[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Protect
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Facade / Ice Fang
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD or 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Swords Dance, Gliscor excels at breaking through slower-paced teams that have difficulty getting rid of it quickly. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb enable Gliscor to recover a significant amount of HP while also avoiding omnipresent paralysis and burn from foes like Jirachi, Rotom-Wash, and Scald users. This allows Gliscor to safely set up a Swords Dance in situations where many other Pokemon would either end up statused or risk the chance of becoming statused. Protect allow Gliscor to safely activate Toxic Orb, recover extra health when necessary, and scout common Choice-locked foes like Latios, Keldeo, (AC) and Landorus-T. Earthquake is the best STAB option Gliscor has, hitting metagame staples like Tyranitar and Excadrill super effectively. Facade is easily the best secondary move choice because when boosted by status affliction, Gliscor hits nearly every foe that resists Earthquake for neutral damage, which makes it a great complement to Earthquake. Ice Fang is another useful coverage option at the cost of inflicting significantly less damage than Facade on foes only hit super effectively; this allows Gliscor to more effectively check Pokemon that are 4x weak to Ice, such as Dragonite and Garchomp. Landorus-T and opposing Swords Dance Gliscor which are often tasked with checking Swords Dance Gliscor as well, allowing a boosted Ice Fang to push through them more quickly.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Special Defense investment allow Gliscor to take two Hidden Power Ices from Landorus-T with Protect as well as a host of other threatening special attacks like Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor and non-Life Orb Alakazam's Hidden Power Ice. Alternatively, 56 Speed EVs is an option to outspeed neutral nature Breloom and have an advantage versus opposing Gliscor.
Team Options
========
Swords Dance Gliscor makes its home on more defensive structures with teammates that can remove the many annoyances stopping it from claiming KOs. Magnezone is the most common partner because it can trap and eliminate Skarmory, which counters Gliscor, as well as impeding Politoed's Drizzle and boosted Scald with Sunny Day. Tyranitar is a natural partner for Gliscor with Sand Stream applying extra chip damage on foes, which is further increased by Gliscor's own use of Protect. Additionally, Tyranitar handles annoying Psychic-types like Alakazam and Reuniclus, both of which commonly run Hidden Power Ice. Hippowdon is the other Sand Stream user and can be a useful partner for Gliscor and plays a much longer game than Tyranitar with access to Slack Off. It also offers nice role compression by setting up Stealth Rock and using Whirlwind to wear down foes and stop opposing sweepers, but it notably offers less defensive utility, especially against foes like Alakazam. Rotom-Wash is a teammate that helps check opposing Water-types like Keldeo, Starmie, and opposing Rotom-Wash, all of which can easily remove Gliscor, even with maximum Special Defense investment. It also helps check Landorus-T and Skarmory, both of which are some of the most annoying foes for Gliscor to deal with. Gastrodon and Seismitoad provide helpful immunities to Water and have a much better matchup against Electric-types thanks to their neutrality to Hidden Power Ice, which Gliscor appreciates against Thundurus-T and especially Rotom-Wash. Seismitoad provides helpful support with moves like Stealth Rock and Knock Off, while Gastrodon has better longevity with its access to Recover and can afflict status on foes more reliably with Toxic. Finally, fast cleaners like Alakazam and Choice Scarf Excadrill take advantage of teams weakened by Gliscor, sand, and other residual damage in order to close out the game.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/termnal.404799/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tricknology.583025/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Protect
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Facade / Ice Fang
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD or 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Swords Dance, Gliscor excels at breaking through slower-paced teams that have difficulty getting rid of it quickly. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb enable Gliscor to recover a significant amount of HP while also avoiding omnipresent paralysis and burn from foes like Jirachi, Rotom-Wash, and Scald users. This allows Gliscor to safely set up a Swords Dance in situations where many other Pokemon would either end up statused or risk the chance of becoming statused. Protect allow Gliscor to safely activate Toxic Orb, recover extra health when necessary, and scout common Choice-locked foes like Latios, Keldeo, (AC) and Landorus-T. Earthquake is the best STAB option Gliscor has, hitting metagame staples like Tyranitar and Excadrill super effectively. Facade is easily the best secondary move choice because when boosted by status affliction, Gliscor hits nearly every foe that resists Earthquake for neutral damage, which makes it a great complement to Earthquake. Ice Fang is another useful coverage option at the cost of inflicting significantly less damage than Facade on foes only hit super effectively; this allows Gliscor to more effectively check Pokemon that are 4x weak to Ice, such as Dragonite and Garchomp. Landorus-T and opposing Swords Dance Gliscor which are often tasked with checking Swords Dance Gliscor as well, allowing a boosted Ice Fang to push through them more quickly.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Special Defense investment allow Gliscor to take two Hidden Power Ices from Landorus-T with Protect as well as a host of other threatening special attacks like Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor and non-Life Orb Alakazam's Hidden Power Ice. Alternatively, 56 Speed EVs is an option to outspeed neutral nature Breloom and have an advantage versus opposing Gliscor.
Team Options
========
Swords Dance Gliscor makes its home on more defensive structures with teammates that can remove the many annoyances stopping it from claiming KOs. Magnezone is the most common partner because it can trap and eliminate Skarmory, which counters Gliscor, as well as impeding Politoed's Drizzle and boosted Scald with Sunny Day. Tyranitar is a natural partner for Gliscor with Sand Stream applying extra chip damage on foes, which is further increased by Gliscor's own use of Protect. Additionally, Tyranitar handles annoying Psychic-types like Alakazam and Reuniclus, both of which commonly run Hidden Power Ice. Hippowdon is the other Sand Stream user and can be a useful partner for Gliscor and plays a much longer game than Tyranitar with access to Slack Off. It also offers nice role compression by setting up Stealth Rock and using Whirlwind to wear down foes and stop opposing sweepers, but it notably offers less defensive utility, especially against foes like Alakazam. Rotom-Wash is a teammate that helps check opposing Water-types like Keldeo, Starmie, and opposing Rotom-Wash, all of which can easily remove Gliscor, even with maximum Special Defense investment. It also helps check Landorus-T and Skarmory, both of which are some of the most annoying foes for Gliscor to deal with. Gastrodon and Seismitoad provide helpful immunities to Water and have a much better matchup against Electric-types thanks to their neutrality to Hidden Power Ice, which Gliscor appreciates against Thundurus-T and especially Rotom-Wash. Seismitoad provides helpful support with moves like Stealth Rock and Knock Off, while Gastrodon has better longevity with its access to Recover and can afflict status on foes more reliably with Toxic. Finally, fast cleaners like Alakazam and Choice Scarf Excadrill take advantage of teams weakened by Gliscor, sand, and other residual damage in order to close out the game.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/termnal.404799/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tricknology.583025/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
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