave from Infernape. As such, these threats should have potential priority attacks scouted out and should be removed accordingly before Terrakion sweeps.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Gliscor, Klefki, and Azelf can aid Terrakion in securing important KOs. For example, Stealth Rock guarantees OHKOs on Gliscor and Suicune with a boosted Continental Crush. While Terrakion has very limited switch-ins, the majority of them, including Slowbro, Doublade, and Celebi, are heavily pressured by Dark-types like Weavile, Krookodile, and Mega Absol, which therefore make adequate partners. Grass-types such as Roserade and Celebi can pressure the Ground- and Water-types that sometimes trouble Terrakion after it's used its Z-Move and help deal with Unaware Quagsire. Amoonguss in particular can cripple a foe with Spore, which can grant Terrakion a setup opportunity. Magneton is an exceptional partner, as its Magnet Pull ability allows it to trap and KO Terrakion's most reliable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Forretress. Other checks to the aforementioned Pokemon, such as Infernape, Nidoking, and Volcanion, can also aid Terrakion in removing the few Pokemon that impede its sweep. Lastly, Psychic-types generally make useful partners, as they can help to break past Fighting-types that threaten Terrakion with priority, like Infernape and Toxicroak, and take care of defensive Poison-types.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide / Quick Attack
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is an extremely powerful STAB attack with Choice Band and is capable of hitting anything that doesn't resist it for quite a bit of damage. Stone Edge offers excellent coverage alongside Close Combat, hitting Flying-types like Togekiss and Mandibuzz super effectively as well as allowing Terrakion to OHKO Latias after Stealth Rock. Rock Slide provides Terrakion with a more reliable Rock-type attack due to its better accuracy and is useful for consistently finishing off weakened foes. Quick Attack can be used over Rock Slide as a way of picking off weakened threats with priority, but it should only be used under the circumstance that it can KO a foe, as it is quite weak. Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage and allows it to hit Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, 2HKOing Doublade and OHKOing Nidoqueen.
Set Details
========
Choice Band alongside maximum Attack investment puts as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, allowing it to 2HKO the entire metagame with the appropriate coverage moves. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature gives Terrakion as much Speed as possible and allows it to outpace several offensive threats, including Celebi, Volcanion, Krookodile, and offensive Tentacruel, and Speed tie with the likes of Infernape and Cobalion. Justified is Terrakion's only available ability but is useful for giving it an Attack boost upon being hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
This set's main function is as a wallbreaker that aims to weaken foes for teammates looking to sweep. Accordingly, Terrakion should be brought out in the early-game to heavily weaken opposing Pokemon. Due to the nature of Choice Band, it's best that Terrakion predicts carefully when choosing an attack to be locked into, as it will generate a free turn for the opponent if you choose an attack resisted by its foe. For example, Terrakion should predict switches into threats that resist Close Combat, like Latias, Starmie, and Celebi, and nail them with Stone Edge instead. Terrakion should refrain from staying in on foes that it can't OHKO, especially after Close Combat drops its defenses, as its poor defensive typing and only decent bulk prevent it from tanking attacks too reliably. Terrakion's typing also means that it should almost never be switched into attacks and instead should be brought in with a pivot or after a teammate has fainted. Despite Justified, Choice Band Terrakion should usually refrain from switching into Knock Off. While it does enjoy the Attack boost that's equivalent to that of Choice Band and the ability to use any of its moves, it's still quite susceptible to revenge killers, which can ultimately waste its lost Choice Band and Attack boost.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Raikou, Celebi, and Talonflame are appreciative of Terrakion's ability to heavily weaken various Pokemon that they'd otherwise have trouble breaking past when sweeping. Latias is a particularly useful partner, as it has great synergy with Terrakion. Latias can switch into and defeat the Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-types that aim to KO Terrakion, while Terrakion can cover the Steel- and Dark-types that Latias often struggles with. Thunder Wave Togekiss and Stun Spore Amoonguss are also useful partners, as they can often come in on most of Terrakion's checks, lure in Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, respectively, and cripple them with paralysis to allow Terrakion to outspeed them. Entry hazard setters like Azelf, Hippowdon, and Roserade can aid Terrakion in securing various KOs, such as an OHKO on Metagross with Earthquake after three layers of Spikes and a 2HKO on Alomomola with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage. Klefki is a particularly useful entry hazard setter, as it can set Spikes up while using Thunder Wave to allow Terrakion to outspeed the likes of Latias, Starmie, and Mega Aerodactyl. Grass-types such as Decidueye and Celebi and Electric-types such as Raikou and Magneton are useful for their ability to pressure the bulky Water-types that can tank Terrakion's hits, and Magneton can also use Magnet Pull to trap and eliminate some of this set's most notable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Klefki. Dark-types such as Weavile, Krookodile, and Hydreigon can pressure bulky Psychic-types that Terrakion can struggle to break through like Celebi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus. The former two also come with the benefit of Pursuit, which can guarantee the removal of these Pokemon. Slow pivots like Scizor, Magneton, and Celebi can help safely bring Terrakion into play.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Swords Dance / Taunt
item: Focus Sash
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock gives Terrakion a way of setting entry hazards up for its team, allowing for good chip damage on foes. Stone Edge is a powerful STAB move that, even without a Choice Band or offensive boosts, hits most neutral targets quite hard. Close Combat complements Stone Edge quite nicely, giving Terrakion a way of hitting Steel-types like Cobalion and Magneton hard. Swords Dance is used to punish Pokemon commonly used to defensively check Terrrakion such as Jellicent, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Taunt allows Terrakion to prevent foes from setting up their own entry hazards and prevents the use of Defog and other status moves.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in both Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature optimizes Terrakion's offensive capabilities while giving it good enough Speed to outpace most opposing leads and reliably use Taunt or Stealth Rock. Focus Sash guarantees that Terrakion will set Stealth Rock up, and if it is still intact after, it can allow for reliable setup. Shuca Berry is an option that allows Terrakion to survive hits from Hippowdon and Gliscor to set Stealth Rock up or use Swords Dance, but it plays a similar role to Focus Sash, which allows Terrakion to take any hit.
Usage Tips
========
This set's main function is as a lead due to Terrakion's ability to set Stealth Rock up consistently because of its good Speed. While Terrakion will usually lead, it is best not to put it into play first if foes like Azelf and Froslass are on the opposing team. This is because both outspeed Terrakion and can use Taunt to prevent it from setting Stealth Rock up, and Froslass in particular can also threaten Terrakion with status conditions and Destiny Bond. If other potential Stealth Rock users such as Gliscor and Cobalion are on your team, it is possible to bluff a Choice set, which is useful against Pokemon like Krookodile and Togekiss. Taunt should be used whenever a slower foe is predicted to use a status move, meaning that the likes of Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Empoleon generally make good targets of it. If a faster foe with Taunt such as Azelf or Froslass is predicted to use the move, it is best for Terrakion to just attack, as this will use up the foe's Focus Sash and prevent it from being of much use later in the match.
Team Options
========
This set should only be used on heavily offensive teams, as Terrakion's main function is as a suicide lead that can sufficiently damage bulkier teams. Means of keeping opponents from removing Terrakion's Stealth Rock are key to the success of this set, which makes spinblockers like Decidueye and Doublade good teammates. Tornadus's Defiant ability can make it a good teammate as well due to its ability to deter Defog. Various setup sweepers, such as Cobalion, Venomoth, Latias, and Celebi, appreciate the entry hazard support that Terrakion provides due to the good chip damage allowing for easier sweeps.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is Terrakion's strongest STAB attack and is capable of hitting anything that isn't resistant to it quite hard. Stone Edge adequately covers the likes of Crobat, Togekiss, and Talonflame, which can otherwise comfortably switch in. Rock Slide is a more reliable Rock-type attack and allows Terrakion to more consistently revenge kill weakened foes as well as preserve the PP of Stone Edge. Toxic is an option over Rock Slide for wearing down bulky switch-ins like Hippowdon and Suicune, though the loss of momentum after using the move should be noted. Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage, being used to cover Poison-types like Nidoking and Nidoqueen as well as various Steel-types like Klefki and Doublade.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with Choice Scarf and a Timid nature is essential for giving Terrakion as much Speed as possible, allowing it to perform as a threatening revenge killer. Maximum Attack investment puts as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, notably allowing it to OHKO Togekiss with Stone Edge after Stealth Rock as well as 2HKO the likes of Tentacruel and Nidoqueen with Earthquake. Justified is the only possible ability but is situationally useful for boosting Terrakion's Attack after it is hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
This set's primary function is as a revenge killer given Terrakion's great Speed with a Choice Scarf. Consequently, Terrakion should switch in on and KO a weakened foe with pivot support or after a teammate faints. Once faster threats have been revenge killed, Terrakion can attempt to clean up late-game due to its good power and great Speed, though a lot of team support is required for this to happen. While Justified can at times be put to use, Terrakion should only sparingly switch into Dark-type attacks. If opposing Choice Scarf users and faster Pokemon are removed, Terrakion should feel free to then switch in on Knock Off to gain an Attack boost and become able to switch between its moves. If not, however, then Terrakion should only switch in on non-Knock Off Dark-type attacks like Mandibuzz's Foul Play and Hydreigon's Dark Pulse. Much like with the Choice Band set, Terrakion should refrain from staying in on threats that it can't KO. While +1 Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Infernape are all examples of Pokemon that Terrakion can OHKO without prior damage, Terrakion must be more careful in trying to revenge kill bulkier threats that may withstand a hit, such as Latias, Mega Blastoise, and Gliscor, so as not to miss the KO and take heavy damage. The choice between using Stone Edge and Rock Slide should depend on whether or not the desired target is KOed by Rock Slide. Rock Slide can be used on Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Aerodactyl, and Alolan Ninetales, which are usually OHKOed from full HP, while bulkier threats like Mandibuzz, Togekiss, and Entei should be hit with Stone Edge for a more reliable revenge kill.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Latias, Cobalion, and Talonflame appreciate Terrakion's ability to revenge kill other setup sweepers, as this allows them to more reliably sweep later on in matches. If Terrakion wishes to clean late-game with this set, it should utilize wallbreakers like Nidoking, Choice Specs Raikou, and Volcanion as partners due to the fact that it will need most threats weakened a fair amount. Electric-types like Raikou and Grass-types like Celebi can be helpful for breaking past bulky Water-types, which are otherwise huge nuisances to this set. Bulky Psychic-types can also be troublesome, which is why Terrakion appreciates Pokemon that can pressure them like Crawdaunt, Krookodile, Chandelure, and Hydreigon. Entry hazard support is quite useful to Terrakion, as with Stealth Rock, it is capable of more reliably OHKOing the likes of Togekiss, Cobalion, and Intimidate Krookodile with the appropriate attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fightinium Z can be used over Rockium Z on the setup sweeper set, but this is better done by Cobalion due to its better defensive typing for setup and Terrakion's ability to cover more threats with Rockium Z anyway. Poison Jab is an option for hitting Fairy-types like Primarina and Sylveon hard, though both often take sufficient damage from Stone Edge and running Poison Jab ultimately worsens coverage. X-Scissor is also an option for hitting threats like Celebi and Slowbro, though this has the same problems as running Poison Jab.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Terrakion's biggest struggle is with bulky Water-types like Alomomola, Suicune, Quagsire, and Slowbro, as they can tank even a boosted Continental Crush, easily take hits from Terrakion's other sets, and threaten to KO Terrakion or burn it with Scald.
**Priority**: Terrakion's poor typing leaves it susceptible to multiple forms of priority, including Scizor's Bullet Punch, Infernape's and Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, which are especially troublesome after Close Combat lowers Terrakion's defenses.
**Ground-types**: Hippowdon and Swampert can easily tank a boosted Continental Crush or Close Combat and proceed to dent Terrakion with super effective STAB attacks. Both must be wary of Toxic, however.
**Psychic-types**: Latias and Starmie both outspeed and threaten to OHKO Terrakion before it's boosted, while bulkier Psychic-types like Celebi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus can usually tank a hit and retaliate with super effective STAB attacks or status, which cripples Terrakion.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Celebi and Amoonguss fear Continental Crush but can otherwise tank a hit and nail Terrakion with super effective STAB Giga Drain, recovering damage taken and picking it off.
**Doublade**: Doublade's high Defense stat with an Eviolite alongside its resistances and immunities to Terrakion's STAB attacks allows it to adequately check Terrakion and threaten to KO it with STAB Iron Head. It should be wary of a Choice Band-boosted Earthquake, however.
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