[2014] Gyarados [QC 1/2]

[slayerx725232]

Taken over from TheMantyke
QC: Laurel idiotfrommars
Overview
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• Has a great base Attack stat.
• Has nice coverage options.
• Intimidate is useful against opposing physical attackers.
• 4x weak to Electric-type attacks.
• Hampered immensely by status.

Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Dance / Taunt
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Gyaradosite / Wacan Berry
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Waterfall is your main STAB that has a nice chance to flinch opposing Pokemon.
• Earthquake allows you some spread damage and is really spiffy with Mold Breaker while Mega
• Taunt allows you a ton of little utilities. You can even get cute and Taunt Aromatisse through Aroma Veil
• Dragon Dance boosts your Attack, Speed, and puts a lot of pressure on your opponent to get rid of you ASAP

Set Details
========

• Enough Speed to outrun min speed Rotom-A, full investment in attack, the rest put into HP
• Speed creep is highly recommended since most Rotom-A speed creep
• Gyaradosite is the item of choice so you get the crazy bulk of Mega Gyarados and can now all of a sudden take on Rotom-W.
• Wacan allows you to sponge one Thunderbolt from Rotom-A.

Usage Tips
========

• Mega Evolve Conservatively
• Switch in and out Liberally for the most Intimidate drops you can pull off
• Never stay in on an Electric-type unless your Wacan Berry is still intact, if you decide to run that.

Team Options
========

• Great with things that welcome the Fighting, Water, and Earthquake resistances / immunities Gyarados brings. Likes Electric and Rock resists in return.
• Garchomp takes on both of Gyarados' weaknesses
• Rotom-H can take Electric hits and can get rid of Amoonguss and co with Overheat.
• Amoonguss shuts down Rotom-W for Gyara, provides a cushion for Gyarados to DD under
• Tyranitar is alright
• Talonflame beats up the Grass-types Gyarados might have trouble with and even still dodges his Earthquakes post Mega

Bulky
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name: Bulky
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Sitrus Berry / Leftovers
evs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Def / 4 SpD / 68 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly

Moves
========

• Waterfall is Gyarados' most powerful STAB move.
• Thunder Wave allows Gyarados to cripple faster foes.
• Earthquake provides decent all-field coverage.
• Taunt allows Gyarados to deal with Pokemon that like to play around with status and setting up.

Set Details
========

• The HP and Defense EVs play a vital role in allowing Gyarados to survive hard hits such as Kangaskhan's Return as well as Garchomp's Rock Slide.
• 252 Attack EVs maximizes Gyarados' Attack when coupled with an Adamant nature, allowing it to leave lasting dents on opposing Pokemon. Alternatively, 68 Attack EVs can be run to boost Gyarados' Attack a moderate amount to account for an increased Speed spread..
• The Speed EVs allow Gyarados to speed tie with neutral nature max Speed base 58 Pokemon such as Scrafty and outspeed things such as Mega Mawile. Alternatively, having full Speed investment can allow for faster utility moves against threats such as Smeargle and others. If you choose to run 252 Speed, be certain to run Jolly as well.
• Sitrus Berry can give you immediate health recovery once your HP gets low enough whereas Leftovers leave you with residual HP recovery throughout the course of the battle. However, Leftovers should not be run unless Gyarados is using Protect as it otherwise cannot utilize the item fully.
• Intimidate allows Gyarados to be passive support to Pokemon lacking in physical Defense.

Usage Tips
========

• Be certain to keep Gyarados away from Electric-type attacks, since it can rarely take any.
• Use Taunt against Pokemon such as Amoonguss to prevent them from either sleeping one of your Pokemon or using Rage Powder.

Team Options
========

• Pokemon that appreciate the Intimidate support would go nicely with Gyarados. One prime example is Talonflame, as it is not very bulky naturally and it is immune to Gyarados' Earthquake.
• Things that can remove Rotom-W such as Amoonguss.
• A way to remove of opposing Amoonguss such as Talonflame or Rotom-H.

Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Ice Fang
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake / Return
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Waterfall for your main STAB
• Ice Fang for the Salamence and Garchomp snipe
• Stone Edge wrecks Talonflame, Charizard Y, Rotom-H
• Earthquake for a (slightly underwhelming) spread attack
• Return for a 100% accurate coverage attack on things you'd hit for neutral damage anyway, like Rotom-W

Set Details
========

• Adamant and max attack for maximum damage output
• Enough Speed to outrun a min speed Rotom-A
• Rest in HP

Usage Tips
========

• Don't be afraid to switch often for more intimidates
• Keep away from Rotom-W

Team Options
========

• Stuff that deals with Rotom-W and Amoonguss generally
• Amoonguss, Talonflame, Rotom-H, for those reasons

Other Options
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• Bite on Mega Gyarados for STAB coverage, though generally unnecessary.
• Aqua Tail + Stone Edge + Wide Lens for powerful, yet accurate moves. Issue with this is that it is still able to miss, and typically has very limited uses that are not already covered by the other moves.
• Splash Plate

Checks & Counters
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**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn can wall Gyarados with ease, taking abysmal damage from Earthquake and Ice Fang while whittling Gyarados down with Leech Seed. If Gyarados is Mega, Ferrothorn can more easily remove of it with a Grass-type STAB move.

**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W does not care what any non mega Gyarados does, OHKOS with Thunderbolt. It can also leave hefty dents in Mega Gyarados as well.

**Amoonguss** While Amoonguss doesn't like Choice Band boosted Ice Fangs or Taunt, it can deal with any other form of Gyarados that lacks those moves.

**Attack Drops**: Will-O-Wisp neuters Gyarados, rendering it essentially useless. Intimidate does the same thing, on a lesser scale. Non Dragon Dance Gyarados become pretty useless after having their Attack dropped.

 

[slayerx725232]

I salvaged what was left of the previous Gyarados analysis, so I do suppose this is ready for QC.

 

[Laurel]

First set should honestly be two one mega set one bulky twave set. I'll get the EVs tomorrow.

 

[Laurel]

I'm impressed with how fast you did that. I'll get back to you soon with more detailed EVs and such. Look at this real quick: http://eggyemporium.blogspot.com/2014/02/gyarados.html the 2nd and 3rd set listed are the same with different EV spreads so the 3 sets we have should be

DD Gyaradosite
Bulky Taunt Twave w/e
Choice Band

Regular DD could be included so I'd just do Gyaradosite/Wacan in the first set. Remove TWave from options for that one (the first set) and make it Dragon Dance / Taunt. Not sure how useful lim would be considering every Rotom would rather use Thunderbolt.

 

[slayerx725232]

Laurel, I didn't get the chance to finish the usage tips and team options (or set details) for the middle set but that's mainly because I've been moderately busy recently. I'll finish writing that up sometime today/tomorrow, leaving the set details exempt for the most part due to the desire for the optimal EV spread.

 

[slayerx725232]

Okay, been a bit longer than a day or two, but I finished (for the most part since I'm still going to wait on the EVs) the stuff about it.

 

[Laurel]

Just name the 2nd set bulky and copy the EVs from the article i listed

EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Def / 4 SDef / 68 Spd

Just use Adamant, impish is weak

 

[slayerx725232]

Kay, with that, all sets are added in and up to date with EVs and things.

 

[Laurel]

Looks fine qc approved

1/2 slayerx725232

 

[Laurel]

Tagging lucariojr kingofmars idiotfrommars and TheFourthChaser

 

[idiotfrommars]

I would mention the possibility of running max speed on the bulky set, as a fast taunt can be invaluable to shut down Smeargle, and the fast thunder wave can surprise a large amount of Pokemon that don't fully invest in speed. The spread is the same as yours, except move the heavy attack investment into speed:

100 HP / 68 Atk / 84 Def / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature

I would also mention on that set that leftovers shouldn't be used unless you are running protect, because you won't be able to generate enough free turns to make use of it without protect.

QC 2/2

 

[Laurel]

Tagging slayerx725232

 

[slayerx725232]

idiotfrommars, I (finally) got the chance to edit in your things but I didn't know if you wanted both of the EVs spreads kinda slashed beside each other or only use the one having speed. So I'm gonna tag you to ask what to do about it before writing this up. And again, apologies on taking so long to do this, I haven't used my computer recently at all.

 

[idiotfrommars]

I would just have it in the comments as an optional spread if you want to run the speed to outspeed Smeargle.

 

[slayerx725232]

In that case, I'll end up writing this once I get time.

 

[Laurel]

Take your time slayerx725232 no rush

 

[slayerx725232]

Laurel, I ended up dropping this lol. I think Soulblaster is gonna try writing it up, if my memory is correct?

 

[Laurel]

K

 

[Politoad]

Exactly, will post a thread in a few hours.