[OVERVIEW]
* Ferrothorn's great resistances and defensive stats let it find space in a multitude of defensive teams.
* Its expansive support movepool gives Ferrothorn a wide variety of options, with the most notable being Leech Seed and Spikes.
* Primal Kyogre's increased viability has increased Ferrothorn's usefulness on defensive teams.
* Ferrothorn can usually switch into most support Arceus formes easily, something few entry hazard setters can boast.
* Its Attack stat combined with Gyro Ball lets Ferrothorn carry its weight against fast threats such as Xerneas and Mega Gengar.
* Burn's damage reduction means Ferrothorn isn't too bothered by status.
* Ferrothorn is extremely slow, usually acting last in a turn.
* It struggles against notable Taunt users such as Yveltal, one of the best Pokemon in the tier.
* Ferrothorn's 4x weakness to Fire can prove troublesome against more prominent Pokemon in the tier such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Gyro Ball / Power Whip
move 4: Power Whip / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Iron Barbs
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Ferrothorn is one of the most consistent and durable users of Spikes, and it fares well against common Defog users such as support Arceus formes and Giratina-O.
* Leech Seed gives Ferrothorn and its teammates more recovery while chipping away at the foe's health in tandem with Spikes.
* Gyro Ball severely damages Xerneas and Mega Gengar, the latter being a large threat to Ferrothorn.
* Power Whip is the best option to damage Primal Kyogre, and it is the most reliable damage option against bulkier Pokemon such as Primal Groudon.
* Protect can help stall out opposing Pokemon and give Ferrothorn more recovery with Leech Seed and Leftovers as well as scout for potential Fire-type moves and Choice-locked Pokemon.
* Toxic cripples support Arceus formes, Defog users, and most of Ferrothorn's switch-ins and racks up more residual damage with Leech Seed and Spikes.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense lets Ferrothorn fare better against special attackers such as Primal Kyogre and Xerneas, while the 4 EVs in Attack give Gyro Ball and Power Whip more power.
* Iron Barbs can greatly wear down physical threats such as Arceus
* Leftovers is the preferred item so Ferrothorn can recover as much health as possible with Leech Seed.
* 0 IVs in Speed should be used with Gyro Ball to maximize its damage.
Usage Tips
========
* Ferrothorn should aim to utilize its defensive typing to switch in and set up Spikes to assist its teammates.
* Ferrothorn should also look to wear down defensive Pokemon or general offensive threats with Leech Seed or Toxic when opportunities present themselves.
* Though it has Leech Seed and Leftovers as recovery options, be wary of switching in Ferrothorn too many times if it has not recovered HP recently.
* Scouting out potential Fire-type moves or Focus Blasts from the foe with Protect or other teammates is important to safeguarding Ferrothorn for future use.
* Use Gyro Ball sparingly due to its low PP.
Team Options
========
* Zygarde-C can handle common Fire-types such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh and can rack up Spikes damage with Dragon Tail. Ferrothorn also handles bulky Water-types for Zygarde-C, lessens its reliance on Rest with Leech Seed, and can take potential Ice Beams directed at Zygarde-C.
* Arceus-Water handles Ho-Oh and provides Defog support for teammates.
* Ho-Oh appreciates Spikes wearing down its checks such as Zygarde and can assist Ferrothorn by taking some Fire-type moves and burning physical threats with Sacred Fire.
* Wallbreakers and sweepers such as Xerneas, Yveltal, Arceus, and Mega Salamence appreciate Spikes, Leech Seed, and Toxic wearing down their checks and bulky walls.
* Lugia can handle physical Fighting-types and some Fire-types and rack up Spikes damage with Whirlwind.
* Though burns don't harm Ferrothorn as much, cleric support from Xerneas or Blissey can retain Ferrothorn's damage from Gyro Ball and Power Whip.
* Ferrothorn struggles against Mega Sableye with its utility options, so Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy or bulky special attackers such as Primal Kyogre are viable teammates to deal with it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Rocky Helmet is an option over Leftovers to add to the residual damage of Iron Barbs, but it doesn't assist Ferrothorn in dealing with speciallyoriented threats such as Primal Kyogre and Xerneas.
* Chople Berry lets Ferrothorn fare better against Focus Blast Xerneas, but it is only a one-time use and does nothing against Hidden Power Fire variants.
* Stealth Rock can be used over Spikes if teammates don't have access to it, but Ferrothorn does not fare well against common entry hazard leads such as Primal Groudon and Deoxys-A.
* Thunder Wave can cripple offensive threats, Choice Scarf users such as Lunala and Xerneas, and Mega Gengar, but it should be used with Power Whip to avoid reducing Gyro Ball's damage.
* Knock Off can remove many useful items, such as Life Orb, Choice items, and Xerneas's Power Herb.
* Anticipation can scout for potential Fire or Fighting moves against Ferrothorn, but it is generally less useful than Iron Barbs.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-type Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh can switch in on Ferrothorn fairly easily and either force it out or KO it with their Fire-type moves. However, Primal Groudon hates Toxic and Leech Seed, and Ho-Oh can be crippled with Toxic or Thunder Wave.
**Taunt users**: Common Taunt users such as Yveltal can shut down Ferrothorn's support options, but they must be careful for Gyro Ball, Leech Seed, and potential status moves that it carries.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye completely blocks Ferrothorn's support options with Magic Bounce and takes little damage from Gyro Ball and Power Whip.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Despite Iron Barbs being a nuisance, many physical threats can take advantage of Ferrothorn. Mega Lucario can KO Ferrothorn with Close Combat, and Rayquaza can break through Ferrothorn with either Dragon Ascent or V-create. Salamence can use Ferrothorn as an opportunity to set up Dragon Dances and smashes through it with Double-Edge or Facade if Ferrothorn uses Toxic or Thunder Wave.
**Fire-type Coverage Moves**: Ferrothorn must be cautious when facing Pokemon that potentially carry Fire-type moves, such as Heat Wave Yveltal, Flare Blitz Solgaleo, and Fire Blast Palkia and Mewtwo, as they can surprise and KO Ferrothorn.
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