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[Overview]
<p>In the past, Gorebyss was almost solely used as a rain sweeper or a Baton Pass user, and she received stiff competition for both roles. Luckily, BW gave her Shell Smash, which casts Gorebyss into the limelight as one of the most notable Pokemon in UU. Shell Smash is a great blessing for offensive Pokemon, as it doubles their Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats, and Gorebyss is one of only three Pokemon that can pass on the boost. Gorebyss may even use the move to sweep herself, and unlike the past generation, she does not need rain support in order to do so (although it does help greatly). However, Shell Smash's drop in Defense and Special Defense often forces her to carry White Herb in place of another item. This means that Gorebyss will usually get only one chance of passing on Shell Smash without the drops, and clever opponents will stop at nothing to exploit this fact. In addition, Gorebyss's HP and Special Defense stats are abysmal, so she can be knocked out easily even without Shell Smash's drops. Nevertheless, the prospect of having a sweeper with +2 in both offensive stats and Speed is appealing to many players, and this high risk, high reward strategy will not die off anytime soon.</p>
[SET]
name: SmashPass
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Surf
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Electric
item: White Herb
nature: Calm
ability: Swift Swim
evs: 252 HP / 24 SpD / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gorebyss is one of three Pokemon that can "SmashPass," that is, pass on the boosts provided by Shell Smash, making it a very popular choice among offensive teams. However, this set is also quite risky to use due to the drops in Defense and Special Defense, so Gorebyss will usually have only one chance of successfully passing on the +2 boosts without also passing on the drops. Therefore, it is very important that you assess the foe's team in Team Preview and bring Gorebyss out at the right time. For example, if Team Preview reveals that your foe carries Deoxys-D, a Pokemon who can Taunt Gorebyss and shut her down, then your priority should be to take that Pokemon down before sending Gorebyss out. Gorebyss herself can take down quite a few threats with Surf after a Shell Smash boost. Just to give you an example, a +2 Surf against a 252 HP / 4 SpD Bold Deoxys-D deals 45 - 54%, which is impressive considering that there are no investments in her Special Attack. Substitute is a useful move to have in the last moveslot since it blocks status conditions. In addition, if Gorebyss finds herself using Shell Smash without White Herb, then Substitute can shield her (and her receiver) from a potentially fatal attack. If Substitute is not needed, Hidden Power Electric is a good way to deal with bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Empoleon, Suicune, and Milotic, which may otherwise threaten to phaze her.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>232 EVs in Speed enables Gorebyss to outspeed base 130 Pokemon in the rain, even if they have a Speed-boosting nature. This allows Gorebyss to use Baton Pass before Pokemon such as Crobat and Aerodactyl use Taunt on her. The remaining EVs go to HP and Special Defense to ensure that Gorebyss lasts as long as possible. Swift Swim is the chosen ability so that Gorebyss can receive a lovely Speed boost against rain teams. Hydration is a viable alternate option to rid her of nasty status effects.</p>
<p>Although not necessary, a Pokemon that can set up Light Screen and Reflect is an excellent teammate for Gorebyss, as this allows her to pass Shell Smash if White Herb is somehow destroyed or used up. Cresselia and Uxie are two of the best defensive dual screen users in UU. Uxie has a plethora of support moves, while Cresselia has better defenses and access to Moonlight. On the offensive side, Azelf makes a good dual screen user due to its base 115 Speed. Azelf also has access to Taunt, which prevents opposing Pokemon from setting up on it. Gorebyss also appreciates Pokemon that can remove Toxic Spikes, which are a nuisance to her and her receiver. One way to do this is by having a grounded Poison-type Pokemon. Nidoking works well and is an excellent recipient due to its wide movepool and Sheer Force ability. The other way to remove the entry hazard is by the use of Rapid Spin users, such as Donphan and Hitmontop. In addition, Gorebyss absolutely hates Pokemon that can phaze it out, particularly defensive Water-types such as Empoleon. Pokemon that can Taunt these menaces should therefore be paired up with Gorebyss. Having a powerful Electric- or Grass-type Pokemon can also help. Zapdos, for example, can destroy Empoleon and other Water-type Pokemon with its STAB Thunderbolt.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Electric
item: White Herb / Life Orb
nature: Modest
ability: Swift Swim
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Gorebyss is commonly seen as a SmashPasser, she can easily use Shell Smash to sweep with her fantastic base 114 Special Attack. This set can be used on a rain team or as a standalone sweeper, although it is important to note that rain support enables her to outspeed far more Pokemon. Surf is absurdly powerful, rain or not, and can 2HKO almost any Pokemon that does not resist it. For example, with rain support and Life Orb, Gorebyss's Surf deals 55% - 64% to 252 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Chansey, one of the best special walls in UU (Gorebyss will need Stealth Rock support to 2HKO Chansey without rain). For even more power, you may opt to use Hydro Pump in place of Surf, however, this is only recommended if Gorebyss is using White Herb instead of Life Orb. Otherwise, Hydro Pump's 80% accuracy would make it very risky to use since Gorebyss will have -1 defensive stats after using Shell Smash. Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric complement Surf by hitting Dragon-, Grass-, and Water-type Pokemon that could otherwise switch into Surf.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is quite simple- maximum Special Attack and Speed are all that Gorebyss requires in order to sweep. A Modest nature is used over a Timid nature since Gorebyss needs all the power she can get, and is very fast at +2 (especially under rain). However, you may opt to use a Timid nature over a Modest nature if you do note wish to use Gorebyss on a rain team. White Herb is an important item since it enables Gorebyss to ignore the drops to Defense and Special Defense caused by Shell Smash. Life Orb, however, increases the strength of her attacks, and enables her to easily tear special walls to shreads.</p>
<p>If Gorebyss is used on a rain team, then two or three Rain Dance users, Pokemon that manually summon rain and hold Damp Rock, are required. Roserade and Steel-type Pokemon such as Escalvier and Cobalion do a fine job at this, as they enjoy having their Fire-type weakness reduced and can absorb any incoming Grass-type attacks aimed at Gorebyss. Another good Rain Dance user would be Zapdos, which enjoys firing off 100% accurate Thunders in the rain. In addition to Rain Dance users, Gorebyss requires powerful rain sweepers to tear holes in the foe's team. Kabutops, Huntail, Kingdra, Ludicolo, and Omastar are some good options. Jolteon, Raikou, Zapdos, and pretty much any other special Electric-type Pokemon also make good teammates since their Thunder will have perfect accuracy. Outside of the rain, Gorebyss appreciates Pokemon that can take down special walls. An offensive Donphan set works well, as it can set up Stealth Rock for Gorebyss and switch into any Electric-type attacks aimed at her. Other physical powerhouses, such as Heracross and Mamoswine, are also great teammates.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Gorebyss does not really have any other options left. She can pass on other boosting moves such as Amensia and Iron Defense along with Shell Smash, but this would be incredibly risky and leave Gorebyss vulnerable to Taunt. On the sweeper set, Psychic is a good option to hit all of the Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon that are running over UU. If used on a rain team, Gorebyss herself can set up Rain Dance, but this is best done by other Pokemon. As a final note, Gorebyss can opt to go mixed on the Offensive set by using Aqua Tail, but Huntail arguably does a better job at this, since it has a higher Attack stat.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The best way to shut down the SmashPass set is through the use of phazers, although it is important to note that Gorebyss's Surf can dish out quite a lot of damage after a Shell Smash. If Gorebyss does not run Hidden Power Electric, then Water-type Pokemon, such as Milotic, Suicune, and Empoleon, will take next to nothing from Surf and can easily phaze it out with Dragon Tail and Roar. Mischievous Heart Murkrow can quickly Taunt Gorebyss before it uses either Shell Smash or Baton Pass, effectively shutting it down. Chansey does not mind any of Gorebyss's moves and can cripple it with either Thunder Wave or Toxic. Besides phazers, another way to stop Gorebyss is by hammering her with a barrage of powerful attacks, since she has a pitiful HP and Special Defense stats despite significant investment in the former. Celebi, for example, can easily faint Gorebyss with a powerful STAB Leaf Storm. Zapdos, Jolteon, and Raikou can use Thunderbolt to fry her.</p>
<p>The sweeper set can be a bit trickier to handle, since there are very few Pokemon that can safely switch into her attacks after a Shell Smash. If Gorebyss is not used on a rain team, then sending out a revenge killer can dispatch her quickly. Choice Scarf Durant, for example, can outspeed +2 Gorebyss outside of rain and prey on her -1 Defense stat with X-Scissor or Thunder Fang. If Gorebyss is using White Herb over Life Orb, then she will lack the nessessary power to get through special walls such as Chansey and Snorlax. Conversly, if Gorebyss uses Life Orb over White Herb, then she becomes vulnerable to priority attacks from Pokemon such as Ambipom, Hitmontop, and Honchkrow.</p>
