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Ferrothorn - Moveset & Best Build

Ferrothorn - Moveset & Best Build | Pokemon Sword Shield

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Find out how to breed Ferrothorn in Pokemon Sword and Shield! Learn about Ferrothorn's best competitive movesets, best builds with Knock Off, best nature, & the breeding process!!!

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Ferrothorn Related Articles

Ferrothorn Moveset & Best Build

Ferrothorn
Total Base Stats489
Type Grass IconSteel Icon

Press the buttons below to toggle between different builds!

#1 - Knock Off Curse Build

Best NatureBest Item
Relaxed (Defense↑ / Speed ↓)Leftovers
Best Ability
Iron Barbs
Deals damage back to Pokemon that hit it with physical attacks.
Best Moveset
Gyro Ball / Power Whip / Curse / Knock Off
▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Defense 252, HP 252, Attack 4

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

#2 - Physical Leech Seed Build

Best NatureBest Item
Relaxed (Defense↑ / Speed ↓)Leftovers
Best Ability
Iron Barbs
Deals damage back to Pokemon that hit it with physical attacks.
Best Moveset
Gyro Ball / Power Whip / Leech Seed / Protect
▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Defense 252, HP 252, Atkk 4

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

#3 - Physical Attacker Build

Best NatureBest Item
Brave (Atk.↑ / Speed ↓)Choice Band
Best Ability
Iron Barbs
Deals damage back to Pokemon that hit it with physical attacks.
Best Moveset
Gyro Ball / Power Whip / Bulldoze / Knock Off
▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, HP 252, Def 4

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

Other Viable Moves

Move/TypeReason
Bullet Seed
Grass Icon
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
Normal Icon
Deal massive damage, but faint in the process. Excellent move to use after a long protracted battle which you would otherwise have narrowly lost.

Articles You Might Be Interested In

Ferrothorn - Best Item to Hold

ItemTraits
LeftoversRestores health at the end of every turn.
Useful for outlasting while building up Curse.
Rocky HelmetCauses Pokemon that hit the wearer with a contact move to take damage.
Stacks with Ferrothorn's Ability, Iron Barbs!
Choice BandBoosts Attack by 150% but the user can only use one move.
Only recommended for Adamant Max Attack Ferrothorn. Can take out fast threats like Dragapult with a Gyro Ball.

Ferrothorn Counters

Recommended Pokemon To Counter Ferrothorn

PokemonExplanation
Dragapult IconDragapult Pros
- Can one shot with Fire Blast (with 252 in Sp.Atk)
Cons
- Somewhat vulnerable to Gyro Ball if Fire Blast misses
Heat Rotom IconHeat Rotom Pros
- Can one shot with Overheat
Cons
- None
Arcanine IconArcanine Pros
- Can one shot with Life Orb + Flare Blitz
Cons
- Takes a lot of recoil damage + Iron Barbs damage
Hydreigon IconHydreigon Pros
- Fire Blast one shots (with Choice Specs)
- Doesn't use contact moves, won't trigger Iron Barbs
Cons
- None in particular

How To Play Against Ferrothorn

4x Weak To Fire

The key with Ferrothorn is to have a fire move ready to go on your team. A strong special attacker that can learn Mystical Fire can also do, like Hatterene.

Get Rid Of Its Leftovers

Use the move Knock Off to disable Ferrothorn's Leftovers. This will make it significantly easier to deal with. Rillaboom is a good candidate here, as it is also immune to Leech Seed.

Ferrothorn - Best Nature & EVs

Ferrothorn - Recommended Natures

NatureTraits
BraveAtk↑ / Speed↓
For a Choice Band build.
RelaxedDef↑ / Speed↓
For a defensive build.
AdamantAtk↑ / Sp.Atk↓
The extra damage on Power Whip is never a bad thing!
SassySp.Def↑ / Speed↓
For a build focusing on Sp. Def. Could catch players off guard.

Which Nature Would You Recommend?

Recommended Base Point (EV) Allocation

Curse / Leech Seed Builds

StatBase Point
HP252 points (max)
Defense252 points (max)
Attack4 points

You can put the 252 Def EVs into Sp. Def if you choose.

Offensive Ferrothorn

StatBase Point
HP252 points (max)
Attack252 points (max)
Sp. Def4 points

For a more offensive build to be paired with a Choice Band.

Check Out The EV (Base Point) Guide Here!

Ferrothorn - Competitive Breeding Process

Breeding Process Flow Chart

1Catch a Ferroseed on Route 4, or a Ferrothorn in the Dusty Bowl (Wild Area)
2Hatch Eggs until you get a High IV Ferroseed
3Breed that Ferroseed until you get one with a Relaxed Nature.
4Put 252 EVs in HP and Special Defense
5Max out its Dynamax Level
6Reach Lv. 40 to evolve to Ferrothorn
7Teach it Gyro Ball, Spikes, Curse, and Power Whip
8Equip Leftovers
>> Check Out Our Breeding Guide For More Info!

How To Get Ferroseed

Ferroseed

The first step to Breeding Ferrothorn will be to catch a wild one. Ferroseed can be found on Route 4, while Ferrothorn are much rarer and can only be found during Snowstorms in the Dusty Bowl. It's best to try to hunt for a Ferroseed first.

Check Out Wild Area Guide Here!

How To Get Leech Seed

Leech Seed is an Egg Move for Ferrothorn, which means it will need to have it passed down by another Pokemon that already knows it. This can be done by putting the two Pokemon in the Nursery while Ferrothorn has an empty move slot. The move will then be passed down. You can easily check which Pokemon you need with our Egg Move Search Tool.

Check Out Our Egg Move Search Tool Here

Competitive Breeding Related Articles

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Article Written by
Sword Shield Strategy Team

Sword Shield Strategy Team

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