Iron Thorns, the Paradox Pokémon. It has some similarities to a Pokémon introduced in a dubious magazine as a Tyranitar from one billion years into the future. Some of its notable features match those of an object named within a certain expedition journal as Iron Thorns.

Overview

The Paradox form of Tyranitar, Iron Thorns has big shoes to fill given the storied history of its inspiration. However, like Iron Jugulis, Iron Thorns falls short of Tyranitar in many aspects. Being unable to reach the same BST as Tyranitar means Iron Thorns had to take a hit somewhere, and that was in its Special stats. Dropping down from base 100 to base 84 Special Defense is a brutal hit, but the gap between the two is even greater than that. Tyranitar, despite having merely good Special Defense, shores it up with the battle warping Sand Stream setting Sandstorm, turning Tyranitar into a special wall par excellence. Iron Thorns conversely gets none of that, relying on external support for Sandstorm, or to make use of its own ability Quark Drive, which greatly suffers due to a lack of viable Electric Terrain setters, something the part Electric Iron Thorns would greatly appreciate. Rock-Electric typing isn’t doing Iron Thorns much favors either. While Rock Dark is one of the worst type combinations in the game, valuable resistances to Dark and Ghost alongside solid Dark STAB do a lot to make up for that. Rock-Electric conversely boasts similar failings to Rock-Dark with a common quadruple weakness to Ground that readily absorbs both STABs alongside common Water, Grass, and Fighting weaknesses. Rock-Electric’s failings aren’t just defensively either, with both Rock and Electric being renowned for having flawed physical STAB options, making what should be Iron Thorns’ best attacks liabilities.

That is not to say our Mecha Godzilla expy is completely without merit. Boasting the same HP and Defense as its nominate form gives Iron Thorns respectable hit taking ability when its weaknesses aren’t being exploited. Base 134 Attack is immense even without investment and Iron Thorns boasts a vibrant coverage pool to make the most of it. Iron Thorns lone advantage over Tyranitar’s is its speed. While Base 72 Speed still isn’t impressive, it makes a world of difference when running Dragon Dance, allowing Iron Thorns to outrun even base 130 Speedsters while Tyranitar is still outran by base 119’s like Cinderace. Offense isn’t all Iron Thorns brings to the table either with access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock can make for quite the offensive hazard setter. While the robotic expy cannot live up to the original, underestimate Iron Thorns at your own peril.
Positives
Incredible Base 134 Attack ensures even uninvested, Iron Thorns hits like a truck.
Incredible movepool, from numerous coverage options in addition to STABs, boosting in Dragon Dance and Curse, and support in Stealth Rock and Spikes allows Iron Thorns to fill multiple roles.
100/112 physical bulk is fantastic, allowing Iron Thorns to weather all sorts of physical blows

Negatives
Rock Electric is a poor type combo, giving numerous weaknesses including a crippling one to Ground along with unreliable physical STABs.
Lack of viable Electric Terrain setters makes it difficult for Iron Thorns to get the most out of its ability.
72 Speed is mediocre without boosts, making it easy to exploit Iron Thorns’ many weaknesses.

Movesets

Mecha Godzilla

-Dragon Dance
-Stone Edge
-Supercell Slam
-Earthquake
Ability: Quark Drive
Item: Booster Energy
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

The one area where Iron Thorns arguably outstrips Tyranitar is as a game ending Dragon Dance sweeper, thanks to its higher speed allowing Iron Thorns to outrun more targets and the low-cost boost from Quark Drive to Iron Thorns’ Attack. Getting a Dragon Dance boost is not a tall ask for Iron Thorns either, its excellent bulk making it easy to grab a boost against a wide range of foes such as Alolan-Muk, Mimikyu, Jirachi and more. Stone Edge is primary STAB; while the imperfect accuracy is far from ideal, the impressive coverage of Rock cannot be denied, striking down prominent threats like Talonflame, Entei, Armarouge, Noivern, and Kleavor. Supercell Slam is Iron Thorns best Electric STAB, great against Water types looking to take advantage of Iron Thorn’s weaknesses like Basculegion and Politoed, though it mandates the removal of an opposing team’s Ground types to be used safely. Earthquake greatly compliments both STABs, destroying the Steel types that resist Stone Edge as well as the Electric types that resist Supercell Slam like Bellibolt.

Tera Types:
With how poor Rock Electric is defensively, it is without surprise that Iron Thorns is rather reliant on Terastalization to make up the difference. Given Iron Thorn’s quadruple weakness to Ground attacks, types that resist the inevitable Earthquake or Earth Power are greatly preferred. Tera Flying is the immediate go to answer here thanks to the immunity to Ground it provides, allowing Iron Thorns to completely flip the tables on Ground attackers as well as the valuable resistances to Grass and Fighting it provides. Tera Flying Tera Blast is also a strong offensive option, pairing incredibly with Stone Edge and Earthquake for extremely wide-reaching coverage. Tera Bug is another strong option. Possessing many of the same defensive traits as Tera Flying, just trading out the immunity to Ground for a resistance but in return loses the common weaknesses to Ice and Electric that Tera Flying possesses. The fact it pairs well with Loaded Dice sets running Pin Missile Tera Grass is the third Ground resistant Tera type, and the only one that resists Water, greatly improving Iron Thorns’ matchup into opposing Water types, but is less popular than the others simply due to the laundry list of weaknesses Grass provides.

EVs and Items:
As this is a Dragon Dance set, Max Attack and Speed investment to get the most out of the move is a given. Jolly Nature is preferred, given Iron Thorns’ biggest benefit is the greater range of targets it outruns after a single Dragon Dance. Even dropping down to Adamant means that Iron Thorns can no longer outrun base 117s like Salazzle, as opposed to the base 130s it reaches with Jolly the latter of which is important when considering the ability to outrun Talonflame and its Will-O-Wisps as well as prevent a revenge KO from the likes of Noivern, or Lyancroc-Dusk. Booster Energy is preferred, giving Iron Thorns a potent boost to its attack while not restricting move choice or cutting into its own bulk on top of reducing the damage Iron Thorns takes from Knock Off. If running Booster Energy, it is not worth trying for the Speed boost from it; not only mandating a Timid Nature with no investment but also a 23 in Attack IVs to guarantee the boost. Iron Thorns’ Speed is just not high enough for forced attack drop to be worth it. Life Orb is an alternative option to Booster Energy, mercifully not being one and done but at the cost of draining Iron Thorns’ valuable bulk. Loaded Dice is another popular option if running Rock Blast and Pin Missile for the consistent power they provide.

Partners:
: Given Iron Thorn’s issues with Ground types, especially when running Supercell Slam, having allies that can remove them can greatly facilitate Dragon Dance Iron Thorns’ sweep later. Tsareena is an excellent example being a Grassed type hazard control, not only efficiently dispatching Ground types, but removing hazards that would cut into Iron Thorns’ health. Torterra is another decent option with Torterra drawing in Flying types that Iron Thorns excels against and Iron Thorns drawing in Ground attacks that Torterra excels against. However, the aforementioned Ground checks work best with other Ground weak Pokémon, to lure them in early for removal. Threats like Terrakion, Jirachi and Diancie are all great examples, mandating checks for Iron Thorns to come in and forcing damage upon them. Jirachi especially given its access to U-Turn, and Stealth Rock is great at softening such targets up. Its access to Encore and Thunder Wave also are wonderous in opening up setup opportunities for Iron Thorns in the first place.

Other Options:
Ice Punch is incredible coverage, despite the low base power, threatening the Grass and Ground types that give Iron Thorns trouble and pairing well with Iron Thorn’s Electric STAB for the famed Electric-Ice coverage. Taunt is great for shutting down opposing setup sweepers, attempts at crippling Iron Thorns and hindering physical walls like Chesnaught, Slowbro, and Quagsire preventing them from outlasting Iron Thorns. Rock Blast and Pin Missile are strong options to pair with Loaded Dice, the latter valuable coverage options into Bug weak Ground types like Krookodile and Torterra.

Doubles and VGC Options

If Iron Thorns missing Sand Stream was agonizing in Singles, that is nothing compared to its travails in Doubles. Iron Thorns simply struggles to stand out in a Doubles format. Quark Drive users already have it rough in Doubles given the scarcity of viable setters, and Iron Thorn’s case is made even worse given any Electric Terrain setters will share its crippling Ground weakness. The one-time Booster Energy is far from ideal as well given as a physical attacker, it is quite simple to hinder Iron Thorn’s offense with Intimidate. These issues common to a head with Iron Hands, another physically bulky future Paradox Pokémon with a Ground weakness, except its typing is far better, and boasts far superior bulk, recovery in Drain Punch and reliable disruption in Fake Out. Really the only thing Iron Thorns has going for it over Iron Hands is STAB Rock Slide. However, its Speed, while better than Tyranitar’s is simply not enough to reliably grab flinches without support. Iron Thorns isn’t bad given its excellent attack and good physical bulk, it suffers the most in that it is strictly outclassed by better options no matter what niche it tries to fill.

Box Office Gamble

-Rock Blast
-Pin Missile
-Thunder Punch
-Protect
Ability: Quark Drive
Item: Loaded Dice
Tera Type: Bug
EVs and Nature:
180 HP /252 Atk / 76 Spe
Jolly Nature

Loaded Dice Iron Thorns does have one tiny niche on Miraidon teams in that it can threaten common problematic foes for Miraidon in Calyrex-Ice Rider, Rillaboom and Indeedee-F with its Loaded Dice empowered moves. Rock Blast is primary STAB and eviscerates Calyrex-Ice Rider especially through the common Tera Fire, while also knocking out Flutter Mane and Chien-Pao irrespective of their Focus Sashes. Pin Missile also deals with Chien-Pao without having to worry about Rock Blast’s miss chance as well as annihilate opposing Terrain Setters in Rillaboom and Indeedee-F on top of threatening another common Trick Room support piece in Farigiraf. Thunder Punch rounds out the set as a reliable Electric STAB that greatly enjoys the damage multiplication from Quark Drive and Electric Terrain without the recoil problems of Wild Charge.

The 76 Speed EVs and Jolly nature are so that Iron Thorns outspeeds Calyrex-Shadow Rider in Tailwind. If not concerned about Shadow Rider and wanting to hit for more damage, 84 Speed with an Adamant Nature suffices in outrunning Base 135s in Tailwind. Everything else goes into HP and Attack to maximize Iron Thorn’s staying power as well as its ability to eviscerate its chosen targets. Tera Bug is preferred not only for the invaluable Ground, Fighting and Grass resistances it provides but the damage buff it gives to Pin Missile, giving Iron Thorns a far more reliable Loaded Dice empowered STAB.

Preferred Partners:
This set is meant to be ran with an Electric Terrain setter, namely Miraidon for free damage boost from Quark Drive which is vital for making Thunder Punch viable on top of helping cut down on the attack drops from Intimidate users like Incineroar. Miraidon in turn handily deals with most Water typed attackers like Urshifu-Rapid and Kyogre that can threaten Iron Thorns. If in a format where Miraidon isn’t allowed, Pinurchin can work but is a thoroughly underwhelming Pokémon. Tailwind support is also vital for this set, allowing Iron Thorns to apply offensive pressure before its many weaknesses are exploited. Tornadus is particularly adept, given its access to Prankster Taunt in stifling opposing disruption and redirection. Whimsicott also does well and its access to Light Screen does a lot in addressing Iron Thorns’ lesser Special Defense. Assault Vest is a solid option if not running Loaded Dice, making Iron Thorns a far stickier target, especially when paired with Rock Slide for the impressive spread damage and Flinch rate..

Countering Iron Thorns

While Iron Thorns presents a domineering presence with its power and seemingly good bulk, the failings of its typing hold it back time and time again.

Ground types are significant roadblacks for Iron Thorns in most instances, tending to have high Defense, on top of being immune to Iron Thorns’ Electric STAB and resisting its Rock STAB. This is especially true if Iron Thorns is running Supercell Slam, losing half of its HP. All of this even before we get into Iron Thorns’ quadruple weakness to Ground attacks. Conversely, Ground is the type that Iron Thorns is most prepared against, consistently running an anti-Ground Tera Type and frequently carrying coverage for Ground types in the form of Ice Punch, or the case of Krookodile, Low Kick. Tera Ground Pokémon tend to be the best answers for Iron Thorns in that they can lure it in, absorb a resisted STAB attack and annihilate Iron Thorns with a Tera Ground Tera Blast at far less risk of Iron Thorns Terastalizing. Quagsire deserves note for its ability to outlast even the Dragon Dance sets thanks to Unaware and Recover while able to place Iron Thorns on a timer with Toxic while not being weak to Ice Punch. Gastrodon, while not as physically sturdy and less capable of taking boosted hits performs similarly well.

Grass types are also extremely problematic for Iron Thorns, especially if it isn’t running Pin Missile or Ice Punch. Chesnaught does well even in the face of Pin Missile, able to outlast Iron Thorns between Leech Seed and Synthesis. However, Grass types suffer from many of the same issues as Ground types in that all the Ground resistant Tera options also resist Grass.

Ultimately, checking Iron Thorns depends on what it is running for coverage. In addition to the aforementioned Ice Punch and Pin Missile, if lacking Earthquake or Low Kick, Electric resistant Steel types like Magnezone and Hisuian-Goodra work quite well in resisting both STABs and able to threaten back with their neutral STABs/coverage.

Checking Iron Thorns offensively is a far easier task given its myriad of weaknesses and unimpressive base speed. Basculegion, Terrakion, Gallade, Kingdra, Barraskewda, Mienshao, Lycanroc-Dusk, Toxicroak, and Regidrago are just the Pokémon that naturally outspeed and OHKO Iron Thorns. While this list drastically changes if Iron Thorns Terastalizes, it is limited in the number of hits it can take and even Dragon Dance sets are easily revenge KO’d by most Choice Scarf users.

Anime Appearences

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