[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 6-7 points
**Overview**: Forretress is a solid Pokemon capable of role compression with good typing and physical bulk. Teams that struggle to find entry hazard removal, hazard setting, or slow pivoting can use Forretress as the glue to patch these teams together at a low price tag. That being said, Forretress is essentially outclassed in all of these roles respectively due to its lack of special bulk, general passivity, and dreadful Fire weakness. Since it is very weak and has unideal STAB coverage, foes can very easily switch into Forretress, forcing it to use either Thunder Wave or Volt Switch or else risk losing momentum against the opposing team. Despite heavy flaws, it is regularly drafted due to its role compression and rarity as an affordable Steel-type with vast utility.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Forretress can serve as a physical wall with the ability to stack entry hazards, remove hazards from its side of the field, and slow pivot with Volt Switch into threatening teammates. It has even further utility, as it can spread status with Thunder Wave, mitigate damage with dual screens, and check many foes in a pinch due to Sturdy.
**Dedicated Lead**: Forretress can be an effective dedicated lead due to Sturdy, which allows it to always get one or two moves off before fainting. It is typically relied upon to set multiple entry hazards to benefit its teammates, which appreciate the extra chip damage throughout the match.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gyro Ball, Iron Head, Heavy Slam, Lunge, Pin Missile
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Spikes, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, Volt Switch, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, Pain Split
**Coverage**: Body Press, Earthquake, Ice Spinner, Poison Jab, Seed Bomb, Stone Edge, Rock Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter**: With its great physical bulk and access to Sturdy, Forretress can always survive at least one physical attack and attempt to trade with a threatening foe with Counter.
**Explosion / Steel Beam**: Forretress can use Explosion or Steel Beam on lead sets to avoid conceding momentum to the opposing team and become less passive by removing itself from the field and dealing solid damage. Steel Beam is generally outclassed by Explosion, but it can be used against physical walls and Rock-types.
**Rock Tomb / Pounce / Bulldoze**: These moves can be used as measures to avoid being set up on by foes by keeping their Speed in check.
**Endure**: Custap Berry sets can run Endure as extra insurance to ensure their Custap Berry will be activated.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is the premier item on Forretress, as it allows Forretress to avoid being chipped down by entry hazards and keep Sturdy intact.
**Leftovers / Sitrus Berry**: As Forretress lacks reliable recovery, Leftovers and Sitrus Berry can help defensive sets stick around longer to provide more long-term entry hazard control and help allow its wallbreaking teammates in on more occasions.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry pairs excellently with Sturdy to allow Forretress one extra move before fainting, typically setting an extra entry hazard or using Explosion or Steel Beam.
**Rocky Helmet**: Since Forretress has great physical bulk, defensive sets commonly use Rocky Helmet as a way to punish the contact attacks Forretress frequently absorbs.
Niche Items
========
**Red Card**: Red Card functions well with Forretress's bulk and Sturdy as a one-time solution to setup sweepers, (AC) as they will guaranteeably be this guarantees they are removed from the field.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be useful on lead sets to ensure Forretress gets at least one layer of entry hazards off to begin a match. It may also be useful to avoid Encore further into the match, preventing Forretress from being set up on.
Tera
========
Forretress should not be considered as a Tera Captain, as it is almost entirely outclassed by its peers. Its lack of longevity and offensive presence make it largely ineffective in this role. If it has to be made a Tera Captain, defensive Tera types such as Tera Water and Fairy are most effective, and Tera Fighting can also make IronPress sets more threatening.
Draft Strategy
========
Forretress is drafted to support a team otherwise unable to fit key qualities such as entry hazard control, the coveted Steel-type, and slow pivoting and is often the only Pokemon in its price range that can provide these qualities. As it is a master-of-none and has some clear-cut flaws, Forretress is a niche supportive pick as a cheap way to fill boxes to make sure its teammates are well-supported.
**Wallbreakers**: While not a threatening offensive presence, with its entry hazard stacking and slow pivoting, Forretress can be excellent at facilitating wallbreakers by putting foes in KO range via hazard chip damage or by getting teammates in safely. Pokemon such as Ogerpon-W, Palafin, and Latios make for great partners to take advantage of this utility.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Although rather physically bulky, Forretress has poorer special bulk that needs to be covered to form a defensive core. Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking, Scream Tail, and Primarina can help patch up this weakness.
**Fire-resistant Teammates**: Forretress forces opposing Fire-type coverage, as it can be difficult for some Pokemon to break it otherwise. As any common Fire-type coverage move can threaten a KO against Forretress, having Fire-resistant Pokemon like Gouging Fire and Rotom-W to scout and absorb these attacks very beneficial.
**Knock Off**: Forretress is most effective when stacking entry hazards and thus requires consistent and effective ways to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from the opposing team. Pokemon such as Roaring Moon and Tornadus-T can very consistently remove items to give its entry hazards their maximum value.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire-type Attacks**: With very little special bulk and a severe weakness to all Fire-type coverage, Forretress is very easily accounted for via said coverage. Fire-type Pokemon such as Cinderace and Gouging Fire can be very tough for Forretress to deal with, (AC) and a vast variety of other threats can easily bring coverage to be wary of.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Forretress provides most of its value through entry hazards chipping at foes throughout the duration of a match due to its lack of offensive ability. As a result, matchups against strong hazard removers such as Iron Treads, Great Tusk, and Quaquaval can be challenging, especially if they can freely switch into Forretress.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Although it is rather physically bulky strong neutral special attacks from wallbreakers often threaten Forretress due to its lack of special bulk. Strong special attackers such as Raging Bolt and Darkrai can be incredibly threatening.
**Setup Sweepers**: Forretress is often passive, as it has weak attacking stats, a subpar STAB combination, and a weakness to disruption moves. As a result, setup sweepers such as Annihilape, Latias, and Palafin can often switch in on and take advantage of Forretress.
**Disruption**: As Forretress primarily uses supportive moves or Rapid Spin, it can usually be shut down by Taunt or taken advantage of by Encore unless using a Mental Herb. Disrupters such as Tornadus-T and Iron Valiant can quickly become awkward for Forretress to deal with.
**Ghost-types**: In matchups where its team relies on Forretress to remove opposing entry hazards, Ghost-types such as Gholdengo and Skeledirge block its Rapid Spin and resist or are immune to most of its common attacks, leaving it even more passive than normal.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 6-7 points
**Overview**: Forretress is a solid Pokemon capable of role compression with good typing and physical bulk. Teams that struggle to find entry hazard removal, hazard setting, or slow pivoting can use Forretress as the glue to patch these teams together at a low price tag. That being said, Forretress is essentially outclassed in all of these roles respectively due to its lack of special bulk, general passivity, and dreadful Fire weakness. Since it is very weak and has unideal STAB coverage, foes can very easily switch into Forretress, forcing it to use either Thunder Wave or Volt Switch or else risk losing momentum against the opposing team. Despite heavy flaws, it is regularly drafted due to its role compression and rarity as an affordable Steel-type with vast utility.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Forretress can serve as a physical wall with the ability to stack entry hazards, remove hazards from its side of the field, and slow pivot with Volt Switch into threatening teammates. It has even further utility, as it can spread status with Thunder Wave, mitigate damage with dual screens, and check many foes in a pinch due to Sturdy.
**Dedicated Lead**: Forretress can be an effective dedicated lead due to Sturdy, which allows it to always get one or two moves off before fainting. It is typically relied upon to set multiple entry hazards to benefit its teammates, which appreciate the extra chip damage throughout the match.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gyro Ball, Iron Head, Heavy Slam, Lunge, Pin Missile
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Spikes, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, Volt Switch, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, Pain Split
**Coverage**: Body Press, Earthquake, Ice Spinner, Poison Jab, Seed Bomb, Stone Edge, Rock Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter**: With its great physical bulk and access to Sturdy, Forretress can always survive at least one physical attack and attempt to trade with a threatening foe with Counter.
**Explosion / Steel Beam**: Forretress can use Explosion or Steel Beam on lead sets to avoid conceding momentum to the opposing team and become less passive by removing itself from the field and dealing solid damage. Steel Beam is generally outclassed by Explosion, but it can be used against physical walls and Rock-types.
**Rock Tomb / Pounce / Bulldoze**: These moves can be used as measures to avoid being set up on by foes by keeping their Speed in check.
**Endure**: Custap Berry sets can run Endure as extra insurance to ensure their Custap Berry will be activated.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is the premier item on Forretress, as it allows Forretress to avoid being chipped down by entry hazards and keep Sturdy intact.
**Leftovers / Sitrus Berry**: As Forretress lacks reliable recovery, Leftovers and Sitrus Berry can help defensive sets stick around longer to provide more long-term entry hazard control and help allow its wallbreaking teammates in on more occasions.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry pairs excellently with Sturdy to allow Forretress one extra move before fainting, typically setting an extra entry hazard or using Explosion or Steel Beam.
**Rocky Helmet**: Since Forretress has great physical bulk, defensive sets commonly use Rocky Helmet as a way to punish the contact attacks Forretress frequently absorbs.
Niche Items
========
**Red Card**: Red Card functions well with Forretress's bulk and Sturdy as a one-time solution to setup sweepers, (AC) as they will guaranteeably be this guarantees they are removed from the field.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be useful on lead sets to ensure Forretress gets at least one layer of entry hazards off to begin a match. It may also be useful to avoid Encore further into the match, preventing Forretress from being set up on.
Tera
========
Forretress should not be considered as a Tera Captain, as it is almost entirely outclassed by its peers. Its lack of longevity and offensive presence make it largely ineffective in this role. If it has to be made a Tera Captain, defensive Tera types such as Tera Water and Fairy are most effective, and Tera Fighting can also make IronPress sets more threatening.
Draft Strategy
========
Forretress is drafted to support a team otherwise unable to fit key qualities such as entry hazard control, the coveted Steel-type, and slow pivoting and is often the only Pokemon in its price range that can provide these qualities. As it is a master-of-none and has some clear-cut flaws, Forretress is a niche supportive pick as a cheap way to fill boxes to make sure its teammates are well-supported.
**Wallbreakers**: While not a threatening offensive presence, with its entry hazard stacking and slow pivoting, Forretress can be excellent at facilitating wallbreakers by putting foes in KO range via hazard chip damage or by getting teammates in safely. Pokemon such as Ogerpon-W, Palafin, and Latios make for great partners to take advantage of this utility.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Although rather physically bulky, Forretress has poorer special bulk that needs to be covered to form a defensive core. Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking, Scream Tail, and Primarina can help patch up this weakness.
**Fire-resistant Teammates**: Forretress forces opposing Fire-type coverage, as it can be difficult for some Pokemon to break it otherwise. As any common Fire-type coverage move can threaten a KO against Forretress, having Fire-resistant Pokemon like Gouging Fire and Rotom-W to scout and absorb these attacks very beneficial.
**Knock Off**: Forretress is most effective when stacking entry hazards and thus requires consistent and effective ways to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from the opposing team. Pokemon such as Roaring Moon and Tornadus-T can very consistently remove items to give its entry hazards their maximum value.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire-type Attacks**: With very little special bulk and a severe weakness to all Fire-type coverage, Forretress is very easily accounted for via said coverage. Fire-type Pokemon such as Cinderace and Gouging Fire can be very tough for Forretress to deal with, (AC) and a vast variety of other threats can easily bring coverage to be wary of.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Forretress provides most of its value through entry hazards chipping at foes throughout the duration of a match due to its lack of offensive ability. As a result, matchups against strong hazard removers such as Iron Treads, Great Tusk, and Quaquaval can be challenging, especially if they can freely switch into Forretress.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Although it is rather physically bulky strong neutral special attacks from wallbreakers often threaten Forretress due to its lack of special bulk. Strong special attackers such as Raging Bolt and Darkrai can be incredibly threatening.
**Setup Sweepers**: Forretress is often passive, as it has weak attacking stats, a subpar STAB combination, and a weakness to disruption moves. As a result, setup sweepers such as Annihilape, Latias, and Palafin can often switch in on and take advantage of Forretress.
**Disruption**: As Forretress primarily uses supportive moves or Rapid Spin, it can usually be shut down by Taunt or taken advantage of by Encore unless using a Mental Herb. Disrupters such as Tornadus-T and Iron Valiant can quickly become awkward for Forretress to deal with.
**Ghost-types**: In matchups where its team relies on Forretress to remove opposing entry hazards, Ghost-types such as Gholdengo and Skeledirge block its Rapid Spin and resist or are immune to most of its common attacks, leaving it even more passive than normal.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
