|
-
Guts
- Attack is increased by 50% when afflicted with status.
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Sheer Force
- Increases power of moves with secondary effects by 30%, but removes the effects.
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Iron Fist
- Increases the power of punching moves by 20%.
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Level 50 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
85
|
- |
160 |
192 |
- |
| Atk |
105
|
112 |
125 |
157 |
172 |
| Def |
85
|
94 |
105 |
137 |
150 |
| SpA |
40
|
54 |
60 |
92 |
101 |
| SpD |
50
|
63 |
70 |
102 |
112 |
| Spe |
40
|
54 |
60 |
92 |
101 |
Overview
As one of just a handful of viable Fighting-types in NU, Gurdurr carves a clear niche for itself as a bulky boosting sweeper and pivot. Gurdurr has a lot going for it in NU: it has decent defensive stats, augmented by Eviolite; STAB Drain Punch makes up for a lack of recovery; and base 105 Attack gives it good power. While it might be slow, Gurdurr has access to priority in the form of Mach Punch, allowing it to bypass faster would-be checks and KO them before they get the chance to strike. Additionally, two great abilities, Guts and Iron Fist, both help it do its job, one that no other Pokemon in NU can perform quite the same. Unfortunately, Gurdurr's low Speed and Special Defense can make it an easy target for some offensive Psychic-types, and even with Drain Punch, Gurdurr detests Spikes, an entry hazard that has increased significantly in prominence in the tier.
With Bulk Up, Gurdurr can play the role of a boosting sweeper, taking advantage of the boosts in defensive stats that Eviolite provides in order to help it set up. This set generally takes much longer to set up than other sweepers in the tier, such as Shell Smash Carracosta, Rain Dance Ludicolo, and Swords Dance Sawsbuck, but what it loses out in speed of setup, it more than makes up for in reliability. Bulk Up is used to raise Gurdurr's Attack and Defense, simultaneously helping it set up thanks to the Defense boosts and increasing its power to prepare for its sweep. Drain Punch is Gurdurr's most reliable STAB; thanks to the recovery the move provides, Gurdurr can continue to fight even in the face of Pokemon that could otherwise cripple it. Mach Punch is used on this set to ignore Gurdurr's poor Speed and to finish off many Pokemon that would otherwise outspeed and KO it. The last choice in move typically goes to Payback, a move that doubles in power if the user moves second, which Gurdurr generally will due to its low Speed. Payback allows Gurdurr to compensate for this flaw, and it also lets it beat Misdreavus one-on-one. Ice Punch can be used in this slot, however, should you already have a reliable check for Misdreavus, as it allows Gurdurr to beat Flying-types and Vileplume much more easily.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Eviolite should always be used along with full HP investment to give Gurdurr much needed bulk. Attack investment is used over Special Defense investment, since many special attackers, such as Charizard, Gardevoir, and Musharna, can often beat it regardless of additional defensive investment. Guts is the preferred ability for this set, as it allows Gurdurr to absorb status that would otherwise cripple it or cut its sweep short. Guts is also the better ability to use for the potential matchup against Misdreavus, which very often carries Will-O-Wisp. If you run Heal Bell support on your team, Iron Fist can be used instead for the immediate power boost it provides; however, it should be noted that a burn will still cut a sweep short, since you'll have to call Gurdurr back in order to use Heal Bell. You can also use Stone Edge or Rock Slide on this set to hit Charizard or Articuno on a switch, but Golurk will then wall Gurdurr entirely.
Skuntank partners well with this set due to its ability to beat Psychic- and Ghost-types that threaten it. Additionally, Metang can both provide Stealth Rock support and tank Flying- and Psychic-type attacks aimed toward Gurdurr. Bulky Rock-type Pokemon, such as Regirock, can also take Flying-type attacks while setting up Stealth Rock. As previously mentioned, Heal Bell support, while by no means required, is appreciated alongside Gurdurr to prevent an untimely Toxic from taking it down while it's getting ready to sweep. Finally, special walls, such as Audino, Lickilicky, and Mantine, are all appreciated to sponge attacks targeting Gurdurr's less impressive Special Defense stat.
Although it is most often seen running a Bulk Up set, Gurdurr can also play the role of a bulky attacker and pivot for offensively oriented teams in need of a partner that can take a hit and dish one out. This set is also very bulky, but it forgoes the ability to boost and sweep teams for greater utility. Drain Punch is chosen as a reasonably powerful STAB that can make up for the lack of passive recovery from Leftovers. Mach Punch allows Gurdurr to come in and revenge kill faster offensive threats. Because of the prominence of frail attackers in NU, this quality is greatly appreciated for bulky offensive teams and offensive teams alike. Ice Punch should be used in the third slot for the most reliable coverage alongside Gurdurr's Fighting-type STAB, as it hits Flying-type and Vileplume for super effective damage. Knock Off can be used in the last slot to hinder the performance of the common bulky Pokemon, such as Alomomola, Misdreavus, and Tangela, that rely heavily on their item in order to function best. Alternatively, if you would prefer a way of hitting Bug-types, such as Scolipede, Stone Edge is a great option in the fourth slot.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Eviolite is incredibly important for Gurdurr to run on this set, as its teammates will be relying on it to sponge hits, something it cannot do without the added bulk that Eviolite provides. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge for greater accuracy, although the lack of boosting item makes the added power of Stone Edge more appealing. Hammer Arm can be used in place of Drain Punch, trading perfect accuracy and recovery for added power. Toxic can be used in the last slot as an alternate way of handling bulky switch-ins, but it leaves you vulnerable to being set up on by Spikes users, such as Scolipede and Garbodor. Iron Fist is chosen for the ability on this set since the majority of the moves on the set are boosted, but Guts is an option if you are more concerned with absorbing status.
This set struggles against Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon, making Skuntank a good partner. Gurdurr also still needs partners that can take special hits, but as it's also going to be taking many hits, specially defensive Pokemon that can pass it Wishes are appreciated—Audino and Lickilicky both perform this role well. Finally, offensive Pokemon that don't like taking hits play well with this set. SubDisable Haunter can escape Skuntank, a Pokemon that would otherwise cause it major problems, and pivot out into Gurdurr to take it on more efficiently. Additionally, Jynx strongly dislikes taking Bug- and Dark-type attacks, both of which Gurdurr can switch into with ease.
Other Options
Despite its sets being very similar to one another, Gurdurr does have some other options you may want to consider. While a Choice Band set may sound worthwhile, it's a set that is generally outclassed by Sawk due to its greater power and Speed, and Gurdurr's good bulk with Eviolite is its main draw. A set with Substitute and Focus Punch could be used, but the lack of passive recovery and its inability to beat Gurdurr's typical checks and counters are both off-putting. A set with Rest, Sleep Talk, and Bulk Up is something to consider as well, although because it cannot beat Ghost-types and because Throh can perform this role better, it is generally unappealing. Low Sweep is an option to be considered on the bulky attacker set, as it can lower the Speed of potential switch-ins to make it easier for another Pokemon to set up or to finish off the slower foe. The only downside with Low Sweep is that Gurdurr generally prefers the recovery that Drain Punch provides; this is Gurdurr's only form of recovery, so losing it allows Gurdurr to be worn down by chip damage and hazards much more easily. ThunderPunch and Fire Punch might seem appealing, but they add little in terms of coverage. Facade is an option alongside Guts, but it relies on being statused—otherwise, it is dead weight. On a similar note, a status orb set with Guts can be used, but Gurdurr's low Speed and sub par bulk without Eviolite make it a very poor choice for a Guts sweeper. Finally, Taunt is an option on either set, but Gurdurr is far too slow to be running it.
Checks and Counters
In terms of checks and counters, you could just hope Gurdurr drops its iron girder on its foot! But if you are looking for a more sensible approach, feel free to keep reading. Musharna is one of the best checks to either set, as it can tank any move Gurdurr has to offer and retaliate with a STAB Psychic. It is also slower than Gurdurr, meaning that Payback will only have 50 Base Power when used against it. Misdreavus is a great check to sets running Iron First, as it can outspeed and burn Gurdurr, thus crippling it for the rest of the match; however, it can struggle against Guts sets and detests losing its Eviolite to Knock Off. Iron Fist boosted Ice Punch is a 3-4HKO against Golbat while Golbat can Taunt Gurdurr to prevent it from using Bulk Up, Roost off any damage from Ice Punch or Stone Edge, and strike back with a super effective Brave Bird. Vileplume only struggles to take an Ice Punch, and it can put Gurdurr to sleep, then switch out to an appropriate check. Charizard can take on Gurdurr to a decent extent, taking everything but Stone Edge well and KOing Gurdurr with Air Slash after just a bit of prior damage. Psychic-types, such as Gardevoir and Exeggutor, can switch in on Fighting-type moves with ease and KO Gurdurr with Psychic. Grumpig, on the other hand, can take any hit from Gurdurr and Whirlwind, fearing absolutely nothing Gurdurr has to use against it: Psychic resists Fighting, Thick Fat adds an Ice-type resistance, and Payback will always go first when Grumpig uses Whirlwind. Finally, Garbodor and Weezing can both Clear Smog against Bulk Up variants to remove the boosts that Gurdurr has gathered.
