Gyarados (RBY UU) [QC 0/2] [GP 0/2]

Sevi 7

Semi-retired
[OVERVIEW]

Gyarados is one of the best tanks and wallbreakers in UU. Thanks to its well-rounded stats and strong movepool, Gyarados can easily survive most attacks and immediately threaten back with either a Body Slam paralysis or a powerful attack of its own. Gyarados' attacks can cut through some of the tiers bulkier Pokemon, and it can customize itself to cover a wide range of threats. Gyarados uses Blizzard to OHKO Dragonite and 2HKO Venusaur and Tangela, Gyarados can run Thunderbolt to 3HKO Tentacruel and Omastar, Hyper Beam has a tiny chance to OHKO Kadabra, and Hydro Pump OHKOes Dugtrio and 2HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian. Gyarados is also one of the tier's premium Dugtrio checks. Gyarados can switch into Earthquake and then paralyze or KO Dugtrio. Dugtrio can fight back with Rock Slide or Slash, but they only 4HKO, and Dugtrio is forced to switch-out most of the time. Therefore, as long as there is a healthy Gyarados around, Dugtrio cannot sweep or revenge kill, and its usefulness is severely limited. Gyarados is thus a respectable answer to most of the metagame and can be a difficult Pokemon to prepare for.

Not everything is great for Gyarados though. Its Flying-type is both a blessing and a curse. Although Gyarados is immune to Earthquake, it takes double super-effective damage from Thunderbolt, is weak to Rock Slide, and is the only Water-type that takes neutral damage from Blizzard. Gyarados can also only switch-in so many times until its lack of speed and recovery put it into KO range itself. Consequently, Gyarados' defensive capabilities are somewhat limited and should only be brought in when you don't have any other answers to your opponent's current threat. However, even with that said, Gyarados is still one of the best Pokemon in the tier and should be feared and respected.

[SET]

set name: All-Out-Attacker
name 1: Body Slam
name 2: Blizzard
name 3: Hyper Beam / Hydro Pump
name 4: Thunderbolt / Hydro Pump

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Body Slam is Gyarados' main physical attack and helps Gyarados spread paralysis. Many of Gyarados’ common answers, such as Electabuzz and Tentacruel, absolutely hate getting paralyzed, making Body Slam one of Gyarados’ safest options. Blizzard is ran to OHKO Dragonite, while also doing super-effective damage against Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon as well. Hyper Beam is Gyarados’ most powerful physical attack and with a massive 125 Attack stat, Hyper Beam can KO several Pokemon from high percentages. For example, Body Slam and Hyper Beam KOes Kadabra, and a critical hit Body Slam or Thunderbolt and a Hyper Beam KOs Tentacruel. Also, after two Seismic Tosses, Hyper Beam will KO Hypno half the time. Thunderbolt is Gyarados' coverage move to 2HKO opposing Gyarados and reliably damages other bulky waters. Tentacruel, Omastar and Dewgong are all 3HKOed by Thunderbolt, and Vaporeon is 4HKOed. Hydro Pump can replace Hyper Beam or Thunderbolt, in order to do massive special damage. Hydro Pump is Gyarados' strongest special attack and 2HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian, and OHKOes Dugtrio, Aerodactyl and Golem. It also 3HKOes Hypno, Haunter, Omastar and Electabuzz. Running Hydro Pump does mean giving up Gyarados' most powerful physical attack or coverage against bulky Water-type Pokemon. Therefore, Hydro Pump is best used on teams weak Normal-types Pokemon, particularity Kangaskhan.

Gyarados is usually a team's main check to Dugtrio, who can otherwise ravage some teams with STAB Earthquake. Although Gyarados does need to be careful about switching in against Rock Slide or Slash, it can play mind games with whether or not Dugtrio should use Earthquake or not. Just the threat of Gyarados switching in and making the opponent unwilling to select Earthquake can tilt the game in Gyarados' favor. Gyarados’ effect on a game needs to be understood to get the most out of it. That being said, even if an opponent doesn't have a ground-type, Gyarados still switch-in to non-super Effective attacks and at least 3HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame. Gyarados can wallbreak and wear down a team. This is why Gyarados fits well on a variety of teams and strategies and should often be considered for a team.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Gyarados can drop Blizzard for Thunderbolt; however, Gyarados does not have a reliable way to check Dragonite or Grass-type Pokemon then. Thunder can replace Thunderbolt. It has a small chance to OHKO opposing Gyarados, a chance to 2HKO Omastar and Dewgong, and always 3HKOs Vaproeon and Articuno. However, the 70% accuracy is less than desirable, especially on a Pokemon that does not have any form of recovery. Rest can be used as form of recovery. However, Gyarados may have a hard time waking up. Switching a sleeping Gyarados into Wrap or against an opponent's sleeping Pokemon to burn off sleep turns may be needed. Fire Blast can work to compress the roles of Blizzard and Hydro Pump into one move. Fire Blast does super-effective damage against Grass-types. Meanwhile a burn stops: Dragonite from using Agility and Wrap, Kangaskhan and Dodrio from doing too much damage, and Tentacruel from Wrapping and pivoting. However, it is far better to KO Pokemon than to burn them and burning some Pokemon, like Kadabra, can be extremely problematic. Toxic can be used to stop Dragonite and Dragonair’s Agility and Wrap combo. Toxic has a better chance of hitting Dragonite than Blizzard does to OHKO and a critical hit is needed to OHKO Dragonair. However, Blizzard also does good damage against Grass-types and its chance to freeze is unmatched, making Blizzard the better choice in most match ups.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Thunderbolt and Thunder Users**: Gyarados’ biggest weakness is Thunderbolt. Even Pokemon like Clefable can 2HKO Gyarados with a Thunderbolt, and many more can OHKO with Thunder. Out of all of the tier’s Thunderbolt users, Haunter is the worst for Gyarados. It is completely immune to Body Slam and Hyper Beam and is only 3HKOed by Hydro Pump. Meanwhile, Haunter outspeeds and can use Hypnosis, predicting a switch, without much fear. Electabuzz, Raichu and Electrode outspeed Gyarados and can OHKO it with STAB Thunderbolt. They are not as solid of a check as Haunter though, as they have to be wary about switching in on Gyarados’s Body Slam, especially because a critical hit Body Slam followed by a Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam will KO. If they can come in safely though, Gyarados is immediately scared out by their presence. Persian, Raticate and Clefable can switch in against Body Slam, not fear paralysis, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Persian and Raticate are faster than Gyarados, but they are 2HKOed by Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam. Meanwhile, Clefable is slower than Gyarados, but Gyarados can only 3HKO Clefable. Persian, Raticate and Clefable shouldn't be your first choice as a Gyarados check, but they can be used as such, if needed.

**Rock Slide Users**: Gyarados does get worn down by Rock Slide. Dugtrio, Golem and Kangaskhan

**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon can be a problem for Gyardos, especially if Gyarados doesn't have Thunderbolt. So, they can be a safe defensive pivot or even be enough to finish off a weakened Gyarados. Tentacruel outspeeds Gyarados and can whittle it down with Wrap, or pivot into something with Thunderbolt. However, Tentacruel absolutely hates getting paralyzed by Body Slam, so Tentacruel must be wary. Vaporeon, Dewgong and Omastar can come in safely on Thunderbolt-less Gyarados. Omastar is 3HKOed by Hydro Pump though, so it must rely on Hydro Pump’s less than perfect accuracy until it can stall out Hydro Pump’s low PP. However, these Pokemon cannot do much in return though, so it’s probably best to use them as a defensive pivot and double switch into something that can take Gyarados’ Thunderbolt. That being said, they can wear down Gyarados or try to paralyze it with Body Slam. Since Gyarados has no way to restore HP or cure status, this can work if needed.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
Last edited:

Volk

Demonstrably alive.
is a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
Let's roll.

It can take both physical and non-super-effective special attacks, allowing it to come in on a large number of Pokemon and immediately threaten them with either a powerful attack or a Body Slam paralysis.
I don't think the note about "non-super-effective" is necessary, as it needlessly complicates the sentence. On one hand, Gyarados doesn't take Rock Slide well, and that's a physical super-effective hit, and on the other, a bunch of other moves can still deal plenty of damage, like Articuno's Blizzard and Kangaskhan's Hyper Beam. I'd keep it simple with "It can easily survive the majority of attacks, both physical and special, allowing..." or something like that.

Gyarados also has a good movepool, which allows it to customize itself and better check specific threats to the team.
I would elaborate a bit on this point a bit. I think this Overview is too short and this sentence is a good place to start when expanding it. List a few of these good moves, like Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, etc. and what they can help you hit. Naming some of the Pokemon in the diverse array of ones Gyarados can hit super-effectively will help sell the Pokemon. Some calcs might help too. Another good thing to note about Gyarados is that it does a really good job at handling pretty much every "tricky" Pokemon in the tier. It matches up well against Dugtrio, Vaporeon, and Dragonite and is a respectable answer for Normal-type sweepers/breakers. Gyarados is very difficult Pokemon to switch in against and prepare for in the builder, unless you really commit to multiple Electric-type Pokemon. There are a lot more positive attributes to be mentioned here.

For example,Its Flying-type is both a blessing and a curse.
Fix the spacing and capitalization here.

Gyarados is also fairly slow and lacks any kind of reliable recovery, meaning that it works as a hit and runner and does get chipped down overtime.
I don't think I would call Gyarados a "hit-an-runner." I think Gyarados is more of a defensive Pokemon that you switch in when you really re just out of good options. Sure, it can switch in and out, but I think calling it a "hit-and-runner" makes it sound like a revenge killer or sweeper, when it really just kind of isn't.

set name: All-Out-Attacker
name 1: Body Slam
name 2: Blizzard
name 3: Hydro Pump / Thunderbolt
name 4: Hyper Beam / Thunderbolt
I'm not entirely sure what set I would suggest here, but I think we should reach some kind of consensus on this. I, for one, pretty much always run Thunderbolt because I can't imagine being walled by Vaporeon and opposing Gyarados. I usually don't run Hydro Pump personally. A discussion about this set needs to be had.

Many of Gyarados’ common checks, such as Electabuzz and Tentacruel, absolutely hate getting paralyzed, making Body Slam, one of Gyarados’ safest options.
I'd probably say "answers" or "switch-ins" over "checks" here. Also, the comma after "making Body Slam" should be removed.

It is also does super-effective damage against Grass and Flying-type Pokemon as well, giving Gyarados additional utility.
You should structure it as "Grass- and Flying-type." Also, name them (Venusaur, Tangela, Aerodactyl, etc.).

Hydro Pump is Gyarados' strongest special attack and can 2HKO Kangaskhan and Persian, and can OHKO Dugtrio, Aerodactyl and Golem.
"Hydro Pump is Gyardos's strongest special attack, 2HKOing Kangaskhan and Persian as well as OHKOing Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, and Golem." Not sure how we do apostrophes for Pokemon with names that end in "s," but I do it like that. It is also probably worth noting that Hydro Pump (with STAB nonetheless) is one of the main things that Gyarados has over Dragonite. The tier's Electric-type Pokemon are also possible 2HKOes for what it is worth.

It can also 3HKO Hypno and Haunter; however, Gyarados would rather not fight these two, if it can help it.
I don't know, I use Gyardos to fight Hypno not too infrequently, as Hyper Beam does a lot. Also, Hydro Pump will 3HKO Omastar if you don't have Thunderbolt.

For example, Body Slam and Hyper Beam KOes Kadabra, and a critical hit Body Slam or Thunderbolt and a Hyper Beam KOs Tentacruel.
You should probably include a few Pokemon that are slower than Gyarados, as to illustrate it's ability to revenge kill. Notables include Hypno, Vaporeon, and anything Paralyzed.

Thunderbolt can replace Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam to 2HKO opposing Gyarados and can reliably do damage to other bulky waters.
Don't understate taking on bulky Water-type Pokemon. A good Vaporeon and Omastar matchup is a big selling point of Gyarados, both in general and as opposed to Dragonite. Give some details here.

That being said, even if an opponent doesn't have a ground-type, Gyarados still takes hits well and deals a lot of damage in return.
Name them. Gyarados is good insurance for physical attacking Normal-type Pokemon, Golem, and Dragonite. It also isn't dead weight against Articuno, like Dragonite often is.

This is why Gyarados fits well on a variety of teams and strategies and should often be considered for a team.
Give some team options and elaborate how Gyarados helps these teammates. Physical attackers like Persian and Dugtrio are really common as Gyarados handles Dragonite and Kangaskhan fairly well. Gyarados is a hallmark of fast offensive teams, serving as the main defensive backbone and Dugtrio check on teams that overload on Tentacruel checks (think teams like Tentacruel/Hypno/Kadabra/Persian/Dugtrio/Gyarados). Sleepers also pair well, as they help Gyarados wall break, and also many players will frequently give up Electric-type Pokemon to sleep. For this same reason, Grass-type Pokemon can be good partners in general. These are just a few ideas, and there are very many to explore here.

It has a small chance to OHKO opposing Gyarados, a chance to 2HKO Omastar and Dewgong, and as always 3HKOs Vaproeon and Articuno.
Not sure what "as" is doing in this sentence. Also, "Vaporeon" is spelled incorrectly.

Toxic can be used to stop Dragonite and Dragonair’s Agility and Wrap combo. Toxic has a better chance of hitting Dragonite than Blizzard does to OHKO and a critical hit is needed to OHKO Dragonair. However, Blizzard also does good damage against Grass-types and its chance to freeze is unmatched, making Blizzard the better choice in most match ups.
Is anyone actually using Toxic Gyarados? Seems like a waste to me. I'd cut this. Rest might be a move worthy of a mention, by the way.

Checks and Counters
I'd consider mentioning "Rock-type moves" somewhere here, as Dugtrio, Kangaskhan, and Golem can apply pressure to Gyarados, especially if they have a Substitute or Gyarados is Paralyzed. Kangaskhan can sometimes even win the matchup, depending on the set and accuracy. Articuno is also a Gyarados check that should be mentioned. I looked through the VR, and well, Gyarados really has like no checks, go figure. The only other one you missed is Bind Pinsir, I guess, but you can probably skip that one.

Neither Persian or Clefable should be your first choice as a Gyarados check, but they can be used as such, if needed.
Raticate fits roughly the same bill as Persian, should it be carrying Thunderbolt or Thunder. Electrode should also at least be named here as well.

Vaproeon is only 4HKOed by Gyarados’ Thunderbolt, meaning that Gyarados needs to get a critical hit to KO Vaproeon.
Vaporeon isn't a Gyarados check. In some cases, it can help, but it loses the matchup more often than not. I would avoid saying something like this, as I believe switching Vaporeon into Gyarados is an extremely common mistake made by new players. Cut this. I think this entire section should probably go, save Tentacruel. Tentacruel is the only Pokemon here that I would call a consistent check for Gyarados, unless you don't have Thunderbolt (which my Gyarados almost always do). If you want to keep this, I'd start with Tentacruel at the top and mention Vaporeon, Dewgong, and Omastar as checks to variants lacking Thunderbolt.

Good start. I think this analysis should be a fair deal longer. Let me know when changes are made. Cheers!
 
Last edited:

phoopes

I did it again
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I'm not entirely sure what set I would suggest here, but I think we should reach some kind of consensus on this. I, for one, pretty much always run Thunderbolt because I can't imagine being walled by Vaporeon and opposing Gyarados. I usually don't run Hydro Pump personally. A discussion about this set needs to be had.
For me I would say that Body Slam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Hyper Beam is the best set. Whether Hydro Pump gets slashed with something or is relegated to an other option is up for debate but when I use Gyarados I'm with you, it's normally without Hydro Pump. A Water-type move doesn't really add a whole lot when you have the attacking power with BS/HB and the coverage with BlizzBolt.
 

Sevi 7

Semi-retired
You should structure it as "Grass- and Flying-type." Also, name them (Venusaur, Tangela, Aerodactyl, etc.).
I've already mentioned them elsewhere, so I think adding them again

Don't understate taking on bulky Water-type Pokemon. A good Vaporeon and Omastar matchup is a big selling point of Gyarados, both in general and as opposed to Dragonite. Give some details here.
I don't think Gyarados is a good answer to bulky water personally. It can fight them if need be, but I wouldn't call their match-up good. Blizzard is neutral and Body Slam paralysis really messes up Gyara. Maybe that's why I see Thunderbolt as a coverage option, but you all see it as a main set thing. If you can explain why I want to be putting Gyara in front of them, instead of doing it when forced to, I can add that here.

Name them. Gyarados is good insurance for physical attacking Normal-type Pokemon, Golem, and Dragonite. It also isn't dead weight against Articuno, like Dragonite often is.
Maybe you can explain this to me, because Persian and Kang scare Gyara, not the other way around to me. Persian outspeeds and 2HKOes with TBolt, while Kangaskhan also outspeeds and a crit B Slam/Rock Slide and Hyper Beam KO Gyara. Gyara is basically hoping to get a crit Hydro Pump against these two. Also Art beats Gyara one on one, so that's another one I'd like explained. I get that it isn't OHKOed like DNite, but I wouldn't say that gyara even wants to go up against Art, let alone it's notable enough to call out like this.

Is anyone actually using Toxic Gyarados? Seems like a waste to me. I'd cut this. Rest might be a move worthy of a mention, by the way.
No, but nobody is using any of these, except for Thunderbolt over Blizzard, and Thunder. But even then it's once in a blue moon. I'll keep it for now since it the best anti-Agili-Wrap answer, but if it's really a problem, I'll drop it.

The only other one you missed is Bind Pinsir, I guess, but you can probably skip that one.
I don't consider it part of the metagame personally.


Still working on this but I'll let you talk about these for now.
 

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
Giving this a look. I won't QC since Volk said he had a lot to add and I'd feel much more comfortable giving my check afterwards. This is generally solid content-wise, at least from what I can see, Gyarados is just really good. I've also put a ton of grammar stuff in here just to make life easier for GP later.
Add
Remove
Comments
(ASC) = Add Semi-Colon
(AC) = Add Comma
(AP) = Add Period / Full Stop
(AA) = Add Apostrophe

(RH) = Dehyphenate
(RC) = Remove Comma
(RP) = Remove Period / Full Stop


Try working on linking sentences with commas and semi-colons, I noticed a lot of times where you lose a bit of flow because of prematurely ending them. It's not objectively wrong, but persuasive writing generally doesn't mesh well with passive voice. Be sure you use the proper apostrophe (') as well, I noticed the wrong one come up a few times. Sometimes you end up using a Grave accent (`) or diagonal apostrophe (’) which break markdown code. Finally, while it's traumatising, GP doesn't skip the "s" when referring to possession on names with s at the end, so you should be saying "Gyarados's".

You should also work on being less vague, sometimes you don't explain your points too well (if at all) and it results in some parts of the analysis looking a bit odd. Remember that the people reading these could well be new to the tier and may not understand your point. When making a point, back it up with some kind of evidence and explain it. This shows confidence to the reader and makes them more inclined to agree and read on.


[OVERVIEW]

Gyarados is one of the best tanks and wallbreakers in UU. Thanks to its well-rounded stats and strong movepool, Gyarados can easily survive most attacks and immediately threaten back with either a Body Slam paralysis or a powerful attack of its own. Gyarados's attacks can cut through some of the tier's (AA) bulkier Pokemon, and it can customize itself to cover a wide range of threats. Gyarados uses Blizzard to OHKO Dragonite and 2HKO Venusaur and Tangela, Gyarados can run Thunderbolt to 3HKO Tentacruel and Omastar, Hyper Beam has a tiny chance to OHKO Kadabra, and Hydro Pump OHKOes Dugtrio and 2HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian. (move most of these calcs to set details, only the standout calcs should be in the overview) Gyarados is also one of the tier's premium Dugtrio checks, (RP, AC) Gyarados can switching into Earthquake and then either paralyzing or KOing Dugtrio. Dugtrio can fight back with Rock Slide or Slash, but they only 4HKO, and Dugtrio is forced to switch out (RH) most of the time. Therefore, as long as there is a healthy Gyarados around, Dugtrio cannot sweep or revenge kill, and its usefulness is severely limited. Gyarados is thus a respectable answer to most of the metagame and can be a difficult Pokemon to prepare for.

Surely you could note that Gyarados isn't that slow? It trolls Dragonite with that extra point of Speed, which imo is notable enough to put here. I'd argue it's one of its most handy minor qualities.

Not everything is great for Gyarados though. Its Flying-type is both a blessing and a curse; (ASC) although Gyarados is immune to Earthquake, it takes double super-effective heavy damage from Thunderbolt, (RC) is weak to and Rock Slide, and is while being the only Water-type that takes neutral damage from Blizzard. Ergo, Gyarados can also (this is usually used positively, a negative preposition like "ergo" works better imo) only switch in (RH) so many times until its lack of Speed (is it really "lacking" Speed, though?) and recovery put it into KO range itself. Consequently, Gyarados' defensive capabilities are somewhat limited and should only be brought in when you don't have any other answers to your opponent's current threat. However, even with that said, Gyarados is still one of the best Pokemon in the tier and should be feared and respected.

[SET]

name: All-Out Attacker (no hyphen on the attacker bit, also fixed the set stuff...please copy-paste this in the future)
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Hyper Beam / Hydro Pump
move 4: Thunderbolt / Hydro Pump

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Body Slam is Gyarados's main physical attack and helps Gyarados spread paralysis; (ASC) many of Gyarados's (AA, evil diagonal apostrophe) common answers, such as Electabuzz and Tentacruel, absolutely hate getting paralyzed, making Body Slam one of Gyarados's (AA) safest options. Blizzard is ran used to OHKO Dragonite, (RC) while also doing super-effective damage against Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon. (AP) as well. Hyper Beam is Gyarados's (AA) most powerful physical attack and, (AC) with a massive 125 Attack stat, Hyper Beam can KO several Pokemon from high percentages. For example, Body Slam and Hyper Beam KOes Kadabra, and a critical hit Body Slam or Thunderbolt and a Hyper Beam KOs Tentacruel. Also, after two Seismic Tosses, Hyper Beam will KO Hypno half the time. Thunderbolt is Gyarados's coverage move to 2HKO opposing Gyarados and reliably damages other bulky waters Water-types. Tentacruel, Omastar, (AC, oxford comma) and Dewgong are all 3HKOed by Thunderbolt, and Vaporeon is 4HKOed. Hydro Pump can replace Hyper Beam or Thunderbolt, (RC) in order to do massive special damage. Hydro Pump is Gyarados' strongest special attack and 2HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian, and as well as OHKOes Dugtrio, Aerodactyl and Golem. It also 3HKOes Hypno, Haunter, Omastar, (AC) and Electabuzz. Running Hydro Pump does mean giving up Gyarados's most powerful physical attack or coverage against bulky Water-type Pokemon; (ASC) therefore, Hydro Pump is best used on teams weak Normal-types Pokemon, particularity particularly Kangaskhan.

Gyarados is usually a team's main check to Dugtrio, which can otherwise ravage some teams with STAB Earthquake. Although Gyarados does need to be careful about switching in against Rock Slide or Slash, it can play mind games with whether or not Dugtrio should use Earthquake or not. Just the threat of Gyarados switching in and making the opponent unwilling to select Earthquake can tilt the game in Gyarados's favor. Gyarados's effect on a game needs to be understood to get the most out of it. (You need to explain this, you can't expect a newbie to understand what you're saying here. Give some examples outside of Dugtrio. The key thing is that Gyarados's damage output forces the opponent into making predictable plays, yeah?) That being said, even if an opponent doesn't have a Ground-type, Gyarados still switch in (RH) to non-super effective attacks and at least 3HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame. Gyarados can wallbreak and wear down a team. (completely redundant) This is Gyarados's wallbreaking ability is why Gyarados it fits well on a variety of teams and strategies and should often be considered for a team. (consider moving this to the overview, seems odd to place in set details when the overview's purpose is to sell the mon)

(Note when to bring Gyarados in outside of Dugtrio, it's really not hard to get it in because of its bulk. You should also provide common teammates outside of specific sets like Hydro Gyara. Even something generic can work, really. This should be at least two or three paragraphs longer, Gyarados is really good and very important)


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Gyarados can drop Blizzard for Thunderbolt; however, Gyarados does not have loses a reliable way to check Dragonite or Grass-type Pokemon then like Tangela and Venusaur. Thunder can replace Thunderbolt. (RP) It has for a small chance to OHKO opposing Gyarados, a chance to 2HKO Omastar and Dewgong, and will always 3HKOs Vaproeon and Articuno. However, the 70% 69.5% accuracy is less than desirable, especially on a Pokemon that does not have any form of recovery. (consider elaborating on this, it currently teeters a bit on dex info.) On that note, (nice segway) Rest can be used as a form of recovery. However, Gyarados may have a hard time waking up due to its defensive typing, so switching a sleeping Gyarados into Wrap or against an opponent's sleeping Pokemon to burn off sleep turns may be needed. Fire Blast can work to compress the roles of Blizzard and Hydro Pump into one move. Fire Blast does super-effective damage (RH) against Grass-types. Meanwhile, (AC) a burn stops: (remove colon) Dragonite from using Agility and Wrap, Kangaskhan and Dodrio from doing too much damage cripples Kangaskhan and Dodrio, and forces Tentacruel from Wrapping and pivoting to use Rest earlier to reliably use Wrap again. However, it is far better to KO Pokemon than to burn them; (ASC) and worse still, burning some Pokemon, like Kadabra, can be extremely problematic. Toxic can be used to stop Dragonite and Dragonair’s Agility and Wrap combo, as Toxic has a better chance of hitting Dragonite than Blizzard does to OHKO and a critical hit is needed to OHKO Dragonair. However, Blizzard also does good damage against Grass-types and its chance to freeze is unmatched, (what? why unmatched? don't you mean "helpful" or something?) making Blizzard the better choice in most matchups. (spacing)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Thunderbolt and Thunder Users Electric-type Coverage**: Gyarados’ biggest weakness is Thunderbolt. Even Pokemon like Clefable can 2HKO Gyarados with a Thunderbolt, and many more can OHKO with Thunder. Out of all of the tier’s Thunderbolt users, Haunter is the worst for Gyarados, as it is completely immune to Body Slam and Hyper Beam, while and is only being 3HKOed by Hydro Pump. Meanwhile, Haunter outspeeds Gyarados and can use Hypnosis, predicting a switch, without much fear. Electabuzz, Raichu and Electrode outspeed Gyarados and can OHKO it with STAB Thunderbolt. They are not as solid of a check as Haunter though, as they have to be wary about switching in on Gyarados’s Body Slam, especially because a critical hit Body Slam followed by a Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam will KO. If they can come in safely though, Gyarados is immediately scared out by their presence. Persian, Raticate and Clefable can switch in against Body Slam, not fear paralysis, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Persian and Raticate are faster than Gyarados, but they are 2HKOed by Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam. Meanwhile, Clefable is slower than Gyarados, but Gyarados can only 3HKO Clefable. Persian, Raticate and Clefable shouldn't be your first choice as a Gyarados check, but they can be used as such, if needed.

**Rock Slide Users**: Gyarados does get worn down by Rock Slide. (vague, explain further) Dugtrio, Golem and Kangaskhan (finish this)

**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon can be a problem for Gyarados, especially if Gyarados doesn't have Thunderbolt. So because of this, they can be a safe defensive pivots or even be enough to finish off a weakened Gyarados. Tentacruel outspeeds Gyarados and can whittle it down with Wrap, (RC) or pivot into something with Thunderbolt. However, Tentacruel absolutely hates getting paralyzed by Body Slam, so Tentacruel must be wary. Vaporeon, Dewgong, (AC) and Omastar can come in safely on Thunderbolt-less Gyarados. Omastar is 3HKOed by Hydro Pump though, so it must rely on Hydro Pump’s less than perfect accuracy until it can stall out Hydro Pump’s low PP. (be specific, the "it" here could mean either Gyarados or Omastar) However, these Pokemon cannot do much in return though, (you already prepositioned with "however", so "though" is unneeded) so it’s probably (vagary, be confident in what you're writing or you're not persuasive) best to use them as a defensive pivot and double switch into something that can take Gyarados's Thunderbolt. That being said, they can wear down Gyarados or try to paralyze it with Body Slam. Since Gyarados has no way to restore HP or cure status, this can work if needed. (either remove this or reword into something more concrete, it's just too vaguely worded as it stands)

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

20th June edit:
Gonna go over your feedback to the others as well.
I don't think Gyarados is a good answer to bulky water personally. It can fight them if need be, but I wouldn't call their match-up good. Blizzard is neutral and Body Slam paralysis really messes up Gyara. Maybe that's why I see Thunderbolt as a coverage option, but you all see it as a main set thing. If you can explain why I want to be putting Gyara in front of them, instead of doing it when forced to, I can add that here.
The matchup is fine, it forces them out. Thunderbolt is a massive deterrent to bringing Water-types in on Gyarados as they're forced to Rest so much earlier if they take as much as a single one. Switching in Gyarados on an Oma/Vap Rest is incredible if you're using Thunderbolt Gyarados as well. It's essential role compression in a tier where Electric-type coverage can occasionally be a bit difficult to fit onto a team.

Maybe you can explain this to me, because Persian and Kang scare Gyara, not the other way around to me. Persian outspeeds and 2HKOes with TBolt, while Kangaskhan also outspeeds and a crit B Slam/Rock Slide and Hyper Beam KO Gyara. Gyara is basically hoping to get a crit Hydro Pump against these two. Also Art beats Gyara one on one, so that's another one I'd like explained. I get that it isn't OHKOed like DNite, but I wouldn't say that gyara even wants to go up against Art, let alone it's notable enough to call out like this.
A Hydro Pump from Gyarados against Persian and Kangaskhan is enough to put them in Surf range for Tentacruel. That nuclear blow is all you need, and I've had many cases where I'll happily take the damage if it means putting them in that range.

I don't consider [Bind Pinsir] part of the metagame personally.
I wouldn't say it isn't part of the metagame, I've personally used it with success recently and strongly believe it's something worth considering. There's an RMT here though idk if the replays can be called "good". I'd say it's worth giving at least a passing mention in some capacity, especially since multiple analyses already mention it in that fashion. Pinsir shuts down Gyarados pretty hard if it can get in safely.

Also, as Volk said, definitely add Rest to OO.
 
Last edited:

Volk

Demonstrably alive.
is a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
I haven't looked at this in a while, so pardon any redundancy. Let's see what's left here. Also, I'm not touching grammar right now. I suspect Plague von Karma has a lot of that covered, and I just generally don't feel like doing grammar right now.

Gyarados uses Blizzard to OHKO Dragonite and 2HKO Venusaur and Tangela, Gyarados can run Thunderbolt to 3HKO Tentacruel and Omastar, Hyper Beam has a tiny chance to OHKO Kadabra, and Hydro Pump OHKOes Dugtrio and 2HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian.
Just advising you to be careful with these calculations. I didn't check them, but I know from memory that Gyarados will OHKO Dragonite with Blizzard about a third of the time. You may wish to be a little more clear here, by saying that some of these KOes are "potential" or "possible."

Gyarados is also one of the tier's premium Dugtrio checks. Gyarados can switch into Earthquake and then paralyze or KO Dugtrio. Dugtrio can fight back with Rock Slide or Slash, but they only 4HKO, and Dugtrio is forced to switch-out most of the time. Therefore, as long as there is a healthy Gyarados around, Dugtrio cannot sweep or revenge kill, and its usefulness is severely limited.
Firstly, do you mean "premier?" "Premium" isn't exactly wrong, but it sounds a little weird. Secondly, I'd be a little bit more clear here. One of the big advantages to Gyarados is that it deters Dugtrio from using Earthquake, forcing it to compromise and use Rock Slide or Slash. This makes Dugtrio much less frightening and easier to play around and predict. You definitely imply this in the quote above, but I definitely think it could be made significantly more clear exactly what this benefit is.

Also, after two Seismic Tosses, Hyper Beam will KO Hypno half the time.
I'd say "after it takes two hits from Seismic Toss." The way it is written now sort of suggests Gyarados is using Seismic Toss, especially when you follow the logic of the previous sentence.

Thunderbolt is Gyarados' coverage move to 2HKO opposing Gyarados and reliably damages other bulky waters. Tentacruel, Omastar and Dewgong are all 3HKOed by Thunderbolt, and Vaporeon is 4HKOed.
I'd emphasize this a bit more. While Gyarados isn't the greatest check to Water-type Pokemon of all time, it is (1) pretty solid, especially if it gets in on Surf or is already in and (2) much better at it than Dragonite. Gyarados hits a very special niche, which is that it checks Dugtrio but is not weak to Blizzard. This is a really important feature of Gyarados, and one of the main reasons why you would choose it as you primary Dugtrio answer.

Gyarados is usually a team's main check to Dugtrio, who can otherwise ravage some teams with STAB Earthquake. Although Gyarados does need to be careful about switching in against Rock Slide or Slash, it can play mind games with whether or not Dugtrio should use Earthquake or not. Just the threat of Gyarados switching in and making the opponent unwilling to select Earthquake can tilt the game in Gyarados' favor. Gyarados’ effect on a game needs to be understood to get the most out of it. That being said, even if an opponent doesn't have a ground-type, Gyarados still switch-in to non-super Effective attacks and at least 3HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame.
This is more of what I was going for earlier. I'd also put in some additional information concerning how to use Gyarados if your opponent no longer had a Dugtrio or didn't bring one. Generally speaking, you want Gyarados to face Dugtrio more than anything else, so you'll want to keep it around until Dugtrio or the full team is revealed. Although, if Dugtrio is not an issue, for whatever reason, you can use Gyarados a bit more aggressively. Its speed is actually just good enough for a few revenge kills (Dragonite, Venusaur, Tangela, Golem and especially Hypno are probably the key ones here), it can bully Water-types with Thunderbolt and Body Slam (it actually sits on Tentacruel's Wrap somewhat comfortably if you want/need to fish for a miss as well), and it can be okay against the Normal-type attackers, especially if it has Hydro Pump. Basically, you should give Gyarados something to do when Dugtrio isn't around, and there are plenty of options that should be mentioned.

This is why Gyarados fits well on a variety of teams and strategies and should often be considered for a team.
This analysis needs another paragraph after this one to discuss team options. Here are some to consider and brief reasoning:
  • Tentacruel, Haunter, and Electric-type Pokemon (They appreciate its ability to check Dugtrio)
  • Persian (Gyarados matches up well against Omastar, Dugtrio, Golem, and Aerodactyl while being okay against Kangaskhan)
  • Grass-type Pokemon (They give Gyarados something to switch to when an Electric-type Pokemon comes out)
  • Articuno, Dragonite, and Dodrio (Gyarados helps against Water-type Pokemon; helps nullify Dugtrio)
  • Dugtrio and Aerodactyl (Gyarados is good at mounting chip damage when facing Dugtrio, so fast sweepers are nice; Dugtrio covers Electric-type Pokemon)

However, the 70% accuracy is less than desirable, especially on a Pokemon that does not have any form of recovery. Rest can be used as form of recovery.
This pair of sentences is just funny. Regardless, I think the Other Options section is largely fine in terms of content, but it is extremely choppy. Add some transition phrases or break it into separate paragraphs; it is quite hard to read as it.

**Thunderbolt and Thunder Users**: Gyarados’ biggest weakness is Thunderbolt. Even Pokemon like Clefable can 2HKO Gyarados with a Thunderbolt, and many more can OHKO with Thunder. Out of all of the tier’s Thunderbolt users, Haunter is the worst for Gyarados. It is completely immune to Body Slam and Hyper Beam and is only 3HKOed by Hydro Pump. Meanwhile, Haunter outspeeds and can use Hypnosis, predicting a switch, without much fear. Electabuzz, Raichu and Electrode outspeed Gyarados and can OHKO it with STAB Thunderbolt. They are not as solid of a check as Haunter though, as they have to be wary about switching in on Gyarados’s Body Slam, especially because a critical hit Body Slam followed by a Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam will KO. If they can come in safely though, Gyarados is immediately scared out by their presence. Persian, Raticate and Clefable can switch in against Body Slam, not fear paralysis, and 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Persian and Raticate are faster than Gyarados, but they are 2HKOed by Hydro Pump or Hyper Beam. Meanwhile, Clefable is slower than Gyarados, but Gyarados can only 3HKO Clefable. Persian, Raticate and Clefable shouldn't be your first choice as a Gyarados check, but they can be used as such, if needed.
I get that you are trying to make a point by starting with Clefable, but you should really start with Haunter of the Electric-type Pokemon. You should also make mention of Dragonite (who does a lot and can outspeed if it has used Agility before) and opposing Gyarados. Also, you can probably just call this section "Thunderbolt Users" as Thunder is pretty rare.

**Rock Slide Users**: Gyarados does get worn down by Rock Slide. Dugtrio, Golem and Kangaskhan
This is literally just unfinished.

**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon can be a problem for Gyardos, especially if Gyarados doesn't have Thunderbolt. So, they can be a safe defensive pivot or even be enough to finish off a weakened Gyarados. Tentacruel outspeeds Gyarados and can whittle it down with Wrap, or pivot into something with Thunderbolt. However, Tentacruel absolutely hates getting paralyzed by Body Slam, so Tentacruel must be wary. Vaporeon, Dewgong and Omastar can come in safely on Thunderbolt-less Gyarados. Omastar is 3HKOed by Hydro Pump though, so it must rely on Hydro Pump’s less than perfect accuracy until it can stall out Hydro Pump’s low PP. However, these Pokemon cannot do much in return though, so it’s probably best to use them as a defensive pivot and double switch into something that can take Gyarados’ Thunderbolt. That being said, they can wear down Gyarados or try to paralyze it with Body Slam. Since Gyarados has no way to restore HP or cure status, this can work if needed.
I'd stress that Tentacruel is a better Gyarados check than most Water-type Pokemon (aside from maybe Gyarados itself).

Checks and Counters
Is Articuno a check? I think it could maybe be considered.

That's it for now. Please try to implement this. I'd love to get this analysis moving. Cheers!
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top