PDA

View Full Version : Landorus Analysis (Updated)



steel dragons
10-19-2010, 10:11 PM
http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.pnghttp://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.pnghttp://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png

Landorus

Type: Ground / Flying

Abilities:
Sand Force- "Ground-type, Rock-type & Steel-type moves have their power increased by 33% in a Sandstorm." (from Serebii)
Sheer Force- "Moves with a secondary effect are increased in power by 33% but lose their secondary effect" (from Serebii). This only includes attacks that have a secondary effect, like Rock Slide, Ice Beam, Flamethrower, and others.

Base Stat Total:
HP: 89
Attack: 125
Defense: 90
Special Attack: 115
Special Defense: 80
Speed: 101

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/645.shtml

Overview

Landorus is very similar to Gliscor, mainly because both share the Ground/Flying typing. However, Landorus' offensive stats and speed are all higher than Gliscor's offensive stats, meaning that Landorus is not outclassed by the flying scorpion. Landorus' attacking stats are impressive, its defenses are decent, and its movepool is big enough to make Landorus a fearsome sweeper. Landorus' abilities are both quite useful as well. Landorus gets the ability Sand Force, which powers up many of Landorus' attacks in a Sandstorm, making them more potent. In Dream World, Sheer Force can be used primarily for a special attacking Landorus, powering up moves like Earth Power, Psychic, and Focus Blast. Landorus also has a great base 101 speed, which means it can out-speed the numerous 100 base speed Pokemon out there. Landorus also is the fourth-fastest Ground type, only out-sped by Dugtrio, Ground-typed Arceus, and Garchomp. However, Landorus' Ground/Flying typing means that it has a 2X weakness to water moves and a 4X weakness to Ice moves. Furthermore, Landorus can still be outsped by various Pokemon with higher speeds, and Landorus' defenses are not the greatest. Despite these weaknesses, Landorus has some good resistances, including resistances to Electric, Fighting, Ground, Poison, and Bug moves. These resistances are especially effective in aiding Landorus in sweeping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Depth/Move Sets

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Scarfed Genie
Landorus w/ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Force
Naive / Jolly nature
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpA

Earthquake
U-turn
Stone Edge / Rock Slide
Hidden Power Ice / Hammer Arm


Set Comments

This set is probably Landorus' most common set, and for good reason. It has a great attack stat, and its base 101 speed stat allows Landorus to outspeed many Pokemon while equipped with the Choice Scarf. Landorus' typing certainly doesn't hurt it either, giving it some key resistences and immunities to Fighting, Ground, and Electric moves, while only giving Landorus two weaknesses. Landorus also is not affected by Spikes or Toxic Spikes, and only takes neutral damage from Stealth Rock, so it can switch into battle many times. Because of its good typing, good stats, and its access to U-turn, Landorus is often seen on Volt-turn teams. For Landorus' first two moves, Earthquake and U-turn are the obvious choices. Earthquake is a strong move, coming from Landorus' base 125 attack stat. It can also get boosted by Sand Force during a sandstorm, which can really make earthquake a hard attack for foes to deal with. U-Turn is also needed for this set, as it allows Landorus to maintain offensive pressure on the opponent by switching Landorus for a suitable replacement. Stone Edge is recommended for the third slot. It gets great coverage with Earthquake, and it can also be boosted by Sand Force. Rock Slide can also be used if Stone Edges' accuracy is a concern, but Rock Slide is significantly weaker than Stone Edge. Finally, for the last slot, Hidden Power Ice is preferred, as it enables Landorus to effectively deal with Gliscor, a Pokemon that would normally trouble Landorus. Hidden Power Ice also comes with the benefit of dealing major damage to Pokemon like Dragonite and Salamence without needing to use Stone Edge. Hammer Arm is a viable alternative here though, as it hits Air Balloon Heatran and Hydreigon harder than Landorus' other moves. Landorus tends to switch into battle many times, so the speed drop from Hammer Arm won't affect it too much.

Additional Comments

The nature is dependent on Landorus' last move. If Landorus is running a Hidden Power, then Landorus wants a Naive nature. If Landorus is running Hammer Arm, then a Jolly nature should be used. In both cases, a positive speed nature should be run, along with max speed and attack EVs.

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Expert Belt Lure
Landorus w/ Expert Belt
Ability: Sand Force
Naive nature
EVs: 252 Spe, 228 Atk, 28 SpA

Earthquake
Stone Edge
Hidden Power Ice
U-Turn


Set Comments

This set is actually very effective, because many people assume that this Landorus is running a choice item, because of the lack of Leftovers recovery and Life Orb recoil. This Landorus aims to lure in some common Landorus counters, like Gliscor and Dragonite, and KO them with the appropiate move. Luring and knocking out a Pokemon can be very important to the success of battles. For example, if Landorus lures and KOs Gliscor, then Terrakion will have a much easier time sweeping later in the match. This Landorus isn't limited to just being a lure though; it still possesses great offensive stats, and it can be a potent sweeper on its own near the end of battles. Landorus' moves are fairly self-explanatory here. Earthquake is Landorus' strongest stab move, and Stone Edge gets good coverage with Earthquake. Rock Slide is not really an option here, as it doesn't have enough power for this kind of set. Hidden Power Ice is important as well, as it lets Landorus get those KOs on Gliscor and Dragonite. U-Turn is important as well, as it can be used to both fake having a choice item and to keep offensive pressure on the opponent by switching to a suitable counter.

Additional Comments

Landorus needs max speed EVs in order to outspeed the many base 100 Pokemon. The 28 special attack EVs are needed so that Landorus can always KO Gliscor in all circumstances, while the rest of the EVs are put into attack to make Landorus as strong as possible.

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Lay Down the Smack Down
Landorus w/ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Sand Force
Naive nature
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpA

Smack Down
Earthquake
Hidden Power Ice
Substitute / U-Turn

Set Comments

This Landorus set focuses on beating its usual counters, like Bronzong and Skarmory. The move Smack Down removes their immunity to Ground moves, making them very vulnerable to Landorus' Earthquake. In terms of the main attacking moves, Earthquake, as always, is Landorus' best Stab move, and Hidden Power Ice is used to deal heavy damage to Pokemon like Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence. The last slot has two good options, each working better with one of Landorus' held items. Substitute works well with Leftovers, and, with prediction, it can really frustrate an opponent. U-Turn works well with Life Orb, and it can be used to switch to another Pokemon if Landorus is left in a bad situation.

Additional Comments

The EVs are again simple here. Max attack and speed EVs are recommended for this set to give Landorus the best offenses possible. Leftovers is preferred for this set, especially with Substitute, to give Landorus more longevity. Life Orb can be used instead if more power is desired for this Landorus.

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Rock Polish Sweeper
Landorus w/ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Force
Naive nature
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 SpA

Earthquake
Rock Polish
Stone Edge
Hidden Power Ice

Set Comments

Landorus is a good Rock Polish Sweeper. It out-speeds many Pokemon after a Rock Polish, such as Sand Rush Excadrill in Sand, Swift Swim Kingdra in Rain, Scarfed Starmie, and many others. Landorus also has very high power in Sandstorm conditions because of its ability, making it a potent sweeper. Stone Edge is preferred for the third slot, because this set needs all of the power that it can get. In other words, Rock Slide just doesn't 'cut it' for this set. For the last slot, Hidden Power Ice is the best option for KOing Gliscor, which Landorus would have trouble with otherwise.

Additional Comments

For this set, Labdorus wants max Speed and Attack with a Naive nature, so that its Hidden Power Ice will have enough power to KO certain Pokemon. It also wants a Life Orb, as Landorus loses out on many sure KOs (particularly with Hidden Power Ice) if it is not holding the Life Orb.

Damage Calculations

Landorus' Hidden Power Ice vs 252 HP / 0 SpD Impish Gliscor: 106.2% (minimum)
Landorus' Hidden Power Ice vs 0 HP / 0 SpD Jolly Salamence: 108.8% (minimum)

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Swords Dance Sweeper
Landorus w/ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Sand Force
Jolly nature
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spe, 4 Def

Earthquake
Swords Dance
Stone Edge / Rock Slide
Substitute / U-Turn / Explosion

Set Comments

Instead of boosting Landorus' Speed, this set boosts its Attack in order to overwhelm the opposition. Only physical moves are listed for that reason, since Landorus' attack-boosted physical attacks will almost always do more damage than its Hidden Power attacks. For the third slot, Stone Edge is preferred for this set due to its power, but Rock Slide can be used for the better accuracy. The fourth slot can have a variety of moves. Substitute can enable Landorus to set up a Swords Dance if the Substitute is placed at the right time. U-Turn may not make sense for a Swords Dance set, but it lets Landorus switch out of its counters and can enable Landorus to sweep later in the match. Explosion can also be used, as it can KO a lot of things, especially after a Swords Dance boost.

Additional Comments:

Landorus really needs the Speed-boosting nature, with max Speed, to out-speed the numerous base 100 Pokemon out there. Landorus should always be running a Jolly nature with the Sand Force ability. Its EV spread basically allows to hit as hard as possible with max Attack and Speed.

http://shaym.in/media/bw-sprites/645.png
Sheer Force Sweeper (Special) - for Dream World only
Landorus w/ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Timid nature
EVs: 252 Spe, 252 SpA, 4 Def

Earth Power
Hidden Power Ice
Focus Blast
Psychic

Set Comments

Landorus can actually use Special moves with a good degree of success, especially since most of its moves (including its STAB move) are boosted by Sheer Force. Though Landorus doesn't have very many Special moves, it has enough options to make it a good threat. Landorus' first move should be Earth Power, since it would be Landorus' strongest move in most cases and Landorus gets STAB from it. The next slot should be Hidden Power Ice, as many Pokemon like Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence are hit hard by it. Focus Blast works well for the third slot because it gets the Sheer Force bonus, and it enables Landorus to hit foes like Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, and Scrafty for good amounts of damage. The final slot should be Psychic. Though it doesn't give Landorus much more coverage, Psychic also gets a power boost from Sheer Force. It also enables Landorus to hit the many common Fighting Pokemon, notably Breloom and Conkeldurr, for super-effective damage.

Additional Comments

Landorus should be running a Timid nature, along with max Speed and Special Attack EVs to increase its effectiveness to the best possible level. A Life Orb should be used to increase Landorus' power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other Options

Grass Knot - Can be used to destroy some Bulky Water-typed Pokemon like Quagsire and Gastrodon. Usually, Landorus is better off using other moves for its move sets.
Bulldoze- Can be used as a gimmicky option, in particular for lead sets, since Bulldoze lowers the opponent's speed.
Calm Mind- can be used on Landorus' Dream World special attacking set, but has limited use otherwise. Landorus usually gets better results from the likes of Swords Dance and Rock Polish though.
A Double Dance Set can be used also on Landorus, using both Rock Polish and Swords Dance on a set, with the attacking moves Earthquake and Stone Edge. However, this is outclassed by Terrakion, since Terrakion has higher Attack, higher Speed, and two great STAB moves as opposed to Landorus' one STAB move.
Choice Band - Can be used on Landorus for the extra immediate power. However, Landorus fails to get past some walls like Skarmory and Gliscor, and Choice Banded Landorus is largely outclassed by Terrakion.

Teammates

Most Landorus sets need ways to get past physical walls. A Gyarados, especially a bulky Gyarados with Taunt, can work well with Landorus in getting rid of physical walls like Hippwodon, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn. Gyarados resists Landorus' Water and Ice weaknesses to an extent, while Landorus resists Gyarados' Electric weakness. Hard hitting Special Attackers, like Starmie and Latios, can also work well with Landorus for getting rid of these special walls. Tyranitar, despite not helping Landorus defensively, can aid Landorus in setting up Sand Stream, which powers up Landorus' Ground and Rock attacks. Tyranitar also can also do heavy damage to Skarmory and Ferrothorn through Fire Blast. For Landorus' special sets, Ferrothorn can work, as Ferrothorn does well against the likes of Gyarados, Jellicent, and Blissey. Ferrothorn also resists Landorus' weaknesses, which can be helpful.

Counters

For the physical sets, most physical walls can stop Landorus cold. Physical walls like Skarmory, Hippwodon, Forretress, and Quagsire can work well here. Skarmory and Bronzong are generally considered to be the best Landorus counters, since they don't take much damage from most of Landorus' attacks, barring the unusual Hidden Power Fire (which doesn't even 2HKO Bronzong). Gliscor could also be a decent Landorus counter, but most Landorus carry Hidden Power Ice, making it difficult for Gliscor to stay in battle. Gyarados can intimidate Landorus and set up a Dragon Dance, but has to watch out for a Stone Edge. Latios can switch in on an Earthquake, and force Landorus out with its high powered moves. Vaporeon can take a hit and either use Scald or Ice Beam to maim Landorus, while Ferrothorn can also take a hit, but can't hit back too well. For the special attacking sets, Gyarados becomes an excellent counter, as Gyarados doesn't take much from Landorus' moves and can set up Dragon Dances on Landorus. Reuniclus, Latios, Blissey, Jellicent, and Rotom-W can also work well against special variants of Landorus. Keep in mind that some high powered attackers, like Gengar, Starmie, and Latios can easily force Landorus out, since they are faster and Landorus can't handle their attacks.

Opinion

Landorus is not to be underestimated. Having resistances to the ever-so-common Fighting and Ground moves, as well has having great offensive stats and decent Speed, enables Landorus to become a major threat. Landorus also gets set-up moves like Swords Dance and Rock Polish, which help it to sweep. Landorus is not just confined to physical moves either, as it can also run special sets, which makes it much more effective. Landorus may suffer from not being as fast or not having the same defenses as some Pokemon, but in the right hands, Landorus can be hard to deal with.

steel dragons
10-19-2010, 10:12 PM
I'll finish these sets when I have the time. I'll probably finish Landlos before Victini though.

PSN_Eevee
10-20-2010, 12:09 AM
CB Landlos is a boss, and one of the best checks out there to Doryzuu, since it can actually seriously damage it while being immune to its main STAB.

edit: also, mention a mixed set in there. 125/115 attacking stats definitely merit the use of one, especially with such a good ability in Sand Power to boost Earthquake for wallbreaking.

Dimes
10-20-2010, 02:07 AM
despite being physical, landlos should be using hidden power fire to get rid of skarmor and nattorei, landlos' biggest counters.

steel dragons
10-21-2010, 01:08 PM
Ok, thanks Eevee and dimes for your suggestions! I'll keep these in mind as I write up these sets.

Dimes
10-28-2010, 01:29 AM
don't forget to mention the damage hp fire does to skarmory.

Mind you though in SS Stone Edge does more I believe.

Seth Vilo
11-01-2010, 06:04 PM
Just out of curiosity, are the Ubers damage calcs of Earthquake and Stone Edge with or without a Sand Power boost?

steel dragons
11-02-2010, 11:46 AM
The calculations are without the sand strength boost. This is so because chances are good that the weather will either be rain or sun, due to Groudons and Kyogres popularity, and not sand. Also, it wants to use the encourage ability anyway.

Lavityranitar
11-15-2010, 10:13 AM
I reckon Landlos could be the lord of Sandstorm Teams.

PSN_Eevee
11-17-2010, 03:00 PM
Oh, and some random notes.

In the last slot of physical choice sets, never run Outrage, HP Fire, or Grass Knot. Even though it got nerfed this gen, Explosion is pretty much a way better option, especially if you're in the need of a panic button in case you accidently let something set up.

Continuing, the fourth move of the Swords Dance set should be U-Turn, despite you not wanting to switch out the boost, as you get to pivot out of stuff that walls quakedge on the switch in, which is in general really helpful.

Lastly, barring in Ubers, Sand Strength is probably the best option ability wise.

PSN_Eevee
11-17-2010, 03:00 PM
Oh, and some random notes.

In the last slot of physical choice sets, never run Outrage, HP Fire, or Grass Knot. Even though it got nerfed this gen, Explosion is pretty much a way better option, especially if you're in the need of a panic button in case you accidently let something set up.

Continuing, the fourth move of the Swords Dance set should be U-Turn, despite you not wanting to switch out the boost, as you get to pivot out of stuff that walls quakedge on the switch in, which is in general really helpful.

Lastly, barring in Ubers, Sand Strength is probably the best option ability wise.

steel dragons
11-18-2010, 02:22 PM
Ok, thanks Eevee. I'll slash these suggestions in.

steel dragons
03-08-2011, 06:57 PM
Ok, I've done a major edit of Landorus. I have added in a special attacking set with Sheer Force, and have edited the other sets as well. I have re-ordered some of these sets, and I have changed the format to match toe current analysis format.

If any of you have any thoughts, please let me know! Otherwise, I'm going to remove the WIP tag, since I feel that this is largely completed.

steel dragons
04-07-2011, 04:43 PM
Ok, its time for this analysis to be QC checked.

MikeDecIsHere
09-30-2011, 03:25 PM
Sub/Smack Down is becoming increasingly popular. I personally don't find it that great of a set, but it should probably be included

.sECRET
09-30-2011, 05:18 PM
Please include a Sub+3 attacks set, and a Double dancer set.

Thank you.

steel dragons
09-30-2011, 07:17 PM
Wait...I just edited this thread on TU on Thursday, this thread doesn't have the edit yet. I'll do that shortly.

EDIT: Ok, edited. (Thank goodness TU was still up)

I'll look at editing the sets when I have more time, thanks for your suggestions.

SilentDreams
10-01-2011, 02:01 PM
I'll go through and look at the grammar on this as well.

DDwhiscash
10-05-2011, 01:11 AM
Does Double Dancer really work? The time you take to set up the second dance is the time you get Ice Beamed, Surfed, Ice Punched or just plain phased out. Total Gimmick.

.sECRET
10-05-2011, 02:47 AM
Does Double Dancer really work? The time you take to set up the second dance is the time you get Ice Beamed, Surfed, Ice Punched or just plain phased out. Total Gimmick.
You don't need both. You set up the one you need to rip through stall or to break through hyper offense. It's not a gimmick, and if you're trying to get two boosts all the time, you're doing it wrong.

DDwhiscash
10-05-2011, 02:52 AM
I guess you have a point..... I'm probably just saying such because I've never had a problem with Landy to begin with.

MikeDecIsHere
10-05-2011, 12:51 PM
I'm not so sold on a Dual Dance set. The reason why Pokemon like Terrakion can pull it off is because it has excellent Dual STAB. Landorus would only have STAB EQ and Stone Edge to work with. While those both have fantastic coverage, I don't feel that Landorus has the same potential as Terrakion to pull it off. Also, 101 Base Speed unboosted is very risky to play with, while 108 is manageable.

.sECRET
10-05-2011, 07:30 PM
I'm not so sold on a Dual Dance set. The reason why Pokemon like Terrakion can pull it off is because it has excellent Dual STAB. Landorus would only have STAB EQ and Stone Edge to work with. While those both have fantastic coverage, I don't feel that Landorus has the same potential as Terrakion to pull it off. Also, 101 Base Speed unboosted is very risky to play with, while 108 is manageable.

Even so, it's at least OO material since +2 EQ OHKO's everything (literally lol) and rock polish is usable over hp ice because +2 stone edge is a 2hko on Gliscor... yeah.

MikeDecIsHere
10-07-2011, 12:03 AM
Even so, it's at least OO material since +2 EQ OHKO's everything (literally lol) and rock polish is usable over hp ice because +2 stone edge is a 2hko on Gliscor... yeah.

I will agree that it is at least OO material. The only problem is that Ice Fang does a ton to Landorus. In addition, Sand Veil Scor (Which people are beginning to use again) trolls all over Stone Edge and can do whatever to Landorus. HP Ice is just a significantly more reliable alternative.

steel dragons
10-07-2011, 04:15 PM
Mike is right, Terrakion has a base 129 attack and base 108 speed, while Landorus has a lower 125 attack and 101 speed. Also, Terrakion has two great stab moves (Close Combat and Stone Edge) while Landorus only really has the one stab move in Earthquake. Basically, in Sand, Landorus is stronger, given its ability, but in most cir***stances Terrakion is stronger. I will include this in other options though.

Also, can Gliscor really be considered a counter to Landorus right now, since most Landorus now have HP Ice? I would rather use Skarmory myself.

SilentDreams
10-09-2011, 05:06 PM
Considering that HP Ice is mentioned as either the most viable option or a potential option in all but one of the sets, I don't think Gliscor should get as much attention as it does in the Counters section. It's currently pretty high up on the list, and the way that the section is worded makes Gliscor seem like a more viable option than it probably should be. If anything, I think it would be worth mentioning in passing at the end, but make it very clear that it's probably not worth it unless you know the Landorus doesn't have HP Ice.

Perhaps you could also elaborate on why you would prefer to use Skarmory as a counter?

I did the grammar edits for this, but will go through them again if/when changes are made.

.sECRET
10-09-2011, 07:04 PM
Give Bronzong a special mention for being the best counter to Landorus in OU.

steel dragons
10-10-2011, 04:22 AM
Ok, thanks guys, I'll make these changes.

EDIT: Ok, the changes have been made, concerning mentions of Bronzong and Gliscor as counters and their effectiveness.

Also, is the Ubers Rock Polish set really worth mentioning here, or should I just take it out?

SilentDreams
10-10-2011, 01:44 PM
Grammar edited the changes. Looks good!

You would probably be better off putting the Ubers Rock Polish set in OO if anything. From the sound of things, Landorus is pretty much useless in Ubers, so listing it as a viable set would probably just be misleading. Probably doesn't hurt to have it somewhere, just in case someone decides to use Landorus in Ubers, but it should definitely have some kind of "use at your own risk" note in there somewhere.

steel dragons
10-10-2011, 03:56 PM
I'll probably just get rid of it, since something like Garchomp is more suited for Ubers anyway (because of higher speed, higher attack, good stabs). Also, Landorus really can't take too many hits at all, even something like Excadrill is better for Ubers simply because of the resistances.

SilentDreams
10-11-2011, 12:49 AM
In that case, is there really even any point in including Ubers information? I suppose mentioning somewhere that Landorus can technically be used in Ubers, but is considered to be ineffective, would be a good idea. But if you're going to remove the Ubers move set, having the Ubers counters is probably pointless. Personally, I would just put something in the Overview or OO that mentions the possibility of using Landorus in Ubers, but making it clear that other Pokes are better-suited.

steel dragons
10-11-2011, 04:14 AM
I just removed all mentions of Landorus being in Ubers, it just doesn't seem suited for it.

SilentDreams
10-11-2011, 05:21 PM
Sounds good! We ready for this to be moved to the UU section and have it added to the Pokedex then?

steel dragons
10-13-2011, 11:52 AM
I thought that Landorus was OU...

If it isn't, then it should be OU by all means, just because of its stats if nothing else.

SilentDreams
10-13-2011, 11:55 AM
It is, I just can't type. Moving now!

steel dragons
05-03-2012, 05:06 PM
Ok, I have updated most of this analysis, and the other parts will be updated sometime soon.

Neko
05-03-2012, 09:28 PM
I enjoyed reading the emphasis on the speed tiers. Great quality analysis. I like it.

MikeDecIsHere
05-05-2012, 02:45 AM
Hi.

Sub / Smack Down / Earthquake / HP Ice or SD needs to be a set.

Remove CB, it sucks.

Remove all mentions of Rock Slide, Landorus needs Stone Edge, especially with no STAB.

HP Fire sucks, remove it. HP Ice is significantly more important.

Also, Hammer Arm is also useless on Scarfed Landorus.

Neko
05-05-2012, 06:02 AM
Remove CB, it sucks.

ChoiceBand effectively utilizes the multitude of possible moves and vigorously abuses Landorus' speed.



HP Fire sucks, remove it. HP Ice is significantly more important.

HP-Fire deserves at least a mention because Forretress/Ferrothorn completely tanks Landorus.

Otherwise, I agree with you.

lapras6666
05-05-2012, 08:28 AM
HP-Fire deserves at least a mention because Forretress/Ferrothorn completely tanks Landorus.

Otherwise, I agree with you.

Landorus 2HKO's Ferrothorn with a sand power boosted EQ, and Forretress cannot do anything to Land (as most carry Volt Switch)

steel dragons
05-08-2012, 01:13 PM
Hi.

Hello Mike, hanging out in the analysis section again?


Sub / Smack Down / Earthquake / HP Ice or SD needs to be a set.

Yeah, that sounds effective; I'll add it in. I don't want my analyses to be 'smogon clones', but that combination can be effective.


Remove CB, it sucks.

Its powerful and fast enough to be a good choice bander, so I'm not getting rid of that set.


Remove all mentions of Rock Slide, Landorus needs Stone Edge, especially with no STAB.

I removed mentions of Rock Slide from all but two sets, the Swords Dancer and the Choice Scarfer. For both of those sets, accuracy can be valued over some power


HP Fire sucks, remove it. HP Ice is significantly more important.

Yeah, I totally agree. I thought that I had removed it already from all of the sets.


Also, Hammer Arm is also useless on Scarfed Landorus

I mostly agree. Its only there for Air Balloon Heatran and various other Air Balloon Pokemon (like Magnezone).

Thanks for your suggestions everyone! I really appreciate your input on this.

MikeDecIsHere
05-09-2012, 09:46 PM
ChoiceBand effectively utilizes the multitude of possible moves and vigorously abuses Landorus' speed.


HP-Fire deserves at least a mention because Forretress/Ferrothorn completely tanks Landorus.

Otherwise, I agree with you.

Abuses Landorus's Speed? Base 101 for a CB Set is not good at all. You're better off using Terrakion, since it's faster and hits harder with a Choice Band. The only reason not to run Scarf is to run Expert Belt or Smack Down (which would never be on a CB Set). Sub SD is possibly the only other legitimate reason to not run Scarf as well. But no, CB sucks, and you still need HP Ice anyway to function.

HP Fire leaves you very weak to Gliscor. If you are running Landorus, then you are running it in Sandstorm, which means that you will have other teammates (Celebi / Terrakion / Scizor) to take on Ferrothorn/ Forretress. HP Ice also gives you reliable damage against +1 Flying Dragons since Stone Edge is a **** move.

steel dragons
05-10-2012, 03:26 PM
Abuses Landorus's Speed? Base 101 for a CB Set is not good at all. You're better off using Terrakion, since it's faster and hits harder with a Choice Band. The only reason not to run Scarf is to run Expert Belt or Smack Down (which would never be on a CB Set). Sub SD is possibly the only other legitimate reason to not run Scarf as well. But no, CB sucks, and you still need HP Ice anyway to function.

True, Terrakion may outclass Landorus as a Choice Bander in most cases, but Landorus has some qualities that set it apart from Terrakion, mainly a stabbed Earthquake, an ability that boosts the power of its main attacks in sandstorm, two immunities and some key resistences that Terrakion doesn't have, and access to U-Turn. I'm not saying that Landorus is the best Choice Bander out there, but it should be included.

And again, I got rid of HP Fire.

MikeDecIsHere
05-11-2012, 06:39 PM
The main problem with CB is that Skarmory/Gliscor still wall it to hell and back. CB Terrakion 2HKOs Skarm with CC and can come close to 2HKOing Protect-less Gliscor with max damage rolls. CB Landorus can't do that to either, and it's silly to run HP Ice on a CB set...so yeah. Not being able to do anything about two premier defensive walls is why I don't like CB.

On another note, I understand we don't want these to be Smogon clones (and quite frankly, some of the Smogon sets are outdated as hell), but having sub-par (by my standards) sets to be different doesn't swing right by me either.

steel dragons
05-12-2012, 03:44 AM
Yeah, thats true, and your most likely right about this. I'll get rid of that set altogether (since Scarf and Expert Belt are just better anyway) and put Choice Band in other options.