Landorus Movesets & Competitive Sets

Earth Power is Landorus's main STAB move and allows it to hit the majority of the metagame neutrally. Rock Slide lets Landorus hit Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal while giving almost perfect neutral coverage alongside Earth Power. Knock Off's main utility is to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from opposing Pokemon, making it extremely useful to apply pressure with entry hazards. Sludge Wave is an option to prevent Xerneas from using Geomancy in front of Landorus, leaving Xerneas vulnerable to priority or even OHKOing it if Stealth Rock is up. Thanks to the pressure Landorus applies on the opposite team, it can also easily set up Stealth Rock. As far as Superpower is concerned, it allows Landorus to hit special walls like Blissey and Ferrothorn hard. Explosion is a useful option on hyper offense teams with Sticky Web, preventing the foe from using Defog or Rapid Spin. Sheer Force negates Life Orb recoil when using Earth Power, Rock Slide, or Sludge Wave. A Naive nature along with maximum investment in Speed allows Landorus to outspeed common base 90 and 100 Speed Pokemon, while maximizing its damage from Rock Slide and Superpower. Landorus appreciates entry hazards being up on the opponent's field to help it wallbreak; therefore, Spikes support from Ferrothorn greatly helps it. Necrozma-DM is a good teammate too if Landorus doesn't have Stealth Rock. Also, Pokemon like Ho-Oh work well with Landorus, since they can switch in on Pokemon that threaten Landorus while also being able to use Defog. Pivots such as Yveltal and Blissey allow Landorus to switch safely onto the field, since it's relatively frail. Paralysis spreaders like Ho-Oh and Xerneas remedy one of the main weaknesses of Landorus: its Speed. Offensive partners such as Marshadow and Calyrex-S appreciate Landorus's ability to remove their checks or their checks' items; in return, they can eliminate faster threats, which Landorus can't handle. Slurpuff is another great partner, setting Sticky Web so that Landorus can outspeed foes such as Eternatus, Marshadow, and non-Choice Scarf Calyrex-S. In return, Landorus deters Ho-Oh and Yveltal from removing entry hazards with Rock Slide and Explosion, respectively.

Earth Power is very strong with boosts from Sheer Force and Life Orb, in particular being handy for key metagame threats such as Incineroar, Metagross, and Diancie. Sludge Bomb hits Grass-types that can switch in on and resist Earth Power such as Rillaboom and Tsareena, and it's also useful against Tapu Fini. Substitute lets Landorus punish Protect and switches, providing a buffer from Fake Out and otherwise lethal blows, while Psychic comes in handy for hitting opposing Landorus and nailing Amoonguss. Protect gives Landorus safety for a turn, handy for stalling out field conditions such as Tailwind and Trick Room, as well as maintaining board position while teammates switch accordingly. Life Orb and Sheer Force maximize Landorus's offensive potential, with Timid being key for outrunning threats such as Urshifu-R, Genesect, and Mew.

Landorus is the premier special wallbreaker on Ground teams, capable of beating troublesome foes like Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and Porygon2 through its amazing coverage moves boosted by the combination of Sheer Force and Life Orb. Earth Power is Landorus's most powerful move, pressuring walls like Mega Sableye, Slowbro, and Gastrodon. Sludge Wave threatens the Grass-types that resist Earth Power, such as Tapu Bulu and Celebi, while OHKOing Fairy-types such as Tapu Lele and Hatterene. Focus Blast nails Dark-, Ice-, and Normal-types, like Hydreigon, Kyurem, and Porygon2, while hitting Skarmory without relying on Gravity and targeting Ferrothorn. Gravity removes Ground immunities from foes that would otherwise check Landorus such as Celesteela, Rotom-W, and Zapdos, making Landorus's Earth Power and its teammates' Ground-type STAB moves much more spammable. It also ensures Focus Blast always lands, heightening Landorus's reliability in the Normal, Dark, and Steel matchups. Life Orb works well in tandem with Sheer Force, which negates Life Orb's recoil and adds to its damage boost. A Timid nature is needed in order for Landorus to outspeed common foes like Victini, Tapu Lele, and Hydreigon. Excadrill pairs extremely well with Landorus, as it can deal with specially defensive walls that Landorus struggles with, such as Blissey and Slowking, while outspeeding fast threats to Landorus like Choice Scarf Weavile, Tapu Koko, and Mega Lopunny when under sand. In return, Landorus can provide valuable support to Excadrill with Gravity, letting it beat its usual checks like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Porygon2, in addition to dealing with physically defensive foes such as Porygon2 and Mega Sableye for it. Hippowdon provides a switch-in against certain foes that can outspeed and threaten Landorus such as Mega Gallade, Cinderace, and Garchomp. It also wears down most foes with Stealth Rock and Sand Stream, which Landorus generally appreciates. Gastrodon and Seismitoad both switch completely freely into Water-type attacks from the likes of Mega Swampert, Keldeo, and Mantine for Landorus. Gastrodon is also able to reliably take and heal off most other moves from Water-types thanks to its high bulk and Recover, while Seismitoad is one of the best ways for Ground teams to offensively deal with them. Mamoswine deals with troublesome Dragon-types such as Latias, Mega Latios, and Dragonite as well as Flying-types that Landorus relies on Gravity in order to beat, like Zapdos and Dragonite. Garchomp and Mega Garchomp are fearsome wallbreakers that pressure specially defensive walls like Blissey and Slowking while providing a Water neutrality. Mega Steelix's absurdly high Defense stat and Steel typing make it a fierce bulky sweeper with Curse that can consistently check Azumarill and take on Grass-, Normal-, and Dragon-types for Landorus, such as Rillaboom, Blissey, and Mega Altaria.

Moves Earth Power is Landorus's strongest STAB move and allows it to 2HKO most neutral targets. It notably reaches a guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Toxapex. Rock Slide is another Sheer Force-boosted move that punishes Flying-types such as Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Rayquaza that are immune to Earth Power by OHKOing or 2HKOing them. Landorus can take advantage of its ability to pressure many Defog users and common entry hazard setters to viably use Stealth Rock. Landorus's ability to effectively use Stealth Rock and function as a wallbreaker sets it apart from other wallbreakers in the tier. Knock Off hinders walls that can handle both Earth Power and Rock Slide, such as Lugia, Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The move also has benefits of removing items such as Leftovers, Eviolite, and Shed Shell from said switch-ins. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Rayquaza and Mega Salamence and 2HKOes Zygarde-C. It also 3HKOes Giratina-O, which takes all of Landorus's other moves with ease. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Landorus to take advantage of its Speed tier and outspeed every foe with base 100 Speed while maintaining as much offensive potential as possible. A Rash nature allows Landorus to have enough power to outright OHKO Primal Groudon, offensive Necrozma-DM, and Magearna and 2HKO support Arceus formes with Earth Power while outspeeding neutral-natured Xerneas and Yveltal. A Naive nature is an alternative option that trades Landorus's damage output for the ability to outspeed maximum Speed Xerneas, Yveltal, and Rayquaza. Life Orb allows Landorus to utilize Earth Power and Rock Slide with Sheer Force without taking recoil damage while boosting coverage moves such as Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice. Usage Tips Landorus is best suited for disrupting defensive cores with strong Earth Powers and various coverage moves. It can thus be used early to pressure foes and set Stealth Rock on forced switch. It's difficult to switch Landorus into any sort of attacks due to its frailty, so it is strongly advised to switch it in through pivoting or an aggressive double switch. If Landorus opted for Stealth Rock, pay attention to the opposing team and figure out which Pokemon have a chance to carry Defog. While Landorus can pressure Defog users like Arceus formes and practically most Flying-types, it tends to struggle doing much against the likes of Giratina-O, Lugia, and Skarmory. Therefore, it is better to weaken or eliminate them so Landorus can effectively set Stealth Rock and keep it on the opposing field. On the other hand, if Landorus opted for Knock Off, it can be a more potent wallbreaker that hinders its checks like Lugia and Chansey by removing their items. Since opponents have tendencies to switch Flying-types like Lugia and Celesteela and special walls like Chansey and Blissey into Landorus, it is better to use Knock Off early instead of recklessly spamming Earth Power so Landorus or its teammates can deal with them easier. Landorus takes Life Orb recoil from every use of Knock Off and Hidden Power Ice and thus should use them with care, or it will unnecessarily wear itself down over the match. Team Options Landorus serves as a powerful wallbreaker that can disrupt defensive teams relatively well; therefore, it fits well on teams that can benefit from weakened or hindered walls. Primal Groudon can opt to run more offensive sets if Landorus has Stealth Rock. In exchange, Primal Groudon can switch into Primal Kyogre and threaten Ground-immune Steel-types. Variants with Toxic can lure in Lugia, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O and put them on a timer. Should Landorus forgo Stealth Rock, Arceus-Fairy is an effective option that checks Marshadow and Yveltal, and it can also threaten Giratina-O. Necrozma-DM can take advantage of Landorus's defensive checks such as numerous Arceus formes and Chansey. Offensive variants can set up on foes like Arceus-Water and Celesteela, while defensive variants can run Stealth Rock to let Landorus run Knock Off and maximize its wallbreaking potency. Defensive Necrozma-DM also serves as a consistent switch-in to Arceus formes, which are Landorus's common switch-ins. Various Arceus formes provide Landorus with a shelter from attacks. Most of them are capable of checking faster foes like Mega Lucario thanks to their Speed and Mega Salamence if carrying Ice Beam. Arceus-Water in particular proves to be a solid partner thanks to its ability to handle problematic foes like Arceus-Ground. Yveltal pressures Lugia and Giratina-O and draws in Magearna and Tyranitar, which Landorus can take advantage of. Variants with U-turn can bring Landorus in safely. Mega Scizor and Magearna can also serve as pivots that can bring Landorus in safely while additionally checking Fairy-types and switching into Toxic. Mega Gengar appreciates the presence of a strong wallbreaker that threatens bulky foes such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, Magearna, and Tyranitar, all of which it would otherwise struggle against. Landorus also rids Blissey and Skarmory of Shed Shell and allows Mega Gengar to trap and remove them. In return, Mega Gengar can trap Lugia and certain Arceus formes, depending on their typing, or force a trade with an offensive threat that Landorus struggles to deal with by using Destiny Bond. Setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario appreciate Landorus setting Stealth Rock and putting massive holes in the opposing team. Xerneas appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Magearna while removing Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off, leaving it unable to check Xerneas later in the match. Swords Dance Arceus can pick on weakened teams with ease with boosted Extreme Speed and can take advantage of Celesteela, Chansey, and other passive defensive Pokemon if using Substitute. Mega Lucario switches into Toxic from the likes of Lugia, Celesteela, and Chansey and uses the latter two as a setup fodder while threatening Ferrothorn. Marshadow greatly appreciates Landorus threatening Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Toxapex. It can also potentially use different sets, since Landorus has a tool that Marshadow will otherwise need, such as Hidden Power Ice and a Rock-type move. Marshadium Z variants especially do an excellent job taking out support Arceus formes, Giratina-O, and Lugia for Landorus. Marshadow in general appreciates Landorus's high damage against defensive cores and Stealth Rock support. Especially if Landorus opted for a Rash nature, Sticky Web is a strategy that can be employed. If said entry hazard is set up, Landorus becomes an even greater threat that can threaten support Arceus formes with Defog by potentially 2HKOing them with Earth Power. Due to Landorus's inability to threaten Defog users such as Giratina-Oand Lugia, Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo can fit alongside it in this strategy.

Moves Earth Power is Landorus's Ground-type STAB move, which reliably threatens Electric-, Steel-, and Poison-types such as Zeraora, Mega Scizor, and Toxapex. Sludge Wave is solid coverage against Fairy-types such as Clefable and Azumarill. Focus Blast is useful against Dark- and Normal-types such as Hydreigon and Porygon2. It can also hit Steel-types that are immune to Landorus's Earth Power, like Skarmory and Air Balloon Heatran. Landorus can run Stealth Rock to allow teammates such as Gliscor to run other options. Alternatively, Rock Slide helps against opposing Flying-types, which are immune to its Ground-type STAB move, such as Mantine and Zapdos. However, using Rock Slide over Stealth Rock isn't as ideal, since it's harder to fit on teammates such as Mega Aerodactyl and Skarmory, as they need that extra moveslot to fulfill their roles. Set Details Maximum Speed investment allows Landorus to be as fast as possible, outspeeding threats such as Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard Y. A Timid nature is utilized to boost its Speed to its peak without lowering one of its defensive stats. Alternatively, Landorus can use a Naive nature if it's using Rock Slide to boost its power. Landorus could use a Hasty nature to minimize damage taken from special attacks and, most notably, survive a Hidden Power Ice from Tapu Koko, though it no longer takes Choice Scarf Victini's V-create from full HP. Sheer Force and a Life Orb are powerful when used together, as Sheer Force negates Life Orb recoil to amplify Landorus's damage output. Usage Tips Landorus can be used as an early-game wallbreaker or sometimes as a lead, since its power and coverage options are very difficult to counteract defensively. Use teammates with pivoting options such as Volt Switch Zapdos and U-turn Tornadus-T to bring in Landorus safely, as this will keep up offensive pressure against the opponent. Take advantage of switches Landorus forces by setting up Stealth Rock against slower, weaker foes. Landorus can also act as a potent revenge killer against weakened foes and slower threats like Nidoking and non-Choice Scarf Victini. While Landorus has decent bulk, it should avoid taking unnecessary damage in order to wallbreak as much as possible. Setting Stealth Rock isn't always necessary, especially against foes such as Swampert and Mew that look to set up Stealth Rock of their own. Watch out for Ice-type coverage from foes such as Tapu Koko and Greninja, as they can OHKO Landorus. It's also ideal to avoid Knock Off users like Deoxys-S and Mega Sableye, as removing Landorus's Life Orb lessens its damage output. Landorus also provides an Electric immunity by virtue of its Ground typing, but it must be careful of coverage such as Hidden Power Ice. Team Options Zapdos is a solid switch-in to Water-types that threaten Landorus, such as Suicune and Gyarados. Its ability to utilize Defog, provide momentum through Volt Switch, and stall out bulkier foes such as Swampert through Substitute and Toxic can create better opportunities for Landorus to sweep teams. Mantine is a defensive pivot into Ice- and Water-type attacks for Landorus, as the former is a neutrality for Mantine while it completely walls the latter due to Water Absorb. It also has incredible special bulk that it can use to check special attackers such as Blacephalon and Greninja and can also use Defog to remove entry hazards for Flying teams. Mega Charizard Y can threaten Ice-types such as Mamoswine and Cloyster, as well as bulkier Water-types like Gastrodon and Slowbro through the combination of Drought and Solar Beam, for Landorus. In return, Landorus can switch into incoming Electric-type attacks for Mega Charizard Y. Mega Aerodactyl can check Ice-types such as Weavile and Alolan Ninetales for Landorus, and it's also able to Pursuit trap weakened foes such as Choice Scarf Victini and Latios that can threaten Landorus. Additionally, having Landorus take care of Stealth Rock allows Mega Aerodactyl to be an incredible asset against Dragon teams, as it would be able to use both Stone Edge and Pursuit to threaten the biggest threats to Flying teams such as Kyurem-B and Latios. Tornadus-T acts as utility for Landorus, as it removes Stealth Rock that can chip away at Landorus's health while also having access to Knock Off, which allows it to remove Chansey's Eviolite for Landorus. It's also a fast pivot that can consistently grasp momentum for Flying teams through U-turn and Regenerator. Celesteela is a general wall for Landorus, providing security against powerful priority users such as Mamoswine and Dragonite while also being able to use Leech Seed to help Landorus regain some of its HP if need be. Gliscor is another defensive pivot for Landorus, and it can also relieve some pressure off of Landorus from switching into Electric-type attacks thanks to its Ground typing and better recovery. Dragonite can break special walls, such as Chansey and Mantine, while Landorus can break down physical walls for Dragonite such as Toxapex and Avalugg. Skarmory assists Landorus by stacking entry hazards against foes without Ground-type immunities through Spikes and its own Stealth Rock, and it can also Defog away Stealth Rock that would chip away at Landorus and its teammates.

Moves Earth Power, coupled with Sheer Force and Life Orb, is Landorus's strongest STAB move, enabling it to deal considerable damage to physical walls like Slowbro and Mega Venusaur. Sludge Wave is used as a way to hurt problematic Grass-types, OHKOing dangerous threats like Tapu Bulu and Breloom. Outside of Gravity, Sludge Wave also hits most Flying-types for neutral damage. Gravity greatly helps Landorus and its teammates against Flying and Steel teams, as it enables Landorus and the rest of the team to deal with troublesome threats found on these teams like Zapdos, Mega Charizard Y, and Celesteela that would be very problematic to deal with otherwise. Rock Polish, on the other hand, lets Landorus clean opposing teams late-game by almost outspeeding the entire metagame, including some threats like Modest Alolan Raichu in Electric Terrain, Tapu Koko, and Choice Scarf Keldeo. Set Details Sheer Force boosts all of Landorus's STAB and coverage moves except Knock Off by a factor of 1.3, thus making it a terrific wallbreaker. Life Orb should be the only item used on Landorus, as it improves its damage output even further without having to suffer the recoil damage thanks to Sheer Force. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs coupled with a Timid nature are used so that Landorus can be as fast and strong as possible. If Landorus uses Knock Off in its fourth moveslot, the 4 Special Defense EVs should be moved to Attack and a Naive nature should be used instead to avoid lowering its Attack stat, enabling it to achieve certain KOs like an OHKO on Latios after Stealth Rock damage. A Naive nature is chosen over Hasty so that Landorus can better tank priority moves coming from the likes of Azumarill and Mega Scizor. Usage Tips As a wallbreaker, Landorus is best used to punch holes early-game so it can pave the way for its teammates to eventually sweep or clean the opposing team. Even with its decent bulk, it's preferable to bring Landorus onto the field against weak attackers, such as Skarmory and opposing Hippowdon, or after a teammate has fainted, as it's still easily 2HKOed by a vast number of Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and opposing Excadrill. Because Landorus has such a fantastic damage output, it often forces opponents to switch in their specially defensive Pokemon, such as Chansey and Mantine. If Landorus cannot seriously harm them, it's often best to switch out to a physical wallbreaker like Excadrill or Mamoswine. If Landorus is running Knock Off, however, removing the special wall's item might be more profitable than switching out. Gravity is best used in matchups like Flying, Steel, and Electric where there are numerous airborne threats. More specifically, Landorus can set up Gravity when forcing a passive Pokemon like Skarmory to switch out or when it's being sacrificed against slower Pokemon, such as Mega Charizard Y and Rotom-Wash. In the instance that Landorus carries Rock Polish, the best course of action would be to not set up until late-game, when its checks, such as Keldeo and Latios, are weakened, and to safely do so against Pokemon that are more likely to switch out. Having many viable options for its last move as its disposal, Landorus can use that unpredictability to its advantage by concealing its last move, if possible, until an opportunity opens up. In the long run, the opponent will have to carefully play around it, whether it's to not lose any Ground-immune Pokemon, to preserve its special wall's item, or to avoid being swept clean late-game. However, for whatever move Landorus has in its final moveslot, it's important to try and keep Landorus away from status, as status will chip down its health rather quickly, especially if entry hazards are to be taken into account. Furthermore, opposing Knock Off users can remove Landorus's Life Orb and make it considerably less powerful, preventing it from achieving certain OHKOs, such as against Celesteela with Gravity support, and 2HKOs, such as against Mega Sableye. Team Options All of Landorus's teammates really enjoy Gravity support, as it lets them freely spam their Ground-type STAB moves against Flying-types and other airborne threats. Seismitoad and Gastrodon are both great additions to any Ground team due to their Water immunities and Ice neutralities. Seismitoad can stop Belly Drum Azumarill's sweep with Sludge Wave and get rid of Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off, while Gastrodon can repeatedly switch into Greninja's and Keldeo's moves due to its superior longevity. Dugtrio is a superb offensive teammate for Landorus, as after the latter has set up Gravity, Dugtrio can trap airborne threats like Mega Charizard Y and Celesteela that couldn't be trapped otherwise. Additionally, Dugtrio can trap and dispose of Chansey and Choice Scarf users like Tapu Bulu and Kyurem-B for Landorus. In return, Landorus can deal with physical walls like Skarmory and Slowbro. Sand Rush Excadrill can form a potent wallbreaking core with Landorus because they can blast through each other's checks. Furthermore, Excadrill can clean opposing teams after Landorus has punched holes in them, outspeeding and KOing most opposing threats, especially against Fairy and Ice teams. Hippowdon is a great switch-in to fast and strong physical attackers that would severely weaken or outright KO Landorus, such as Mega Gallade and Choice Scarf Victini. Hippowdon can also set Stealth Rock so that Landorus can OHKO threats like Focus Sash Breloom and offensive Mega Scizor. Swords Dance Garchomp is one of the few setup sweepers found on Ground teams and can take advantage of Landorus's early wallbreaking to inflict severe damage upon the opposing team. It can also dispose of numerous threats that Landorus has a hard time against, such as Chansey and Mantine, while Landorus takes out physical walls like Skarmory and Clefable for Garchomp. Mamoswine and Mega Garchomp can also wallbreak alongside Landorus and overwhelm troublesome Flying, Grass, and Normal teams. As a bonus, Mamoswine can switch into Ice-type moves aimed at Landorus, while Mega Garchomp, in addition to being neutral to Water-type moves that Landorus is weak to, is bulky enough to survive Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer or Azumarill's +6 Aqua Jet before KOing them in return with Fire Blast and Earthquake, respectively.

Moves Earth Power is Landorus's claim to fame: backed by Sheer Force, it can deal huge amounts of damage, OHKOing many common threats such as Tapu Koko and Mega Metagross and 2HKOing a large number of bulkier threats such as Kyurem-B. Sludge Bomb, also backed by Sheer Force, deals with Fairy- and Grass-types such as Tapu Lele, Lurantis, and Tapu Bulu, though another option is Stone Edge, which can take out Mega Charizard Y and allows Choice Scarf Landorus to outspeed and KO a boosted Volcarona. In the last of Landorus's attacking moveslots, Hidden Power Ice is a solid choice to allow Landorus to deal large amounts of damage to Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Finally, U-turn offers fast pivoting to a Choiced attacker, while Protect keeps Life Orb Landorus safe for the turn and helps it stall out opposing Tailwind and Trick Room, which would otherwise pose a large threat. Set Details With a Choice Scarf equipped, Landorus can take out fast Ground-weak threats like Tapu Koko and Mega Metagross or pivot out of bad matchups before having to tank a hit. This set can also use a Life Orb to further boost the power of Landorus's attacks with secondary effects; as a bonus, Sheer Force prevents recoil damage from the Life Orb. The given EV spread and nature maximize Landorus's Special Attack and Speed stats, allowing it to get the most damage and guaranteeing that it can outrun a boosted Volcarona and various popular Choice Scarf users like Genesect, Tapu Lele, and Victini. Life Orb sets will also outpace the denizens of the well-populated base 100 Speed tier. Usage Tips Although Landorus's high-powered attacks are very threatening, its Speed tier and lack of general bulk put it at risk when against faster foes. Landorus is best used either early-game, to put severe dents in bulky foes to clear the way for the rest of the team, or late-game, to clean up a match once major threats to it have been removed and many bulkier foes have been put into range to be KOed by Earth Power. Choice Scarf sets make for decent leads, since a fast U-turn enables them to pivot out of potentially poor matchups. Despite its typing lending it immunities to both Ground- and Electric-type attacks, Landorus should not be switched in during a turn, as its mediocre bulk puts it at risk of taking heavy hits from opposing attacks; instead, Landorus is best brought in after a partner has been KOed or off the back of a slow U-turn or Volt Switch. Landorus's quadruple weakness to Ice means that it must be wary even around the Electric-types it should beat, as such foes, including Tapu Koko and Zapdos, are often either immune to Earth Power, can outspeed it and OHKO it with Hidden Power Ice, or both. Zapdos can further worsen Landorus's standing on the field speed-wise by setting up a Tailwind. Indeed, opposing speed control greatly threatens Landorus, as it prefers to move first in order to deal with threats before they can damage it; therefore, one's own speed control is key in order to allow it to continuously exert pressure on the opponent. Team Options Steel-types such as Genesect and Mega Metagross pair well with Landorus, appreciating its ability to beat Fire- and Steel-types with Earth Power while threatening Ice-types such as Kyurem-B for it. Other attackers like Tapu Lele and Nihilego also benefit from the removal of Fire- and Steel-types and can threaten Kyurem-B. Due to Landorus's glaring weakness to Water- and Ice-type attacks, it should be paired with one or more partners capable of switching into those, such as Tapu Fini or Suicune. Another important aspect of Landorus's potential teammates is their access to speed control, which Landorus appreciates greatly in order to keep it moving before its threats, allowing it to get the most use out of its devastating Earth Powers. This speed control can come in several forms, such as Icy Wind and Tailwind; notable users of each include Icy Wind Kyurem-B and Tailwind Zapdos and Suicune.

Moves Earth Power is Landorus's primary STAB move, which, when boosted by Life Orb and Sheer Force, hits most foes very hard. Knock Off hits Latias and Latios while crippling other switch-ins by removing their items. Rock Slide OHKOes Ho-Oh and hits other Flying-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Ice primarily hits Mega Salamence and Rayquaza for super effective damage. Sludge Wave can also be used to hit Fairy-types and Grass- and Flying-types that resist or are immune to Earth Power, such as Arceus-Grass and Mega Salamence. Focus Blast is another viable option, as it hits Normal-types, such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Blissey, and Steel-types that Earth Power does not hit as hard, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Set Details Life Orb boosts the power of Landorus's attacks and works well with Sheer Force, which offers additional power and cancels Life Orb recoil for most of Landorus's attacks besides Knock Off and Hidden Power. 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Landorus's power so that it can wallbreak more effectively, and 252 Speed EVs take advantage of Landorus's decent Speed tier. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Attack to give slightly more power to Knock Off and Rock Slide. A Rash nature is preferred, as it allows Landorus to 2HKO most Arceus formes and OHKO all Primal Groudon variants; a Naive nature can also be used, as it gives Landorus additional Speed to always outspeed maximum Speed Pokemon with a base Speed stat between 90 and 100. Usage Tips Landorus is frail and has difficulty taking hits consistently, so try to safely switch Landorus in via its immunities and double switching. Assess the importance of making trades, as some attacks may not OHKO a foe; however, sacrificing Landorus to weaken a foe may be worth it if said foe is threatening or if one of Landorus's teammates greatly benefits from the foe being weakened. Prediction is needed to hit switch-ins with the appropriate coverage move, as Landorus will be forced out by faster foes if they switch in safely using an immunity or resistance. It should be noted that Landorus can be worn down from Life Orb recoil when using Knock Off and Hidden Power; as such, if being healthy later on is important in order to avoid certain KOs, these moves should be used sparingly. Team Options Dark-types make for good teammates, as they deal with Giratina-O, Latias, and Latios; Tyranitar is especially useful because it can trap Latias and Latios with Pursuit. Stealth Rock support is also useful because it weakens Flying-types that can switch into Landorus's Earth Power. Ghost-types are also good teammates for Landorus, as they can switch into Extreme Speed, which can be used to revenge KO Landorus. Mega Gengar is an especially useful teammate, as it can remove common checks to Landorus, such as Lugia, Skarmory, Shaymin-S, and some support Arceus formes. Primal Kyogre checks, such as Latias, Latios, and Primal Groudon, make for good partners as well. Fast sweepers, such as Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Salamence, appreciate Landorus's ability to break down walls so that they can sweep.

Moves Earth Power is the main reason to use Landorus, as it allows it to eliminate all but the bulkiest of Primal Groudon sets. Earth Power also heavily damages common foes such as Aegislash and OHKOes most variants of Mega Mawile. Hidden Power Ice offers excellent coverage against the Flying-type foes immune to Earth Power such as Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza, and it OHKOes all three of them if they are not investing in bulk. Delta Stream can make Mega Rayquaza problematic, however, as it will prevent Hidden Power Ice from being a guaranteed 2HKO. Grass Knot is used primarily to hit Primal Kyogre super effectively, dealing a large chunk of damage to it. Alternatively, Sludge Bomb can be used to deal significant amounts of damage to Xerneas, provided it hasn't already set up Geomancy. Protect is important to shield Landorus from attacks while its partner eliminates a threat or maneuvers into a better position. Set Details Life Orb is the recommended item, as it's necessary to improve Landorus's otherwise poor damage output up to acceptable levels. It's unfortunately stuck with Sand Force as an ability instead of its much better, but illegal, ability in Sheer Force. Sand is almost impossible to set up as a result of the Primal weather conditions not allowing it be active, so don't expect to ever receive its boost. A Timid nature and 252 Speed EVs are needed to allow Landorus to outpace the base 100 Speed tier, which is one of the biggest reasons to use Landorus in the first place. Special Attack EVs are maximized in order for Landorus to hit as hard as possible. Usage Tips Landorus should generally be brought out in the late-game, after an ally Pokemon has fainted, in order to decrease the number of options its targets have to switch out to. This also helps Landorus eliminate the opponent's Pokemon after they've been softened up over the course of the battle. Making predictions when using Landorus is almost always necessary due to the large number of Pokemon it threatens, forcing switches. This also makes Landorus a very high-risk, high-reward Pokemon that can end up doing nothing if played incorrectly. An example prediction would be using Hidden Power Ice to hit a Ground-weak foe, as the opponent will often attempt to switch to a Flying-type to avoid Earth Power. Be cautious around Electric-types, as while they might seem like easy prey for Landorus, they frequently carry Hidden Power Ice themselves, making them dangerous foes. Team Options Whimsicott and Crobat make for effective partners for Landorus due to their Tailwind support, which allows Landorus to outpace ordinarily faster foes such as Mega Salamence and Mega Rayquaza. Whimsicott's Fake Tears and Crobat's Super Fang also help Landorus pick up OHKOs on Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan and Primal Kyogre, which it would otherwise miss out on. Xerneas is another good partner, as it appreciates Landorus's Ground-type STAB attacks for eliminating checks such as Aegislash, Mega Mawile, and Primal Groudon. In terms of defensive support for Landorus, Dark- and Ghost-types such as Yveltal, Weavile, and Gengar are useful for checking Cresselia, which is a problematic Pokemon thanks to its access to Levitate and Ice Beam. Sporting additional means to combat Primal Kyogre is also useful, so Grass- and Electric-types such as Ferrothorn and Raichu are also great partners.

Earth Power hits Fire-, Poison-, Rock-, and Steel-types such as Victini, Nidoking, Terrakion, and Jirachi. Focus Blast targets Normal- and Dark-types like Porygon2 and Hydreigon; it is also Landorus's primary move for hitting most Ground-immune foes like Rotom-W, Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Staraptor. Knock Off cripples Eviolite users such as Chansey and Porygon2 and deals more damage to certain Ground-immune foes like Latios, Latias, Bronzong, and Gengar. Gravity lets Landorus and its teammates freely spam their Ground-type attacks, albeit for a limited number of turns. Sheer Force nullifies Life Orb recoil and increases the damage output of Earth Power and Focus Blast. However, Landorus will still take Life Orb recoil when using Knock Off. Landorus helps Ground teams by using its powerful special attacks to wear down physical walls, most notably Skarmory and Rotom-W. It can also set Gravity, allowing its teammates to spam their Ground-type attacks. Mega Garchomp can use Stone Edge to check Flying-types such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, and Tornadus-T and has access to Fire Blast, allowing it to deal with Steel-types like Mega Scizor. Excadrill in sand can offensively check some of the faster threats to Landorus like Weavile, Thundurus, and Expert Belt Heliolisk. Mamoswine revenge kills weakened threats with Ice Shard and deals with Dragon-types like Latios and Latias and Flying-types such as Gliscor, Tornadus-T, and Thundurus. Hippowdon works as a physically defensive wall that can tank moves from attackers like Hawlucha and Mega Gallade and passively damage foes by setting sand and Stealth Rock. Gastrodon is a Water-immune, specially defensive wall with reliable recovery that proves very useful against Pokemon such as Rotom-W. Seismitoad is a more offensive Water-immune teammate that can check Gastrodon and Belly Drum Azumarill. Nidoking threatens slower Flying- and Steel-types like Dragonite, Zapdos, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. With Toxic Spikes, it can passively chip foes and help Landorus against some of its usual checks like Gastrodon.

Earth Power can be used on an array of different targets such as Sableye, Mega Garchomp, Clefable, and Mega Venusaur. Focus Blast pairs nicely with Earth Power to hit the Steel-types Earth Power cannot handle such as Skarmory while also covering Dark- and Normal-types such as Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Staraptor. Knock Off allows Landorus to remove items such as Chansey's Eviolite, Tornadus-T's Assault Vest, and Bronzong's Leftovers. Rock Slide allows Landorus to OHKO Fire-type threats such as Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, which can otherwise tank its attacks once. It, in tandem with Focus Blast, is also useful in the mirror matchup, letting Landorus break the core of Skarmory and Zapdos. Stealth Rock allows Landorus and its teammates to better take on foes such as Mega Charizard Y and Life Orb Kyurem-B. Due to its offensive prowess, Landorus forces a ton of switches, allowing it multiple opportunities to safely set up Stealth Rock throughout the match. Sheer Force in combination with Life Orb allows Landorus to hit with devastating power, OHKOing Staraptor after chip damage from Stealth Rock and 2HKOing bulky walls such as Mega Venusaur. Sheer Force also negates Life Orb's damage recoil. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment alongside a Naive nature allows Landorus to outpace threats such as Hydreigon and Volcarona while not reducing the power of Knock Off. Additionally, Landorus can tank a single V-create from Choice Scarf Victini at full health and revenge kill it. All of Landorus's teammates appreciate its ability to set Stealth Rock, provide a switch into Electric-type attacks, and remove items such as Latios's Choice Specs with Knock Off on the switch. Skarmory can switch into Ice-type attackers such as Mamoswine and Weavile for Landorus while also being able to sponge physical attacks from threats such as Terrakion and Mega Pinsir. Additionally, Skarmory can cripple foes such as Zapdos on the switch with Toxic, allowing Landorus to break them easier down the road. In return, Landorus can handle offensive threats that can overwhelm Skarmory such as Hydreigon and Kyurem-B. Tornadus-T acts as a special pivot thanks to Regenerator and Assault Vest allowing it to sponge special attacks such as Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor with ease. Additionally, it can safely pivot in Landorus with U-turn on forced switches as well as form a Knock Off core with Landorus. Zapdos is another special wall that can switch to alleviate Landorus's pressure to check faster Electric-type Pokemon, which often carry Hidden Power Ice, thanks to its Electric neutrality and access to Roost. It also provides Defog support, can weaken foes such as Wish Mega Gardevoir with Toxic, and can pivot Landorus in safely with Volt Switch. Mega Charizard Y forms the ultimate Steel-breaking core with Landorus, absolutely demolishing every Steel-type alongside it with Fire Blast and Focus Blast. Its ability Drought and coverage in Solar Beam also allow it to act as a soft check to offensive Water-types. Mega Gyarados is a phenomenal setup sweeper and can clean through Psychic teams with Crunch or Ground teams with Waterfall. Additionally, it can prevent passive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Staraptor, and Skarmory from clearing entry hazards with Taunt. Thundurus breaks through Ground, Water, and Flying teams with Grass Knot, Thunderbolt, and Hidden Power Ice. It becomes a phenomenal wallbreaker that is able to take on threats such as Zapdos after a Nasty Plot boost and Stealth Rock chip. Dragonite can break special walls such as Zapdos, Chansey, and Tyranitar with Outrage and Superpower as well as revenge kill boosted threats such as Volcarona, Mega Sharpedo, and Cloyster with Extreme Speed.

Moves Earth Power gains a boost from Sheer Force, meaning it is able to always OHKO Shuca Berry Heatran. Sludge Bomb deals big damage to Fairy- and Grass-types, and Psychic can also hit Grass-types such as Amoonguss, Breloom, and Venusaur. Hidden Power Ice provides coverage mainly used for Landorus-T. Rock Slide is another option; with the Sheer Force and Life Orb boosts, it has a chance to OHKO Mega Charizard Y, who Landorus narrowly outruns, also nailing Talonflame. On the other hand, Focus Blast can always OHKO Mega Kangaskhan and standard Ferrothorn. Protect keeps Landorus safe for the turn and stalls out opposing Tailwind and Trick Room. Set Details 252 Special Attack EVs paired with Sheer Force allow for maximum damage output. 252 Speed EVs coupled with a Timid Nature ensure Landorus outspeeds base 100 Speed Pokemon. The 4 spare EVs go into Special Defense. Life Orb boosts the power of Landorus's attacks with secondary effects, and Sheer Force means that Landorus won't take Life Orb recoil when using such moves. If running Rock Slide, Landorus can run a Naive or Hasty Nature in order to guarantee the OHKO on bulky variants of Mega Charizard Y. Usage Tips Landorus's ability to always OHKO Shuca Berry Heatran is great, as it takes the guessing out of whether Heatran will survive and hit back or not. Landorus works best mid- and late-game when foes that can outspeed and threaten it have been removed, as Sheer Force- and Life Orb-boosted Earth Power will finish off almost anything under half health that doesn't resist it. Landorus is frail and doesn't take neutral hits well, so it is not a great switch-in most of the time. Its good defensive typing is rendered almost useless due to its frailty, and its Electric-type immunity is almost useless because most Electric-types carry Hidden Power Ice or are immune to Ground, such as Rotom-H, Zapdos, and Thundurus, and other Electric-types, such as Raikou and Choice Scarf Rotom-W, outspeed it. Its resistance to Fighting doesn't help much either, as Terrakion's Close Combat followed by a Rock Slide 2HKOes Landorus, so it can't switch in. It is vulnerable to speed control, as it likes to move first to attempt to get a KO without suffering a hit back. Team Options Steel-types such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross like Landorus's ability to obliterate Fire- and Steel-types with Earth Power, and they can remove Ice-types such as Kyurem-B for Landorus. Fairy-types such as Mega Gardevoir also appreciate how well Landorus beats Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-types with Earth Power. Cresselia and Jirachi can use Icy Wind or Thunder Wave to slow down a faster threat and use Helping Hand to let Landorus net a KO that would otherwise be out of its reach. Jirachi can also switch in to Ice-type attacks for Landorus. Thundurus is able to use Thunder Wave to slow threats down and Taunt to stop opposing speed control users, while Landorus beats the Electric-types that Thundurus can't. Bulky Water-types to switch into Water- and Ice-types for Landorus are appreciated. Suicune is a nice example, as it has access to Tailwind and Icy Wind and can beat most Ice-types; Rotom-W can beat Ice- and Water-types as well. Landorus can beat Grass-types for them both with Sludge Bomb. Zapdos beats Water-types and can provide Tailwind to allow Landorus to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. Serperior and Breloom also beat Water-types. Mega Abomasnow appreciates Fire- and Steel-type foes such as Heatran and Aegislash being removed so that it can spam Blizzard without worrying about them switching in, so it appreciates Landorus as a partner.

Moves Earth Power is Landorus's most powerful Ground-type STAB move, OHKOing Pokemon such as Heatran and Aegislash and threatening any other Pokemon that does not resist it. It also is a single-target move, so it is not blocked by Wide Guard from the likes of Aegislash. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Flying-types such as Mega Salamence and Landorus-T, which can easily switch in on Earth Power. Stone Edge OHKOes Pokemon that take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice and are immune to Ground-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame; the miss chance can be annoying though. Protect allows Landorus to avoid Fake Out and super effective moves, scout for the foe's move, and stall out Tailwind and Trick Room. Set Details Full Special Attack investment is run to maximize Landorus's Special Attack, while maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow it to be as fast as possible. Life Orb increases the power of its attacks, while Sand Force increases the power of Earth Power and Stone Edge under sand. Usage Tips Landorus is a great wallbreaker and works well as a late-game sweeper, as few Pokemon can switch into a Life Orb-boosted Earth Power. Landorus does not fare well against Eletric-type Pokemon such as Mega Manectric and Thundurus, which usually carry Hidden Power Ice, and Rotom-W, which carries Hydro Pump. It is also not very fast and cannot take a lot of hits. Team Options Steel-types such as Mega Metagross, Scizor, and Aegislash help against Ice-type Pokemon. Tyranitar can also deal with Ice-type Pokemon, and it can set sand to activate Sand Force and replace Politoed's rain. Users of redirection moves such as Amoonguss can help Landorus attack without taking a hit. Pokemon with Icy Wind or Thunder Wave can slow down the opponent's Pokemon, helping with Landorus's low Speed. Mega Kangaskhan's Fake Out helps Landorus avoid one attack, while Landorus can deal with Aegislash in return. Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Virizion, and Mega Venusaur can take Water-type moves. Zapdos and Thundurus are good partners too, as the former can set up Tailwind and the latter offers Thunder Wave support, both of which make up for Landorus's lackluster Speed. Other Pokemon with Tailwind such as Talonflame and Pokemon that can deal with Ice- and Water-type moves such as Rotom-W are also pretty good partners.

Choice Scarf allows Landorus to no longer be threatened by its genie brethren, Tornadus and Thundurus, by outpacing them and doing a significant chunk of damage with Rock Slide. It's also helpful in removing common Choice Scarf users such as Chandelure, who normally threaten Landorus with Hidden Power Ice. Earthquake and Rock Slide are powerful spread moves that take advantage of Lanodrus's great Attack stat. The choice between Brick Break and Hammer Arm is one between accuracy and raw power. Explosion can be a last minute escape option used in order to clear the field of threats to faster based teams, such as Musharna and Amoonguss. Since you have no opportunities to change moves in order to protect your other Pokemon from collateral damage with this set, a Pokemon that's immune to Earthquake is almost required. Musharna makes a particularly good partner for this set, as it can use Helping Hand to boost Earthquake to insane levels. There are few other attacks that can be useful on this Landorus, with the possible exception of U-turn. Good partners for Landorus are ones that are immune to Earthquake or resist it. Pokemon that can easily deal with Trick Room users are also important, as Choice Scarf Landorus can do little damage against most Trick Room teams. Choice Scarf Landorus has a couple of notable advantages over its other sets, which must be kept in mind. One of the most important things is that it can outspeed Terrakion, which, with Beat Up support, can threaten Landorus. It also easily destroys faster-based teams that don't have a way to stop Landorus from ripping through them. However, with the genies being so common, being locked into Earthquake can be a liability, forcing Landorus to switch out.

This Landorus is meant to surprise opponents who believe that this is the standard physical Landorus. Since the majority of Pokemon in VGC 2011 have higher Defense than Special Defense, Landorus hits the majority of them for slightly more damage. Earth Power is obvious STAB, and Landorus needs it in order to function properly. Psychic is for taking out the various Fighting-types that are common in VGC 2011, as well as Amoonguss. Hidden Power Ice allows Landorus to deal damage to Hydreigon, and covers its genie brethren nicely. However, Grass Knot gives coverage, and allows Landorus to cover Jellicent. The choice between Yache Berry and Life Orb is one of safety vs. power, and the choice is heavily dependent on what kind of team Landorus is used on. Focus Blast can be run in the third slot in order to deal with Scrafty, who commonly carry Ice Punch, as well as Hydreigon, but its unreliable accuracy makes it undesirable.

This Landorus is meant to be used as a lead, using its powerful spread moves in Earthquake and Rock Slide to crush the opponent. Protect is used to ease prediction, and to allow Landorus's partner to kill Pokemon that threaten Landorus. Earthquake is an amazing move for Landorus, getting STAB on it as well as spread damage. However, it will also damage Landorus’s partner if they aren’t immune to it. Rock Slide is another great choice for Landorus, as it covers the Flying-types who are immune to Earthquake, as well as having spread damage and a chance to flinch. Explosion may have been nerfed in the 5th generation, but when used in conjunction with Normal Gem and Landorus’s high Attack stat, it can still be a powerful field clearing move. Brick Break or Hammer Arm can be used if you're uncomfortable with Explosion. The choice between the two is one of power vs. accuracy. Adamant is the preferred nature, since it significantly adds to Landorus’s Attack stat, and a Jolly nature doesn't outspeed anything important. Yache Berry can be used to make sure that Ice-type attacks don’t take advantage of Landorus's 4x weakness to it, but the lack of a power boost from Normal Gem makes Explosion much less threatening. Ground Gem can also be used if you find yourself rarely using Explosion. If you don't like Protect, or just need the additional coverage, Explosion as well as a Fighting-type move can be run on Landorus instead of Protect, which in that case is the best option. A partner that's immune or resists Earthquake is a must, as damaging your own Pokemon is anything but beneficial.

While often overlooked in favor of its higher Attack stat, Landorus does possess a base 115 Special Attack stat, and can run an effective special-based set. This enables Landorus to surprise its normal counters and threaten many of the most common Pokemon in the tier. Earth Power provides a reliable STAB move, and unlike Earthquake, does not hit Landorus's ally, allowing any Pokemon to be run alongside it. Hidden Power Ice gives Landorus a way to hit Zapdos and Dragon-type Pokemon, who otherwise wall this set, for super effective damage. The last attacking move comes down to what the team needs. When using Psychic, this set is able to counter Hitmontop, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, with ease. Psychic 2HKOes Hitmontop, while Intimidate doesn't bother Landorus at all. On the other hand, Grass Knot allows Landorus to damage Pokemon such as Swampert, Jellicent, and Gastrodon, who can normally survive Landorus's assaults. Protect is generally recognized as a necessary move for any VGC Pokemon, and for good reason. This is because with Protect, Landorus can stall out the effects of Trick Room, wait for its partner to take out a threat, or let a weather condition whittle down its opponent's HP. Because of Landorus's gaping 4x weakness to Ice, a Yache Berry must be used to allow it to survive one Ice-type attack. However, a Yache Berry may already be in use elsewhere, however, in which case a Life Orb is an acceptable alternative for the power boost provided. A positive Speed nature is wasted on Landorus, as it outspeeds nothing important with its peculiar base 101 Speed stat, so a Modest nature is used to raise Landorus's Special Attack. Landorus greatly appreciates sandstorm support, weakening the omnipresent Blizzard and strengthening Earth Power, thanks to Landorus's ability Sand Force. Because of this, Tyranitar makes for a great partner, bringing permanent sand and the ability to hit the Special Defense beast Cresselia with Crunch. Any Pokemon who can take out the Ice-types that threaten Landorus would be a greatly appreciated partner, especially to defeat the deadly Abomasnow. While Landorus can run Rock Slide on the physical side to take care of these Pokemon, hitting with its unboosted Attack stat makes this method ineffective. Water-types are a constant bug to Landorus, so Electric-type Pokemon, such as Zapdos, make for great teammates. Zapdos is able to utilize STAB Discharge, thanks to Landorus's Ground-typing, while Landorus can use Earth Power to wreck the Rock-types who want to ruin Zapdos's fun. Because of Landorus's inability to hit Ice-types, Focus Blast is an option. Whilst its 70% accuracy is less than desirable, it does give a way to take out the Ice-types who make Landorus's life miserable. Hidden Power Flying provides a secondary STAB and hits harder than Psychic, though the drop in power towards Dragon-types and other Landorus is noticeable. Hidden Power Fire is a decent choice if one is overly worried about Scizor or Abomasnow, but the sacrifice in coverage makes this a less attractive option.

Landorus's Speed and coverage make it a good check to most Rock- and Fighting-type attackers. Earthquake and Rock Slide have amazing type coverage, and with a Sand Force boost, Landorus hits incredibly hard with Earthquake, OHKOing or 2HKOing literally anything that doesn't resist it. Explosion is quite powerful and does good damage to Pokemon such as Abomasnow that Landorus can't normally beat. Explosion also has good synergy with Earthquake, as Earthquake does huge damage to the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Explosion. Protect is a staple move in VGC play. An Adamant nature boosts Landorus's Attack. While a Jolly nature allows Landorus to outspeed a few more Pokemon, its awkward base 101 Speed stat make the Speed increase just about useless. A Yache Berry lets Landorus take Blizzard and Ice Punch or an Ice Shard, while Normal Gem gives Explosion an extra boost to KO reasonably bulky stuff such as Abomasnow. Jolly Landorus outspeeds base 100s, but Adamant hits noticeably harder. Because Landorus still loses to a number of faster Pokemon such as Weavile and Latios with Jolly, an Adamant nature with less Speed investment is usable, giving Landorus greater power and bulk in exchange for some Speed. Landorus really loves Musharna as a partner; it can use Thunder Wave to slow down faster opponents and Helping Hand to boost Landorus's spread attacks, while being immune to Earthquake and Explosion due to Telepathy. Cresselia is just about as useful, with greater bulk but without an immunity to Explosion. Gengar is another good partner for that same reason and an immunity to Explosion. It can also use Icy Wind to slow down opponents, all while efficiently checking Latios, as long as Gengar holds a Focus Sash. Good teammates for Landorus are immune to Earthquake and preferably Explosion, and can complement Earthquake's coverage by hitting Flying-types and Levitate users. Pokemon that can provide Speed support for Landorus through Tailwind or Thunder Wave are also useful, since Landorus isn't extremely fast. Aerodactyl is a good example, with STAB Rock Slide to hit Flying-types and Tailwind to boost Speed.

Despite its great Attack, Speed, and abilities, Landorus often finds itself outclassed when it comes to a Choice set by other Pokemon with better Attack, Speed, and abilities, namely Garchomp and Excadrill. However, Landorus does have one thing over those two, and that is U-turn. U-turn turns Landorus into an excellent scout, allowing it to scout for counters and eliminate them. When not U-turning, Earthquake will be Landorus's primary attack, as it's reliable, powerful, and receives STAB and Sand Force boosts. Stone Edge is another powerful option that forms the "EdgeQuake" combo, giving Landorus great coverage. Hidden Power Ice is for taking out Gliscor and Dragonite, whereas Hammer Arm beats Air Balloon users such as Heatran. The biggest decision with this set is whether to use a Choice Scarf or Choice Band. Choice Scarf is generally the better option, as it allows Landorus to serve as an excellent scout. Sand Force also boosts Earthquake and Stone Edge, meaning it can sweep late-game if needed. Choice Band can be used for the great power it offers and the surprise factor, as most opponents will expect Landorus to run a Choice Scarf; however, Landorus will no longer be able to function as a speedy scout, which is one of its main niches. Sand Stream support is highly appreciated, as it gives Landorus a much needed Sand Force boost. Tyranitar is the best option, as it can set up Stealth Rock and fry Skarmory and Bronzong with Fire Blast. Rotom-W makes a great partner for this set, as it not only absorbs Ice- and Water-type attacks, but also forms a VoltTurn core and beats Skarmory. Rapid Spin support is appreciated for this set, as it will be switching frequently. Starmie makes a great choice, taking hits Landorus can't take as well as frying Skarmory with Thunderbolt. Forretress works too, as it can provide hazard support to punish the switches the opponent will be making.

Although Landorus is usually viewed as a physical sweeper, one must not forget that it actually has a usable base 115 Special Attack. Add Sheer Force and the special movepool to use it, and you have a dangerous, albeit underrated, threat. Rock Polish is the preferred boosting move, as Landorus has plenty of power thanks to Sheer Force and thus appreciates a Speed boost more. Calm Mind is an option for more power (and less importantly, Special Defense), but the added power isn't all that useful. It does nab the KO on defensive variants of Dragonite and Tyranitar, as well as OHKOing Hippowdon, but leaves Landorus outsped by a slew of threats. You also lose the surprise value, as the moment you use Calm Mind, the opponent will know you're running a special set. STAB, Sheer Force-boosted Earth Power deals heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Psychic hits the plethora of Fighting-types in the metagame hard, particularly Breloom, who resists Earth Power; it too gets a Sheer Force boost. Hidden Power Ice is the best choice for the last slot, OHKOing Gliscor and even Dragonite after Stealth Rock damage. Don't forget though that a neutral Earth Power is actually more powerful than a 2x effective Hidden Power Ice. Finally, if Blissey, Chansey, and Air Balloon users worry you more, Hammer Arm is an acceptable option in the fourth moveslot to handle them. Life Orb should always be run on this set, as an extra 30% boost on Earth Power and Psychic with no recoil is just too good to pass up. A Timid (or Hasty nature with Hammer Arm) should always be used to best utilize Landorus's base 101 Speed. As for the EV spread, there are quite a few options. The above spread is the best, as it maximizes power while allowing Landorus to outspeed common base 100s without a boost. However, a spread of 104 HP / 252 SpA / 152 Spe gives a little more bulk while allowing Landorus to outspeed Excadrill in the sand after a boost. If using Hammer Arm, you will need to run 200 Attack EVs to 2HKO Chansey with it 100% of the time. However, a spread of 104 Atk / 252 SpA / 152 Spe still does 46.59 - 54.82% to it, which in most scenarios is usually good enough. Landorus actually has a few more options to run on this set. Focus Blast is an option, as with the Sheer Force boost, it becomes insanely powerful. However, Fighting- and Ground-type attacks are fairly redundant coverage-wise, and Hammer Arm has more utility, making Focus Blast inferior. Oddly enough, Landorus also gets Sludge Wave, which can be used to hit Celebi. Unfortunately, its power just isn't worth the terrible coverage it provides. Unlike Landorus's other sets, this one doesn't require sandstorm support to be effective. In fact, this even makes a good sandstorm counter. The best sandstorm sweeper, Excadrill, fails to KO even after a Swords Dance, whereas Landorus can easily KO in return with Earth Power. Other common Pokemon found on sand teams, like Garchomp, Terrakion, Sandslash, and Chandelure, are all OHKOed by either Earth Power or Hidden Power Ice. Even Tyranitar and Hippowdon are 2HKOed by Earth Power. Also, Landorus can take out Blissey and Chansey if it runs Hammer Arm, making special sweepers that appreciate them removed, like Manaphy and Volcarona, good choices to pair with Landorus. As for supporting Landorus itself, Vaporeon makes a great partner, as it can take Ice- and Water-type hits and provide handy Wish support. Another good partner is Chandelure; it can eliminate Steel-types like Bronzong, whereas Landorus can take down those sand sweepers that threaten Chandelure's existence. Landorus also makes a great lure, as most people expect a physical set. Rock Polish helps the illusion even more, as most Landorus that run Rock Polish will be physical. As such, pairing Landorus with powerful physical sweepers works well. Excadrill and Garchomp work especially well, as they will be run in sandstorm, further convincing the opponent that Landorus is running the physical set.

This is one of Landorus's deadliest sets, and for good reason. With access to Rock Polish and Swords Dance, Landorus becomes an unpredictable sweeper that only needs a turn of setup to pull off a sweep. Rock Polish is the preferred option, as Landorus already has plenty of power and the extra Speed can help it outspeed many common threats, such as Genesect, Deoxys-S, Excadrill, Garchomp, Keldeo, and Thundurus, all of whom could revenge kill Landorus otherwise. However, Swords Dance can be used to tear through defensive teams with Landorus's raw power. Earthquake and Stone Edge are obvious choices as they receive a boost from Sand Force and have phenomenal coverage together. The last move is a toss-up between Substitute and Hidden Power Ice. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred option, as it can be used to OHKO Gliscor with Life Orb. Substitute is also viable, as it shields Landorus from status such as burn or poison that could halt its sweep. It also allows Landorus to scout the opponent and safely KO faster threats such as Genesect after a Swords Dance. Sand Force is the preferred ability, boosting the Base Power of both Earthquake and Stone Edge in the sand. However, if you're not running Landorus on a sand team, Sheer Force is a fine alternative, as the prospect of not receiving Life Orb recoil is certainly nice. If you run Sheer Force, using Rock Slide over Stone Edge is an option, as Rock Slide has only 20 less Base Power with Sheer Force and 10% more accuracy, making it more reliable. Life Orb is the item of choice here, as the extra power is highly appreciated. Leftovers is a viable option though for more longevity, especially if you use Substitute. A Jolly (or Hasty if you're using Hidden Power) nature is used to prevent Pokemon around the base 100 Speed threshold from outspeeding Landorus. The given EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed, allowing you to make the most of Landorus's niche 101 Speed. However, if Rock Polish is used, a spread of 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe is acceptable if you want more bulk; Landorus can still outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sand after a Rock Polish with an Attack-boosting nature, or even Jolly Excadrill if Landorus uses Jolly or Naive. Be careful with this spread though, as without the Rock Polish boost you will be outsped by many common threats, like Genesect. Hammer Arm is a decent option for hitting Air Balloon users such as Heatran; however, Fighting / Ground coverage is redundant, and it will thus not have any other use. In the same vein, Brick Break is an option instead of Hammer Arm on the Swords Dance set to avoid the Speed drop. Landorus loves to be in a sandstorm to use its Sand Force ability, so a Sand Stream user makes a good partner for Landorus. Tyranitar is the best choice, as it can take out Skarmory and Bronzong, two of the biggest counters to Landorus, while also setting up Stealth Rock to ease Landorus's sweep. Should you opt not to run Fire Blast on Tyranitar or use Tyranitar at all, Chandelure makes an excellent partner, as it can eliminate Skarmory and Bronzong with ease. Landorus also hates that 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, so a teammate that can absorb those attacks is great. Vaporeon can be of aid here, as it can not only take those attacks, but also provide Wish support, greatly increasing Landorus's longevity. Chansey and Blissey are also good partners if you choose Swords Dance, as they can provide Thunder Wave support, slowing down dangerous threats such as Latios and Choice Scarf Genesect who would otherwise destroy him. They can also provide Wish support and take Ice- and Water-type attacks.