[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Ting-Lu is one of the most reliable entry hazard setters and defensive tanks in the format. Its enormous bulk and good defensive typing allow it to blanket check a variety of both physical and special attackers and take even super effective or boosted hits. A respectable Attack stat and access to Ruination also allow Ting-Lu to not be passive against switch-ins and force progress throughout a match even if its hazards are dealt with. Despite not having any pivoting moves, Ting-Lu can act as a solid pivot, as it often forces switches, allowing you to make aggressive switches into your attackers with little risk. However, a lack of reliable recovery means Ting-Lu can be vulnerable to chip damage, thus making it far less effective.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Entry hazard-setting tank**: Ting-Lu has the bulk to take hits from most Pokemon in the format while setting entry hazards in front of them. By adjusting its EV spread, Ting-Lu can be made to check a large number of dangerous wallbreakers and sweepers in the format—both physically and specially—and either hit them with one of its STAB moves or phaze them with Whirlwind.
**Anti-setup tank**: Access to moves such as Whirlwind and Taunt, combined with its enormous bulk, allows Ting-Lu to be very effective at disrupting setup sweepers by phazing them or preventing setup altogether.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, Payback, Throat Chop
**Setup moves**: Setup machine broke, have a great day.
**Utility moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Ruination, Whirlwind, Taunt, Protect
**Coverage**: Body Press, Heavy Slam, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Bulldoze and Rock Tomb**: These moves can be used to slow down opposing threats and allow them to be beaten by Ting-Lu's teammates more easily in a scenario where it cannot do so itself.
**Sand Tomb**: It can be used in conjunction with moves such as Ruination or Taunt to trap and remove defensive Pokemon that could be problematic for your team.
**Rest**: Ting-Lu has enough bulk to live through multiple sleep turns, making RestTalk sets a viable option to allow it to repeatedly check threats in a longer match and avoid harmful status.
**Memento**: It can be an option to give free setup turns to a sweeper once Ting-Lu has done its job.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Ting-Lu's main form of recovery and generally superior in terms of longevity to Heavy-Duty Boots due to Ting-Lu's natural resistance to Stealth Rock.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is mostly useful against drafts that are expected to play very fast games with ample entry hazards. In such games, Ting-Lu would not be on the field long enough for the recovery from Leftovers to matter. However, if the opposing draft does not have access to Spikes or Toxic Spikes, Leftovers are a strictly better option.
Niche Items
========
**Weakness Policy**: Ting-Lu can use its bulk to live super effective hits and effectively lure and KO opposing Pokemon after a boost from Weakness Policy.
**Choice Band**: Ting-Lu's Attack is good enough that it can run a Choice Band set that uses its natural bulk, allowing it to get attacks off against opposing Pokemon. However, the lack of diverse coverage options makes this extremely dependent on having a matchup where Ting-Lu's STAB options are enough for most targets on the opposing draft.
**Assault Vest**: It can be used if you need Ting-Lu to check extremely powerful special attackers such as a Choice Specs Chi-Yu with sun support. The use of Assault Vest does come at the cost of losing nearly all of Ting-Lu's utility options, though.
**Resistance Berries**: With the correct resistance Berry, Ting-Lu can live almost any hit, even from boosted attackers. This allows it to either KO said attacker or phaze them out.
Tera
========
Ting-Lu normally should not be one of your Tera Captains, as it gains little benefit from it besides a better defensive typing in some specific matchups, and other top-tier Pokemon can use Tera much more effectively. If it does have access to Tera, good defensive typings that cover its main weaknesses, such as Tera Poison, Fairy, or Water, can be used. Tera Ghost can also be used to allow Ting-Lu to act as both an entry hazard setter and spinblocker while also turning its Fighting weakness into an immunity.
Draft Strategy
========
Ting-Lu is an excellent choice if you're looking for a reliable entry hazard setter that can be tailored to check a variety of offensive threats, giving you more flexibility with the rest of your build. This allows it to fit both in more offensively oriented drafts for its hazard setting abilities, as well as in slower, bulkier drafts due to great defensive potential. Good options to draft alongside Ting-Lu are:
**Gholdengo**: Gholdengo deserves special mention due to its ability to prevent hazard removal, maximizing the impact of Ting-Lu's hazards. Its typing also has good synergy with Ting-Lu, allowing it to check Fighting- and Fairy-types, while Ting-Lu checks Ghost- and Dark-types for Gholdengo.
**Rapid Spin**: Reliable Rapid Spin users, such as Quaquaval, Cyclizar, Blastoise, or a lower-tier spinner such as Brambleghast, are good options to support Ting-Lu by removing the entry hazards that it struggles with while keeping its own hazards in the field.
**Powerful sweepers or wallbreakers**: These Pokemon greatly benefit from Ting-Lu's hazards, allowing them to perform their roles more easily. Meanwhile, Ting-Lu can take most attacks aimed at these Pokemon from those trying to revenge kill them. Examples of such Pokemon include Iron Valiant, Enamorus, and Raging Bolt.
**Bulky Poison- and Water-types**: Bulky Pokemon, such as Galarian Slowking, Toxapex, and Pecharunt, can be used to check a large variety of attackers that would threaten Ting-Lu with super effective hits. These Pokemon can form a very effective defensive core that is able to check the majority of threats in the current format. Grounded Poison-types also absorb Toxic Spikes for Ting-Lu, which are otherwise very crippling to it.
**Wish support**: Large Wish passers, such as Alomomola, Scream Tail, and Vaporeon, can greatly assist Ting-Lu in staying healthy throughout a match.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry hazards**: Due to Ting-Lu's reliance on Leftovers for recovery, entry hazards, in particular Spikes and Toxic Spikes, can cause a large amount of damage to it as it repeatedly switches in to check offensive threats throughout a match.
**Status**: Burn, poison, and especially Toxic negate Leftovers recovery and greatly reduce Ting-Lu's longevity and ability to properly check offensive threats.
**Strong wallbreakers**: While Ting-Lu is bulky enough to check many wallbreakers, it cannot do so for longer periods of time and is eventually overwhelmed. Wallbreakers with super effective STAB moves, such as Iron Valiant, Enamorus, Kyurem and Urshifu-S, also threaten to 2HKO or OHKO it after minimal chip damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/celestiial.613399/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Ting-Lu is one of the most reliable entry hazard setters and defensive tanks in the format. Its enormous bulk and good defensive typing allow it to blanket check a variety of both physical and special attackers and take even super effective or boosted hits. A respectable Attack stat and access to Ruination also allow Ting-Lu to not be passive against switch-ins and force progress throughout a match even if its hazards are dealt with. Despite not having any pivoting moves, Ting-Lu can act as a solid pivot, as it often forces switches, allowing you to make aggressive switches into your attackers with little risk. However, a lack of reliable recovery means Ting-Lu can be vulnerable to chip damage, thus making it far less effective.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Entry hazard-setting tank**: Ting-Lu has the bulk to take hits from most Pokemon in the format while setting entry hazards in front of them. By adjusting its EV spread, Ting-Lu can be made to check a large number of dangerous wallbreakers and sweepers in the format—both physically and specially—and either hit them with one of its STAB moves or phaze them with Whirlwind.
**Anti-setup tank**: Access to moves such as Whirlwind and Taunt, combined with its enormous bulk, allows Ting-Lu to be very effective at disrupting setup sweepers by phazing them or preventing setup altogether.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, Payback, Throat Chop
**Setup moves**: Setup machine broke, have a great day.
**Utility moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Ruination, Whirlwind, Taunt, Protect
**Coverage**: Body Press, Heavy Slam, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Bulldoze and Rock Tomb**: These moves can be used to slow down opposing threats and allow them to be beaten by Ting-Lu's teammates more easily in a scenario where it cannot do so itself.
**Sand Tomb**: It can be used in conjunction with moves such as Ruination or Taunt to trap and remove defensive Pokemon that could be problematic for your team.
**Rest**: Ting-Lu has enough bulk to live through multiple sleep turns, making RestTalk sets a viable option to allow it to repeatedly check threats in a longer match and avoid harmful status.
**Memento**: It can be an option to give free setup turns to a sweeper once Ting-Lu has done its job.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Ting-Lu's main form of recovery and generally superior in terms of longevity to Heavy-Duty Boots due to Ting-Lu's natural resistance to Stealth Rock.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is mostly useful against drafts that are expected to play very fast games with ample entry hazards. In such games, Ting-Lu would not be on the field long enough for the recovery from Leftovers to matter. However, if the opposing draft does not have access to Spikes or Toxic Spikes, Leftovers are a strictly better option.
Niche Items
========
**Weakness Policy**: Ting-Lu can use its bulk to live super effective hits and effectively lure and KO opposing Pokemon after a boost from Weakness Policy.
**Choice Band**: Ting-Lu's Attack is good enough that it can run a Choice Band set that uses its natural bulk, allowing it to get attacks off against opposing Pokemon. However, the lack of diverse coverage options makes this extremely dependent on having a matchup where Ting-Lu's STAB options are enough for most targets on the opposing draft.
**Assault Vest**: It can be used if you need Ting-Lu to check extremely powerful special attackers such as a Choice Specs Chi-Yu with sun support. The use of Assault Vest does come at the cost of losing nearly all of Ting-Lu's utility options, though.
**Resistance Berries**: With the correct resistance Berry, Ting-Lu can live almost any hit, even from boosted attackers. This allows it to either KO said attacker or phaze them out.
Tera
========
Ting-Lu normally should not be one of your Tera Captains, as it gains little benefit from it besides a better defensive typing in some specific matchups, and other top-tier Pokemon can use Tera much more effectively. If it does have access to Tera, good defensive typings that cover its main weaknesses, such as Tera Poison, Fairy, or Water, can be used. Tera Ghost can also be used to allow Ting-Lu to act as both an entry hazard setter and spinblocker while also turning its Fighting weakness into an immunity.
Draft Strategy
========
Ting-Lu is an excellent choice if you're looking for a reliable entry hazard setter that can be tailored to check a variety of offensive threats, giving you more flexibility with the rest of your build. This allows it to fit both in more offensively oriented drafts for its hazard setting abilities, as well as in slower, bulkier drafts due to great defensive potential. Good options to draft alongside Ting-Lu are:
**Gholdengo**: Gholdengo deserves special mention due to its ability to prevent hazard removal, maximizing the impact of Ting-Lu's hazards. Its typing also has good synergy with Ting-Lu, allowing it to check Fighting- and Fairy-types, while Ting-Lu checks Ghost- and Dark-types for Gholdengo.
**Rapid Spin**: Reliable Rapid Spin users, such as Quaquaval, Cyclizar, Blastoise, or a lower-tier spinner such as Brambleghast, are good options to support Ting-Lu by removing the entry hazards that it struggles with while keeping its own hazards in the field.
**Powerful sweepers or wallbreakers**: These Pokemon greatly benefit from Ting-Lu's hazards, allowing them to perform their roles more easily. Meanwhile, Ting-Lu can take most attacks aimed at these Pokemon from those trying to revenge kill them. Examples of such Pokemon include Iron Valiant, Enamorus, and Raging Bolt.
**Bulky Poison- and Water-types**: Bulky Pokemon, such as Galarian Slowking, Toxapex, and Pecharunt, can be used to check a large variety of attackers that would threaten Ting-Lu with super effective hits. These Pokemon can form a very effective defensive core that is able to check the majority of threats in the current format. Grounded Poison-types also absorb Toxic Spikes for Ting-Lu, which are otherwise very crippling to it.
**Wish support**: Large Wish passers, such as Alomomola, Scream Tail, and Vaporeon, can greatly assist Ting-Lu in staying healthy throughout a match.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry hazards**: Due to Ting-Lu's reliance on Leftovers for recovery, entry hazards, in particular Spikes and Toxic Spikes, can cause a large amount of damage to it as it repeatedly switches in to check offensive threats throughout a match.
**Status**: Burn, poison, and especially Toxic negate Leftovers recovery and greatly reduce Ting-Lu's longevity and ability to properly check offensive threats.
**Strong wallbreakers**: While Ting-Lu is bulky enough to check many wallbreakers, it cannot do so for longer periods of time and is eventually overwhelmed. Wallbreakers with super effective STAB moves, such as Iron Valiant, Enamorus, Kyurem and Urshifu-S, also threaten to 2HKO or OHKO it after minimal chip damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/celestiial.613399/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited:
