quziel
I am the Scientist now
[OVERVIEW]
Garbodor is one of NU's most reliable Spikes setters thanks to its workable bulk, its very useful defensive typing, and its power that allows it to forcibly bypass Xatu. Furthermore, Garbodor's pure Poison typing and above average defensive stats mean it can function as a check to some of NU's most threatening Pokemon in Passimian and Comfey. A wide offensive movepool combined with workable base 95 Attack lets Garbodor threaten Xatu with a STAB Gunk Shot while threatening Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Silvally-Steel with Seed Bomb and Stomping Tantrum. In addition, a utility movepool including Spikes and Toxic Spikes and options such as Explosion and Pain Split gives Garbodor the ability to easily set up entry hazards against an enemy team and either keep them up or keep itself healthy. However, while Gunk Shot is fairly powerful, Garbodor's only good Attack means that it struggles to threaten Pokemon such as Rhydon and Steelix, even with its coverage options. Furthermore, while its bulk is good enough to take resisted hits, Garbodor finds itself taking significant damage from neutral attacks, and it finds itself threatened by coverage moves, taking very heavy damage from Passimian's Earthquake and Whimsicott's Psychic.
[SET]
name: Offensive Spikes Setter
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Stomping Tantrum / Toxic Spikes / Seed Bomb
move 4: Explosion
item: Toxic Plate / Black Sludge
ability: Aftermath
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot lets Garbodor always 2HKO Xatu with either a Toxic Plate or an Adamant nature, as well as threaten Pokemon such as Comfey and Delphox. Spikes and Toxic Spikes wear down opposing Pokemon, helping out Garbodor's team, and Garbodor is a good user of the moves thanks to its great defensive typing and ability to bypass Xatu. Stomping Tantrum can be used if Toxic Spikes is not needed, is Garbodor's hardest-hitting move against Steelix and Klinklang, and threatens opposing Garbodor. Alternatively, Seed Bomb can be used to wear down Seismitoad and Rhydon for Garbodor, which can be very beneficial for its team. Explosion prevents the opponent from using Defog or Rapid Spin to remove entry hazards, provided that Garbodor is faster than the enemy, while also dealing very heavy damage. Pain Split can be used in the last moveslot to keep Garbodor at high HP over the course of a match, preventing it from being worn down too much, and can make matchups against Pokemon such as Comfey and Sceptile significantly easier.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and an Adamant nature maximize Garbodor's power, enabling it to 2HKO Xatu with Gunk Shot, as well as hit targets such as Decidueye and Vaporeon for heavy damage. Maximum Speed is needed to outrun Xatu as well as Pokemon such as Incineroar. A Jolly nature can be used with Toxic Plate to maintain the 2HKO on Xatu and outrun standard Comfey and maximum Speed Decidueye. If using an Adamant nature, Black Sludge can be used to give Garbodor useful recovery, significantly increasing its longevity, while a Rocky Helmet can be used to damage any Pokemon making contact with it, such as Passimian using U-turn. Toxic Plate can be run with an Adamant nature if being able to 2HKO Blastoise after Stealth Rock is needed. Aftermath is used to deal recoil damage to the foe if they KO Garbodor with a contact move, such as Comfey's Draining Kiss or Passimian's Knock Off.
Usage Tips
========
Garbodor is often better off using Gunk Shot if the opponent has a Xatu, as it can immediately bounce back any Spikes Garbodor uses if it switches in correctly. Gunk Shot deals heavy damage to most Pokemon that do not resist it and can be used to buy a turn to use Spikes, for example against Vaporeon, which is often forced to Wish if it switches into Gunk Shot. Garbodor should be brought in often against Grass-types such as Vileplume, as the more turns it has to set up Spikes, the more Garbodor can support its team. Be careful of coverage moves such as Earthquake from Passimian and status moves such as Sleep Powder from Vileplume, as they can leave Garbodor crippled for the rest of a match. Explosion should be used when the opponent is predicted to use either Defog or Rapid Spin, as it stops them from removing entry hazards while also dealing heavy damage. If it's running the correct coverage, an enemy such as Silvally-Steel or Blastoise using Defog or Rapid Spin can often be a free turn for Garbodor to attack.
Team Options
========
Garbodor generally needs teammates to take on enemy Ground-types for it, so Pokemon such as Sceptile, Alolan Exeggutor, and Seismitoad can make good teammates. Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin support from Pokemon such as Xatu, Dhelmise, and Blastoise allows Garbodor to keep its Spikes up even if its team requires enemy hazards removed. Pokemon such as Klinklang, Comfey, and Passimian all appreciate the entry hazard support that Garbodor provides, which can easily wear down pokemon such as Steelix and Vileplume for them. Wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Alolan Exeggutor also benefit from Garbodor's Spikes support thanks to the number of switches they force. Stealth Rock users such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Diancie are good teammates, building on the hazard pressure that Garbodor provides. Rhydon and Diancie are especially good options, as they provide another method to pressure Xatu. Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Incineroar are able to beat Golbat and Rotom for Garbodor, Pokemon that it otherwise struggles with.
[SET]
name: Defensive Spikes Setter
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Toxic Spikes / Seed Bomb
move 4: Pain Split
item: Black Sludge / Rocky Helmet
ability: Aftermath
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot pressures Xatu, 2HKOing it if it poisons it, and OHKOes Comfey, although its lacking PP and low accuracy make it unreliable to spam. Spikes wears down enemy Pokemon, helping out Garbodor's team, and Garbodor has the typing and defensive stats to come in multiple times to set them, while it has the power to bypass Xatu, a common entry hazard control option. Toxic Spikes gives Garbodor an additional move with which to support its team, easily and quickly wearing down defensive Pokemon such as Slowbro, Rhydon, and Diancie for Garbodor's team. Alternatively, Seed Bomb can be used to wear down Seismitoad and Rhydon for Garbodor. Pain Split keeps Garbodor at high HP over the course of a match, preventing it from being worn down too much, and can make matchups against Pokemon such as Comfey and Sceptile significantly easier.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and 200 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature give Garbodor good special bulk, letting it take only 33% from Sceptile's Leaf Storm and easily wall Comfey. 56 Speed EVs let Garbodor outrun maximum Speed base 50s such as Diancie, as well as defensive Blastoise. Black Sludge keeps Garbodor healthy, mitigating chip damage taken from Stealth Rock and preventing it from being worn down as easily. Aftermath causes any Pokemon that KOes Garbodor with a contact move to take significant recoil damage. Rocky Helmet can be used to punish any opponent that makes contact with Garbodor, notably easily wearing down enemy Comfey and punishing U-turns from Pokemon such as Passimian. A physically defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe can also be used to better take on Pokemon such as Passimian. However, this leaves Garbodor significantly more vulnerable to Sceptile, and Garbodor remains vulnerable to the coverage moves many physical threats carry.
Usage Tips
========
If facing Xatu, don't immediately try to set up Spikes, as an opponent will often try to reflect them or scout which Garbodor set is being run by switching into it. Better options are to use Gunk Shot to damage Xatu or switch out to a teammate that can punish it such as Sneasel or Heliolisk. When against an opponent without Xatu, it is often helpful to immediately set up entry hazards, as it will force the opponent to quickly remove them, or they will consistently take significant damage. Garbodor should generally be brought in against attacks it resists, such as Comfey's Draining Kiss and Passimian's Close Combat, although it should be wary of coverage moves, such as Passimian's Earthquake. Prioritize Spikes over Toxic Spikes if the opponent has a grounded Poison-type such as Vileplume, and generally try to prioritize Toxic Spikes if the opponent's hazard remover is vulnerable to Toxic Spikes or if the opponent has a Pokemon such as Slowbro or Dhelmise that needs to be poisoned. Aftermath can be used to deal significant damage to the opponent that KOes Garbodor, so try to keep Garbodor around for the right time once it gets to low HP.
Team Options
========
Teammates such as Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Incineroar that can take on Xatu for Garbodor are helpful, with the former being able to Pursuit trap Xatu, potentially removing it from the game. Garbodor generally needs teammates to take on enemy Ground-types for it, so Pokemon such as Sceptile, Decidueye, and Seismitoad can make good teammates. Entry hazard removal that keeps Garbodor's Spikes up is preferred, so Pokemon such as Xatu, Blastoise, and Dhelmise are excellent teammates. Toxic Spikes support is greatly appreciated by Delphox, Rotom, and Vaporeon, as well as any Pokemon with answers weak to poison or some way of staying on the field for a long time. Wallbreakers and cleaners such as Magmortar, Comfey, and Passimian appreciate Garbodor's support, being able to either rack up Spikes damage by forcing switches or appreciating that Spikes wears down their answers. Stealth Rock users such as Diancie, Druddigon, and Rhydon that can get Stealth Rock up against Xatu are good teammates, as Stealth Rock support can help wear it down. Heliolisk and Incineroar are exceptional teammates, as they can take on Golbat and Rotom, which easily Defog on Garbodor and resist Gunk Shot.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poisonium Z can be used on the offensive set to guarantee a hit against Xatu while still offering an easy 2HKO against it. However, a team's Z-Crystal is often better spent elsewhere. Weak Armor can be used to give Garbodor a Speed boost when it is hit, letting it potentially set more entry hazards, but the Defense drop it incurs means it is far less reliable as a check to enemy Fighting-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Seismitoad all resist Gunk Shot and threaten to heavily damage Garbodor with Earthquake. Steelix is especially worth mention, as it is immune to Gunk Shot, and it is not hit hard by any of Garbodor's other moves.
**Xatu**: While Garbodor can 2HKO Xatu with Gunk Shot, its Magic Bounce can still reflect Garbodor's Spikes, nullifying a turn and hurting Garbodor's team.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Golbat and Rotom take little damage from any move Garbodor can use against them, are immune to Spikes, and can easily Defog away Spikes, making them exceptional answers to Garbodor. Blastoise and Silvally-Steel are vulnerable to Gunk Shot and Stomping Tantrum respectively but can quickly remove the Spikes that Garbodor sets.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon such as Passimian and Dhelmise can deal very heavy damage to Garbodor with coverage moves such as Earthquake.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Earlier Versions by: [[Nuked, 328658]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Eternally, 295647], [Yoshi, 322194]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Garbodor is one of NU's most reliable Spikes setters thanks to its workable bulk, its very useful defensive typing, and its power that allows it to forcibly bypass Xatu. Furthermore, Garbodor's pure Poison typing and above average defensive stats mean it can function as a check to some of NU's most threatening Pokemon in Passimian and Comfey. A wide offensive movepool combined with workable base 95 Attack lets Garbodor threaten Xatu with a STAB Gunk Shot while threatening Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Silvally-Steel with Seed Bomb and Stomping Tantrum. In addition, a utility movepool including Spikes and Toxic Spikes and options such as Explosion and Pain Split gives Garbodor the ability to easily set up entry hazards against an enemy team and either keep them up or keep itself healthy. However, while Gunk Shot is fairly powerful, Garbodor's only good Attack means that it struggles to threaten Pokemon such as Rhydon and Steelix, even with its coverage options. Furthermore, while its bulk is good enough to take resisted hits, Garbodor finds itself taking significant damage from neutral attacks, and it finds itself threatened by coverage moves, taking very heavy damage from Passimian's Earthquake and Whimsicott's Psychic.
[SET]
name: Offensive Spikes Setter
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Stomping Tantrum / Toxic Spikes / Seed Bomb
move 4: Explosion
item: Toxic Plate / Black Sludge
ability: Aftermath
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot lets Garbodor always 2HKO Xatu with either a Toxic Plate or an Adamant nature, as well as threaten Pokemon such as Comfey and Delphox. Spikes and Toxic Spikes wear down opposing Pokemon, helping out Garbodor's team, and Garbodor is a good user of the moves thanks to its great defensive typing and ability to bypass Xatu. Stomping Tantrum can be used if Toxic Spikes is not needed, is Garbodor's hardest-hitting move against Steelix and Klinklang, and threatens opposing Garbodor. Alternatively, Seed Bomb can be used to wear down Seismitoad and Rhydon for Garbodor, which can be very beneficial for its team. Explosion prevents the opponent from using Defog or Rapid Spin to remove entry hazards, provided that Garbodor is faster than the enemy, while also dealing very heavy damage. Pain Split can be used in the last moveslot to keep Garbodor at high HP over the course of a match, preventing it from being worn down too much, and can make matchups against Pokemon such as Comfey and Sceptile significantly easier.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and an Adamant nature maximize Garbodor's power, enabling it to 2HKO Xatu with Gunk Shot, as well as hit targets such as Decidueye and Vaporeon for heavy damage. Maximum Speed is needed to outrun Xatu as well as Pokemon such as Incineroar. A Jolly nature can be used with Toxic Plate to maintain the 2HKO on Xatu and outrun standard Comfey and maximum Speed Decidueye. If using an Adamant nature, Black Sludge can be used to give Garbodor useful recovery, significantly increasing its longevity, while a Rocky Helmet can be used to damage any Pokemon making contact with it, such as Passimian using U-turn. Toxic Plate can be run with an Adamant nature if being able to 2HKO Blastoise after Stealth Rock is needed. Aftermath is used to deal recoil damage to the foe if they KO Garbodor with a contact move, such as Comfey's Draining Kiss or Passimian's Knock Off.
Usage Tips
========
Garbodor is often better off using Gunk Shot if the opponent has a Xatu, as it can immediately bounce back any Spikes Garbodor uses if it switches in correctly. Gunk Shot deals heavy damage to most Pokemon that do not resist it and can be used to buy a turn to use Spikes, for example against Vaporeon, which is often forced to Wish if it switches into Gunk Shot. Garbodor should be brought in often against Grass-types such as Vileplume, as the more turns it has to set up Spikes, the more Garbodor can support its team. Be careful of coverage moves such as Earthquake from Passimian and status moves such as Sleep Powder from Vileplume, as they can leave Garbodor crippled for the rest of a match. Explosion should be used when the opponent is predicted to use either Defog or Rapid Spin, as it stops them from removing entry hazards while also dealing heavy damage. If it's running the correct coverage, an enemy such as Silvally-Steel or Blastoise using Defog or Rapid Spin can often be a free turn for Garbodor to attack.
Team Options
========
Garbodor generally needs teammates to take on enemy Ground-types for it, so Pokemon such as Sceptile, Alolan Exeggutor, and Seismitoad can make good teammates. Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin support from Pokemon such as Xatu, Dhelmise, and Blastoise allows Garbodor to keep its Spikes up even if its team requires enemy hazards removed. Pokemon such as Klinklang, Comfey, and Passimian all appreciate the entry hazard support that Garbodor provides, which can easily wear down pokemon such as Steelix and Vileplume for them. Wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Alolan Exeggutor also benefit from Garbodor's Spikes support thanks to the number of switches they force. Stealth Rock users such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Diancie are good teammates, building on the hazard pressure that Garbodor provides. Rhydon and Diancie are especially good options, as they provide another method to pressure Xatu. Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Incineroar are able to beat Golbat and Rotom for Garbodor, Pokemon that it otherwise struggles with.
[SET]
name: Defensive Spikes Setter
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Toxic Spikes / Seed Bomb
move 4: Pain Split
item: Black Sludge / Rocky Helmet
ability: Aftermath
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot pressures Xatu, 2HKOing it if it poisons it, and OHKOes Comfey, although its lacking PP and low accuracy make it unreliable to spam. Spikes wears down enemy Pokemon, helping out Garbodor's team, and Garbodor has the typing and defensive stats to come in multiple times to set them, while it has the power to bypass Xatu, a common entry hazard control option. Toxic Spikes gives Garbodor an additional move with which to support its team, easily and quickly wearing down defensive Pokemon such as Slowbro, Rhydon, and Diancie for Garbodor's team. Alternatively, Seed Bomb can be used to wear down Seismitoad and Rhydon for Garbodor. Pain Split keeps Garbodor at high HP over the course of a match, preventing it from being worn down too much, and can make matchups against Pokemon such as Comfey and Sceptile significantly easier.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and 200 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature give Garbodor good special bulk, letting it take only 33% from Sceptile's Leaf Storm and easily wall Comfey. 56 Speed EVs let Garbodor outrun maximum Speed base 50s such as Diancie, as well as defensive Blastoise. Black Sludge keeps Garbodor healthy, mitigating chip damage taken from Stealth Rock and preventing it from being worn down as easily. Aftermath causes any Pokemon that KOes Garbodor with a contact move to take significant recoil damage. Rocky Helmet can be used to punish any opponent that makes contact with Garbodor, notably easily wearing down enemy Comfey and punishing U-turns from Pokemon such as Passimian. A physically defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe can also be used to better take on Pokemon such as Passimian. However, this leaves Garbodor significantly more vulnerable to Sceptile, and Garbodor remains vulnerable to the coverage moves many physical threats carry.
Usage Tips
========
If facing Xatu, don't immediately try to set up Spikes, as an opponent will often try to reflect them or scout which Garbodor set is being run by switching into it. Better options are to use Gunk Shot to damage Xatu or switch out to a teammate that can punish it such as Sneasel or Heliolisk. When against an opponent without Xatu, it is often helpful to immediately set up entry hazards, as it will force the opponent to quickly remove them, or they will consistently take significant damage. Garbodor should generally be brought in against attacks it resists, such as Comfey's Draining Kiss and Passimian's Close Combat, although it should be wary of coverage moves, such as Passimian's Earthquake. Prioritize Spikes over Toxic Spikes if the opponent has a grounded Poison-type such as Vileplume, and generally try to prioritize Toxic Spikes if the opponent's hazard remover is vulnerable to Toxic Spikes or if the opponent has a Pokemon such as Slowbro or Dhelmise that needs to be poisoned. Aftermath can be used to deal significant damage to the opponent that KOes Garbodor, so try to keep Garbodor around for the right time once it gets to low HP.
Team Options
========
Teammates such as Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Incineroar that can take on Xatu for Garbodor are helpful, with the former being able to Pursuit trap Xatu, potentially removing it from the game. Garbodor generally needs teammates to take on enemy Ground-types for it, so Pokemon such as Sceptile, Decidueye, and Seismitoad can make good teammates. Entry hazard removal that keeps Garbodor's Spikes up is preferred, so Pokemon such as Xatu, Blastoise, and Dhelmise are excellent teammates. Toxic Spikes support is greatly appreciated by Delphox, Rotom, and Vaporeon, as well as any Pokemon with answers weak to poison or some way of staying on the field for a long time. Wallbreakers and cleaners such as Magmortar, Comfey, and Passimian appreciate Garbodor's support, being able to either rack up Spikes damage by forcing switches or appreciating that Spikes wears down their answers. Stealth Rock users such as Diancie, Druddigon, and Rhydon that can get Stealth Rock up against Xatu are good teammates, as Stealth Rock support can help wear it down. Heliolisk and Incineroar are exceptional teammates, as they can take on Golbat and Rotom, which easily Defog on Garbodor and resist Gunk Shot.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poisonium Z can be used on the offensive set to guarantee a hit against Xatu while still offering an easy 2HKO against it. However, a team's Z-Crystal is often better spent elsewhere. Weak Armor can be used to give Garbodor a Speed boost when it is hit, letting it potentially set more entry hazards, but the Defense drop it incurs means it is far less reliable as a check to enemy Fighting-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Seismitoad all resist Gunk Shot and threaten to heavily damage Garbodor with Earthquake. Steelix is especially worth mention, as it is immune to Gunk Shot, and it is not hit hard by any of Garbodor's other moves.
**Xatu**: While Garbodor can 2HKO Xatu with Gunk Shot, its Magic Bounce can still reflect Garbodor's Spikes, nullifying a turn and hurting Garbodor's team.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Golbat and Rotom take little damage from any move Garbodor can use against them, are immune to Spikes, and can easily Defog away Spikes, making them exceptional answers to Garbodor. Blastoise and Silvally-Steel are vulnerable to Gunk Shot and Stomping Tantrum respectively but can quickly remove the Spikes that Garbodor sets.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon such as Passimian and Dhelmise can deal very heavy damage to Garbodor with coverage moves such as Earthquake.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Earlier Versions by: [[Nuked, 328658]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Eternally, 295647], [Yoshi, 322194]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited: