Gallade (Analysis) (Update) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

EonX

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[Overview]

<p>Gallade is one of the best Fighting-types in RU, if not the best. With a base 125 Attack stat and a powerful STAB move in Close Combat, Gallade is one of the most feared Swords Dance users in the tier, as its base 80 Speed is just enough to let it sweep through teams once it has a Swords Dance under its belt. Gallade isn't all about offense though; unlike many other RU sweepers, Gallade isn't frail and has a solid base 115 Special Defense. Along with Drain Punch, this allows Gallade to run bulkier boosting sets quite effectively. Despite not really getting any new moves from BW2 tutors, all of Gallade's important moves are now legal with Justified, something Gallade welcomes with open arms.</p>

<p>However, the premier Fighting-type is held back by its somewhat disappointing base 80 Speed, which is good, but not great, and low base 65 Defense makes it easily revenge killed. Gallade is also afflicted by four-moveslot syndrome, as it can't possibly carry every move it needs to demolish every relevant threat. The rise of Moltres certainly hasn't helped Gallade's cause either, as the phoenix can easily wipe out every Fighting-type in the tier, and Gallade is no exception. Don't let these drawbacks deter you though. Gallade is more than capable of demolishing teams with proper support, and if you take it lightly, Gallade will surely leave your team shattered and broken as a result of your poor judgment.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Gallade's bread and butter set as it sets the standard for true power. Even without a Swords Dance boost, this set hits really hard with a Life Orb. However, after a Swords Dance boost, almost nothing is safe from Gallade's wrath. A +2 Close Combat is going to take out just about everything that doesn't resist it, and even some resists get hit incredibly hard. This is quite possibly the single strongest attack in the tier, coming off of Gallade's incredible base 125 Attack stat. Shadow Sneak provides Gallade with a priority move to cover for its somewhat low Speed, and it also provides Gallade with perfect neutral coverage in the tier. With Shadow Sneak, Gallade can beat the likes of Rotom, opposing Gallade, and Jynx and also take out weakened opponents that might be faster, such as Sceptile, Manectric, and Moltres. Gallade's last move will give it coverage on certain defensive threats. Zen Headbutt is the strongest option against Poliwrath and also allows Gallade to immediately take out Nidoqueen and Qwilfish while also getting a strong hit on Moltres. Night Slash gets great neutral coverage with Gallade's Fighting STAB. It's good for hitting bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Uxie, Cresselia, and bulky variants of Rotom. However, do note that one of its main targets, Slowking, gets hit harder by Leaf Blade. Leaf Blade lets Gallade cut through bulky Water-types including Slowking, Quagsire, and Poliwrath.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is typical of a physical sweeper as it maximizes Attack and Speed to give Gallade the best chance to sweep. Lum Berry is the primary item choice as, despite being an offensive set, many teams use status to check Gallade and Lum Berry gives Gallade a one-time free pass on a status move. However, Life Orb is viable as it lowers the need to boost up with Swords Dance and gives this set more wallbreaking potential. Adamant is the preferred nature as there are very few Pokemon that Gallade can outrun with a Jolly nature. That being said, if you want Gallade to outspeed neutral nature Pokemon with below base 92 Speed, such as Moltres, Rotom, and Lilligant, then Jolly is viable. However, there is a significant power drop with Jolly, thus making Adamant the preferred nature as most of these targets can be hit hard by Shadow Sneak. Gallade has a couple of other moves that you can consider for the final slot. Stone Edge is the other coverage move Gallade has that you should consider as it can instantly KO Moltres. Although this can give Gallade's team serious momentum, you have to predict the Moltres switch-in, while the shaky accuracy of Stone Edge can also turn on you.</p>

<p>This set loves entry hazard support as most of Gallade's checks are weak to Stealth Rock. Smeargle, Aerodactyl, and Accelgor are good entry hazard users for the offensive teams, which Gallade typically finds itself on, while Rhydon, Qwilfish, and Roselia are defensive hazard users for more balanced teams. A strong Dark-type can be helpful to remove the Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon Gallade doesn't like, especially if it lacks Night Slash. Thus, Spiritomb and Drapion can make for good teammates. Moltres is a thorn in Gallade's side, so using Lanturn alongside Gallade can be worthwhile. Lanturn can also provide paralysis support to thwart potential revenge killers and even use a slow Volt Switch to get Gallade in safely. Other paralysis inducers such as Uxie and Cresselia are also helpful as Gallade absolutely hates revenge killers. The former can also set up Stealth Rock as well. Strong Grass-types, such as Sceptile and Rotom-C, can remove bulky Water-types, such as Slowking and Quagsire, should Gallade lack Leaf Blade. Both can also pick up the slack for Gallade should it be unable to finish its sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Zen Headbutt
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade / Shadow Sneak
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set takes a more defensive approach to sweeping with Swords Dance and takes advantage of Gallade's great base 115 Special Defense to find more setup opportunities. This Gallade can take virtually any neutral attack from a faster Pokemon and OHKO back with Drain Punch, which also heals Gallade so it can prepare for the next assault it might have to take. While offensive teams are unable to withstand Gallade's natural power without one of the few faster Pokemon that can actually OHKO Gallade, more defensive teams struggle with Gallade's boosted power and the use of a Lum Berry that lets it bypass status and set up. Thanks to this, Gallade can sweep through many types of teams without a second thought.</p>

<p>Swords Dance is the boosting move of choice and gives Gallade the power it needs to get through more defensive threats. Drain Punch is used over Close Combat for its healing and lack of defense drops. This lets Gallade perform much better against offensive teams which could have multiple threats that outspeed Gallade since it can stick around longer to get multiple KOs. Zen Headbutt is the chosen move for the third slot as it allows Gallade to bypass bulkier Pokemon it would otherwise have trouble with. Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Nidoqueen are OHKOed after a boost while Misdreavus and Tangrowth are 2HKOed after a boost, although Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes are needed to take care of Tangrowth. There are three choices to pick from for the last slot. Night Slash stands out as it allows Gallade to OHKO both Slowking and Sigilyph while also 2HKOing Uxie and Cresselia. Leaf Blade is a good choice as it allows Gallade to OHKO Slowking; do at least 86.29% minimum to physically defensive Quagsire, which would wall Gallade otherwise thanks to Unaware; OHKO 172/0 Spiritomb 50% of the time; OHKO Rhydon at +2, something that Drain Punch is unable to accomplish; and OHKO 252/252+ Sandslash 50% of the time after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. Finally, Shadow Sneak gives Gallade a priority move, and although it is somewhat weak, it does let Gallade OHKO Rotom and Medicham at +2 as well as giving it an option for weakened, faster foes.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>An Adamant nature is used with max Attack to get the most out of Gallade's massive Attack stat. 56 Speed EVs are needed to get the jump on neutral nature base 55 Speed Pokemon, such as Bouffalant, Crawdaunt, and Omastar, thus allowing Gallade to outspeed and OHKO them with the appropriate move before they can retaliate. The rest are thrown into HP in order to give Gallade the bulk it needs to survive attacks and dish damage back out. Lum Berry is the preferred item as Gallade attracts status like a magnet and getting a free pass on a burn or paralysis can mean the difference between a sweep and a crippled Gallade. Leftovers is a good option as well because Gallade will be taking more hits with this set and the extra recovery can sometimes be just enough to let Gallade survive the next attack and KO its target. There are some other options Gallade can use in the last slot should your team need the specific needs of a particular move. Stone Edge allows Gallade to handle Sigilyph and Mandibuzz, OHKO Moltres on the switch, OHKO Entei if it switches into Stealth Rock, and OHKO 172/0 Spiritomb at +2 after Stealth Rock and Spikes. X-Scissor 2HKOes even the bulkiest variants of Uxie and Tangrowth without the need for hazards while also OHKOing Slowking. Rock Slide and Psycho Cut are weaker, more accurate versions of Stone Edge and Zen Headbutt respectively, but the extra power is sorely missed.</p>

<p>This set appreciates hazards due to the borderline nature of the KOs this Gallade gets. Suicide hazard users such as Accelgor, Smeargle, and Aerodactyl are great for offensive teams while bulkier hazard users such as Qwilfish and Rhydon can lay hazards throughout the game. Gallade frequently attracts the likes of Entei and Moltres, so a check to them is a must even if you should run Stone Edge. Slowking is good to keep the former in check while Lanturn can deal with the latter. Without a Lum Berry, Gallade will need help from its teammates to handle Misdreavus and Tangrowth. Fire-types are great options in particular, especially Magmortar who is immune to Sleep Powder thanks to Vital Spirit. Other Fire-types, such as Entei, Moltres, and Typhlosion, can also work well.</p>

<p>Choice Band Escavalier and physical attacking Entei are the two most common checks to this set. The former can take any boosted attack, even Drain Punch, and OHKO back with its powerful Megahorn while the latter only fears Stone Edge and can smash Gallade with its powerful Flare Blitz. Choice Scarf Fire-types such as Typhlosion and Emboar can beat Escavalier and Scyther, a less common check to this set. As for Entei, both Slowking and Lanturn can get the job done with Slowking being the more reliable choice. Sigilyph can be a little problematic until you can figure out its item. Gallade is unable to handle Life Orb Sigilyph, but it can handle Cosmic Power Sigilyph should it have Stone Edge or Shadow Sneak and Lum Berry. Manectric is a good option against both sets as it can take Air Slash and hit back hard with Thunderbolt, but it needs to watch out for Psychic from the Life Orb set. Finally, Spiritomb is a solid check to Gallade as it is immune to both of Gallade's STABs and it can also handle any boosted coverage moves after Stealth Rock. For this reason, Entei is a good teammate as it can easily handle Spiritomb and demolish it with Flare Blitz.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Night Slash / Ice Punch
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Careful
evs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although Gallade is a very threatening Swords Dance sweeper, it can use Bulk Up and its solid base 115 Special Defense to become a threatening sweeper as well. What this set lacks in initial power, it makes up for in longevity as this is the hardest Gallade set to revenge kill thanks to the Defense boosts and heavy investment in special bulk. This makes it incredibly difficult to deal with Gallade as, even without investment, Gallade's great base 125 Attack still lets it hit very hard after a couple of boosts.</p>

<p>Bulk Up is the boosting move of choice on this set as it boosts Gallade's amazing Attack and lackluster Defense. Drain Punch is the chosen STAB move as it provides recovery, which is invaluable, and it still has the power to get past most threats. Next, Gallade has its choice of coverage move. Night Slash is the main option for the third slot as it gets the best neutral coverage with Gallade's Fighting-type STAB. It hits bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom and Cresselia hard while also giving Gallade at least neutral coverage on every relevant threat in RU. Ice Punch is a good alternative option for its ability to smash threats such as Nidoqueen, Tangrowth, and Aerodactyl. Substitute fills in the last slot as it gives Gallade protection from status moves. After a couple of Bulk Up boosts, Gallade's Substitutes become very difficult to break.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With 240 HP EVs, Gallade's HP is divisible by 4, which is optimal for making Substitutes. 56 Speed EVs are needed to outspeed neutral nature base 55 Speed Pokemon such as Omastar and Bouffalant. The rest are dumped into Special Defense and a Careful nature is used to take the most advantage of Gallade's good special bulk. Stone Edge is a viable option as it absolutely crushes Moltres while retaining coverage on other Flying-types such as Aerodactyl and Archeops. It also takes care of Entei, which could otherwise be a pain for this set. Make sure to have a check for Nidoqueen when running Stone Edge, though, because Nidoqueen resists Fighting + Rock coverage. Zen Headbutt is the last option worth considering for this set as it can maim Poison-types such as Nidoqueen and Qwilfish. However, this leaves Gallade completely walled by Spiritomb as it is immune to both of Gallade's STAB moves, thus making Zen Headbutt an inferior option because Ice Punch already hits Nidoqueen hard enough. You can also choose to run another coverage move such as Stone Edge over Substitute, but this set is absolutely ruined by status and as it needs more time than other sets to become threatening, Substitute is almost always preferred.</p>

<p>This set appreciates entry hazards much more than any other set Gallade can run due to its lack of immediate power. Once again, Accelgor and Smeargle are good for offensive teams while Uxie and Qwilfish are better for balanced teams. Choice Band Escavalier and Entei are absolute pains for this set as they have the power to outright KO or heavily cripple even +1 Gallade. Fire-types such as Moltres, Entei, and Magmortar can keep Escavalier in check while bulky Water-types such as Slowking and Qwilfish are solid Entei checks. As with all Gallade sets, Moltres is a royal pain thanks to its powerful Hurricane as all the Special Defense investment in the world won't spare Gallade from it. Lanturn is a good teammate as it can handle many special attackers, including Moltres. Physical attackers are also good partners for Gallade to keep up offensive pressure. Escavalier, Kabutops, and Entei are good examples of physical attackers that can come in on Gallade's checks and counters to continue the offensive pressure on the opponent. Although this set doesn't fear revenge killers nearly as much as any other set, paralysis support from Pokemon such as Uxie and Lanturn is still nice to keep Gallade from taking as many hits.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Night Slash / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although Gallade is best known for sweeping through teams with Swords Dance-boosted hits or tanking hits and systematically taking down a team with a Bulk Up set, it is more than capable of forgoing a boosting move to hit hard right off the bat. With a base 125 Attack stat and Choice Band equipped, Gallade turns into one of the most frightening wallbreakers to face in RU thanks to its great coverage, access to priority, and powerful Close Combat. With this amazing combination of power, coverage, and priority, almost nothing will be able to safely switch into Gallade without fear of being KOed by one of its moves.</p>

<p>Close Combat is Gallade's pride and joy for any set looking to tear apart teams and Choice Band Gallade is no different. Even some resists will be taking heavy damage from Close Combat due to the sheer power of the move. Most resists to Close Combat such as Nidoqueen and Moltres are hit hard by Gallade's secondary STAB move, Zen Headbutt. It also hits most bulky Ghost-types for heavy damage, barring Spiritomb, making it all the more easier for Gallade to spam Close Combat later. Shadow Sneak allows Gallade to bypass its middling Speed to KO the likes of Rotom, Haunter, and Kadabra as well as weakened, faster opponents such as Sceptile and Manectric. Night Slash is slashed over Stone Edge in the final slot as it demolishes bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Uxie, Cresselia, and Slowking. Stone Edge is good as well as it destroys Moltres and other Flying-types such as Charizard.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are straightforward, getting the most out of Gallade's offensive potential. Adamant is the preferred nature as Choice Band Gallade is&mdash;first and foremost&mdash;a wallbreaker. Jolly is still viable to outspeed threats such as neutral nature Moltres, Rotom, Hitmonlee, and others below base 92 Speed, but Adamant augments the wallbreaking potential of this set. As is the theme with other Gallade sets, entry hazards are very helpful to allow Gallade to get through defensive threats. Accelgor, Aerodactyl, and Smeargle are solid entry hazard users for offensive teams while players looking for sturdier hazard users can turn to the likes of Rhydon, Uxie, and Ferroseed to supply Stealth Rock and Spikes, respectively. As Gallade hates any kind of status that it comes across, a cleric or designated status absorber can be immensely helpful. Lanturn is a great cleric as it can not only provide Heal Bell support, but it can also check Moltres, provide paralysis support, and use a slow Volt Switch to get Gallade in undamaged. Clefable can provide Wish support and has Magic Guard to act as a great status absorber. Dark-types, such as Absol and Spiritomb, are great with Choice Band Gallade as it can spam Close Combat without fear after Ghost-types are removed. Naturally fast attackers, such as Sceptile and Swellow, as well as Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom-C and Manectric, are reliable cleaners to take out the remains of a team that Choice Band Gallade imposed its will on. Finally, Rapid Spin users, such as Kabutops and Cryogonal, are good teammates as this Gallade will tend to switch in and out a lot.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Gallade has a wide support movepool, but it just doesn't have the defensive stats to utilize it effectively. Taunt and Will-O-Wisp can form a decent stallbreaker set, but Gallade would rather use free turns to set up with Swords Dance and Bulk Up or just smash the opposition with Close Combat. Other support options such as Thunder Wave and Hypnosis are available to Gallade, but they too fall into a similar category as Taunt and Will-O-Wisp. Gallade's base 80 Speed is sometimes too low for it to sweep effectively, so Trick Room is an option. However, even though it hits on the physical side to separate itself from other Trick Room users, Gallade doesn't have the useful support options of Uxie and Mesprit and many slower offensive threats such as Druddigon and Escavalier would actually outspeed Gallade in the twisted dimensions. Like almost all other Psychic-types, Gallade has access to dual screens. However, Uxie and Mesprit outclass Gallade at this due to their higher bulk and access to Memento and Healing Wish, respectively. A SubDisable set is possible a la Gengar in OU, but the lack of immunities really hurts Gallade. Rain Dance and Sunny Day can turn Gallade into a weather setter, but there are much better users of the move in the tier such as Uxie and Volbeat. Destiny Bond is somewhat gimmicky, but it can net a surprise kill every now and then.</p>

<p>As for offensive options, Gallade isn't really lacking in that department either. A Choice Scarf seems like a perfectly viable item for Gallade to use with its high base 125 Attack stat. However, Medicham&mdash;a Pokemon of the exact same typing as Gallade&mdash;is much better for the Choice Scarf role thanks to Pure Power. Gallade has the elemental punches available with Justified now, but outside of Ice Punch on the Bulk Up set, they are all conditional. Earthquake and X-Scissor are both powerful coverage moves Gallade can use, but each gets redundant coverage with at least one of Gallade's main attacks. As with most other Psychic-types, Gallade has access to Calm Mind. It has the special movepool to utilize the move with attacks such as Focus Blast, Psyshock, and Thunderbolt. However, a base 125 Attack is obviously much higher than a base 65 Special Attack, thus making Calm Mind a very poor option on Gallade.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>There is no true counter to Gallade as its combination of power, coverage, and priority makes it nearly impossible to safely switch into. However, there are some Pokemon that fare much better than most on average. Chief among these is Moltres as it can take any move bar Stone Edge and KO back with a STAB Hurricane. Spiritomb is immune to both of Gallade's STABs and can even take boosted coverage moves from the bulky Swords Dance set should it be healthy. It can then use Shadow Sneak to easily 2HKO Gallade. Entei is bulky enough to take a hit from sets lacking Stone Edge and hit back hard with Flare Blitz while it easily revenge kills the offensive Swords Dance set with ExtremeSpeed. Outside of these three, though, finding your way in on resisted attacks is key against Gallade. Thankfully, you have an ally in four moveslot syndrome as Gallade simply has too many options for its own good and just can't cover everything in four moves. Without Night Slash, Gallade has a very difficult time with bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Uxie, Dusknoir, and Slowking, although the latter has to be wary of Leaf Blade as well. Speaking of Leaf Blade, Gallade absolutely needs it to get past Quagsire which will wall any boosting Gallade set otherwise thanks to Unaware. If Gallade forgoes Zen Headbutt, bulky Poison-types such as Nidoqueen, Qwilfish, and Weezing will have little to fear, although the former must also be wary of a possible Ice Punch. If Gallade isn't running Shadow Sneak, then Haunter and Kadabra will have few issues revenge killing it. Most Choice Scarf users in general will also have an easier time dealing with Gallade in this case. Mesprit has enough power to get past Gallade after Close Combat is used, but it must be wary of Night Slash. Offensive variants of Tangrowth can tank a hit from offensive Swords Dance Gallade and KO back with a Life Orb- or Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm while more defensive variants of Tangrowth can take on the other sets should they lack a Lum Berry.</p>

<p>Instead of trying to counter Gallade, you can opt to revenge kill it. This is much easier than trying to counter Gallade as its base 80 Speed and base 65 Defense allows most faster physical attackers to easily revenge kill it, as long as they can take a possible Shadow Sneak. Faster Pokemon with physical or STAB Flying-type moves can generally revenge kill Gallade with few problems. Examples of such Pokemon include Moltres, Archeops, Sigilyph, Sceptile, Swellow, Tauros, and Scyther. Rotom and Haunter have to look out for Shadow Sneak, but they can use STAB Shadow Ball to take out Gallade. Strong priority users can also revenge kill Gallade once it's weakened or used Close Combat a couple of times. Spiritomb, Entei, Kabutops, and Feraligatr are the best options for this as three of the four pick up STAB on their priority while Entei has ExtremeSpeed.</p>
 

Pocket

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Big skelly, EonX :o

Shadow Sneak has no place in Bulk Up Gallade, imo. It's already have coverage and power issues with lack of Atk investment and the slow attack increase in BU (compared to SD). It would really appreciate stronger coverage move like Ice Punch / Stone Edge / Night Slash (which you've already included) instead. Otherwise it gets prayed on dangerous threats like Moltres and Nidoqueen.
 

alexwolf

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Just posting to say that the Bulky SD Gallade set that i have written is fully up to date, and doesn't need a rewrite, so you can just cp it in the new analysis. Except if the QC team thinks that the writing wasn't good...
 

EonX

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@Pocket, sorry about the big skeleton. I just wanted to make sure I had everything. I'll look to trim it down later if needed.
Finally had the time to test the BU set this morning and it definitely needs more power in its coverage move. (already had my doubts about Shadow Sneak in the first place) Found myself using Ice Punch and Night Slash the most as I already had solid answers to Entei and Moltres, the main Stone Edge targets, on the team I used it on. Still unsure of the slash order atm, but I'll probably just use Pocket's for the time being just to get the moves up there. Leaning toward Ice Punch first since Gallade can actually take 2 STAB Sludge Waves from Nidoqueen after SR thanks to that special bulk.

Thanks for the heads up on that alexwolf and thanks for letting me cp it. (should QC not have any issues with the writing, of course.)
 

complete legitimacy

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I'd make Lum Berry the primary slash on the Bulky SD set. It's all I've ever seen being used, and Lum Berry makes it a lot better as a stallbreaker, which is one of the set's main niches.
 

alexwolf

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The set has already passed through QC c_l, before 1 month or something, and nothing changed, so i don't see any reason to change anything on the set. As i mentioned in the set, lefties is very useful against offensive teams that don't rely so much on status, and against any kind of team in general, but if you have problem against pokes such as defensive Cofa, Tangrowth and Slowking then Lum Berry is the item you should use.
 

Oglemi

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^Just because it passed QC a month ago doesn't make it immune to QC changes now lol

But anyway yeah the set can just be c/ped into the thread because the writing is still relevant afaik
 

alexwolf

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What i meant Oglemi, is that if nothing has changed from the moment that this was QC accepted, i don't see any reason for anything to be changed. Except if the QC team made a mistake, and though that Lefties was better than Lum Berry, and now they think that Lum Berry is better.

Anyway slash whatever item you want first, i just said my opinion.
 

EonX

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Going to keep the Bulky SD set as is unless QC wants any changes. Lum does make it a better stallbreaker, but as I said about the Stallbreaker set in OO, stall just isn't that common in RU atm, so Leftovers seems to be the better item on average.

QC input on this as a whole would be greatly appreciated, primarily on the slash order of the BU set.
 

Upstart

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I don't understand the need for the Bulky SD set when you have the standard SD set to rape stall and stall isn't common at all. I would also like to hear some other people weigh in on the adamant vs jolly as there are some crucial speed and 2hkos that you miss depending on your nature. Also the choice set is outclassed in every way by medicham
 

alexwolf

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I don't understand the need for the Bulky SD set when you have the standard SD set to rape stall and stall isn't common at all. I would also like to hear some other people weigh in on the adamant vs jolly as there are some crucial speed and 2hkos that you miss depending on your nature. Also the choice set is outclassed in every way by medicham
If you don't get the need for the bulky SD, why don't you go and read it's description? Because there it explains how this set is played...
 

EonX

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I don't understand the need for the Bulky SD set when you have the standard SD set to rape stall and stall isn't common at all. I would also like to hear some other people weigh in on the adamant vs jolly as there are some crucial speed and 2hkos that you miss depending on your nature. Also the choice set is outclassed in every way by medicham
The Offensive SD set has a hard time staying alive during a sweep as it gets outsped by many offensive things and doesn't have the bulk to take a lot of hits, especially with defense drops from CC. However, it's much harder to switch into and thanks to CC and Life Orb, it has more wallbreaking potential. The Bulky SD set has a harder time breaking down defensive threats, but it has a much easier time staying healthy thanks to the HP investment and use of Drain Punch as its main STAB, allowing it to attempt a sweep more than once in a match should it be stopped the first time.

As for the choice set, Gallade's main advantages over Medicham lie in its greater bulk (primarily on the special side) and safer main STAB. You can deal with CC defense drops much more easily than you can HJK's recoil from a miss or Ghost type coming in. Also, Medicham needs Pursuit support to spam HJK while Gallade can take out Ghost and Psychic types on its own with Shadow Sneak or Night Slash (Pursuit support obviously still nice though, but not as necessary.)
 
[Overview]
  • Mention its Psychic typing and how it gives Gallade neutrality to Psychic-type moves and resistance to Fighting-type moves (helps vs Uxie and to not be taken out by Mach Punch).
  • Good!

[Offensive Swords Dance]
  • item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
  • Gallade is a status magnet and being cured of a burn can decide the difference between a sweep and a... useless mon. Also allows it to destroy stall
  • move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade
  • Zen Headbutt to AC
  • Night Slash hits Ghost-types and Psychic-types, especially Cofagrigus and Uxie, helping it get past its biggest counter
  • Leaf Blade destroys Slowking, Poliwrath, and Quagsire
  • AC is good, just mention specifically what Jolly Gallade outspeeds that Adamant doesn't

[Bulky Swords Dance]
  • Slash Lum Berry with Leftovers for the reason stated in the above set
  • Already written

[Bulk Up]
  • Would probably slash a move with Substitute, maybe Night Slash - I'd like other QC members to discuss this since I haven't used this set much

[Choice]
  • I'd slash Choice Scarf first since it's a good revenge killer, and the Offense Swords Dance set covers power
  • move 3: Night Slash / Shadow Sneak

[Other Options]
  • Mention: Destiny Bond, Earthquake, Hypnosis, Wish, Rain Dance/Sunny Day (even though these moves suck they should be known to exist)
  • Calm Mind set with Focus Blast

[Checks and Counters]
  • Quagsire if Gallade lacks Leaf Blade
  • Remove Drapion, it gets destroyed by Close Combat and gives Gallade Justified boosts
  • Remove Aerodactyl, it doesn't use Flying-type moves
  • Mesprit
  • Sigilyph
  • Tangrowth can take a hit and OHKO (the offensive SD set) with a LO-boosted Leaf Storm

Also just note that the stuff under [SET] (name:, move 1:, ability:, etc.) is not capitalized. Also [Other Options] and [Checks & Counters] should be as such ^_^

[qc]1/3[/qc]

Also I think that SilentVerse wants to write a bulky set with Wish / Protect?
 

EonX

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Thanks DC! Implented all changes except for the BU and Bulky SD set suggestions.

Of all the sets, I have the least experience with the BU set, so I'd like to wait to make those changes until more input is given. Honestly though, the BU set is the most status-prone set Gallade can run due to its lack of immediate power and need for Leftovers recovery to augment its defensive investment, so I feel as though Sub is pretty much non-negotiable.
As for the Bulky SD set, Lum Berry is already slashed with Leftovers (unless you wanted Lum slashed first?) All other changes implemented though.
 

Molk

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Also I think that SilentVerse wants to write a bulky set with Wish / Protect?

Yeah, silentverse wants that tested for viability, it has a few cool tools and takes advantage of gallade's monster special bulk, sadly, no one has been able to test it because says wish is illegal on gallade for some reason ;_;.



Anyways, we will discuss bulk up soon, but for now everything else looks fine, good job EonX-!


QC Approved 2/3

Omi edit: I'd much rather see Zen Headbutt slashed with Night Slash in the first set since it hits things do much harder than leaf blade other than quagsire and slowing, which are dealt with by close combat and shadow sneak respectively. As for Bulk Up, I'll get back to you on that - holdin off on approving this until we come to a consensus regarding the set.
 
Close Combat doesn't 2HKO Quagsire while holding a Lum Berry, Shadow Sneak only 2HKOes Slowking at +2, and Slowking 2HKOes Gallade with Psyshock. Not really sure what Zen Headbutt would be for, besides Nidoqueen who takes 73.2 - 86.29% from +2 Leaf Blade.


Omi edit: I personally prefer LO over Lum since Gallade really loves the power. Zen Headbutt also KOes Moltres after SR on the switch in. It also OHKOes Moltres at +2 without SR, something Leaf Blade cannot do. I like Zen Headbutt a lot better than Leaf Blade, as it is generally much stronger against most targets you hit neutrally that resist Close Combat. Other QC members can weigh in here but I highly suggest Zen Headbutt over Leaf Blade in that last slot as well as LO slashed first.
 

EonX

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Any word on the Zen Headbutt vs. Leaf Blade debate on the Offensive SD set? As for the Wish+Protect thing, the only reason I can think of that would make it impossible for Gallade to get Wish is if the 3rd Gen Event was Female only (I know it was an Egg Move Event special in Japan and Kirlia has to be male to evolve into Gallade)
 

Honko

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Shouldn't CB and Scarf be separated into two sets? We've generally been splitting them because they play different roles (see Rotom-C, Medicham, Manectric).
 

Molk

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Shouldn't CB and Scarf be separated into two sets? We've generally been splitting them because they play different roles (see Rotom-C, Medicham, Manectric).
ive been actually wondering if scarf should even have a set at all, i just cant see what it has over medicham other than a little special defense, which barely matters in the long run with your strongest STAB move lowers your defenses anyway. Medicham hits much harder, has the exact same speed tier, and is actually slightly bulkier on the physical side, meaning it takes less from priority. heres an example of the power difference.


Jolly Scarf Medicham Hi Jump Kick vs 0/0 Entei 438 Atk vs 206 Def & 371 HP (130 Base Power): 297 - 351 (80.05% - 94.61%) Guarenteed OHKO after rocks.

Jolly Scarf Gallade Close Combat vs 0/0 Entei 349 Atk vs 206 Def & 371 HP (120 Base Power): 219 - 258 (59.03% - 69.54%) Never ever OHKOs, even after rocks.

As you can see, the power difference is immense

I would like QC to talk about this, lol.

Edit: after doing more calcs, i learned that band gallade only hits slightly harder than scarf medicham with the same nature, lol.
 

alexwolf

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I think that CB Gallade deserves a set, because he is almost unwallable, unlike CB Medicham, which is walled hard by Cofagrigus and Spiritomb. He also has priority, which albeit weak, is very useful, and finally can use its STAB attack without any fear of ghosts switching in, or missing, unlike Medicham.

However Scarf Gallade i agree that is outclassed by Scarf Medicham. The only real pro that Gallade has is Close Combat, but this is so little that it doesn't warrant a set, just an OO mention.
 

Oglemi

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Yeah I don't see the point of Scarf Gallade tbh. As Molk pointed out Medicham does that infinitely better, and even then it's not that great.

CB has potential. That extra bulk that Gallade has is really nice, and the instant power is a big surprise to a lot of players when they usually assume they have time to play around with the SD set. Night Slash is also pretty big as alexwolf pointed out.

I'd throw Scarf in OO and leave CB as a set.
 

EonX

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Ok, renamed the Choice set "Choice Band" and removed all mentions of Scarf (bar the OO mention) Should be ready for the final QC check unless I'm missing anything else.
 
Yea agreeing with Molk and Oglemi. Also we agreed that move 4 on the Offensive Swords Dance set should be:

move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade / Zen Headbutt

Zen Headbutt hits Nidoqueen, like we said, and can surprise Moltres.
 

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