Groudon
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[Overview]
<p>Groudon continues to leave its mark on the Ubers metagame even in the 5th generation. Its massive Attack, great physical movepool, powerful STAB Earthquake, and access to Rock Polish and Swords Dance make it a deadly physical sweeper. Drought also gives Groudon a useful niche for bringing on permanent sunlight, powering up Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Venusaur, and Reshiram while fueling devastating sun-based strategies. Groudon's excellent bulk also allows it to function well as a defensive Pokemon, countering top physical threats such as Rayquaza, Lucario, Zekrom, Terrakion, and Garchomp , while supporting its team with moves such as Stealth Rock, Dragon Tail, Thunder Wave, and Toxic. Groudon's ability to sweep, support, or do both make it a massive threat to any team, with its only real flaws being its modest Special Defense and Speed stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Overheat
item: Life Orb
evs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 136 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
[Set Comments]
<p>Groudon's enormous Attack and middling Speed stats allow it to capitalize on Rock Polish quite effectively. After one use, Groudon reaches 500 Speed, enough to outrun anything slower then Choice Scarf Garchomp. From there, Groudon can sweep pretty easily with its mighty STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>Dragon Claw enables Groudon to hit the Dragon-types that are immune to Earthquake, such as Latias, Latios, Rayquaza, and Giratina-O, while having a much higher chance of OHKOing the likes of Palkia and Garchomp. Stone Edge's main purpose is to 2HKO Lugia, but it is useful for hitting Flying-types in general, such as Ho-Oh. Overheat, however, provides completely unresisted coverage, and easily OHKOes Skarmory and Ferrothorn while 2HKOing Bronzong. It also cooks bulky Grass-types such as Grass Arceus, Celebi, and Tangrowth to a delicious crisp. Swords Dance is also an option over Dragon Claw. Groudon has excellent two-move coverage in Earthquake and Stone Edge, so it can use Swords Dance to increase its already great Attack stat to a jaw-dropping 872, letting it OHKO pretty much everything that doesn't resist its attacks. Swords Dance also lets Groudon break through stall teams more easily, but it can be difficult to get in both a Swords Dance and a Rock Polish without assistance from Wobbuffet or dual screens.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EVs give Groudon as much power as possible while giving Groudon enough Speed to hit the magic number of 500 after a Rock Polish. The HP EVs are the most this set can have while rounding down Life Orb recoil. An Adamant nature is used to make the most out of Groudon's beefy Attack stat. However, a Jolly nature with an EV spread of 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe can be used to outrun certain Pokemon that could otherwise revenge kill Groudon, such as Choice Scarf Shaymin-S. Be warned, however, that using Jolly will cost Groudon a significant amount of power.</p>
<p>The main Pokemon Groudon will have trouble breaking past are Giratina, Lugia, Skarmory, and Grass Arceus. Giratinacan handle all of Groudon's attacks without any problems whatsoever, and cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Lugia is weak to Stone Edge, and will lose if Groudon is packing Swords Dance as well, but a miss can allow Lugia time to use Toxic. Skarmory can handle all of Groudon's attacks except for the occasional Overheat, and either use Toxic, or set up Spikes. Grass Arceus is bulky enough to survive an Overheat from Groudon, and doesn't care about any of its other moves. Groudon will be forced to switch out lest it feels like being OHKOed by STAB Judgment from Grass Arceus. Defensive Kyogre, Wobbuffet, and Giratina-O also pose a threat to Groudon, as they can handle one hit from the Continent Pokemon and OHKO back with Surf, Counter, or Draco Meteor, respectively. Finally, Choice Scarf Shaymin-S can also outspeed Groudon unless it is Jolly, and OHKO with Seed Flare.</p>
<p>Zekrom is an excellent teammate for Rock Polish Groudon. Lugia, Skarmory, and Kyogre are all dealt with by a quick Bolt Strike while Giratinaand Giratina-O get crushed by a mighty Draco Meteor. Zekrom also resists Shaymin-S's Seed Flare, and is capable of OHKOing it with Bolt Strike. Palkia is notable for being able to switch in on Kyogre more easily, but it fares worse against Lugia than Zekrom does. Ho-Oh benefits from the sunlight Groudon provides and easily wrecks Grass Arceus, Shaymin-S, and Skarmory with its powerful STAB Sacred Fire. Heatran can also take down Grass Arceus, Skarmory, and Shaymin-S easily with Fire Blast, and it is also a great check to Giratina-O that lack Earthquake. Tyranitar can also remove Giratina-O from the match permanently, and its powerful STAB Crunch also gives Lugia a tough time. Entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes are also helpful to weaken Groudon's checks more quickly, easing its sweep.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge / Fire Blast
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Dragon Tail / Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
nature: Impish
[Set Comments]
<p>Groudon is quite a good physical wall. With the given EVs, it can take powerful physical hits such a +2 Outrage from Garchomp, a +2 Dragon Claw from Rayquaza, a +2 Close Combat from Lucario and Terrakion, and repeated Outrages from Zekrom, and deal with them easily with either Earthquake or Stone Edge, depending on what is appropriate. Groudon also isn't setup bait either, thanks to its base 150 Attack stat and Dragon Tail, making it a good defensive back up for stall and balanced teams alike. </p>
<p>Earthquake provides STAB, and allows Groudon to take a decent chunk out of anything that doesn't resist it. Stone Edge is mainly there for Rayquaza and Ho-Oh, OHKOing the former after Stealth Rock damage and one turn of Life Orb recoil, and always OHKOing the latter. Fire Blast is also an option to hit other Groudon and Gliscor harder while also busting up Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Stealth Rock is Groudon's preferred support option as it is one of the few viable users of the move in Ubers, and Groudon doesn't have any other notable supporting moves to replace it with. However, Fire Blast should only be used if Groudon also runs Dragon Tail and if the team has reliable ways around Ho-Oh. Dragon Tail provides Groudon with the ability to phaze while also nailing Giratina-O, Rayquaza, Zekrom, and Palkia for decent damage. Thunder Wave and Toxic can also be used to cripple Lugia switch-ins and to provide general team support.</p>
[Additonal Comments]
<p>The given EVs provide Groudon with the best possible physical defense, but if you would prefer to have Groudon be able to survive more special attacks, an EV spread of 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD with a Careful nature is an option. This spread allows Groudon to take 2 Spacial Rends from Choice Scarf Palkia and live to tell the tale, and it also makes it capable of taking a Draco Meteor from Mixed Zekrom more effectively. Not even an unboosted Seed Flare from Shaymin-S can OHKO a specially defensive Groudon. Groudon will also still have enough Defense to survive a Life Orb-boosted Outrage from Rayquaza after it has used Dragon Dance once.</p>
<p>Overheat and Fire Punch are two other Fire-type attacks Groudon can consider using on this set. Overheat does more damage than Fire Blast, but the drop in Special Attack that comes after using it will make it easier to stall out. Fire Punch runs off of Groudon's higher Attack stat and is guaranteed to OHKO a specially defensive Ferrothorn, but it isn't of much help against Gliscor, Skarmory, or other Groudon.</p>
<p>This set is more troubled by Shaymin-S, Wobbuffet, and Kyogre than the last, due to this set's lesser offensive power. They can switch in more easily and proceed to trap Groudon with Shadow Tag (in Wobbuffet's case), or OHKO it with a powerful STAB attack. Forretress can help against Wobbuffet by setting up Toxic Spikes, which will limit the number of times it can come in. Zekrom can handle Shaymin-S and defensive variants of Kyogre easily with Bolt Strike, while Palkia can come in on offensive Kyogre variants and 2HKO with Thunder. Blissey is also a good teammate in general, as it can sponge the inevitable special attacks aimed at Groudon's hide with its vast rolls of pink fat. Aside from this, any teammate that pairs well with the previous set works fine with this one.</p>
[SET]
name: Paradancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
evs: 200 HP / 200 Atk / 108 Def
nature: Adamant
[Set Comments]
<p>This is one of Groudon's more versatile sets, for it can both sweep and support the rest of the team. This set also lets it beat some of its counters. When first bringing Groudon in early game, you should usually use Thunder Wave. Generally, most things that switch into Groudon, such as Lugia, Shaymin-S, Kyogre, and Grass Arceus, are neither Ground-types nor very slow, and therefore loathe paralysis. Late game, when a sufficient amount of your foe's team is paralyzed, Groudon can waltz right back in and set up a Swords Dance on something that doesn't threaten it, and proceed to sweep. Even Lugia will be taken down by a boosted Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage has been taken into account, and it should hopefully be paralyzed and therefore slower than Groudon so it cannot use Roost to negate its weakness to Rock-type attacks.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The given EVs look complicated but are actually very straightforward. 200 HP EVs afford Groudon the ability to take more hits while rounding down residual damage incurred from poison or Spikes. 200 Attack EVs usually guarantee that Lugia will be felled by a +2 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage. The rest of the EVs go to Defense for durability. For example, this Groudon set is still capable of surviving a +1 Outrage from a Rayquaza toting Life Orb.</p>
<p>This set generally likes teammates that benefit from the paralysis it spreads, as well as those that appreciate having Lugia out of the way. Mixed Dialga, in additional to loving paralysis support, can easily destroy Giratina-O and Skarmory, two things that can take on this set. Choice Specs Kyogre also loves having Grass Arceus paralyzed so that it cannot Recover before the bloated blue whale defeats it with Ice Beam. Kyogre is also a wonderful counter for Cresselia, another Pokemon that gives this set trouble. Most other slow yet strong Pokemon such as Giratina-O, Reshiram, and Zekrom, will cherish the paralysis support Groudon provides as well.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
nature: Adamant
[Set Comments]
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Groudon reaches a titanic 657 Attack stat, allowing it to OHKO or 2HKO pretty much everything in the game thanks to its great type coverage. Earthquake is extremely powerful , and allows Groudon to OHKO even Kyogre after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw destroys Giratina-O and Rayquaza switch-ins, and is a nice move to use when you have no idea what's coming in due to the great neutral coverage Dragon-type attacks possess. Stone Edge 2HKOes Lugia, and OHKOes Ho-Oh and Shaymin-S. Fire Punch gains pseudo STAB courtesy of Drought, which makes it a very powerful attack capable of OHKOing Ferrothorn and 2HKOing Skarmory, Bronzong, and Grass Arceus. Shadow Claw is also an option as it is Groudon's best attack against Cresselia, but even then it probably won't 2HKO the celestial duck.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Generally, Groudon should open up with one of its coverage moves as the first strike. Your opponent will generally switch in something that is immune to or resists Earthquake, such as Lugia, Grass Arceus, Giratina-O or Skarmory, so something like throwing out a simple Stone Edge can gash them badly, making them easier for Groudon to break through if they try to come back in. It is a bad idea to mindlessly spam Earthquake should your opponent still have Pokemon with immunities to Ground-type attacks, otherwise Groudon risks becoming setup bait.</p>
<p>Generally, this set will appreciate the same teammates as the Rock Polish set, but paralysis support is also recommended to use alongside this set to make up for the low Speed. Lugia, Dialga, Kyogre, Grass Arceus, and Ferrothorn can all make good use of Thunder Wave to slow down your opponent's team, paving the way for a Groudon sweep. Jirachi also gets special mention as its Body Slam can paralyze Ground-types such as Garchomp and enemy Groudon.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Roar is an option over Dragon Tail to phaze Pokemon that may try to set up a Substitute on Groudon, but Dragon Tail carries the nice advantage of being able to phaze through Taunt. Groudon does have a good special movepool, but its only average Special Attack means it won't be sweeping with special attacks anytime soon. The only special attack that's really worth using is Overheat to nail Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. Safeguard stops Giratinafrom screwing over Groudon with Will-O-Wisp while providing the team with status protection. Rest + Sleep Talk gets a mention for being Groudon's only form of recovery. Hammer Arm is Groudon's strongest attack against Normal Arceus, but otherwise doesn't have too much utility. Lava Plume is usable if you want to try and spread burns around while having a move to hit Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Forretress.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Cresselia is the best counter to Groudon that exists. It can easily come in on Earthquake and proceed to wear it down with Ice Beam. Cresselia also takes a pittance from all of Groudon's other attacks, and can heal itself with sun-boosted Moonlight, only fearing the rare Toxic. Grass Arceus resists Groudon's STAB Earthquake, is faster, and easily OHKOes with Judgment. However, Grass Arceus must watch out for Overheat and Fire Punch. Choice Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed all variants of Groudon and OHKO with Seed Flare, but it only really likes coming in on Earthquake. Kyogre can switch in on defensively-built Groudon, and OHKO with Surf. A physically defensive Kyogre can also take on the Rock Polish set. However, Kyogre will be worn down quickly by repeated Earthquakes. Giratina, Lugia, and Skarmory are also good options to wall Groudon. However, Lugia hates Stone Edge and being statused, and Skarmory will not enjoy an Overheat to the beak. Finally, poisoning Groudon is a good way to wear it down.</p>
