[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 Terrakion to pose a huge threat as a setup sweeper and wallbreaker. The advent of Z-moves further solidifies its sweeping capabilities, as it can use a Rockium Z to easily break past traditional checks with a boosted Continental Crush.
* It also sits in a very comfortable Speed tier, capable of outpacing a good portion of the unboosted metagame and tying the likes of Infernape and Cobalion unless boosted.
* 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 in Earthquake and Iron Head, 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 decent bulk for an offensive Pokemon, said bulk is offset by weaknesses to common types in Psychic, Water, Fairy, Fighting, and Steel, and to common priority attacks in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch.
* Terrakion also can tend to struggle breaking past bulky threats after using its Z-move, as after Rockium Z has been consumed, Terrakion is easily exploited by the likes of Amoonguss, Clefable, Mew, and Hippowdon.
* Lastly, despite its good Speed, Terrakion is still outsped by common threats in Latias, Starmie, Gengar, and Talonflame.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Rockium Z
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 a 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, Clefable, Gliscor, and Slowbro.
* Close Combat is excellent coverage alongside Stone Edge, and provides Terrakion with 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 the OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge, as well as the OHKOs on the likes of Alomomola, bulky Celebi, and Gliscor with Continental Crush.
* Rock Polish gives Terrakion a way of boosting its Speed, which helps it to outpace every Choice Scarf user, as well as outpace Pokemon that would otherwise revenge kill it, like Latias, Starmie, and Zygarde-10%.
* Iron Head is an option for covering Fairy-types, while X-Scissor can be used to cover Latias and Starmie. However, both Fairy-types and the aforementioned Psychic-types are hit hard by either Stone Edge or Continental Crush.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack gives Terrakion as much offensive prowess as possible with a neutral nature, allowing it to secure the OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge and the 2HKO on the likes of Swampert and Hippowdon with Close Combat after a boost.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature allows Terrakion to speed tie 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 setting up with Rock Polish.
* A Rockium Z is the item of choice, as after a Swords Dance boost, it allows Terrakion to break past almost all of its traditional checks with a +2 Continental Crush.
* 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 allows it to force out several common threats, like Bisharp, Krookodile, Volcanion, 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 heavily boosted. From there, it can usually threaten most offensive Pokemon, and possibly even nab an opportunity to set up with Swords Dance in forcing them out. However, against more defensively oriented teams, Swords Dance is the preferred setup option, as Terrakion will already outspeed most Pokemon seen on these teams without a boost.
* 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. As such, the aforementioned Pokemon should be targets of the move, and Terrakion should always be cautious when using the move so not to have a foe that resists the attack, such as Klefki or Swampert, switch in and tank it.
* Due to holding a 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 in its Attack, as well as an opportunity to set up.
* Despite its amazing offensive prowess after boosts, Terrakion must be wary of super effective coverage 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 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, it can guarantee the OHKO on Gliscor with a boosted Continental Crush, as well as the OHKO on Gastrodon with a boosted Close Combat after two layers of Spikes.
* While Terrakion has very limited switch-ins, the majority of them, like Slowbro, Doublade, and Celebi, are all heavily pressured by Dark-types like Bisharp, Krookodile, and Mega Absol, who as a result make adequate partners.
* Grass-types such as Roserade and Celebi can pressure the Ground- and Water-types that can at times pressure Terrakion after it's used its Rockium Z, and also 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 Bronzong, Doublade, 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 like Infernape and Conkeldurr that threaten Terrakion with priority, as well as 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 a 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 2HKO Clefable and 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 more reliably finishing off weakened foes.
* Quick Attack can be used over Rock Slide as a way of picking off weakened threats with priority, but should only be used under the circumstance that a foe is in range of being revenge killed by the move, as it is quite weak otherwise.
* Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage and allows it to hit Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, such as Doublade and Nidoqueen, for a 2HKO in the case of the former and an OHKO in the case of the latter.
* Iron Head is an option for more reliably 2HKOing Cleflable, but usually takes up a moveslot considering that Stone Edge will only fail to 2HKO if it misses.
Set Details
========
* A Choice band alongside maximum Attack investment put as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, thus 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 offensive Tentacruel, Celebi, Volcanion, and Krookodile. It also can speed tie with the likes of Infernape, Keldeo, and Cobalion.
* Justified is Terrakion's only available ability, but is useful for receiving an Attack boost upon being hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
* This set's main function is as a wallbreaker that looks to weaken foes for teammates looking to sweep. As such, 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 onto, as it will generate a free turn for the opponent if locked onto an attack resisted by its foe. For example, Terrakion should predict the switch-in to 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 typing and only decent bulk prevents it from tanking attacks too reliably.
* Its poor typing also means that Terrakion should almost never be switched into attacks, and instead brought in with pivot support or after a teammate has fainted.
* Despite Justified, Terrakion should usually refrain from switching in on Knock Off. While it does enjoy the Attack boost that's equivalent to that of Choice Band's 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
========
* Fighting-type setup sweepers like Cobalion, Calm Mind Keldeo, and Infernape appreciate Terrakion's ability to break past the checks it shares with them to allow for an easier sweep.
* Other setup sweepers such as Raikou, Celebi, and Talonflame are also 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 in on and defeat the Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-types that aim to KO Terrakion, while in return Terrakion can cover the Steel- and Dark-types that Latias often struggles with.
* Entry hazard setters like Azelf, Hippowdon, and Roserade can aid Terrakion in securing various KOs, such as the OHKO on Metagross with Earthquake after 3 layers of Spikes, and the 2HKO on Alomomola with Close Combat after Stealth Rock. Klefki is a particularly useful entry hazard setter, as it can set Spikes 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 both useful for their ability to pressure the bulky Water-types that can tank Terrakion's hits, while Magneton can also use Magnet Pull to trap some of this set's most notable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Klefki.
* Dark-types such as Mega Absol, Bisharp, and Hydreigon can pressure the bulky Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowbro, and Mew that Terrakion can struggle to break through. 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 bring Terrakion into play with ease.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Taunt / Swords Dance
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 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 by giving Terrakion a way of hitting Steel-types like Bisharp and Cobalion hard.
* Taunt allows Terrakion to prevent foes from setting up their own entry hazards, and also prevents the use of Defog or status.
* Swords Dance can be used to punish various means of defensive countermeasure to Terrrakion, such as Mew, Clefable, and Gliscor.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in both Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature optimizes Terrakion's offensive capabilities, while also giving it good enough Speed to outpace most opposing leads and use Taunt or Stealth Rock.
* A Focus Sash allows Terrakion to guarantee that it'll set Stealth Rock, and if still intact, can allow for reliable setup.
* Shuca Berry is an option for allowing Terrakion to live hits from Hippowdon and Gliscor to set Stealth Rock or use Swords Dance, but plays a similar role to Focus Sash, which allows Terrakion to live a hit from anything.
Usage Tips
========
* This set's main function is as a lead, due to Terrakion's ability to set down Stealth Rock consistently due to its good Speed.
* While Terrakion will usually lead, it is best not to put it into play first if foes like Azelf or Froslass are on the opposing team. This is because both outspeed Terrakion and can use Taunt to prevent it from setting Stealth Rock, while Froslass in particular can threaten Terrakion with status or Destiny Bond.
* If other potential Stealth Rock users, such as Gliscor or Cobalion are on your team, it is possible to bluff a Choice set with this set, which is useful against Pokemon like Krookodile or Togekiss.
* Taunt should be used whenever a slower foe is predicted to use a non damaging move, meaning that the likes of Gliscor, Hippowdon, Empoleon, and Clefable generally make good targets or the move.
* If a faster opponent with Taunt, such as Azelf or Froslass, is predicted to use the move, it is best for Terrakion to just attack, as this will whittle these Pokemon down to their Focus Sashes and prevent them from being of much use later on 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. Bisharp'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, will appreciate the entry hazard support that Terrakion provides, due to the good chip damage that allows for easier sweeps.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide
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, Talonflame, and Clefable, who all can otherwise comfortably switch in.
* Rock Slide is a more reliable Rock-type attack, and allows for Terrakion to more reliably revenge kill weakened foes, as well as preserve the PP of Stone Edge.
* Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage, and is used to cover Poison-types like Nidoking and Nidoqueen, as well as various Steel-types like Klefki and Doublade.
* Toxic is an option over Rock Slide for wearing down bulky switch-ins like Hippowdon and Suicune, but usually loses momentum after being used and is thus only preferred in certain situations.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment with a Choice Scarf and Timid Nature is essential for giving Terrakion as much Speed as possible, and thus 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 being 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. As such, Terrakion should switch in on a weakened foe with pivot support or after a teammate faints, and proceed to KO them with one of its attacks.
* Once faster threats have been revenge killed, Terrakion can attempt cleaning up late-game due to its good power and great Speed, though lots of team support is required for this to happen.
* While Justified can at times be put to use, Terrakion should sparingly switch into Dark-type attacks. If opposing Choice Scarf users and faster Pokemon are removed, then Terrakion should feel free to switch in on Knock Off to gain an Attack boost and switch between its moves. If not, however, then Terrakion should only switch in on Dark-type attacks like Mandibuzz's Foul Play and Hydreigon's Dark Pulse.
* Much like Choice Band, 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 can be OHKOed 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 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 of either move faints to just Rock Slide. Rock Slide can be used on opponents like Talonflame, Mega Aerodactyl, and Alolan Ninetales, who are all usually OHKOed from full, while bulkier threats like Mandibuzz, Togekiss, and Entei should all be hit with Stone Edge for a more reliable revenge kill.
Team Options
========
* Setup sweepers such as Cobalion, Bisharp, and Talonflame appreciate Terrakion's ability to revenge kill other setup sweepers, as this allows for them to more reliably sweep themselves.
* If Terrakion wishes to clean up 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 before attempting to clean up.
* 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, Bisharp, Chandelure, and Hydreigon.
* Entry hazard support is quite useful to Terrakion, as with Stealth Rock down, it is capable of more reliably OHKOing the likes of Togekiss, Cobalion, and Intimidate Krookodile with the appropriate attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A set with Substitute and a Salac Berry can be useful for setting up and boosting Terrakion's Speed without need for Rock Polish, but is slightly situational due to Terrakion's reliance on Substitute to activate Salac Berry, and greater susceptibility to revenge killers.
* 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.
* A Stealth Rock set with a Focus Sash is plausible, but usually isn't worth it over other sets due to the presence of more reliable entry hazard setters in Azelf, Hippowdon, and Gliscor.
* Zen Headbutt and Poison Jab can both be used to hit specific targets, such as Toxicroak or Whimsicott, but generally aren't worth it over Terrakion's other coverage options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Terrakion's biggest struggle is with bulky Water-types like Alomomola, Suicune, Quagsire, and Slowbro, as some can even tank a boosted Continental Crush, easily tank hits from Terrakion's other sets, and threaten to KO or burn Terrakion with Scald.
**Priority**: Terrakion's poor typing leaves it susceptible to multiple forms of priority, such as Scizor's Bullet Punch, Infernape and Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, which are all especially troublesome after Close Combat lowers Terrakion's defenses.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Hippowdon and Swampert can easily tank a boost 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 Mew, Slowbro, and Reuniclus can usually tank a hit and retaliate with super effective STAB attacks or status, which heavily 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, thus recoveing damage whilst picking it off.
**Doublade**: Doublade's high Defense stat with an Eviolite alongside its resistances and immunities to Terrakion's STAB attacks allow it to adequately check it and threaten to KO with STAB Iron Head. It should be wary of a Choice Banded 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 Terrakion to pose a huge threat as a setup sweeper and wallbreaker. The advent of Z-moves further solidifies its sweeping capabilities, as it can use a Rockium Z to easily break past traditional checks with a boosted Continental Crush.
* It also sits in a very comfortable Speed tier, capable of outpacing a good portion of the unboosted metagame and tying the likes of Infernape and Cobalion unless boosted.
* 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 in Earthquake and Iron Head, 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 decent bulk for an offensive Pokemon, said bulk is offset by weaknesses to common types in Psychic, Water, Fairy, Fighting, and Steel, and to common priority attacks in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch.
* Terrakion also can tend to struggle breaking past bulky threats after using its Z-move, as after Rockium Z has been consumed, Terrakion is easily exploited by the likes of Amoonguss, Clefable, Mew, and Hippowdon.
* Lastly, despite its good Speed, Terrakion is still outsped by common threats in Latias, Starmie, Gengar, and Talonflame.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Rockium Z
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 a 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, Clefable, Gliscor, and Slowbro.
* Close Combat is excellent coverage alongside Stone Edge, and provides Terrakion with 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 the OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge, as well as the OHKOs on the likes of Alomomola, bulky Celebi, and Gliscor with Continental Crush.
* Rock Polish gives Terrakion a way of boosting its Speed, which helps it to outpace every Choice Scarf user, as well as outpace Pokemon that would otherwise revenge kill it, like Latias, Starmie, and Zygarde-10%.
* Iron Head is an option for covering Fairy-types, while X-Scissor can be used to cover Latias and Starmie. However, both Fairy-types and the aforementioned Psychic-types are hit hard by either Stone Edge or Continental Crush.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack gives Terrakion as much offensive prowess as possible with a neutral nature, allowing it to secure the OHKO on Latias with a boosted Stone Edge and the 2HKO on the likes of Swampert and Hippowdon with Close Combat after a boost.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature allows Terrakion to speed tie 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 setting up with Rock Polish.
* A Rockium Z is the item of choice, as after a Swords Dance boost, it allows Terrakion to break past almost all of its traditional checks with a +2 Continental Crush.
* 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 allows it to force out several common threats, like Bisharp, Krookodile, Volcanion, 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 heavily boosted. From there, it can usually threaten most offensive Pokemon, and possibly even nab an opportunity to set up with Swords Dance in forcing them out. However, against more defensively oriented teams, Swords Dance is the preferred setup option, as Terrakion will already outspeed most Pokemon seen on these teams without a boost.
* 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. As such, the aforementioned Pokemon should be targets of the move, and Terrakion should always be cautious when using the move so not to have a foe that resists the attack, such as Klefki or Swampert, switch in and tank it.
* Due to holding a 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 in its Attack, as well as an opportunity to set up.
* Despite its amazing offensive prowess after boosts, Terrakion must be wary of super effective coverage 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 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, it can guarantee the OHKO on Gliscor with a boosted Continental Crush, as well as the OHKO on Gastrodon with a boosted Close Combat after two layers of Spikes.
* While Terrakion has very limited switch-ins, the majority of them, like Slowbro, Doublade, and Celebi, are all heavily pressured by Dark-types like Bisharp, Krookodile, and Mega Absol, who as a result make adequate partners.
* Grass-types such as Roserade and Celebi can pressure the Ground- and Water-types that can at times pressure Terrakion after it's used its Rockium Z, and also 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 Bronzong, Doublade, 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 like Infernape and Conkeldurr that threaten Terrakion with priority, as well as 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 a 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 2HKO Clefable and 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 more reliably finishing off weakened foes.
* Quick Attack can be used over Rock Slide as a way of picking off weakened threats with priority, but should only be used under the circumstance that a foe is in range of being revenge killed by the move, as it is quite weak otherwise.
* Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage and allows it to hit Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, such as Doublade and Nidoqueen, for a 2HKO in the case of the former and an OHKO in the case of the latter.
* Iron Head is an option for more reliably 2HKOing Cleflable, but usually takes up a moveslot considering that Stone Edge will only fail to 2HKO if it misses.
Set Details
========
* A Choice band alongside maximum Attack investment put as much power behind Terrakion's attacks as possible, thus 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 offensive Tentacruel, Celebi, Volcanion, and Krookodile. It also can speed tie with the likes of Infernape, Keldeo, and Cobalion.
* Justified is Terrakion's only available ability, but is useful for receiving an Attack boost upon being hit by Dark-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
* This set's main function is as a wallbreaker that looks to weaken foes for teammates looking to sweep. As such, 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 onto, as it will generate a free turn for the opponent if locked onto an attack resisted by its foe. For example, Terrakion should predict the switch-in to 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 typing and only decent bulk prevents it from tanking attacks too reliably.
* Its poor typing also means that Terrakion should almost never be switched into attacks, and instead brought in with pivot support or after a teammate has fainted.
* Despite Justified, Terrakion should usually refrain from switching in on Knock Off. While it does enjoy the Attack boost that's equivalent to that of Choice Band's 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
========
* Fighting-type setup sweepers like Cobalion, Calm Mind Keldeo, and Infernape appreciate Terrakion's ability to break past the checks it shares with them to allow for an easier sweep.
* Other setup sweepers such as Raikou, Celebi, and Talonflame are also 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 in on and defeat the Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-types that aim to KO Terrakion, while in return Terrakion can cover the Steel- and Dark-types that Latias often struggles with.
* Entry hazard setters like Azelf, Hippowdon, and Roserade can aid Terrakion in securing various KOs, such as the OHKO on Metagross with Earthquake after 3 layers of Spikes, and the 2HKO on Alomomola with Close Combat after Stealth Rock. Klefki is a particularly useful entry hazard setter, as it can set Spikes 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 both useful for their ability to pressure the bulky Water-types that can tank Terrakion's hits, while Magneton can also use Magnet Pull to trap some of this set's most notable checks in Scizor, Bronzong, and Klefki.
* Dark-types such as Mega Absol, Bisharp, and Hydreigon can pressure the bulky Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowbro, and Mew that Terrakion can struggle to break through. 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 bring Terrakion into play with ease.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Taunt / Swords Dance
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 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 by giving Terrakion a way of hitting Steel-types like Bisharp and Cobalion hard.
* Taunt allows Terrakion to prevent foes from setting up their own entry hazards, and also prevents the use of Defog or status.
* Swords Dance can be used to punish various means of defensive countermeasure to Terrrakion, such as Mew, Clefable, and Gliscor.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in both Attack and Speed with a Jolly nature optimizes Terrakion's offensive capabilities, while also giving it good enough Speed to outpace most opposing leads and use Taunt or Stealth Rock.
* A Focus Sash allows Terrakion to guarantee that it'll set Stealth Rock, and if still intact, can allow for reliable setup.
* Shuca Berry is an option for allowing Terrakion to live hits from Hippowdon and Gliscor to set Stealth Rock or use Swords Dance, but plays a similar role to Focus Sash, which allows Terrakion to live a hit from anything.
Usage Tips
========
* This set's main function is as a lead, due to Terrakion's ability to set down Stealth Rock consistently due to its good Speed.
* While Terrakion will usually lead, it is best not to put it into play first if foes like Azelf or Froslass are on the opposing team. This is because both outspeed Terrakion and can use Taunt to prevent it from setting Stealth Rock, while Froslass in particular can threaten Terrakion with status or Destiny Bond.
* If other potential Stealth Rock users, such as Gliscor or Cobalion are on your team, it is possible to bluff a Choice set with this set, which is useful against Pokemon like Krookodile or Togekiss.
* Taunt should be used whenever a slower foe is predicted to use a non damaging move, meaning that the likes of Gliscor, Hippowdon, Empoleon, and Clefable generally make good targets or the move.
* If a faster opponent with Taunt, such as Azelf or Froslass, is predicted to use the move, it is best for Terrakion to just attack, as this will whittle these Pokemon down to their Focus Sashes and prevent them from being of much use later on 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. Bisharp'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, will appreciate the entry hazard support that Terrakion provides, due to the good chip damage that allows for easier sweeps.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Rock Slide
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, Talonflame, and Clefable, who all can otherwise comfortably switch in.
* Rock Slide is a more reliable Rock-type attack, and allows for Terrakion to more reliably revenge kill weakened foes, as well as preserve the PP of Stone Edge.
* Earthquake rounds off Terrakion's coverage, and is used to cover Poison-types like Nidoking and Nidoqueen, as well as various Steel-types like Klefki and Doublade.
* Toxic is an option over Rock Slide for wearing down bulky switch-ins like Hippowdon and Suicune, but usually loses momentum after being used and is thus only preferred in certain situations.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment with a Choice Scarf and Timid Nature is essential for giving Terrakion as much Speed as possible, and thus 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 being 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. As such, Terrakion should switch in on a weakened foe with pivot support or after a teammate faints, and proceed to KO them with one of its attacks.
* Once faster threats have been revenge killed, Terrakion can attempt cleaning up late-game due to its good power and great Speed, though lots of team support is required for this to happen.
* While Justified can at times be put to use, Terrakion should sparingly switch into Dark-type attacks. If opposing Choice Scarf users and faster Pokemon are removed, then Terrakion should feel free to switch in on Knock Off to gain an Attack boost and switch between its moves. If not, however, then Terrakion should only switch in on Dark-type attacks like Mandibuzz's Foul Play and Hydreigon's Dark Pulse.
* Much like Choice Band, 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 can be OHKOed 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 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 of either move faints to just Rock Slide. Rock Slide can be used on opponents like Talonflame, Mega Aerodactyl, and Alolan Ninetales, who are all usually OHKOed from full, while bulkier threats like Mandibuzz, Togekiss, and Entei should all be hit with Stone Edge for a more reliable revenge kill.
Team Options
========
* Setup sweepers such as Cobalion, Bisharp, and Talonflame appreciate Terrakion's ability to revenge kill other setup sweepers, as this allows for them to more reliably sweep themselves.
* If Terrakion wishes to clean up 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 before attempting to clean up.
* 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, Bisharp, Chandelure, and Hydreigon.
* Entry hazard support is quite useful to Terrakion, as with Stealth Rock down, it is capable of more reliably OHKOing the likes of Togekiss, Cobalion, and Intimidate Krookodile with the appropriate attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A set with Substitute and a Salac Berry can be useful for setting up and boosting Terrakion's Speed without need for Rock Polish, but is slightly situational due to Terrakion's reliance on Substitute to activate Salac Berry, and greater susceptibility to revenge killers.
* 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.
* A Stealth Rock set with a Focus Sash is plausible, but usually isn't worth it over other sets due to the presence of more reliable entry hazard setters in Azelf, Hippowdon, and Gliscor.
* Zen Headbutt and Poison Jab can both be used to hit specific targets, such as Toxicroak or Whimsicott, but generally aren't worth it over Terrakion's other coverage options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Terrakion's biggest struggle is with bulky Water-types like Alomomola, Suicune, Quagsire, and Slowbro, as some can even tank a boosted Continental Crush, easily tank hits from Terrakion's other sets, and threaten to KO or burn Terrakion with Scald.
**Priority**: Terrakion's poor typing leaves it susceptible to multiple forms of priority, such as Scizor's Bullet Punch, Infernape and Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, which are all especially troublesome after Close Combat lowers Terrakion's defenses.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Hippowdon and Swampert can easily tank a boost 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 Mew, Slowbro, and Reuniclus can usually tank a hit and retaliate with super effective STAB attacks or status, which heavily 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, thus recoveing damage whilst picking it off.
**Doublade**: Doublade's high Defense stat with an Eviolite alongside its resistances and immunities to Terrakion's STAB attacks allow it to adequately check it and threaten to KO with STAB Iron Head. It should be wary of a Choice Banded Earthquake, however.
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