original 'DPP Groudon (Update)

*Theorymon has pretty much taken over this update now. I will still edit in any spelling/grammar fixes though. Suggestions are still welcome.

[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Overheat
move 4: Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 136 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Groudon's modest Speed and massive Attack stats make Rock Polish a possibility on him. This set is best used as a late-game sweeper as you will still need residual damage on some of the more bulky Pokémon that are neutral against his attacks. The Speed boost gives 500 Speed, enough to outrun Choice Scarf Garchomp with a Jolly nature. After using Rock Polish, you have many options to tear the field with. STAB Earthquake is mandatory and creates massive destruction on Dialga, Metagross, and anything that dares to switch-in whilst not resisting Ground. Stone Edge complements Earthquake for round-about coverage as well as devastating Lugia, Rayquaza, and most Flying foes. Stealth Rock support is also appreciated to help 2HKO most Lugia provided that Reflect isn't set up. If you already have a way to deal with Lugia, Overheat is recommended because it OHKOs Skarmory, who will otherwise wall this set.</p>

<p>Dragon Claw is your best option in the last slot as it allows you to destroy Latias and Latios while also hitting Giratina-O for a fair chunk of damage. Dragon Claw also provides a crucial extra 10 base power on Palkia that turns a 46% chance OHKO with Stealth Rock up into an 87% OHKO. Dragon Claw is also a more reliable option to destroy Rayquaza with. Swords Dance on the other hand, is extremely useful if you can create two turns of setup for yourself. After both a Rock Polish and a Swords Dance, your opponent will more than likely have to rely on Stone Edge missing if they hope to stop Groudon's rampage.</p>

<p>The HP EVs allow the maximum use of Life Orb as well as giving enough defenses on both sides to take hits if needed. There is also another EV spread to consider, 42 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature. This will allow Groudon to out speed even a Choice Scarf Mewtwo, which means that Choice Scarf Shaymin-S can no longer stop Groudon's sweep. Unfortunately, this results in a power loss, meaning that a few vital KOs on Pokémon such as Palkia have a far lesser chance of happening. This becomes a non-issue when using Swords Dance though, as almost every single Pokémon in the game will be OHKOed regardless of the nature. In fact, the only common Pokémon in Ubers that don't have to rely on Stone Edge's accuracy to beat this are Skarmory and Giratina.</p>

<p>When using Swords Dance on this set, a Mewtwo with Reflect and Light Screen should always be considered. This is because with both Light Screen and Reflect up, Groudon can have a much easier time setting up both Rock Polish and Swords Dance. Combine this with Wobbuffet’s Encore + Shadow Tag strategy and Groudon can be incredibly hard to stop once Giratina and Skarmory are eliminated.</p>

<p>When using Rock Polish Groudon, Spikes should always be considered in conjunction with Stealth Rock support. This is because with both Stealth Rock and Spikes, Adamant Groudon will gain many guaranteed KOs. For example, Palkia will always be OHKOed by Dragon Claw. 4 HP / 0 Def Mewtwo and Kyogre will also be KOed by Earthquake if Spikes and Stealth Rock are out. 252 HP Kyogre will also have a 50% chance of being OHKOed by Earthquake. Finally, Garchomp will have a 92.3% chance of being OHKOed by Groudon's Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock and Spikes, a much more favorable position than the meager 7% chance Stealth Rock alone will give Groudon of KOing Garchomp. Deoxys-S is a good choice for laying down Spikes and Stealth Rock, and makes a good lead for many offensive teams. If Deoxys-S is not a suitable option for your team, Forretress makes another excellent choice as a teammate. Forretress can easily set up Spikes and Stealth Rock on Lugia and Skarmory, both of which are common switch-ins to Groudon. Forretress can also take Ice Beams coming from Choice Scarf Darkrai and Mewtwo, both of which will often try to revenge kill Groudon. Other good users of Spikes to consider are Skarmory and Deoxys-D, while Dialga can also make a good user of Stealth Rock.</p>

<p>There are 3 main walls seen in Ubers that will give Groudon trouble. They are Skarmory (if Groudon lacks Overheat), Lugia (if Groudon lacks Stone Edge), and Giratina. Even when using Stone Edge, its shaky accuracy can give Lugia the advantage if it misses. For Lugia, using Tickle Wobbuffet and a Pursuit user (such as Scizor or Tyranitar) can spell doom for it, letting Groudon have a much easier time sweeping. Taunt Mewtwo can also use Lugia as set up for a sweep. When facing Skarmory, Kyogre can be switch in on the turn it uses Spikes, and threaten to OHKO it. Dialga can also switch into any of Skarmory's moves, and threaten to roast it with Fire Blast. Other strong Special Attackers such as Palkia and Darkrai (thanks to Dark Void) will normally beat Skarmory one on one, though Toxic can shorten their life span. Finally, for Giratina, Bulk Up Dialga will make a great teammate for Groudon. Dialga can easily set up Bulk Up on it, and use Rest to get rid of its burn. A Kyogre with Sleep Talk, Rest, and Calm Mind can also use Giratina-O as set up time. Finally, mixed Rayquaza makes an excellent teammate for Groudon, as it can lure Lugia in, and 2HKO it with Draco Meteor after it takes Stealth Rock damage, while Skarmory is OHKOed by Fire Blast.</p>

<p>Because of Groudon's blazing Speed after a Rock Polish, there are not many Pokémon that can revenge kill it. Generally, there are 4 main Pokémon that will try to do so. They are Choice Scarf Darkrai, Choice Scarf Mewtwo, Choice Scarf Shaymin-S, and Wobbuffet. A Modest Darkrai will do 69% - 81% to Groudon with Ice Beam, and has the additional ability to put Groudon to sleep with Dark Void. Mewtwo with a Special Attack boosting nature will do 76% - 90% to Groudon with Ice Beam. Choice Scarf Shaymin-S is a particularly large problem, because it can not only switch into Earthquake, but will also OHKO Groudon with Seed Flare. Finally, if Wobbuffet switches into Groudon, Groudon will eventually be forced to attack Wobbuffet, and thus get KOed by Counter. Scizor is an excellent response to most of these threats. Scizor can easily take Ice Beams from Darkrai and Mewtwo, and will live through Shaymin-S's Seed Flare. Scizor can then threaten to OHKO both Darkrai and Mewtwo with U-turn, and do a serious amount of damage to Shaymin-S. Scizor can also use Pursuit to do some a heavy amount of damage to Mewtwo and Shaymin-S as they switch out. Kyogre can easily take Ice Beams from Mewtwo and Darkrai, and use the time to set up Calm Minds or to launch off powerful Water attacks. Metagross can not only switch into Ice Beams, but can also switch into Shaymin-S's Seed Flares without fear thanks to Clear Body. Unfortunately, Wobbuffet is impossible to stop once it switches in. Generally, the best way to deal with Wobbuffet is to lure it in with Pokémon that often carry Choice Scarf (such as Garchomp and Palkia) and 2HKO it with Choice Specs or Choice Band boosted Dragon attacks. Mixed attackers can also be used to lure in Wobbuffet, and put it into the KO range of Earthquake (which is at least 55% for the standard 28 HP / 230 Def Wobbuffet).</p>

[SET]
name: Supporting Groudon
move 1: Toxic / Thunder Wave / Roar
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Claw / Overheat
item: Leftovers / Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 156 Atk / 32 Def / 60 SpD / 8 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>Groudon, while commonly seen as a dominating physical sweeper, can also play the part of support, hindering the walls that usually stop it. With access to fantastic utility moves such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, sturdy defenses and massive Hit Points, Groudon can survive a wide variety of hits while setting up.</p>

<p>The premise of this set is to lure in walls like Lugia and Cresselia and then proceed to break them with Toxic. The pair, arguably Groudon's greatest counters, are almost immediately shut down by Toxic. Lugia and Cresselia can only recover off the staving effects of poison so many times before falling. Any walls that are immune to Toxic, especially Steel-types such as Dialga, Forretress and Skarmory all take a hefty beating out of Fire Punch or Earthquake. Roar is an option to phaze and scout an opponent's team, constantly whittling down the opposition in the process if Stealth Rock is up.</p>

<p>Stealth Rock is an all-purpose utility move that also greatly damages Lugia. In tandem with Toxic, this residual damage can add up very quickly, on almost any Pokémon. The pair will leave your opponent trapped between a rock and a very hard place. If they stay in, they will be whittled slowly down by Toxic, and if they switch out, Stealth Rock will batter them next time they come in. Thunder Wave is an option if you either do not need Stealth Rock or Toxic. Together with Toxic, Groudon can utilize the age old strategy of double-status, first poisoning a defensive wall like Lugia, then paralyzing an incoming sweeping threat such as Mewtwo or Kyogre. When paralyzed, such threats are of little danger, disabling their ability to switch in again as Groudon can shoot off two Earthquakes before either make a move.</p>

<p>Dragon/Ground gives phenomenal type coverage in Ubers, hitting almost everything for at least neutral. Overheat may be used over Dragon Claw if your team is threatened by Spikes coming from the likes of Forretress or Skarmory. However, this will leave Groudon very vulnerable to Rayquaza who is immune to Earthquake, nullifies the sun's boost on fire attacks and resists the weakened the Overheat.</p>

<p>The EVs invested in Special Defense, in conjunction with maximum Hit Points, are tailored to the current metagame. They ensure that Lugia's Ice Beam is a mere 4HKO giving you ample time to set up Stealth Rock and Toxic. Groudon is also only 2HKOed by the standard Latias' Dragon Pulse 23% of the time after factoring in Soul Dew and Leftovers. In the mean time, you will be able to wear away at its durability by poisoning it or just by using Dragon Claw. The EVs placed in Defense will guarantee your survival against an Outrage from a Jolly Rayquaza with one Dragon Dance under its belt.</p>

<p>There are two other EV spreads to consider. The first is 252 HP / 60 Atk / 136 Def / 60 SpD with an Impish nature. This gives Groudon more physical bulk, in particular allowing Groudon to survive a 2+ Close Combat from a Life Orb Lucario even after taking damage from Spikes. The Attack EVs allow Groudon to always 2HKO Garchomp with Dragon Claw, while Garchomp will not be able to 2HKO Groudon with Outrage due to Leftovers recovery.</p>

<p>The other EV spread is 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD with a Careful nature. With this EV spread, Palkia will be unable to 2HKO Groudon with an unboosted Spacial Rend, while Groudon will 2HKO it with Dragon Claw. The standard 204 SpA Latias will do 77% maximum with Grass Knot, which means that Groudon can cripple it with Toxic or Thunder Wave before switching it out. When Latias lacks Grass Knot, Groudon can easily beat it with Dragon Claw, as Dragon Pulse will never 2HKO Groudon. The 32 Defense EVs are once again here to survive a 1+ Outrage from a Jolly Rayquaza.</p>

<p>This Groudon set can work well as a lead with some small adjustments. When using a lead Groudon, its best to use the same EV spread as the Careful Groudon, but with a Sassy nature and a Speed IV of 0. Lead Groudon should also be using Thunder Wave over Toxic and be holding a Chesto Berry. The reason Groudon is using minimum Speed is because when facing a Kyogre lead, Groudon’s Drought will cancel out Kyogre’s rain (unless it is a speed tie, which means that Kyogre is using a Speed reducing nature and 0 Speed IVs as well). Thanks to Groudon’s heavy investment in Special Defense, Groudon will live through an Ice Beam and be able to use Stealth Rock. When facing a Darkrai lead, Groudon should use Thunder Wave. The Chesto berry not only guards Groudon from Dark Void, but it also keeps Darkrai paralyzed even if it uses Trick, unlike the Lum Berry. When facing Deoxys-A, it is often best to hit it with Earthquake, and then switch to a faster Pokémon that can take Deoxys-A’s next attack (such as switching Choice Scarf Dialga into a Grass Knot). Unfortunately, Deoxys-S is always going to be able to get Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes up. Because of this, it is recommended to either have Forretress on the team to Rapid Spin the entry hazards way, or to have a team that Stealth Rock and Spikes do not harm too much.</p>

<p>This set still has trouble dealing with Giratina, as it can simply remove its Toxic status by resting, simultaneously threatening a burn with Will-o-Wisp if it runs Sleep Talk. Supporting Groudon, as the name implies, is not meant to sweep, even after the opponent's walls the have been brought down. It is best used alongside Physical sweepers like Bulk Up Dialga or Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as the pair can beat Giratina one on one.</p>

<p>While on the surface, this set does not look like your typical wall breaker, Supporting Groudon can put the pressure on Lugia, Ubers' foremost physical wall. With Lugia crippled by Stealth Rock and afflicted by Toxic, team mates such as Physical (Swords Dance or Dragon Dance) Rayquaza and Bulk Up Dialga can step in and run through a team unhindered by Reflect or Whirlwind. Choice Band Garchomp also can perform better, as Jolly Outrage will 2HKO a slower Lugia after Stealth Rock and two turns of Toxic damage.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Stone Edge / Fire Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Swords Dance Groudon has become far less powerful than in the previous generation with the advent of a more Water-based metagame, but can still be a formidable opponent to contend with. The strategy to using this set is rather simple: Swords Dance when the chance is available and proceed in an attempt to sweep.</p>

<p>As usual, Earthquake is a reliable STABed attack. The last two moves should be selected in complementary pairs, namely Dragon Claw/Stone Edge and Shadow Claw/Fire move. Usually, the former combination is superior due to its higher and more reliable power, but the latter pair also occasionally comes in handy. For example, while Dragon Claw often fails to OHKO Latias that have defensive investment, Shadow Claw critical hits invariably succeed in doing so. The dilemma as to which Fire-type move to choose (to rend apart Steel-types that are immune to Earthquake) has been discussed in the previous section.</p>

<p>A Jolly nature helps this Groudon out speed Adamant Rayquaza and Modest Kyogre, and is an excellent supplement to the setup nature of this set, while Adamant affords Groudon a significant amount of power. However, if one elects to use an Adamant nature, one may find the EV spread given for the Choice Band Groudon to be preferable (which is 252 HP / 216 Atk / 32 Def / 8 Spe), as well as Leftovers over Life Orb for more survivability, because, truth be told, there are almost no Ubers that lie with the domain of 218-279 Speed other than some abnormally fast Giratina and other Groudon. In the end, though, it is Groudon’s Speed, or lack of it by Uber standards, that make the Swords Dance set moribund in this metagame. No matter where Groudon is, it will almost undeniably find itself face to face with something faster that is able to knock it out immediately.</p>

<p>When using this Groudon set, its main advantage over all the other Groudon sets that use Swords Dance should be capitalized; the ability to use 3 attacks. With the 3 attacks listed, Groudon can crush almost every Pokémon used in the Uber metagame with the exceptions of Giratina, Skarmory (when using Stone Edge), and Lugia (when using Fire Punch). Unlike the other Groudon sets utilizing Swords Dance, this one lacks a way to fix its low Speed, which is the biggest problem with this set. Thus, paralysis support is almost necessary if one wants to use this over Groudon’s other sweeping sets. Kyogre is a great user of Thunder Wave to pair with this Groudon. Kyogre will often lure in Latias and Palkia. If Kyogre paralyzes them, they will have no chance of stopping Groudon from sweeping. Lugia can often lure in Mewtwo and Darkrai, only to cripple them with Thunder Wave, which once again is very helpful for this Groudon. Giratina-O can often lure in Latias, Kyogre, and Choice Scarf Dialga, and once again cripple them with Thunder Wave.</p>

[SET]
name: ParaDancer
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
EVs: 200 HP / 112 Atk / 110 Def / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set looks unusual but is effective when used properly. The main idea is to figure out who switches into Groudon. Think of Lugia as the prime example as he attempts to stall you out with Reflect and Roost, leaving you useless. This set proposes a different idea than the normal "hit and run" strategy or cripple everything in sight strategy. Instead, it meshes the ideas together for quite the posing threat. It's best to Thunder Wave in the early-game when everything is faster than Groudon. Most Pokémon that switch-in to take Groudon's attacks aren't usually a Ground-type themselves so this makes the strategy even more appealing. After crippling some necessary Pokémon you can Swords Dance while the opponent switches or on Pokémon that don't pose an immediate threat to you. After that you can tear apart everything with STAB Earthquake and a boosted Stone Edge. Keep in mind that Stealth Rock is necessary on this set to help generate necessary OHKOs and 2HKOs after a Swords Dance. Without Stealth Rock you will have a harder time beating down your usual counters even with paralysis on your side.</p>

<p>The reason why paralysis is the crux of this set is for many reasons. First off, Lugia will have a difficult time blocking Stone Edges as Roost will not remove the Rock weakness. Then the 25% chance of being fully paralyzed is also a benefit and allows free Swords Dances or even more spamming of his attacks. Finally having a Pokémon slower than Groudon is always a benefit for you and trouble for your opponent.</p>

<p>The EVs here seem somewhat complicated but work well together. 200 HP EVs grant 391 HP, effectively minimizing damage taken by Poison, Burn and Spikes while retaining a medium amount of Leftovers recovery. The Attack EVs guarantee that Lugia is grounded down after a Swords Danced Stone Edge. The Speed EVs generate 238 Speed which is just enough to outpace neutral base 100s with no Speed. The rest is thrown into Defense for durability.</p>

<p>Paradance Groudon’s focus on paralysis not only helps itself sweep, but is also extremely helpful to the many powerful but slow Pokémon of the Uber environment. A very good example of this kind of partner is Choice Specs Kyogre. Some people will be tempted to predict an Earthquake, and switch in either Latias or Shaymin-S. With Shaymin-S crippled by paralysis, it will no longer be able to revenge kill Kyogre. Latias will also be unable to use Recover in time before two Ice Beams from Choice Specs Kyogre finishes it off. Giratina-O benefits in a similar way, as a paralyzed Latias has no chance of stopping a Calm Mind Giratina-O from sweeping. If Lugia is paralyzed, that means that a Swords Dance Rayquaza can out speed Lugia and OHKO it with a 2+ Outrage. Most offensive Dialga of any kind will greatly appreciate the paralysis support, especially mixed Dialga. Mixed Dialga can also destroy both Skarmory and Giratina with almost no problems, which means that Groudon itself will have a much easier time sweeping. Wobbuffet can also benefit from the paralysis. If Groudon paralyzes a Pokémon such as Lugia, it may attempt to Reflect. If you switch Wobbuffet in, Wobbuffet can use Encore before Lugia moves due to the paralysis Speed drop, and thus easily set up a Pokémon such as Darkrai to sweep</p>

[SET]
name: SubSalac
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
move 4: Substitute
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 HP

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is a variant of the previous set that sacrifices versatility for the usage of Substitute and Salac Berry to boost Groudon's middling Speed and, more importantly, a much more favorable confrontation with Giratina. The 30 HP IV is there so that Salac Berry activates after using three Substitutes. Groudon can come into a Blissey's Softboiled, Seismic Toss, or Thunder Wave, and Swords Dance as they move to Giratina, and then Substitute as Giratina fails miserably trying to Will-o-Wisp the Substitute. Even more to its downfall, Dragon Claw isn't powerful enough to break the Substitutes, allowing Groudon to score even more Swords Dances. Due to the prevalence of terrorizing special attackers in Ubers, it is advised that one puts up a Substitute as often as possible, until Salac Berry activates, for if Groudon's Substitute breaks, and Latias or Mewtwo decides to barge in before Groudon sets up another Substitute, it will end its sweep.</p>

<p>The choice of the second attacking move is either that of possibly OHKOing Latios after one Swords Dance (Dragon Claw) or to do more against the likes of Lugia and Rayquaza (Stone Edge). Shadow Claw would not be a good choice here as its only redeeming aspect, that of scoring a critical hit against the likes of Latias, is rather moot for this set. Groudon can use Substitute as Latios or Latias switch in and then use it again repeatedly until Salac Berry activates, leaving the final Substitute intact. It outruns its foe and uses Swords Dance in the next turn while the opponent breaks its Substitute, after which Groudon delivers the finishing blow with its secondary attack.</p>

<p>In spite of the fact that this set utilizes Salac Berry to boost Groudon's Speed, a Jolly nature is still recommended as it will allow it to out speed Modest Choice Scarf Kyogre after the Salac boost.</p>

<p>Despite the speed boost granted by Salac Berry, Groudon is still hampered by its middling speed. Paralysis support is again a welcome addition, as a lucky turn of full paralysis can grant Groudon a free Swords Dance or Substitute. This set has trouble against priority attackers such as Scizor, Rayquaza, Lucario, and Metagross if Salac Berry has already been activated, but your Substitute has been taken down. It is therefore best to eliminate these threats before attempting a Sub Salac sweep. Dialga deserves mention as it resists Extremespeed and Bullet Punch, while also being able to wreck Lugia and Giratina, who usually wall this set. Magnezone is another option to trap Scizor and Metagross (as most either carry Choice Items or forgo Fighting-type attacks), while also defeating Forretress, a Pokémon that can withstand a few Earthquakes while setting up Toxic Spikes that would later encumber Groudon.</p>

<p>Wobbuffet can come in very handy and should almost always be running alongside SubSalac Groudon. Its bulk allows it to Counter or Mirror Coat choice scarf Pokémon such as Garchomp and Palkia, who outrun Groudon even after its Salac boost. Using Encore on support moves or Electric-type attacks will also allow Groudon a free switch in and a free turn to set up a Substitute. Lastly, with Tickle and a Pursuit user waiting in the wings (Scizor works particularly well with Wobbuffet) it can also spell certain doom for that ever annoying Giratina or Lugia.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Fire Punch / Overheat
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 216 Atk / 32 Def / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Groudon is commonly used to hit and run, setting up the sunlight while it’s at it. With Choice Band boosting its already massive Attack score, it can easily exploit the generally lower physical Defense found on Uber Pokémon. With this set, Groudon is capable of striking many Ubers very hard; Earthquake is a general STAB attack which leaves a huge dent in anything not immune or resistant to it. The other three attacks cover everything that Earthquake does not. Stone Edge damages Lugia badly and easily KOs Ho-oh; Dragon Claw destroys Latias and Latios, and also provides some extra power against Giratina and Palkia. The Fire move to wreck Skarmory, Forretress and Bronzong is a choice between Fire Punch and Overheat, both of which receive what is tantamount to a STAB boost thanks to Drought. Fire Punch works off Groudon’s enormous Attack, doesn’t carry an annoying side effect such as a Special Attack drop, and helps in situations where prediction is required, such as between Skarmory and Blissey; Overheat should only be used if one is paranoid about knocking out Skarmory in one hit, as it does equal or less damage to everything else.</p>

<p>Be careful as to not become overly predictable when using this set by spamming Earthquake multiple times, though, as Ground is a type many Ubers enjoy taking advantage of, and a free turn in Ubers often results in fatal consequences. In fact, it is often advisable to begin one’s assault with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw in order to catch many Pokémon for decent damage, possibly crippling or completely annihilating a brave Lugia, Latias or Latios that attempts to switch in directly.</p>

<p>The EVs given for this set allow for a combination of durability and power. The combination of HP and Defense EVs allows this Groudon to survive a Rayquaza Outrage that is boosted by both a Life Orb and a Dragon Dance. Meanwhile, the small amount in Speed helps it outrun fellow Ubers that rarely invest in Speed, such as Giratina and Dialga.</p>

<p>What stops Choice Band Groudon from dominating the physically frail Uber metagame is its less than staggering speed. As such, a team that can provide paralysis support will greatly aid Groudon's sweep. Pokémon such as Lugia, which usually lure in special attackers such as Darkrai, Kyogre, and Palkia can neutralize all such threats with a Thunder Wave on the switch. Similarly, a Kyogre of your own can help to lure in Palkia, Latias, and Latios, also utilizing an uncommon in Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>While Stealth Rock is a great addition to any sweeper, it presents a pseudo Rock / Ground coverage, a two-type combination that hits hard. For example, Lugia, Shaymin-S, and Rayquaza can switch in to an Earthquake with impunity, however with Stealth Rock in place, the three will lose 25% of their hit points. Dialga makes a good candidate for setting up Stealth Rock as Dialga is also capable of slowing down various threats with Thunder Wave. Dialga can also lure in Lugia and cripple it with Toxic. There are also ways to take advantage of these switch ins as well. In Lugia’s case, Taunt Mewtwo can switch in and use Lugia as set up time as long as it avoids Toxic. In a similar manner, Darkrai can switch in and put Lugia to sleep, setting up on it. For Rayquaza, a Choice Scarf Dialga will put an end to Swords Dance Rayquaza, while Dragon Dance Rayquaza will be beaten by Choice Scarf Palkia. Choice Scarf Gengar has the bonus of beating both Dragon Dance and Swords Dance Rayquaza. Mixed Rayquaza is far more difficult to deal with. The best bet against that is a Bold Lugia with 248 Speed evs. Finally, Shaymin-S’s plans are foiled by Choice Scarf Dialga, who sports a 4x resistance to Seed Flare and can OHKO with Draco Meteor.</p>

<p>Offensively, Groudon pairs well with a Choice Specs or Mixed Rayquaza, who can switch in on Grass and Water-type attacks reasonably well, lure in standard physical walls such as opposing Bulky Groudon or Lugia and batter them down, potentially 2HKOing with Draco Meteor. Likewise, unpredictable Mixed Dialga sets work well at luring in physical walls, then smacking them hard. Wobbuffet with Tickle, alongside a Pursuit user can also effectively break Lugia and/or Giratina.</p>

[Other Options]
<p>Groudon as the option of using a Rest + Sleep Talk set, which can be helpful for stall teams. Safeguard will stop Giratina that don’t carry Roar from burning Groudon. Fling while Groudon is holding an Iron Ball will OHKO Lugia after a Swords Dance, provided Lugia doesn’t set up the precautionary Reflect before it attempts to Whirlwind Groudon and its boosts away. Don’t even consider any special moves aside from Overheat, because Groudon’s noticeably inferior Special Attack and the general surplus of Pokémon with high Special Defense in Ubers will prevent them from doing much damage.</p>

[EVs]
<p>All Groudon should focus on boosting Attack to increase the damage of their attacks. With an Adamant nature, it is better to dump the remaining EVs in HP and Defense to aid switching in, while on a Groudon with a Jolly nature it is acceptable to maximize Speed to outrun some Pokémon in the 95-100 base Speed area.</p>

<p>In the SubSalac set, some Attack EVs can be sacrificed for a bit of HP to have a sturdier Substitute and a chance of boosting Attack with Swords Dance more than once.</p>

<p>The Rock Polish set should use the recommended EV spread. 136 Speed EVs give 250 Speed, or 500 after a Rock Polish. Max Attack is necessary and given HP EVs allow maximum use of Life Orb. The remainder should be thrown in Defense.</p>

[Team Options]
<p>Much like most offensive Pokémon, Groudon appreciates Stealth Rock support. This is especially important for Groudon, as Flying-type Pokémon such as Shaymin-S, Lugia, and Rayquaza are common switch-ins to Groudon’s Earthquakes. Like the other slow but powerful Uber Pokémon, Groudon will greatly benefit from paralysis support. A Kyogre with Thunder Wave can lure Latias and Palkia in. With these threats paralyzed, revenge killing Groudon can be much tougher. Defensive Groudon will also become much harder to take down with Wish support. All three of the Wish users of Ubers (Blissey, Latias, and Jirachi) are very useful teammates for Groudon. Blissey, in addition to providing Wish, will also take the extremely powerful Special Attacks that are aimed at Groudon with little problems in most cases. Latias is one of the few Pokémon that can take on Choice Specs Kyogre, which may switch in on Groudon. Latias also resists Water and Grass, both of which are Groudon’s weaknesses. Finally, Jirachi resists Grass and Ice attacks for Groudon, and can use Body Slam to paralyze foes so Groudon can have an easier time sweeping.</p>

<p>There are 3 main walls that can stop Groudon’s sweep: Giratina, Lugia (unless Groudon is a Rock Polish or Paradance user with Stone Edge), and Skarmory (unless Groudon has Overheat or Fire Punch). Mixed Rayquaza makes an excellent teammate for Groudon because of these walls. Rayquaza can lure in Lugia, only to 2HKO it with Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock damage. If Skarmory switches in, it not only takes a heavy amount of damage from Draco Meteor, but is also roasted by Fire Blast. Support Dialga holding Leftovers can also be a good lure. Lugia might be switched in, expecting Bulk Up, only to be crippled by Toxic. Dialga can also destroy Skarmory with Flamethrower, and Giratina with Draco Meteor. Although Mewtwo will not enjoy status moves, Mewtwo can use a combination of Taunt and Calm Mind to set up on Lugia, Skarmory, and Giratina. Tyranitar can also do the same with Taunt and Dragon Dance, though it must be careful about Giratina's Will-O-Wisps. When a Tickle Wobbuffet is paired with a Pursuit user such as Scizor or Tyranitar, Lugia can be easily eliminated. Finally, Choice Specs Kyogre can do a destroy Skarmory and Lugia with Thunder, while Giratina is 2HKOed by Ice Beam.</p>

<p>Groudon's biggest problems involve faster Pokémon exploiting its Special Defense. Shaymin-S causes some serious problems for Groudon. If equipped with a Choice Scarf, even an Adamant Rock Polish Groudon is out sped and OHKOed by Seed Flare. All other Groudon are out sped and OHKOed by Seed Flare regardless of whether or not Shaymin-S is holding Choice Scarf. Latias and Latios can switch into Groudon's Earthquakes, and use Grass Knot to OHKO it. Though it has a difficult time switching into Groudon, Choice Specs Kyogre can easily OHKO Groudon with Surf. Palkia can also do a massive amount of damage to Groudon with Draco Meteor. Mewtwo can also easily 2HKO Groudon with an unboosted Ice Beam. Because of all these issues with taking Special Attacks, Blissey can be a good choice as a partner for Groudon. Blissey can easily take on Shaymin-S as long as it lacks Leech Seed, while Latias and Latios will eventually succumb to Toxic damage. Latias can be used to take on Choice Specs Kyogre, and has the bonus of being able to revenge kill Palkia that lack Choice Scarf as well. Scizor is another Pokémon that can greatly aid Groudon. Scizor can take Seed Flares from Shaymin-S, and use Bullet Punch to bypass Air Slash's flinching ability (watch out for Hidden Power Fire). Scizor can easily switch into Latias's Grass Knots as well, and threaten to either OHKO with U-Turn or do a severe amount of damage with Pursuit as it flees. Scizor can also destroy Mewtwo that lack a Fire attack in the same way. Finally, Scizor can take a Draco Meteor from Choice Scarf Palkia, and then use U-turn to do a severe amount of damage if it dares stay in. Choice Band Metagross can accomplish a similar feat, only instead of using U-turn, Metagross can slam opponents with a STAB Meteor Mash and use Explosion. Metagross also has the bonus of being able to use its Clear Body ability to prevent Special Defense drops from Seed Flare.</p>

<p>When looking for defensive combinations for Groudon, it is best to look for Pokémon that resist Grass and Ice attacks, and Water attacks to a lesser extent (due to Drought lowering their power). Kyogre should always be considered when using Groudon, not only because of its resistances to Ice and Water, but also because Kyogre will often lure Choiced Thunders from Palkia, Dialga, or other Kyogre. Groudon can switch into these Choiced Thunders thanks to its immunity to Electric attacks, and easily set up on them. Scizor and Forretress are excellent examples of this, because both have a 4x resist to Grass attacks, and sport a resistance to Ice. Metagross also resists Ice and Grass attacks for Groudon. Latias is one of the few Pokémon that can take on Choice Specs Kyogre, and should always be considered for use with Groudon thanks to its Water and Grass resistances. Although Shaymin-S is not a sturdy Pokémon, its 4x resistance to Grass attacks can be handy for Groudon. Giratina and Giratina-O can cover Groudon's weaknesses to Water attacks and Grass attacks as well. Dialga, in addition to having a resistance to Water, also provides a 4x resistance to Grass attacks. Rayquaza also has a resistance to Water and a 4x resistance to Grass attacks, but unfortunately will attract a lot of Ice attacks, which Groudon is also weak to.</p>

<p>Groudon's ability, Drought, can benefit several Pokémon with its eternal Sunlight. These Pokémon are Ho-oh, Heatran, Jumpluff, Shiftry, and Exeggutor. With both Groudon's sunlight and Rapid Spin support from Forretress, Ho-oh can be an incredibly hard to stop threat once Kyogre is down, as Sacred Fire will be more powerful than most Draco Meteors in the sunlight! Choice Scarf Palkia will also only be able to 3HKO Ho-oh in the sun, thus Ho-oh can out stall it with Roost. Ho-oh also benefits Groudon because Ho-oh has a 4x resistance to Grass attacks. Heatran can work in a similar manner once Kyogre is down. Heatran's Fire Blasts are so powerful in the Sunlight that even a Timid Heatran will 2HKO a Lugia with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage. Heatran also helps Groudon with its 4x resistances to both Grass and Ice. With the sun to support it, Jumpluff becomes an almost unstoppable user of Substitute and Leech Seed, as the sun boosts Jumpluff's Speed stat to a massive 700 Speed, which means that only a Choice Scarf Deoxys-S can out speed it! Jumpluff can also use Encore to force Pokémon such as Darkrai to repeat their set up move, allowing Jumpluff more opportunities to abuse its combination of Leech Seed and Substitute. Jumpluff can also use Sleep Powder to stop sweeps from Pokémon such as Mewtwo and Garchomp. Jumpluff's 4x resistance to Grass is especially useful in this case, because Jumpluff can switch into Grass attacks aimed at Groudon, and then use Encore to set up its Leech Seed madness once more. Shiftry can become a sweeping threat when under the sun, thanks to the Speed doubling effects of Chlorophyll. Due to its Grass and Dark STAB moves, Shiftry can hit a large amount of the Uber metagame for super effective damage. A 4 HP / 0 SpD Mewtwo is always OHKOed by a Life Orb Dark Pulse, while Latias, Lugia, and Giratina are 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage. Grass Knot will easily OHKO Groudon, 2HKO Palkia, and 2HKO Kyogre if it attempts to get rid of Shitry's sunlight. With Wobbuffet's support, Shiftry can sometimes get a chance to use Nasty Plot, which will allow it to OHKO all the threats mentioned above. Exeggutor functions similarly to Shiftry, except Exeggutor loses Dark Pulse, Nasty Plot, and Speed. To make up for this, Exeggutor has the ability to survive a Bullet Punch from Scizor, and OHKO it with Hidden Power Fire. Exeggutor also has Sleep Powder, which can cripple Pokémon that attempt to counter it.</p>

[Opinion]
<p>When looking at Groudon at first, it may seem like it is not too effective in the Special Attack based Uber metagame. Kyogre has received many benefits, and is almost certainly one of the most significant threats in D/P, bringing along with it Palkia, which benefits enormously from the rain Kyogre stirs up, and Latias, which is one of the few reliable counters to both Pokémon. All three are capable of outrunning and destroying Groudon. Being one of the slowest Ubers doesn't aid its cause much, and neither does being weak to the incredibly widespread Ice Beam and having one of the lowest Special Defense scores in its environment. Also destructive to Groudon's reign is the advent of several Pokémon in DPP including Shaymin-S, which is capable of out speeding and OHKOing Groudon with Seed Flare, and Giratina, whose Will-o-Wisp forces Groudon to second-guess itself.</p>

<p>However, Groudon's move pool has made it far more deadly than it looks. Groudon has gained in physical moves such as Dragon Claw and Stone Edge, which can make Latias and Lugia think twice before switching in. Groudon has also gained Rock Polish, which in conjunction with Life Orb can allow Groudon to crush teams that do not have a specific answer for it. Groudon has access to Stealth Rock, a very valuable move that many Pokémon in the Uber metagame lack. Greatest of all is Groudon's huge 150 base Attack stat, which allows Groudon to do a massive amount of damage to the many Pokémon in Ubers that focus on investing in Special Defense. Despite its shortcomings, Groudon's ability to support teams and to sweep make it a valuable asset to almost any team.</p>

[Counters]
<p>Cresselia is probably the best counter for Groudon that exists; it has high HP and Defense that can quite easily take the best that Groudon can throw at it, along with a Moonlight that is boosted in sunlight to roughly 67% of healing. It can even set up a Reflect to stay alive longer. While Groudon struggles to destroy it, Cresselia can use Grass Knot or Ice Beam for good amounts of direct damage or Toxic to whittle Groudon down slowly. However, Cresselia isn't particularly useful in Ubers aside from a few very specific tasks and is often substituted for by others.</p>

<p>Lugia works similarly to Cresselia in countering Groudon. It can also use Reflect to reduce damage from Groudon's attacks. While the weakness to Stone Edge may sound disheartening, Lugia's Pressure ability will cut the Rock move's already meager 8 PP in half, and its Roost will allow it to dump the Rock weakness for a turn assuming it is EVed to out speed Groudon. Additionally, if Groudon decides to use Swords Dance, Whirlwind will blow away its plans easily. In any situation, Ice Beam is always helpful to land a solid hit. Skarmory can switch into Groudon that lack Fire moves, and set up Spikes or use Whirlwind to phaze Groudon.</p>

<p>Tangrowth can take Earthquakes and Stone Edges with its fantastic 100 base HP and 125 base Defense, out speed Groudon with the help of Chlorophyll, and dispose of it with a Grass Knot. Be careful to not switch into a Fire attack, and Overheat in particular, however. Exeggutor works almost identically, except it is limited to fewer switch-in opportunities due to its 5 fewer HP base points and 40 fewer Defense base points. Giratina isn't particularly reliable in countering Groudon due to the facts that it has no reliable recovery outside of Rest and it must rely on Will-O-Wisp's sketchy 75% accuracy to stop it, but is an excellent last resort. Like Lugia, it can remove Groudon from the battlefield with Roar in case it gets greedy with Swords Dances.</p>

<p>Latias and Latios should never be counted on to counter Groudon, but generally fare decently as long as they avoid a Dragon Claw, Shadow Claw, or critical hit Stone Edge. Once in, they have a far easier time; all that is required is a simple Grass Knot or Ice Beam to obliterate most Groudon. In the end, most Uber Pokémon are capable of dealing with Groudon by exploiting its low Special Defense and abusing the aforementioned plethora of Ice attacks, but not every Pokémon has a particularly easy time switching in.</p>
 
First Draft, first set. If this style/prose is acceptable, i'll add similiar comments to all other sets in the Groudon Analysis. Thanks in advance!

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Fire Punch / Overheat
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 216 Atk / 32 Def / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Groudon is commonly used to hit and run, setting up the sunlight while it’s at it. With Choice Band boosting its already massive Attack score, it can easily exploit the generally lower physical Defense found on Uber Pokémon. With this set, Groudon is capable of striking many Ubers very hard; Earthquake is a general STAB attack which leaves a huge dent in anything not immune or resistant to it. The other three attacks cover everything that Earthquake does not. Stone Edge damages Lugia badly and easily KOs Ho-oh; Dragon Claw destroys Latias and Latios, and also provides some extra power against Giratina and Palkia. The Fire move to wreck Skarmory, Forretress and Bronzong is a choice between Fire Punch and Overheat, both of which receive what is tantamount to a STAB boost thanks to Drought. Fire Punch works off Groudon’s enormous Attack, doesn’t carry an annoying side effect such as a Special Attack drop, and helps in situations where prediction is required, such as between Skarmory and Blissey; Overheat should only be used if one is paranoid about knocking out Skarmory in one hit, as it does equal or less damage to everything else.</p>

<p>Be careful as to not become overly predictable when using this set by spamming Earthquake multiple times, though, as Ground is a type many Ubers enjoy taking advantage of, and a free turn in Ubers often results in fatal consequences. In fact, it is often advisable to begin one’s assault with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw in order to catch many Pokémon for decent damage, possibly crippling or completely annihilating a brave Lugia, Latias or Latios that attempts to switch in directly.</p>

<p>The EVs given for this set allow for a combination of durability and power. The combination of HP and Defense EVs allows this Groudon to survive a Rayquaza Outrage that is boosted by both a Life Orb and a Dragon Dance. Meanwhile, the small amount in Speed helps it outrun fellow Ubers that rarely invest in Speed, such as Giratina and Dialga.</p>

<p>What stops Choice Band Groudon from dominating the physically frail Uber metagame is its less than staggering speed. As such, a team that can provide paralysis support will greatly aid Groudon's sweep. Pokemon such as Lugia, which usually lure in special attackers such as Darkrai, Kyogre, and Palkia can neutralize all such threats with a Thunder Wave on the switch. Similiarly, a Kyogre of your own can help to lure in Palkia, Latias, and Latios, also utilizing an uncommon in Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>While Stealth Rock is a great addition to any sweeper, it presents a pseudo Rock/Ground coverage, a two-type combination that hits hard. For example, Lugia and Rayquaza can switch in to an Earthquake with impunity; however with Stealth Rock in place, the two will lose 25% of their hit points. Dialga makes a good candidate for setting up Stealth Rock as Dialga is also capable of slowing down various threats with Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>Offensively, Groudon pairs well with a Choice Specs or Mixed Rayquaza, who can switch in on Grass and Water-type attacks reasonably well, lure in standard physical walls such as opposing bulky Groudon or Lugia and batter them down, potentially 2HKOing with Draco Meteor. Likewise, unpredictable Mixed Dialga sets work well at luring in physical walls, then smacking them hard.</p>
Your prose is good, IMO, although you use UK English (the superior form >_>). So stylistically I'd say it's OK! I can't comment on Pokémon content, but I imagine you're quite justified there.
 
Kyogre and Palkia can neutralise all such threats with a Thunder Wave on the switch.
maybe it's just me, but in Canada, we always spell neutralize with a z. This might be different in British English, though I have no reccolection of that lol.
 
You might want to mention gravity support which can easily be provided by Blissey or jirachi. Which allows STAB eq to decimate everything.
 
Thanks, sorry i'm Australian and thus use British English, lol.

I was considering mentioning Gravity support, but really it's too unfeasible.

I've never personally seen or used a successful Gravity team in Ubers.
 
Added in Team Options on the SubSalac set and the Supporting Groudon set.

Swords Dance plays so similiarly to Choice Band (as far as team options go). It would basically be a mash up of the team options of SubSalac and Choice Band.
 

Colonel M

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Once this is done Train Man, I'd like to ask if it is possible to re-arrange the sets, since Choice Band isn't heavily used anymore. Nowadays the rage is toward the ParaDancer, the Rock Polish set, or the Support Groudon.

I'm curious about testing a set similair to the SubSalac, but reversing it to SubLiechi. If I get around trying this, I'll post how it is or just write up the set if you'd like. Same premise as the SubSalac, just slapping Rock Polish over Swords Dance and Liechi Berry over Salac.
 

Theorymon

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Okay, Train Man asked me a while ago on Shoddy if I could finish the rest of Groudon for him, so expect me to PM him the rest of it by Monday at the latest.
 

Syberia

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Not much wrong with this except perhaps a few grammatical things

Groudon can come into a Blissey's Softboiled or so ...
"Groudon can come into a Blissey's Softboiled, Seismic Toss, or Thunder Wave" is what I think you were trying to say.

Due to the prevalence of terrorizing special attackers in ubers, it is advised that one puts up a Substitute as often as possible, until Salac Berry activates, for if Groudon's Substitute breaks, and Latias or Mewtwo decides to barge in before Groudon sets up another Substitute, it will end its sweep.</p>
Tense.

<p>The choice of the second attacking move is either that of possibly OHKOing Latios after one Swords Dance (Dragon Claw) or to do more against the likes of Lugia and Rayquaza (Stone Edge).
"One between..." sounds better, but it's probably correct as is.

<p>Despite the speed boost granted by Salac Berry, Groudon is still hampered by its middling speed. Paralysis support is again a welcome addition, as a lucky turn of full paralysis can grant Groudon a free Swords Dance or Substitute.

Your commas were out of place.

It is therefore best to eliminate these threats before attempting a Sub Salac sweep.
Unnecessary comma between best and to

while also defeating Forretress, a pokemon that can withstand a few Earthquakes while setting up Toxic Spikes that would later encumber Groudon.
Comma instead of semicolon

Lastly, with Tickle and a Pursuit user waiting in the wings (Scizor works particuarlly well with Wobbuffet) it can also spell certain doom for that ever annoying Giratina or Lugia.</p>
Unnecessary comma between user and waiting



[SET]
name: Supporting Groudon
move 1: Toxic / Roar
move 2: Stealth Rock / Thunder Wave
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Claw / Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 60 SpD / 8 Spe / 156 Atk

[Set Comments]
<p> Groudon, while commonly seen as a dominating physical sweeper, can also play the part of support, hindering the walls that usually stop it. With access to fantastic utility moves such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, sturdy defenses and massive Hit Points, Groudon can survive a wide variety of hits while setting up. </p>

<p> The premise of this set is to lure in walls like Lugia and Cresselia and then proceed to break them with Toxic. The pair, arguably Groudon's greatest counters, are almost immediately shut down by Toxic. Lugia and Cresselia can only recover off the staving effects of poison (saying Toxic twice is a little redundant) so many times before falling. Any walls that are immune to Toxic, especially (don't use and; steel-types are immune to toxic) Steel-types such as Dialga, Forretress and Skarmory all take a hefty beating out of Fire Punch or Earthquake. Roar is an option to phaze and scout an opponent's team, constantly whittling down the opposition in the process if Stealth Rock is up. </p>

<p> Stealth Rock is an all-purpose utility move no comma that also greatly damages Lugia. In tandem with Toxic, this residual damage can add up very quickly, on almost any pokemon. The pair will leave your opponent no comma trapped between a rock and a very hard place. If they stay in, they will be whittled slowly down by Toxic, and if they switch out, Stealth Rock will batter them next time they come in. Thunder Wave is an option no comma if you dislike Stealth Rock or have another pokemon to set up such hazards. Together with Toxic, Groudon can utilize the age old strategy of double-status, first poisoning a defensive wall like Lugia, then paralyzing an incoming sweeping threat such as Mewtwo or Kyogre. When paralyzed, such threats are of little danger, disabling their ability to switch in again as Groudon can shoot off two Earthquakes before either make a move. </p>

<p> Dragon/Ground gives phenomenal type coverage in Ubers, hitting almost everything for at least neutral. Fire Punch may be used over Dragon Claw if your team is threatened by Spikes coming from the likes of Forretress or Skarmory. However, this will leave Groudon very vulnerable to Rayquaza who is immune to Earthquake, nullifies the sun's boost on fire attacks and resists the weakened the Fire Punch. </p>

<p> The EVs invested in Special Defense, in conjunction with maximum Hit Points, are tailored to the current Metagame. They ensure that Lugia's Ice Beam is a mere 4HKO giving you ample time to set up Stealth Rock and Toxic. Groudon is also only 2HKOed by the standard Latias' Dragon Pulse 23% of the time after factoring in Soul Dew and Leftovers. In the mean time, you will be able to wear away at its (no apostrophe) durability by poisoning it or just by using Dragon Claw. The EVs placed in Defense will guarantee your survival against an Outrage from a Jolly Rayquaza with one Dragon Dance under its belt. </p>

<p> This set still has trouble dealing with Giratina, as it can simply remove its Toxic status by resting, simultaneously threatening a burn with Will-o-Wisp if it runs Sleep Talk. Supporting Groudon, as the name implies, is not meant to sweep, even after the opponent's walls the have been brought down. It is best used alongside Physical sweepers like Bulk Up Dialga or Dragon Dance Rayquaza, as the pair can beat Giratina one on one. </p>

<p>While on the surface, this set does not look like your typical wall breaker, Supporting Groudon can put the pressure on Lugia, Ubers' foremost physical wall. With Lugia crippled by Stealth Rock and afflicted by Toxic, team mates such as Physical (Swords Dance or Dragon Dance) Rayquaza and Bulk Up Dialga can step in and run through a team unhindered by Reflect or Whirlwind. Choice Band Garchomp also can perform better, as Jolly Outrage will 2HKO a slower Lugia after Stealth Rock and two turns of Toxic damage.</p>
 

Theorymon

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I'm curious about testing a set similair to the SubSalac, but reversing it to SubLiechi. If I get around trying this, I'll post how it is or just write up the set if you'd like. Same premise as the SubSalac, just slapping Rock Polish over Swords Dance and Liechi Berry over Salac.
I will test this out later, it seems like it at least deserves a mention in other options, or even a set if its really good.
 
Physically Defensive MewTwo also stops most of Groudon sets cold (only having problems with ParaDancer and his paralysis from T-Wave), so maybe it's worth a mention ? And without SR weakness and no glaring weaknesses against most Groudons I prefer to use it then Lugia most of time. And Taunt + WoW (or Ice Beam) is one of few reliable answers against Wobbufett, so you may even pair him up for example with Rock Polish Groudon to eliminate Wobbufett from stopping it. That MewTwo also doesn't mind switching on Garchomp which also may trouble some Groudon sets. So I think it's worth a shot to add it here somewhere (and for partners, Light Screen version is also fine).
 

supermarth64

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Just reading through while building my team for the Tour:

There are 3 main walls that can stop Groudon’s sweep: Giratina. Lugia (unless Groudon is a Rock Polish or Paradance user with Stone Edge) and Skarmory (unless Groudon has Overheat or Fire Punch).
Shouldn't it be:

There are 3 main walls that can stop Groudon’s sweep: Giratina, Lugia (unless Groudon is a Rock Polish or Paradance user with Stone Edge), and Skarmory (unless Groudon has Overheat or Fire Punch).
 

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