QC Checks: AccidentalGreed, Jukain, Swamp Link
GP Checks: fleurdyleurse, horyzhnz
Overview
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Goodra, unlike most other Dragon-types, is not at all offensively focused, instead boasting a tremendous Special Defense stat with usable offenses and disappointing physical bulk. However, despite its special bulk, Goodra lacks reliable recovery, which means it is often overshadowed by another Dragon-type: Latias. Latias also has access to Defog, higher Speed, and Healing Wish, meaning it is almost always the superior choice when looking for a bulky Dragon-type. Unlike Latias, though, Goodra's lack of Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses means it can switch in and out with relative ease. Combine this with a good movepool and the many resistances of its mono Dragon-typing, and Goodra can definitely shine. However, it's important that when you choose Goodra for your team, it should always be for its niche as a bulky mono Dragon-type pivot; otherwise, you'll most likely be using an outclassed Latias.
Assault Vest Tank
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name: Assault Vest Tank
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Thunderbolt
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Assault Vest
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is a mainstay on this set, being Goodra's strongest attack. With Draco Meteor on hand and an Assault Vest equipped, Goodra can survive any offensive Dragon-type's Draco Meteor in OU and OHKO back with a Draco Meteor of its own. Fire Blast gives the best neutral coverage alongside Draco Meteor and is chosen over Flamethrower for its higher Base Power. Fire Blast hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, and other Steel-types that are littered throughout OU. Sludge Bomb is preferred for the third slot as it hits Clefable and Azumarill for super effective damage while also having a nifty 30% chance to poison. However, Thunderbolt can be used to hit Azumarill, as well as any other Pokemon who are weak to Electric-type moves that might consider switching into or setting up on Goodra, such as Gyarados. It's important to note that Draco Meteor tends to hit most Electric-weak targets harder, though. Finally, Dragon Tail is utilized in the last slot, which gives Goodra utility as a phazer while doing some decent chip damage in the process. Seeing as Goodra is one of the best switch-ins to Heatran, Earthquake is an option that allows Goodra to easily 2HKO an unsuspecting Heatran that would otherwise wall it. Do note, however, that Goodra hates being Toxiced by Heatran.
Set Details
========
The EVs on this set are relatively straightforward. 248 HP EVs give Goodra the best defensive capability as well as a Stealth Rock number, and max Special Attack investment allows it to function as a tank by being able to dish out a ton of damage. Choosing a Quiet nature reinforces this by ensuring Goodra does the most damage with all of its attacks, both special and physical. On the other hand, a Modest nature can also be chosen to avoid the speed drop of Quiet. This allows Goodra to outspeed a few threats that sit in between, such as minimum Speed Mega Scizor and Heatran. If Modest is being used, it is recommended to use 16 Speed EVs to outspeed max Speed Adamant Azumarill and Mega Mawile. For slightly more defense and slightly less offense, a Sassy or Calm nature can be chosen instead. Sap Sipper gives Goodra an immunity, which is extremely welcome on a Pokemon with no recovery, and allows it to come in unscathed on a predicted Grass-type attack. Sap Sipper also makes it immune to Spore, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Leech Seed, all the while powering up Dragon Tail. While Gooey can be quite useful to potentially turn the tide of the battle in your favor, the main downside of it is that in order to activate it, Goodra has to take a contact hit. Since most contact hits are physical, letting Goodra take those hits in order to activate Gooey will drastically decrease its lifespan. It can also activate Defiant on the likes of Bisharp, meaning it can actually be detrimental. That being said, Gooey can be helpful to switch in on a random resisted contact hit or as a last-ditch effort to stop an opponent's sweep. Assault Vest is the item of choice on Goodra, as it helps to raise Goodra's special bulk to even higher levels. Leftovers, while not on the set, can be an interesting option for a little bit of recovery, though Goodra does lose a good chunk of special bulk if it opts for Leftovers.
Usage Tips
========
Goodra makes a good pivot on offensive and balance teams. Thanks to its many resistances, it can work well as a "glue" Pokemon who can really help pull a team together and lead to game-winning double switches. Liberal usage of Dragon Tail is also useful for inflicting chip damage (which can be quite considerable with Goodra's decent base Attack) while racking up entry hazard damage. It's also important to note that Goodra is quite possibly one of the best answers to Mega Charizard Y in existence, as it takes very little damage from all of its attacks, and isn't weak to common Pursuit users such as Bisharp.
Team Options
========
Goodra likes to switch in and out a lot, especially with Draco Meteor's attack drop, so Defog support from the likes of Skarmory and Zapdos is very appreciated. Wish support is also useful because of Goodra's complete lack of reliable recovery, making Chansey and Sylveon helpful partners. Goodra has good defensive synergy with Heatran, who resists all of its weaknesses and together with Goodra forms a solid special defensive core. As for a physically defensive partner, Scizor also works well with Goodra, resisting Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type attacks. Because of Goodra's low physical defense, it appreciates teammates who can burn potential physical threats, such as Rotom-W. Rotom-W also covers Goodra's Ice-type weakness, who in return covers Rotom-W's Grass-type weakness.
Other Options
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A Choice Specs set can catch opponents off-guard, and Goodra has a pretty good movepool to use it with. However, even with the extra power, it is still a poor wallbreaker due to its generally low Special Attack and reliance on a STAB move which lowers its Special Attack. A Rain Dance set with Rest and Hydration can be used for instant healing, though it tends to contribute very little to dedicated Rain teams, and Assault Vest outclasses it as a standalone set. Goodra has access to strong physical moves such as Outrage, Earthquake, Power Whip, and Aqua Tail. Thanks to its high Special Defense, Goodra can be quite hard to penetrate after a few Curses, making a physical set possible using some of the aforementioned moves. Goodra's lack of recovery can be slightly remedied by utilizing Rest and Sleep Talk. A CroCune-like set could be used with Rest, Sleep Talk, Curse, and a physical STAB move such as Dragon Tail or Outrage, though it is completely walled by Fairy-types.
Checks & Counters
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**Fast Physical Attackers**: Anything with strong physical attacks can check Goodra, particularly if they are faster and can hit it super effectively. Examples include Garchomp, Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, Salamence, Zygarde, Mega Pinsir, and physical Kyurem-B. Bisharp is also a good check, especially since Gooey will effectively give it a free Swords Dance when it hits Goodra with a contact move.
**Specially Bulky Physical Attackers**: Physically offensive special tanks are nearly perfect counters for Goodra. The most prominent of these is Assault Vest Conkeldurr which is only 4HKOed by Goodra at most, and can heal itself back up with powerful Drain Punches. (Mega) Tyranitar is another good option, as it is 3-4HKOed by Earthquake and 2HKOes back with Stone Edge or Crunch.
**Specially Bulky Stall Pokemon**: Specially bulky stall Pokemon such as Sylveon, Clefable, Chansey, Mega Venusaur, and Heatran take little damage from Goodra and can proceed to cripple it with Toxic and/or wear it down with their own attacks.
**Residual Damage**: With a lack of reliable recovery, Goodra despises damage inducing status effects such as poison and burn. Also, with its proclivity to switching in and out, Goodra also detests Stealth Rock and Spikes.
GP Checks: fleurdyleurse, horyzhnz
Overview
########
Goodra, unlike most other Dragon-types, is not at all offensively focused, instead boasting a tremendous Special Defense stat with usable offenses and disappointing physical bulk. However, despite its special bulk, Goodra lacks reliable recovery, which means it is often overshadowed by another Dragon-type: Latias. Latias also has access to Defog, higher Speed, and Healing Wish, meaning it is almost always the superior choice when looking for a bulky Dragon-type. Unlike Latias, though, Goodra's lack of Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses means it can switch in and out with relative ease. Combine this with a good movepool and the many resistances of its mono Dragon-typing, and Goodra can definitely shine. However, it's important that when you choose Goodra for your team, it should always be for its niche as a bulky mono Dragon-type pivot; otherwise, you'll most likely be using an outclassed Latias.
Assault Vest Tank
########
name: Assault Vest Tank
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Thunderbolt
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Assault Vest
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is a mainstay on this set, being Goodra's strongest attack. With Draco Meteor on hand and an Assault Vest equipped, Goodra can survive any offensive Dragon-type's Draco Meteor in OU and OHKO back with a Draco Meteor of its own. Fire Blast gives the best neutral coverage alongside Draco Meteor and is chosen over Flamethrower for its higher Base Power. Fire Blast hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, and other Steel-types that are littered throughout OU. Sludge Bomb is preferred for the third slot as it hits Clefable and Azumarill for super effective damage while also having a nifty 30% chance to poison. However, Thunderbolt can be used to hit Azumarill, as well as any other Pokemon who are weak to Electric-type moves that might consider switching into or setting up on Goodra, such as Gyarados. It's important to note that Draco Meteor tends to hit most Electric-weak targets harder, though. Finally, Dragon Tail is utilized in the last slot, which gives Goodra utility as a phazer while doing some decent chip damage in the process. Seeing as Goodra is one of the best switch-ins to Heatran, Earthquake is an option that allows Goodra to easily 2HKO an unsuspecting Heatran that would otherwise wall it. Do note, however, that Goodra hates being Toxiced by Heatran.
Set Details
========
The EVs on this set are relatively straightforward. 248 HP EVs give Goodra the best defensive capability as well as a Stealth Rock number, and max Special Attack investment allows it to function as a tank by being able to dish out a ton of damage. Choosing a Quiet nature reinforces this by ensuring Goodra does the most damage with all of its attacks, both special and physical. On the other hand, a Modest nature can also be chosen to avoid the speed drop of Quiet. This allows Goodra to outspeed a few threats that sit in between, such as minimum Speed Mega Scizor and Heatran. If Modest is being used, it is recommended to use 16 Speed EVs to outspeed max Speed Adamant Azumarill and Mega Mawile. For slightly more defense and slightly less offense, a Sassy or Calm nature can be chosen instead. Sap Sipper gives Goodra an immunity, which is extremely welcome on a Pokemon with no recovery, and allows it to come in unscathed on a predicted Grass-type attack. Sap Sipper also makes it immune to Spore, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Leech Seed, all the while powering up Dragon Tail. While Gooey can be quite useful to potentially turn the tide of the battle in your favor, the main downside of it is that in order to activate it, Goodra has to take a contact hit. Since most contact hits are physical, letting Goodra take those hits in order to activate Gooey will drastically decrease its lifespan. It can also activate Defiant on the likes of Bisharp, meaning it can actually be detrimental. That being said, Gooey can be helpful to switch in on a random resisted contact hit or as a last-ditch effort to stop an opponent's sweep. Assault Vest is the item of choice on Goodra, as it helps to raise Goodra's special bulk to even higher levels. Leftovers, while not on the set, can be an interesting option for a little bit of recovery, though Goodra does lose a good chunk of special bulk if it opts for Leftovers.
Usage Tips
========
Goodra makes a good pivot on offensive and balance teams. Thanks to its many resistances, it can work well as a "glue" Pokemon who can really help pull a team together and lead to game-winning double switches. Liberal usage of Dragon Tail is also useful for inflicting chip damage (which can be quite considerable with Goodra's decent base Attack) while racking up entry hazard damage. It's also important to note that Goodra is quite possibly one of the best answers to Mega Charizard Y in existence, as it takes very little damage from all of its attacks, and isn't weak to common Pursuit users such as Bisharp.
Team Options
========
Goodra likes to switch in and out a lot, especially with Draco Meteor's attack drop, so Defog support from the likes of Skarmory and Zapdos is very appreciated. Wish support is also useful because of Goodra's complete lack of reliable recovery, making Chansey and Sylveon helpful partners. Goodra has good defensive synergy with Heatran, who resists all of its weaknesses and together with Goodra forms a solid special defensive core. As for a physically defensive partner, Scizor also works well with Goodra, resisting Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type attacks. Because of Goodra's low physical defense, it appreciates teammates who can burn potential physical threats, such as Rotom-W. Rotom-W also covers Goodra's Ice-type weakness, who in return covers Rotom-W's Grass-type weakness.
Other Options
########
A Choice Specs set can catch opponents off-guard, and Goodra has a pretty good movepool to use it with. However, even with the extra power, it is still a poor wallbreaker due to its generally low Special Attack and reliance on a STAB move which lowers its Special Attack. A Rain Dance set with Rest and Hydration can be used for instant healing, though it tends to contribute very little to dedicated Rain teams, and Assault Vest outclasses it as a standalone set. Goodra has access to strong physical moves such as Outrage, Earthquake, Power Whip, and Aqua Tail. Thanks to its high Special Defense, Goodra can be quite hard to penetrate after a few Curses, making a physical set possible using some of the aforementioned moves. Goodra's lack of recovery can be slightly remedied by utilizing Rest and Sleep Talk. A CroCune-like set could be used with Rest, Sleep Talk, Curse, and a physical STAB move such as Dragon Tail or Outrage, though it is completely walled by Fairy-types.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fast Physical Attackers**: Anything with strong physical attacks can check Goodra, particularly if they are faster and can hit it super effectively. Examples include Garchomp, Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, Salamence, Zygarde, Mega Pinsir, and physical Kyurem-B. Bisharp is also a good check, especially since Gooey will effectively give it a free Swords Dance when it hits Goodra with a contact move.
**Specially Bulky Physical Attackers**: Physically offensive special tanks are nearly perfect counters for Goodra. The most prominent of these is Assault Vest Conkeldurr which is only 4HKOed by Goodra at most, and can heal itself back up with powerful Drain Punches. (Mega) Tyranitar is another good option, as it is 3-4HKOed by Earthquake and 2HKOes back with Stone Edge or Crunch.
**Specially Bulky Stall Pokemon**: Specially bulky stall Pokemon such as Sylveon, Clefable, Chansey, Mega Venusaur, and Heatran take little damage from Goodra and can proceed to cripple it with Toxic and/or wear it down with their own attacks.
**Residual Damage**: With a lack of reliable recovery, Goodra despises damage inducing status effects such as poison and burn. Also, with its proclivity to switching in and out, Goodra also detests Stealth Rock and Spikes.
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