[overview]
**Draft order**:Round 2
**Price range**: 15-16 points
**Overview:** Iron Boulder is one of the premier cleaners in the game with a blazing base 124 Speed and a strong base 120 Attack. When using Booster Energy, it becomes almost impossible to revenge kill and excels at cleaning up weakened teams. Because of its unique typing and access to Earthquake, Iron Boulder can hit every Pokemon for at least neutral damage, making it one of the hardest Pokemon to wall in the format. It can be held back by its weak physical defense as well as its reliance on Booster Energy for Speed, and if it's forced out, it becomes much more difficult to sweep, so planning around these is a must if you plan on drafting it.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup sweeper**: Iron Boulder excels at coming in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon with Booster Energy, and with one Swords Dance, it can dismantle teams that have been weakened by entry hazards or its teammates. With its above average Special Defense, it can also live a hit in a pinch to make sure it gets a Swords Dance off.
**Wallbreaker**: Iron Boulder can utilize items other than Booster Energy like Choice Band or Life Orb to take advantage of its already great Speed to dish out more immediate damage. Some of these sets can still run Swords Dance, but they trade the sweeping potential of Booster Energy for more immediate damage.
**Late-game cleaner**: This role is very similar to being a setup sweeper but may or may not carry Swords Dance. When Iron Boulder is being utilized in this role, it is often expecting its checks to be softened up before it comes in, so you may opt to run an extra coverage move over Swords Dance.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Mighty Cleave, Zen Headbutt, Psycho Cut
**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Substitute, Agility
**Utility moves**: Taunt
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Earthquake, Megahorn, Sacred Sword, Wild Charge, Iron Head, Poison Jab, Throat Chop, X-Scissor
Niche Moves
========
**Brick Break**: Brick Break is not recommended, but if you are very afraid of dual screens, it could be an option, especially if you lack any other way to break through dual screens.
**Facade**: Facade is useful if your opponent's main counterplay to Iron Boulder is with status. This move can catch them by surprise and break through would-be checks.
**Rock Blast**: Rock Blast is useful when facing Multiscale users like Dragonite, breaking through Multiscale and picking up a KO.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack can be useful in select cases where priority is mandatory but is generally outclassed by running more powerful coverage moves.
Common Items
========
**Booster Energy**: Iron Boulder is one of the best Pokemon to take advantage of Booster Energy. Boosting an already top-tier base 124 Speed makes Iron Boulder almost impossible to revenge kill, enabling it to revenge kill foes and force switches, which allows it to set up and sweep opposing teams.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is primarily used when extra speed is unnecessary, and Iron Boulder is instead trying to dish out as much damage as possible as fast as possible.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is almost never worth it over Booster Energy, but if you expect to be switching a lot, it can be useful.
**Assault Vest**: While Iron Boulder is not used defensively, Assault Vest can help it live a number of hits, thanks to it naturally high Special Defense. It is especially useful if you are already not using setup moves.
**Life Orb / Expert Belt**: Damage-boosting items like Life Orb and Expert Belt are useful when you want to get more damage out of Iron Boulder without being Choice-locked into a move.
**Power Herb**: Power Herb can be used in conjunction with Solar Blade to pick off bulky Water- and Ground-type Pokemon that commonly switch into Iron Boulder's attacks.
Tera
========
This Pokemon should almost always be your Tera Captain when it is allowed. While Iron Boulder has a good offensive typing, it lacks tremendously in Defense. Tera not only allows Iron Boulder to live the hits required to get set up, but it can also help give coverage moves the power they need to match up against bulkier Pokemon.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Boulder should be a Pokemon you are building around, supporting it to switch in without taking damage and wearing down foes to allow it to sweep late-game.
**Wallbreakers**: While Iron Boulder has respectable base stats, it can struggle to break through teams without a Swords Dance boost, so having a strong wallbreaker to pair it with can reduce reliance on Swords Dance and make it easier to clean up late-game.
**Entry hazards**: Iron Boulder likes strong hazard support, although it likes it more than most. Similar to strong wallbreakers, good hazard support can damage foes enough for Iron Boulder to pick up clean KOs late-game.
**Entry hazard removal**: In many games, Iron Boulder will need to take at least one or two hits to put itself in a winning position, and since it really does not want to be holding Heavy-Duty Boots, hazard removal is vital in ensuring you have the health to set up properly.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Steel-types**: Pokemon like Corviknight and Gholdengo can be difficult to hit super effectively, meaning more setup is required to sweep. Usually, you can run coverage moves for these Pokemon, but without Tera or a Swords Dance boost, these Pokemon can live a hit and phaze you out or deal enough damage to stop your sweep.
**Unaware Pokemon**: Like for many setup sweepers, Unaware is a major issue for Iron Boulder. A base 120 Attack is rarely strong enough on its own to break though an Unaware wall, and you will need to cleverly prepare or have teammates to get Unaware Pokemon out of the way for Iron Boulder.
**Speed control/priority users**: Since Iron Boulder relies on outspeeding opposing Pokemon to avoid taking damage, teams with good speed control can give it problems. Even though Iron Boulder is one of the fastest Pokemon available, there are enough Pokemon faster than it, such as Darkrai, Weavile, and Hisuian Electrode, and it is not unreasonable for an opponent to have a Pokemon that can outspeed Iron Boulder at +1. Sticky Web can also hinder Iron Boulder and even cause it to not have Booster Energy boost Speed but instead Attack. Priority attacks can be an issue for the same reasons, especially Palafin-H's Jet Punch and users of Bullet Punch .
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/termnal.404799/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pzz.472700/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft order**:Round 2
**Price range**: 15-16 points
**Overview:** Iron Boulder is one of the premier cleaners in the game with a blazing base 124 Speed and a strong base 120 Attack. When using Booster Energy, it becomes almost impossible to revenge kill and excels at cleaning up weakened teams. Because of its unique typing and access to Earthquake, Iron Boulder can hit every Pokemon for at least neutral damage, making it one of the hardest Pokemon to wall in the format. It can be held back by its weak physical defense as well as its reliance on Booster Energy for Speed, and if it's forced out, it becomes much more difficult to sweep, so planning around these is a must if you plan on drafting it.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup sweeper**: Iron Boulder excels at coming in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon with Booster Energy, and with one Swords Dance, it can dismantle teams that have been weakened by entry hazards or its teammates. With its above average Special Defense, it can also live a hit in a pinch to make sure it gets a Swords Dance off.
**Wallbreaker**: Iron Boulder can utilize items other than Booster Energy like Choice Band or Life Orb to take advantage of its already great Speed to dish out more immediate damage. Some of these sets can still run Swords Dance, but they trade the sweeping potential of Booster Energy for more immediate damage.
**Late-game cleaner**: This role is very similar to being a setup sweeper but may or may not carry Swords Dance. When Iron Boulder is being utilized in this role, it is often expecting its checks to be softened up before it comes in, so you may opt to run an extra coverage move over Swords Dance.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Mighty Cleave, Zen Headbutt, Psycho Cut
**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Substitute, Agility
**Utility moves**: Taunt
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Earthquake, Megahorn, Sacred Sword, Wild Charge, Iron Head, Poison Jab, Throat Chop, X-Scissor
Niche Moves
========
**Brick Break**: Brick Break is not recommended, but if you are very afraid of dual screens, it could be an option, especially if you lack any other way to break through dual screens.
**Facade**: Facade is useful if your opponent's main counterplay to Iron Boulder is with status. This move can catch them by surprise and break through would-be checks.
**Rock Blast**: Rock Blast is useful when facing Multiscale users like Dragonite, breaking through Multiscale and picking up a KO.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack can be useful in select cases where priority is mandatory but is generally outclassed by running more powerful coverage moves.
Common Items
========
**Booster Energy**: Iron Boulder is one of the best Pokemon to take advantage of Booster Energy. Boosting an already top-tier base 124 Speed makes Iron Boulder almost impossible to revenge kill, enabling it to revenge kill foes and force switches, which allows it to set up and sweep opposing teams.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is primarily used when extra speed is unnecessary, and Iron Boulder is instead trying to dish out as much damage as possible as fast as possible.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is almost never worth it over Booster Energy, but if you expect to be switching a lot, it can be useful.
**Assault Vest**: While Iron Boulder is not used defensively, Assault Vest can help it live a number of hits, thanks to it naturally high Special Defense. It is especially useful if you are already not using setup moves.
**Life Orb / Expert Belt**: Damage-boosting items like Life Orb and Expert Belt are useful when you want to get more damage out of Iron Boulder without being Choice-locked into a move.
**Power Herb**: Power Herb can be used in conjunction with Solar Blade to pick off bulky Water- and Ground-type Pokemon that commonly switch into Iron Boulder's attacks.
Tera
========
This Pokemon should almost always be your Tera Captain when it is allowed. While Iron Boulder has a good offensive typing, it lacks tremendously in Defense. Tera not only allows Iron Boulder to live the hits required to get set up, but it can also help give coverage moves the power they need to match up against bulkier Pokemon.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Boulder should be a Pokemon you are building around, supporting it to switch in without taking damage and wearing down foes to allow it to sweep late-game.
**Wallbreakers**: While Iron Boulder has respectable base stats, it can struggle to break through teams without a Swords Dance boost, so having a strong wallbreaker to pair it with can reduce reliance on Swords Dance and make it easier to clean up late-game.
**Entry hazards**: Iron Boulder likes strong hazard support, although it likes it more than most. Similar to strong wallbreakers, good hazard support can damage foes enough for Iron Boulder to pick up clean KOs late-game.
**Entry hazard removal**: In many games, Iron Boulder will need to take at least one or two hits to put itself in a winning position, and since it really does not want to be holding Heavy-Duty Boots, hazard removal is vital in ensuring you have the health to set up properly.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Steel-types**: Pokemon like Corviknight and Gholdengo can be difficult to hit super effectively, meaning more setup is required to sweep. Usually, you can run coverage moves for these Pokemon, but without Tera or a Swords Dance boost, these Pokemon can live a hit and phaze you out or deal enough damage to stop your sweep.
**Unaware Pokemon**: Like for many setup sweepers, Unaware is a major issue for Iron Boulder. A base 120 Attack is rarely strong enough on its own to break though an Unaware wall, and you will need to cleverly prepare or have teammates to get Unaware Pokemon out of the way for Iron Boulder.
**Speed control/priority users**: Since Iron Boulder relies on outspeeding opposing Pokemon to avoid taking damage, teams with good speed control can give it problems. Even though Iron Boulder is one of the fastest Pokemon available, there are enough Pokemon faster than it, such as Darkrai, Weavile, and Hisuian Electrode, and it is not unreasonable for an opponent to have a Pokemon that can outspeed Iron Boulder at +1. Sticky Web can also hinder Iron Boulder and even cause it to not have Booster Energy boost Speed but instead Attack. Priority attacks can be an issue for the same reasons, especially Palafin-H's Jet Punch and users of Bullet Punch .
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/termnal.404799/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pzz.472700/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited:
