Gible Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Stealth Rock can severely weaken the opponent's team over time, and Gible's high offensive presence allows it to set up the entry hazard on switches it forces while continuing to threaten its foe afterwards. Draco Meteor is a very powerful STAB move that hits most of the metagame hard. However, since it lowers Gible's Special Attack, it will usually force Gible to switch out. Earth Power is a secondary STAB move that has great neutral coverage with Draco Meteor, notably hitting Steel-types such as Pawniard and Magnemite, which resist Draco Meteor, super effectively, OHKOing non-Eviolite variants of the former and all variants of the latter, as well as hitting Fairy-types like Snubbull neutrally, nearly always 2HKOing it after Stealth Rock if its item has been removed or consumed. Fire Blast is a great coverage move, hitting all three Pokemon that resist both of Gible's STAB moves super effectively, 2HKOing Bronzor and Cottonee while usually 2HKOing Morelull after Stealth Rock. In addition, it 2HKOes Ferroseed, which can take any of Gible's other moves with ease. Set Details Berry Juice is used in order to make up for Gible's lack of recovery and greatly increase its longevity. Eviolite is an option over Berry Juice to allow Gible to tank hits a bit better, but it usually prefers the Berry Juice's recovery. The defensive investment and a Bold nature increase Gible's bulk by a good amount, notably allowing it to nearly always take two Drain Punches from Croagunk, one Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gastly, one Analytic-boosted Flash Cannon from Choice Scarf Magnemite, and one Hydro Pump from Life Orb Staryu. The remaining EVs are put into Speed and Special Attack to increase Gible's offensive presence. An alternative EV spread of 52 HP / 156 Def / 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 20 Spe can be used in order to hit harder, as this notably lets Gible OHKO Ferroseed and gives it a chance to OHKO Cottonee without an Eviolite with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock. However, this will make Gible struggle to take the special hits mentioned above, and since Gible outspeeds Ferroseed, it will be forced to take two Fire Blasts before going for a move itself if it switches in on Gible anyway, meaning that this spread is generally not worth it. Rough Skin is used to punish physical attackers, though the damage is fairly insignificant. A specially attacking set is used despite Gible's higher Attack because these moves have very good coverage together and this set can utilize them without sacrificing Gible's bulk, whereas a mixed set would be forced to move some defensive EVs to offensive stats to achieve certain OHKOs and 2HKOs. In addition, it allows Gible to more easily check Fire-types like Ponyta and Larvesta, which often carry Will-O-Wisp and could thus cripple a physical or mixed set. Usage Tips Gible should focus on using its offensive presence to force a switch and set up Stealth Rock. If Gible is still holding its Berry Juice, it can be used to take a hit from strong attackers like Timburr and fire off a powerful Draco Meteor. Gible can also be used as a suicide lead if your team really needs it to set Stealth Rock up, as its decent bulk allows it to usually do so after taking a hit. Since Gible's bulk is only decent and it lacks recovery outside of Berry Juice, it should usually only switch in on Pokemon it is able to check easily like Ponyta and Elekid—otherwise, it can easily be worn down. If Gible is used to check Chinchou, it should be scouted to make sure it doesn't carry Ice Beam, as that can easily OHKO Gible. Gible can come in on Pokemon that are reliant on recoil moves, such as Doduo and Darumaka, in order to wear them down even faster thanks to Rough Skin. It does need to be careful, however, as it can be significantly crippled if it switches in on Doduo's Knock Off, and very powerful moves like Rufflet's Brave Bird will OHKO it. Team Options Fairy-types like Spritzee and Snubbull appreciate Gible threatening Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types. Steel-types like Pawniard and Ferroseed check Ice-, Dragon-, and Fairy-types for Gible, while Gible threatens Fire-types in return. Ferroseed can also set up Spikes, which synergizes nicely with Gible's Stealth Rock, while Pawniard deters Defog, which allows Gible's Stealth Rock to stay up longer. Other Spikes setters such as Dwebble and Trubbish can also stack entry hazards with Gible and capitalize on the switches it forces. Dwebble also appreciates Gible threatening Rock-types. Powerful wallbreakers like Mienfoo and Pawniard can force a lot of switches, thus capitalizing on Gible's Stealth Rock. Setup sweepers like Shell Smash Shellder and Nasty Plot Vullaby appreciate Gible's Stealth Rock, as it allows them to break through their checks more easily. Since Gible can check Pokemon like Elekid and Magnemite quite well, Pokemon that appreciate that, such as Doduo and Vullaby, are good partners.

Moves Stealth Rock allows Gible to support its team, but Rock Tomb can be used if Stealth Rock support is not needed. Rock Tomb allows Gible to hit Flying-types harder than Dragon Claw can, and the move also provides support by slowing down foes. Earthquake and Dragon Claw form a nearly unresisted STAB combination, and Earthquake deals heavy damage even on neutral hits. The last moveslot has several options depending on what the team needs. Toxic allows Gible to cripple bulky foes that it cannot otherwise break through, Roar prevents Gible from being set up on and synergizes well with entry hazard support, and Iron Tail is a decent coverage option for hitting Fairy-types harder than Earthquake. Set Details Maximum Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Gible to hit as hard as possible with its STAB moves. The given defensive EVs allow Gible to avoid multiple 2HKOs and OHKOs from threats such as Spritzee, Snubbull, and Pawniard with Eviolite factored in. The remaining EVs let Gible hit 11 Speed, allowing it to outspeed foes such as defensive Porygon and standard Timburr. Rough Skin can help Gible wear down physical attackers. Usage Tips Gible has several useful resistances and decent bulk, so it can switch into many neutral or resisted attacks. However its defenses aren't stellar and it lacks recovery, so be cautious about repeatedly switching in without Wish support. Once Gible is in, it becomes a matter of picking a STAB move to use, as only two Pokemon in LC resist both, Cottonee and Bronzor. Coverage moves can be used to hit predicted switch-ins but are fairly weak against neutral targets. Keep Gible's low Speed in mind with regards to its HP and the possibility of a foe's Ice-type coverage move. Team Options Bulky Water-types take devastating Ice attacks well. Chinchou can use Volt Switch to get Gible in safely, while Skrelp also resists Fairy-type attacks and threatens to KO Fairy-types with its Poison-type STAB moves. Steel-types such as Magnemite and Ferroseed resist all of Gible's weaknesses, while Gible resists and can threaten Fire-types. Ferroseed in particular provides additional entry hazard support, which can be useful if Gible is running Roar. Fire-types also resist both Fairy- and Ice-type moves and can easily break through Ferroseed, which has enough bulk to wall Gible. Gible also appreciates Wish support from Pokemon such as Spritzee, as it lacks reliable recovery of its own.

When Sandstorm is in play, Gible is able to take advantage of one of its few unique points, which is the evasion boost gained from Sand Veil. By switching into a Choice-locked Electric-type attack from Chinchou or Magnemite, or by being brought out after a KO, Gible can easily find time to set up a Substitute. Outrage is very powerful and Gible's strongest STAB move, hitting many walls for heavy damage. Earthquake is one of Gible's prime advantages over Axew, hitting Steel-types that resist Outrage for super effective damage. Fire Blast allows Gible to destroy Ferroseed, which would otherwise tank its attacks with ease. With some luck, Gible will be able to knock out a few Pokemon, with Sand Veil keeping its Substitute intact. Support from Hippopotas is a must, as Sand Stream activates the Sand Veil boost. Hippopotas is also very useful in setting up Stealth Rock, which helps Gible in scoring KOs. Dragon Claw has some utility over Outrage to give Gible a chance against Pokemon such as Gastly, which can stall out Outrage with Substitute, though the enormous boost in power will be missed. Ferroseed makes a good partner, as it absorbs Dragon- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Gible and sets up Spikes. Bronzor also makes for a solid teammate, resisting both of Gible's weaknesses and setting up screens to aid Gible's meager defenses.

Gible's excellent Dragon / Ground / Fire coverage, coupled with Substitute can be really irritating as this set can potentially trouble unprepared teams, thanks to its ability, Sand Veil. While sandstorm is constantly brewing, Sand Veil becomes extremely dangerous because it grants him a way to dodge hits behind a Substitute. The whole idea behind the set is to get behind Substitute and begin to dish out damage with your perfect type coverage. Despite Gible's terrible Defense- which makes it difficult to throw in a Substitute, there are several ways to slip this move. Gible can take advantage of its unique typing and switch in on locked in Fire- and Rock-type moves, or Gible can force a switch-out on Pokemon you outpace and advance by using Substitute. Another way is to predict status from the opponent, and using Substitute can easily block it off. The good thing about this set is that if your opponent decides to stay in and attempt to stop Gible from using Substitute, Sand Veil can kick in and the opponent can potentially miss. Thanks to Sand Veil, your opponent has roughly one out of five chances of missing which is enough tries to use Substitute and when your HP is reduced, Salac Berry kicks in and things can turn worse for the opponent. With Salac Berry's speed boost, Gible reaches 21 Speed, enough to outspeed any other non-speed boosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Gible has two options in the second slot: Outrage can dish out good damage on physical walls with the cost of getting locked in, while Dragon Claw serves as a safer STAB move but in exchange of missing out crucial 2HKOs on certain walls. Earthquake can hit Rock- and Steel-types for super effective damage, so unlike the previous sets, Gible doesn't have to use prediction to hit incoming Rock- and Steel-types. Fire Blast scores a 3HKO on standard Bronzor even with Oran Berry activated. This set can be an effective mix set with max Attack, max Special Attack and 100 Speed, as it allows Gible to shred through walls with its impressive type coverage. For the set to function properly, Gible has to use Life Orb to get the OHKOs on Munchlax and Bronzor. Gible is, however, limited because it is very poor at taking attacks from special attackers like Misdreavus without any investment in Special Defense or HP. It is advised that you pack Munchlax to handle these special attackers and help Gible survive longer. Snover is a big threat to your strategy because it has Snow Warning and Ice Shard to foil Gible's sweep. Snover needs to be taken out early in the match because it takes a huge load off Gible's back. Packing Magby help scare it away and can attempt to destroy Bronzor, which gives Gible a pretty hard time if it isn't behind a Substitute. For defensive purposes, Bronzor pairs up nicely when you want to take Ice Shard from Snover and 2HKO it with Gyro Ball.

Gible packs quite a punch in Little Cup with Choice Band. It can usually 2HKO the most common walls in Little Cup. Although it may seem Gible is outclassed by its Dragon-type counterparts Dratini and Bagon, this is not the case. Gible has Sand Veil, granting it a 20% evasion increase in sandstorm, which compensates for Gible's mediocre defenses and potentially gives it additional attacks chances - a crucial element for this set. Furthermore, Gible is part Ground-type which gives it a free turn to come in on Electric-type attacks. Not much can switch in on Choice Band Gible's nearly unresisted Outrage off its impressive 25 Attack. The goal is to switch in Gible on someone who can't damage it effectively. Take maximum advantage of your Ground-typing and switch in on locked-in Rock-type moves from a Choice item. Another way to safely bring Gible in after your Pokemon faints and spam Outrage while hoping your opponent misses because of Sand Veil. To demonstrate Outrage's power, here are some relevant damage calculations: +1 Outrage vs 76 HP / min Def Munchlax - 100% +1 Outrage vs max HP / max Def Hippopotas - 69.23% - 84.62% +1 Outrage vs max HP / 148 Def Bronzor - 36.00% - 48.00% +1 Outrage vs max HP / max Def Duskull - 76.19% - 100.00% Unlike its fellow Dragon-types, Gible has access to STAB Earthquake which helps him OHKO defensive Omanyte and Kabuto, along with scoring an OHKO on Aron and the much rarer Shieldon. Dragon / Ground coverage is excellent in Little Cup, as only Bronzor resists this combo. Stone Edge is a great move when you want to hit Flying-types without getting locked into Outrage. The final slot depends on the player's personal preference. Fire Blast is a nice way of hitting Bronzor much harder than a boosted Outrage would, as Fire Blast can deal a maximum of 56.00% on max HP / 68 SpD Bronzor and has a high chance of taking it down in 3-4 hits (Oran Berry applied). Dragon Claw could replace Fire Blast on the final slot, if the thought of getting locked in on Outrage is making you nervous. Although hitting Bronzor is essential to this set. The EVs are rather simple and its to maximize Gible's Attack and its Defense. With the current EVs, Gible can 2HKO defensive Gligar with Outrage and take an Earthquake at the same time, which deals around 65% at most. The EVs also help to beat Bronzor, as Gible will come out on top most of the time because a 4 Atk Bronzor's Earthquake can only deal around 30% damage. Gible performs best with sandstorm in play to take advantage of its ability, Sand Veil. Hippopotas pairs well with Gible as it provides infinite sandstorm, and enables Gible to dodge a few hits. It is advised that Hippopotas is revealed in early stages of the match, preferably as a lead, so Gible can make an early switch-in and begin to wreak havoc. In addition to Hippopotas's ability, the little hippo has Stealth Rock in its arsenal, which will increase Gible's chances of getting certain 2HKOs and OHKOs.

This is a slight variation from the Choice Band set. This patches up Gible's mediocre Speed with a Choice Scarf. Sporting 21 Speed, it can outpace every Pokemon without a Choice Scarf or Speed boost in Little Cup, and it basically helps by striking frail sweepers before they strike you. Choice Scarf Gible can be versatile, because it can function well as an effective lead or as a great revenge killer. Outrage is your primary move which can OHKO almost every frail Pokemon in Little Cup, while Earthquake allows Gible to hit Rock- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Earthquake also acts as a secondary STAB move, if you don't want to get locked into Outrage. Fire Blast rounds off the Dragon / Ground / Fire coverage and generally helps put up a fight against Bronzor, as it deals a maximum of 48.00%, enough to 3-4HKO it even with Oran Berry. Since Gible can function as an effective lead, the plan is too overwhelm and outpace frail leads such as Meowth, Diglett, and Houndour. Thanks to Choice Scarf, it can get the drop on all of those Pokemon and 2HKO them with Earthquake - assuming they all have Focus Sash; otherwise Earthquake will OHKO. 96 HP EVs are allocated to help Gible cushion hits from opposing leads and, in return, Gible can strike them back with Earthquake. Diglett in particular will fail to OHKO with Earthquake, but Gible must watch out for a potential Sucker Punch, which will foil your plan to 2HKO it with Earthquake. Gible is sturdy enough to survive Dark Pulse from Houndour - even at Naive nature, and deals a maximum of 87.50%. Meowth is a dangerous lead, but Gible has a chance of surviving Fake Out followed up by Bite and can strike back with Earthquake. Bulky leads like Bronzor give Gible a fairly risk free set up of Stealth Rock. Gible is by no means a suicide lead, it can also be conserved and then come back to haunt opposing teams as a highly-effective revenge killer late game. If you are not using Gible as a lead, there are two options opened in the last slot and they both have different purposes. Stone Edge is a great move when you want to hit Flying-types for super effective damage without using Outrage and eventually get locked in. Hidden Power Ice adds a surprise value when you want to grab the OHKO on unsuspecting Gligar trying to come in on your beloved Earthquake or your Outrage. Dragon Claw is always another option if getting locked into Outrage is a big issue for you. When playing Gible as a lead, take note on what you're up against because Gible cannot handle all the leads in Little Cup. Snover and Phanpy in particular can defeat Gible because they have Ice Shard, can OHKO Gible and has priority over all Gible's attacks. As such, packing a Bronzor of your own can help handle these threats and can provide Stealth Rock support at the same time, which Gible doesn't mind when trying to sweep late-game. Squirtle can work exceptionally well alongside Gible, because it can take Ice Shard from Phanpy and counteract with Rapid Spin to remove Stealth Rock or threaten it with a STAB Water-type move. From an offensive standpoint, Gible partners with Magby quite well because it helps by clearing the field of Steel-types, allowing Gible to sweep late-game.