Iron Bundle

Iron Bundle, the Paradox Pokémon. Its shape is similar to a robot featured in a paranormal magazine article. The robot was said to have been created by an ancient civilization. It resembles a mysterious object mentioned in an old book. There are only two reported sightings of this Pokémon.

Overview

It was the night before Christmas and all throughout the house, there was nothing stirring, not even a mouse. For everything was encased in ice. To resist this Robo-Santa’s assault, nothing could suffice. Iron Bundle has done the impossible and turned everyone’s favorite Santa pastiche from joke to broke thanks to a myriad of factors. Hydro Pump and Freeze Dry is a terrifying STAB combination, with the number of Pokémon in the series capable of resisting it being countable on one hand. And the reason this has never been a problem before is that none of the users had Iron Bundle’s amazing Special Attack and Speed. Base 136 Speed is blisteringly fast, with only two available Pokémon capable of naturally outspeeding it without any external factors. And Base 114 Special Attack is viable, giving Iron Bundle’s excellent coverage the power to, if not OHKO, compromise a target into easy pickings for any of Iron Bundle’s teammates. Couple all of this with a high defense that renders the normal method of dealing with fast Pokémon, priority attacks, unable to do the job.

Iron Bundle is not the perfect Pokémon. Its moveset outside of STABs is unremarkable, and its paltry HP and Special Defense are clear Achilles heels that can leave Iron Bundle struck down and it has a myriad of weaknesses to exploit. Being forced to rely on Hydro Pump for Water STAB can be painful as a Hydro Pump miss can be game determinative. What Iron Bundle brings to the party is far more terrifying, forcing predictions on a razor wire’s margin and often leaving no good answers to the pressure it provides.
Positives
Hydro Pump and Freeze Dry are incredibly synergistic with no currently available Pokémon able to resist both attacks coupled with viable Base 114 Special Attack
Base 136 Speed that can be boosted by Quark Drive is ludicrous, leaving few Pokémon that can handle it pre-boost and none that can handle it post boost.
Good pivoting and disruptive options in Flip Turn, U-Turn, Taunt and Encore shutdown would be defensive checks.
Base 114 Defense staves off most priority attacks.

Negatives
Water Ice is poor defensively and Iron Bundle’s Poor HP and Special Defense leave it with little defensive utility to a team.
Coverage outside of STABs is non-existent, leaving Iron Bundle rather predictable.

Movesets

Terminator Santa

-Hydro Pump
-Freeze Dry
-Ice Beam
-Flip Turn
Ability: Quark Drive
Item: Choice Specs
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Iron Bundle acts as a brutal Wall Breaker with this set, compromising normally would be safe switch-ins with powerful Hydro Pumps and Freeze Drys leaving them in a position where they are vulnerable to a follow up attack from Iron Bundle or compromised to the point where they cannot contest Iron Bundle’s teammates. Ice Beam is a stronger Ice STAB, important for reaching KOs on Koraidon and Miraidon as well as many other conventionally Ice weak targets. Flip Turn rounds out the set. If you feel that your opponent is going to switch into a Blissey that can actually stomach Iron Bundle’s attacks, you can scout with Flip Turn, easily pivoting into your check while chipping your opponent.

Tera Types:
Tera Water and Tera Ice are greatly preferred, pushing Iron Bundle’s offense into the obscene and can remove key Weaknesses. Water is especially helpful in removing weaknesses to Mach Punch and Accelrock as well as offer a more reliable STAB over Hydro Pump. Tera Grass is good defensively, removing weaknesses to Grass and Electric, while most Fire and Flying types would be hesitant to switch in.

EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper array of Max Special Attack and Speed. Timid is the recommended nature in most cases, as losing out on that boost leaves Iron Bundle outsped by Speed boosting Natured Miraidon, Koraidon, Flutter Mane, Meowscarada, and Cyclizar. Choice Specs is key to this set, turning Iron Bundle into a potent Wall Breaker, though Choice Scarf is great for surprising normal would be check Dragapult.

Partners:
Miraidon is a fantastic partner to Iron Bundle, not only enabling Quark Drive thanks to its Hadron Engine, but for complimentary typings, with Iron Bundle threatening many Ground and Dragon types thanks to its Ice STAB while Miraidon serves as an excellent pivot into Water types when Iron Bundle locks itself into Hydro Pump or Ice Beam. Iron Hands deserves mention, not only benefitting from the same Electric Terrain, as Iron Bundle but also dispatching Blissey, an otherwise consistent check to Iron Bundle, and having complimentary offense with Iron Bundle. Other physical attackers like Koraidon, Great Tusk and Annihilape also fill similar roles. Entry Hazard setters are fantastic partners -the amount of pressure Iron Bundle provides often forces switches and the extra damage can be instrumental in reaching KOs. Iron Treads and Great Tusk both can pivot into Electric attacks while providing valuable Entry Hazard control and complimentary offense.

Other Options:
Heavy Duty Boots -Iron Bundle is often switching around as well, so not being eaten alive by Stealth Rock is always a boon.
U-Turn -lacks the STAB of Flip Turn but isn’t stopped by the odd Water Immune target
Booster Energy -Gives Iron Bundle a valuable Speed boost, effectively giving it Choice Scarf with the ability to change moves, but only once.
Taunt/Encore -on non-Choice sets, these moves are ruinous for Blissey and can prevent targets that could force Iron Bundle out from using it as setup fodder.

Countering Iron Bundle

Blissey is the closest thing to a consistent check for Iron Bundle, having the sheer Special Bulk to tank even Specs Tera Boosted Hydro Pumps comfortably and cripple Iron Bundle with Thunder Wave or 3HKO with Seismic Toss. However, Blissey must be wary of Taunt and Encore compromising it and forcing it to switch out. Other conventionally Specially defensive Pokémon like Umbreon and Florges can tank even Specs Hydro Pumps, but can’t tank Tera Boosted ones, lack the reliable recovery for repeated engagements, are similarly ruined by Taunt and Encore and are overall subpar Pokémon.

Offensive checks are few and far in between. Miraidon has the Special Defense to tank a Specs Ice Beam and OHKO back with an Electric attack but can’t switch in safely. Choice Scarfers like Dragapult, Great Tusk, Koraidon, etc. can outspeed and revenge KO Iron Bundle, but lose if it has its own Scarf or a boost from Quark Drive.

If Iron Bundle isn’t running Choice Specs, the number of Pokémon that can resist an attack and OHKO back go up significantly, but makes counterplay more difficult as Iron Bundle can swap attacks and they must be healthy in order to do so. 

Locations in Games

Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game

Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game

Colosseum/XD:
Not in game

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game

Black/White:
Not in game

Black 2/White 2:
Not in game

X/Y:
Not in game

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Not in game

Sun/Moon:
Not in game

Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Not in game

Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game

Sword/Shield:
Not in game

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Not in game

Legends: Arceus:
Not in game

Scarlet/Violet:
Area Zero (Violet)
Trade from Violet (Scarlet)

Anime Appearences

Iron Bundle has not yet been showcased in the anime

# -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics