QC Checks: Dice/Cyclic Compound
Final QC Check: Valentine
GP Checks: fleurdyleurse/horyzhnz
Overview
########
Gorebyss is most widely known for its ability to use the Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination. On top of that, it has powerful STAB moves, most notably Hydro Pump and Surf. It is able to handle some of the tier's most dangerous threats, such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, on its own. However, Gorebyss isn't entirely threatening on its own when facing most of the tier, which is why SmashPassing is the most effective strategy for Gorebyss to use. Even then, it's only capable of using SmashPass effectively once per game, as its White Herb is consumed after one use. It also has low Special Defense, which makes it hard to set up on special attackers.
SmashPass
########
name: SmashPass
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
ability: Swift Swim / Hydration
item: White Herb
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Shell Smash drastically increases Gorebyss's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed at the expense of its Defense and Special Defense. These are the boosts that are passed to another Pokemon, as Baton Pass transfers Gorebyss's stat changes to an ally and switches them in. Surf is a powerful STAB move that allows Gorebyss to benefit from Shell Smash itself. Hydro Pump is a more powerful STAB move that can be used in place of Surf, though it has worse accuracy. Substitute allows Gorebyss to avoid status, and it can even possibly pass a Substitute to another Pokemon. Ice Beam can be used to deal with Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon.
Set Details
========
White Herb removes the Defense and Special Defense drop caused by Shell Smash. Maximizing HP increases survivability, while maximizing Speed lets Gorebyss outspeed most of the tier after a Shell Smash, most notably Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Mega Manectric. A Calm nature is used to increase Gorebyss's Special Defense, as it has trouble surviving special attacks. Swift Swim allows Gorebyss to outspeed most Choice Scarf users at +2 if it's raining. Hydration allows Gorebyss to recover from status, again, in the event that it's raining. Generally, Swift Swim is the preferable option, as being able to beat some rain teams is really helpful, although it is somewhat niche.
Usage Tips
========
Use Shell Smash to increase Gorebyss's offensive ability, then use Baton Pass. This will transfer those incredible boosts to another Pokemon, preferably to a sweeper of some sort. Substitute should be used if you suspect that the opponent is going to use a status move. A Thunder Wave, Spore, or Dark Void can turn a good situation into a dangerous situation quickly, but having your opponent waste a turn destroying Gorebyss's Substitute can turn the situation back in your favor. Don't set up if it gives the opponent a chance to set up as well unless you know that Gorebyss can defeat the opposing Pokemon by itself. It can be very difficult to pull off a second SmashPass later in the game, as White Herb will have been consumed and Gorebyss will likely be at lower health. Gorebyss alone as a sweeper is too slow, weak, and outclassed. However, if the need arises, Gorebyss can be used late-game to clean up or rack up a few more KOs. White Herb will be consumed if any of Gorebyss's stats are lowered, so avoid things like Sticky Web and Defog in order to keep its White Herb intact.
Team Options
========
As Gorebyss is completely devoted to supporting its team through SmashPassing, the Pokemon that are on its team are almost as important, if not more important than itself. Pokemon such as Dragonite, Venusaur, Mawile, Espeon, and Aedislash that are too slow or too weak to outright sweep that could use a little boost really benefit from Shell Smash being passed to them. Espeon is especially notable, as it can receive a SmashPass from Gorebyss and not be Roared out or crippled with status thanks to Magic Bounce. Specifically, Pokemon that can absorb Electric- and Grass-type attacks on the switch that would benefit from the boosts are good partners for Gorebyss. Charizard takes Grass-type attacks really well, and its sweeping potential is exponentially bolstered by a Shell Smash boost. Landorus and Garchomp are immune to Electric-type attacks and both of them do very well with a Shell Smash boost. Unaware users, specifically Quagsire and Clefable, make the entire Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination useless. A Grass-type attack from a Pokemon like Venusaur can deal with Quagsire, while a Steel-type attack from a Pokemon such as Aegislash or Mawile makes short work of Clefable. Incidentally, all of these Pokemon greatly benefit from a SmashPass greatly. A lot of support is needed to get SmashPass to function properly. Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Ferrothorn help to weaken opposing Pokemon. Dual screens support from Pokemon such as Espeon and Sylveon give Gorebyss a better chance to survive a hit and get the Baton Pass off. Rapid Spin support allows for Gorebyss to retain more health, giving it a better chance of surviving the process, so a Rapid Spin user like Excadrill is really useful here.
Other Options
########
The only really other viable option is using Gorebyss itself as a Shell Smash sweeper. This is dangerous, however, as Gorebyss isn't strong enough to handle several of the threats in OU.
Checks & Counters
########
**Taunt**: Taunt can keep Gorebyss from using at least two of its moves and keep it from performing its main function. Sableye, as well as some other Prankster Taunt users, ultimately stop Gorebyss from being of use to its team. Prankster Taunt users can even taunt Gorebyss at +2, preventing it from using Baton Pass.
**Phazing and Stat Resets**: Roar, Whirlwind, and Dragon Tail force a switch to another Pokemon, removing any boosts Gorebyss might have acquired. Haze and Clear Smog resets Gorebyss's stats without forcing it out. However, all of these moves ultimately stop Gorebyss from Baton Passing stat boosts to other Pokemon.
**Passable Status**: Baton Pass passes off stat changes, but it also sends off volatile statuses, like Leech Seed and Confusion. This can inhibit not only Gorebyss, but whatever Pokemon it passes off to.
**Choice Scarf users**: Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Garchomp, and Excadrill can all outspeed Gorebyss after a boost and hit it extremely hard.
**Grass-types**: Grass-type moves, particularly specially based Grass-type moves, can seriously damage Gorebyss. Some bulky Grass-types, such as Thick Fat Venusaur, can even soak up Ice Beam without much of a problem.
**Electric-types**: Bulky Electric-types, such as Rotom-W, don't take much damage from either of Gorebyss's attacks and can potentially take out Gorebyss before it passes its boosts.
**Unaware**: Unaware Quagsire and Clefable are a problem, as they completely ignore any boosts that Gorebyss itself has or has Baton Passed to another Pokemon.
Final QC Check: Valentine
GP Checks: fleurdyleurse/horyzhnz
Overview
########
Gorebyss is most widely known for its ability to use the Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination. On top of that, it has powerful STAB moves, most notably Hydro Pump and Surf. It is able to handle some of the tier's most dangerous threats, such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, on its own. However, Gorebyss isn't entirely threatening on its own when facing most of the tier, which is why SmashPassing is the most effective strategy for Gorebyss to use. Even then, it's only capable of using SmashPass effectively once per game, as its White Herb is consumed after one use. It also has low Special Defense, which makes it hard to set up on special attackers.
SmashPass
########
name: SmashPass
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
ability: Swift Swim / Hydration
item: White Herb
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Shell Smash drastically increases Gorebyss's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed at the expense of its Defense and Special Defense. These are the boosts that are passed to another Pokemon, as Baton Pass transfers Gorebyss's stat changes to an ally and switches them in. Surf is a powerful STAB move that allows Gorebyss to benefit from Shell Smash itself. Hydro Pump is a more powerful STAB move that can be used in place of Surf, though it has worse accuracy. Substitute allows Gorebyss to avoid status, and it can even possibly pass a Substitute to another Pokemon. Ice Beam can be used to deal with Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon.
Set Details
========
White Herb removes the Defense and Special Defense drop caused by Shell Smash. Maximizing HP increases survivability, while maximizing Speed lets Gorebyss outspeed most of the tier after a Shell Smash, most notably Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Mega Manectric. A Calm nature is used to increase Gorebyss's Special Defense, as it has trouble surviving special attacks. Swift Swim allows Gorebyss to outspeed most Choice Scarf users at +2 if it's raining. Hydration allows Gorebyss to recover from status, again, in the event that it's raining. Generally, Swift Swim is the preferable option, as being able to beat some rain teams is really helpful, although it is somewhat niche.
Usage Tips
========
Use Shell Smash to increase Gorebyss's offensive ability, then use Baton Pass. This will transfer those incredible boosts to another Pokemon, preferably to a sweeper of some sort. Substitute should be used if you suspect that the opponent is going to use a status move. A Thunder Wave, Spore, or Dark Void can turn a good situation into a dangerous situation quickly, but having your opponent waste a turn destroying Gorebyss's Substitute can turn the situation back in your favor. Don't set up if it gives the opponent a chance to set up as well unless you know that Gorebyss can defeat the opposing Pokemon by itself. It can be very difficult to pull off a second SmashPass later in the game, as White Herb will have been consumed and Gorebyss will likely be at lower health. Gorebyss alone as a sweeper is too slow, weak, and outclassed. However, if the need arises, Gorebyss can be used late-game to clean up or rack up a few more KOs. White Herb will be consumed if any of Gorebyss's stats are lowered, so avoid things like Sticky Web and Defog in order to keep its White Herb intact.
Team Options
========
As Gorebyss is completely devoted to supporting its team through SmashPassing, the Pokemon that are on its team are almost as important, if not more important than itself. Pokemon such as Dragonite, Venusaur, Mawile, Espeon, and Aedislash that are too slow or too weak to outright sweep that could use a little boost really benefit from Shell Smash being passed to them. Espeon is especially notable, as it can receive a SmashPass from Gorebyss and not be Roared out or crippled with status thanks to Magic Bounce. Specifically, Pokemon that can absorb Electric- and Grass-type attacks on the switch that would benefit from the boosts are good partners for Gorebyss. Charizard takes Grass-type attacks really well, and its sweeping potential is exponentially bolstered by a Shell Smash boost. Landorus and Garchomp are immune to Electric-type attacks and both of them do very well with a Shell Smash boost. Unaware users, specifically Quagsire and Clefable, make the entire Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination useless. A Grass-type attack from a Pokemon like Venusaur can deal with Quagsire, while a Steel-type attack from a Pokemon such as Aegislash or Mawile makes short work of Clefable. Incidentally, all of these Pokemon greatly benefit from a SmashPass greatly. A lot of support is needed to get SmashPass to function properly. Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Ferrothorn help to weaken opposing Pokemon. Dual screens support from Pokemon such as Espeon and Sylveon give Gorebyss a better chance to survive a hit and get the Baton Pass off. Rapid Spin support allows for Gorebyss to retain more health, giving it a better chance of surviving the process, so a Rapid Spin user like Excadrill is really useful here.
Other Options
########
The only really other viable option is using Gorebyss itself as a Shell Smash sweeper. This is dangerous, however, as Gorebyss isn't strong enough to handle several of the threats in OU.
Checks & Counters
########
**Taunt**: Taunt can keep Gorebyss from using at least two of its moves and keep it from performing its main function. Sableye, as well as some other Prankster Taunt users, ultimately stop Gorebyss from being of use to its team. Prankster Taunt users can even taunt Gorebyss at +2, preventing it from using Baton Pass.
**Phazing and Stat Resets**: Roar, Whirlwind, and Dragon Tail force a switch to another Pokemon, removing any boosts Gorebyss might have acquired. Haze and Clear Smog resets Gorebyss's stats without forcing it out. However, all of these moves ultimately stop Gorebyss from Baton Passing stat boosts to other Pokemon.
**Passable Status**: Baton Pass passes off stat changes, but it also sends off volatile statuses, like Leech Seed and Confusion. This can inhibit not only Gorebyss, but whatever Pokemon it passes off to.
**Choice Scarf users**: Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Garchomp, and Excadrill can all outspeed Gorebyss after a boost and hit it extremely hard.
**Grass-types**: Grass-type moves, particularly specially based Grass-type moves, can seriously damage Gorebyss. Some bulky Grass-types, such as Thick Fat Venusaur, can even soak up Ice Beam without much of a problem.
**Electric-types**: Bulky Electric-types, such as Rotom-W, don't take much damage from either of Gorebyss's attacks and can potentially take out Gorebyss before it passes its boosts.
**Unaware**: Unaware Quagsire and Clefable are a problem, as they completely ignore any boosts that Gorebyss itself has or has Baton Passed to another Pokemon.
Overview
########
+Shell Smash + Baton pass
+Powerful STAB moves
+Able to damage some of the tier's biggest threats, like Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, quite well.
-Not entirely threatening as a sweeper itself
-Only capable of pulling off an effective SmashPass once per game.
-Slow and surprising weak without a Shell Smash
-Special Defense is lacking
SmashPass
########
name: SmashPass
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
ability: Swift Swim / Hydration
item: White Herb
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
- Shell Smash drastically increases offensive abilities - Attack, Special Attack, Speed - and decreases Defense and Special Defense.
- Baton Pass transfers Gorebyss's boosts to an opponent and switches them in.
- Surf is a powerful STAB move that allows Gorebyss to benefit from Shell Smash itself.
- Hydro Pump is a more powerful STAB move than Surf, but has worse accuracy than surf.
- Substitute allows Gorebyss to avoid status, plus it's really nice to pass a functional Substitute to another Pokemon.
- Ice Beam can be used to deal with Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon.
Set Details
========
- White Herb undoes the Defense and Special Defense drop caused by Shell Smash.
- Maximize HP in order to increase survivability.
- Max EVs go into Speed in order to outspeed most of the tier after a Shell Smash, specifically Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Mega Manectric.
- The rest goes into Special Defense to mitigate its poor Special Defense.
- Calm increases Special Defense at the expense of Attack.
- Swift Swim allows Gorebyss to outspeed most scarfers at +2 in the off-chance that it's raining. Hydration allows Gorebyss to recover from status, again, in the off-chance that it's raining.
Usage Tips
========
- Use Shell Smash to significantly increase offensive ability, then use Baton Pass. This will transfer those incredible boosts to another one of your Pokemon, preferably a sweeper of some sort.
- Use Substitute if you suspect that the opponent is going to use a status move. A Thunder Wave, Spore, or Dark Void can turn a good situation into a dangerous situation quickly, but having your opponent waste a turn destroying Gorebyss's Substitute can turn the situation back in your favor.
- Don't set up if it gives the opponent a chance to set up as well, unless you know that Gorebyss can defeat the opposing Pokemon by itself.
- It can be very difficult to pull off a second SmashPass later in the game, as White Herb will have been consumed and Gorebyss will likely be at lower health.
- Gorebyss alone as a sweeper is too slow, too weak, and too outclassed. However, if it comes to it, it can be used late-game to clean up and rack a few more KOs.
- White Herb will be consumed if any of Gorebyss's stats are lowered. So, avoid things like Sticky Web or Defog to keep its White Herb intact.
Team Options
========
- A lot of support is needed to get SmashPass to function properly. Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Ferrothorn helps to keep the opposing Pokemon weakened. Dual screen support from Pokemon such as Espeon or Sylveon give Gorebyss a better chance to survive a hit and get the Baton Pass off. Rapid Spin support allows for Gorebyss to retain more health, giving it a better chance of surviving the process, so a Pokemon like Excadrill is really useful here.
- Pokemon that are too slow or too weak to outright sweep that could use a little boost really benefit from Shell Smash being passed to them. Some of these Pokemon included: Dragonite, Venusaur, Mawile, Espeon, and Aegislash. Espeon is especially notable, as it can receive a SmashPass from Gorebyss and not be Roared out or crippled with status thanks to Magic Bounce.
- Specifically, Pokemon that can absorb Electric- and Grass-type attacks that would benefit from the switch. Charizard takes Grass-type attacks really well, and its sweeping potential is exponentially bolstered by a Shell Smash boost. Landorus or Garchomp are immune to Electric-type attacks and both do very well with a Shell Smash boost.
- Unaware Pokemon, specifically Quagsire and Clefable, make the entire Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination useless. A Grass-type attack from a Pokemon like Venusaur can deal with Quagsire, while a Steel-type attack from a Pokemon like Aegislash and Mawile make short work of Clefable. Incidentally, all of these Pokemon greatly benefit from a SmashPass greatly.
Other Options
########
- Shell Smash Sweeper
Checks & Counters
########
**Taunt**: Taunt can keep Gorebyss from using at least two of its moves and keep it from performing its main function. Deoxys-S, as well as some other Prankster Taunters, ultimately stop Gorebyss from being of use to its team. Prankster Taunters can even taunt Gorebyss at +2, keeping it from using Baton Pass.
**Phazing and Stat Resets**: Roar, Whirlwind, and Dragon Tail force a switch to another Pokemon, resetting its stats. Haze and Clear Smog resets Gorebyss stats without forcing it out, however, all stop ultimately Gorebyss from Baton Passing stat boosts to other Pokemon.
**Passable Status**: Baton Pass sends off stat changes, but it also sends off volatile statuses, like Leech Seed or Confusion. This can inhibit not only Gorebyss, but whatever Pokemon it passes off to.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Garchomp, and Excadrill can all outspeed Gorebyss after a boost and hit it extremely hard.
**Grass-types**: Grass-type moves, especially specially based Grass-type moves, can seriously damage Gorebyss. Some bulky Grass-types can even soak up Ice Beam without much of a problem.
**Electric-types**: Bulky Electric-types don't take much damage from either attack and can potentially take out Gorebyss before it passes boosts.
**Unaware**: Unaware Quagsire and Clefable are a problem, as they completely ignore any boosts that Gorebyss has or Baton Passed to another Pokemon.
########
+Shell Smash + Baton pass
+Powerful STAB moves
+Able to damage some of the tier's biggest threats, like Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, quite well.
-Not entirely threatening as a sweeper itself
-Only capable of pulling off an effective SmashPass once per game.
-Slow and surprising weak without a Shell Smash
-Special Defense is lacking
SmashPass
########
name: SmashPass
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
ability: Swift Swim / Hydration
item: White Herb
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
========
- Shell Smash drastically increases offensive abilities - Attack, Special Attack, Speed - and decreases Defense and Special Defense.
- Baton Pass transfers Gorebyss's boosts to an opponent and switches them in.
- Surf is a powerful STAB move that allows Gorebyss to benefit from Shell Smash itself.
- Hydro Pump is a more powerful STAB move than Surf, but has worse accuracy than surf.
- Substitute allows Gorebyss to avoid status, plus it's really nice to pass a functional Substitute to another Pokemon.
- Ice Beam can be used to deal with Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon.
Set Details
========
- White Herb undoes the Defense and Special Defense drop caused by Shell Smash.
- Maximize HP in order to increase survivability.
- Max EVs go into Speed in order to outspeed most of the tier after a Shell Smash, specifically Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Mega Manectric.
- The rest goes into Special Defense to mitigate its poor Special Defense.
- Calm increases Special Defense at the expense of Attack.
- Swift Swim allows Gorebyss to outspeed most scarfers at +2 in the off-chance that it's raining. Hydration allows Gorebyss to recover from status, again, in the off-chance that it's raining.
Usage Tips
========
- Use Shell Smash to significantly increase offensive ability, then use Baton Pass. This will transfer those incredible boosts to another one of your Pokemon, preferably a sweeper of some sort.
- Use Substitute if you suspect that the opponent is going to use a status move. A Thunder Wave, Spore, or Dark Void can turn a good situation into a dangerous situation quickly, but having your opponent waste a turn destroying Gorebyss's Substitute can turn the situation back in your favor.
- Don't set up if it gives the opponent a chance to set up as well, unless you know that Gorebyss can defeat the opposing Pokemon by itself.
- It can be very difficult to pull off a second SmashPass later in the game, as White Herb will have been consumed and Gorebyss will likely be at lower health.
- Gorebyss alone as a sweeper is too slow, too weak, and too outclassed. However, if it comes to it, it can be used late-game to clean up and rack a few more KOs.
- White Herb will be consumed if any of Gorebyss's stats are lowered. So, avoid things like Sticky Web or Defog to keep its White Herb intact.
Team Options
========
- A lot of support is needed to get SmashPass to function properly. Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Ferrothorn helps to keep the opposing Pokemon weakened. Dual screen support from Pokemon such as Espeon or Sylveon give Gorebyss a better chance to survive a hit and get the Baton Pass off. Rapid Spin support allows for Gorebyss to retain more health, giving it a better chance of surviving the process, so a Pokemon like Excadrill is really useful here.
- Pokemon that are too slow or too weak to outright sweep that could use a little boost really benefit from Shell Smash being passed to them. Some of these Pokemon included: Dragonite, Venusaur, Mawile, Espeon, and Aegislash. Espeon is especially notable, as it can receive a SmashPass from Gorebyss and not be Roared out or crippled with status thanks to Magic Bounce.
- Specifically, Pokemon that can absorb Electric- and Grass-type attacks that would benefit from the switch. Charizard takes Grass-type attacks really well, and its sweeping potential is exponentially bolstered by a Shell Smash boost. Landorus or Garchomp are immune to Electric-type attacks and both do very well with a Shell Smash boost.
- Unaware Pokemon, specifically Quagsire and Clefable, make the entire Shell Smash + Baton Pass combination useless. A Grass-type attack from a Pokemon like Venusaur can deal with Quagsire, while a Steel-type attack from a Pokemon like Aegislash and Mawile make short work of Clefable. Incidentally, all of these Pokemon greatly benefit from a SmashPass greatly.
Other Options
########
- Shell Smash Sweeper
Checks & Counters
########
**Taunt**: Taunt can keep Gorebyss from using at least two of its moves and keep it from performing its main function. Deoxys-S, as well as some other Prankster Taunters, ultimately stop Gorebyss from being of use to its team. Prankster Taunters can even taunt Gorebyss at +2, keeping it from using Baton Pass.
**Phazing and Stat Resets**: Roar, Whirlwind, and Dragon Tail force a switch to another Pokemon, resetting its stats. Haze and Clear Smog resets Gorebyss stats without forcing it out, however, all stop ultimately Gorebyss from Baton Passing stat boosts to other Pokemon.
**Passable Status**: Baton Pass sends off stat changes, but it also sends off volatile statuses, like Leech Seed or Confusion. This can inhibit not only Gorebyss, but whatever Pokemon it passes off to.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Garchomp, and Excadrill can all outspeed Gorebyss after a boost and hit it extremely hard.
**Grass-types**: Grass-type moves, especially specially based Grass-type moves, can seriously damage Gorebyss. Some bulky Grass-types can even soak up Ice Beam without much of a problem.
**Electric-types**: Bulky Electric-types don't take much damage from either attack and can potentially take out Gorebyss before it passes boosts.
**Unaware**: Unaware Quagsire and Clefable are a problem, as they completely ignore any boosts that Gorebyss has or Baton Passed to another Pokemon.
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