Bronzor is found in the Wayward Cave, Turnback Cave and Mt. Coronet in all three games; in Diamond and Pearl, it can also be found on Route 206, while in Platinum it is available on Route 211. In Turnback Cave and Mt. Coronet, Bronzong is also available.
Slow growth, terrible offensive stats but great and unique typing: the recipe of a war machine. Once evolved into Bronzong, the few things that could stop this species as a Bronzor almost entirely disappear, leaving it room to get rid of nearly everything. Saying Bronzong is amazingly strong would be an understatement: with the insane amount of resistances it has, and only one weakness to account for - whether Fire or Ground - this line has the upper hand over nearly everything in Sinnoh, and while not too easy to raise, it is incredibly easy to use and hard to lose. Bronzong is perfect for inexperienced players seeking an easier ride in one of the most difficult regions, as well as experienced ones who have spiced up their vanilla nuzlocke ruleset with additional restrictions.
Rival (Hearthome City): Bronzor can easily sweep the floor with Starly, 2-3HKOing with Extrasensory. Roselia is plainly 2HKOed, while Buizel is 3HKOed; stall by Hypnosis and Confuse Ray is advised against Grotle and the only option against Prinplup, which otherwise outdamages Bronzor by far. Heatproof specimens will find it relatively easy to get past Ponyta, whereas Levitate ones should avoid it; Monferno is easy to beat instead, as it has no Fire STAB at this point.
Gym #3 - Maylene (Veilstone City, Fighting-type): Bronzor has good bulk to take the hits from Maylene's Pokémon, but also not much to hit back with, especially as they have Drain Punch and will gradually regain health during the battle. Purchasing a Psychic TM from the Game Corner, however, improves Bronzor's damage output. Meditite should be 3HKOed by Psychic notwithstanding its Drain Punch recovery, though it will also wear Bronzor down; its health may be better off saved for Machoke, an easy 2-3HKO. This is the extent of the contribution Heatproof specimens can give to the gym fight, as a single Bone Rush that hits five times can KO Bronzor in one turn from full health. Levitate specimens, instead, suffer a much more reasonable 3HKO by Drain Punch, and can thus attempt to pull their usual stall shenanigans against Lucario. However, the matchup remains in Lucario's favour, and should Bronzor eventually be too weak to keep fighting, a backup switch-in should be ready.
Gym #4 - Crasher Wake (Pastoria City, Water-type): With Gyarados having the likes of Dragon Rage, Bronzor is not fit for this battle, as low as its base HP is. Levitate specimens will do very well against Quagsire, which only has Normal and Ground coverage; Heatproof specimens, naturally, need to stay away from it. Bronzor also has an unfavourable matchup against Floatzel, which 3HKOs with Brine, but it can attempt to confuse it and hope that it hits itself enough times for Bronzor to put it to sleep and then start using Psychic.
Rival (Pastoria City): The matchup is essentially unchanged from the Hearthome confrontation, except Bronzor should now have Psychic, which deals better damage than Extrasensory. Starly, Roselia and Buizel can be simply hit until they drop, whereas Grotle and Prinplup need Bronzor to stall them out. Ponyta and Monferno now both have Fire moves, so only Heatproof Bronzor should attempt to fight them.
Gym #5 - Fantina (Hearthome City, Ghost-type): Put Drifblim to sleep as soon as possible and prevent it from getting Ominous Wind stat boosts, which may be annoying paired with Minimize; even at +2, Ominous Wind remains a 3HKO against Bronzong, it will just be difficult to keep hitting if Minimize stacks. Gengar is 1-2HKOed by Psychic and, even in the event of a non-OHKO, its moveset is entirely physical and thus not frightening at all. Mismagius is more troublesome, and its Shadow Ball is about as strong as Bronzong's Psychic, but once again the stall can win; bring healing items in case they are needed, since Mismagius 3-4HKOs on average, but Shadow Ball can also cause Special Defense drops.
Rival (Canalave City): As Bronzong is now evolved, it no longer needs Confuse Ray to win against the rival. Psychic OHKOs Roselia and Monferno, 2HKOs Staravia, Heracross, Buizel and Ponyta, and 3HKOs Grotle and Prinplup. None of them can even remotely 2HKO Bronzong, not even the Fire-types, not even if Bronzong's ability is Levitate. Bronzong destroys this team.
Gym #6 - Byron (Canalave City, Steel-type): Having or not having Earthquake will make all the difference against Byron. Bronzor should be left alone at any rate; it has Levitate, and even though it is completely inoffensive against its evolved form, it would take Bronzong a painfully long time to beat it. Bronzong can only 3HKO Steelix with Earthquake, but Steelix has no Ground STAB, so this is not a problem. Bastiodon will also be 2HKOed, and should go down in two hits even if it uses Iron Defense once.
Saturn (Lake Valor): Kadabra is 2HKOed by Gyro Ball, and Psychic OHKOs Toxicroak. Let another Pokémon fight Bronzor; Bronzong would defeat it easily, but it would take countless turns and PP.
Mars (Lake Verity): Psychic 1-2HKOs Golbat and 2-3HKOs Purugly. Leave Bronzor to something that defeats it in a less painstakingly long way.
Gym #7 - Candice (Snowpoint City, Ice-type): Flash Cannon OHKOs Snover and 2HKOs Abomasnow. Either Flash Cannon or Gyro Ball will 1-2HKO Sneasel, depending on Bronzong's stats as well as damage variation. Bronzong may find itself at odds with Medicham's Bulk Up and Force Palm combination, but its Psychic can 3HKO without an issue and Bronzong can also take a +2 Force Palm from Medicham very well, which is as much as Medicham may ever get the chance to set up.
Cyrus (Galactic HQ): Flash Cannon 2HKOs Murkrow and Sneasel, whereas Psychic 2HKOs Golbat.
Saturn (Galactic HQ): Gyro Ball still 2HKOs Kadabra and Psychic OHKOs Toxicroak. Bronzong can theoretically fight Bronzor, but this is not recommended if a less painfully slow option is available.
Mars and Jupiter (Spear Pillar, tag battle with rival): Bronzong is perhaps one of the few Pokémon that does not have a lot to fear from this battle. The two Bronzor should definitely be defeated by another Pokémon, since they are no trouble for Bronzong themselves, but they can put up Reflect and Light Screen respectively, hindering Bronzong and its team. If Bronzong is physical, take down Jupiter's Bronzor first, which is the one with Reflect; vice versa if it is special. After the front rowers are down, taking down the two Golbat is easy for Bronzong, as it can 1-2HKO both and they can at most prove themselves to be an annoyance, as one of them has Confuse Ray and the other has Mean Look; nothing for Bronzong to worry about, but they may take a few more turns to defeat if confusion is either not healed, or repeatedly inflicted. Purugly is averagely 3HKOed by Psychic which, amongst Bronzong's possible moves, deals the highest amount of damage to it. Be wary of Skuntank if Bronzong's ability is Levitate, though: it has Flamethrower. While even a Levitate Bronzong can survive two, the upper limit is close to half of Bronzong's health, and a damaged Bronzong that is also attacked by Purugly may not survive. Heatproof specimens, instead, can 2HKO easily with Earthquake.
Cyrus (Spear Pillar): Honchkrow has Dark Pulse and may cause flinching, but if that never happens, Bronzong will 3HKO it with Flash Cannon. Crobat is easily 2HKOed by Psychic, though its Confuse Ray will make the matchup a game of luck; even constant healing will not work, as Crobat will always hit first. Either Flash Cannon or Gyro Ball dispose of Weavile in two hits. Heatproof specimens are destroyed by Gyarados' Earthquake, a 2HKO, whereas Levitate ones sit at a much more comfortable 3-4HKO by Waterfall; Gyarados is to be defeated strategically regardless, through Confuse Ray and Psychic spam, as Psychic does not quite match the power of Waterfall.
Dialga/Palkia (Spear Pillar): Bronzong resists everything except Palkia's Water Pulse, which it can still take well. Dialga can be simply 3HKOed by Earthquake, whereas stalling is recommended against Palkia; Psychic is only a 4-5HKO, and if Palkia hits itself in confusion a few times, the turns needed to beat it will decrease.
Gym #8 - Volkner (Sunyshore City, Electric-type): Earthquake earns Bronzong an easy victory against Raichu and Luxray, the former being a 1-2HKO and the latter being a certain 2HKO. Octillery and Ambipom can be 3HKOed with Psychic; although Ambipom may manage to Baton Pass a Nasty Plot to a teammate, Bronzong should not be concerned, as their special moves have low enough base power that only Octillery can 2HKO at +2 Special Attack with its best move.
Rival (Pokémon League): Psychic 2HKOs Staraptor, and will OHKO Heracross if it uses Close Combat beforehand; if it does not, however, Bronzong will need to switch out: Close Combat itself is likely to turn into a 2HKO, even at full health. Levitate specimens can take on Snorlax and outdamage it with Earthquake, aided by Confuse Ray, but Heatproof ones will be 2-3HKOed by Snorlax's own Earthquake before they can contribute significantly to beating it. Roserade and Floatzel are relatively harmless, and can be 2HKOed with Psychic; Empoleon can be defeated with two Earthquakes, providing that Bronzong manages to take a Brine and stay above half of its health even for the second hit, as a Brine from below half will kill. Levitate specimens can dodge Torterra's Earthquake and KO it with a combination of Confuse Ray and Psychic, whereas Heatproof specimens can Earthquake either Rapidash or Infernape to death by tanking Fire Blast and Flamethrower, respectively.
Elite Four Aaron (Pokémon League, Bug-type): Psychic is a clean OHKO against Dustox. Bronzong can opt for a 2-3HKO against Beautifly and Vespiquen, respectively, with either Psychic or Flash Cannon, or just OHKO them with Rock Slide. Drapion is 2HKOed by Earthquake and Heracross is either OHKOed or 2HKOed by Psychic; due to Bronzong's likely level advantage, its Close Combat will not 2HKO.
Elite Four Bertha (Pokémon League, Ground-type): A Bronzong with Heatproof can only defeat Quagsire, Whiscash and/or Sudowoodo, and only with the aid of Grass Knot for the first two, respectively an OHKO and a 2HKO against them. Quagsire only has Dig, which is predictable, whereas Whiscash lacks Ground STAB altogether. Sudowoodo's Earthquake is only a 3HKO due to no STAB, and Bronzong is slightly faster, so it could outspeed and OHKO with Flash Cannon (a chance, but not a guarantee; the 2HKO is also possible). If Sandstorm has already been used, Flash Cannon will only 2HKO, but that is still enough to beat Sudowoodo. Golem and Hippowdon would both 2HKO with Earthquake; while Golem is OHKOed by Grass Knot, this requires exposing Bronzong to a critical hit risk, and is only possible if it has not been damaged during the fight before. Levitate specimens will find both Pokémon significantly easier to beat; Hippowdon can be either 2HKOed with Grass Knot or 3HKOed with Psychic.
Elite Four Flint (Pokémon League, Fire-type): Unlike the previous matchup, this is dominated by Heatproof specimens and disadvantageous for Levitate ones. Rapidash can 2HKO Levitate Bronzong with Flare Blitz, and Earthquake only has a chance, not a certainty, to OHKO it; Bronzong also has an OHKO chance against Infernape with Psychic, but like Rapidash, it 2HKOs Bronzong with its Fire STAB if Bronzong has Levitate. A Bronzong with Levitate may attempt to take on either Rapidash or Infernape, though, as the Flare Blitz recoil paired with Earthquake/Psychic damage should KO it. Lopunny is possible for Heatproof specimens or for Levitate specimens when the sun is down, as its Fire Punch is an average 4HKO and Bronzong can 3HKO with Earthquake, unless Lopunny uses Charm; Bronzong should never use special moves against it, at any rate, because Lopunny has Mirror Coat. While Bronzong can dispatch Drifblim regardless of its ability, 3HKOing it with Psychic, this is not recommended as Drifblim can spam Double Team and Baton Pass the boosts to a teammate or even worse, get a stats-wide Ominous Wind boost and pass that. Steelix's Sunny Day and Fire Fang combination puts Levitate specimens at a decisive disadvantage, though otherwise a 3-4HKO with Earthquake is possible or, with Grass Knot, a 2-3HKO. Heatproof specimens can spam Earthquake to rack up as many wins as possible until Sunny Day is used, in which case even Heatproof will not be enough to shield Bronzong from 2HKOs if the Fire moves are supported by STAB.
Elite Four Lucian (Pokémon League, Psychic-type): Bronzong fares well against Lucian, 2HKOing Mr. Mime and Alakazam with Earthquake as well as 3HKOing Girafarig. Medicham can 3HKO with Fire Punch if Bronzong has Levitate, and Psychic only has a chance to 2HKO it, so only Heatproof Bronzong should take on Medicham. Heatproof specimens should avoid Lucian's Bronzong due to its Earthquake, whereas Levitate specimens can stall it out if needed, as Psychic remains a 5HKO even after six Calm Minds. However, it is recommended that another Pokémon - preferably with Fire coverage - be used against Bronzong first, so that the majority of its health will be chipped away faster; a Bronzong mirror match is incredibly long, and Bronzong should come back into battle only in a pinch.
Champion Cynthia (Pokémon League): Spiritomb should be dispatched with Flash Cannon, a 3HKO on average; Roserade is 2HKOed by Psychic. Bronzong's matchup against Milotic is unfavourable: its Surf slightly outdamages Earthquake, both of which are 4HKOs on average, and Mirror Coat prevents Bronzong from using its special moves safely; if Bronzong is the best option, it needs to be healed as it fights. Earthquake 2HKOs Lucario, but the matchup is only safe for Levitate carriers, as Lucario's own Earthquake has a chance to 2HKO as well. If Bronzong somehow outspeeds Gastrodon, it can 2HKO it with Grass Knot regardless of its ability; if it cannot, only Levitate ones should fight Gastrodon, as Heatproof will cause a 2HKO by the hand of Gastrodon's Earthquake. Garchomp is impossible for Heatproof specimens, since its coverage includes Earthquake; Levitate ones can wear it down with Psychic, though as Brick Break is a 4-5HKO against Bronzong, it will likely need to be healed at least once before it can defeat Cynthia's ace.
Post-Game: Bronzong can make short work of enemies just on the grounds of being a Bronzong, and everyone should know that by now. Especially said enemies.
Gym #2 - Gardenia (Eterna City, Grass-type): Although Bronzor can 4HKO Turtwig with Extrasensory without taking much damage from it, it may be wise to kill Turtwig with a Pokémon that can get the job done faster instead, because it will otherwise set up Sunny Day and/or Reflect and make Cherrim nearly unkillable for five turns. Cherrim itself is not terribly strong, but if backed by Sunny Day, it will outdamage Bronzor's Extrasensory with Grass Knot and also add Leech Seed in the mix. Roserade has Stun Spore in its Annoying Move slot, instead of Leech Seed, which puts Bronzor at an advantage: it can 3-4HKO it with Extrasensory, courtesy of Roserade's Psychic weakness.
Jupiter (Galactic Eterna Building): Zubat is easily put to rest by two Extrasensory. Bronzor is one of the few things in existence that can withstand even a critical Night Slash from Skuntank, although it can barely land a scratch on it with Tackle; however, Confuse Ray will help it wear down Skuntank very slowly, but also without risks.
Gym #3 - Fantina (Hearthome City, Ghost-type):Duskull is averagely 4HKOed by Extrasensory; Confuse Ray can help Bronzor get the job done. Duskull's Will-O-Wisp may compromise Bronzor's bulk, however, so having Burn Heals or other items that can heal burns is recommended. Haunter is 2HKOed, plain and simple. Mismagius is too much, even for Bronzor: its Shadow Ball comes close to 2HKOing, so the most Bronzor can do - if still above half health - is use Confuse Ray and then switch out, letting a more suitable Pokémon finish the job.
Rival (Hearthome City): Bronzor can easily sweep the floor with Staravia and its Hypnosis + Confuse Ray combo, dealing chip damage with Extrasensory in the process. Roselia is sooner 2HKOed by Extrasensory, while Buizel is 3HKOed; stall is advised against Grotle and the only option against Prinplup, which otherwise outdamages Bronzor by far. Heatproof specimens will find it relatively easy to get past Ponyta or Monferno, whereas Levitate ones should avoid them.
Gym #4 - Maylene (Veilstone City, Fighting-type): Bronzor has good bulk to take the hits from Maylene's Pokémon, but also not much to hit back with, especially as they have Drain Punch and will gradually regain health during the battle. Purchasing a Psychic TM from the Game Corner, however, improves Bronzor's damage output. Meditite should be 3HKOed by Psychic notwithstanding its Drain Punch recovery, though it will also wear Bronzor down; its health may be better off saved for Machoke, an easy 2-3HKO. This is the extent of the contribution Heatproof specimens can give to the gym fight, as a single Bone Rush that hits five times can KO Bronzor in one turn from full health. Levitate specimens, instead, suffer a much more reasonable 3HKO by Drain Punch, and can thus attempt to pull their usual stall shenanigans against Lucario. However, the matchup remains in Lucario's favour, and should Bronzor eventually be too weak to keep fighting, a backup switch-in should be ready.
Rival (Pastoria City): Bronzong should be evolved by now, and if that is the case, it no longer needs Confuse Ray to win against the rival. Psychic OHKOs Roselia and Monferno, 2HKOs Staravia, Buizel and Ponyta, and 3HKOs Grotle and Prinplup. None of them can even remotely 2HKO Bronzong, not even the Fire-types, not even if Bronzong's ability is Levitate. Bronzong destroys this team.
Gym #5 - Crasher Wake (Pastoria City, Water-type): While Gyarados' Waterfall is close to a 3HKO and can make Bronzong flinch, Confuse Ray is a great weapon to have against it, since Gyarados' comparative Attack and Defense make it inflict itself considerable damage when confusion kicks in; failing Confuse Ray, Psychic can still net a 3-4HKO against Gyarados. Bronzong's Psychic outdamages both Quagsire's Mud Shot (even in the event of Heatproof) and Floatzel's Brine and Crunch, resulting in a 3HKO against both; against Floatzel, however, resorting to Confuse Ray is still a good idea: a Brine boosted by Bronzong's health being already below half can actually chip away the rest of it.
Cyrus (Celestic Town): The damage Gyro Ball will deal varies with Bronzong's Speed, but it should be good on average. Sneasel is 1-2HKOed by it, and it will typically achieve a 3HKO against Murkrow. Golbat can be simply 2HKOed by Psychic. Bronzong will only need to switch out if Sneasel lands a Screech on it, as that move will impair its defensive capabilities.
Rival (Canalave City): Psychic 3HKOs Staraptor, whose moves deal rather pitiful damage. Heracross is 2HKOed by Psychic, and can only hope to 3HKO with Brick Break, which it will not have the time to do; Floatzel and Roserade are also 2HKOed, and have even less chances of dealing damage, due to their low-power moves and Bronzong's resistances respectively. Though Rapidash is only a 3HKO, its only STAB move is Fire Spin, which is far outdamaged by Bronzong's own STAB, as are its Normal-type moves. All Bronzong can fight Torterra without worries, as it lacks Ground STAB and its strongest move against Bronzong is Bite, which Psychic can easily outdamage; Confuse Ray can help Bronzong break away from the Bite flinch rate, as well. Only Heatproof Bronzong should attempt Infernape, however, since its Flame Wheel can 2HKO Levitate ones and Psychic is also only a 2HKO. Empoleon is theoretically stall-able, but it requires far too long for Bronzong to take it down and its BubbleBeam is an average 3-4HKO, so using Bronzong against Empoleon is not worth it, especially in presence of better counters.
Gym #6 - Byron (Canalave City, Steel-type): Having or not having Earthquake will make all the difference against Byron. Without it, Magneton should not be fought, as its Thunderbolt outdamages Psychic; Earthquake, instead, allows an easy OHKO. Only Levitate specimens should fight Steelix, which can otherwise 2HKO Bronzong with STAB Earthquake; Bronzong's is only a 3HKO. While Bastiodon's directly damaging moves are not dangerous, its Metal Burst is, and Earthquake can KO it only around half health or below; in addition, Bastiodon's Iron Defense will quickly increase the turns needed to KO it. Bronzong should, if possible, put it to sleep with Hypnosis before hitting it, or rely on indirect damage induced by Confuse Ray instead. It would still be simpler to have a Pokémon one-shot Bastiodon if possible, because even confusion recoil will do next to nothing after an Iron Defense or more.
Saturn (Lake Valor): Golbat is 1-2HKOed by Psychic, which also OHKOs Toxicroak. Let another Pokémon fight Bronzor; Bronzong would defeat it easily, but it would take countless turns and PP.
Mars (Lake Verity): Psychic 1-2HKOs Golbat and 2-3HKOs Purugly. Leave Bronzor to something that defeats it in a less painstakingly long way.
Gym #7 - Candice (Snowpoint City, Ice-type): Piloswine can 2HKO Bronzong with Earthquake, and Bronzong can only 2HKO with Flash Cannon; if Bronzong has Heatproof, it should avoid Piloswine, whereas Levitate carriers will defeat it without a problem. Either Flash Cannon or Gyro Ball will 1-2HKO Sneasel, depending on Bronzong's stats as well as damage variation. Flash Cannon will also 2HKO Abomasnow and Froslass; Froslass is the only potentially annoying member of Candice's team, as it can spam Double Team on top of Snow Cloak activating through Hail. Regardless, Bronzong will never really be in danger; Shadow Ball is only a 4HKO at best, and should Bronzong drop below -2 Special Defense, all it needs to do is switch out and then switch back in.
Cyrus (Galactic HQ): Flash Cannon 2HKOs Sneasel, whereas Psychic 2HKOs Crobat. Strategic play is needed against Honchkrow: it can 3HKO with Night Shade, and Bronzong's Flash Cannon is also a 3HKO; however, if Confuse Ray makes it hit itself in confusion at least once, the matchup will be turned upside down. Hypnosis is not viable, as Honchkrow has Insomnia.
Saturn (Galactic HQ): Psychic still 1-2HKOs Golbat and OHKOs Toxicroak. Bronzong can theoretically fight Bronzor, but this is not recommended if a less painfully slow option is available.
Mars and Jupiter (Spear Pillar, tag battle with rival): Bronzong is perhaps one of the few Pokémon that does not have a lot to fear from this battle. The two Bronzor should definitely be defeated by another Pokémon, since they are no trouble for Bronzong themselves, but they can put up Reflect and Light Screen respectively, hindering Bronzong and its team. If Bronzong is physical, take down Jupiter's Bronzor first, which is the one with Reflect; vice versa if it is special. After the front rowers are down, taking down the two Golbat is easy for Bronzong, as it can 1-2HKO both and they can at most prove themselves to be an annoyance, as one of them has Confuse Ray and the other has Mean Look; nothing for Bronzong to worry about, but they may take a few more turns to defeat if confusion is either not healed, or repeatedly inflicted. Purugly is averagely 3HKOed by Psychic which, amongst Bronzong's possible moves, deals the highest amount of damage to it. Be wary of Skuntank if Bronzong's ability is Levitate, though: it has Flamethrower. While even a Levitate Bronzong can survive two, the upper limit is close to half of Bronzong's health, and a damaged Bronzong that is also attacked by Purugly may not survive. Heatproof specimens, instead, can 2HKO easily with Earthquake.
Cyrus (Distortion World): Houndoom can be 2HKOed with Earthquake by Heatproof specimen; Levitate specimens will unfortunately be terminated by Flamethrower before they can win. Honchkrow has Heat Wave and can 2HKO with it, so once again, this is solely a Heatproof specimen's job; Flash Cannon will 3HKO it. Crobat is easily 2HKOed by Psychic no matter Bronzong's ability, though its Confuse Ray will make the matchup a game of luck; even constant healing will not work, as Crobat will always hit first. Either Flash Cannon or Gyro Ball dispose of Weavile in two hits. Heatproof specimens are destroyed by Gyarados' Earthquake, a 2HKO, whereas Levitate ones sit at a much more comfortable 3-4HKO by Waterfall; Gyarados is to be defeated strategically regardless, through Confuse Ray and Psychic spam, as Psychic does not quite match the power of Waterfall.
Giratina (Distortion World): Bronzong is 2HKOed by Shadow Force, but Confuse Ray is a great help in preventing it from hitting. Shadow Force is a two-turn move, and confusion makes it complete only 25% of the time; Giratina's other moves are 4HKOs at best, unless its AncientPower earns it a stat boost or more. Although Bronzong will averagely take more turns to KO Giratina than the other way round, it can actually pull it off if kept healed.
Gym #8 - Volkner (Sunyshore City, Electric-type): Earthquake earns Bronzong an easy victory against Jolteon and Raichu, both of which will be 1-2HKOed depending on stats and damage variation. Luxray's Fire Fang comes close to a 2HKO against Levitate specimens, but Bronzong can 2HKO for certain, and should be able to win the matchup if kept healthy. Electivire, on the other hand, 2HKOs Bronzong flat with Levitate, and should only be taken on by Heatproof ones, which can 2HKO it safely.
Rival (Pokémon League): Psychic 2HKOs Staraptor, and will OHKO Heracross if it uses Close Combat beforehand; if it does not, however, Bronzong will need to switch out: Close Combat itself is likely to turn into a 2HKO, even at full health. Levitate specimens can take on Snorlax and outdamage it with Earthquake, aided by Confuse Ray, but Heatproof ones will be 2-3HKOed by Snorlax's own Earthquake before they can contribute significantly to beating it. Roserade and Floatzel are relatively harmless, and can be 2HKOed with Psychic; Empoleon can be defeated with two Earthquakes, providing that Bronzong manages to take a Brine and stay above half of its health even for the second hit, as a Brine from below half will kill. Levitate specimens can dodge Torterra's Earthquake and KO it with a combination of Confuse Ray and Psychic, whereas Heatproof specimens can Earthquake either Rapidash or Infernape to death by tanking Fire Blast and Flamethrower, respectively.
Elite Four Aaron (Pokémon League, Bug-type): Bronzong can opt for a 2HKO and a 3HKO against Yanmega and Vespiquen, respectively, with either Psychic or Flash Cannon, or just OHKO them with Rock Slide. Drapion is 2HKOed by Earthquake and Heracross is either OHKOed or 2HKOed by Psychic; due to Bronzong's likely level advantage, its Close Combat will not 2HKO. Earthquake is an average 3HKO against Scizor, as well.
Elite Four Bertha (Pokémon League, Ground-type): A Bronzong with Heatproof can only defeat Whiscash, and only with the aid of Grass Knot, a 2HKO against it. Whiscash's Ground STAB is Earth Power, only a 3HKO against Bronzong. Golem, Gliscor, Hippowdon and Rhyperior would all 2HKO with Earthquake; while Golem is OHKOed by Grass Knot, this requires exposing Bronzong to a critical hit risk, and is only possible if it has not been damaged during the fight before. Levitate specimens will find these Pokémon significantly easier to beat; Golem's Fire Punch is not that bad even for a Levitate carrier, and Hippowdon can be either 2HKOed with Grass Knot or 3HKOed with Psychic. Gliscor suffers a Psychic 3HKO despite having Fire Fang, super effective in theory, but with low damage output in practice, sitting at 4-5HKO. Rhyperior can be OHKOed with Grass Knot or 2HKOed with Flash Cannon.
Elite Four Flint (Pokémon League, Fire-type): Unlike the previous matchup, this is dominated by Heatproof specimens and disadvantageous for Levitate ones. No matter Bronzong's ability, Earthquake dispatches Houndoom in one hit, and its Flamethrower is only a 2HKO. However, Flareon, Rapidash and Magmortar can all 2HKO Levitate Bronzong with their moves, and Earthquake only has a chance, not a certainty, to OHKO them; Magmortar is a certain 2HKO. Bronzong also has an OHKO chance against Infernape with Psychic, but like the other three, it 2HKOs Bronzong with its Fire STAB if Bronzong has Levitate; this is a Pokémon even Levitate specimens can take on, though, as the Flare Blitz recoil paired with Psychic damage should KO it. Heatproof specimens can spam Earthquake to rack up as many wins as possible until Sunny Day is used, in which case even Heatproof will not be enough to shield Bronzong from 2HKOs.
Elite Four Lucian (Pokémon League, Psychic-type): Bronzong fares well against Lucian, 2HKOing Mr. Mime and Alakazam with Earthquake as well as 3HKOing Espeon. Gallade will take three or four hits, depending on how much damage it deals (and recovers) with Drain Punch, but Bronzong can still fight it safely. Heatproof specimens should avoid Lucian's Bronzong due to its Earthquake, whereas Levitate specimens can stall it out if needed, as Psychic remains a 5HKO even after six Calm Minds. However, it is recommended that another Pokémon - preferably with Fire coverage - be used against Bronzong first, so that the majority of its health will be chipped away faster; a Bronzong mirror match is incredibly long, and Bronzong should come back into battle only in a pinch.
Champion Cynthia (Pokémon League): Spiritomb should be dispatched with Flash Cannon, a 3HKO on average; Roserade is 2HKOed by Psychic. Bronzong's matchup against Milotic is unfavourable: its Surf slightly outdamages Earthquake, both of which are 4HKOs on average, and Mirror Coat prevents Bronzong from using its special moves safely; if Bronzong is the best option, it needs to be healed as it fights. Earthquake 2HKOs Lucario without risks, and Psychic will eventually KO Togekiss if Bronzong can be healed at least once, since Togekiss' Aura Sphere deals about as much damage as Bronzong's Psychic and Togekiss is faster. Garchomp is impossible for Heatproof and Levitate specimens alike, since its coverage includes both Flamethrower and Earthquake; Flamethrower, however, is a 3HKO, whereas Earthquake is a 1-2HKO. If Bronzong has Levitate, is still healthy, and manages to boost its Special Attack at least twice with Charge Beam before fighting Garchomp, Psychic is guaranteed to 2HKO, though the OHKO is only possible at +6.
Post-Game: Bronzong can make short work of enemies just on the grounds of being a Bronzong, and everyone should know that by now. Especially said enemies.
Moves[]
Bronzor starts off with Confusion, Hypnosis, Imprison, and either Tackle or Confuse Ray depending on its level, as it learns the latter at 14. In Diamond and Pearl, Hypnosis is reliable enough, with its base 70% accuracy; it can be boosted further by using a Wide Lens later on. Confuse Ray is a keeper in all games. At level 19, it learns Extrasensory, which is a good upgrade to Confusion, but will still not deal a lot of damage with Bronzor's low offensive stats. At level 26, Iron Defense comes around; this is useful and contends with Reflect for the good physical support move that most Bronzong will likely want. It then gets Safeguard at level 30, though this move is not really worth having. Upon evolving, it learns Block if at level 33, but this is also not worth having. On the other hand, Gyro Ball, which rolls around at 38, is likely Bronzong's best asset; be careful with the Speed EVs Bronzong gets, as they will matter a lot because its base Speed is low, and Bronzong wants it to be as low as possible for this move. Not much else is available; Future Sight at 43 is worse than Extrasensory, Faint Attack at 50 comes too late to be of any use, and Payback at 61 may be tempting, but most Bronzong will likely only have it at the doors of the Elite Four, where better options will likely have outclassed it. There is also Heal Block at level 67, but the move is not worth training that far.
Bronzong benefits from fantastic TM support, which makes it very versatile. Even its average Special Attack becomes very usable with the support of Calm Mind, which... sadly is postgame only. However, Charge Beam is accessible as well, and it yields a similar outcome; Bronzong's bulk is great, so it is unlikely to need a boost as it powers up. It can sweep with Psychic, Flash Cannon, Shadow Ball and even Grass Knot after increasing its Special Attack, depending on the team's coverage needs. Its good physical Attack sadly has less of a use, because there is no way of boosting it short of X Attacks; still, it gets good coverage in the form of Earthquake, Rock Slide and Gyro Ball, which can be purchased early as well, through the Veilstone Game Corner. On the support side, it has more than everything it needs: access to Reflect and Light Screen to support the team and make its bulk even more majestic, Trick Room for massive Gyro Ball sweeps, down to Toxic and Sandstorm for stall. It can even cover its Fire weakness with Rain Dance if needed, unless it already has Heatproof. There is little more one could want from a single Pokémon.
Tutors make Bronzong's movepool even better in Platinum, giving it access to Zen Headbutt on the physical side, and AncientPower and Signal Beam on the special side. Iron Head, unfortunately, is postgame-only.
Recommended movesets:
Physical: Trick Room, Gyro Ball, Earthquake, Rock Slide
Support: Reflect, Light Screen, Hypnosis [Diamond and Pearl only] / Confuse Ray, Gyro Ball
Recommended Teammates[]
Pokémon that are good against Fire-types (Levitate): Since Bronzong only has one weakness, finding a counter for the Pokémon that have strong STAB against it should be trivial. Levitate specimens are even easier to cover for than Heatproof specimens, due to the abundance of Water-types.
Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others:Gyarados, Golem, Floatzel, Gastrodon, Whiscash, Sudowoodo, Garchomp, Azumarill, Tentacruel, Milotic, Vaporeon (Platinum only), Altaria (Platinum only), Rhyperior (Platinum only)
Pokémon that are good against Ground-types (Heatproof): While not as easy to cover for than Fire, there are plenty of good Ground counters in Sinnoh. Grass-types do the best job, but in their absence, most Water-types and some Flying-types function just as well.
Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others:Torterra, Staraptor, Gyarados, Gengar, Mismagius, Pelipper, Carnivine, Mantine, Abomasnow, Gliscor (Platinum only), Leafeon (Platinum only), Altaria (Platinum only), Togekiss (Platinum only), Tangrowth (Platinum only)
Fast hitters: The only thing one should never expect from a Bronzong is for it to deliver the first blow, except if Trick Room is active. In any case, Trick Room setups may be inconvenient in portions of a battle, so a good glass cannon should support Bronzong.
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Bronzong's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
67
127 - 174
244 - 338
Attack:
89
84 - 155
164 - 304
Defense:
116
108 - 184
213 - 364
Sp.Atk:
79
75 - 144
146 - 282
Sp.Def:
116
108 - 184
213 - 364
Speed:
33
34 - 93
63 - 181
Total:
500
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Bronzor Line Ratings
Availability
Matchups
Movepool
Survivability
Type Usefulness
Team Role
Offensive Utility
Defensive Utility
Tankiness
Fun Factor
Overall
What Nature do I want? Anything that lowers Speed, to make Gyro Ball hit even harder. It does not matter much which one it is, though Brave natures will obviously favour a physically oriented development, while Quiet natures will give special sweeping a boost; Relaxed and Sassy can work with either. Natures that lower Attack and/or Special Attack are also not bad, as both offensive stats are usable.
Which Ability do I want? Levitate. Heatproof is great as well, but Sinnoh has very few Fire-types to account for, particularly in Diamond and Pearl; Bronzong will see more Earthquakes than Fire Blasts, and for this reason, a Levitate Bronzong will have slightly better overall matchups than its Heatproof equivalent.
At what point in the game should I be evolved? By Maylene, if possible, as Bronzong has a significantly better matchup than Bronzor at that point. Failing that, it is usually fine to wait until after Crasher Wake in Diamond and Pearl, while in Platinum, Bronzong will need to be evolved before that gym fight.
How good is the Bronzor line in a Nuzlocke? It is amazing. Almost nothing can stop it, especially if it has Levitate, and it is so versatile it will find a use for every single nature it has and every single team it gets onto. Bronzong is strong and flexible, easily one of the best nuzlocke Pokémon to have.
Weaknesses: Ground (Heatproof), Fire (Levitate)
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Steel, Grass, Ice, Dragon, Psychic (x0.25)
Immunities: Poison, Ground (Levitate)
Neutralities: Fighting, Bug, Water, Electric, Ghost, Dark, Fire (Heatproof)
