must flex
[Overview]
Heatran is a defining offensive and defensive threat in OU, able to check the likes of Dragapult, Tapu Lele and Volcarona, while also being able to trap defensive threats like Toxapex and eliminate its checks. Its amazing utility as a Steel-type and a Stealth Rock setter being able to beat almost every defogger makes it a great asset to most teams. Its ability to target and take down its checks with residual damage like Magma Storm and Toxic makes it hard to deal with since a lot of its checks like Landorus-T and Tapu Fini lack reliable recovery and hence struggle to check it long term. Its great natural bulk also allows it to live almost every neutrally damaging move, while also surviving a lot of weaker supereffective moves like Scald from the likes of Slowbro and Toxapex, which allows it to dispose of these Pokemon with its trapping ability. Its Air Balloon sets are also great tools on offensive teams with the ability to completely wall opposing Heatran and being formidable breaker with Eruption while also bringing the utility of Stealth Rock. However, Magma Storms poor accuracy often leaves Heatran helpless as it depends on the move quite a bit. Its lack of reliable recovery and neutrality to Stealth Rocks also becomes noticeable when trying to check threats like Tapu Lele or Dragapult consistently. Its reliance on Leftovers is also dangerous as pokemon like Tornadus-T and Toxapex can often end up knocking it off, leaving Heatran without recovery. Its high usage also leads to Pokemon like Dragapult and Tapu Lele to run coverage for it, making it a less effective check to these Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Balloon Frog
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Magma Storm
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Eruption
item: Air Balloon
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Balloon Frog brings a great offensive threat while also having some of defensive Heatrans traits like serving as serving as a great Stealth Rock user as well as some of its defensive utility with its good natural bulk and Steel-typing. This makes it a great fit on lots of teams as it also serves as a great check for opposing Heatran. Although maintaining its Air Balloon can prove to be difficult at times, it is still a great item for offensive Heatran as it makes checks like Garchomp, and Landorus-T much less of an immediate threat to it by giving it a free turn against them. This also enables it to completely wall standard Specially Defensive Heatran while also making Heatran an even better Stealth Rock user as it can deal with pretty much every defogger even the everpresent Defog Landorus-T. Eruption is a great choice on this set as its high BP can be very useful at breaking through checks like Hippowdon and Landorus-T making it more of a threat as it can be annoying to switch into especially if its healthy.
Balloon Frog can be a bit dissapointing when compared to its SpDef variant which is why defensive teammates like Ferrothorn, and Toxapex are greatly appreciated, as they help out with Pokemon like Tapu Lele and Dragapult, and also help Heatran with some of its checks like Tapu FIni and Urshifu-R. Although a lot of the partners of this set are similar to the previous set, theres a few offensive partners that are worth noting, as they really make use of Heatrans offensive capabilities, Tapu Koko and Zeraora being some of them. These pokemon can very effectively take advantage of Heatrans ability to delete Ground-types like Landorus-T and Hippowdon with its strong STABs, to effortlessly clean up afterwards. Blacephalon is also another Pokemon that really appreciates Heatrans new found power as the two can form a very strong Fire-spam core and make use of each others ability to severely dent if not outright KO Fire-resists like Toxapex and Tapu Fini
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Magma Storm
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Taunt / Toxic / Heavy Slam
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Specially Defensive Heatran is preffered over Physically defensive as it helps out against more prevalent threats like Dragapult and Tapu Lele. This adding onto its Steel-typing and great utility as a trapper and a Stealth Rock setter makes it a very popular pick on all sorts of teams. Magma Storm is a rather self explanatory move choice with its ability to trap opposing pokemon and its ability to chip down checks like Landorus-T and Tapu Fini with its trapping damage. Earth Power is also a pretty necessary part of Heatrans kit as it allows it to super effectively hit opposing Heatran as well as Toxapex both of which can otherwise effortlessly switch into it. Taunt helps a lot against trapping and shutting down passive Pokemon like Toxapex and Blissey while also helping against certain set-up sweepers like Volcarona and Tapu Fini usually making them easier to deal with. Toxic on the other hand helps out against checks like Garchomp, Slowbro, and Hippowdon making them easier to deal with. Heavy Slam on the other hand is a great tool to deal with the kinds of Galarian Slowking, Clefable, and Blissey much easier making Heatran a lot more effective against them. It is recommended to use a Sassy nature with 24 Speed EVs as it helps Heatran outspeed Skarmory. Flame Body is also a viable ability on it as its able to help with the likes of Galarian Zapdos, Weavile and Kartana, which can be run with physical defense investment.
Heatran is a great partner for lots of Pokemon as it fits on a myriad of teams, ranging from offences to balances. Water-resists like Toxapex and Slowbro are often great partners for Heatran as they greatly help with some of its checks like Urshifu-R and Tapu Fini and they each also help Heatran out in other ways, as Toxapex helps alleviate pressure from Heatran as it helps check things like Dragapult, Victini and Tornadus-T while Slowbro helps Heatran out with a lot of its Ground-type checks like Landorus-T, helps with Tapu Lele. The two also help it out against Fighting-types like Galarian Zapdos and Buzzwole. Landorus-T is also a great partner as it helps Heatran out with its pesky Ground-type checks like Garchomp, opposing Landorus-T and Hippowdon, it also alleviates some pressure by helping out with the likes of Dragapult and Victini. It also helps out Heatran with its weakness to chip damage from Spikes and Stealth Rocks with Defog. Heatran also enjoys the support of Pokemon that help it out against physical threats like Buzzwole, Weavile and Kartana, this is why some of the afformentioned Pokemon like Slowbro and Toxapex are great partners although theres also Pokemon like Buzzwole and Tornadus-T that can help Heatran out a bunch against the previously mentioned threats Onto things that benefit offensively from it, the likes of Tapu Koko and Zeraora are great as they really enjoy the benefit of Heatran pressuring Ground-types like Landorus-T and Garchomp which can lead to them cleaning up effortlessly, they also enjoy the pressure on Ferrothorn, especially Tapu Koko. Dragapult also falls in this category as it also very much enjoys Heatrans presence. Its Stealth Rocks, pressure on Toxapex and soft-checks like Landorus-T and Hippowdon are very beneficial for Dragapult, and Heatran even gets the benefit of a soft Urshifu-R check in return. A lot of this can be said about Blacephalon as well, and the two also form a good offensive pair as Heatran's also great at pressuring Fire-resists with Toxic or chip damage while Blacephalon can take advantage of that and also pressure said resists with its strong Ghost-type STAB move.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Abhi, 526987]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
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