This should have been a TFP article
Fighting-types in AAA
Frankly, Fighting-types are fucking broken in AAA, and it's not hard to understand why. There are relatively few bulky Fighting-resists in the tier, mostly limited to Ghosts and Psychic-types like Scream Tail and Deoxys-D (Bug is wholy irrelevant, other Fairy-types are mostly limited to Primarina, most defensive Flying-types are still only neutral to Fighting, and the only particularly relevant Poison that isn't also a Ghost is Iron Moth which...has suspect physical bulk). Close Combat is an obscene move, boasting 120 Base Power, perfect accuracy, and relatively limited drawbacks (no one cares about reduced defenses if you OHKO the mon in front of you). AAA boosts their power even further, usually with Sword of Ruin which asks no questions (okay one question, is the other mon also SoR?), but also with other options like Scrappy, Adaptability, and Tough Claws, or even utility focused options like Magic Guard. Oh did I mention most of them have 120+ Attack?
With so many broken Fighting-types running around, you may be asking, which one is best for you and your needs? Well, here is a needlessly long piece to explain what they do best and why you should use them (they are broken).
Zamazenta
Reason to use: Cleaner as well as wallbreaker
There are 412 reasons to use Zamazenta as your broken Fighting-type. It outspeeds almost every relevant unboosted mon in the tier, falling short only of Regieleki, Deoxys-S, and Hisuian Electrode, giving it numerous opprotunitites to come in against slower threats and click the funny Fighting move. It can also serve as a cleaner, finishing up a weakened team once the wall has been broken down by something else, meaning it has excellent synergy with other, slower wallbreakers and slow pivots. Zamazenta will usually find its home on bulk offense teams that can get it in multiple times and use its Speed tier to the full extent.
On the other hand, Zamazenta is the only relevant mon on this list without a secondary STAB move, leaving it more limited in trying to break through its checks. It has fine coverage moves (Heavy Slam for Scream Tail, Crunch for the scary Ghosts, Stone Edge for...Zapdos? Fluffy Corv?), but its coverage moves are very weak into the wrong targets making it heavily prediction reliant when playing against its checks.
What sets does it use?
Sword of Ruin Choice Band. That's the main deal. By far the most power on Close Combat, enough power to OHKO Scream Tail with Heavy Slam, and can even 2HKO Pecharunt...sometimes...maybe...with Crunch. It can technically do IronPress sets, but don't. Its other setup options and ability choices are very limited. It's the most linear mon on this list, it does one thing (fast Close Combat), but does it very, very well.
What team should I use it on?
Offensive and bulky offense teams that have complimentary wallbreakers and are looking for some speed control.
Galarian Zapdos
Reason to use: Powerful coverage + U-turn
Why have one 120 BP STAB move when you can have two? Brave Bird gives it a second attack with obscene power, letting it hit Scream Tail and mosts Ghost-types on the switch while still covering if the mon in front of it stays in. It also has the coveted Knock Off, which is a roll to OHKO Boldengo with Adamant Sword of Ruin Choice Band (and still chunks it otherwise). Knock Off + U-turn also lets it, with the help of a rocker, make progress against even Fluffy Corviknight, as it can U-turn on the switch and force it to take chip without recovering.
In addition to its nuclear options, it also has tech options like Thunderous Kick, Taunt, and Magic Guard + Life Orb, which trade the immediate "something dies now" damage for more longevity and wearing down fatter teams. In terms of hazards, Gapdos is in a weird spot where it is one of the only Fighting-types that takes neutral damage from Rocks, but at the same time is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
What sets does it use?
Sword of Ruin Choice Band is the obvious option, with Close Combat / Brave Bird / Knock Off / U-turn being the standard fair. Adamant is a very notable option here, as the Speed tier is not very crowded and it picks up the OHKO chance on Gholdengo and 2HKO chance on Intimidate Corviknight. The other main set is Magic Guard + Life Orb, which always carries Brave Brid and then some combination of Taunt, Thunderous Kick, Close Combat, Knock Off, U-turn, and Bulk Up, depending on if you want to preserve power, troll stall, or set up. It also has a tech Agility option for hyper offense teams.
What team should I use it on?
The Choice Band set fits well on balance and bulky offensive teams that already have some Speed and are looking for that wallbreaking power; this set competes heavily with Terrakion, but has the better midground move and Knock Off. The Magic Gaurd set fits better on balance teams that are looking to force progress over time against other fat teams.
Terrakion
Reason to use: Trolls Fluffy users
Close Combat + Stone Edge has near-perfect coverage, but the main selling point is that Stone Edge bypasses the ever-common Fluffy Corviknight. Commonly boasting a, you guessed it, Choice Band Sword of Ruin set, Terrakion threatens to OHKO most of the tier and 2HKO most of the physical walls...with the right move. Earthquake is its best coverage move, nailing non-Ground immune Gholdengo and Pecharunt, and the last move is...anyone's guess. Poison Jab, Iron Head, Quick Attack, X-scissor, and Stealth Rock are all options, but if you're using anything other than the STAB moves, that's a bad sign.
Terrakion also has Swords Dance, letting it get to +2 on a predicted switch and ease predictions against slower foes, at the cost of not nuking what is immediately in front of you. Terrakion can run Adaptability if needed, but since it relies on two non-contact moves it has higher priority on the Sword of Ruin slot.
What sets does it use?
Sword of Ruin Choice Band is by far the best set, boasting absurd power and great two-move coverage. Swords Dance is also an option if you really want more power.
What team should I use it on?
Balance and pivot-heavy teams give it the best chance to get in and do damage mulitple times per match; it competes heavily with Galarian Zapdos in this role, but has a better matchup into Fluffy and a better Speed tier, especially if Jolly, getting extra entry points agains Zapdos and offensive Garchomp and Manaphy.
Terrakion also faces still compition from Ogerpon-C and Iron Boulder, both of which boast better Speed tiers, more reliable Rock moves, and their own set of advantages. A quick rundown of what they do well relative to each other:
Terrakion: Boasts the overall strongest turn-one move in Choice Band Close Combat, and Choice Band Stone Edge is still about 10% stronger than Rocky Payload Ivy Cudgle. Strongest one-button clicker.
Iron Boulder: By far the fastest, getting the jump on important mons like Roaring Moon, and has really nice coverage options in Psycho Cut, Sacred Sword, Throat Chop, and Earthquake. Is the most troubled by Fluffy though, as Might Cleave is contact. Fastest while still being very strong into non-Fluffy.
Ogerpon-C: has the least immediate power due to being locked out of Choice Band, but is arguable the best Swords Dance variant due to its wide range of coverage moves including Wood Hammer, Knock Off, Play Rough, and Horn Leech and ability to boost Speed with Trailblaze. Most versitile.
Iron Hands
Reason to use: Dummy physical bulk + versatility
Unlike the above threats, Iron Hands is less of a classic "just click the button" wallbreaker but leverages its absurd bulk to gain a lot of defensive utility and setup chances as well. With 154 / 108 physical bulk, it can comfortably live some absurd hits like Choice Band Desolate Land Cinderace Pyro Ball. This gives it tremendous freedom to use Swords Dance and set up on teams that cannot reliably one shot it, which is most teams without a strong special Psychic-type. It has a very versitle movepool, often using some combination of Drain Punch, Close Combat, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Earthquake to cover what its team needs covered. It can even funciton as a pivot thanks to Volt Switch.
Iron Hands really sets itself apart with its variability and defensive utility; espeically with Regenerator or an immunity ability, or Fluffy if you are feeling really spicy, it can fill a wide range of defensive niches while still threatening teams with its base 140 Attack. It's very hard to write about susinctly due to its versatilty lol.
What sets does it use?
Whatever you need it too lol. The most "standard" set carries Swords Dance, Drain Punch, and two coverage moves of choice with a defensive ability and significant investment. It can also run RegenVest sets, more offensive sets even sporting Close Combat, and Surge Surfer is a funny niche option to pair with a Hadron Engine teammate.
What team should I use it on?
Iron Hands is usually found on fat teams, where its tremendous bulk and longevity and ability to still hit back hard make it right at home. It can be tailored to fit most gaps a team has while still maintaining significant offensive pressure after a Swords Dance or three...
Great Tusk
Reason to use: Utility + Ground STAB
Access to the extremely limited Rapid Spin gives Great Tusk a wide range of applications, letting it reliably remove entry hazards especially in conjunction with Scrappy. It can also be a reliable entry hazard setter in its own right, using Taunt to set up Rocks in Corviknight's face. Taunt also lets it muscle through Fluffy Corviknight, denying it Roost and wearing it down over time. Great Tusk also has that bonus 120 BP STAB move in Headlong Rush, in addition to Knock Off, Body Press, Earthquake, and Ice Spinner, giving it tremenodus set flexiblity. Bulk Up is a final option to let it use its tremendous bulk and potentially Rapid Spin to run away with endgames.
In addition to its utility, a recurring theme so far has been "struggles agains Pecharunt" which Great Tusk can blow out of the water with Earthquake or Headlong Rush; even Earth Eater Pecharunt is not save, as Choice Band Mold Breaker sets are a viable option to also explode through Fluffy. Great Tusk's abilities are also vary varied, from Regenerator to Scrappy to Sword of Ruin to Mold Breaker to Water Absorb.
What sets does it use?
The main sets are physically defensive sets that aim to keep Rocks off while using Regenerator or Scrappy, but it can also pull off Bulk Up, Taunt + Stealth Rock, Choice Band Sword of Ruin or Mold Breaker, and even RegenVest sets to give it fantastic mixed bulk. Similar to Iron Hands, it can largely be tailored to fill a gap on your team, be it offensive or defensive gap, while providing Rapid Spin.
What team should I use it on?
Great Tusk fits on virtually every playstyle; RegenVest is a nice entry hazard remover on stall, the vast majority of its sets fit on balance and offense, and it can even do stuff like Eject Pack on hyper offensive to get a powerful hit and rapid momentum.
Slither Wing
Reason to use: Priority, pivoting, and Fire coverage
Slither Wing's main niches are priority and actually doing meaningful damage with U-turn. Most pivots are giving up the opportunity to do meaningful damage when pivoting, but 135 Attack STAB U-turn often boosted by an ability means business. Sure, you're still not doing much to Corviknight with it, but most Slither Wing carry Flare Blitz to make that a risky proposition. First Impression is also a powerful tool, especially when boosted by Tinted Lens, letting Slither Wing revenge kill a wide range of threats.
Rather than using its secondary STAB moves to provide extra coverage like Terrakion and Gapdos, Slither Wing still relies mostly on Close Combat for direct damage but uses priority + actual damage on U-turn to set itself apart. It has even more options as well, boasting Will-O-Wisp to cripple potential switch-ins and Morning Sun for longevity. It makes great use of Tinted Lens to add damage to First Impression and U-turn, but of course can still use everyone's favorite Sword of Ruin or even MGLO to switch and Flare Blitz freely.
What sets does it use?
Slither Wing mostly runs Choice Band sets featuring First Impression / U-turn / Close Combat / Flare Blitz alongside Tinted Lens or Sword of Ruin, giving it a nice combination of power, priority, pivoting, and annoying Fluffy users. Choice Band First Impression has some very obvious drawbacks, so other options like Heavy-Duty Boots or Magic Guard Life Orb are well worth mentioning; they also pair very well with Will-O-Wisp sets to punish switch ins.
What team should I use it on?
Slither Wing is a great choice for offensive teams that want powerful momentum generators and revenge killers; its ability to actually do meaningful damage on a pivot makes it a great partner for other physical attackers as they seek to overwhelm the opposing walls. It is not your best option for straight damage, espeically as it often relies on Tinted Lens.
Lucario
Reason to use: Powerful mixed coverage and priority
Steel Beam + Close Combat is funny. There are surprisingly few things that can comfortable eat both attacks, namely Iron Hands and Gholdengo, making it very hard to wall with the right opprotunities and factoring it its other two moveslots. Extreme Speed is also funny, who doesn't love going fast, esepcially after Swords Dance? Lucario also boasts a wide range of coverage moves alongside both Nasty Plot and Swords Dance, making it very unpredictable.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows for Lucario though, as it has a poor Speed tier and paper-thin bulk. For some reason, it is also limited to four moves, meaning it cannot run everything it wants in one set.
What sets does it use?
The main set is Magic Guard Life Orb with Close Combat, Steel Beam, and then two moves of your choice, usually one setup move and one coverage move. The priciple idea is to setup and wallbreak on one side while still nailing walls with a powerful STAB move on the other side. Alternatively, Swords Dance + Extreme Speed sets with an amp ability are also an option.
What team should I use it on?
Lucario is generally found on offensive teams where it's utter lack of defensive value is less of an issue. It still enjoys slow pivoting to get it in, or maybe dual screens support to help it set up, but mainly it is aiming to get in and do damage once or maybe twice.
Cobalion
Reason to use: Role compression and mixed coverage
Cobalion has a very distinct niche on offensive teams: set Rocks, pivot with Volt Switch, prevent Roaring Moon and Chien-Pao from just clicking their STAB moves to win, and do all of that without being passive. Covered above, but Close Combat + Steel Beam is annoyingly hard to switch into, especially when it can also just Volt Switch away.
What sets does it use?
It does one thing but it does it well; Magic Guard + Life Orb with Close Combat, Steel Beam, Stealth Rock, and Volt Switch. EVs to taste.
What team should I use it on?
Cobalion should solely be used on offensive teams looking for a non-passive Rocker and some insurance against Roaring Moon and Chien-Pao.
Chesnaught
Reason to use: Recovery + Spikes
Look, I am as surprised as you are this is viable, but it is a Fighting-type with recovery and Spikes. You can run Flame Body on it for a 30% chance to ruin your opponent's day, set Spikes to do something productive in pretty much all cases, and Iron Defense + Body Press lets you set up alongside things setting up faster.
What sets does it use?
IronPress with Synthesis and Spikes. Usually Flame Body cause that one team had it and burning Roaring Moon on a U-turn is really funny, but can probably do some other stuff like Well-Baked Body.
What team should I use it on?
Stall. More changes to activate Flame Body, can cover its multitude of weaknesses, likes Spikes.
Quaquaval
Reason to use: Typing + Recovery + Utility
I will be honest I am not sure anyone still uses this guy, but it has some versatility. Roost, U-turn, and resisting both of Chien-Pao's STAB moves isn't nothing, although you still need Intimidate to handle it reliably. It has snowballing potetntial with Swords Dance and Aqua Step. It has utility with Rapid Spin. MGLO Wave Crash does some damage to some things. Honestly the more I type the more I am convinced this is just a "I need one very specific combination of four things and that means Quacker."
What sets does it use?
The main ideas are MGLO with some combination of Swords Dance, Wave Crash, Close Combat, Aqua Step, Ice Spinner, and Knock Off, and defensive sets featuring usually Intimidate and some combination of Roost, U-turn, Rapid Spin, and a move that does some damage.
What team should I use it on?
Probably some flavor of balance-to-offensive team where you forgot removal or a check to Chien-Pao, or both.
Kommo-o
Reason to use: Mixed setup
This is on here for Galvanize Boomburst because I think it is funny. Also, Close Combat + Boomburst + Earthquake has insane coverage.
What sets does it use?
Galvanize Boomburst / Close Combat / Earthquake; Dragon Dance if you're on a normal team, Throat Spray Clangorous Soul if you're on a screens ladder team.
What team should I use it on?
Offense to hyper offense.
Zamazenta-Crowned
Reason to use: Do not use Zama-C
An ode to the actually broken Fighting-types
Fun fact, these are the broken guys after we already banned half a dozen. Iron Valiant had silly mixed coverage and a great Speed tier, Keldeo had silly "mixed" two move coverage, Annihilape had Rage Fist + Regenerator, both Urshifu formes had their dummy auto-crit signature moves, and Sneasler wasn't actually broken but people were afraid of Dire Claw. Hariyama, of course, is not broken, but is there to represent Triage Belly Drum, which was a major discussion element for the first year or so of the generation.
Okay I have my broken Fighting-type, what might annoy it?
Pecharunt is the single most annoying mon for most of the broken Fighting-types; it is immune to their broken STAB move, has recovery, tremendous bulk, and pivoting. It can't even be beat with Scrappy, as it still resists Close Combat. Many of them have at least one move to annoy it with, be it Knock Off or Earthquake or Crunch, but it is still very hard to break past without help, so make sure to get it that help.
Also immune to the broken STAB move (unless Scrappy), Gholdengo is also a major nuisance. It's much more meager bulk means coverage moves are a more legitimate route by it, but you still have the fun "Colbur or maybe immunity ability" roulette game to play.
Scream Tail outspeeds everyone but Zamazenta, quad resists Close Combat, can scout with Protect, has recovery in Wish, and might just straight-up delete you with Pixilate Boomburst.
(these guys are standing in for Fluffy) Most Fighting-types rely nearly-exclusively on contact moves, making Fluffy a major pain, especially since it can be found on unexpected users. Definitely make sure you have a plan for at least Corv though!
Fighting-types are, shockingly, very vunerable to being revenge killed by faster Psychic-types. While none of these guys want to switch in, you'd better make sure you have a plan for when they come in after a KO.
How do I support my broken Fighting-type?
This varries wildly by which one you're using, or even which set, but mainly get them in, have a plan for the relevant checks (mostly Ghosts, Psychics, and Fluffies), and if you're feeling really nice give them hazard and Future Sight support.
TL;DR: Fighting-types are broken and you should use more of them.
