Landorus-T (Ubers Analysis - GP 2/2)

[Overview]

<p>Landorus-T is a very interesting addition to Black and White 2. With its sky-high base 145 Attack stat, Intimidate and good defensive typing, Landorus-T is an excellent physical tank that is a good alternative to Groudon for those who don't want Drought on their team. Don't bmake the mistaken, however, of thinking that Landorus-T is just a "Groudon replacement for rain teams". It has a secondary Flying-type that brings Spikes and Toxic Spikes immunity, making the giant sun dinosaur, as well as Hippowdon, jealous. It also has U-turn for scouting switches. Not only can Landorus-T run tanking sets, but it can also run sweeping sets, making it an excellent Groudon switch-in and Electric immunity for rain teams. Landorus-T's low Special Defense in a tier dominated by special attackers is a drawback, but can easily be fixed with appropriate team support. If your rain team needs a bulky Ground-type but you do not want a Pokemon thathat does not hits like a girl (Hippowdon and Gliscor) or isn't an Arceus forme, Landorus-T is the one for you.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Toxic / U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge / Superpower / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 180 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>This set is probably the most flexible of Landorus-T's sets. It allows Landorus-T to tank many physical attacks, while supporting the team with Stealth Rock and creating free switches with U-turn. It is especially good on rain teams to take on Groudon, Excadrill, Terrakion, and Tyranitar. If Zekrom and Rayquaza do not run mixed sets, Landorus-T stops them pretty handily too, as well as Blaziken, if the rain is up. What sets Landorus-T apart from other bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor and Hippowdon is the fact that it still hits very hard without much attack investment. The choice between Toxic and U-turn can be interesting. Toxic allows Landorus-T to cripple support Groudon, as well as put ExtremeKiller Arceus on a timer, allowing it to be more easily dispatched by the rest of your team. However, U-turn allows for more free switches as well as gaining of momentum, capitalizing on Intimidate's ability to force switches. The last slot depends on what is more important to your team. Stone Edge offers the best coverage for Landorus-T, while being its best option to hit Rayquaza and Ho-oh. Superpower allows Landorus-T to hit ExtremeKiller Arceus hard, and if you ran U-turn in the third slot and still wish to run Toxic, it is another option in the last slot.</p>

<p>The Attack EVs listed allow Landorus-T to OHKO Dragon Dance Rayquaza after Stealth Rock and a round of Life Orb recoil, while easily tanking a +0 Outrage. The rest of the EVs makes Landorus-T as physically bulky as possible. An additional 76 Speed EVs can be taken out of Defense to put into Speed, allowing Landorus-T to outspeed and OHKO Tentacruel if you desire. Hidden Power Ice can be used to stop Gliscor from being the annoying bat that it normally is, as well as hitting Rayquaza about as hard as Stone Edge. However, Stone Edge is generally better due to being physical and hitting many relevant targets just as Hidden Power Ice, as well as OHKOing Ho-Oh.</p>
[Additional Comments]

<p>Landorus-T is best used on a rain team that need a bulky pivot to switch into Groudon and Zekrom. It shares very good synergy with many rain team members.&mdashKyogre can take Water- and Ice-type attacks (and most special attacks) aimed at Landorus-T, as can Ferrothorn, while Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Kyogre and Fighting-type attacks for Ferrothorn. It is a very easy Pokemon to fit into defensive rain team cores.</p>

<p>While Landorus-T is very sturdy physically, may sure to note that some of the premier physical attackers in the tier still hasve ways of getting past it. While you can use Landorus-T to Intimidate ExtremeKiller Arceus, make sure it is either as death fodder or if Arceus is at low enough HP for Landorus-T to KO it (Earthquake generally does about 30%). This is because Arceus can easily just use Swords Dance again, wasting Intimidate and brushing Landorus-T aside as a minor nuisance if it is healthy. Make sure you scout out Zekrom and Rayquaza's sets thoroughly as well, as they can bluff physical sets and KO Landorus-T with Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Landorus-T cannot do much to Spikes users such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn to deter them from setting up these hazards. This is why having a Rapid Spin user or a Pokemon with Magic Bounce on its team can be very favourable. Tentacruel offers excellent coverage with Landorus-T for defensively oriented rain teams, while Kabutops is a good offensive rain spinner. Excadrill is not a bad spinner either, but it shares similar weaknesses with Landorus-T. Xatu is a good Magic Bouncer user on rain teams, as the main Spikers in the tier are stopped by it. Grass Arceus is probably one of the most annoying enemies for rain teams and Landorus-T to face. Fortunately, it can little to stop most Spikes users of your own from setting up Spikes, such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn, from setting up Spikes. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is pretty mediocre, special tanks and walls, particularly those that can switch into its weaknesses, are also good teammates. Specially defensive Kyogre can switch into most attacks directed at Landorus-T, as can as Latias (also weak to Ice), Palkia, Dialga, Ferrothorn, and Blissey, and Latias, although Latias is also weak to Ice.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSD
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 140 Atk / 96 Def / 76 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>With its excellent physical tanking ability and its high Attack stat, Landorus-T tends to force quite a lot of switches. This gives it many opportunities to set up Substitute and use Swords Dance to set up on physically defensive Pokemon such as Groudon and Ferrothorn. Substitute allows Landorus-T to block status, Leech Seed, and Dragon Tail, while Swords Dance boosts its already massive Attack stat to monstrous levels. Earthquake and Stone Edge offer the best overall coverage.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs listed allow Landorus-T's Substitute to survive anything that 0 Attack Groudon throws at it, with the exception of the rare Fire Blast, which means any defensive Groudon variant without Roar or Fire Blast becomes setup fodder. 76 Speed EVs allow Landorus-T to outspeed uninvested base 100s such as Tentacruel and Jirachi and destroy them with Earthquake before they try to do anything annoying. The rest go into Attack to power up its attacks, as even with only 140 Attack EVs, Landorus-T still reaches 397 Attack with an Adamant nature.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus is, again, the biggest enemy to this set, as well as to rain teams in general. Lugia with Ice Beam also easily stops Landorus-T. These two Pokemon are generally easy Spikes fodder. Specially attacking Giratina-O is immune to Earthquake and easily takes Stone Edges, while dealing heavy amounts of damage with Dragon Pulse. Kyurem-W can also smash through them with its overpowered Ice Beams. Darkrai can put also put both of them to sleep and set up on them. Tornadus-T can Taunt them and fire off powerful Hurricanes. While Intimidate and Substitute stops Dragon Tail from forcing Landorus-T out, physical walls with Roar and Whirlwind, namely Roar Groudon, Giratina, Hippowdon, and Skarmory can still force it out. Bulk Up Dialga is an excellent lure for all of them, as it can smash them with Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Thunder after they switch into Bulk Up. As for Landorus-T's weaknesses, Specially Defensive Kyogre, Blissey and Chansey, Latias, Palkia, and Ferrothorn are all good switch-ins to special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 168 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's excellent Attack stat and usable Speed allow it to be a very powerful Double Dancer. Depending on the opposing team, Landorus-T can use Rock Polish to outspeed most things on an offensive team and deal heavy damage, whilor use Swords Dance lets Landorus-T flatten slower, more defensive teams. Again, Earthquake and Stone Edge provide the best general coverage.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding Choice Scarf Terrakion after a Rock Polish boost. 80 HP EVs give Landorus-T a Life Orb number, while the rest go into Defense. Life Orb is the preferred item for the set, as it allows Landorus-T to OHKO Genesect after Stealth Rock without a boost. However, Lum Berry is better against slower teams that depend on Will-O-Wisp to stop Landorus-T.</p>

<p>While this set is called "Double Dance", do not be afraid to remove one of the setup moves if you find it to be unnecessary. It is perfectly fine to run Rock Polish + 3 attacks or Swords Dance + 3 attacks if you are absolutely sure that you do not require the other setup move. In terms of moves that can potentially replace Rock Polish or Swords Dance, Superpower is a decent option to KO Ferrothorn more easily, while Explosion allows Landorus-T to go out with a bang, especially after a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>One important thing to note about this set is that your main objective is not for Landorus-T to get both Rock Polish and Swords Dance under its belt, as this is generally too difficult to achieve. Instead, use Team Preview to scout what kind of team your opponent is using: if it has more fast, frail attackers, then use Rock Polish, if slower and bulkier, use Swords Dance. However, if you get the opportunity, then do not hesitate to get both boosts, and does this mean you should not bother with trying to create such opportunities. Ways that you can do this is by giving Landorus-T Dual Screens and Wobbuffet support. With Dual Screens, Landorus-T will be able to survive more attacks, while Wobbuffet gives it a free turn, as well as using Safeguard to prevent status effects. Deoxys-S, Xatu, Latias, and most Arceus formes can use Dual Screens with proficiency.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus badly walls this set badly, while Bold Lugia that runs enough EVs to outspeed Landorus-T before a boost can also set up Reflect, Roost off the Stone Edge damage and phaze Landorus-T out with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind. Giratina-O can take a +2 Stone Edge and OHKO with Draco Meteor. Grass Arceus and Lugia are both easy Spikes fodder for Ferrothorn or Skarmory, while offensively, Kyurem-W blasts through both without much trouble at all. Tornadus-T can also cause problems for both by firing off powerful Hurricanes, and using Taunt to prevent recovery or status. Specially Defensive Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Latias, and Blissey can all switch into most special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower / Explosion
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 224 HP / 252 Atk / 32 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's high Attack stat, access to U-turn, immunity to Spikes, and Intimidate makes it an excellent candidate for a Choice Band set. It is especially powerful against many sun or sand teams that find a good switch-in to it. Earthquake is Landorus-T's powerful and accurate STAB move. U-turn allows Landorus-T to scout around and keep offensive momentum, as well as dealing a sizeable chunk of damage to its greatest enemy, Grass Arceus. Stone Edge gives the best coverage alongside Earthquake and U-turn. The last move is Landorus-T's move to take down ExtremeKiller Arceus, since it can Intimidate Arceus and OHKO with either move. Superpower is generally the more useful move, as it also allows Landorus-T to deal a lot more damage to Ferrothorn. However, Explosion is a very powerful move that allows Landorus-T to OHKO Gliscor on the switch-in.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to always survive a +1 ExtremeSpeed from Life Orb ExtremeKiller Arceus and OHKO in return with Superpower or Explosion. The HP EVs, also allow Landorus-T to survive a +1 Judgment from 4 SpA Arceus formes that hit neutrally.</p>
<p>Skarmory and Giratina-O are probably the best counters to Choice Band Landorus-T due to their immunity to Earthquake and high Defense stats to take Stone Edge. Grass Arceus is also annoying, but will be a lot less willing to switch into U-turn and face down a counter, with potentespecially with entry hazards up. Lugia does not enjoy boosted Stone Edges, but can take a hit and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. All of Landorus-T's usual counters still work well here. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress can set up Spikes against Grass Arceus. Kyurem-W and Tornadus-T can push through Lugia and Grass Arceus easily, while Darkrai can take down Giratina-O. Latias, Palkia, Kyogre, Blissey, and Dialga are all good switch-ins for Landorus-T's weaknesses.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Choice Scarf is not a bad option for Landorus-T. However, its base 91 Speed means it fails to outspeed +1 Rayquaza, which is a big landmark for most Choice Scarfers in the tier, and it is also outclassed by other Choice Scarfers such as Garchomp, Terrakion, and Landorus (Incarnate forme), Garchomp, and Terrakion. Gravity is an interesting option, since it allows Landorus-T to hit Skarmory and Bronzong super effectively, as well asnd hitting Giratina-O hard. Smack Down is generally an inferior option to Gravity. Finally, Landorus-T has the option of running Sheer Force to some effect, but Landorus (Incarnate forme) is stronger and faster, not to mention Landorus-T cannot use Intimidate if it chooses to use Sheer Force.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Grass Arceus is Landorus-T's worst enemy. While it is not the absolutely the best counter to Landorus-T, it causes rain teams that Landorus-T fits on many problems. It won't, however, enjoy Choice Banded U-turns, especially with hazards up. Lugia can take a hit from Landorus-T without much ptroublem and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. Skarmory and Gliscor wall most of Landorus-T's threasets, but will both lose to the SubSD set (Skarmory loses if Landorus-T is the last Pokemon). Giratina and Groudon can phaze out Landorus-T if they have Roar, and in Giratina's case, burn Landorus-T if it does not have Substitute or a Lum Berry. Physically Defensive Arceus can also burn Landorus-T or Roar it out, or use Perish Song to stop last Pokemon SubSD variants. Although rare, Cresselia and Bronzong can wall Landorus-T and can deal huge amounts of damage to it with either Ice Beam or Hidden Power Ice. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is poor, special attackers that are faster than it can also put it out of commission extremely quickly.</p>

Comments: I'm not really sure how we use 'tanking' here but i'm pretty sure you can't do that. I could be wrong of course.
Using Sd again doesn't waste intimidate, because now he's only at +3 instead of +4.
I'm pretty sure you're allowed to say "Spiker" now in an analysis, by the way. Oglemi declared it in some thread somewhere.
You mention in subSD that Grassceus and Lugia are spikes fodder. Maybe follow up by saying "so spikers are good teammate"?
in SubSD, Gira-o "take" stone edges. I put in 'easily takes' for now, but you should take care of that yourself.
And the Kyu-W sentence in SubSD implies that Gira-O is a teammate rather than a counter.
I modified the Gira-O sentence, so now it needs to include other moves that Gira-O can hurt Lando-T with. After all, any Gira-O is immune to Eq and tanks Stone Edges easily.
I'm just bolding a section of the Double Dancer Lando-T.
I bolded a section in the CB set. Not even really sure what it means.
In OO, maybe incorporate the Smack down mention into the Gravity sentence?
I think we know one ability excludes another, maybe instead write in that Lando-T really misses Intimidate or some such.

[Overview]

<p>Landorus-T is a very interesting addition to BW2. With its sky-high base 145 Attack stat, Intimidate, and good defensive typing, Landorus-T is an excellent physical tank that is a good alternative to Groudon for those who don't want Drought on their team. Don't make the mistake, however, of thinking that Landorus-T is just a "Groudon replacement for rain teams". It has a secondary Flying typing that brings Spikes and Toxic Spikes immunity, making the giant sun dinosaur, as well as Hippowdon, jealous. It also has U-turn for scouting switches. Not only can Landorus-T run tank sets, but it can also run sweeping sets, making it an excellent Groudon switch-in and Electric immunity for rain teams. Landorus-T's low Special Defense in a tier dominated by special attackers is a drawback, but this can easily be fixed with appropriate team support. If your rain team needs a bulky Ground-type that does not hit like a girl (This is kinda ... sexist. Maybe a less vitriolic description along the lines of " ... that has greater offensive presence") (Hippowdon and Gliscor) or an Arceus forme, Landorus-T is the one for you.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Toxic / U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge / Superpower / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 180 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>This set is probably the most flexible of Landorus-T's sets. It allows Landorus-T to can tank many physical attacks, while supporting the team with Stealth Rock and creating free switches with U-turn. It is especially good on rain teams to take on Groudon, Excadrill, Terrakion, and Tyranitar. If Zekrom and Rayquaza do not run mixed sets, Landorus-T stops them pretty handily too, as well as Blaziken, if the rain is up. What sets Landorus-T apart from other bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor and Hippowdon is the fact that it still hits very hard without much Attack investment. The choice between Toxic and U-turn can be interesting. Toxic allows Landorus-T to cripple support Groudon, as well as put ExtremeKiller Arceus on a timer, allowing it to be more easily dispatched by the rest of your team. However, U-turn allows for more free switches as well as gaining of and also gives momentum, capitalizing on Intimidate's ability to force switches. The last slot depends on what is more important to your team. Stone Edge offers the best coverage for Landorus-T,while being its best option to hit covering threats such as Rayquaza and Ho-Oh. Superpower allows Landorus-T to hit ExtremeKiller Arceus hard, and if you ran U-turn in the third slot and still wish to run Toxic, it is the latter is another option in the last slot.</p>

[Additional Comments]

(We normally talk about the EVs in AC)

<p>The Attack EVs listed allow Landorus-T to OHKO Dragon Dance Rayquaza after Stealth Rock and a round of Life Orb recoil; it can easily tank while easily tanking a +0 Outrage with the rest of the EVs maximizing its physical bulk. The rest of the EVs Landorus-T as physically bulky as possible. An additional 76 Speed EVs can be taken out of Defense to put into Speed, allowing Landorus-T to outspeed and OHKO Tentacruel if you desire. Hidden Power Ice can be used to stop Gliscor from being the annoying bat that it normally is, as well as hitting Rayquaza about as hard as Stone Edge. However, Stone Edge is generally better due to being physical and hitting many relevant targets just as like Hidden Power Ice, as well as OHKOing Ho-Oh.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Landorus-T is best used on a rain team that needs a bulky pivot to switch into Groudon and Zekrom. It shares very good synergy with many rain team members&mdashKyogre can take Water- and Ice-type attacks (and most special attacks) aimed at Landorus-T, as can Ferrothorn, while Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Kyogre and Fighting-type attacks for Ferrothorn. It is a very easy Pokemon to fit onto defensive rain team cores.</p>

<p>While Landorus-T is very sturdy physically, may sure to note that some of the premier physical attackers in the tier still have ways of getting past it. While you can use Landorus-T to Intimidate ExtremeKiller Arceus, make sure it is either as death fodder or if Arceus is at low enough HP for Landorus-T to KO it (Earthquake generally does about 30%). This is because Arceus can easily just use Swords Dance again and brush Landorus-T aside as a minor nuisance if it is healthy. Make sure Also ensure you scout out Zekrom's and Rayquaza's sets thoroughly as well, as they can bluff physical sets and KO Landorus-T with Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Landorus-T cannot do much to Spikes users such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. This is why having a Rapid Spin user or a Pokemon with Magic Bounce on its team can be very favorable. Tentacruel offers excellent coverage with Landorus-T for defensively oriented rain teams, while Kabutops is a good offensive rain spinner. Excadrill is not a bad spinner either, but it shares similar weaknesses with Landorus-T. Xatu is a good Magic Bouncer user on rain teams, as the main Spikers in the tier are stopped by it. Grass Arceus is probably one of the most annoying enemies for rain teams and Landorus-T to face. Fortunately, it can do little to stop most Spikes users of your own, such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is pretty mediocre, special tanks and walls, particularly those that can switch into its weaknesses, are also good teammates. Specially defensive Kyogre can switch into most attacks directed at Landorus-T, as can Palkia, Dialga, Ferrothorn, Blissey, although Latias is also weak to shares a weakness to Ice.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSD
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 140 Atk / 96 Def / 76 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>With its excellent physical tanking ability and its high Attack stat, Landorus-T tends to force quite a lot of switches. This gives it many opportunities to set up Substitute and use Swords Dance to set up on physically defensive Pokemon such as Groudon and Ferrothorn. Substitute allows Landorus-T to block status, Leech Seed, and Dragon Tail, while Swords Dance boosts its already massive Attack stat to monstrous levels. Earthquake and Stone Edge offer the best overall coverage.</p> (I might not be the most ideal person to comment about this, but are you sure that's all there is to write about this set? Maybe mention a few different contexts in which it can be used, or something similar)

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs listed allow Landorus-T's Substitutes to survive anything that 0 Attack Groudon throws at it, with the exception of the rare Fire Blast, which means any defensive Groudon variant without Roar or Fire Blast becomes setup fodder. 76 Speed EVs allow Landorus-T to outspeed uninvested base 100s such as Tentacruel and Jirachi and destroy them with Earthquake before they try to do anything. The rest go into Attack, as even with only 140 Attack EVs, Landorus-T still reaches 397 Attack with an Adamant nature.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus is, again, the biggest enemy to this set, as well as to rain teams in general. Lugia with Ice Beam also easily stops Landorus-T. These two Pokemon are generally easy Spikes fodder. Special attacking Giratina-O is immune to Earthquake and easily takes Stone Edges, while dealing heavy amounts of damage with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. Kyurem-W can smash through them with its overpowered Ice Beams. Darkrai can put also put both of them to sleep and set up on them. Tornadus-T can Taunt them and fire off powerful Hurricanes. While Intimidate and Substitute stop Dragon Tail from forcing Landorus-T out, physical walls with Roar and or Whirlwind, namely Roar Groudon, Giratina, Hippowdon, and Skarmory, can still force it out. Bulk Up Dialga is an excellent lure for all of them, as it can smash them with Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Thunder after they switch into Bulk Up. As for Landorus-T's weaknesses, specially defensive Kyogre, Blissey and Chansey, Latias, Palkia, and Ferrothorn are all good switch-ins to special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 168 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's excellent Attack stat and usable Speed allow it to be make it a very powerful Double Dancer. Depending on the opposing team, Landorus-T can use Rock Polish to outspeed most things on an offensive team and deal heavy damage, or use Swords Dance to flatten slower, more defensive teams. Again, Earthquake and Stone Edge provide the best general coverage.</p> (Again, what I said for the previous set. Just throwing out ideas here: you could talk about threats Landorus-T can force out for setting up, the kinds of teams this set works best on, etc)

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding Choice Scarf Terrakion after a Rock Polish boost. 80 HP EVs give Landorus-T a Life Orb number, while the rest go into Defense. Life Orb is the preferred item for the set, as it allows Landorus-T to OHKO Genesect after Stealth Rock without a boost. However, Lum Berry is better against slower teams that depend on Will-O-Wisp to stop Landorus-T.</p>

<p>While this set is called "Double Dance", do not be afraid to remove one of the setup moves if you find it to be unnecessary. It is perfectly fine to run Rock Polish + 3 attacks or Swords Dance + 3 attacks if you are absolutely sure that you do not require the other setup move. In terms of moves that can potentially replace Rock Polish or Swords Dance, Superpower is a decent option to KO Ferrothorn more easily with, while Explosion allows Landorus-T to go out with a bang, especially after a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>One important thing to note about this set is that your main objective is not for Landorus-T to get both Rock Polish and Swords Dance under its belt, as this is generally too difficult to achieve. Instead, use Team Preview to scout what kind of team your opponent is using: if it has more fast, frail attackers, then use Rock Polish, and if it is slower and bulkier, use Swords Dance. However, if you get the opportunity, then do not hesitate to get both boosts if and when you get the opportunity, and does this doesn't mean you should not bother with trying to create such opportunities; an example would be Ways that you can do this is by giving Landorus-T dual screens and Wobbuffet support. With dual screens, Landorus-T will be able to survive more attacks, while Wobbuffet gives it a free turn, as well as using Safeguard to and protects it from status effects with Safeguard. Deoxys-S, Xatu, Latias, and most Arceus formes can use set up dual screens with proficiency.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus walls this set badly, while Bold Lugia that run enough EVs to outspeed Landorus-T before a boost can also set up Reflect, Roost off the Stone Edge damage, and KO Landorus-T with Ice Beam or phaze Landorus-T it out with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind. Giratina-O can take a +2 Stone Edge and OHKO with Draco Meteor. Grass Arceus and Lugia are both easy Spikes fodder for Ferrothorn or and Skarmory, while offensively, Kyurem-W blasts through both without much trouble at all. Tornadus-T can also cause problems for both by firing off powerful Hurricanes, and using Taunt to prevent recovery or status. Specially defensive Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Latias, and Blissey can all switch into most special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>


[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower / Explosion
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 224 HP / 252 Atk / 32 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's high Attack stat, access to U-turn, immunity to Spikes, and Intimidate make it an excellent candidate for a Choice Band set. It is especially powerful against many sun or sand teams that find a good switch-in to it switching into it difficult. Earthquake is Landorus-T's powerful and accurate STAB move. U-turn allows Landorus-T to scout around and keep offensive momentum, as well as deal a sizeable chunk of damage to its greatest enemy, Grass Arceus. Stone Edge gives the best coverage alongside Earthquake and U-turn. The last move is Landorus-T's move to mainly to take down ExtremeKiller Arceus, since it can Intimidate Arceus and OHKO with either move. Superpower is generally the more useful move, as it also allows Landorus-T to deal a lot more damage to Ferrothorn. However, Explosion is a very powerful move that allows Landorus-T to OHKO Gliscor on the switch-in.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to always survive a +1 ExtremeSpeed from Life Orb ExtremeKiller Arceus and OHKO in return with Superpower or Explosion, as well as also allowing Landorus-T it to survive a +1 Judgment from 4 SpA Arceus formes that hit neutrally.</p>

<p>Skarmory and Giratina-O are probably the best counters to Choice Band Landorus-T due to their immunity to Earthquake and high physical bulk Defense stats to take Stone Edge with. Grass Arceus is also annoying, but will be a lot less willing to switch into U-turn and face down a counter, especially with entry hazards up. Lugia does not enjoy boosted Stone Edges, but can take a hit and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. All of Landorus-T's usual counters still work well here. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress can set up Spikes against Grass Arceus. Kyurem-W and Tornadus-T can push through Lugia and Grass Arceus easily, while Darkrai can take down Giratina-O. Latias, Palkia, Kyogre, Blissey, and Dialga are all good switch-ins for Landorus-T's weaknesses.</p>


[Other Options]

<p>Choice Scarf is not a bad option for Landorus-T. However, its base 91 Speed means it fails to outspeed +1 Rayquaza, which is a big landmark for most Choice Scarf users in the tier, and it is also outclassed by other Choice Scarf users such as Landorus (Incarnate forme), Garchomp, and Terrakion. Gravity is an interesting option, since it allows Landorus-T to hit Skarmory and Bronzong super effectively, and hit Giratina-O a lot harder. Smack Down is generally an inferior option to Gravity. Finally, Landorus-T has the option of running Sheer Force to some effect, but Landorus (Incarnate forme) is stronger and faster, not to mention Landorus-T cannot use Intimidate if it chooses to use Sheer Force. Intimidate is one of the key reasons for using Landorus-T in the first place.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Grass Arceus is Landorus-T's worst enemy. While it is not the absolute best counter to Landorus-T, it causes rain teams that Landorus-T fits on many problems. It won't, however, enjoy Choice Band U-turns, especially with hazards up. Lugia can take a hit from Landorus-T without much trouble and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. Skarmory and Gliscor wall most of Landorus-T's sets, but both will both lose to the SubSD set (Skarmory loses if Landorus-T is the last Pokemon). Giratina and Groudon can phaze out Landorus-T if they have Roar, and in Giratina's case, burn Landorus-T if it does not have Substitute or a Lum Berry. Physically defensive Arceus can also burn Landorus-T, or Roar it out, or use Perish Song to stop last Pokemon SubSD variants. Although rare, Cresselia and Bronzong can wall Landorus-T and can deal huge amounts of damage to it with either Ice Beam or Hidden Power Ice. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is poor, special attackers that are faster than it can also put it out of commission extremely quickly.</p>

[Overview]

<p>Landorus-T is a very interesting addition to BW2. With its sky-high base 145 Attack stat, Intimidate, and good defensive typing, Landorus-T is an excellent physical tank that is a good alternative to Groudon for those who don't want Drought on their team. Don't make the mistake, however, of underestimating Landorus-T and thinking that it thinking that Landorus-T is just a "Groudon replacement for rain teams." It has a secondary Flying typing that brings Spikes and Toxic Spikes immunity, making the giant sun dinosaur, as well as Hippowdon, jealous. It also has U-turn for scouting switches. Not only can Landorus-T run tank sets, but it can also run sweeping sets, making it an excellent Groudon switch-in and Electric immunity for rain teams. Landorus-T's low Special Defense in a tier dominated by special attackers is a drawback, but this can easily be fixed with appropriate team support. If your rain team needs a bulky Ground-type with a greater offensive presence without using an Arceus forme, Landorus-T is the one for you.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Toxic / U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge / Superpower / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 180 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>This set is probably the most flexible of Landorus-T's sets. It can tank many physical attacks while supporting the team with Stealth Rock and creating free switches with U-turn. It is especially good on rain teams to take on Groudon, Excadrill, Terrakion, and Tyranitar. If Zekrom and Rayquaza do not run mixed sets, Landorus-T stops them pretty handily too, as well as Blaziken if the rain is up. What sets Landorus-T apart from other bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor and Hippowdon is the fact that it still hits very hard without much Attack investment. The choice between Toxic and U-turn can be interesting. Toxic allows Landorus-T to cripple support Groudon, as well as put Extreme Killer Arceus on a timer, allowing it to be more easily dispatched by the rest of your team. However, U-turn allows for more free switches and also gives momentum, capitalizing on Intimidate's ability to force switches. The last slot depends on what is more important to your team. Stone Edge offers the best coverage for Landorus-T, covering threats such as Rayquaza and Ho-Oh. Superpower allows Landorus-T to hit Extreme Killer Arceus hard, and if you run U-turn in the third slot and still wish to run Toxic, the latter is another option in the last slot.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The Attack EVs listed allow Landorus-T to OHKO Dragon Dance Rayquaza after Stealth Rock and a round of Life Orb recoil; it can easily tank a +0 Outrage with the rest of the EVs maximizing its physical bulk. An additional 76 Speed EVs can be taken out of Defense and put into Speed, allowing Landorus-T to outspeed and OHKO Tentacruel if you desire. Hidden Power Ice can be used to stop Gliscor from being the annoying bat that it normally is, as well as hitting Rayquaza about as hard as Stone Edge. However, Stone Edge is generally better due to being physical and hitting many relevant targets just like Hidden Power Ice, as well as OHKOing Ho-Oh.</p>

<p>Landorus-T is best used on a rain team that needs a bulky pivot to switch into Groudon and Zekrom. It shares very good synergy with many rain team members&mdash;Kyogre can take Water- and Ice-type attacks (and most special attacks) aimed at Landorus-T, as can Ferrothorn, while Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Kyogre and Fighting-type attacks for Ferrothorn. It is a very easy Pokemon to fit onto defensive rain team cores.</p>

<p>While Landorus-T is very sturdy physically, note that some of the premier physical attackers in the tier still have ways of getting past it. While you can use Landorus-T to Intimidate Extreme Killer Arceus, make sure it is either as death fodder or Arceus is at low enough HP for Landorus-T to KO it (Earthquake generally does about 30%). This is because Arceus can easily just use Swords Dance again and brush Landorus-T aside. Also ensure you scout out Zekrom's and Rayquaza's sets thoroughly as well, as they can bluff physical sets and KO Landorus-T with Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Landorus-T cannot do much to Spikes users such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. This is why having a Rapid Spin user or a Pokemon with Magic Bounce on its team can be very favorable. Tentacruel offers excellent coverage with Landorus-T for defensively oriented rain teams, while Kabutops is a good offensive rain spinner. Excadrill is not a bad spinner either, but it shares similar weaknesses with Landorus-T. Xatu is a good Magic Bounce user on rain teams, as the main Spikers in the tier are stopped by it. Grass Arceus is probably one of the most annoying enemies for rain teams and Landorus-T to face. Fortunately, it can do little to stop most Spikes users of your own such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is pretty mediocre, special tanks and walls, particularly those that can switch into its weaknesses, are also good teammates. Specially defensive Kyogre can switch into most attacks directed at Landorus-T, as can Palkia, Dialga, Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Latias, although the latter although Latias shares a weakness to Ice.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSD
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 140 Atk / 96 Def / 76 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>With its excellent physical tanking ability and its high Attack stat, Landorus-T tends to force quite a lot of switches. This gives it many opportunities to set up Substitute and use Swords Dance to set up on physically defensive Pokemon such as Groudon and Ferrothorn. Substitute allows Landorus-T to block status, Leech Seed, and the phazing effects of Dragon Tail, while Swords Dance boosts its already massive Attack stat to monstrous levels. Earthquake and Stone Edge offer the best overall coverage. It is an excellent weapon for rain teams to use against sun and sand teams. For sun teams, Landorus-T can set up on bulky Groudon variants with ease, while it counters both Excadrill and Tyranitar (provided the latter lacks Ice Beam) and finds while finding easy opportunities to set up Substitute against Ferrothorn and Giratina that are found on sand teams.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs listed allow Landorus-T's Substitutes to survive anything that 0 Attack Groudon throws at it, with the exception of the rare Fire Blast, which means any defensive Groudon variant without Roar or Fire Blast becomes setup fodder. 76 Speed EVs allow Landorus-T to outspeed uninvested base 100s such as Tentacruel and Jirachi and destroy them with Earthquake before they try to do anything. The rest go into Attack, as even with only 140 Attack EVs, Landorus-T still reaches 397 Attack with an Adamant nature.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus is again the biggest enemy to this set, as well as to rain teams in general. Lugia with Ice Beam also easily stops Landorus-T. These two Pokemon are generally easy Spikes fodder. Special attacking Giratina-O is immune to Earthquake and easily takes Stone Edges, while dealing heavy damage with Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor. As far as teammates go, Kyurem-W can smash through them with its overpowered Ice Beams. Darkrai can put all of them to sleep and set up on them. Tornadus-T can Taunt them and fire off powerful Hurricanes. While Intimidate and Substitute stop Dragon Tail from forcing Landorus-T out, physical walls with Roar or Whirlwind, namely Roar Groudon, Giratina, Hippowdon, and Skarmory, can still force it out. Bulk Up Dialga is an excellent lure for all of them, as it can smash them with Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Thunder after they switch into Bulk Up. As for Landorus-T's weaknesses, specially defensive Kyogre, Blissey, and Chansey, Latias, Palkia, and Ferrothorn are all good switch-ins to special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 168 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's excellent Attack stat and usable Speed make it a very powerful double dancer. Depending on the opposing team, Landorus-T can use Rock Polish to outspeed most things on an offensive team and deal heavy damage, or use Swords Dance to flatten slower, more defensive teams. Earthquake and Stone Edge provide the best general coverage. Again, This set is best used on rain teams, especially against sun and sand teams. Sun teams usually lack a strong answer to Landorus-T, while sand teams can easily be swept if Giratina has been weakened enough. While Landorus-T fits best on a rain team, any hyper offensive team that does not want to use Groudon or Ground Arceus could benefit from this set due to its physical bulk and important resistance to Electric and Ground to Fighting, as well as its immunities to Ground and Electric.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding Choice Scarf Terrakion after a Rock Polish boost. 80 HP EVs give Landorus-T a Life Orb number, while the rest go into Defense. Life Orb is the preferred item for the set as it allows Landorus-T to OHKO Genesect after Stealth Rock without a boost. However, Lum Berry is better against slower teams that depend on Will-O-Wisp to stop Landorus-T.</p>

<p>While this set is called "Double Dance," do not be afraid to remove one of the setup moves if you find it to be unnecessary. It is perfectly fine to run Rock Polish + 3 attacks or Swords Dance + 3 attacks if you are absolutely sure that you do not require the other setup move. In terms of moves that can potentially replace Rock Polish or Swords Dance, Superpower is a decent option to KO Ferrothorn more easily with, while Explosion allows Landorus-T to go out with a bang, especially after a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>One important thing to note about this set is that your main objective is not for Landorus-T to get both Rock Polish and Swords Dance under its belt, as this is generally too difficult to achieve. Instead, use Team Preview to scout what kind of team your opponent is using: if it has more fast, frail attackers, then use Rock Polish, and if it is slower and bulkier, use Swords Dance. However, do not hesitate to get both boosts when you get the opportunity, and this doesn't mean you should not bother with trying to create such opportunities; an example would be giving Landorus-T dual screens and Wobbuffet support. With dual screens, Landorus-T will be able to survive more attacks, while Wobbuffet gives it a free turn and protects it from status effects with Safeguard. Deoxys-S, Xatu, Latias, and most Arceus formes can set up dual screens with proficiency.</p>

<p>Grass Arceus walls this set badly, while Bold Lugia that run enough EVs to outspeed Landorus-T before a boost can also set up Reflect, Roost off the Stone Edge damage, and KO Landorus-T with Ice Beam or phaze it out with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind. Giratina-O can take a +2 Stone Edge and OHKO with Draco Meteor. Grass Arceus and Lugia are both easy Spikes fodder for Ferrothorn and Skarmory, while offensively, Kyurem-W blasts through both without much trouble at all. Tornadus-T can also cause problems for both by firing off powerful Hurricanes and using Taunt to prevent recovery or status. Specially defensive Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Latias, and Blissey can all switch into most special attacks directed at Landorus-T.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower / Explosion
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 224 HP / 252 Atk / 32 Def

[Set Comments]

<p>Landorus-T's high Attack stat, access to U-turn, immunity to Spikes, and Intimidate make it an excellent candidate for a Choice Band set. It is especially powerful against many sun or sand teams that find switching into it difficult. Earthquake is Landorus-T's powerful and accurate STAB move. U-turn allows Landorus-T to scout around and keep offensive momentum, as well as deal a sizable chunk of damage to its greatest enemy, Grass Arceus. Stone Edge gives the best coverage alongside Earthquake and U-turn. The last move is mainly to take down Extreme Killer Arceus, since Landorus-T can Intimidate Arceus and OHKO with either move. Superpower is generally the more useful move, as it also allows Landorus-T to deal a lot more damage to Ferrothorn. However, Explosion is a very powerful move that allows Landorus-T to OHKO Gliscor on the switch-in.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EVs used allow Landorus-T to always survive a +1 ExtremeSpeed from Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus and OHKO in return with Superpower or Explosion, as well as allowing it to survive a +1 Judgment from 4 SpA Arceus formes that hit neutrally.</p>

<p>Skarmory and Giratina-O are probably the best counters to Choice Band Landorus-T due to their immunity to Earthquake and high physical bulk to take Stone Edge with. Grass Arceus is also annoying, but will be a lot less willing to switch into U-turn and face down a counter, especially with entry hazards up. Lugia does not enjoy boosted Stone Edges, but can take a hit and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. All of Landorus-T's usual counters still work well here. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress can set up Spikes against Grass Arceus. Kyurem-W and Tornadus-T can push through Lugia and Grass Arceus easily, while Darkrai can take down Giratina-O. Latias, Palkia, Kyogre, Blissey, and Dialga are all good switch-ins for Landorus-T's weaknesses.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Choice Scarf is not a bad option for Landorus-T. However, its base 91 Speed means it fails to outspeed +1 Rayquaza, which is a big landmark for most Choice Scarf users in the tier, and it is also outclassed by other Choice Scarf users such as Landorus, Garchomp, and Terrakion. Gravity is an interesting option since it allows Landorus-T to hit Skarmory and Bronzong super effectively and Giratina-O harder with Earthquake. Smack Down is generally an inferior option to Gravity. Finally, Landorus-T has the option of running Sheer Force to some effect, but Landorus is stronger and faster, not to mention Landorus-T cannot use Intimidate if it chooses to use Sheer Force. Intimidate is one of the key reasons for using Landorus-T in the first place</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Grass Arceus is Landorus-T's worst enemy. While it is not the absolute best counter to Landorus-T, it causes rain teams that Landorus-T fits on many problems. It won't, however, enjoy Choice Band-boosted U-turns, especially with hazards up. Lugia can take a hit from Landorus-T without much trouble and OHKO in return with Ice Beam. Skarmory and Gliscor wall most of Landorus-T's sets, but both will lose to the SubSD set (Skarmory loses if Landorus-T is the last Pokemon). Giratina and Groudon can phaze out Landorus-T if they have Roar, and in Giratina's case, burn Landorus-T if it does not have Substitute or a Lum Berry. Physically defensive Arceus can also burn Landorus-T, Roar it out, or use Perish Song to stop last Pokemon SubSD variants. Although rare, Cresselia and Bronzong can wall Landorus-T and deal huge amounts of damage to it with either Ice Beam or Hidden Power Ice. Since Landorus-T's Special Defense is poor, special attackers that are faster than it can also put it out of commission extremely quickly.</p>