Iron Valiant Movesets & Competitive Sets

Spirit Break OHKOes Haxorus, Hoopa-U, and both Urshifu formes. Close Combat deals huge damage to non-Chople Berry Hisuian Goodra and Ursaluna, Registeel, Kyurem, non-Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, and non-Brave Bird or Iron Head Corviknight. Ice Punch lets Iron Valiant deal with both Landorus formes, though it has a chance of not beating Fly Landorus-T. Poison Jab helps against non-Kebia Berry Whimsicott and Serperior, while Liquidation can take care of frail and non-Passho Berry Volcarona. Iron Valiant struggles against Psychic- and Fairy-type Pokemon like Iron Crown, Metagross, Primarina, and Sylveon, so Pokemon like Hoopa-U, Darkrai, and Pecharunt are really helpful. In return, Iron Valiant can help them deal with Fighting- and Ground-type Pokemon like Iron Hands, Great Tusk, and Landorus. Iron Valiant also struggles to beat Water-type Pokemon like Manaphy, Azumarill, and bulky Ogerpon-W, so Pokemon like Zapdos and Raging Bolt can help with these threats, while Iron Valiant deals with the previously mentioned Ground-types along with Ice-type Pokemon like Chien-Pao and Kyurem.

Moonblast and Focus Blast are Iron Valiant's main STAB moves, OHKOing targets that are weak to them such as non-Assault Vest Raging Bolt, both Urshifu formes, and Flame Orb Ursaluna. Thunderbolt's main use is to 2HKO Corviknight, which Iron Valiant's usual sets can't do much against, though it has to watch out for Expert Belt Corviknight. Iron Valiant's last move varies depending on what its team needs. Psyshock takes care of Iron Moth, while Icy Wind can usually beat both Landorus formes, though it has to watch out for Assault Vest Landorus-T with Fly. A Modest nature maximizes damage and ensures some OHKOs like non-Chople Berry Hisuian Goodra but for most matchups like non-bulky Ogerpon-W, Iron Moth, and non-Speed Booster Energy Walking Wake, it is better to run a Timid nature. Iron Valiant's HP and Special Defense EVs let it survive a Special Attack Booster Energy Raging Bolt's Thunderclap so it's safe to OHKO back with Moonblast, with the remaining EVs used on Speed and Special Attack to maximize its ability to outspeed and threaten frail threats. Iron Valiant really struggles to put a dent on Fairy-type Pokemon like Sylveon and Primarina, so Poison- and Steel-type Pokemon like Pecharunt and Hisuian Goodra can be really helpful to shut down these threats. Iron Valiant can struggle with Psychic-types like Iron Crown and Metagross, as it can't do much damage to them, so Dark-types like Meowscarada, Darkrai, and Hoopa-U work as good partners for it.

Iron Valiant's main attack is very interchangeable. Moonblast is the most reliable and is usually the one that works in the most matchups like opposing Iron Valiant and Walking Wake, while Low Kick can help it break through Steel-type Pokemon like Hisuian Goodra and Registeel, though, it's scared of Counter from the former. The Speed EVs allow it to outspeed Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, with the remaining EVs going into Defense so it can bulk physical hits and fire back with its Encore + Disable setup. To utilize Encore + Disable effectively, you usually have to use Protect on the first turn to scout the foe's first move. If you are certain it is a Choice-locked Pokemon, you can just use Disable on the second turn and force it to use Struggle, and if it utilizes a status move, you are free to use Encore on its move and attack with your main STAB move; otherwise, it is recommended to use Encore on the second turn to take a hit, then Protect on the third turn, then Disable on the fourth turn, and, once Encore is over, you use Encore again. This ensures 2 turns of Struggle from the foe, at which point Iron Valiant should be able to KO it. On more passive Pokemon that have moves that do little damage like Registeel, it sometimes can be better to opt out of using Protect and just use your main attack. Iron Valiant fits best on teams that can cover their main weakness to Steel-type Pokemon; therefore, Fire-type Pokemon like Volcarona and Skeledirge make great teammates. In return, Iron Valiant can handle threats like Choice Specs Greninja and Choice Band Ursaluna. Iron Valiant also appreciates Pecharunt and Hisuian Goodra being extremely consistent against Fairy-types, as these can easily deal with them while it deals with Ground-type Pokemon like Great Tusk and the previously mentioned Ursaluna.

Iron Valiant is a great support Pokemon that can make use of Quark Drive's Speed boost to use moves like Spirit Break, Coaching, and Encore before its foes can attack. These moves allow Iron Valiant to disrupt opposing teams while also benefitting its allies with Wide Guard and Coaching, giving it a strong supportive presence. Spirit Break reduces the damage of common special attackers like Miraidon, Calyrex-S, Terapagos, and Kyogre. Iron Valiant's fast Coaching increases the damage and bulk of allies such as Calyrex-I and Urshifu-R, allowing Calyrex-I to OHKO Flutter Mane and Calyrex-S with Glacial Lance and Urshifu-R to OHKO the same Pokemon as well as Chien-Pao and Ogerpon-C with Surging Strikes. The Defense boost allows Calyrex-I to live Ogerpon-C's Tera Rock Ivy Cudgel and Koraidon's Flare Blitz in the sun. Meanwhile, the boost lets Urshifu-R survive Iron Hands's Wild Charge and Roaring Moon's Tera Flying Acrobatics while making opposing Urshifu formes' Close Combat a 3HKO. Wide Guard is used to block spread moves like Astral Barrage from Calyrex-S, Glacial Lance from Calyrex-I,and Tera Starstorm from Terastallized Terapagos. Encore can make foes hesitate to use moves like Protect, Fake Out, and Nasty Plot, allowing its partners to function properly without being disrupted. This EV spread allows Iron Valiant to live Urshifu-R's Tera Water Surging Strikes, Calyrex-I's Glacial Lance at +1 Attack, Choice Scarf Landorus's Earth Power, Terapagos-S's Tera Stellar Tera Starstorm at +1 Special Attack, and Choice Specs Miraidon's Dazzling Gleam at -1 Special Attack. Tera Ghost allows Iron Valiant to become immune to Fake Out disruption, which is important because it doesn't have Protect. Speed Booster Energy Flutter Mane is Iron Valiant's biggest threat, as it can move before it and OHKO with Moonblast. Taunt from Tornadus and Flutter Mane can prevent Iron Valiant from using its support moves. Fake Out from Pokemon much such as Rillaboom, Incineroar, and Iron Hands can disrupt Iron Valiant because it needs to Terastallize to avoid flinching, when other Pokemon would prefer to Terastallize. Iron Valiant pairs well with Pokemon that can take advantage of Coaching such as Calyrex-I and Urshifu-R. Iron Valiant also provides support for Amoonguss and Landorus because of its ability to weaken threats to them like Miraidon, Chi-Yu, and Calyrex-S while protecting them from spread moves like Glacial Lance and Origin Pulse.

With an incredible set of options both physical and special, Iron Valiant can opt for a mixed spread, making it a far greater threat against types like Dragon, Water, and Flying. Moonblast lets it check problematic Dragon- and Fighting-types like Latios, Walking Wake, and Great Tusk for its teammates. Close Combat slams special walls that would otherwise take on its Moonblast, such as Hisuian Goodra and Alolan Muk. Thunderbolt zaps Water- and Flying-types like Toxapex, Pelipper, and Moltres. Finally, Ice Punch handles difficult Ground-types like Clodsire and Gliscor. Expert Belt allows Iron Valiant to more easily bluff Choice Scarf, and the lack of recoil keeps it out of range of priority such as Dragonite's Extreme Speed and Mamoswine's Ice Shard. A Life Orb set, however, is capable of higher damage overall, reliably 2HKOing specially defensive Corviknight with Thunderbolt. Iron Valiant greatly enjoys help from Great Tusk, as it checks physical attackers such as Sneasler, Scizor, and Iron Hands while also providing Stealth Rock to wear down would-be switch-ins like Corviknight and Tornadus-T. Assault Vest Gallade can support Iron Valiant by comfortably taking on Poison-types such as Amoonguss, Galarian Weezing, and Iron Moth, along with special attackers like Choice Scarf Heatran and Greninja. Iron Hands can check Flying-type threats such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos, in addition to other problematic threats to Iron Valiant like Gholdengo and Choice Scarf Urshifu-R. With an Assault Vest, Iron Hands can also help check Flutter Mane and pivot Iron Valiant in safely with Volt Switch. Choice Scarf Sneasler helps check faster threats like Choice Specs Greninja and opposing Iron Valiant with Dire Claw and can use Rock Slide to deal with Volcarona. Water-types such as Urshifu-R and Keldeo can break through problematic Fire- and Ground-types for Iron Valiant, such as Ceruledge and Hippowdon, while also being able to come in on Scizor's Bullet Punch.

Choice Band Iron Valiant is a fierce wallbreaker for Fairy teams due to its great Attack and good Speed, allowing it to break walls like Archaludon, Hisuian Goodra, and Blissey. Close Combat is Iron Valiant's strongest attack, being able to take out Steel-, Dark-, Ice-, and Normal-types like Bisharp, Alolan Muk, Choice Specs Kyurem, and Ursaluna. Knock Off is a good coverage move that checks Psychic- and Ghost-types like Galarian Slowking, Latios, Gholdengo, and Ceruledge while also removing items in the process. Trick allows Iron Valiant to Choice-lock walls like Toxapex, Galarian Weezing, Amoonguss, and Dondozo. Shadow Sneak can be run instead of Trick to check Flutter Mane, Gengar, and Will-O-Wisp Dragapult, while Spirit Break deals with Mandibuzz and Sableye. Ice Punch deals with Flying-, Ground-, and Dragon-types like Gliscor, Landorus, Clodsire, and Dragonite. Klefki is a great teammate for Iron Valiant, providing a Poison immunity, dual screens, and entry hazards. Behind dual screens, Iron Valiant can survive an unboosted Bullet Punch from Scizor. Klefki also stops physical setup sweepers like Ceruledge, Ogerpon formes, and Scizor with Foul Play. Futhermore, Klefki provides Thunder Wave support to paralyze threats like Flutter Mane and Dragapult so Iron Valiant can take them out more easily with Knock Off. In return, Iron Valiant takes out foes like Mamoswine and Gliscor for Klefki. Belly Drum Azumarill is a great sweeper to pair with Iron Valiant, as it can remove threats like Moltres, Amoonguss, and Ogerpon-H. Choice Specs Flutter Mane is a strong wallbreaker, being able to take out threats that Iron Valiant struggles to break like Moltres, Pecharunt, and Gholdengo with Power Gem and Shadow Ball. Hatterene eases the Psychic matchup by checking Toxapex, Galarian Weezing, and Okidogi for Iron Valiant while also preventing hazards from being set by foes with Magic Bounce. Iron Valiant returns the favor by taking out Bisharp, Alolan Muk, and Hisuian Goodra for Flutter Mane and Hatterene. Calm Mind Clefable is a great bulky sweeper with its good coverage in Moonblast and Thunderbolt, which can deal with Gyarados, Moltres, and Dondozo. Magic Guard also allows Clefable to absorb status for Iron Valiant. Choice Scarf Enamorus provides a Ground Immunity and has Healing Wish to support the team. Iron Valiant deals with Kyurem and Mamoswine for Clefable and Enamorus. Ribombee provides Sticky Web support to slow down fast threats like Choice Specs Greninja, Choice Scarf Iron Treads, Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and opposing Flutter Mane. Tinkaton is another Poison immunity that can set Stealth Rock, stop walls with Encore, and provide Thunder Wave support as well. Physically defensive Primarina is a great teammate, being able to check Gouging Fire with Psychic Noise, preventing it from recovering HP with Morning Sun. Mimikyu is a decent sweeper set up easily thanks to its ability. After a Swords Dance, Mimikyu is able to take out Flutter Mane, Dragapult, Gholdengo, and Iron Boulder with Shadow Sneak, which Iron Valiant appreciates, while also allowing Iron Valiant to run Spirit Break or Trick instead. Galarian Weezing is a nice physical wall and can remove hazards with Defog for the team. Galarian Weezing also provides a Ground immunity and has the potential to weaken physical threats like Sneasler, opposing Azumarill, and Iron Treads with Will-O-Wisp.

Iron Valiant is a very valuable asset for Fairy teams with the combination of its amazing Speed tier, typing, and offensive stats. One of Iron Valiant's best qualities for Fairy teams is its access to Fighting-type STAB moves to counter Steel-types. Thunderbolt is a good option to hit Corviknight, Dondozo, and Toxapex super effectively and make cleaning up against Flying and Water teams easier after the Ground-type is removed. Energy Ball is a good alternative to more easily beat specially defensive Gastrodon and Rotom-W, but Grass Knot is an option to beat Dondozo after Spikes. Psyshock is a good tool versus Poison-types like Clodsire, Iron Moth and Amoonguss, while Shadow Ball lets it hit Skeledirge and Gholdengo that otherwise wall Iron Valiant. Trick is another great option to hinder defensive switch-ins like Toxapex, Corviknight, and Clodsire if Iron Valiant forgoes the moves to deal with them. Choice Scarf makes Iron Valiant an excellent revenge killer, being able to outrun threats such as Dragapult, Chien-Pao, and slower Choice Scarf users like Iron Moth and Gholdengo. Iron Valiant has amazing coverage, which makes it an effective cleaner; however, it cannot run all of them at once. Hence, it appreciates teammates that can cover what it cannot, and it also appreciates teammates that help it switch in, as it is quite frail. Klefki can set up dual screens, which aids it in switching, and also set up Spikes, which makes it easier for Iron Valiant to clean. Klefki is also a good switch-in against opposing Fairy-types like Mimikyu. Flutter Mane and Mimikyu can weaken teams to let Iron Valiant clean up or they can clean up after it. They also deal with Ghost-types such as Gholdengo, Flutter Mane, and Skeledirge if it forgoes Shadow Ball. Azumarill checks Fire-types such as Paldean Tauros-F, Volcarona, and Iron Moth and Ground-types such as Iron Treads and Clodsire. Hatterene is a great partner, as it can break through Poison-types like Glimmora, Toxapex, and Amoonguss while also preventing entry hazards. Tinkaton can set up Stealth Rock and is a good counter to Fairy-types that check Iron Valiant otherwise such as Hatterene, Flutter Mane, and opposing Iron Valiant.

Equipped with the ever-menacing Swords Dance, Iron Valiant becomes one of the most fearsome physical attackers in the metagame for Fairy-type teams, which can use it as their much-needed physical powerhouse. Close Combat lets Iron Valiant break through Steel- and Normal-types like Heatran, Hisuian Goodra, and Blissey. Ice Punch at +2 threatens Ground- and Grass-types like Clodsire, Landorus, and Sinistcha. Meanwhile, Shadow Sneak is key for picking off fast Ghost- and Psychic-types like Dragapult, Flutter Mane, and Iron Boulder after a boost. Alternatively, Knock Off can be used to help Iron Valiant break through Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking after a Swords Dance. Life Orb lets Close Combat OHKO the Ogerpon formes after chip damage, while Heavy-Duty Boots gives Iron Valiant safe entry from entry hazards. Klefki is a fantastic partner, thanks to its Poison immunity and ability to set up dual screens and Spikes, along with its part-Steel typing and access to Foul Play, enabling it to check Scizor. In return, Iron Valiant can eliminate Ground-types such as Mamoswine and Clodsire. Choice Specs Flutter Mane is a powerful wallbreaker to pair with Iron Valiant and, with its Speed, can check Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Pecharunt, Hatterene, and Choice Specs Greninja. Primarina and Azumarill deal with Fire-types like Moltres and Volcarona, and if Primarina is equipped with an Assault Vest, it can safely pivot Iron Valiant in with Flip Turn. Hatterene handles Poison-types like Toxapex and Galarian Weezing while also bouncing back hazards and status moves, increasing the longevity of Iron Valiant. Tinkaton helps deal with Flutter Mane while also providing Stealth Rock support; notably, this breaks Focus Sash off of Ceruledge, which allows Iron Valiant to easily remove it.

Iron Valiant is a great option for Fairy teams due to its good coverage, being able to take out threats like Archaludon, Toxapex, and Landorus. Iron Valiant also takes advantage of passive teams trying to check it defensively. Moonblast deals with Dark- and Fighting-types like Sableye, Great Tusk, and Keldeo. Close Combat is Iron Valiant's strongest STAB move, dealing with annoying Steel-type foes like Bisharp and Hisuian Goodra while also being able to take out threats like the Ogerpon formes and Blissey and 2HKO specially defensive Corviknight. Ice Punch threatens Ground- and Flying-types like Gliscor, Landorus, and Dragonite. Thunderbolt pressures Toxapex, Skarmory, and opposing Azumarill, which Fairy teams greatly appreciate. Life Orb allows Iron Valiant to OHKO non-physically defensive Gliscor and hit as hard as possible. Expert Belt can be run over Life Orb to preserve Iron Valiant from chip damage and make it seem Choice-locked. Klefki is a nice teammate for Iron Valiant, providing a Poison immunity, dual screens, Spikes, and Thunder Wave support to paralyze fast threats like Dragapult, Choice Scarf Enamorus, and Choice Scarf Iron Boulder. Klefki also stops setup sweepers like Scizor with Foul Play. Hatterene deals with Poison-types like Galarian Weezing and Amoonguss while also preventing entry hazards with Magic Bounce. Choice Specs Flutter Mane is a fierce wallbreaker paired with Iron Valiant, being able to take out Gholdengo, Pecharunt, and Choice Specs Greninja. Flutter Mane benefits from Iron Valiant being able to lure and heavily damage Hisuian Goodra and Corviknight. Belly Drum Azumarill is a great late-game sweeper, being able to take out threats like Amoonguss, Alolan Muk, Iron Treads, and Excadrill with Knock Off and Aqua Jet. Iron Valiant returns the favor by taking out Bisharp and Ogerpon-W for Flutter Mane and Azumarill. Choice Scarf Enamorus provides a Ground immunity and is a good revenge killer, being able to take out Choice Specs Greninja and Choice Scarf Glimmora. Enamorus also provides Healing Wish support for the team. Physically defensive Primarina checks Gouging Fire and is a soft check to Clodsire and Corviknight by preventing recovery with Psychic Noise. Tinkaton provides another Poison immunity, sets up Stealth Rock, and gives Knock Off support. Tinkaton also takes out Hatterene in the Fairy mirror with Gigaton Hammer, which Iron Valiant appreciates. Ribombee is a nice lead, providing Sticky Web to slow down fast threats like Will-O-Wisp Dragapult, Iron Treads, and Choice Scarf Excadrill.

Equipped with Choice Specs, Iron Valiant wonderfully fills the special attacker role for Fighting teams, bolstering its damage output to break through sturdy foes like defensive Dragon Dance Gouging Fire. Moonblast obliterates most Dark-, Dragon-, and Fighting-type Pokemon, while 2HKOing even Ting-Lu, Gouging Fire, and Assault Vest Iron Hands. Thunderbolt pressures Water- and Flying-type foes like Toxapex, Primarina, and Corviknight. Psychic or Psyshock lets it deal with Poison-type walls that would otherwise wall it, with Psychic targetting Amoonguss, Pecharunt, and Galarian Weezing, while Psyshock better addresses Clodsire. Alternatively, Vacuum Wave gives it a great priority option to finish off weakened foes and OHKO Greninja and Meowscarada after Stealth Rock damage. Shadow Ball is desirable for hitting Gholdengo and Pecharunt hard, but Aura Sphere and Trick are viable replacements, if the team already addresses them fairly well. Aura Sphere provides a reliable and strong STAB move option to break through Steel teams once Gholdengo is removed, while Trick allows it to cripple foes at the cost of its damage output. With mediocre mixed bulk and an inability to switch moves, Choice Specs Iron Valiant needs to be surrounded by solid teammates that can handle its threats, such as Assault Vest Iron Hands, Assault Vest Gallade, Great Tusk, and Scrafty. Packing enormous HP and Attack stats, along with good defenses and a recovery option in Drain Punch, Assault Vest Iron Hands is the Fighting go-to option to tank special moves. Its coverage options in the form of Heavy Slam and Ice Punch let it suppress Flutter Mane, Dragapult, and Tornadus-T, while Volt Switch allows it to bring in Iron Valiant on the field safely. Despite being noticeably frailer in the general bulk department, Gallade more than makes up for it thanks to Sharpness granting it unparalleled immediate offensive output to pressure Dragon- and Poison-type threats, and its typing offers a desirable Psychic neutrality to the team. Similar to its paradox form, Gallade shines thanks to its movepool diversity, which lets it dispose of popular Choice Specs users like Greninja, Latios, and Flutter Mane, as well as taking out Poison-type foes like Okidogi, Amoonguss, and Clodsire. There is no shortage of matchups where Assault Vest Gallade proves itself useful, improving certain matchups at will by running other moves such as Leaf Blade and Aqua Cutter for the Water and Ground matchups, respectively. Thanks to its access to Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock, Great Tusk provides invaluable defensive support to Choice Specs Iron Valiant, which is further augmented by its access to Knock Off to cripple both offensive and defensive foes, by removing key items such as Choice Scarf and Leftovers. While its defensive set lets it handle Gouging Fire better, its offensive set can leverage its great Attack stat with Focus Sash to punish opposing wallbreakers like Flutter Mane, Dragapult, and Landorus. With access to reliable recovery thanks to Rest combined with Shed Skin, Scrafty sets itself apart as the sole bulky Psychic-immune Fighting-type Pokemon with great durability. Its typing offers a valuable Psychic immunity to the team, on top of a great Ghost resistance, which makes it a solid asset in the Ghost and Dragon matchups, as it can tank multiple Shadow Balls and Draco Meteors from the likes of Spectrier, Gholdengo, and Dragapult, preventing these teams from making progress by spamming these moves. Offensively, Choice Specs Iron Valiant pairs well with other Fighting-type wallbreakers like Keldeo, Urshifu-R, Sneasler, and Okidogi. Keldeo and Urshifu-R considerably ease the Ground, Flying, and Steel matchups by taking advantage of their great STAB combination to break through their defensive cores. Moreover, Calm Mind Keldeo can back up Iron Valiant in the Dark matchup, letting it run Psyshock over Vacuum Wave, while Urshifu-R can either opt for a Swords Dance set to secure both the Ground and Steel matchups, or it can use a Choice Scarf set to address Choice Specs Flutter Mane and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. Lastly, Sneasler and Okidogi bring a much-needed Fairy neutrality to the team and offer distinctive advantages. Choice Scarf Sneasler grants great speed control to the team and can deal with opposing Choice Scarf Iron Valiant, while Okidogi makes use of its good general bulk and great defensive typing to act as a fearsome setup sweeper in the Steel, Ghost, and Fairy matchups.

Flexing not only its speed but also its versatility, mixed Iron Valiant excels as a cleaner, leveraging its wide movepool and powerful STAB combination to blast through weakened teams. Moonblast threatens many prominent targets, such as Raging Bolt and Zamazenta. Close Combat complements Moonblast nicely, damaging Steel-types such as Kingambit, Heatran, and Ferrothorn. Knock Off targets those that resist Iron Valiant's STAB moves, hitting key foes like crippling Moltres by removing its Heavy-Duty Boots. Encore discourages setup attempts from foes such as Volcarona and Dragonite, as well as punishing utility and recovery moves from defensive staples like Gliscor, Moltres, and Landorus-T. Alternatively, Destiny Bond allows Iron Valiant to force a trade even in a disadvantageous matchup, like against Volcarona or Gholdengo. Finally, Thunderbolt can threaten otherwise solid checks in Moltres, Toxapex, and Mega Charizard Y. 108 Attack EVs allow Iron Valiant to OHKO specially defensive Heatran after Stealth Rock. Booster Energy is preferred to ensure Iron Valiant can excel in its role as a cleaner, outspeeding all unboosted threats as well as all the relevant Choice Scarf users like Urshifu-R and Tapu Lele. Life Orb is a viable alternative if Iron Valiant is paired with Tapu Koko, ensuring 2HKOs on defensive Landorus-T with Moonblast as well as Alomomola and Toxapex with Thunderbolt while also securing an OHKO on SubRoost Kyurem with Close Combat and a chance to OHKO all-out attacker Zamazenta and Ferrothorn. Due to mixed Iron Valiant's dazzling array of skills, it fits best on offensive teams that appreciate its ability to clean up weakened teams as well as force trades against threats like Mega Charizard Y and Gholdengo for its teammates to exploit. Kingambit is a superb partner, as it greatly appreciates Iron Valiant blasting the Fighting-types that Kingambit struggles with, like Zamazenta and Great Tusk, while Kingambit can trap threats like Galarian Slowking and Gholdengo with Pursuit for Iron Valiant. Landorus-T and Great Tusk are also strong teammates, setting Stealth Rock to chip down potential switch-ins like Toxapex or Moltres, especially if Iron Valiant can remove its Heavy-Duty Boots, as well as directly threatening Iron Valiant checks like Toxapex and Galarian Slowking. In return, Iron Valiant can beat Urshifu-R, Weavile, and Kyurem. If Iron Valiant is running Life Orb, Tapu Koko is an essential pick, providing the Electric Terrain required to boost Iron Valiant's Speed, as well as threatening Moltres and Toxapex and boosting Iron Valiant's own Thunderbolt. Tapu Koko also provides easier entry for Iron Valiant through its speedy Volt Switch or U-turn. While powerful, Iron Valiant can struggle to break through healthy teams, especially against previously mentioned checks like Galarian Slowking and Toxapex, so offensive threats like Volcarona, Hisuian Samurott, and Tapu Lele are appreciated for their ability to wear down said checks for Iron Valiant to clean up. Iron Valiant is also threatened by some forms of priority like Bullet Punch from Mega Scizor and Mega Medicham, so the aforementioned Volcarona and Tapu Lele are excellent at shutting down these threats with the former's Flame Body and the latter's Psychic Terrain.

Choice Specs supplements Iron Valiant's power and offensive coverage, turning it into a powerful wallbreaker capable of blasting its way through bulky Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Melmetal with ease. Thunderbolt provides a strong coverage option that allows Iron Valiant to 2HKO potential checks such as Toxapex, Mega Charizard Y, and Moltres, which otherwise wall its STAB combination. Alternatively, Vacuum Wave allows Iron Valiant to pick off weakened threats such as Mega Lopunny, Kingambit, or a boosted Terapagos in a pinch, whereas Trick allows Iron Valiant to cripple switch-ins such as Toxapex, Galarian Slowking, and Moltres without the need for prediction. Lastly, Shadow Ball ensures Iron Valiant can 2HKO defensive Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking after slight chip damage. Choice Specs Iron Valiant is a strong and versatile offensive option that fits on a variety of offense and balance teams alike. In particular, Iron Valiant benefits immensely from the support of Pursuit users such as Kingambit and Mega Tyranitar, which can help remove or forcibly weaken the few dedicated checks to it in Galarian Slowking and Assault Vest Tornadus-T, making it far more offensively threatening as a result. Similarly, entry hazard support from the likes of Landorus-T, Ting-Lu, and Ferrothorn is appreciated to ensure Iron Valiant can secure KOes against certain Pokemon such as Ogerpon-W, Mega Scizor, and Tapu Lele. Offensive teammates that work well with Iron Valiant include Gholdengo and Tapu Koko; each of them appreciates Iron Valiant's ability to break open soft checks such as Heatran and Ting-Lu, and in return, they can play around potential revenge killers such as Zamazenta or assist in weakening defensive pieces such as Zapdos and Toxapex. Most notably, Tapu Koko also sets up Electric Terrain to activate Iron Valiant's Quark Drive, granting it a valuable Speed boost that allows it to outpace naturally faster targets such as opposing Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Urshifu-R.

Swords Dance Iron Valiant is a fantastic wallbreaker and setup sweeper, making use of its excellent coverage and Speed tier accentuated by Booster Energy to outpace and tear through common speed control options in Mega Lopunny and Choice Scarf Urshifu-R. Its effectiveness in this role is compounded by the ability to break past answers such as Galarian Slowking and Iron Crown that would otherwise check special sets. Knock Off not only allows Iron Valiant to cripple incoming checks such as Moltres and Toxapex but also serves as important coverage against the vast majority of Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon; at +2, it notably OHKOes offensive Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking and can 2HKO Slowbro lacking Colbur Berry. Ice Punch allows Iron Valiant to OHKO Landorus-T, Dragonite, and Gliscor at +2. However, Encore is also a strong alternative that allows Iron Valiant to facilitate additional setup opportunities by punishing the use of status moves such as Stealth Rock from Landorus-T or Quiver Dance from Volcarona. It also prevents Raging Bolt from reliably revenge killing Iron Valiant by locking it into Thunderclap. Spirit Break provides a secondary STAB option that lets Iron Valiant deal more damage to Fighting-types such as Great Tusk and Zamazenta as well as Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko and Clefable, notably OHKOing the former at +2. Iron Valiant's immense Attack and Speed tier make it a solid fit on various offense and hyper offense teams. Entry hazard setters such as Landorus-T, Hisuian Samurott, and Garchomp are essential for their ability to wear down Pokemon such as Hex Gholdengo and Tapu Lele to where a boosted Iron Valiant can pick them off late-game. Special attackers such as Calm Mind Raging Bolt, Quiver Dance Volcarona, and Nasty Plot Gholdengo can help pressure physically defensive stopgaps in Toxapex, Skarmory, and Zapdos early on, while Iron Valiant takes on specially defensive checks to these Pokemon such as Galarian Slowking and Ting-Lu in return. Similarly, accompanying physical sweepers such as Swords Dance Kingambit and Swords Dance Ogerpon-W pair excellently with Iron Valiant to help overwhelm shared physical checks such as Moltres and Alomomola. While Iron Valiant can use its Speed tier in conjunction with Booster Energy to revenge kill certain offensive threats in Mega Lopunny and Mega Swampert under rain in a vacuum, it often loses offensive flexibility while doing so, especially once it has depleted its Booster Energy. Thus, Iron Valiant appreciates being paired with teammates such as Iron Defense Zamazenta and Dragon Dance Dragonite as well as secondary Speed control options such as Booster Energy Iron Moth and Swords Dance Rillaboom that can help force these Pokemon out, ensuring that it doesn't have to deal with them outside of sweeping positions. Tapu Koko is also a notable offensive partner, as the Electric Terrain it provides allows Iron Valiant to retain its Speed boost outside of Booster Energy while being able to pressure some of Iron Valiant's checks in Moltres and Toxapex.

Iron Valiant's combination of stats, typing, and coverage makes it an excellent wallbreaker for Fairy teams, capable of outrunning Mega Diancie, Nihilego, and Iron Treads. At +2 Attack, All-Out Pummeling OHKOes troublesome walls such as physically defensive Celesteela and Corviknight. Spirit Break notably breaks Mega Sableye, enabling Iron Valiant to greatly pressure Dark and Ghost teams. Knock Off deals with Ghost-types like Gholdengo and Aegislash, allowing Iron Valiant to heavily dent Steel. It also removes important items from Clodsire, Klefki, and Toxapex. Shadow Sneak can be used over Knock Off to pick off weakened foes like Blacephalon. Iron Valiant loves Klefki's ability to set dual screens and Spikes, as this allows Iron Valiant to set up more easily and deal with bulkier cores better. Tapu Lele sets Psychic Terrain, neutralizing Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch, and it also deals with Poison-types Iron Valiant has a hard time with, such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain activates Iron Valiant's Quark Drive, letting it outspeed the likes of Mega Lopunny and Mega Swampert under rain. Tapu Bulu improves the Water and Ground matchups and removes bulky Water-types like Toxapex and Dondozo. Mega Diancie and Azumarill love Iron Valiant's ability to soften walls, as it allows them to clean up late-game.

Iron Valiant is one of Fighting teams' best assets with amazing qualities between its typing, Speed, and offenses. Choice Scarf accentuates its Speed further and lets it outspeed many threats to Fighting teams such as Tornadus-T, Tapu Koko, and Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele and Galarian Zapdos. Its STAB Moonblast is one of its best qualities, being able to easily beat Mega Sableye and OHKO most opposing Fighting- and Dragon-types such as Buzzwole and Mega Altaria. Thunderbolt is great coverage to hit Flying- and Water-types like Tornadus-T and Toxapex that otherwise wall Iron Valiant, while Energy Ball lets it deal with Mega Swampert, which it can outspeed even under rain, Rotom-W, and Gastrodon more easily. Shadow Ball prevents Iron Valiant from being walled by Gholdengo, Skeledirge, and Aegislash while also improving the Psychic matchup. Knock Off and Trick cripple defensive switch-ins such as Toxapex, Celesteela, and Clodsire by removing or replacing important items and forcing them to go without passive recovery or be Choice locked. Iron Valiant is also a great asset in the Fairy and Electric matchups, as it uses opposing Tapu Koko's Electric Surge to activate its own Quark Drive and outspeed even Regieleki and Alolan Raichu under Electric Terrain. Iron Valiant appreciates support from Mega Gallade, as it easily takes care of Poison-types like Clodsire, Mega Venusaur, and Alolan Muk. Iron Hands and Great Tusk are great teammates for the Electric matchup while also beating the likes of Toxapex, Galarian Moltres, and Gholdengo. Cobalion and Great Tusk can set up Stealth Rock and even clear entry hazards in the case of the latter. Cobalion also helps against Fairy-types such as Tapu Bulu and Tapu Lele, while Great Tusk helps deal with Tapu Koko and Assault Vest Iron Hands. Choice Band Urshifu-R is a great ally to beat Fire-types such as Volcarona and Skeledirge and Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Excadrill. Kommo-o deals with bulky Water-, Fire-, and Grass-types like Toxapex, Skeledirge, and Mega Venusaur with its massive Clangorus Soulblaze in conjunction with Taunt. Breloom is also a natural counter to Water-types, being able to deal with Swampert, and hindering defensive walls such as Toxapex with Spore. Galarian Zapdos is another great teammate that can weaken foes and safely get in Iron Valiant with U-turn.

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

While tricky to set up without support, Swords Dance Iron Valiant is a niche but dangerous sweeper that requires dedicated defensive Pokemon such as Skeledirge and Dondozo to easily check. Encore: Encore lets Iron Valiant short-circuit support moves and have a shot of setting up Swords Dance, but this does come at the cost of one of its STAB moves. Close Combat versus Spirit Break: If giving up a slot for Encore, Close Combat's high power against bulky foes such as Kingambit, Ting-Lu, Corviknight, and bulky Chi-Yu makes it the easy option. Spirit Break's low Base Power reduces Iron Valiant's general sweeping potential in exchange for dealing big damage to common Tera Fairy Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Garchomp. Shadow Sneak versus Knock Off: With a boost, Shadow Sneak is capable of ruining Flutter Mane's attempt to revenge kill, but Knock Off lets Iron Valiant deal with Gholdengo, hit Volcarona and Iron Moth hard, and punish Skeledirge switch ins. Tera Types Tera Dependency - High: While this set isn't reliant on Terastallization, it does make late-game sweeping a much more feasible task for Iron Valiant, making it less vulnerable to priority attacks that can ruin its sweeping potential. Ghost: Powering up Shadow Sneak can make cleaning easier and the Extreme Speed immunity can turn Extreme Speed Dragonite into setup bait with Encore. Steel: Tera Steel has excellent defensive synergy, giving Iron Valiant an important Bullet Punch and Ice Shard resistance and covering Flying- and Fairy-type attacks. Fairy / Fighting: Terastallizing into one of Iron Valiant's STAB types can make cleaning through bulky foes easier if dropping coverage for Encore. Fire: In addition to a useful Bullet Punch resistance, Tera Fire gifts Iron Valiant a burn immunity and can even be used with Tera Blast to break defensive Gholdengo and Corviknight. Electric: Not only does this help Iron Valiant against Scizor, but Tera Electric can be paired with Life Orb and Tera Blast to wear down Dondozo. Items Focus Sash: If not using Encore, this is the most reliable way to get Swords Dance set up. Booster Energy: Quark Drive's Speed boost makes it far more difficult to revenge kill Iron Valiant, outpacing key threats such as Dragapult, Flutter Mane, Iron Bundle, and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. Life Orb: Life Orb makes Iron Valiant more effective at hit-and-run tactics and can let it OHKO bulky threats such as Corviknight after a boost and Stealth Rock damage.

Iron Valiant's excellent special movepool gives it an effective wallbreaking mode that can catch foes such as Skeledirge and Dondozo by surprise. Encore: Encore is perfect for punishing attempts to set up on Iron Valiant. Shadow Ball: Shadow Ball is handy for 2HKOing Skeledirge before it Terastallizes, as it's normally a great Iron Valiant check. Thunderbolt: This programs Iron Valiant to 2HKO Corviknight and physically defensive Dondozo with Life Orb. Psyshock versus Psychic: Psyshock deals massive damage to Iron Moth and Clodsire, who are otherwise big problems. Psychic on the other hand, is preferred if Amoonguss is a serious problem due to being able to consistently 2HKO physically defensive vairants. Other Options Calm Mind: Calm Mind makes Iron Valiant even more difficult to wall, but it's very difficult to set up without Focus Sash or Encore. Aura Sphere: Close Combat's higher power is usually preferred, but Aura Sphere does better against Corviknight and makes Iron Valiant less vulnerable to priority attacks. Tera Types Tera Dependency - Medium: Iron Valiant can do plenty of damage without Terastallization, but resisting important priority Attacks or boosting its power certainly makes it useful. Ghost: With Tera Ghost, Life Orb Shadow Ball OHKOes physically defensive Skeledirge, in addition to giving Iron Valiant an important immunity to Extreme Speed. Fairy: Powering up Moonblast with Tera Fairy can 2HKO even specially defensive Dondozo. Steel: Tera Steel has fantastic defensive synergy, giving useful resistances to Scizor's Bullet Punch, Chien-Pao's Ice Shard, and Flying- and Fairy-type attacks. Electric: Tera Electric means Iron Valiant no longer needs Life Orb to reliably 2HKO physically defensive Dondozo without Life Orb, in addition to giving a vital resistance to Scizor's Bullet Punch. Items Life Orb: While the recoil makes Iron Valiant even more vulnerable to priority attacks, it provides immense wallbreaking power. Booster Energy: Taking advantage of Quark Drive trades easy wallbreaking in exchange for incredible revenge killing power and late-game sweeping.

Iron Valiant's blistering Speed and the threat of Destiny Bond make it a cybernetic assassin that's excellent at taking foes down with it! Shadow Sneak: Shadow Sneak is Iron Valiant's best tool against Flutter Mane and is useful for picking off Focus Sash foes such as Iron Bundle. Encore: Encore plugs in perfectly with Destiny Bond, punishing foes that use support moves to avoid getting taken down with Iron Valiant. Moonblast versus Spirit Break: Even without investment, Moonblast will often deal more damage to foes with even defenses or lower Special Defense such as Garchomp and Wo-Chien, and avoid Rocky Helmet damage. However, Spirit Break's Special Attack drops give Iron Valiant a chance to help teammates set up after it gets KOed, and it will still put Terastallized offensive Flutter Mane into Shadow Sneak's KO range. Knock Off: This is Iron Valiant's only way to 2HKO offensive Gholdengo, and removing items gives it a good support niche. Tera Types Tera Dependency - Low: Since this Iron Valiant often uses Destiny Bond, Terastallization isn't very important for it, thought the surprise value still makes it viable in certain matches. Ghost: Tera Ghost lets Iron Valiant safely Encore Dragonite's Extreme Speed. Fighting: An extra powerful Close Combat gives Iron Valiant better late-game cleaning potential. Items Focus Sash: Getting around Iron Valiant's aluminum-thin bulk gives it the potential to take down multiple Pokemon. Booster Energy: Getting a one-time Speed boost trades Iron Valiant's great early-game potential for excellent revenge killing potential. Alternate EV Spread 12 HP / 228 Atk / 84 Def / 36 SpAtk / 148 Spe with Naive: This Focus Sash EV spread gives Iron Valiant a very high chance of surviving Adamant Baxcalibur's five-hit Icicle Spear and likely OHKOing it back with Close Combat. The Special Attack investment 2HKOs maximum HP Dragonite through Multiscale while the Speed investment outspeeds up to Garchomp.

Iron Valiant's high Special Attack and Destiny Bond make it a highly unpredictable threat that can surprise its more physically defensive checks, such as Dondozo. Encore: This will give any foe attempting to use support moves to escape Destiny Bond a nasty shock. Shadow Ball: Shadow Ball 2HKOes Skeledirge and will often 2HKO defensive Gholedngo, both of whom are common issues for the physical variant of this set. Shadow Sneak: While weak enough to be unable to 2HKO bulkier Flutter Mane, Shadow Sneak is still a great choice for picking off Focus Sash foes such as Great Tusk and Iron Bundle. Close Combat versus Aura Sphere: Even without physical investment, Close Combat is generally the stronger move, and it ensures Blissey and Chansey will not wall Iron Valiant without Terastallization. However, Aura Sphere does hit many physically defensive foes such as Corviknight harder, and it gets around Rocky Helmet and Rough Skin. Tera Types Tera Dependency - Low: This set's focus on Destiny Bond makes Terastallization a waste fairly often, but it can make sense in more late-game contexts. Ghost: Tera Ghost gives Iron Valiant an opening to Encore Extreme Speed Dragonite and gives Shadow Sneak a more acceptable amount of power. Fairy: Tera Fairy's boost to Moonblast potentially gains a 2HKO on Dondozo and Terastallized Skeledirge. Steel: With Tera Steel, Iron Valiant gains a useful resistance to Bullet Punch and Ice Shard, making Booster Energy variants harder to revenge kill. Items Focus Sash: Focus Sash is particularly useful for letting Iron Valiant surprise Skeledirge, who normally OHKOes with a +1 Torch Song. Booster Energy: While unlikely to enable a sweep unless it's late-game, this consumable Speed boost transforms Iron Valiant into an effective revenge killer.