Goodra [QC: 2/3] - Writing

[SM979]

QC: dodmen / IronBullet93 / --
GP: -- / --​

Overview
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Goodra's incredible Special Defense allows it to serve as an effective special tank while still being able to dish out decent damage thanks to its base 100 Attack and 110 Special Attack stats. Its useful defensive typing and ability Sap Sipper backs up Goodra's natural bulk, giving it three resistances and one immunity. Goodra has great coverage options; fortunately, Goodra also has the stat distribution to run both physically and specially orientated sets. However, its mediocre Defense stat combined with no reliable recovery outside of Rest gives it stiff competition in its roles when compared to other Dragon-types such as Hydreigon and Noivern, both of which have greater Speed and reliable recovery in Roost.

Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake / Fire Punch
move 3: Power Whip
move 4: Iron Tail
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Choice Band
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Outrage is Goodra's most powerful STAB attack, but should only be used once all Steel- and Fairy-types have been removed.
• Earthquake hits Steel-types who resist Goodra's STAB. Fire Punch, on the other hand, hits Forretress harder than Goodra's other moves. It is also a more reliable way to hit Whimsicott. Superpower can be used to do more damage to Blissey and Mega Aggron.
  
• Power Whip provides much needed coverage against bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, Suicune, Swampert, and Alomomola.
• Iron Tail hits Fairy-types for super effective damage.

Set Details
========

• Choice Band gives Goodra extra power, letting it hit hard with all of its attacks.
• Maximum Attack investment coupled with an Adamant nature lets Goodra hit as hard as possible.
• 44 Speed EVs let Goodra outspeed uninvested base 85 Speed Pokemon such as Gligar, Suicune, and Cresselia.
• An alternate EV spread of 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe can be used to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow, OHKOing it with Outrage.
  
• The remaining EVs are put into HP to increase Goodra's overall bulk, helping it tank hits better.
• Sap Sipper gives Goodra a Grass immunity.

Usage Tips
========

• Goodra serves as a bulky wallbreaker that can take special attacks fairly well and hit hard with its Choice Band-boosted attacks.
  
• Switch into predicted Grass-type attacks because the Attack boost works extra well to help Goodra wallbreak.

Team Options
========

• Mega Blastoise is an excellent teammate, being able to lure in Grass- and Electric-type moves and providing entry hazard removal support with Rapid Spin. The combination of Mega Blastoise and Goodra makes an excellent wallbreaking core.
• Mega Aggron can take physical hits for Goodra, if needed, and can also provide Stealth Rock support.
  
• Aromatisse and Florges are good teammates to switch in on opposing Dragon-type moves while also providing Wish support to consistently keep Goodra healthy.
• Alomomola is a good teammate for Goodra, as it lures Grass-types to activate Sap Sipper and provides Wish support.
• Fast revenge killers such as Krookodile and Mienshao can help in dealing with faster teams, and Krookodile can also lure in Grass-type Pokemon for Goodra capitalize on.

Choice Specs
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name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Thunderbolt / Muddy Water
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Choice Specs
evs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
nature: Modest

Moves
========

• A Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor hits like a truck coming off of Goodra's base 110 Special Attack stat.
• Fire Blast hits Steel-type Pokemon who resist Goodra's STAB.
• Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
• Thunderbolt hits Water-types such as Empoleon, while Muddy Water hits Ground- and Fire-types.

Set Details
========

• Choice Specs gives Goodra extra power, letting it hit as hard as possible in combination with a Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs.
• 44 Speed EVs let Goodra outspeed uninvested base 85 Speed Pokemon such as Gligar, Suicune, and Cresselia.
• An alternate EV spread of 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe can be utilized to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow, OHKOing it with Draco Meteor.
  
• The remaining EVs are placed into HP to increase Goodra's overall bulk.
• Sap Sipper gives Goodra a Grass immunity.

Usage Tips
========

• Use Goodra's special bulk and great offensive presence to tank hits and retaliate with powerful Choice Specs-boosted attacks.
• Switch Goodra into Pokemon that it can handle easily, such as Shaymin and Chandelure.

Team Options
========

• Alomomola is a solid teammate to pass Wishes to Goodra and take physical hits for it. In return, Goodra can sponge special attacks that pose a large risk to Alomomola, such as Seed Flare from Shaymin.
• Swampert provides Stealth Rock support, helping Goodra KO foes easier and has good defensive synergy with it.
• Florges and Aromatisse work well with Goodra by providing cleric support.
• Mega Aggron also works well as a teammate, and provides the team with Stealth Rock support and has immense physical bulk.

Assault Vest
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name: Assault Vest
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Dragon Tail / Thunderbolt / Muddy Water
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Assault Vest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
nature: Modest

Moves
========

• Draco Meteor is Goodra's strongest STAB attack, but lowers Goodra's Special Attack stat by two stages for each use. If its accuracy and secondary effect bugs you, then Dragon Pulse is an option, too.
  
• Fire Blast hits Steel-types such as Forretress, Mega Steelix, and Mega Aggron for super effective damage. Flamethrower can be used if you prefer accuracy over power.
  
• Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Empoleon.
• Additionally, the type coverage combination of Dragon, Fire, and Electric is unresisted.
  
• Dragon Tail is useful for phazing opposing Pokemon, while Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-type Pokemon, and Muddy Water hits Ground- and Fire-types. Ice Beam hits Gligar, and Power Whip is mainly for Pokemon such as Swampert.

Set Details
========

• An Assault Vest boosts Goodra's already high Special Defense stat to extraordinary levels.
  
• Sap Sipper grants Goodra a Grass immunity, and powers up Dragon Tail.
• Maximum Special Attack investment with a Modest nature lets Goodra hit as hard as possible.
• 248 HP EVs increases Goodra's bulk and minimizes residual damage.
• Sap Sipper gives Goodra a Grass immunity.

Usage Tips
========

• Use Goodra's outstanding special bulk and offensive presence to tank hits and retaliate with powerful attacks.
• Switch Goodra into Pokemon that it can effectively handle, such as Shaymin and Chandelure.

Team Options
========

• Alomomola is a solid teammate to pass Wishes to Goodra and take physical hits for it. In return, Goodra can sponge a plethora of special attacks that pose a large risk to Alomomola, such as Seed Flare from Shaymin.
• Swampert provides Stealth Rock support and has good defensive synergy with Goodra.
• Florges and Aromatisse work well with Goodra by providing cleric support.
• Mega Aggron also works well as a teammate, and provides the team with Stealth Rock support and has immense physical bulk.

Other Options
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• Curse boosts Goodra's Attack and Defense at the cost of Speed.
• The combination of Rain Dance and Hydration has an interesting niche for rain teams.
• Toxic cripples walls such as Vaporeon, Blissey, Suicune, Swampert, Alomomola, and Florges.
• Gooey helps mess with offensive teams. Most contact moves are physical, however, so it won't come into effect too often due to Goodra's rather low Defense.

Checks & Counters
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**Special Walls**: Assault Vest Goodra has a very difficult time getting past special walls if it does not carry Superpower. Even then, Superpower damage is easily mitigated with reliable recovery. The have to be wary of the Choice Band set, however.

**Physical Attackers**: Pokemon such as Mienshao and Machamp do a large portion of damage to Goodra. Choice Band Infernape will OHKO Goodra with the help of Stealth Rock damage. Pokemon such as Mega Swampert have an easy time getting past the Assault Vest set.

**Status**: Common Toxic users such as Tentacruel pose a risk to Goodra, preventing it from remaining for the long haul. Scald and Will-O-Wisp users also threaten Goodra to slowly whittle down its HP.

**Fairy-types**: Fairy types threaten Goodra with their STAB, and prevent its Choice Band set from using its most powerful attack.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

CB should be the first set. That is Goodra's best set in this metagame as it stands and is one of Goodra's best niches in UU. Fire Punch should be slashed with EQ because it also hits Steel-types and also has the bonus of hitting Whimsicott in this meta and is more of an alternative to Earthquake than to Iron Tail. Iron Tail should also be the primary option in the final slot. Hitting Florges hard is far more relevant in this metagame than hitting Blissey is, especially since Florges is a bigger threat to CB Goodra than Blissey is. Superpower should also probably be relegated to moves as an alternative over EQ or Fire Punch if you want some extra damage on Blissey and Mega Aggron. Also deslash Blizzard and just give Ice Beam a mere mention in moves if you really think it's worth it. Hitting Gligar may be cool, but outside of that special Ice coverage isn't particularly useful on Goodra especially since it's otherwise redundant with Goodra's Dragon STAB and remaining coverage.

Sludge Bomb should be the only option in the third slot of Specs and AV. Why? Well hitting Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and Slurpuff is way more important in this meta than what Thunderbolt provides. Relegate Thunderbolt to the fourth slot as a slashed option. As a matter of fact, I think you're actually being a bit too slashy with the sets. The fourth slot in Specs should just be Thunderbolt / Muddy Water, as those are Goodra's two best options. Likewise, AV's fourth teamslot should probably be T-bolt / Dragon Tail / Muddy Water or something. Everything else should just be relegated to moves. Hidden Power Grass is not needed on Goodra because it's hitting Swampert hard enough with Draco Meteor, and Quagsire is for the most part irrelevant in this metagame. Again, Ice Beam isn't particularly useful beyond hitting Gligar as DM hits most of its targets really hard anyways.

Set order should probably go Band -> Specs -> AV. Those are Goodra's sets in order from best to worst from my experiences with it, the CB set is also widely considered to be Goodra's best set from what I've heard.

The spread that I used in my old analysis should probably at least be mentioned in the comments of Band and Specs. Also remember that you can't be too slashy with the sets.

 

[SM979]

CB should be the first set. That is Goodra's best set in this metagame as it stands and is one of Goodra's best niches in UU. Fire Punch should be slashed with EQ because it also hits Steel-types and also has the bonus of hitting Whimsicott in this meta and is more of an alternative to Earthquake than to Iron Tail. Iron Tail should also be the primary option in the final slot. Hitting Florges hard is far more relevant in this metagame than hitting Blissey is, especially since Florges is a bigger threat to CB Goodra than Blissey is. Superpower should also probably be relegated to moves as an alternative over EQ or Fire Punch if you want some extra damage on Blissey and Mega Aggron. Also deslash Blizzard and just give Ice Beam a mere mention in moves if you really think it's worth it. Hitting Gligar may be cool, but outside of that special Ice coverage isn't particularly useful on Goodra especially since it's otherwise redundant with Goodra's Dragon STAB and remaining coverage.

Sludge Bomb should be the only option in the third slot of Specs and AV. Why? Well hitting Florges, Aromatisse, Granbull, and Slurpuff is way more important in this meta than what Thunderbolt provides. Relegate Thunderbolt to the fourth slot as a slashed option. As a matter of fact, I think you're actually being a bit too slashy with the sets. The fourth slot in Specs should just be Thunderbolt / Muddy Water, as those are Goodra's two best options. Likewise, AV's fourth teamslot should probably be T-bolt / Dragon Tail / Muddy Water or something. Everything else should just be relegated to moves. Hidden Power Grass is not needed on Goodra because it's hitting Swampert hard enough with Draco Meteor, and Quagsire is for the most part irrelevant in this metagame. Again, Ice Beam isn't particularly useful beyond hitting Gligar as DM hits most of its targets really hard anyways.

Set order should probably go Band -> Specs -> AV. Those are Goodra's sets in order from best to worst from my experiences with it, the CB set is also widely considered to be Goodra's best set from what I've heard.

The spread that I used in my old analysis should probably at least be mentioned in the comments of Band and Specs. Also remember that you can't be too slashy with the sets.

Thanks. I'll add these tomorrow.

 

[SM979]

Ok I implemented everything above.

 

[SM979]

Bump

 

[dodmen]

For CB, mention that Fire Punch is also a reliable way to hit Whimsicott. And under Team Options for CB, when you say "lure Grass-types", just mention once that it's to activate Sap Sipper.

For each set, under Set Details, there should be a bullet point that descries Sap Sipper and how it benefits Goodra.

Gooey could go in Other Options to mess with more offensive teams. For Checks and Counters, for Special Walls, they all get destroyed by its CB set which is the first set listed, so edit that section accordingly. Fairy-types should have a section as well since they prevent CB Goodra from safely using its most powerful move.

 

[SM979]

did

 

[dodmen]

QC 1/3

 

[SM979]

Ready for next check

 

[IronBullet]

Looks good, QC 2/3

 

[SM979]

I'll write this up soon

 

[SM979]

Can somebody else finish this please?

 

[heritage]

I'd love to finish this up for you fren, if I have permission SM979 :]

 

[SM979]

I'd love to finish this up for you fren, if I have permission SM979 :]

Yes please! You have my permission.