QC: Kreme / nv / Pearl
GP: Shame That / Queez
Galvantula is outclassed offensively by Zapdos and Heliolisk. The former has more overall bulk and is able to hit much harder, while the latter sits in a better Speed tier, has access to Dry Skin to deal with the plethora of bulky Water-types in UnderUsed, and has better diversity in its movesets. Galvantula faces competition from within its Speed tier too, as it is filled with other offensive threats such as Cobalion and Infernape.
On top of that, it is held back by a poor defensive typing against many threats, falling to almost anything faster than it unless it can set up Sticky Web beforehand. This typing also leaves Galvantula weak to Stealth Rock, and with its reliance on Life Orb to deal any large amount of damage, Galvantula can quickly find itself struggling to survive against residual damage if left without support.
However, Galvantula provides a useful niche with its access to Sticky Web, which reduces the foe's Speed by one stage upon switching in. To further its offensive prowess, Galvantula receives a blessing in the form of Compound Eyes, which provides a massive accuracy boost to its powerful STAB move Thunder, helping it to compete with the other Electric-types in the tier. Additionally, with Bug Buzz and Energy Ball, Galvantula can decimate some of the more common Electric-type switch-ins such as Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Swampert. With Galvantula's dual STAB moves, most Taunt users are not safe from it, nor are the many common entry hazard removers such as Blastoise, Empoleon, and Crobat.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Sticky Web
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
ability: Compound Eyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sticky Web is the only reason to be running Galvantula, and with it Galvantula can take advantage of faster grounded Pokemon by slowing them down. In a tier full of bulky Water- and Flying-types, Galvantula can pull its weight by using Thunder as a reliable high-powered STAB move to 2HKO most of them. Bug Buzz, the secondary STAB move,combats some common Electric-type switch-ins, such as Hydreigon, Krookodile, and Sceptile, while also hammering common Taunt users that aren't hit by Thunder for super effective damage, such as Azelf. Energy Ball allows Galvantula to hit Ground-types, such as Swampert and Nidoqueen, which would otherwise almost completely wall it. Giga Drain is an option to help Galvantula last slightly longer, but it is notably weaker than Energy Ball.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is almost mandatory to grant Galvantula the kind of power it requires, as otherwise it lacks any kind of meaningful damage output due to a lackluster Special Attack stat. Investing 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature gets Galvantula up to 346 Speed, on par with Cobalion and Infernape, while 252 Special Attack EVs grant it the most power it can afford. Compound Eyes allows Galvantula to have a 91% accurate Thunder, though Swarm can be used on a Focus Sash set to boost the power of Bug Buzz. Focus Sash is a viable alternative to Life Orb, though Galvantula loses power and usually only functions well as a dedicated lead if using such. However, with a Focus Sash equipped, it can OHKO common anti-lead pokemon such as Aerodactyl, Absol, Espeon, and Azelf.
Usage Tips
========
Galvantula appreciates being able to get on the field as unharmed as possible, so bringing it in on a predicted status move or switch can be very beneficial. From there, depending on the team, set up Sticky Web or attack; if the opposing team is offensive, setting up Sticky Web should be a priority, while against defensive teams an attack may have more of an impact than the Speed drop. Galvantula can also wallbreak with Thunder, and once its checks and counters are removed it can clean up a weakened team. When playing against teams with little to no entry hazard control, a good option is to simply lead with Galvantula to set up Sticky Web on turn one, especially if it is holding a Focus Sash.
Team Options
========
Strong but slower setup sweepers and wallbreakers such as Lucario and Crawdaunt appreciate Sticky Web support, as they can blow by some checks and counters by virtue of being able to outspeed them. Mamoswine in particular is absolutely terrifying on any Sticky Web team, complementing Galvantula's typing nicely and providing immense firepower. Other options include Gardevoir, Hoopa, Nidoking, Honchkrow, and Porygon-Z, as they are all slower Pokemon with massive amounts of power, thus benefitting from Sticky Web. A teammate to resist Flying-type attacks would be particularly useful, as Flying-types are the only Pokemon other than Levitate users that are unaffected by Sticky Web in the first place. Shuca Berry Cobalion can handle the more dangerous Salamence and Mega Aerodactyl, bar Fire Blast variants of Salamence. Mega Aerodactyl itself is a strong offensive teammate that can attack Flying-types that trouble Galvantula, though its Stone Edge can be unreliable. Metagross can take advantage of Sticky Web while also resisting Flying-type attacks, and is able to break through special walls such as Florges.
Keeping pressure on Defoggers and spinners is vital, as they remove entry hazards and undo your work. Taunt Mega Houndoom, Mamoswine, and Swords Dance+ Stone Edge Cobalion all do the job nicely. Sticky Web in general favors this kind of offense by keeping pressure on and forcing opponents out, though bulky offense works just as well, as the teammates normally found on that build can stomach a hit and punish with a powerful attack in return.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch can give Galvantula momentum, though it comes at the expense of power and forces you to predict what move is coming to avoid losing a teammate. Thunder Wave is an alternative speed control option that quarters a single Pokemon's Speed without affecting the rest of the team as Sticky Web would. However, Thunder Wave does carry the benefit of being less reliant on pressuring Defoggers and spinners. Choice Specs is another option, though with the increase in power comes a decrease in versatility, and it can give the opponent a free turn to switch in and use Defog or Rapid Spin. Hidden Power Ice is a final option that allows Galvantula to 2HKO Nidoqueen and Gligar, paving the way for a sweeper such as Lucario to finish the job. Sucker Punch, although almost useless in most situations, allows Galvantula to easily pick off Pokemon that were protected by a Focus Sash or Sturdy, and can help to clean up severely weakened teams.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Offensive Threats**: Offensive Pokemon that outrun Galvantula such as Heliolisk and Crobat can do large amounts of damage, if not outright OHKO it.
**Reliable Entry Hazard Removal**: With Galvantula's main niche being Sticky Web, reliable entry hazard removal on the opposing team can easily make Galvantula far less useful. Zapdosis a particularly notable threat, as it can remove entry hazards and shrug off most of Galvantula's attacks with Roost.
**Strong Priority Moves**: Strong priority moves from the likes of Entei and Mega Absol can OHKO Galvantula due to its less than stellar bulk.
**Special Walls**: Galvantula cannot do much damage to special walls, such as Blissey, or naturally bulky pokemon such as Florges, and they can easily heal off damage.
GP: Shame That / Queez
Galvantula is outclassed offensively by Zapdos and Heliolisk. The former has more overall bulk and is able to hit much harder, while the latter sits in a better Speed tier, has access to Dry Skin to deal with the plethora of bulky Water-types in UnderUsed, and has better diversity in its movesets. Galvantula faces competition from within its Speed tier too, as it is filled with other offensive threats such as Cobalion and Infernape.
On top of that, it is held back by a poor defensive typing against many threats, falling to almost anything faster than it unless it can set up Sticky Web beforehand. This typing also leaves Galvantula weak to Stealth Rock, and with its reliance on Life Orb to deal any large amount of damage, Galvantula can quickly find itself struggling to survive against residual damage if left without support.
However, Galvantula provides a useful niche with its access to Sticky Web, which reduces the foe's Speed by one stage upon switching in. To further its offensive prowess, Galvantula receives a blessing in the form of Compound Eyes, which provides a massive accuracy boost to its powerful STAB move Thunder, helping it to compete with the other Electric-types in the tier. Additionally, with Bug Buzz and Energy Ball, Galvantula can decimate some of the more common Electric-type switch-ins such as Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Swampert. With Galvantula's dual STAB moves, most Taunt users are not safe from it, nor are the many common entry hazard removers such as Blastoise, Empoleon, and Crobat.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Sticky Web
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
ability: Compound Eyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sticky Web is the only reason to be running Galvantula, and with it Galvantula can take advantage of faster grounded Pokemon by slowing them down. In a tier full of bulky Water- and Flying-types, Galvantula can pull its weight by using Thunder as a reliable high-powered STAB move to 2HKO most of them. Bug Buzz, the secondary STAB move,combats some common Electric-type switch-ins, such as Hydreigon, Krookodile, and Sceptile, while also hammering common Taunt users that aren't hit by Thunder for super effective damage, such as Azelf. Energy Ball allows Galvantula to hit Ground-types, such as Swampert and Nidoqueen, which would otherwise almost completely wall it. Giga Drain is an option to help Galvantula last slightly longer, but it is notably weaker than Energy Ball.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is almost mandatory to grant Galvantula the kind of power it requires, as otherwise it lacks any kind of meaningful damage output due to a lackluster Special Attack stat. Investing 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature gets Galvantula up to 346 Speed, on par with Cobalion and Infernape, while 252 Special Attack EVs grant it the most power it can afford. Compound Eyes allows Galvantula to have a 91% accurate Thunder, though Swarm can be used on a Focus Sash set to boost the power of Bug Buzz. Focus Sash is a viable alternative to Life Orb, though Galvantula loses power and usually only functions well as a dedicated lead if using such. However, with a Focus Sash equipped, it can OHKO common anti-lead pokemon such as Aerodactyl, Absol, Espeon, and Azelf.
Usage Tips
========
Galvantula appreciates being able to get on the field as unharmed as possible, so bringing it in on a predicted status move or switch can be very beneficial. From there, depending on the team, set up Sticky Web or attack; if the opposing team is offensive, setting up Sticky Web should be a priority, while against defensive teams an attack may have more of an impact than the Speed drop. Galvantula can also wallbreak with Thunder, and once its checks and counters are removed it can clean up a weakened team. When playing against teams with little to no entry hazard control, a good option is to simply lead with Galvantula to set up Sticky Web on turn one, especially if it is holding a Focus Sash.
Team Options
========
Strong but slower setup sweepers and wallbreakers such as Lucario and Crawdaunt appreciate Sticky Web support, as they can blow by some checks and counters by virtue of being able to outspeed them. Mamoswine in particular is absolutely terrifying on any Sticky Web team, complementing Galvantula's typing nicely and providing immense firepower. Other options include Gardevoir, Hoopa, Nidoking, Honchkrow, and Porygon-Z, as they are all slower Pokemon with massive amounts of power, thus benefitting from Sticky Web. A teammate to resist Flying-type attacks would be particularly useful, as Flying-types are the only Pokemon other than Levitate users that are unaffected by Sticky Web in the first place. Shuca Berry Cobalion can handle the more dangerous Salamence and Mega Aerodactyl, bar Fire Blast variants of Salamence. Mega Aerodactyl itself is a strong offensive teammate that can attack Flying-types that trouble Galvantula, though its Stone Edge can be unreliable. Metagross can take advantage of Sticky Web while also resisting Flying-type attacks, and is able to break through special walls such as Florges.
Keeping pressure on Defoggers and spinners is vital, as they remove entry hazards and undo your work. Taunt Mega Houndoom, Mamoswine, and Swords Dance+ Stone Edge Cobalion all do the job nicely. Sticky Web in general favors this kind of offense by keeping pressure on and forcing opponents out, though bulky offense works just as well, as the teammates normally found on that build can stomach a hit and punish with a powerful attack in return.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch can give Galvantula momentum, though it comes at the expense of power and forces you to predict what move is coming to avoid losing a teammate. Thunder Wave is an alternative speed control option that quarters a single Pokemon's Speed without affecting the rest of the team as Sticky Web would. However, Thunder Wave does carry the benefit of being less reliant on pressuring Defoggers and spinners. Choice Specs is another option, though with the increase in power comes a decrease in versatility, and it can give the opponent a free turn to switch in and use Defog or Rapid Spin. Hidden Power Ice is a final option that allows Galvantula to 2HKO Nidoqueen and Gligar, paving the way for a sweeper such as Lucario to finish the job. Sucker Punch, although almost useless in most situations, allows Galvantula to easily pick off Pokemon that were protected by a Focus Sash or Sturdy, and can help to clean up severely weakened teams.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Offensive Threats**: Offensive Pokemon that outrun Galvantula such as Heliolisk and Crobat can do large amounts of damage, if not outright OHKO it.
**Reliable Entry Hazard Removal**: With Galvantula's main niche being Sticky Web, reliable entry hazard removal on the opposing team can easily make Galvantula far less useful. Zapdosis a particularly notable threat, as it can remove entry hazards and shrug off most of Galvantula's attacks with Roost.
**Strong Priority Moves**: Strong priority moves from the likes of Entei and Mega Absol can OHKO Galvantula due to its less than stellar bulk.
**Special Walls**: Galvantula cannot do much damage to special walls, such as Blissey, or naturally bulky pokemon such as Florges, and they can easily heal off damage.
Last edited:
