Why is Gorebyss never used in OU?

I think she's among the top underrated pokemon. Shell Smash allows her to outspeed most pokemon outside of weather (as long as they don't have Shell Smash boost, and they're not using Choice Scarf) and with Hydro Pump, she can OHKO probably most pokemon that don't resist it. The only problem is Hydro Pump's accuracy, and Surf probably isn't a viable replacement, because it just doesn't do enough to OHKO the bigger threats.

Most of the times I had her Shell Smash, she outsped most of the mons that were a threat to her and OHKO'd them to boot. She even OHKO'd a Magnezone believe it or not (or maybe it was a Magneton, I forgot). I know that some mons like Latios, Latias, Conkeldurr, Ferrothorn, and I'm sure some others can counter her, but IMO she actually doesn't have that many counters for a NU mon.

One set doesn't generally make a Pokemon. You see Shell Smash / Baton Pass / Scald / HP Fire, typically, to handle the BP aspect as well as STAB and having a way to kill Ferrothorn after the switch in surprise with Shell Smash. This is the only set Gorebyss can fully utilize in the OU metagame; there's no argument that can withstand, normally. With this, things like Adamant Max Attack Breloom kill it with STAB Priority, since Gorebyss has to carry Focus Sash, meaning it loses White Herb which could restore its already frail defenses.

It's an all right Pokemon, but one set doesn't make it.

Vrai said:

most common scarfers outspeed and OHKO, priority sucks, easy to wall/kill, hazards are everywhere, voltturn (and rotom-w niftily outspeeds with a scarf), it's hard as hell to set up without dying, cloyster is a better smasher in general, etc, etc, etc

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Cloyster's ice typing screws him over though. Being pure water, Gorebyss doesn't have to worry so much about priority attacks, and she has HP Grass to take out other waters.

She plays an entirely different role anyway. While Cloyster is best as a physical sweeper, Gorebyss is best as a special sweeper. Cloyster COULD be a special sweeper, but Gorebyss has better sp atk for it. Her only handicap is that she lacks a priority move, but she becomes fast enough where it's usually not a big deal.

Minzy said:

One set doesn't generally make a Pokemon. You see Shell Smash / Baton Pass / Scald / HP Fire, typically, to handle the BP aspect as well as STAB and having a way to kill Ferrothorn after the switch in surprise with Shell Smash. This is the only set Gorebyss can fully utilize in the OU metagame; there's no argument that can withstand, normally. With this, things like Adamant Max Attack Breloom kill it with STAB Priority, since Gorebyss has to carry Focus Sash, meaning it loses White Herb which could restore its already frail defenses.

It's an all right Pokemon, but one set doesn't make it.

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I don't see that many Brelooms anymore, and even if I am faced with a Breloom, I just bring out Shuckle to counter. I switch in, set up rocks, and as soon as Breloom attacks he's Red Carded out. And I don't think Gorebyss needs a Focus Sash, because she can usually survive an attack or two unless it's an attack from an offensive monster like Conkeldurr or Guts Raticate/Swellow.

I run Shell Smash, Surf, Ice Beam, HP Grass on Gorebyss. It gives her decent enough coverage, while Ice Beam takes out dragons (as well as flying types and most grass types) and HP Grass takes out bulky waters. As for Ferrothorn, he isn't a problem, because I can lead with a fire type, like Houndoom, which has not only good sp atk and decent speed, but access to strong fire type moves and taunt, and he can resist Power Whip like a boss to boot.

Some people don't use Gorebyss/Huntail because I guess they feel like they don't want to be considered "cheap" like what smash-passing is considered - even competitive battlers have morals. Even then, while smash-passing is "cheap", it's still manageable in multiple ways, such as phazing, priority, tricking, cursing, etc.

Natural Harmonia Gropius said:

Cloyster's ice typing screws him over though. Being pure water, Gorebyss doesn't have to worry so much about priority attacks, and she has HP Grass to take out other waters.


She plays an entirely different role anyway. While Cloyster is best as a physical sweeper, Gorebyss is best as a special sweeper. Cloyster COULD be a special sweeper, but Gorebyss has better sp atk for it. Her only handicap is that she lacks a priority move, but she becomes fast enough where it's usually not a big deal.


I don't see that many Brelooms anymore, and even if I am faced with a Breloom, I just bring out Shuckle to counter. I switch in, set up rocks, and as soon as Breloom attacks he's Red Carded out. And I don't think Gorebyss needs a Focus Sash, because she can usually survive an attack or two unless it's an attack from an offensive monster like Conkeldurr or Guts Raticate/Swellow.

I run Shell Smash, Surf, Ice Beam, HP Grass on Gorebyss. It gives her decent enough coverage, while Ice Beam takes out dragons (as well as flying types and most grass types) and HP Grass takes out bulky waters. As for Ferrothorn, he isn't a problem, because I can lead with a fire type, like Houndoom, which has not only good sp atk and decent speed, but access to strong fire type moves and taunt, and he can resist Power Whip like a boss to boot.

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K firstly i really hope you were joking about the Breloom being countered by Shuckle comment. You Red Card it out after being Spored and set up on and get swept later in the match because all that does is prolong your fate after Red Card has been used if you are use Shuckle to counter Breloom, its a really bad way to deal with it. Raticate and Swellow are irrelevant as they are NU/RU and are really not offensive monster at all tbh.

Next, Gorebyss as a sweeper is outclassed by Cloyster. Cloysters can use both its attacking stats allowing it a much easier time to sweep whilst Gorebyss has moveslot syndrome. Use HP Fire for Ferro ? Good luck with Gastrodon and other waters like Rotom-W and Jellicent, use HP Grass ? Nice Ferrothorn etc weakness. Cloyster can OHKO every single one of those with either Rock Blast or Icicle Spear. It can even nail physical walls with Hydro Pump whilst Gorebyss struggles with special walls greatly.

Cloyster also has a massive speed advantage, where Gorebyss would fail to such scarfers like Terrakion, Landorus and the like Cloyster simply outspeeds all of them and OHKO's.

Shell Smash sweeper Gorebyss is simply too easy to stop because of the reasons explained above hence why no one uses it and Cloyster is the only SSer in Ou. The main reason you should use it is SmashPassing with Dual Screen support but since Dooxys-S was banned its harder to pull off since D-S was THE ultimate utility mon. Espeon is a good dual screener but lacks SR and the speed and the same with D-D, minus the SR part.

Lastly just for the record Focus Sash mid/late game is still a horrible item choice. White Herb or even LO is far superior. Seems people forget that Stealth Rock/Spikes/SS infest the metagame making sash a wasted slot.

I didn't look carefully at Cloyster's defenses, now that I see how high they are, I get why Cloyster is usually taken over Gorebyss. It's a shame that Gorebyss can't do more, because she's one of my favorite pokemon =/

Natural Harmonia Gropius said:

I didn't look carefully at Cloyster's defenses, now that I see how high they are, I get why Cloyster is usually taken over Gorebyss. It's a shame that Gorebyss can't do more, because she's one of my favorite pokemon =/

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Fear not, my son!

Gorebyss is definitely still capable of putting together a sweep in OU when given proper team support [for example, using Pursuit to trap Blissey or having a Rotom-W using HP Fire out of nowhere to surprise and kill Ferrothorn]. Not only that, but Gorebyss is also infinitely useful as a Baton Passer of Shell Smash, so while Gorebyss may not be able to put together a full sweep at +2/+2/+2, a Salamence certainly could. Gorebyss is also a major threat in the lower tiers, especially NU, so you could use it there, where it has a much better chance of sweeping a team, due to the lack of Pokemon that can wall it.