Funbot28
Banned deucer.
QC Ready!
QC Stamps: Arikado / Omicron / Kushalos
GP Stamps: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
AM GP Stamps: Sobi
[OVERVIEW]
Gligar is one of the best defensive walls in the metagame. This is due to its incredible 65 / 105 / 65 bulk alongside the boosts from Eviolite, meaning that Gligar can check most physical threats in the tier. It also possesses a great Ground / Flying typing that gives it resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Poison-type attacks alongside immunities to Electric- and Ground-type attacks, enabling Gligar to wall prominent offensive threats such as Heracross, Toxicroak, Flygon, and Rotom-H. Access to great support moves in Stealth Rock, Defog, U-turn, and Knock Off allows Gligar to be a valuable asset on a majority of teams, especially since entry hazard removal options are scarce.
However, a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks helps offensive threats such as Ice Beam Nidoqueen, Ice Punch Rhyperior, and Hidden Power Ice Jolteon wear down Gligar much more quickly. It is also weak to Water, which is another common offensive type in the tier. Gligar's low Special Defense prevents it from taking special attacks all too well, hindering its role as a wall. Also, Defog can't be run alongside Immunity, meaning that Gligar can be pressured by poison as it tries to clear hazards. Gligar also relies on its Eviolite to check a majority of threats, meaning it is susceptible to Knock Off. It also means that Gligar does not gain any passive recovery each turn from Leftovers, making it a bit easier to wear down.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roost
move 3: Defog / Stealth Rock
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off / Acrobatics
item: Eviolite
ability: Sand Veil / Immunity
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a reliable STAB move that allows Gligar to become less of a passive threat and also helps it hit Electric-, Steel-, and Rock-type Pokemon much harder. Roost is Gligar's reliable recovery move, helping it sustain itself throughout the entire match. It also helps Gligar endure Ice-type attacks much better if it uses before the foe's attack. Defog is a great support move that allows Gligar to clear all entry hazards on the field. However, the move is illegal with Immunity. Stealth Rock can be used instead to allow Gligar to act as an entry hazard setter, since its bulk grants it many opportunities to set them up. U-turn is a great utility move, as it allows Gligar to pivot out versus Pokemon that threaten it out, providing useful momentum for the team. Knock Off is another option that allows Gligar to cripple other defensive walls that rely on their item such as Porygon2, Bronzong, and other Gligar. It also allows it to punish offensive threats that choose to switch in such as Choice Specs Swellow, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, and Choice Band Pangoro. Acrobatics can be used as another STAB option that allows an itemless Gligar to fire off a 110-Base Power Flying-type attack. This helps it check Fighting-types such as Heracross, Pangoro, and Scrafty much better, since Gligar fails to check these threats without its Flying-type STAB move. Toxic can be used instead of Earthquake alongside Acrobatics, allowing Gligar to cripple other defensive threats such as Mantine, Milotic, and other non-Immunity Gligar.
Set Details
========
EVs have been invested fully in HP and Defense with an Impish nature and Eviolite in order to turn Gligar into a defensive behemoth. Sand Veil is used on sets with Defog due to the move's illegality with Immunity and allows Gligar to be a nuisance to target when paired with sand teams thanks to the evasion boost; Immunity is equipped on sets with Stealth Rock and protects it from poison, making it much more difficult to weaken. An alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD with an Impish nature can be used in order to turn Gligar into a more specially defensive wall, helping it check threats such as Dragalge and Salazzle much better.
Usage Tips
========
Gligar should be used as a defensive pivot, since it can switch in to the majority of physical attackers in the metagame that do not carry Ice-type attacks. However, it must be cautious when switching in versus foes with Knock Off, with common users being Escavalier, Zoroark, and Donphan. Since Defog Gligar is extremely easy to wear down, it can often struggle to clear entry hazards off the field versus opposing hazard setters such as Registeel and Gigalith if it gets afflicted with Toxic. Therefore, Gligar should only be trying to use Defog once the aforementioned hazard setters have been severely weakened or crippled by Taunt. Although Gligar possess a great Defense stat, it struggles upon switching into specially offensive attackers such as Noivern, Yanmega, and Necrozma even after the Eviolite boosts. Due to Gligar's popularity in the metagame, it must be careful when facing physical attackers that choose to run Ice-type attacks to circumvent it, with examples being Ice Punch Rhyperior and Pangoro.
Team Options
========
Due to Gligar's immense weakness to Ice-type attacks, teammates that resist them are extremely important. Steel-types such as Registeel, Bronzong, and Doublade are great examples of this, as Gligar can also help check Ground-type attackers. Water-type partners such as Milotic, Blastoise, and Vaporeon can also be beneficial, since not only can they check Ice-types such as Sneasel and Mega Glalie, but they can also help cover Gligar's other weakness to Water-type attacks as well. Gligar's immunity to Electric-type attacks also aids them in return. If Gligar chooses to run Stealth Rock, entry hazard removal can also be beneficial to it, with the most prominent examples being Dhelmise, Mantine, and Hitmontop. Alternatively, if Gligar chooses to run Defog, Stealth Rock setters such as Nidoqueen, Rhyperior, Gigalith, and Seismitoad can be useful as well. Wallbreakers such as Kommo-o, Durant, and Swellow can also be useful partners, since they can help Gligar check offensive Pokemon that threaten to break through it. Bulky setup sweepers such as Snorlax, Reuniclus, and Florges can help break down opposing walls that can take on Gligar. Cleric support can be useful if Gligar chooses to run Defog, as it can help prevent Gligar from being crippled by poison or burns, increasing its durability.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An offensive Swords Dance with Earthquake and Knock Off can be used to catch foes off guard and can let Gligar sweep late-game. However, Gligar's defensive utility is often too beneficial to pass up. Gligar can also choose to run Taunt on its defensive sets, allowing it to cripple defensive walls such as Registeel and Chestnaught. However, it is already pressed for moveslots, making the option rather risky.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Moves**: Ice-type moves can weaken down Gligar immensely due to its critical weakness to these attacks, decreasing its defensive capabilities when facing threats that carry Ice-type coverage.
**Defensive Water-types**: Bulky Water-type threats such as Milotic, Blastoise, and Slowbro can all threaten Gligar with their STAB moves and all take minimal damage from Gligar's attacks.
**Special Attacking Wallbreakers**: Powerful wallbreakers such as Swellow, Noivern, and Gardevoir can all dent Gligar incredibly hard due to its poor special bulk.
**Setup Sweepers**: Opposing setup sweepers such as Flygon, Reuniclus, Florges, and Snorlax can all use Gligar as setup bait if it does not carry Taunt due to the aforementioned threats taking minimal damage from Gligar's attacks.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Chestnaught, Shaymin, and Dhelmise can all potentially wall Gligar due to their resistance to Ground-type attacks. However, Gligar can break through the aforementioned examples if it chooses to carry Acrobatics.
**Knock Off**: Removing Gligar's Eviolite with Knock Off can be incredibly crippling for it, since it relies on the defensive boosts to avoid the 2HKO from a majority of threats in the metagame.
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Qwilfish, Sableye, and Alolan Persian can all shut down Gligar due to it relying on its status moves to make a large impact. However, Gligar can choose to pivot out against these threats if it does get inflicted by Taunt.
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