QC Checks: atomicllamas / SilentVerse / Spirit
GP Checks: V0x / fleurdyleurse
Swords Dance + Baton Pass
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name: Swords Dance + Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Roost
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Immunity
item: Eviolite
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Nature: Impish
Moves
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Swords Dance allows Gligar to double its Attack and pass it on to incoming teammates with Baton Pass. Roost is a source of reliable recovery, which ensures that Gligar is not worn down too easily
Set Details
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252 EVs in HP and Defense, an Impish nature, Eviolite, and 4 EVs in Special Defense give some bulk to Gligar and allow it to take hits while boosting, even acting as a strong physical wall. Gligar is not invested in Speed, which allows it to slowly pass accumulated boosts and bring its teammates in safely. A spread with a Relaxed nature and 9 Speed IVs can be used to just underspeed Alomomola, ensuring that the incoming physical attacker will not be taking a Scald or Toxic. An alternate spread with Speed investment can be run to ensure Gligar outpaces some Taunt users and can pass Agility and Substitute more efficiently.
Usage Tips
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Gligar can come in on most Fighting-, Poison-, and Steel-types, such as Hitmonlee, Skuntank, and Cobalion, and begin setting up. Remove all immediate threats to Gligar before setting up, such as Pokemon with Ice-type moves, or Water-types such as Slowking. Thanks to its bulk, Gligar can set up numerous times, and because it is uninvested in Speed, it makes for a great relatively slow Baton Pass user to get Pokemon in unscathed. Finally, Gligar should pass boosts to faster Pokemon such as Sharpedo, Drapion, and Cobalion, and Shiftry, as otherwise, the Pokemon receiving the boosts might be easily outsped and revenge killed.
Team Options
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Gligar functions well in tandem with fast physical sweepers, such as Cobalion and Sharpedo, as they appreciate the Attack boosts and can effectively sweep through opposing teams. Gligar also effectively walls Fighting-types for both Cobalion and Sharpedo, and is immune to Ground for Cobalion, and Electric for Sharpedo. Drapion works well in tandem with Gligar, as Gligar is immune to Drapion's sole weakness, Ground, and Drapion is a nice Baton Pass receiver with its good Speed. Water-types such as Slowking and Clawitzer work well with Gligar, as Gligar is immune to Electric-type attacks, and they can take Ice- and Water-type moves for it in return. Lastly, Shiftry is a good teammate, as it appreciates Gligar's ability to take Bug-, Fighting-, and Poison-type moves for it, and also makes good use of boosts that Gligar could pass to it. Shiftry also resists Water-type moves which Gligar is weak to, so it can take those hits for it; furthermore, with Shiftry's immunity to Psychic-type moves, it is a great Pokemon to Baton Pass to if Gligar is threatened out by Slowking.
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