Burmy ain't got nothing on me.
[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Forretress has great overall utility thanks to Rapid Spin and entry hazards.</li>
<li>It has access to most forms of entry hazards: Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes.</li>
<li>Bug/Steel is a great defensive typing, having only one weakness to the Fire-type and a lot of useful resistances.</li>
<li>It possesses a very high Defense stat.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>It has very poor Special Defense and is extremely slow.</li>
<li>It is 4x weak to the Fire-type.</li>
<li>Unfortunately, it lacks reliable recovery, making it easy to wear to down.</li>
<li>Its lack of an offensive presence makes it helpless against many offensive Pokemon, making it easy set up fodder.</p>
<li>Defog makes it harder for Forretress to keep entry hazards on the field.</li>
<li>Forretress is extremely vulnerable to Taunt.</li>
<li>It can't beat any of the common OU spinblockers, especially Aegislash.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Rapid Spin<br />
move 1: Rapid Spin<br />
move 2: Stealth Rock / Spikes<br />
move 3: Earthquake / Volt Switch<br />
move 4: Gyro Ball / Volt Switch<br />
ability: Sturdy<br />
item: Leftovers<br />
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD<br />
ivs: 0 Spe<br />
nature: Relaxed</p>
<p>Forretress brings a lot of utility to the table in the form of entry hazards, defensive support, and most importantly: Rapid Spin. With these very important traits, Forretress can function as a great addition to a variety of teams that need all of the mentioned support without the need of multiple Pokemon, which is huge. Keep in mind that Forretress should really only be used on teams for its ability to Rapid Spin on top of laying entry hazards, or else otherwise Steel-types such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn heavily outclass it. Stealth Rock is currently the preferred entry hazard of choice because of the lack of Pokemon that get the move, while there are plenty of Spikes users out there that can do an all-around better job than Forretress. Spikes is still an option if you already have something on your team with Stealth Rock. Earthquake is the best option for the third moveslot to keep Aegislash and Excadrill from setting up all over Forretress, while also dealing heavy damage to predicted Magnezone switch-ins before it tries to trap Forretress. Volt Switch is still an option because it allows for Forretress to act as a defensive pivot and gain momentum on predicted switch-ins, while also escaping the clutches of Magnezone and Gothitelle. Gyro Ball gives Forretress some form of offensive presence to keep sweepers from setting up all over it, while also hitting Fairy-types like Sylveon, Florges, and Togekiss hard.</p>
<p>A Relaxed nature and 0 Speed IVs are used to obtain the maximum amount of damage possible with Gyro Ball. If Gyro Ball is not chosen, then an Impish nature is a fine alternative. If for some reason Spikes and Stealth Rock just aren't enough, Toxic Spikes can be used if your team is more stall oriented, but with the massive amount of Pokemon in OU that don't really mind them, Forretress is better off just running Spikes or Stealth Rock. Sadly, Forretress has a terrible offensive movepool, so there aren't many other viable options to choose from. Hidden Power Ice is an option to keep Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence from setting up, but with Hidden Power's recent nerf, it only hits them slightly harder than Gyro Ball, and it really isn't worth it anymore. In order for Forretress to shine, it needs a lot of team support, which is why it appreciates Pokemon that can beat spinblockers, Rapid Spinners, and sweepers that would normally try to take advantage of Forretress. Tyranitar and Weavile are very powerful Dark-types that can OHKO a majority of the Ghost-types in the tier with their respective Dark-type move. Bulky Water-types such as Rotom-W can deal with the Fire-type Pokemon that threaten Forretress, as well as get Forretress in safely with Volt Switch. Choice Scarf Garchomp and Salamence are useful because they can come into sweepers that might attempt to set up on Forretress after it has Volt Switched into them. Forretress has a tendency to lure Fire-type moves, so Chandelure is a great partner for its ability to soak up these attacks with its Flash Fire ability.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Forretress really isn't all that threatening, so it's mostly just a matter of getting rid of it quickly before it sets up too many hazards or Rapid Spins. Fire-types are the bane of Forretress's existence, as they can either set up all over it or just OHKO it with any Fire-type move. Volcarona and Talonflame are among the many Fire-types in OU that just completely maul Forretress, and it can't really do anything about it. Magnezone can trap Forretress and KO it before it can do anything back. Because of Forretress's lack of offensive presence, pretty much every spinblocker is successful at keeping it from spinning; Trevanent, Gourgeist, and Gengar are just a few examples. Aegislash not only spinblocks it, but also sets up all over Forretress if it lacks Earthquake. Powerful special attackers such as Starmie, Goodra, Greninja, and Rotom-W can take advantage of Forretress's poor special bulk. Many set up sweepers can set up against Forretress, such as Mega Garchomp, Zygarde, Dragonite, and Talonflame. To top it all off, Forretress is completely shutdown by Taunt, so pretty much anything with Taunt can keep Forretress from setting up hazards.</p>
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