OverviewDuring the transition to BW2, Golbat didn't change a lot, unlike other threats in the tier. With decent stats for an NFE Pokemon backed up by Eviolite and a good defensive typing, Golbat is a wall that can be a nightmare to take down. Its movepool is great for a defensive Pokemon, containing support, attacks, and even reliable recovery with Roost. Golbat also boasts Brave Bird and a passable Attack stat, preventing it from being complete setup bait, and with a base Speed of 90, Golbat can outspeed most walls and even some offensive Pokemon. However, while effective, Golbat does have its faults. Its typing is a double-edged sword; while giving it an immunity to Toxic and some nice 4x resistances to Fighting, Bug, Grass, not to mention an immunity to Ground, it also gives Golbat a weakness to Stealth Rock. Also, Golbat is weak to Psychic-, Rock-, Electric- and Ice-type attacks, and most of which are common offensive types; however, Roost can nullify some of these weaknesses for a turn. Furthermore, Golbat has no way to boost its stats outside the useless Nasty Plot and the undesirable Curse. Golbat also struggles with Steel-types; however, on a switch, Golbat can at least put a dent in them with Super Fang.
This is the best defensive set Golbat can run. It can take physical hits well, and is a perfect check to Sawsbuck, Gurdurr, Pinsir, and Golurk that lack Stone Edge. For moves, nothing screams Batman quite like a Brave Bird that hits pretty hard, even without investment. Roost is obvious for reliable recovery, especially because Golbat should not run Black Sludge. Roost also nullifies Golbat's weakness to Electric-, Rock-, and Ice-type moves for a turn, but watch out for Earthquake! Because Golbat is pretty fast, especially with a little investment, it can shut down many walls with Taunt, which can force some switches. Golbat could also use U-turn to keep switch advantage, despite the pitiful damage it deals to opposing Pokemon. Next, Super Fang is a great move that no Pokemon wants to switch into, particularly Steel- or Rock-type counters, and Golbat can use it well. Should you want more consistent damage, however, Toxic can do better at breaking through walls in the long run. If you use Toxic Spikes anywhere on your team, it's better to use Super Fang. Remember, if you're looking for something offensive, Braviary and Swellow are generally better picks. Team Options & Additional Comments >>>Other OptionsHaze is a decent move to remove stat boosts, and with Golbat's Speed, it could run it effectively. Golbat could also run Whirlwind to phaze out a dangerous threat or something setting up. With Hypnosis, Golbat could become a sleep inducer, but the accuracy is a bit of a turn off. However, if Hypnosis does hit, an opponent's Pokemon is likely crippled for the match. To provide more team support, Golbat could also use Tailwind to speed up your team for three turns. Golbat could also use the ability Infiltrator, but it doesn't have much use, and Inner Focus allows Golbat to take a Fake Out without flinching. As for boosting moves, Golbat has access to Curse and Nasty Plot, but neither are good for Golbat. Golbat's Special Attack is still low even after a Nasty Plot and it usually doesn't want to lower its Speed with Curse. Checks and CountersGolbat is actually quite difficult to take on in NU, as it can hurt many major threats that lack Prankster or Taunt. Only Ghost-types like switching into Super Fang, so switching into a bulky or faster one will keep Golbat in check. Haunter is a good check because of its Speed and access to hard-hitting special moves, but it must watch out for Brave Bird. Drifblim is a great check to Golbat, as it can take both Super Fang and Brave Bird, while it can send a burn back with Will-O-Wisp. Golurk also can be a decent check; it is immune to Super Fang, takes little damage from Brave Bird, and Stone Edge variants can hit Golbat hard. Despite possible Super Fang damage, any fast special attacker can hit Golbat before it can Roost to negate some of its weaknesses. Generally, Psychic-, Electric-, and Ice-types counter Golbat the best. Both Rotom-S and Rotom-F can counter Golbat, as both take pitiful damage from Brave Bird and force it to switch. Psychic-types, namely Gardevoir, Kadabra, and Duosion, can really hurt Golbat because it cannot remove its Psychic-type weakness with Roost. Duosion is immune to Toxic, thanks to Magic Guard, has Recover to counter Super Fang, and can KO Golbat with Psychic. Electric- and Ice-types such as Raichu, Ampharos, Electabuzz, Regice, and Articuno outspeed Golbat and can KO it with their respective STAB attacks. Piloswine also is effective because it is can use a STAB Ice-type attack or use Earthquake when Golbat uses Roost. Finally, Golbat lacks Black Sludge, so any form of residual damage is recommended. Stealth Rock will chip off 25% of its health on a switch and Will-O-Wisp will lessen Golbat's playing time. |
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