Gorebyss is one of the most powerful special attackers available in UU, sporting 114 base Special Attack, exceeded only in the realm of Water-types by Omastar by a negligible 1 base point. Under rainy conditions, its low Speed, chief among its impediments, balloons to incredible levels thanks to Swift Swim. In conjunction with rain's boost to Water-type attacks, Gorebyss can easily tear through entire teams in such an environment. Surf is standard fare for a STAB attack, although Hydro Pump is a possibility for some extra power at the expense of accuracy; usually, Surf is preferred since missing at an inopportune moment may prove disastrous. Ice Beam complements Surf by hitting Grass and Dragon-types super effectively, but leaves Gorebyss helpless against opposing Water-types, which are what Hidden Power is for. Both types of Hidden Power strike pure Water-types super effectively; the choice between types is a matter of which Water-types with secondary types the user wants to beat. Hidden Power Grass works well against Lanturn and OHKOs Omastar, Gastrodon, Kabutops, Relicanth, and especially Quagsire, since it's immune to Surf because of Water Absorb. Hidden Power Electric's coverage is somewhat more limited, but it deals severe damage to Mantine, which is impenetrable otherwise due to its extraordinary Special Defense, and handles Pelipper and Qwilfish. As a Water-type with high Special Attack and Swift Swim, Gorebyss is inevitably compared to Omastar, which as previously noted possesses slightly higher Special Attack, in addition to its higher Defense and Speed, and its Rock typing. Psychic is one of the primary advantages Gorebyss has over Omastar, OHKOing Toxicroak while dealing more damage to Poliwrath and Qwilfish than Hidden Power. However, Psychic may be replaced with Rain Dance if Gorebyss doesn't receive rain support from other members of its team. The item choice is contingent on the move used in the last slot to some extent. Damp Rock should obviously only be used with the presence of Rain Dance, but Life Orb is usable regardless of the move used in the last slot. Even with Rain Dance, it remains a viable option to boost Gorebyss's attacking power at the expense of 3 turns of rain. While Damp Rock gives Gorebyss more net power assuming it stays in for the entire duration of rain, Life Orb grants Gorebyss some OHKOs it otherwise wouldn't get, letting it avoid some unnecessary damage. Modest is the recommended nature, and the Speed investment allows Gorebyss to outrun Jolly Swellow with Rain Dance in effect, but doesn't permit it to outrun many common Choice Scarf users or Electrode. Timid nature is a possibility to trade some power for the ability to outspeed everything as fast or slower than Raticate, assuming a Speed-neutral nature and Choice Scarf, including Sharpedo, Primeape, and Rotom. Timid is best used with Life Orb; when used with Damp Rock, one may often find Gorebyss's attacking power inadequate.
The Choice Specs set is quite similar to the Sweeper set, with only nuanced differences. The first three moveslots are identical to those of the Sweeper set, but the fourth slot has changed slightly. Shadow Ball is now recommended to hit Psychics, particularly special walls such as Hypno and Grumpig, which were previously dealt with through a rain-boosted Surf. Nevertheless, Psychic is still available to hit some Poison or Fighting-types. Baton Pass can also be used in the last slot, giving Gorebyss the ability to "dry pass" on the turn a counter switches in. This will allow you to scout the opponent's switch-in and react accordingly. Timid is the best nature here, since Modest Gorebyss is terribly slow without Swift Swim's activation. The Speed EVs given are sufficient to outrun Modest Omastar and Adamant Relicanth, which Gorebyss can subsequently OHKO.
This set takes on a complexion completely different from the sweeping natures of the previous two sets and instead diverts its attention to supporting the team. Agility is an extremely helpful move to pass to most any teammate, especially slow-but-powerful attackers like Relicanth, but also fast sweepers that enjoy peace of mind against potential Choice Scarf users. Substitute gives Gorebyss the ability to scout the opponent's team and provides cover for Baton Pass's recipient during the transition. While Gorebyss has a plethora of other things to Baton Pass, Surf is an obligatory STAB attack that deals solid damage from 114 base Special Attack, even though there is little Special Attack investment, and heavily damages common phazers in UU like Steelix, Nidoqueen, and Drapion. Additionally, Surf permits Gorebyss to do something in the event that it is the last Pokemon or is Taunted. As Baton Pass Gorebyss's paramount consideration isn't attacking, most of the EVs that would normally be invested in Special Attack are redistributed to HP, making its Substitutes and it in general sturdier. Timid nature and the EVs provided attain 217 Speed, enough to outrun Choice Scarf base 95 Speed Pokemon with Speed-neutral natures after an Agility. Other OptionsAmnesia and Barrier are on offer and can be included on the Baton Pass set, but generally should only be used in a dedicated Baton Pass team. Confuse Ray may land Gorebyss some free damage and one or two extra turns. EVsOffensive Gorebyss should maximize Special Attack before anything else, and devote most of the remaining EVs to Speed. If Gorebyss is Modest, a good Speed to aim for is 195, which lets it outrun Jolly Swellow assuming Swift Swim is in effect and neutral natured Choice Scarf Venusaur. You'll also be able to outrun a once Dragon Danced Adamant Altaria if Swift Swim is in effect. If you opt to use Timid, it can either use 232 EVs for 217 Speed to outrun many common Choice Scarf users after an Agility boost or rain, or 204 EVs to outrun Pokemon with 55 base Speed or less and a Speed-neutral nature. OpinionGorebyss's Special Attack is certainly impressive, and its movepool, while not particularly large, is sufficient to annihilate most anything it should encounter; its one limiting factor is its low Speed, which can be remedied with Rain Dance and Swift Swim or Agility. Especially with rain support, Gorebyss becomes one of the strongest attackers in UU; few Pokemon that aren't resistant to Surf can weather its intense assault. Therefore, Gorebyss should always be taken into consideration while constructing a rain-based team for possible inclusion. Gorebyss's fellow special attacking Swift Swim Pokemon, Omastar, is slightly stronger and faster, and possesses a different typing. Gorebyss's most clear-cut advantage over Omastar is its ability to use Psychic and Shadow Ball, but the lack of a secondary Rock typing also often results in a net positive. As a pure Water-type, Gorebyss isn't resistant to Normal or Flying-type attacks; however, it also isn't as vulnerable to Mach Punch, Ground attacks, and unexpected Hidden Power Grass. CountersSince rain or Choice Specs-boosted STAB Surf is extremely powerful, most of Gorebyss's common counters are resistant or immune to Water. Mantine, especially those with Water Absorb, is an excellent choice against Gorebyss without Hidden Power Electric, taking barely any damage from Ice Beam because of its astronomical 140 base Special Defense and Hazing away boosts should it encounter a Baton Pass Gorebyss; it can even obliterate a Gorebyss with Hidden Power Electric if it's using Mirror Coat. Quagsire functions identically to Mantine, except it fears Hidden Power Grass rather than Hidden Power Electric. Lanturn is also good against Hidden Power Electric Gorebyss and easily beats it with a STAB Thunderbolt. The Baton Pass set is easier to counter; most Grass and Electric-types with decent Special Defense and a moderately strong STAB attack will do the trick. Toxicroak and Parasect are completely immune to Surf if they have Dry Skin and both are sufficiently powerful to take on Gorebyss. Whirlwind Noctowl and Roar Blastoise take little from Surf as they remove Gorebyss's stat boosts. |
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