Project NU Next Best Thing [Week 35: Gastrodon]

Pokeslice

Thanks for the Dance
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributor
Just squeaking by with a dub, congrats to Corthius for winning this weeks iteration of NBT with his SubID :leftovers: set. Tagging roxiee to add Corthiass to the HOF.

WEEK 25: Golurk

:ss/Golurk:
This week's Next Best Thing is Golurk! For some reason, it has recently fallen under the radar, especially in slew of the recent shifts, but just like always, it's a terrifying threat that most teams are not adequately prepared for. On top of that, the options are endless when coupled with Golurk's deep movepool. Will you settle for a simple sweeper set or will you go wild with Rocks? The options are up to you! Submissions due by Friday, April 16th. Have Fun!
Golurk @ Choice Band
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Poltergeist
- Earthquake
- Dynamic Punch / Trick / Shadow Punch
- Ice Punch / Shadow Punch
 
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Rock Polish Golurk aka Cleaner Golurk

Golurk @ Life Orb
Ability: Iron fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poltergeist
- Earthquake
- Drain Punch
- Rock Polish


General idea

Here we have a Golurk that uses Rock Polish to fix its low Spe in order to clean more effectively. Keep in mind that Golurk is quite bulky despite its weaknesses, so it might use rock Polish twice on certain conditions due to its set of immunities and resistances.
Poltergeist + Earthquake is the dual STAB combination, whereas Drain Punch (boosted by Iron Fist) is here for both coverage and recovery.
  • Iron Fist is clearly the preferred choice here because we don't use Dynamic Punch and we like the fact that sometimes the opponent might miss its move. Poltergeist doesn't have 100% accuracy, but 90% is still high.


EVs (spread) and item
The Jolly nature + 252 Spe EVs are chosen to reach 229 Spe points and 458 points after a Rock Polish (+2 Spe boost). https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/nu-speed-tiers.3662269/

Life Orb is a good substitute of Choice Band considering that leaves you the freedom to change attacking move although the drop in power is relevant.
This is acceptable because this Golurk doesn't have to OHKO/2HKO things from full health.


Team(mates) support
All things that helps Golurk to set-up with more ease are welcome such as screens. Hazards support is always appreciated to ensure KOs especially considering the difference in power with the CB set.
VoltTurn support is appreciated to make Golurk enter into the battlefield without lowering its health is too good to pass up.
Burn is the real problem. Also, you have to get rid of buky Waters/Grass or, at least, weaken them to the point they are still KOed by Golurk.

In return, Golurk is a heavy hitter with three immunities to work with.
 
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Katy

Banned deucer.
physical tank (support)

:ss/golurk:
Golurk @ Colbur Berry
A
bility: Iron Fist
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
-
Stealth Rock
-
Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Shadow Punch

self explanatory: this set is a defensive version of golurk with colbur berry to survive hard hitting attacks coming from drapion, flygon, and other great physical attackers. this set has iron fist to prevent a guaranteed hit on golurk itself, whereas it can set up stealth rocks on the field.
earthquake and shadow punch are its stab options. ice punch is there to hit dragon dance flygon super effectively and it also hits other pokemon hard like braviary. this set can survive a strong choice band head smash by tyrantrum and can softcheck this pokemon, furthermore it can survive any attack coming from a +3 flygon at its direction from full with stealth rocks chip damage. It can also survive other attacks like a +2 drapions knock off after colbur got consumed.

In general this set is very bulky and prevents Golurk of getting OHKOed by hits it will get usually OHKOed with therefore it can help in a pinch situation and it can even survive those hits from full hp and with stealth rocks damage.

252+ Atk Choice Band Tyrantrum Head Smash vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Golurk: 159-188 (41.7 - 49.3%) -- 20.7% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+3 252 Atk Flygon Throat Chop vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Golurk: 302-356 (79.2 - 93.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+3 252 Atk Flygon Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Golurk: 282-333 (74 - 87.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Drapion Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Golurk: 276-326 (72.4 - 85.5%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes
 
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:golurk:
Golurk @ Chesto Berry
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 244 HP / 204 SpD / 60 Spe
Calm Nature
- Block
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Rest

This set could be an unexpected trap for many passive pokemon such as sylveon and bronzong. While both don't often stay in on golurk, they usually protect to scout your move, making them victims to block. With the speed to outspeed bulky sylveon. Using block and toxic, you are able to effectively trap unsuspecting foes. Rest and chest give you semi-reliable recovery needed for toxic shenanigans. If you remain untouched for a game, you could be a lure to bait a +2 salazzle, as oftentimes they'll attack thinking you're offensive.
 
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roxie

https://www.youtube.com/@noxiousroxie
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Substitute + No Guard
:bw/golurk:
Golurk @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Poltergeist
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch / Dynamic Punch

Substitute(the best move in the game) allows Golurk to make use of switches like a Psychic-type switching into their Ghost-type resist in Guzzlord or Zoroark. I slashed Ice Punch and Dynamic Punch as the first hits Grass-types like Itemless Decidueye and Flygon while the latter hits aforementioned Dark-types. Yes, I slashed Leftovers..don't bully me
 
:bw/Golurk:
Scarf Golurk trades in some power for a better match up vs common offensive Pokemon and some possible suprise factor. Being able to out speed SirFetch'd, Decidueye Zoraork Rotom-mow, Arcanine are just a few of the pokemon it can outspend with its new found speed and threaten where it would have been the one threatened before. it can't out speed Salazzle Talonflame or Starmie even with a scarf. However even locked into scarf Golurk is still capable of doing massive damage and can trick its scarf away if its hindering it from breaking a wall like Vileplume or Vaporeon. Stealth rocks are a good option on this set as Close Combat + Poltergeist hits just about everything Neutrally and has the ability to Trick away its scarf vs Pokemon it wont be able to break through.

Golurk @ Choice Scarf
Ability: No Guard
Evs 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Poltergeist
-Close Combat / Stone Edge
- Stealth rock / Earthquake
- Trick
:Golurk:
 
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Mr.Bossaru

PMPL Champions 2022' ZU GOD\NU GOAT
is a Top Tiering Contributor
I call this the punch machine set,


Golurk @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Punch
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch

this a based off of a av gallade set\timburr set I like running, this set feel covers a lot, 'swap in fire punch over ice to cover excav'
dual stabs, t-punch for vap, flame and areo, av for more bulk on the Spd end, I think this could be really fun in the current meta
 
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TailGlowVM

Now 100% more demonic
Imprison Golurk
:ss/golurk:
Golurk @ Life Orb
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poltergeist
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock / Darkest Lariat
- Imprison

With Imprison, Golurk can become the arguably best wall to itself by denying the opponent's usage of Poltergeist, Earthquake and Darkest Lariat, or block slower Stealth Rock setters like Copperajah and Mudsdale (and faster ones if the opponent doesn't lead with them). A Jolly nature is used to outspeed opposing Adamant Golurk.
 
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Trick + Klutz Golurk

Golurk @ Sticky Barb
Ability: Klutz
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Trick
- Earthquake
- Poltergeist
- Heat Crash

Normal 3 attacks Golurk, but this has its lesser-used ability Klutz, so the item that we are Tricking away does not negatively affect Golurk. The item selected is Sticky Barb - could easily be Flame Orb or Toxic Orb - which deals a lot of residual damage each turn. Some mons even run no item so that they are immune to Poltergeist, so Trick not only impairs them it enables Poltergeist to hit them as well. You can also Trick a second time in a match, to take away an item from something else, kinda like a pseudo-Knock.
 
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roxie

https://www.youtube.com/@noxiousroxie
is a Tutoris a Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Trick + Klutz by MalMoonsault
because it uses the third and forgotten ability with a wise strategy and Poltergeist thanks a lot Trick.
 

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