EonX
Battle Soul
http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/gallade/ru
[Overview]
<p>Gallade is perhaps the most versatile Fighting-type in RU. With a great stat spread, superb movepool, and solid typing, Gallade is capable of running many sets, ranging from a Choice Band set to a specially defensive set and almost everything in between. Gallade's versatility is further enhanced by setup moves such as Swords Dance, Substitute, and Bulk Up, along with a very high Attack stat. Additionally, Gallade's great Special Defense allows Gallade to run bulkier boosting sets while its typing leaves it with few exploitable weaknesses. This unpredictability leads to major difficulty when dealing with Gallade, as simply knowing what setup move it has won't make it any easier to handle.</p>
<p>Despite all of these amazing qualities, Gallade is not without its flaws. Gallade suffers one of the most severe cases of four-moveslot syndrome in RU, as it will never be able to cover all of RU's major threats at once. The ubiquity of Spiritomb also doesn't help either, as it's immune to both of Gallade's STABs and has the bulk to handle anything else Gallade tries to throw at it offensively. Gallade's base Speed might be good, but it's not blazing fast, and a low Defense stat means most faster physical attackers will give Gallade some problems. However, in spite of these flaws, Gallade is a force to be reckoned with and should be prepared for when building any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Gallade's is most commonly seen set in RU. With a base 125 Attack stat, a solid base 115 Special Defense, and a decent typing both offensively and defensively, a bulky Swords Dance set fits Gallade perfectly. This is aided by Gallade's decent base 80 Speed, which allows it to outspeed most defensive Pokemon with minimal investment.</p>
<p>Swords Dance is Gallade's boosting move of choice on this set. Once Gallade gets in, it can easily threaten out an opposing Pokemon and set up a Swords Dance on the switch. Drain Punch is the primary STAB move, which has solid power, great coverage, and the ability to restore Gallade's HP and increase its longevity significantly. This is important as few Pokemon possess the ability to outspeed and OHKO Gallade. Psycho Cut is a solid secondary STAB move that is able to get past many Pokemon that can take Drain Punch, such as Qwilfish, Amoonguss, and Hariyama. The last slot gives Gallade coverage on Pokemon that can handle its STAB combination. Night Slash is preferred to handle Mesprit, Sigilyph, and Uxie. However, Leaf Blade is an option to get past Alomomola, Quagsire, and Rhydon, the latter of which is not OHKOed by +2 Drain Punch when holding Eviolite and can retaliate with a powerful STAB Earthquake that will leave Gallade extremely susceptible to the next thing that comes in. Regardless of whether one chooses Night Slash or Leaf Blade, both will hit Slowking and Golurk hard, which is important as both can handle Gallade‘s STAB moves and retaliate with Psyshock or Shadow Punch, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>56 Speed EVs allow Gallade to jump ahead of neutral base 55s such as Omastar and Bouffalant. The remaining EVs get placed in HP to improve Gallade's overall bulk. Lum Berry is the best item for this set, as it gives Gallade a one-time immunity to status, which is important when trying to set up against more defensive teams. However, Leftovers is also an option, as Gallade will take its fair share of hits during a sweep and a single round of Leftovers recovery can sometimes be just what Gallade needs to survive an incoming attack and KO its target. X-Scissor is the most notable coverage move not used on this set, being the best move Gallade has for Tangrowth and still retaining coverage on all Psychic-types except for Sigilyph. Stone Edge is an option for crushing Moltres while also hitting Spiritomb harder than any other move. Finally, Shadow Sneak is an option to pick off weakened threats, but it still isn't very strong even after a boost and will struggle to KO many threats unless they have a low Defense stat.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are a necessity for this set in order to compensate for the lower power of Drain Punch. On offensive teams, Omastar, Scolipede, and Smeargle are effective partners while more balanced teams can use Ferroseed, Rhydon, and Qwilfish. Spiritomb is an absolute pain for this set, as it can survive any boosted attack and 2HKO Gallade with Shadow Sneak or OHKO it with Foul Play after a Swords Dance boost. Emboar is a very good partner for this reason, as not only does it handle Spiritomb nicely, but it also deals with Escavalier, another major problem for this set. Other Fire-types, such as Typhlosion, Entei, and Moltres, can also be used to handle these threats. Entei and Moltres can are also royal pains for this set in addition to being good partners; Qwilfish is able to check Entei and Escavalier while Lanturn is a good answer to Moltres. Paralysis support is welcome so Gallade doesn't have to take as many hits. The aforementioned Qwilfish and Lanturn are solid options to provide this, as are Ferroseed and specially defensive Druddigon. Although it has Night Slash, Gallade will have some problems with Sigilyph thanks to its powerful Flying-type STAB. Spiritomb can be used to trap and KO Sigilyph to ensure Gallade's sweep isn't interrupted. Mesprit is also a feasible option thanks to having access to both Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, while its access to Healing Wish can also give Gallade a second chance to sweep if it gets stopped earlier on.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Shadow Sneak
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is a more offensive approach to Swords Dance. While this set lacks the longevity and flexibility of its bulkier counterpart, this Gallade is much less reliant on boosting to leave its mark on the opposing team. Swords Dance skyrockets Gallade's already dangerous Attack stat, while Close Combat is the chosen Fighting STAB move, as its incredible 120 Base Power allows Gallade to even weaken some Pokemon that resist Fighting-type moves after a boost. Psycho Cut is Gallade's secondary STAB move and hits the likes of Qwilfish and Amoonguss much harder than Close Combat would. Night Slash is the preferred option in the final slot, allowing Gallade to get past bulky Psychic-types such as Uxie, Slowking, and Mesprit much more easily. However, Shadow Sneak is an option to fend off revenge killers looking to take advantage of the defense drops caused by using Close Combat.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because Close Combat lowers Gallade's defenses with each use, a fully offensive EV spread is utilized. A Lum Berry is still the preferred item to get a one-time immunity to status, which can often mean the difference between a sweep and a crippled Gallade. However, a Life Orb is certainly viable, as with a Life Orb, Gallade is even less reliant on boosting than it already is and can be turned into more of a wallbreaker. Adamant is the preferred nature to give Gallade more power and to, again, lessen the reliance on setting up to deal major damage. However, Jolly can be used if outspeeding neutral-natured base 92s and below, such as Rotom-C, Hitmonlee, and Lilligant, is desired. Leaf Blade is the only coverage option worth considering. Although a super effective Leaf Blade only hits as hard as a neutral Close Combat, it can be useful against the likes of Rhydon and Alomomola when the defense drops from Close Combat aren’t desired. However, Night Slash and Shadow Sneak are generally the better moves to use.</p>
<p>Gallade appreciates entry hazard support to gain more KOs and ensure that its targets can't take advantage of the defense drops from using Close Combat. Smeargle, Omastar, and Accelgor can utilize entry hazards on more offensive teams, and Druddigon, Roselia, and Uxie can be used on more balanced teams. With the defense drops from Close Combat, this Gallade is extremely vulnerable to being revenge killed. For this reason, paralysis support from Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Lanturn, and Slowking can be very helpful. As always, Spiritomb is an absolute pain for Gallade, as Gallade has no hope of OHKOing it while Spiritomb's Shadow Sneak does a real number on it. For this reason, Emboar, Entei, and Aggron are all good partners as they can all effectively handle Spiritomb. Sigilyph is problematic thanks to its STAB Air Slash and Psyshock. A Spiritomb of your own can trap and KO Sigilyph with Pursuit so Gallade can sweep without fear later. Fast attackers are solid teammates as they can pick up Gallade's slack if it can't complete its sweep. Sceptile, Swellow, and Choice Scarf variants of Rotom-C, Emboar, and Braviary can all work nicely in this role.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Night Slash
move 4: Stone Edge / Leaf Blade
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Gallade is most commonly seen striking fear into an opponent with a setup move, the simplicity of a Choice Band can also be quite effective. The inability to switch moves or set up is made up for with the immediate power boost Gallade receives from said item. This is arguably the scariest wallbreaker in RU, as a massive base 125 Attack and Gallade's great coverage options gives the opponent major issues.</p>
<p>Close Combat is the main STAB move on this set. With a massive 120 Base Power, few things will be safe from Gallade's wrath. The defense drops are somewhat mitigated with the hit-and-run nature of this set. Psycho Cut allows Gallade to lay the hurt on Qwilfish and Amoonguss without much difficulty. Night Slash is very important for being able to deal with Uxie and Slowking and keeping them from trying to cripple Gallade with paralysis or a burn. The last slot reinforces Gallade's coverage on certain threats. Stone Edge is preferred, as it's the strongest move Gallade has to hit Spiritomb with while it also destroys any Moltres that tries to switch-in. Leaf Blade provides a safer move to use in order to hammer Alomomola, Rhydon, and Quagsire, but keep in mind that a neutral Close Combat will hit just as hard as a 2x super effective Leaf Blade.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is preferred because Choice Band Gallade is primarily used as a wallbreaker. However, Jolly is feasible in order to outspeed Absol and Smeargle while also tying with other positive-natured base 80s such as Mesprit and Kabutops. There aren't really any other moves to consider on this set as Gallade's Close Combat will often be hitting harder than other super effective coverage moves, such as X-Scissor.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support goes a long way to help Gallade break down walls such as Tangrowth and Alomomola. Smeargle, Crustle, and Omastar are solid choices for offensive teams of which this Gallade is usually found on. Partners that can check Spiritomb are a must for this set, as Gallade will be incapable of using either of its STAB moves with freedom if it is around. Pokemon such as Escavalier, Steelix, and Emboar can be used for this. This variant of Gallade is the most vulnerable to status because it lacks any method of healing. For this reason, clerics and designated status absorbers are very helpful. Clefable can absorb status rather easily and is capable of keeping Gallade healthy with Wish. On the other hand, Lanturn provides cleric and paralysis support to help Gallade while also checking Moltres, lessening the pressure on Gallade to predict its switch in with Stone Edge. A Pursuit user, such as Absol and Escavalier, can be used to clear out bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types so Gallade can freely use Close Combat. Due to its fantastic wallbreaking capabilities, Choice Band Gallade pairs very well with fast physical attackers that are capable of cleaning up a team that Gallade has left its mark on. Choice Scarf Braviary and Emboar are solid examples of this, while Swellow and Entei can use their combination of speed and power to finish off the opposing team. If a wallbreaking core is desired, Choice Specs Rotom-C and Typhlosion as well as mixed attacking Samurott work nicely with Gallade.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Night Slash / Ice Punch
move 4: Substitutite
item: Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Careful
EVs: 240 HP / 244 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Gallade's other sets become a major threat after just one turn of set up, this set attempts to use Bulk Up to slowly become a threat while simultaneously becoming more and more difficult to revenge kill. While this might be the hardest set to pull off a sweep with, it is also the hardest offensive set to revenge kill thanks to heavy investment in special bulk and boosting its Defense through Bulk Up.</p>
<p>Bulk Up is the chosen boosting move for this set, as it boosts Gallade's great Attack stat and subpar Defense as well. Drain Punch fits the goal of this set perfectly; it provides solid power and simultaneously heals Gallade in the process, thus increasing its longevity. The coverage option is a difficult choice, as it will leave Gallade open to certain defensive threats. Night Slash is generally preferred thanks to the neutral coverage it gets with Gallade's Fighting STAB while being able to smash Slowking, Uxie, and Mesprit. However, Ice Punch is also a viable option, as with Ice Punch, Gallade is able to handle Amoonguss and Tangrowth more easily. Do keep in mind, though, that Slowking and Qwilfish can now wall Gallade. Substitute fills in the last slot to shield Gallade from status and to make revenge killing this set that much harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread looks odd, but it is actually quite simple. 56 Speed EVs is necessary to outspeed neutral-natured base 55s such as Omastar and Bouffalant, and 240 HP EVs hits an optimal HP number for making Substitutes. The remaining EVs get thrown into Special Defense and when combined with a Careful nature, Gallade gains far more setup opportunities against special attackers such as Sceptile, Lanturn, and support Uxie.</p>
<p>Entry hazard support is more important for this Gallade set than any other due to the low initial power it has. Ferroseed, Qwilfish, and Rhydon are solid choices for this role, as this Gallade will usually find itself on more balanced teams. Entei and Escavalier are perhaps the biggest issues for this set, as both can still OHKO Gallade at +1 Defense with Flare Blitz and Megahorn, respectively. Alomomola, Qwilfish, and Rhydon can be used to check Entei while Moltres, Emboar, and Typhlosion can keep Escavalier at bay. Spiritomb is still a bit of a pain for this set thanks to the lack in initial power. Emboar, Aggron, and Escavalier can all keep Spiritomb in check. Even with this set's heavy investment in special bulk, Moltres's STAB Hurricane will still run right through Gallade. For this reason, Lanturn is a solid partner to not only keep it in check but to also provide paralysis support so Gallade has to take fewer hits. Other paralysis inducers, such as Ferroseed and Uxie, can also be helpful so Gallade isn't forced to use Substitute as often.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thanks to its wide movepool, Gallade has plenty of other options at its disposal. A Choice Scarf set seems like a perfect fit thanks to Gallade's base 125 Attack and a somewhat middling Speed stat when not holding said item. However, Medicham is much better for this role thanks to Pure Power. Gallade has the elemental punches available to it, but for the most part, they aren't really useful when compared to Gallade's main attacks. Earthquake is powerful, but it runs into the same problems that the elemental punches do. Like many other Psychic-types, Gallade has access to Calm Mind, as well as various special moves such as Psyshock, Focus Blast, and Thunderbolt. However, a paltry base 65 Special Attack makes this a bad option for Gallade.</p>
<p>In terms of support options, a combination of Taunt and Will-O-Wisp can be used to break down stall teams, but these types of teams aren’t too common in RU. A dual screens set with Memento is usable, but it faces stiff competition from Uxie and Mesprit in this role, as both have better overall bulk than Gallade. A set utilizing Trick Room is possible to make up for Gallade's mediocre Speed. However, it still runs into competition with Uxie and Mesprit, and on top of that, it lets major threats such as Escavalier and Druddigon outspeed Gallade. Destiny Bond is gimmicky, but it can net a surprise kill every once and a while. Finally, a SubDisable set is possible a la Gengar in OU, but Gallade’s lack of immunities limits its viability.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Put simply, there is no surefire counter to Gallade. Its versatility, power, coverage, and support options make such a task impossible. Spiritomb is probably the best response, as it is able to handle most offensive Gallade sets thanks to its immunity to both of Gallade's STABs and its solid bulk. However, it must be careful around specially defensive sets because Will-O-Wisp can cripple Spiritomb. Moltres and Mesprit are two of the safer options to handle Gallade, as each resists one or both of Gallade's STAB moves and only fear one of its coverage moves. Perhaps the easiest way to deal with Gallade is to use its major case of four-moveslot syndrome to your advantage. Most sets use a setup move and two STAB moves, so finding out its coverage move will go a long way to handling Gallade. If Gallade lacks Leaf Blade, Alomomola and Quagsire can handle it admirably. Without Night Slash, Mesprit becomes all the more dangerous while Uxie can generally outlast Gallade in most scenarios. Tangrowth only fears Close Combat and the rare Ice Punch and X-Scissor, and it can hit Gallade with a STAB Power Whip on its weaker Defense stat. However, Bulk Up sets can set up on Tangrowth variants without Power Whip. Escavalier is capable of overpowering Gallade with its powerful STAB Megahorn, but Substitute and specially defensive sets can put Escavalier in a tough situation. The Substitute set 2HKOes with Drain Punch and may have a Substitute up to block Escavalier's first attack, and the specially defensive set can cripple Escavalier with a burn. The specially defensive set struggles with most Flying-types; Pokemon such as Braviary, Moltres, and Sigilyph are more than capable of dealing with this set. Cinccino can easily check the Substitute set, but it has no hope of actually switching into it thanks to its frailty.</p>
<p>Preying on Gallade's base 80 Speed and lackluster base 65 Defense is perhaps the easiest way to limit the damage Gallade can do. Choice Scarf users, such as Emboar and Braviary, do quite well while naturally fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Tauros, and Archeops are capable of smashing Gallade before it gets a chance to strike them. Priority users can also be effective, with examples being Entei, Spiritomb, and Feraligatr. Note that Sucker Punch users such as Absol run the risk of activating Justified if they are unable to KO Gallade and will likely be hit with a decisive blow after the attack. As Gallade will often want to use a setup move before attacking, one can always resort to offensive pressure to limit Gallade's chances to setup. However, this is risky as Gallade usually has enough raw power and coverage to do damage even without a setup move, and the Choice Band set doesn't set up at all.</p>
[Overview]
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade / Shadow Sneak
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Night Slash
move 4: Leaf Blade / Stone Edge / Shadow Sneak
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[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]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[Other Options]
[Checks and Counters]
- Premier Fighting-type in RU
- Versatile threat capable of running both offensive and defensive sets
- Great set-up moves in Swords Dance, Substitute, and Bulk Up
- Wide move pool lets it cover p. much anything it wants
- Unpredictability makes it very difficult to deal with; can run bulkier offensive sets, pure offensive sets, and a SpDef set
- 80 Speed is solid, but not blazing fast by any means
- 65 Defense leaves it susceptible to faster physical attackers such as Scarf Emboar and Braviary
- 4MSS hurts…. A LOT. p. much the only thing that makes it counterable
- Hates Spiritomb
- Great all-purpose offensive Pokemon capable of fitting onto almost any team
- Make sure you have an answer for it. Otherwise, Gallade will find great joy in pummeling your team
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- blends power, bulk, and coverage into one set
- Swords Dance to give a power boost and let Gallade sweep
- Drain Punch is the primary STAB. Solid power and healing side effect gives Gallade great staying power
- Psycho Cut for Qwilfish, Amoonguss, and fellow Fighting-types
- Night Slash to nail Uxie and Mesprit as well as Sigilyph on the switch
- Leaf Blade if covering Alomomola, Rhydon (not OHKOed by +2 Drain Punch) and Quagsire is desired
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Speed EVs get the jump on neutral 55s to KO them before they can hit back
- Max Attack to hit as hard as possible. The rest is poured into HP
- X-Scissor if Tangrowth is a nuicance
- Shadow Sneak if priority is desired, but it's rather weak
- Hazard users; Smeargle, Scolipede, Omastar for offensive teams. Ferroseed, Qwilfish, and Druddigon for balanced ones
- Hates Entei and Moltres. Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn can handle one or both of them
- Spiritomb sucks. Can take any boosted move and 2HKO with Shadow Sneak
- Use Emboar, Entei, or Typhlosion to check it. Emboar also handles CB Escavalier quite nicely
- Spiritomb of your own to handle Sigilyph. Mesprit is also feasible for this. Note that Gallade can handle CP Sigilyph on its own with a Lum Berry + Night Slash
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Psycho Cut
move 4: Night Slash / Leaf Blade / Shadow Sneak
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- More offensive approach to Swords Dance and uses Gallade's sheer power to impose its will.
- Not as reliant on boosting as the Bulky SD set thanks to Close Combat.
- Close Combat destroys stuff and is the STAB move of choice
- Psycho Cut to deal with Close Combat resists such as Amoonguss and Moltres (catch it on the switch!)
- Night Slash for coverage on Psychics
- Leaf Blade to take out physical walls such as Alomomola and Quagsire
- Shadow Sneak for priority if coverage isn't needed
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Adamant over Jolly for the power boost and to lessen dependency on SD to become a powerhouse. Jolly is feasible to ensure Absol can't outspeed and KO with Night Slash (though it will likely Sucker Punch anyway)
- Lum Berry preferred to get a free pass on status. Life Orb can turn this set into more of a wallbreaking set though.
- Entry hazards to gain more KOes.
- Accelgor, Smeargle, and Scolipede for offensive teams. Qwilfish, Roselia, and Uxie for balanced ones
- Paralysis support as this set is very susceptible to being revenge killed
- Ferroseed and Lanturn both accomplish this as does Uxie. All 3 are capable of providing various other forms of support
- Fast attackers in case Gallade can't finish a sweep.
- Sceptile, Rotom-C, Braviary, and Emboar work nicely
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Night Slash
move 4: Leaf Blade / Stone Edge / Shadow Sneak
item: Choice Band
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Gives up the ability to set-up and switch moves to hit hard right off the bat
- One of the scariest wallbreakers to face thanks to base 125 Attack, STAB Close Combat, and great coverage
- Close Combat nukes stuff. Even frail resists get 2HKOed with ease!
- Psycho Cut can catch Qwilfish and friends trying to take a Close Combat.
- Night Slash handles what Gallade's STABs can't; bulky Psychics and Spiritomb
- Last moveslot to add and reinforce coverage
- Leaf Blade is stronger against Slowking and takes out Rhydon, Alomomola, and Quagsire too
- Stone Edge is the strongest move Gallade has on Spiritomb. Also donks Moltres which is cool
- Shadow Sneak for priority if the services of Leaf Blade and Stone Edge aren't needed. Low power makes it a bad move to be locked in on unless you absolutely have to revenge something
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Adamant nature for that added power.
- Jolly is feasible to always outspeed Absol and Speed tie, at worst, with Mesprit and other base 80s (unless they're Scarfed)
- Entry hazards to push stuff into KO range
- Smeargle, Crustle, and Omastar for offensive teams that CB Gallade is typically used on
- Abhors status and faster 'mons, so clerics are useful
- Lanturn really helps as it also provides paralysis support to slow stuff down.
- Clefable and Sigilyph can both absorb status, though beware of paralysis and shared weaknesses when using Sigilyph
- Pursuit user to take out bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types. Absol, Escavalier, and Spiritomb all work
- Great wallbreaker, so fast physical attackers pair nicely
- Scarf versions of Braviary and Emboar are nice. Entei can spam CB ExtremeSpeed if Rocks and Steels are gone
- Specs versions of Rotom-C and Typhlosion to form a wallbreaking core if desired.
[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]
- Uses Bulk Up to slowly boost power while also becoming harder and harder to revenge kill
- Hardest offensive set to sweep with, but also the most difficult one to revenge kill
- Bulk Up to boost power and lackluster base 65 Defense
- Drain Punch to provide recovery and a reliable STAB option
- Night Slash gets unresisted coverage alongside Drain Punch and donks Slowking
- Ice Punch handles Amoonguss and Tangrowth better should your team have more trouble with them
- Sub to block status and make revenge killing even harder
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Odd EV spread, but simpler than it looks
- 56 Speed EVs to jump ahead of neutral base 55s such as Omastar and Bouffalant
- 240 HP EVs to get an optimal HP number for Subs.
- Rest in Special Defense and a Careful nature to increase setup chances on special attackers.
- Needs hazards support more than any other set due to low initial power
- Crustle, Smeargle, and Accelgor for more offensive teams
- Ferroseed, Qwilfish, and Uxie fit the bill for more defensive teams
- Checks to Escavalier and CB Entei as both can still OHKO +1 Gallade
- Typhlosion, Emboar, and Moltres for Escavalier
- Slowking, Qwilfish, and Rhydon for Entei
- Moltres kills despite SpDef investment. Lanturn can check it and provide paralysis support
- Emboar and Escavalier to handle many Gallade checks and maintain offensive pressure
- Paralysis support to reduce the amount of hits Gallade is forced to take, thus letting it use Sub less often.
- Ferroseed, Lanturn, and Uxie can all do this and provide other forms of support
[Other Options]
- Choice Scarf; outdone by Medicham
- Elemental Punches
- Earthquake
- LolCM
- Taunt+Will-O-Wisp to break stall
- Dual Screens; outdone by Uxie and Mesprit
- Destiny Bond for lol kills
- OTR. A little too fast though to provide consistent results
- SubDisable a la Gengar. No immunities sucks though
[Checks and Counters]
- HA, good luck
- Spiritomb is the safest. Hates Will-O-Wisp from the SpDef set though
- Moltres, Mesprit, and Entei… if they find a way in safely. Stone Edge donks Moltres, Night Slash hammers Mesprit, and Entei doesn’t resist either STAB
- Just use 4MSS to your advantage
- No Leaf Blade means Mola and Quagsire do well
- No Night Slash gives bulkier Psychics a chance. (Slowking still gets destroyed by Leaf Blade though, the move that most commonly is used over Night Slash)
- Tangrowth if no X-Scissor or Ice Punch. Bulk Up set can setup on it though
- Escavalier, though Sub and SpDef sets give it trouble. Drain Punch from the Sub set
- 2HKOes (and Sub blocks Escavalier’s attack) and SpDef set cripples it with Will-O-Wisp
- Revenge killers/priority users, but beware of Sub and SpDef sets!
- Tauros, Zangoose, and Braviary are most notable; they get a free pass on Shadow Sneak to boot!
- Entei, Feraligatr, and Spiritomb are notable priority users
- SpDef set struggles against physical flyers. Think Swellow and Braviary
- Cinccino crushes the Sub set, but can’t begin to think of trying to switch-in directly
- Offensive pressure. Gallade usually wants to use a set-up move before attacking. Risky answer due to coverage and raw power though.
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