Golduck

[kaonohiokala]

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/055.shtml

Abilities: Damp / Cloud Nine / Swift Swim
Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 78 Def / 95 SpA / 80 SpD / 85 Spe

Golduck, a wonderful Pokemon to counter or revenge-kill Pokemon that attempt to use sun... It's almost like a UU Politoed/Rayquaza mixbreed!... emphasis on the UU.

Sample sets:

Golduck @ Choice Specs
Ability: Cloud Nine
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Surf/Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Focus Blast
-HP-Electric / HP-Grass / Psyshock

Using Choice Specs to boost Golduck's average Special Attack stat to a respectable level, Golduck can smack down lots of common Pokemon that it outspeeds. The top sun threats Golduck can outspeed, however may outspeed it, even without Chlorophyll boosts. Though Golduck can definitely take out Vulpix, -1 Victini, and Victreebel. With prediction as well, you can take out threats as they come in (example: predicting a Sawsbuck switch-in and Ice Beaming it). You may drop Golduck's speed to outspeed standard Victreebel (Modest or Timid) and add more to Golduck's HP for a little extra bulk.

Golduck @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Cloud Nine
Nature: Modest/Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
-Hydro Pump/Surf
-Ice Beam
-Focus Blast
-HP-Electric / HP-Grass / Psyshock

This allows Golduck to come in and do what it's supposed to: revenge kill nasty sun Pokemon (namely Jolly Sawsbuck and the occasional Jumpluff and Timid Lilligant), it could come in on predicted fire attacks as well, but can't take too much residual damage. You'll be lacking the power of the Choice Specs set, but Golduck can still clean up sun teams decently.

Other possible sets: SubPunch (perhaps with Disable), Physical Choice (meh attack, but it has a decent physical movepool), SubCM (meh since Chansey still breaks your subs), Icy Wind (meh, but it allows you to outspeed whatever comes in outside of choice scarfers)


I haven't run any calcs yet so feel free to run them if you'd like! I'll probably add them later.

 

[Zacchaeus]

I think Specs is definitely the better choice (no pun intended, and Timid 252 SpA 252 Spe should be enough because a lot of Pokémon relying on weather to boost their Speed stats don't run +Spe natures

 

[chrisrandom9]

Golduck is just too weak to revenge stuff properly. Even Specs doesn't really do enough with its coverage attacks.

 

[Benlisted]

Just as a note, a lot of the chlorophyll sweepers don't tend to run max speed atm, as well as neutral natures - until speed creep happens you'd probably be fine with a Timid Specs set for outspeeding the lot of them, so imo the scarf set is a lot less useful for beating weather, though it probably has better utility elsewhere.

 

[kaonohiokala]

I think Specs is definitely the better choice (no pun intended, and Timid 252 SpA 252 Spe should be enough because a lot of Pokémon relying on weather to boost their Speed stats don't run +Spe natures

The main problem with the Specs set is that it's too slow to outspeed Sawsbuck (who is arguably the most used Chlorophyll user in UU). Other than that, its only real worries are Lilligant (who doesn't seem to common on sun teams to begin with) and the occasional Jumpluff (who seems uncommon in general).
Golduck is good for beating Victreebel, Tangrowth/Tangela, and the rare Exeggutor though (hitting all of them in their weaker defensive stat with Ice Beam).
Outside of challenging sun teams, Golduck can guarantee a hit against Froslass, stop Walrein's Ice Body and shoot it with Focus Blast, stop Sandslash's psuedo-Excadrill sweep, and outspeed and OHKO Stoutland. Outside of challenging weather teams, ScarfGolduck is an okay revenge killer (given it can hit something for SE damage) and SpecsGolduck can leave dents in the opponent's team (as long as that fat tub of lard Chansey isn't around). Oh, if only Golduck got Trick...

EDIT: Just realized LOzard (one of the top Fire-type sun sweepers) can't do anything to SpecsGolduck either, seeing as how Cloud Nine screws up Charizard's Solarbeam. Nice.

 

[breh]

whatever happened to air slash?

 

[kaonohiokala]

whatever happened to air slash?

Ehh, Air Slash hax is all it can hope for. Otherwise, Golduck KOs it. I suppose even in this case, Scarfduck would be the safer bet. >_>

 

[Prankster]

I think you should run cross chop to take out sawsbuck because if they predict the ice beam and switch out to a steel, water, or fire type you can still hurt them more. Although why would you switch in a fire type in the first place.

 

[breh]

cross chop means spiltting EVs between Golduck's already lackluster attacking stats. It's a bad idea.

 

[Whimsicott]

Lackluster stats or not, scarf'd Hydro Pump or Ice Beam is more than enough to KO Chlorophyll abusers, given there are hazards on the field. Only Chlorophyll abuser that Golduck can do jack shit to is Doredia.

 

[kaonohiokala]

Ah well, seems like Golduck's going to lose its place in UU soon enough... Not that it really had that big of one to begin with.

 

[Farewell]

You know what might be interesting is a Cloud Nine set like this:

Set Name: Trollduck
Golduck @ Expert Belt / Life Orb
Timid
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Speed
Cloud Nine

Role Play
Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
Ice Beam
Hydro Pump

Instead of just outspeeding their weather sweepers temporarily, why not turn Golduck into a sweeper of its own? Role Play their weather ability and then outspeed not just them but their other teammates. Hydro Pump is for Sand Teams, Hidden Power Fire is for Hail Teams and because under the Sun it does more than Ice Beam to Cholorphyllers. Role Play shouldn't be used, however, against Fire types like Charizard under the sun, so Golduck's STAB will still be strong.

Golduck can basically take advantage of the foes weather at will, which means it can sweep for as long as the foe's team's weather is active.

 

[Lady Shinki]

The problem with this is that Excadrill still outspeeds it even after copying its ability, that it can't copy Chlorophyll because of STAB Grass attacks 1hko'ing it, and it can already run Swift Swim on its own via DW ability, meaning that copying SwSw is basically pointless.

 

[Cuiv]

The problem with this is that Excadrill still outspeeds it even after copying its ability, that it can't copy Chlorophyll because of STAB Grass attacks 1hko'ing it, and it can already run Swift Swim on its own via DW ability, meaning that copying SwSw is basically pointless.

This is UU, no Excadrill. Role Play allows for greater versatility than just running Swift Swim since it can counter other weather teams as well. That said, you're right about the trouble with Sun teams. Also, I would run Blizzard over Ice Beam for Role Play in Hail.

 

[CrystaLightning]

Wouldn't Cloud Nine render the opponent's ability to outspeed Golduck with Swift Swim, Sand Rush, etc? Even though it can use Role Play with the Cloud Nine Ability and ignore the opponent's speed boost at first; once used the opponent, now with Cloud Nine, which will now ignore Golduck's new ability in the weather. If that is the case, then Golduck should be using a different ability.

 

[kaonohiokala]

Wouldn't Cloud Nine render the opponent's ability to outspeed Golduck with Swift Swim, Sand Rush, etc? Even though it can use Role Play with the Cloud Nine Ability and ignore the opponent's speed boost at first; once used the opponent, now with Cloud Nine, which will now ignore Golduck's new ability in the weather. If that is the case, then Golduck should be using a different ability.

This. Use either Role Play or Cloud Nine to copy weather abilities. Not both.

 

[Mario With Lasers]

...It's Role Play we're talking about, not Skill Swap...


Even then, it's useless. Lilligant and Sawsbuck still outspeed it (at least they have a higher base Speed...?), they'll never switch in on you and you get killed twice by any STAB move Chlorophyllers (and Stoutland) have.

 

[breh]

the only thing you'll ever copy worth using is solar power...

AKA a calm mind boost

 

[CrystaLightning]

...It's Role Play we're talking about, not Skill Swap...

Whoops, yeah my bad. I was thinking of Skill Swap.

 

[am zane ok.]

I don't see a point to Role Play Golduck when you can just run a Rain Dance Kingdra. Much better defenses and typing, and screws opposing weather permanently if Vulpix or Abomasnow fainted. Or am I wrong?

-Zane

 

[breh]

I dunno. I guess people like that scarf golduck outspeeds everything in just one turn.

On the flipside, kingdra needs to take a hit. For example, if you come in on a sawsbuck that's sweeping your team, kingdra needs to take return before it can do anything. Plus, if Vulpix and Snow haven't fainted, then either can come back in just as easily and continue to wreak havoc.

TBH I'd rather just run hail instead of using either.

 

[Farewell]

But can you run hail when most Drought teams pack Fire types?

Golduck can handle Chlorophyllers who use Solar Beam, and can handle Fire types with Hydro Pump, Hydro Pump also works on Sand teams.

 

[133k]

But can you run hail when most Drought teams pack Fire types?

Golduck can handle Chlorophyllers who use Solar Beam, and can handle Fire types with Hydro Pump, Hydro Pump also works on Sand teams.

I think he meant he'd use it only to get rid of Drought.

 

[Forets]

I've been using Golduck with Volbeat support in the DW tier and they are just great together. Golduck has enough coverage to be an offensive threat with +3 and speed boost from salac berry and it resists some of the attacks usually used against volbeat. Cloud nine prevents weather pokémon from outspeeding it or getting any sort of boosts, so it's just great. I've swept a lot of teams with this combo, both UU and OU (and ubers too).

 

[breh]

forets, this is UU, not DW.

dw OU sucks, golduck sucks, volbeat sucks

please do not necrobump in the future.