[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-11 points
**Overview**: Iron Jugulis has a solid Speed tier, access to Speed Booster Energy, a good typing, strong Flying STAB moves, and solid offensive coverage, making it a great cleaner. While its offensive versatility allows it to fulfill other roles if necessary, it tends to lack consistency and raw power. On top of that, it can be difficult to justify drafting a Pokemon that is primarily used as an endgame cleaner when most stronger Pokemon can also fulfill a cleaner role while benefitting the draft in other ways. Iron Jugulis is good at what it does, but many other Pokemon can also do its job equally well or better. These flaws keep it around the middle of the draft board, and it doesn't find itself drafted very often. On the bright side, Terastallization significantly helps Iron Jugulis and can turn it into a legitimate threat, giving it the consistency and power it craves, but the opportunity cost of Terastallizing it prevents it from being a popular pick.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Booster Energy Cleaner**: Paired with Speed Booster Energy, Iron Jugulis outpaces the entire unboosted metagame and can sweep a weakened team with its strong STAB and coverage options. These sets may also utilize Taunt to deny recovery for foes not quite in KO range of Iron Jugulis's attacks.
**Wallbreaker**: By using a damage-boosting item and usually Tera Flying, Iron Jugulis can unleash very powerful Hurricanes to break through opposing walls with sheer power. These sets have their true damage potential limited by Hurricane's inconsistency, but Iron Jugulis has solid, accurate coverage options it can use if needed.
**Offensive Pivot**: Leveraging its good defensive typing and Speed, Iron Jugulis can find several opportunities to enter the field during battle and gain momentum with U-turn. These sets usually run Heavy-Duty Boots and can also make use of Knock Off and Taunt to disrupt defensive Pokemon. Alternatively, these sets can run Choice Scarf to act as solid speed control.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Hurricane, Air Slash, Dark Pulse
**Setup Moves**: Meteor Beam
**Utility Moves**: Knock Off, U-turn, Roar, Taunt, Dragon Tail
**Coverage**: Dragon Pulse, Earth Power, Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Heat Wave, Hydro Pump, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Acrobatics**: While Iron Jugulis's Attack isn't very high, on Booster Energy sets, Acrobatics can sometimes be strong enough to be worth using as an accurate Flying STAB move without committing to Tera Flying Tera Blast.
**Charge Beam**: Charge Beam is one of the few options Iron Jugulis has to boost its Special Attack, so it can be used as an option to increase Iron Jugulis's damage output, particularly on Tera Electric sets.
**Work Up**: Work Up can be used as a reliable means to increase Iron Jugulis's Special Attack, but it's rare that its relatively limited damage output increase is advantageous compared to using a damage-boosting item.
Common Items
========
**Booster Energy**: Booster Energy is almost always used for the Speed boost, giving Iron Jugulis the capability to sweep late-game.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: As Iron Jugulis is naturally weak to Stealth Rock, Heavy-Duty Boots is often useful to negate Stealth Rock's chip damage.
**Damage-boosting Items**: If Iron Jugulis wants to act as a wallbreaker, it can use items like Choice Specs, Life Orb, and Expert Belt to increase its damage output.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: While Speed Booster Energy is usually preferred, Choice Scarf is better on Iron Jugulis sets that want to switch in multiple times in battle for more consistent speed control.
**Power Herb**: Power Herb is used in combination with Meteor Beam to give Iron Jugulis a way to boost its Special Attack while maintaining its damage output.
**Resistance Berries**: Iron Jugulis's passable bulk and decent coverage allow it to occasionally act as a lure with a resistance Berry.
Tera
========
Iron Jugulis is typically drafted as a secondary Tera Captain, and it makes for a solid one. It normally uses a Tera type like Tera Fire, Steel, or Ground to boost one of its coverage moves, but it can also opt for basically any Type type depending on the matchup. It can opt for Tera Flying or Dark to boost its regular STAB attacks, or it can choose from Tera types such as Tera Electric and Fairy to gain coverage it normally does not have access to. The main downside of making Iron Jugulis a Tera Captain is opportunity cost. It is heavily elevated by Tera, but matchups where Iron Jugulis is a better choice to Terastallize in battle than the primary Tera Captain are few and far between.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Jugulis is usually found on more offensive teams for its Speed tier and sweeping potential, but it does not provide much utility to a draft and isn't that strong without a damage-boosting item, so it requires a lot of support from its teammates. With that said, it is typically only drafted when its needed support options happen to already be fulfilled on the draft.
**Entry Hazard Setters / Control**: Iron Jugulis excels at sweeping a weakened team, and entry hazard support from Pokemon like Garchomp, Gliscor, and Glimmora makes it much easier to achieve this in battle. On the other hand, Iron Jugulis appreciates hazard removal from Pokemon like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Donphan, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and likes to use items besides Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Iron Jugulis struggles with specially bulky Pokemon, so it needs the support of a physical wallbreaker such as Palafin, Scizor, or Iron Hands to pressure and break through special walls.
**Knock Off Users**: Entry hazards greatly enable Iron Jugulis, but Heavy-Duty Boots can negate their impact. Iron Jugulis can use Knock Off itself, but it appreciates Knock Off support from Pokemon like Ogerpon, Tinkaton, and Galarian Zapdos to remove foes' Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Alternate Speed Control**: Iron Jugulis's Speed is good, but it's not great, so it fails to majorly contest the boosted metagame. It should be on teams that include a faster Pokemon such as Sneasler, Deoxys-S, or Cinderace so Iron Jugulis isn't solely relied on for speed control.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Choice Scarf Users**: Iron Jugulis unfortunately does not have a premier Speed tier, leaving it prone to being revenge killed by a faster Choice Scarf user such as Darkrai, Meowscarada, or Greninja when running its Speed Booster Energy sets.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Iron Jugulis isn't really strong enough to break through specially defensive walls like Ting-Lu, Clefable, and Empoleon on its own, especially since it often doesn't use a damage-boosting item. Without a super effective Tera type, Iron Jugulis can struggle to find 2HKOs.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-11 points
**Overview**: Iron Jugulis has a solid Speed tier, access to Speed Booster Energy, a good typing, strong Flying STAB moves, and solid offensive coverage, making it a great cleaner. While its offensive versatility allows it to fulfill other roles if necessary, it tends to lack consistency and raw power. On top of that, it can be difficult to justify drafting a Pokemon that is primarily used as an endgame cleaner when most stronger Pokemon can also fulfill a cleaner role while benefitting the draft in other ways. Iron Jugulis is good at what it does, but many other Pokemon can also do its job equally well or better. These flaws keep it around the middle of the draft board, and it doesn't find itself drafted very often. On the bright side, Terastallization significantly helps Iron Jugulis and can turn it into a legitimate threat, giving it the consistency and power it craves, but the opportunity cost of Terastallizing it prevents it from being a popular pick.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Booster Energy Cleaner**: Paired with Speed Booster Energy, Iron Jugulis outpaces the entire unboosted metagame and can sweep a weakened team with its strong STAB and coverage options. These sets may also utilize Taunt to deny recovery for foes not quite in KO range of Iron Jugulis's attacks.
**Wallbreaker**: By using a damage-boosting item and usually Tera Flying, Iron Jugulis can unleash very powerful Hurricanes to break through opposing walls with sheer power. These sets have their true damage potential limited by Hurricane's inconsistency, but Iron Jugulis has solid, accurate coverage options it can use if needed.
**Offensive Pivot**: Leveraging its good defensive typing and Speed, Iron Jugulis can find several opportunities to enter the field during battle and gain momentum with U-turn. These sets usually run Heavy-Duty Boots and can also make use of Knock Off and Taunt to disrupt defensive Pokemon. Alternatively, these sets can run Choice Scarf to act as solid speed control.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Hurricane, Air Slash, Dark Pulse
**Setup Moves**: Meteor Beam
**Utility Moves**: Knock Off, U-turn, Roar, Taunt, Dragon Tail
**Coverage**: Dragon Pulse, Earth Power, Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Heat Wave, Hydro Pump, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Acrobatics**: While Iron Jugulis's Attack isn't very high, on Booster Energy sets, Acrobatics can sometimes be strong enough to be worth using as an accurate Flying STAB move without committing to Tera Flying Tera Blast.
**Charge Beam**: Charge Beam is one of the few options Iron Jugulis has to boost its Special Attack, so it can be used as an option to increase Iron Jugulis's damage output, particularly on Tera Electric sets.
**Work Up**: Work Up can be used as a reliable means to increase Iron Jugulis's Special Attack, but it's rare that its relatively limited damage output increase is advantageous compared to using a damage-boosting item.
Common Items
========
**Booster Energy**: Booster Energy is almost always used for the Speed boost, giving Iron Jugulis the capability to sweep late-game.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: As Iron Jugulis is naturally weak to Stealth Rock, Heavy-Duty Boots is often useful to negate Stealth Rock's chip damage.
**Damage-boosting Items**: If Iron Jugulis wants to act as a wallbreaker, it can use items like Choice Specs, Life Orb, and Expert Belt to increase its damage output.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: While Speed Booster Energy is usually preferred, Choice Scarf is better on Iron Jugulis sets that want to switch in multiple times in battle for more consistent speed control.
**Power Herb**: Power Herb is used in combination with Meteor Beam to give Iron Jugulis a way to boost its Special Attack while maintaining its damage output.
**Resistance Berries**: Iron Jugulis's passable bulk and decent coverage allow it to occasionally act as a lure with a resistance Berry.
Tera
========
Iron Jugulis is typically drafted as a secondary Tera Captain, and it makes for a solid one. It normally uses a Tera type like Tera Fire, Steel, or Ground to boost one of its coverage moves, but it can also opt for basically any Type type depending on the matchup. It can opt for Tera Flying or Dark to boost its regular STAB attacks, or it can choose from Tera types such as Tera Electric and Fairy to gain coverage it normally does not have access to. The main downside of making Iron Jugulis a Tera Captain is opportunity cost. It is heavily elevated by Tera, but matchups where Iron Jugulis is a better choice to Terastallize in battle than the primary Tera Captain are few and far between.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Jugulis is usually found on more offensive teams for its Speed tier and sweeping potential, but it does not provide much utility to a draft and isn't that strong without a damage-boosting item, so it requires a lot of support from its teammates. With that said, it is typically only drafted when its needed support options happen to already be fulfilled on the draft.
**Entry Hazard Setters / Control**: Iron Jugulis excels at sweeping a weakened team, and entry hazard support from Pokemon like Garchomp, Gliscor, and Glimmora makes it much easier to achieve this in battle. On the other hand, Iron Jugulis appreciates hazard removal from Pokemon like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Donphan, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and likes to use items besides Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Iron Jugulis struggles with specially bulky Pokemon, so it needs the support of a physical wallbreaker such as Palafin, Scizor, or Iron Hands to pressure and break through special walls.
**Knock Off Users**: Entry hazards greatly enable Iron Jugulis, but Heavy-Duty Boots can negate their impact. Iron Jugulis can use Knock Off itself, but it appreciates Knock Off support from Pokemon like Ogerpon, Tinkaton, and Galarian Zapdos to remove foes' Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Alternate Speed Control**: Iron Jugulis's Speed is good, but it's not great, so it fails to majorly contest the boosted metagame. It should be on teams that include a faster Pokemon such as Sneasler, Deoxys-S, or Cinderace so Iron Jugulis isn't solely relied on for speed control.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Choice Scarf Users**: Iron Jugulis unfortunately does not have a premier Speed tier, leaving it prone to being revenge killed by a faster Choice Scarf user such as Darkrai, Meowscarada, or Greninja when running its Speed Booster Energy sets.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Iron Jugulis isn't really strong enough to break through specially defensive walls like Ting-Lu, Clefable, and Empoleon on its own, especially since it often doesn't use a damage-boosting item. Without a super effective Tera type, Iron Jugulis can struggle to find 2HKOs.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
