[OVERVIEW]
Gabite is blessed with just enough good merits in all the right places to carve a niche for itself in PU. 82 Speed is perfect for outspeeding common wallbreakers like Stoutland, Shiftry, and Monferno. Ground-typing is also highly sought after for the Electric immunity and resistance to Rock, and the combination of Ground and the rare Dragon-typing means that Gabite isn't weak to the common Grass- and Water-type attacks in PU. STAB Earthquake with a secondary STAB option in Outrage makes for excellent coverage as well. However, Gabite finds itself commonly walled by tanks such as Bronzor or Torterra, and the lack of recovery mixed with only above-average bulk means that Gabite can struggle to achieve its full potential in either an offensive or defensive capacity.
[SET]
name: Choiced
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Outrage and Earthquake make for a potent STAB combination that is only resisted fully by Bronzor specifically. Pokemon such as Klang that can take an Outrage do not like Earthquake, and others such as Torterra that can take Earthquake do not quite like taking damage from Outrage. Dragon Claw is also recommended for the set as a Dragon-type STAB option that will not lock you into it for 2-3 turns like Outrage does. The last slot goes largely unused thanks to Outrage and Earthquake hitting everything much harder than most of Gabite's coverage options but Stone Edge is recommended as another option for Flying-types and Fire-types. Fire Blast might seem like a tempting option for Bronzor, but even with a neutral nature Fire Blast's mediocre damage is not enough to break through Bronzor so it is simply better to accept being walled and move on. Choice Band and Choice Scarf are equally viable and come down to what your team needs: Choice Band makes Gabite into a wallbreaker and Choice Scarf will make it into a revenge killer.
Gabite hits hard but does not have the bulk to take multiple hits itself, so defensive partners that can take the Ice-type moves pointed at it, like Klang, make for good partners. Klang can also pivot into Gabite safely with Volt Switch, making it an excellent partner overall. Gabite also needs a way to get around Bronzor, so a partner like Scraggy or Simisear can be a good partner as well. Gabite also heavily appreciates entry hazards to make it even harder to switch into or to ease its potential sweep, so hazard setters like Mawile, Glalie, or Rampardos can be great options. Gabite also appreciates hazard removal in the form of Tentacool or Natu as Gabite can't heal off the chip damage, but Gabite's resistance to Stealth Rock means Gabite doesn't take as much as others. The Choice Band set is great at weakening opposing teams for a sweep so a sweeper like Huntail or Monferno can fit alongside Gabite well. The Choice Scarf set is also best utilized for revenge killing certain threats like Monferno and Zebstrika, so slower wallbreakers like Stoutland or Swanna can also make for good partners.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Toxic
move 4: Roar / Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Gabite's toolkit of Ground-typing, Eviolite, Rough Skin, Roar, and Stealth Rock gives Gabite the ability to be a decently bulky tank. With EV investment and Eviolite, Gabite can prove to be a decent switch-in against physical threats like Monferno while also switching into some Electric-types like Stunfisk. Stealth Rock is always useful and Gabite's ability to force switches through Roar and bluffing a potential Choice Band set means that it gets plenty of opportunities to set them up. Earthquake is the go-to STAB, and Dragon Claw is useful for hitting threats that are immune or resist Earthquake. The last slot is versatile: Roar is highly valued in the metagame for phazing set-up threats like Scraggy and racking up entry hazard damage, whereas Toxic is good for residual damage on whatever switches in. Phazing is uncommon in PU, so it is generally chosen over Toxic, but you can run both Roar and Toxic by placing one over Dragon Claw at the risk of being much more passive to certain threats like Jumpluff and Swanna. The Speed EVs are for outspeeding max neutral Rampardos and base 60 Speed Pokemon with the rest into bulk, but the Speed can be increased to 148 EVs to outspeed Naive max Speed Rampardos.
Defensive Gabite lives in the shadow of Stunfisk and Torterra largely, but the Speed gives Gabite its niche. As such, Defensive Gabite finds a home on more offensive teams that do not want a heavy momentum sink like Stunfisk or Torterra can be but still want a reliable Stealth Rock setter. Gabite has a crippling weakness to Ice-type moves as well as strong neutral special attacks, so a good partner to make a defensive core would be Klang or Tentacool. Gabite also checks Rock-types and Zebstrika, so Pokemon that appreciate having a teammate that can handle either, such as Swanna, make for good partners as well. Finally, Spikes setters such as Glalie or Tentacool also make good teammates as the Spikes and Toxic Spikes damage makes Gabite's Roar much more potent.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Akir, 231726]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bella, 567483], [name, id]]
- Grammar checked by: [[name, id]]
Gabite is blessed with just enough good merits in all the right places to carve a niche for itself in PU. 82 Speed is perfect for outspeeding common wallbreakers like Stoutland, Shiftry, and Monferno. Ground-typing is also highly sought after for the Electric immunity and resistance to Rock, and the combination of Ground and the rare Dragon-typing means that Gabite isn't weak to the common Grass- and Water-type attacks in PU. STAB Earthquake with a secondary STAB option in Outrage makes for excellent coverage as well. However, Gabite finds itself commonly walled by tanks such as Bronzor or Torterra, and the lack of recovery mixed with only above-average bulk means that Gabite can struggle to achieve its full potential in either an offensive or defensive capacity.
[SET]
name: Choiced
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Outrage and Earthquake make for a potent STAB combination that is only resisted fully by Bronzor specifically. Pokemon such as Klang that can take an Outrage do not like Earthquake, and others such as Torterra that can take Earthquake do not quite like taking damage from Outrage. Dragon Claw is also recommended for the set as a Dragon-type STAB option that will not lock you into it for 2-3 turns like Outrage does. The last slot goes largely unused thanks to Outrage and Earthquake hitting everything much harder than most of Gabite's coverage options but Stone Edge is recommended as another option for Flying-types and Fire-types. Fire Blast might seem like a tempting option for Bronzor, but even with a neutral nature Fire Blast's mediocre damage is not enough to break through Bronzor so it is simply better to accept being walled and move on. Choice Band and Choice Scarf are equally viable and come down to what your team needs: Choice Band makes Gabite into a wallbreaker and Choice Scarf will make it into a revenge killer.
Gabite hits hard but does not have the bulk to take multiple hits itself, so defensive partners that can take the Ice-type moves pointed at it, like Klang, make for good partners. Klang can also pivot into Gabite safely with Volt Switch, making it an excellent partner overall. Gabite also needs a way to get around Bronzor, so a partner like Scraggy or Simisear can be a good partner as well. Gabite also heavily appreciates entry hazards to make it even harder to switch into or to ease its potential sweep, so hazard setters like Mawile, Glalie, or Rampardos can be great options. Gabite also appreciates hazard removal in the form of Tentacool or Natu as Gabite can't heal off the chip damage, but Gabite's resistance to Stealth Rock means Gabite doesn't take as much as others. The Choice Band set is great at weakening opposing teams for a sweep so a sweeper like Huntail or Monferno can fit alongside Gabite well. The Choice Scarf set is also best utilized for revenge killing certain threats like Monferno and Zebstrika, so slower wallbreakers like Stoutland or Swanna can also make for good partners.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Toxic
move 4: Roar / Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Gabite's toolkit of Ground-typing, Eviolite, Rough Skin, Roar, and Stealth Rock gives Gabite the ability to be a decently bulky tank. With EV investment and Eviolite, Gabite can prove to be a decent switch-in against physical threats like Monferno while also switching into some Electric-types like Stunfisk. Stealth Rock is always useful and Gabite's ability to force switches through Roar and bluffing a potential Choice Band set means that it gets plenty of opportunities to set them up. Earthquake is the go-to STAB, and Dragon Claw is useful for hitting threats that are immune or resist Earthquake. The last slot is versatile: Roar is highly valued in the metagame for phazing set-up threats like Scraggy and racking up entry hazard damage, whereas Toxic is good for residual damage on whatever switches in. Phazing is uncommon in PU, so it is generally chosen over Toxic, but you can run both Roar and Toxic by placing one over Dragon Claw at the risk of being much more passive to certain threats like Jumpluff and Swanna. The Speed EVs are for outspeeding max neutral Rampardos and base 60 Speed Pokemon with the rest into bulk, but the Speed can be increased to 148 EVs to outspeed Naive max Speed Rampardos.
Defensive Gabite lives in the shadow of Stunfisk and Torterra largely, but the Speed gives Gabite its niche. As such, Defensive Gabite finds a home on more offensive teams that do not want a heavy momentum sink like Stunfisk or Torterra can be but still want a reliable Stealth Rock setter. Gabite has a crippling weakness to Ice-type moves as well as strong neutral special attacks, so a good partner to make a defensive core would be Klang or Tentacool. Gabite also checks Rock-types and Zebstrika, so Pokemon that appreciate having a teammate that can handle either, such as Swanna, make for good partners as well. Finally, Spikes setters such as Glalie or Tentacool also make good teammates as the Spikes and Toxic Spikes damage makes Gabite's Roar much more potent.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Akir, 231726]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bella, 567483], [name, id]]
- Grammar checked by: [[name, id]]
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