Havens
WGI World Champion
[OVERVIEW]
Flying
========
Landorus-T has a wide array of options at its disposal, providing an absolutely stellar role compressor for Flying teams with its incredible offensive prowess, Stealth Rock, Double Dance, and other tools. Landorus-T is a fantastic revenge killer that threatens very potent enemies to Flying teams such as Mega Diancie and Tapu Koko. Its solid defensive typing, when coupled with above average bulk and Intimidate, can allow Landorus-T to act as a physically defensive pivot. Setup options in Swords Dance and Rock Polish can make Landorus-T a very deadly late-game sweeper. Its Electric immunity is always appreciated by Flying teams, especially against foes such as Tapu Koko and Magnezone that more often than not would lock themselves into Electric-type moves. Landorus-T's decent Speed tier lets it naturally outspeed threats such as Meloetta and Rotom-H, but it also leaves Landorus-T susceptible to faster threats such as Kyurem-B and Hidden Power Ice Nihilego. Furthermore, without a form of reliable recovery, Landorus-T must be played somewhat conservatively to avoid unnecessary damage. Landorus-T faces competition from its Incarnate forme, as the latter's better speed and power through Sheer Force and a Life Orb make it a better, more immediate wallbreaker for Flying teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Stealth Rock / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Landorus-T's STAB attack and breaks through foes like Terrakion, Heatran, Mega Diancie, and Tapu Koko. U-turn is a pivoting option that Landorus-T utilizes to keep momentum and also reliably damages Psychic- and Dark-types such as Celebi and Hydreigon. Knock Off removes the foe's held item, hampering their defenses or recovery, and it's especially helpful against Normal teams for removing Eviolite from Porygon2 and Chansey. It also hits Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Latias and Gourgeist for super effective damage. Stealth Rock and Defog support are both solid roles that Landorus-T can compress in order to allow other teammates like Zapdos, Gliscor, and Skarmory to perform better and more effective roles for Flying teams. Stone Edge is an option to deal with opposing Flying-types such as Mantine and Mega Charizard Y. However, the move doesn't have much purpose outside of this, and the move itself tends to be walled by many of Landorus-T's most common switch-ins.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack EVs allow Landorus-T to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed EVs, when paired with a Choice Scarf and a Jolly nature, allow Landorus-T to outspeed offensive threats in Tapu Koko, Mega Diancie, and Z-Conversion Porygon-Z. Intimidate is used to threaten physical attackers such as Mega Charizard X and Terrakion.
Usage Tips
========
This set mainly works as a momentum shifter, as its use of U-turn, when paired with Volt Switch from Zapdos and U-turn from Tornadus-T, chips the opposing Pokemon frequently while also keeping offensive momentum. Choice Scarf Landorus-T also acts as a revenge killer, so bring it in on weakened foes. By doing so, you put yourself in a good position while ensuring that Landorus-T takes minimal damage. When used against foes threatened by its presence like Mega Diancie and Tapu Koko, Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock on their predicted switch to keep up residual damage or Defog to increase the longevity of Landorus-T and its teammates. Switch in on physical attackers such as Excadrill and Terrakion to lower their Attack with Intimidate, as lessening their damage output often forces a switch into a defensive option, which you then can take advantage of with U-turn to keep up momentum. Be careful of switching directly into Electric-types such as Mega Manectric and Tapu Koko, as many of them carry Hidden Power Ice to deal with Landorus-T and other Ground-types. Choice Scarf Landorus-T also works as a reliable lead, as it can scout for the foe's options and can either pivot into an appropriate check with U-turn or set up Stealth Rock to get residual damage off early. Using Knock Off has little to no drawback in many matchups, since it greatly inhibits the foe's passive recovery, defenses, and roles. However, be wary of locking into it, as Landorus-T can be turned into setup bait for Mega Evolutions like Gyarados, Scizor, and Latias. Avoid status conditions, specifically burns and paralysis, as they greatly inhibit Landorus-T's ability to act as a revenge killer.
Team Options
========
Mantine pairs very well with Landorus, as its typing and natural bulk provide defense against Ice- and Water-type moves. Its ability to remove Stealth Rock through Defog and its access to Roost grant extended periods of longevity for itself and its teammates. In return, Landorus acts as an offensive pivot into Electric-type attacks or foes such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Golem. Zapdos provides Landorus-T with some extra defensive utility, being neutral to Electric-type moves and being able to wear down bulkier foes such as Skarmory and Mantine. Its SubToxic set can stall out bulkier Water teams with foes such as Gastrodon and Suicune that would otherwise be pressuring for Landorus-T. Mega Charizard Y is a very powerful wallbreaker that checks Water-types such as Mega Swampert and Rotom-W, as its access to Drought and Solar Beam lets it weaken and threaten them for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T comes in on Electric- and Rock-type moves threatening to OHKO Mega Charizard Y. Celesteela is a solid wall for Landorus-T, as its defensive typing, high mixed bulk, and access to Leech Seed allow it to reliably come in on Ice- and Rock-type attacks, while Landorus-T can pivot into Electric-type attacks freely and can preemptively stop Magnezone from trapping Celesteela. Skarmory provides Spikes support to cripple grounded foes throughout the course of the battle and can also come in on many physical attacks for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can come in on Electric-type attacks for Skarmory. Tornadus-T is a fabulous mixed attacker for Flying teams, and, because of its very high Speed, it also acts as an offensive Defogger for Flying teams looking to remove Stealth Rock. Landorus-T can pivot into Electric- and Rock-type attacks for Tornadus-T, and pairing them both together creates an offensive VoltTurn core that keeps momentum constantly, especially with Tornadus-T's excellent ability in Regenerator. Gliscor is an incredibly potent stallbreaker when it's poisoned, as it not only receives passive recovery through Poison Heal but also acts as a status sponge for Landorus-T by absorbing Scald and Will-O-Wisp from weaker utility foes such as Toxapex and Mega Sableye. Dragonite is a powerful wallbreaker with its access to various offensive moves ranging from Earthquake to Outrage, Superpower, and even Extreme Speed to revenge kill weaker threats like Azumarill and Greninja for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T weakens physical attackers for Dragonite, such as Terrakion and Mega Sharpedo. Mega Aerodactyl pairs well with Landorus-T, since it acts as a very potent Pursuit trapper for foes that can pressure Landorus-T, such as Choice Scarf Latios and Choice Scarf Gengar.
[SET]
name: Rockium Z
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Rockium Z
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Landorus-T's best STAB move and does massive damage to foes that don't resist it. Stone Edge is used to hit Flying-types or foes that use Levitate, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mantine, and Rotom-H. Swords Dance and Rock Polish are both Landorus-T's setup options, sharply raising its Attack and Speed stats, respectively. At +2 Attack, Landorus-T has the capacity to threaten slower, bulkier builds; for example, it can almost always OHKO Celesteela with Continental Crush when it has that boost. Conversely, being at +2 Speed makes Landorus-T a potent sweeper against faster, more offensive teams and threats such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Double Dance Mew.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment allows Landorus-T to hit as hard as possible when combined with Swords Dance. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Landorus-T to go as fast as possible, outpacing threats like Choice Scarf Latios, Choice Scarf Gengar, and Choice Scarf Greninja after a Rock Polish boost. Intimidate is its only ability, lowering the foe's Attack stat by one stage. Rockium Z is used in tandem with Stone Edge to deal heavy damage to Flying-type foes, such as Gliscor and Celesteela.
Usage Tips
========
This set is designed to act as a late-game sweeper, so avoid bringing it in unnecessarily on Stealth Rock, priority attacks from foes like Mega Lopunny and Azumarill, and other sources of residual damage as much as possible. Bring Landorus-T in on physical attackers such as Mega Pinsir and Terrakion, as its Intimidate makes it easier to set up a Swords Dance or Rock Polish. Status conditions, specifically paralysis and burn, hinder Landorus-T's ability to act as a setup sweeper, so avoid moves that could inflict these conditions, such as Scald, Will-O-Wisp, and Glare. Rockium Z, being a one-time use move, should be well preserved to chunk physically defensive threats like Skarmory and Slowbro after a Swords Dance boost. In situations where Landorus-T's health is considerably low and beyond the point of saving, Continental Crush can be used as a last-ditch effort to heavily damage the foe at least to a point to where another Flying-type teammate, such as Dragonite or Mega Aerodactyl, can revenge kill them. Both Swords Dance and Rock Polish boost Landorus-T's stats, but they don't have to be used together. Rock Polish is better to use against offense-oriented teams like Electric and Psychic, as they often are frail and can be broken easily by Landorus-T's natural power. Swords Dance, on the other hand, works better against bulkier teams such as Steel and Dark, where the majority of foes are naturally slower than Landorus-T. Landorus-T can sometimes be used to bluff a Choice Scarf and can sometimes force switches this way by threatening to revenge kill a weakened threat. In situations like these, you can take the opportunity to set up.
Team Options
========
Mega Aerodactyl is a solid partner for Double Dance Landorus-T, with an amazing Speed tier that very few can match. It can also use its STAB Stone Edge against opposing Flying-types for Landorus while also being able to Pursuit trap weakened threats, such as Victini and Latios. In return, Landorus-T can switch into many Electric-type attacks for Mega Aerodactyl. Regular Aerodactyl is also a nice partner for Landorus-T, as its access to support moves such as Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Tailwind makes it a very good suicide lead. It even has the option of running Earthquake, as it Speed ties and threatens one of the greatest threats for Flying teams in Tapu Koko. Setting up Stealth Rock and Taunting potential Defoggers in Staraptor and Mandibuzz enable Landorus-T to set up and sweep much more effectively late-game. Mantine pairs very well with Landorus-T, as its typing and natural bulk provide defense against Ice- and Water-type moves. Its access to Roost and capability to remove Stealth Rock through Defog allow for extended periods of longevity for itself and its teammates. In return, Landorus acts as an offensive pivot into Electric-type attacks or foes such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Golem. Mega Charizard Y is a powerful special wallbreaker for Landorus-T, as it checks Ice-types like Mamoswine and Kyurem-B and also soft checks Water-types such as Mega Swampert and Rotom-W through its access to Drought and Solar Beam. In return, Landorus-T can come in on Electric- and Rock-type moves that threaten Mega Charizard Y. Celesteela is a solid wall, as its great defensive typing allows it to reliably come in on Ice- and Rock-type attacks for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Celesteela as long as it remains healthy. Skarmory provides hazard support in Spikes or Stealth Rock to cripple grounded foes for residual damage and can also come in on physical attackers such as Mamoswine and Weavile for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Skarmory if it's healthy enough. Gliscor is a physically defensive pivot that pairs well with Landorus-T, as its solid Defense and recovery options are very good. Given that Gliscor also receives passive recovery when paired with a Toxic Orb, it can function as a status sponge against Scald users such as Mantine and Suicune. In return, Landorus-T can deal with faster offensive threats like Kyurem-B and Mega Manectric after a Rock Polish boost, as Gliscor often tends to not have much Speed investment and is thus susceptible to these quicker attackers. Dragonite's natural power makes it a strong physical wallbreaker for Landorus-T, considering its options in Outrage, Superpower, and even Extreme Speed to revenge kill faster foes in Tapu Koko and Greninja. Landorus-T, in return, can use Intimidate to weaken physical attackers that threaten Dragonite, such as Terrakion and Mimikyu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
Flyinium Z with Fly can also be used on the Double Dance set, as Landorus-T would use Supersonic Skystrike to hit physically defensive foes like Clefable, Porygon2, and Gliscor harder. As a standalone move, Fly naturally has more PP than Stone Edge and an increased chance of hitting the foe, but it also takes two turns to use. However, Fly can be easily counteracted by using Protect or switching out into a physically defensive foe. Additionally, using Fly would make it impossible for Landorus-T to break Steel / Flying types, such as Skarmory and Celesteela. An Adamant nature on Rockium Z sets can be used over a Jolly nature, as it provides a slight increase in power in exchange for lower Speed. However, while slightly more powerful at base value, the drop in Speed makes Landorus-T vulnerable to Choice Scarf Greninja, even after a Rock Polish boost. Superpower can be substituted over Stealth Rock or Defog on Choice Scarf variants to assist in the Normal matchup and is mainly used in tandem with Knock Off to break the defensive core of Chansey and Porygon2. However, there are very few uses to Superpower outside of this purpose. A physically defensive variant of Landorus-T can be utilized due to its decent physical bulk and access to Intimidate, but without a form of reliable recovery, there are more ideal partners for fulfilling a role like this, namely Gliscor and Skarmory. Toxic can be utilized on Choice Scarf variants of Landorus-T to break down some of its physically defensive switch-ins, such as Suicune and Gastrodon, effectively setting a timer on them. Be careful of using this option, though, as Poison-types, Steel-types, and Natural Cure users like Chansey and Celebi can ignore its use, halting your momentum and forcing a teammate to switch in directly.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Suicune, Gyarados, and Mantine can take any one of Landorus-T's hits and can cripple it with any Water-type move or a Scald burn.
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Kyurem-B and Alolan Ninetales threaten to OHKO Landorus-T through their STAB attacks.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Choice Scarf users in Greninja and Keldeo and other setup sweepers in Double Dance Mew and Kommonium Z Kommo-o greatly threaten Landorus-T through their powerful offensive options.
**Status and Residual Damage**: Status Conditions like burns and poison as well as consistent exposure to Stealth Rock greatly inhibit Landorus-T's ability to act as a revenge killer, as it has no reliable recovery.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Physically defensive foes like Skarmory, Avalugg, Mega Venusaur, and Gastrodon have enough bulk to stall Landorus-T out of its moves and can reliably recover off any damage taken.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Havens, 391540]]
- Flying analysis by: [[Havens, 391540]]
- Quality checked by: @ Eien, @ Misaka Mikoto, [Moosical, 215618]]
- Grammar checked by: [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
Flying
========
Landorus-T has a wide array of options at its disposal, providing an absolutely stellar role compressor for Flying teams with its incredible offensive prowess, Stealth Rock, Double Dance, and other tools. Landorus-T is a fantastic revenge killer that threatens very potent enemies to Flying teams such as Mega Diancie and Tapu Koko. Its solid defensive typing, when coupled with above average bulk and Intimidate, can allow Landorus-T to act as a physically defensive pivot. Setup options in Swords Dance and Rock Polish can make Landorus-T a very deadly late-game sweeper. Its Electric immunity is always appreciated by Flying teams, especially against foes such as Tapu Koko and Magnezone that more often than not would lock themselves into Electric-type moves. Landorus-T's decent Speed tier lets it naturally outspeed threats such as Meloetta and Rotom-H, but it also leaves Landorus-T susceptible to faster threats such as Kyurem-B and Hidden Power Ice Nihilego. Furthermore, without a form of reliable recovery, Landorus-T must be played somewhat conservatively to avoid unnecessary damage. Landorus-T faces competition from its Incarnate forme, as the latter's better speed and power through Sheer Force and a Life Orb make it a better, more immediate wallbreaker for Flying teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Stealth Rock / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Landorus-T's STAB attack and breaks through foes like Terrakion, Heatran, Mega Diancie, and Tapu Koko. U-turn is a pivoting option that Landorus-T utilizes to keep momentum and also reliably damages Psychic- and Dark-types such as Celebi and Hydreigon. Knock Off removes the foe's held item, hampering their defenses or recovery, and it's especially helpful against Normal teams for removing Eviolite from Porygon2 and Chansey. It also hits Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Latias and Gourgeist for super effective damage. Stealth Rock and Defog support are both solid roles that Landorus-T can compress in order to allow other teammates like Zapdos, Gliscor, and Skarmory to perform better and more effective roles for Flying teams. Stone Edge is an option to deal with opposing Flying-types such as Mantine and Mega Charizard Y. However, the move doesn't have much purpose outside of this, and the move itself tends to be walled by many of Landorus-T's most common switch-ins.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack EVs allow Landorus-T to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed EVs, when paired with a Choice Scarf and a Jolly nature, allow Landorus-T to outspeed offensive threats in Tapu Koko, Mega Diancie, and Z-Conversion Porygon-Z. Intimidate is used to threaten physical attackers such as Mega Charizard X and Terrakion.
Usage Tips
========
This set mainly works as a momentum shifter, as its use of U-turn, when paired with Volt Switch from Zapdos and U-turn from Tornadus-T, chips the opposing Pokemon frequently while also keeping offensive momentum. Choice Scarf Landorus-T also acts as a revenge killer, so bring it in on weakened foes. By doing so, you put yourself in a good position while ensuring that Landorus-T takes minimal damage. When used against foes threatened by its presence like Mega Diancie and Tapu Koko, Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock on their predicted switch to keep up residual damage or Defog to increase the longevity of Landorus-T and its teammates. Switch in on physical attackers such as Excadrill and Terrakion to lower their Attack with Intimidate, as lessening their damage output often forces a switch into a defensive option, which you then can take advantage of with U-turn to keep up momentum. Be careful of switching directly into Electric-types such as Mega Manectric and Tapu Koko, as many of them carry Hidden Power Ice to deal with Landorus-T and other Ground-types. Choice Scarf Landorus-T also works as a reliable lead, as it can scout for the foe's options and can either pivot into an appropriate check with U-turn or set up Stealth Rock to get residual damage off early. Using Knock Off has little to no drawback in many matchups, since it greatly inhibits the foe's passive recovery, defenses, and roles. However, be wary of locking into it, as Landorus-T can be turned into setup bait for Mega Evolutions like Gyarados, Scizor, and Latias. Avoid status conditions, specifically burns and paralysis, as they greatly inhibit Landorus-T's ability to act as a revenge killer.
Team Options
========
Mantine pairs very well with Landorus, as its typing and natural bulk provide defense against Ice- and Water-type moves. Its ability to remove Stealth Rock through Defog and its access to Roost grant extended periods of longevity for itself and its teammates. In return, Landorus acts as an offensive pivot into Electric-type attacks or foes such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Golem. Zapdos provides Landorus-T with some extra defensive utility, being neutral to Electric-type moves and being able to wear down bulkier foes such as Skarmory and Mantine. Its SubToxic set can stall out bulkier Water teams with foes such as Gastrodon and Suicune that would otherwise be pressuring for Landorus-T. Mega Charizard Y is a very powerful wallbreaker that checks Water-types such as Mega Swampert and Rotom-W, as its access to Drought and Solar Beam lets it weaken and threaten them for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T comes in on Electric- and Rock-type moves threatening to OHKO Mega Charizard Y. Celesteela is a solid wall for Landorus-T, as its defensive typing, high mixed bulk, and access to Leech Seed allow it to reliably come in on Ice- and Rock-type attacks, while Landorus-T can pivot into Electric-type attacks freely and can preemptively stop Magnezone from trapping Celesteela. Skarmory provides Spikes support to cripple grounded foes throughout the course of the battle and can also come in on many physical attacks for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can come in on Electric-type attacks for Skarmory. Tornadus-T is a fabulous mixed attacker for Flying teams, and, because of its very high Speed, it also acts as an offensive Defogger for Flying teams looking to remove Stealth Rock. Landorus-T can pivot into Electric- and Rock-type attacks for Tornadus-T, and pairing them both together creates an offensive VoltTurn core that keeps momentum constantly, especially with Tornadus-T's excellent ability in Regenerator. Gliscor is an incredibly potent stallbreaker when it's poisoned, as it not only receives passive recovery through Poison Heal but also acts as a status sponge for Landorus-T by absorbing Scald and Will-O-Wisp from weaker utility foes such as Toxapex and Mega Sableye. Dragonite is a powerful wallbreaker with its access to various offensive moves ranging from Earthquake to Outrage, Superpower, and even Extreme Speed to revenge kill weaker threats like Azumarill and Greninja for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T weakens physical attackers for Dragonite, such as Terrakion and Mega Sharpedo. Mega Aerodactyl pairs well with Landorus-T, since it acts as a very potent Pursuit trapper for foes that can pressure Landorus-T, such as Choice Scarf Latios and Choice Scarf Gengar.
[SET]
name: Rockium Z
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Rock Polish
item: Rockium Z
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Landorus-T's best STAB move and does massive damage to foes that don't resist it. Stone Edge is used to hit Flying-types or foes that use Levitate, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mantine, and Rotom-H. Swords Dance and Rock Polish are both Landorus-T's setup options, sharply raising its Attack and Speed stats, respectively. At +2 Attack, Landorus-T has the capacity to threaten slower, bulkier builds; for example, it can almost always OHKO Celesteela with Continental Crush when it has that boost. Conversely, being at +2 Speed makes Landorus-T a potent sweeper against faster, more offensive teams and threats such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Double Dance Mew.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment allows Landorus-T to hit as hard as possible when combined with Swords Dance. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Landorus-T to go as fast as possible, outpacing threats like Choice Scarf Latios, Choice Scarf Gengar, and Choice Scarf Greninja after a Rock Polish boost. Intimidate is its only ability, lowering the foe's Attack stat by one stage. Rockium Z is used in tandem with Stone Edge to deal heavy damage to Flying-type foes, such as Gliscor and Celesteela.
Usage Tips
========
This set is designed to act as a late-game sweeper, so avoid bringing it in unnecessarily on Stealth Rock, priority attacks from foes like Mega Lopunny and Azumarill, and other sources of residual damage as much as possible. Bring Landorus-T in on physical attackers such as Mega Pinsir and Terrakion, as its Intimidate makes it easier to set up a Swords Dance or Rock Polish. Status conditions, specifically paralysis and burn, hinder Landorus-T's ability to act as a setup sweeper, so avoid moves that could inflict these conditions, such as Scald, Will-O-Wisp, and Glare. Rockium Z, being a one-time use move, should be well preserved to chunk physically defensive threats like Skarmory and Slowbro after a Swords Dance boost. In situations where Landorus-T's health is considerably low and beyond the point of saving, Continental Crush can be used as a last-ditch effort to heavily damage the foe at least to a point to where another Flying-type teammate, such as Dragonite or Mega Aerodactyl, can revenge kill them. Both Swords Dance and Rock Polish boost Landorus-T's stats, but they don't have to be used together. Rock Polish is better to use against offense-oriented teams like Electric and Psychic, as they often are frail and can be broken easily by Landorus-T's natural power. Swords Dance, on the other hand, works better against bulkier teams such as Steel and Dark, where the majority of foes are naturally slower than Landorus-T. Landorus-T can sometimes be used to bluff a Choice Scarf and can sometimes force switches this way by threatening to revenge kill a weakened threat. In situations like these, you can take the opportunity to set up.
Team Options
========
Mega Aerodactyl is a solid partner for Double Dance Landorus-T, with an amazing Speed tier that very few can match. It can also use its STAB Stone Edge against opposing Flying-types for Landorus while also being able to Pursuit trap weakened threats, such as Victini and Latios. In return, Landorus-T can switch into many Electric-type attacks for Mega Aerodactyl. Regular Aerodactyl is also a nice partner for Landorus-T, as its access to support moves such as Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Tailwind makes it a very good suicide lead. It even has the option of running Earthquake, as it Speed ties and threatens one of the greatest threats for Flying teams in Tapu Koko. Setting up Stealth Rock and Taunting potential Defoggers in Staraptor and Mandibuzz enable Landorus-T to set up and sweep much more effectively late-game. Mantine pairs very well with Landorus-T, as its typing and natural bulk provide defense against Ice- and Water-type moves. Its access to Roost and capability to remove Stealth Rock through Defog allow for extended periods of longevity for itself and its teammates. In return, Landorus acts as an offensive pivot into Electric-type attacks or foes such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Golem. Mega Charizard Y is a powerful special wallbreaker for Landorus-T, as it checks Ice-types like Mamoswine and Kyurem-B and also soft checks Water-types such as Mega Swampert and Rotom-W through its access to Drought and Solar Beam. In return, Landorus-T can come in on Electric- and Rock-type moves that threaten Mega Charizard Y. Celesteela is a solid wall, as its great defensive typing allows it to reliably come in on Ice- and Rock-type attacks for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Celesteela as long as it remains healthy. Skarmory provides hazard support in Spikes or Stealth Rock to cripple grounded foes for residual damage and can also come in on physical attackers such as Mamoswine and Weavile for Landorus-T. In return, Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type attacks for Skarmory if it's healthy enough. Gliscor is a physically defensive pivot that pairs well with Landorus-T, as its solid Defense and recovery options are very good. Given that Gliscor also receives passive recovery when paired with a Toxic Orb, it can function as a status sponge against Scald users such as Mantine and Suicune. In return, Landorus-T can deal with faster offensive threats like Kyurem-B and Mega Manectric after a Rock Polish boost, as Gliscor often tends to not have much Speed investment and is thus susceptible to these quicker attackers. Dragonite's natural power makes it a strong physical wallbreaker for Landorus-T, considering its options in Outrage, Superpower, and even Extreme Speed to revenge kill faster foes in Tapu Koko and Greninja. Landorus-T, in return, can use Intimidate to weaken physical attackers that threaten Dragonite, such as Terrakion and Mimikyu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
Flyinium Z with Fly can also be used on the Double Dance set, as Landorus-T would use Supersonic Skystrike to hit physically defensive foes like Clefable, Porygon2, and Gliscor harder. As a standalone move, Fly naturally has more PP than Stone Edge and an increased chance of hitting the foe, but it also takes two turns to use. However, Fly can be easily counteracted by using Protect or switching out into a physically defensive foe. Additionally, using Fly would make it impossible for Landorus-T to break Steel / Flying types, such as Skarmory and Celesteela. An Adamant nature on Rockium Z sets can be used over a Jolly nature, as it provides a slight increase in power in exchange for lower Speed. However, while slightly more powerful at base value, the drop in Speed makes Landorus-T vulnerable to Choice Scarf Greninja, even after a Rock Polish boost. Superpower can be substituted over Stealth Rock or Defog on Choice Scarf variants to assist in the Normal matchup and is mainly used in tandem with Knock Off to break the defensive core of Chansey and Porygon2. However, there are very few uses to Superpower outside of this purpose. A physically defensive variant of Landorus-T can be utilized due to its decent physical bulk and access to Intimidate, but without a form of reliable recovery, there are more ideal partners for fulfilling a role like this, namely Gliscor and Skarmory. Toxic can be utilized on Choice Scarf variants of Landorus-T to break down some of its physically defensive switch-ins, such as Suicune and Gastrodon, effectively setting a timer on them. Be careful of using this option, though, as Poison-types, Steel-types, and Natural Cure users like Chansey and Celebi can ignore its use, halting your momentum and forcing a teammate to switch in directly.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Suicune, Gyarados, and Mantine can take any one of Landorus-T's hits and can cripple it with any Water-type move or a Scald burn.
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Kyurem-B and Alolan Ninetales threaten to OHKO Landorus-T through their STAB attacks.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Choice Scarf users in Greninja and Keldeo and other setup sweepers in Double Dance Mew and Kommonium Z Kommo-o greatly threaten Landorus-T through their powerful offensive options.
**Status and Residual Damage**: Status Conditions like burns and poison as well as consistent exposure to Stealth Rock greatly inhibit Landorus-T's ability to act as a revenge killer, as it has no reliable recovery.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Physically defensive foes like Skarmory, Avalugg, Mega Venusaur, and Gastrodon have enough bulk to stall Landorus-T out of its moves and can reliably recover off any damage taken.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Havens, 391540]]
- Flying analysis by: [[Havens, 391540]]
- Quality checked by: @ Eien, @ Misaka Mikoto, [Moosical, 215618]]
- Grammar checked by: [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
Last edited: