RU Tyrantrum

Punchshroom

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[OVERVIEW]
Tyrantrum's most defining trait is its access to Rock Head and STAB Head Smash, giving it an absurdly powerful attack with no immediate drawbacks that dents any Pokemon that does not resist it and lets it act as a powerful holepuncher or cleaner. Rock is a powerful offensive typing, granting Tyrantrum good coverage against a majority of the tier and making Head Smash quite spammable. Tyrantrum has good neutral coverage and a considerably wide movepool, although all it really needs are moves that take on the few Pokemon in the tier that can consistently withstand its Head Smashes. These qualities present Tyrantrum as one of the tier's most potent attackers and holepunchers. However, Tyrantrum's Speed is noticeably lacking, and as a Choice Scarf user, it suffers from being unable to outspeed +1 Feraligatr. Tyrantrum's low Special Defense combined with its awkward defensive typing and multitude of weaknesses often turns it into a defensive liability, making Tyrantrum function as a glass cannon. Tyrantrum is thus heavily reliant on its few physical resistances and 4x resistance to Fire to avoid getting 2HKOed by invested attacks.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Superpower / Crunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's main STAB attack and is strong enough to 2HKO Bronzong, meaning only the bulkiest of Pokemon that resist Rock can hope to stomach it. Outrage dents Ground- and Fighting-types looking to resist Head Smash, demolishes Kommo-o switch-ins, heavily damages Donphan and Quagsire, and 2HKOes Rhyperior and Chesnaught after Stealth Rock damage, and is accurate, unlike Head Smash. Earthquake's main use is to smash Doublade and Registeel, 2HKOing both with ease.

Tyrantrum's last moveslot is largely filler, and it is mostly used to help Tyrantrum continue wallbreaking targets while still making it difficult for checks to switch in. Superpower helps to take out bulky Pokemon such as Umbreon and Snorlax while still deterring Steel-types such as Bronzong and Registeel from switching in, as well as nailing the rare Ferroseed for irreparable damage. Crunch can be used to 2HKO Calm Mind Reuniclus and specially defensive Cresselia without the risky effects of Head Smash and Outrage as well as cripple Bronzong and do respectable damage to Doublade on the switch. Dragon Claw is an option by virtue of simply being a safe STAB move to throw out, notably being able to OHKO Kommo-o switch-ins without locking into Outrage, but its wallbreaking power is low otherwise.

Set Details
========

An Adamant nature with a Choice Band maximizes Tyrantrum's damage output against bulky Pokemon. For example, Adamant Choice Band Tyrantrum can OHKO physically defensive Florges and specially defensive Umbreon with Head Smash and Superpower, respectively, after Stealth Rock damage, even if they use Protect to gain a turn of Leftovers recovery. Adamant Tyrantrum also has a high chance of OHKOing Curse Snorlax with Superpower, can cleanly 2HKO Bronzong after Stealth Rock damage as well as Gligar with Head Smash, and can nearly guarantee a 2HKO on Doublade with Earthquake. A Jolly nature may be used to get the drop on neutral-natured Venusaur, Seismitoad, and Honchkrow as well as positive-natured Cloyster, but outspeeding such a small pool of Pokemon isn't usually worth giving up on reliable power against the bulkier Pokemon Tyrantrum is supposed to crush. Alternatively, if Tyrantrum is considered for use as a wallbreaker on a Trick Room team, one may make it as slow as possible with a Brave nature and 0 Speed EVs and IVs, letting it outrun the likes of Donphan and Diancie in Trick Room.

Usage Tips
========

Tyrantrum primarily targets slower Pokemon, against which it can use Head Smash and brutalize any Pokemon that doesn't resist the move. Head Smash's obscene power and lack of a crippling drawback aside from accuracy mean this will be Tyrantrum's most used attack. While Tyrantrum can predict the opponent's switch to a bulky Pokemon that resists Rock and use its other moves to nail them coming in, the best time for Tyrantrum to use its coverage moves is if they can KO the initial target while covering the switch at the same time. Since the opponent will rarely have more than one Pokemon that can take Head Smashes well, Tyrantrum usually only needs to get a single correct prediction to be free to spam Head Smash throughout the match. Against more offensive teams, Tyrantrum is not expected to survive for long due to its middling Speed and common weaknesses. Thus, it should focus on busting open a huge hole whenever it can, taking advantage of any slower or offensively weaker Pokemon on the opponent's team as well as the fact that they do not possess good switch-ins to Tyrantrum.

Team Options
========

Fast Pokemon that can clean games, such as Sharpedo, Swellow, Dragon Dance Flygon, Cloyster, Durant, Salazzle, and Yanmega, make great partners to Tyrantrum, as these Pokemon greatly appreciate Tyrantrum softening up the foe's team to have an easier time sweeping. Tyrantrum can also lure out and weaken or KO problematic Pokemon for these sweepers, such as Kommo-o, Bronzong, Doublade, and Rhyperior, as well as provide mild defensive synergy with Durant and Salazzle, as they resist Fairy-, Steel-, and Ice-type moves for it while Tyrantrum can cover for Durant against Fire-type moves. Tyrantrum especially appreciates VoltTurn support to be able to switch into bulky Pokemon with minimal risk and can be provided by fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Whimsicott, Rotom formes, Flygon, and Heliolisk. Tyrantrum also benefits from many forms of speed control, such as Sticky Web, paralysis, Tailwind, and Trick Room, to gain an advantage against faster targets, making any potential users of these moves, such as Galvantula, Cresselia, Slowbro, Whimsicott, Porygon2, and Bronzong, helpful teammates.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's primary STAB move, crushing a large majority of offensive Pokemon and potentially 2HKOing even those that resist it, such as Flygon and Virizion. Outrage hits offensive Pokemon that resist Rock, notably OHKOing Kommo-o and Flygon while doing substantial damage to Virizion and offensive Seismitoad. It also can be a good late-game cleaning tool, as it boasts perfect accuracy over Head Smash. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Doublade and Registeel.

The last moveslot is filler for Tyrantrum, but it still does have situational use. Dragon Claw is a reliable STAB move that can pick off weakened foes or opposing Dragon-types, such as Flygon, Kingdra, and Goodra, with much less risk than its other STAB attacks. However, it's only barely stronger than a resisted Head Smash, so it's usually not worth going for in most cases. Crunch can be used to put more pressure on Bronzong, although it does not 2HKO even with Stealth Rock damage and Head Smash chips away at it enough as is. Toxic can be an option, and while it is not a move you'd choose in a majority of circumstances, it may be the only way Tyrantrum can have some presence against bulky Pokemon that can heal off its blows such as Chesnaught, Gligar, Cresselia, and Slowbro.

Set Details
========

A Jolly nature is necessary for Choice Scarf Tyrantrum to outspeed the likes of Jolteon, Swellow, and Salazzle, and full Attack investment simply maximizes the power of Head Smash for it to effortlessly KO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's main role is to threaten offensive teams with Head Smash, which has enough power to 2HKO Flygon and Virizion after Stealth Rock damage, meaning that offensive teams have limited switch-ins to Tyrantrum and are quite prone to losing Pokemon to it. Keep an eye out for offensive Pokemon that can switch into Head Smash, such as Rhyperior and Kommo-o, and try to hit them with the appropriate coverage move or pull a double switch to maintain offensive momentum. However, be wary of any Fairy-types present if attempting to use Outrage, as it can mean Tyrantrum's premature end. Be sure to capitalize on Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's power over Aerodactyl, which checks most of the Pokemon Tyrantrum does while being able to switch moves and have access to Pursuit.

Team Options
========

Since this Tyrantrum set is designed to prey on offensive teams, partners that can take on bulkier teams are appreciated. Escavalier is a very solid teammate, as it can switch into and threaten Fairy-, Ice-, and Dragon-type Pokemon for Tyrantrum and help put additional pressure on bulky Pokemon that intend to take hits from Tyrantrum, such as removing Eviolite from Gligar and Doublade with Knocking Off or skewering the likes of Cresselia and Slowbro. Escavalier can also Pursuit trap Bronzong, removing another obstacle for Tyrantrum. In turn, Tyrantrum can protect Escavalier from Fire-type attacks and threaten a vast majority of fast Pokemon. Other wallbreakers and holepunchers include Flame Orb Heracross, Pangoro, Shaymin, Mega Glalie, and Toxicroak, which can harass slower teams, but be mindful of their shared weaknesses with Tyrantrum. Zoroark in particular is a great teammate, as it can masquerade as Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, luring out the opponent's Tyrantrum switch-ins and crippling them in a myriad of ways, such as through Knock Off, Swords Dance-boosted attacks, powerful special attacks, or Trick, allowing Tyrantrum to clean up late-game.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stone Plate can be used to boost Head Smash's power while retaining the ability to switch moves, but Stone Plate won't let Head Smash secure KOs as easily as Choice Band does and leaves Tyrantrum's coverage moves unboosted and substantially weaker against their targets. Tyrantrum has access to boosting moves such as Rock Polish and Dragon Dance, which can be paired with a Z-Move such as Continental Crush, Devastating Drake, or even Tectonic Rage, but Tyrantrum's mediocre Speed and many weaknesses make it difficult to set up, and these moves do little to help it against its defensive checks. Tyrantrum has access to Fire Fang and Ice Fang, but Head Smash does nearly similar damage against all of their targets, meaning the coverage they offer is largely redundant.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Quagsire is not 2HKOed by Choice Band-boosted Head Smash while Gligar is not 2HKOed by any of Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's attacks, and both can heal off the damage to continually keep Tyrantrum at bay. Other bulky Ground-types such as Rhyperior, Donphan, and physically defensive Seismitoad have the bulk to take Choice Band Head Smash as well and can retaliate with powerful super effective STAB Ground-type attacks. Faster Ground-types such as Flygon and offensive Seismitoad may be 2HKOed by Choice Band Head Smash, but they can outrun Tyrantrum and threaten it with Ground-type attacks. However, none of them want to switch into Choice Band Outrage, and Flygon is still 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's Head Smash, meaning it wants a Choice Scarf of its own to consistently check Tyrantrum.

**Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types such as Doublade, Bronzong, Registeel, and Ferroseed can resist Head Smash and retaliate with Steel-type STAB attacks or status ailments. However, it should be noted that Bronzong takes a lot of damage from Choice Band Head Smash, and Tyrantrum has coverage moves to hit them with, such as Earthquake for Doublade and Registeel, Crunch for Doublade and Bronzong, and Superpower for Registeel and Ferroseed. Durant outruns Choice Band Tyrantrum and puts it down with Iron Head or Superpower, whereas Escavalier can attempt to stomach one attack from Tyrantrum and fire back with Iron Head, although Escavalier's unboosted Iron Head won't be able to OHKO Tyrantrum without prior damage.

**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught can take Choice Band Head Smashes and easily heal off the damage in a variety of ways, such as through Leech Seed, Synthesis, or a super effective Drain Punch, while only fearing Choice Band Outrage on the switch, though it can use Spiky Shield to have Leftovers heal itself out of 2HKO range and potentially disrupt Outrage. Kommo-o is a solid offensive check, as it can take a Head Smash from the Choice Band set or two Head Smashes from the Choice Scarf set and OHKO Tyrantrum with either of its STAB moves. However, Kommo-o obviously has to fear Tyrantrum's Dragon-type moves. Other faster Fighting-types, such as Heracross, Virizion, and Toxicroak, can outrun Choice Band Tyrantrum and threaten with super effective Fighting-type STAB attacks.

**Faster Attackers**: Tyrantrum dislikes taking hits, as it takes substantial damage from nearly any sort of invested attack, and being able to take it down before it can move is a great way to limit its damage output. Choice Band Tyrantrum is easy to deal with in this regard, as it is rather slow and thus falls prey to various faster Pokemon, such as Shaymin, Zoroark, Mega Glalie, Goodra, Kingdra, Rotom-C, and Sneasel, but be aware that most offensive Pokemon that fail to OHKO Tyrantrum risk getting OHKOed in return. Choice Scarf Tyrantrum is harder to outrun, but faster Choice Scarf users such as Gardevoir, Heracross, Flygon, Shaymin, and Durant, Speed Boost Pokemon such as Sharpedo and Yanmega, and weather sweepers such as Venusaur, Kingdra, and Alolan Sandslash can revenge kill Tyrantrum and prevent it from cleaning. Tyrantrum's high Defense stat means it can take most priority moves, but Ice Shard from Mega Glalie and Sucker Punch from Honchkrow and Zoroark can still do decent damage, and Tyrantrum is especially susceptible to Comfey's Draining Kiss.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

phantom

Banned deucer.
i don't like toxic much on scarf because it doesn't really help it much in its job as a revenge killer and a lot of its checks, mainly steel-types, are immune to toxic anyway. make dragon claw the primary slash because it's useful in revenge killing an unboosted flygon without locking into outrage and rking goodra, kingdra, and dragalge after sr without relying on head smash's shaky accuracy or locking into outrage. it's just a generally safe tool to have when it comes to revenge killing frailer stuff too.

qc 1/3
 

MrAldo

Hey
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- Not a fan of triple slashes on a set. Maybe it is a ridiculous nitpick but reading the moves section I can see that Dragon Claw is the one that offers the less in terms of the role Tyrantrum aims to fulfill with a Choice Band (and it being the last slash shows that as well) so the Dragon Claw mention can be relegated to Set Details if Im honest. So please do so.

- On the Choice Scarf set, the bit about Crunch looks rather... conflicting. If it is slashed it means it has some merit but if it even fails to 2hko bronzong and head smash chips it down well enough as it is, you can just relegate Crunch mention on Set Details since it doesnt achieve anything else in particular. Remove the Crunch and sent it to Set Details.

- It would be nice to mention Zoroark as an important partner for the choice scarf set since it can lure many of its checks like Bronzong and Gligar with Knock Off and that makes the whole difference on a match.

Good stuff. QC 3/3 once implemented
 

Lumari

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TFP Leader


remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]
Tyrantrum's most defining trait is its access to STAB Head Smash and Rock Head, giving it an absurdly powerful attack with no immediate drawbacks that dents any Pokemon that does not resist it and letting it act as <insert roles here>. Rock is a powerful offensive typing, granting Tyrantrum good coverage against a majority of the tier and making Head Smashni Smash quite spammable. Tyrantrum has good neutral coverage and a considerably wide movepool, although all it really needs are moves that take on the few Pokemon in the tier that can consistently withstand its Head Smashes. These qualities presents Tyrantrum as one of the tier's most potent attackers and holepunchers. However, Tyrantrum's Speed is noticeably lacking, and as a Choice Scarf user, it suffers from being unable to outspeed +1 Feraligatr. Tyrantrum's low Special Defense combined with its awkward defensive typing and multitude of weaknesses often turn it into a defensive liability, making Tyrantrum function as a glass cannon. Tyrantrum is thus heavily reliant on its few physical resistances and 4x resistance to Fire to not get 2HKOed by invested attacks.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Superpower / Crunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's main STAB attack and is strong enough to 2HKO Bronzong, meaning only the bulkiest of Pokemon that resist Rock can hope to stomach this attack. Outrage dents Ground- and Fighting-types looking to resist Head Smash, as it demolishes demolishing Kommo-o switch-ins, heavily dents denting Donphan and Quagsire, and can being able to 2HKO Rhyperior and Chesnaught after Stealth Rock damage, as well as being accurate unlike Head Smash. Earthquake's main use is to smash Doublade and Registeel, 2HKOing both with ease.

Tyrantrum's last moveslot is largely filler, and it is mostly used to help Tyrantrum continue wallbreaking targets while still making it difficult for checks to switch in. Superpower helps to take out bulky Pokemon such as Umbreon and Snorlax while still deterring Steel-types such as Bronzong and Registeel from switching in, as well as nailing the rare Ferroseed for irreparable damage. Crunch can be used to 2HKO Calm Mind Reuniclus and specially defensive Cresselia without the risky effects of Head Smash and Outrage, while being able as well as to cripple Bronzong and do respectable damage to Doublade on the switch. Dragon Claw is an option by virtue of simply being a safe STAB move to throw out, notably being able to OHKO Kommo-o switch-ins without being locked in by Outrage, but its wallbreaking power is low otherwise.

Set Details
========

An Adamant nature with a Choice Band maximizes Tyrantrum's damage output against bulky Pokemon. For example, Adamant Choice Band Tyrantrum can OHKO physically defensive Florges and specially defensive Umbreon with Head Smash and Superpower, (AC) respectively, (AC) after Stealth Rock damage, even if they use Protect to gain a turn of Leftovers recovery. Adamant Tyrantrum also has a high chance to OHKO Curse Snorlax with Superpower, can cleanly 2HKO Bronzong after Stealth Rock damage as well as Gligar with Head Smash, and can nearly guarantee a clean 2HKO on Doublade with Earthquake. A Jolly nature may be used to get the drop on neutral-natured Venusaur, Seismitoad, and Honchkrow as well as positive-natured Cloyster, but outspeeding such a small pool of Pokemon isn't usually worth giving up on reliable power against the bulkier Pokemon it Tyrantrum is supposed to crush. Alternatively, if Tyrantrum is considered for use as a wallbreaker on a Trick Room team, one may make it as slow as possible with a Brave nature and 0 Speed EVs and IVs, letting it outrun the likes of Donphan and Diancie in Trick Room.

Usage Tips
========

Tyrantrum primarily targets slower Pokemon, where it can click Head Smash and brutalize any Pokemon that doesn't resist the move. Head Smash's obscene power and lack of a crippling drawback, aside from accuracy, means mean this will be Tyrantrum's most used attack. While Tyrantrum can predict the opponent's switch to a bulky Pokemon that resists Rock and use its other moves to nail them coming in, the best time for Tyrantrum to use them its coverage moves is if they can KO the initial target while covering the switch at the same time. Since the opponent will rarely have more than one Pokemon that can take Head Smashes well, Tyrantrum usually only needs to get a single correct prediction to be free to spam Head Smashes throughout the match. Against more offensive teams, Tyrnatrum Tyrantrum is not expected to survive for long due to its middling Speed and common weaknesses. Thus, it should focus on being able to just bust open a huge hole whenever it can, taking advantage of any slower or offensively weaker Pokemon on the opponent's team as well as the fact that they do not possess good switch-ins to Tyrantrum.

Team Options
========

Fast Pokemon that can clean games, such as Sharpedo, Swellow, Dragon Dance Flygon, Cloyster, Durant, Salazzle, and Yanmega, make great partners to Tyrantrum, as these Pokemon greatly appreciate Tyrantrum softening up the foe's team in general to have an easier time sweeping. Tyrantrum can also lure out and weaken or KO problematic Pokemon for these sweepers, such as Kommo-o, Bronzong, Doublade, and Rhyperior, as well as provide mild defensive synergy with Durant and Salazzle, (AC) as they resist Fairy-, Steel-, and Ice-type moves for it (RC) while Tyrantrum can cover Durant against Fire-type moves. Tyrantrum especially appreciates VoltTurn support to be able to switch into bulky Pokemon with minimal risk, and which can be provided by fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Whimsicott, Rotom formes, (RH; or do Rotom-A) Flygon, and Heliolisk. Tyrantrum also benefits from many forms of speed control, such as Sticky Web, paralysis, Tailwind, and Trick Room, to gain an advantage against faster opponents targets, making any potential users of these moves, such as Galvantula, Smeargle, Cresselia, Slowbro, Whimsicott, Porygon2, and Bronzong, helpful teammates.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's primary STAB move, crushing a large majority of offensive Pokemon and can 2HKO potentially 2HKOing even those that resist it, such as Flygon and Virizion. Outrage hits offensive Pokemon that resist Rock, notably OHKOing Kommo-o and Flygon while doing substantial damage to Virizion and offensive Seismitoad. It also can be a good late-game cleaning tool, (AC) as it boasts perfect accuracy over Head Smash. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Doublade and Registeel.

The last moveslot is filler for Tyrantrum, but it still does have situational use. Dragon Claw is a reliable STAB move that can pick off weakened foes or opposing Dragon-types, such as Flygon, Kingdra, and Goodra, with much less risk than its other STAB attacks. However, it's only barely stronger than a resisted Head Smash, so it's usually not worth going for in most cases. Crunch can be used to put more pressure on Bronzong, although it does not 2HKO even with Stealth Rock damage and Head Smash chips away at it enough as is. Toxic can be an option, and while it is not a move you'd click in a majority of circumstances, it may be the only way Tyrantrum can have some presence against bulky Pokemon that can heal off its blows, such as Chesnaught, Gligar, Cresselia, and Slowbro.

Set Details
========

A Jolly nature is necessary for Choice Scarf Tyrantrum to outspeed the likes of Jolteon, Swellow, and Salazzle, and full Attack investment simply maximizes the power of Head Smash for it to effortlessly KO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's main role is to threaten offensive teams with Head Smash, which has enough power to 2HKO Flygon and Virizion after Stealth Rock damage, meaning that offensive teams have limited switch-ins to Tyrantrum and are quite prone to losing Pokemon to it. Keep an eye out for offensive Pokemon that can switch into Head Smash, such as Rhyperior and Kommo-o, and try to hit them with the appropriate coverage move or pull a double switch to maintain offensive momentum. However, be wary of any Fairy-types present if attempting to use Outrage, as it can mean Tyrantrum's premature end. Be sure to capitalize on Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's power over Aerodactyl, which checks most of the Pokemon Tyrantrum does while being able to switch moves and have access to Pursuit.

Team Options
========

Since this Tyrantrum set is designed to prey on offensive teams, partners that can take on bulkier teams are appreciated. Escavalier is a very solid teammate, (AC) as it can switch into and threaten Fairy-, Ice-, and Dragon-type Pokemon for Tyrantrum and help put additional pressure on bulky Pokemon that intend to take hits from Tyrantrum, such as Knocking Off removing Eviolite from Gligar and Doublade with Knock Off or skewering the likes of Cresselia and Slowbro. Escavalier can also Pursuit trap Bronzong, removing another obstacle for Tyrantrum. In turn, Tyrantrum can protect Escavalier from Fire-type attacks and threaten a vast majority of fast Pokemon. Other wallbreakers and holepunchers include Flame Orb Heracross, Pangoro, Shaymin, Mega Glalie, and Toxicroak, (AC) which can harass slower teams, but be mindful of their shared weaknesses with Tyrantrum. Zoroark in particular is a great teammate, (AC) as it can masquerade as Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, luring out the opponent's Tyrantrum switch-ins and crippling them in a myriad of ways, such as through Knock Off, Swords Dance-boosted attacks, powerful special attacks, or Trick, allowing Tyrantrum to clean up late-game.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stone Plate can be used to boost Head Smash's power while being able retaining the ability to switch moves, but Stone Plate Head Smash won't be able to get KOes let Head Smash secure KOs as easily as Choice Band does and leaves Tyrantrum's coverage moves unboosted and substantially weaker against their targets. Tyrantrum has access to boosting moves such as Rock Polish or Dragon Dance, which can be paired with a Z-Move such as Continental Crush, Devastating Drake, or even Tectonic Rage, but Tyrantrum's Speed and weaknesses make it difficult to set up, and these moves do little to help it against its defensive checks. Tyrantrum has access to the elemental fangs, namely Fire Fang and Ice Fang, but Head Smash does nearly similiar similar damage against all of their targets, meaning the coverage they offer is largely obsolete redundant.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Quagsire is not 2HKOed by Choice Band-boosted Head Smash while Gligar is not 2HKOed by any of Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's attacks, and both can heal off the damage to continually keep Tyrantrum at bay. Other bulky Ground-types such as Rhyperior, Donphan, and physically defensive Seismitoad have the bulk to take Choice Band Head Smash as well (RC) and can retaliate with powerful super effective STAB Ground-type attacks. Faster Ground-types such as Flygon and offensive Seismitoad may be 2HKOed by Choice Band Head Smash, but they can outrun Tyrantrum and threaten Tyrantrum it with Ground-type attacks. However, none of them want to switch into Choice Band Outrage, and Flygon is still 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's Head Smash, meaning it wants a Choice Scarf of its own to consistently check Tyrantrum.

**Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types, such as Doublade, Bronzong, Registeel, and Ferroseed can resist Head Smash and counter back retaliate with Steel-type STAB attack or status ailments. However, it should be noted that Bronzong takes a lot of damage from Choice Band Head Smash, and Tyrantrum has coverage moves to hit them with, such as Earthquake for Doublade and Registeel, Crunch for Doublade and Bronzong, and Superpower for Registeel and Ferroseed. Durant outruns Choice Band Tyrantrum and puts it down with Iron Head or Superpower, whereas Escavalier can attempt to stomach one attack from Tyrantrum and fire back with Iron Head, although Escavalier's unboosted Iron Head won't be able to OHKO Tyrantrum without prior damage.

**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught can take Choice Band Head Smashes with relative ease, easily healing off the damage in a variety of ways, such as Leech Seed, Synthesis, or a super effective Drain Punch, while only fearing Choice Band Outrage on the switch, though it can use Spiky Shield to have Leftovers heal itself out of 2HKO range and potentially disrupt Outrage. Kommo-o is a solid offensive check, as it can take a Choice Band Head Smash from the Choice Band set or two Choice Scarf Head Smashes from the Choice Scarf set and OHKO Tyrantrum with either of its STAB moves. However, Kommo-o obviously has to fear Tyrantrum's Dragon-type moves. Other faster Fighting-types, such as Heracross, Virizion, and Toxicroak, can outrun Choice Band Tyrantrum and threaten with super effective Fighting-type STAB attacks.

**Faster Attackers**: Tyrantrum may be an offensive powerhouse, but it dislikes taking hits, (AC) as it takes substantial damage from nearly any sort of invested attack, and being able to take it down before it can move is a great way to limit its damage output. Choice Band Tyrantrum is easy to deal with in this regard, (AC) as it is rather slow and thus falls prey to various faster Pokemon, such as Shaymin, Zoroark, Mega Glalie, Goodra, Kingdra, Rotom-C, and Sneasel, though you should be warned that most offensive Pokemon that fail to OHKO Tyrantrum risk getting OHKOed in return. Choice Scarf Tyrantrum is harder to outrun, but Choice Scarf users such as Gardevoir, Heracross, Flygon, Shaymin, and Durant, Speed Boost Pokemon such as Sharpedo and Yanmega, and weather sweepers such as Venusaur, Kingdra, and Alolan Sandslash can revenge kill Tyrantrum and prevent it from cleaning. Tyrantrum's high Defense stat means it can take most priority moves, but Ice Shard from Mega Glalie and Sucker Punch from Honchkrow and Zoroark can still do decent damage, and Tyrantrum is especially susceptible to Comfey's Draining Kiss.
 
Last edited:

GP 2/2
remove add

[OVERVIEW]
Tyrantrum's most defining trait is its access to Rock Head and STAB Head Smash and Rock Head, giving it an absurdly powerful attack with no immediate drawbacks that dents any Pokemon that does not resist it and letting lets it act as a powerful holepuncher or cleaner. Rock is a powerful offensive typing, granting Tyrantrum good coverage against a majority of the tier and making Head Smash quite spammable. Tyrantrum has good neutral coverage and a considerably wide movepool, although all it really needs are moves that take on the few Pokemon in the tier that can consistently withstand its Head Smashes. These qualities presents Tyrantrum as one of the tier's most potent attackers and holepunchers. However, Tyrantrum's Speed is noticeably lacking, and as a Choice Scarf user, it suffers from being unable to outspeed +1 Feraligatr. Tyrantrum's low Special Defense combined with its awkward defensive typing and multitude of weaknesses often turns it into a defensive liability, making Tyrantrum function as a glass cannon. Tyrantrum is thus heavily reliant on its few physical resistances and 4x resistance to Fire to not avoid getting 2HKOed by invested attacks.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Superpower / Crunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's main STAB attack and is strong enough to 2HKO Bronzong, meaning only the bulkiest of Pokemon that resist Rock can hope to stomach this attack it. Outrage dents Ground- and Fighting-types looking to resist Head Smash, demolishing demolishes Kommo-o switch-ins, heavily denting damages Donphan and Quagsire, and being able to 2HKOes Rhyperior and Chesnaught after Stealth Rock damage, as well as being and is accurate, (comma) unlike Head Smash. Earthquake's main use is to smash Doublade and Registeel, 2HKOing both with ease.

Tyrantrum's last moveslot is largely filler, and it is mostly used to help Tyrantrum continue wallbreaking targets while still making it difficult for checks to switch in. Superpower helps to take out bulky Pokemon such as Umbreon and Snorlax while still deterring Steel-types such as Bronzong and Registeel from switching in, as well as nailing the rare Ferroseed for irreparable damage. Crunch can be used to 2HKO Calm Mind Reuniclus and specially defensive Cresselia without the risky effects of Head Smash and Outrage, (comma) as well as cripple Bronzong and do respectable damage to Doublade on the switch. Dragon Claw is an option by virtue of simply being a safe STAB move to throw out, notably being able to OHKO Kommo-o switch-ins without being locked in by locking into Outrage, but its wallbreaking power is low otherwise.

Set Details
========

An Adamant nature with a Choice Band maximizes Tyrantrum's damage output against bulky Pokemon. For example, Adamant Choice Band Tyrantrum can OHKO physically defensive Florges and specially defensive Umbreon with Head Smash and Superpower, respectively, after Stealth Rock damage, even if they use Protect to gain a turn of Leftovers recovery. Adamant Tyrantrum also has a high chance to of OHKOing Curse Snorlax with Superpower, can cleanly 2HKO Bronzong after Stealth Rock damage as well as Gligar with Head Smash, and can nearly guarantee a clean 2HKO on Doublade with Earthquake. A Jolly nature may be used to get the drop on neutral-natured Venusaur, Seismitoad, and Honchkrow as well as positive-natured Cloyster, but outspeeding such a small pool of Pokemon isn't usually worth giving up on reliable power against the bulkier Pokemon Tyrantrum is supposed to crush. Alternatively, if Tyrantrum is considered for use as a wallbreaker on a Trick Room team, one may make it as slow as possible with a Brave nature and 0 Speed EVs and IVs, letting it outrun the likes of Donphan and Diancie in Trick Room.

Usage Tips
========

Tyrantrum primarily targets slower Pokemon, where against which it can click use Head Smash and brutalize any Pokemon that doesn't resist the move. Head Smash's obscene power and lack of a crippling drawback, (comma) aside from accuracy, (comma) mean this will be Tyrantrum's most used attack. While Tyrantrum can predict the opponent's switch to a bulky Pokemon that resists Rock and use its other moves to nail them coming in, the best time for Tyrantrum to use its coverage moves is if they can KO the initial target while covering the switch at the same time. Since the opponent will rarely have more than one Pokemon that can take Head Smashes well, Tyrantrum usually only needs to get a single correct prediction to be free to spam Head Smashes throughout the match. Against more offensive teams, Tyrantrum is not expected to survive for long due to its middling Speed and common weaknesses. Thus, it should focus on being able to just busting open a huge hole whenever it can, taking advantage of any slower or offensively weaker Pokemon on the opponent's team as well as the fact that they do not possess good switch-ins to Tyrantrum.

Team Options
========

Fast Pokemon that can clean games, such as Sharpedo, Swellow, Dragon Dance Flygon, Cloyster, Durant, Salazzle, and Yanmega, make great partners to Tyrantrum, as these Pokemon greatly appreciate Tyrantrum softening up the foe's team in general to have an easier time sweeping. Tyrantrum can also lure out and weaken or KO problematic Pokemon for these sweepers, such as Kommo-o, Bronzong, Doublade, and Rhyperior, as well as provide mild defensive synergy with Durant and Salazzle, as they resist Fairy-, Steel-, and Ice-type moves for it while Tyrantrum can cover for Durant against Fire-type moves. Tyrantrum especially appreciates VoltTurn support to be able to switch into bulky Pokemon with minimal risk, (comma) and can be provided by fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Whimsicott, Rotom formes, Flygon, and Heliolisk. Tyrantrum also benefits from many forms of speed control, such as Sticky Web, paralysis, Tailwind, and Trick Room, to gain an advantage against faster targets, making any potential users of these moves, such as Galvantula, Smeargle, Cresselia, Slowbro, Whimsicott, Porygon2, and Bronzong, helpful teammates.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Claw
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Head Smash is Tyrantrum's primary STAB move, crushing a large majority of offensive Pokemon and potentially 2HKOing even those that resist it, such as Flygon and Virizion. Outrage hits offensive Pokemon that resist Rock, notably OHKOing Kommo-o and Flygon while doing substantial damage to Virizion and offensive Seismitoad. It also can be a good late-game cleaning tool, as it boasts perfect accuracy over Head Smash. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Doublade and Registeel.

The last moveslot is filler for Tyrantrum, but it still does have situational use. Dragon Claw is a reliable STAB move that can pick off weakened foes or opposing Dragon-types, such as Flygon, Kingdra, and Goodra, with much less risk than its other STAB attacks. However, it's only barely stronger than a resisted Head Smash, so it's usually not worth going for in most cases. Crunch can be used to put more pressure on Bronzong, although it does not 2HKO even with Stealth Rock damage and Head Smash chips away at it enough as is. Toxic can be an option, and while it is not a move you'd click choose in a majority of circumstances, it may be the only way Tyrantrum can have some presence against bulky Pokemon that can heal off its blows, (comma) such as Chesnaught, Gligar, Cresselia, and Slowbro.

Set Details
========

A Jolly nature is necessary for Choice Scarf Tyrantrum to outspeed the likes of Jolteon, Swellow, and Salazzle, and full Attack investment simply maximizes the power of Head Smash for it to effortlessly KO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's main role is to threaten offensive teams with Head Smash, which has enough power to 2HKO Flygon and Virizion after Stealth Rock damage, meaning that offensive teams have limited switch-ins to Tyrantrum and are quite prone to losing Pokemon to it. Keep an eye out for offensive Pokemon that can switch into Head Smash, such as Rhyperior and Kommo-o, and try to hit them with the appropriate coverage move or pull a double switch to maintain offensive momentum. However, be wary of any Fairy-types present if attempting to use Outrage, as it can mean Tyrantrum's premature end. Be sure to capitalize on Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's power over Aerodactyl, which checks most of the Pokemon Tyrantrum does while being able to switch moves and have access to Pursuit.

Team Options
========

Since this Tyrantrum set is designed to prey on offensive teams, partners that can take on bulkier teams are appreciated. Escavalier is a very solid teammate, as it can switch into and threaten Fairy-, Ice-, and Dragon-type Pokemon for Tyrantrum and helps put additional pressure on bulky Pokemon that intend to take hits from Tyrantrum, such as removing Eviolite from Gligar and Doublade with Knocking Off or skewering the likes of Cresselia and Slowbro. Escavalier can also Pursuit trap Bronzong, removing another obstacle for Tyrantrum. In turn, Tyrantrum can protect Escavalier from Fire-type attacks and threaten a vast majority of fast Pokemon. Other wallbreakers and holepunchers include Flame Orb Heracross, Pangoro, Shaymin, Mega Glalie, and Toxicroak, which can harass slower teams, but be mindful of their shared weaknesses with Tyrantrum. Zoroark in particular is a great teammate, as it can masquerade as Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, luring out the opponent's Tyrantrum switch-ins and crippling them in a myriad of ways, such as through Knock Off, Swords Dance-boosted attacks, powerful special attacks, or Trick, allowing Tyrantrum to clean up late-game.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stone Plate can be used to boost Head Smash's power while retaining the ability to switch moves, but Stone Plate won't let Head Smash secure KOes as easily as Choice Band does and leaves Tyrantrum's coverage moves unboosted and substantially weaker against their targets. Tyrantrum has access to boosting moves such as Rock Polish or and Dragon Dance, which can be paired with a Z-Move such as Continental Crush, Devastating Drake, or even Tectonic Rage, but Tyrantrum's mediocre Speed and many weaknesses make it difficult to set up, and these moves do little to help it against its defensive checks. Tyrantrum has access to the elemental fangs, namely Fire Fang and Ice Fang, but Head Smash does nearly similar damage against all of their targets, meaning the coverage they offer is largely redundant.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Quagsire is not 2HKOed by Choice Band-boosted Head Smash while Gligar is not 2HKOed by any of Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's attacks, and both can heal off the damage to continually keep Tyrantrum at bay. Other bulky Ground-types such as Rhyperior, Donphan, and physically defensive Seismitoad have the bulk to take Choice Band Head Smash as well and can retaliate with powerful super effective STAB Ground-type attacks. Faster Ground-types such as Flygon and offensive Seismitoad may be 2HKOed by Choice Band Head Smash, but they can outrun Tyrantrum and threaten it with Ground-type attacks. However, none of them wants to switch into Choice Band Outrage, and Flygon is still 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Tyrantrum's Head Smash, meaning it wants a Choice Scarf of its own to consistently check Tyrantrum.

**Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types, (comma) such as Doublade, Bronzong, Registeel, and Ferroseed can resist Head Smash and retaliate with Steel-type STAB attacks or status ailments. However, it should be noted that Bronzong takes a lot of damage from Choice Band Head Smash, and Tyrantrum has coverage moves to hit them with, such as Earthquake for Doublade and Registeel, Crunch for Doublade and Bronzong, and Superpower for Registeel and Ferroseed. Durant outruns Choice Band Tyrantrum and puts it down with Iron Head or Superpower, whereas Escavalier can attempt to stomach one attack from Tyrantrum and fire back with Iron Head, although Escavalier's unboosted Iron Head won't be able to OHKO Tyrantrum without prior damage.

**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught can take Choice Band Head Smashes with relative ease, and easily healing off the damage in a variety of ways, such as through Leech Seed, Synthesis, or a super effective Drain Punch, while only fearing Choice Band Outrage on the switch, though it can use Spiky Shield to have Leftovers heal itself out of 2HKO range and potentially disrupt Outrage. Kommo-o is a solid offensive check, as it can take a Head Smash from the Choice Band set or two Head Smashes from the Choice Scarf set and OHKO Tyrantrum with either of its STAB moves. However, Kommo-o obviously has to fear Tyrantrum's Dragon-type moves. Other faster Fighting-types, such as Heracross, Virizion, and Toxicroak, can outrun Choice Band Tyrantrum and threaten with super effective Fighting-type STAB attacks.

**Faster Attackers**: Tyrantrum may be an offensive powerhouse, but it dislikes taking hits, as it takes substantial damage from nearly any sort of invested attack, and being able to take it down before it can move is a great way to limit its damage output. Choice Band Tyrantrum is easy to deal with in this regard, as it is rather slow and thus falls prey to various faster Pokemon, such as Shaymin, Zoroark, Mega Glalie, Goodra, Kingdra, Rotom-C, and Sneasel, though you should be warned that but be aware that most offensive Pokemon that fail to OHKO Tyrantrum risk getting OHKOed in return. Choice Scarf Tyrantrum is harder to outrun, but faster Choice Scarf users such as Gardevoir, Heracross, Flygon, Shaymin, and Durant, Speed Boost Pokemon such as Sharpedo and Yanmega, and weather sweepers such as Venusaur, Kingdra, and Alolan Sandslash can revenge kill Tyrantrum and prevent it from cleaning. Tyrantrum's high Defense stat means it can take most priority moves, but Ice Shard from Mega Glalie and Sucker Punch from Honchkrow and Zoroark can still do decent damage, and Tyrantrum is especially susceptible to Comfey's Draining Kiss.
 
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