[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Thunder Punch / Wild Charge
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Punching Glove
ability: Quark Drive
nature: Adamant
evs: 116 Atk / 252 Def / 140 Spe
tera type: Flying
[SET COMMENTS]
- Iron Hands's niche comes from its access to Swords Dance, great invested bulk, and fearsome STAB combination coupled with a high Attack stat that lets it threaten some of the common Pokemon in defensive and balance teams, such as Clodsire, Toxapex, and Corviknight, with a super effective move. It also checks threatening, almost unwallable Pokemon in the metagame, like Kingambit and Chien-Pao. However, Iron Hands is prone to getting revenge killed by common special attackers in the tier like Flutter Mane, Miraidon, Chi-Yu, and even Skeledirge, due to its nonexistant Special Defense stat; furthermore, it's also extremely slow, meaning Iron Hands is pretty much always moving last, making it a deadweight against more offensive teams.
- Wild Charge is an option over Thunder Punch that allows Iron Hands to have favorable chances of 2HKOing Skeledirge in Electric Terrain. However, the damage recoil can be unappetizing.
- Earthquake 2HKOes Clodsire, a Pokemon that would otherwise check Iron Hands. It also cleanly 2HKOes Skeledirge and, in combination with Wild Charge, lets Iron Hands to always KO Skeledirge if Electric Terrain is up.
- The given Defense EVs let Iron Hands always survive a +2 Icicle Crash from Life Orb Chien-Pao. It also has a favorable chance to avoid the 2HKO from a Choice Band-boosted Icicle Crash from Chien-Pao. The Speed EVs allow Iron Hands to outspeed Corviknight.
- Tera Flying turns Iron Hands's Ground-type weakness into an immunity, allowing it to use Pokemon like Iron Treads, Great Tusk, and non-Whirlwind Ting-Lu as setup fodder.
- Leftovers is Iron Hands's only form of passive recovery. Punching Glove is an alternative that lets Iron Hands ignore all contact Items and moves; this means that Toxapex can't poison it with Baneful Bunker and Rocky Helmet Pokemon like Corviknight and the aforementioned Toxapex can't punish its attacks. However, Iron Hands will greatly miss Leftovers's passive recovery, as it will getting worn down very easily without it.
- Iron Hands is good at breaking holes against bulky teams thanks to its stellar offensive typing and access to Swords Dance; it should always be sent into Pokemon like Corviknight and Kingambit and either use Swords Dance to immediately threaten something as they switch out or hit them with a super effective attack. Proper prediction is necessary, however, as Iron Hands can get pivoted around easily.
- Iron Hands is best used on balance teams that are in need for a wallbreaker that can also check Chien-Pao and Kingambit.
- Miraidon is Iron Hands's best teammate, as it sets Electric Terrain, allowing for Iron Hands to better break the bulky teams its supposed to. It also can bring Iron Hands safely to the field with U-turn and check the physical walls that annoy Iron Hands, like Encore Scream Tail. Iron Hands in return deals with Pokemon like Iron Treads, Ting-Lu, and Blissey for Miraidon.
- Pokemon that can check Koraidon, such as Great Tusk and Toxapex, also make for good partners, as Koraidon defeats Iron Hands one-on-one and is a threat for the teams Iron Hands is usually on.
- Entry hazard control is also recommended, as Iron Hands can't do a good job at checking Pokemon it's supposed to, like Chien-Pao and Kingambit, with Stealth Rock or Spikes up on the field. As such, spinners like Great Tusk and Iron Treads, as well as Magic Bounce Pokemon like Hatterene, make for excellent partners.
- Specially defensive walls, such as Ting-Lu and Clodsire, are recommended, as they can set Spikes for Iron Hands and check Pokemon like Miraidon and, in Clodsire's case, Flutter Mane.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[corvere, 306317]]
- Quality checked by: [[Takatk, 595062], [Lasen, 273339]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Astra, 240732]]
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