
Goodra-Hisui
Type(s) - Steel/Dragon
Base Stats - 80 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 110 SpA / 150 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Sap Sipper/Shell Armor/Gooey [HA]
Moveset
Level Up:
01: Shelter
01: Acid Spray
01: Tearful Look
01: Feint
01: Absorb
01: Tackle
01: Water Gun
01: Dragon Breath
Evo: Iron Tail
15: Protect
20: Flail
25: Water Pulse
30: Rain Dance
35: Dragon Pulse
43: Curse
49: Iron Head
49: Body Slam
58: Muddy Water
67: Heavy Slam
TMS:
001: Take Down
002: Charm
007: Protect
011: Water Pulse
013: Acid Spray
022: Chilling Water
025: Facade
026: Poison Tail
028: Bulldoze
035: Mud Shot
044: Dragon Tail
047: Endure
049: Sunny Day
050: Rain Dance
066: Body Slam
067: Fire Punch
068: Thunder Punch
070: Sleep Talk
078: Dragon Claw
084: Stomping Tantrum
085: Rest
086: Rock Slide
089: Body Press
103: Substitute
115: Dragon Pulse
123: Surf
125: Flamethrower
126: Thunderbolt
135: Ice Beam
141: Fire Blast
142: Hydro Pump
143: Blizzard
148: Sludge Bomb
149: Earthquake
152: Giga Impact
156: Outrage
163: Hyper Beam
169: Draco Meteor
171: Tera Blast
Egg Moves:
Counter
Life Dew
01: Shelter
01: Acid Spray
01: Tearful Look
01: Feint
01: Absorb
01: Tackle
01: Water Gun
01: Dragon Breath
Evo: Iron Tail
15: Protect
20: Flail
25: Water Pulse
30: Rain Dance
35: Dragon Pulse
43: Curse
49: Iron Head
49: Body Slam
58: Muddy Water
67: Heavy Slam
TMS:
001: Take Down
002: Charm
007: Protect
011: Water Pulse
013: Acid Spray
022: Chilling Water
025: Facade
026: Poison Tail
028: Bulldoze
035: Mud Shot
044: Dragon Tail
047: Endure
049: Sunny Day
050: Rain Dance
066: Body Slam
067: Fire Punch
068: Thunder Punch
070: Sleep Talk
078: Dragon Claw
084: Stomping Tantrum
085: Rest
086: Rock Slide
089: Body Press
103: Substitute
115: Dragon Pulse
123: Surf
125: Flamethrower
126: Thunderbolt
135: Ice Beam
141: Fire Blast
142: Hydro Pump
143: Blizzard
148: Sludge Bomb
149: Earthquake
152: Giga Impact
156: Outrage
163: Hyper Beam
169: Draco Meteor
171: Tera Blast
Egg Moves:
Counter
Life Dew
- Heavy Slam
- Iron Head
- Dragon Claw
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Flash Cannon
- Fire Blast
- Flamethrower
- Focus Blast
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Chilling Water
- Body Press
- Curse
- Shelter
Shelter - Steel-type | Status | --- acc | 10 PP [max 16] | Raises Defense by 2 stages
The release of Pokemon: Legends Arceus introduced many variants to existing Pokemon in the form of regional forms and new evolutions. Many breathed new life into them - look at Samurott, Ursaluna, and Sneasler, for example, poised to be some of the best mons introduced into the SV OU metagame with the advent of HOME compatibility. Others are less fortunate, but still potentially noteworthy, as was the case with mons like Kleavor and Basculegion, among many others.
Goodra’s new regional variant fell into the former, granting it a part Steel-typing and a +30 Defense buff, in exchange for 20 points of Speed and 10 points in HP. With an amazing defensive typing and great mixed bulk, Hisuian Goodra is poised to be a powerful, hard-to-break tank. However, it’s not like it’s a slump offensively either - with decent offenses and a wide offensive movepool, Hisuian Goodra is able to fight back against the opponent. The Steel-type in particular lets Goodra hit the Fairy-types that would stomach its Dragon STAB, and it has a variety of coverage moves in Earthquake/Fire Blast for opposing Steel-types.
However, Hisuian Goodra is not without its flaws. Firstly, that Defense buff cost it 20 points of speed, putting it behind many pokemon in the tier, including offensive threats and faster defensive threats like Great Tusk. In addition, its defensive typing still retains weaknesses to common offensive types like Fighting and Ground, traits bad in a meta where Great Tusk still runs rampant. Furthermore, being a Steel not resistant to Fairy or Ice can be quite troublesome at times. Having no means of reliable recovery also hurts and leaves Hisuian Goodra easy to wear down as well.
Positives:
- Steel/Dragon is an amazing defensive typing, granting it a bevy of valuable resistances to common types like Electric and Water.
- This typing also covers a decent variety of weaknesses, notably being a Steel that doesn’t fear Fire-type moves.
- Amazing special bulk backs up that further amazing defensive typing, and its physical bulk is massively improved compared to its base form.
- Is not completely passive thanks to decent offensive stats of 100/110 and a variety of coverage moves to hit other pokemon.
- Very slow, sitting at the base 60 speed tier. Many mons outspeed it, which is bad in such a fast-paced meta.
- No recovery outside of Leftovers [Life Dew is too weak, RestTalk sets are potentially an option but are gimmicky at best] leaves Hisuian Goodra easy to wear down.
- Its defensive typing leaves it with common weaknesses to mons like Zamazenta and its Crowned variant, as well as Great Tusk, Sneasler, and Ursaluna.
- It’s a Steel that doesn’t resist Fairy and Ice thanks to being part Dragon-type. This causes all sorts of problems against mons like Chien-Pao and Enamorous.
- In all fairness, it’s not likely that Hisuian Goodra will want to Terastallize.
- Considering its great defensive typing is what carries it, it’s not likely it will want to give that up. Plus, there will likely be better users of Terastallization on its team.
- That said, if you need to Tera it, Tera Flying may be your main way to go. It flips Hisuian Goodra’s weaknesses to Ground and Fighting and turns them into resistances/immunities. However, bear in mind that you may need HDB if you do this to ensure that you do not crumble to Stealth Rocks and you will be left without Leftovers recovery as a result.
- Tera Poison may be an option if you need something that can keep Iron Valiant/other Fairies and Fightings in check. However, it retains a weakness to Ground-types, so make sure that your team has the capacity to deal with threats like Ursaluna and Great Tusk.
- Other options may include Tera Steel, Tera Ghost, or Tera Water depending on the scenario.
Tank [Physical Attacking]
Goodra-Hisui @ Leftovers/Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Sap Sipper
Tera Type: Flying/Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature/Relaxed Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Dragon Tail
- Body Press/Dragon Claw
- Curse/Hydro Pump/Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Earthquake
Tank [Special Attacking]
Goodra-Hisui @ Leftovers/Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Shell Armor
Tera Type: Flying/Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Hydro Pump
Overall Thoughts:
Hisuian Goodra is an interesting new option for the SV HOME meta. With the amazing Special Defense of the Kalosian variant backed up by an amazing typing in Steel/Dragon and buffed physical defense, it’ll be an interesting tank. Meanwhile, with decent coverage options and good offenses, it is not a sitting duck and has the capacity to fight back against the opponent. However, with the new and old threats of the HOME meta, such as Ursaluna, Sneasler, Great Tusk, Chien-Pao being able to exploit its weaknesses in Fighting and Ground, on top of its lack of reliable recovery and poor speed tier, only time will tell how good Hisuian Goodra will actually be.
Last edited: