UU Gourgeist-XL

[Psywaves]

QC: Kushalos, radianthero156, Meru
GP: horyzhnz, LegitimateUsername

Skeleton

Overview
########

• Excellent physical bulk
• Typing provides several useful immunities and resistances
• Movepool includes effective utility options
• Can potentially detect what set the opponent is running with Frisk
• Powerful special attackers can prove troublesome due to lesser special bulk
• Poor speed
• Typing is a double-edged sword defensively; Gourgeist-XL is left weak to some common attacking types
• No reliable recovery
• Hard-pressed to do much against Pokémon that are immune to Leech Seed and/or Will-O-Wisp and pack reliable recovery
• Faces stiff competition from Trevenant as a spinblocker; usually considered inferior to the latter because of less special bulk and longevity-enhancing options

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========

• Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with the excellent physical bulk it sports, Gourgeist-XL will be able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits
• Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive whilst simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP
• Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health; its closest thing to reliable recovery
• Protect lets Gourgeist-XL stall out the opponent for burn damage, Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery plus scout out supereffective moves coming its way
• Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB option that it will use to try and dish out some damage when necessary

Set Details
========

• Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimises Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side of the spectrum
• Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk
• Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery

Usage Tips
========

• Bring Gourgeist-XL in to block a predicted use of Rapid Spin
• Keep Gourgeist-XL away from powerful special attacking threats
• Prioritise use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed

Team Options
========

• Pokémon such as Umbreon and Florges who sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to make for good teammates.
• The latter two Pokémon also stand out because of the Wish and cleric support they can provide Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, and Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########

• A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Defense / 252 Special Defense and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners like Blastoise and Starmie
• Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to stall out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice
• Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to low base power and lack of Attack investment
• Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something
• A Dual Screens set is feasible given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are Pokémon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia
• Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch-in, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment that detracts from its bulk to make the most of it
• A Rest-Talk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status, plus give it some means of recovery
• A Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-Xl's usable physical movepool and access to Trick

Checks and Counters
########

• Houndoom
• Rotom-H
• Fire-types in general
• Roserade
• Amoonguss
• Faster users of Taunt or Substitute
• Special attackers with supereffective attacks

Gourgeist-XL is capable of being quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk as well as some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to that, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to some effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for this gargantuan pumpkin, as it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to mediocre special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves it weak to some common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat doesn't help, and it lacks a reliable way to recover HP too. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much at all against Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed and have a reliable means of recovery. The main problem for Gourgeist-XL, though, is the existence of Trevenant, which is generally considered to be a superior spinblocker due to its greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with its excellent physical bulk, Gourgeist-XL will be able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive whilst simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health and is its closest thing to reliable recovery. Protect lets Gourgeist-XL stall out the opponent for burn damage, as well as Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery, while scouting out super effective moves coming its way. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB move that it will use to try and dish out some damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimizes Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
Gourgeist-XL's typing lets it find an easy switch-in opportunity on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats, as they will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritized, since these utility moves are what let Gourgeist-XL cause the most disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Umbreon and Florges that sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to make for good teammates. They also stand out due to the Wish and cleric support that they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention that Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners such as Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to stall out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to its low Base Power and Gourgeist-XL's lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. Gourgeist-XL has access to Reflect and Light Screen, making a dual screens set is feasible, given its bulk, but there are other Pokemon in UU that are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment to make the most of it. A RestTalk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status and give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Fire-types** Fire-types can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and then swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves: Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, as it outspeeds and can easily KO it with one of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB moves and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp to receive a Flash Fire boost. Rotom-H is also perfectly capable of coming in on and KOing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and can easily switch in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, which can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense stat with a STAB Sludge Bomb.

**Faster Taunt or Substitute Users** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks that it fires off aren't very powerful.

**Special Attackers with Super Effective Attacks** Weaknesses to some common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has a solid coverage movepool that contains options such as Ice Beam, which can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

 

[HypnoEmpire]

I'll bump this for you, this analysis look very good.

 

[Psywaves]

I'll bump this for you, this analysis look very good.

Thanks, I appreciate it! :]

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Can you provide situations/logs where Shadow Sneak is actually useful? I'll admit I haven't tested it enough to be aware of what it's really capable of, but objectively Shadow Sneak isn't exactly impressive coming off of uninvested base 100 Attack, and it might struggle to pick off even weakened foes. If there's little apparent/practical use for Shadow Sneak, I'd recommend considering Protect or Pain Split in its place, since the latter stalls for Leech Seed, burn damage, and Leftovers recovery, and the latter being the closest thing to good recovery.

 

[Psywaves]

Right, I'll take on these suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Psywaves]

Removed Shadow Sneak and in its place put Protect slashed with Pain Split.

 

[Martin]

The formatting for the name is Gourgeist-XL.

Also, mention that it is generally outclassed by Trevenant which seems to be missing from the overview.

 

[Psywaves]

The formatting for the name is Gourgeist-XL.

Also, mention that it is generally outclassed by Trevenant which seems to be missing from the overview.

Sorry, I wasn't aware that it was formatted as Gourgeist-XL. I've also mentioned about competition from Trevenant now. Thanks for informing me :]

 

[Martin]

Sorry, I wasn't aware that it was formatted as Gourgeist-XL. I've also mentioned about competition from Trevenant now. Thanks for informing me :]

Don't forget about the title too ;P

 

[Kushalos]

Looks fine, maybe a few additons to OO: Dual Screens, Explosion, Rock Slide for Fire-types, Shadow Sneak for priority, Rest-Talk for recovery and protection from status.

QC 1/3

 

[CoolStoryBrobat]

"A Dual Screens set is feasible given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are Pokémon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Klefki"

Not QC, but you might wanna change Klefki to something like Uxie, Azelf, or Cresselia, since Klefki has long been banned. And on the mention of 252 HP / 252 SpD, you could also say it allows it to check special spinners such as Starmie and Mega Blastoise more effectively, since it can still block the Rapid Spin and survive a hit. Maybe also a mention of Choice Band in OO? It gets Trick, has a usable base 100 Atk stat, and has moves such as Rock Slide, Seed Bomb, Shadow Sneak, Phantom Force, and Explosion in its movepool.

 

[Psywaves]

"A Dual Screens set is feasible given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are Pokémon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Klefki"

Not QC, but you might wanna change Klefki to something like Uxie, Azelf, or Cresselia, since Klefki has long been banned. And on the mention of 252 HP / 252 SpD, you could also say it allows it to check special spinners such as Starmie and Mega Blastoise more effectively, since it can still block the Rapid Spin and survive a hit. Maybe also a mention of Choice Band in OO? It gets Trick, has a usable base 100 Atk stat, and has moves such as Rock Slide, Seed Bomb, Shadow Sneak, Phantom Force, and Explosion in its movepool.

Very good points; have implemented these suggestions. I can't believe I overlooked Klefki's ban though...That was incredibly stupid of me. O_o

 

[radianthero156]

you should probably mention why one would use it over trevenant (which is basically just higher bulk), but this looks very good other wise. qc 2/3

 

[skies]

amcheck
Add - Remove - Comment

Amcheck

Overview
########

Don't let the fact that Gourgeist is NU fool you; foras Gourgeist-XL can prove to be quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk and some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to thatis, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to some effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for this gargantuan pumpkin, sinceGourgeist; it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to lesser special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves Gourgeist weak to some common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat doesn't helpis not beneficial, and it also lacks a reliable way to recover HP tooy option as well. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much at all against Pokémon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed, and have along with Pokemon who have reliable rnmeans of recovery. Arguably, the main problem for Gourgeist-XL, however, is the existaence of Trevenant, who is generally considered more preferable as a spinblocker, due to greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with the excellent physical bulk it sports, Gourgeist-XL will beis able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive, whilste simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health; and is its closest thing toway of reliable recovery. Protect letallows Gourgeist-XL to stall out the opponents for burn damage, Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery plus; while also scouting out super effective moves coming its way. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB option that it will uses to try and dish out some damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimises Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side of the spectrumhits. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
When using, Gourgeist-XL, keep in mind that its Ghost typing lets it find an easy switch-in opportunityies on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats that will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritised, asince these utility moves are what letallow Gourgeist-XL to cause the most disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokémon such as Umbreon and Florges, who sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to, make for good teammates. The latter two Pokémon also stand out because of the Wish and cleric support they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Defense / 252 Special Defense and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners like Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to aid in stalling out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to low base power and lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. A Dual Screens set is feasible, given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are Pokémon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch-in, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment that detracts from its bulk to make the most of it. A Rest-Talk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status, plus give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Houndoom** Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, foras it outspeeds and can easily KO it with oneither of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB options and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp and receive a Flash Fire boost.

**Rotom-H** Rotom-H is perfectly capable of coming in and KO'ing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and will happily come in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Fire-types** Fire-types, such as the latter two, can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves -: Will-O-Wisp.

Why not add Rotom-H and Houndoom to this section and say something like "Houndoom in particular makes a good counter"?

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, who can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense with aits STAB Sludge Bomb backed by 125 base Special Attack.

**Faster uUsers of Taunt or Substitute** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks it firuses off aren't very powerful, thanks tobecause of its lack of investment.

**Special aAttackers with sSupere Effective attackMoves** Weaknesses to some common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has a solid coverage movepool containing options like Ice Beam that can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

Hide

Importable

Overview
########

Don't let the fact that Gourgeist is NU fool you; as Gourgeist-XL can prove to be quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk and some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to this, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for Gourgeist; it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to lesser special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves Gourgeist weak to common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat is not beneficial, and it also lacks a reliable recovery option as well. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much against Pokémon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed, along with Pokemon who have reliable means of recovery. Arguably, the main problem for Gourgeist-XL, however, is the existence of Trevenant, who is generally considered more preferable as a spinblocker, due to greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with excellent physical bulk, Gourgeist-XL is able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive, while simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health; and is its closest way of reliable recovery. Protect allows Gourgeist-XL to stall out opponents for burn damage, Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery; while also scouting out super effective moves. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB option that it uses to dish out damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimises Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank physical hits. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
When using Gourgeist-XL, keep in mind that its Ghost typing lets it find easy switch-in opportunities on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats that will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritised, as these utility moves are what allow Gourgeist-XL to cause disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokémon such as Umbreon and Florges, who sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to, make for good teammates. The latter two Pokémon also stand out because of the Wish and cleric support they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners like Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to aid in stalling out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to low base power and lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. A Dual Screens set is feasible, given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are Pokémon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch-in, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment that detracts from its bulk to make the most of it. A RestTalk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status, plus give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Houndoom** Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, as it outspeeds and can easily KO it with either of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB options and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp and receive a Flash Fire boost.

**Rotom-H** Rotom-H is perfectly capable of coming in and KO'ing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and will happily come in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Fire-types** Fire-types, such as the latter two, can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves: Will-O-Wisp.

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, who can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense with its STAB Sludge Bomb.

**Faster Users of Taunt or Substitute** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks it uses aren't very powerful, because of its lack of investment.

**Special Attackers with Super Effective Moves** Weaknesses to common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has solid coverage containing options like Ice Beam that can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

 

[Psywaves]

Thanks for the pointers. I can't believe I've made a couple of stupid errors there though, like "rneans" as opposed to "means" that I really shouldn't have...

 

[Martin]

You could mention Foresight in C&C as, while rare, it is still seen and it genuinely f***s Gourgeist over when it switches in on it as that's a free switch. You could mention in team options that this issue can be got around by using it in a double-ghost core to prevent it being foresight-spun

 

[skies]

Seriously who ever uses Foresight? Out of all the Pokemon that learn it, only around nine Pokemon actually see use in UU, and out of these, only Hitmontop is remotely even going to use it. Definitely not worth a mention in my opinion, as it can be said for EVERY Ghost-type, but it doesn't warrant to be mentioned. And it certainly doesn't deserve its own section in C & C.

 

[Meru]

QC 3/3

 

[horyzhnz]

Psywaves
add or change
remove
comments

gourgeist pls

Overview
########

Don't let the fact that it is NU fool you,(AC) for Gourgeist-XL can prove quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk and as well as some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to that, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to some effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for this gargantuan pumpkin, since it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to lesser mediocre special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves it weak to some common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat doesn't help, and it lacks a reliable way to recover HP too. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much at all against Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed and have a reliable means of recovery. Arguably,(AC) the main problem for Gourgeist-XL, however, is the existance existence of Trevenant, who which is generally considered preferable as a superior spinblocker due to greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.
SPACE
Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with the its excellent physical bulk it sports, Gourgeist-XL will be able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive whilst simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health,(AC) and is its closest thing to reliable recovery. Protect lets Gourgeist-XL stall out the opponent for burn damage, Leech Seed,(AC) and Leftovers recovery plus while scouting out super effective moves coming its way. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB option that it will use to try and dish out some damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimizes Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side of the spectrum. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
When using,(RC) Gourgeist-XL, keep in mind that its Ghost typing lets it find an easy switch-in opportunity on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats that will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritized, since these utility moves are what let Gourgeist-XL cause the most disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Umbreon and Florges who sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to make for good teammates. The latter two Pokemon also stand out because of the Wish and cleric support they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Defense / 252 Special Defense SpD and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners like Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to stall out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to low Base Power and lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. A dual screens set is feasible given Gourgeist-XL's bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are other Pokemon in UU who are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch-in, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment that detracts from its bulk to make the most of it. A RestTalk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status,(RC) plus and give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Houndoom** Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, for as it outspeeds and can easily KO it with one of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB options and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp and receive a Flash Fire boost.

**Rotom-H** Rotom-H is perfectly capable of coming in and KOing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and will happily come in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Fire-types** Fire-types such as the latter two can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves: Will-O-Wisp. I'd say merge Rotom-H and Houndoom's section into this, but give those two special mentions

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, who which can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense with a STAB Sludge Bomb backed by 125 base Special Attack.

**Faster users of Taunt or Substitute Users** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks it fires off aren't very powerful,(RC) thanks to lack of investment.

**Special Attackers with Super Effective Attacks** Weaknesses to some common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has a solid coverage movepool containing options like Ice Beam that can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

GP 1/2

 

[Legitimate Username]

WIP.
Additions
Removals
(Comments)

Changes

Gourgeist-XL is capable of being quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk as well as some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to that, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to some effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for this gargantuan pumpkin, since as it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to mediocre special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves it weak to some common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat doesn't help, and it lacks a reliable way to recover HP too. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much at all against Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed and have a reliable means of recovery. The main problem for Gourgeist-XL, however though, is the existence of Trevenant, which is generally considered as to be a superior spinblocker due to its greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with its excellent physical bulk, Gourgeist-XL will be able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive whilst simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health and is its closest thing to reliable recovery. Protect lets Gourgeist-XL stall out the opponent for burn damage, as well as Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery, while scouting out super effective moves coming its way. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB option move that it will use to try and dish out some damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimizes Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
Gourgeist-XL’s typing lets it find an easy switch-in opportunity on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats, as they that will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritized, since these utility moves are what let Gourgeist-XL cause the most disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Umbreon and Florges who that sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to make for good teammates. The latter two Pokemon They also stand out because of due to the Wish and cleric support that they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention that Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners like such as Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to stall out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to its low Base Power and Gourgeist-XL's lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. A Gourgeist-XL has access to Reflect and Light Screen, making a dual screens set is feasible, given Gourgeist-XL's its bulk and access to Reflect and Light Screen, but there are other Pokemon in UU who that are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch-in switch, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment to make the most of it. A RestTalk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status and give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Fire-types** Fire-types such as the latter two (uh, what?) can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and then swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves: Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, as it outspeeds and can easily KO it with one of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB options moves and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp and to receive a Flash Fire boost. Rotom-H is also perfectly capable of coming in on and KOing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and will happily come can easily switch in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, which can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense stat with a STAB Sludge Bomb.

**Faster Taunt or Substitute Users** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks that it fires off aren't very powerful.

**Special Attackers with Super Effective Attacks** Weaknesses to some common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has a solid coverage movepool containing that contains options like such as Ice Beam, which that can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

Copypaste

Gourgeist-XL is capable of being quite the adversary. For starters, it sports excellent physical bulk as well as some useful resistances and immunities. In addition to that, Gourgeist-XL boasts access to some effective utility options such as Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed, not to mention that it can potentially detect what set the opponent is running thanks to Frisk. However, not all is well for this gargantuan pumpkin, as it struggles to take on powerful special attackers due to mediocre special bulk, and while its typing does grant it some handy resistances and immunities, it also leaves it weak to some common attacking types. Gourgeist-XL's low Speed stat doesn't help, and it lacks a reliable way to recover HP too. Furthermore, it is hard-pressed to do much at all against Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed and have a reliable means of recovery. The main problem for Gourgeist-XL, though, is the existence of Trevenant, which is generally considered to be a superior spinblocker due to its greater special bulk and longevity-enhancing options.

Physically Defensive
########
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Protect / Pain Split
move 4: Seed Bomb
item: Leftovers
ability: Frisk
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish

Moves
========
Will-O-Wisp neuters physically offensive threats, and combined with its excellent physical bulk, Gourgeist-XL will be able to tank all but the most powerful of physical hits. Leech Seed's passive damage and recovery is valuable for keeping Gourgeist-XL alive whilst simultaneously whittling away at the opponent's HP. Pain Split can see use for potentially garnering a greater amount of HP when Gourgeist-XL is running low on health and is its closest thing to reliable recovery. Protect lets Gourgeist-XL stall out the opponent for burn damage, as well as Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery, while scouting out super effective moves coming its way. Finally, Seed Bomb is Gourgeist-XL's STAB move that it will use to try and dish out some damage when necessary.

Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Defense optimizes Gourgeist-XL's ability to tank hits on the physical side. An Impish nature further enhances the aforementioned physical bulk, and Leftovers provides greatly appreciated passive recovery.

Usage Tips
========
Gourgeist-XL’s typing lets it find an easy switch-in opportunity on a predicted use of Rapid Spin. Gourgeist-XL should be kept away from powerful special attacking threats, as they will easily prove overwhelming for it. Use of Will-O-Wisp and/or Leech Seed should be prioritized, since these utility moves are what let Gourgeist-XL cause the most disruption to its opponent.

Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Umbreon and Florges that sport great special bulk and resist some of the types that Gourgeist-XL is weak to make for good teammates. They also stand out due to the Wish and cleric support that they can provide. Gourgeist-XL has no reliable recovery, so Wish support is helpful for letting it stick around, not to mention that Gourgeist-XL's longevity is severely hampered by Toxic.

Other Options
########
A specially defensive set with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Careful nature can be used to try and turn Gourgeist-XL into a mixed wall that does a better job of checking specially offensive spinners such as Blastoise and Starmie. Phantom Force could see use for greater damage output and to stall out the opponent in conjunction with Leech Seed, but the fact that an opponent can switch in on this move with ease makes it a bit of a risky choice. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off badly weakened opponents and bypass Gourgeist-XL's poor Speed stat, but its usage tends to be rather situational due to its low Base Power and Gourgeist-XL's lack of Attack investment. Explosion can let Gourgeist-XL literally go out with a bang when its time is nearly up and hopefully badly dent or KO something. Gourgeist-XL has access to Reflect and Light Screen, making a dual screens set is feasible, given its bulk, but there are other Pokemon in UU that are generally better suited to such a role, like Cresselia. Rock Slide is an option to nab Fire-types on the switch, but Gourgeist-XL can't always find the moveslot for it, and needs Attack investment to make the most of it. A RestTalk set can attempt to prevent the issues that Gourgeist-XL has with status and give it some means of recovery, and finally, a Choice Band set could be possible given Gourgeist-XL's usable physical movepool and access to Trick to cripple an opposing wall with.

Checks and Counters
########
**Fire-types** Fire-types can take pretty much anything Gourgeist-XL throws at them, and then swiftly KO it. Part of the reason that Fire-types make for great checks to Gourgeist-XL is because of their immunity to one of Gourgeist-XL's most important moves: Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom is a total nightmare for Gourgeist-XL, as it outspeeds and can easily KO it with one of its STAB attacks, not to mention that Houndoom resists Gourgeist-XL's STAB moves and can switch in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp to receive a Flash Fire boost. Rotom-H is also perfectly capable of coming in on and KOing Gourgeist-XL with its STAB Overheat, and can easily switch in on a Seed Bomb or Will-O-Wisp.

**Roserade** Roserade's immunity to Leech Seed and resistance to Seed Bomb means that it will not have a hard time switching into Gourgeist-XL. Even the passive damage of a burn is not a problem for Natural Cure variants of Roserade, which can shrug off the status simply by switching. Finally, Roserade is capable of hitting Gourgeist-XL hard on its weaker Special Defense stat with a STAB Sludge Bomb.

**Faster Taunt or Substitute Users** Gourgeist-XL primarily relies on Will-O-Wisp and Leech Seed to do its work, so faster Taunt or Substitute users can easily render Gourgeist-XL a lot less useful, especially since the attacks that it fires off aren't very powerful.

**Special Attackers with Super Effective Attacks** Weaknesses to some common coverage moves mean that Gourgeist-XL must be careful around special attackers. Nidoking, for example, has a solid coverage movepool that contains options such as Ice Beam, which can hit Gourgeist-XL very hard.

GP approved 2/2