Gurdurr (BW2 Revamp) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

Said I'd do this ages ago lol. The old analysis is old and just a bit too pessimistic and generalized for my tastes, so yeah =)

Code:
[I]To-Do List:[/I]
[LIST]

[*]Incorporate BW2 changes (basically elemental punches) [✓]
[*]Expand upon Overview a lot (pros+cons, explain its niche better, etc.), OO, and C&C [✓]
[*]chek [✓]
[*]writ [✓]
[*]chek2 [✓]
[/LIST]


the tears of a clown =(



[Overview]

<p>Gurdurr has all the necessities needed of an effective bulky attacker. When boosted by Eviolite, Gurdurr becomes an impressively bulky Pokemon, capable of taking hits from powerful offensive Pokemon such as Absol and Aggron well and allowing it the leniency of switching into and setting up on a variety of physically-inclined offensive Pokemon. Access to Guts also makes crippling Gurdurr with status a much more costly and ineffective method of handling it, as it can heal a reasonable amount of the HP lost this way with a boosted Drain Punch. Moreover, priority in the form of Mach Punch is just icing on the cake, as it allows Gurdurr to mitigate its subpar Speed and check frail or weakened sweepers.</p>

<p>Of course, be it due to inherent flaws or simply the nature of the RU metagame, Gurdurr is hard-pressed to effectively fulfill its desired role without significant support. Despite its rather impressive 105 base Attack stat, the lower Base Power moves that Gurdurr is forced to rely upon make it moderately weak without a boost, leaving it vulnerable both to being walled handily by naturally bulky Pokemon, such as Tangrowth and Alomomola, and becoming exploited by dangerous offensive threats such as Moltres and Gallade. Gurdurr's reliance on Eviolite also presents an issue, as it not only makes it substantially more vulnerable to Trick and Spikes than similar bulky attackers of the tier but also isolates Drain Punch as Gurdurr's sole source of recovery, making it noticeably easier to wear down over time. Gurdurr is a very capable and even dangerous Pokemon in the RU metagame, but dedicated support is necessary for it to function to its fullest potential.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: ThunderPunch / Payback
move 4: Mach Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Gurdurr's solid natural bulk, adequate movepool, and Guts ability make it a very capable user of a simple Bulk Up set. After a Bulk Up, Gurdurr becomes incredibly tough to break through on the physical side; even powerful attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz and Choice Band Druddigon's Outrage fail to 2HKO Gurdurr at full health. However, without any form of recovery this becomes a moot point, which is why Drain Punch is the most optimal STAB attack for Gurdurr to use, as this allows Gurdurr to mitigate the damage taken while setting up, as well as giving it the flexibility to take hits afterwards and recover a significant amount of HP in return. Overall, ThunderPunch is the most consistently useful coverage move for Gurdurr, as it allows Gurdurr to comfortably beat Qwilfish and defensive variants of Slowking, prevent dangerous Pokemon such as Moltres from switching in for free, and maintains neutral coverage on the majority of the tier. However, Payback is also an effective option, as despite the fact that Gurdurr becomes noticeably more vulnerable to Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Moltres, it does provide Gurdurr with a method of dealing respectable damage to Psychic-types, such as Mesprit and Uxie, as well as preventing it from being completely walled by Golurk and Rotom. Mach Punch is, of course, a staple for Gurdurr, as it allows it to compensate for its low Speed and prevent stronger special attackers, such as Sceptile and Magmortar, from revenge killing it after they have been worn down enough, in addition to allowing Gurdurr to comfortably check Pokemon such as Zangoose, Tauros, and Shell Smash Omastar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Due to the fact that Gurdurr is more or less confined to using Bulk Up, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch, or it risks becoming outclassed by the other Fighting-types of the tier, the only flexibility it retains lies in the coverage move it uses. Ice Punch is one option, as it retains solid neutral coverage alongside Drain Punch and remains Gurdurr's best bet at breaking through Amoonguss, but the trade-off of being significantly more vulnerable to Slowking, Qwilfish, and Moltres is often reason enough to avoid it without a very capable defensive core supporting Gurdurr. On the other hand, Rock Slide allows Gurdurr to retain similarly solid neutral coverage while allowing it to more effectively take on Bug-types and OHKO Moltres on the switch, but it doesn't help Gurdurr overcome any of its more traditional defensive counters.</p>

<p>One of the most important partners to consider for Gurdurr is a Pursuit user; due to the fact that the RU tier shelters a plethora of durable Psychic- and Ghost-typestypes&mdash;all of whom give Gurdurr headaches&mdash;it is nearly mandatory to carry Pursuit support in order to open a window for Gurdurr to sweep. Considering its ability to effectively combat Gallade in addition to other Psychic- and Ghost-types, Spiritomb is often the most optimal teammate for this purpose, but both Absol and Escavalier are also effective in this role if Gallade is already well-covered. However, while most Ghost- and Psychic-types are covered fairly handily by these means, Spiritomb, particularly the defensive set, can prove a difficult obstacle for Gurdurr to overcome, and having teammates to properly capitalize upon it is encouraged; specially based Fire-types, such as Moltres and Magmortar, can comfortably switch into defensive Spiritomb (being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking minimal damage from Foul Play) and threaten to 2HKO with their STAB attacks, while Roselia can easily set up entry hazards against Spiritomb, recovering the damage it inflicts with Rest. These Pokemon are also very capable of threatening bothersome physical walls, namely Tangrowth and Alomomola, whom impede Gurdurr indefinitely. Slowking makes a quality partner for Gurdurr as well, being capable of stomaching most of the strong specially based attacks aimed at Gurdurr, while in return baiting Dark- and Bug-types for Gurdurr to set up on. Moreover, due to Slowking's versatility as a Pokemon, it is capable of supporting Gurdurr in a variety of ways to benefit the playstyle used, whether it be spreading burns on Psychic-types with Scald, baiting and KOing Tangrowth with Fire Blast, or even opening up a more comfortable sweep for Gurdurr with Trick Room.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Gurdurr retains a reasonable amount of alternative options, both in movepool and ability, the fact that it already receives so much competition from the other Fighting-types of the tier severely restricts it from utilizing these options without becoming outclassed in that role. Iron Fist and Sheer Force both boost a substantial amount of Gurdurr's offensive movepool, but by dropping Guts, wearing down Gurdurr with poison and burn damage becomes a much more low-risk option, which is typically very unhealthy in a metagame as status-heavy as RU. In terms of alternative moves, Gurdurr has the capacity to adequately utilize a SubPunch set, but its lack of Leftovers recovery, in addition to its inability to inflict consistent damage without having a Substitute up, makes it a very inconsistent option. Knock Off, as odd as it is, can capably replace Bulk Up and allow Gurdurr to serve as an effective utility attacker, capable of removing Leftovers recovery from a variety of defensive Pokemon that commonly switch into it, such as Alomomola, Qwilfish, Tangrowth, and Uxie. However, the instances in which this is useful to the point where it is worth forgoing the ability to sweep late-game are few and far-between.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Gurdurr's most basic and effective counters are Psychic-types; Pokemon such as Gallade, Mesprit, Sigilyph, and Uxie are capable of switching into Gurdurr fairly comfortably and threatening it immediately with their STAB attacks, making them very solid answers to it as long as they are able to evade Pursuit users. Slowking is somewhat similar, but its low Speed and susceptibility to hazards makes it a much less effective check, as Gurdurr can outpace and 2HKO offensive variants with ThunderPunch after Stealth Rock damage, and defensive variants lacking Psychic are very unlikely to beat Gurdurr if they have to switch into it. Bulky physical walls, such as Alomomola and Tangrowth, are capable of comfortably handling Gurdurr as long as they aren't poisoned or burned, being capable of holding up to its attacks very well and wearing it down with Toxic and/or Leech Seed damage. Similarly, Amoonguss is capable of wearing down and eventually beating any Gurdurr lacking Ice Punch while restricting its ability to boost with the threat of Clear Smog. Depending on the coverage move Gurdurr utilizes, a couple select Pokemon are capable of taking on Gurdurr fairly comfortably; ThunderPunch variants are handled by Golurk and Rotom, Qwilfish checks any Gurdurr lacking ThunderPunch, and Scyther can set up on Payback variants without much trouble. Moltres gets special acknowledgement, as it can switch into any Gurdurr set lacking Rock Slide if Stealth Rock is off the field and proceed to either use the offensive momentum it gains to set up a Substitute or outright OHKO Gurdurr with Hurricane. However, if Stealth Rock is in play, Gurdurr is capable of KOing Moltres on the switch with ThunderPunch, which deters it from switching in entirely freely. However, one of the most prominent methods of handling Gurdurr is simply by wearing it down; Gurdurr's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery can usually be exploited in the effort to take it out, as Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Accelgor can simply whittle Gurdurr down, as it cannot adequately recover HP to the extent that it can realistically sweep afterwards.</p>

[Overview]
  • Good natural bulk (when bolstered by Eviolite), semi-reliable recovery, and STAB priority make Gurdurr a naturally proficient bulky attacker
  • One of the few offensive Pokemon that can take hits from stuff like Absol and CB Esca in stride and even set up on them, if that means anything
  • Access to Guts and STAB Drain Punch make Gurdurr pretty difficult to handle in a defensive manner, punishing Pokemon that try to cripple it with status and being able to heal most passive damage dealt to it
  • Similarly, it can often sponge a single hit from strong special attackers such as Sceptile or Magmortar and KO in return, recovering off a good amount of HP
  • Low BP moves make Gurdurr somewhat weak offensively without a boost, making it a struggle to not let dangerous Pokemon such as Moltres and Gallede in for free
  • Being reliant on Eviolite to function makes Gurdurr not only a total one-trick pony, but makes it very quick to wear down when constant offensive pressure is applied alongside passive damage from stuff like hail and hazards



[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: ThunderPunch / Payback
move 4: Mach Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
  • Gurdurr's good natural bulk and precise moveset make it a natural user of a simple Bulk Up set
  • After a Bulk Up Gurdurr becomes incredibly tough to break through on the physical side, with even attacks like CB Entei's Flare Blitz and CB Drudd's Outrage failing to 2HKO
  • Drain Punch offers Gurdurr a moderately powerful STAB attack capable of recovering some degree of HP for it, somewhat making up for the lack of consistent Leftovers recovery
  • Thunderpunch is the most efficient coverage option, allowing Gurdurr to break through Slowking comfortably (Slowking lacking Psychic are beaten pretty handily by Gurdurr), allowing to beat most Qwilfish 1v1, preventing pokemon like Moltres from switching for free, etc.
  • Payback on the other hand provides better "general coverage" allowing it to hit the tier for neutral damage or better and allowing it to handle Golurk

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
  • tell me to explain the EVs, pls
  • basically everything barring its coverage move is a must-have, which somewhat restricts alternative move usage '~'
  • ice punch is theoretically decent, since it hits golurk+amoonguss in a move while having decent enough neutral coverage, but using it means losing out to slowking for sure, being giving qwilfish a ton of free turns, letting in moltres basically for free, etc. etc.
  • rock slide is a pretty decent "middle ground" move, and an option if you totally hate Moltres, and worthwhile enough if you can afford to put more strain on your Pursuit support / maybe spin support. oh, and stone edge exists if you want to get pp stalled out of your coverage move easily and just never hit when you want to '-'
  • honestly, if you can't afford to splurge for pursuit support for gurdurr, chances are you probably shouldn't be running it on your team lol. Spiritomb gets the nod over the alternatives for also being able to trap Gallade, though Absol and Escavalier are both solid options as well if you can manage it otherwise
  • seems somewhat generic, but slowking is a pretty solid partner for gurdurr. despite really impressive physical bulk, gurdurr's special bulk is fairly unimpressive, and having a solid fallback for strong Blizzards and other such special attacks is rather nice, not to mention it can do quite a few extra things based on the dynamic of the team (scald to wear down opposing Psychic-types, fire blast / flamethrower can donk tangrowth, trick room can give gurdurr a pretty solid window to sweep late-game, etc.)
  • you know what sucks? defensive 'tomb :[ having a 'mon available that is capable of adequately pressuring it is never a bad idea since it can't be handled through most conventional means. Moltres is pretty cool if you can afford it, and 'mons like Roselia can just can use it for ez (t)spikes and proceed to force it to rest (foul play is a 5hko at best if you run 0 Atk IVs '-'). oh, and both of them donk tangrowth+momo, who both suck :[

[Other Options]
  • remember that "three moves are mandatory" thing? yeah
  • it has 2 abilities with some potential, but without guts deterring people from status-ing it, gurdurr becomes a whole lot easier to handle '~'
  • subpunch is a thing that exists, but no sub recovery is awful, having no good, unconditional stab is worse, and leftovers is worse-erererererbad
  • knock off is cute > bulk up on the standard set, but honestly gurdurr would much rather have the ability to threaten a sweep under most circumstances

[Checks and Counters]
  • psychic-types are the big one. 'mons like uxie, mesprit, sigilyph and gallade, as well as more obscure ones like mushy, can effectively set up alongside gurdurr, sponge a payback or two, and proceed to ko with psychic. slowking is in a similar boat, though tpunch is capable of 2hkoing offensive variants (always after SR, 92.58% w/out in the case of the standard specs set)
  • moltres gets special mention being a specially-based flying-type (after a bulk up even ridiculous attacks like adamant cb braviary's bb never ohkos a healthy gurdurr :O plus most threatening birds are part normal, meaning gurdurr can heal off a nice chunk w/drain punch and usually ko w/mach punch in the proceeding turn), ohko's with hurricane ez and can play around it a bit w/roost nonsense. unboosted tpunch ko's after sr tho
  • amoonguss basically awkwardly wins against gurdurr unless it's packing ipunch, and golurk / rotom cold wall tpunch variants =(
  • generally fat 'mons like tangrowth and momo can stall gurdurr out w/leech seed and wish+protect cycles respectively
  • wearing it down. no lefties and a reliance on drain punch for recovery means that just pushing damage on gurdurr with a fighting resist like accelgor or misdreavus can easy wittle him down to manageable levels
 
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ScraftyIsTheBest

On to new Horizons!
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This is pretty good imo, you may also want to say that its SpD is kinda exploitable because strong special attackers can put at a pretty low HP. Also talk about Guts in AC. Other than that,

QC Approved 1/3
 

Molk

Godlike Usmash
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This looks alright to me, giving Ice Punch a third slash along with ThunderPunch and Payback might be an option, but i'd be fine with it just getting an AC mention because as you mentioned, running Ice Punch does leave Golurk open to some other big threats :s.

I could also see a four attacks set running something like ThunderPunch/Ice Punch/Drain Punch/Mach Punch with Iron Fist warranting at least an OO mention. It gives Gurdurr a bit more coverage all around and lets it cover as much as possible in one set, and as a plus, every move on Gurdurr's set gets the Iron Fist boost, i've seen that same set used pretty effectively on conkeldurr in OU, so i can't see it being too bad on Gurdurr here. It has significantly more physical bulk over Hitmonchan too, so i can't see it being totally outclassed by it. It does lose Bulk Up though, which is one of the things that makes Gurdurr so scary in the first place because of its ability to boost its already high physical stats :/. I'll try it out later

QC Approved 2/3
 
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ayte, I'll be sure to flesh out both points in the write-up (and I guess go into a little more detail on sheer force too for consistency's sake '-'), thanks guys n_n I'll get right on writing this up, shouldn't take too long imo.
 
yoooooooo, i did this. atm the matter of alternate abilities has been consolidated quite a bit, since they fulfill similar "roles" and i felt expanding upon what they do would come across more as fluff than useful content (ex:comparison to hitmonchan when mentioning iron fist would basically be reiterating the "risks being outclassed by other fighting 'mons" point, since anybody that knows 'chan knows that iron fist gurdurr would basically be a more physically bulky 'chan with less speed and the inability to run LO), though i'll do so if qc feels it's less obvious than i'm letting on.
 
imdabes. have at it gp, not entirely sure how this new "final update" protocol is workin', so imma just try to get stuff done asap so I can pick up more stuff n_n
 

Governess

A Beautiful Blossom Waiting to Bloom
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Hihi, GP Check! :)

The only issue I saw with this is the misuse of 'it's' vs 'its'; remember, it's = it is and its = possessive. Other than that, it was excellent writing. :3

Additions / Changes
Removes
Comments


[Overview]

<p>Gurdurr has all the trimmings necessities needed of an effective bulky attacker. When boosted by Eviolite, Gurdurr becomes an impressively bulky Pokemon, capable of taking hits from powerful offensive Pokemon such as Absol and Aggron well and allowing him it the leniency of switching into and setting up on a variety of physically-inclined offensive Pokemon. (You have to be consistent with what you call it; I'm gonna go with 'it' for now.) Access to Guts also makes crippling Gurdurr with status a much more costly and ineffective method of handling it, as it can heal a reasonable amount of the HP lost this way with a boosted Drain Punch. Moreover, priority in the form of Mach Punch is just icing on the cake, as it allows Gurdurr to mitigate its subpar Speed and check frail or weakened sweepers.</p>

<p>Of course, be it due to inherent flaws or simply the nature of the RU metagame, Gurdurr is hard-pressed to effectively fulfill it's its desired role without significant support. Despite its rather impressive 105 base Attack stat, the lower Base Power moves that Gurdurr is forced to rely upon make it moderately weak without a boost, leaving it vulnerable both to being walled handily by naturally bulky Pokemon, such as Tangrowth and Alomomola, and becoming exploited by dangerous offensive threats such as Moltres and Gallade. Gurdurr's reliance on Eviolite also presents an issue, as it not only makes it substantially more vulnerable to Trick than similar bulky attackers of the tier, (RC) but also isolates Drain Punch as Gurdurr's sole source of recovery, making it noticeably easier to wear down over time. Gurdurr is a very capable and even dangerous Pokemon in the RU metagame, but dedicated support is necessary for it to function to its fullest potential.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: ThunderPunch / Payback
move 4: Mach Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Gurdurr's solid natural bulk, adequate movepool, and Guts ability make it a very capable user of a simple Bulk Up set. After a Bulk Up, Gurdurr becomes incredibly tough to break through on the physical side, (RC) with; even powerful attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz and Choice Band Druddigon's Outrage fail to 2HKO Gurdurr at from 2HKOing from full health. However, without any form of recovery this becomes a moot point, which is why Drain Punch is the most optimal STAB for Gurdurr to use; this allows Gurdurr to mitigate the damage taken while setting up, as well as giving it the flexibility to take hits afterwards and recover a significant amount of HP in return. Overall, ThunderpPunch is the most consistently useful coverage move for Gurdurr, as it allows Gurdurr to comfortably beat Qwilfish and defensive variants of Slowking, prevent dangerous Pokemon such as Moltres from switching in for free, and maintains neutral coverage on the majority of the tier. However, Payback is also an effective option, as despite the fact that Gurdurr becomes noticeably more vulnerable to Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Moltres, it does provide Gurdurr a method of dealing respectable damage to Psychic-types, such as Mesprit and Uxie, as well as preventing it from being completely walled by Golurk and Rotom. Mach Punch is of course a staple for Gurdurr, as it allows it to compensate for his its low Speed and prevent stronger special attackers, such as Sceptile and Magmortar, from revenge-killing it after they have been worn down enough, in addition to allowing Golurk to comfortably check Pokemon such as Zangoose, Tauros, and Shell Smash Omastar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Due to the fact that Gurdurr is more or less confined to using Bulk Up, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch or risk becoming outclassed by the other Fighting-types of the tier, the only flexibility it retains lies in the coverage move it uses. Ice Punch is one such option, as it retains solid neutral coverage alongside Drain Punch and remains Gurdurr's best bet at breaking through Amoonguss, though but the trade-off of being significantly more vulnerable to Slowking, Qwilifish, and Moltres is often reason enough not to run it without a very capable defensive core supporting Gurdurr. On the other hand, Rock Slide allows Gurdurr to retain similarly solid neutral coverage, (RC) while allowing it to both more effectively take on Bug-types and OHKO Moltres on the switch, though but it doesn't help Gurdurr overcome any of it's traditional defensive counters.</p>

<p>One of the most important partners to consider for Gurdurr is a Pursuit user; due to the fact that the RU tier shelters a plethora of durable Psychic- and Ghost-types, all of whom give Gurdurr headaches, (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that the 'all of whom give Gurdurr headaches' should probably be &mdash'ed, not surrounded by commas. Add it in, and see if the second GP agrees.) it is nearly mandatory to carry Pursuit support in order to open a window for Gurdurr to sweep. Considering its ability to effectively combat Gallade in addition to other Psychic- and Ghost-types, Spiritomb is often the most optimal teammate for this purpose, though but both Absol and Escavalier are also effective in this role if Gallade is already well-covered. However, while most Ghost- and Psychic-types are covered fairly handily by these means, Spiritomb, particularly the defensive set, can prove a difficult obstacle for Gurdurr to overcome, and having teammates to properly capitalize upon is encouraged; specially-based Fire-types, such as Moltres and Magmortar, can comfortably switch into defensive Spiritomb (being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking minimal damage from Foul Play) and threaten to 2HKO with their STAB attacks, while Roselia can comfortably set up entry hazards against Spiritomb, recovering the damage it inflicts with Rest. These Pokemon are also very capable of threatening bothersome physical walls, namely Tangrowth and Alomomola, who impede Gurdurr indefinitely. Slowking makes a quality partner for Gurdurr as well, being capable of stomaching most of the strong specially-based attacks aimed at Gurdurr, while in return baiting Dark- and Bug-types for Gurdurr to set up on. Moreover, due to Slowking's versatility as a Pokemon, it is capable of supporting Gurdurr in a variety of ways to befit the playstyle used, whether it being spreading burns on Psychic-types with Scald, baiting and KOing Tangrowth with Fire Blast, or even opening up a more comfortable sweep for Gurdurr with Trick Room.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Gurdurr retains a reasonable amount of alternative options, both in movepool and ability, the fact that it already receives so much competition from the other Fighting-types of the tier severely restricts it from utilizing these options without becoming outclassed in that role. Iron Fist and Sheer Force both boost a substantial amount of Gurdurr's offensive movepool, though but by dropping Guts, wearing down Gurdurr with poison and burn damage becomes a much more low-risk option, which is typically very unhealthy in a metagame as status-heavy as RU. In terms of alternative moves, Gurdurr has the capacity to adequately utilize a SubPunch set, though but it's lack of Leftovers reccovery, in addition to its inability to inflict consistent damage without having a Substitute up, makes it a very inconsistent option. Knock Off, as odd as it is, can capably replace Bulk Up and allow Gurdurr to serve as an effective utility attacker, capable of removing Leftovers recovery from a variety of defensive Pokemon that commonly switch into it, such as Alomomola, Qwilfish, Tangrowth, and Uxie. However, the instances in which this is useful to the point where it is worth forgoing the ability to sweep late-game are few and far-between.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Gurdurr's most basic and effective counters are Psychic-types; Pokemon such as Gallade, Mesprit, Sigilyph, and Uxie are capable of switching into Gurdurr fairly comfortably and threatening it immediately with their STAB attacks, making them very solid answers to it as long as they are able to evade Pursuit users. Slowking is somewhat similar, but its low Speed and susceptibility to hazards make it a much less effective check, as Gurdurr can outpace and 2HKO offensive variants with ThunderPunch after Stealth Rock damage, and defensive variants lacking Psychic are very unlikely to beat Gurdurr if they have to switch into it. Bulky physical walls, such as Alomomola and Tangrowth, both are capable of comfortably handling Gurdurr as long as they aren't poisoned or burned, being capable of holding up to it's attacks very well and wearing it down with Toxic and(no space)/(no space)or Leech Seed damage. Similarly, Amoonguss is capable of wearing down and eventually beating any Gurdurr lacking Ice Punch, (RC) while restricting its ability to boost with the threat of Clear Smog. Depending on the coverage move Gurdurr utilizes, a couple select Pokemon are capable of taking on Gurdurr fairly comfortably; ThunderPunch variants are handled by Golurk and Rotom, Qwilfish checks any Gurdurr lacking ThunderPunch, and Scyther can set up Payback variants without much trouble. Moltres gets special acknowledgement, as it can switch into any Gurdurr set lacking Rock Slide if Stealth Rock is off the field and proceed to either use the offensive momentum it gains to set up a Substitute or outright OHKO Gurdurr with Hurricane. However, if Stealth Rock is in play, Gurdurr is capable of KOing Moltres on the switch with ThunderpPunch, which deters it from switching in entirely freely. However, one of the most prominent methods of handling Gurdurr is simply by wearing it down; Gurdurr's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery can usually be exploited in the effort to take it out, as Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Accelgor can simply whittle Gurdurr down, as it cannot adequately recover HP to the extent that it can realistically sweep afterwards.</p>

GP APPROVED 1/2
 
would you believe that I actively look out for the the whole "it's v.its" and "it v.him" issues, but my subconscious still manages to slip a few by me anyway? bad writer imo, like really, i suck =(

thanks for putting up with it governess n_n
 
amcheck
Additions
Removals
Comments


[Overview]

<p>Gurdurr has all the necessities needed of an effective bulky attacker. When boosted by Eviolite, Gurdurr becomes an impressively bulky Pokemon, capable of taking hits from powerful offensive Pokemon such as Absol and Aggron well and allowing it the leniency of switching into and setting up on a variety of physically-inclined offensive Pokemon. Access to Guts also makes crippling Gurdurr with status a much more costly and ineffective method of handling it, as it can heal a reasonable amount of the HP lost this way with a boosted Drain Punch. Moreover, priority in the form of Mach Punch is just icing on the cake, as it allows Gurdurr to mitigate its subpar Speed and check frail or weakened sweepers.</p>

<p>Of course, be it due to inherent flaws or simply the nature of the RU metagame, Gurdurr is hard-pressed to effectively fulfill its desired role without significant support. Despite its rather impressive 105 base Attack stat, the lower Base Power moves that Gurdurr is forced to rely upon make it moderately weak without a boost, leaving it vulnerable both to being walled handily by naturally bulky Pokemon, such as Tangrowth and Alomomola, and becoming exploited by dangerous offensive threats such as Moltres and Gallade. Gurdurr's reliance on Eviolite also presents an issue, as it not only makes it substantially more vulnerable to Trick than similar bulky attackers of the tier but also isolates Drain Punch as Gurdurr's sole source of recovery, making it noticeably easier to wear down over time. Gurdurr is a very capable and even dangerous Pokemon in the RU metagame, but dedicated support is necessary for it to function to its fullest potential.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: ThunderPunch / Payback
move 4: Mach Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Gurdurr's solid natural bulk, adequate movepool, and Guts ability make it a very capable user of a simple Bulk Up set. After a Bulk Up, Gurdurr becomes incredibly tough to break through on the physical side; even powerful attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz and Choice Band Druddigon's Outrage fail to 2HKO Gurdurr at full health. However, without any form of recovery this becomes a moot point, which is why Drain Punch is the most optimal STAB attack for Gurdurr to use;, as this allows Gurdurr to mitigate the damage taken while setting up, as well as giving it the flexibility to take hits afterwards and recover a significant amount of HP in return. Overall, ThunderPunch is the most consistently useful coverage move for Gurdurr, as it allows Gurdurr to comfortably beat Qwilfish and defensive variants of Slowking, prevent dangerous Pokemon such as Moltres from switching in for free, and maintains neutral coverage on the majority of the tier. However, Payback is also an effective option, as despite the fact that Gurdurr becomes noticeably more vulnerable to Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Moltres, it does provide Gurdurr with a method of dealing respectable damage to Psychic-types, such as Mesprit and Uxie, as well as preventing it from being completely walled by Golurk and Rotom. Mach Punch is,(AC) of course,(AC) a staple for Gurdurr, as it allows it to compensate for its low Speed and prevent stronger special attackers, such as Sceptile and Magmortar, from revenge-(remove hyphen)killing it after they have been worn down enough, in addition to allowing Golurk (correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you mean "Gurdurr" :P) to comfortably check Pokemon such as Zangoose, Tauros, and Shell Smash Omastar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Due to the fact that Gurdurr is more or less confined to using Bulk Up, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch,(AC) or risks becoming outclassed by the other Fighting-types of the tier, the only flexibility it retains lies in the coverage move it uses. Ice Punch is one option, as it retains solid neutral coverage alongside Drain Punch and remains Gurdurr's best bet at breaking through Amoonguss, but the trade-off of being significantly more vulnerable to Slowking, Qwilifish, and Moltres is often reason enough not to run it without a very capable defensive core supporting Gurdurr. On the other hand, Rock Slide allows Gurdurr to retain similarly solid neutral coverage while allowing it to both more effectively take on Bug-types and OHKO Moltres on the switch, but it doesn't help Gurdurr overcome any of it's more traditional defensive counters.</p>

<p>One of the most important partners to consider for Gurdurr is a Pursuit user; due to the fact that the RU tier shelters a plethora of durable Psychic- and Ghost-types&mdash; all of whom give Gurdurr headaches&mdash; (I believe there is a ; at the end of &mdash;) it is nearly mandatory to carry Pursuit support in order to open a window for Gurdurr to sweep. Considering its ability to effectively combat Gallade in addition to other Psychic- and Ghost-types, Spiritomb is often the most optimal teammate for this purpose, but both Absol and Escavalier are also effective in this role if Gallade is already well-covered. However, while most Ghost- and Psychic-types are covered fairly handily by these means, Spiritomb, particularly the defensive set, can prove a difficult obstacle for Gurdurr to overcome, and having teammates to properly capitalize upon this is encouraged; specially-(remove hyphen)based Fire-types, such as Moltres and Magmortar, can comfortably switch into defensive Spiritomb (being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking minimal damage from Foul Play) and threaten to 2HKO with their STAB attacks, while Roselia can comfortably easily set up entry hazards against Spiritomb, recovering the damage it inflicts with Rest. These Pokemon are also very capable of threatening bothersome physical walls, namely Tangrowth and Alomomola, whom impede Gurdurr indefinitely. Slowking makes a quality partner for Gurdurr as well, being capable of stomaching most of the strong specially-(remove hyphen)based attacks aimed at Gurdurr, while in return baiting Dark- and Bug-types for Gurdurr to set up on. Moreover, due to Slowking's versatility as a Pokemon, it is capable of supporting Gurdurr in a variety of ways to benefit the playstyle used, whether it being spreading burns on Psychic-types with Scald, baiting and KOing Tangrowth with Fire Blast, or even opening up a more comfortable sweep for Gurdurr with Trick Room.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Gurdurr retains a reasonable amount of alternative options, both in movepool and ability, the fact that it already receives so much competition from the other Fighting-types of the tier severely restricts it from utilizing these options without becoming outclassed in that role. Iron Fist and Sheer Force both boost a substantial amount of Gurdurr's offensive movepool, but by dropping Guts, wearing down Gurdurr with poison and burn damage becomes a much more low-risk option, which is typically very unhealthy in a metagame as status-heavy as RU. In terms of alternative moves, Gurdurr has the capacity to adequately utilize a SubPunch set, but its lack of Leftovers reccovery, in addition to its inability to inflict consistent damage without having a Substitute up, makes it a very inconsistent option. Knock Off, as odd as it is, can capably replace Bulk Up and allow Gurdurr to serve as an effective utility attacker, capable of removing Leftovers recovery from a variety of defensive Pokemon that commonly switch into it, such as Alomomola, Qwilfish, Tangrowth, and Uxie. However, the instances in which this is useful to the point where it is worth forgoing the ability to sweep late-game are few and far-between.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Gurdurr's most basic and effective counters are Psychic-types; Pokemon such as Gallade, Mesprit, Sigilyph, and Uxie are capable of switching into Gurdurr fairly comfortably and threatening it immediately with their STAB attacks, making them very solid answers to it as long as they are able to evade Pursuit users. Slowking is somewhat similar, but its low Speed and susceptibility to hazards makes it a much less effective check, as Gurdurr can outpace and 2HKO offensive variants with ThunderPunch after Stealth Rock damage, and defensive variants lacking Psychic are very unlikely to beat Gurdurr if they have to switch into it. Bulky physical walls, such as Alomomola and Tangrowth, are capable of comfortably handling Gurdurr as long as they aren't poisoned or burned, being capable of holding up to it'(remove apostrophe)s attacks very well and wearing it down with Toxic and/or Leech Seed damage. Similarly, Amoonguss is capable of wearing down and eventually beating any Gurdurr lacking Ice Punch while restricting its ability to boost with the threat of Clear Smog. Depending on the coverage move Gurdurr utilizes, a couple select Pokemon are capable of taking on Gurdurr fairly comfortably; ThunderPunch variants are handled by Golurk and Rotom, Qwilfish checks any Gurdurr lacking ThunderPunch, and Scyther can set up on Payback variants without much trouble. Moltres gets special acknowledgement, as it can switch into any Gurdurr set lacking Rock Slide if Stealth Rock is off the field and proceed to either use the offensive momentum it gains to set up a Substitute or outright OHKO Gurdurr with Hurricane. However, if Stealth Rock is in play, Gurdurr is capable of KOing Moltres on the switch with ThunderPunch, which deters it from switching in entirely freely. However, one of the most prominent methods of handling Gurdurr is simply by wearing it down; Gurdurr's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery can usually be exploited in the effort to take it out, as Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Accelgor can simply whittle Gurdurr down, as it cannot adequately recover HP to the extent that it can realistically sweep afterwards.</p>
 
implemented (believe I changed a missed "this" for "it" since it better matched in the context of the sentence though, if that's ok), thank ya kindly piiiikachuuu =)
 

Oglemi

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[Overview]

<p>Gurdurr has all the necessities needed of an effective bulky attacker. When boosted by Eviolite, Gurdurr becomes an impressively bulky Pokemon, capable of taking hits from powerful offensive Pokemon such as Absol and Aggron well and allowing it the leniency of switching into and setting up on a variety of physically-inclined offensive Pokemon. Access to Guts also makes crippling Gurdurr with status a much more costly and ineffective method of handling it, as it can heal a reasonable amount of the HP lost this way with a boosted Drain Punch. Moreover, priority in the form of Mach Punch is just icing on the cake, as it allows Gurdurr to mitigate its subpar Speed and check frail or weakened sweepers.</p>

<p>Of course, be it due to inherent flaws or simply the nature of the RU metagame, Gurdurr is hard-pressed to effectively fulfill its desired role without significant support. Despite its rather impressive 105 base Attack stat, the lower Base Power moves that Gurdurr is forced to rely upon make it moderately weak without a boost, leaving it vulnerable both to being walled handily by naturally bulky Pokemon, such as Tangrowth and Alomomola, and becoming exploited by dangerous offensive threats such as Moltres and Gallade. Gurdurr's reliance on Eviolite also presents an issue, as it not only makes it substantially more vulnerable to Trick and Spikes than similar bulky attackers of the tier but also isolates Drain Punch as Gurdurr's sole source of recovery, making it noticeably easier to wear down over time. Gurdurr is a very capable and even dangerous Pokemon in the RU metagame, but dedicated support is necessary for it to function to its fullest potential.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: ThunderPunch / Payback
move 4: Mach Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Gurdurr's solid natural bulk, adequate movepool, and Guts ability make it a very capable user of a simple Bulk Up set. After a Bulk Up, Gurdurr becomes incredibly tough to break through on the physical side; even powerful attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz and Choice Band Druddigon's Outrage fail to 2HKO Gurdurr at full health. However, without any form of recovery this becomes a moot point, which is why Drain Punch is the most optimal STAB attack for Gurdurr to use, as this allows Gurdurr to mitigate the damage taken while setting up, as well as giving it the flexibility to take hits afterwards and recover a significant amount of HP in return. Overall, ThunderPunch is the most consistently useful coverage move for Gurdurr, as it allows Gurdurr to comfortably beat Qwilfish and defensive variants of Slowking, prevent dangerous Pokemon such as Moltres from switching in for free, and maintains neutral coverage on the majority of the tier. However, Payback is also an effective option, as despite the fact that Gurdurr becomes noticeably more vulnerable to Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Moltres, it does provide Gurdurr with a method of dealing respectable damage to Psychic-types, such as Mesprit and Uxie, as well as preventing it from being completely walled by Golurk and Rotom. Mach Punch is, of course, a staple for Gurdurr, as it allows it to compensate for its low Speed and prevent stronger special attackers, such as Sceptile and Magmortar, from revenge killing it after they have been worn down enough, in addition to allowing Gurdurr to comfortably check Pokemon such as Zangoose, Tauros, and Shell Smash Omastar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Due to the fact that Gurdurr is more or less confined to using Bulk Up, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch, or it risks becoming outclassed by the other Fighting-types of the tier, the only flexibility it retains lies in the coverage move it uses. Ice Punch is one option, as it retains solid neutral coverage alongside Drain Punch and remains Gurdurr's best bet at breaking through Amoonguss, but the trade-off of being significantly more vulnerable to Slowking, Qwilfish, and Moltres is often reason enough not to run to avoid it without a very capable defensive core supporting Gurdurr. On the other hand, Rock Slide allows Gurdurr to retain similarly solid neutral coverage while allowing it to more effectively take on Bug-types and OHKO Moltres on the switch, but it doesn't help Gurdurr overcome any of its more traditional defensive counters.</p>

<p>One of the most important partners to consider for Gurdurr is a Pursuit user; due to the fact that the RU tier shelters a plethora of durable Psychic- and Ghost-types&mdash;all of whom give Gurdurr headaches&mdash;it is nearly mandatory to carry Pursuit support in order to open a window for Gurdurr to sweep. Considering its ability to effectively combat Gallade in addition to other Psychic- and Ghost-types, Spiritomb is often the most optimal teammate for this purpose, but both Absol and Escavalier are also effective in this role if Gallade is already well-covered. However, while most Ghost- and Psychic-types are covered fairly handily by these means, Spiritomb, particularly the defensive set, can prove a difficult obstacle for Gurdurr to overcome, and having teammates to properly capitalize upon it is encouraged; specially based Fire-types, such as Moltres and Magmortar, can comfortably switch into defensive Spiritomb (being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking minimal damage from Foul Play) and threaten to 2HKO with their STAB attacks, while Roselia can easily set up entry hazards against Spiritomb, recovering the damage it inflicts with Rest. These Pokemon are also very capable of threatening bothersome physical walls, namely Tangrowth and Alomomola, whom impede Gurdurr indefinitely. Slowking makes a quality partner for Gurdurr as well, being capable of stomaching most of the strong specially based attacks aimed at Gurdurr, while in return baiting Dark- and Bug-types for Gurdurr to set up on. Moreover, due to Slowking's versatility as a Pokemon, it is capable of supporting Gurdurr in a variety of ways to benefit the playstyle used, whether it be spreading burns on Psychic-types with Scald, baiting and KOing Tangrowth with Fire Blast, or even opening up a more comfortable sweep for Gurdurr with Trick Room.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>While Gurdurr retains a reasonable amount of alternative options, both in movepool and ability, the fact that it already receives so much competition from the other Fighting-types of the tier severely restricts it from utilizing these options without becoming outclassed in that role. Iron Fist and Sheer Force both boost a substantial amount of Gurdurr's offensive movepool, but by dropping Guts, wearing down Gurdurr with poison and burn damage becomes a much more low-risk option, which is typically very unhealthy in a metagame as status-heavy as RU. In terms of alternative moves, Gurdurr has the capacity to adequately utilize a SubPunch set, but its lack of Leftovers recovery, in addition to its inability to inflict consistent damage without having a Substitute up, makes it a very inconsistent option. Knock Off, as odd as it is, can capably replace Bulk Up and allow Gurdurr to serve as an effective utility attacker, capable of removing Leftovers recovery from a variety of defensive Pokemon that commonly switch into it, such as Alomomola, Qwilfish, Tangrowth, and Uxie. However, the instances in which this is useful to the point where it is worth forgoing the ability to sweep late-game are few and far-between.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Gurdurr's most basic and effective counters are Psychic-types; Pokemon such as Gallade, Mesprit, Sigilyph, and Uxie are capable of switching into Gurdurr fairly comfortably and threatening it immediately with their STAB attacks, making them very solid answers to it as long as they are able to evade Pursuit users. Slowking is somewhat similar, but its low Speed and susceptibility to hazards makes it a much less effective check, as Gurdurr can outpace and 2HKO offensive variants with ThunderPunch after Stealth Rock damage, and defensive variants lacking Psychic are very unlikely to beat Gurdurr if they have to switch into it. Bulky physical walls, such as Alomomola and Tangrowth, are capable of comfortably handling Gurdurr as long as they aren't poisoned or burned, being capable of holding up to its attacks very well and wearing it down with Toxic and/or Leech Seed damage. Similarly, Amoonguss is capable of wearing down and eventually beating any Gurdurr lacking Ice Punch while restricting its ability to boost with the threat of Clear Smog. Depending on the coverage move Gurdurr utilizes, a couple select Pokemon are capable of taking on Gurdurr fairly comfortably; ThunderPunch variants are handled by Golurk and Rotom, Qwilfish checks any Gurdurr lacking ThunderPunch, and Scyther can set up on Payback variants without much trouble. Moltres gets special acknowledgement, as it can switch into any Gurdurr set lacking Rock Slide if Stealth Rock is off the field and proceed to either use the offensive momentum it gains to set up a Substitute or outright OHKO Gurdurr with Hurricane. However, if Stealth Rock is in play, Gurdurr is capable of KOing Moltres on the switch with ThunderPunch, which deters it from switching in entirely freely. However, one of the most prominent methods of handling Gurdurr is simply by wearing it down; Gurdurr's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery can usually be exploited in the effort to take it out, as Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Accelgor can simply whittle Gurdurr down, as it cannot adequately recover HP to the extent that it can realistically sweep afterwards.</p>


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