Terrakion (Revamp) [QC 3/3; GP 2/2]

MMII · Jul 27, 2013

http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/terrakion/uber

[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles as a dangerous late-game cleaner, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carry it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge are all Terrakion ever needs, which makes him the king of filler moves and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else than its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it's on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual roadblock to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against common priority, such as ExtremeSpeed, greatly helps make Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer, being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs and is even one of the few Pokemon that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus through its resistance to Normal-type attacks and super effective Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins such as Ghost Arceus and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose control over your moves. Rock Slide is for when you want a higher chance to hit with your Rock STAB and even has a tasty flinch chance to disrupt things like lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, while having the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-turn and Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be, an Adamant nature is not an option as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users like Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types like Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more than Stone Edge and doesn't risk missing, but it's a terrible move to lock yourself into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning is get Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of a Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the resists to whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Fighting-type resists you want gone, since Close Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types that can stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types as well as spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weakness to Ghost- or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Ghost Arceus in line. Giratina is relatively easy to switch into as long as you have something that doesn't mind burn. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out, so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force it out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in, and use something that can put up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, such as Skarmory. Pokemon such as Darkrai and Palkia with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to setup the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved for later to function as a mid-game attacker.

Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offense, as it is strong and has excellent coverage. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from getting to lay their entry hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga, any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, but the power drop in comparison to Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer of entry hazards in which case you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once Stealth Rock is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can not beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S if Terrakion doesn't run Quick Attack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types like Groudon while most defensive checks to Darkrai, such as Ho-Oh or Kyogre, can also check Ghost Arceus.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with two high-powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double dance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through using the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakion's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get, as even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions at its best when biding its time for the ideal moment.

Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting for any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and are ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as Substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor, as well as for the general extra punch, especially to Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gets many important KOs, saves HP, and fakes a Choice set. Air Balloon is another item choice that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help up setup Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need it as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, dual screens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo and Choice Scarf users, thus easing Terrakion's need to use Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, from Pokemon such as Arceus-Grass or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing the opposing team down so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for a late-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's Choice-locked and slow compared to the others but it makes up for these drawbacks with raw power. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both its STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of Speed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band barely gives it a relevant amount of power, so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Ghost Arceus, which becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in Speed means Terrakion is now slower and it still can't even do as much as 60% to bulky Calm Mind variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga, but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really notable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Ghost Arceus. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to switch in, hit hard, and switch back out. The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't very viable anymore now that Giratina runs Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak to clean up any better than the Double Dance or Choice Scarf variants and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss, but outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and involves being Choice-locked into a very poor move on top of being completely prediction-based. It is also unlikely that the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle past its Focus Sash. However, it is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types, such as Ghost Arceus, Giratina, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially the Choice Scarf variant, which is by far its most common set. All of the listed Pokemon are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of its two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types, such as Groudon, Hippowdon, and Arceus-Ground, resist Stone Edge and can tank Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Pokemon that resist Rock- or Fighting-type attacks can be used with prediction as Terrakion is often Choice-locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra, and very fast but rare Choice Scarf users such as Mewtwo and Shaymin-S can revenge kill even a Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance but not very fast. Once you know the set it is using it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning if it fails to KO its opponent, it will be the one to be KOed.

[Overview]

One of the best choice scarfers in Ubers
Typically found as a revenge killer and cleaner with scarf but can also be used as a lead, a flexible setup sweeper or a poweful wall breaker.
Not very bulky and weak to common attacking types.
Just about anything with a ghost typing is a headache for most of it's sets.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Fastest commonly seen mon in Ubers ignoring weather sweepers (Kingdra and Excadrill) makes it an excellent cleaner. Even faster than Deo-S.
Also an effective revenge killer, one of the few who can revenge kill an Ekiller.
Close Combat and Stone Edge are STABs and give it everything it needs to work, rest is just filler.
Toxic cripples common switch-ins like Ghostceus and Groudon but Sleep Talk makes him a nifty Darkrai switch-in.
Rock Slide for when you want a safer Rock move. Sacred Sword if you want to hit the last few BU Dialga or if you want to have a better chance to select a Fighting move with Sleep Talk against Darkrai.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Gotta go fast and hit hard, leftover EVs are put into defense to give Genesect a Sp.Atk boost to avoid having to deal with a boosted Iron Head or U-turn the handful of times you decided to switch out.
X-Scissor is nice for hitting Latitwins and Mewtwo for a bit more than Stone Edge but is a poor move to be locked into. You can even choose to not run a fourth move with Sleep Talk if you want to stick with your strong STABs.
If you want to clean get rid of the Ghosts.
Hazards are a great way to whittle them down.
Packing a switch-ins to the Ground types that stomach Stone Edge and the Ghosts that laugh at Close Combat helps in case of misprediction. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground types while just about anything with meaty special bulk can be used to keep Ghostceus in line. Giratina A is relatively easy to switch into as long as you have something that doesn't mind burn. Tina O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switchin out so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in, and use something that puts up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake like Skarmory.
Darkrai and strong dragons like Latios or Palkia are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

The least flexible yet most powerful Terrakion set.
Doesn't have to worry about trying to boost up to slug out powerful attacks, fairly fast too.
STABs show off their power with remaining moveslots situational fillers like Scarf but no room for Toxic or Sleep Talk since raw power and slower than Darkrai.
Quick Attack for occasionally useful priority.
Rock Slide for safer Rock STAB or Sacred Sword to avoid drops and hit BU Dialga.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Far less hazard dependent than the other sets, only really worthwhile for Tina A.
However very reliant on teammates as it's designed to be coming in often to fling strong attacks and will easily be forced out after cause choice and slow.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to BW2 move tutors Terrakion can now run an effective SR lead set.
STABs are all you really need, they hit hard and have nice coverage.
Taunt is a great move to have in Ubers and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion. It also helps stop other SR and Spikes setters from getting to lay their hazards down at the same time.
Stealth Rock fits nicely as this set is a great lead.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate can OHKO lead Dialga, Ttar (even Chople), and Ferrothorn along with 2HKOing Forretress switchins. Focus Sash is excellent if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and score an extra hit, however the power drop is noticable.
Quick Attack with LO or Rock Gem can be used to limit Deo-S leads to a single layer.
This set doesn't attempt to clean so there's less emphasis on team support.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When you've got good STABs and wide movepool double dance becomes viable.
Adapts to the opposing team type. RP to clean offensive teams and SD to blow holes in defensive ones.
Life Orb is the preferred item do to the slew of key KOs it makes such as subshuffler tina O, Latios, Wobbufett, and Gliscor as well as general extra punch to ghosts especially. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative, still gets important KOs, saves HP and fakes choice.
As nice as a boosted Terrakion is, it's worth noting that it's difficult to get the boost without prediction due to his relative fragility. Therefore, play it as if it doesn't have those boosts until the ideal opportunity arrives.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.
Air Balloon can be used to mess with Groudon/Hippowdon/Fasterer Ekiller.
Still wants hazards to break defensive cores and clean offensive teams but less so.
If you really want to get those boosts, Dual Screens and/or Wobbuffett support can go a long way.
Really flexible so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Stuff that can come into common checks so that Terrakion can throw out strong attacks early/midgame as well as lures and overlap to make the endgame Rock Polish clean easier.

[Other Options]

SubSD isn't cool anymore since all the Tina A run Roar now. Variants with pinch berries are still too weak to be a much better cleaner than Scarf seeing as it only has one shot at it and doesn't do much til then. (plus easy to pick off with prio)
x scis

[Checks and Counters]

Ghosts. They cockblock Close Combat and are often bulky enough to stomach Stone Edges.
Bulky ground types like Groudon can shrug off predicted Stone Edges and even have some wiggle room with Close Combat.
Other assorted Rock or Fight resists can be used with prediction since Terrakion is often choice.
Bullet Punch or the handful of things faster than it.
Although it can do a lot it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Scarf but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs or it will be really strong but not very fast without setup. Once you know the set it's a lot easier to play around since he is mostly kill or be killed. (should I mention that Scarf is by far the most common?)

tehy · Jul 27, 2013

Hey, sup, after reading the following sentence

'You can even choose to not run a fourth move with Sleep Talk if you want to stick with your strong STABs.'

Shouldn't this either be AC, or have a slash in the fourth slot of Nothing?

Furai · Jul 27, 2013

qc 1/3 what i told you on irc

MMII · Jul 27, 2013

tehy said:
Hey, sup, after reading the following sentence

'You can even choose to not run a fourth move with Sleep Talk if you want to stick with your strong STABs.'

Shouldn't this either be AC, or have a slash in the fourth slot of Nothing?

Yeah good point, I moved it to AC with Sacred Sword.

Hack · Jul 28, 2013

Gotta go fast and hit hard, leftover EVs are put into defense to give Genesect a Sp.Atk boost to avoid having to deal with a boosted Iron Head or U-turn the handful of times you decided to switch out.

Download gives at Sp.Atk boost if defensive stats are equal, so idk if there is any special reason to put 4 Evs in Def over Hp. I would mention that Terrakion opposed to contrary to popular belief, cannot OHKO Extremekiller with its scarf set.

MMII · Jul 29, 2013

4 HP gives him an him an HP that is divisible by 4 and 6 which means extra damage from 2-3 layers of Spikes. I can try to specify that he only has about a 30% chance to OHKO 200HP EVs Ekiller after Rocks but his ability to do so will be more of a passing mention, anyways. I plan on focusing on Terrakion's general performance in the metagame instead of analyzing specific matchups.

sammao · Jul 29, 2013

Any Arceus form that are not weak to its STAB, has bulk investment (at least 252hp ev), and has a move to hit back super effectively, such as Grass, Water, and fighting, should be put in C&C. I will just leave you a cal here:

252 Atk Terrakion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Arceus-Grass: 168-198 (37.83 - 44.59%) -- 3.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0 SpA Meadow Plate Arceus-Grass Judgment (Grass) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 330-390 (101.85 - 120.37%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Edit: Oh, and Poison Arceus can stall with Wil-O-Wisp. Scizor and Metagross, despite rare, should also be mentioned as a check with priority Bullet Punch.

Edit 2: Make sure you mention Sableye along with other ghost, and I guess you should also mention thundurus can sac himself to cripple Terrakion with thunder wave. The old analysis is misssing so much in C&C lol.

Theorymon · Aug 15, 2013

Since you made the changes we mentioned on IRC, QC Approved 2/3.

Just remember, I'll look over this again after its finished, even though someone else will approve it :P

Furai · Aug 16, 2013

Can Fist Plate be the first item on the lead set? The power difference is p huge and the OHKO on Dialga is amazing. Since Rock Polish is no longer slashed either, I don't think Focus Sash deserves to be first. You won't use Terrakion as a suicide lead most of the time.

MMII · Aug 18, 2013

I finished writing this up and it is ready for the final QC check.

trickroom · Aug 19, 2013

QC APPROVED 3/3

Theorymon · Sep 6, 2013

Sorry about the wait, here's my nitpicking!

Overview- I'd change the focus on this a bit. While Scarf might be the most common set, I think the overview should have a bigger focus on the Pokémon overall. So I'd start off with the the near perfect STAB coverage and excellent offensive stats. I'd also mention how it has the movepool to abuse it, with Close Combat and Stone Edge being so awesome, that Terrakion is one of the few Pokémon that can run two filler moves! That being said, you should still mention that its an excellent scarfmon, but I don't think that should be the main focus.

Lead- I know Dragon Tail Giratina is getting less common, but I still think you need to mention the risk of that somewhere. Now, you still make Giratina easier to deal with, but entry hazards + Dragon Tail will wear Terrakion down! Also, you should remove the mention of B2W2, because that came out over a year ago! Focus Sash should be mentioned on the main set instead of AC, since you slash it in with fist plate.

Double Dance- When you mention Wobbuffet, you should also mention the fact that Wobbuffet can screw around with Mewtwo, which is often a mon that forces Terrakion to Rock Polish. Also, I think mentioning Paralysis support is a good idea. It gives you the option of owning a weakened Ghost Arceus, and screws up Scarfers to the point where you are less pressured to Rock Polish. Some good ones include Grass Arceus and Kyogre.

Choice Band- Something I think you should mention is that one of the great things about CB Terrakion is just how spamable Close Combat and Stone Edge are. Part of the appeal of CB Terrakion is that it doesn't have to deal with annoying drawbacks like Draco Meteor's SpA decrease, Earthquake's Flying immunity, or Outrages locking in. You just predict and usually inflict massive damage! Also, I'd like you to mention paralysis support here as well. Its not quite as good as paralysis support with Double Dance Terrakion, but once again, its a huge help against scarfers!

MMII · Sep 6, 2013

Okay, I implemented all those except the items move (apparently they are supposed to be explained in AC) so this is ready for GP now.

tehy · Sep 7, 2013

amcheck

a lot of the time you use an odd word or a bit of odd phrasing, so I hope this doesn't eat into your flavor too much, but most of these changes needed to be made.

[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles up as a dangerous late-game cleaner ~~with the same set~~, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carr~~ies~~y it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing ~~dual~~ STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge isare all Terrakion ever needs, which makes him the king of filler moves and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else than its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to a Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it ~~walk~~'s a bit on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual road block to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against common priority, greatly helps in mak~~ing~~e Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer, being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs, and is even one of the few that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus, through its resistance to Normal-type attacks and super effective Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins such as Arceus-Ghost and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose ~~that~~ control over your moves. Rock sSlide is ~~a good choice~~ for when you want ~~strong~~a higher chances to hit with your Rock STAB and even has a tasty Flinch chance to disrupt things like lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, while ~~putt~~having the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-Turn and Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be, an Adamant nature is not an option, as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users like Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types like Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more than Stone Edge and doesn't risk ~~the~~ missing, but it's a terrible move to lock yourself into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning is get~~ting any potential~~ Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of a Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the resists to whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Fighting-type resists you want out of the way, since iClose Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types that stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types, as well as ~~help~~ spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weak ~~spot~~ness to Ghost or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Arceus-Ghost in line. Giratina-A is relatively easy to switch into as long as you have something that doesn't mind burn. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out, so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force him out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in, and use something that puts up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, like Skarmory. Pokemon, like Darkrai and Palkia, with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can also support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to set up the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved for later to function as a mid-game attacker.

Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offensive ~~attacks~~, they are strong and have excellent coverage. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from getting to lay their hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga, any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, ~~however~~but the power drop from Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer~~. I~~, in which case, you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once it is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can not beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S, if Terrakion doesn't run qQuick aAttack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, like Scarf Genesect and Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types like Groudon, while most defensive checks to Darkrai, like Ho-Oh or Kyogre, can also check Arceus-Ghost.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with two high powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double dDance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through using the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakioin's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to ~~pull through a~~ sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get,; even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions at its best when biding its time for the ideal moment.

Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting offor any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and isare ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor, as well as for the general extra punch, especially to Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gets many important KOs, saves HP, and fakes a cChoice set. Air Balloon is another item choice that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help set up Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need them as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, Dual Screens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo, thus easing Terrakion's need to Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, lifrom Poke ~~fro~~mon such as Arceus-Grass or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing ~~down~~ the opposing team down, so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible, so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for an end-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's cChoice locked and slow compared to the others, but it makes up for these drawbacks with the raw power of Choice Band. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both his STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of speed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band barely gives it a relevant amount of power, so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Arceus-Ghost, who becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in speed means Terrakion is now slower, and he still can't even ~~hit~~do as much as 60% to bulky CM variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga, but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really notable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Arceus-Ghost. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to be coming in often to fling strong attacks and will easily be forced out afterwords because of it being cChoice locked and slow. The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't very viable any more now that Giratina-A run Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak to clean up any better than the dDouble dDance or Choice Scarf variants and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss but, outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and ~~is even harmful on certain sets like Choice Band where it~~ involves being cChoice locked into a very poor move, on top of being completely prediction based ~~in the first place~~. It is also unlikely the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle past his Focus Sash. However, it is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types. Ghost-Arceus, Giratina-A, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially the Choice Scarf variant, which is by far its most common set. All of these are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of its two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a significant enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Arceus-Ground resist Stone Edge and can tank Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Rock- or Fighting-type resists can be used with prediction, as Terrakion is often choice locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra and very fast but rare Choice scarf users like Mewtwo and Shaymin-S can revenge kill even a Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance but not very fast ~~without setup~~. Once you know the set it is using it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning if it fails to KO ~~himself~~its opponent, it will be the one to be KOed.

Comments:
I really think a better word could be used than 'disappointing' when talking about Sleep Talk on Choice Scarf Terrakion, it just seems out of place there.
JS, dialga has 6.3% BU usage. Not sure how often good players use it, but JS.
Double Dance is a set name, so I capitalized it the second time. The first time is not necessary since you're just talking about a double dance set in general.
Wobb can also trap lots of scarfers, right? Maybe mention that alongside the Mewtwo mention.
Can we please not make Stone Edge missing Stone Edge 'choosing' to miss?
OO X-scissor was a bit long so I cut i down to size.
I added in 'or rock polish' at the end there; same basic principle, really. Also, Swords Dance and Choice Band. But what to do with those is purely your decision.
Last sentence altered, the way you wrote it it was simpler and better to exclude the last part, this way expands a little, makes it a stronger ending sentence then it was before, is better.

MMII · Sep 20, 2013

Okay implemented the am check and most(?) of the comments.

piikachuu · Sep 21, 2013

Amateur check, hope this helps!

Additions
Removals
Comments

[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles as a dangerous late-game cleaner, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carry it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge are all Terrakion ever needs

,(AC) which makes him the king of filler moves and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else than its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it's a bit on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual road block to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against common priority,(AC) such as ExtremeSpeed, greatly helps make Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer,(AC) being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs and is even one of the few Pokemon that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus through its resistance to Normal-type attacks and super effective Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins such as Arceus-Ghost and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose control over your moves. Rock Slide is for when you want a higher chance to hit with your Rock STAB and even has a tasty Flinch chance to disrupt things like lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, while having the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-Turn and Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be, an Adamant nature is not an option as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users like Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types like Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more than Stone Edge and doesn't risk missing, but it's a terrible move to lock yourself into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning is get Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of a Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the resists to whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Fighting-type resists you want gone, since Close Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types,(RC) that can stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types as well as spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weakness to Ghost-(add hyphen) or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Arceus-Ghost (I think it's supposed to be "Ghost Arceus" but I'm not entirely sure) in line. Giratina-A (base formes don't need this) is relatively easy to switch in(space)to as long as you have something that doesn't mind burn. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out,(AC) so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force him it out to increase your chances that one of them (one of who? Try to be a little more specific) gets dragged in, and use something that puts can put up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, like such as Skarmory. Pokemon,(RC) like such as Darkrai and Palkia,(RC) with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can also support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to setup the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved for later to function as a mid-game attacker.

Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offense, as they are strong and have excellent coverage. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from getting to lay their hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga, any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, but the power drop from in comparison to Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer in which case you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once it is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can not beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S if Terrakion doesn't run Quick Attack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, like such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types like Groudon, while most defensive checks to Darkrai, like such as Ho-Oh or Kyogre, can also check Arceus-Ghost.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with two high-(add hyphen)powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double Dance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through using the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakion's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get, as even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions at its best when biding its time for the ideal moment.

Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting for any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and are ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor, as well as for the general extra punch, especially to Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gets many important KOs, saves HP, and fakes a Choice set. Air Balloon is another item choice that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help setup Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need them as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, Dual Screens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo and Choice Scarf users, thus easing Terrakion's need to use Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, from Pokemon such as Arceus-Grass or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing the opposing team down,(RC) so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for an end-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's Choice locked and slow compared to the others but it makes up for these drawbacks with the raw power of Choice Band. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both his its STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of speed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band barely gives it a relevant amount of power,(AC) so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Arceus-Ghost, who becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in speed means Terrakion is now slower and he it still can't even do as much as 60% to bulky CM variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga,(AC) but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really notable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Arceus-Ghost. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to be coming in often to fling strong attacks and will easily be forced out afterwords because of it being Choice locked and slow as it's designed to switch in, hit hard, and switch back out (the original sentence was a little awkward, change it however you want). The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't very viable anymore now that Giratina-A run runs Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak to clean up any better than the Double Dance or Choice Scarf variants and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss,(AC) but,(AC) outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and involves being Choice locked into a very poor move on top of being completely prediction based. It is also unlikely that the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle past his Focus Sash. However, it is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types. Ghost-(remove hyphen)Arceus, Giratina-A, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially the Choice Scarf variant, which is by far its most common set. All of these the listed Pokemon are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of its two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a significant enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types,(AC) such as like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Arceus-Ground,(AC) resist Stone Edge and can tank Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Rock- or Fighting-type resists can be used with prediction as Terrakion is often choice locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra,(AC) and very fast but rare Choice scarf Scarf users like such as Mewtwo and Shaymin-S can revenge kill even a Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance but not very fast. Once you know the set it is using it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning if it fails to KO its opponent, it will be the one to be KOed.

edit: for some reason xenforo insists on adding an extra set of hide tags, it really annoys me
maybe i'm just dumb

MMII · Sep 23, 2013

Thanks, I implemented most of your am check. I left the Arceus-Ghost bits as is since you weren't sure if I should change it and the poke grammar thread was saying it's like that. (but idk how old it is or if I was missing a detail) I also wasn't sure what to do for the third comment so I just left it as it was. (I thought the "them" was okay since I mentioned the characteristic before and an example after but yeah I don't know so I just left it to not screw up things more, not sure I'm making sense.)

piikachuu · Sep 23, 2013

i just saw that off of oglemi's post in an arceus-steel revamp

Oglemi said:
it should be Steel Arceus, not Arceus-Steel

but idrk if it's like a situational thing or something >_>

Furai · Sep 24, 2013

It is Type Arceus and not Arceus-Type.

just ctrl + f and replace omfg

MMII · Sep 24, 2013

Okay, did that.

Oopa · Oct 7, 2013

Amcheck
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[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles as a dangerous late-game cleaner, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carry it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge are all Terrakion ever needs, which makes him the king of filler moves and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else ~~than~~apart from its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it's on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual road block to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]

name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against common priority, such as ExtremeSpeed, greatly helps in makeing Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer, being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs and is ~~even~~ one of the few Pokemon that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus,(AC) through its resistance to Normal-type attacks,(AC) and access to a STAB super effective Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins, (AC) such as Ghost Arceus and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose control over your moves. Rock Slide is viable if~~or when~~ you want a higher chance to hit with your Rock STAB and even has a tasty Flinch chance to disrupt ~~things like~~Pokemon, (AC) such as lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, hence 252 EVS in Attack and Speed each, while ~~hav~~investing the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-Turn ~~and~~or Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be, an Adamant nature is not an option,(AC) as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users ~~like~~, (AC) such as Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types ~~like~~, such as Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more than Stone Edge and doesn't risk missing, but it's a terrible move to lock ~~yourself~~Terrakion into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning with Terrakion, is to get Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of a Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the resists to whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Fighting-type resists you want gone, since Close Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types that can stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types as well as spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weakness to Ghost- or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Ghost Arceus in line. Giratina is relatively easy to switch in to as long as you have something that doesn't mind being burnt. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out, so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple ~~things~~Pokemon that can force it out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in by Dragon Tail, and use ~~something~~a Pokemon that can put up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, such as Skarmory. Pokemon, such as Darkrai and Palkia, (AC) with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion, (AC) are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can also support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to ~~setup~~ set up the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure created also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved ~~for later to~~and function as a mid-game attacker.

Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offense, as they are strong and have excellent coverage together. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from ~~gett~~laying t~~o lay t~~heir hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga (comment:only 93.75% chance on 252 HP/ 0 Def), any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, but the power drop in comparison to Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer in which case you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once it is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can't (comment: or cannot) beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S if Terrakion doesn't run Quick Attack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, such as Choice Scarf Genesect ~~and~~or Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types ~~like~~, (AC) such as Groudon, while most defensive checks to Darkrai, such as Ho-Oh or Kyogre, can also check Ghost Arceus.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with (comment: or in?) two high-powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double Dance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through the us~~ing~~e of the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakion's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get, as even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions ~~at its~~ best when biding its time for the ideal moment.

Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting for any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and are ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor, as well as for the general extra punch, especially to Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gnets many important KOs, saves HP, and fakes (comment: or bluffs?) a Choice set. Air Balloon is another item ~~choice~~ that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps, or as a ~~really~~ dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help ~~setup~~ set up Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need them as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, Dual Screens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo and Choice Scarf users, thus easing Terrakion's need to use Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, from Pokemon, (AC) such as Grass Arceus~~-Grass~~ or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing the opposing team down so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible, so it's nice (comment: maybe use a different word?)to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for an end-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's Choice locked and slow compared to the other sets, (AC) but it makes up for these drawbacks with the raw power of Choice Band. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both its STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of speed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band ~~barely~~ gives it a relevant amount of power, so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Ghost Arceus, who becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in speed means Terrakion is now slower and it still can't even do as much as 60% to bulky CM variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga, but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really noticeable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Ghost Arceus. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to switch in, hit hard, and switch back out. The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it, (AC) to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't ~~very~~as viable a~~nym~~s it was before, since now ~~that~~ Giratina runs Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak (comment: rephrase possibly. Maybe use 'ineffective)to clean up any better than the Double Dance or Choice Scarf variants and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss, but outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and involves being Choice locked into a very poor move, (AC) on top of being completely prediction based. It is also unlikely that the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle ~~past hi~~through its Focus Sash. However, itDouble Kick is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types. Ghost Arceus, Giratina, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially twhen Terrakion is donning a Choice Scarf ~~variant~~, (comment: before it sounded like sableye had the scarf) which is by far its most common set. All of the listed Pokemon are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of itTerrakion's two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types, such as Groudon, Hippowdon, and Ground Arceus~~-Ground~~, resist Stone Edge and can tank a Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Rock- or Fighting-type resists can be used with prediction as Terrakion is often choice locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra, and very fast but rare Choice Scarf users, (AC) such as Mewtwo and Shaymin-S can revenge kill ~~even a~~ Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish bualbeit a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs, or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance but not very fast. Once you know the set it is using, it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning that, ifn the event it fails to KO its opponent, it will be the one ~~to be~~which is KOed.

MMII · Oct 7, 2013

piikachuu said:
Amateur check, hope this helps!

I just noticed you are on the GP team now, does this become an official check or am I still 0/2?
(also I'll put in drshellgon's sometime soon)

piikachuu · Oct 7, 2013

uh yea 1/2 from my earlier check :P

Kingler · Oct 9, 2013

Amcheck
Additions
Subtractions
Comments

[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles as a dangerous late-game cleaner, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carry it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge are all Terrakion ever needs, which makes him the king of filler moves, (AC) and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else than its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it's on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual road block to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring aside from (because it's outsped?)the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against resistance to common priority, such as ExtremeSpeed, greatly helps make Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer, being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs and is even one of the few Pokemon that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus through due to its resistance to Normal-type attacks and super effective STAB Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins such as Ghost Arceus and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose control over your moves. Rock Slide is for when you want a higher chance to hit with your Rock-type STAB and even has a tasty Fflinch chance to disrupt things like lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting-type STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, while having the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-Turn and Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be might seem(b/c it's not actually good), an Adamant nature is not an option as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users like Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types like Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more damage than Stone Edge does, (AC)and doesn't risk missing, but it's a terrible move to lock yourself into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning is get Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of an OHKO from Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the Pokemon which resists to (never use it as a noun)whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Pokemon resisting Fighting-type resists attacks you want gone, since Close Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge, and Terrakion will find itself cleaning with it more often. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types that can stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types as well as spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weakness to Ghost- or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Ghost Arceus in line. Giratina is relatively easy to switch in to as long as you have something that doesn't mind a burn. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out, so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force it out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in, and use something that can put up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, such as Skarmory. Pokemon such as Darkrai and Palkia with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt(i'm not QC or anything, but in a 'Lead' set, isn't Stealth Rock the most important move?)
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can also support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to setup the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved for later to function as a mid-game attacker.(the paragraphs are quite small, merge imo)Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offense, as they are strong and have excellent coverage. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from getting to laying their hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga, any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, but the power drop in comparison to Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer in which case you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once it is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can not beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S if Terrakion doesn't run Quick Attack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types like Groudon, while most defensive checks to Darkrai, such as Ho-Oh or specially defensive (specify, but if you think other sets check ghostceus, don't implement)Kyogre, can also check Ghost Arceus.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with two high-powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double Dance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through using the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakion's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get, as even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions at its best when biding its time for the ideal moment.(merge)Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting for any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and are ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor at +2(?), as well as for the general extra punch, especially to against Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gets many important KOs, saves HP, and allows it to fakes a Choice set. Air Balloon is another item choice that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus carrying Earthquake. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help setup Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need them as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, Ddual Sscreens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo and Choice Scarf users, thus easing Terrakion's need to use Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, from Pokemon such as Grass Arceus-Grass or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing the opposing team down so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible, (AC) so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early- or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for an end-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
(line break)
This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's Choice locked and slow compared to the others, (AC) but it makes up for these drawbacks with the raw power of Choice Band. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things, (AC) and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both its STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set, (AC) with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of sSpeed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band barely gives it a relevant amount of power, so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Ghost Arceus, who becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in sSpeed means Terrakion is now slower, (AC)and it still can't even do as much as 60% to bulky Calm Mind variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
(line break)
Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga, but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really notable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Ghost Arceus. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to switch in, hit hard, and switch back out. The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't very viable anymore now that Giratina commonly runs Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh(while it's the reason that it runs it, it's kinda irrelevant here). Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak to clean up any better than the Double Dance or Choice Scarf variants, (AC)x and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss, but outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and involves being Choice locked into a very poor move on top of being completely prediction based(mentioned in AC so remove or remove from AC). It is also unlikely that the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill it. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle past his Focus Sash. However, it is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types. Ghost Arceus, Giratina, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially the Choice Scarf variant, which is by far its most common set. All of the list Pokemon are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of its two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types, such as Groudon, Hippowdon, and Arceus-Ground, resist Stone Edge and can tank Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat, (AC) while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Rock- or Fighting-type resists can be used with prediction as Terrakion is often choice locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra, and very fast but rare Choice Scarf users, (AC)(personally I'd say 'wielders of choice scarf' as the pokes are p common) such as Mewtwo and Shaymin-S, (AC) can revenge kill even a Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish, (AC) but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs, (AC) or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance, (AC) but not very fast. Once you know the set it is using it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning if it fails to OHKO its opponent, it will be the one to be KOed.

Oglemi · Oct 11, 2013

WIP - going to XY midnight release brb

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[Overview]

Feast your eyes on one of the best Choice Scarf users in the Ubers metagame. A very reliable revenge killer that doubles as a dangerous late-game cleaner, Terrakion is not to be underestimated. Its above average Speed and Attack carry it a long way, but what really makes it shine is its amazing STABs. Close Combat and Stone Edge are all Terrakion ever needs, which makes him the king of filler moves and opens up all sorts of different set options. Although you won't see much else than its trademark Choice Scarf set, Terrakion is still capable of being a diverse offensive threat, with sets ranging from Choice Band to Stealth Rock lead. Terrakion is far from perfect, though, as it's on the fragile side, and has a ton of common weaknesses that undermine its very average bulk. Ghost-types also serve as a perpetual roadblock to all of its sets and make that final cleanup something you'll have to work for.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Toxic / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rock Slide / Sacred Sword
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Terrakion is the fastest commonly seen Pokemon in the Ubers metagame, ignoring the weather sweepers Kingdra and Excadrill. This exceptional speed, on top of its sturdiness against common priority, such as ExtremeSpeed, greatly helps make Terrakion such an effective cleaner. It's also a reliable revenge killer, being able to hit the majority of the metagame hard with one of its STABs and is even one of the few Pokemon that can claim to revenge kill the infamous Extreme Killer Arceus through its resistance to Normal-type attacks and super effective Close Combat.

For the most part, this set is made up of Terrakion's two strong STAB choices, Close Combat and Stone Edge, with the rest being filler options. Toxic is an appealing choice to cripple common switch-ins such as Ghost Arceus and Groudon. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Toxic if you would rather your Terrakion serve as a sleep absorber for Darkrai, which is effective, although it's disappointing to lose control over your moves. Rock Slide is for when you want a higher chance to hit with your Rock STAB and even has a tasty flinch chance to disrupt things like lead Deoxys-S. Sacred Sword is another option if you need a way to bypass the last straggling Bulk Up Dialga or increase the odds of selecting a Fighting STAB with Sleep Talk.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

You want your Terrakion to hit as fast and hard as possible, while having the remaining 4 EVs in Defense so that Genesect has a weaker U-turn and Iron Head in case you decide to switch out or stay in to eat the hit. As appealing as it may be, an Adamant nature is not an option as Terrakion then loses the ability to outspeed other very common Choice Scarf users like Genesect. X-Scissor has the benefit of hitting Psychic-types like Latias and Mewtwo for a tad more than Stone Edge and doesn't risk missing, but it's a terrible move to lock yourself into. You can even go so far as to not run a fourth move at all if you prefer to always choose one of Terrakion's strong STABs with Sleep Talk.

The first thing you need to do if you plan on cleaning is get Ghost-types out of the way, or at least in range of a Stone Edge KO. You'll also have to soften up the resists to whichever STAB you aim to finish the game with, although it'll mostly be the Fighting-type resists you want gone, since Close Combat is stronger and more accurate than Stone Edge. Entry hazards are an excellent way to accomplish this by racking up passive damage and limiting the number of times they can switch in. It's worthwhile to pack a switch-in to the Ground-types that can stomach Stone Edge, such as Groudon, as well as something for those Ghost-types that will giggle at Close Combat. Giratina-O does a fine job of handling most Ground-types as well as spinblocking so that entry hazards stay up to wear them down. Just about anything with meaty special bulk and no weakness to Ghost- or Fighting-type attacks can be used to keep Ghost Arceus in line. Giratina is relatively easy to switch into as long as you have something that doesn't mind burn. Giratina-O is the trickiest to handle because Dragon Tail hurts and forces the switch-in out, so try to keep hazards off the field, pack multiple things that can force it out to increase your chances that one of them gets dragged in, and use something that can put up with multiple Dragon Tails and the potential Earthquake, such as Skarmory. Pokemon such as Darkrai and Palkia with super effective STAB attacks against common switch-ins to Terrakion are good for double switching.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Taunt
item: Fist Plate / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Terrakion can also support the team with an effective Stealth Rock lead set. This set takes advantage of Terrakion's offensive presence to create free turns to setup the crucial Stealth Rock. The offensive pressure also makes it difficult for opposing Rapid Spin users to remove the entry hazard and allows Terrakion to be conserved for later to function as a mid-game attacker.

Terrakion's trusty STAB combination is all it needs for offense, as they are strong and have excellent coverage. This variant is designed to lead and support the team, so Stealth Rock is a natural choice. Taunt is a great move to have in the Ubers metagame and doubly so on something as weak to Giratina as Terrakion, although Dragon Tail variants are still annoying. It also helps stop other Stealth Rock and Spikes setters from getting to lay their hazards down at the same time.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Fist Plate allows Terrakion to OHKO lead Dialga, any Tyranitar variant, and Ferrothorn, along with 2HKOing Forretress switch-ins. Focus Sash is useful if you want Terrakion to be a dedicated lead and simplify setting up Stealth Rock or score an extra hit, but the power drop in comparison to Fist Plate is noticeable. Quick Attack can be used to limit Deoxys-S leads to a single layer in which case you should use a Life Orb in order to maintain the benefits of Fist Plate while also ensuring that you 2HKO Deoxys-S with Stone Edge and Quick Attack.

The goal of this set is to support the rest of the team, so it doesn't need any special support for itself. All the same, a Ghost-type is appreciated, as Terrakion isn't a sturdy Stealth Rock setter and may no longer be around once it is spun away. There are certain leads that Terrakion can not beat, such as Darkrai in general, or Deoxys-S if Terrakion doesn't run Quick Attack, so Pokemon that have a favorable match-up against them, such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Giratina-O, will be needed. These Pokemon can also serve as switch-ins to common Terrakion checks, as Giratina-O can handle bulky Ground-types like Groudon, while most defensive checks to Darkrai, such as Ho-Oh or Kyogre, can also check Ghost Arceus.

[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When all the coverage you need can be summed up with two high-powered STAB attacks, it's clear that a double dance set becomes viable. Double Dance Terrakion adapts to the opposing team type and situation through using the appropriate boosting move. This set's effectiveness is further boosted by Terrakion's natural resistance to common priority attacks, thus easing its attempts to sweep. Don't feel obligated to click a boosting move at every chance you get, as even an unboosted Terrakion is dangerous. This set functions at its best when biding its time for the ideal moment.

Running both Close Combat and Stone Edge is standard fare for Terrakion and this set won't leave you wanting for any other coverage options or fillers thanks to the two setup moves it has. Swords Dance is used when you want Terrakion to bust through defensive cores on balanced or stall teams. You will want to click Rock Polish for offensive or balanced teams that you have managed to weaken and are ready for cleanup.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the slew of key KOs it secures, such as substitute shuffler Giratina-O, Latios, Wobbuffet, and Gliscor, as well as for the general extra punch, especially to Ghost-types. Fist Plate is an acceptable alternative as it still gets many important KOs, saves HP, and fakes a Choice set. Air Balloon is another item choice that allows Terrakion to mess with Pokemon like Groudon, Hippowdon, and Earthquake Extreme Killer Arceus. Taunt can be used over a boosting move to be more flexible with Rock Polish sweeps or as a really dedicated wallbreaker when used alongside Swords Dance.

This set appreciates entry hazard support to help setup Rock Polish cleanups or wallbreak with Swords Dance, but doesn't need them as much as the Choice Scarf variant. If you are adamant about using Terrakion's setup moves, Dual Screens and/or Wobbuffet support is useful to help buy you those free turns. Wobbuffet is doubly useful because of the ease with which it traps Mewtwo and Choice Scarf users, thus easing Terrakion's need to use Rock Polish. Thunder Wave support, from Pokemon such as Arceus-Grass or Kyogre, is also effective at slowing the opposing team down so that you can click Swords Dance instead of Rock Polish. Otherwise, this set is very flexible so it's nice to have a flexible team around it. Pokemon that can switch into common checks are worth having so that Terrakion can act as a early or mid-game attacker. Using lures or teammates whose checks overlap with Terrakion's helps to weaken a team for an end-game Rock Polish cleanup.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This is Terrakion's least flexible set, as it's Choice locked and slow compared to the others but it makes up for these drawbacks with the raw power of Choice Band. It doesn't have to waste any time boosting up to crush things and it's fairly fast in the Ubers metagame. Unlike other Choice Band users, Terrakion always has a safe option, since both its STABs are strong attacks with little drawbacks. They are once again the heart of the set with the filler options being even more situational because of the extra strength and lack of speed. Quick Attack is surprisingly the most useful of its remaining options, as the extra punch from Choice Band barely gives it a relevant amount of power, so it's helpful to have the utility of priority for a slower set. Rock Slide is always nice to have since Stone Edge can choose to miss at the most inopportune moments. Toxic is exclusively for the likes of Ghost Arceus, who becomes a bigger pain for this set than the Choice Scarf variant since the drop in speed means Terrakion is now slower and it still can't even do as much as 60% to bulky CM variants.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Sacred Sword is sort of an option to deal more damage to Bulk Up Dialga, but Close Combat hits so hard already that the difference isn't really notable. Choice Band Terrakion is far less entry hazard dependent than the other sets, as that extra passive damage is really only worthwhile for Giratina and Ghost Arceus. However, it is much more reliant on teammates, as it's designed to switch in, hit hard, and switch back out. The same teammates that work for Choice Scarf apply for this set. It will also need a stronger general defensive backbone out of the team supporting it to deal with the large amount of threats that now outspeed Terrakion. You can also support it with Thunder Wave to slow down those faster threats.

[Other Options]

Substitute with Swords Dance isn't very viable anymore now that Giratina runs Roar to avoid being setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Liechi Berry and Salac Berry are too weak to clean up any better than the Double Dance or Choice Scarf variants and only have one shot at doing so, while leaving Terrakion vulnerable to even resisted priority. X-Scissor does a bit more damage to Psychic-types than Stone Edge and doesn't risk a miss, but outside of the Choice Scarf variant, it is largely non-viable as it requires dropping superior filler options and involves being Choice locked into a very poor move on top of being completely prediction based. It is also unlikely that the intended targets will even attempt to directly switch into Terrakion rather than attempt to revenge kill. Double Kick is another interesting move for Choice Scarf Terrakion to OHKO Smeargle past his Focus Sash. However, it is completely useless besides this single target, as even Deoxys-A has enough bulk to avoid the OHKO.

[Checks and Counters]

Ghost-types. Ghost Arceus, Giratina, Giratina-O, and even Sableye are massive pains for Terrakion, especially the Choice Scarf variant, which is by far its most common set. All of the list Pokemon are not bothered at all by the stronger and more reliable of its two STABs, Close Combat, while the first three have a enough natural bulk to shrug off Stone Edge. Bulky Ground-types, such as Groudon, Hippowdon, and Arceus-Ground, resist Stone Edge and can tank Close Combat easily with defensive investment. The Ground / Flying types, Gliscor and Landorus-T, resist Close Combat while typically having significant enough defensive investment such that Stone Edge is not an issue for them either. Gliscor is special in that it actually benefits from Terrakion's Toxic rather than being crippled by it thanks to its ability, Poison Heal. Other assorted Rock- or Fighting-type resists can be used with prediction as Terrakion is often choice locked. Although uncommon, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Kabutops's Aqua Jet are the two viable priority attacks that hit Terrakion for super effective damage. Sand Rush Excadrill, Swift Swim Kingdra, and very fast but rare Choice Scarf users such as Mewtwo and Shaymin-S can revenge kill even a Choice Scarf Terrakion. Rock Polish Terrakion, however, can only be stopped by priority attacks or defensive checks once it has attained the boost.

Although Terrakion can do a lot, it can't do it all at once. Either it will be really fast with a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish but a lot weaker and have to work for OHKOs or it will be very strong with a Choice Band or Swords Dance but not very fast. Once you know the set it is using it's a lot easier to play around, since it lacks the bulk to survive most attacks, meaning if it fails to KO its opponent, it will be the one to be KOed.

Terrakion (Revamp) [QC 3/3; GP 2/2]

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