Giratina

One of my favorite Ubermons, I've had lots of success with him on Gen IV Quickstall Teams.


http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/487.shtml

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[Overview]
[p]Even though the arrival of new Dragons in the 5th generation, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem, has served to limit Giratina's impressive walling potential, one would be remiss to discount it as a defensive threat. Giratina is the most resilient spinblocker of the Ubers metagame, and an excellent counter to potent threats such as RP Groudon and SD Normal Arceus. While it remains setup fodder for potent threats such Darkrai, Wobbuffet, and Mewtwo, Giratina will find its use on defensively minded teams and teams that need a counter to various physical threats such as the aforementioned Arceus.[/p]

[SET]
name: The Great Wall
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Dragon Tail / Outrage
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SpD

Set Comments:

<p>Giratina's impressive defenses and access to Will-O-Wisp predispose it towards countering physical threats such as SD Arceus, RP Groudon, Scizor, Metagross, and more. The new generation gave it Dragon Tail, a 60 BP Dragon-type phazing move that works even while Taunted (though it still has -5 priority), which stops it from being setup fodder for special attackers such as Mewtwo. All of this makes Dragon Tail the preferred move, but Outrage is an option for hitting opposing threats harder, while making Giratina a decent Ho-oh counter. Needless to say, Giratina still makes an excellent Pokemon to block Rapid Spin, but it's worth noting that Forretress has an easier time setting up on it than it does on Ghost Arceus and Giratina-O.</p>

Additional Comments:
<p>You can consider investing additional Speed EVs if you wish to engage in a speed creep contest with opposing Groudon and Giratina. Other moveslot options include Toxic or Thunder Wave. Thunder Wave might have some use as a lure for fast special attackers, but Will-O-Wisp has more overall utility. Finally, you can consider Shadow Claw to surprise opponents such as Mewtwo on the switch-in, but Darkrai and Dark-type Arceus still don't care.</p>

<p>Giratina is countered by most special attackers. In particular, Mewtwo, Darkrai, Dark-type Arceus, Latias, and Latios all do fairly well. In order to deal with these Pokemon, it's recommended to use Pokemon such as Chansey, Blissey, or a defensive Scizor. All in all, the best partner for Giratina is Forretress: the two have excellent typing synergy, and Giratina protects the entry hazards set up by Forretress. Finally, Forretress enables the use of Ho-oh and Reshiram (make sure you have Groudon in tow). Ho-oh is the recommended choice because its defensive presence helps against the strong special attackers that plague Giratina, but Reshiram hits harder.</p>

[SET]
name: Mono Attacker
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Dragon Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SpD

Set Comments:
<p>Giratina is useful as more than a check on physical attackers. Its amazing defenses combined with Calm Mind mean it can easily set up on many threats. After a Calm Mind, it is practically impossible to OHKO with any attack (even a Choice Banded Outrage from Rayquaza) due to its sheer base defensive stats. If supported properly, Giratina should be able to achieve 6 Calm Minds, but as always, exercise discretion when setting up. Unfortunately, even after 6 Calm Minds, Giratina fails to 2HKO Blissey, but Blissey can be PP stalled, a strategy that works better with Toxic Spikes support from Forretress.</p>

Additional Comments:
<p>If you want to forgo Sleep Talk, Giratina has a number of options. Shadow Ball is useful against Mewtwo, while Will-O-Wisp is an option if you want this Giratina to act as a lure for Tyranitar, or as a check on SD Arceus or RP Groudon.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, none of these options let Giratina defeat its counters, which include many fast special attackers such as Darkrai, Dark-type Arceus, Latias, and Latios. As such, partners to this set mirror that of the last one, meaning that Scizor, Blissey, and Chansey are good options. You may wish for Heal Bell support from Chansey and Blissey particularly because of the new sleep mechanics in this generation: the sleep counter resets upon leaving the field. Finally, you will probably want Toxic Spikes support from Forretress to help handle Chansey and Blissey, who give Giratina trouble otherwise.</p>

• Amazing defenses combined with Calm Mind mean it can easily set up on many threats.
• Almost impossible to OHKO with any attack after a Calm Mind due to physical bulk.
• Can PP Stall Blissey, though this strategy works better with Toxic Spikes support.
• Still doesn't enjoy dealing with strong special attackers.

Additional Comments:

• Can use Shadow Ball over Rest for Mewtwo.
• Can use Will-O-Wisp if Tyranitar is a concern, or if you need a SD Arceus and RP Groudon check.

Teammates & Counters:

• Completely countered by Tyranitar, Specially Defensive Mewtwo, and Latias.
• Best partner is Forretress: excellent typing synergy, and Giratina exploits Forretress' Toxic Spikes.
• Need a way to deal with potent special attackers, defensive Scizor, Chansey, and Blissey are good choices.
• Groudon and Ho-oh or Heatran successfully deal with aforementioned counters.

[SET]
name: Attacking Lead
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Haban Berry
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Set Comments:
<p>While Giratina is often seen as a wall of sorts, due to its powerful attacks and access to priority, it manages to work as a decent lead. With the given EVs, Draco Meteor and Shadow Sneak nets a 2HKO on Deoxys-S and Mew, while only Shadow Sneak is needed against Deoxys-A. Aura Sphere deals with Tyranitar and Dialga, while Hidden Power Fire lets you handle Forretress and Scizor.</p>

Team Options and Additional Comments
<p>Will-O-Wisp is a perfectly usable choice over Hidden Power Fire should you desire more status support. You can consider Thunder for Kyogre, but Kyogre still wins the matchup thanks to its vastly superior special attack and defense: you fail to 2HKO, while it 2HKOes you with Ice Beam. Lum Berry can be used against Darkrai, but Haban Berry has more overall utility due to the litany of Dragon-type attacks in both the lead and overall metagames. Finally, Outrage is an option, but it won't hit very hard coming from no attack investment.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, this Giratina loses to Darkrai and Kyogre leads. Therefore, a Choice Scarf Palkia is the best partner for this set, since it can handle Kyogre and OHKO Darkrai. Chansey and Blissey can also check Lead Kyogre and Darkrai, but they are lacking in offensive presence. Scizor has excellent typing synergy with Giratina, and it can take the Dragon-type attacks aimed at Giratina, while Giratina laughs at the Fire-type attacks aimed at Scizor. Finally, Skarmory, Forretress, and Nattorei are all solid choices for entry hazard support, should you seek to take advantage of Giratina blocking Rapid Spin.</p>

• Loses to Darkrai and Kyogre leads.
• Choice Scarf Palkia is the best teammate since it can handle Kyogre and OHKO Darkrai.
• Scizor has excellent typing synergy with Giratina, and can take Dragon-type attacks.
• Skarmory and Forretress are also good partners since they can set up entry hazards, which Giratina blocks.

[Team Options]

• Weather doesn't really matter to Giratina, but Groudon is recommended as a Rayquaza check.
• Forretress is a required partner for Giratina because of entry hazards and typing synergy.
• Chansey, Blissey, Ho-oh, and defensive Scizor all help check the special attackers that trouble Giratina.
• If Giratina is used with Groudon and Forretress, you can use Ho-oh and Heatran, which are other excellent checks on Giratina's counters.
  

[Optional Changes]
<p>Giratina can employ Toxic or Thunder Wave for additional status support, but Will-O-Wisp is recommended given that Giratina is meant to counter physical attackers. It can use Dragon Claw, but Dragon Tail is recommended for phazing, and Outrage is recommended for power and handling Ho-oh and Wobbuffet.</p>

[Counters]
<p>While Giratina is a strong physical wall, it suffers against many special attackers. Darkrai and Dark-type Arceus in particular destroy it.<p>

<p>If Tyranitar avoids Will-O-Wisp, it can 2HKO Giratina given a Choice Band, making it the only physical attacker to do so.</p>

<p>If it is the last Pokemon, a Bulk Up Dialga with Rest defeats Giratina fairly handily. Finally, Wobbuffet can exploit Dragon Tail's negative priority in order to Encore Giratina.</p>

[Dream World]
Giratina's Dream World ability is Telepathy, which has no competitive application in singles.

Done, awaiting comments.

Due to the new sleep mechanics, (sleep counter resets on switch out), you are gonna want Cleric support from something like Blissey.

I thought that was only for sleep induced by an opponent, not Rest? If it's for Rest, then Giratina just got really shafted.

It also happens for Rest

Fixed some crazy formatting errors like missing section headers, marked as done.

Just posting to say that I've begun writing up the whole analysis, so I'm not inactive! K thanks.

Also I'd appreciate any input regarding EV spreads or whatever, I'm just copying from 4th gen right now tbh since not much has changed except Giratina got Dragon Tail, which is a buff.

How can he counter SD arceus if SD arceus has shadow claw?

On the great wall set, toxic definitely deserves a mention. I think the attacking lead set shouldn't be called that as it may not always be a lead and is more of a "anti sweeper". I reckon that lum berry, shadow ball and thunder all deserve a mention there too.

jacktoto7497 said:

How can he counter SD arceus if SD arceus has shadow claw?

Click to expand...

Aside from SD Ghost with Shadow Force Giratina can take a +2 ghost attack and retaliate with Will-o'-Wisp then rest off the damage/roar out Arceus.

+2 Shadow Force from Extremekiller Arceus fails to OHKO Giratina at full health. If Arceus has Shadow Claw instead, Giratina can easily survive the hit burn it and Rest off the damage or Dragon Tail it out.

In AC, Earthquake deserves mention to OHKO Heatran who otherwise walls Giratina completely. Stone Edge can OHKO Ho-Oh allowing Giratina to kill it instead of just PP stalling. Roar should be mentioned in the Great Wall Set as it phazes through Substitute and some threats such as Ho-Oh or Groudon might be using it.

For the Great Wall set, an alternative spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD should be mentioned somewhere as it allows Giratina to abuse it's wide range of resistances while still maintaining good physical bulk. With that Specially Defensive spread, Giratina suddenly becomes an excellent switch in on Specs Kyogre as Water Spout will fail to kill it while Giratina can stall it out with Pressure. Specs Reshiram's Blue Fire fails to 2HKO that Giratina spread even after Stealth Rock damage.

Going on a Special Defensive route allows Giratina to do something Ghost Arceus or Giratina-O can't. Ghost Arceus is OHKOed by Specs Reshiram and Kyogre easily while Giratina can stall them out if it comes in on the right moves.

Walling Ho-Oh is something Ghost Arceus cannot do, so it should be mentioned in the introduction.

Giratina is no longer a setup fodder for Mewtwo as it can just Dragon Tail Mewtwo out. In fact a +1 Psycho Break from Mewtwo will not OHKO Giratina even after 3 rounds of Spikes and Stealth Rock damage making Giratina a fine check to it. Ghost Arceus isn't enjoying +1 Fire Blasts or Psycho Break.

Tyranitar isn't the only physical attacker who can 2HKO Giratina if it avoids Will-o-wisps. Rayquaza, Choice Band Garchomp, Salamence and Zekrom can all threaten to 2HKO Giratina if they avoid a burn. While they won't enjoy Dragon Tail, all of the dragons can survive a hit from Dragon Tail. If Giratina uses Rest, all of those Dragons can come in and force Giratina out.

Inactivity.