[SET]
name: Iron Defense
move 1: Iron Defense
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Heavy Slam / Substitute
item: Leftovers
tera type: Steel / Fire / Fairy
ability: Dauntless Shield
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Spe OR 252 Atk / 88 Def / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Iron Defense Zamazenta is a fast sweeper for offense that also happens to blanket check most of the physical metagame with great matchups into key threats such as Kingambit, Great Tusk, and Weavile. It acts as a strong form of role compression that can make use of its great bulk, a Defense boost from Dauntless Shield, and its high Speed stat to find opportunities to use Iron Defense to not only bolster its survivability but also strengthen the power of its Body Press. Crunch is a necessity to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types like Gholdengo, Skeledirge, and Galarian Slowking that aren't threatened by Body Press, while its last moveslot is more flexible; Heavy Slam gives Zamazenta super effective coverage into Fairy-types that otherwise would wall it such as Clefable, Enamorus, and Iron Valiant, while Substitute allows Zamazenta to dodge status moves from the likes of Gliscor, Galarian Slowking, and Toxapex along with helping to block revenge killing attempts from faster Pokemon such as Booster Energy Iron Valiant and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. Stone Edge is an alternative that gives Zamazenta a non-contact option to hit Volcarona and Zapdos while still giving it coverage to hit Enamorus, at the expense of losing its ability to hit other Fairy-types and the benefit of Substitute's status and revenge killing protection. 168 EVs in Speed allow Zamazenta to outrun Adamant Dragonite after a Dragon Dance while also outrunning key threats like Weavile and Darkrai. Zamazenta can then choose to invest EVs into HP for better overall bulk or into Attack for stronger coverage moves; notably, maximum HP investment ensures that Zamazenta will survive Choice Scarf Enamorus's Moonblast from full while also avoiding a 2HKO from Clefable. Choosing to maximize Attack gives Zamazenta a clean 2HKO on offensive Gholdengo with Crunch and on both Clefable and Hatterene with Heavy Slam. The remaining EVs are invested in Defense to improve Zamazenta's bulk and give it a stronger Body Press. Tera Steel is one of Zamazenta's best options, defensively flipping the matchup into Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-type attacks from foes like Enamorus, Galarian Slowking, Deoxys-S, and Dragon Dance Roaring Moon while also powering up Heavy Slam to OHKO both Enamorus and Iron Valiant even without Attack investment. Tera Steel also gives Zamazenta a crucial immunity to Toxic from Gliscor and Toxapex. Tera Fire serves to grant Zamazenta a key Fairy resistance without making it weak to Fighting-type moves from Iron Valiant, but the primary draw of this Tera type is an immunity to burn, a particularly important quality against Dragapult and Skeledirge, the former of which being able to burn even Substitute variants of Zamazenta with Infiltrator. Tera Fairy is another solid defensive typing for Zamazenta, granting it a great defensive profile that includes a resistance to Fighting-type attacks that helps out immensely in the Iron Defense mirror matchup against both Zamazenta and Skarmory, as well as an immunity to Dragapult's Draco Meteor and a retained resistance to Dark-type attacks that allows you to still check Weavile and Roaring Moon; Tera Ghost is an option that leans even heavier into beating opposing Iron Defense users at the expense of granting little defensive value.
Zamazenta is a great fit on both bulky offense and hyper offense teams that need a fast offensive piece with good matchups into the tier's physical threats, in particular providing a crucial Kingambit check to a team. However, to be able to fully leverage its defensive value, it appreciates entry hazard removal to allow it to switch in without taking chip damage on entry and potentially being neutered entirely by Toxic Spikes. Hatterene is a particularly good partner in this regard, as it not only blocks entry hazards but can also be used to weaken shared checks like Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Skeledirge, and Great Tusk can clear hazards from the field along with helping to wear down Gliscor and force in and chip down Gholdengo attempting to block Rapid Spin. Rillaboom also serves as a great pairing that helps to bolster Zamazenta's longevity, with the additional healing from Grassy Terrain making Zamazenta much more difficult to remove from the field. Zamazenta's ability to check the tier's offensive Dark-types is also a valuable quality for hyper offense teams that opt to run a hazard lead like Glimmora or Deoxys-S, as these builds often use Gholdengo to block hazard removal; this will often give threats like Kingambit, Weavile, and Hisuian Samurott free attacks that necessitate an offensive switch-in that Zamazenta provides. Zamazenta is then able to take advantage of these Pokemon by using them as setup fodder. Gholdengo itself is a strong partner to Zamazenta, able to switch into Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from Enamorus, Iron Valiant, and Hatterene while also taking advantage of Zamazenta's defensive checks like Galarian Slowking and Clefable being unable to touch it. Zamazenta's relatively low wallbreaking power unfortunately leaves it struggling to muscle through Unaware walls like Dondozo, Skeledirge, and Clodsire, while its inability to boost the strength of its coverage moves makes bulkier Pokemon that don't fear Body Press like defensive Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking hard to break through; Zamazenta matches up best into opposing offense teams, and so balance breakers and stallbreakers are appreciated to support it in its other matchups. One strong offensive pairing with Zamazenta is Dragon Dance Roaring Moon, as it can weaken Skarmory and remove its Rocky Helmet to allow Zamazenta to later break through it. In particular, Roaring Moon's ability to chunk Dondozo and force it to take hazard damage with Knock Off is much appreciated to help Zamazenta make progress against it. Kingambit is another excellent teammate for Zamazenta, loading well into bulkier teams and heavily pressuring Dondozo while also being able to switch into Dragapult, Gholdengo and Hatterene that may come in to force Zamazenta out. A great partner to Zamazenta on hyper offensive teams is Booster Energy Iron Valiant, able to weaken shared checks like Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Skeledirge for Zamazenta to later break through. Iron Valiant also provides hyper offensive teams with a temporary form of speed control that can outrun Dragapult and Deoxys-S, both of which outspeed and can threaten Zamazenta with strong special attacks, or, in Dragapult's case, debilitating status with Will-O-Wisp.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kd458.633798/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/royalfluxh.493260/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
name: Iron Defense
move 1: Iron Defense
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Heavy Slam / Substitute
item: Leftovers
tera type: Steel / Fire / Fairy
ability: Dauntless Shield
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Spe OR 252 Atk / 88 Def / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Iron Defense Zamazenta is a fast sweeper for offense that also happens to blanket check most of the physical metagame with great matchups into key threats such as Kingambit, Great Tusk, and Weavile. It acts as a strong form of role compression that can make use of its great bulk, a Defense boost from Dauntless Shield, and its high Speed stat to find opportunities to use Iron Defense to not only bolster its survivability but also strengthen the power of its Body Press. Crunch is a necessity to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types like Gholdengo, Skeledirge, and Galarian Slowking that aren't threatened by Body Press, while its last moveslot is more flexible; Heavy Slam gives Zamazenta super effective coverage into Fairy-types that otherwise would wall it such as Clefable, Enamorus, and Iron Valiant, while Substitute allows Zamazenta to dodge status moves from the likes of Gliscor, Galarian Slowking, and Toxapex along with helping to block revenge killing attempts from faster Pokemon such as Booster Energy Iron Valiant and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. Stone Edge is an alternative that gives Zamazenta a non-contact option to hit Volcarona and Zapdos while still giving it coverage to hit Enamorus, at the expense of losing its ability to hit other Fairy-types and the benefit of Substitute's status and revenge killing protection. 168 EVs in Speed allow Zamazenta to outrun Adamant Dragonite after a Dragon Dance while also outrunning key threats like Weavile and Darkrai. Zamazenta can then choose to invest EVs into HP for better overall bulk or into Attack for stronger coverage moves; notably, maximum HP investment ensures that Zamazenta will survive Choice Scarf Enamorus's Moonblast from full while also avoiding a 2HKO from Clefable. Choosing to maximize Attack gives Zamazenta a clean 2HKO on offensive Gholdengo with Crunch and on both Clefable and Hatterene with Heavy Slam. The remaining EVs are invested in Defense to improve Zamazenta's bulk and give it a stronger Body Press. Tera Steel is one of Zamazenta's best options, defensively flipping the matchup into Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-type attacks from foes like Enamorus, Galarian Slowking, Deoxys-S, and Dragon Dance Roaring Moon while also powering up Heavy Slam to OHKO both Enamorus and Iron Valiant even without Attack investment. Tera Steel also gives Zamazenta a crucial immunity to Toxic from Gliscor and Toxapex. Tera Fire serves to grant Zamazenta a key Fairy resistance without making it weak to Fighting-type moves from Iron Valiant, but the primary draw of this Tera type is an immunity to burn, a particularly important quality against Dragapult and Skeledirge, the former of which being able to burn even Substitute variants of Zamazenta with Infiltrator. Tera Fairy is another solid defensive typing for Zamazenta, granting it a great defensive profile that includes a resistance to Fighting-type attacks that helps out immensely in the Iron Defense mirror matchup against both Zamazenta and Skarmory, as well as an immunity to Dragapult's Draco Meteor and a retained resistance to Dark-type attacks that allows you to still check Weavile and Roaring Moon; Tera Ghost is an option that leans even heavier into beating opposing Iron Defense users at the expense of granting little defensive value.
Zamazenta is a great fit on both bulky offense and hyper offense teams that need a fast offensive piece with good matchups into the tier's physical threats, in particular providing a crucial Kingambit check to a team. However, to be able to fully leverage its defensive value, it appreciates entry hazard removal to allow it to switch in without taking chip damage on entry and potentially being neutered entirely by Toxic Spikes. Hatterene is a particularly good partner in this regard, as it not only blocks entry hazards but can also be used to weaken shared checks like Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Skeledirge, and Great Tusk can clear hazards from the field along with helping to wear down Gliscor and force in and chip down Gholdengo attempting to block Rapid Spin. Rillaboom also serves as a great pairing that helps to bolster Zamazenta's longevity, with the additional healing from Grassy Terrain making Zamazenta much more difficult to remove from the field. Zamazenta's ability to check the tier's offensive Dark-types is also a valuable quality for hyper offense teams that opt to run a hazard lead like Glimmora or Deoxys-S, as these builds often use Gholdengo to block hazard removal; this will often give threats like Kingambit, Weavile, and Hisuian Samurott free attacks that necessitate an offensive switch-in that Zamazenta provides. Zamazenta is then able to take advantage of these Pokemon by using them as setup fodder. Gholdengo itself is a strong partner to Zamazenta, able to switch into Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from Enamorus, Iron Valiant, and Hatterene while also taking advantage of Zamazenta's defensive checks like Galarian Slowking and Clefable being unable to touch it. Zamazenta's relatively low wallbreaking power unfortunately leaves it struggling to muscle through Unaware walls like Dondozo, Skeledirge, and Clodsire, while its inability to boost the strength of its coverage moves makes bulkier Pokemon that don't fear Body Press like defensive Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking hard to break through; Zamazenta matches up best into opposing offense teams, and so balance breakers and stallbreakers are appreciated to support it in its other matchups. One strong offensive pairing with Zamazenta is Dragon Dance Roaring Moon, as it can weaken Skarmory and remove its Rocky Helmet to allow Zamazenta to later break through it. In particular, Roaring Moon's ability to chunk Dondozo and force it to take hazard damage with Knock Off is much appreciated to help Zamazenta make progress against it. Kingambit is another excellent teammate for Zamazenta, loading well into bulkier teams and heavily pressuring Dondozo while also being able to switch into Dragapult, Gholdengo and Hatterene that may come in to force Zamazenta out. A great partner to Zamazenta on hyper offensive teams is Booster Energy Iron Valiant, able to weaken shared checks like Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Skeledirge for Zamazenta to later break through. Iron Valiant also provides hyper offensive teams with a temporary form of speed control that can outrun Dragapult and Deoxys-S, both of which outspeed and can threaten Zamazenta with strong special attacks, or, in Dragapult's case, debilitating status with Will-O-Wisp.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kd458.633798/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/royalfluxh.493260/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
