Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
75
|
- |
24 |
27 |
- |
| Atk |
95
|
14 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
| Def |
125
|
17 |
19 |
22 |
24 |
| SpA |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| SpD |
75
|
12 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
| Spe |
95
|
14 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
Overview
Gliscor ranks among the best Pokemon in OU thanks to its ability to reliably counter many prominent new physical threats, such as the monstrous Terrakion. Its stellar defenses and handy resistances and immunities give Gliscor ample opportunities to switch in, and make Gliscor very difficult to break. Gliscor also happens to receive one of the best Dream World abilities in Poison Heal, effectively giving it double Leftovers recovery each turn. It is also capable of taking the offensive with it's Acrobatics set. Its wide movepool means Gliscor can play a variety of roles, making it quite difficult to counter without knowing its exact set. Although Gliscor's miserable Special Defense and the prevalence of Drizzle Politoed can sometimes make things difficult, it has the overall stats and typing to merit consideration for any team, especially in a tier dominated by sandstorm sweepers.
Move over Jirachi and Breloom; Gliscor is here to make its case for the most annoying Pokemon in the game with this set. By alternating between Protect and Substitute, Gliscor can effectively stall out its opponent's PP without losing any health since Poison Heal heals one-eighths of its health each turn. This strategy can be incredibly hard to stop if Gliscor nabs a Substitute and your opponent isn't running a Taunt user or a phazer. For instance, most bulky Rotom-W will fail to outpace Gliscor, meaning Gliscor can quickly stall out Hydro Pump's meager 8 PP and then wear it down with Toxic. Earthquake is Gliscor's only attack, but it should see limited use as Gliscor will mainly focus on stalling its opponents. Toxic will help kill off Pokemon that are immune to Earthquake after they have been sufficiently stalled, and is crucial for defeating the aforementioned Rotom-W. However, Taunt is an option to prevent phazing, while Ice Fang will make Dragon- and Flying-types think twice before switching in.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Gliscor needs a bit of team support in order for it to reach its maximum effectiveness (in layman's terms: for it to be as annoying as possible). Most of Gliscor's teammates should revolve around helping it outstall opposing Pokemon. The first place you should look is a weather inducer in the form of either Tyranitar and Hippowdon. Tyranitar is the ideal partner, because it can defeat special attackers such as Heatran that Gliscor will have trouble with, and its ability, Sand Stream, will summon a permanent sandstorm to help wear down Gliscor's counters. Tentacruel is also an extremely effective partner for Gliscor, not only because of their great synergy, but also because it can set up Toxic Spikes to slowly kill grounded Pokemon that aren't Steel-type. Since Gliscor is likely to be found on more defensive and stall-based teams, Tentacruel's ability to use Rapid Spin and to absorb opposing Toxic Spikes can be very useful for the entire team. Although Gliscor can outstall it a bit, Bronzong will almost always come out on top by burning some useless PP and then killing Gliscor with Hidden Power Ice. Skarmory is also troublesome, because Gliscor lacks any way of damaging it, and it can easily phaze Gliscor out in return. Rotom-W is a fine way of dealing with Bronzong and Skarmory, while Heatran is also a solid choice assuming you avoid switching into Bronzong's Earthquake. They are also both solid ways of dealing with Swords Dance Scizor, who can use Gliscor as fodder to set up. Strong special attackers that are faster than Gliscor can break its Substitute and then threaten to OHKO it, so it is advisable to pack something to deal with common threats such as Latios. Blissey makes a fine choice thanks to her ability to take virtually any special attack, and she can also directly support Gliscor with Wish.
This set passes up the use of Gliscor's fantastic ability to wall a variety of dangerous threats, and instead acts as an excellent lure to many of its usual switch-ins. This set is derived from the one that was so popular in Little Cup for Gligar, and it shows great effectiveness in OU. This set can usually get a Substitute up with ease, and then set up with Swords Dance to wreak havoc with its +2 Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics.
The moves listed allow Gliscor to reach its maximum offensive potential. Substitute is used to great effect on this set, as when Gliscor first switches in, most opponents expect it use Protect to activate Toxic Orb. This Gliscor, however, can Substitute, and then Swords Dance up before wrecking the switch-in with an extremely powerful attack. Acrobatics, when boosted by a Flying Gem, can OHKO even Rotom-W, which resists the attack, after Stealth Rock.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The two attacking moves on this set are obvious. Acrobatics is there to give a 110 Base Power attack, before STAB and the Flying Gem boost, while Earthquake is used for Gliscor's other attack, as it too has STAB, and it provides excellent coverage in conjunction with Acrobatics. Support moves shouldn't really be considered, since a +2 Acrobatics is going to cripple a wall just as much as, say, being inflicted with Toxic poison would; change to a more defensive set if you're going to bother with support moves.
You can, however, choose to run different attacking moves, and Roost is also acceptable. Fire Fang is a solid choice, since at +4, Gliscor has a chance to 2HKO physically defensive Skarmory, and the standard variant is always 2HKOed, even at only +2. Roost can be used to recover lost HP, allowing Gliscor to create more Substitutes, but then Gliscor has to give up either Substitute or an attacking move, and most of the time it just really isn't worth it.
Also, Gliscor is better off without a coverage move most of the time, as Acrobatics is capable of dealing catastrophic damage. These calculations show just how immensely powerful Gliscor's Acrobatics can be.
- vs. 112/0 Rotom-W 83.64% - 98.14%
- vs. 4/0 Rotom-W 92.98% - 109.09%
- vs. 252/252+ Slowbro 81.73% - 96.19%
- vs. 252/252+ Milotic 101.27% - 119.04%
- vs. 252/184+ Porygon2 69.79% - 82.09%
- vs. 252/184+ Gliscor 86.72% - 102.54%
Each of the above Pokemon is then subsequently outsped and 2HKOed, bar Choice Scarf Rotom-W, which is OHKOed after Stealth Rock.
When one looks at this set, one may be thinking: "Aren't I giving up all of Gliscor's potential defensive prowess by running this set?" Well, you'd be wrong to suggest this, as Gliscor can still take on most physical sweepers without too much difficulty. This Gliscor can also take a Scald from any defensive bulky Water-type and KO back with either Earthquake or Acrobatics.
As this set is so excellent at removing Rotom-W, Pokemon that do well when it is removed work excellently as teammates. Pokemon such as Terrakion, which appreciate the removal of Rotom-W and other bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, work wonders here. A few Pokemon do beat this set, though, and Skarmory, OU's best bird, is one of those. It can simply Whirlwind away Gliscor, or even set up a layer of Spikes if it dares. Bronzong is in the same boat, and it has Hidden Power Ice to annihilate Gliscor, sending it to its grave. Magnezone is an example of an exemplary teammate to get rid of those nasty Steel-types, and it allows Gliscor's team to perhaps form a Dragon-type + Magnezone combination. Back to counters, if Gliscor is without a Substitute, anything faster with a super effective move can take it out, including but not limited to Choice Scarf Politoed, Latios, and Starmie. They must beware of a potential miss, however.
Despite its defensively leaning stats, Gliscor functions superbly as a bulky sweeper. Swords Dance allows Gliscor to boost its Attack to sky-high levels in just one turn, and its great natural bulk makes it easy to shrug off hits as Gliscor is setting up. Even with such an offensive moveset, Gliscor is still one of the few Pokemon who is able to counter some menacing physical threats, namely Conkeldurr. As such, being able to function as both a stallbreaker and reliable wall at the same time is a unique quality that separates Gliscor from most other Pokemon.
Earthquake is Gliscor's STAB attack of choice, and it has some surprising power behind it after a Swords Dance. For example, after Stealth Rock damage it will always 2HKO Bold Jellicent, who is often considered one of the best Gliscor switch-ins. Ice Fang is used to hit Levitate users and Flying-types who are immune to Earthquake, and gives nice overall coverage alongside Earthquake. Facade is a solid alternative, since a neutral Facade is actually stronger than a super effective Ice Fang, and lets Gliscor hit problematic Pokemon such as Rotom-W harder. However, Ice Fang is almost necessary to allow Swords Dance Gliscor to muscle its way past other Gliscor variants who are unable to boost their Attack. Taunt is a standard support move for Gliscor to prevent Pokemon such as Swords Dance Scizor from setting up alongside him, and also to stop Skarmory and Hippowdon from phazing with Whirlwind and Roar, respectively. It's also incredibly helpful when Gliscor is duking it out against Ferrothorn, since Taunt prevents it from setting up the dreaded Spikes or healing itself with Leech Seed. Protect is an option to scout opponents, and works well with Poison Heal if Gliscor needs a bit more recovery to survive an oncoming attack. The EV spread is used to outpace max Speed Tyranitar and all Adamant Breloom, while still maintaining Gliscor's amazing physical bulk to counter Conkeldurr.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Although Gliscor can use Pokemon such as Skarmory as setup fodder even if he lacks a powerful attack to hurt it, Gliscor will run into trouble against Pokemon that resist its attacks and retaliate with super effective moves. Rotom-W is Gliscor's greatest nemesis, as it is takes nothing or little from Gliscor's attacks, and can OHKO Gliscor with a STAB Hydro Pump. Slowbro is another bulky Water-type that can shrug off boosted Earthquakes and hit Gliscor hard with Scald or Ice Beam. Bronzong is also a big issue since it commonly carries Hidden Power Ice to 2HKO Gliscor while Gliscor can do nothing back. Fast special attackers like Latios must avoid Ice Fang, but they can come in on anything else and threaten to OHKO Gliscor. Disable Gengar is an obscure threat, but it can effectively wall Gliscor by preventing the use of Ice Fang. Blissey makes a good partner for Gliscor, since it can sponge special attacks that Gliscor can't deal with, and comfortably counters Rotom-W, Bronzong, and Latios. Jirachi has amazing synergy with Gliscor, and it can also counter special threats such as Latios with ease. Tyranitar is often seen paired with Gliscor because it can set up Stealth Rock to help facilitate a sweep, while Gliscor appreciates Sand Stream wearing down its counters. Tyranitar also commonly carries Fire Blast to roast opposing Bronzong and other Steel-types, and it still has the bulk to take a Focus Blast from Gengar and OHKO back. Tyranitar can usually force out Slowbro as well or hit it hard with Crunch, but must watch out for a burn from Scald. For more offensive partners, Latios makes a fine choice, since it can take anything Rotom-W throws at it and Choice Specs variants can lure and 2HKO Bronzong.
Gliscor is often seen as a sturdy physical wall, and this set lets it fulfill that role extremely well. This Gliscor serves as a fantastic defensive pivot for teams that find themselves needing insurance against some of the most prevalent physical threats in Black and White, such as Jirachi. Oddly enough, with Toxic and Protect, Gliscor is also a competent stallbreaker in its own right, as common Gliscor counters such as Rotom-W and Jellicent will be crippled as a result of being badly poisoned.
As always, Earthquake is Gliscor's best attack, providing coverage vs Steel-types immune to Toxic. Taunt allows Gliscor to completely shut down many opposing Pokemon that would normally wall it or phaze it out, such as Skarmory and Hippowdon. Ice Fang can be used over Taunt to hit Flying-types immune to Earthquake. Facade is an option over both, although Ice Fang is ideal for hitting the likes of Dragonite, Salamence, and of course, opposing Gliscor, while Taunt stops many of the Pokemon Facade would ever be useful for. Protect is a move seemingly made for Gliscor, as it allows Gliscor to scout, rack up Toxic damage, and heal an extra 12% with Poison Heal all in one moveslot. With Taunt, Toxic, and Protect, Gliscor can easily beat defensive threats such as Chansey.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
This set is difficult to wall since Toxic deals with a lot of Gliscor's common counters. However, Gliscor does become setup bait for various Pokemon since it lacks Taunt, especially Spikes users such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress. Bronzong is also very problematic because it is immune to Toxic and will hit Gliscor hard with Hidden Power Ice. Without Swords Dance, Conkeldurr can also present a problem, since Gliscor must wear it down with Toxic, which in turn activates Conkeldurr's Guts ability. Rotom-W is a solid partner for Gliscor, because it can defeat most users of Spikes through either Thunderbolt or Will-O-Wisp, while simultaneously walling Bronzong with ease. Although they share a similar weakness to Water-type attacks, Fire-types such as Heatran still have solid synergy with Gliscor, as they can clear out opposing Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Since fast special attackers such as Latios can come in for free on Gliscor's Earthquakes, it may be wise to pair it with your own specially defensive Steel-type. Jirachi fits the bill perfectly thanks to its good synergy with Gliscor, access to Stealth Rock, and its ability to take most special attacks aimed at Gliscor. A bulky Reuniclus is also a decent choice for a teammate because it deals with Conkeldurr much better than Toxic Gliscor.
Gliscor can use an EV spread geared more towards Special Defense, allowing it to easily beat most Jellicent one on one. While this does allow Gliscor more leeway in stopping both physical and special threats, it does leave it more vulnerable to physical attacks. If Gliscor opts for more Special Defense, then a partner is still recommended to deal with Terrakion and Scizor.
While many other Gliscor sets aim to sweep or stall, this set focuses on keeping momentum while still being able to wall common threats. The combination of Substitute and Baton Pass allows Gliscor to give a teammate a free switch-in, and potentially an intact Substitute as well. As this set has significant surprise factor, especially with the rise in popularity of Toxic Stall Gliscor, your opponent will more often than not attempt to hit Gliscor with a super effective move. Gliscor can then Baton Pass to a Pokemon that resists the predicted move, and likely preserve the Substitute. This works especially well with Pokemon that utilize boosting moves, as they will always appreciate a free turn to set up behind a Substitute.
There are many moves that are viable in the fourth slot. Toxic is great for crippling bulky Water-types, while Taunt is a solid option to shut down Steel-type walls such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress, and also prevents phazers from thwarting the Baton Pass strategy. Finally, Facade is a good option to hit Levitate users, such as Rotom-W, for solid damage.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
236 Speed EVs enable Gliscor to outspeed neutral-natured Lucario, all Heatran bar Choice Scarf variants, most other Gliscor, and Jolly Mamoswine. 248 HP EVs ensure that Gliscor takes minimal damage from Stealth Rock, while the remaining EVs are dumped into Defense and an Impish nature is chosen to let Gliscor sponge hits even more effectively. An alternative spread of 248 HP / 68 Def / 192 Spe with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed all Rotom, as well as neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Celebi and Jirachi. As far as alternative move options go, Protect, boosting moves such as Swords Dance and Rock Polish, and Ice Fang can all work well in the fourth slot. Protect lets Gliscor pivot around Choice users, boosting moves can make the recipient an even greater threat, while Ice Fang can deal with threats such as Salamence and Dragonite that lack Roost if they pose a threat to your team.
Good Baton Pass recipients include Pokemon that resist Water- and Ice-type attacks—which Gliscor tends to attract—as their resistances allow the Substitute to stay intact. Frail Pokemon that cannot take a hit, such as Darmanitan, as well as setup sweepers that appreciate the free turn, also work. As this set attracts Rotom-W, Ferrothorn is a good recipient as it can maintain the Substitute and use it as a ticket to set up hazards. If Gliscor is not running Ice Fang, Ferrothorn can also switch in on Landorus's Hidden Power Ice, which will again give Ferrothorn a free opportunity to set up hazards.
Powerful Water- and Ice-type attacks will decimate Gliscor if it's not behind a Substitute. Skarmory can use Whirlwind to phaze the recipient, and there is nothing Gliscor can do to it outside of Taunt. Finally, Perish Song users such as Politoed can prevent Gliscor's Substitute recipients from staying in for more than a few turns; however, Politoed needs to be wary of Toxic. Electric-types can hit both Skarmory and Water-types like Politoed for super effective damage. Rotom-W works well thanks to its ability to take Water- and Ice-type attacks as well.
Other Options
Although it may seem strange that a Fling + Acrobatics set was omitted, it is generally outclassed by the Defensive and Substitute sets because it only gives Gliscor the chance to poison one Pokemon. This set is useful because it hits Fighting-types incredibly hard, and so it is still worth considering. Finally, a Baton Pass set is viable, but Gliscor's real claim to fame is being a solid switch-in to most physical attackers, which is what it should primarily focus on doing.
Checks and Counters
Bronzong is a Pokemon that will almost assuredly give Gliscor problems since it is immune to Earthquake and Toxic, and takes pitiful damage from Ice Fang. In turn, it can take Gliscor out in two hits with Hidden Power Ice. Rotom-W can take on almost any variant, although AcroBat Gliscor will give it a hard time. It must also beware of being hit with a Toxic as it switches in. Without Taunt, Gliscor will find itself unable to deal with Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress, as they will be able to set up Spikes in Gliscor's face with little to no fear. Bulky Water-types can counter the standard sets fairly well, but each must beware of the AcroBat set, as they can be 2HKOed. Otherwise, Slowbro and Suicune have the bulk to shrug off most of Gliscor's attacks, and they have access to STAB Water-type attacks and Ice Beam to quickly dispose of it. Gyarados gets a special mention since it is immune to Earthquake and hits Gliscor very hard with Waterfall, while it can also take on the AcroBat set. Fast special attackers such as Latios, Starmie, and Tornadus can all come in on Gliscor's Earthquake and threaten with their powerful special attacks, so long as it isn't behind a Substitute. Among such sweepers, SubDisable Gengar can come in on most of Gliscor's moves and disable the use of Ice Fang or Acrobatics to utterly neutralize Gliscor.
