[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to its distinct typing, decent Speed tier, and physical bulk provided by Eviolite, Gabite is able to fill a niche in the ZU metagame as an offensive Stealth Rock setter with a list of useful resistances to common types such as Fire and Rock, as well as an immunity to Electric. Due to its reasonable physical bulk, Gabite serves as a decent check to many physical attackers in the tier such as Pinsir, Rapidash, and RestTalk Muk. Its ability Rough Skin punishes U-turn users such as Komala and the different Silvally formes, physical threats that might otherwise be able to weaken Gabite without repercussion. Its access to Roar also supports the chipping process provided by Gabite after it has set Stealth Rock, as well as stopping opposing Pokemon from setting up.
Despite these attributes, Gabite relies on its Eviolite to function as a decent physical wall, since it can't take hits well from the Pokemon it's supposed to check without it such as Komala and Crustle. Another one of Gabite's disadvantages is its inability to recover its health, which means that it will often be worn down or statused during battle. Gabite is unable to beat common Defog users such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Altaria, particularly being completely walled by the last two. Due to running Earthquake as its only attack, Gabite has no way of hitting any Flying-type or Levitate Pokemon, which means that it'll often be completely walled by Pokemon such as Bronzor, Misdreavus, Toucannon, and Swanna. Gabite's 4x weakness to the Ice typing also leaves it susceptible to the numerous faster Pokemon in the tier that carry Ice-type moves such as Electivire and Silvally-Fighting.
[SET]
name: Entry Hazard Setter
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roar / Protect
move 4: Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 180 Def / 80 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Gabite's main STAB attack, notably allowing it to damage other Stealth Rock setters such as Golem and Crustle, as well as being its main way of checking Pokemon such as Rapidash, Pawniard, and specially defensive Komala. Toxic allows Gabite to cripple Defog users such as Silvally-Water and Altaria, as well as catching some of the Pokemon that check it on the switch, such as Swanna and mixed Kecleon. Roar functions as a way of chipping down teams as well as forcing out Defog users and Gabite checks. It can also function as a way of stopping sweepers such as Sap Sipper Bouffalant and Crustle from setting up. Protect grants Gabite a way of scouting for potential coverage moves from Pokemon such as Electivire and Combusken that will threaten to damage or KO Gabite with their Ice-type move. It's particularly useful alongside Toxic to rack up extra damage.
Set Details
========
248 HP and 180 Defense EVs with an Impish nature allow Gabite to take as many physical attacks as possible from threats such as Rapidash and Golem, notably allowing it to survive an Ice Punch from Choice Scarf Electivire after Stealth Rock damage. 80 EVs in Speed let Gabite outspeed base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Pawniard when they're not running a positive Speed nature, allowing it to either set up Stealth Rock, hit them with Earthquake, or poison them before fainting, as well as making it faster than threats such as Beartic, Golem, and Crustle.
Usage Tips
========
Gabite works well in the early stages of the game since Stealth Rock, Toxic, and its ability Rough Skin allow it to deal chip damage or cripple opposing teams for potential sweepers. Gabite should attempt to come in on neutral or not very effective physical attacks from Pokemon such as physical Combusken and Rapidash. It should utilize these instances to set Stealth Rock or heavily damage physical threats. After entry hazards have been set, Gabite should utilize Toxic as a way of spreading status to opposing teams. It should also attempt to predict Steel-types and hazard removers that might want to switch in on it, such as Bronzor and Silvally-Water, and make use of Roar to force them out as soon as they enter the field. Protect allows Gabite to scout for potential super effective moves, as well as take advantage of Choice-locked Pokemon on the opposing team. Attempt to keep Gabite as healthy as possible, since its lack of recovery means that it'll be unable to check physical attackers reliably once injured. If this is not necessary, utilize Gabite as a way of pivoting and punishing the use of moves such as U-turn from the opponent. However, Gabite tends to be passive due to its mono-STAB coverage and reliance on utility moves, so it should attempt to utilize these moves as a way of disrupting setup sweepers and crippling expected switch-ins. Gabite should watch out for potential lures from Pokemon such as Combusken, since Hidden Power Ice will be able to heavily damage or OHKO it with ease, stopping it from checking the physical attackers it's meant to stop.
Team Options
========
Gabite functions better on offensive teams looking for a Stealth Rock setter that is able to provide a range of useful resistances to types such as Fire and Poison and is also able to threaten and pressure opposing Pokemon due to its moveset and ability. Spikes and Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Mareanie and Crustle further aids Gabite in wearing down opposing teams with status and entry hazards. Sweepers such as Simisear and Pinsir are able to threaten the opposing Ice-types that Gabite struggles with, such as Glaceon, while they also appreciate the status and chip damage that Gabite can provide. In turn, Gabite is able to check Pokemon such as Rapidash and Golem, which Simisear and Pinsir tend to struggle with. Cleaners such as Combusken and Pawniard appreciate Gabite's ability to put different Pokemon in range of their attacks due to Rough Skin, Stealth Rock, and moves such as Toxic and Roar, which ensures that many of the opposing Pokemon get chipped down. Wish and Heal Bell support from the likes of Lickilicky, which can also function as an Ice-type answer, can make up for Gabite's lack of recovery, thus increasing its longevity and allowing it to come in on more physical Pokemon. Offensive hazard removers such as Swanna and Silvally-Water are able to form a good core with Gabite, since they're able to threaten Pokemon such as special Combusken.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Claw is an option that allows Gabite to damage the Flying-type Pokemon that otherwise wall it such as Swanna, Chatot, and Rotom-F. This move also lets Gabite hit opposing Dragon-types for super effective damage, such as Altaria, which also troubles Gabite by removing its entry hazards with Defog, as well as Fraxure and Silvally-Dragon, though Gabite will be outsped by them in most circumstances. Dragon Claw can also be run with a spread of max Attack, max Speed, and a Jolly nature, allowing Gabite to function as a more offensive Stealth Rock setter able to outspeed Pokemon such as Monferno as well as pressure hazard removers with ease. Despite this option to increase its coverage, Gabite often has trouble finding room for the move, as it does its job best with the aforementioned set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Moves**: Ice-type Pokemon or Pokemon with Ice-type coverage are able to threaten Gabite due to its 4x weakness to the typing. Many of them, such as Simipour, Glaceon, and Floatzel are able to outspeed Gabite and KO it with their Ice-type move.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon such as Mr. Mime and Granbull are able to heavily damage Gabite with their STAB moves. However, Mr. Mime does not appreciate switching in on an Earthquake.
**Special Attackers**: Faster special attackers such as Kadabra, +1 Combusken, and Simipour are able to threaten Gabite due to its low special bulk and speed, with it often becoming setup fodder for many of them.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off users such as Kecleon and Komala are able to remove Gabite's Eviolite, thus drastically reducing its physical bulk and opportunities to check other physical attackers.
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physical walls such as Gourgeist-XL and Golem are able to tank any attack from Gabite and cripple it with status, though they don't appreciate being the target of Toxic. Bronzor is Gabite's biggest nuisance, since its ability Levitate and its Steel typing allow it to wall Gabite completely.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KellyKafka, 471436]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [Aaronboyer, 239454], [Bloodace0107, 435539]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Mafeking, 122460]]
Thanks to its distinct typing, decent Speed tier, and physical bulk provided by Eviolite, Gabite is able to fill a niche in the ZU metagame as an offensive Stealth Rock setter with a list of useful resistances to common types such as Fire and Rock, as well as an immunity to Electric. Due to its reasonable physical bulk, Gabite serves as a decent check to many physical attackers in the tier such as Pinsir, Rapidash, and RestTalk Muk. Its ability Rough Skin punishes U-turn users such as Komala and the different Silvally formes, physical threats that might otherwise be able to weaken Gabite without repercussion. Its access to Roar also supports the chipping process provided by Gabite after it has set Stealth Rock, as well as stopping opposing Pokemon from setting up.
Despite these attributes, Gabite relies on its Eviolite to function as a decent physical wall, since it can't take hits well from the Pokemon it's supposed to check without it such as Komala and Crustle. Another one of Gabite's disadvantages is its inability to recover its health, which means that it will often be worn down or statused during battle. Gabite is unable to beat common Defog users such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Altaria, particularly being completely walled by the last two. Due to running Earthquake as its only attack, Gabite has no way of hitting any Flying-type or Levitate Pokemon, which means that it'll often be completely walled by Pokemon such as Bronzor, Misdreavus, Toucannon, and Swanna. Gabite's 4x weakness to the Ice typing also leaves it susceptible to the numerous faster Pokemon in the tier that carry Ice-type moves such as Electivire and Silvally-Fighting.
[SET]
name: Entry Hazard Setter
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roar / Protect
move 4: Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 180 Def / 80 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Gabite's main STAB attack, notably allowing it to damage other Stealth Rock setters such as Golem and Crustle, as well as being its main way of checking Pokemon such as Rapidash, Pawniard, and specially defensive Komala. Toxic allows Gabite to cripple Defog users such as Silvally-Water and Altaria, as well as catching some of the Pokemon that check it on the switch, such as Swanna and mixed Kecleon. Roar functions as a way of chipping down teams as well as forcing out Defog users and Gabite checks. It can also function as a way of stopping sweepers such as Sap Sipper Bouffalant and Crustle from setting up. Protect grants Gabite a way of scouting for potential coverage moves from Pokemon such as Electivire and Combusken that will threaten to damage or KO Gabite with their Ice-type move. It's particularly useful alongside Toxic to rack up extra damage.
Set Details
========
248 HP and 180 Defense EVs with an Impish nature allow Gabite to take as many physical attacks as possible from threats such as Rapidash and Golem, notably allowing it to survive an Ice Punch from Choice Scarf Electivire after Stealth Rock damage. 80 EVs in Speed let Gabite outspeed base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Pawniard when they're not running a positive Speed nature, allowing it to either set up Stealth Rock, hit them with Earthquake, or poison them before fainting, as well as making it faster than threats such as Beartic, Golem, and Crustle.
Usage Tips
========
Gabite works well in the early stages of the game since Stealth Rock, Toxic, and its ability Rough Skin allow it to deal chip damage or cripple opposing teams for potential sweepers. Gabite should attempt to come in on neutral or not very effective physical attacks from Pokemon such as physical Combusken and Rapidash. It should utilize these instances to set Stealth Rock or heavily damage physical threats. After entry hazards have been set, Gabite should utilize Toxic as a way of spreading status to opposing teams. It should also attempt to predict Steel-types and hazard removers that might want to switch in on it, such as Bronzor and Silvally-Water, and make use of Roar to force them out as soon as they enter the field. Protect allows Gabite to scout for potential super effective moves, as well as take advantage of Choice-locked Pokemon on the opposing team. Attempt to keep Gabite as healthy as possible, since its lack of recovery means that it'll be unable to check physical attackers reliably once injured. If this is not necessary, utilize Gabite as a way of pivoting and punishing the use of moves such as U-turn from the opponent. However, Gabite tends to be passive due to its mono-STAB coverage and reliance on utility moves, so it should attempt to utilize these moves as a way of disrupting setup sweepers and crippling expected switch-ins. Gabite should watch out for potential lures from Pokemon such as Combusken, since Hidden Power Ice will be able to heavily damage or OHKO it with ease, stopping it from checking the physical attackers it's meant to stop.
Team Options
========
Gabite functions better on offensive teams looking for a Stealth Rock setter that is able to provide a range of useful resistances to types such as Fire and Poison and is also able to threaten and pressure opposing Pokemon due to its moveset and ability. Spikes and Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Mareanie and Crustle further aids Gabite in wearing down opposing teams with status and entry hazards. Sweepers such as Simisear and Pinsir are able to threaten the opposing Ice-types that Gabite struggles with, such as Glaceon, while they also appreciate the status and chip damage that Gabite can provide. In turn, Gabite is able to check Pokemon such as Rapidash and Golem, which Simisear and Pinsir tend to struggle with. Cleaners such as Combusken and Pawniard appreciate Gabite's ability to put different Pokemon in range of their attacks due to Rough Skin, Stealth Rock, and moves such as Toxic and Roar, which ensures that many of the opposing Pokemon get chipped down. Wish and Heal Bell support from the likes of Lickilicky, which can also function as an Ice-type answer, can make up for Gabite's lack of recovery, thus increasing its longevity and allowing it to come in on more physical Pokemon. Offensive hazard removers such as Swanna and Silvally-Water are able to form a good core with Gabite, since they're able to threaten Pokemon such as special Combusken.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Claw is an option that allows Gabite to damage the Flying-type Pokemon that otherwise wall it such as Swanna, Chatot, and Rotom-F. This move also lets Gabite hit opposing Dragon-types for super effective damage, such as Altaria, which also troubles Gabite by removing its entry hazards with Defog, as well as Fraxure and Silvally-Dragon, though Gabite will be outsped by them in most circumstances. Dragon Claw can also be run with a spread of max Attack, max Speed, and a Jolly nature, allowing Gabite to function as a more offensive Stealth Rock setter able to outspeed Pokemon such as Monferno as well as pressure hazard removers with ease. Despite this option to increase its coverage, Gabite often has trouble finding room for the move, as it does its job best with the aforementioned set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Moves**: Ice-type Pokemon or Pokemon with Ice-type coverage are able to threaten Gabite due to its 4x weakness to the typing. Many of them, such as Simipour, Glaceon, and Floatzel are able to outspeed Gabite and KO it with their Ice-type move.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon such as Mr. Mime and Granbull are able to heavily damage Gabite with their STAB moves. However, Mr. Mime does not appreciate switching in on an Earthquake.
**Special Attackers**: Faster special attackers such as Kadabra, +1 Combusken, and Simipour are able to threaten Gabite due to its low special bulk and speed, with it often becoming setup fodder for many of them.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off users such as Kecleon and Komala are able to remove Gabite's Eviolite, thus drastically reducing its physical bulk and opportunities to check other physical attackers.
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physical walls such as Gourgeist-XL and Golem are able to tank any attack from Gabite and cripple it with status, though they don't appreciate being the target of Toxic. Bronzor is Gabite's biggest nuisance, since its ability Levitate and its Steel typing allow it to wall Gabite completely.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KellyKafka, 471436]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [Aaronboyer, 239454], [Bloodace0107, 435539]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Mafeking, 122460]]
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