[Overview]
<p>Gyarados is easily one of the most threatening sweepers in the OU tier. While it hasn't changed much from DPP, nothing needed to be changed; Gyarados is still a monster. It has two STABs with great coverage and above-average stats across the board, in addition to two stellar abilities in Intimidate and Moxie. Gyarados is most commonly seen sporting a bulky Dragon Dance sweeper set, allowing it to set up on and tear apart many Pokemon. On the flip side, Gyarados can also run a more defensive RestTalk set aiming to utilize Gyarados's numerous resistances and the immense physical bulk granted by Intimidate. Gyarados can even utilize rain perfectly with its terrifying double-STAB Waterfalls. Unfortunately, the popularity
of Volt Switch and Electric-type attackers in general makes Gyarados's life difficult. Additionally, Gyarados has rather lackluster initial Speed, meaning it can be forced out easily, a problem that is compounded by its Stealth Rock weakness. Gyarados can
also still be outsped and OHKOed by many Choice Scarf users after a Dragon Dance. However, physical Water-type attackers are a rare commodity, in OU at least, making Gyarados a tough competitor in today's metagame.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Substitute / Taunt
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Bounce
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 88 HP / 248 Atk / 4 Def / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Gyarados's bread-and-butter set this generation, being able to set up on a multitude of Pokemon. Dragon Dance is just an amazing move for Gyarados, boosting its Attack to
ungodly high excellent levels and patching up its underwhelming Speed. Gyarados also has an amazing Water / Flying typing, which distinguishes it from other Dragon Dance users. It provides resistances to common Fighting-type attacks (such as Mach Punch and Close Combat), Fire-type attacks, Bullet Punch, and U-turn, as well as an immunity to
Earthquake Ground. With Intimidate, Gyarados can even take attacks such as Ice Shard, Icicle Crash, and Crunch. The most common variant of this set runs Substitute, which makes setting up much easier. With Substitute, Gyarados can avoid status, revenge killers, and Volt Switches. In a metagame full of those three things, Substitute makes it much less of a burden to set up. All walls that don't carry phazing moves are going to be in trouble against Gyarados. Terrakion will not be able to revenge kill Gyarados lest it be KOed by Waterfall (the same with other revenge killers). The other, less common variant
, (AC) runs Taunt, which is geared specifically toward walls. Taunt renders walls unable to phaze, recover health, or use a status move or Perish Song. It is essential if you wish to beat Skarmory or Hippowdon with Gyarados, as both can take a +1 Waterfall and phaze Gyarados out. Additionally, it allows Gyarados to beat Perish Song Celebi paired with
Steel-types there to take a Bounce Flying resists, one of the most common cores used to handle Gyarados.</p>
<p>As for the moves, Gyarados's STABs generally provide enough coverage. Waterfall, especially with a rain boost, can put heavy dents in any Pokemon unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of it. Bounce has nice coverage with Waterfall, most notably hitting bulky Water-types, and ensures Gyarados's Substitute isn't broken while it attacks, only faltering against Thunder in rain
while Gyarados is in the air.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow Gyarados to outrun Jolteon at +1 and prevent Jirachi and burned Ferrothorn from breaking a Substitute with Body Slam and Power Whip, respectively. In order to burn Ferrothorn, partners that carry Will-O-Wisp, such as Rotom-W, Gengar, Mew, Heatran, and Sableye, are recommended. Sableye in particular makes a good partner, as it can take advantage of its priority Will-O-Wisp to cripple foes such as Terrakion and Toxicroak. The HP number achieved increases the healing received from Leftovers. The remaining EVs are pumped into Attack for more power. Waterfall is obviously irreplaceable on this set, but Bounce isn't. Stone Edge can be used to hit Rotom-W, opposing Gyarados, and Dragonite harder, in addition to being more reliable against Substitute Kyurem-B, but Bounce is generally more useful. The ability choice is one of vital importance. Intimidate allows Gyarados to reduce the power of its foes upon switching in, allowing for easier setup and better match-ups against Pokemon such as Scizor, while Moxie boosts Gyarados's Attack with each kill, making it much more potent offensively. The choice really depends on whether you want a more offensive or defensive Gyarados. Do note, however, that Intimidate ensures Substitutes can't be broken by attacks such as lead Mamoswine's Ice Shard and Choice Scarf Jirachi's Ice Punch.</p>
<p>The biggest threats to Gyarados are Perish Song Celebi, Substitute Toxicroak, Ferrothorn, Kyurem-B, and defensive Politoed, so Gyarados's teammates should be able to handle these Pokemon. Politoed is almost mandatory because the rain it brings boosts the power of Waterfall, which allows Gyarados to 2HKO Skarmory and OHKO 252 HP Jirachi, Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Garchomp, and Magnezone with a boost. Skarmory can also be a bit of a pain for Gyarados; Choice Specs Politoed can OHKO with Surf. Jolteon and Thundurus-T, while having to take a risk to do so, can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at Gyarados, while Gyarados can switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at
the two formers. Both can dispatch
Perish Song Politoed with ease, and Jolteon can even pass Gyarados a Substitute. To deal with Ferrothorn and Skarmory, Magnezone makes a great partner, as does Choice Specs Gothitelle. Gothitelle can also handle Choice Scarf Terrakion, Celebi, and Politoed. Terrakion is a good choice for Kyurem-B, while the aforementioned Gothitelle does
best well against for Celebi. Scizor and Tyranitar are also good choices to handle Celebi. Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Latias, and Latios are recommended to deal with Toxicroak. Finally, Rapid Spin support is appreciated, as having Stealth Rock off the field allows Gyarados to switch in with much greater ease. Starmie is the best choice for a spinner, as it can deal heavy damage to bulky Water-types and Skarmory.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Bounce
move 4: Stone Edge / Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Gyarados tosses aside easier setup for greatly increased offensive potential. After just one Dragon Dance, Gyarados can outspeed pretty much the entire unboosted OU tier. After a boost, Gyarados is nigh-impossible to wall, allowing it to soften up the opponent's team to the point where another Pokemon can sweep. When you factor in the sheer power of this set, it needs much less support than other sets. You won't have any issue getting Gyarados in either due to the
ubiquitous many Close Combats present in the tier. With Gyarados's Attack sky-high after just one boost, it can just start attacking. It has no trouble punching massive holes early- to mid-game.</p>
<p>Naturally, Waterfall is the main move, ripping apart pretty much every Pokemon in the tier with rain and Dragon Dance boosts. Bounce is of course Gyarados's other STAB move, hitting Grass-types that resist Waterfall, such as Celebi, hard, as well as dealing heavy damage to all common Dragon-types. Without having to mess with a non-attacking move to set up, Gyarados also has room for a coverage move. Stone Edge hits Kyurem-B, Rotom-W, and
Flying-types, such as Dragonite
, (RC) for heavy
damage, while Earthquake
, on the other hand, hits Magnezone, Tentacruel, Toxicroak, Jirachi, and Heatran hard, which is especially useful in sun.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There are important distinctions between the two nature choices on this set; while Jolly allows Gyarados to outrun Jolteon and Choice Scarf Politoed at +1 and Jolly Mamoswine without a boost, Adamant gives a noticeable power buff. Jolly also makes Gyarados much faster unboosted, but the loss in power is significant against foes such as Ferrothorn as well as for hole-punching.
Since Because Gyarados can boost past the threats Jolly is needed to outspeed, Adamant is usually preferred, but it's your preference. For the item, Life Orb is usually best, boosting Gyarados's power even higher, which is what this set is all about. However, Lum Berry helps immensely against status users such as Ferrothorn and Jirachi and lets Gyarados avoid an untimely Scald burn. Double-Edge is a viable coverage option for Rotom-W and Dragon-types (most notably Substitute Kyurem-B). It also has amazing neutral
coverage; the same is true of Return
is an option if you don't want the recoil, though it loses out against Kyurem-B.
Unfortunately, Double-Edge has rather nasty recoil, so only use it if you plan to play Gyarados recklessly. Finally, Intimidate can be used over Moxie to aid
in setting up, but it really just gets away from the whole point of this set: power. The only reason to use it is because Double-Edge is unfortunately illegal with
Moxie Intimidate.</p>
<p>Rain support helps Gyarados get certain OHKOs after a boost, so Politoed is appreciated as a partner, but it is not obligatory, as this set still has enough power without rain. Rapid Spin support is essential with Life Orb, as Stealth Rock damage piled on with Life Orb recoil means Gyarados dies too quickly. Starmie and Tentacruel are good options because they can deal with many of Gyarados's checks and counters, such as Skarmory. Suicide leads that carry Taunt, such as Terrakion and
Skarmory Mew, also work to prevent Stealth Rock. Moving on, Gyarados has a lot of trouble against revenge killers without Substitute. Latios, Terrakion, and Salamence can all outrun Gyarados, even if it has a +1 boost. Scizor can utilize its powerful Bullet Punch to deal with most revenge killers. Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi and Swords Dance Scizor are Pokemon that can take advantage of weak Choice Scarf users and set up. Ferrothorn and Jellicent are difficult for Gyarados to get past, so Magnezone and Nasty Plot Celebi with Hidden Power Fire are good partners.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Ice Fang
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Gyarados is no doubt a deadly sweeper, it can also function as an effective revenge killer. With a Choice Scarf attached, Gyarados can outrun many notable threats, just barely outpacing +1 Adamant Dragonite and having enough bulk to tank boosted priority moves, such as Breloom's Mach Punch.
Even better, thanks to With Moxie, Gyarados can
even function as a late-game cleaner à la Choice Scarf Salamence. Rain-boosted Waterfall and Moxie are Gyarados's main advantages over other Choice Scarf users. The other moves are for rather specific targets. Ice Fang is the best move Gyarados has to hit Dragon-types, such as Dragonite, Salamence, Latias, and Latios. Stone Edge hits Volcarona and Kyurem-B hard; it is necessary for the former under sun and doesn't carry the risk of activating Flame Body. Finally, Earthquake does solid damage to Tentacruel and Toxicroak.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is almost always the preferred nature; the only time Jolly is useful is on rain teams that have trouble against Jolteon. A move worth consideration is Outrage. Outrage can OHKO Latias after Stealth Rock damage, which is a feat Ice Fang simply can't manage. Unfortunately, it has a rather nasty lock-in side effect that pretty much ensures Gyarados will die the next turn.</p>
<p>Rain support is non-negotiable with this set, as otherwise Gyarados is completely outclassed by Salamence. Rapid Spin support is another requirement because it ensures Gyarados can switch in and out freely. Starmie is the best choice, as it can hit bulky Water-types for good damage and soften up opponents to set the stage for Gyarados. After taking Hydro Pumps from Starmie, the opponent will
often be ill-equipped to handle Gyarados. Other options include Tentacruel,
who which can Toxic bulky Water-types, and Forretress,
who which can set up entry hazards and take physical hits well. Unfortunately, the former has a hard time against spinblockers. It is important to note that Gyarados isn't an amazing revenge killer; it's best used to sweep late-game. Therefore, you probably shouldn't use Gyarados as your sole Choice Scarf user. In any case, bulky Water-types, Ferrothorn, Latias, Kyurem-B, and Celebi are perfect stops for this set. Your own Celebi can take care of bulky Water-types, while Scizor can deal with Ferrothorn, Latias, Kyurem-B, and Celebi, as well as use Bullet Punch to help Gyarados with its revenge killing duties.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Roar / Dragon Tail
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although it is an effective attacker, Gyarados can also perform well with a defensive set. With solid bulk, a great typing, and Intimidate, Gyarados has all the tools it needs to be a good bulky Water-type. However, Gyarados is a bit different from your usual bulky Water-type, as it doesn't have reliable recovery.
On the bright side, resistances to Fighting, Bug, and Steel, as well as an immunity to Ground make Gyarados a stellar pivot. Consequentially, Gyarados is also a perfect counter to Scizor, Mamoswine, and Volcarona outside of sun. In order to be healthy enough to deal with these threats, Gyarados unfortunately must rely on RestTalk, which is a rather shaky combination, especially with this generation's sleep mechanics. On the other hand, it does make Gyarados much more sturdy. Just be sure to avoid resting while foes such as Jolteon are still alive, as Gyarados hates being forced out while
asleep. Waterfall provides Gyarados with a reliable attacking move. The last slot gives Gyarados a phazing move, which helps against setup sweepers and allows Gyarados to spread entry hazard d
amage. Roar is 100% accurate and can hit through Substitute, while Dragon Tail isn't affected by Taunt and can hit Magic Bounce users, which is helpful for teams that struggle against Baton Pass chains.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>
Since As Gyarados is meant to challenge physical attackers, its EVs
should make it as
physically bulky as possible. While Gyarados should usually run Rest and Sleep Talk, this scenario is different if a good Wish passer and Rapid Spin user are paired with it. If that is the case, RestTalk should be replaced with Taunt and Thunder Wave. The former helps against defensive Pokemon, while the latter can cripple offensive Pokemon. However, in order to run those, you again need to have a Wish passer and Rapid Spin user. For the Wish passer, Jirachi is best used because of its great defensive synergy with Gyarados, particularly helping against Kyurem-B; Terrakion and Scizor also work for that purpose. For the Rapid Spin user, Forretress is best, as it can take Outrages
, which that Gyarados cannot
do. A Pokemon that can trap Ghost-types, such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar or Gothitelle, is useful to ensure Forretress can spin. Additionally, Heal Bell Celebi makes a great partner, as it counters Thundurus-T and other Electric-types that threaten Gyarados. Heal Bell can also wake up Gyarados if it is sleeping, which is helpful. Finally, Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards and take Electric- and Rock-type attacks, making it a good partner.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 2: Double Edge
move 3: Ice Fang / Stone Edge
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set sacrifices the ability to sweep for raw power
right off the bat. With a Choice Band and Intimidate, Gyarados makes for an amazing offensive pivot. This is no surprise combined with Gyarados's Fighting and Water resistances and Ground immunity. Most importantly, Gyarados can switch into threats such as Volcarona, Mamoswine, and special Landorus. Once it is in, Gyarados can hit the foe with a powerful attack. It plays as a sort of hit-and-run, all-purpose attacker; the best term
to use here is "hard-hitting tank." Gyarados's rain-boosted Waterfalls strike fear in the hearts of its opponents. Boasting a fairly high flinch rate and perfect accuracy, Waterfall is almost always the superior
move choice option. However, Aqua Tail allows Gyarados to OHKO certain foes, such as defensive Landorus-T and Choice Scarf Jirachi. Double-Edge is mainly used to hit a lured-in Rotom-W, though no bulky Water-type other than Jellicent appreciates being hit by it. Ice Fang is preferred in the third slot to hit Grass-types such as Celebi and Breloom, being the only move on this set that can OHKO the latter; it also hits Dragon-types hard. Stone Edge, on the other hand, does a boatload of damage to Kyurem-B and opposing Gyarados. Finally, Earthquake
does deals heavy damage to Jirachi, Ninetales, Tentacruel, and Toxicroak.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow Gyarados to outrun Adamant Breloom while still being powerful enough to dish out heavy damage; the remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Gyarados a little bulk. Avalanche can be used instead of Ice Fang for a harder hit, but negative priority is a major detriment, as Gyarados doesn't want to take any unnecessary damage. Bite can 2HKO Jellicent and Celebi and deal solid damage to Starmie and Latios.</p>
<p>Rain support is a necessity for Gyarados, as otherwise it just doesn't hit hard enough to be justified over another Choice Band user, such as Dragonite or Terrakion. Additionally, Gyarados has a rather nasty Stealth Rock weakness, so
since because it intends to switch in and out a lot, Rapid Spin support is required. Life Orb Starmie is the best choice, as it can beat most bulky Water-types
and provide Rapid Spin support; unfortunately it adds yet another Electric weakness to the team. Breloom, specifically the SubPunch variant, is another choice to beat bulky Water-types. It can set up a Substitute
against on and kill Jellicent
and KO it, which Starmie can't do; Gastrodon, Tentacruel, and Politoed are also vulnerable to it. Finally, be sure to have Pokemon such as Terrakion or Jirachi to deal with Kyurem-B.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Gyarados really doesn't have any other options worth considering. Aqua Tail could be used over Waterfall on Dragon Dance sets for bit of extra power, but its lower accuracy makes it usually not worth it. While Scald might seem tempting for a bulky set, its lack of power makes Gyarados complete Taunt fodder. Flail isn't really that great for Gyarados with its relatively low Speed. Wacan Berry could be worth a shot, but Gyarados still dies to most Electric
-type moves anyway. Bounce and Outrage might be worth a look on Choice sets, but they have detrimental lock-in effects that make them not worth the while.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite its diversity, Gyarados has quite a few counters. The foremost of these is Ferrothorn, who can take pretty much any attack and break Gyarados's Substitutes with Power Whip. Additionally, it can set up Stealth Rock, which makes Gyarados's life miserable. Skarmory is also difficult to break through and can phaze out Gyarados, negating any boosts it has obtained. Rotom-W is also a good response, especially if it carries Thunderbolt. Gyarados really can't hit Rotom-W hard at all outside of a Choice Band-boosted Double-Edge. Opposing defensive
variants of Gyarados also fare well, as
it they can phaze your Gyarados out. Kyurem-B is another solid counter, boasting the ability to take any hit, even Stone Edge in a pinch, and OHKO with Fusion Bolt in return. Finally, Porygon2 can shake off everything Gyarados can throw at it
, possibly even Intimidate Gyarados with Trace, and OHKO back with a Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>Any Pokemon that can outspeed Gyarados after a Dragon Dance is a pretty good check. These Pokemon include Choice Scarf Terrakion and Choice Scarf Thundurus-T. The latter resists Bounce, making it an even better switch-in; the former is a much riskier choice, as it is weak to Waterfall and and does not resist Bounce. Jolteon can only outspeed non-Jolly
Gyarados variants that are at +1,
but is still usable but it works too. However, none of them can really switch in out of fear of Waterfall. Pokemon that resist or are immune to Water, such as Gastrodon, Starmie, Cloyster, Celebi, and Toxicroak, are also good checks. None of them, especially Celebi and Toxicroak, particularly enjoy taking a Bounce, however. For this reason, they are best when combined with a Pokemon that resists Flying. Perish Song Celebi is particularly
effective good when paired with such partners. Toxicroak is only useful against the Substitute + Dragon Dance variant and only if it runs Substitute itself. If all else fails, a surprise Electric-type move, such as ThunderPunch on Jirachi or Hidden Power Electric on Keldeo, will do in a pinch.</p>
