[OVERVIEW]
Orthworm's place in ZU is defined by its extremely valuable Steel typing combined with its amazing natural Defense and an immunity to Ground-type moves through its signature ability, Earth Eater. With both Stealth Rock and Spikes at its disposal, Orthworm can be an excellent defensive entry hazard setter for its team; furthermore, it has multiple setup moves in Iron Defense and Coil that let it serve as both a defensive check to opposing physical attackers and a potential bulky setup sweeper with Body Press. Orthworm has two pain points holding it back from further success: special attacks threaten severe damage to it, and it can get worn down rapidly due to its lack of a reliable recovery move, especially if it loses its Leftovers.
[SET]
Coil (Orthworm) @ Leftovers
Ability: Earth Eater
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Tera Type: Ghost
Careful Nature
- Coil
- Substitute
- Iron Tail
- Body Press
[SET COMMENTS]
With Coil, Orthworm can act as an excellent progress maker and bulky wincon for its team, leveraging its excellent typing and Ground immunity to set up on foes like Rhydon and Sandaconda. Furthermore, other foes like Hisuian Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Floatzel can often find it difficult to make progress against Orthworm without utilizing Terastallization. Iron Tail and Body Press cover much of the tier together, while Substitute lets Orthworm avoid burn from foes like Mismagius, and Weezing. Substitute also prevents Orthworm from being phazed by Dragon Tail from the likes of Dipplin and protects it from revenge killers like Passimian. Maximum Special Defense investment alongside a Careful nature helps Orthworm better withstand special attacks from foes like Jolteon, Lanturn, and Mismagius. Tera Ghost is used to help find setup opportunities against Fighting-types like Passimian and Virizion.
Coil Orthworm pairs well with fast teammates like Jolteon and Lycanroc, which appreciate its ability to take advantage of common Ground-type foes like Rhydon and Sandslash. Other teammates like Lanturn, Articuno, and Typhlosion appreciate Orthworm's ability to use common checks like Arboliva and Snorlax as setup fodder. Opposing Fire-types can often be a significant struggle for Orthworm, so it appreciates teammates like Qwilfish, Floatzel, and Cramorant to check them; it also appreciates Cramorant's ability to remove entry hazards, allowing it to get on the field as healthy as possible. Without prior boosts, Orthworm can often have a rough time against opposing Fighting-types, so teammates like Whimsicott, Oricorio-G, and Weezing can serve as invaluable support. Since Orthworm relies heavily on its Leftovers for its game plan, it appreciates Knock Off absorbers like Dipplin and Muk. Hazard support from teammates like Mesprit, Sandslash, and Palossand is often greatly appreciated to help weaken Orthworm's checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===============
Orthworm can opt to run a few other Tera types if it desires; Tera Electric allows it to avoid being hit super effectively by any attack, while Tera Poison and Tera Fairy provide a Fighting resistance as well as additional defensive utility in more specific matchups. However, these Tera types introduce weaknesses to wallbreakers like Mesprit and Magneton, which are more common than Ghost-types like Mismagius and Rotom. Lastly, Orthworm can opt to run Rock Slide or Rock Blast to hit opposing Fire-types and Cramorant particularly hard on the switch, but it struggles to fit these over any of its moves without impacting its utility or ability to sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type foes like Hisuian Decidueye, Virizion, and Passimian often force Orthworm to either Terastallize or switch out unless it's already properly set up.
**Fire-types**: Fire-type foes like Typhlosion, Charizard, and Oricorio-F put immense pressure on Orthworm with their STAB attacks. Orthworm also struggles to deal damage against Charizard and Oricorio-F due to them resisting both Iron Tail and Body Press.
**Ghost-types**: Rotom, Palossand, and Sableye are all immune to Body Press and either threaten Orthworm directly with their own moves or threaten status to severely hinder its sweep.
**Burn**: Burn from foes like Charizard, Weezing, and Rotom significantly hinders Orthworm's damage output, neutralizes its Leftovers recovery, and limits its sweeping ability, though it can at least use Substitute to circumvent Will-O-Wisp attempts against slower foes like Weezing.
**Encore and Taunt**: Encore from foes like Mesprit and Whimsicott can disrupt Orthworm in the middle of its setup attempts, as does Taunt from the likes of Mismagius and Oricorio. Taunt also denies its attempts to set entry hazards.
**Item Disruption**: Knock Off from foes like Mesprit, Grafaiai, and Sandslash severely injures Orthworm's longevity due to its reliance on Leftovers, as does Switcheroo from Rotom and Grafaiai.
**Special Attackers**: Orthworm's poor special bulk can often be taken advantage of by foes like Jolteon, Magneton, Vikavolt, and Clawitzer, though some of these Pokemon have to be wary of Body Press on the switch in.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/baitwiz.598623/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Orthworm's place in ZU is defined by its extremely valuable Steel typing combined with its amazing natural Defense and an immunity to Ground-type moves through its signature ability, Earth Eater. With both Stealth Rock and Spikes at its disposal, Orthworm can be an excellent defensive entry hazard setter for its team; furthermore, it has multiple setup moves in Iron Defense and Coil that let it serve as both a defensive check to opposing physical attackers and a potential bulky setup sweeper with Body Press. Orthworm has two pain points holding it back from further success: special attacks threaten severe damage to it, and it can get worn down rapidly due to its lack of a reliable recovery move, especially if it loses its Leftovers.
[SET]
Coil (Orthworm) @ Leftovers
Ability: Earth Eater
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Tera Type: Ghost
Careful Nature
- Coil
- Substitute
- Iron Tail
- Body Press
[SET COMMENTS]
With Coil, Orthworm can act as an excellent progress maker and bulky wincon for its team, leveraging its excellent typing and Ground immunity to set up on foes like Rhydon and Sandaconda. Furthermore, other foes like Hisuian Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Floatzel can often find it difficult to make progress against Orthworm without utilizing Terastallization. Iron Tail and Body Press cover much of the tier together, while Substitute lets Orthworm avoid burn from foes like Mismagius, and Weezing. Substitute also prevents Orthworm from being phazed by Dragon Tail from the likes of Dipplin and protects it from revenge killers like Passimian. Maximum Special Defense investment alongside a Careful nature helps Orthworm better withstand special attacks from foes like Jolteon, Lanturn, and Mismagius. Tera Ghost is used to help find setup opportunities against Fighting-types like Passimian and Virizion.
Coil Orthworm pairs well with fast teammates like Jolteon and Lycanroc, which appreciate its ability to take advantage of common Ground-type foes like Rhydon and Sandslash. Other teammates like Lanturn, Articuno, and Typhlosion appreciate Orthworm's ability to use common checks like Arboliva and Snorlax as setup fodder. Opposing Fire-types can often be a significant struggle for Orthworm, so it appreciates teammates like Qwilfish, Floatzel, and Cramorant to check them; it also appreciates Cramorant's ability to remove entry hazards, allowing it to get on the field as healthy as possible. Without prior boosts, Orthworm can often have a rough time against opposing Fighting-types, so teammates like Whimsicott, Oricorio-G, and Weezing can serve as invaluable support. Since Orthworm relies heavily on its Leftovers for its game plan, it appreciates Knock Off absorbers like Dipplin and Muk. Hazard support from teammates like Mesprit, Sandslash, and Palossand is often greatly appreciated to help weaken Orthworm's checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===============
Orthworm can opt to run a few other Tera types if it desires; Tera Electric allows it to avoid being hit super effectively by any attack, while Tera Poison and Tera Fairy provide a Fighting resistance as well as additional defensive utility in more specific matchups. However, these Tera types introduce weaknesses to wallbreakers like Mesprit and Magneton, which are more common than Ghost-types like Mismagius and Rotom. Lastly, Orthworm can opt to run Rock Slide or Rock Blast to hit opposing Fire-types and Cramorant particularly hard on the switch, but it struggles to fit these over any of its moves without impacting its utility or ability to sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type foes like Hisuian Decidueye, Virizion, and Passimian often force Orthworm to either Terastallize or switch out unless it's already properly set up.
**Fire-types**: Fire-type foes like Typhlosion, Charizard, and Oricorio-F put immense pressure on Orthworm with their STAB attacks. Orthworm also struggles to deal damage against Charizard and Oricorio-F due to them resisting both Iron Tail and Body Press.
**Ghost-types**: Rotom, Palossand, and Sableye are all immune to Body Press and either threaten Orthworm directly with their own moves or threaten status to severely hinder its sweep.
**Burn**: Burn from foes like Charizard, Weezing, and Rotom significantly hinders Orthworm's damage output, neutralizes its Leftovers recovery, and limits its sweeping ability, though it can at least use Substitute to circumvent Will-O-Wisp attempts against slower foes like Weezing.
**Encore and Taunt**: Encore from foes like Mesprit and Whimsicott can disrupt Orthworm in the middle of its setup attempts, as does Taunt from the likes of Mismagius and Oricorio. Taunt also denies its attempts to set entry hazards.
**Item Disruption**: Knock Off from foes like Mesprit, Grafaiai, and Sandslash severely injures Orthworm's longevity due to its reliance on Leftovers, as does Switcheroo from Rotom and Grafaiai.
**Special Attackers**: Orthworm's poor special bulk can often be taken advantage of by foes like Jolteon, Magneton, Vikavolt, and Clawitzer, though some of these Pokemon have to be wary of Body Press on the switch in.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/baitwiz.598623/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
