[OVERVIEW]
Gastrodon stands out as a great defensive pillar with its great bulk, useful defensive typing, and reliable recovery. It effectively checks tier staples like Stakataka, Salazzle, and Drapion, and Storm Drain helps it check Water-types like Inteleon, Starmie, and Vaporeon. Grass-types like Dhelmise, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor can be problematic for Gastrodon, and it has to be worried about Grass-type coverage like Power Whip Copperajah and Grass Knot Heliolisk. Gastrodon's also quite weak, letting bulky setup sweepers like Snorlax and Scrafty completely take advantage of it, even shrugging off Toxic. Additionally, while Gastrodon's ability and typing make it a great wall, powerful wallbreakers like Choice Specs Indeedee-F and Vanilluxe can expose its only-average bulk. Gastrodon also faces stiff competition from other bulky Water-types such as Mantine and Vaporeon, which are less susceptible to coverage moves from Pokemon they check.
[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Ice Beam / Scald
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Recover
Item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Ice Beam allows Gastrodon to threaten incoming Grass-types like Rotom-C, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor and complements Earth Power by hitting Flying-type such as Xatu and Galarian Articuno. Scald can be used in place of Ice Beam to hit the likes of Silvally-Ground and Aerodactyl with a more powerful attack while threatening a burn on physical wallbreakers like Tauros and Decidueye. Toxic compensates for Gastrodon's passivity, crippling bulky Water-types like Mantine and Vaporeon and limiting how much other switch-ins like Eldegoss and Rotom-C can threaten it. Maximum Defense investment lets Gastrodon take on physical wallbreakers like Toxicroak and Aerodactyl more effectively, and even without special bulk investment, Gastrodon can effectively beat Starmie and Salazzle.
Steel-types like Stakataka, Copperajah, and Duraludon appreciate Gastrodon checking Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon; in return, they can check Grass-types. Weezing, Xatu, and Talonflame make great partners, checking Grass-types and physical wallbreakers like Aerodactyl, Toxicroak, and Copperajah. Heal Bell support makes Gastrodon more resilient against Toxic users; clerics like Sylveon and Diancie appreciate Gastrodon checking Steel-types like Stakataka and Silvally-Steel.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Opinions
====
Sticky Hold can be a good ability to run on Gastrodon, making it a solid Knock Off absorber against Drapion and Guzzlord and blocking Trick. However, it no longer can reliably check strong Water-type wallbreakers like Starmie and Inteleon. Curse sets can make Gastrodon a decent offensive Pokemon with moves like Waterfall and Earthquake but remain outclassed by Snorlax, which is immune to Toxic and is a better defensive option to fall back on. Clear Smog helps against bulky setup sweepers like Snorlax and Scrafty. For EVs, Gastrodon can run a fully specially defensive spread to better check Heliolisk, Inteleon, and Galarian Articuno; however, due to its average physical bulk, it'd be easily beaten by wallbreakers like Silvally-Ground, Tauros, and Golurk.
Checks and Counters
====
**Grass-types and Grass-type Coverage**: Grass types like Rotom-C, Decidueye, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor can OHKO Gastrodon with their STAB attacks, but they need to be worried about Toxic and Ice Beam. Grass-type coverage like Copperajah's Power Whip and Heliolisk's Grass Knot can OHKO or heavily damage Gastrodon, but it can survive one Grass Knot from Heliolisk and hit it with Earth Power or Earthquake.
**Setup Sweepers**: Snorlax's Immunity and Rest make it completely safe from Gastrodon's status afflictions, whereas Scrafty's Shed Skin lets it continuously set up in front of Gastrodon without fear of poison or burn.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Choice Specs Indeedee-F, Drampa, and Exploud can hit Gastrodon hard with their STAB attacks, while Vanilluxe can OHKO Gastrodon with Freeze-Dry. Meanwhile, some physical wallbreakers like Choice Band Passimian, Tauros, and Golurk can bypass Gastrodon after minimal chip damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pika134, 723589]]
- Quality Checked by: [[Togkey, 400664], [Rabia, 336073]]
- Grammar Checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [UT, 523866]]
Gastrodon stands out as a great defensive pillar with its great bulk, useful defensive typing, and reliable recovery. It effectively checks tier staples like Stakataka, Salazzle, and Drapion, and Storm Drain helps it check Water-types like Inteleon, Starmie, and Vaporeon. Grass-types like Dhelmise, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor can be problematic for Gastrodon, and it has to be worried about Grass-type coverage like Power Whip Copperajah and Grass Knot Heliolisk. Gastrodon's also quite weak, letting bulky setup sweepers like Snorlax and Scrafty completely take advantage of it, even shrugging off Toxic. Additionally, while Gastrodon's ability and typing make it a great wall, powerful wallbreakers like Choice Specs Indeedee-F and Vanilluxe can expose its only-average bulk. Gastrodon also faces stiff competition from other bulky Water-types such as Mantine and Vaporeon, which are less susceptible to coverage moves from Pokemon they check.
[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Ice Beam / Scald
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Recover
Item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Ice Beam allows Gastrodon to threaten incoming Grass-types like Rotom-C, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor and complements Earth Power by hitting Flying-type such as Xatu and Galarian Articuno. Scald can be used in place of Ice Beam to hit the likes of Silvally-Ground and Aerodactyl with a more powerful attack while threatening a burn on physical wallbreakers like Tauros and Decidueye. Toxic compensates for Gastrodon's passivity, crippling bulky Water-types like Mantine and Vaporeon and limiting how much other switch-ins like Eldegoss and Rotom-C can threaten it. Maximum Defense investment lets Gastrodon take on physical wallbreakers like Toxicroak and Aerodactyl more effectively, and even without special bulk investment, Gastrodon can effectively beat Starmie and Salazzle.
Steel-types like Stakataka, Copperajah, and Duraludon appreciate Gastrodon checking Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon; in return, they can check Grass-types. Weezing, Xatu, and Talonflame make great partners, checking Grass-types and physical wallbreakers like Aerodactyl, Toxicroak, and Copperajah. Heal Bell support makes Gastrodon more resilient against Toxic users; clerics like Sylveon and Diancie appreciate Gastrodon checking Steel-types like Stakataka and Silvally-Steel.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Opinions
====
Sticky Hold can be a good ability to run on Gastrodon, making it a solid Knock Off absorber against Drapion and Guzzlord and blocking Trick. However, it no longer can reliably check strong Water-type wallbreakers like Starmie and Inteleon. Curse sets can make Gastrodon a decent offensive Pokemon with moves like Waterfall and Earthquake but remain outclassed by Snorlax, which is immune to Toxic and is a better defensive option to fall back on. Clear Smog helps against bulky setup sweepers like Snorlax and Scrafty. For EVs, Gastrodon can run a fully specially defensive spread to better check Heliolisk, Inteleon, and Galarian Articuno; however, due to its average physical bulk, it'd be easily beaten by wallbreakers like Silvally-Ground, Tauros, and Golurk.
Checks and Counters
====
**Grass-types and Grass-type Coverage**: Grass types like Rotom-C, Decidueye, Tsareena, and Alolan Exeggutor can OHKO Gastrodon with their STAB attacks, but they need to be worried about Toxic and Ice Beam. Grass-type coverage like Copperajah's Power Whip and Heliolisk's Grass Knot can OHKO or heavily damage Gastrodon, but it can survive one Grass Knot from Heliolisk and hit it with Earth Power or Earthquake.
**Setup Sweepers**: Snorlax's Immunity and Rest make it completely safe from Gastrodon's status afflictions, whereas Scrafty's Shed Skin lets it continuously set up in front of Gastrodon without fear of poison or burn.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Choice Specs Indeedee-F, Drampa, and Exploud can hit Gastrodon hard with their STAB attacks, while Vanilluxe can OHKO Gastrodon with Freeze-Dry. Meanwhile, some physical wallbreakers like Choice Band Passimian, Tauros, and Golurk can bypass Gastrodon after minimal chip damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pika134, 723589]]
- Quality Checked by: [[Togkey, 400664], [Rabia, 336073]]
- Grammar Checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [UT, 523866]]
Last edited by a moderator: