Trash Boat
[Overview]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Pain Split / Toxic Spikes
move 4: Rock Blast / Gunk Shot
item: Rocky Helmet / Black Sludge
ability: Aftermath
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Garbodor's main niche in the meta is that of a bulky hazard setter
- Has access to both forms of Spikes/the bulk to survive a few hits and reliably set them up
- Decent defensive typing that gives it key resistances and the ability to absorb opposing T-Spikes
- Base 95 Attack lets it dish an attack or two if it needs to
- Poison typing a double-edged sword; gives it weaknesses to two extremely common attacking types in NU
- Faces stiff competition as a Spiker from Scolipede, who is much more offensive and packs STAB Megahorn to ward off Psychics
- However, no other Spiker is as bulky and reliable as Garbodor
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Pain Split / Toxic Spikes
move 4: Rock Blast / Gunk Shot
item: Rocky Helmet / Black Sludge
ability: Aftermath
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Garbodor’s best set in the current meta
- Focuses on Garbo’s utility, bulk, and typing to the fullest
- Spikes is Garbo’s best way to support its team especially w/ the switches it forces, making it a staple
- Toxic is a great way to cripple walls/force them to heal, letting Garbo escape
- Pain Split is its most reliable form of recovery
- Important as Garbo’s survivability is its main niche over Scolipede
- Toxic Spikes are another option for further team support, but PS is usually preferred as it lets Garbo stick around for a while/you already have Toxic on this set anyway
- Rock Blast is a good choice as an attacking option b/c of its great utility, notably hitting stuff like Armaldo, Scolipede and Haunter
- Gunk Shot is another good option that gets STAB/the ability to touch Fighting-types like Sawk and Primeape
- Physically defensive EV spread to make the most out of Garbo’s resistances to Close Combat/Megahorn
- 16 Speed EVs outspeed max Speed Golem so you can set up more Spikes
- Rocky Helmet punishes many physical attackers Garbo likes to switch in against (Fighting-types, Scolipede, etc.), and makes sure Primeape can't just U-turn out for free
- Works well in conjunction w/ Aftermath when stacking up residual damage, even when Garbo is low on health
- Black Sludge is an option for passive recovery, focusing more on Garbo's survivability
- Air Balloon can be used for a one-time Ground immunity, but Garbo loses to most Ground-types even w/ Air Balloon, and only works once
- Garbo has several interesting other options in the last two slots
- Seed Bomb could be used to dent Grounds such as Seismitoad and Golem
- Clear Smog prevents you from being set-up fodder
- Protect is useful for scouting/Toxic stalling, but Garbo doesn't generally have room for these moves
- If you opt to use T-Spikes, Ground-types make good partners to combat Poison-types/set up SR
- Lacks reliable recovery, so a Wish passer is recommended to make up for that
- Alomomola is a good partner as it can provide Wish support and handles Ground-types with ease
- Lickilicky/Audino are also good partners, providing Heal Bell support as well
- Sweepers also appreciate Garbo’s presence to abuse the Spikes that Garbo provides
- Samurott/CM Serperior/Sawsbuck are great examples, with decent type synergy and both can easily dispose of Grounds with their STABs (SD Samurott can also beat Psychics w/ Megahorn)
- Finally, spinblockers make great partners to keep Garbo’s Spikes on the field
- Misdreavus is arguably the best partner w/ its immunity to Ground/threatens out Psychics
- Works on many kinds of teams b/c of its many uses, and can prove to be a key team player as long as you support it right
- Any offensive set is far outclassed by Scolipede
- A suicide lead w/ Weak Armor could work, and does somewhat separate itself from Scoli, but wastes Garbo's good bulk and resistances
- Can use Explosion, but its longevity is its main selling point
- Has a fairly wide special movepool, but an awful Special Attack to abuse it with
- Has several setup options (Curse, Stockpile, Amnesia), but Curse doesn’t bring out Garbo’s best potential and the latter two are just a waste of a moveslot
- Also has access to Rock Polish, but is again outclassed by Scolipede who also can boost its Speed w/ Agility
- Can set up Rain Dance/Sunny Day, but it has far better things to be doing
- Substitute is a decent option, but doesn’t have the room for it and would rather use free turns to set up Spikes
- Finally, RestTalk can be used as an alternative form of recovery, but Garbo loses far too much utility for this to work
- Ground-types, such as Golurk/Golem/Seismitoad, can easily switch in anything but Seed Bomb and smash it w/ their STABs
- Bulky Psychics, such as Musharna, can take anything Garbo throws and threaten it out
- The frailer Psychics (Jynx, Gardevoir) can check Garbo as well, but have difficulty tanking Gunk Shot
- Most powerful special attackers can beat Garbo 1v1, w/ Garbo’s more physically-inclined nature
- Ghost-types (Missy/Haunter) are immune to Spikes, resist Gunk Shot, and can either Taunt in Missy’s case or set up a Sub in Haunter’s
- However, Haunter must beware of Rock Blast which will break its Subs
- Bulky Rock/Steel-types laugh at Garbo’s attacks and can hurt it with their Ground coverage moves
- Spinners can get rid of Garbo's Spikes, defeating its purpose on a team
<p>As the saying goes, "one man’s trash is another man's treasure," and Garbodor is a perfect example of that. Garbodor has sealed itself a niche in NU as a bulky hazard setter; with access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and the bulk to reliably set them up, it's not hard to see why. Its decent defensive typing also gives it key resistances as well as the ability to absorb opposing Toxic Spikes, making Garbodor a great supporter for its teammates. Thus, it is a very capable Spikes-setter in the metagame. Unfortunately for Garbodor, though, its typing is a double-edged sword; it also gives it weaknesses to two extremely common attacking types in NU. It also faces stiff competition as a Spiker from Scolipede, whose better offensive presence limits its viablility on many offensive teams. However, no other Spiker in the metagame is as bulky or reliable as Garbodor.</p>
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Pain Split / Toxic Spikes
move 4: Rock Blast / Gunk Shot
item: Rocky Helmet / Black Sludge
ability: Aftermath
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Garbodor's best set in the metagame; it focuses on Garbodor’s utility, bulk, and typing to the fullest. Spikes is Garbodor's best way to support its team, particularly with the switches it commonly forces, making it a staple on this set. Toxic cripples walls that would normally have their way with Garbodor, such as Alomomola, letting Garbodor escape unscathed. Pain Split is Garbodor's most reliable form of recovery, which is important as Garbodor’s survivability is its main niche over Scolipede. Alternatively, Toxic Spikes can be used for further team support, but Pain Split is generally superior as it lets Garbodor stick around for a while. Besides, Toxic usually gets the job done anyway. The last moveslot prevents Garbodor from being Taunt fodder; Rock Blast is a great choice for the utility it provides, notably hitting common threats in the metagame such as Scolipede, Armaldo, and Haunter. Gunk Shot, on the other hand, provides a powerful STAB attack that hits decently hard of Garbodor's good Attack stat. Most notably, it allows Garbodor to touch Fighting-types such as Sawk and Primeape.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A physically defensive EV spread makes the most out of Garbodor's resistances to Close Combat and Megahorn, allowing Garbodor to set up in the face of common threats such as Sawk, Primeape, and Scolipede. 16 Speed EVs let Garbodor outspeed maximum Speed Golem—despite the fact that this set cannot touch Golem in any way whatsoever, it allows Garbodor to set up an extra layer of Spikes against it before dying to Earthquake. Rocky Helmet punishes many physical threats Garbodor likes to switch into, letting it stack up residual damage against them. Most importantly, it ensures Primeape can't just U-turn out against it for free. Rocky Helmet also works well in conjunction with Aftermath, letting it continuously stack up residual damage even when it's low on health. Black Sludge is also a viable alternative, providing passive recovery and focusing more on Garbodor's survivability. Air Balloon is another potential option for a one-time immunity to Ground, but Garbodor loses to most Ground-types even with an Air Balloon, and it only works once. Garbodor also has several interesting options in the last two slots, including Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Clear Smog, and Protect. Seed Bomb lets Garbodor dent Ground-types such as Seismitoad and Golem; it also lets Garbodor make use of its particular Speed tier, outspeeding max Speed Golem and minimum Speed Seismitoad. Drain Punch allows Garbodor to touch Rock- and Steel-types, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, and provides a semi-reliable form or recovery. Clear Smog prevents Garbodor from being setup fodder, and Protect allows Garbodor to scout the opponent's next move and helps with Toxic stalling. However, Garbodor does not generally have room for any of these moves, and thus they are not preferred.</p>
<p>If you are running Toxic Spikes, Ground-types make for good partners, as they both help combat the Poison-types that absorb them and set up Stealth Rock. Garbodor lacks reliable recovery, so a Wish passer is recommended to help make up for that. Alomomola is a good partner for this role, passing enormous Wishes as well as handling Ground-types that threaten Garbodor with relative ease. Lickilicky and Audino are also good partners, providing decent defensive synergy and Heal Bell support as well. Sweepers also appreciate Garbodor's presence on a team to abuse the Spikes that Garbodor provides. Examples include Samurott, Serperior, and Sawsbuck, who all provide decent type synergy and the ability to dispose of Ground-types with their STABs. As a bonus, Swords Dance Samurott can even take out Psychic-types with Megahorn. Finally, Ghost-types make great partners to spinblock and keep Garbodor's Spikes on the field. Misdreavus is arguably the best partner for this role, as it handles Ground-types thanks to Levitate and keeps Psychic-types in check with STAB Shadow Ball. Garbodor works on many different kinds of teams because of its many uses, and proves to be a key team player just so long as you support it right.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Garbodor does not have many other viable options to choose from. Almost any offensive set it could possibly run is far outclassed by Scolipede, who is much faster and packs a wider offensive movepool. However, if you're really desperate, a suicide lead with Weak Armor does have some potential; however, this wastes Garbodor's good bulk and resistances, and honestly, save yourself some trouble and just use Scolipede if you want to go down this route. In a similar vein, Explosion can be used, but Garbodor's longevity is its main selling point. Garbodor has a wide special movepool including moves such as Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, Giga Drain, and even Acid Spray but it has an awful Special Attack to abuse it with. It has several setup options, including Curse, Stockpile, Amnesia, and Rock Polish. However, Curse does not bring out Garbodor's best potential, Stockpile and Amnesia are just wastes of a moveslot, and Rock Polish is again outclassed by Scolipede, who has access to Agility. Garbodor can set up Rain Dance and Sunny Day, but doesn’t benefit from either of them and has far better things to be doing. Substitute is a viable option, but Garbodor doesn’t have the room for it, and would rather use free turns to set up Spikes. Finally, RestTalk can be used as a form of recovery if Pain Split doesn't cut it, but Garbodor loses far too much utility by doing so.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>You could always just wait for the garbageman to come. Jokes aside, Ground-types can easily come in on anything but the rare Seed Bomb and dispose of Garbodor with their STABs. Bulky Psychic-types, such as Musharna, have little to fear from Garbodor and can set up in its face. Frailer Psychics, such as Gardevoir and Jynx, can also check it well, but have difficulty switching in on an attack. Most special attackers can beat Garbodor one-on-one, due to Garbodor's more physically-inclined nature. Ghost-types, such as Misdreavus and Haunter, are immune to Spikes, resist Garbodor's STAB, and can set up on it, but Haunter must beware of Rock Blast. Rock- and Steel-types laugh at anything Garbodor throws at them and can dispose of it with their Ground-type coverage moves. Finally, Rapid Spin users can get rid of Garbodor's Spikes, defeating its purpose on a team. Additionally, all the viable spinners in the tier are capable of defeating Garbodor one-on-one, as Armaldo, Torkoal, and Wartortle are all bulky enough to take repeated Rock Blasts or Gunk Shots from it and whittle it down.</p>
