Iron Moth, the Paradox Pokémon. This Pokémon resembles an unknown object described in a paranormal magazine as a UFO sent to observe humanity. No records exist of this species being caught. Data is lacking, but the Pokémon's traits match up with an object described in an old book.

Overview

The Violet Paradox form of Volcarona, Iron Moth is far more similar to its nominate counterpart offensively than Slither Wing and pushes the envelope of what made Volcarona good by having higher Special and Speed stats. Base 140 Special Attack is terrifying even before getting into potential boosts from Fiery Dance and Quark Drive. Couple in the fantastic Fire STAB and special coverage in Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Meteor Beam and Discharge handling just about every Fire resist in the game and enduring Iron Moth’s offense is a titanic task in of itself. Even Iron Moth’s Poison subtyping adds to the offensive pressure, giving Iron Moth access to Toxic and Toxic Spikes, preventing special sponges from coming in freely without risk of being permanently crippled. Poison immune targets aren’t safe either with Steels being melted by Fire STAB and Poison types wary of a possible Psychic. Add on to all this offensive pressure is a blistering base 110 Speed that can easily be boosted by Quark Drive, allowing Iron Moth to pressure a huge portion of the metagame without issue. Iron Moth looks to not be entirely offensive either with respectable 80/110 Special Bulk and the numerous resistances provided by the individually excellent defensive Fire Poison typing gives Iron Moth plenty of opportunities to pivot in and potentially even play the long game thanks to its access to Morning Sun.

In practice, however, all that defensive merit means nothing given Iron Moth’s extreme weakness to Ground attacks, one of the worst in the game. How dire this problem becomes apparent when you realize this generation is utterly choked with excellent Ground types; Great Tusk, Gliscor, Ting-Lu, Iron Treads, and Landorus-Therian are staples on just about every team, let alone seeing multiples on the same team. Add in how common Ground coverage, or even Ground Tera for the added coverage and Iron Moth is threatened at every turn. A pitiful base 60 Defense does Iron Moth no favors either, forcing Iron Moth to get OHKOs on physical attackers or be downed in turn. Add in a weakness to Stealth Rocks and exposure to Spikes and it is easy to push Iron Moth into knock out range from even Special Attackers. All these defensive failings exasperate the issue that many offensive Paradox Pokémon have in whether to boost Speed or Offense. Base 110 Speed is fantastic, but speed tying with Ogerpon and Latios, and still being outran by staples like Cinderace, Dragapult, and Zamazenta, to say nothing of naturally faster Booster Energy users like Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon. Fiery Dance not being a guaranteed Special Attack boost means even sets running what should be the answer to Iron Moth’s problems can get into tight spots just from bad luck. Four moveslot syndrome is also a massive issue for Iron Moth, preventing it from running all the coverage and utility it needs on a single set. All these issues tie back to Iron Moth missing out on two of Volcarona’s best moves in Quiver Dance and Will-O-Wisp, leaving it wholly unable to address its flaws. While Iron Moth’s upgrades miss the mark of what made Volcarona great, it is still a lethal threat that has an answer for most situations.
Positives
Base 140 Special Attack is absurd, and the fact Iron Moth can push it higher with Fiery Dance and Quark Drive is terrifying.
Absurdly wide coverage pool that has Iron Moth hit just about everything, and Toxic for the few things it can’t.
Base 110 Speed is fantastic, getting the jump on many Pokémon even before considering Quark Drive.
Good base 110 Special Defense and a laundry list of resistances to use it.

Negatives
Quadruple weakness to Ground along with common weaknesses to Water and Stealth Rocks nearly guts Iron Moth’s defensive utility.
Physically frail at base 60 Defense leaves Iron Moth exposed to priority attacks and most physical attackers.
Quark Drive suffers from lack of viable Electric Terrain setters, making Iron Moth reliant on Booster Energy.
Hit hard by four moveslot syndrome and can’t fit every move it wants in a single set.

Movesets

Terminator Moth

-Fiery Dance
-Sludge Wave
-Energy Ball
-Dazzling Gleam
Ability: Quark Drive
Item: Booster Energy
EVs and Nature:
124 Def / 132 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth is part revenge killer and late game setup sweeper, using its massive Special Attack, wide coverage and self-setup with Fiery Dance to achieve this. Fiery Dance is key to this set, being a STAB attack that can boost Iron Moth’s Special Attack, so even if an opponent pivots out of their weakened target, Iron Moth still makes progress by not only damaging the new switch in, but boosting as well, making it that much more difficult to survive a follow up strike. Sludge Wave is secondary STAB, and while Poison is a poor offensive type, Sludge Wave's power is excellent, making it preferred against neutral targets when one really needs to secure the knock out though its ability to threaten Fire types that resist most of Iron Moth’s coverage cannot be downplayed. Energy Ball is vital coverage, hitting the Water types that resist Fire STAB, the Ground types that resist Poison STAB and the Rock types that resist both, covering most switch ins to Iron Moth’s STABs. Dazzling Gleam rounds out the coverage, handling Fire resistant Dragon types like Dragapult and Koraidon, further limiting safe switch ins to Iron Moth’s STABs.

Tera Types:
While Iron Moth’s typing does provide a plethora of resistances, Iron Moth finds itself often leaning on its Tera type to better absorb priority, dodge its horrid Ground weakness, or to get a bit of extra power to secure the knock out. Tera Ghost is by far the most popular Tera Type on Iron Moth, protecting it from the Extreme Speed of Dragonite, as well as Blissey’s Seismic Toss, preventing the latter from threatening Iron Moth. The ability to block Rapid Spin from the likes of Great Tusk or Iron Treads is a bonus. Tera Water is a solid defensive typing in general, turning Iron Moth’s Water weakness into a resistance, allowing it to better soak up Urshifu’s Aqua Jet. Tera Grass is a more offensive take on Tera Water, giving a sizeable bonus to Energy Ball, enabling Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth to OHKO Urshifu-Rapid and 2HKO Ting-Lu and offensive Kyogre, on top of the valuable resistances to Water and Ground, but at the cost of a common weakness to Ice. Tera Fairy is another defensive offensive option, securing the OHKO on Urshifu while providing valuable Dark resistance against Chien-Pao, Urshifu-Single and Kingambit, preventing their Sucker Punches from shutting down Iron Moth. Tera Ground is popular for its offensive merit, granting a powerful coverage option for opposing Fire and Poison types that otherwise handle Iron Moth’s STABs and common coverage options as well.

EVs and Items:
Given EVs are for Iron Moth to get the Speed Boost from Quark Drive, with the extra EVs going into Iron Moth's Defense to address Iron Moth's poor Defense. This speed boost is important for outrunning naturally faster targets like Dragapult, Iron Valiant, Calyrex-Shadow Rider, and base 135s like the Raidons and Chien-Pao as well as avoid awkward speed ties with Wellspring and Cornerstone Ogerpon as well as Latios. Alternatively one could fully invest in Special Attack for the free Special Attack boost, allowing for Iron Moth securing OHKOs on Gholdengo, Great Tusk, Kingambit, offensive Hisuian-Samurott, and Iron Crown as well as assured 2HKOs on Raging Bolt, Tyranitar, Garchomp and Kyogre. Booster Energy is the name of the set and the stat boost plus move flexibility is hard to pass up, though the one-time use nature of the item can be unattractive. Choice Scarf allows Iron Moth to fulfill a more traditional revenge killer role while still possessing some late game escalation potential thanks to Fiery Dance. Heavy-Duty Boots is also a strong consideration given Iron Moth’s weakness to Stealth Rocks and Spikes, allowing it to pivot more freely while maintaining move flexibility.

Partners:
: Iron Moth has a horrendous matchup into Poison resistant Fire types, so allies that can address such threats are greatly appreciated. This is made further difficult by Booster Energy Iron Moth only having one shot with the item, so such partners that can lure in and remove such threats are greatly appreciated. Offensive Zamazenta is decent at this task, drawing in the likes of Ceruledge and Moltres to absorb its fighting STAB while threatening them back with Stone Edge while Iron Moth can readily threaten the Fire weak Ghost types that Zamazenta draws in like Gholdengo thanks to its own Fire STAB. Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth also excels at handling most opposing Choice Scarf users and Dragapult that could be used to revenge KO Zamazenta. Ground types like Great Tusk, Gliscor and Iron Treads also work well in answer opposing Fire types. While it is true they can’t lure them in, their ability to set hazards more than makes up for it, chipping the opposing team down and greatly helping Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth reach the knockouts it otherwise struggles reaching. If in a 3v3 format or running a Choice Item, more traditional pivots against Fire types can be used like Urshifu-Rapid can be used. All these Pokémon also draw in physical walls that Iron Moth excels at blasting to pieces. Answers to Ground attacks are invaluable given Iron Moth’s extreme weakness to them. Wellspring-Ogerpon standout at this for its overwhelming match up into STAB Ground type attackers, while Cornerstone-Ogerpon is a good one time pivot thanks to Sturdy. Both also being strong into Fire and Water types that Iron Moth can struggle against is a nice bonus.

Other Options:
Psychic is a potent option for Poison and Tera Poison Pokémon like Toxapex and Clodsire. Discharge is an alternative anti-Water STAB that does well into Toxapex. Substitute wards Iron Moth against priority and allows for more Fiery Wave boosts, especially against Sucker Punch and Thunder Clap. Toxic and Toxic Spikes are great for compromising walls that Iron Moth cannot outright beat like Ting-Lu, Ho-oh and Assault Vest Alomomola. If running a Choice Item, Overheat and U-Turn become more attractive, the former an potent delete button and the latter a decent pivoting option that allows Iron Moth to continue making progress.

Doubles and VGC Options

Iron Moth has not enjoyed the same whirlwind success that Volcarona has in Doubles. While Volcarona is famed for its ability to act as both a punishing redirector and deadly sweeper, Iron Moth lacks the defensive tools that have allowed Volcarona to excel. This has pigeon-holed Iron Moth into an offensive attacker, placing it in direct competition with other such Paradox attackers like Flutter Mane or Raging Bolt. Not to say Iron Moth is wholly outclassed by either. Iron Moth is one of very few Pokémon that, like Raging Bolt, excels in both the Sun and Electric Terrain, giving Iron Moth a lot of merit on and against the many Koraidon and Miraidon teams running about. While not as fast as Flutter Mane, base 110 is still fast for VGC and in formats where restricted Pokémon aren’t allowed, only a handful of Pokémon can outspeed Iron Moth, especially if running Speed Booster Energy. The breadth of resistances Iron Moth boasts can’t be discounted either, solidly absorbing Calyrex-Ice Rider’s Glacial Lances, Rillaboom’s Wood Hammers, Flutter Mane’s Moonblasts, Gholdengo’s Make It Rain and more. However, Iron Moth’s extreme weakness to Ground attacks holds it back, with many of its preferred targets carrying Ground coverage, to say nothing of how popular the Ursalunas and Landorus-Incarnate are. As a physically frail attacker, Iron Moth suffers from many of the same issues as Flutter Mane, but without the handy Ghost immunity to Fake Out to fall back on, making Iron Moth even more volatile and having it struggle to stand out amid the factory line of fast and frail attackers.

World War Moth

-Flamethrower
-Pounce
-Toxic Spikes
-Protect
Ability: Quark Drive
Item: Booster Energy
Tera Type: Dark
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 116 Def / 132 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe Timid Nature

Based on Grant Laird’s rank 37 Worlds Iron Moth this rather unorthodox set looks to have been used as a support piece for Miraidon and Leech Seed Clayrex-Ice Rider. While an incredibly strong restricted core, Miraidon struggles against Rillaboom and its Grassy Surge deactivating Miraidon’s Hadron Engine as does Calyrex-Ice Rider against Amoonguss punishing Trick Room as well as the immovable wall that is Zamazenta-Crowned. Iron Moth threatens all three with its Fire STAB, removing them early and allowing its legendary partners to flourish. Flamethrower is the preferred Fire STAB for the slight power it has over Fiery Dance and not being blocked by Wide Guard which opponents will carry to stop Calyrex-Ice Rider. Pounce is Speed control, and with conjunction with Speed Quark Drive, allows Iron Moth to act akin to an Icy Wind Flutter Mane that allows it to reliably move first and sap opponents speed so they move after Miraidon and thus likely to be KO’d. This too benefits from not being blocked by Wide Guard. Toxic Spikes sets the stage for Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice Rider, stacking the passive damage of Toxic and Leech Seed, greatly reducing the time Calyrex-Ice Rider needs to outlast its opponents. Protect rounds out the set as the best move in Doubles, warding off Fake Out, scouting for Terastalization, stalling out unfavorable field conditions, stalling for allied setup, punishing double ups, the utility of Protect in Doubles is endless. Even more so for Toxic Spikes Iron Moth, allowing it to stall out turns for Poison damage, allowing it to play offense even when protecting.

The EVs are speculative, but it is probable that Iron Moth was EV’d to get the Speed boost from Quark Drive so that it can get the jump on threats Miraidon can’t reliably outspeed like Clayrex-Shadow Rider, and Zacian Crowned as well as potential speed ties such as with Chien-Pao, Flutter Mane, Koraidon and opposing Miraidon. After the requisite Speed and Special Attack investment, most goes into Defense to lessen Iron Moth’s horrid matchup into physical attacks. Booster Energy while seeming redundant with Miraidon, is helpful when Miraidon’s Electric Terrain is overwritten, ensuring that Iron Moth can still reliably perform its duties when field conditions aren’t ideal. Tera Dark improves Iron Moth’s matchup against Calyrex-Shadow Rider, giving it resistance to both of its STABs on top of providing Immunity to Prankster..

Preferred Partners:
This set was specifically designed to work with Miraidon and Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice Rider as detailed above, with Iron Moth covering troubling matchups for the two, allowing them to flourish. Miraidon threatening Water types and Calyrex-Ice Rider doing the same to Dragons that resist Iron Moth’s Fire STABs. More generally, allies that can pivot into Ground attacks are immensely valuable given how easily Iron Moth draws such attacks to it. While Rillaboom is a less than ideal partner on Miraidon teams, its ability to soak Ground and Water attacks cannot be discounted. Whimsicott is another excellent Grass type that can support Iron Moth directly through Tailwind or Fake Tears depending on whether it needs more speed or power. Dragonite is outright immune to Ground and supplies a lot of offensive physical offensive pressure that contrasts Iron Moth’s special offensive pressure. Acid Spray is a common piece of support on Iron Moth, slashing a target’s special defense for a surprise OHKO from Miraidon or simply from follow up from Iron Moth next turn. In formats without restricted Pokémon, Heat Wave is due serious consideration due to how less common Wide Guard is. Power Herb + Meteor Beam gives Iron Moth a one time delete button for Fire types like Incineroar while setting it up for future turns.

Countering Iron Moth

Between its absurd Special Attack, high Speed and insane coverage, Iron Moth seems uncounterable, though closer inspection reveals its flaws.

Offensively checking Iron Moth is relatively simple, following the same trajectory as many other fast attackers in that anything that can outspeed it. This gets more difficult if running Choice Scarf or Speed Booster Energy, though far from impossible. Naturally faster Booster Energy users like Iron Valiant (with Psyshock), as well as Scarf Latios (with something stronger than Psychic Noise) can match Iron Moth’s speed and quickly dispatch it. Priority is easily the best way to handle a +1 Speed Iron Moth, especially given its immense physical frailty. Banded Tera Normal Dragonite can OHKO with Extreme Speed, even through the Defense investment necessary for Speed Booster Energy. Hisuain-Samurott, Banded Dragapult and Kingambit can pick off Iron Moth with Sucker Punch, dealing around 40%, 45% and 50% respectively. Specs Raging Bolt’s Thunder Clap also does respectable damage, dealing at least 60% to Iron Moth despite is impressive Special Defense. If not running any method of Speed boosting, the offensive pool to answer Iron Moth widens greatly, with Dragapult, Iron Valiant, Scarf Landorus, and Scarf Enamorus, all capable of outrunning and OHKOing Iron Moth, while many more can pick off a weakened one.

Defensively checking Iron Moth seems daunting given its wide coverage, and insane power, but its inability to hold every coverage move it wants and the sacrifices to its power to get a Speed boost from Booster Energy makes this a far more manageable feat than at first glance, though few checks like getting badly poisoned from Toxic. As for general walls regardless of coverage, evergreen special sponge Blissey once again takes the cake, able to soak even Specs Sludge Waves and Seismic Toss Iron Moth into scrap, while Natural Cure prevents Toxic from getting out of hand. Ting-Lu also does well, only being 3HKO’d by Specs Energy Ball and easily OHKOing back with Earthquake or wiping away any boosts with Whirlwind. Assault Vest Alomomola is also only 3HKOd by Specs Sludge Wave and give Iron Moth a taste of its own Medicine with Mirror Coat.

Unless running Tera Ground or the one time use Meteor Beam, Fire types, especially Poison resistant ones as well as Fire resistant Poison types, are a massive headache for Iron Moth, resisting most of its favored coverage and taking neutral damage from coverage. Heatran is an excellent example, able to slam Iron Moth with Earth Power while being immune to both STABs. Ceruledge is merely 3HKOd by Specs Sludge Wave and can easily OHKO back with Poltergeist while Shadow Sneak and Bitter Blade. Skeledirge can outlast Iron Moth thanks to Slack Off and boost out of control with Torch Song, while Iron Moth can’t do the same with Fiery Dance due to Unaware, though it is not a fast knock out. Ironically enough, opposing Iron Moth also fit this bill, though one party will need Tera Ground to break the stalemate. As for fire resistant Poison types, Toxapex takes the cake, 2HKOing Iron Moth with Surf, while the Assault Vest variant takes mere pittance from everything even unboosted Discharge. While not Fire resistant, Assault Vest Galarian Slowking also manages thanks to its sheer special bulk and will force Iron Moth out between Psyshock and Future Sight.

If lacking Dazzling Gleam, Assault Vest Kyurem becomes problematic easily tanking Specs Sludge Waves and OHKOing with Earth Power. If not receiving a boost from Booster Energy or Choice Specs, this pool increases, with Latios, Latias and Dragonite all able to survive a single blow and KO back. It cannot be overstated how often Iron Moth misses OHKOs and 2HKOs when running Speed Booster Energy, even on targets weak to its STABs, opening itself up to damage it can’t afford to take, to the point that there would be too many to list. While Choice Scarf Iron Moth does not not fall into the same trap thanks to being able to fully invest in Special Attack, its lack of move flexibility makes it easier to pivot around. While both can address the matter with Fiery Dance, it not being a guaranteed boost can leave Iron Moth high and dry.

Anime Appearences

Iron Moth has yet to make any appearances in the anime # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics