Landorus
Because Danny said I could.
QC: 2/2
GP: 2/2
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Psychic / Grass Knot
move 4: Protect
item: Yache Berry / Life Orb
ability: Sand Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While often overlooked in favor of its higher Attack stat, Landorus does possess a base 115 Special Attack stat, and can run an effective special-based set. This enables Landorus to surprise its normal counters and threaten many of the most common Pokemon in the tier. Earth Power provides a reliable STAB move, and unlike Earthquake, does not hit Landorus's ally, allowing any Pokemon to be run alongside it. Hidden Power Ice gives Landorus a way to hit Zapdos and Dragon-type Pokemon, who otherwise wall this set, for super effective damage. The last attacking move comes down to what the team needs. When using Psychic, this set is able to counter Hitmontop, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, with ease. Psychic 2HKOes Hitmontop, while Intimidate doesn't bother Landorus at all. On the other hand Grass Knot allows Landorus to damage Pokemon such as Swampert, Jellicent, and Gastrodon, who can normally survive Landorus's assaults. Protect is generally recognized as a necessary move for any VGC Pokemon, and for good reason. This is because with Protect, Landorus can stall out the effects of Trick Room, wait for its partner to take out a threat, or let a weather condition whittle down its opponent's HP.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because of Landorus's gaping 4x weakness to Ice, a Yache Berry must be used to allow it to survive one Ice-type attack. However, a Yache Berry may already be in use elsewhere, however, in which case a Life Orb is an acceptable alternative for the power boost provided. A positive Speed nature is wasted on Landorus, as it outspeeds nothing important with its peculiar base 101 Speed stat, so a Modest nature is used to raise Landorus's Special Attack.</p>
<p>Landorus greatly appreciates sandstorm support, weakening the omnipresent Blizzard and strengthening Earth Power, thanks to Landorus's ability Sand Force. Because of this, Tyranitar makes for a great partner, bringing permanent sand and the ability to hit the Special Defense beast Cresselia with Crunch. Any Pokemon who can take out the Ice-types that threaten Landorus would be a greatly appreciated partner, especially to defeat the deadly Abomasnow. While Landorus can run Rock Slide on the physical side to take care of these Pokemon, hitting with its unboosted Attack stat makes this method ineffective. Water-types are a constant bug to Landorus, so Electric-type Pokemon, such as Zapdos, make for great teammates. Zapdos is able to abuse STAB Discharge, thanks to Landorus's Ground-typing, while Landorus can use Earth Power to wreck the Rock-types who want to ruin Zapdos's fun.</p>
<p>Because of Landorus's inability to hit Ice-types, Focus Blast is an option. Whilst its 70% accuracy is less than desirable, it does give a way to take out the Ice-types who make Landorus's life miserable. Hidden Power Flying provides a secondary STAB and hits harder than Psychic, though the drop in power towards Dragon-types and other Landorus is noticeable. Hidden Power Fire is a decent choice if one is overly worried about Scizor or Abomasnow, but the sacrifice in coverage makes this a less attractive option.</p>