Overview
########
• One of the most viable Fighting-types in RU, extreme versatility in sets
• Psychic-type STAB allows it to get past typical Fighting-type walls such as Amoonguss
• Great offensive movepool
• High base 125 Attack
• Relatively high Special Defense, making it a good Assault Vest user
• Great boosting moves in Bulk Up and Swords Dance, making it one of the best answers to stall
• Justified is a nice perk.
• Base 80 Speed isn't necessarily bad, but still middle-of-the-road, plus no priority
• Faces extreme competition from Hitmonlee, who sports a more powerful STAB, is slightly faster, and gets Rapid Spin
• Virizion and Cobalion are better at running Swords Dance and have much higher speed.
• Somewhat prone to being revenge killed due to low speed and poor physical defense
Substitute + 3 Attacks
########
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Justified
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
• Substitute protects Gallade from status, forces the switch-in to take at least one hit, and prevents Gallade from being easily revenge killed, all things Gallade normally struggles with.
• Drain Punch easily restores HP lost from Life Orb recoil + Substitutes.
• Psycho Cut is an accurate and reliable Psychic-type STAB that doesn't make contact with the opponent, helpful in the case of Druddigon or Rocky Helmet users.
• Knock Off hits Ghost-types such as Doublade and Cofagrigus and also weakens walls such as Alomomola and Gligar by removing items.
• Ice Punch is an option to threaten Gligar, who otherwise takes very little from any of Gallade's attacks.
• Poison Jab can be used if Aromatisse is a huge problem.
Set Details
========
• Max attack for maximum power, max speed allows Gallade to outspeed almost every defensive Pokemon as well as many bulky attackers. (e.g. Exploud, Tyrantrum) It also outspeeds Adamant Hitmonlee and at the worst speed ties non-scarf Braviary.
• Life Orb is the best item option, adding a necessary punch to all of Gallade's attacks, and working well with Drain Punch.
• Justified is the best ability, as Dark-type moves are far more common than flinching moves.
Usage Tips
========
• Gallade is best sent out against Pokemon it can force out, such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Cobalion, so it can easily set up a substitute.
• Note that Substitute allows Gallade to both wallbreak and sweep.
• However, against obvious switches to Cofagrigus or Gligar, don't waste time setting up a substitute, just attack with Knock Off.
• Although it has average speed, removing powerful physical attackers like Escavalier and Doublade can actually set Gallade up for a late-game sweep due to its good Special Defense.
• Because its main move is also a form of recovery, Gallade is not often the best Pokemon to sac. If the opponent has something that can be hit for solid damage by Drain Punch, it can often give itself a "second chance" even at low health percentages.
Team Options
========
• Moltres is a great partner, easily taking out Pokemon like Cofagrigus, Doublade, Escavalier, Gligar, and Tangrowth, while checking Alomomola.
• Zangoose is another good partner. Its wallbreaking ability softens up all of the walls mentioned above.
• Gallade forces many switches, so entry hazard support is extremely welcome. Stealth Rock is near-mandatory, seeing many of Gallade's best checks (such as Braviary, Moltres, and Yanmega) are weak to it.
• On the same note, however, Spikes and Toxic Spikes can quickly wear Gallade down, especially in conjunction with Life Orb damage, so hazard removal is necessary.
• Qwilfish easily sets up Spikes against many of the physical attackers that may attempt to check Gallade, and also removes Toxic Spikes.
• Accelgor and Omastar can easily set up Spikes, while Rhyperior and Druddigon are good Stealth Rock users to pair with Gallade.
• Leavanny and Kricketune can both set up Sticky Web, allowing Gallade to outpace most of the grounded tier.
Assault Vest
########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch / Close Combat
ability: Justified
item: Assault Vest
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
• Drain Punch allows Gallade to heal itself while attacking with a reliable and moderately powerful STAB.
• Psycho Cut is the STAB of choice due to its accuracy and reliability.
• Knock Off is useful for weakening opposing walls like Gligar and Alomomola, and hits Ghost-types like Cofagrigus.
• Ice Punch is Gallade's best option against Gligar. It also hits Braviary and Yanmega for solid damage.
• Close Combat is a more powerful Fighting-type STAB, although the defense drops are highly detrimental, so it should not be Gallade's primary attacking move.
• Rock Tomb may seem like an odd choice, but it allows Gallade to completely beat Moltres, Braviary, and Yanmega if used on the switch.
• Poison Jab lets you take out Aromatisse if it's particularly troubling.
Set Details
========
• Maximum attack allows Gallade to be a powerful tank.
• 44 Speed EVs lets Gallade outspeed minimum speed Cresselia and Gligar.
• Justified is again the ability of choice, punishing common users of Dark-type moves, particularly ones that use Dark Pulse like Clawitzer.
Usage Tips
========
• Because it has no recovery outside of Drain Punch, Gallade should be kept relatively healthy so it can safely check Pokemon like Jolteon, Heliolisk, and Exploud.
• Unless you are preparing to sac it, do not take on healthy, powerful physical attackers like Druddigon, Rhyperior, or Escavalier.
• Apart from that, Gallade is fairly straightfoward. Use prediction skills for switches as not many Pokemon can safely switch in on this Gallade set, and most can be dealt with (or at least crippled) by the right move.
Team Options
========
• Switch-ins to Flying-types like Braviary, Yanmega, Moltres, and Fletchinder are highly recommended, as all three are powerful attackers that can seriously threaten Gallade.
• Rhyperior can check Moltres and Braviary, while Registeel, Golbat, and Togetic can all check Yanmega. The former two can set up hazards while the latter two can remove them.
• On a related note, Stealth Rock hurts all three of the above attackers (and punishes the opponent trying to switch out their special attacker), so a Stealth Rock user is recommended.
• A hazard remover for Spikes and Toxic Spikes makes Gallade's lifespan significantly longer.
• Moltres is great for absorbing Will-o-Wisp as well as checking Doublade, a major threat to Gallade.
• As Gallade folds easily to physical attackers, a physical tank like Tangrowth or Rhyperior works well.
• Pokemon who function well alongside a special tank, such as Doublade or Yanmega, will appreciate Gallade's support.
• This Gallade set works best alongside bulkier teammates in general who can take hits, as Gallade can take most special hits in return.
• Gallade can also work well alongside any physical cleaner, as Gallade can wallbreak and wear down threats quite well.
Bulk Up
########
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Justified
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
nature: Careful
Moves
========
• Bulk Up allows Gallade to simultaneously boost its Attack and Defense, making it very hard to take down.
• Substitute protects Gallade from status, and also lets Gallade take more hits with less HP.
• Drain Punch heals Gallade and is also a very reliable STAB move.
• Knock Off hits most things that Drain Punch doesn't, and helps by removing items.
Set Details
========
• 44 Speed EVs outspeeds Cresselia and Gligar, allowing Gallade to boost safely against both of them without the threat of Toxic.
• The rest is put into HP and Special Defense to make Gallade as bulky as possible on the special side, the stat it is not boosting.
• Justified is again the best ability, as the attack boost and Knock Off deterrent are far more helpful than a Fake Out deterrent.
• Leftovers allows Gallade to passively recover health.
Usage Tips
========
• Keep Gallade away from status! Fake your opponent out by double switching from a Steel-type if necessary to avoid Toxic.
• Never hesitate to set up a Substitute if you can spare the health. Critical hits and status are easily avoidable with care.
• Whirlwind and Roar are rare, but be wary if your opponent reveals them to you. Wear down their users with Knock Off or Drain Punch instead of setting up.
• Watch out for sound-based moves like Bug Buzz and Boomburst. Although Gallade's bulk means it will never be OHKO'd by either move, sacrificing health to make a Substitute may cost you dearly in the presence of these attacks as they will bypass the Substitute.
• Look out for setup fodder like Virizion and Hitmonlee. Even though this Gallade set is most effective against slower or more defensive teams, it can find ways to set up against common offensive threats like those Pokemon too.
Team Options
========
• Teammates that struggle against walls will appreciate Gallade, as many stall teams lacking Roar or Whirlwind are highly vulnerable to Gallade.
• Stealth Rock is almost a necessity, as beating Moltres, Braviary, Yanmega, and Fletchinder becomes far easier with it up.
• Lures for Moltres, Braviary, and Yanmega, such as Volt Switch Cobalion, will make it that much easier to get these troublesome attackers out of the way.
• A Pokemon to remove Toxic Spikes is absolutely required, as two layers of Toxic Spikes will almost certainly ruin Gallade. As such a grounded Poison-type such as Amoonguss, Drapion, or Skuntank is highly recommended.
• Qwilfish is great as it removes Toxic Spikes, sets its own, and cripples faster opponents with Thunder Wave.
• Banette is extremely annoying and can prevent Gallade from working, so a solid switch-in such as Moltres is recommended.
• Because Gallade takes a few turns to become powerful enough to sweep, it may falter against hyper offense teams that can overwhelm and beat it, so teammates such as Rotom-C and Scarf Delphox can easily check most offensive Pokemon.
• Alternatively, Gallade also functions well as a late-game cleaner on semistall teams.
• Encore + U-turn users such as Whimsicott and Liepard can often create free turns for Gallade to set up.
Bulky Swords Dance
########
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Knock Off / Ice Punch
ability: Justified
item: Lum Berry
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
• Swords Dance gives Gallade immense power, enough to threaten even the bulkiest of walls.
• Drain Punch is a solid STAB that also heals Gallade, and doesn't have any drawbacks.
• Psycho Cut is a solid Psychic-type STAB, useful for hitting Fairy- and Poison-types.
• Knock Off has the best coverage alongside Drain Punch and Psycho Cut, and is especially helpful for getting past bulky Ghost-types.
• Ice Punch can be used in the last slot too as it allows Gallade to get past Gligar with no trouble, but at the expense of hitting Doublade, Delphox, and Cresselia.
Set Details
========
• 44 Speed EVs outspeeds Cresselia and Gligar.
• Maximum Attack to hit as hard as possible, and the rest is put in HP to aid Gallade in setting up.
• Justified is once again the best ability due to the relative ubiquity of Dark-type moves.
• Lum Berry is the best option as it lets Gallade set up against most defensive Pokemon safely.
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Other Options
########
• On every set utilizing Psycho Cut, Zen Headbutt is an option for a stronger but slightly unreliable STAB.
• Gallade can run a specially defensive set utilizing moves like Wish and Will-o-Wisp to function as somewhat of a specially defensive wall or pivot.
• Choice Band and Choice Scarf can both be used to some effect, capitalizing on Gallade's great coverage and usable speed tier.
• Leaf Blade can be used to hit Alomomola hard on any set bar Bulk Up.
• Taunt + Will-o-Wisp can be used to stallbreak, but Gallade's other sets are far more effective at this. Also, it's completely stopped by Aromatisse.
• Calm Mind can be used alongside Gallade's nice special movepool, but its base 65 Special Attack is a real letdown.
Checks & Counters
########
***Flying-types:*** Braviary, Fletchinder, Moltres, and Yanmega are all major threats to Gallade by virtue of their super effective STABs, easily checking all three variants.
***Toxic Spikes / Toxic:*** With only Drain Punch as recovery, all three sets will be significantly hampered by Toxic Spikes and Toxic.
***Physical Attackers:*** Gallade's low base defense means physical attackers have an easy time checking it. Gallade is unlikely to win a 1v1 against most of them unless it has a Substitute up or several Bulk Up boosts.
***Burn:*** Gallade is basically neutered if it gets burnt, so take extra care to make sure it doesn't through switching or Substitute.
########
• One of the most viable Fighting-types in RU, extreme versatility in sets
• Psychic-type STAB allows it to get past typical Fighting-type walls such as Amoonguss
• Great offensive movepool
• High base 125 Attack
• Relatively high Special Defense, making it a good Assault Vest user
• Great boosting moves in Bulk Up and Swords Dance, making it one of the best answers to stall
• Justified is a nice perk.
• Base 80 Speed isn't necessarily bad, but still middle-of-the-road, plus no priority
• Faces extreme competition from Hitmonlee, who sports a more powerful STAB, is slightly faster, and gets Rapid Spin
• Virizion and Cobalion are better at running Swords Dance and have much higher speed.
• Somewhat prone to being revenge killed due to low speed and poor physical defense
Substitute + 3 Attacks
########
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Justified
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
• Substitute protects Gallade from status, forces the switch-in to take at least one hit, and prevents Gallade from being easily revenge killed, all things Gallade normally struggles with.
• Drain Punch easily restores HP lost from Life Orb recoil + Substitutes.
• Psycho Cut is an accurate and reliable Psychic-type STAB that doesn't make contact with the opponent, helpful in the case of Druddigon or Rocky Helmet users.
• Knock Off hits Ghost-types such as Doublade and Cofagrigus and also weakens walls such as Alomomola and Gligar by removing items.
• Ice Punch is an option to threaten Gligar, who otherwise takes very little from any of Gallade's attacks.
• Poison Jab can be used if Aromatisse is a huge problem.
Set Details
========
• Max attack for maximum power, max speed allows Gallade to outspeed almost every defensive Pokemon as well as many bulky attackers. (e.g. Exploud, Tyrantrum) It also outspeeds Adamant Hitmonlee and at the worst speed ties non-scarf Braviary.
• Life Orb is the best item option, adding a necessary punch to all of Gallade's attacks, and working well with Drain Punch.
• Justified is the best ability, as Dark-type moves are far more common than flinching moves.
Usage Tips
========
• Gallade is best sent out against Pokemon it can force out, such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Cobalion, so it can easily set up a substitute.
• Note that Substitute allows Gallade to both wallbreak and sweep.
• However, against obvious switches to Cofagrigus or Gligar, don't waste time setting up a substitute, just attack with Knock Off.
• Although it has average speed, removing powerful physical attackers like Escavalier and Doublade can actually set Gallade up for a late-game sweep due to its good Special Defense.
• Because its main move is also a form of recovery, Gallade is not often the best Pokemon to sac. If the opponent has something that can be hit for solid damage by Drain Punch, it can often give itself a "second chance" even at low health percentages.
Team Options
========
• Moltres is a great partner, easily taking out Pokemon like Cofagrigus, Doublade, Escavalier, Gligar, and Tangrowth, while checking Alomomola.
• Zangoose is another good partner. Its wallbreaking ability softens up all of the walls mentioned above.
• Gallade forces many switches, so entry hazard support is extremely welcome. Stealth Rock is near-mandatory, seeing many of Gallade's best checks (such as Braviary, Moltres, and Yanmega) are weak to it.
• On the same note, however, Spikes and Toxic Spikes can quickly wear Gallade down, especially in conjunction with Life Orb damage, so hazard removal is necessary.
• Qwilfish easily sets up Spikes against many of the physical attackers that may attempt to check Gallade, and also removes Toxic Spikes.
• Accelgor and Omastar can easily set up Spikes, while Rhyperior and Druddigon are good Stealth Rock users to pair with Gallade.
• Leavanny and Kricketune can both set up Sticky Web, allowing Gallade to outpace most of the grounded tier.
Assault Vest
########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch / Close Combat
ability: Justified
item: Assault Vest
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
• Drain Punch allows Gallade to heal itself while attacking with a reliable and moderately powerful STAB.
• Psycho Cut is the STAB of choice due to its accuracy and reliability.
• Knock Off is useful for weakening opposing walls like Gligar and Alomomola, and hits Ghost-types like Cofagrigus.
• Ice Punch is Gallade's best option against Gligar. It also hits Braviary and Yanmega for solid damage.
• Close Combat is a more powerful Fighting-type STAB, although the defense drops are highly detrimental, so it should not be Gallade's primary attacking move.
• Rock Tomb may seem like an odd choice, but it allows Gallade to completely beat Moltres, Braviary, and Yanmega if used on the switch.
• Poison Jab lets you take out Aromatisse if it's particularly troubling.
Set Details
========
• Maximum attack allows Gallade to be a powerful tank.
• 44 Speed EVs lets Gallade outspeed minimum speed Cresselia and Gligar.
• Justified is again the ability of choice, punishing common users of Dark-type moves, particularly ones that use Dark Pulse like Clawitzer.
Usage Tips
========
• Because it has no recovery outside of Drain Punch, Gallade should be kept relatively healthy so it can safely check Pokemon like Jolteon, Heliolisk, and Exploud.
• Unless you are preparing to sac it, do not take on healthy, powerful physical attackers like Druddigon, Rhyperior, or Escavalier.
• Apart from that, Gallade is fairly straightfoward. Use prediction skills for switches as not many Pokemon can safely switch in on this Gallade set, and most can be dealt with (or at least crippled) by the right move.
Team Options
========
• Switch-ins to Flying-types like Braviary, Yanmega, Moltres, and Fletchinder are highly recommended, as all three are powerful attackers that can seriously threaten Gallade.
• Rhyperior can check Moltres and Braviary, while Registeel, Golbat, and Togetic can all check Yanmega. The former two can set up hazards while the latter two can remove them.
• On a related note, Stealth Rock hurts all three of the above attackers (and punishes the opponent trying to switch out their special attacker), so a Stealth Rock user is recommended.
• A hazard remover for Spikes and Toxic Spikes makes Gallade's lifespan significantly longer.
• Moltres is great for absorbing Will-o-Wisp as well as checking Doublade, a major threat to Gallade.
• As Gallade folds easily to physical attackers, a physical tank like Tangrowth or Rhyperior works well.
• Pokemon who function well alongside a special tank, such as Doublade or Yanmega, will appreciate Gallade's support.
• This Gallade set works best alongside bulkier teammates in general who can take hits, as Gallade can take most special hits in return.
• Gallade can also work well alongside any physical cleaner, as Gallade can wallbreak and wear down threats quite well.
Bulk Up
########
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Justified
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
nature: Careful
Moves
========
• Bulk Up allows Gallade to simultaneously boost its Attack and Defense, making it very hard to take down.
• Substitute protects Gallade from status, and also lets Gallade take more hits with less HP.
• Drain Punch heals Gallade and is also a very reliable STAB move.
• Knock Off hits most things that Drain Punch doesn't, and helps by removing items.
Set Details
========
• 44 Speed EVs outspeeds Cresselia and Gligar, allowing Gallade to boost safely against both of them without the threat of Toxic.
• The rest is put into HP and Special Defense to make Gallade as bulky as possible on the special side, the stat it is not boosting.
• Justified is again the best ability, as the attack boost and Knock Off deterrent are far more helpful than a Fake Out deterrent.
• Leftovers allows Gallade to passively recover health.
Usage Tips
========
• Keep Gallade away from status! Fake your opponent out by double switching from a Steel-type if necessary to avoid Toxic.
• Never hesitate to set up a Substitute if you can spare the health. Critical hits and status are easily avoidable with care.
• Whirlwind and Roar are rare, but be wary if your opponent reveals them to you. Wear down their users with Knock Off or Drain Punch instead of setting up.
• Watch out for sound-based moves like Bug Buzz and Boomburst. Although Gallade's bulk means it will never be OHKO'd by either move, sacrificing health to make a Substitute may cost you dearly in the presence of these attacks as they will bypass the Substitute.
• Look out for setup fodder like Virizion and Hitmonlee. Even though this Gallade set is most effective against slower or more defensive teams, it can find ways to set up against common offensive threats like those Pokemon too.
Team Options
========
• Teammates that struggle against walls will appreciate Gallade, as many stall teams lacking Roar or Whirlwind are highly vulnerable to Gallade.
• Stealth Rock is almost a necessity, as beating Moltres, Braviary, Yanmega, and Fletchinder becomes far easier with it up.
• Lures for Moltres, Braviary, and Yanmega, such as Volt Switch Cobalion, will make it that much easier to get these troublesome attackers out of the way.
• A Pokemon to remove Toxic Spikes is absolutely required, as two layers of Toxic Spikes will almost certainly ruin Gallade. As such a grounded Poison-type such as Amoonguss, Drapion, or Skuntank is highly recommended.
• Qwilfish is great as it removes Toxic Spikes, sets its own, and cripples faster opponents with Thunder Wave.
• Banette is extremely annoying and can prevent Gallade from working, so a solid switch-in such as Moltres is recommended.
• Because Gallade takes a few turns to become powerful enough to sweep, it may falter against hyper offense teams that can overwhelm and beat it, so teammates such as Rotom-C and Scarf Delphox can easily check most offensive Pokemon.
• Alternatively, Gallade also functions well as a late-game cleaner on semistall teams.
• Encore + U-turn users such as Whimsicott and Liepard can often create free turns for Gallade to set up.
Bulky Swords Dance
########
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Knock Off / Ice Punch
ability: Justified
item: Lum Berry
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
• Swords Dance gives Gallade immense power, enough to threaten even the bulkiest of walls.
• Drain Punch is a solid STAB that also heals Gallade, and doesn't have any drawbacks.
• Psycho Cut is a solid Psychic-type STAB, useful for hitting Fairy- and Poison-types.
• Knock Off has the best coverage alongside Drain Punch and Psycho Cut, and is especially helpful for getting past bulky Ghost-types.
• Ice Punch can be used in the last slot too as it allows Gallade to get past Gligar with no trouble, but at the expense of hitting Doublade, Delphox, and Cresselia.
Set Details
========
• 44 Speed EVs outspeeds Cresselia and Gligar.
• Maximum Attack to hit as hard as possible, and the rest is put in HP to aid Gallade in setting up.
• Justified is once again the best ability due to the relative ubiquity of Dark-type moves.
• Lum Berry is the best option as it lets Gallade set up against most defensive Pokemon safely.
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Other Options
########
• On every set utilizing Psycho Cut, Zen Headbutt is an option for a stronger but slightly unreliable STAB.
• Gallade can run a specially defensive set utilizing moves like Wish and Will-o-Wisp to function as somewhat of a specially defensive wall or pivot.
• Choice Band and Choice Scarf can both be used to some effect, capitalizing on Gallade's great coverage and usable speed tier.
• Leaf Blade can be used to hit Alomomola hard on any set bar Bulk Up.
• Taunt + Will-o-Wisp can be used to stallbreak, but Gallade's other sets are far more effective at this. Also, it's completely stopped by Aromatisse.
• Calm Mind can be used alongside Gallade's nice special movepool, but its base 65 Special Attack is a real letdown.
Checks & Counters
########
***Flying-types:*** Braviary, Fletchinder, Moltres, and Yanmega are all major threats to Gallade by virtue of their super effective STABs, easily checking all three variants.
***Toxic Spikes / Toxic:*** With only Drain Punch as recovery, all three sets will be significantly hampered by Toxic Spikes and Toxic.
***Physical Attackers:*** Gallade's low base defense means physical attackers have an easy time checking it. Gallade is unlikely to win a 1v1 against most of them unless it has a Substitute up or several Bulk Up boosts.
***Burn:*** Gallade is basically neutered if it gets burnt, so take extra care to make sure it doesn't through switching or Substitute.
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