Tokyo Tom
Somewhere between psychotic and iconic
GP [2/2] - Winry. / Weebl
[Overview]
<p>Garbodor finds a small niche in BW OU by being a solid lead entry hazard stacker thanks to the Weak Armor ability and its access to Toxic Spikes, Spikes, and Explosion, which allows it to pseudo-spinblock. Offensively oriented Toxic Spikes support is quite valuable in the current metagame; for example, the common sand balance builds are very susceptible to Toxic Spikes, barring those with Pokemon such as Amoonguss, which Garbodor can set up on. Unlike Froslass and Smeargle, which share a similar niche, Garbodor has decent bulk and more utility during the mid-game, when it can absorb Toxic Spikes on your side of the field that can severely hamper the hyper offensive builds that Garbodor should be used with. Additionally, Garbodor carries Clear Smog to prevent opposing sweepers from setting up on it. Finally, Garbodor's biggest selling point as an entry hazard lead is its ability to increase its Speed with Weak Armor, allowing it to set up multiple layers of entry hazards against common opposing leads such as Garchomp.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead Spiker
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Clear Smog
item: Focus Sash
ability: Weak Armor
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly Nature
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Garbodor's only niche in OU is fulfilled thanks to its access to Toxic Spikes and Spikes as well a useful ability in Weak Armor, increasing its Speed every time it is struck by a physical attack, allowing it more opportunities to set up entry hazards. The next mandatory move on Garbodor's set is Explosion, which provides it the ability to pseudo-spinblock against slower spinners while dealing a solid chunk of damage and allowing your next Pokemon to enter the field without taking direct damage. The last moveslot allows Garbodor to prevent opposing setup, as many of the offensively inclined teams Garbodor fits onto do not enjoy responding to boosted sweepers. Clear Smog has the benefit of dealing damage, allowing Garbodor to break the foe's Focus Sash or Multiscale while negating their stat changes, but fails against Pokemon such as Substitute + Dragon Dance Dragonite and Scizor, which either have bulky Substitutes that can take a Clear Smog and are immune to Clear Smog, respectively. Therefore, it is imperative for the Garbodor user to prepare answers to these Pokemon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Garbodor to fulfill its role to the best of its abilities, outspeeding and setting up a layer against common leads such as Custap Berry Skarmory and Focus Sash Breloom before they can Taunt or Spore it, respectively. Most of the rest of the EVs are put into HP to give Garbodor some bulk and allow it to have some mid-game relevance, whether it be absorbing Toxic Spikes or setting up more entry hazards on Pokemon it walls with its decent defensive typing. 248 HP EVs are used instead of 252 EVs, minimizing any damage Garbodor might take from hazards. This HP investment also allows Garbodor to avoid KOs from certain Pokemon, such as the 2HKO from uninvested Ninetales's Flamethrower in sun and the OHKO from uninvested Hippowdon's Earthquake after sand damage.</p>
<p>As a lead, Garbodor is generally self-sufficient and supports its team more than it needs to be supported. Any fast Pokemon that provides good offensive presence and appreciates the entry hazards Garbodor sets up should be used alongside Garbodor. Choice Scarf Jirachi appreciates Toxic Spikes to help wear down foes in conjunction with Iron Head, and it can also outspeed and beat Pokemon such as lead Terrakion or offensive Starmie, which can beat Garbodor. Alakazam is another Pokemon that appreciates extra entry hazard damage on its foes and can also threaten any Poison-types that may want to absorb Garbodor's Toxic Spikes. Because of its Magic Guard ability, Alakazam also doesn't mind any entry hazards on its side of the field, which is beneficial, as Garbodor can't always prevent opposing entry hazards from being set up. Offensive Starmie appreciates entry hazards to get more KOs with the switches it forces, and it can also spin away entry hazards on your side of the field for your team. Finally, offensive spinblockers such as Gengar and Cofagrigus are good partners for Garbodor that appreciate Spikes and Toxic Spikes support to improve their somewhat mediocre damage outputs.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rock Blast with maximum attack investment can be used to prevent Gengar from freely setting up Substitutes against Garbodor; preventing Gengar from getting behind a Substitute is invaluable for offense. Rock Blast also allows Garbodor to threaten fast Taunt leads such as Froslass or Aerodactyl, who could otherwise freely set up their own entry hazards against Garbodor. This would typically be used over Clear Smog but could also be used over Spikes or Toxic Spikes if your team does not need them. However, this requires a lower investment in bulk, hampering Garbodor's ability to set entry hazards against a variety of other foes. Garbodor also has access to Sunny Day and Rain Dance, which could be used to replace the opposing weather condition, and has the bulk to hang around until the mid-game to use them.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Although many Pokemon are capable of KOing Garbodor, not many can prevent it from accomplishing its role as an entry hazard setter. Starmie is the biggest threat to Garbodor, as it outspeeds Garbodor and thus can spin away Garbodor's entry hazards before it can Explode. Forretress is another Rapid Spin user that is a pain for Garbodor, as it takes little to no damage from Garbodor's attacks and can set up its own entry hazards. Even though Garbodor is able to pseudo-spinblock against Forretress with Explosion, Forretress will still be at a sufficient amount of health to possibly use Rapid Spin later in the game.</p>
<p>Fast Taunt leads such as Terrakion, Froslass, and Aerodactyl, while uncommon, can outspeed Garbodor and prevent it from setting up entry hazards. Additionally, these Pokemon can set up their own entry hazards while taking little damage in return from Explosion.</p>
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