Type:
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie
Notable Moves: Dragon Dance, Dragon Tail, Ice Fang, Earthquake, Ice Fang, Stone Edge, Substitute, Taunt, Thunder Wave, Waterfall
Overview
Gyarados is a very cute shrimp, unfortunately that's about where its positives end. While Gyarados has two very powerful abilities, Moxie giving it the ability to steamroll through some teams, Intimidate giving it more opportunity to switch into attacks, and potentially set up, this generation saw Gyarados lose both Bounce, and Power Whip. The cut in its movepool means that Gyarados now has to rely on the new move Tera Blast, for either STAB, or coverage. Which means that Gyarados has to be the one to tera every single game. Otherwise it is stuck with 3 moves, as Tera Blast doesn't become a physical move until you tera. The issue with that is, there are other sweepers who are less reliant on tera, and are still able to outperform Gyarados, while giving their teammates the freedom to tera in some matches. Gyarados faces especially huge competition from Salamence, both offensively, and defensively, due to sharing the same abilities with it. Nonetheless, Gyarados can still be very threatening, once it gets going, and can work on some dedicated teams. However it won't be able to fit on a team, unless the team has been specifically built around it.
Potential Sets
Tera Grass DD (Gyarados) @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Lum Berry / Mystic Water
Ability: Moxie
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Tera Blast
- Waterfall
- Ice Fang
This set works about the same as last gen, now with Tera Blast instead of Power Whip. Tera Blast Grass lets Gyarados break through common bulky Waters, such as Unaware Quagsire, Gastrodon, Rotom-Wash, and Slowking. The tera grass type also gives Gyarados a nice resistance to Electric attacks, which could potentially give it a free turn to set up, if terastallized at the right time. Ice Fang hits multiple Pokemon that would otherwise wall this set, such as, Salamence, Hydreigon, Noivern, and Toedscruel. Moxie gives Gyarados the potential to steamroll through teams, and is the highly preferred ability on this set, as the reliance on Tera Blast already puts Gyarados into an all-or-nothing position. Heavy-Duty-Boots give Gyarados more opportunities to switch in, while Lum Berry gives it more opportunities to set up against certain defensive Pokemon. Mystic Water makes it easier for Waterfall to break through the very common Tinkaton, as well as other neutral targets, like Hatterene, or Magnezone.
Other Item options for this set include Mental Herb, and Life Orb. Mental Herb prevents Grafaiai from using Prankster Encore to shut down Gyarados. Keep in mind that Gyarados needs Stealth Rock damage to OHKO the bulky variants with Waterfall. Life Orb cuts down on Gyarados' health, and makes it more susceptible to priority. However, it does accomplish a few useful things. Life Orb gives Tera Blast a 62.5% chance to OHKO Slowbro, and a Life Orb boosted Waterfall always OHKOs Tinkaton after a layer of Spikes (81.3% chance after Stealth Rocks damage). A Jolly nature could be used to outspeed Scarf Gengar after two boosts, but it makes Gyarados lose out on a lot of power, and it will rarely Dragon Dance twice anyways. There are a couple of other tera options that Gyarados can use. Tera Flying with Tera Blast/Waterfall/Earthquake gives Gyarados a stronger Tera Blast, due to Flying being a natural STAB, but unlike Tera Grass, it doesn't give Gyarados an Electric resistance, and the ability to get a free turn against Electric attacks. Tera Blast Flying is a really strong option against neutral targets, as well as being able to threaten Wo-Chien, who always walls the other sets. Another possible tera type is tera Ground with Earthquake/Waterfall/Ice Fang. Tera Ground has the benefit of being less reliant on tera, with the added benefit of giving Gyarados an Electric immunity, as well as a Rock resist. However, it struggles a lot against bulky Waters, as even a boosted Earthquake isn't strong enough, and the Ground typing leaves it weak to Water attacks. If the bulky Waters are dealt with by other teammates, tera Ground becomes a very viable option that makes Gyarados much less reliant on tera.
Offensive Gyarados works best on hyper offensive teams, as its all-or-nothing nature makes it a better fit for those teams, as opposed to more balanced builds. Gyarados loses out on a couple of kills, without a boosting Item. Because of that, hazard support is highly appreciated. Klefki can set up Spikes, as well as being able to set up screens. Screens support is something that Gyarados appreciates, as screens give it more opportunity to set up, as well as making it more difficult for the opponent to revengekill Gyarados with priority, or Choice Scarf Pokemon. Hazard leads with either Taunt or Rapid Spin, like Lycanroc-Dusk, Krookodile, or Donphan are preferred if Gyarados isn't holding Heavy-Duty-Boots. Pokemon with similar checks to Gyarados, like Haxorus, or Salamence, can work well, as they can soften up the opposing team, before Gyarados comes in to sweep. Spinblockers, like Gengar, or Defog deterrents, like Bisharp, or Kilowattrel, make good teammates, as Gyarados benefits a lot from hazards staying on the field. Usually Polteageist would be the preferred spinblocker on screens hyper offense, but due to both Gyarados and Polteageist relying a lot on the ability to tera, they unfortunately don't work well together.
Bulky Tera Flying DD (Gyarados) @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Substitute / Taunt
- Waterfall
- Tera Blast
Water and Flying have excellent neutral coverage, only being naturally resisted by Rotom-W, which allows Gyarados to opt for a more bulkier Dragon Dance Set. Substitute can easily be used against bulky Waters, such as Slowking, Quagsire, and Gastrodon, who often rely on status, or in Gastrodon's case Clear Smog, to shut down set up sweepers, while also commonly lacking the moves to break Gyarados' Sub. Taunt can be used in a similar manner. While it doesn't leave Gyarados with a Substitute against defensive Pokemon, it is able to shut down other means of checking set up sweepers, such as Roar Hippowdon, which can live a +1 Waterfall, or Encore Tinkaton, and Scream Tail, as well as being a faster, and more reliable, way to beat Unaware Quagsire, as some of them have been running Haze, to deal with Espathra. A Jolly nature with 168 Speed allows Gyarados to outspeed Scarf Gengar after two Dragon Dances, which is a more likely scenario with Substitute, or Taunt. 168 Speed EVs is all it needs, as it already outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon in the tier at +1, outside of the very rare Jolly Barraskewda, which will be boosted in most cases anyways. Because of that, Gyarados is able to invest the rest into HP, making it just a little bit bulkier, as well. An important benchmark it hits is its Substitute being able to live a Knock Off from Tinkaton with 80 Attack EVs, which has gotten more common recently and is relevant against variants that use Thunder Wave, instead of Encore. It is able to do that without the Intimidate drop, which is the preferred ability on this set, as it gives Gyarados more opportunities to set up, and lets it Sub up against more defensive Pokemon, such as defensive Donphan, or Wo-Chien's Knock Off. Still, Moxie can be used for the snowball effect, and usually prefers Taunt over Substitute. Heavy-Duty-Boots are the preferred Item, giving Gyarados the ability to switch in, even with Stealth Rock up. Leftovers can be used instead, making it easier for Gyarados to use Substitute, but support is required to keep Stealth Rock off the field.
An Adamant nature can be used if Gengar isn't seen as much of a threat, and if the extra power is preferred. However, it will have to cut the HP and run max Speed instead, which makes Gyarados' Substitute more vulnerable. A bulkier EV spread of 104 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Def / 148 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used, which lets Gyarados outspeed max Speed Talonflame at +1, while still being fast enough to outspeed Scarf Pawmot at +2.
Similarly to the offensive Dragon Dance set, this one also benefits a lot from hazards support. Gastrodon makes a great partner, as it is able to set up either Spikes, or Stealth Rock, as well as having an Electric immunity, which makes it able to switch into Scarf Sandy Shocks, and Pawmot, in cases where Gyarados did not get the opportunity to Dragon Dance twice. Tinkaton ensures that Stealth Rock always go up, even against Magic Bounce Hatterene, and can use either Encore to give Gyarados free turns to switch in and set up, or it can use Thunder Wave, which can potentially end in free sub turns for Gyarados. Rotom-Wash beats Gyarados every single time, making a Rotom-Wash answer a must on the team. Hydreigon is able to take care of the defensive variants, as well as being able to function as a wallbreaker for Gyarados. Assault Vest Magnezone is able to switch in on both variants, without having to fear Trick, as a Rotom-W with AV always loses to Gastrodon. Slither Wing and Staraptor can force Rotom-W in, and pressure it with U-Turn, as well as being able to do a lot of damage against it with their stronger STABs. If Leftovers are the Item of choice, support in form of hazard control is required. Hatterene makes a great partner, thanks to Magic Bounce keeping Stealth Rock away from most, not all, setters, as well as being able to use Healing Wish on her 4th moveslot, letting it potentially heal Gyarados heal back to full, and allowing Gyarados to play a less reserved role throughout the game. Brambleghast is able to Rapid Spin hazards off the field, function as a Spinblocker to keep hazards on the opponent's field, as well as being able to set up its own Spikes. Donphan can Rapid Spin, set up its own Stealth Rock, and use Knock Off to get rid of Leftovers and Heavy-Duty-Boots from the enemy team. Gengar, Bisharp, and Kilowattrel are appreciated teammates again, as they make it more difficult for the opponent to get rid of hazards.
Other Options
Gyarados can use a physically defensive RestTalk set with Heavy-Duty-Boots, with Water/Flying being a very useful defensive typing in the current matter, as it lets Gyarados switch into Choice Banded Floatzel and Barraskewda (a rain boosted Wave Crash from CB Floatzel does 29.7-35.1%), and Slither Wing's STABs. However, it is very much outclassed by defensive Salamence, which has access to Roost, doesn't have to fear Wild Charge from Slither Wing, and is able to switch into Choice Band Gallade. The one niche that defensive Gyarados has over Salamence is that it isn't 4x weak to Ice Spinner, which makes it a more reliable switch-in against Floatzel. Unfortunately, RestTalk is very unreliable, and tera Water Floatzel is still able to beat Gyarados. Crunch is an option that can be used on the offensive Dragon Dance set, and "technically" makes Gyarados less reliant on tera. The issue is, Crunch is just way too weak without the tera boost, and doesn't hit many useful things super-effectively. Although tera Dark does have the added benefit of being immune to Prankster. Outrage and Thrash are both very powerful options, but their lock-in effect makes them easier to counter, and overall less desirable. Choiced sets don't do well with Gyarados' lack of coverage and flying STAB, and are even more outclassed by Salamence than the other sets.
Checks and Counters
Checks and Counters can vary a lot with the different sets and tera types. Scarfed Rotom-Appliances work well against Gyarados, no matter the tera type, as they always outspeed Gyarados after just one Dragon Dance, and are able to burn the tera Grass variants without Lum Berry, and threaten the other Gyarados variants with their super-effective STABs. Defensive Rotom-Wash always beats bulky Dragon Dance set. Stealth Rock make it very difficult for Gyarados if it is lacking Heavy-Duty-Boots. Slither Wing is able to OHKO both Grass, and Ground variants, with a CB First Impression. Grafaiai can come in on a Dragon Dance and use Prankster Encore to shut it down. Quagsire walls offensive variants that lack Tera Blast Grass, and Wo-Chien, and Abomasnow, wall any set that lacks Tera Blast Flying. Floatzel is able to outspeed even +2 Gyarados in rain and OHKOs it with a CB tera Water Wave Crash. Scarf Sandy Shocks, and Scarf Pawmot outspeed +1 Gyarados and threaten all variants with their Electric/Ice coverage. Scarf Gengar outspeeds Adamant Gyarados at +2 and threatens the Grass variants with a super-effective Sludge Bomb. Choice Scarf Staraptor always OHKOs with its tera boosted STABs. Every bulky Water is able to beat the tera Ground variants.
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