Jisoo
two slow dancers last ones out
With its excellent bulk with Eviolite, great defensive typing, and reliable recovery, Golbat finds its place on teams that require checks to offensive Pokemon like Sceptile and Passimian. Additionally, the utility that Defog offers gives it a place on teams that require entry hazard control. Golbat possesses a great Speed tier, allowing it to outspeed and deal with threats like Decidueye and Medicham while getting chip damage off against Pokemon like Vanilluxe. Utility options in Super Fang, Toxic, and Taunt offer Golbat a wide range of stallbreaking options against Pokemon like Vaporeon, Mega Audino, and Silvally-Steel. However, Golbat's weakness to Stealth Rock leaves it susceptible to being pressured and forced to Roost frequently, which also makes it less effective as a hazard remover. Golbat's heavy reliance on Eviolite leaves it vulnerable to being exploited by Pokemon it used to be able to check, like Sceptile and Fighting-types, when it has been hit by Knock Off. Golbat's passive nature leaves it prone to being pivoted on and taken advantage of by Pokemon like Steelix, Klinklang, and Rotom.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Defog / Taunt
move 4: Roost
item: Eviolite
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 80 SpD / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Golbat's STAB move that hits Grass- and Fighting-type Pokemon like Decidueye and Medicham for super effective damage. Toxic allows Golbat to deal with threats like Bulk Up Braviary and Comfey while consistently chipping away at Pokemon that are not immune to it. Thanks to Infiltrator, Golbat can bypass the Substitutes of the likes of Braviary and Vivillon and deal with them with Toxic and Brave Bird, respectively. Defog is Golbat's main form of utility, clearing entry hazards for its team and preventing unnecessary residual damage. Taunt inhibits the hazard setting capabilities of Pokemon like Steelix, Garbodor, and Druddigon while stopping Pokemon like Mega Audino and Vaporeon from using Wish and Heal Bell. Super Fang is an option to reliably break down Pokemon like Rhydon and Steelix on the switch, crippling the former due to its lack of recovery and dealing meaningful damage to the latter. Roost is Golbat's recovery move, providing longevity against Pokemon like Sceptile and Whimsicott while also removing Golbat's Flying typing, allowing it to stay in on Pokemon like Diancie.
Set Details
=========
176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Golbat to outspeed positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon like Medicham and Gallade as well as slower Pokemon like Decidueye and Vanilluxe. 252 HP and 80 SpD EVs in conjunction with Eviolite give Golbat the ability to switch into the STAB moves of Pokemon like Sceptile and Whimsicott with ease while still reliably checking Pokemon like Passimian. Infiltrator allows Golbat to bypass Substitutes and deal with threats like Bulk Up Braviary with Toxic and Vivillon with Brave Bird.
Usage Tips
========
Golbat's bulk allows it to directly switch into the STAB moves of a plethora of attackers. For example, it can switch into Pokemon like Sceptile and Passimian and 2HKO if not OHKO these Pokemon with Brave Bird, and it can be used as a switch-in to Dhelmise, though it has to be wary of a Choice Band-boosted Anchor Shot. Golbat can also directly switch in against some Fairy-types like Comfey, but it cannot switch into Aromatisse's coverage and Choice Specs Diancie's Rock STAB attacks, as they both 2HKO Golbat, and it must be wary of Mega Audino's Knock Off. Try to avoid letting Golbat take an unnecessary Knock Off, as without Eviolite, it loses a lot of bulk and has a harder time functioning as a check to threats like Passimian and Scrafty. Stealth Rock is a large detriment to Golbat's ability to act as a defensive check, so make sure to use Golbat's ability to switch into the plethora of passive Pokemon in NU like Vileplume, Mega Audino, and Vaporeon as an opportunity to remove entry hazards with Defog. Utilize Taunt to stop Pokemon like Palossand, Torterra, Miltank, and Ferroseed from setting up hazards, and against Pokemon like Mega Audino and Vaporeon to stop them from using their utility moves. Utilize Toxic to cripple common switch-ins to Golbat like Rhydon and Heliolisk and against bulkier Pokemon that do not function well when badly poisoned, like Palossand and Seismitoad.
Team Options
========
Golbat is best used on stall and bulkier teams where a wide range of offensive threats that can threaten Golbat are covered. Psychic-types like defensive Delphox, Slowking, and Xatu can cover Golbat's Psychic-type weakness and, in the case of Xatu, assist with keeping Stealth Rock off the field. Bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and Pyukumuku synergize well with Golbat defensively, as they are able to handle Pokemon that switch into Golbat like Steelix, Rhydon, and Klinklang, and in return, (don't forget to deformat the commas here) Golbat can beat the Grass-types that plague them. Ground-types like Palossand, Steelix, and Torterra make for great partners, as they are able to provide an Electric immunity and support the team with Stealth Rock. Clerics like Vaporeon, Articuno, and Mega Audino can remove debilitating status conditions like paralysis and burn with Heal Bell and help preserve Golbat's Roost PP and switch it in more safely with Wish.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Poison Fang is an option over Toxic that allows Golbat to badly poison Xatu, which benefits Stealth Rock users like Steelix and Torterra that need help breaking it; however, Toxic is more generally useful against most teams. An alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 12 Def / 248 Spe is an option on some stall teams which allows Golbat to outspeed threats like Magmortar and Vivillon, though this set is less bulky and limits Golbat's ability to switch into Specs Whimsicott's Psychic. Curse can be used to make Golbat a wincon, though this set generally falls short because it loses the utility of Defog. U-turn can be used to give the Golbat user momentum, but this lacks the overall utility of Defog and Taunt.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon** Rhydon and Aerodactyl take negligible damage from Brave Bird and put immense pressure on Golbat with their STAB moves and setup options. Steelix, Klinklang, and Silvally-Steel are immune to Toxic, take almost no damage from Brave Bird, and can take advantage of the switches they force against Golbat by setting up Curse or Gear Grind in the case of Steelix and Klinklang or by utilizing Parting Shot in the case of Silvally-Steel.
**Stealth Rock** Stealth Rock inhibits Golbat's ability to reliably switch in and check Pokemon like Sceptile and remove hazards due to the 25% HP loss it suffers from every time it comes in.
**Electric-type Pokemon** Heliolisk, Rotom, and Vikavolt can take advantage of Golbat's passive playstyle and use their strong Electric STAB moves to deal massive damage against it or employ Volt Switch to gain momentum.
**Knock Off** Golbat is able to switch into Pokemon like Dhelmise and Passimian, though these Pokemon can remove Golbat's Eviolite with Knock Off and can hamper its defensive capabilities. Without Eviolite, Golbat cannot check Pokemon like Vivillon and the aforementioned Dhelmise as well.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Watchog, 288832]]
- Quality checked by: [[kay, 240237], [rozes, 211471], [Rabia, 336073]]
- Grammar checked by: [[talkingtree, 232101], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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