[OVERVIEW]
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Earth Power / Earthquake
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Bold / Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Set Details
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Team Options
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Other Options
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**Grass-type pokemon**: These pokemon, such as Lilligant and Vileplume, can easily take anything Gastrodon has and OHKO it with a STAB move, although they must be wary of getting hit with a Toxic on the switch, or a Scald burn.
**Status**: Status such as Toxic from the likes of Pellipper and Mantine, which Gastrodon would otherwise have no issue checking, wears down Gastrodon fast, as it has no reliable way of curing it. This prevents it from consistently checking threats like Swords Dance Charizard as well as it could if it wasn't statused.
**Super effective coverage**: Powerful super effective coverage moves such as Life Orb Haunter's Energy Ball, Choice Specs Aurorus' Freeze-Dry, and Life Orb Charizard's or Pyroar's Hidden Power Grass will generally OHKO it.
**Special Walls**: Specially bulky pokemon such as Mega Audino, Roselia, and Sliggoo can generally switch into Gastrodon with impunity and threaten it with either STAB moves, or use Gastrodon as setup fodder, although they must be wary of Toxic; however, Roselia is immune to Toxic.
I'm doing this in a wee bit of a hurry, so just tell me if there's anything I've missed. I'd also appreciate if someone could say if curse is a worthwhile option. Thanks :]
This is also my first analysis, and I'm currently editing but can't do it all at once, so I'll post when I'm done
- Great typing allows it to check prominent threats such as Kabutops, Swords Dance Charizard, and Aggron
- Good ability in Storm Drain allows to check Water-types such as Lanturn and Samurott as well
- Incredibly vulnerable to grass-type coverage from the likes of Vileplume, Lilligant, and Pyroar
- Able to black Scald thanks to its ability Storm Drain and also block Volt Switch thanks to its Ground immunity, a trait unique to it in NU
- Access to Recover to repeatedly check said threats
- Very slow, outsped by virtually the entire tier
- Prone to being worn down by status and Spikes residual damage, forcing it to use recover more often
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Earth Power / Earthquake
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Bold / Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=======
- Scald is a very spammable move with a nifty chance to burn that also hits many of the pokemon Gastrodon counters super effectively, such as Archeops and Rhydon
- Earth Power is a good secondary STAB move, hitting several pokemon such as Electivire and Klinklang, as well as most offensive water-types such as Omastar and Kabutops super-effectively and being potentially boosted by Storm Drain; Earthquake can be used instead to hit physically frail pokemon such as Lanturn an Jynx harder than Earth Power
- Toxic racks up damage against many of Gastrodon's common switch-ins, such as Abomasnow, Lilligant, and Mantine, as well as generally bulky pokemon such as Eviolite Scyther and Mega Audino
- Recover allows Gastrodon to not be worn down and continually check threats such as Lanturn and Barbaracle
- Counter is an option over Toxic to punish attackers such as Swords Dance Rhydon and Malamr that attempt to set up on Gastrodon
Set Details
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- Hit Points and Defense are maximized to better tank physical hits from pokemon such as Scyther and Aggron
- Storm Drain allows Gastrodon to act as a Scald blocker and helps check water-types
- 12 speed is needed to outspeed minimum speed Rhydon and KO it with Scald
- Leftovers provides passive recovery alongside Recover
- If using Earthquake, use a Relaxed nature and move the 12 speed EVs to maximize defense and put the remaining EVs in Special Defense
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- Gastrodon thrives most on balanced and defensive archetypes, where it can check threatening attackers such as Shell Smash Barbaracle and Life Orb Samurott
- Be wary of Grass-types such as Shiftry and Ludicolo when using Gastrodon, as they can OHKO it with impunity
- Try to avoid status, particularly Burn and Poison, when using Gastrodon, as it cannot cure it
- Gastrodon can pivot into predicted water-type attacks from pokemon such as Floatzel and Samurott to gain the special attack boost
- Do not play recklessly with Gastrodon, as it must maintain high health to avoid being overwhelmed
- Gastrodon is able to use Recover often times in a match due to its high PP, so take advantage of this and use it often
- You should be wary when switching Gastrodon in on common Water and Fire-types such as Pyroar and Samurott, as they may carry grass-type coverage; therefore, scouting beforehand is ideal
- Scald is Gastrodon's most spammable move, and should be used often to wear down opposing switch-ins to Gastrodon with a burn
- Gastrodon works well as a physical sponge that can spread damage or cripple pokemon such as Kangaskhan, Archeops, and Primeape
Team Options
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- Gastrodon appreciates cleric support from pokemon such as Vileplume and Miltank in order to repeatedly check threats such as Archeops and Aggron without being worn down by troublesome status conditions
- Grass-types and Fire-types such as Charizard, Pyroar, Roselia, Lilligant, and Combusken share great synergy with Gastrodon; Fire types love how Gastrodon checks troublesome pokemon such as Rhydon and Kabutops and also provide a grass-type and freeze-dry switch-in, while grass-types are also able to check other grass-types and appreciate Gastrodon's ability to pivot into strong FIre-type and Flying type attackers such as Swords Dance Charizard and Swords Dance Combusken; however, they stack a weakness to Freeze-Dry
- Specially bulky pokemon such as Mega Audino and Grumpig can make up for Gastrodon's weakness to Grass-type moves and Freeze-Dry, and also provide cleric support if need be
- Pokemon that appreciate the removal of pokemon such as Rhydon and Aggron, like most Flying-types, are good partners
- Hazard removal is also important when using Gastrodon, as it gets worn down quickly by Spikes damage; as such, hazard removers such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan are greatly appreciated
Other Options
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- An offensive set utilizing either Life Orb, Choice Specs, or Leftovers can be used, but struggles with breaking down bulky cores and lacks powerful moves
- Yawn is an option to force versus pokemon that would otherwise check Gastrodon such as Vileplume, and is especially potent with Scald's ability to punish common switch-ins with a burn
- Clear Smog can be used to dissuade physical sweepers such as Malamar and Swords Dance Pinsir from trying to set up
- Curse with a spread of 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD, a Sassy Nature, and the moves Curse, Recover, Earthquake, and Scald is an option to allow Gastrodon to tank physical and special hits better and possibly sweep late-game
- Ice Beam seems tempting, but simply does not do enough damage to the premier grass-types of NU, such as Vileplume and Lilligant, to warrant a moveslot
- Mirror Coat can be used in tandem with a Rindo Berry or just Leftovers to surprise usual checks such as Grass-types like Lilligant and Shiftry, as well as lure pokemon like Hidden Power Grass Pyroar and Energy Ball Vivillon
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**Grass-type pokemon**: These pokemon, such as Lilligant and Vileplume, can easily take anything Gastrodon has and OHKO it with a STAB move, although they must be wary of getting hit with a Toxic on the switch, or a Scald burn.
**Status**: Status such as Toxic from the likes of Pellipper and Mantine, which Gastrodon would otherwise have no issue checking, wears down Gastrodon fast, as it has no reliable way of curing it. This prevents it from consistently checking threats like Swords Dance Charizard as well as it could if it wasn't statused.
**Super effective coverage**: Powerful super effective coverage moves such as Life Orb Haunter's Energy Ball, Choice Specs Aurorus' Freeze-Dry, and Life Orb Charizard's or Pyroar's Hidden Power Grass will generally OHKO it.
**Special Walls**: Specially bulky pokemon such as Mega Audino, Roselia, and Sliggoo can generally switch into Gastrodon with impunity and threaten it with either STAB moves, or use Gastrodon as setup fodder, although they must be wary of Toxic; however, Roselia is immune to Toxic.
I'm doing this in a wee bit of a hurry, so just tell me if there's anything I've missed. I'd also appreciate if someone could say if curse is a worthwhile option. Thanks :]
This is also my first analysis, and I'm currently editing but can't do it all at once, so I'll post when I'm done
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