Current status: COMPLETED, in need of proofreading
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/gliscor
____________
Changes:
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roost
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Stone Edge / Aerial Ace
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor has just the right base stats, movepool, and typing for what it needs to do: counter many physical attackers and support the team at the same time. Its STAB Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar and OHKOes Lucario, and also does a decent amount to most fragile switch-ins. The instant recovery provided by Roost is of great use to a Pokémon with Gliscor's bulk and relatively high Speed, and helps keep it alive for the entire duration of the battle. It also allows Gliscor to shed its Flying-type for a turn, giving it a valuable resistance to Rock, which can be used to stall out a Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge quite easily. However, be careful about Roosting against Fighting-types, as Close Combat can do a big chunk to Gliscor while it doesn't resist it.</p>
<p>Gliscor gets plenty of opportunities to support the team by setting up Stealth Rock, and as such, is one of the better users of the move. However, if you have another Pokémon to set up Stealth Rock elsewhere in your team, Knock Off can be of great use as well, in helping to deal with sweepers that rely on their items to do significant amounts of damage. For example, without a boosting item, Tyranitar's Crunch will only manage a maximum of 36% against Gliscor, and so Gliscor can come into a Crunch, Knock Off the Choice Band, and then survive to Roost up to greater health. Similarly, Scizor's Bullet Punch doesn't hurt nearly as much without a Choice Band or a Life Orb boosting it, dealing only 24% damage on average. Stone Edge and Aerial Ace are both options for use as a secondary attack alongside Earthquake. Stone Edge is generally the better option, as it gets better coverage with Earthquake than Aerial Ace does, and can be used to get a solid hit on Gyarados, Zapdos, and Salamence switch-ins. Aerial Ace can be used to specifically deal with Breloom and Heracross, both of whom resist Earthquake, and also allows Gliscor to get some damage on Celebi.</p>
<p>216 Speed EVs allow Gliscor to outspeed all non-Choice Scarf Heatran and neutral natured Lucario. This is of particular importance when trying to counter the latter, as Lucario may carry Ice Punch to deal with Gliscor. Jolly Lucario still outspeeds Gliscor, but Adamant is usually the nature of choice for the Swords Dancer, so unless the rest of the team has severe difficulty with Lucario, Impish Gliscor usually suffices.</p>
<p>Most Water-types partner up well with Gliscor, providing resistances to its Water- and Ice-type weaknesses, while also drawing in Electric-type attacks to give it free switch ins. Vaporeon has a high Special Defense stat to make up for Gliscor's lackluster Special Defense, and it helps deal with the only Fighting-type that Gliscor cannot take on reliably - Infernape. Suicune can make the most of the Stealth Rock laid by Gliscor by utilizing Roar to shuffle the opposing team around and spread residual damage. While Tyranitar doesn't resist Ice and shares a common Water weakness with Gliscor, it is naturally very bulky and its sandstorm bolstered Special Defense can take weak special attacks without too much trouble. More important is the evasion boost Tyranitar's Sand Stream provides for Gliscor, which also helps by wearing down many of Gliscor's common switch-ins.</p>
[SET]
name: Dancing Tank
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Stone Edge / Aerial Ace / Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Yache Berry
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With many Lucario using attacks such as Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch, slower, bulkier Gliscor are not the most effective solution. This Gliscor runs enough Speed to outrun all forms of Lucario, excluding the rare Choice Scarf variety, and get a clean OHKO with Earthquake. With these EVs, Gliscor is well-suited to taking advantage of the buffed Attack and Speed by using Swords Dance. With immunity to most forms of passive damage, good defenses, and Roost, this Gliscor can spell doom for slower teams. It should be noted that Gyarados can no longer come in and threaten this Gliscor, as a Swords Danced Stone Edge OHKOes bulky Gyarados and Dragon Dance Gyarados, though the former requires Stealth Rock to do so. Salamence and Dragonite meet a similar fate when hit with a Stone Edge. Aerial Ace prevents Celebi and Breloom from completely walling this set. Baton Pass deserves a mention in the last slot, as Gliscor has plenty of opportunities to pass its Attack boost to another Pokémon, if the odds are unfavorable for Gliscor.</p>
<p>A Jolly nature with 216 Speed EVs is required to get the jump on all Lucario. However, if Jolly Lucario does not trouble you, shift those 40 Attack EVs into Defense and use an Impish nature as it will grant you the most possible stat points. It is important to note that the 40 EVs in Attack will ensure that you 2HKO Vaporeon after a Swords Dance if you opt for Yache Berry. However, this is inadvisable, unless Gliscor is at full health in the event Vaporeon uses Surf, as Gliscor is never OHKOed if it has taken no prior damage. You can also shift those 40 EVs into Special Defense, as this will allow Gliscor to take less than 35% from Heat Wave from a defensive Zapdos, allowing it Swords Dance up and Roost accordingly.</p>
<p>This set has extreme difficulty in taking down physical walls, as Gliscor's Attack stat leaves less than to be desired. Common counters you may encounter to this set include Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Celebi. Skarmory takes next to nothing from a boosted Stone Edge, and will happily take the time to set up Spikes and then proceed to use Whirlwind to negate your stat boosts. Hippowdon is in a similar boat, as it is able to use Roar to negate Swords Dance boosts, and it also has Slack Off to recover any damage you may have done to it with Earthquake. Celebi resists Earthquake, and has the necessary defenses to shrug off even a boosted Stone Edge; in return, Celebi can use Reflect to reduce the damage it takes from Gliscor's attacks, and it can also use Perish Song to force Gliscor out after two turns, else it will faint. Apart from physical walls, anything that can safely switch into Gliscor, outspeed it, and consecutively KO it, can prove troublesome to this set. Salamence has access to a STAB 140 Base Power Draco Meteor, which will always OHKO Gliscor. Latias can switch in and hit Gliscor hard with Surf, as a Life Orb Surf does anywhere from 85.88% - 101.13%, even without a Special Attack boost from Calm Mind.</p>
<p>Since Gliscor's biggest problem is being unable to get past most physical walls, you will want to pair Gliscor with a Pokémon who is adept at luring in and beating its counters. Mixed Tyranitar, which will nearly always lure in Hippowdon and Skarmory, due to the Choice Band set being the most common in today's metagame, is a great choice here, as a max Special Attack Tyranitar's Expert Belt Ice Beam 2HKOes Hippowdon 100% of the time, and an Expert Belt Fire Blast always OHKOes the standard Skarmory with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Needless to say, a STAB Crunch will deal a large amount of damage to Celebi as well. The best part about using Expert Belt Tyranitar is that when Expert Belt is equipped, Tyranitar can bluff a Choice item. Gyarados is a good option in weakening Celebi, as a boosted Bounce can easily put Celebi into KO range from Gliscor's Stone Edge or Aerial Ace the next time it switches in. Additionally, Ice Fang allows you to dispatch Salamence and Latias, should you come up against them. Choice Band Scizor is also a great offensive partner to this set, as it effectively wears down Flying-types who may want to wall Gliscor without Stone Edge; Scizor also has Bullet Punch to hit Salamence and Latias for a large amount of damage. Additionally, Scizor can also switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Gliscor.</p>
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Roost
move 4: U-turn / Toxic / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to take full advantage of several of Gliscor's strengths - its relatively high Speed, bulk, and access to Taunt and instant recovery - and combine them to make Gliscor a great asset against stall teams. Once Taunted, the number of defensive Pokémon who find themselves unable to touch Gliscor at all is startlingly high. Blissey cannot hurt Gliscor significantly unless it has Ice Beam, and once Taunted to prevent it from poisoning Gliscor or healing, will easily be outlasted or forced out by the combination of Earthquake and Roost. Likewise, with most Hippowdon opting for Roar over Ice Fang, Gliscor can prevent it from phazing or recovering and chip away at it with its own Earthquake, while being immune to Hippowdon's.</p>
<p>Many other defensive Pokémon find themselves in a similarly helpless position against Gliscor. Skarmory and Forretress will be unable to phaze or set up Spikes, and the latter will be beaten one-on-one by Earthquake. Gliscor makes an excellent switch-in to Celebi as well, since Gliscor is immune to Thunder Wave and Grass Knot hits it for a paltry 60 Base Power. In return, Gliscor prevents it from recovering, and can then U-turn out for the 4x super effective hit or the advantageous switch. Defensive Tentacruel is outsped and easily taken out by Earthquake if it has taken prior damage, or has switched into Stealth Rock more than once.</p>
<p>Earthquake, Taunt, and Roost are the bread and butter of the set, and by cycling through them, Gliscor can outlast many physically inclined Pokémon. U-turn in the last slot capitalizes on the many switches Gliscor causes by Taunting its foes, and so allows the user to gain the advantageous switch as the opponent brings in another Pokémon. Toxic can be used to stall out many of the Pokémon who cannot be touched by Earthquake, such as Rotom-A, Ice Beam-less Cresselia, and opposing Gliscor. Taunt prevents them from getting rid of the status or healing, as well as from trying to status Gliscor as well. A Jolly nature is recommended to guarantee Gliscor outspeeds Lucario and Heracross, as well as the majority of Jirachi. It also means that Gliscor can safely U-turn against opposing Gyarados and Suicune without the fear of being outsped and attacked by +Speed ones. However, an Impish nature does increase Gliscor's survivability significantly, and, if you feel you need Gliscor to take hits a bit better at the cost of its Speed, is always an option. This Gliscor set also makes for a very effective lead, with the ability to Taunt the slower users of Stealth Rock, such as Hippowdon and Metagross, while setting up its own. If you are using Gliscor in a lead position, it is recommended that you give it 88 Atk EVs to guarantee the 2HKO on max HP Metagross with Earthquake, which can be taken from Defense and then HP. Getting Stealth Rock up early on in the game is highly beneficial as well, and so it is a good choice over U-turn for leading Gliscor.</p>
<p>With the ability to take on the majority of a stall team almost single-handedly, Gliscor can fit into both balanced and defensive teams quite easily, especially those in need of a little insurance against Swords Dance Lucario or Heracross. It partners up with Tyranitar very well for several reasons. Firstly, Tyranitar provides permanent sandstorm with its ability, which activates Gliscor's Sand Veil, and makes it even more of a pain to take down. Secondly, by Taunting the likes of Rotom-A and Blissey to prevent them from using crippling status moves, Gliscor can easily U-turn to Tyranitar and leave these Pokémon as easy pickings for a Choice Band Pursuit. Additionally, with its bolstered Special Defense, Tyranitar doesn't mind switching into the Ice-type attacks Gliscor is weak against. In return, Gliscor provides a valuable Fighting-type resistance and Ground-type immunity for Tyranitar. Tentacruel is an excellent choice of partner as well, since it has a high Special Defense and resistance to the Water- and Ice-type attacks Gliscor so fears, while Gliscor has useful immunities to Ground and Electric. By setting up Toxic Spikes on the opponent's side of the field, Tentacruel makes Gliscor's job of stalling out its foes with Roost even easier, especially when the foe cannot use Rest to rid themselves of the poison.</p>
[SET]
name: Pure Baton Passer
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Lum Berry / Yache Berry
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 196 SpD / 60 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor's good Speed, natural physical bulk, and great support movepool make it arguably the best Baton Passer in OU. The execution of this set is simple; find something to Rock Polish on, Taunt any attempts to phaze, Swords Dance as much as possible, then pass to a teammate to secure your victory. This set is most effective with Light Screen and Reflect support, as Gliscor becomes increasingly difficult to take down, especially with the large Special Defense investment.</p>
<p>The EVs allow Gliscor to hit 265 Speed, enough to outpace Adamant Gyarados before a Rock Polish and Timid Choice Scarf Gengar after. The Special Defense EVs give Gliscor a solid 235 Special Defense, which turns unboosted Surfs into 3HKOes from the likes of Vaporeon and other bulky Water-types when behind a Light Screen.</p>
<p>Lum Berry is the preferred item because an untimely paralysis or freeze can completely destroy Gliscor's attempt at supporting its team. Yache Berry is acceptable also, as it will allow Gliscor to take an Ice-type attack in case the screens end, and still get its Baton Pass off.</p>
<p>Running a Timid nature over Jolly will make sure Gliscor takes less damage from confusion, should it happen to be inflicted with it in the course of a battle.</p>
<p>This set works best on a team fully dedicated to Baton Pass, so partnering Gliscor with other Pokémon who can pass stat boosts to an eventual receiver are often the best teammates for this set. Vaporeon is a great Pokémon to consider using on a Baton Pass team which includes Gliscor, as Vaporeon can take Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Gliscor, which in turn, is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at Vaporeon. On a Baton Pass team, Vaporeon is best at passing Substitutes, particularly ones which cannot be broken by a single Seismic Toss, Defense boosts, thanks to Acid Armor, and Wish, which will heal 50% of the recipient's HP, can also be passed. Apart from Vaporeon, other useful Baton Passers to consider using are Celebi and Smeargle. Celebi is great at setting up Calm Mind, which will lower the amount of damage Gliscor takes from special attacks, making it much easier to set up. Smeargle, on the other hand, possess a unique trait in being able to add Ingrain to a Baton Pass chain, which prevents your chain from being nullified by the effects of Roar or Whirlwind.</p>
<p>If you do not wish to use Gliscor on a team fully dedicated to Baton Pass, then it is often a wise idea to consider using Dual Screen support with Gliscor. By setting up both Reflect and Light Screen, it will be hard for your opponent to damage Gliscor without landing a super effective hit. By the time your opponent switches to a counter, Gliscor should already have set up Rock Polish, and can then proceed to set up Swords Dance, while the effects of Reflect and Light Screen guarantee that Gliscor will always survive a non-boosted attack at full health, even if it's super effective. The best options in being able to set up screens for Gliscor in the OU metagame are Bronzong and Uxie. Bronzong is unarguably the best transition Pokémon in the game, being able to come in easily on a multitude of occasions in a single match. After setting up both screens, Bronzong can then use Explosion, allowing Gliscor to come in unharmed from the opponent's attack. Additionally, Bronzong makes a fantastic switch-in to Ice-type attacks directed at Gliscor. Uxie works relatively the same as Bronzong does when it comes to setting up screens. The only main difference is that Uxie gets access to Memento, which lowers both the Attack and Special Attack of the opposing Pokémon by two stages. As with Bronzong, Gliscor is also able to come in unscratched after using the move.</p>
<p>After setting up with Gliscor, you will, of course, need a recipient which can benefit from the boosts that Gliscor provides. Metagross is the best candidate to consider as a recipient for this type of Gliscor. Metagross's only problem is undoubtedly its Speed. Coupled with a boost from Swords Dance, Metagross can be a real menace to any unprepared team after it gets a Speed boost under its belt. This is made so by the diverse physical movepool that Metagross has access to. A simple moveset consisting of Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Earthquake, and ThunderPunch is capable of decimating everything in the OU metagame. Even the Rotom formes don't stand a chance, as they are OHKOed by Zen Headbutt. If you don't wish to use Metagross as your recipient, then potential Pokémon to use should follow this general guideline: It should have access to a diverse physical movepool which is capable of eliminating nearly all Pokémon commonly seen in the OU metagame. Cradily gets a special mention since although it hardly meets the outlined guideline, it does come with the ability Suction Cups, which prevents it from being phazed out by the effects of Roar or Whirlwind.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Fang / Ice Fang / Night Slash
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is a more offensive approach to using Gliscor. It forgoes the ability to recover, in favor of adding a third attack for even better coverage. Between Stone Edge and Earthquake, all of OU, except for Breloom, Bronzong, and Flygon, are hit for neutral damage. The fourth slot removes two from that list, and provides a more reliable option to handle those Pokémon. Fire Fang will always 2HKO even the most physically defensive Bronzong, Celebi, and Skarmory after a Swords Dance, and thus is the recommended choice. Ice Fang, however, does the same damage to Breloom and Celebi, but gives you a better option for Salamence and Flygon. Night Slash also deserves a mention for its reliability in defeating Celebi and the Rotom formes. X-Scissor can be a decent option in the final slot since you can OHKO Celebi and 2HKO Flygon and possibly Bronzong after a Swords Dance.</p>
<p>Jolly is the best nature for the ability to outspeed many base 100s and all base 90s. However, Adamant gives you some extra power that can seal a few more OHKOs. The most notable of which being Max HP / Max Def Vaporeon, who has about a 50% chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Earthquake provided Stealth Rock is in play.</p>
<p>There is not much that needs to be said about this set, as it works great as a standalone sweeper. However, the same walls mentioned in the "Dancing Tank" set will still give this Gliscor trouble, as Gliscor's Attack stat is rather mediocre when compared to other sweepers in OU. To make it even worse, Gliscor has no way of recovering its HP in this set, apart from Wish support, which will make it tough to switch him in constantly, with the omnipresent Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil each time he attacks. As such, to use this Gliscor set effectively, you will want to make sure you have ways of weakening down the Pokémon who can come in, take a boosted attack, and KO you in the process. Such Pokémon include Swampert, Vaporeon, and the majority of other bulky Waters; even the Rotom formes can take a +2 Stone Edge and burn you in return.</p>
<p>The first, most helpful support you can provide to this set is by providing entry hazards, in particular, Spikes and Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock is recommended to weaken Flying-types who will want to switch into Gliscor, expecting to wall it. Salamence will enjoy switch into Gliscor to threaten it with a STAB Draco Meteor, so Stealth Rock can really hamper its ability to switch in repeatedly. Both Metagross and Swampert make good users of Stealth Rock, and both pair with Gliscor decently, as Gliscor can easily switch into Ground-type attacks aimed at Metagross, which in turn resists the Ice-type attacks Gliscor is weak to. Spikes support is necessary in weakening grounded Pokémon which can wall this set, in particular, those with a high HP and Defense stat. A prime example of such a Pokémon who can switch into this set is Swampert. A Life Orb Earthquake from Jolly Gliscor only manages a maximum of 77.23% after a Swords Dance boost against Swampert, meaning it can come in, survive the Earthquake, and proceed to KO you with Ice Beam. After laying down three layers of Spikes, Swampert will stand little chance of being able to counter this set, as it will only be left with approximately 68.75% of its health after switching into Spikes and Stealth Rock. Skarmory is a good option to consider in laying down Spikes, as Gliscor is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at Skarmory.</p>
<p>Another thing to note here is that this Gliscor is particularly vulnerable to priority, especially without any EV investment in its defenses. Scizor, the most common user of priority in OU, can deal up to 54.64% with a Choice Banded Bullet Punch, which can prevent Gliscor from being able to effectively sweep. While the noted damage calculations may not seem like much, you also have to consider that Gliscor will be losing HP repeatedly from switch-ins into Stealth Rock and recoil from Life Orb. As such, it is a good idea to pair this Gliscor with a Choice Scarf Magnezone. Magnezone can easily dispatch the most common users of priority in the game, ranging from the aforementioned Scizor to even ExtremeSpeed Lucario (although it's of little threat anyways). Additionally, Magnezone is great at taking out Skarmory and Bronzong, two possible counters to this set if Gliscor is not running Fire Fang.</p>
<p>Alternative options one should consider include Rapid Spin support, Wish support, and status support. Starmie is a great Rapid Spinner in the OU metagame, and also serves as a great counter to the Water-types which can give Gliscor trouble. Wish support can be obtained in the form of Vaporeon or Blissey; both are great at taking the most common special attacks likely to be aimed at Gliscor, which include Surf and Ice Beam. Blissey is also great at inflicting status, such as Toxic and Thunder Wave. Toxic is useful in weakening Pokémon which may give Gliscor some trouble, such as the bulky Water-types mentioned over and over.</p>
<p>In short, this set works great on a balanced team which can make effective use of Gliscor's typing as a sweeper for the team. Gliscor will require heavy support to be successful, so don't be surprised if you don't manage to sweep with it on your standard offense team.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most other Pokémon, Gliscor can make effective use of entry hazards that can be set up by other teammates. Stealth Rock is essential in damaging Flying-types who may try to set up on Gliscor, such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, which will lose a quarter of their health each time they try to switch in; however, Gliscor is more than capable of setting up Stealth Rock itself, especially on defensive sets. Spikes support is necessary on offensive sets, in particular, those that don't have a form of recovery. Spikes is needed to weaken physical walls such as Swampert, which can easily come in on even a Life Orb Earthquake after a Swords Dance boost, survive, and KO with Ice Beam in return. However, after switching in on three layers of Spikes, not even Swampert will stand a chance. Dual Screen support is highly recommended on the Baton Pass set, as it cancels out Gliscor's weakness to Water-type attacks, lower the amount of damage it takes from Ice-type attacks, and it allows Gliscor to take almost nothing from any other type of attack. Toxic Spikes is useful in weakening bulky Waters who may try to switch in on Gliscor, but is not particularly required for most sets.</p>
<p>Although Gliscor is usually played defensively, meaning its objective wouldn't be to get past its counters, it can still be effectively paired with Pokémon who can beat other Pokémon that give Gliscor trouble. Gliscor tends to draw in bulky Water-types and physical walls such as Hippowdon, so any Pokémon who can effectively take on the noted counters make the best offensive partners to Gliscor. Life Orb Starmie is usually a solid choice to consider, as it makes a fantastic switch-in to bulky Water-types, and it can threaten them with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot; Hydro Pump absolutely murders everything else that has a poor Special Defense stat. Additionally, Starmie has access to Recover, so it can easily heal off any damage it may have taken while switching in. Offensive Calm Mind Suicune is another useful option to consider pairing with Gliscor. After a Calm Mind boost, Suicune has an easy time getting past most physical walls, even Celebi, which is OHKOed by a +1 Life Orb Ice Beam. As always, Choice Band Scizor is a good option to pair with Gliscor as well, since it can weaken most of Gliscor's counters with repeated STAB U-turns. Bullet Punch is also good in preventing Pokémon that may have attempted to set up on Gliscor from sweeping through your team.</p>
<p>Gliscor is blessed by being weak to only two attacking types: Water and Ice. The only problem here is that Water- and Ice-type attacks are usually found on the same moveset belonging to Gliscor's main counters, meaning switching into them can be quite difficult. Usually, the best choice is to pair Gliscor with a bulky Water-type of your own, as they can easily switch into Water- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Gliscor. Vaporeon is a solid choice here, as it is immune to Water-type attacks, and takes literally nothing from Ice-type attacks due to its high Special Defense; in return, Gliscor is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at our aquatic friend. (Note that some users of Electric-type attacks also carry an Ice-type move, which Gliscor has trouble against.) Vaporeon is a solid switch-in to Gyarados, and it can stop any attempts to sweep thanks to Hidden Power Electric, which is also useful in hitting other Water-types Vaporeon may be up against.</p>
<p>Generally, you can expect to find Steel-types as being the most common teammates for Gliscor's counters. In particular, you can expect to see plenty of Metagross and Scizor on your opponent's team when you come across a bulky Water-type. The bulky Water-types mentioned before are of good use here, as they pack a handy resistance to Steel-type attacks. However, Magnezone is extremely helpful if you want to have a definite counter to most Steel-types, and it is also helpful in preventing Scizor from continously using U-turn. Some of the physical walls you may encounter will be often found on stall teams. In such a case, you can expect to run into Blissey a major portion of the time, which is used to take special attacks aimed at the team's physically-based walls. Gliscor can handle most Blissey variants, but must watch out for Ice Beam or Toxic.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Screech can be used in conjunction with U-turn to force switches, and can be effective when used with Spikes and Stealth Rock. Counter is another interesting move that allows Gliscor to get past some physical threats. Thanks to its physical defensive prowess, Gliscor can survive super-effective assaults from Gyarados, Choice Band Tyranitar using Aqua Tail, Fighting-type Pokémon packing Ice Punch, and even Mamoswine. With Counter, Gliscor can retaliate for an OHKO on all of those Pokémon, and utilize a speedy Roost to replenish his health later. In terms of its other attacking moves, X-Scissor and Aqua Tail are the only notable ones. While X-Scissor is slightly more powerful, U-turn is the preferable attack in almost all circumstances, because of its ability to scout the opponent's switch. Aqua Tail has mostly redundant coverage alongside Earthquake, since they both hit Rock- and Fire-types super effectively, while both being resisted by Grass-types, but Aqua Tail can be used to hit other Ground-types such as Hippowdon, Donphan, Gliscor, Claydol, and Flygon for decent damage.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Gliscor wants at least 216 EVs in Speed with either a boosting or neutral nature to outspeed Lucario and other base 90s. For most sets, you are going to want to max Gliscor's mediocre HP before allocating EVs anywhere else. Gliscor doesn't require too many Defense EVs due to its typing and the importance of its base 95 Speed. However, an Impish nature will grant you optimal defenses and the most overall stat points. It is perfectly feasible to run a 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe spread with the defensive support set. However, Hippowdon and Skarmory are better for all-purpose physical walling. An alternative physical wall spread is 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe, which ensures that you outrun Jolly Tyranitar, non-Scarf Magnezone, and most Breloom.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Gliscor is a strong physical tank with good support options, and a great Baton Passer thanks to Taunt. Gliscor can take on a multitude of physical threats, and Sand Veil helps it avoid damage every now and then when paired up with a Tyranitar or Hippowdon. An Earthquake immunity and Fighting resists are welcome, and Gliscor can even buy itself a Rock-type resist with Roost, albeit only until the end of the turn. Gliscor can also make quite a threatening sweeper with its excellent bulk, access to Swords Dance, and good coverage in Earthquake and Stone Edge. The ability to not be affected by Intimidate is also another factor in Gliscor's favor. Gliscor is a strong and solid choice on most OU teams.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Gyarados is a big problem for Gliscor, because it is immune to Earthquake, and is difficult to wall due to Ice Fang and STAB Waterfall. It will also slash Gliscor's Attack if you are not using Hyper Cutter. Most other Water-types will counter Gliscor, but may not be much help against the Baton Passer unless they have Roar or Haze. Gliscor can also manage to stall them or attempt to blast through them with Swords Dance Earthquake, so a faster Water-type Pokémon, such as Starmie, is ideal. Swampert can switch into most of Gliscor's attacks by virtue of its high defense, and can put Gliscor between Scylla and Charybdis, by eating a STAB super effective Surf / Waterfall and pseudo-Hazing its attempts at Baton Passing. Skarmory is a good counter unless Gliscor has Taunt, although you can Knock Off its Shed Shell and send in Magnezone. Gliscor can do little to hurt Cresselia, although it can Baton Pass to a counter to avoid an Ice Beam. Bronzong resists nearly all of Gliscor's most common attacks and can incapacitate it with Hypnosis or Trick.</p>
<p>In general, Ice attacks (particularly Ice Beam, since Gliscor's high Defense can allow it to survive some weaker hits from Ice Punch and Ice Fang) will often be Gliscor's undoing. Try to concentrate on exploiting Gliscor's weaker Special Defense, as it will usually fall to those in just a couple of hits, or even less.</p>
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Updates:
The rest of the update will be completed in a timely, manageable manner. I appreciate everyone's patience so far!
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/gliscor
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Changes:
- Addition of team options description to sets not already updated
- Addition of Team Options section
- Revision and correction of any possible grammatical errors
- Team support options will be italicized
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roost
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Stone Edge / Aerial Ace
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor has just the right base stats, movepool, and typing for what it needs to do: counter many physical attackers and support the team at the same time. Its STAB Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar and OHKOes Lucario, and also does a decent amount to most fragile switch-ins. The instant recovery provided by Roost is of great use to a Pokémon with Gliscor's bulk and relatively high Speed, and helps keep it alive for the entire duration of the battle. It also allows Gliscor to shed its Flying-type for a turn, giving it a valuable resistance to Rock, which can be used to stall out a Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge quite easily. However, be careful about Roosting against Fighting-types, as Close Combat can do a big chunk to Gliscor while it doesn't resist it.</p>
<p>Gliscor gets plenty of opportunities to support the team by setting up Stealth Rock, and as such, is one of the better users of the move. However, if you have another Pokémon to set up Stealth Rock elsewhere in your team, Knock Off can be of great use as well, in helping to deal with sweepers that rely on their items to do significant amounts of damage. For example, without a boosting item, Tyranitar's Crunch will only manage a maximum of 36% against Gliscor, and so Gliscor can come into a Crunch, Knock Off the Choice Band, and then survive to Roost up to greater health. Similarly, Scizor's Bullet Punch doesn't hurt nearly as much without a Choice Band or a Life Orb boosting it, dealing only 24% damage on average. Stone Edge and Aerial Ace are both options for use as a secondary attack alongside Earthquake. Stone Edge is generally the better option, as it gets better coverage with Earthquake than Aerial Ace does, and can be used to get a solid hit on Gyarados, Zapdos, and Salamence switch-ins. Aerial Ace can be used to specifically deal with Breloom and Heracross, both of whom resist Earthquake, and also allows Gliscor to get some damage on Celebi.</p>
<p>216 Speed EVs allow Gliscor to outspeed all non-Choice Scarf Heatran and neutral natured Lucario. This is of particular importance when trying to counter the latter, as Lucario may carry Ice Punch to deal with Gliscor. Jolly Lucario still outspeeds Gliscor, but Adamant is usually the nature of choice for the Swords Dancer, so unless the rest of the team has severe difficulty with Lucario, Impish Gliscor usually suffices.</p>
<p>Most Water-types partner up well with Gliscor, providing resistances to its Water- and Ice-type weaknesses, while also drawing in Electric-type attacks to give it free switch ins. Vaporeon has a high Special Defense stat to make up for Gliscor's lackluster Special Defense, and it helps deal with the only Fighting-type that Gliscor cannot take on reliably - Infernape. Suicune can make the most of the Stealth Rock laid by Gliscor by utilizing Roar to shuffle the opposing team around and spread residual damage. While Tyranitar doesn't resist Ice and shares a common Water weakness with Gliscor, it is naturally very bulky and its sandstorm bolstered Special Defense can take weak special attacks without too much trouble. More important is the evasion boost Tyranitar's Sand Stream provides for Gliscor, which also helps by wearing down many of Gliscor's common switch-ins.</p>
[SET]
name: Dancing Tank
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Stone Edge / Aerial Ace / Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Yache Berry
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With many Lucario using attacks such as Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch, slower, bulkier Gliscor are not the most effective solution. This Gliscor runs enough Speed to outrun all forms of Lucario, excluding the rare Choice Scarf variety, and get a clean OHKO with Earthquake. With these EVs, Gliscor is well-suited to taking advantage of the buffed Attack and Speed by using Swords Dance. With immunity to most forms of passive damage, good defenses, and Roost, this Gliscor can spell doom for slower teams. It should be noted that Gyarados can no longer come in and threaten this Gliscor, as a Swords Danced Stone Edge OHKOes bulky Gyarados and Dragon Dance Gyarados, though the former requires Stealth Rock to do so. Salamence and Dragonite meet a similar fate when hit with a Stone Edge. Aerial Ace prevents Celebi and Breloom from completely walling this set. Baton Pass deserves a mention in the last slot, as Gliscor has plenty of opportunities to pass its Attack boost to another Pokémon, if the odds are unfavorable for Gliscor.</p>
<p>A Jolly nature with 216 Speed EVs is required to get the jump on all Lucario. However, if Jolly Lucario does not trouble you, shift those 40 Attack EVs into Defense and use an Impish nature as it will grant you the most possible stat points. It is important to note that the 40 EVs in Attack will ensure that you 2HKO Vaporeon after a Swords Dance if you opt for Yache Berry. However, this is inadvisable, unless Gliscor is at full health in the event Vaporeon uses Surf, as Gliscor is never OHKOed if it has taken no prior damage. You can also shift those 40 EVs into Special Defense, as this will allow Gliscor to take less than 35% from Heat Wave from a defensive Zapdos, allowing it Swords Dance up and Roost accordingly.</p>
<p>This set has extreme difficulty in taking down physical walls, as Gliscor's Attack stat leaves less than to be desired. Common counters you may encounter to this set include Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Celebi. Skarmory takes next to nothing from a boosted Stone Edge, and will happily take the time to set up Spikes and then proceed to use Whirlwind to negate your stat boosts. Hippowdon is in a similar boat, as it is able to use Roar to negate Swords Dance boosts, and it also has Slack Off to recover any damage you may have done to it with Earthquake. Celebi resists Earthquake, and has the necessary defenses to shrug off even a boosted Stone Edge; in return, Celebi can use Reflect to reduce the damage it takes from Gliscor's attacks, and it can also use Perish Song to force Gliscor out after two turns, else it will faint. Apart from physical walls, anything that can safely switch into Gliscor, outspeed it, and consecutively KO it, can prove troublesome to this set. Salamence has access to a STAB 140 Base Power Draco Meteor, which will always OHKO Gliscor. Latias can switch in and hit Gliscor hard with Surf, as a Life Orb Surf does anywhere from 85.88% - 101.13%, even without a Special Attack boost from Calm Mind.</p>
<p>Since Gliscor's biggest problem is being unable to get past most physical walls, you will want to pair Gliscor with a Pokémon who is adept at luring in and beating its counters. Mixed Tyranitar, which will nearly always lure in Hippowdon and Skarmory, due to the Choice Band set being the most common in today's metagame, is a great choice here, as a max Special Attack Tyranitar's Expert Belt Ice Beam 2HKOes Hippowdon 100% of the time, and an Expert Belt Fire Blast always OHKOes the standard Skarmory with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Needless to say, a STAB Crunch will deal a large amount of damage to Celebi as well. The best part about using Expert Belt Tyranitar is that when Expert Belt is equipped, Tyranitar can bluff a Choice item. Gyarados is a good option in weakening Celebi, as a boosted Bounce can easily put Celebi into KO range from Gliscor's Stone Edge or Aerial Ace the next time it switches in. Additionally, Ice Fang allows you to dispatch Salamence and Latias, should you come up against them. Choice Band Scizor is also a great offensive partner to this set, as it effectively wears down Flying-types who may want to wall Gliscor without Stone Edge; Scizor also has Bullet Punch to hit Salamence and Latias for a large amount of damage. Additionally, Scizor can also switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Gliscor.</p>
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Roost
move 4: U-turn / Toxic / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to take full advantage of several of Gliscor's strengths - its relatively high Speed, bulk, and access to Taunt and instant recovery - and combine them to make Gliscor a great asset against stall teams. Once Taunted, the number of defensive Pokémon who find themselves unable to touch Gliscor at all is startlingly high. Blissey cannot hurt Gliscor significantly unless it has Ice Beam, and once Taunted to prevent it from poisoning Gliscor or healing, will easily be outlasted or forced out by the combination of Earthquake and Roost. Likewise, with most Hippowdon opting for Roar over Ice Fang, Gliscor can prevent it from phazing or recovering and chip away at it with its own Earthquake, while being immune to Hippowdon's.</p>
<p>Many other defensive Pokémon find themselves in a similarly helpless position against Gliscor. Skarmory and Forretress will be unable to phaze or set up Spikes, and the latter will be beaten one-on-one by Earthquake. Gliscor makes an excellent switch-in to Celebi as well, since Gliscor is immune to Thunder Wave and Grass Knot hits it for a paltry 60 Base Power. In return, Gliscor prevents it from recovering, and can then U-turn out for the 4x super effective hit or the advantageous switch. Defensive Tentacruel is outsped and easily taken out by Earthquake if it has taken prior damage, or has switched into Stealth Rock more than once.</p>
<p>Earthquake, Taunt, and Roost are the bread and butter of the set, and by cycling through them, Gliscor can outlast many physically inclined Pokémon. U-turn in the last slot capitalizes on the many switches Gliscor causes by Taunting its foes, and so allows the user to gain the advantageous switch as the opponent brings in another Pokémon. Toxic can be used to stall out many of the Pokémon who cannot be touched by Earthquake, such as Rotom-A, Ice Beam-less Cresselia, and opposing Gliscor. Taunt prevents them from getting rid of the status or healing, as well as from trying to status Gliscor as well. A Jolly nature is recommended to guarantee Gliscor outspeeds Lucario and Heracross, as well as the majority of Jirachi. It also means that Gliscor can safely U-turn against opposing Gyarados and Suicune without the fear of being outsped and attacked by +Speed ones. However, an Impish nature does increase Gliscor's survivability significantly, and, if you feel you need Gliscor to take hits a bit better at the cost of its Speed, is always an option. This Gliscor set also makes for a very effective lead, with the ability to Taunt the slower users of Stealth Rock, such as Hippowdon and Metagross, while setting up its own. If you are using Gliscor in a lead position, it is recommended that you give it 88 Atk EVs to guarantee the 2HKO on max HP Metagross with Earthquake, which can be taken from Defense and then HP. Getting Stealth Rock up early on in the game is highly beneficial as well, and so it is a good choice over U-turn for leading Gliscor.</p>
<p>With the ability to take on the majority of a stall team almost single-handedly, Gliscor can fit into both balanced and defensive teams quite easily, especially those in need of a little insurance against Swords Dance Lucario or Heracross. It partners up with Tyranitar very well for several reasons. Firstly, Tyranitar provides permanent sandstorm with its ability, which activates Gliscor's Sand Veil, and makes it even more of a pain to take down. Secondly, by Taunting the likes of Rotom-A and Blissey to prevent them from using crippling status moves, Gliscor can easily U-turn to Tyranitar and leave these Pokémon as easy pickings for a Choice Band Pursuit. Additionally, with its bolstered Special Defense, Tyranitar doesn't mind switching into the Ice-type attacks Gliscor is weak against. In return, Gliscor provides a valuable Fighting-type resistance and Ground-type immunity for Tyranitar. Tentacruel is an excellent choice of partner as well, since it has a high Special Defense and resistance to the Water- and Ice-type attacks Gliscor so fears, while Gliscor has useful immunities to Ground and Electric. By setting up Toxic Spikes on the opponent's side of the field, Tentacruel makes Gliscor's job of stalling out its foes with Roost even easier, especially when the foe cannot use Rest to rid themselves of the poison.</p>
[SET]
name: Pure Baton Passer
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Lum Berry / Yache Berry
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 196 SpD / 60 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gliscor's good Speed, natural physical bulk, and great support movepool make it arguably the best Baton Passer in OU. The execution of this set is simple; find something to Rock Polish on, Taunt any attempts to phaze, Swords Dance as much as possible, then pass to a teammate to secure your victory. This set is most effective with Light Screen and Reflect support, as Gliscor becomes increasingly difficult to take down, especially with the large Special Defense investment.</p>
<p>The EVs allow Gliscor to hit 265 Speed, enough to outpace Adamant Gyarados before a Rock Polish and Timid Choice Scarf Gengar after. The Special Defense EVs give Gliscor a solid 235 Special Defense, which turns unboosted Surfs into 3HKOes from the likes of Vaporeon and other bulky Water-types when behind a Light Screen.</p>
<p>Lum Berry is the preferred item because an untimely paralysis or freeze can completely destroy Gliscor's attempt at supporting its team. Yache Berry is acceptable also, as it will allow Gliscor to take an Ice-type attack in case the screens end, and still get its Baton Pass off.</p>
<p>Running a Timid nature over Jolly will make sure Gliscor takes less damage from confusion, should it happen to be inflicted with it in the course of a battle.</p>
<p>This set works best on a team fully dedicated to Baton Pass, so partnering Gliscor with other Pokémon who can pass stat boosts to an eventual receiver are often the best teammates for this set. Vaporeon is a great Pokémon to consider using on a Baton Pass team which includes Gliscor, as Vaporeon can take Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Gliscor, which in turn, is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at Vaporeon. On a Baton Pass team, Vaporeon is best at passing Substitutes, particularly ones which cannot be broken by a single Seismic Toss, Defense boosts, thanks to Acid Armor, and Wish, which will heal 50% of the recipient's HP, can also be passed. Apart from Vaporeon, other useful Baton Passers to consider using are Celebi and Smeargle. Celebi is great at setting up Calm Mind, which will lower the amount of damage Gliscor takes from special attacks, making it much easier to set up. Smeargle, on the other hand, possess a unique trait in being able to add Ingrain to a Baton Pass chain, which prevents your chain from being nullified by the effects of Roar or Whirlwind.</p>
<p>If you do not wish to use Gliscor on a team fully dedicated to Baton Pass, then it is often a wise idea to consider using Dual Screen support with Gliscor. By setting up both Reflect and Light Screen, it will be hard for your opponent to damage Gliscor without landing a super effective hit. By the time your opponent switches to a counter, Gliscor should already have set up Rock Polish, and can then proceed to set up Swords Dance, while the effects of Reflect and Light Screen guarantee that Gliscor will always survive a non-boosted attack at full health, even if it's super effective. The best options in being able to set up screens for Gliscor in the OU metagame are Bronzong and Uxie. Bronzong is unarguably the best transition Pokémon in the game, being able to come in easily on a multitude of occasions in a single match. After setting up both screens, Bronzong can then use Explosion, allowing Gliscor to come in unharmed from the opponent's attack. Additionally, Bronzong makes a fantastic switch-in to Ice-type attacks directed at Gliscor. Uxie works relatively the same as Bronzong does when it comes to setting up screens. The only main difference is that Uxie gets access to Memento, which lowers both the Attack and Special Attack of the opposing Pokémon by two stages. As with Bronzong, Gliscor is also able to come in unscratched after using the move.</p>
<p>After setting up with Gliscor, you will, of course, need a recipient which can benefit from the boosts that Gliscor provides. Metagross is the best candidate to consider as a recipient for this type of Gliscor. Metagross's only problem is undoubtedly its Speed. Coupled with a boost from Swords Dance, Metagross can be a real menace to any unprepared team after it gets a Speed boost under its belt. This is made so by the diverse physical movepool that Metagross has access to. A simple moveset consisting of Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Earthquake, and ThunderPunch is capable of decimating everything in the OU metagame. Even the Rotom formes don't stand a chance, as they are OHKOed by Zen Headbutt. If you don't wish to use Metagross as your recipient, then potential Pokémon to use should follow this general guideline: It should have access to a diverse physical movepool which is capable of eliminating nearly all Pokémon commonly seen in the OU metagame. Cradily gets a special mention since although it hardly meets the outlined guideline, it does come with the ability Suction Cups, which prevents it from being phazed out by the effects of Roar or Whirlwind.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Fang / Ice Fang / Night Slash
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is a more offensive approach to using Gliscor. It forgoes the ability to recover, in favor of adding a third attack for even better coverage. Between Stone Edge and Earthquake, all of OU, except for Breloom, Bronzong, and Flygon, are hit for neutral damage. The fourth slot removes two from that list, and provides a more reliable option to handle those Pokémon. Fire Fang will always 2HKO even the most physically defensive Bronzong, Celebi, and Skarmory after a Swords Dance, and thus is the recommended choice. Ice Fang, however, does the same damage to Breloom and Celebi, but gives you a better option for Salamence and Flygon. Night Slash also deserves a mention for its reliability in defeating Celebi and the Rotom formes. X-Scissor can be a decent option in the final slot since you can OHKO Celebi and 2HKO Flygon and possibly Bronzong after a Swords Dance.</p>
<p>Jolly is the best nature for the ability to outspeed many base 100s and all base 90s. However, Adamant gives you some extra power that can seal a few more OHKOs. The most notable of which being Max HP / Max Def Vaporeon, who has about a 50% chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Earthquake provided Stealth Rock is in play.</p>
<p>There is not much that needs to be said about this set, as it works great as a standalone sweeper. However, the same walls mentioned in the "Dancing Tank" set will still give this Gliscor trouble, as Gliscor's Attack stat is rather mediocre when compared to other sweepers in OU. To make it even worse, Gliscor has no way of recovering its HP in this set, apart from Wish support, which will make it tough to switch him in constantly, with the omnipresent Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil each time he attacks. As such, to use this Gliscor set effectively, you will want to make sure you have ways of weakening down the Pokémon who can come in, take a boosted attack, and KO you in the process. Such Pokémon include Swampert, Vaporeon, and the majority of other bulky Waters; even the Rotom formes can take a +2 Stone Edge and burn you in return.</p>
<p>The first, most helpful support you can provide to this set is by providing entry hazards, in particular, Spikes and Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock is recommended to weaken Flying-types who will want to switch into Gliscor, expecting to wall it. Salamence will enjoy switch into Gliscor to threaten it with a STAB Draco Meteor, so Stealth Rock can really hamper its ability to switch in repeatedly. Both Metagross and Swampert make good users of Stealth Rock, and both pair with Gliscor decently, as Gliscor can easily switch into Ground-type attacks aimed at Metagross, which in turn resists the Ice-type attacks Gliscor is weak to. Spikes support is necessary in weakening grounded Pokémon which can wall this set, in particular, those with a high HP and Defense stat. A prime example of such a Pokémon who can switch into this set is Swampert. A Life Orb Earthquake from Jolly Gliscor only manages a maximum of 77.23% after a Swords Dance boost against Swampert, meaning it can come in, survive the Earthquake, and proceed to KO you with Ice Beam. After laying down three layers of Spikes, Swampert will stand little chance of being able to counter this set, as it will only be left with approximately 68.75% of its health after switching into Spikes and Stealth Rock. Skarmory is a good option to consider in laying down Spikes, as Gliscor is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at Skarmory.</p>
<p>Another thing to note here is that this Gliscor is particularly vulnerable to priority, especially without any EV investment in its defenses. Scizor, the most common user of priority in OU, can deal up to 54.64% with a Choice Banded Bullet Punch, which can prevent Gliscor from being able to effectively sweep. While the noted damage calculations may not seem like much, you also have to consider that Gliscor will be losing HP repeatedly from switch-ins into Stealth Rock and recoil from Life Orb. As such, it is a good idea to pair this Gliscor with a Choice Scarf Magnezone. Magnezone can easily dispatch the most common users of priority in the game, ranging from the aforementioned Scizor to even ExtremeSpeed Lucario (although it's of little threat anyways). Additionally, Magnezone is great at taking out Skarmory and Bronzong, two possible counters to this set if Gliscor is not running Fire Fang.</p>
<p>Alternative options one should consider include Rapid Spin support, Wish support, and status support. Starmie is a great Rapid Spinner in the OU metagame, and also serves as a great counter to the Water-types which can give Gliscor trouble. Wish support can be obtained in the form of Vaporeon or Blissey; both are great at taking the most common special attacks likely to be aimed at Gliscor, which include Surf and Ice Beam. Blissey is also great at inflicting status, such as Toxic and Thunder Wave. Toxic is useful in weakening Pokémon which may give Gliscor some trouble, such as the bulky Water-types mentioned over and over.</p>
<p>In short, this set works great on a balanced team which can make effective use of Gliscor's typing as a sweeper for the team. Gliscor will require heavy support to be successful, so don't be surprised if you don't manage to sweep with it on your standard offense team.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most other Pokémon, Gliscor can make effective use of entry hazards that can be set up by other teammates. Stealth Rock is essential in damaging Flying-types who may try to set up on Gliscor, such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, which will lose a quarter of their health each time they try to switch in; however, Gliscor is more than capable of setting up Stealth Rock itself, especially on defensive sets. Spikes support is necessary on offensive sets, in particular, those that don't have a form of recovery. Spikes is needed to weaken physical walls such as Swampert, which can easily come in on even a Life Orb Earthquake after a Swords Dance boost, survive, and KO with Ice Beam in return. However, after switching in on three layers of Spikes, not even Swampert will stand a chance. Dual Screen support is highly recommended on the Baton Pass set, as it cancels out Gliscor's weakness to Water-type attacks, lower the amount of damage it takes from Ice-type attacks, and it allows Gliscor to take almost nothing from any other type of attack. Toxic Spikes is useful in weakening bulky Waters who may try to switch in on Gliscor, but is not particularly required for most sets.</p>
<p>Although Gliscor is usually played defensively, meaning its objective wouldn't be to get past its counters, it can still be effectively paired with Pokémon who can beat other Pokémon that give Gliscor trouble. Gliscor tends to draw in bulky Water-types and physical walls such as Hippowdon, so any Pokémon who can effectively take on the noted counters make the best offensive partners to Gliscor. Life Orb Starmie is usually a solid choice to consider, as it makes a fantastic switch-in to bulky Water-types, and it can threaten them with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot; Hydro Pump absolutely murders everything else that has a poor Special Defense stat. Additionally, Starmie has access to Recover, so it can easily heal off any damage it may have taken while switching in. Offensive Calm Mind Suicune is another useful option to consider pairing with Gliscor. After a Calm Mind boost, Suicune has an easy time getting past most physical walls, even Celebi, which is OHKOed by a +1 Life Orb Ice Beam. As always, Choice Band Scizor is a good option to pair with Gliscor as well, since it can weaken most of Gliscor's counters with repeated STAB U-turns. Bullet Punch is also good in preventing Pokémon that may have attempted to set up on Gliscor from sweeping through your team.</p>
<p>Gliscor is blessed by being weak to only two attacking types: Water and Ice. The only problem here is that Water- and Ice-type attacks are usually found on the same moveset belonging to Gliscor's main counters, meaning switching into them can be quite difficult. Usually, the best choice is to pair Gliscor with a bulky Water-type of your own, as they can easily switch into Water- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Gliscor. Vaporeon is a solid choice here, as it is immune to Water-type attacks, and takes literally nothing from Ice-type attacks due to its high Special Defense; in return, Gliscor is more than willing to switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at our aquatic friend. (Note that some users of Electric-type attacks also carry an Ice-type move, which Gliscor has trouble against.) Vaporeon is a solid switch-in to Gyarados, and it can stop any attempts to sweep thanks to Hidden Power Electric, which is also useful in hitting other Water-types Vaporeon may be up against.</p>
<p>Generally, you can expect to find Steel-types as being the most common teammates for Gliscor's counters. In particular, you can expect to see plenty of Metagross and Scizor on your opponent's team when you come across a bulky Water-type. The bulky Water-types mentioned before are of good use here, as they pack a handy resistance to Steel-type attacks. However, Magnezone is extremely helpful if you want to have a definite counter to most Steel-types, and it is also helpful in preventing Scizor from continously using U-turn. Some of the physical walls you may encounter will be often found on stall teams. In such a case, you can expect to run into Blissey a major portion of the time, which is used to take special attacks aimed at the team's physically-based walls. Gliscor can handle most Blissey variants, but must watch out for Ice Beam or Toxic.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Screech can be used in conjunction with U-turn to force switches, and can be effective when used with Spikes and Stealth Rock. Counter is another interesting move that allows Gliscor to get past some physical threats. Thanks to its physical defensive prowess, Gliscor can survive super-effective assaults from Gyarados, Choice Band Tyranitar using Aqua Tail, Fighting-type Pokémon packing Ice Punch, and even Mamoswine. With Counter, Gliscor can retaliate for an OHKO on all of those Pokémon, and utilize a speedy Roost to replenish his health later. In terms of its other attacking moves, X-Scissor and Aqua Tail are the only notable ones. While X-Scissor is slightly more powerful, U-turn is the preferable attack in almost all circumstances, because of its ability to scout the opponent's switch. Aqua Tail has mostly redundant coverage alongside Earthquake, since they both hit Rock- and Fire-types super effectively, while both being resisted by Grass-types, but Aqua Tail can be used to hit other Ground-types such as Hippowdon, Donphan, Gliscor, Claydol, and Flygon for decent damage.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Gliscor wants at least 216 EVs in Speed with either a boosting or neutral nature to outspeed Lucario and other base 90s. For most sets, you are going to want to max Gliscor's mediocre HP before allocating EVs anywhere else. Gliscor doesn't require too many Defense EVs due to its typing and the importance of its base 95 Speed. However, an Impish nature will grant you optimal defenses and the most overall stat points. It is perfectly feasible to run a 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe spread with the defensive support set. However, Hippowdon and Skarmory are better for all-purpose physical walling. An alternative physical wall spread is 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe, which ensures that you outrun Jolly Tyranitar, non-Scarf Magnezone, and most Breloom.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Gliscor is a strong physical tank with good support options, and a great Baton Passer thanks to Taunt. Gliscor can take on a multitude of physical threats, and Sand Veil helps it avoid damage every now and then when paired up with a Tyranitar or Hippowdon. An Earthquake immunity and Fighting resists are welcome, and Gliscor can even buy itself a Rock-type resist with Roost, albeit only until the end of the turn. Gliscor can also make quite a threatening sweeper with its excellent bulk, access to Swords Dance, and good coverage in Earthquake and Stone Edge. The ability to not be affected by Intimidate is also another factor in Gliscor's favor. Gliscor is a strong and solid choice on most OU teams.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Gyarados is a big problem for Gliscor, because it is immune to Earthquake, and is difficult to wall due to Ice Fang and STAB Waterfall. It will also slash Gliscor's Attack if you are not using Hyper Cutter. Most other Water-types will counter Gliscor, but may not be much help against the Baton Passer unless they have Roar or Haze. Gliscor can also manage to stall them or attempt to blast through them with Swords Dance Earthquake, so a faster Water-type Pokémon, such as Starmie, is ideal. Swampert can switch into most of Gliscor's attacks by virtue of its high defense, and can put Gliscor between Scylla and Charybdis, by eating a STAB super effective Surf / Waterfall and pseudo-Hazing its attempts at Baton Passing. Skarmory is a good counter unless Gliscor has Taunt, although you can Knock Off its Shed Shell and send in Magnezone. Gliscor can do little to hurt Cresselia, although it can Baton Pass to a counter to avoid an Ice Beam. Bronzong resists nearly all of Gliscor's most common attacks and can incapacitate it with Hypnosis or Trick.</p>
<p>In general, Ice attacks (particularly Ice Beam, since Gliscor's high Defense can allow it to survive some weaker hits from Ice Punch and Ice Fang) will often be Gliscor's undoing. Try to concentrate on exploiting Gliscor's weaker Special Defense, as it will usually fall to those in just a couple of hits, or even less.</p>
____________
Updates:
- 7/15/2009 - No changes have taken place, analysis was directly copied from website for further evaluation and a place to perform edits
- 7/16/2009 - Added team options to the "Baton Pass" and "Dancing Tank" sets
- 7/17/2009 - Added team options to the "Physical Sweeper" set
- 7/17/2009 - Team Options section has been added
- 7/17/2009 - First proofreading completed, by myself
- 8/16/2009 - Added in Serv's changes
The rest of the update will be completed in a timely, manageable manner. I appreciate everyone's patience so far!
