Ferrothorn - Moveset & Best Build | Pokemon Sword Shield

#1 - Knock Off Curse Build

Low Speed And High Defense

In order to maximize the power of Gyro Ball, make sure you have 0 Speed IVs! Your EVs should be funneled into HP & Defense for this build, but if you anticipate taking special damage, it's okay to put the Defense EVs into Sp. Def as well.

Strong Against Physical Attackers

Ferrothorn is extremely resilient against physical attackers, which are quite common in the current online ranked meta. Since Hidden Power Fire was removed, dealing with Ferrothorn has become more difficult for some Pokemon - use this to your advantage!

Win The Mirror Match

This build is specifically designed to win the 1v1 vs a Leech Seed Ferrothorn. With Knock Off & Curse you can get a significant advantage over your Leech Seed / Protect using opponent.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Gyro Ball	Deals more damage the slower the user is compared to the target. Great for taking out fast threats like Dragapult.
Power Whip	120 Power, 85% accuracy, no other effects. Great STAB move that can threaten Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Rhyperior.
Curse	Lowers speed, but raises Attack and Defense. Extremely powerful buff, should be used whenever possible.
Knock Off	Deals damage and knocks off the opponent's item. Excellent for disabling item-reliant Pokemon.

#2 - Physical Leech Seed Build

Low Speed And High Defense

In order to maximize the power of Gyro Ball, make sure you have 0 Speed IVs! Your EVs should be poured into HP and Defense for this build, but if you anticipate taking special damage, it is okay to put the Defense EVs into Sp. Def as well.

Use Leech Seed Effectively

This build is focused entirely on dealing damage and recovering with Leech Seed. Try to read your opponent's switches and plant a Leech Seed, then stall with Protect. However, note that Leech Seed doesn't work on Grass-types!

Protect Through Dynamax

Although you will still take some damage, use Protect to mitigate it and buy time during your opponent's Dynamax. Just be careful, as Protect can be rather easy for your opponent to predict.

This Build Loses To Curse

It's important to remember that this build will lose to Ferrothorns running Curse/Knock Off. If you see a Ferrothorn on your opponent's team, it might be a good idea to avoid bringing yours, or bring a fire move.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Gyro Ball	Deals more damage the slower the user is compared to the target. Great for taking out fast threats like Dragapult.
Power Whip	120 Power, 85% accuracy, no other effects. Great STAB move that can threaten Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Rhyperior.
Leech Seed	Deals damage to the opponent and heals the user. Excellent sustain alongside Leftovers. Protect helps too.
Protect	Prevents all damage for one turn. Good for Leftovers/Leech Seed stall play.

#3 - Physical Attacker Build

Catch Opponents Off Guard

Most Ferrothorns in the meta right now are physical tanks, so this build is quite a deviation from the norm. Just by doing this, you'll be able to have the element of surprise on your side. Ferrothorn's Attack is not particularly high, but it has powerful STAB moves which can deal great damage with a Choice Band.

The Fourth Move Is Up To You

We strongly recommend Gyro Ball, Power Whip, and Knock Off for the power and utility, but the final move can be chosen at your discretion. Bullet Seed can pierce through Disguise and Substitute, while Bulldoze is useful in that it lowers speed. You could also run Explosion to deal massive damage as a last resort, but watch out for Ghost Pokemon, as they are immune!

Harder To Use Than In The Past

The Choice Band build has seen a lot of play in previous generations as well, but this time around many Fairy Pokemon have learned the move Mystical Fire, making things difficult for a non-tank Ferrothorn. Focus on using this build to deal with Water and Ground types only.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Gyro Ball	Deals more damage the slower the user is compared to the target. Great for taking out fast threats like Dragapult.
Power Whip	120 Power, 85% accuracy, no other effects. Great STAB move that can threaten Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Rhyperior.
Bulldoze	Slows the opponent. Useful coverage move, and works well in a combo with other Pokemon.
Knock Off	Deals damage and knocks off the opponent's item. Excellent for disabling item-reliant Pokemon.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Bullet Seed	25 Power, hits 2-5 times per turn. A more reliable alternative to Power Whip, but has a variance on how many times it will hit.
Explosion	Deal massive damage, but faint in the process. Excellent move to use after a long protracted battle which you would otherwise have narrowly lost.