[OVERVIEW]
Gastrodon is often seen as outclassed by Swampert, which is the main Water / Ground type in the tier thanks to its access to Stealth Rock, better offensive coverage, and better stats. However, Gastrodon offers some unique assets that Swampert is missing, such as consistent healing via Recover as well as its ability Sticky Hold, which makes Gastrodon immune to Trick and prevents Knock Off from removing its item. Thanks to those two traits, Gastrodon has the luxury of being a truly excellent counter to Clefable that also isn't threatened by the commonly seen Dugtrio. Like with Swampert, Gastrodon's excellent Water / Ground typing only leaves it with a Grass-type weakness while also granting it an Electric immunity, which can make Gastrodon hard to immediately threaten. Gastrodon's main utility is Curse, which in conjunction with its ability makes it a slow setup sweeper that cannot get easily stopped by Trick unlike its competition. Despite its unique attributes, Gastrodon remains very passive and has quite a few flaws; on one hand its coverage consisting of Waterfall and Earthquake means Pokemon like Breloom, Haze Milotic, and defensive Latias completely blank it, and on the other hand its extreme lack of power means it needs several boosts before being actually threatening. Furthermore, status like burn and poison heavily invalidates Gastrodon in the long run, so it's going to require a lot of support to be able to function nicely.
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Curse is Gastrodon's main offensive weapon, which lets it set up and effectively beat Clefable as well as sweep. The combination of Waterfall and Earthquake forms the best coverage Gastrodon has to offer and enables it to hit everything for at least neutral damage besides Grass-types such as Breloom, Celebi, and Shaymin and Pokemon like Latias, Dragonite, and Gyarados. Recover allows Gastrodon to heal itself at its convenience and grants it several opportunities to set up throughout a game.
Set Details
========
Invest 252 EVs in HP in order to maximize Gastrodon's bulk overall. Since Gastrodon aims to beef its Defense up with Curse, 240 EVs in Special Defense as well as a Careful nature are the way to go to easily soak up damage from Pokemon like Latias, Starmie, Heatran, Gengar, mixed Dragonite, and even mixed Infernape with Grass Knot. More Defense can be added to set up on Tyranitar more easily and to take Infernape's Close Combat better, although you should keep in mind that Gastrodon should always have a Careful nature. There's no alternative to Gastrodon's Leftovers, as combined with its ability Sticky Hold, it means that it will always be able to passively recover its health.
Usage Tips
========
To get a chance to set up with Gastrodon, you're gonna have to get rid of its main counters. Trappers such as Magnezone and Dugtrio can take out Pokemon like Skarmory and Breloom, which are big thorns in Gastrodon's side. Try to preserve Gastrodon's health as much as possible and avoid status effects like burn and poison, which are extremely unpleasant for it. As soon as you remove Gastrodon's main counters, you can eventually find the opportunity to set up on Pokemon like Clefable, non-Choice Band Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Rotom-A, and Choice Scarf Latias. Make use of Gastrodon's ability to switch in endlessly on Clefable, as well as switch into Choice Scarf Rotom-A thanks to its Electric and Trick immunity.
Team Options
========
In terms of good partners, Magnezone is strongly appreciated, as it takes care of pesky Steel-types like Skarmory and Bronzong. Dugtrio on the other hand can trap Breloom, which is probably the hardest counter to Gastrodon. Since Gastrodon hates status, having a spinner like Starmie or a Poison-type Pokemon such as Roserade or Nidoqueen that can remove potential Toxic Spikes and spread its own is very much appreciated. In the same vein, Healing Wish support from the likes of Latias, Jirachi, and Shaymin can bring Gastrodon back to full health even if it has taken status during the game. Heatran can deny status like burn and poison and spread its own Toxic on Milotic and Reflect Latias, which puts them on a timer and removes their ability to wall Gastrodon in the long run. Clefable has great synergy with Gastrodon as well, as it can absorb status aimed at Gastrodon, provides Knock Off support against the likes of defensive Latias, Milotic, and even Shed Shell Skarmory so Magnezone can pick it off, and checks some variants of Heatran and Zapdos that Gastrodon cannot handle, whereas on the other hand Gastrodon can cover a potential Trick aimed at Clefable. Alternatively, Calm Mind Clefable can help deal with Dragonite and Gyarados, which are huge threats to Gastrodon, while providing some sort of wincon in scenarios where Gastrodon would have a hard time sweeping the opposing team. Since Gastrodon is very inclined to let Breloom come in on the field for free, defensive Latias and Celebi can make useful sturdy answers to it while also providing great general defensive utility against the likes of Machamp and Swampert. Choice Specs Latias can also use Sleep Talk to absorb Breloom's Spore. Finally, Bronzong's plethora of resistances, solid bulk, access to Stealth Rock, and self-sufficiency make it one of the best Pokemon to patch plenty of weaknesses and play multiple roles in one slot. Bronzong can also bring a very nice aspect to the team and free other slots, which lets you run more specific support that Gastrodon drastically requires.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic can be used over Earthquake to lure Pokemon like Milotic and Reflect Latias and put them on a timer, both of which are extremely annoying for Curse Gastrodon. Rest is an option over Recover to get rid of eventual status more easily, but it remains inferior because Gastrodon won't heal as consistently without Recover. A set of Ice Beam, Earthquake, and Toxic can be used as a tank in the manner of Swampert that can also heal off damage with Recover. Counter and Mirror Coat are both usable as elements of surprise. The former is aimed at Pokemon like Dragonite, Gyarados, and Machamp, while the latter targets Pokemon such as Choice Specs Latias, Empoleon, and Gengar.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Breloom, Celebi, and Shaymin are a real nuisance for Gastrodon, as they resist both of its STAB attacks and can all easily force it out at any time, without Gastrodon being able to do anything about it. These aforementioned Pokemon in particular can all heal in various ways, which makes it even more impossible for Gastrodon to wear them down.
**Ground-immune Pokemon that resist Water**: Because of Gastrodon's poor coverage, it won't hit Pokemon like Latias, Dragonite, and Gyarados even for neutral damage. Defensive Latias walls Curse Gastrodon for days; even at +6 it only deals about 30% to Latias, or 15% under Reflect, not to mention Latias can use Roar to phaze Gastrodon. While Dragonite and Gyarados aren't as sturdy as Latias, they're way more scary in the sense that they exploit Gastrodon's inability to hit them effectively to set up on it.
**Physical Walls**: Gastrodon is really lacking in power; even with several boosts it will hardly be threatening to some of the best physical walls in the tier. Skarmory rules Gastrodon like no one, as it can take advantage of Gastrodon's inability to touch it to easily lay down Spikes and can also prevent Gastrodon from boosting itself by phazing it at any moment with Whirlwind. Milotic in the same way prevents Gastrodon from getting multiple Curse boosts with Haze, which also has way more PP than Curse and thus can win the war in long games. Defensive Rotom can ruin Gastrodon with Will-O-Wisp, while Zapdos can run Toxic, Hidden Power Grass, or even Roar to make Gastrodon look miserable. To a certain extent, Gliscor can prevent Gastrodon from boosting itself with Taunt, wall it, and wear it down with Earthquake, as unboosted Waterfall deals negligible damage against Gliscor's high Defense. Physically defensive Hippowdon has no trouble checking Gastrodon temporarily as well thanks to its huge Defense, as it can phaze it with Roar and make it take entry hazard damage or wear it down in the long run.
**Offensive Threats**: Since Gastrodon is very weak and passive, especially without boosts, it will have a hard time handling fast and powerful Pokemon like Choice Specs Latias, Choice Band Dragonite, Choice Band Swampert, and Choice Band Gyarados, all of which can deal tremendous damage to it. Other heavy hitters like Machamp, Lucario, and Choice Band Tyranitar deal a ton of damage to it as well.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sakito, 433460]]
- Quality checked by: [[Emeral, 72767], [DeepBlueC, 307789]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [deetah, 297659]]
Gastrodon is often seen as outclassed by Swampert, which is the main Water / Ground type in the tier thanks to its access to Stealth Rock, better offensive coverage, and better stats. However, Gastrodon offers some unique assets that Swampert is missing, such as consistent healing via Recover as well as its ability Sticky Hold, which makes Gastrodon immune to Trick and prevents Knock Off from removing its item. Thanks to those two traits, Gastrodon has the luxury of being a truly excellent counter to Clefable that also isn't threatened by the commonly seen Dugtrio. Like with Swampert, Gastrodon's excellent Water / Ground typing only leaves it with a Grass-type weakness while also granting it an Electric immunity, which can make Gastrodon hard to immediately threaten. Gastrodon's main utility is Curse, which in conjunction with its ability makes it a slow setup sweeper that cannot get easily stopped by Trick unlike its competition. Despite its unique attributes, Gastrodon remains very passive and has quite a few flaws; on one hand its coverage consisting of Waterfall and Earthquake means Pokemon like Breloom, Haze Milotic, and defensive Latias completely blank it, and on the other hand its extreme lack of power means it needs several boosts before being actually threatening. Furthermore, status like burn and poison heavily invalidates Gastrodon in the long run, so it's going to require a lot of support to be able to function nicely.
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Curse is Gastrodon's main offensive weapon, which lets it set up and effectively beat Clefable as well as sweep. The combination of Waterfall and Earthquake forms the best coverage Gastrodon has to offer and enables it to hit everything for at least neutral damage besides Grass-types such as Breloom, Celebi, and Shaymin and Pokemon like Latias, Dragonite, and Gyarados. Recover allows Gastrodon to heal itself at its convenience and grants it several opportunities to set up throughout a game.
Set Details
========
Invest 252 EVs in HP in order to maximize Gastrodon's bulk overall. Since Gastrodon aims to beef its Defense up with Curse, 240 EVs in Special Defense as well as a Careful nature are the way to go to easily soak up damage from Pokemon like Latias, Starmie, Heatran, Gengar, mixed Dragonite, and even mixed Infernape with Grass Knot. More Defense can be added to set up on Tyranitar more easily and to take Infernape's Close Combat better, although you should keep in mind that Gastrodon should always have a Careful nature. There's no alternative to Gastrodon's Leftovers, as combined with its ability Sticky Hold, it means that it will always be able to passively recover its health.
Usage Tips
========
To get a chance to set up with Gastrodon, you're gonna have to get rid of its main counters. Trappers such as Magnezone and Dugtrio can take out Pokemon like Skarmory and Breloom, which are big thorns in Gastrodon's side. Try to preserve Gastrodon's health as much as possible and avoid status effects like burn and poison, which are extremely unpleasant for it. As soon as you remove Gastrodon's main counters, you can eventually find the opportunity to set up on Pokemon like Clefable, non-Choice Band Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Rotom-A, and Choice Scarf Latias. Make use of Gastrodon's ability to switch in endlessly on Clefable, as well as switch into Choice Scarf Rotom-A thanks to its Electric and Trick immunity.
Team Options
========
In terms of good partners, Magnezone is strongly appreciated, as it takes care of pesky Steel-types like Skarmory and Bronzong. Dugtrio on the other hand can trap Breloom, which is probably the hardest counter to Gastrodon. Since Gastrodon hates status, having a spinner like Starmie or a Poison-type Pokemon such as Roserade or Nidoqueen that can remove potential Toxic Spikes and spread its own is very much appreciated. In the same vein, Healing Wish support from the likes of Latias, Jirachi, and Shaymin can bring Gastrodon back to full health even if it has taken status during the game. Heatran can deny status like burn and poison and spread its own Toxic on Milotic and Reflect Latias, which puts them on a timer and removes their ability to wall Gastrodon in the long run. Clefable has great synergy with Gastrodon as well, as it can absorb status aimed at Gastrodon, provides Knock Off support against the likes of defensive Latias, Milotic, and even Shed Shell Skarmory so Magnezone can pick it off, and checks some variants of Heatran and Zapdos that Gastrodon cannot handle, whereas on the other hand Gastrodon can cover a potential Trick aimed at Clefable. Alternatively, Calm Mind Clefable can help deal with Dragonite and Gyarados, which are huge threats to Gastrodon, while providing some sort of wincon in scenarios where Gastrodon would have a hard time sweeping the opposing team. Since Gastrodon is very inclined to let Breloom come in on the field for free, defensive Latias and Celebi can make useful sturdy answers to it while also providing great general defensive utility against the likes of Machamp and Swampert. Choice Specs Latias can also use Sleep Talk to absorb Breloom's Spore. Finally, Bronzong's plethora of resistances, solid bulk, access to Stealth Rock, and self-sufficiency make it one of the best Pokemon to patch plenty of weaknesses and play multiple roles in one slot. Bronzong can also bring a very nice aspect to the team and free other slots, which lets you run more specific support that Gastrodon drastically requires.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic can be used over Earthquake to lure Pokemon like Milotic and Reflect Latias and put them on a timer, both of which are extremely annoying for Curse Gastrodon. Rest is an option over Recover to get rid of eventual status more easily, but it remains inferior because Gastrodon won't heal as consistently without Recover. A set of Ice Beam, Earthquake, and Toxic can be used as a tank in the manner of Swampert that can also heal off damage with Recover. Counter and Mirror Coat are both usable as elements of surprise. The former is aimed at Pokemon like Dragonite, Gyarados, and Machamp, while the latter targets Pokemon such as Choice Specs Latias, Empoleon, and Gengar.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Breloom, Celebi, and Shaymin are a real nuisance for Gastrodon, as they resist both of its STAB attacks and can all easily force it out at any time, without Gastrodon being able to do anything about it. These aforementioned Pokemon in particular can all heal in various ways, which makes it even more impossible for Gastrodon to wear them down.
**Ground-immune Pokemon that resist Water**: Because of Gastrodon's poor coverage, it won't hit Pokemon like Latias, Dragonite, and Gyarados even for neutral damage. Defensive Latias walls Curse Gastrodon for days; even at +6 it only deals about 30% to Latias, or 15% under Reflect, not to mention Latias can use Roar to phaze Gastrodon. While Dragonite and Gyarados aren't as sturdy as Latias, they're way more scary in the sense that they exploit Gastrodon's inability to hit them effectively to set up on it.
**Physical Walls**: Gastrodon is really lacking in power; even with several boosts it will hardly be threatening to some of the best physical walls in the tier. Skarmory rules Gastrodon like no one, as it can take advantage of Gastrodon's inability to touch it to easily lay down Spikes and can also prevent Gastrodon from boosting itself by phazing it at any moment with Whirlwind. Milotic in the same way prevents Gastrodon from getting multiple Curse boosts with Haze, which also has way more PP than Curse and thus can win the war in long games. Defensive Rotom can ruin Gastrodon with Will-O-Wisp, while Zapdos can run Toxic, Hidden Power Grass, or even Roar to make Gastrodon look miserable. To a certain extent, Gliscor can prevent Gastrodon from boosting itself with Taunt, wall it, and wear it down with Earthquake, as unboosted Waterfall deals negligible damage against Gliscor's high Defense. Physically defensive Hippowdon has no trouble checking Gastrodon temporarily as well thanks to its huge Defense, as it can phaze it with Roar and make it take entry hazard damage or wear it down in the long run.
**Offensive Threats**: Since Gastrodon is very weak and passive, especially without boosts, it will have a hard time handling fast and powerful Pokemon like Choice Specs Latias, Choice Band Dragonite, Choice Band Swampert, and Choice Band Gyarados, all of which can deal tremendous damage to it. Other heavy hitters like Machamp, Lucario, and Choice Band Tyranitar deal a ton of damage to it as well.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sakito, 433460]]
- Quality checked by: [[Emeral, 72767], [DeepBlueC, 307789]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [deetah, 297659]]
Last edited: