GSC NEVERUSED GUIDE
Hello there! My name is Holly and I play GSC NU a lot. This tier at first might not seem all that interesting, who would want to play a tier where Chinchou, Pineco, and Gloom are some of the best Pokemon in the tier?, Well, I’ll go over that in this guide. This tier is pretty good, its diverse, balanced, colourful, and there is many different playstyles, Pokemon, and unique strategies to use. In this thread, I will be going over the tier in general, help guide with building playstyles, and generally giving my thoughts on the meta.
General resources available
Viability Rankings
Discussion Thread
GSC Mechanics
Different sections of this guide
1: Introduction to the tier’s Pokemon
2: lead meta analysis & other resources
3: The various playstyles, what they run, etc
4: My thoughts
#1: Introduction to the tier and its Pokemon:
Hello there! My name is Holly and I play GSC NU a lot. This tier at first might not seem all that interesting, who would want to play a tier where Chinchou, Pineco, and Gloom are some of the best Pokemon in the tier?, Well, I’ll go over that in this guide. This tier is pretty good, its diverse, balanced, colourful, and there is many different playstyles, Pokemon, and unique strategies to use. In this thread, I will be going over the tier in general, help guide with building playstyles, and generally giving my thoughts on the meta.
General resources available
Viability Rankings
Discussion Thread
GSC Mechanics
Different sections of this guide
1: Introduction to the tier’s Pokemon
2: lead meta analysis & other resources
3: The various playstyles, what they run, etc
4: My thoughts
#1: Introduction to the tier and its Pokemon:
#1: Xatu
-Psychic
-Hidden Power Ice / Drill Peck
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ice / Drill Peck
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Psychic
-Hidden Power Ice
-Thief
-Haze
@ No Item / Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ice
-Thief
-Haze
@ No Item / Leftovers
-Psychic
-Sunny Day
-Solar Beam
-Thief / Haze
@ No Item / Leftovers
-Sunny Day
-Solar Beam
-Thief / Haze
@ No Item / Leftovers
Xatu is without question, the most dominant and defining Pokemon in the tier. Everywhere you look at this tier, this Psychic bird is there. Xatu has an almost exclusive Psychic-typing(the only other ones are largely irrelevant Pokemon like Drowzee), as well as a Flying typing which grants it an excellent immunity to Spikes, as well as crucial resits to common moves such as Cross Chop, and an immunity to Earthquake. Along with access to Haze, this makes Xatu surprisingly solid defensively, as its bulk is decent by GSC NU standards. But that’s not all, Xatu is one of the scariest offensive Pokemon in the tier. Posing one of the highest Special Attack stats in the tier, alongside excellent Speed which outpaces almost the entire tier, it’s hitting pretty hard. This is even further compounded by Psychic being almost unresisted, with the only real common Pokemon resisting it being Magnemite, and opposing Xatu. This makes Xatu an excellent RestTalker, which also makes it much less scared of paralysis from Pokemon it switches into, such as Gloom. Because of all this, alongside Xatu checking key metagame threats such as Weezing, Primeape, and Kingler, its largely too good not to use on teams, and fits onto every teamstyle with ease.
Xatu's presence has a huge effect on the tier. The fact that it often switches into itself, and runs Hidden Power Ice largely just to hit itself speaks volumes to this, and it keeps many of the most dangerous Pokemon in check. Fighting, Poison, and Grass types all have their viability cut by Xatu, and any team without a plan against Xatu is just flat out unviable.
#2: Weezing
-Sludge Bomb
-Thunder
-Explosion
-Hidden Power Grass / Fire Blast / Pain Split / Thief
@ Leftovers / No Item
-Thunder
-Explosion
-Hidden Power Grass / Fire Blast / Pain Split / Thief
@ Leftovers / No Item
-Sludge Bomb
-Thunder
-Haze
-Pain Split
@ Leftovers
-Thunder
-Haze
-Pain Split
@ Leftovers
Weezing is able to fulfil many roles, is versatile, and incredibly splashable. Its one of the most potent mixed attackers in the tier, with its Sludge Bomb/Thunder/Hidden Power Grass or Fire Blast coverage alone hitting most of the tier hard. If that wasn’t enough, it has one more tool, Explosion. This OHKOs pretty much every non resist, and even most Rock-types take a hefty chunk from it. Weezing is also incredibly physically bulky, which lets it check common threats such as Primeape and Fearow. It even has Haze, which is useful for stopping Curse sweepers, and being a major pain for Baton Pass teams especially. Weezing can fit onto each and every team archetype; Offensive teams appreciate a powerful mixed attacker able to Explode, while defensive teams especially like its incredible bulk and Haze. Thanks to all of this and Explosion, You pretty much get value from Weezing in every game and it remains consistently useful. It is not perfect however, as it gets worn down pretty fast if not running Pain Split, and is a big fat target for Xatu's Psychic, and Dugtrio's Earthquake. But despite this, it remains an influential pillar of the tier, and a Pokemon recommend for any team.
#3: Kingler
-Swords Dance
-Hidden Power Ground / Crabhammer / Surf
-Body Slam / Return / Double-Edge
-Substitute / Rest
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ground / Crabhammer / Surf
-Body Slam / Return / Double-Edge
-Substitute / Rest
@ Leftovers
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Swords Dance / Surf
-Body Slam
@ Leftovers
-Sleep Talk
-Swords Dance / Surf
-Body Slam
@ Leftovers
Kingler is perhaps the single most dangerous Pokemon in the entire metagame, and with 130 base Attack and Swords Dance its not hard to see why. Its Speed is quite good as well, outpacing much of the slower and bulkier Pokemon in the tier, and with paralysis support, especially on Pokemon such as Xatu, Kingler is almost Impossible to stop. After a Swords Dance it 2HKOs almost the entire tier with its choice of Normal-move(Body Slam, Return, Double Edge are all good), which pretty much no reliable answers to the standard Sub/HP Ground/SD/Normal move set except Shuckle. Kingler is also very bulky on the physical side, giving it a good few opportunities to setup, and letting it check Pokemon like Dugtrio. It has some set variety, with all of Surf, Crabhammer, and RestTalk SD sets all being viable. It can even forgo Swords Dance and run Surf, Body Slam, and RestTalk to act as a bulky paralysis spreader. Kingler is a huge threat to balanced and especially Stall teams, who run Xatu quite commonly to beat Kingler. Because of this, Kingler is rightly placed as one of the best Pokemon in GSC NU.
#4: Dugtrio
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Thief / Screech
-Substitute
@ No Item / Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Thief / Screech
-Substitute
@ No Item / Leftovers
It might seem puzzling as to why Dugtrio is so good in GSC NU, with its frailty and seemingly unimpressive attack, but don’t be fooled, Dugtrio is one of the most terrifying threats in the metagame. With completely unmatched Speed, Dugtrio outpaces the entire unboosted metagame, meaning anything switching in will have to take two hits from it. STAB Earthquake is absolutely excellent to have in GSC NU, with how prominent Fire, Poison, Rock, and Electric types are. It is an excellent Substitute user, as Dugtrio forces switches quite a lot, and potential to power through Pokemon such as Xatu behind it. This also lets it absorb Booms from Pineco and Weezing and avoid paralysis from Gloom’s Stun Spore, both extremely useful traits. Dugtrio’s attacking output is very respectable, 3HKOing almost the entire tier, making it a scary late game cleaner especially with Spikes, which further limits its checks in the long run and potentially letting it nab crucial KOs. Its bulk is also not as bad as it may seem, avoiding 2HKOs from attacks such as Xatu Psychic, and it is usually able to take one really strong attack such as a Fearow Double Edge or non crit Cross Chop from Primeape, which can be absolutely game changing. Dugtrio is an incredibly punishing threat and one that must be prepared for, and an influential, dominant, and defining presence in the GSC NU metagame.
#5: Primeape
-Cross Chop
-Rock Slide
-Meditate / Thunder / Double Edge
-Substitute
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Meditate / Thunder / Double Edge
-Substitute
@ Leftovers
Primeape is another one of the scariest offensive Pokemon in the metagame. With an above average Attack stat and excellent Speed, it is immediately an offensive powerhouse, and threatens the many Normal- and Rock-types running around, and after a Meditate boost, Primeape 2HKOs every Pokemon that doesn’t resist Cross Chop and even hurts most resists with it. Primeape’s main attack, Cross Chop, also has a boosted crit rate which allows Primeape to potentially break through Curse boosted Normal-types and further improve its damage dealing potential(+1 Crit Cross Chop deals over 80% to Shuckle). Primeape does struggles with the omni present Xatu, and Weezing, but it does also has Rock Slide, meaning Xatu is not exactly a perfect answer, especially considering Primeape speed ties with the Psychic bird, and Weezing gets worn down quickly in games when not running Pain Split and tends to Explode a lot. Primeape also does not provide much in the way of defensive utility outside of checking Sudowoodo, but its offensive power is so good that it remains a top threat in the metagame
#6: Pineco
-Spikes
-Explosion
-Rapid Spin
-Reflect / Hidden Power Bug / Toxic / Hidden Power Grass
@ Leftovers / Miracle Berry
-Explosion
-Rapid Spin
-Reflect / Hidden Power Bug / Toxic / Hidden Power Grass
@ Leftovers / Miracle Berry
Pineco is incredibly key in GSC NU due to one move turns it from useless to one of the important Pokemon in the tier, Spikes. And while it may seem like playing 5 v 6 when using Pineco sometimes, the support they provide can be absolutely game changing for any team. Spikes is key at making already strong Pokemon to handle such as Dugtrio, Xatu, and Rapidash even more dangerous and potentially nabbing crucial KOs with the provided chip. Spikes are also key on defensive teams for wearing opponents down in the long term. Spikes are even more useful when considering GSC NU does not have many good Rapid Spinners. Pineco itself is frail, and extremly slow, so its best to bring it on on weaker physical attackers such as Wigglytuff and Gloom, or physical attackers that Pineco resists the main attacks from, such as Dugtrio, Primeape, and Hitmonlee. Pineco can also use Reflect to ward off these attackers coverage moves and help its teammates. Pineco also has access to Explosion, and it even with its low attack it still KOs almost every neutral target, meaning Pineco can setup Spikes and then potentially KO an opposing Pokemon that is not a Rock-type, which is absolutely excellent support. Because of this role, Pineco is one of the best, most important Pokemon in GSC NU.
#7:Gloom
-Stun Spore
-Sludge Bomb
-Curse / Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Grass
-Moonlight
@ Leftovers
-Sludge Bomb
-Curse / Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Grass
-Moonlight
@ Leftovers
Gloom is easily one of the best defensive Pokemon the tier has to offer, and is able to fulfil many roles beyond that. Its typing is excellent for taking on the many Water-types in the tier, such as Chinchou, Azumarill, and Non Ice Beam variants of Octillery. Its Poison-typing alongside lack of weakness to the rare Hidden Power Ground also makes it one of the best answers to the incredibly powerful Primeape, while also making it a good check to Meditate Hitmonlee. Gloom’s access to the instant recovery Moonlight also gives it great longevity while not having to run RestTalk. Gloom’s real ace in the whole, however, is Stun Spore. This alongside the boosting threat of Curse makes it an excellent paralysis spreader, as it can lure in and paralyse crucial threats such as Xatu, as Xatu is much easier to break through when paralysed for Pokemon such as Kingler, Primeape, and Stantler. The threat of paralysis also means non RestTalk Fire-types such as Magmar and Rapidash have to be weary of switching in. Gloom’s can even sometimes sweep paralysed teams lategame with the attack boost provided by Curse. It has some set variety, such as Hidden Power Ground to hit Magnemite, or even Swords Dance to make it more threatening in less turns. Gloom is not perfect, as it is pretty weak before boosting, and it’s typing leaves it open to Xatu, Dewgong, and the many Fire-types running around, but its upsides are enourmous. Gloom is able to fit onto all sorts of teams, ranging from offense to stall to paralysis based teams, making it one of the best, most splashable Pokemon in the tier.
#8: Octillery
-Surf
-Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Hidden Power Electric
@ Leftovers
-Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Hidden Power Electric
@ Leftovers
Octilllery is an incredibly splashable, dangerous, and consistent threat in GSC NU. sets its self apart from other Water-types such as Dewgong and Azumarill with a frightening Special Attack stat of 105, the highest in the entire tier. This lets it 3HKO a wide variety of top threats, such as Xatu, Weezing, Primeape, and Stantler, while being good at trading hits due to its solid bulk. Octillery still remains quite solid defensively despite its lower bulk then other Waters, letting it check the Fire-types, Dugtrio, and Sudowoodo. Octillery just so happens to have an excellent matchup against most Offensive teams, as most of their common Pokemon like Primeape, Dugtrio, Weezing, Xatu, Stantler, etc have difficulty switching into Octillery while it trades hits well. I’ve ran Pokemon like Chinchou on offense with a big reason being to beat Octillery, in fact. Octillery itself also fits well on offense due to its power and good matchup vs threats such as Dugtrio, Magmar, and Xatu. As for flaws, the choice of Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric in the second slot is an annoying issue, as it is the choice between being walled by opposing Waters with Ice Beam, and Gloom with HP Electric. Its also completely walled by Chinchou no matter which move it picks, Octillery is also very slow, meaning it can be tough to switch in and regain its health.
#9: Stantler
-Return
-Earthquake
-Curse / Thief / Reflect
-Light Screen / Hypnosis
@ Leftovers
-Earthquake
-Curse / Thief / Reflect
-Light Screen / Hypnosis
@ Leftovers
-Return
-Earthquake
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Earthquake
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Stantler is one of the most threatening Pokemon in GSC NU, and arguably the best of the many Normal-types in the tier. Its high Attack complimented by STAB Return that is not resisted by that many common Pokemon make it an immediately threatening offensive threat that has no true counters aside from the stall specific Shuckle. Another thing it has over most Normals is Earthquake, letting it OHKO Magnemite and Gastly, and deal solid damage to Graveler, Sudowoodo, and Pupitar. Stantler also has a wide variety of supporting moves, Hypnosis makes it a solid sleeper and lead as a whole, while Light Screen and Reflect are always useful for supporting teammates, especially on Baton Pass type teams. Stantler can also run a RestTalk set to good effect, giving it better longevity throughout a game. With Curse, it can act as a good early game wallbreaker, or vicious late game cleaner, especially when supported with Light Screen. Stantler does have its issues though, as it is somewhat frail and tough to switch in throughout games, and also has a poor matchup against Xatu if not running CurseLightScreen or something. Its Curse sets also have a lot to watch out for, such as avoiding the crit from Primeape's Cross Chop or Haze from Weezing.
#10: Wigglytuff
-Body Slam / Double-Edge
-Thunder / Ice Beam / Present
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Thunder / Ice Beam / Present
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Curse
-Return / Body Slam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Thunder Wave
@ Leftovers
-Return / Body Slam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Thunder Wave
@ Leftovers
Wigglytuff is a very consistent and splashable Pokemon that can fulfil quite a few roles, ranging from a consistent bulky check to common threats, or a threatening sweeper with Curse. Its solid all around bulk that lets it pretty reliably take on Pokemon such as Xatu, Dugtrio, Chinchou and Rapidash, and very good set variety let it fit well on many teams. Offensive teams appreciate its good matchup against threats such as Xatu and Chinchou alongside Curse Wigglytuff’s sweeping potential, while more balanced and defensive teams also appreciate this. Wigglytuff is good at threatening paralysis, either from Thunder Wave or Body Slam, which means Pokemon such as Primeape do have to be careful switching in, while also supporting slow hard hitter such as Kingler and Graveler. Curse Wigglytuff has huge snowballing potential thanks to Wigglytuff’s solid Special Bulk, and is capable of decimating teams that lack Rock-types such as Sudowoodo and Pupitar or Fighting-types, especially Primeape who can potentially crit OHKO Wigglytuff no matter how many boosts it has. Wigglytuff is pretty passive though, especially when not running Curse, meaning it can be taken advantage quite easily. Curse Wigglytuff also struggles against teams with Normal-resists, such as Sudowoodo, Pupitar, and Magnemite, among other threats such as Haze Weezing. It can also be forced out by things such as Xatu Special Defense drops.
#11: Magnemite
-Thunder
-Hidden Power Ice
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ice
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Thunder
-Hidden Power Ice
-Substitute
-Agility
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ice
-Substitute
-Agility
@ Leftovers
Magnemite is a hugely threatening offensive Pokémon that has excellent defensive utility. Its STAB Thunder hits incredibly hard, dealing 40% to very bulky Pokémon like Ninetales, and is not resisted by many Pokémon. This makes it a very tough Pokémon to switch into, especially considering Thunder’s 30% paralysis rate. Magnemite is also the only legal Steel-type in the tier, which grants it useful resistances to Psychic-, Normal-, and an immunity to Poison. RestTalk Magnemite is notably one of the best answers to Xatu, resisting all its common Attacks and potentially OHKOing in return. Magnemite can also run Agility+Sub sets to clean up weakened teams late game. However, it is frail, and weak to common attacking types like Fire and Fighting. Its low HP and Defense also means it can take big damage from attacks its resists, it notably takes over 30% from Fearow’s Double-Edge and gets OHKOd by Weezing’s Explosion for example. Nonetheless, Magnemite is an excellent Pokémon, and one of the most dangerous in the tier.
#12: Dewgong
-Ice Beam
-Encore
-Toxic
-Protect / Surf
@ Leftovers
-Encore
-Toxic
-Protect / Surf
@ Leftovers
-Surf
-Ice Beam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Ice Beam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Dewgong is an all around excellent Pokémon with very useful defensive capabilities, which makes it annoying for offensive teams. Its Water-typing and huge bulk makes it a great answer to Pokemon such as Xatu, Dugtrio, and Fearow, while generally being generally tough to take down for most of the tier. Dewgong’s unqiue access to Encore is also very useful, as it means Pokemon such as Curse Wigglytuff, Growth Flareon, and Swords Dance Lickitung can’t setup on it. This also means it is not completely free setup for Kingler, unlike one of its main competitors in Azumarill. Its STAB Ice Beam is also surprisingly strong, meaning Pokemon such as Primeape and Weezing have to be somewhat weary switching in. With the simple set of Ice Beam, Toxic, Protect, and Encore, Dewgong is a very resilient Pokemon, and can spam Ice Beam for a potential freeze chance against many foes. However, its Ice-typing does hurt it defensively, and leaves it weak to the tiers Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and Primeape. It also notably doesn’t resist Fire, meaning it struggles to check Magmar and Rapidash in longer games, especially Sunny Day variants of these Pokemon. This means some teams prefer Azumarill, who resists Fire and has Light Screen.
#13: Hitmonlee
-Hi Jump Kick
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Meditate
-Hi Jump Kick
-Hidden Power Rock
-Body Slam / Double-Edge
@ Leftovers
-Hi Jump Kick
-Hidden Power Rock
-Body Slam / Double-Edge
@ Leftovers
Hitmonlee has an excellent metagame niche thanks to its very good Special Defense and strong Attack stat, making it an great Pokemon at dealing with GSC NU’s many Water-, Rock-, and Normal-types. These Pokemon are quite tough to handle especially for more offensive teams, giving Hitmonlee solid role compression and a spot on many teams as a result. While Hitmonlee is walled by both Xatu and Weezing, it can try to shoot for a Body Slam paralysis as they switch in, which cripples Weezing and means Pokemon such as Stantler and Kingler have an opponent to break through Xatu if it gets paralysed. Hitmonlee’s Speed is also very good, outspeeding Pokemon such as Stantler and Kingler. Hitmonlee is also solid offensively, 3HKOing Pokemon such as Octillery and hitting Pokemon such as Magnemite and Dewgong super effectively. Hitmonlee can even run Meditate, although it loses out on RestTalk longevity and Primeape is usually better at this. Hitmonlee does have low physical bulk, though, which leaves it open to stronger attackers like Primeape and Dugtrio, while it also struggles to reliably switch into Pokemon it usually checks such as Stantler and Wigglytuff. Xatu is also still a very tough issue for Hitmonlee to handle, which can turn it into a liability.
#14: Magmar
-Fire Blast
-Thunder Punch
-Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Grass
-Cross Chop / Thief / Sunny Day
@ Leftovers / No Item
-Thunder Punch
-Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Grass
-Cross Chop / Thief / Sunny Day
@ Leftovers / No Item
Magmar is one of the most threatening Pokemon in GSC NU, possessing very high Special Attack and an exceptional attacking movepool with moves such as Thunder Punch, Thief, and Cross Chop. Its Fire Blast is one of the strongest attacks around and 2HKOs Xatu, Weezing, and more, while Pokemon that resist it such as Octillery and Rapidash being hit hard by its coverage moves. No Pokemon other then Light Screen Azumarill or Ninetales can truly counter Magmar. Its also very fast, getting the jump on most of the non Xatu and Primeape tier. Magmar has a scary Pokemon for offensive teams to face due to its sheer strength and Magmar’s ability to threaten many of their commonly used Pokemon like Xatu, Magnemite, and Gloom. Magmar can also run a Sunny Day, which turns its Fire Blast into an even stronger nuke and deals over 80% to Pokemon like Xatu, Weezing, and hits resists like Sudowoodo very hard. Magmar is not entirely useless defensively as well, it is notably only 4HKOd by Xatu’s Psychic. Unfortunately its low Defense and typing leave it open to 2HKOs from Dugtrio, Fearow, and Sudowoodo. Magmar also has 4MSS, and can be walled by Fire- or Rock-types depending on what Hidden Power it uses. It also doesn’t match up well against Defensive teams due to them running Ninetales and Azumarill commonly, sometimes they even run both.
#15: Rapidash
-Fire Blast
-Hidden Power Grass / Double-Edge
-Double-Edge /Hypnosis
-Hypnosis / Substitute
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Grass / Double-Edge
-Double-Edge /Hypnosis
-Hypnosis / Substitute
@ Leftovers
-Fire Blast
-Double-Edge
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Double-Edge
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Rapidash is a premier threat in GSC NU, and it has many useful qualities that make it a staple on offensive and balance teams alike. Its Speed is almost entirely unmatched, and let’s it outpace Pokemon such as Xatu, Primeape, Fearow, and Ninetales. This is further complimented by solid offensive prowess, as its Fire Blast deals almost 50% many common Pokemon such as Xatu, Primeape, Weezing, while also 2HKOing Gloom and OHKOing Magnemite and Gloom. Its Attack stat is also very good, letting it use a strong Double-Edge to hit opposing Fire-types and acting as a strong neutral hit. Coupled with access to Hypnosis, Rapidash is the premier lead for offensive teams and shapes the lead metagame of GSC NU, and Hypnosis is also useful for helping support Rapidash’s teammates. Rapidash is also a very good Sunny Day user, becoming very tough to wall under Sun and pairing up with Pokemon such as Magmar on Sunny Spam teams. Rapidash does struggles vs GSC NU’s Water-types, Dugtrio, and the Rock-types if not running HP Grass, though, and its lower Defense can be lacking against threats such as Primeape, while also meaning it can be tough to switch in in some games.
#16: Chinchou
-Surf
-Thunder
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Thunder
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Surf
-Thunder
-Light Screen / Ice Beam
-Thunder Wave
@ Leftovers
-Thunder
-Light Screen / Ice Beam
-Thunder Wave
@ Leftovers
Chinchou being top tier is one of the most famous things about GSC NU. Its one of the few Electric-types in the tier, which gives it a variety of useful defensive traits. It completely counters Water types such as Octillery, Dewgong, and Azumarill, while also having a decent matchup against Fire types like Rapidash and Ninetales. Its STAB combo of Surf and Thunder is also very good, not being resisted by many common Pokemon, making Chinchou a decent offensive threat in spite of its lower Special Attack. It can also go with a more supporting set with Thunder Wave and Light Screen to help out its teammates. Its decent Special Defense also helps it out in this regard and, meaning it brings solid role compression to teams. Chinchou has decent speed, notably outspeeding all Ground-types that aren’t Dugtrio. Unfortunately its stats are pretty mediocre all around, meaning strong physical attackers are easily able to punch through it. It can also find itself unable to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Wigglytuff and Lickitung. Nonetheless, Chinchou has a very good niche and solid role compression.
#17: Ninetales
-Flamethrower
-Hidden Power Grass / Toxic / Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Roar
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Grass / Toxic / Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Roar
@ Leftovers
-Fire Blast / Flamethrower
-Hidden Power Grass
-Roar
-Protect
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Grass
-Roar
-Protect
@ Leftovers
Ninetales is one of the tiers best defensive Pokemon, having a variety of traits that not many other Pokemon can replicate. Thanks to its high Special Defense and Fire-typing, Ninetales is capable of taking on many Special Attackers, such as Magmar, Growth Flareon, and Magnemite. Ninetales is also one of the best Xatu answers in the tier, as it is only being 4HKOd by Psychic, outspeeds Xatu, and potentially 3HKOes the Bird with Flamethrower. Ninetales is a staple on defensive teams for this reason, as they can struggle agains the aforementioned threats. Sunny Day teams are quite a threat in GSC NU, Ninetales is perhaps the best answer to them, shrugging off even Sunny Day boosted Magmar Fire Blasts with ease. Ninetales also has excellent Speed, which is useful for revenge killing Pokemon such as weakened Primeape, Xatu, and Stantler, and its good Special Attack means it is not all that passive either as it 3HKOs a lot of common Pokemon such as Primeape, Weezing, and Dugtrio. Its able to run a more offensive set with Roar as well, making it one of the tiers few good phazers. Ninetales’s Fire-typing does leave it weak to common Pokemon such as Dugtrio, Sudowoodo, and the many Water-types in the tier, though, and its lower power means Pokemon such as Curse Wigglytuff are able to setup on it easily.
#18: Sudowoodo
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
-Self-Destruct
-Curse
@ Leftovers
-Earthquake
-Self-Destruct
-Curse
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake / Curse
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Curse
@ Leftovers
-Earthquake / Curse
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Curse
@ Leftovers
Sudowoodo’s resistances to Normal and Fire are both very useful and combined with Self-Destruct and good offensive power, it has a very good niche in GSC NU. Its able to absorb Explosion from Pineco and Weezing reasonably well, and walls Fearow and Curse Wigglytuff. Its lack of any 4X weaknesses means it is reasonably tough to force out for Pokemon like Rapidash and Magmar spamming Hidden Power Grass, while it can hurt Pokemon that resist Rock Slide such as Dugtrio and Primeape reasonably hard with Earthquake, which also OHKOs the dangerous Magnemite. When Sudowoodo is low on health, it can force a KO with Self-Destruct, which can also target Pokemon such as Azumarill when switching into it, very useful support for its teammates. Sudowoodo is very splashable as a result, able to fit on both offense and defense. Its able to defeat Xatu one on one as well provided it doesn’t miss Rock Slide. Sudowoodo can also run more defensive sets with Rest to give it better longevity. Unfortunately, It is somewhat frail on the Special Side and weak to very common offensive Pokemon like Dugtrio, Octillery and Primeape, which combined with its slow Speed means it can struggle to do much besides booming against Offensive teams. This can lead some teams to prefer Graveler, who has STAB on its Earthquake and as a result, Dugtrio and Primeape especially have to be more careful switching in.
#19: Fearow
-Double-Edge
-Drill Peck / Hidden Power Ground / Return
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Drill Peck / Hidden Power Ground / Return
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Double-Edge
-Hidden Power Ground
-Drill Peck / Hyper Beam
-Substitute
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ground
-Drill Peck / Hyper Beam
-Substitute
@ Leftovers
Fearow is a simple yet effective threat in the GSC NU metagame. With very good attack and a scarcely resisted STAB Double-Edge its a tough Pokemon to switch into for teams that don’t have a Rock- or Steel-type, as evidenced by its ability to 2HKO Pokemon like Stantler, Xatu, and Magmar. It also deals over 30% to both Weezing and Magnemite with Double-Edge. Fearow’s Speed is another excellent trait it has, being one of the few Pokemon able to outspeed Xatu and Primeape, making it a solid revenge killer for offensive teams. Its defensive utility is also useful, as its immune to Spikes and just bulky enough to avoid 2HKOs from Xatu and Rapidash, making it a fast and strong RestTalker. Sub 3 Attacks is another set it can run, which gives it an extra slot to run Hidden Power Ground to OHKO Magnemite and chip Rock-types on the switch. Fearow is helpless against Rock-types like Shuckle, Sudowoodo, Pupitar, and Graveler, though, which can leave it a liability in some games. Fearow can be tough to fit on teams because of this, seeing as it also struggles vs Weezing.
#20: Azumarill
-Surf
-Light Screen / Ice Beam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Light Screen / Ice Beam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Unlike in other generations, Azumarill plays a purely defensive role in GSC NU. It is very good at this role, as its pure Water-typing makes it an excellent counter to the Fire-types of the tier such as Magmar, Rapidash, and Flareon while also being solid vs the Rock- and Ground-types, and is possibly the best Dugtrio counter available outside of the very irrelevant Tangela. While Dewgong has Encore and STAB Ice Beam, Azumarill has Light Screen, which is excellent support for its teammates such as Kingler and Curse Stantler, while Azumarill also resists Fire instead of being hit neutrally by it. Azumarill is very common on defensive teams for a reason, forming the infamous Azumarill/Ninetales/Gloom/Shuckle core, a core that walls almost the entire tier and is tough to break through. Azumarill is also a good switch to Xatu due to its great Special Defense and access to Light Screen to let its teammates deal with the bird easier, although it can’t defeat Xatu 1v1 unless it has Ice Beam. Azumarill is one of the most passive Pokemon in the tier, and very easy to setup on with Primeape and Stantler. Azumarill is also a huge opportunity point for the incredibly dangerous Kingler, who is a threat to the defensive teams Azumarill commonly finds itself on.
#21: Flareon
-Fire Blast
-Hidden Power Grass
-Growth / Substitute
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Grass
-Growth / Substitute
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
-Fire Blast
-Double-Edge
-Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ground
-Roar
@ Leftovers
-Double-Edge
-Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ground
-Roar
@ Leftovers
-Fire Blast
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Grass
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Grass
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Flareon is an unpredictable and dangerous offensive threat in GSC NU. It has a very good movepool, possessing unqiue moves such as Baton Pass, Growth, and Roar. GrowthPass Flareon is a very threatening Pokemon with free turns, as passing Growth to Pokemon such as Xatu and Magnemite is a potentially game ending scenario, and this is further compounded by GSC NU’s relative lack of phazers. Growth Flareon is also a threat on its own, as Fire Blast becomes difficult to switch into when boosted. Flareon could also pass Substitute to setup threats such as Kingler and generally being good at gaining momentum. Flareon is not just a Baton Passer though. It can use its very high 130 Attack stat to act as a strong mixed attacker alongside Fire Blast and HP Grass/Ground, that also has rare access to Roar to mess up Baton Pass teams. Flareon also has very high Special Defense, letting it check Xatu and Magnemite in the short term and making it an effective RestTalker. Flareon’s low Speed is a major issue, though, especially when combined with its low Defense and weakness to Water- and Dugtrio(You beginning to see why this mon is so good._.), which can leave it an unreliable Pokemon at times.
#22: Farfetch’d
-Return
-Swords Dance
-Agility
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
-Swords Dance
-Agility
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
Farfetch’d is a Pokemon able to end games on the spot when played or supported well thanks to the combo of Baton Pass+Agility and Swords Dance. With just a few free turns to setup, Farfetch’d can Baton Pass Swords Dance or Agility, sometimes even both, to threats such as Cubone, Stantler, Machoke, and Kingler, who become incredibly tough to deal with when pasted boosts. Farfetch’d is excellent with screen support because of this, being supported by Dragonair, Azumarill, and Voltorb mostly. Farfetch’d’s STAB Return is also surprisingly strong when boosted by Swords Dance, letting it damage Haze Xatu and Haze Weezing for quite a lot of damage while they Haze, meaning Farfetch’d is an incredibly key member of Baton Pass teams. An immunity to Spikes is also useful for letting Farfetch’d setup again if it was forced out. Sadly Baton Pass teams are not very reliable, mostly due to the frailty of Farfetch’d and Ledian, and prominence of Haze Weezing.
#23: Lickitung
-Swords Dance / Belly Drum
-Return / Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Rest / Iron Tail
@ Leftovers / Mint Berry
-Return / Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Rest / Iron Tail
@ Leftovers / Mint Berry
-Swords Dance
-Body Slam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Body Slam
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Lickitung is a dangerous and unique sweeper in GSC NU, having access to both Swords Dance and Belly Drum alongside solid bulk physically and specially makes it an excellent bulky sweeper. Lickitung has a solid matchup against Pokemon like Dugtrio, Xatu and Rapidash when healthy due to its good bulk, and ability to threaten paralysis with Body Slam, meaning it is good at spreading paralysis for its own sweep. Body Slam also dissuades Primeape from switching into it. After a Swords Dance, pretty much nothing counters Lickitung aside from Shuckle and combined with its bulk can make it a tough Pokemon to handle. Access to Earthquake is also useful for Magnemite and the Rock-types. Belly Drum is also a solid option on heavy para spam and Baton Pass teams. Unfortunately, Lickitung is very slow and doesn’t resist anything, which can leave it struggling to do much against offensive teams and their hard hitters. Lickitung also faces competition from other Normals like Wigglytuff and Stantler who are faster and can run Curse better.
#24: Dragonair
-Thunder Wave
-Fire Blast
-Surf / Reflect
-Thunder / Ice Beam / Light Screen
-Fire Blast
-Surf / Reflect
-Thunder / Ice Beam / Light Screen
Dragonair has a fantastic supporting and attacking movepool, with moves like Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, Fire Blast, Surf, and more all at its disposal. This combined with a completely unique Dragon typing alongside good stats all around make it a solid attacker and supporter. Its excellent coverage lets it hit a wide variety of the tier hard, and the few Pokemon that aren’t weak to these moves not enjoying Thunder Wave, like Weezing. Thunder Wave is also great for supporting slower teammates, like Graveler and Kingler. Its decent bulk and resistance to Fire and Water are also useful for dealing with threats such as Magmar, Flareon, and Hidden Power Electric Octillery variants. On Baton Pass and setup focused teams, Dragonair sometimes goes with Dual Screens as a means of support, useful considering very Pokemon are able to setup both. Dragonair is not bulky enough to take on strong Normal-types like Wigglytuff and Lickitung though, especially considering they aren’t weak to its coverage moves. Dragonair can’t hit foes that aren’t weak to its coverage very hard at all in general due to its low Special Attack, and even foes that it does can sometime be to bulky for it to overcome such as Dewgong. Also its bulk, while respectable, is not enough to avoid 3HKOs from Dugtrio, Stantler, and more.
#25: Graveler
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide / Hidden Power Rock
-Explosion
-Substitute / Rapid Spin
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide / Hidden Power Rock
-Explosion
-Substitute / Rapid Spin
@ Leftovers
Graveler is quite the powerful wall breaker, having very good Attack, STAB QuakeSlide which is not resisted by anything, and Explosion. It is an excellent Pokemon with paralysis support, with few Pokemon able to reliably handle it when paralyse. It also Substitute to take advantage of potential full paralysis. Graveler is quite useful defensively as well, beefy physical Defense and a resistance to Normal that lets it counter Fearow and deal with other Normals like Curse Wigglytuff and RestTalk Lickitung. Graveler does have access to Rapid Spin as well, which is useful considering its good matchup against Pineco due to 2HKOing it and resisting Explosion. Graveler does have quite a number of flaws that hold it back, with its very poor Special Defense and HP leaving it weak to Special Attackers. Even attacks like Magmar’s Fire Blast deal over 30% to it despite being resisted. Sudowoodo gives it competition as a result, due to its better Special Defense and lack of 4x weakness to Grass.
#26: Dunsparce
-Return / Headbutt
-Curse
-Glare
-Rest
@ Leftovers
-Curse
-Glare
-Rest
@ Leftovers
-Return
-Pursuit
-Thunder
-Glare / Hidden Power Grass / Rest
@ Leftovers
-Pursuit
-Thunder
-Glare / Hidden Power Grass / Rest
@ Leftovers
Dunsparce is another one of GSC NU’s Curse Normal-types, and sets itself apart with very good bulk and access to Glare, which can paralyse Ground-types like Graveler, Pupitar, and Dugtrio, and former two being big problems for Curse Normals. Dunsparce uses the synergy with Glare paralysis and Curse to act as a threatening sweeper that can also use full paralysis turns to burn Rest turnsl while its great bulk gives it solid matchup vs threats such as Xatu, Rapidash, and Dugtrio when healthy. Dunsparce could even use Headbutt to try flinchhax through its opponents alongside paralysis. Dunsparce is not entirely a Curse sweeper though, as it can run mixed set with Thunder and Pursuit to threaten and potentially trap Xatu with paralysis from Thunder, while still spreading paralysis with Glare. Dunsparce does face competition from Wigglytuff and Porygon, with the former having even better Special Bulk and a better movepool, while the latter brings incredible utility with 32PP Recover. The same issues other Curse Normals face also threaten Dunsparce, such as Haze Weezing, crit Cross Chop from Primeape, and the existence of Rock-types.
#27: Shuckle
-Defense Curl
-Rollout
-Rest
-Toxic / Encore / Flash
@ Leftovers
-Rollout
-Rest
-Toxic / Encore / Flash
@ Leftovers
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Toxic
-Encore
@ Leftovers
-Sleep Talk
-Toxic
-Encore
@ Leftovers
(If your running Shuckle alongside a user of Light Screen or Reflect, make sure to drop their IVs to 64 to avoid overflow)
Shuckle is an absolute juggernaut of a Pokemon on the defensive side. With its Defense and Special Defense far beyond any other Pokemon in the tier combined with a useful typing, Shuckle is the single best counter to GSC NU’s many Normal-types, and a very tough Pokemon to break through to most of the tier. Shuckle is an incredibly key member of Defensive teams, as its ability to entirely counter huge threats such as Stantler, Lickitung, Weezing, and Curse Wigglytuff is entirely unique. With Defense Curl having 64PP, Shuckle is also very good at PP stalling. Shuckle is able to actually pose an offensive threat as well with the combo of Defense Curl and Rollout dealing massive damage when pulled off. Shuckle’s pairing with Pokemon like Ninetales, Gloom, and Azumarill or Dewgong on defensive teams is a tough to break through and punishing core. Shuckle is not impossible to break, however, as Water-types like Octillery do that rather easily. Shuckle‘s general lack of Offense can also be taken advantage of. It also must commit when it clicks Rollout, and might be KOd.
#28: Pupitar
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide / Ancient Power
-Rest
-Ancient Power / Screech / Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide / Ancient Power
-Rest
-Ancient Power / Screech / Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Pupitar‘s surprisingly solid Special Defense for a Rock-type and access to moves like Screech and Ancient Power it a unique niche in GSC NU. Pupitar is good at absorbing Explosion from Pokemon like Pineco and Weezing and is a solid check to threats such as as Xatu, Shuckle, Magmar, and Curse Wigglytuff thanks to its typing and ability to hit decently hard with STAB QuakeSlide, which no Pokemon in GSC NU resists. Pupitar is also the single best counter to Magnemite, one of the tiers strongest attackers. Pupitar has Ancient Power, which turns it into a massive threat if it gets the boost and it has quite a few opportunities to try fish for the elusive 10%. Pupitar doesn’t defeat Curse Normal-types like Dunsparce and Wigglytuff one on one, but it could run Screech to remove this issue and let it force switches with Spikes. Unfortunately, many Pokemon run Hidden Power Grass in GSC NU, which hinders its ability to take on Pokemon such as Weezing and Rapidash. It also doesn’t have Explosion like the other Rock-types do, which can lead them to be preferred on some teams.
#29: Houndour
-Fire Blast
-Crunch
-Pursuit
-Counter / Thief / Hidden Power Grass
@ Leftovers / No Item
-Crunch
-Pursuit
-Counter / Thief / Hidden Power Grass
@ Leftovers / No Item
Houndour is one of the three Dark-types in GSC NU, and by far the best of them thanks to its resistance to Xatu’s common HP Ice and access to Pursuit. Dark is a very useful typing to have in a tier with Xatu on almost every team, and Houndour can switch into the bird for free and threaten to remove it with Pursuit or at least heavily chip it. This is very useful support considering the amount of Pokemon that struggle with Xatu‘s dominance such as Hitmonlee, Primeape, Kingler, and Weezing. These Pokemon can also lure in Xatu with Body Slam, which makes Houndour’s time of removing the bird even easier. Houndour is also good at removing Gastly, who while uncommon, can still be a major issue for Fighting and Normal types. Houndour is very underwhelming outside of Pursuiting Xatu due to its awful stats and inability to break Water types, but this niche is so useful that Houndour remains a solid choice to pair with Fighting and Poison types alike.
#30: Arbok
-Sludge Bomb
-Earthquake
-Glare
-Substitute / Curse / Giga Drain
@ Leftovers
-Earthquake
-Glare
-Substitute / Curse / Giga Drain
@ Leftovers
Arbok is an interesting Pokemon with some offensive and defensive uses. Arbok notably ability to wall both Primeape and Weezing, two of the tiers most prominent Pokemon. Hidden Power Ground Primeape dropping in usage, which is useful for Arbok’s cause. Arbok also has access to Earthquake, letting it hit Weezing, Sudowoodo, and Graveler for decent damage, while also OHKOing Magnemite. Glare is also useful for spreading paralysis, especially on Xatu who switches into Arbok often. Arbok hits decently hard with Sludge Bomb as well, which also has the annoying Poison chance for Pokemon such as Dugtrio switching into it, further improved by Arbok’s solid speed and coverage. Arbok is pretty frail and weak to common threats like Xatu and Dugtrio, though, and its bulk can leave much to be desired at times. It faces competition from Weezing as well, who brings similar defensive traits and other useful traits like Explosion and even better coverage moves.
#31: Persian
-Double-Edge
-Hypnosis
-Thief
-Nightmare / Thunder / Substitute / Hidden Power Ground / Amnesia
@ No Item
-Hypnosis
-Thief
-Nightmare / Thunder / Substitute / Hidden Power Ground / Amnesia
@ No Item
Persian is a very quick Pokemon that hits decently hard and threatens Sleep with Hypnosis. Its speed is only outmatched by Dugtrio, making it an excellent Lead, outspeeding every other common lead other then Dugtrio and potentially putting them out of commission with Hypnosis. After that, it can threaten to Thief and also annoy a RestTalker with Nightmare. Persian hits pretty hard with Double-Edge, making it an annoying Pokemon to play around due to the combo of Sleep+Thief+Nightmare. Persian has other options as well, such as Thunder, Sub, Hidden Power Ground and even Amnesia, which gives it a better matchup against Octillery and Xatu. Persian’s flaws include its frailty which leave it 3HKOd by many common threats, and its inability to break through Normal-resists without HP Ground. Having to rely on the accuracy of Hypnosis also leaves Persian a tad unreliable.
#32: Porygon
-Thunder Wave
-Recover
-Double-Edge
-Curse / Ice Beam
@ Leftovers
-Recover
-Double-Edge
-Curse / Ice Beam
@ Leftovers
Porygon is very similar to Wigglytuff and Dunsparce as a Curse user, but sets itself apart with access to Recover, which is incredibly good alongside Thunder Wave and Curse. Curse’s Defense and Attack boost pair well with Thunder Wave, and makes Porygon a surprisingly strong foe with Recoveer. Its also important to remember Recover has 32PP in GSC, letting Porygon spam the move throughout a game. Porygon has excellent longevitiy thanks to Recover and Porygon is also to use Recover against a paralyzed Pokemon until it gets fully paralyzed is very useful and arguably the main reason to use Porygon over other Normals. All the same issues other Curse Normals face apply to Porygon, Haze Weezing, Crit Cross Chop Primeape and Rock-types, but Porygon is also weak to status since it doesn’t run Rest.
#33: Raticate
-Return
-Super Fang
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Super Fang
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Double-Edge / Return
-Super Fang
-Thief
-Hidden Power Ground
@ No Item
-Super Fang
-Thief
-Hidden Power Ground
@ No Item
Raticate is a decently strong and very fast threat in GSC NU, and has some uses that give it a niche on some offensive teams. The main one is Super Fang, which highly chips any foe for half their health and works well with Raticate’s power and excellent Speed , which lets it outspeed Xatu and Primeape. Raticate is quite strong too, with solid Attack and Normal-STAB which is not very widely resisted. Raticate makes a solid RestTalker as a result with Super Fang and Return. It could run an all out attacker set as well with Thief to annoy a bulky wall like Weezing and Hidden Power Ground for Magnemite and chipping Rock-types. The Rat does face the issue of its poor bulk and having no resistances, though, which also leaves it open to Primeape and Hitmonlee. Its also just not strong enough to reliably break through many of the bulkier Pokemon in the tier, such as Weezing, Magnemite and RestTalk Sudowoodo and Dewgong.
#34: Pidgeot
-Return
-Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Whirlwind
@ Leftovers
-Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk / Whirlwind
@ Leftovers
-Return
-Curse
-Substitute
-Whirlwind
@ Leftovers
-Curse
-Substitute
-Whirlwind
@ Leftovers
Pidgeot is entirely outclassed by Fearow offensively, forcing it into a defensive role. With solid bulk and access to moves like Reflect and Whirlwind give it has a spot on some defensive teams. Its immunity to Spikes is also useful, and combined with Reflect its a solid answer to Dugtrio. Pidgeot is one of the few Pokemon to learn a phazing move as well, which is useful for stopping setup sweepers in combination with Reflect and forcing chip with Spikes. Pidgeot could run a unique Curse set with Whirlwind and Substitute as well, forcing chip with Spikes, hitting hard, and is especially good when paired with Light Screen support. It is a decent Pokemon, but struggles with 4MSS and can be hard to fit.
#35: Hitmonchan
-High Jump Kick
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Body Slam / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
I don’t have much to say about Hitmonchan, considering it plays pretty much the exact same role as Hitmonlee. Hitmonchan has a solid matchup vs the tiers Waters, brings role compression, and can lure in and paralyse threats like Xatu. Hitmonlee’s better Attack is generally more useful, but Hitmonchan has better Defense, giving it a better matchup against Pokemon like Dugtrio and helps when switching into Normal types. Hitmonchan could also run an Agility set to clean up late game.
#36: Cubone
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Swords Dance
-Substitute
@ Thick Club
-Rock Slide
-Swords Dance
-Substitute
@ Thick Club
Cubone is the premier Agility Pass recipient of choice in GSC NU due to its item Thick Club giving it doubled Attack. After a Swords Dance, Cubone OHKOs almost the entire metagame with Earthquake and easily dispatches Flying-types with Rock Slide. This makes it a prime recipient of Agility from Farfetch’d, Ledian, or even Ariados as Cubone outspeed the entire tier at +2 Speed outside of Dugtrio. Cubone’s use in GSC NU is almost entirely centered around passing to it, as its otherwise it is very slow and frail, but it definitely has its place a place.
#37: Magcargo
-Fire Blast / Flamethrower
-Rock Slide
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Magcargo is an underrated threat in GSC NU, possesing very unique and useful defensive traits, and I honestly really think it deserves more use then it gets. Magcargo’s typing lets it counter mono Curse Normals very well, while also giving it solid matchups against Gloom, Rapidash, Xatu and Weezing. These Pokemon are all very common, giving Magcargo consistent use. Its decent Special Attack and good STAB Combo also means it is not a complete sitting duck and threatens Curse Normals with Special Attacks. Of course it has flaws, with how easily Water-types destroys it, alongside how common Ground moves are from Pokemon like Stantler and Dugtrio, but I very much believe Magcargo to be underrated in GSC NU.
#38: Ledian
-Agility
-Barrier
-Light Screen
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
-Barrier
-Light Screen
-Baton Pass
@ Leftovers
Ledian is one of the two main Baton Passers in GSC NU alongside Farfetch’d. While Farfetch’d passes Swords Dance and Agility, Ledian passes defensive boosts with Barrier and Light Screen while still passing Agility. This can be game ending when passed to threats such as Cubone, Machoke, and Curse Stantler. Ledian’s very good Special Defense also means it can use standard Xatu as a huge setup point, which is something Farfetch’d can’t do without Light Screen support. This also lets it setup better against foes such as Octillery. Ledian’s big flaw is its complete lack of offense, which leave it completely helpless against Haze Xatu and Weezing, unlike Farfetch‘d who can at least hit them with +2 Return before being Hazed. Passing Swords Dance is also generally more useful and immediately threatening, which can give Ledian competition in the Baton Passer role.
#39: Mantine
-Surf
-Haze
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Haze
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power Grass
-Agility
@ Leftovers
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power Grass
-Agility
@ Leftovers
Mantine is a decent wall, possessing huge Special Defense, Haze, and a Spikes immunity. It can wall non HP Electric Waters pretty well, although it should watch for Ice Beam freezes. It could run an Agility set as well to be an ok lategame cleaner. The 4X weakness to Electric really hurts Mantine overall though, considering Electric-moves are generally common in the metagame on Pokemon such as Weezing, Chinchou, and Octillery. Its low Defense can also hurt it when taking on Pokemon such as Stantler.
#40: Poliwhirl
-Belly Drum
-Lovely Kiss
-Return
-Earthquake
@ Miracle Berry
-Lovely Kiss
-Return
-Earthquake
@ Miracle Berry
Poliwhirl is a solid anti lead, as it has 90 base Speed, as well as the extremely dangerous combo of Lovely Kiss and Belly Drum. This means it can sleep an opposing lead, dodge opposing Sleep from something such as Rapidash, and then pose a threat with Belly Drum. The issue is that Poliwhirl is awful against Xatu, who outspeeds, lives +6 Return, and KOs Poliwhirl, which limits its potential quite a bit. It can also fail to OHKO many crucial Pokemon even at +6.
#41: Exeggcute
-Stun Spore
-Psychic
-Explosion
-Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
@ Leftovers
-Psychic
-Explosion
-Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
@ Leftovers
Exeggcute has a few things over Gloom, most notably Explosion and STAB Psychic. This makes it a solid Primeape check, and can lure in Pokemon like Ninetales with Stun Spore and Explode on them. It is a staple on Sunny Day spam teams because of this.
#42: Corsola
-Curse
-Rock Slide
-Recover
-Surf
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Recover
-Surf
@ Leftovers
Corsola is a usable Rock-type with Recover. Its Water-typing also means its not weak to Water which is nice. Unfortunately its very passive and easy to take advantage of as a result with mons like Primeape and Weezing.
#43: Machoke
-Cross Chop
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
-Curse
@ Miracle Berry
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake
-Curse
@ Miracle Berry
Machoke is one of the scariest Agility recipients in the tier. With its fantastic Cross Chop+QuakeSlide combo, not much handles a +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +1 Speed Machoke reliably. It has barely any use outside of that though.
(From here on the descriptions will be shorter, as most of these mons are very rare/niche/bad)
#44: Slowpoke
-Thunder Wave
-Psychic
-Ice Beam
-Rest
@ Leftovers
-Psychic
-Ice Beam
-Rest
@ Leftovers
It walls Primeape and HP Ice RestTalk Xatu while also being good at spreading paralysis. Xatu switching from HP Electric to HP Ice is good for it. It is very passive most of the time though.
#45: Sunflora
-Growth / Toxic
-Razor Leaf
-Hidden Power Ice
-Synthesis
@ Leftovers
-Razor Leaf
-Hidden Power Ice
-Synthesis
@ Leftovers
Completely dominated by a lot of the best Pokemon in the tier(Weezing and Fires especially). But if you can remove them, Sunflora can be threatening with Growth sets that have Syntheis and Hidden Power Ice.
#46: Sneasel
-Return
-Moonlight
-Ice Beam
-Dynamic Punch / Thief
@ Leftovers / No Item
-Moonlight
-Ice Beam
-Dynamic Punch / Thief
@ Leftovers / No Item
Sneasel looks promising on paper. It completely walls Xatu, but thats it. It comes in on almost nothing else, is pretty passive, and gets completely ruined by status.
#47: Furret
-Double-Edge
-Surf
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Surf
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Furret has one thing over other Normals, Surf. This lets it not be walled by Rocks. Other Normals still better most of the time though.
#48: Parasect
-Spore / Stun Spore
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Hidden Power Bug
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Hidden Power Bug
Double Powders+Light Screen and Reflect, making it an alright supporter though. Almost entirely outclassed by Gloom outside of that.
#49: Venomoth
-Sleep Powder
-Stun Spore
-Psychic
-Sludge Bomb
@ Leftovers
-Stun Spore
-Psychic
-Sludge Bomb
@ Leftovers
Can spread Double powders and do ok damage with Sludge Bomb. Eaten alive by most of the common mons in the tier though. Also gets Baton Pass but can’t pass anything other than Curse....
#50: Voltorb
-Thunder Wave
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Explosion
@ Miracle Berry
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Explosion
@ Miracle Berry
Incredibly fast, so its a good screen setter on BP/Setup type teams. Can Boom as well to give teammates opportunities to come in.
#51: Ariados
-Agility
-Spider Web
-Baton Pass
-Psychic
@ Leftovers
-Spider Web
-Baton Pass
-Psychic
@ Leftovers
Able to lure in, trap, and remove Haze Weezing with Psychic(Uses Agility, Haze Weez comes into remove boosts, gets Spider Webbed and killed). Alright Agility passer outside of that. Disable sets are maybe viable as well.
#52: Seadra
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power Grass
-Haze / Rain Dance
@ Leftovers
-Ice Beam
-Hidden Power Grass
-Haze / Rain Dance
@ Leftovers
Endlessly walled by Chinchou, Dewgong, Azumarill, etc. Also tough to switch in most of the time. If you can remove Waters its kinda scary, but it’s just outclassed by Octillery anyway.
#53: Flaaffy
-Thunder
-Hidden Power Ice
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Hidden Power Ice
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Alright Electric-type. It has Light Screen, Reflect, and Thunder Wave. Stats are kinda crappy though.
#54: Gastly
-Psychic
-Thunder
-Explosion / Destiny Bond
-Thief
@ No Item
-Thunder
-Explosion / Destiny Bond
-Thief
@ No Item
Normal and Fighting immunity is cool! Everything else about Gastly is not cool! It 2HKOd by almost the entire tier and OHKOd by a bunch of common threats while also being not particularly strong.
#55: Elekid
-Thunder
-Ice Punch
-Thief
-Thunderbolt / Light Screen
@ No Item
-Ice Punch
-Thief
-Thunderbolt / Light Screen
@ No Item
Decently strong offensive mon with good coverage and great Speed, but is really frail.
#56: Noctowl
-Night Shade
-Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Noctowl is a decent special Wall, Night Shade/Reflect/RestTalk is not unusable. Easy to setup on though.
#57: Drowzee
-Seismic Toss
-Thunder Wave
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Thunder Wave
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Walls HP Ice Xatu and can spread paralysis. Very passive and easy to take advantage of.
#58: Hitmontop
-Hi Jump Kick
-Rapid Spin / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Rapid Spin / Hidden Power Rock
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Use Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan. Top is weaker, can’t use Body Slam, and the Defense barely helps
#59: ]Snubbull
-Frustration
-Heal Bell
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
-Heal Bell
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
@ Leftovers
Heal Bell is extremely useful, and Snubbull is the only mon that has it. Issue is that its stats are awful and its pretty tough to fit on stall.
#60: Tentacool
-Surf
-Rapid Spin
-Toxic
-Protect
@ Leftovers
-Rapid Spin
-Toxic
-Protect
@ Leftovers
Its really passive, but a decent Toxic immune Spinner.
#61: Beedrill
-Swords Dance
-Agility / Substitute
-Sludge Bomb
-Hidden Power Ground
@ Leftovers
-Agility / Substitute
-Sludge Bomb
-Hidden Power Ground
@ Leftovers
Can use Double Dance stuff with Agility and Swords Dance. Really frail, though.
#62: Bayleef
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Syntheis
-Razor Leaf
@ Leftovers
-Reflect
-Syntheis
-Razor Leaf
@ Leftovers
Use Gloom, he has Fighting-resist and a bunch of other traits! Bayleef has Screens, but its very passive.
#63: Seaking
-Swords Dance
-Return
-Hidden Power Ground
-Agility
@ Leftovers
-Return
-Hidden Power Ground
-Agility
@ Leftovers
Use Kingler instead, The extra SpDef Seaking has is not enough to give it a niche. Flail Endure stuff might be fun, but its unreliable and easy to play around.
#64: Rhyhorn
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Curse
-Roar
@ Leftovers
-Rock Slide
-Curse
-Roar
@ Leftovers
Rock-type with STAB EQ and Roar.
#65: Staryu
-Surf
-Ice Beam / Thunder Wave
-Recover
-Rapid Spin
@ Leftovers
-Ice Beam / Thunder Wave
-Recover
-Rapid Spin
@ Leftovers
Tentacool is better as a Spinner. Might be a decent para spreader though.
#66: Omanyte
-Surf
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
Alright Rock type with STAB Surf. Could wall some Kingler that don’t have Hidden Power Ground
And that is every relevant Pokemon in GSC NU! I hope this elaborated on the Viability of them. This is just the start of this guide though. Part 2 will be up soon and has a Lead Meta analysis and other resources.[/CENTER]lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
#66: Omanyte
-Surf
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
Alright Rock type with STAB Surf. Could wall some Kingler that don’t have Hidden Power Ground
And that is every relevant Pokemon in GSC NU! I hope this elaborated on the Viability of them. This is just the start of this guide though. Part 2 will be up soon and has a Lead Meta analysis and other resources.[/CENTER]lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
#66: Omanyte
-Surf
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
Alright Rock type with STAB Surf. Could wall some Kingler that don’t have Hidden Power Ground
And that is every relevant Pokemon in GSC NU! I hope this elaborated on the Viability of them. This is just the start of this guide though. Part 2 will be up soon and has a Lead Meta analysis and other resources.[/CENTER]lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
#66: Omanyte
-Surf
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
Alright Rock type with STAB Surf. Could wall some Kingler that don’t have Hidden Power Ground
And that is every relevant Pokemon in GSC NU! I hope this elaborated on the Viability of them. This is just the start of this guide though. Part 2 will be up soon and has a Lead Meta analysis and other resources.[/CENTER]lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
#66: Omanyte
-Surf
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
-Thief
-Hidden Power Electric
-Rest
@ No Item
Alright Rock type with STAB Surf. Could wall some Kingler that don’t have Hidden Power Ground
And that is every relevant Pokemon in GSC NU! I hope this elaborated on the Viability of them. This is just the start of this guide though. Part 2 will be up soon and has a Lead Meta analysis and other resources.[/CENTER]lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
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