[OVERVIEW]
Gligar stands out in ADV UU as one of the best Ground-types and Swords Dance sweepers, being one of the most consistent punishers of the ubiquitous Kangaskhan's Rest. Gligar's Ground / Flying typing gives it a very good offensive and defensive profile. Many tier staples, such as Omastar, Arcanine, Tentacruel, and Ampharos, are weak to Earthquake; combine this with the fact that these Pokemon are commonly paired together, and Gligar can actively threaten a majority of team's defensive cores. Gligar separates itself from other Swords Dance users such as Scyther and Pinsir by being quite the apt physical hit-taker, not only with its good base Defense but also with its bevy of resistances and immunities as well as Hyper Cutter to block Intimidate from physical walls such as Granbull and Hitmontop.
However, Gligar's typing is a double-edged sword, making it 4x weak to Ice-type moves from the Electric-types like Ampharos, Electrode, Electabuzz it would ideally check otherwise. Gligar's measly base Attack also means its damage can be disappointing without Swords Dance boosts or a Choice Band, having trouble pressuring bulky targets without Spikes up. This means that even when Gligar can hit a foe super effectively, it has worse potential to trade damage when their response can OHKO it back, notably in the cases of Omastar, Ampharos, and Nidoqueen. While Gligar has a Speed tier atop many Pokemon, it isn't enough for other common offensive threats that can outspeed it, such as Arcanine, Scyther, Tentacruel, and Hitmonlee, making it more easy to offensively check.
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
Move 1: Swords Dance
Move 2: Earthquake
Move 3: Hidden Power Flying
Move 4: Quick Attack / Iron Tail
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Gligar primarily takes the role of a Swords Dance sweeper that uses its good bulk to set up on physical attackers like Kangaskhan and Scyther and break through common defensive cores. Hidden Power Flying provides a secondary STAB option for Scyther while also dealing more meaningful damage to Vileplume and Hitmontop. For Gligar's last move, Quick Attack can be used for a priority option to check pinch Berry sweepers such as Reversal Scyther and Petaya Berry Electrode and Manectric, and it can pick off faster foes like Tentacruel with prior chip damage. Iron Tail is an alternative option to hit Solrock and Lunatone, which resist both of Gligar's STAB attacks. A Jolly nature allows Gligar to Speed tie with other base 85 Speed foes such as Qwilfish, Nidoking, and Pinsir, while an Adamant nature increases its general damage in conjunction with Swords Dance. 16 Special Defense EVs can be used to consistently survive Timid Arcanine's Fire Blast from full health, allowing Gligar to respond with Earthquake. Substitute can be run over Quick Attack or Iron Tail with a Salac Berry to mitigate Gligar's low Speed and pose a more dangerous sweeping threat late-game, as it isn't KOed at 25% health from all common forms of priority. With this set, Gligar's HP should be divisible by four so Salac Berry can be consumed at 25% health or after three Substitutes maximum.
Team Options
=========
Gligar struggles with what last move it wants to run between Quick Attack and Iron Tail, but good team support can alleviate these issues. If Gligar lacks Quick Attack, it appreciates teammates with their own priority moves for fast sweepers, such as Arcanine with Extreme Speed and Scyther with Quick Attack. If Gligar lacks Iron Tail, it likes Pokemon that are able to reliably switch into and check Solrock such as Omastar, Blastoise, and Hitmontop. The best way that Gligar can gain a Swords Dance boost is by coming in on Kangakshan's Rest, therefore, it's good to pair it with Pokemon that can lure Kangaskhan with Toxic, such as Omastar, Tentacruel, Ampharos, and Lanturn, and bulky attackers that can trade hits well with Kangaskhan, such as Arcanine, Lapras, and Walrein. Gligar heavily appreciates Spikes support to make up for its lack of power in pressuring switches, incrementally helping to push bulky foes in range of its boosted Earthquake. Omastar, Qwilfish, and Glalie are good Spikes setters to accomplish this, as they can also help against bulky Water-types such as Tentacruel, Blastoise, and Walrein that Gligar can have trouble with. Omastar can use Toxic or Hidden Power Electric to chip them, while Qwilfish and Glalie can use Explosion to break open a hole in the opposing team that Gligar that can capitalize on. Having Pokemon to switch into Water-types is also helpful if Gligar is forced out, making Kangaskhan, Walrein, Lanturn, and Lapras good defensive partners. While Gligar can threaten Electric-types, all of them pose the threat of Ice-type coverage to scare it out. Therefore, Kangaskhan, Ampharos, and Lanturn can help by reliably switching into them. Gligar swotching into passive Pokemon makes it vulnerable to status from Kangaskhan, Hitmontop, and Vileplume. Clerics such as Ampharos, Vileplume, Lapras, and Granbull can help with this and increase Gligar's longevity as an offensive threat.
[SET]
Name: Choice Band
Move 1: Earthquake
Move 2: Hidden Power Flying
Move 3: Iron Tail
Move 4: Quick Attack
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
When holding a Choice Band, Gligar acts as a conventional wallbreaker that pressures soft checks to Ground-types such as Blastoise, Walrein, and Lapras, and its access to both Hyper Cutter and a priority move sets it apart from other Choice Band users. Hidden Power Flying is a secondary STAB option for Ground-immune Pokemon like Scyther, Misdreavus, and Altaria while hitting physically defensive Pokemon like Vileplume and Hitmontop hard as well. Iron Tail complements Gligar's STAB moves by hitting Solrock and Lunatone while also consistently 2HKOing Cradily. Finally, Quick Attack lets Gligar deal with pinch Berry sweepers such as Reversal Scyther, and it can pick off faster foes like Arcanine and Tentacruel when they're chipped. An Adamant nature maximizes Gligar's immediate damage, letting it 2HKO bulky Kangaskhan variants and OHKO offensive Solrock with Iron Tail, but a Jolly nature can be used instead to Speed tie with other base 85 Pokemon such as Qwilfish, Pinsir, and Nidoking. 16 EVs can be placed in Special Defense to consistently survive Timid Arcanine's Fire Blast from full health.
Team Options
=========
While Choice Band Gligar has substantial power, it appreciates Spikes support to pressure bulky targets trying to switch in. Omastar, Qwilfish, and Glalie are great Spikes setters, with Omastar providing extra defensive support against Kangaskhan, Scyther, and Solrock, and Qwilfish and Glalie using Explosion against bulky Water-types. Due to Gligar's hit-and-run nature while needing to Choice lock, it will likely be switching multiple times throughout a match and thus appreciates a good defensive backbone. Since Gligar doesn't have Leftovers to bolster its defensive utility, it appreciates Wish support from Kangaskhan to increase its longevity. If Scyther, Solrock, or opposing Gligar come in on Earthquake, Gligar appreciates physical walls like Omastar, Granbull, and Blastoise being able to switch into them. Gligar beating down bulky Water-types mid-game is appreciated by offensive Pokemon that like them weakened, such as Arcanine, Swords Dance Tentacruel, and Rain Dance Omastar.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Bulky EV spread using 96 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 140 Spe with an Impish nature lets Gligar avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Scyther's Hidden Power Flying, which makes it better at weathering hits from physical wallbreakers. Gligar can use different secondary attack options over Hidden Power Flying, such as Rock Slide to OHKO Scyther without boosts and hit other Flying-types like Altaria, Xatu, and Fearow or Hidden Power Ghost to hit Solrock, Lunatone, and Misdreavus super effectively. Gligar's good physical bulk makes it an effective Counter user, letting it check Solrock without the need for Iron Tail and giving it a way to retaliate against offensive Kangaskhan, Scyther, and Granbull. Toxic is able to cripple Gligar's common switch-ins such as Solrock, Blastoise, and Walrein, setting them on a timer and slowly pushing them into range of Gligar's boosted attacks. Substitute can also be used alongside Toxic to stall for Toxic damage against defensive Pokemon, although this comes at the cost of limited offensive presence without Swords Dance. Rest can be used on semi-stall teams with cleric support to maintain a long-term offensive threat and shrug off status. Steel Wing can be used in place of Iron Tail for its perfect accuracy, but Iron Tail is preferred for its ability to OHKO most offensive Solrock variants at +2.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Blastoise, Lapras, Walrein, and Slowking are great at withstanding Gligar's attacks and OHKOing it back with Surf or Ice Beam. Even Ground-weak Water-types can withstand its weak unboosted Earthquake in the case of Omastar, outspeed it in the case of Tentacruel, or prevent its possible entry in the case of Lanturn. Water-type sweepers such as Rain Dance Omastar, Gorebyss, Feraligatr, and Golduck can also use their entry on Gligar to set up and threaten to sweep.
**Flying-types**: Most Flying-type Pokemon can check Gligar by being immune to Earthquake while shrugging off its other coverage. Altaria is one of the best Gligar checks, tanking any boosted attack from Gligar with ease and threatening it back with an Ice Beam OHKO. Xatu outspeeds Gligar and 2HKOes it with Psychic, using Reflect to tank its hits and Early Bird + Rest to heal off any damage it lands. Even though Gligar can come in on Scyther's Bug-type moves and threaten it back, it must be careful when switching into Choice Band Scyther's Hidden Power Flying or Double-Edge. While uncommon, Fearow can offensively threaten Gligar in a similar way to Choice Band Scyther with a stronger Flying-type STAB option in Drill Peck, having the benefit of not being weak to Gligar's Hidden Power Flying.
**Levitate Users**: Levitate users are immune to Gligar's Earthquake and can tank Gligar's other hits decently. Solrock and Lunatone both resist Hidden Power Flying while threatening Gligar with Choice Band Rock Slide or Ice Beam, respectively. However, they have to respect the possibility of Gligar running Iron Tail, which can flip these matchups. Misdreavus can survive a boosted Hidden Power Flying while OHKOing Gligar back with Hidden Power Ice. While Haunter is frailer than Misdreavus, it can outspeed Gligar and use Will-O-Wisp to take negligible damage, or it can take the simpler route of OHKOing Gligar with Hidden Power Ice.
**Fast Pokemon**: While Gligar isn't slow, many common wallbreakers can get the Speed jump on it and take advantage of Gligar's low Special Defense in the cases of Arcanine, Tentacruel, and Electabuzz. Scyther can also use the Speed advantage to respond to Gligar with Choice Band Double-Edge or Hidden Power Flying to prevent its entry or revenge kill it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/amity.619555/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heysup.21929/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bouff.121672/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
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