
[SET]
Gholdengo @ Choice Scarf
Name: Choice Scarf (Steel)
Ability: Good as Gold
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Make It Rain
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Focus Blast
[SET DETAILS]
Gholdengo is a good Choice Scarf user on Steel teams due to its decent Speed, great Special Attack, and ability to take out Iron Valiant and Chien-Pao. Make it Rain is Gholdengo's strongest STAB move and can take out Mamoswine, Choice Specs Hisuian Zoroark, and Baxcalibur. Shadow Ball threatens Ghost-types like Choice Specs Dragapult and Spectrier, whereas Trick allows it to Choice-lock walls like Empoleon, Hisuian Goodra, and Corviknight. Focus Blast helps against Steel-, Dark-, Normal-, and Rock-types like Kingambit, Choice Specs Greninja, Ursaluna-B, and Choice Band Hisuian Arcanine.
Skarmory is an great wall to pair with Gholdengo since it can set entry hazards with Spikes and check physical threats like Excadrill, Meowscarada, and Chien-Pao with Body Press. While Skarmory is also valuable due to its Ground Immunity, it appreciates Gholdengo's ability to absorb status moves for Skarmory with Good as Gold. Hisuian Goodra is a great special wall that is able to tank hits from Choice Specs users like Flutter Mane and Greninja, which Gholdengo appreciates. In return, Gholdengo takes out mixed attacker Iron Valiant for Hisuian Goodra. Air Balloon Heatran is essential for Steel teams due to its Fire immunity and is able to take out threats like Iron Moth and Gouging Fire with Earth Power. Heatran can also provide support with Stealth Rock and Taunt to help Gholdengo sweep late-game. Swords Dance Kingambit is a fierce setup sweeper to pair with Gholdengo, as it is able to turn the tide of a losing match by taking out threats like Ting-Lu and Hisuian Goodra with Low Kick. Iron Treads helps in the Steel mirror and Fire matchup by checking Hisuian Goodra, Ceruledge, and Hisuian Arcanine. Iron Treads also provides support with Rapid Spin. Archaludon is a strong wall that provides Thunder Wave support to paralyze Pokemon that threaten Gholdengo like the Ogerpon formes and Dragonite. After using Swords Dance, Scizor takes out Belly Drum Azumarill and Ursaluna-B with Bullet Punch and Close Combat, respectively. Sneasler also utilizes Gholdengo's Trick to set up on a Choice-locked Pokemon. Excadrill provides utility with Rapid Spin while also threatening checks like Alolan Muk and Iron Hands with Earthquake. All of Gholdengo's teammates appreciate its Fighting immunity and ability to take out the aforementioned Iron Valiant and Mamoswine.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Steel
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Thunderbolt can be run over Trick to hurt Barraskewda and Urshifu-R, but doing so would prevent Gholdengo from Choice-locking walls with Trick.
Recover lets Gholdengo maintain health after giving a foe its Choice Scarf with Trick, but it is hard to fit since using Trick is an uncommon scenario to begin with. Psyshock allows Gholdengo to take on Iron Moth and Clodsire, which can be problematic for Steel teams.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/boomp611.637295/
Quality Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/neko.542526/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/roxie.481576/
Grammar Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
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