[OVERVIEW]
Heatran is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame thanks to a variety of different traits. Its typing and really well-rounded stats make it a good check to top threats within the metagame like Magearna, Mega Mawile, Tornadus-T, and Ferrothorn. Additionally, because of Z-Moves, it's hard to consistently keep Heatran in check defensively. For example, it can easily overwhelm checks like Garchomp and Mega Alakazam with Steelium Z as well as Tapu Fini and Rotom-W with Grassium Z. It's an exceptionally useful Stealth Rock setter because it can easily pressure common Defoggers like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. It can also function as a stallbreaker with the combination of Magma Storm, Toxic, and Taunt, only adding to its overall versatility. However, Heatran's popularity is not entirely positive. Because of how popular it is, Pokemon like Magearna, Tornadus-T, Volcarona, and Tapu Lele, Pokemon that Heatran is supposed to check, often elect to use coverage moves to overwhelm it. In addition to this, Heatran has no reliable recovery, which makes it pretty easy to wear down with entry hazards and even resisted moves like Hurricane over time. Heatran's middling Speed tier also leaves it susceptible to offensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Medicham.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Lava Plume
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Stealth Rock / Earth Power
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Lava Plume is the preferred STAB move because of its reliability, PP, and ability to burn Pokemon like Toxapex and Gliscor if its Toxic Orb hasn't activated yet. The combination of Toxic and Protect allows Heatran to cripple and rack up damage against Pokemon that'd otherwise check it quite well, such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Latias, and Rotom-W. Protect also lets Heatran rack up extra Leftovers recovery, scout Choice item users such as Landorus-T and Ash-Greninja, and punish High Jump Kick users like Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham. Heatran is a great Stealth Rock setter because it can put consistent pressure on common Defoggers such as Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. If its team already has another Stealth Rock setter, Heatran can afford to run Earth Power to hit opposing Heatran and Toxapex. As an alternative, Heatran can run a moveset consisting of Magma Storm, Taunt, Earth Power, and Toxic or Stealth Rock in order to get rid of Toxapex and Chansey reliably; however, it is limited by Magma Storm's low PP and inaccuracy.
Set Details
========
76 Speed EVs allow Heatran to outspeed uninvested Rotom-W, allowing it to fire off a move in a pinch. A Calm nature alongside the rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to check Pokemon like Magearna better. 52 Special Attack EVs should be run if Heatran is running Earth Power in order to OHKO offensive Heatran.
Usage Tips
========
Heatran should primarily switch into Pokemon like Magearna, Tapu Lele, and Ferrothorn throughout the game. However, make sure to scout for Focus Blast from Magearna and Tapu Lele and Knock Off from Ferrothorn first. From there, Heatran should aim to cripple checks like Mega Alakazam, Garchomp, and Mega Latios with Toxic. If these Pokemon aren't expected to come in, it's often more beneficial to just set Stealth Rock. However, if you do choose to use Toxic, using Protect will often be attractive to rack Toxic poison damage and Leftovers recovery up quickly, but using it does leave the opponent free to do whatever without going punished, so be considerate of what positions using Protect could leave you in.
Team Options
========
Because of Heatran's general lack of reliable recovery, having solid Defoggers to keep entry hazards off the field, such as Tapu Fini, Rotom-W, and Tornadus-T, is incredibly important. Heatran synergizes very well with Grass-types like Tapu Bulu, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn in general because they can check Ground- and Water-type Pokemon like Garchomp, Ash-Greninja, and Tapu Fini, which Heatran can struggle against. Tapu Bulu in particular pairs very well with Heatran because it provides Heatran with extra recovery while also weakening Earthquake from, for example, Landorus-T with Grassy Terrain. Bulky Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini are also solid options to check Ash-Greninja, which is one of the best offensive checks to Heatran. It should be noted that if Tapu Fini is run alongside Heatran, it can't use Toxic to catch Pokemon like Garchomp if Misty Terrain is up.
[SET]
name: Z-Move
move 1: Magma Storm / Lava Plume
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flash Cannon / Solar Beam
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Steelium Z / Grassium Z
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Magma Storm enables Heatran to trap passive Pokemon like Toxapex while attaining nice chip damage on checks such as Garchomp. If Heatran is running Solar Beam, Magma Storm should always be used instead of Lava Plume to ensure that Pokemon like Tapu Fini can't scout for Bloom Doom. Alternatively, Lava Plume can be run to cripple common Pokemon like Rotom-W and Garchomp. Earth Power lets Heatran hit opposing Heatran and overwhelm Toxapex. Flash Cannon hits checks such as Mega Alakazam, Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Mega Latios for good damage. However, Corkscrew Crash is the main appeal to using Flash Cannon, allowing Heatran to outright OHKO said checks. Alternatively, Solar Beam should be run alongside Grassium Z to overwhelm Water-type checks such as Tapu Fini and Rotom-W. It also lets Heatran OHKO Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Garchomp under Grassy Terrain. Because of Heatran's great matchup against many Defoggers and passive Pokemon in general, it's a great Stealth Rock user. If Heatran's team already has another Stealth Rock user, Taunt can be run alongside Magma Storm to overwhelm passive Pokemon like Chansey.
Set Details
========
4 Defense EVs allow Heatran to take a +2 Sucker Punch from Mega Mawile from full health. A Modest nature is preferred to improve damage rolls against Garchomp and Gliscor. Heatran can also elect to use Firium Z to OHKO Tangrowth while overwhelming checks like Mega Sableye. Running Firium Z also leaves Heatran with room to run Toxic.
Usage Tips
========
Because opponents are likely to scout for Z-Moves from Heatran once they don't see Leftovers, you should make sure not to immediately use the Z-Move against checks like Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios. Rather, you should lure them into a fake sense of security and then use Heatran's Z-Move when they switch a target in. For similar reasons, don't reveal Flash Cannon too early. In a similar vein, you should make sure to trap Pokemon like Tapu Fini and Rotom-W to ensure that they are KOed by Bloom Doom. Early-game, Heatran should aim to set up Stealth Rock and weaken checks with Magma Storm. Magma Storm especially helps with positioning yourself, as it prevents the foe from switching out. Don't use it too frequently early on though because of its poor PP. Also, despite Heatran's very respectable bulk, you should not repeatedly send it into attacks from Pokemon like Tornadus-T and Magearna because it is worn down quickly.
Team Options
========
Other Steel-types such as Magearna and Celesteela are really important to run with Heatran, as it is unable to check Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele defensively. Grass-types in general form an amazing defensive core with Grassium Z Heatran. Most notably, they can check Ground- and Water-types such as Garchomp and Ash-Greninja. Tapu Bulu deserves a special mention because it provides Heatran with a bit of recovery and can boost the power behind its Bloom Doom thanks to Grassy Terrain, which makes it nearly impossible to switch into Heatran. Entry hazards limit the amount of times that Heatran can switch into play, so hazard removal from the likes of Tornadus-T and Rotom-W is appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Will-O-Wisp can be run instead of Toxic on Firium Z variants to cripple Mega Mawile and Garchomp as well as activate Flash Fire against Mega Sableye teams, but it leaves Heatran completely helpless against Mega Alakazam. Metal Sound allows Heatran to reliably deal with Reuniclus, which can otherwise slowly overwhelm it. It also makes it easy for Heatran to weaken slower Tapu Fini variants. However, it doesn't provide much besides that, so other moves are often preferred. Roar can be run in a few niche circumstances on teams that don't want to give Reuniclus and Substitute Mega Latias free turns to set up with Calm Mind. However, Heatran can't really afford to fit it on its moveset.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Rotom-W, and Slowbro can be hard for Heatran to deal with without Bloom Doom or Toxic. Tapu Fini can also prevent Heatran from crippling grounded Pokemon like Garchomp with Toxic. Offensive Water-types such as Ash-Greninja, Mega Swampert, and Gyarados can also switch into Heatran a few times.
**Ground-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor are capable of forcing Heatran out but struggle to consistently switch in because of the threat of a Z-Move. Pokemon such as Volcarona, Tangrowth, and Mega Charizard X often run Ground-type coverage to deal with Heatran, so it should be wary of switching into them.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-type Pokemon such as Mega Latios, Mega Latias, and Hydreigon resist Heatran's Fire-type STAB attack and can pressure it with Earthquake or Earth Power or use it as setup bait. They should be wary of Toxic and Corkscrew Crash, though.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar doesn't mind much from specially defensive Heatran and can pressure it with Earthquake or Pursuit trap it. It should be wary of Z-Move variants, though, because they can easily overwhelm it.
**Fighting-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Fighting-types such as Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Gallade can easily pressure Heatran with their STAB moves but struggle to switch into it. Some Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Magearna, and Tornadus-T often run Fighting-type coverage to pressure Heatran.
**Residual Damage**: Heatran lacks any form of reliable recovery and has to rely on Leftovers. Because of this, it's easily worn down by entry hazards, Leech Seed, as well as Knock Off, which makes it more liable to chip damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jordy, 395754]]
- Quality checked by: [[DKM, 402001], [lyd, 303291], [GMars, 273636]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Heatran is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame thanks to a variety of different traits. Its typing and really well-rounded stats make it a good check to top threats within the metagame like Magearna, Mega Mawile, Tornadus-T, and Ferrothorn. Additionally, because of Z-Moves, it's hard to consistently keep Heatran in check defensively. For example, it can easily overwhelm checks like Garchomp and Mega Alakazam with Steelium Z as well as Tapu Fini and Rotom-W with Grassium Z. It's an exceptionally useful Stealth Rock setter because it can easily pressure common Defoggers like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. It can also function as a stallbreaker with the combination of Magma Storm, Toxic, and Taunt, only adding to its overall versatility. However, Heatran's popularity is not entirely positive. Because of how popular it is, Pokemon like Magearna, Tornadus-T, Volcarona, and Tapu Lele, Pokemon that Heatran is supposed to check, often elect to use coverage moves to overwhelm it. In addition to this, Heatran has no reliable recovery, which makes it pretty easy to wear down with entry hazards and even resisted moves like Hurricane over time. Heatran's middling Speed tier also leaves it susceptible to offensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Medicham.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Lava Plume
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Stealth Rock / Earth Power
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Lava Plume is the preferred STAB move because of its reliability, PP, and ability to burn Pokemon like Toxapex and Gliscor if its Toxic Orb hasn't activated yet. The combination of Toxic and Protect allows Heatran to cripple and rack up damage against Pokemon that'd otherwise check it quite well, such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Latias, and Rotom-W. Protect also lets Heatran rack up extra Leftovers recovery, scout Choice item users such as Landorus-T and Ash-Greninja, and punish High Jump Kick users like Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham. Heatran is a great Stealth Rock setter because it can put consistent pressure on common Defoggers such as Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. If its team already has another Stealth Rock setter, Heatran can afford to run Earth Power to hit opposing Heatran and Toxapex. As an alternative, Heatran can run a moveset consisting of Magma Storm, Taunt, Earth Power, and Toxic or Stealth Rock in order to get rid of Toxapex and Chansey reliably; however, it is limited by Magma Storm's low PP and inaccuracy.
Set Details
========
76 Speed EVs allow Heatran to outspeed uninvested Rotom-W, allowing it to fire off a move in a pinch. A Calm nature alongside the rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to check Pokemon like Magearna better. 52 Special Attack EVs should be run if Heatran is running Earth Power in order to OHKO offensive Heatran.
Usage Tips
========
Heatran should primarily switch into Pokemon like Magearna, Tapu Lele, and Ferrothorn throughout the game. However, make sure to scout for Focus Blast from Magearna and Tapu Lele and Knock Off from Ferrothorn first. From there, Heatran should aim to cripple checks like Mega Alakazam, Garchomp, and Mega Latios with Toxic. If these Pokemon aren't expected to come in, it's often more beneficial to just set Stealth Rock. However, if you do choose to use Toxic, using Protect will often be attractive to rack Toxic poison damage and Leftovers recovery up quickly, but using it does leave the opponent free to do whatever without going punished, so be considerate of what positions using Protect could leave you in.
Team Options
========
Because of Heatran's general lack of reliable recovery, having solid Defoggers to keep entry hazards off the field, such as Tapu Fini, Rotom-W, and Tornadus-T, is incredibly important. Heatran synergizes very well with Grass-types like Tapu Bulu, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn in general because they can check Ground- and Water-type Pokemon like Garchomp, Ash-Greninja, and Tapu Fini, which Heatran can struggle against. Tapu Bulu in particular pairs very well with Heatran because it provides Heatran with extra recovery while also weakening Earthquake from, for example, Landorus-T with Grassy Terrain. Bulky Water-types like Toxapex and Tapu Fini are also solid options to check Ash-Greninja, which is one of the best offensive checks to Heatran. It should be noted that if Tapu Fini is run alongside Heatran, it can't use Toxic to catch Pokemon like Garchomp if Misty Terrain is up.
[SET]
name: Z-Move
move 1: Magma Storm / Lava Plume
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flash Cannon / Solar Beam
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Steelium Z / Grassium Z
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Magma Storm enables Heatran to trap passive Pokemon like Toxapex while attaining nice chip damage on checks such as Garchomp. If Heatran is running Solar Beam, Magma Storm should always be used instead of Lava Plume to ensure that Pokemon like Tapu Fini can't scout for Bloom Doom. Alternatively, Lava Plume can be run to cripple common Pokemon like Rotom-W and Garchomp. Earth Power lets Heatran hit opposing Heatran and overwhelm Toxapex. Flash Cannon hits checks such as Mega Alakazam, Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Mega Latios for good damage. However, Corkscrew Crash is the main appeal to using Flash Cannon, allowing Heatran to outright OHKO said checks. Alternatively, Solar Beam should be run alongside Grassium Z to overwhelm Water-type checks such as Tapu Fini and Rotom-W. It also lets Heatran OHKO Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Garchomp under Grassy Terrain. Because of Heatran's great matchup against many Defoggers and passive Pokemon in general, it's a great Stealth Rock user. If Heatran's team already has another Stealth Rock user, Taunt can be run alongside Magma Storm to overwhelm passive Pokemon like Chansey.
Set Details
========
4 Defense EVs allow Heatran to take a +2 Sucker Punch from Mega Mawile from full health. A Modest nature is preferred to improve damage rolls against Garchomp and Gliscor. Heatran can also elect to use Firium Z to OHKO Tangrowth while overwhelming checks like Mega Sableye. Running Firium Z also leaves Heatran with room to run Toxic.
Usage Tips
========
Because opponents are likely to scout for Z-Moves from Heatran once they don't see Leftovers, you should make sure not to immediately use the Z-Move against checks like Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios. Rather, you should lure them into a fake sense of security and then use Heatran's Z-Move when they switch a target in. For similar reasons, don't reveal Flash Cannon too early. In a similar vein, you should make sure to trap Pokemon like Tapu Fini and Rotom-W to ensure that they are KOed by Bloom Doom. Early-game, Heatran should aim to set up Stealth Rock and weaken checks with Magma Storm. Magma Storm especially helps with positioning yourself, as it prevents the foe from switching out. Don't use it too frequently early on though because of its poor PP. Also, despite Heatran's very respectable bulk, you should not repeatedly send it into attacks from Pokemon like Tornadus-T and Magearna because it is worn down quickly.
Team Options
========
Other Steel-types such as Magearna and Celesteela are really important to run with Heatran, as it is unable to check Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele defensively. Grass-types in general form an amazing defensive core with Grassium Z Heatran. Most notably, they can check Ground- and Water-types such as Garchomp and Ash-Greninja. Tapu Bulu deserves a special mention because it provides Heatran with a bit of recovery and can boost the power behind its Bloom Doom thanks to Grassy Terrain, which makes it nearly impossible to switch into Heatran. Entry hazards limit the amount of times that Heatran can switch into play, so hazard removal from the likes of Tornadus-T and Rotom-W is appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Will-O-Wisp can be run instead of Toxic on Firium Z variants to cripple Mega Mawile and Garchomp as well as activate Flash Fire against Mega Sableye teams, but it leaves Heatran completely helpless against Mega Alakazam. Metal Sound allows Heatran to reliably deal with Reuniclus, which can otherwise slowly overwhelm it. It also makes it easy for Heatran to weaken slower Tapu Fini variants. However, it doesn't provide much besides that, so other moves are often preferred. Roar can be run in a few niche circumstances on teams that don't want to give Reuniclus and Substitute Mega Latias free turns to set up with Calm Mind. However, Heatran can't really afford to fit it on its moveset.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Rotom-W, and Slowbro can be hard for Heatran to deal with without Bloom Doom or Toxic. Tapu Fini can also prevent Heatran from crippling grounded Pokemon like Garchomp with Toxic. Offensive Water-types such as Ash-Greninja, Mega Swampert, and Gyarados can also switch into Heatran a few times.
**Ground-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor are capable of forcing Heatran out but struggle to consistently switch in because of the threat of a Z-Move. Pokemon such as Volcarona, Tangrowth, and Mega Charizard X often run Ground-type coverage to deal with Heatran, so it should be wary of switching into them.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-type Pokemon such as Mega Latios, Mega Latias, and Hydreigon resist Heatran's Fire-type STAB attack and can pressure it with Earthquake or Earth Power or use it as setup bait. They should be wary of Toxic and Corkscrew Crash, though.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar doesn't mind much from specially defensive Heatran and can pressure it with Earthquake or Pursuit trap it. It should be wary of Z-Move variants, though, because they can easily overwhelm it.
**Fighting-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Fighting-types such as Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Gallade can easily pressure Heatran with their STAB moves but struggle to switch into it. Some Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Magearna, and Tornadus-T often run Fighting-type coverage to pressure Heatran.
**Residual Damage**: Heatran lacks any form of reliable recovery and has to rely on Leftovers. Because of this, it's easily worn down by entry hazards, Leech Seed, as well as Knock Off, which makes it more liable to chip damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jordy, 395754]]
- Quality checked by: [[DKM, 402001], [lyd, 303291], [GMars, 273636]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited: