Draft Order: Late Round 2 - Round 3
Point Range: 14-16 points
Overview: Iron Treads offers lots of role compression for teams especially in an 8-mon format given its typing and access to Knock Off, Stealth Rock, and Rapid Spin. Furthermore, its combination of physical bulk and speed along with its respectable attack stat allow it to switch into, and force out many Pokemon while also being able to make progress against opposing teams. Iron Treads can also utilize Booster Energy or the speed boost from Rapid Spin to clean late-game but is held back by its attack stat and lack of attack boosting options.
Common Roles
========
Role 1: Bulky Pivot: Iron Treads can switch into a lot of Pokemon with defensive investments and take advantage of the switches it forces with the wide variety of utility moves it has access to such as Knock Off, Endeavor, and Volt Switch.
Role 2: Hazard Control: Iron Treads is one of the few Pokemon with access to both Stealth Rocks and Rapid Spin and can also viably run both on the same set. It can 1v1 some opposing hazards setters and end exchanges with rocks up for your opponent and nothing on your own side.
Role 3: Late-game Cleaner: Iron Treads either uses Booster Energy, Rapid Spin, or Electric Terrain support in order to outspeed most Pokemon and clean. Its deep offensive movepool with many coverage options like Ice Spinner, Knock Off, and Wild Charge helps with this role.
Common moves
========
Primary STAB moves: Earthquake, Iron Head, Heavy Slam, Earth Power, Flash Cannon
Setup moves : Iron Defense
Utility moves : Endeavor, Protect, Rapid Spin, Knock Off, Stealth Rocks, Volt Switch
Coverage: Body Press, Ice Spinner, Megahorn, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Supercell Slam, Wild Charge, Zen Headbutt
Niche moves
========
Steel Beam: Steel Beam is useful on a suicide lead set in order to gain momentum and do significant damage on the more physically bulky Pokemon that switch in against Iron Treads.
High Horsepower: High Horsepower serves as an alternative to Earthquake in the Rillaboom matchup.
Ice Fang: Ice Fang can be used as an ice type move that doesn't remove your Electric Terrain.
Common items
========
Booster Energy: Booster Energy can be used on more offensive cleaner sets to give Treads a speed boost without wasting a turn or requiring terrain support.
Assault Vest: Assault Vest patches up Iron Treads’ mediocre Special Defense without sacrificing much as Treads only loses Stealth Rocks as a viable option.
Leftovers: Leftovers help with Iron Treads' longevity, especially as it has no other means of recovery besides Rest.
Sitrus Berry: Sitrus gives Iron Treads an effective way of dodging 2hkos that is an often more effective alternative to Leftovers(sacrificing overall recovery in longer games).
Niche items
========
Focus Sash: While Iron Treads is fairly bulky it can easily be OHKOd by a super-effective move if it isn’t invested in defense and lead sets can take advantage of this by usually setting up Stealth Rocks then clicking Endeavor after the Sash procs.
Weakness Policy - Weakness Policy serves as a stronger alternative to a more traditional boosting item on a sweeper set, but can also be used as a lure to beat specific Pokemon. Weakness Policy can also be paired with Iron Defense in order for it to take the super-effective hit better and sweep after.
Clear Amulet: Clear Amulet is normally used against Intimidate Pokemon such as Landorus-Therian and Qwilfish allowing Iron Treads to hit these pokemon harder. It also protects from stat drops from Sticky Web and Shadow Ball.
Air Balloon - Air Balloon is mainly used on Iron Treads to check opposing setup sweepers that rely on a ground move to beat it.
Heavy-Duty Boots: While Treads sports a 4x resistance to Stealth Rocks effectively negating any chip damage, having your spinner be immune to rocks(and spikes which are much more popular in this gen) can be useful.
Resist Berries - Iron Treads can utilize weakness berries to lure an opposing Pokemon or just to help survive an attack.
Life Orb/Soft Sand/Expert Belt/Metal Coat - Boosting Items can be used to either wallbreak or in conjunction with Rapid Spin or Electric Terrain support to sweep by hitting specific damage benchmarks.
Rocky Helmet: Iron Treads' physical bulk allows it to take a lot of attacks on that end so punishing your opponent for using contact moves can be useful.
Tera
========
Iron Treads should not be your Tera Captain as you generally want to use Tera on more offensive Pokemon that benefit more, but if you were to use it as one using Ground or Steel Tera in order to boost your attacks would allow Iron Treads to be more threatening or Flying to shed your Fighting and Ground weaknesses. Generally good defensive types such as Fairy and Water can be good due to its natural bulk.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Treads is a top tier hazard removal option in the format, and has a pretty expensive price tag to reflect that. Generally Iron Treads teams are quite offensive though as it can get worn down and doesn’t have much recovery. It should be paired with Pokemon that appreciate the utility it brings such as:
Strong Breakers: Iron Treads can pivot into strong wall breakers, such as Chi-Yu and Palafin, which can in turn open up the game for it. Iron Treads also appreciates breakers taking care of bulkier mons so that it can win late game.
Specially Defensive Pokemon: Iron Treads needs Assault Vest in order to take hits on the special side so it likes to be paired with Pokemon like Florges and Goodra that can cover that side.
Ground Resists: Due to its ground weakness, Iron Treads should be paired with decently bulky resists/immunities, such as Uxie and Rotom-Wash, so that you aren't forced to sack a Pokemon every time it is forced out.
Electric Terrain: Iron Treads doesn’t appreciate Electric Terrain support as much as other Quark Drive Pokemon do and should not be the reason for drafting a Pincurchin, but if paired with another Quark Drive Pokemon it would be something to consider. However, you would still want to make sure that the team would be able to function without the Pincurchin as it should not be brought to very many games.
Checks and Counters:
Ground Types: Ground types such as Ting-Lu and Great Tusk can block Volt Switch and hit Iron Treads back for super effective damage, however Great Tusk in particular should be careful for special variants.
Physically Bulky Pokemon: Iron Treads is unable to make much progress on its own against Pokemon like Dondozo and Corviknight(barring special sets) but these Pokemon are susceptible to Volt Switch.
Faster Breakers: Iron Treads’ typing means it is hit super effectively by a lot of common types, so Pokemon like Iron Valiant and Greninja can force it out. Although they are mostly unable to switch in more than once.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monkeboi215.582038/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
Point Range: 14-16 points
Overview: Iron Treads offers lots of role compression for teams especially in an 8-mon format given its typing and access to Knock Off, Stealth Rock, and Rapid Spin. Furthermore, its combination of physical bulk and speed along with its respectable attack stat allow it to switch into, and force out many Pokemon while also being able to make progress against opposing teams. Iron Treads can also utilize Booster Energy or the speed boost from Rapid Spin to clean late-game but is held back by its attack stat and lack of attack boosting options.
Common Roles
========
Role 1: Bulky Pivot: Iron Treads can switch into a lot of Pokemon with defensive investments and take advantage of the switches it forces with the wide variety of utility moves it has access to such as Knock Off, Endeavor, and Volt Switch.
Role 2: Hazard Control: Iron Treads is one of the few Pokemon with access to both Stealth Rocks and Rapid Spin and can also viably run both on the same set. It can 1v1 some opposing hazards setters and end exchanges with rocks up for your opponent and nothing on your own side.
Role 3: Late-game Cleaner: Iron Treads either uses Booster Energy, Rapid Spin, or Electric Terrain support in order to outspeed most Pokemon and clean. Its deep offensive movepool with many coverage options like Ice Spinner, Knock Off, and Wild Charge helps with this role.
Common moves
========
Primary STAB moves: Earthquake, Iron Head, Heavy Slam, Earth Power, Flash Cannon
Setup moves : Iron Defense
Utility moves : Endeavor, Protect, Rapid Spin, Knock Off, Stealth Rocks, Volt Switch
Coverage: Body Press, Ice Spinner, Megahorn, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Supercell Slam, Wild Charge, Zen Headbutt
Niche moves
========
Steel Beam: Steel Beam is useful on a suicide lead set in order to gain momentum and do significant damage on the more physically bulky Pokemon that switch in against Iron Treads.
High Horsepower: High Horsepower serves as an alternative to Earthquake in the Rillaboom matchup.
Ice Fang: Ice Fang can be used as an ice type move that doesn't remove your Electric Terrain.
Common items
========
Booster Energy: Booster Energy can be used on more offensive cleaner sets to give Treads a speed boost without wasting a turn or requiring terrain support.
Assault Vest: Assault Vest patches up Iron Treads’ mediocre Special Defense without sacrificing much as Treads only loses Stealth Rocks as a viable option.
Leftovers: Leftovers help with Iron Treads' longevity, especially as it has no other means of recovery besides Rest.
Sitrus Berry: Sitrus gives Iron Treads an effective way of dodging 2hkos that is an often more effective alternative to Leftovers(sacrificing overall recovery in longer games).
Niche items
========
Focus Sash: While Iron Treads is fairly bulky it can easily be OHKOd by a super-effective move if it isn’t invested in defense and lead sets can take advantage of this by usually setting up Stealth Rocks then clicking Endeavor after the Sash procs.
Weakness Policy - Weakness Policy serves as a stronger alternative to a more traditional boosting item on a sweeper set, but can also be used as a lure to beat specific Pokemon. Weakness Policy can also be paired with Iron Defense in order for it to take the super-effective hit better and sweep after.
Clear Amulet: Clear Amulet is normally used against Intimidate Pokemon such as Landorus-Therian and Qwilfish allowing Iron Treads to hit these pokemon harder. It also protects from stat drops from Sticky Web and Shadow Ball.
Air Balloon - Air Balloon is mainly used on Iron Treads to check opposing setup sweepers that rely on a ground move to beat it.
Heavy-Duty Boots: While Treads sports a 4x resistance to Stealth Rocks effectively negating any chip damage, having your spinner be immune to rocks(and spikes which are much more popular in this gen) can be useful.
Resist Berries - Iron Treads can utilize weakness berries to lure an opposing Pokemon or just to help survive an attack.
Life Orb/Soft Sand/Expert Belt/Metal Coat - Boosting Items can be used to either wallbreak or in conjunction with Rapid Spin or Electric Terrain support to sweep by hitting specific damage benchmarks.
Rocky Helmet: Iron Treads' physical bulk allows it to take a lot of attacks on that end so punishing your opponent for using contact moves can be useful.
Tera
========
Iron Treads should not be your Tera Captain as you generally want to use Tera on more offensive Pokemon that benefit more, but if you were to use it as one using Ground or Steel Tera in order to boost your attacks would allow Iron Treads to be more threatening or Flying to shed your Fighting and Ground weaknesses. Generally good defensive types such as Fairy and Water can be good due to its natural bulk.
Draft Strategy
========
Iron Treads is a top tier hazard removal option in the format, and has a pretty expensive price tag to reflect that. Generally Iron Treads teams are quite offensive though as it can get worn down and doesn’t have much recovery. It should be paired with Pokemon that appreciate the utility it brings such as:
Strong Breakers: Iron Treads can pivot into strong wall breakers, such as Chi-Yu and Palafin, which can in turn open up the game for it. Iron Treads also appreciates breakers taking care of bulkier mons so that it can win late game.
Specially Defensive Pokemon: Iron Treads needs Assault Vest in order to take hits on the special side so it likes to be paired with Pokemon like Florges and Goodra that can cover that side.
Ground Resists: Due to its ground weakness, Iron Treads should be paired with decently bulky resists/immunities, such as Uxie and Rotom-Wash, so that you aren't forced to sack a Pokemon every time it is forced out.
Electric Terrain: Iron Treads doesn’t appreciate Electric Terrain support as much as other Quark Drive Pokemon do and should not be the reason for drafting a Pincurchin, but if paired with another Quark Drive Pokemon it would be something to consider. However, you would still want to make sure that the team would be able to function without the Pincurchin as it should not be brought to very many games.
Checks and Counters:
Ground Types: Ground types such as Ting-Lu and Great Tusk can block Volt Switch and hit Iron Treads back for super effective damage, however Great Tusk in particular should be careful for special variants.
Physically Bulky Pokemon: Iron Treads is unable to make much progress on its own against Pokemon like Dondozo and Corviknight(barring special sets) but these Pokemon are susceptible to Volt Switch.
Faster Breakers: Iron Treads’ typing means it is hit super effectively by a lot of common types, so Pokemon like Iron Valiant and Greninja can force it out. Although they are mostly unable to switch in more than once.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monkeboi215.582038/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
