QC Checks: Montsegur / Soulgazer / TheCanadianWifier
GP Checks: Electrolyte / frenzyplant
Overview
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With its good bulk, decent Attack stat, and a good defensive typing, Gogoat makes an excellent setup sweeper in NU. With access to Bulk Up, Horn Leech, and Substitute, along with its good typing, Gogoat typically has an easy time setting up against most teams. Its low Speed stat is its main drawback, as it leaves Gogoat susceptible to most revenge killers. Along with this, its lackluster movepool leaves it very predictable and can cause problems for Gogoat.
Bulk Up
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name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Bulk Up is the main move of the set, allowing Gogoat to tear through teams and remediating its rather uninvested Attack and Defense stats. Horn Leech is Gogoat's go-to attacking move, hitting Ground-, Water-, and Rock-types hard and providing a reliable source of recovery. Substitute is a good way to avoid status and makes setting up on walls much easier. Additionally, the recovery from Horn Leech negates the lost health. Earthquake is a great coverage move that hits Fire-, Electric-, Poison-, and Steel-types. Rock Slide can be used for valuable coverage against Fire-, Bug-, Flying-, and Ice-types, but typically Gogoat can beat those either with another move or with the help of another teammate.
Set Details
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252 EVs are put into HP and Special Defense, maximizing Gogoat's special bulk. An Adamant nature is used to bolster Gogoat's Attack. Leftovers are used for a reliable source of residual health. Lastly, Sap Sipper is used to beat opposing Grass-types, while getting an Attack boost at the same time.
Usage Tips
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Gogoat can come in on most Water-, Ground-, Grass-, Electric-, and Rock-types, such as Seismitoad, Lilligant, Kabutops, Feraligatr, Rotom, Sceptile, and Sandslash, and proceed to set up either Bulk Up or Substitute. It should watch out for Scald burns from Water-types, however. Before trying to sweep, Pokemon carrying Taunt should be disposed of. If Gogoat can get a few boosts, it should try to spam Horn Leech, as even if it is resisted, it can wear down opponents quickly.
Team Options
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Water-types such as Feraligatr and Carracosta work well as teammates, since they beat troublesome Fire-types, while Gogoat can beat Electric- and Grass-types for them. Fire-types such as Pyroar and Magmortar make good teammates, as they beat Bug- and Ice-types, such as Vivillon, Scyther, Accelgor, Jynx, and Sneasel. Additionally, Gogoat can handle Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types in return. Gogoat, along with Fire-type and Water-type teammates, form a good core that handle each other's weaknesses. Garbodor makes for a good teammate, as it can deal with annoying Pokemon such as Vileplume for Gogoat, all the while setting entry hazards. Lastly, Ground- and Rock-types such as Sandslash and Kabutops make good teammates, as Gogoat can beat troublesome Water- and Ground-types for them, respectively, as well as Grass-types, while they beat Bug-, Poison-, and Flying-types in return. Additionally, both can spin away entry hazards that can threaten Gogoat's ability to set up.
Other Options
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Although Gogoat is a decently effective setup sweeper, it does not have very many other options. Milk Drink or Synthesis could be used, but typically Horn Leech and Leftovers provide enough recovery. Brick Break can be used to hit Steel-types but is almost always worse than Earthquake coverage-wise. Leech Seed can be used to wear down Gogoat's opponents, but again, Horn Leech and Leftovers usually prove to be enough. Wild Charge can be used as an alternative to hit Flying-types, but Gogoat cannot manage to find the room to run it. Lastly, Roar is an option to deter opposing setup sweepers, but usually Gogoat needs its coverage to be effective.
Checks & Counters
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**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Weezing, Vileplume, Garbodor, and Arbok can all come in against a Substitute, Bulk Up, or Horn Leech and take out Gogoat with their respective super effective STAB attacks. All bar Weezing should watch out for Earthquake, however. Arbok can also Intimidate Gogoat, while Weezing is an exceptional counter, thanks to its ability to burn Gogoat, as well as hit it hard with its super effective Sludge Bomb.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Archeops, Vivillon, Rotom-S, and Swanna can all outspeed Gogoat and put a dent in it with their super effective STAB Flying-type moves. Swanna and Archeops should watch out for boosted Horn Leeches, however.
**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Pokemon that have an upper hand against Gogoat with their typing, including Bug-types such as Scyther and Accelgor, Ice-types like Sneasel, Regice, and Jynx, and Fire-types such as Pyroar and Typhlosion, can all come in on any move Gogoat has to throw at them, and KO it with their super effective STAB attacks. Sneasel and Jynx must be wary of Horn Leech, however, and Pyroar and Typhlosion of Earthquake.
**Status**: Burn, paralysis, and poison are all big obstacles to Gogoat, as they halve its Attack, drastically cut its Speed, and wear it down respectively, hindering its sweeping capabilities. Gourgeist and Weezing can burn Gogoat, Granbull and Liepard can paralyze it, and Toxic Spikes from Pokemon such as Roselia and Garbodor can poison it.
**Taunt / Encore**: Taunt users such as Archeops, Liepard, and Mismagius all prevent the use of Substitute and Bulk Up, two of Gogoat's main moves. Without these, Gogoat struggles to fill a good role on any team. Encore is a similar case, but there are few good users of the move.
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