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Choice Band Lairon is a powerful wallbreaker, capable of 2HKOing many physical walls and naturally bulky Pokemon such as Swalot, Meganium, and Vibrava. With Choice Band, Head Smash would-be 3HKOs on physical defensive Dusclops and Bulk Up Scraggy become safe 2HKOs after Stealth Rock damage. Heavy Slam is the preferred Steel-type STAB move because it hits Vibrava than harder Iron Head. Superpower is strong coverage against Klang and opposing Lairon. Iron Head is one of the better last slot options because it's a safer click against heavier targets like Swalot and Gigalith than a move that has a chance to miss in Head Smash or has a drawback of dropping Lairon's stats in Superpower. Shadow Claw is an alternative to give Lairon a way to actually damage Bronzor, however, it's still only a 3HKO and isn't very strong against other targets. Toxic is an option to take down Gourgeist-L and Vibrava, which can otherwise safely heal off damage from Lairon and threaten it back with Will-O-Wisp and Earthquake, respectively. Lairon is best on offensively oriented teams that are looking for a physical wallbreaker to clear the path for physical sweepers such as Scraggy, Huntail, and Klang. Lairon appreciates being paired with slower pivots like Dustox and Vibrava, which bring it into favorable matchups against their common switch-ins like Ivysaur and Jumpluff. Offensive checks to Bronzor such as Scraggy and Krokorok are important, as Lairon finds it almost impossible to break it. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Marshstomp, Krokorok, and Carbink is very helpful for getting Pokemon such as bulky Servine, Meganium, and Furfrou into favorable KO ranges for Lairon. Paralysis support from the likes of Servine and Duosion is greatly appreciated, since it can slow down threats that would otherwise outspeed and OHKO Lairon like Pignite and Simipour.

Lairon is a threatening cleaner with access to Rock Polish to let it outspeed the entire unboosted tier, a powerful Rock-type STAB move in Head Smash, and a solid defensive profile. Head Smash comes with no drawback with Lairon's Rock Head ability and OHKOes most offensive targets like Simisage, Frogadier, and Sawsbuck. Superpower is coverage against Pokemon that resist Head Smash like Scraggy, Klang, and opposing Lairon. Heavy Slam is coverage to OHKO Carbink and heavily damage Vibrava, and it is also a solid midground move against most switch-ins. Lairon does well on balance and offense teams looking for an endgame cleaner. Wallbreakers like Krokorok, Pignite, and Scraggy are all appreciated by Lairon, since they can help it get through physical walls that stifle it like Vibrava and Bronzor. Entry hazard setters like Marshtomp, Quilladin, and Whirlipede are appreciated for helping put foes into KO ranges; for example, physically defensive Swalot goes from being 3HKOed to being 2HKOed after Stealth Rock, and Electabuzz goes from being 2HKOed to being OHKOed after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Lairon likes being paired with teammates that can switch into common Choice Scarf users like Frogadier and Simipour, since it fails to outspeed some of them even after a Rock Polish, so Meganium, Dustox, and Servine make great partners. Lairon also does very well on offensive teams looking for a check to Persian and Furfrou for frailer teammates like Pikachu, Butterfree, and Swoobat.

Bulky Lairon is a great entry hazard setter, using its solid defensive typing and physical bulk to take on some of the tier's top threats like Persian, Klang, and Furfrou. Head Smash is Lairon's strongest STAB move and hits most Pokemon like Swalot, Carbink, and Quilladin, for great damage. Roar phazes foes that Lairon can't touch, like Bronzor, and disrupts setup attempts from Pokemon like Klang, Duosion, and Carbink. Vibrava and Gigalith both have an easy time switching into Lairon, so Toxic is the main option to wear them down. Superpower is an alternative to deal more immediate damage to Scraggy and Klang; however, it isn't as strong of an option against Vibrava, which can just shrug it off. Rock Head makes Head Smash more spammable because it stops Lairon from taking recoil damage that would cut into its bulk. Lairon uses maximum HP investment to avoid KOs that a set with no HP investment wouldn't, like the OHKO from Politoed's Scald and Eviolite Krokorok's Earthquake and the 2HKO from Bulk Up Scraggy's Drain Punch. Lairon does its best work on balance and offense teams looking for an entry hazard setter with a great defensive profile that can deal with a plethora of Pokemon like Persian, Dustox, and Duosion. Frailer teammates like Frogadier and Simipour appreciate Lairon's ability to eat hits from Persian and Furfrou. Lairon pairs well with offensive Quilladin on hazard-stacking teams because Lairon can phaze the opposing team to pile up chip damage, while Quilladin helps deal with a lot of Pokemon that Lairon is weak to such as Vibrava, Gigalith, and Krokorok. Other Grass-types like Simisage and Meganium really like having Lairon on their team because it comes in on Dustox and keeps Stealth Rock up against it for later chip damage. Lairon needs some support from the likes of Scraggy and Magic Guard Duosion against Bronzor, which completely walls it. Swalot is a great teammate that deals with the likes of Pignite and Scraggy while also absorbing Knock Off so Lairon doesn't lose its Eviolite.

Lairon is a dangerous Stealth Rock setter with its solid defensive typing, powerful Rock STAB move in Head Smash, and great coverage to discourage the entire tier from switching in safely. Lairon's Head Smash threatens to 2HKO many common defensive walls such as Swalot, Ivysaur, and Regenerator Duosion after Stealth Rock damage. Superpower hits Pokemon that resist Head Smash such as Scraggy, Klang, and opposing Lairon. Heavy Slam is preferred in the last slot as another STAB move that is stronger against lighter foes like Carbink and Vibrava. Roar is an alternative option to phaze Pokemon that want to come in and set up in front of Lairon like Duosion or to chip away at opposing Pokemon that sit on it like Bronzor. Toxic is an option that does well at chipping down a common switch-in, Vibrava, to deter it from coming in and removing Lairon's entry hazards. Toxic also wears down other Ground-types like Hippopotas and Marshtomp, which can comfortably switch into Lairon's attacks. Rock Head allows Head Smash to be a spammable move and keeps Lairon healthy. Lairon does well on balance and offensive teams looking for an entry hazard setter that can put pressure on hazard removers like Dustox and physical walls like Ivysaur and Carbink. Cleaners like Klang, Choice Scarf Krokorok, and Huntail appreciate Lairon's ability to put a dent in the likes of Swalot and Duosion. Teammates that can come in and take advantage of opposing Vibrava like Jumpluff and Ivysaur are appreciated. Vibrava is a great pairing, since it can deal with a lot of Pokemon that threaten Lairon such as Pignite, Krokorok, and Gigalith, while Lairon can come in on Pokemon that bother Vibrava like Dustox, Wigglytuff, and Persian. Lairon needs teammates that can help deal with Bronzor, since Bronzor outright walls and beats it, so Pokemon such as Krokorok, Scraggy, and Magic Guard Duosion help alleviate this problem. Faster teammates are always appreciated to make up for Lairon's slow Speed, especially those that benefit from its wallbreaking like Sawsbuck and Jumpluff.

Due to Head Smash, the ability to hold an Eviolite, and a typing that grants it multiple resistances, Lairon gets several opportunities to set up Stealth Rock or fire off a powerful attack. As Stealth Rock supports its teammates and checks dangerous Pokemon such as Charizard and Braviary, every team needs some sort of user of the move. Head Smash is the preferred STAB attack, which hits very hard coming off of Lairon, hitting significantly harder than even Golem's Stone Edge, and Earthquake covers the Rock- and Steel-types that could take the hit easily, although note that the lack of STAB means Head Smash outdamages it even if Earthquake is super effective. Roar allows Lairon to phaze an opponent that may be trying to set up on Lairon, such as Musharna or Braviary—notably, having Roar makes Lairon one of the best checks for Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary in NU. However, Toxic can cripple walls that can take multiple hits from Lairon, such as Alomomola and Tangela. Maximized Attack is preferred to take full advantage of Head Smash, although a physically defensive spread can make Lairon extremely durable on the physical side—it takes these hits well enough regardless, however, and its higher offensive presence is the main reason to use it over other Rock-types anyway. Iron Head allows Lairon to have an extra STAB attack, but it doesn't offer that much additional coverage and is usually inferior to Earthquake as it covers more targets. Lairon's common weaknesses warrant partners that can take these hits for it. Misdreavus in particular makes a very good partner due to its immunities to Ground and Fighting, as well as its ability to keep Stealth Rock from being spun away. Musharna is a similar partner, and can typically set up on Fighting-types due to its high bulk while still having enough bulk to take a fair amount of Earthquakes. Grass-types, especially Tangela and Roselia, also make good partners for Lairon. The former's ridiculous physical defense allows it to sponge Ground attacks very easily and take a fair amount of Fighting-type moves as well, while the latter has high special bulk and is able to easily take Water-type attacks that scare out Lairon. It can also use the opportunity to set up Spikes, which can further wear down opponents alongside Stealth Rock. In return, Lairon generally has a very easy time taking on Flying-type attacks, especially from the likes of Swellow and Braviary as it 4x resists both their STABs. Finally, Eelektross and Rotom-S make good partners as they both are immune to Ground-type attacks and have an Electric STAB in order to scare out Water-types. The latter can take on Fighting-types for Lairon, even though it does have difficulty switching into them occasionally, while the former can threaten Pokemon such as Golem or Seismitoad due to its access to Giga Drain.

Although defensive Lairon is arguably outclassed by Bastiodon and Probopass, it is with an offensive set that Lairon can distinguish itself from its fellow Rock- and Steel-types. Its base 90 Attack isn't too shabby and is more than compensated for by the high Base Power of Head Smash. Autotomize boosts Lairon's terrible Speed to decent levels and lets Lairon go for a sweep. Head Smash is its main offensive move and differentiates itself from other Rock Polish sweepers such as Camerupt. Head Smash hits most Pokemon ridiculously hard, especially as a large amount of Pokemon in NU are weak to Rock-type attacks. Earthquake hits all Pokemon that resist Head Smash for at least neutral damage, with Torterra being the only notable exception. Iron Head is a reliable STAB move that never misses and has a good chance to flinch the opponent after a Speed boost. Adamant is the nature of choice to give Lairon the most attacking power after full EV investment in Attack and Speed; however, Jolly can be used to let Lairon outrun Pokemon such as Swoobat. In general, though, it is not worth the reduction in power. Fighting- and Ground-types are Lairon's greatest enemies, so Flying-types and Levitating Ghost-types, such as Golbat and Misdreavus are once again Lairon's best partners. A dual screen user such as Gardevoir can aid in Lairon's sweep by setting up screens to safeguard Lairon from powerful hits and let it set up safely.

Thanks to a great base 90 Attack stat, a typing that allows some free switches, and decent coverage, a Choice Band set is very viable. Lairon's Steel typing gives it a bit of a niche over the other Rock-types in the tier, making it a bit less susceptible to the special attackers they are normally forced to switch out of like Chimecho, Roselia, and Haunter. Lairon also still completely walls the physical attackers it needs to. Hidden Power Rock and Iron Tail are the recommended STAB moves due to the former's reliability and the latter's sheer power. However, if you're uncomfortable using Iron Tail due to its accuracy, Rock Slide can be used over Hidden Power Rock and Hidden Power Steel can be used over Iron Tail. Earthquake and Double-Edge complete the set's coverage, with Double-Edge chosen in the last slot over Return thanks to the lack of recoil due to Rock Head. Some Speed EVs can be run to let Lairon outpace minimum Speed base 50s; however, Lairon needs all the bulk it can get in order to tank special attacks like Chimecho's Psychic. A switch-in to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks is needed for this set to be effective, making Pelipper, defensive Tangela, and Whiscash valued teammates. Lairon is extremely weak to most special attackers with this set even with its many resistances. Kecleon, Dewgong, and Lickitung are good specially defensive teammates that can take on a large portion of the special attackers in the tier, though they stack a major weakness to Hitmonchan with Lairon. Swalot is another option to switch into special attackers, and it can also take on the likes of Hitmonchan very well, though it too stacks a weakness to Ground-type attacks. An offensively inclined teammate like your own Hitmonchan is recommended, as Lairon effectively walls a number of Pokemon that normally force Hitmonchan out, particularly Pidgeot, Murkrow, and Raticate.

Lairon's typing and huge base Defense stat mean that it doesn't even need any investment in order to wall the physical attacks it needs to. Therefore, its Special Defense is invested to make use of the resistances it has, allowing it to check certain special attackers like Haunter, Chimecho, and Venomoth effectively. Hidden Power Rock or Hidden Power Steel is used as a STAB move depending on which Pokemon you'd like to target; Hidden Power Rock gets better super effective coverage, while Hidden Power Steel hits Hitmonchan and Ground-types neutrally, the latter of which are common switch-ins to Lairon. Toxic is the best way Lairon can spread damage around on the opponent's team considering Poison-types are unlikely to switch into it. Roar phazes the foe, prevents setup, exposes more Pokemon to Toxic damage, and racks up Spikes damage. Protect can be used in the last slot to further build up Toxic damage, scout for Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, and get some Leftovers recovery. However, Earthquake is a nice safety move to have that generally prevents Lairon from getting walled by a few Pokemon its STAB coverage misses out on, namely Water-types if using Hidden Power Steel and Ground-types if using Hidden Power Rock. A physically defensive EV spread can be run, as it decreases the damage from Hidden Power Ground from the likes of Choice Band Murkrow and Pidgeot pretty substantially, but it won't prevent Hidden Power or any Ground- or Fighting-type attack from 2HKOing Lairon, which is why the specially defensive EV spread is recommended. RestTalk can be used to greatly increase Lairon's longevity; however, due to Lairon's susceptibility to being easily OHKOed by common moves and the great utility of both Roar and Protect, it's hard to justify using it over the presented set. Both Rock Slide and Hidden Power Steel can be used on this set to give Lairon a bit more coverage, but it's largely unneeded and Protect is still an overall better choice considering the large number of Choice Band users in the tier. A switch-in to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks is needed for this set to be effective, making Pelipper, Tangela, and Chimecho valued teammates. Lairon can check a myriad of special attackers, but it's super weak to Water-type attacks and some special attackers can still break through, making special walls like Kecleon, Lickitung, and Bellossom great teammates. Spikes support is pretty crucial to this set's success, making Glalie, Cacturne, or particularly Roselia a needed teammate.