[OVERVIEW]
Gurdurr makes for a decent option as a bulky Physical attacker in a meta where there are many bulky Pokemon needed to be broken through. Gurdurr has a niche in being bulky enough to set up while being immune to the attack-halving effects of burn. Gurdurr gets STAB Drain Punch which allows for some recovery, as well as STAB priority Mach Punch which allows it to beat faster threats such as Sneasal and Vanilluxe. Guts allows Gurdurr to absorb status and even gain an attack boost from it. Gurdurr has relativly poor special bulk, and while made better by Eviolite, is vulnerable to neutral special attacks. Gurdurr has limited coverage which means it can have trouble with Flying, Fairy, and Poison types.
Other Fighting-types in the tier such as Virizion, Hariyama, Emboar, and Hitmonlee give Gurdurr stiff competition due to speed and raw power.
[SET]
name: Bulky Physical Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Mach Punch
move 4: Knock Off
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Drain Punch allows Gurdurr to regain health while doing damage to its opponent. Mach Punch provides a good priority attack to make up for low speed to beat faster, frailer threats once damaged. Bulk Up will boost Gurdurr's Attack and Defense by one stage, making it even bulkier while hitting even harder. Knock Off can be used to hit Ghost and Psychic types, while removing the foe's item, potentially crippling it. Its also a great move for removing items in general, particularly Golbat's Eviolite.
Set Details
========
Eviolite makes Gurdurr quite bulky on the physically defensive side and helps with its poor special bulk. The listed EV spread allows Gurdurr to avoid the 2HKO from Scarf Emboar's Flare Blitz with Stealth Rocks up. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to allow Gurdurr to hit as hard as possible. Guts allows Gurdurr to ignore what would once be potentially crippling burn and instead boost its attack by 1.5 if burned.
Usage Tips
========
Gurdurr can sufficiently use Knock Off throughout the early-game, as it is a almsot no drawbacks move and can lure in common Gurdurr checks. Drain Punch makes for a good way for Gurdurr to recover some of its HP as well as being its primary STAB attack. Gurdurr can be used to setup or threaten many common Normal, Rock, and Steel types in the metagame. Use this to your advantage when you can pivot in or revenge kill. Gurdurr can also setup on more passive defensive Pokemon such as Regirock. Gurdurr can be a great status absorber due to Guts, but the residual damage can often be worse than the damage boost is worth, particularly with poison. Getting Gurdurr burned is the ideal scenario so the damage from getting poisoned doesn't wear Gurdurr down so fast.
Team Options
========
In order to deal with Psychic types that Gurdurr struggles with, Dark and Ghost type attackers such as Mismagius and Sneasael are quite beneficial. Gurdurr also provides them with a check to bulky Dark types like Incineroar that they struggle with. Poison Types such as Toxicroak and Garbador help Gurdurr deal with Fairy types which resist both of Gurdurr's moves. Gurdurr appreciates the support of Pokemon who threaten Slowbro, a severe threat to Gurdurr as well as an easy switch in. Steelix, Sneasel, and Rhydon all provide answers to flying types that bother Gurdurr. Steelix and Rhydon also give helpful ground coverage that help Gurdurr defeat the Poison-types that resist Gurdurr's primary attacks. Psychic-types like Slowbro and Delphox help Gurdurr deal with Poison-types as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stone Edge is an interesting option that can be used to lure in Flying types such as Vivillon and Xatu that would normally threaten Gurdurr. Ice Punch can be used as well to deal with the likes of Grass and Flying-types without the accuracy drawback of Stone edge, but will do overall less damage to Flying-types. Toxic is a useful option to cripple bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Slowking, and Vaporeon.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bulky Poison Types: Bulky Poison types like Weezing, Vileplume, and Garbador can make for difficulties with either chip damage or taking advantage of Gurdurr's low special defense.
Flying types: Flying types such as Vivillon, Golbat, and Scyther resist Gurdurr's STAB and can use Gurdurr for setup fodder.
Psychic Types: While none can switch in comfortably due to the presence of Knock Off, Psychic Types such as Xatu, Delphox, and Mespirit can deal huge amounts of damage to Gurdurr before it can respond with Knock Off.
Fairy Types: Fairy types such as Aromatisse, Whimsicott, and Granbull resist all of Gurdurr's moves, making Gurdurr nearly useless versus these foes.
Special Attackers: Strong Special Attackers such as Delphox, Vanilluxe, and Sceptile can take advantage of Gurdurr's low Special Defense and KO it with even neutral hits.
Gurdurr makes for a decent option as a bulky Physical attacker in a meta where there are many bulky Pokemon needed to be broken through. Gurdurr has a niche in being bulky enough to set up while being immune to the attack-halving effects of burn. Gurdurr gets STAB Drain Punch which allows for some recovery, as well as STAB priority Mach Punch which allows it to beat faster threats such as Sneasal and Vanilluxe. Guts allows Gurdurr to absorb status and even gain an attack boost from it. Gurdurr has relativly poor special bulk, and while made better by Eviolite, is vulnerable to neutral special attacks. Gurdurr has limited coverage which means it can have trouble with Flying, Fairy, and Poison types.
Other Fighting-types in the tier such as Virizion, Hariyama, Emboar, and Hitmonlee give Gurdurr stiff competition due to speed and raw power.
[SET]
name: Bulky Physical Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Mach Punch
move 4: Knock Off
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Drain Punch allows Gurdurr to regain health while doing damage to its opponent. Mach Punch provides a good priority attack to make up for low speed to beat faster, frailer threats once damaged. Bulk Up will boost Gurdurr's Attack and Defense by one stage, making it even bulkier while hitting even harder. Knock Off can be used to hit Ghost and Psychic types, while removing the foe's item, potentially crippling it. Its also a great move for removing items in general, particularly Golbat's Eviolite.
Set Details
========
Eviolite makes Gurdurr quite bulky on the physically defensive side and helps with its poor special bulk. The listed EV spread allows Gurdurr to avoid the 2HKO from Scarf Emboar's Flare Blitz with Stealth Rocks up. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to allow Gurdurr to hit as hard as possible. Guts allows Gurdurr to ignore what would once be potentially crippling burn and instead boost its attack by 1.5 if burned.
Usage Tips
========
Gurdurr can sufficiently use Knock Off throughout the early-game, as it is a almsot no drawbacks move and can lure in common Gurdurr checks. Drain Punch makes for a good way for Gurdurr to recover some of its HP as well as being its primary STAB attack. Gurdurr can be used to setup or threaten many common Normal, Rock, and Steel types in the metagame. Use this to your advantage when you can pivot in or revenge kill. Gurdurr can also setup on more passive defensive Pokemon such as Regirock. Gurdurr can be a great status absorber due to Guts, but the residual damage can often be worse than the damage boost is worth, particularly with poison. Getting Gurdurr burned is the ideal scenario so the damage from getting poisoned doesn't wear Gurdurr down so fast.
Team Options
========
In order to deal with Psychic types that Gurdurr struggles with, Dark and Ghost type attackers such as Mismagius and Sneasael are quite beneficial. Gurdurr also provides them with a check to bulky Dark types like Incineroar that they struggle with. Poison Types such as Toxicroak and Garbador help Gurdurr deal with Fairy types which resist both of Gurdurr's moves. Gurdurr appreciates the support of Pokemon who threaten Slowbro, a severe threat to Gurdurr as well as an easy switch in. Steelix, Sneasel, and Rhydon all provide answers to flying types that bother Gurdurr. Steelix and Rhydon also give helpful ground coverage that help Gurdurr defeat the Poison-types that resist Gurdurr's primary attacks. Psychic-types like Slowbro and Delphox help Gurdurr deal with Poison-types as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Stone Edge is an interesting option that can be used to lure in Flying types such as Vivillon and Xatu that would normally threaten Gurdurr. Ice Punch can be used as well to deal with the likes of Grass and Flying-types without the accuracy drawback of Stone edge, but will do overall less damage to Flying-types. Toxic is a useful option to cripple bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Slowking, and Vaporeon.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bulky Poison Types: Bulky Poison types like Weezing, Vileplume, and Garbador can make for difficulties with either chip damage or taking advantage of Gurdurr's low special defense.
Flying types: Flying types such as Vivillon, Golbat, and Scyther resist Gurdurr's STAB and can use Gurdurr for setup fodder.
Psychic Types: While none can switch in comfortably due to the presence of Knock Off, Psychic Types such as Xatu, Delphox, and Mespirit can deal huge amounts of damage to Gurdurr before it can respond with Knock Off.
Fairy Types: Fairy types such as Aromatisse, Whimsicott, and Granbull resist all of Gurdurr's moves, making Gurdurr nearly useless versus these foes.
Special Attackers: Strong Special Attackers such as Delphox, Vanilluxe, and Sceptile can take advantage of Gurdurr's low Special Defense and KO it with even neutral hits.
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