[Overview]
<p>Gorebyss was hit the hardest by the Shell Smash + Baton Pass ban. With her main strategy outlawed, she had to change tacks to keep her head above water. Fortunately for the pink fish, Shell Smash allows her to be an excellent special sweeper in her own right. A base 114 Special Attack stat gives her attacks plenty of punch, and after a Shell Smash, she can be quite intimidating. As she commonly carries Life Orb, she must be wary of residual damage, which can make it difficult for her to sweep. She is also somewhat frail, and taking an attack while setting up can see her sweep cut short by Life Orb recoil. She does need a little support, but under the right circumstances, Gorebyss can be so utterly devastating that her victims will be left curled up in a dark corner, traumatized and reduced to tears, a mere husk of their former selves.</p>
[SET]
name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>After one Shell Smash, Gorebyss becomes an extremely potent sweeper. She has almost perfect coverage in three moves, and few Pokemon can stand up to her onslaught. Surf is the main choice of STAB move, as it is both powerful and accurate, but Hydro Pump can be used if one feels that more power is needed. Ice Beam is a staple of any Water-type sweeper, and it allows her to blast through Grass- and Dragon-types that resist her Water-type STAB move, such as Tangrowth, Roselia, and Druddigon. Hidden Power Grass is the most useful choice for the last slot, as it can OHKO or deal significant damage to foes that could otherwise wall Gorebyss, such as Quagsire and Lanturn. Ferroseed walls Hidden Power Grass variants, so Hidden Power Fire can be used to fry it instead. However, Hidden Power Fire has little use outside dealing with Ferroseed, so Hidden Power Grass is usually preferred.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Gorebyss has a choice of two exceptional abilities. With rain support, Swift Swim makes her faster than lightning, and the rain boost jacks up the power of her Water-type STAB moves to nightmarish levels. Alternatively, Hydration gives her a safety net that allows her to sweep without worrying about status ailments. Note that Hydration Gorebyss still receives the rain boost to her Water-type STAB, so all she really misses out on is the Speed boost. For this reason, Hydration is usually the better choice unless you need Gorebyss to outspeed exceptionally fast opponents, such as Choice Scarf Moltres. Without the rain boost, she will need a Timid nature to outspeed everything below base 90, including Rotom-C, Hitmonlee, and Medicham. Though Modest Gorebyss can be outsped by these foes, the power boost is quite useful against sturdier special walls, such as Munchlax and Mandibuzz. Scald is yet another alternative for Gorebyss's Water-type STAB move, because the burn chance is great against Pokemon that would otherwise attempt to wall her, such as Ferroseed. However, Scald is slightly weaker than Surf and so is, in general, much less effective. Life Orb is the chosen item, as it allows Gorebyss to hit with as much power as possible, but an Expert Belt is also a good choice, considering how prone she is to KOing herself with Life Orb recoil. It should be noted that the use of White Herb is not recommended on this set; Gorebyss needs all the power she can get, and covering her defenses won't help her at all.</p>
<p>Sweepers that can take advantage of Gorebyss's offensive capabilities make great teammates. Swellow, for example, struggles with Rock- and Steel-types, but Gorebyss just rips them in two. Timid Gorebyss can outspeed and eliminate most Choice Scarf users, including Sawk, Galvantula, and Rotom, which can be a great way to get rid of speedy threats that trouble the rest of your team. Dual screens make it much easier for Gorebyss to set up, so a Pokemon that can provide them, such as Uxie or Claydol, is a good investment. Gorebyss has a lot of trouble keeping her HP up, so a Wish passer can be a lifesaver. A timely Wish can give Gorebyss a second wind, allowing her to sweep when she could have been on her last legs. Leafeon is a good choice for a Wish passer, as it resists the Grass- and Electric-type moves that Gorebyss is weak to, and wields a powerful Leaf Blade that can threaten Lanturn and Quagsire if Gorebyss chooses to run Hidden Power Fire. Some special walls, including Cryogonal and Munchlax, can withstand Gorebyss's attacks, so physical attackers, such as Medicham, Entei, and Honchkrow, are recommended to clear away obstacles that would otherwise halt Gorebyss's sweep.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Shell Smash is Gorebyss's defining niche, and she struggles to differentiate herself from other Water-types outside of this role. That being said, she does have a few useful options that can be used successfully. While Baton Pass + Shell Smash is banned, there's nothing stopping her from Baton Passing other things. Substitute, Agility, Amnesia—all of these can be passed to devastating effect if used correctly. Passing a Substitute is a great way to get a frail sweeper onto the field, and can be used to shield a key team member from status; this works rather well with rain support and Gorebyss's Hydration ability. Passing an Agility can work in much the same way as Shell Smash, and if the recipient is an exceptionally powerful sweeper, such as Aggron, the difference is negligible. She can also provide Defense and Special Defense boosts to a Baton Pass chain with Iron Defense and Amnesia, respectively. Rest can be used with Hydration and rain support in place of one of Gorebyss's coverage moves, but her frailty in addition to the Defense drops makes Rest hard to use effectively.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Lanturn and Quagsire are some of the best Gorebyss counters available. Both have access to the Water Absorb ability, and they resist all of Gorebyss's attacks except Hidden Power Grass. Lanturn in particular can fry Gorebyss easily with its Electric-type STAB moves. Mandibuzz and Munchlax are both bulky enough to take a Hydro Pump and force Gorebyss out with Whirlwind, and with a few turns of Life Orb recoil, entry hazards might just KO her next time she switches in. Paralysis absolutely ruins Gorebyss, and Pranksters, such as Murkrow and Cottonee, can check her confidently. Priority can KO Gorebyss after the Defense drop from Shell Smash, and Entei, Hitmonlee, and Honchkrow can all check her mid-sweep.</p>
