Thugly Duckling
I play TCG now
QC checks: Nayrz / steelphoenix / Sweep
GP checks: Snobalt / P Squared
Melee Mewtwo's Legacy
________________
[OVERVIEW]
Gothitelle is the most vile answer to support Arceus formes and Defoggers in the tier. The centralization of the metagame around a great number of threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh, and Xerneas has made role compression unavoidable, resulting in teams that rely on Pokemon such as Klefki, support Arceus formes, Latias, and Latios to glue builds together. Gothitelle is capable of trapping all of these Pokemon with Calm Mind alongside its expansive support movepool that allows it to specify its trapping pool or broaden its utility with moves such as Thunder Wave, Tickle, and Heal Bell. In fact, it's not much of a stretch to say that it turns what would otherwise be a valuable asset to your opponent's team into a liability.
However, the physically offensive metagame especially prevents Gothitelle from excelling in the Uber tier, while its already existent flaws such as average stats, aversion to Dark-types, and little utility against offensive teams are more noticeable than ever. In comparison to other Shadow Tag users, it can be somewhat difficult to justify using, as Wobbuffet has superior bulk and more general utility with Encore, while Mega Gengar possesses an array of options that make it consistent across all matchups with Speed and power to boot. However, Gothitelle's unique trapping pool consisting of dominant threats such as Klefki and support Arceus formes and its ability to eliminate these threats with minimal risk while not taking up a Mega slot give this evil mistress the title of the best breaker of balance and stall in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Literally Satan... Again (Calm Mind)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Rest
move 4: Thunder Wave / Tickle
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Sassy / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind raises Gothitelle's Special Attack in order to eliminate support Arceus formes and other miscellaneous support Pokemon and also boosts its Special Defense so that Gothitelle can withstand special attacks such as Dialga's Flash Cannon. Psyshock is the preferred coverage move so that Gothitelle can have an easier time eliminating specially defensive behemoths such as Blissey and Kyogre and gain the edge in Calm Mind wars against Arceus formes. Rest cures any status ailments inflicted upon Gothitelle and restores its HP so that it can gather more boosts and subsequently eliminate a threat. The last slot is entirely free to whatever is most fulfilling to Gothitelle's evil doings. Thunder Wave aids in Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes and can curb setup from the likes of Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Xerneas; Tickle augments the strength of Psyshock along with Calm Mind by lowering the foe's Defense, which helps eliminate Pokemon such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Bronzong while also thwarting Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar by lowering their Attack before Gothitelle switches out.
Set Details
========
Shadow Tag is what makes Gothitelle so dangerous, letting it trap valuable assets to stall and balance teams such as Water Arceus, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and Latias. Maximum HP and Special Defense investment with a Sassy nature ensures that Gothitelle can trap Arceus formes and other Pokemon such as Latias, Dialga, defensive Primal Kyogre, and some special attackers such as Choice Scarf Xerneas and Choice Scarf Kyurem-W. Leftovers gives Gothitelle passive recovery, which helps tremendously in Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes. A 0 Speed IV are used to reduce the power of Ferrothorn's and Bronzong's Gyro Ball as much as possible to ease setting up, especially if Gothitelle is not running Tickle. However, if Tickle is used, a 24 Speed IV and a Calm nature should be used to weaken Bronzong's and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball as much as possible while letting Gothitelle outspeed uninvested Tyranitar in order for Gothitelle to use Tickle against it before possibly being crippled by Thunder Wave.
Usage Tips
========
Trap and eliminate key members of the opposing team to facilitate a sweep for a teammate. Gothitelle is considerably bulky and can switch into Pokemon such as support Arceus formes and Latias and begin setting up. However, in the same respect, do not overestimate its bulk and switch it into attackers with heavy Special Attack investment such as Xerneas; instead, let the target pick off a weakened or unimportant teammate so that Gothitelle can come in healthy. Another method of getting Gothitelle into the playing field safely is by double switching, but it is much riskier and reliant on properly reading the opponent's plays. It's also worth noting that the purpose of Shadow Tag is to dismember defensive cores, and just because Gothitelle requires Calm Mind to do this does not mean that it should be withheld until it can sweep.
Shadow Tag alone gives your team a significant advantage because your opponent must make risky plays to prevent their Pokemon from being trapped. Gothitelle's trapping pool is quite dependent because its options in Thunder Wave and Tickle are largely situational, being used to aid in fulfilling specific roles and eliminating extremely specific threats. Use Thunder Wave to level Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes and to put Gothitelle into a favorable position against Defog Latios and Latias so that it can boost beside these threats and eliminate them, opening holes for sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Calm Mind Arceus, and Calm Mind Primal Kyogre. Use Tickle to cripple Steel-types such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Bronzong to open holes for Pokemon such as Xerneas, Latios, Mewtwo, and Calm Mind Arceus. Although Gothitelle can trap these Pokemon without Tickle on paper, it is recommended to run this option in order to achieve maximum results against these Pokemon to suppress their general counterplay against Gothitelle; for example, Klefki has the option of running Heal Block, and Ferrothorn has the option of running Power Whip. You must also be wary of the consequences of trapping these two specific threats—both have access to Spikes and will set up full entry hazards during the turns they are trapped, so be sure that your entry hazard remover is healthy and can find a reasonable opportunity to clear the entry hazards set by the foe. Keep note that regardless of Gothitelle's support option, it is able to trap any standard Blissey without Shed Shell and any support Arceus, bar Ghost Arceus, that has the formulaic moveset of a special STAB attack, a status move, Recover, and Defog.
Team Options
========
Means of checking Dark-types are necessary, as Gothitelle cannot touch them whatsoever. Ho-Oh makes for a solid check to Dark Arceus and Darkrai when running Sleep Talk, and Fairy-types such as Fairy Arceus and Xerneas are good choices as well because of their type advantage over Dark-types. Entry hazards are indispensable to pressure support Arceus formes and Defoggers that are not Giratina or Ghost Arceus into coming onto the field and using Defog, which leaves them vulnerable to being trapped. Spikers such as Skarmory, Klefki, and Ferrothorn are all excellent choices to check a myriad of threats Gothitelle is weak to; additionally, Primal Groudon is the best Stealth Rock setter overall, and it can bait Pokemon such as Water Arceus and Latias. Mega Diancie is another Stealth Rock setter that works well with Gothitelle, as it appreciates Gothitelle's ability to eliminate Water Arceus and Grass Arceus while also serving as a check to Dark-types; it even frees Primal Groudon from Stealth Rock duty, allowing it to run an offensive set that synergizes exceptionally well with Gothitelle. Physically defensive Pokemon such as Water Arceus, Dragon Arceus, Rock Arceus, and non-Primal Groudon can switch into the likes of Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Mega Salamence give Gothitelle a defensive backbone that allows it to avoid being revenge killed after a successful trap. Ghost-types are immune to the effects of Shadow Tag, so Dark-types such as Yveltal and Dark Arceus, which can check them, make for good teammates as well.
Gothitelle is a standalone Pokemon that does not require much support; however, some notable Pokemon are especially good teammates to it. Flying-types such as Mega Salamence and Ho-Oh wear down Tyranitar and keep Mega Scizor at bay, giving Gothitelle more room to breathe. Although Ghost-types stack a weakness to Dark-types, they can sustain the matchup against teams opting for Rapid Spin instead of Defog by spinblocking and keeping entry hazards in play.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Psychic is an alternative STAB option that allows Gothitelle to trap and eliminate Skarmory, and it should only be run with 44 Speed EVs and Taunt in order to accumulate boosts and prevent Skarmory from setting up Spikes, phazing Gothitelle, or using Taunt itself. A defensive spread with a Bold nature can allow Gothitelle to trap Mega Diancie, but it has little use outside of this, and the lack of EVs invested into Special Defense will make Gothitelle take significantly more damage from the likes of Arceus's Judgment and Latios's Draco Meteor. Heal Bell can further Gothitelle's supportive role by curing all status ailments from its team. While it does not expand Gothitelle's trapping pool, it creates a more favorable matchup against stall and balance teams. Magic Coat allows Gothitelle to bounce back entry hazards when trapping support Pokemon such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Dialga, but it is difficult to justify over Thunder Wave and Tickle, which actually expand Gothitelle's trapping pool. Miracle Eye can allow Gothitelle to pick up extra KOs after what it initially traps, but Gothitelle's purpose is to take out key members of the opponent's team, and the move does not help it in this regard. Trick Room allows Gothitelle to possibly sweep late-game when Dark-types have been removed and can also curb Speed-boosting setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Groudon. It has a niche on Trick Room teams, but it is gimmicky and counterintuitive, as Gothitelle is meant to trap Defoggers, and the move does not help it fulfill this role whatsoever. Gothitelle's moveset and EV spread can be designed to eliminate almost any specific threat of your choice; experiment!
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Mega Sableye, Yveltal, and Darkrai find free turns against Gothitelle to either spread status ailments, attack, or set up, respectively.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to trapping abilities like that of Shadow Tag and can retaliate with super effective STAB attacks.
**Pokemon with Shed Shell**: Any Pokemon holding this item that would otherwise be trapped by Gothitelle can escape its grip and switch out to a teammate that can threaten it, such as a Pursuit trapper.
**Physical Attackers**: Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Mega Salamence can overwhelm Gothitelle with their powerful attacks, thwarting any attempt to trap them, and can revenge kill it after it KOes a foe.
**Pursuit Trappers**: Tyranitar is immune to Psyshock, and Mega Scizor can outspeed and pivot out of Gothitelle with a super effective STAB U-turn; however, Gothitelle can defeat Tyranitar by utilizing Tickle.
**Pivots**: Pivots with U-turn such as Landorus-T and Jirachi can avoid being trapped and deal solid damage to Gothitelle with U-turn.
**Taunt Users**: Gothitelle fails to trap and remove any Pokemon with Taunt, because the move prevents it from setting up Calm Mind.
**Pokemon with Phazing Moves**: Any phazing move forces out Gothitelle and prevents it from setting up Calm Mind.
GP checks: Snobalt / P Squared
Melee Mewtwo's Legacy
________________
Approved by Nayrz
Credits to Melee Mewtwo's XY Gothitelle skeleton
Credits to Melee Mewtwo's XY Gothitelle skeleton
[OVERVIEW]
Gothitelle is the most vile answer to support Arceus formes and Defoggers in the tier. The centralization of the metagame around a great number of threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh, and Xerneas has made role compression unavoidable, resulting in teams that rely on Pokemon such as Klefki, support Arceus formes, Latias, and Latios to glue builds together. Gothitelle is capable of trapping all of these Pokemon with Calm Mind alongside its expansive support movepool that allows it to specify its trapping pool or broaden its utility with moves such as Thunder Wave, Tickle, and Heal Bell. In fact, it's not much of a stretch to say that it turns what would otherwise be a valuable asset to your opponent's team into a liability.
However, the physically offensive metagame especially prevents Gothitelle from excelling in the Uber tier, while its already existent flaws such as average stats, aversion to Dark-types, and little utility against offensive teams are more noticeable than ever. In comparison to other Shadow Tag users, it can be somewhat difficult to justify using, as Wobbuffet has superior bulk and more general utility with Encore, while Mega Gengar possesses an array of options that make it consistent across all matchups with Speed and power to boot. However, Gothitelle's unique trapping pool consisting of dominant threats such as Klefki and support Arceus formes and its ability to eliminate these threats with minimal risk while not taking up a Mega slot give this evil mistress the title of the best breaker of balance and stall in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Literally Satan... Again (Calm Mind)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Rest
move 4: Thunder Wave / Tickle
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Sassy / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind raises Gothitelle's Special Attack in order to eliminate support Arceus formes and other miscellaneous support Pokemon and also boosts its Special Defense so that Gothitelle can withstand special attacks such as Dialga's Flash Cannon. Psyshock is the preferred coverage move so that Gothitelle can have an easier time eliminating specially defensive behemoths such as Blissey and Kyogre and gain the edge in Calm Mind wars against Arceus formes. Rest cures any status ailments inflicted upon Gothitelle and restores its HP so that it can gather more boosts and subsequently eliminate a threat. The last slot is entirely free to whatever is most fulfilling to Gothitelle's evil doings. Thunder Wave aids in Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes and can curb setup from the likes of Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Xerneas; Tickle augments the strength of Psyshock along with Calm Mind by lowering the foe's Defense, which helps eliminate Pokemon such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Bronzong while also thwarting Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar by lowering their Attack before Gothitelle switches out.
Set Details
========
Shadow Tag is what makes Gothitelle so dangerous, letting it trap valuable assets to stall and balance teams such as Water Arceus, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and Latias. Maximum HP and Special Defense investment with a Sassy nature ensures that Gothitelle can trap Arceus formes and other Pokemon such as Latias, Dialga, defensive Primal Kyogre, and some special attackers such as Choice Scarf Xerneas and Choice Scarf Kyurem-W. Leftovers gives Gothitelle passive recovery, which helps tremendously in Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes. A 0 Speed IV are used to reduce the power of Ferrothorn's and Bronzong's Gyro Ball as much as possible to ease setting up, especially if Gothitelle is not running Tickle. However, if Tickle is used, a 24 Speed IV and a Calm nature should be used to weaken Bronzong's and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball as much as possible while letting Gothitelle outspeed uninvested Tyranitar in order for Gothitelle to use Tickle against it before possibly being crippled by Thunder Wave.
Usage Tips
========
Trap and eliminate key members of the opposing team to facilitate a sweep for a teammate. Gothitelle is considerably bulky and can switch into Pokemon such as support Arceus formes and Latias and begin setting up. However, in the same respect, do not overestimate its bulk and switch it into attackers with heavy Special Attack investment such as Xerneas; instead, let the target pick off a weakened or unimportant teammate so that Gothitelle can come in healthy. Another method of getting Gothitelle into the playing field safely is by double switching, but it is much riskier and reliant on properly reading the opponent's plays. It's also worth noting that the purpose of Shadow Tag is to dismember defensive cores, and just because Gothitelle requires Calm Mind to do this does not mean that it should be withheld until it can sweep.
Shadow Tag alone gives your team a significant advantage because your opponent must make risky plays to prevent their Pokemon from being trapped. Gothitelle's trapping pool is quite dependent because its options in Thunder Wave and Tickle are largely situational, being used to aid in fulfilling specific roles and eliminating extremely specific threats. Use Thunder Wave to level Calm Mind wars with Arceus formes and to put Gothitelle into a favorable position against Defog Latios and Latias so that it can boost beside these threats and eliminate them, opening holes for sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Calm Mind Arceus, and Calm Mind Primal Kyogre. Use Tickle to cripple Steel-types such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Bronzong to open holes for Pokemon such as Xerneas, Latios, Mewtwo, and Calm Mind Arceus. Although Gothitelle can trap these Pokemon without Tickle on paper, it is recommended to run this option in order to achieve maximum results against these Pokemon to suppress their general counterplay against Gothitelle; for example, Klefki has the option of running Heal Block, and Ferrothorn has the option of running Power Whip. You must also be wary of the consequences of trapping these two specific threats—both have access to Spikes and will set up full entry hazards during the turns they are trapped, so be sure that your entry hazard remover is healthy and can find a reasonable opportunity to clear the entry hazards set by the foe. Keep note that regardless of Gothitelle's support option, it is able to trap any standard Blissey without Shed Shell and any support Arceus, bar Ghost Arceus, that has the formulaic moveset of a special STAB attack, a status move, Recover, and Defog.
Team Options
========
Means of checking Dark-types are necessary, as Gothitelle cannot touch them whatsoever. Ho-Oh makes for a solid check to Dark Arceus and Darkrai when running Sleep Talk, and Fairy-types such as Fairy Arceus and Xerneas are good choices as well because of their type advantage over Dark-types. Entry hazards are indispensable to pressure support Arceus formes and Defoggers that are not Giratina or Ghost Arceus into coming onto the field and using Defog, which leaves them vulnerable to being trapped. Spikers such as Skarmory, Klefki, and Ferrothorn are all excellent choices to check a myriad of threats Gothitelle is weak to; additionally, Primal Groudon is the best Stealth Rock setter overall, and it can bait Pokemon such as Water Arceus and Latias. Mega Diancie is another Stealth Rock setter that works well with Gothitelle, as it appreciates Gothitelle's ability to eliminate Water Arceus and Grass Arceus while also serving as a check to Dark-types; it even frees Primal Groudon from Stealth Rock duty, allowing it to run an offensive set that synergizes exceptionally well with Gothitelle. Physically defensive Pokemon such as Water Arceus, Dragon Arceus, Rock Arceus, and non-Primal Groudon can switch into the likes of Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Mega Salamence give Gothitelle a defensive backbone that allows it to avoid being revenge killed after a successful trap. Ghost-types are immune to the effects of Shadow Tag, so Dark-types such as Yveltal and Dark Arceus, which can check them, make for good teammates as well.
Gothitelle is a standalone Pokemon that does not require much support; however, some notable Pokemon are especially good teammates to it. Flying-types such as Mega Salamence and Ho-Oh wear down Tyranitar and keep Mega Scizor at bay, giving Gothitelle more room to breathe. Although Ghost-types stack a weakness to Dark-types, they can sustain the matchup against teams opting for Rapid Spin instead of Defog by spinblocking and keeping entry hazards in play.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Psychic is an alternative STAB option that allows Gothitelle to trap and eliminate Skarmory, and it should only be run with 44 Speed EVs and Taunt in order to accumulate boosts and prevent Skarmory from setting up Spikes, phazing Gothitelle, or using Taunt itself. A defensive spread with a Bold nature can allow Gothitelle to trap Mega Diancie, but it has little use outside of this, and the lack of EVs invested into Special Defense will make Gothitelle take significantly more damage from the likes of Arceus's Judgment and Latios's Draco Meteor. Heal Bell can further Gothitelle's supportive role by curing all status ailments from its team. While it does not expand Gothitelle's trapping pool, it creates a more favorable matchup against stall and balance teams. Magic Coat allows Gothitelle to bounce back entry hazards when trapping support Pokemon such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Dialga, but it is difficult to justify over Thunder Wave and Tickle, which actually expand Gothitelle's trapping pool. Miracle Eye can allow Gothitelle to pick up extra KOs after what it initially traps, but Gothitelle's purpose is to take out key members of the opponent's team, and the move does not help it in this regard. Trick Room allows Gothitelle to possibly sweep late-game when Dark-types have been removed and can also curb Speed-boosting setup sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Groudon. It has a niche on Trick Room teams, but it is gimmicky and counterintuitive, as Gothitelle is meant to trap Defoggers, and the move does not help it fulfill this role whatsoever. Gothitelle's moveset and EV spread can be designed to eliminate almost any specific threat of your choice; experiment!
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Mega Sableye, Yveltal, and Darkrai find free turns against Gothitelle to either spread status ailments, attack, or set up, respectively.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to trapping abilities like that of Shadow Tag and can retaliate with super effective STAB attacks.
**Pokemon with Shed Shell**: Any Pokemon holding this item that would otherwise be trapped by Gothitelle can escape its grip and switch out to a teammate that can threaten it, such as a Pursuit trapper.
**Physical Attackers**: Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Mega Salamence can overwhelm Gothitelle with their powerful attacks, thwarting any attempt to trap them, and can revenge kill it after it KOes a foe.
**Pursuit Trappers**: Tyranitar is immune to Psyshock, and Mega Scizor can outspeed and pivot out of Gothitelle with a super effective STAB U-turn; however, Gothitelle can defeat Tyranitar by utilizing Tickle.
**Pivots**: Pivots with U-turn such as Landorus-T and Jirachi can avoid being trapped and deal solid damage to Gothitelle with U-turn.
**Taunt Users**: Gothitelle fails to trap and remove any Pokemon with Taunt, because the move prevents it from setting up Calm Mind.
**Pokemon with Phazing Moves**: Any phazing move forces out Gothitelle and prevents it from setting up Calm Mind.
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