November Blue
A universe where hot chips don't exist :(
[Overview]
<p>Upon seeing Gurdurr wave his big, um, girder around, you'd be forgiven for assuming that he's compensating for something. He's not. Gurdurr is one of the most formidable bulky boosting attackers in NU. His base 105 Attack and 85 / 85 / 50 defensive stats, which can be augmented with Eviolite, are more than adequate for a bulky NU Fighting-type. What really gives Gurdurr that "oh wow" factor is his blessed endowment with the combination of Drain Punch, Mach Punch, Bulk Up, and Guts. With these, he has a powerful STAB move, STAB priority, an awesome boosting move to power them up, and safety from status, which could otherwise ruin him. The combination of these four elements not only grants Gurdurr what every slow, bulky stat boosting Pokemon needs—priority, recovery, and a means of dealing with status—but are also unique to Gurdurr's evolutionary line, which gives him an incontestable niche.</p>
<p>Bafflingly, however, a huge hunk of steel swinging around above Gurdurr's head doesn't discourage Flying-types from diving down and henpecking him. In a fair fight, he'd wind up and go all babe ruth on them, but in competitive play, Braviary and Swellow can both terrorize our earthbound protagonist with their powerful STAB moves. Powerful attacks in general don't mix well with Gurdurr's HP, but Drain Punch covers this setback in most cases. He's surprisingly durable on the special side, and after a single Bulk Up, becomes quite difficult to break—Drain Punch makes sure of that. Played well, Gurdurr is almost unstoppable, and teams that don't prepare for him have a very real chance of being swept.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Mach Punch
move 4: Payback / Stone Edge
item: Eviolite
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like Gurdurr himself, this set is pretty simple to use. Bulk Up boosts his Attack and Defense steadily, and it only takes two or three boosts to make him extremely difficult to take down. This brawny bruiser is notorious for Drain Punching himself out of KO range, which makes it an uphill battle for anything attempting to tank his attacks and whittle his health down. Mach Punch is an amazing asset for Gurdurr, and allows him to protect himself from fast, frail attackers that might otherwise be able to force him out, or even worse, KO him. Guts is just the icing on the cake, and makes it much harder for Will-O-Wisp abusers, such as Gardevoir and Weezing, as well as some Ghost-types, to check him. If he can switch into a stray status move, his attacks become so strong that even the bulkiest defensive Pokemon suddenly find themselves in danger of being KOed. To KO defensive Pokemon, Gurdurr will need a coverage move; Payback is the primary option, as it has higher Accuracy and PP than Stone Edge, and scores a super effective hit on prominent threats such as Mesprit, Haunter, and Misdreavus; it also benefits from Gurdurr's low Speed. Alternatively, Stone Edge has a consistent, higher Base Power, and nails Pokemon that resist Fighting-type moves, such as Pinsir, Braviary, and Altaria. However, it has shaky accuracy and a measly 8 PP; SubSplit Haunter can easily PP stall Gurdurr into helplessness. Due to the higher number of Dark-weak Pokemon in NU, Payback is usually more useful, but Stone Edge is still an excellent choice.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread maximizes Gurdurr's special bulk, and the choice between an Adamant or a Careful nature depends on whether you want a little more kick to Gurdurr's punches, or some extra bulk. A Careful nature allows Gurdurr to survive some super effective attacks, namely Choice Specs Mesprit's Psychic, but the drop in offensive power will lessen both his power and recovery. Gurdurr can also adopt a 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD spread for greater power, the trade-off being stronger attacks and a more useful Mach Punch for less special bulk. The power boost means a higher HP yield from Drain Punch, which balances out the loss of bulk a little, but you'll have to keep Gurdurr away from powerful special attackers, such as Magmortar.</p>
<p>Absol is a great teammate for Gurdurr. Its powerful Pursuits, Sucker Punches, and Night Slashes terrify all of the Pokemon that Gurdurr has trouble with, while Gurdurr can clear away the Pokemon that Absol cannot, such as Tangela and Sawk. Kadabra is a good choice too; Gurdurr can eliminate the Dark-types that hinder its sweep, and Kadabra can easily get rid of the Psychic- and Ghost-types that Gurdurr despises. Though he'll never admit it, Gurdurr appreciates Wish support from Pokemon such as Audino and Gardevoir. There will be times when his HP dips a little too far, and a helpful Wish boost can get him back on form safely when Drain Punch is not an option. Gurdurr hates being kissed, and any insistent Jynx will find themselves blasted out from under their wigs by a swift Mach Punch. In Jynx's absence, Pokemon such as Altaria are free to go about their business, which makes them excellent teammates. Braviary and Swellow are good partners too, as Gurdurr can demolish Regirock for them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There are two alternative sets that Gurdurr can use effectively. The first is a SubPunch set, which uses a 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD spread with an Adamant nature and Leftovers, and the moves Substitute, Focus Punch, Mach Punch, and either Payback or Stone Edge. This set plays quite differently to the standard Bulk Up one, as, without Drain Punch, you now have to be conservative with Gurdurr's HP. Substitute gives him protection from threats such as Braviary and Magmortar, and a free turn needed to charge up his frightening Focus Punch. Opponents will expect Gurdurr to be weak and vulnerable to powerful attacks when he first appears on the battlefield, but the protection of Substitute and the heightened power of Gurdurr's attacks—especially Focus Punch—can prove a nasty surprise for them. The second option is a Choice Band set, using the same 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD spread with Adamant, and any four of Drain Punch, Mach Punch, Hammer Arm, Superpower, Payback, and Stone Edge. This variant's Mach Punch becomes a powerful revenge killing tool, and its stronger attacks can net Gurdurr some surprise KOs. Lastly, Rock Slide can be used if you dislike Stone Edge. The higher accuracy and PP are vast improvements, but the power drop is noticeable; Gurdurr will need an extra Bulk Up to get the best mileage out of Rock Slide.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ghost-types, such as Misdreavus and Haunter, are immune to Gurdurr's STAB moves, and can deny him recovery. If Gurdurr is running Stone Edge, these foes will have a much easier time dealing with him—especially Haunter, who can use a diabolical SubSplit set to PP stall Stone Edge and render Gurdurr unable to harm any Ghost-type. Trick users, such as Rotom-S—who also resists Gurdurr's Fighting-type moves— can completely shut Gurdurr down. When Tricked a Choice item, Gurdurr loses the extra bulk provided by Eviolite, and cannot set up any Bulk Ups, which absolutely ruins him. Although he does boast significant special bulk, powerful special attackers such as Magmortar, Exeggutor, and Rotom-S are strong enough to break him. Bulky Psychic-types, such as Mesprit and Gardevoir, are notable, as they have both the power to threaten Gurdurr with a super effective Psychic, and the bulk to survive a Payback. Putting Gurdurr to sleep is an exceptional way to subdue him, and Tangela or Exeggutor are the best choices for the job. Finally, Gurdurr is much easier to deal with if he has not acquired any boosts, so Taunt can keep him in check. His Defense is pretty average without Bulk Up boosts, and Flying-type foes such as Braviary and Swellow can KO him with a powerful Brave Bird.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Gurdurr receives Iron Fist from the Dream World. This ability is quite useful for him, as it powers up Drain Punch, Mach Punch, and Hammer Arm. While the loss of Guts is terrible, and Iron Fist should never be used on Bulk Up sets, Choice Band sets make excellent use of the stronger Mach Punch, and Hammer Arm achieves the same Base Power as Superpower.</p>