http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/gliscor
status: Uploaded, good job Zystral
progress log:
removed physical sweeper
removed "Defensive" and "Tank"
added Offensive SD set (physical sweeper redux done right)
removed Baton Pass from all Non-Pure-Passing sets
added LEad set
general update
[Overview]
<p>Gliscor's unique typing, good stats, and great movepool make him a prime choice for any team. He can serve very different roles, from being a sweeper, to supporting the team in different ways, or even being a defensive tank. Either way, Gliscor is able to cause problems for teams using its vast array of tools.</p>
<p>Gliscor can be a pain to use if you don't play him right, and he can be a nuisance to face if he is played right. You must remember that each different Gliscor set does something different, and should be used differently. However, if he is very well played, the gliding scorpion will be a great asset to any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Toxic / U-Turn
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a combination of his good Speed, great bulk, and access to Taunt and Roost, Gliscor can be a great tool in dismantling a stall team. After a Taunt, Blissey without Ice Beam cannot touch Gliscor, Hippowdon needs Ice Fang, and even Forretress' Gyro Ball won't be doing enough damage. Gliscor can then proceed to chip away at them with Earthquake while Roosting off damage to let the poison from Toxic take its toll. The given EVs and nature allow Gliscor to outspeed all Lucario, non-Choice Scarf Heracross, Jolly Gyarados without a boost, some variants of Jirachi, and force ties with opposing Gliscor.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic is better against the likes of Rotom or Cresselia, as Gliscor cannot Earthquake them, although U-Turn allows Gliscor to hit the likes of Celebi, Cresselia, or whatever they switch to (since Taunt is likely to force a few switches), giving you the momentum as you bring in a suitable answer. If you are more worried about bulk, an Impish nature can be employed. You can also shift 88 EVs into Attack from Defense and HP in order to secure the 2HKO on max HP Metagross. If other Gliscor are not a worry, you can drop to 216 Speed as this still lets you outpace Lucario.</p>
<p>Using something that can sweep with the removal of a wall is recommended. One of the best options to pair with Gliscor is Tyranitar, who will happily take the Ice-type moves aimed at Gliscor, thanks to Sandstorm's Special Defense boost, while Gliscor can switch in on Ground- and Fighting-type moves, as well as Grass Knot. If you Taunt a Cresselia or Rotom and then U-Turn out to Tyranitar, you can easily pick them off with a strong Pursuit. Tyranitar also helps Gliscor abuse his incredibly annoying Sand Veil ability, making him harder to stop. Tentacruel also resists the Water- and Ice-type moves Gliscor attracts, while Gliscor is immune to Electric- and Ground-type moves. Tentacruel can also help set up Toxic Spikes, allowing Gliscor an easier time to take down the walls he will face. This set isn't as effective if your opponent then decides to go on the offensive, so having something that can back Gliscor up is appreciated.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Taunt / U-Turn
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Stealth Rock and Taunt, Gliscor can even work effectively as a lead. Taunt allows him to beat slower Pokemon from setting up Stealth Rock, while Roost can keep him in good condition as the battle wears on. Gliscor can actually be saved for later on, so you don't even need to set up Stealth Rock immediately. Earthquake is the attack of choice, since it lets Gliscor beat Metagross, Infernape, and Heatran. The EVs give Gliscor the bulk to survive repeated attacks from these Pokemon while still outspeeding Base 90 Speed Pokemon and forcing a tie with other Gliscor.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>U-Turn is a good choice against fast, frail leads such as Azelf or Aerodactyl, since you can break their Sash and switch to an appropriate counter as they Taunt you. Since this set has trouble against many hard-hitting, faster leads, such as Azelf and Aerodactyl, pairing him up with something that can revenge-kill is handy. Scizor is a great option as it has a strong U-Turn to gain some early-game momentum with. You should generally avoid staying in against leads you cannot beat, however, since Gliscor can use his bulk to switch back in later on in the game to set up Stealth Rock. Akin to the Stallbreaker, you can opt to lose to other Gliscor and drop to 216 Speed.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Night Slash
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor is often stopped by dedicated physical walls, and therefore has a hard time sweeping. This set attempts to remedy that and use Gliscor as a more offensive threat, mainly to clean up late-game. The combination of Swords Dance, Earthquake and Stone Edge is very hard to resist, and with Roost, Gliscor can heal off any Life Orb recoil. The Speed EVs allow Gliscor to just outspeed Base 90 Speed Pokemon, while Attack is maximized to allows Gliscor to punch through walls. The extra 40 EVs were added to HP to give Gliscor a little bulk.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Stone Edge is the move of choice, since it gives Gliscor great coverage paired with Earthquake - hitting everything in OU except Breloom and Levitate Bronzong at least neutrally. It is especially important, as it lets Gliscor hit the likes of Skarmory and Zapdos, who would otherwise wall him. Night Slash however, can be used to take down Rotom and Celebi, two more of Gliscor's counters. Aqua Tail can be used if Hippowdon is a serious problem, although a boosted Earthquake should hurt Hippowdon. Taunt can be used somewhere if you are highly worried about Skarmory or Swampert phazing you, since you can't 2HKO either at +2, although it's better to have these threats eliminated before sweeping.</p>
<p>Since Gliscor is picking off weakened teams, rather than outright opening holes, it's a good idea to pair him up with something that can whittle down the foe's team before Gliscor comes in. Pokemon such as Tyranitar can be helpful, since they can deal significant damage to some of the Pokemon that wall Gliscor, such as Celebi. Tyranitar also does not mind Gliscor switching in on the Ground- and Fighting-type attacks aimed at it. For this set, Stealth Rock and Spikes are extremely important, since Stealth Rock will deter Gyarados and Salamence from switching in to stop Gliscor's sweep. Spikes will weaken the likes of Swampert and Hippowdon, actually putting them into OHKO range for a +2 Earthquake, meaning they cannot phaze Gliscor as easily. Skarmory is a great asset, since his main weakness - Electric-type attacks - is covered by Gliscor easily. Bronzong can also be effective, since it has great bulk and resists the Ice-type moves commonly aimed at Gliscor and can then Explode, taking out the threat. Gliscor also lacks special bulk, so having things that can take repeated attacks from Starmie or Gengar is very handy, such as Blissey.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Passer
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Yache Berry / Lum Berry
nature: Jolly
ability: Hyper Cutter
evs: 252 HP / 196 SpD / 60 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor has just the right things needed for a good Baton Passer - reasonable bulk and Speed, enough things to Baton Pass, and the ability to stop phazing. This set is played very simply. You'll only be passing one or two boosts along directly to a sweeper who can then tear through the foe's team. Taunt is a prime factor on this set since it stops the likes of Skarmory and Suicune phazing your boosts away, so that you can then set-up and Baton Pass to something dangerous.</p>
<p>The EVs allow Gliscor to outspeed Adamant Gyarados all the time, and Choice Scarf Gengar after a Rock Polish. The rest is placed into HP and Special Defense so Gliscor can survive things like Surf from Suicune or Vaporeon who have not invested in Special Attack. It's generally a good idea to Rock Polish first, as then you can outspeed whatever the opponent switches in, meaning there is less chance of being phazed, KOed or set up on.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Yache Berry is best, since it will help Gliscor survive a weaker Ice-type attack, although it will still be doing significant damage to Gliscor. A Lum Berry can prevent statuses such as paralysis or sleep. A Timid nature will reduce the damage you take from confusion, but that should not be a problem anyway. Earthquake can be used if you do not need to pass Speed or Attack, or if Gliscor just needs something to hit enemies with should your receivers get KOed. Things like Substitute, Power Trick and Tailwind can also be passed, but these are inferior options.</p>
<p>Gliscor is better for short-passing, although he can function on a full Baton Pass team. The best partner for Gliscor is Uxie, since it can set up Reflect and Light Screen and then use Memento, ensuring Gliscor gets a boost. Bronzong on the other hand, can explode, meaning Gliscor comes in unharmed and the foe is one Pokemon down. If you are aiming to use this set on a Baton Pass chain, Vaporeon can work, since she is able to pass very large Substitutes to Gliscor.</p>
<p>The best recipients for Gliscor's boosts are generally things that have great coverage and are able to KO many things with their power, as well as resisting common priority moves so they are not revenge killed as easily. Metagross resists Ice Beam, and fits the bill well since after a Swords Dance it can O-2HKO most of the OU metagame, and with a Rock Polish can outspeed nearly everything. Gyarados is also another good option since it packs high Attack and moderate Speed, and it also has good bulk paired up with a typing that lets it resist Water-type moves aimed at Gliscor while also resisting common priority moves.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Gliscor thrives on entry hazards, be it the defensive or offensive set. The Defensive set is best used in conjunction with with Toxic Spikes, as it lets Gliscor outlive any threats he comes across, while the Offensive sets will enjoy Stealth Rock, as it will help turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs. It also deters the likes of Salamence and Gyarados switching in to remove Gliscor. Spikes will weaken the bulky Water-types like Swampert who will attempt to switch in, even putting it into KO range for a +2 Earthquake. Dual Screens are a good choice for the Baton Passer and the Offensive sets, as it they slow Gliscor from being killed as easily.</p>
<p>Gliscor has the most problems with dedicated defensive walls; Hippowdon and Swampert may not enjoy Toxic, but they will still threaten Gliscor in a variety of ways. Starmie and offensive Suicune can deal with most of these threats easily. Scizor is another good option, as STAB, Choice Band U-Turns can generally weakens the foe's team allowing Gliscor to get through more easily. Conversely, Gliscor can attempt to sacrifice himself by weakening everything, letting Scizor clean up with STAB Bullet Punch.</p>
<p>Gliscor is only weak to Water- and Ice-type moves, which are fortunately often seen on the same Pokemon. Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Tentacruel are great teammates for Gliscor, since they both resist Water- and Ice-type attacks, particularly special attacks thanks to their great special bulk, while Gliscor is immune to Electric-type moves, and Ground-type moves, which is important in Tentacruel's case. Vaporeon can stop sweeps from Gyarados while Tentacruel can help set up Toxic Spikes for Gliscor and weaken Swampert and Hippowdon with Surf.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Gliscor has a wide array of moves at his disposal - nearly any set listed here can use Stealth Rock or Knock Off over one of its other moves to provide team support. Gliscor can also support the team further with Torment, Knock Off, and even Rain Dance. Otherwise, Gliscor can also use moves like Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, X-Scissor and Night Slash, although these are really situational coverage moves used only to hit certain threats. The Stallbreaker set can even try to abuse Screech in tandem with U-Turn to really rack up entry hazard damage. A Brightpowder set can be run with Substitute and Sand Veil if Tyranitar or Hippowdon is present on the team to really annoy foes.</p>
<p>Defensive sets can also afford to drop to an Impish nature, or even go down to 72 Speed EVs, as this still outspeeds Tyranitar or Magnezone provided they aren't Scarfed. The rest can go into Defense or Attack. 252 HP / 40 Def is a usable spread to improve Gliscor's bulk, although you still aren't surviving massive attacks from anything. Any offensive set will want at least 216 Speed EVs to outspeed Lucario, and at least 88 Attack EVs to 2HKO Metagross. You can run 52 HP EVs to maximize Leftovers recovery, or no EVs at all to decrease Life Orb damage (though Gliscor often has Roost anyway).</p>
[Counters]
<p>Bulky waters will give Gliscor problems, as the best he can do is Toxic them or try to use Swords Dance and whittle them down with Earthquake. Gyarados is the biggest problem if Gliscor is without Stone Edge, since it is immune to Earthquake, has Intimidate to cut Sand Veil Gliscor's attack and carries a very strong Waterfall to KO Gliscor with. Swampert and Suicune are also dangerous, since they can Ice Beam or Roar Gliscor depending on the set. Skarmory has to beware of Taunt, but can wall even the Stallbreaker Gliscor, being immune to Earthquake and Toxic. Starmie and Shaymin are also good choices, since they can often outspeed Gliscor and put large dents in him with their STAB Special Attacks. In fact, most Special Attacks in general will be hurting Gliscor a lot, and his weaknesses to Water and Ice aren't helping either. Gengar in particular is immune to Earthquake and Toxic, and packs a 4x resistance to U-turn, which means he can usually switch in for free and get a Substitute up.</p>
