Goldeen (Analysis) [QC 2/2] PM ME IF YOU WANT TO WRITE THIS UP

So I talked to Deinosaur on IRC, and he told me he wanted to contribute, but didn't know how, so we decided to do this analysis together. =)

Deinosaur has written the Overview, Optional Changes, and Counters section, so he deserves half credit. Those 3 sections are in post 2.

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/118.shtml

[OVERVIEW]

• Good speed and decent attack
• Can run a good rain dance set with Swift Swim
• Small movepool with just enough to run an attacking set
• Only two weaknesses
• Hits 17 attack and 15 speed [30 in rain]

[SET]
name: Swift Swim
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Return
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 220 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Rain Dance is the only set Goldeen can utilize without being fully outclassed
- Waterfall gains STAB, and is quite powerful when boosted by Life Orb and Rain, backed up by a decent Attack stat
- Megahorn provides good coverage, hurting Grass-types hard
- Is also Goldeen’s best option against opposing Water-types, especially Slowpoke
- Return provides good neutral coverage, and when paired up with Waterfall, is only resisted by Frillish and Ferroseed, Ferroseed who takes neutral damage from Megahorn

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- Life Orb provides Goldeen with some much needed power
- Turns some 3HKOes into 2HKOes
- Swift Swim allows it to hurt or sweep Pokemon much easier thanks to the boost in Speed
- Adamant increases Goldeen’s Attack slightly, more important than Speed, since Goldeen is already very fast under Rain
- EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed, and increases both defenses by one point

- Ferroseed sets up Spikes on Frillish, a great counter to Goldeen
- Shed Skin Zuruggu also sets up on Frillish
- Pawniard can hit Frillish hard with a Dark-type STAB attack
- Magnemite can trap Ferroseed, and defeat it with a STAB Thunder in the rain
- Bronzor has good synergy with Goldeen, and can provide Rain Dance, which also removes it’s only weakness

[OTHER OPTIONS]

• Special set with Hydro Pump, HP Grass, Ice Beam and Rain Dance, but Special Attack only hits 14 maximum
• Bounce, but doesn’t offer much coverage, and not reliable
  Aqua Tail for more power, but the extra accuracy and chance of flinch is useful
• Poison Jab, but only hits Grass-types for super effective, something Megahorn already achieves
• Agility, outclassed by Rain Dance, which also boosts the power of it's STAB attacks
• Rain Dance support set with a bulky EV spread, but Goldeen is better off attacking
• Damp Rock can be used for 3 more turns of rain, but the loss of power from Life Orb is not worth it
• Lightning Rod can be used as an ability, but Rain Dance is not compatible with Lightning Rod, so a filler move can be used over Rain Dance, and a teammate can set up Rain Dance instead

[COUNTERS]

• Ferroseed walls this set almost without problem unless you get lucky with a Megahorn
• Frillish also can take this set pretty easily with Evolution Stone
• Faster Swift Swimmers such as Buizel, Poliwag, and Anorith can outspeed Goldeen and KO with appropriate move

[OVERVIEW]

• Good speed and decent attack
• Can run a good rain dance set with Swift Swim
• Small movepool with just enough to run an attacking set
• Only two weaknesses
• Hits 17 attack and 15 speed [30 in rain]

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

• Special set with Hydro Pump, HP Grass, Ice Beam and Rain Dance, but Special Attack only hits 14 maximum
• Bounce, but doesn’t offer much coverage, and not reliable
  Aqua Tail for more power, but the extra accuracy and chance of flinch is useful
• Poison Jab, but only hits Grass-types for super effective, something Megahorn already achieves
• Agility, outclassed by Rain Dance, which also boosts the power of it's STAB attacks
• Rain Dance support set with a bulky EV spread, but Goldeen is better off attacking

[COUNTERS]

• Ferroseed walls this set almost without problem unless you get lucky with a Megahorn
• Frillish also can take this set pretty easily with Evolution Stone
• Croagunk is a good counter with Dry Skin, priority moves, 4x resistance to Megahorn, and enough defense to survive a Return
• Faster Swift Swimmers such as Buizel, Poliwag, and Anorith can outspeed Goldeen and KO with appropriate move

Placeholder post :D

You might want to mention how Rain is the only weather that can't be set up permanently in LC. You could mention a Choice Band/Specs Swift Swim set being Adamant/Modest. Swift Swim backs up your speed allowing you to invest Max Evs into your Offensive stats. (Even with that though you still get erm 3-5 turns of rain.)

Stampd

Croagunk is a good counter with Dry Skin, priority moves, 4x resistance to Megahorn, and enough defense to survive a Return

Click to expand...

Standard Croagunk is Lonely. 94.7% - 115.8%, a KO with SR. Even with a neutral nature, that's 84.2% - 100%, a 50% chance.

- Return provides good neutral coverage, and when paired up with Waterfall, is only resisted by Frillish and Ferroseed

Click to expand...

Mention Ferroseed is hit neutrally by Megahorn.

...and maybe mention Damp Rock in OC?

Add all the TO stuff to AC!



[QC 2/2]

Goldeen gets Lightning Rod (which has already been released from DW), which grants it an immunity to Electric-Type attacks (and a SpA boost), with a filler over Rain Dance (Soak?), it could work since it would resist a lot of Electric-Type Pokemons movesets. Probably OO material though.

Done editing all changes, thanks! Will get to writing this up with Deinosaur.

Neither Deinosaur or I are writing this up. This is up for grabs. Make sure you give both of us credit!

Badal is taking this over. Moving.