[OVERVIEW]
Gliscor is an amazing Pokemon in the UU metagame that can take on offensive and defensive roles alike. Its fantastic mixed bulk, access to reliable recovery, and immunity to status by virtue of an amazing ability in Poison Heal make it very hard to KO. A great defensive typing in Ground / Flying is also quite helpful to it by providing key resistances to the tier's common Fighting-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks and immunities to Ground and Electric. This allows Gliscor to function as a reliable check to various tier staples, such as Scizor, Cobalion, Mega Beedrill, and Krookodile. As for its offensive qualities, Gliscor's access to Swords Dance alongside moves like Taunt and Toxic gives it the ability to plow through stall teams with relative ease and dismantle certain balanced builds. However, Gliscor is hurt at times by its weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type attacks, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Primarina, Starmie, Mamoswine, and Kyurem. This also means that Gliscor has to be wary of Ice-type coverage on foes it'd normally check such as Mega Manectric and Raikou. Gliscor is also hindered by its only decent Speed tier, which allows it to outpace most defensive foes but leaves it vulnerable to common revenge killers in Hydreigon, Latias, and Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Stallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Facade
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 76 Atk / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Gliscor's Attack by two stages, turning it into a threatening sweeper. Earthquake is a powerful STAB attack that Gliscor can use to dent a large portion of the metagame when given an Attack boost. Roost gives Gliscor a way of reliably restoring its HP, which is useful alongside Poison Heal for remaining healthy for a long time. Facade hits Pokemon immune or resistant to Ground, such as Mantine, Mega Pidgeot, and Celebi, for respectable damage thanks to Toxic Orb. Ice Fang eases Gliscor's matchup against a few Pokemon that resist or are immune to its other attacks, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile, and opposing Gliscor. Toxic is also an option for crippling a few Pokemon seen on stall teams that Gliscor can't beat, most notably Quagsire.
Set Details
========
244 EVs invested in HP maximize Poison Heal recovery, and 188 EVs invested in Speed with a Jolly nature give Gliscor a Speed advantage over a few key threats, most notably Nidoking and Entei. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack to give unboosted Gliscor a chance of OHKOing Nidoking after Stealth Rock. Poison Heal alongside a Toxic Orb is mandatory for giving Gliscor its stallbreaking capabilities, as it can heal 1/8 of its HP each turn while evading or negating status conditions and chip damage stall teams may try inflicting.
Usage Tips
========
In order to find an opportunity to set up, Gliscor should come in on passive Pokemon, such as Klefki and Hippowdon, or on Pokemon that can't damage it very easily, like Mega Beedrill and Cobalion. Gliscor should almost never switch into foes with attacks that inflict status, such as Alomomola and Jellicent, until its Toxic Orb has activated, as without the impressive longevity from Poison Heal, Gliscor can't properly break bulkier teams. As a result, the same goes for foes that commonly carry Knock Off, such as Mega Beedrill, Krookodile, and Alolan Muk. Due to Gliscor's common weaknesses, it is important to scout for super effective coverage on various foes before switching Gliscor into them. Examples include Mega Manectric with Hidden Power Ice and Mega Aerodactyl with Aqua Tail.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on bulky offensive builds that appreciate Gliscor's ability to check threats like Cobalion, Krookodile, and Mega Beedrill while also dismantling several defensive cores. Water-type checks are quite important due to Gliscor's inability to beat most of them one-on-one, making Pokemon like Celebi, Magneton, and Amoonguss good options for teammates. Water-types themselves, such as Empoleon and Primarina, also make useful partners, as they resist the Ice- and Water-type attacks that Gliscor hates taking and appreciate having a partner capable of switching into Electric-type attacks. Despite sharing a weakness to Ice, Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Latias can switch into Water-type attacks for Gliscor and appreciate its ability to take down defensive Fairy- and Steel-types. Said Dragon-types can often check Gliscor somewhat adequately, which makes checks to them, like Primarina, Mega Steelix, and Sylveon, appreciated. Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Cobalion, Swampert, and Klefki can aid Gliscor in punishing switches and breaking past foes.
[SET]
name: Taunt Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Roost
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 208 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Taunt shuts down several passive Pokemon that rely on status moves, such as Blissey, Hippowdon, Klefki, and Amoonguss. Earthquake is a decently powerful STAB attack and adequately chips the defensive Pokemon that this set often aims to break down. Sand Tomb can be used in place of Earthquake, however, in order to trap and stall out defensive Pokemon like Blissey, Hippowdon, and Alomomola. This does make Gliscor significantly more passive against faster offensive threats, however. Toxic further chips defensive Pokemon that Gliscor often attempts to break past, such as Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, and Alomomola, once they are hit by Taunt. Roost is important for keeping Gliscor healthy and restores health quite well alongside Poison Heal.
Set Details
========
The given HP investment maximizes Poison Heal recovery, while 56 EVs invested in Speed allow Gliscor to outspeed fully invested base 70 Speed Pokemon, such as Volcanion, Magneton, some Metagross sets, and the rare Decidueye. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense to give Gliscor a decent amount of mixed bulk, which allows it to tank weak hits from passive Pokemon, such as Play Rough from Klefki and Giga Drain from Amoonguss. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb are mandatory as the ability and item, as healing 1/8 of maximum HP makes stallbreaking quite a bit easier. Heavier Speed investment can be run to outspeed fully invested base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Togekiss and Chandelure. However, this is often suboptimal, as it cuts into Gliscor's special bulk.
Usage Tips
========
It is best for Gliscor to avoid switching in on Pokemon that often use status-inflicting moves, such as Alomomola and Chandelure, until it has already been poisoned, as this otherwise risks the chance of losing Poison Heal recovery and stallbreaking reliability. Switching into Pokemon that carry Knock Off, such as Mega Absol and Krookodile, is also suboptimal until Gliscor is poisoned for similar reasons. Taunt and Toxic should be used to simultaneously chip down passive Pokemon and prevent their recovery, which makes the likes of Sylveon, Slowbro, Alomomola, and Mandibuzz good targets of both attacks. Earthquake should be used to chip the aforementioned Pokemon alongside Toxic damage, though it is also important to hit defensive Pokemon that are immune to poison, like Amoonguss, Mega Steelix, Tentacruel, Empoleon, and Scizor, with it after shutting them down with Taunt. Roost should be used frequently while stallbreaking, as Gliscor is quite susceptible to being worn down. Alongside being a stall and balance breaker, this set doubles as a stop to several entry hazard setters, such as Klefki, Hippowdon, and Blissey. In order to prevent entry hazards from being set by them, Gliscor should try predicting them to switch in and coming into play at the same time as these Pokemon, as it can afterwards hit them with a fast Taunt. Some Pokemon that Gliscor may check on paper, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Raikou, and Mega Manectric, can carry Ice-type coverage to surprise it with. Therefore, it is important that these Pokemon's Ice-type attacks are scouted for prior to switching Gliscor into them.
Team Options
========
This set is best fit onto bulky offensive teams, as the archetype will often appreciate a Pokemon capable of easily breaking past most of the tier's defensive threats. While Gliscor can deal with more passive Water-types, it can struggle against those that are offensively inclined, such as Primarina, Rotom-W, and Volcanion. Due to this, it often appreciates Pokemon capable of checking offensive Water-types, like Celebi, Jellicent, and Mega Blastoise, as partners. Switch-ins to Ice-type attacks are also quite important, which makes Primarina, Scizor, Volcanion, and Cobalion useful Pokemon. Entry hazard setters like Celebi, Krookodile, and Empoleon can aid Gliscor in punishing the several switches that it forces. Dragon-type checks like Scizor, Togekiss, and Mamoswine can ease Gliscor's matchup against Hydreigon and Latias, with Mamoswine also providing potential Knock Off support.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off / Toxic
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 76 Atk / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock gives Gliscor a way of supporting its teammates with entry hazards and punishes foes switching in with chip damage. Earthquake gives Gliscor an offensive presence that it would otherwise lack, allowing it to dent Pokemon like Cobalion, Mega Manectric, and Infernape. Roost is essential for keeping Gliscor healthy throughout the match and restores quite a bit of health alongside Poison Heal. U-turn gives Gliscor a way of pivoting out of undesirable matchups and is also useful for chipping foes and bringing frailer teammates in safely. Knock Off can be run over U-turn to burden Gliscor's typical switch-ins, such as Latias, Scizor, and Hydreigon, with the removal of their items. Toxic cripples the more defensive Pokemon that will often be switched into Gliscor, such as Suicune, Hippowdon, and Swampert. Ice Fang is an option for hitting various Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, like Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, but it often isn't preferred due to its low power against foes that aren't hit super effectively. Facade is another attacking option on this set due to its good power from Gliscor's poisoning, but it also isn't often preferred, as it has rather poor coverage.
Set Details
========
244 EVs invested in HP enable Gliscor to restore as much health as possible from Poison Heal, and 188 EVs invested in Speed give it the ability to outspeed a few key threats, including Volcanion, Entei, and Nidoking. The remaining investment goes to Attack in order to give Gliscor's Earthquake a fair chance of OHKOing Entei. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb are mandatory, as they together give Gliscor a good amount of longevity by healing 1/8 of its HP each turn. Heavier investment in Special Defense is an option for bolstering Gliscor's mixed tanking capabilities, though this prevents Gliscor from outspeeding and KOing threats like Nidoking, which is often more important.
Usage Tips
========
Gliscor is best brought into play early on in order to set Stealth Rock as quickly as possible. This is especially true if the opposing team lacks entry hazard removal or if it features several Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon. Gliscor should often be kept healthy throughout a match, as this is required to allow it to deal with the Pokemon it will often aim to check, like Mega Beedrill and Cobalion. U-turn is a good move to use multiple times throughout the early-game, as it chips Pokemon that switch in on Gliscor, and in time adequately weakens them for a teammate. If they're being run, Knock Off and Toxic are also good moves to frequently use early on in the match, as they annoy most foes that will switch in or be used as leads. Ice-type coverage needs to be scouted for on Pokemon that Gliscor will often try checking, such as Mega Manectric and Raikou, as it will otherwise be lured in and removed from play by them.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers like Cobalion, Latias, and Celebi and wallbreakers like Mamoswine, Mega Blastoise, and Terrakion appreciate the entry hazard support Gliscor can provide them with. Frailer offensive Pokemon, such as Infernape, Starmie, and Mega Absol, enjoy the pivot support that Gliscor is capable of providing them with. Water-type checks like Seismitoad, Rotom-W, and Mega Sceptile can provide Gliscor with a switch-in to the powerful Water-type attacks that threaten it. Ice-type switch-ins, such as Mega Blastoise, Suicune, and Entei, are also often useful teammates to Gliscor. Dragon-type checks like Mamoswine and Sylveon can ease Gliscor's matchup against Hydreigon and Latias, and these Dragon-types make decent teammates themselves thanks to their ability to switch into the Grass- and Water-types that Gliscor either hates taking hits from or struggles to break past. Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent can prevent the use of Rapid Spin, while Tornadus can utilize its Defiant ability to act as a Defog deterrent for Gliscor.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A sweeping set utilizing the moves Earthquake, Swords Dance, Rock Polish, and one of Ice Fang and Stone Edge alongside a Z-Crystal can be used to clean up late-game quite easily, though Gliscor's poor damage output can cause it to rely on its Z-Move in order to break past foes. Acrobatics is a decent attacking option, as it grants Gliscor access to a powerful Flying-type STAB move after it has been hit with Knock Off. However, this is quite situational and will often waste a moveslot, despite the attack's good coverage. Gliscor can invest fully in Defense in order to check Pokemon like Metagross and Mega Aerodactyl more reliably, though this gives it rather poor special bulk, which further increases its weakness to the tier's common Water-types. Defog may seem like a good option at first, but it unfortunately isn't compatible with Poison Heal; forgoing Poison Heal makes Gliscor vulnerable to status, so Pokemon like Scizor and Latias are better options for this role
Checks and Counters
===================
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Gliscor has good mixed bulk, but it unfortunately isn't enough for it to withstand hits from especially powerful offensive threats such as Terrakion, Mega Pidgeot, Infernape, Mega Altaria, and Hydreigon.
**Water-types**: While especially passive or Ground-weak Water-types like Alomomola and Tentacruel have shaky matchups against Gliscor, the likes of Swampert, Jellicent, Slowbro, and Suicune can all tank Earthquake while hitting Gliscor fairly hard with STAB Scald. More offensively inclined Water-types, such as Mega Sharpedo, Mega Blastoise, Primarina, and Rotom-W, are particularly troublesome due to their ability to outspeed Gliscor and heavily damage it with their STAB attacks. However, if they get poisoned, most of them are able to be stalled out by the SubToxic set.
**Ice-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Due to Gliscor's 4x weakness to Ice, the likes of Mamoswine, Mega Abomasnow, and Kyurem can prove extremely troublesome. Ice-type coverage from foes like Metagross and Mega Manectric is also quite problematic, as these Pokemon would otherwise be easy switch-in opportunities for Gliscor.
**Grass-types**: Gliscor has little in its arsenal to offensively pressure the likes of Mega Sceptile and Celebi. In return, the former can heavily dent Gliscor with STAB Leaf Storm, while the latter can use it as setup bait while healing potential poison with Natural Cure.
Gliscor is an amazing Pokemon in the UU metagame that can take on offensive and defensive roles alike. Its fantastic mixed bulk, access to reliable recovery, and immunity to status by virtue of an amazing ability in Poison Heal make it very hard to KO. A great defensive typing in Ground / Flying is also quite helpful to it by providing key resistances to the tier's common Fighting-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks and immunities to Ground and Electric. This allows Gliscor to function as a reliable check to various tier staples, such as Scizor, Cobalion, Mega Beedrill, and Krookodile. As for its offensive qualities, Gliscor's access to Swords Dance alongside moves like Taunt and Toxic gives it the ability to plow through stall teams with relative ease and dismantle certain balanced builds. However, Gliscor is hurt at times by its weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type attacks, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Primarina, Starmie, Mamoswine, and Kyurem. This also means that Gliscor has to be wary of Ice-type coverage on foes it'd normally check such as Mega Manectric and Raikou. Gliscor is also hindered by its only decent Speed tier, which allows it to outpace most defensive foes but leaves it vulnerable to common revenge killers in Hydreigon, Latias, and Aqua Tail Mega Aerodactyl.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Stallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Facade
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 76 Atk / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Gliscor's Attack by two stages, turning it into a threatening sweeper. Earthquake is a powerful STAB attack that Gliscor can use to dent a large portion of the metagame when given an Attack boost. Roost gives Gliscor a way of reliably restoring its HP, which is useful alongside Poison Heal for remaining healthy for a long time. Facade hits Pokemon immune or resistant to Ground, such as Mantine, Mega Pidgeot, and Celebi, for respectable damage thanks to Toxic Orb. Ice Fang eases Gliscor's matchup against a few Pokemon that resist or are immune to its other attacks, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile, and opposing Gliscor. Toxic is also an option for crippling a few Pokemon seen on stall teams that Gliscor can't beat, most notably Quagsire.
Set Details
========
244 EVs invested in HP maximize Poison Heal recovery, and 188 EVs invested in Speed with a Jolly nature give Gliscor a Speed advantage over a few key threats, most notably Nidoking and Entei. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack to give unboosted Gliscor a chance of OHKOing Nidoking after Stealth Rock. Poison Heal alongside a Toxic Orb is mandatory for giving Gliscor its stallbreaking capabilities, as it can heal 1/8 of its HP each turn while evading or negating status conditions and chip damage stall teams may try inflicting.
Usage Tips
========
In order to find an opportunity to set up, Gliscor should come in on passive Pokemon, such as Klefki and Hippowdon, or on Pokemon that can't damage it very easily, like Mega Beedrill and Cobalion. Gliscor should almost never switch into foes with attacks that inflict status, such as Alomomola and Jellicent, until its Toxic Orb has activated, as without the impressive longevity from Poison Heal, Gliscor can't properly break bulkier teams. As a result, the same goes for foes that commonly carry Knock Off, such as Mega Beedrill, Krookodile, and Alolan Muk. Due to Gliscor's common weaknesses, it is important to scout for super effective coverage on various foes before switching Gliscor into them. Examples include Mega Manectric with Hidden Power Ice and Mega Aerodactyl with Aqua Tail.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on bulky offensive builds that appreciate Gliscor's ability to check threats like Cobalion, Krookodile, and Mega Beedrill while also dismantling several defensive cores. Water-type checks are quite important due to Gliscor's inability to beat most of them one-on-one, making Pokemon like Celebi, Magneton, and Amoonguss good options for teammates. Water-types themselves, such as Empoleon and Primarina, also make useful partners, as they resist the Ice- and Water-type attacks that Gliscor hates taking and appreciate having a partner capable of switching into Electric-type attacks. Despite sharing a weakness to Ice, Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Latias can switch into Water-type attacks for Gliscor and appreciate its ability to take down defensive Fairy- and Steel-types. Said Dragon-types can often check Gliscor somewhat adequately, which makes checks to them, like Primarina, Mega Steelix, and Sylveon, appreciated. Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Cobalion, Swampert, and Klefki can aid Gliscor in punishing switches and breaking past foes.
[SET]
name: Taunt Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Roost
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 208 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Taunt shuts down several passive Pokemon that rely on status moves, such as Blissey, Hippowdon, Klefki, and Amoonguss. Earthquake is a decently powerful STAB attack and adequately chips the defensive Pokemon that this set often aims to break down. Sand Tomb can be used in place of Earthquake, however, in order to trap and stall out defensive Pokemon like Blissey, Hippowdon, and Alomomola. This does make Gliscor significantly more passive against faster offensive threats, however. Toxic further chips defensive Pokemon that Gliscor often attempts to break past, such as Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, and Alomomola, once they are hit by Taunt. Roost is important for keeping Gliscor healthy and restores health quite well alongside Poison Heal.
Set Details
========
The given HP investment maximizes Poison Heal recovery, while 56 EVs invested in Speed allow Gliscor to outspeed fully invested base 70 Speed Pokemon, such as Volcanion, Magneton, some Metagross sets, and the rare Decidueye. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense to give Gliscor a decent amount of mixed bulk, which allows it to tank weak hits from passive Pokemon, such as Play Rough from Klefki and Giga Drain from Amoonguss. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb are mandatory as the ability and item, as healing 1/8 of maximum HP makes stallbreaking quite a bit easier. Heavier Speed investment can be run to outspeed fully invested base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Togekiss and Chandelure. However, this is often suboptimal, as it cuts into Gliscor's special bulk.
Usage Tips
========
It is best for Gliscor to avoid switching in on Pokemon that often use status-inflicting moves, such as Alomomola and Chandelure, until it has already been poisoned, as this otherwise risks the chance of losing Poison Heal recovery and stallbreaking reliability. Switching into Pokemon that carry Knock Off, such as Mega Absol and Krookodile, is also suboptimal until Gliscor is poisoned for similar reasons. Taunt and Toxic should be used to simultaneously chip down passive Pokemon and prevent their recovery, which makes the likes of Sylveon, Slowbro, Alomomola, and Mandibuzz good targets of both attacks. Earthquake should be used to chip the aforementioned Pokemon alongside Toxic damage, though it is also important to hit defensive Pokemon that are immune to poison, like Amoonguss, Mega Steelix, Tentacruel, Empoleon, and Scizor, with it after shutting them down with Taunt. Roost should be used frequently while stallbreaking, as Gliscor is quite susceptible to being worn down. Alongside being a stall and balance breaker, this set doubles as a stop to several entry hazard setters, such as Klefki, Hippowdon, and Blissey. In order to prevent entry hazards from being set by them, Gliscor should try predicting them to switch in and coming into play at the same time as these Pokemon, as it can afterwards hit them with a fast Taunt. Some Pokemon that Gliscor may check on paper, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Raikou, and Mega Manectric, can carry Ice-type coverage to surprise it with. Therefore, it is important that these Pokemon's Ice-type attacks are scouted for prior to switching Gliscor into them.
Team Options
========
This set is best fit onto bulky offensive teams, as the archetype will often appreciate a Pokemon capable of easily breaking past most of the tier's defensive threats. While Gliscor can deal with more passive Water-types, it can struggle against those that are offensively inclined, such as Primarina, Rotom-W, and Volcanion. Due to this, it often appreciates Pokemon capable of checking offensive Water-types, like Celebi, Jellicent, and Mega Blastoise, as partners. Switch-ins to Ice-type attacks are also quite important, which makes Primarina, Scizor, Volcanion, and Cobalion useful Pokemon. Entry hazard setters like Celebi, Krookodile, and Empoleon can aid Gliscor in punishing the several switches that it forces. Dragon-type checks like Scizor, Togekiss, and Mamoswine can ease Gliscor's matchup against Hydreigon and Latias, with Mamoswine also providing potential Knock Off support.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off / Toxic
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 76 Atk / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock gives Gliscor a way of supporting its teammates with entry hazards and punishes foes switching in with chip damage. Earthquake gives Gliscor an offensive presence that it would otherwise lack, allowing it to dent Pokemon like Cobalion, Mega Manectric, and Infernape. Roost is essential for keeping Gliscor healthy throughout the match and restores quite a bit of health alongside Poison Heal. U-turn gives Gliscor a way of pivoting out of undesirable matchups and is also useful for chipping foes and bringing frailer teammates in safely. Knock Off can be run over U-turn to burden Gliscor's typical switch-ins, such as Latias, Scizor, and Hydreigon, with the removal of their items. Toxic cripples the more defensive Pokemon that will often be switched into Gliscor, such as Suicune, Hippowdon, and Swampert. Ice Fang is an option for hitting various Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, like Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, but it often isn't preferred due to its low power against foes that aren't hit super effectively. Facade is another attacking option on this set due to its good power from Gliscor's poisoning, but it also isn't often preferred, as it has rather poor coverage.
Set Details
========
244 EVs invested in HP enable Gliscor to restore as much health as possible from Poison Heal, and 188 EVs invested in Speed give it the ability to outspeed a few key threats, including Volcanion, Entei, and Nidoking. The remaining investment goes to Attack in order to give Gliscor's Earthquake a fair chance of OHKOing Entei. Poison Heal and Toxic Orb are mandatory, as they together give Gliscor a good amount of longevity by healing 1/8 of its HP each turn. Heavier investment in Special Defense is an option for bolstering Gliscor's mixed tanking capabilities, though this prevents Gliscor from outspeeding and KOing threats like Nidoking, which is often more important.
Usage Tips
========
Gliscor is best brought into play early on in order to set Stealth Rock as quickly as possible. This is especially true if the opposing team lacks entry hazard removal or if it features several Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon. Gliscor should often be kept healthy throughout a match, as this is required to allow it to deal with the Pokemon it will often aim to check, like Mega Beedrill and Cobalion. U-turn is a good move to use multiple times throughout the early-game, as it chips Pokemon that switch in on Gliscor, and in time adequately weakens them for a teammate. If they're being run, Knock Off and Toxic are also good moves to frequently use early on in the match, as they annoy most foes that will switch in or be used as leads. Ice-type coverage needs to be scouted for on Pokemon that Gliscor will often try checking, such as Mega Manectric and Raikou, as it will otherwise be lured in and removed from play by them.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers like Cobalion, Latias, and Celebi and wallbreakers like Mamoswine, Mega Blastoise, and Terrakion appreciate the entry hazard support Gliscor can provide them with. Frailer offensive Pokemon, such as Infernape, Starmie, and Mega Absol, enjoy the pivot support that Gliscor is capable of providing them with. Water-type checks like Seismitoad, Rotom-W, and Mega Sceptile can provide Gliscor with a switch-in to the powerful Water-type attacks that threaten it. Ice-type switch-ins, such as Mega Blastoise, Suicune, and Entei, are also often useful teammates to Gliscor. Dragon-type checks like Mamoswine and Sylveon can ease Gliscor's matchup against Hydreigon and Latias, and these Dragon-types make decent teammates themselves thanks to their ability to switch into the Grass- and Water-types that Gliscor either hates taking hits from or struggles to break past. Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent can prevent the use of Rapid Spin, while Tornadus can utilize its Defiant ability to act as a Defog deterrent for Gliscor.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A sweeping set utilizing the moves Earthquake, Swords Dance, Rock Polish, and one of Ice Fang and Stone Edge alongside a Z-Crystal can be used to clean up late-game quite easily, though Gliscor's poor damage output can cause it to rely on its Z-Move in order to break past foes. Acrobatics is a decent attacking option, as it grants Gliscor access to a powerful Flying-type STAB move after it has been hit with Knock Off. However, this is quite situational and will often waste a moveslot, despite the attack's good coverage. Gliscor can invest fully in Defense in order to check Pokemon like Metagross and Mega Aerodactyl more reliably, though this gives it rather poor special bulk, which further increases its weakness to the tier's common Water-types. Defog may seem like a good option at first, but it unfortunately isn't compatible with Poison Heal; forgoing Poison Heal makes Gliscor vulnerable to status, so Pokemon like Scizor and Latias are better options for this role
Checks and Counters
===================
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Gliscor has good mixed bulk, but it unfortunately isn't enough for it to withstand hits from especially powerful offensive threats such as Terrakion, Mega Pidgeot, Infernape, Mega Altaria, and Hydreigon.
**Water-types**: While especially passive or Ground-weak Water-types like Alomomola and Tentacruel have shaky matchups against Gliscor, the likes of Swampert, Jellicent, Slowbro, and Suicune can all tank Earthquake while hitting Gliscor fairly hard with STAB Scald. More offensively inclined Water-types, such as Mega Sharpedo, Mega Blastoise, Primarina, and Rotom-W, are particularly troublesome due to their ability to outspeed Gliscor and heavily damage it with their STAB attacks. However, if they get poisoned, most of them are able to be stalled out by the SubToxic set.
**Ice-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Due to Gliscor's 4x weakness to Ice, the likes of Mamoswine, Mega Abomasnow, and Kyurem can prove extremely troublesome. Ice-type coverage from foes like Metagross and Mega Manectric is also quite problematic, as these Pokemon would otherwise be easy switch-in opportunities for Gliscor.
**Grass-types**: Gliscor has little in its arsenal to offensively pressure the likes of Mega Sceptile and Celebi. In return, the former can heavily dent Gliscor with STAB Leaf Storm, while the latter can use it as setup bait while healing potential poison with Natural Cure.
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