What it does
Focus Blast is a Fighting-type special move with among the highest base power in the special move pool. Accuracy is 70%. That number matters: roughly one in three uses will miss, and a miss at a critical moment can flip the game.
Special-category Fighting moves are scarce. Most Fighting coverage is physical. For Pokémon that invest in Special Attack and need to hit Steel, Rock, or Normal targets, Focus Blast is often the only practical option in the slot. The coverage hit is necessary; the accuracy is the price.
A secondary Sp. Def drop chance exists on hit — treat it as upside, not the plan.
Who runs it
Zoroark uses it to hit Steel-type Pokémon that resist Dark. Steel halves Dark-type damage, so Focus Blast is what makes Zoroark threatening to those targets. Illusion already makes opponents uncertain about the switch-in — they can't safely bring in a Steel-type without confirming it's not impersonating something else.
Reuniclus (28% usage) has extreme Special Attack. Under Trick Room, it moves first and Focus Blast hits for enormous damage. The high power justifies the accuracy risk in those fast-KO situations.
Simipour uses it to hit Steel and Rock types that resist Water, covering the weakness in its main attacking type.
Alakazam occasionally runs it for Fighting coverage against Steel, Dark, and Normal targets.
How to use it
In doubles, click Focus Blast when you need to break through a high-Defense target that resists your other moves. The special Fighting hit gets through defensive Steel/Rock walls that your Sp. Atk Pokémon can't threaten otherwise.
The accuracy floor means you cannot fully rely on it in must-win moments. If the game hinges on this turn and a miss loses, factor the 30% miss rate into whether you have a backup option.
Tips & strategy
The core use case is non-negotiable: for a special attacker that needs Fighting coverage, there is no better option at this power level. Physical attackers almost always prefer Close Combat or Drain Punch for higher reliability.
Under Trick Room, Reuniclus pairs high Special Attack with moving first — Focus Blast at that power level can two-hit or one-hit most targets. The accuracy risk doesn't disappear, but the upside justifies it when the target is the right one.