[OVERVIEW]
Giratina's huge bulk and access to Defog make it a consistent Defog user on stall teams. It has access to good support moves in Dragon Tail, Roar, Defog, and Toxic, making it a reliable utility Pokemon. Its ability, Pressure, can help against other stall teams by PP stalling foes. Unfortunately, Giratina's typing makes it vulnerable to Fairy-, Ghost-, and Dark-types such as Xerneas, Mega Gengar, Marshadow, and Yveltal, which are very common. It is also extremely passive and has to rely on PP stalling or status to defeat any foe, which leads to a loss of momentum and can thus give an advantage to the opponent, as they can break your team by making a series of aggressive plays. Lastly, Giratina has to rely on Rest to keep itself healthy and isn't able to run Sleep Talk, as it would have to drop either Defog, Toxic, or Dragon Tail, which are the most reliable moves for Giratina most of the time, making it very passive while asleep.
[SET]
name: Defog Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Dragon Tail / Roar
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
ivs: 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Defog prevents opposing Pokemon from stacking entry hazards and grants good hazard control, which lets teammates switch in safely. Dragon Tail phazes foes, does chip damage, and isn't disabled by Taunt, but it makes Giratina unable to phaze Fairy-types and Substitute users, has a slight chance to miss, and has only 16 PP. Roar is an alternative to Dragon Tail, as it prevents Giratina from becoming setup fodder to Fairy-types, has more PP than Dragon Tail, can phaze through Substitute, can't miss, and does not make Giratina take Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet damage. Toxic is a solid option that lets Giratina cripple switch-ins and spread poison, thus pressuring walls such as support Arceus formes and Ho-Oh. Rest provides recovery for Giratina that, combined with its ability, bulk, and Leftovers, makes it hard to wear down.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in HP improve Giratina's overall bulk while hitting a Leftovers number, meaning it recovers more very turn. 52 EVs in Special Defense ensure that Giratina takes two Ice Beams from offensive Primal Kyogre. The rest of the EVs are put into Defense to improve its physical bulk. Pressure is Giratina's best ability, as it is useful to stall out a foe's PP. Leftovers provides Giratina with a source of recovery outside of Rest, which it greatly appreciates. 30 IVs in Speed ensure that Giratina moves after Primal Groudon, allowing it to use Defog after Stealth Rock is set up.
Usage Tips
========
Giratina is a blanket check to most physical attackers due to its sheer bulk, so feel free to switch it in on threats such as Swords Dance Arceus, Mega Salamence, and Ho-Oh and phaze them. It can also PP stall more defensive threats such as Celesteela, Zygarde-C, Ferrothorn, and Mega Sableye thanks to Rest, although they can still set up entry hazards against Giratina. It can also phaze the opposing Pokemon to rack up entry hazard damage or spread status, as that's the best way to threaten them. Be sure to keep Giratina healthy with Rest to check opposing Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Fairy-types pose a threat to Giratina, as they can freely pivot in and force it out; Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Magearna wall and force out more passive Fairy-types such as Clefable and Magearna and can stop Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy with the right sets. In return, Giratina is able to check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Dark-types pressure and force out Giratina; Fairy-types such as Clefable and Magearna check them decently well. Blissey and Alolan Muk are able to check most Ghost-types such as Mega Gengar and Lunala. Marshadow is more tricky and hard to check, but defensive Ho-Oh can check Life Orb variants that lack Rock Tomb; Mega Sableye and Toxapex can also check Life Orb Marshadow. Bulk Up Marshadow is harder to play around and requires Clefable or Toxapex to check it, as well as solid prediction. Giratina appreciates entry hazard support from the likes of Primal Groudon, Toxapex, and Ferrothorn, as it is able to better pressure the opposing team with Dragon Tail or Roar. Giratina is threatened by Calm Mind users such as Arceus-Fairy and Lunala; Blissey and Ho-Oh can check them with ease and appreciate Giratina's ability to stop Mega Salamence and remove entry hazards. Giratina isn't reliable against some entry hazard setters and can be overwhelmed, as it has to rely on Rest, so using a second entry hazard remover such as Tentacruel, Skarmory, or a Defog Arceus forme isn't a bad idea and can help in some situations. As Giratina is weak to special wallbreakers, it needs the support of solid special walls such as Ho-Oh and Blissey to patch up its weakness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sleep Talk is an option, but Giratina is less reliable without a phazing move or a status move. Will-O-Wisp cripples Steel-types and physical attackers such as Mega Lucario and Swords Dance users, but it can't cripple defensive Pokemon and Primal Groudon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Pokemon such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, and Magearna can wall Giratina and force it out, as they are immune to Dragon Tail and can beat down Giratina with their STAB moves or set up on it if it lacks Roar, although the first two have to be careful of Toxic.
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Arceus-Dark and Yveltal can easily beat Giratina with their STAB moves, but both are crippled by Toxic. Calm Mind Arceus-Dark can set up on Giratina and doesn't mind Toxic if it packs Refresh.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Lunala, Mega Gengar, Arceus-Ghost, and Giratina-O are able to either do considerable damage to Giratina or OHKO it with their STAB attacks, although most of them don't like Toxic damage.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Because Giratina has to invest in Defense to take advantage of its great bulk, it leaves itself more vulnerable to special attackers such as Primal Kyogre, Dialga, Tapu Lele, Deoxys-A, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Rayquaza.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mewtwo, Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, and Deoxys-S can shut down Giratina and force it out, as they make it unable to use Defog, recover with Rest, use Toxic, or phaze them out if it lacks Dragon Tail.
**Substitute Users**: Substitute users such as Primal Kyogre, bulky Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario can set up freely on Giratina if it lacks Roar.
Giratina's huge bulk and access to Defog make it a consistent Defog user on stall teams. It has access to good support moves in Dragon Tail, Roar, Defog, and Toxic, making it a reliable utility Pokemon. Its ability, Pressure, can help against other stall teams by PP stalling foes. Unfortunately, Giratina's typing makes it vulnerable to Fairy-, Ghost-, and Dark-types such as Xerneas, Mega Gengar, Marshadow, and Yveltal, which are very common. It is also extremely passive and has to rely on PP stalling or status to defeat any foe, which leads to a loss of momentum and can thus give an advantage to the opponent, as they can break your team by making a series of aggressive plays. Lastly, Giratina has to rely on Rest to keep itself healthy and isn't able to run Sleep Talk, as it would have to drop either Defog, Toxic, or Dragon Tail, which are the most reliable moves for Giratina most of the time, making it very passive while asleep.
[SET]
name: Defog Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Dragon Tail / Roar
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
ivs: 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Defog prevents opposing Pokemon from stacking entry hazards and grants good hazard control, which lets teammates switch in safely. Dragon Tail phazes foes, does chip damage, and isn't disabled by Taunt, but it makes Giratina unable to phaze Fairy-types and Substitute users, has a slight chance to miss, and has only 16 PP. Roar is an alternative to Dragon Tail, as it prevents Giratina from becoming setup fodder to Fairy-types, has more PP than Dragon Tail, can phaze through Substitute, can't miss, and does not make Giratina take Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet damage. Toxic is a solid option that lets Giratina cripple switch-ins and spread poison, thus pressuring walls such as support Arceus formes and Ho-Oh. Rest provides recovery for Giratina that, combined with its ability, bulk, and Leftovers, makes it hard to wear down.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in HP improve Giratina's overall bulk while hitting a Leftovers number, meaning it recovers more very turn. 52 EVs in Special Defense ensure that Giratina takes two Ice Beams from offensive Primal Kyogre. The rest of the EVs are put into Defense to improve its physical bulk. Pressure is Giratina's best ability, as it is useful to stall out a foe's PP. Leftovers provides Giratina with a source of recovery outside of Rest, which it greatly appreciates. 30 IVs in Speed ensure that Giratina moves after Primal Groudon, allowing it to use Defog after Stealth Rock is set up.
Usage Tips
========
Giratina is a blanket check to most physical attackers due to its sheer bulk, so feel free to switch it in on threats such as Swords Dance Arceus, Mega Salamence, and Ho-Oh and phaze them. It can also PP stall more defensive threats such as Celesteela, Zygarde-C, Ferrothorn, and Mega Sableye thanks to Rest, although they can still set up entry hazards against Giratina. It can also phaze the opposing Pokemon to rack up entry hazard damage or spread status, as that's the best way to threaten them. Be sure to keep Giratina healthy with Rest to check opposing Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Fairy-types pose a threat to Giratina, as they can freely pivot in and force it out; Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Magearna wall and force out more passive Fairy-types such as Clefable and Magearna and can stop Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy with the right sets. In return, Giratina is able to check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Dark-types pressure and force out Giratina; Fairy-types such as Clefable and Magearna check them decently well. Blissey and Alolan Muk are able to check most Ghost-types such as Mega Gengar and Lunala. Marshadow is more tricky and hard to check, but defensive Ho-Oh can check Life Orb variants that lack Rock Tomb; Mega Sableye and Toxapex can also check Life Orb Marshadow. Bulk Up Marshadow is harder to play around and requires Clefable or Toxapex to check it, as well as solid prediction. Giratina appreciates entry hazard support from the likes of Primal Groudon, Toxapex, and Ferrothorn, as it is able to better pressure the opposing team with Dragon Tail or Roar. Giratina is threatened by Calm Mind users such as Arceus-Fairy and Lunala; Blissey and Ho-Oh can check them with ease and appreciate Giratina's ability to stop Mega Salamence and remove entry hazards. Giratina isn't reliable against some entry hazard setters and can be overwhelmed, as it has to rely on Rest, so using a second entry hazard remover such as Tentacruel, Skarmory, or a Defog Arceus forme isn't a bad idea and can help in some situations. As Giratina is weak to special wallbreakers, it needs the support of solid special walls such as Ho-Oh and Blissey to patch up its weakness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sleep Talk is an option, but Giratina is less reliable without a phazing move or a status move. Will-O-Wisp cripples Steel-types and physical attackers such as Mega Lucario and Swords Dance users, but it can't cripple defensive Pokemon and Primal Groudon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Pokemon such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, and Magearna can wall Giratina and force it out, as they are immune to Dragon Tail and can beat down Giratina with their STAB moves or set up on it if it lacks Roar, although the first two have to be careful of Toxic.
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Arceus-Dark and Yveltal can easily beat Giratina with their STAB moves, but both are crippled by Toxic. Calm Mind Arceus-Dark can set up on Giratina and doesn't mind Toxic if it packs Refresh.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Lunala, Mega Gengar, Arceus-Ghost, and Giratina-O are able to either do considerable damage to Giratina or OHKO it with their STAB attacks, although most of them don't like Toxic damage.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Because Giratina has to invest in Defense to take advantage of its great bulk, it leaves itself more vulnerable to special attackers such as Primal Kyogre, Dialga, Tapu Lele, Deoxys-A, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Rayquaza.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mewtwo, Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, and Deoxys-S can shut down Giratina and force it out, as they make it unable to use Defog, recover with Rest, use Toxic, or phaze them out if it lacks Dragon Tail.
**Substitute Users**: Substitute users such as Primal Kyogre, bulky Swords Dance Arceus, and Mega Lucario can set up freely on Giratina if it lacks Roar.
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