Gyarados (OU Analysis)

[Absolute Zero]

[Overview]

- 125 Base Attack and 100 Base Special
- Ground Immunity
- Speed not bad at all

[Set]

name: Mixed Hitter
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf / Blizzard
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Thunderbolt / Thunder / Rest

[Set comments]

Gyarados is a good pokemon that could help you winning the game cleaning in lategame. Despite of his 81 Base speed, he's still faster than common threats like Dragonite, Venusaur, Snorlax, ecc. There is not a "true" way to counter it since the moment that Gyarados is good thanks to his Atk and Spc stats (but anyway don't let your flying/water snake get paralyzed or it will be useless). Infact special walls have to face a 125 Base Atk Hyper Beam, so your opponent don't really have a safe switch-in. Hydro Pump is the only way to hit decently Gengar, same thing with Blizzard for Exeggutor. An Hydro Pump crit will let you 2HKO Snorlax and could OHKO Tauros (35.9%).

[Additional comments]

- Rock weakness is a problem for Gyarados but in a 1v1 situation it will win thanks to Hydro Pump versus Golem/Rhydon/Dugtrio (these are the only Pokemons which use Rock move in OU). Electric weakness is the only big problem for this Pokemon, that can hit hard even with only one STAB in his moveset.

 

[Alfalfa]

You need to make a bigger mention of its Electric and Rock weaknesses. Gyarados has huge issues with Starmie, which has absolutely no mention in this analysis, and its speed is highly crippling, as slower threats like Exeggutor, Chansey, Snorlax, and Slowbro can afford to have less speed due to being more defensively inclined. Gyarados has a huge issue with being outsped by common Pokemon and being ripped apart by them, such as Tauros, Alakazam, and Starmie, which you make little mention of.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Man when I said "81 Base Speed" I think that is implicit that every Pokemon which has a speed stat >81 outspeed Gyarados so I don't think I've to underline that Alakazam/Starmie/Tauros are faster than it.

Starmie isn't mentioned here because I just said "Electric weakness is blablabla" so I don't think there are problems, everybody knows that Starmie learns Thunderbolt so .o.

About Rock weakness, I'll add it, even if there are only 3 pokemon which use a rock move in OU (and they all are OHKOed by Hpump)



anyway, done :]

 

[Ortheore]

To be honest, I'd question whether Gyarados deserves an analysis at all. It was always considered a gimmick option for RBY OU- barely possible to make it work, but not really worth it and consequently never seen in high level play, except maybe Isa used it a couple times idk. That was a while ago though, and the current meta is much harsher to it. We're seeing a lot more water and electric types being used, while GolDon have plummeted in popularity. This means its checks are far more common and its best switch opportunities are now not all that frequent. But hey if no-one else is opposing Aero getting an analysis, I suppose I'll share my thoughts on this one as well, for the sake of being consistent.

Again, a lot of stuff ought to be in the overview but either isn't there, or is elsewhere in the analysis. I'd point out its great mixed attacking stats and good coverage. Its other stats are overall average, which means it isn't fast but still outspeeds a bunch of relevant stuff. The negatives are that its typing is really bad (electric weakness, what up), it has 4MSS and it lacks a physical STAB. Overall its flaws make it pretty bad but maybe not irredeemable.

Js, you could really do with developing the overview more. It should contain a pokemon's strengths and weaknesses, as well as stuff like its role for a team (in this case wallbreaking) and a statement on where it fits into the metagame. A lot of this stuff is already there, but in the set/additional comments where it really doesn't belong.

In terms of the slashes, I'd probably remove Rest altogether and put Blizzard in its place. Gyara has practically 0 defensive utility so Rest doesn't make any sense.

Venusaur is garbage oml. Not a common threat at all. With that out the way you need to cover more what each move does- HPump is its main STAB, Body Slam spreads para, chips at special walls and Egg. Hyper Beam is for killing things, Tbolt/Blizz for Water types/Egg respectively. Also I don't think it's worthwhile pointing out that crit HPump reks Tauros. Gyara isn't so fast that it merits worrying about crits.

You need a C&C section bro. Literally everything with Tbolt is a Gyara check (except Persian lol), Egg, maybe Articuno I guess.
Starmie
Zapdos
Exeggutor
Chansey
Jolteon
Gengar
Lapras
Articuno