http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/gastrodon
Removed the Counter set
Removed the Mixed Attacker, since Gastrodon received Earth Power.
Removed mentions of OU Pokemon.
[Overview]
<p>Like most of its fellow Water-types, Gastrodon has a good movepool and fairly decent stats in general. It also has a great defensive typing that leaves it with only one weakness - Grass-type moves - that can be easily played around with through proper team support. While powerful physical attacks may hurt Gastrodon, its resistances to Rock and Fire and immunity to Electric-type attacks grant it plenty of opportunities to switch in. Resistance to Stealth Rock and access to Recover make that task of switching in all the more easier in the long run. This, in addition to its decent attacking stats, allow Gastrodon to play a couple of roles effectively. All in all, despite not having a great ability such as Water Absorb or Marvel Scale, Gastrodon's unique assets allow it to function exceptionally well in UU.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Water
move 1: Surf
move 2: Ice Beam / Earth Power
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Calm
evs: 212 HP / 252 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to its great typing and decent attacking stats, Gastrodon can effectively play the role of a bulky Water while maintaining some form of offense. Surf is Gastrodon's primary and most powerful special attack that can keep Fire- and Ground-types, such as Donphan and Arcanine, at bay. In the second moveslot, you have a choice between Ice Beam or Earth Power. Ice Beam is the suggested option as it enables Gastrodon to OHKO Altaria after Stealth Rock damage, as well as hitting common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Venusaur and Leafeon, for super effective damage. Although it provides some redundant coverage alongside Surf, Earth Power hits Registeel, Kabutops, and Toxicroak for super effective damage and gets STAB. Toxic enables Gastrodon to get past common opposing bulky Waters, such as Milotic and Slowbro, which Gastrodon would otherwise be unable to scratch. Calm Mind Slowbro and non-RestTalk Milotic are easily beaten by the Toxic and Recover combo, as Gastrodon has high enough special bulk to shrug off their attacks, though it should be noted that some Milotic carry Hidden Power Grass, which will end Gastrodon's life quite quickly. Recover is probably the biggest asset that Gastrodon possesses, allowing it to consistently switch in on resisted attacks and heal off any damage, thereby dramatically increasing its longevity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 EVs are dumped into Gastrodon's Defense - its lesser defensive stat - in order to take most resisted and neutral physical attacks with ease. 212 HP EVs give Gastrodon more all-around bulk, while the remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense, allowing Gastrodon to take boosted Surfs from offensive Milotic more easily. To demonstrate Gastrodon's physical bulk, Donphan fails to 2HKO it with Earthquake after Stealth Rock, meaning that Gastrodon can switch in on the attack, take another hit, and Recover off the damage.</p>
<p>One of the biggest obstacles that Gastrodon faces is its glaring weakness to Grass-type attacks. Therefore, having a teammate that can absorb such attacks is highly advised. Venusaur can more than compensate for Gastrodon's 4x weakness to Grass-type attacks, as it can switch in on other Grass-type Pokemon and immediately threaten them with its powerful STAB Sludge Bomb. Moltres has exceptional synergy with Gastrodon, as Gastrodon resists and is immune to both Rock- and Electric-type moves, respectively. In return, Moltres can massacre Registeel and Grass-types, both of which are immensely difficult for Gastrodon to take on.</p>
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gastrodon's great physical movepool and access to Curse enable it to act as a dangerous boosting tank if used correctly. With only one weakness, solid defensive stats, a handful of resistances, an immunity to Trick, and the ever-useful Recover, Gastrodon can set up on many common Pokemon in the UU metagame, making it a solid bulky sweeper and "win-condition" Pokemon.</p>
<p>Despite Gastrodon's less-than-impressive Attack and Defense stats, it reaches a respectable 303 Attack and 279 Defense after a Curse, making it more than capable of taking several hits while striking back for significant damage. For instance, after a single Curse, Gastrodon can 2HKO both Registeel and offensive Rotom. While Curse does lower Gastrodon's Speed, this is essentially inconsequential, as Gastrodon is terribly slow to begin with. Waterfall and Earthquake offer somewhat decent coverage between them, granting Gastrodon the ability to hit most common threats for at least neutral damage. What makes Gastrodon stand out from almost all other Curse users (bar Quagsire) is its access to instant recovery, which ensures that it can set up properly when given the correct team support.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is very straightforward. 252 HP EVs are used to maximize Gastrodon's all-around bulk, while 200 Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature allow Gastrodon to take neutral and resisted special attacks with the utmost ease. The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense, allowing the sea slug to take almost any powerful physical attack after a Curse or two. A mono-attacker Curse set can be used with a moveset of Curse / Waterfall / Rest / Sleep Talk. With this set, Gastrodon has the advantage of becoming a status absorber, but this leaves Gastrodon walled by a large amount of common Pokemon, and easily set up on by others.</p>
<p>This set requires teammates that can switch in on Grass-type attacks with ease. Both Chansey and Registeel are good partners since they can cripple opposing Pokemon with Thunder Wave or Toxic. Fire-types such as Moltres and Arcanine are also great teammates that resist Grass-type attacks from the likes of Tangrowth's Power Whip and Leafeon's Leaf Blade and can retaliate back with super effective Fire-type attacks.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>One of Gastrodon's largest problems is its crippling 4x weakness to Grass-type moves. Common Grass-types, such as Venusaur and Leafeon, have no trouble switching in on Gastrodon and OHKOing it with their STAB attacks. For this reason, partners that can soak up Grass-type hits are welcome teammates to Gastrodon. Moltres and Registeel are superb choices since they can easily switch in on any Grass-type and proceed to either OHKO them with Fire Blast or cripple them with Thunder Wave, respectively. Venusaur is another great partner thanks to its 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks and powerful STAB Sludge Bomb. Since Gastrodon's Defense is inferior to its Special Defense, it is good to pack teammates that can take powerful physical attacks. Both Weezing and Tangrowth have good synergy with Gastrodon and great physical bulk, making them excellent teammates. Both of the aforementioned Pokemon have access to harmful status moves as well, the former being able to cripple powerful sweepers, such as Rhyperior and Absol, with Will-O-Wisp, while the latter can temporarily put an opposing Pokemon out of commission with Sleep Powder or spread paralysis with Stun Spore.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support also helps Gastrodon a great deal, as Gastrodon often forces a lot of switches due to its great bulk. Stealth Rock support can be provided by Registeel, as it has good synergy with Gastrodon. Uxie and Mespirit can not only set up Stealth Rock, but can also cripple the opponent's team with Thunder Wave. Unfortunately, most competent Spikes users lack defensive synergy with Gastrodon. Prime examples of such Pokemon are Cloyster and Omastar. Qwilfish, with its unique typing, has a slightly better time working with Gastrodon; it can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and takes neutral damage form Grass-type attacks. However it is quite fragile and will not like taking a boosted Leaf Storm in the face.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Gastrodon has a few other options that it can utilize. Stone Edge is a worthy option on the Curse set, as it gives Gastrodon a weapon to use against Flying foes such as Altaria and Mantine; in addition to that, Grass-types that resist both of Gastrodon's STAB attacks are hit for neutral damage by Stone Edge. Yawn is a decent option that allows Gastrodon to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep or force switches. Interestingly, Gastrodon learns both Counter and Mirror Coat, which could potentially be used to nab a surprise KO on unsuspecting attackers. However, they will be a waste of a moveslot if you fail to predict correctly, and they lose their surprise element after they have been used once. Despite raising both Defense and Special Defense, Stockpile is not always effective, as opponents tend to switch in their Grass-types straight away, and the Defense boosts from Stockpile will not save Gastrodon from utter destruction by their STAB moves. Such a set is also very prone to critical hits overtime and doesn't really threaten the foe.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The most obvious counters for a Pokemon of Gastrodon's typing are Grass-types. Tangrowth and Venusaur are good examples, as they can switch in on almost all of the sea slug's attacks, save for Ice Beam, and proceed to OHKO it with their STAB moves. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Blastoise take little damage from Gastrodon's attacks, and can wear it down slowly with Toxic or hit it with Hidden Power Grass, although it is worth noting that certain Gastrodon variants also carry Toxic. Ludicolo can set up a Substitute or Swords Dance on Gastrodon, as it resists both of the sea slug's STAB attacks and takes pitiful damage from Ice Beam. Both Chansey and Clefable can easily take on the bulky Water set thanks to their sky-high Special Defense and HP stats, although without Toxic, both can do little to the Curse set without getting damaged themselves. Chansey's main form of offense against Gastrodon is to poison it, as Gastrodon too boasts excellent HP and can easily take several Seismic Toss before healing off the damage with Recover. Clefable, however, has access to Encore, which can lock Gastrodon into a single move for several turns, allowing a teammate (or even Clefable itself) to set up freely.</p>
Removed the Counter set
Removed the Mixed Attacker, since Gastrodon received Earth Power.
Removed mentions of OU Pokemon.
[Overview]
<p>Like most of its fellow Water-types, Gastrodon has a good movepool and fairly decent stats in general. It also has a great defensive typing that leaves it with only one weakness - Grass-type moves - that can be easily played around with through proper team support. While powerful physical attacks may hurt Gastrodon, its resistances to Rock and Fire and immunity to Electric-type attacks grant it plenty of opportunities to switch in. Resistance to Stealth Rock and access to Recover make that task of switching in all the more easier in the long run. This, in addition to its decent attacking stats, allow Gastrodon to play a couple of roles effectively. All in all, despite not having a great ability such as Water Absorb or Marvel Scale, Gastrodon's unique assets allow it to function exceptionally well in UU.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Water
move 1: Surf
move 2: Ice Beam / Earth Power
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Calm
evs: 212 HP / 252 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to its great typing and decent attacking stats, Gastrodon can effectively play the role of a bulky Water while maintaining some form of offense. Surf is Gastrodon's primary and most powerful special attack that can keep Fire- and Ground-types, such as Donphan and Arcanine, at bay. In the second moveslot, you have a choice between Ice Beam or Earth Power. Ice Beam is the suggested option as it enables Gastrodon to OHKO Altaria after Stealth Rock damage, as well as hitting common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Venusaur and Leafeon, for super effective damage. Although it provides some redundant coverage alongside Surf, Earth Power hits Registeel, Kabutops, and Toxicroak for super effective damage and gets STAB. Toxic enables Gastrodon to get past common opposing bulky Waters, such as Milotic and Slowbro, which Gastrodon would otherwise be unable to scratch. Calm Mind Slowbro and non-RestTalk Milotic are easily beaten by the Toxic and Recover combo, as Gastrodon has high enough special bulk to shrug off their attacks, though it should be noted that some Milotic carry Hidden Power Grass, which will end Gastrodon's life quite quickly. Recover is probably the biggest asset that Gastrodon possesses, allowing it to consistently switch in on resisted attacks and heal off any damage, thereby dramatically increasing its longevity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 EVs are dumped into Gastrodon's Defense - its lesser defensive stat - in order to take most resisted and neutral physical attacks with ease. 212 HP EVs give Gastrodon more all-around bulk, while the remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense, allowing Gastrodon to take boosted Surfs from offensive Milotic more easily. To demonstrate Gastrodon's physical bulk, Donphan fails to 2HKO it with Earthquake after Stealth Rock, meaning that Gastrodon can switch in on the attack, take another hit, and Recover off the damage.</p>
<p>One of the biggest obstacles that Gastrodon faces is its glaring weakness to Grass-type attacks. Therefore, having a teammate that can absorb such attacks is highly advised. Venusaur can more than compensate for Gastrodon's 4x weakness to Grass-type attacks, as it can switch in on other Grass-type Pokemon and immediately threaten them with its powerful STAB Sludge Bomb. Moltres has exceptional synergy with Gastrodon, as Gastrodon resists and is immune to both Rock- and Electric-type moves, respectively. In return, Moltres can massacre Registeel and Grass-types, both of which are immensely difficult for Gastrodon to take on.</p>
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gastrodon's great physical movepool and access to Curse enable it to act as a dangerous boosting tank if used correctly. With only one weakness, solid defensive stats, a handful of resistances, an immunity to Trick, and the ever-useful Recover, Gastrodon can set up on many common Pokemon in the UU metagame, making it a solid bulky sweeper and "win-condition" Pokemon.</p>
<p>Despite Gastrodon's less-than-impressive Attack and Defense stats, it reaches a respectable 303 Attack and 279 Defense after a Curse, making it more than capable of taking several hits while striking back for significant damage. For instance, after a single Curse, Gastrodon can 2HKO both Registeel and offensive Rotom. While Curse does lower Gastrodon's Speed, this is essentially inconsequential, as Gastrodon is terribly slow to begin with. Waterfall and Earthquake offer somewhat decent coverage between them, granting Gastrodon the ability to hit most common threats for at least neutral damage. What makes Gastrodon stand out from almost all other Curse users (bar Quagsire) is its access to instant recovery, which ensures that it can set up properly when given the correct team support.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is very straightforward. 252 HP EVs are used to maximize Gastrodon's all-around bulk, while 200 Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature allow Gastrodon to take neutral and resisted special attacks with the utmost ease. The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense, allowing the sea slug to take almost any powerful physical attack after a Curse or two. A mono-attacker Curse set can be used with a moveset of Curse / Waterfall / Rest / Sleep Talk. With this set, Gastrodon has the advantage of becoming a status absorber, but this leaves Gastrodon walled by a large amount of common Pokemon, and easily set up on by others.</p>
<p>This set requires teammates that can switch in on Grass-type attacks with ease. Both Chansey and Registeel are good partners since they can cripple opposing Pokemon with Thunder Wave or Toxic. Fire-types such as Moltres and Arcanine are also great teammates that resist Grass-type attacks from the likes of Tangrowth's Power Whip and Leafeon's Leaf Blade and can retaliate back with super effective Fire-type attacks.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>One of Gastrodon's largest problems is its crippling 4x weakness to Grass-type moves. Common Grass-types, such as Venusaur and Leafeon, have no trouble switching in on Gastrodon and OHKOing it with their STAB attacks. For this reason, partners that can soak up Grass-type hits are welcome teammates to Gastrodon. Moltres and Registeel are superb choices since they can easily switch in on any Grass-type and proceed to either OHKO them with Fire Blast or cripple them with Thunder Wave, respectively. Venusaur is another great partner thanks to its 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks and powerful STAB Sludge Bomb. Since Gastrodon's Defense is inferior to its Special Defense, it is good to pack teammates that can take powerful physical attacks. Both Weezing and Tangrowth have good synergy with Gastrodon and great physical bulk, making them excellent teammates. Both of the aforementioned Pokemon have access to harmful status moves as well, the former being able to cripple powerful sweepers, such as Rhyperior and Absol, with Will-O-Wisp, while the latter can temporarily put an opposing Pokemon out of commission with Sleep Powder or spread paralysis with Stun Spore.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support also helps Gastrodon a great deal, as Gastrodon often forces a lot of switches due to its great bulk. Stealth Rock support can be provided by Registeel, as it has good synergy with Gastrodon. Uxie and Mespirit can not only set up Stealth Rock, but can also cripple the opponent's team with Thunder Wave. Unfortunately, most competent Spikes users lack defensive synergy with Gastrodon. Prime examples of such Pokemon are Cloyster and Omastar. Qwilfish, with its unique typing, has a slightly better time working with Gastrodon; it can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and takes neutral damage form Grass-type attacks. However it is quite fragile and will not like taking a boosted Leaf Storm in the face.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Gastrodon has a few other options that it can utilize. Stone Edge is a worthy option on the Curse set, as it gives Gastrodon a weapon to use against Flying foes such as Altaria and Mantine; in addition to that, Grass-types that resist both of Gastrodon's STAB attacks are hit for neutral damage by Stone Edge. Yawn is a decent option that allows Gastrodon to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep or force switches. Interestingly, Gastrodon learns both Counter and Mirror Coat, which could potentially be used to nab a surprise KO on unsuspecting attackers. However, they will be a waste of a moveslot if you fail to predict correctly, and they lose their surprise element after they have been used once. Despite raising both Defense and Special Defense, Stockpile is not always effective, as opponents tend to switch in their Grass-types straight away, and the Defense boosts from Stockpile will not save Gastrodon from utter destruction by their STAB moves. Such a set is also very prone to critical hits overtime and doesn't really threaten the foe.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The most obvious counters for a Pokemon of Gastrodon's typing are Grass-types. Tangrowth and Venusaur are good examples, as they can switch in on almost all of the sea slug's attacks, save for Ice Beam, and proceed to OHKO it with their STAB moves. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Blastoise take little damage from Gastrodon's attacks, and can wear it down slowly with Toxic or hit it with Hidden Power Grass, although it is worth noting that certain Gastrodon variants also carry Toxic. Ludicolo can set up a Substitute or Swords Dance on Gastrodon, as it resists both of the sea slug's STAB attacks and takes pitiful damage from Ice Beam. Both Chansey and Clefable can easily take on the bulky Water set thanks to their sky-high Special Defense and HP stats, although without Toxic, both can do little to the Curse set without getting damaged themselves. Chansey's main form of offense against Gastrodon is to poison it, as Gastrodon too boasts excellent HP and can easily take several Seismic Toss before healing off the damage with Recover. Clefable, however, has access to Encore, which can lock Gastrodon into a single move for several turns, allowing a teammate (or even Clefable itself) to set up freely.</p>
