Glalie Movesets & Competitive Sets

This set's goal is to make Glalie a suicide lead thanks to Spikes, Taunt, and Explosion. Taunt blocks Defog and Explosion blocks both Rapid Spin and Defog. As appealing as this sounds, this set is totally outclassed by Qwilfish. Regardless of its different typing, it's a superior Spikes setter thanks to its higher Speed and better movepool.

Moves Double-Edge is Mega Glalie's strongest STAB attack due to Refrigerate, and thanks to its power combined with Ice's fantastic offensive coverage, it is capable of 2HKOing a large portion of the tier. Ice Shard allows Glalie to hit faster threats and pick off weakened opponents, and is one of the most reliable ways to offensively check notable threats to offensive teams such as Flygon, Swellow, and Venusaur. Earthquake allows Glalie to do more damage to Ice-resistant Pokemon such as Registeel and Arcanine. Super Fang can be used instead to allow Glalie to shave off half of the HP of switch-ins such as Bronzong, Registeel, and Milotic, allowing a teammate or Glalie itself to break through them with more ease later on. The last slot is mostly team-dependent. Spikes lets Glalie support its team by dealing chip damage to grounded foes, wearing down the opposing team more quickly. Glalie uses its powerful Ice-type STAB moves to threaten foes out to safely set Spikes up, and it also threatens hazard clearers, making sure its Spikes stay on the field. Explosion can be used as a last-ditch effort to deal huge damage to a foe once Glalie has done what it needs to do. The move can take out Pokemon that would usually wall it—for example, Double-Edge + Explosion 2HKOes Porygon2, Cresselia, and Escavalier, which would comfortably take a Double-Edge by itself. Set Details A Jolly nature is used as to keep Glalie's above average Speed tier intact, outpacing threats such as Roserade and Sigilyph. An Adamant nature could be used to boost Glalie's power, though it has the significant drawback of causing Glalie to be outsped by anything faster than base 86 Speed with a positive nature, such as the aforementioned threats. Glalie's choice of legal abilities prior to Mega Evolution isn't particularly relevant, as it should be Mega Evolving as soon as possible. However, Inner Focus is preferred, as it could come in handy should Glalie need to bypass the effects of a weak Fake Out. Usage Tips Mega Glalie's main merit lies in its incredibly powerful primary STAB move, Double-Edge, so that should often be the move it uses first. Use Glalie's coverage to pressure Pokemon that resist Double-Edge to create holes in the opposition for its teammates to exploit. Set up Spikes on predicted switches to foes Glalie can't deal significant damage to in order to help wear down the opposing team, and use the threat of its STAB attacks to deter hazard clearers. As Glalie has a poor defensive typing and only average bulk, it should usually be paired with U-turn or Volt Switch users to get it on the field. Make sure to keep entry hazards off the field, as they, in combination with Double-Edge recoil, can cause Glalie to be worn down very quickly. Team Options Primary teammates for Glalie are those that use its wallbreaking power and the support it can provide with Spikes to clean the opposing team after it has been weakened, such as Salazzle and Choice Scarf Gardevoir. Good teammates for Glalie also include those that appreciate Spikes support to help them break walls themselves, like Swellow and Choice Band Escavalier. Similarly, partners such as Ninetales, Arcanine, and Metagross are appreciated, as Glalie is often forced to switch out versus Steel-types that they can beat. Due to Glalie's Ice typing, it is susceptible to entry hazards, especially since it takes recoil damage from its primary STAB move. Therefore, having teammates that provide hazard control such as Mantine, Donphan, and Tsareena is essential, though it is worth noting that Defog does not synergize well with Spikes. Again because of its Ice typing, Glalie is unable to switch into much and relies on Volt Switch and U-turn support from teammates like Uxie and Raikou to get on the field.

Moves Spikes are a great way to capitalize on the many switches Mega Glalie forces. They can chip Fire- and Steel-types that come in to try and force out Glalie and support the rest of its team. Return is Glalie's reliable STAB option with no drawbacks, hitting bulky targets like Mega Altaria and Hippowdon hard, but Double-Edge can be used if power is desired to more easily break through Ice-resistant Pokemon such as Chandelure. The recoil can be annoying to account for versus high HP targets such as Blissey, though. Freeze-Dry covers a wide array of Water-type switch-ins such as Alomomola, Tentacruel, and Suicune. It can hit all of these Pokemon on the switch for 2HKOs with Stealth Rock up. Earthquake is an option that hits usually reliable switch-ins such as Volcanion and Empoleon for 2HKOs and other Steel-types. Ice Shard is an option to improve Mega Glalie's matchup with offense, letting it scare Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon and Krookodile as well as faster offensive threats such as Latias and Mega Aerodactyl. Hidden Power Fire is a great way to surprise Scizor while also giving coverage for extra chip damage on other Steel-types like Cobalion. Explosion is a way to prevent slower Defoggers and Rapid Spin users that Mega Glalie can't KO from removing its hazards. It also packs insanely scary power, even OHKOing some frailer Ice-resistant foes like Chandelure and Crawdaunt. Super Fang is an interesting pick for chipping every switch-in, especially bulky tanks like Mega Aggron. It doesn't take advantage of Mega Glalie's great mixed offenses, though. Set Details If Mega Glalie is running special moves such as Freeze-Dry and Hidden Power Fire, a Naive nature boosts its Speed while not lowering damage output. If Glalie is running a pure physical set, Jolly is the optimal choice. Usage Tips Glalie can often be used in the lead slot to immediately set the pressure of Spikes on your opponent, and they may not have the adequate switch-ins to whatever coverage Mega Glalie is carrying. Try to use Glalie early-game as much as possible, since Stealth Rock stops it from taking even neutral hits well; while at full health, Mega Glalie can usually tank one decently powerful STAB move such as Starmie's Life Orb Hydro Pump. Take advantage of Mega Glalie's unpredictability by mostly setting up Spikes early and using its main STAB option in Return or Double-Edge, as it can lure in foes like Alomomola to take Freeze-Dry, Scizor for Hidden Power Fire, and Empoleon for Earthquake. If you have Stealth Rock up and your opponent is carrying an entry hazard remover, it is often wise to use the attack of choice that would hit them super effectively on the switch, keeping your Stealth Rock up and still giving Mega Glalie more opportunities to lay Spikes later. Explosion can give your breakers free setup opportunities by getting them in safely. Once you've set up a layer of Spikes and you see an opportunity for your cleaner to go in, don't be afraid to use it. Explosion also can be used to prevent removal when you otherwise aren't able to. Team Options Common Stealth Rock users on offense such as Terrakion and Nihilego both create more offensive pressure with Mega Glalie and form a great hazard stacking core to support the rest of your team while also having respectable offensive presence. Electric-types such as Rotom-H, Rotom-C, and Zeraora all appreciate Mega Glalie powering through Dragon- and Ground-types with its strong STAB moves, while they can pivot it in safely with Volt Switch and check Water-types. Ghost-types like Chandelure, Gengar, and Decidueye can spinblock for Mega Glalie, helping keep its Spikes up and using them to sweep or revenge kill more easily. Taunt users like Hydreigon, Krookodile, and Cobalion aid Glalie in ensuring hazards will stay up. Setup sweepers like Swords Dance Scizor, Nasty Plot Infernape, and Dragon Dance Haxorus enjoy both the Spikes Glalie provides and its Ice-type attacks eliminating Dragon-types like Latias and Hydreigon that could revenge kill them. Mega Glalie should primarily be deployed on heavily offensive teams, as they are the only ones capable of taking advantage of the Spikes support Glalie provides quickly enough.

Moves Protect and Substitute are used in tandem to help Glalie obtain multiple boosts from Moody. Taunt allows Glalie to prevent opposing Pokemon from using moves that would otherwise halt setup, such as Haze, Perish Song, and Roar. Frost Breath is Glalie's preferred attack, as it is able to bypass a foe's defensive stat boosts. Set Details Moody enables Glalie to be viable due to its potency and lack of solid checks. Leftovers provides more longevity for Glalie so that it can use Protect and Substitute more often to obtain larger boosts. Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Glalie to outspeed Marshadow, Mega Gengar, and all Mewtwo formes after one Speed boost. 216 HP EVs allow for optimal Leftovers recovery while giving Glalie necessary bulk investment. 40 Defense EVs ensure that Glalie can take common physical attacks such as Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades and defensive Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire the majority of the time. Usage Tips Use Protect and Substitute repeatedly in order to obtain boosts to aid a late-game sweep. Switch Glalie in once one of its teammates has fainted, and don't bring it directly into attacks. Avoid status, as Glalie needs a myriad of turns of set up to have a significant impact on a match. Remove Marshadow and Magearna prior to setting up, as Glalie must rely on chance if it plans on beating them otherwise. Feel free to switch in another Pokemon if Glalie doesn't obtain optimal boosts initially; however, be careful and ensure you have other checks to Marshadow and Magearna. Team Options Good switch-ins to Marshadow like Arceus-Fairy and Toxapex are appreciated, as Glalie is incredibly weak to Spectral Thief and should not stay in against it. Toxic Spikes users such as Scolipede and the aforementioned Toxapex are also beneficial, as Glalie can then rack up damage while repeatedly using Protect and Substitute. Entry hazard removal is useful, as Glalie is already quite frail and can't afford to take more damage as it switches in. Steel- and Poison-types like Necrozma-DM, Skarmory, and Arceus-Poison can be used to repeatedly switch into Toxic. Clerics such as Chansey, Blissey, and Xerneas are useful, as Glalie is essentially useless if it obtains a status ailment.

Moves With access to Moody, Glalie becomes a serious threat with some luck, handily beating opposing Pokemon when given the correct boosts. The combination of Protect and Substitute allows Glalie to consistently fish for boosts while protecting itself from Z-Moves and status effects. Freeze-Dry is a more common choice that lets Glalie KO Water-types and attack with 100% accuracy. It is the preferred attacking move on Glalie for its higher PP, perfect accuracy, and its ability to hit Water-types such as Tapu Fini and Greninja super effectively. Frost Breath can land a guaranteed critical hit, ignoring any reduction to Glalie's Special Attack. However, it has less PP and is generally less consistent due to its imperfect accuracy, a problem potentially compounded by potential accuracy drops. Sheer Cold allows Glalie to OHKO the bulky Pokemon it sets up on regardless of their defensive stats or resistance to Ice. However, it leaves Glalie open to Ice-types that are immune to the move. Earthquake is an option that hits opposing Ice-types, as well as Steel-types such as Heatran and Mega Metagross, for decent damage once boosted. Taunt, on the other hand, stops most counterplay to Glalie such as Curse, Roar, and opposing Taunt. Set Details The given EV spread spread allows Glalie to be as fast as possible while maximizing its special bulk. The HP investment lets Glalie heal as much as possible with Leftovers. Moody is absolutely necessary for Glalie to function. Leftovers is the best recovery item for Glalie, since Substitute, Protect, and Moody take up a lot of turns to get going. Usage Tips Glalie should ideally be picked against slow, defensive teams. Certain Pokemon such as Porygon2 will struggle to break its Substitute. Lead with paralysis users, which are perfect support for Glalie. Not only does this enable Glalie to outspeed offensive Pokemon and use Substitute and Protect, but the eventual full paralysis can also earn it a free Substitute. Repeatedly using Substitute and Protect may enable a faster attacker such as Metagross to switch in freely on the Protect as long as Glalie does not get a lucky Speed boost. Thus, it may be worth it to mix up the moves in order to deny free switches on Protect. Moody boosts Glalie's stats at the end of every turn. Thus, double switching to a defensive Pokemon can let Glalie fish for multiple Moody boosts for better odds. In a pinch, Glalie can tank weaker neutral attacks and set up a Substitute, starting its Substitute + Protect cycle without support. However, it will have much less chances to get going before it does not have enough HP to set up a Substitute. As a matchup-heavy Pokemon, it is helpful to leave Glalie on the bench against well-prepared teams. Team Options Serperior and Mimikyu are classic support options for Glalie for their ability to reliably spread paralysis. Cresselia can support Glalie and other attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan, with Lunar Dance allowing Glalie to get a free switch. Fling + Light Ball on Pokemon such as Garchomp or Pheromosa can be highly unexpected, catching your opponent off guard. Use Glalie on teams that struggle with breaking switch-heavy teams. It is important to have a more reliable primary mode in case Glalie is better left on the bench.

Moves Double-Edge is an extremely powerful STAB move when boosted by Refrigerate, being able to dent many Pokemon that do not resist Ice. Return can be used for a safer STAB move if the recoil from Double-Edge is unfavorable, but it is significantly weaker, notably failing to 2HKO Aromatisse. Ice Shard allows Glalie to pick off Flygon and somewhat compensate for its above-average Speed by taking out weakened Virizion, and Chlorophyll Venusaur. Freeze-Dry is used for Mega Glalie to hit bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Slowking, Blastoise, and Qwilfish that would otherwise be able to wall and severely weaken Mega Glalie. Spikes is used to capitalize on the switches that Mega Glalie forces by using the few Pokemon that can stomach its attacks as Spikes bait; in addition, Glalie makes a proficient Spikes user in general thanks to its ability to pulverize the premier hazard removers in the tier, Flygon and Blastoise. Earthquake has great complementary coverage, being able to smash Steel- and Fire-types such as Registeel and Emboar that can take Mega Glalie's STAB attacks with ease. Ice Shard turns Mega Glalie into a great revenge killer, being able to take out Flygon and pick off weakened Pokemon. Explosion is an alternative in the last slot to heavily damage a Pokemon after Mega Glalie has done its job. Set Details Glalitite is used to Mega Evolve Glalie. Maximum Speed investment with a Speed-boosting nature ensures that Mega Glalie outspeeds Sigilyph, Houndoom, and Meloetta when it Mega Evolves and Speed ties with Gallade before it Mega Evolves. Maximum Attack investment is used for maximum damage output. If a Naive nature is chosen, the 4 Defense EVs can be moved to Special Attack to slightly boost Freeze-Dry's power. Usage Tips Mega Glalie should typically be used on offensively inclined teams, and it appreciates getting a safe switch-in via U-turn, Volt Switch, or double switches. Players can try to predict Fire-type switch-ins by nailing them with Earthquake, though Mega Glalie should be clicking Double-Edge or Return most of the time due to its nature as a wallbreaker. When facing Pokemon such as Flygon, try to predict them switching out and either set up Spikes or switch out to another Pokemon. If running Explosion, it should be used if Mega Glalie is not needed anymore and can also be used to block Defog. Team Options Entry hazard control, though not mandatory, is nice to have. Flygon and Hitmonlee are able to remove entry hazards with Defog and Rapid Spin, respectively, and have great offensive synergy with Mega Glalie. Late-game cleaners such as Delphox and Scrafty appreciate Mega Glalie's wallbreaking so that they can sweep more easily. Pokemon that can deal with Fire-types with ease such as Flygon and Rhyperior work well with Mega Glalie, and they also benefit from Mega Glalie's ability to weaken bulky Water- and Grass-types for them. Steel-types such as Bronzong annoy Mega Glalie, so it appreciates Pokemon that can take them on such as Emboar, Seismitoad, and Fletchinder. If Mega Glalie does not run Freeze-Dry, bulky Water-types can give it trouble, making Electric- and Grass-types such as Jolteon and Virizion ideal partners in this case.

Moves Double-Edge is Mega Glalie's strongest spammable move, but forces it to take recoil damage, and for this reason Return can be used in this slot. A Refrigerate-boosted Explosion hits most Pokemon in the tier for huge damage, which makes it a great option for finishing off weakened walls and removing a specific threat from the game. Super Fang has no immunities thanks to Refrigerate, so Mega Glalie is capable of crippling all of its checks and counters, and in some cases break through them with the combination of Super Fang and Explosion. Earthquake hits Steel- and Fire-type Pokemon, such as Empoleon and Infernape, for super effective damage. Freeze-Dry threatens bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Suicune and Vaporeon, without reliance on Super Fang and Explosion. Ice Shard makes Mega Glalie harder to revenge kill, because it threatens faster Pokemon such as Crobat, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mega Beedrill. Taunt shuts down some defensive Pokemon, and works really well with Super Fang. Also, Spikes can take advantage of the amount of switches Mega Glalie causes and its ability to punish Defog and Rapid Spin users. Set Details The EVs maximize Mega Glalie's Speed and power. A Naive nature is needed to outspeed important threats such as Roserade, Hydreigon, and Haxorus, and to Speed tie with base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Shaymin. Sets without Freeze-Dry should run 4 SpD EVs, as this prevents Download users from getting a Special Attack boost, and Jolly nature instead of Naive. Usage Tips Mega Glalie usually doesn't survive during an entire game, as its main role is to break or cripple walls early- or mid-game. If Mega Glalie needs to use Explosion to remove a important threat, don't hesitate on sacrificing it. Using its main STAB move first is usually the best option; however, Super Fang and Freeze-Dry can punish possible switch-ins if you predict right. Mega Glalie might be able to set up Spikes in many occasions, but this doesn't mean it should be used just to fulfill the role of an entry hazard setter, because there are dedicated Spikes users that can do that better and it is a waste of Mega Glalie's power. Team Options Mega Glalie appreciates teammates that can control entry hazards on the field. Rapid Spin and Defog users, such as Donphan and Crobat, help mitigate Mega Glalie's Stealth Rock weakness. Entry hazards help Mega Glalie wear down walls, which makes Pokemon such as Swampert and Chesnaught good teammates. However, if Mega Glalie is running Spikes, there's no need for another user of that move. Pokemon capable of dealing with bulky Steel-type Pokemon, such as Suicune and the aforementioned Swampert, are needed because Mega Glalie struggles to break through them without significant previous damage. Sweepers that enjoy walls such as Mega Aggron, Forretress, and Suicune being weakened or removed from the game are great to run alongside Mega Glalie; examples include Haxorus, Darmanitan, and Kingdra.

Moves Protect and Substitute are used in combination in order to gain as many Moody boosts as possible. Protect nets Glalie guaranteed Moody boosts and Leftovers recovery, whereas Substitute takes away 25% of Glalie's HP in order to let it avoid powerful attacks or status moves. Sheer Cold allows Glalie to OHKO any Pokemon in the metagame other than Sturdy users, such as Skarmory. However, Sheer Cold's low PP means it is prone to running out if you are unlucky, so a secondary offensive option is necessary. Frost Breath is fantastic due to its 100% critical hit chance, effectively giving Glalie a 90 Base Power STAB move that also ignores potential Special Attack drops and ignores its foe's defensive boosts. This means that if Glalie is unlucky and keeps lowering its Special Attack, Frost Breath will not lose power, and that Calm Mind users, such as Clefable and Raikou, do not take reduced damage from it. Freeze-Dry can be used as an alternative to Frost Breath to hit Water-types such as Suicune, Azumarill, Rotom-W, and Greninja super effectively, and it even hits Gyarados, Swampert, and Quagsire for 4x damage. However, all these Pokemon fear Sheer Cold, and Frost Breath is generally better, especially for hitting Skarmory. Set Details 172 EVs in HP maximize the amount of HP Glalie gets from its Leftovers and minimizes the HP lost from setting up a Substitute. Maximum Speed investment is used together with a Timid nature to make Glalie as fast as possible, which is important for setting Substitutes up in front of as many foes as possible; the increased Speed also means that Glalie needs fewer boosts to outspeed the entire metagame. Notably, Glalie can outspeed Pokemon like Dragonite, Suicune, Cresselia, and Venusaur when unboosted and, with a boost, faster threats like Mega Gengar and Greninja. The remaining 84 EVs are put into Special Defense to pump up Glalie's resilience to Hyper Voice from the likes of Sylveon and Gardevoir. Moody is used for its stat-boosting properties, and Leftovers is chosen to extend Glalie's lifespan by providing passive recovery. Usage Tips Glalie should absolutely not be switched into attacks, as it is too frail and needs as much health as it can get. Instead, Glalie should be brought in after one of your Pokemon has been KOed, preferably after the foe has been sufficiently crippled with status or weakened with stat-reducing moves. This helps Glalie set up Substitutes because of the foe being too weak to break them, being unable to attack due to a status ailment, or having to switch out to a check. A Glalie behind an intact Substitute is dangerous, so getting one up and maintaining safety behind one is imperative to Glalie's success. If you're faced with a faster Pokemon such as Garchomp or Greninja and Glalie already has a Substitute set up, you should expect it to be broken and use Substitute again. Alternate between doing that and using Protect until Glalie is faster than the foe, and then you can use Glalie's Speed advantage to attack before its Substitute gets broken and replace Substitutes before being attacked again. Hopefully, Glalie should accrue enough defensive or evasion boosts that it can avoid having its Substitutes broken every turn, giving it chances to attack. Sheer Cold's PP should be preserved for when it is absolutely needed, so use Frost Breath to attack until faced with a dangerous Pokemon, such as Suicune, Cresselia, Porygon2, Heatran, or Tyranitar, and hope that Sheer Cold lands on them. If your opponent brings in a Pokemon that threatens Glalie but it is behind a Substitute, use the opportunity to fish for a Sheer Cold hit before the foe breaks the Substitute, rather than immediately switch out. Glalie struggles against fast heavy offense teams, as it cannot get Substitutes up reliably without taking hard hits. If you see at Team Preview that your opponent has a team stacked with heavy hitters, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Blaziken, Thundurus, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence, don't be afraid to leave Glalie out of the battle entirely. This also means that your team cannot be overly reliant on Glalie. Team Options Glalie thrives with Thunder Wave support, as the decreased Speed of the foe and free turns that full paralysis can provide make setting up Substitutes far easier. Thundurus is Glalie's most common teammate for this reason, as its priority Thunder Wave allows it to cripple even the fastest of Pokemon, such as Greninja, Serperior, and Mega Salamence. There are many other great paralysis inducers including Serperior, Klefki, Chansey, Cresselia, Rotom-W, and Zapdos. Physically defensive checks to Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Talonflame, and Blaziken are crucial for Glalie's success. Thundurus again is valuable here, though Pokemon such as Suicune, Mega Slowbro, Cresselia, Rotom-W, and Zapdos can all be used. Sylveon is a massive threat because of Hyper Voice being able to hit through Glalie's Substitutes; Mega Gengar is able to trap Sylveon and KO it with Sludge Bomb if it's taken some prior damage or take it down with Destiny Bond. Aegislash can take Hyper Voice relatively well and KO Sylveon with Iron Head or Flash Cannon, while Chansey can tank any move except Psyshock and whittle Sylveon down with Toxic. Specially defensive Talonflame is a great partner for Glalie, being able to beat Blaziken, Volcarona, and Heracross and wall Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Mega Kangaskhan is the preferred Mega Evolution to use with Glalie, as it provides a reliable backup when Moody doesn't work in your favor and also provides a lot of pressure at Team Preview, forcing your opponent to bring defensive checks to it that Glalie can set up on, such as Ferrothorn and Cresselia. Mega Salamence is also a fine option, being able to threaten Blaziken, Heracross, and Volcarona lacking Hidden Power Ice; Intimidate also provides valuable support for Glalie. Because Glalie can be used as setup fodder with its predictable alternation of Protect and Substitute, an Unaware user such as Clefable can work as a check to opposing sweepers. Ditto can also be used to take advantage of the foes' stat boosts if they manage to break through Glalie.

Spikes is the main selling point of the set, as setting Spikes in PU is particularly potent thanks to the general rarity of entry hazard control. Glalie's coverage of Earthquake allows it to hit common Ice-type switch-ins such as Klang and Monferno. Glalie also can fight off the standard hazard control options of Natu and Tentacool with Ice Beam and Earthquake, respectively. Taunt is useful for hindering walls that stop Glalie such as Bronzor as well as other hazard setters like Dwebble and Rampardos. Explosion can be run over Earthquake for a huge attack before fainting, which can also be useful for stopping a Rapid Spin from Tentacool but comes at the cost of losing key coverage to Fire- and Steel-types such as Rapidash and Mawile. The item choices are equal in viability; Leftovers allows Glalie to stay around for longer and have more chances to set Spikes, but Focus Sash makes it a competent suicide lead. Glalie's ability to force out Natu and Tentacool while setting up Spikes is best appreciated by more offensive teams that utilize wallbreakers and sweepers such as Stoutland, Beheeyem, and Huntail. Glalie invites in common Fire- and Steel-type threats such as Monferno and Klang, so partners that can comfortably switch in such as Stunfisk are excellent choices. Glalie is capable of threatening out Ground- and Dragon-types such as Marowak and Zweilous, so teammates like Zebstrika and Golduck that are stopped by them love the support Glalie brings to the team. Glalie is also fairly adept at luring in and weakening common Ice-type switch-ins such as Klang and Rapidash with coverage moves or Explosion, so Pokemon that hate these switch-ins such as Golduck and Simisear appreciate the additional offensive synergy.

Glalie makes an excellent lead thanks to its above-average Speed, Taunt, and the ability to lay down Spikes. With decent stats, Glalie fits comfortably into many different types of teams. Taunt prevents slower leads from setting up their own entry hazards, and also stops opposing Taunt leads from ruining your fun. Glalie can then reliably set up multiple layers of Spikes before using Explosion to take a chunk out of one of your opponent's Pokemon. Leads like Uxie, Ambipom (thanks to Inner Focus), Mesprit, Spiritomb, and Omastar are all setup fodder for Glalie if you play it right. Ice Shard's primary purpose is to consistently break Focus Sashes, regardless of what lead you are up against, unless you're facing a faster priority lead like Pinsir. Glalie is one of only two Pokemon to get the combination of Explosion, Spikes, Taunt, and a STAB priority move, the other being Qwilfish. This set takes full advantage of all these blessings in tandem. Using Glalie is a simple process, although it varies depending on what lead your opponent is using. Against Ambipom, the wisest move is to simply lay Spikes on the first turn while it tries to Fake Out or U-turn out. Versus Omastar, Taunt is always the safest move, as it will prevent Omastar from setting up its own entry hazards. Against Mesprit and Uxie, Taunt and Spikes are both viable choices as the first move, depending on whether or not you believe your opponent is holding a Choice Scarf. In the case of Cloyster, your first move depends on whether you think your opponent will use Rock Blast or Spikes. Finally, against Spiritomb, throwing out as many layers of Spikes as you can is always the best option. The first thing to consider when choosing teammates for any Spikes lead is "Which spinblocker do I use?" In Glalie's case, Mismagius is its best partner; its ability to set up Substitute and either Nasty Plot or Calm Mind can cause serious problems for your opponent when coupled with Glalie's Spikes support. Rotom and Spiritomb are also viable partners, as they possess better typings than Mismagius and can thus offer you more possibilities on the defensive side. Venusaur also makes an excellent Glalie partner, especially the special and physical Life Orb variants; Sleep Powder forces many switches, and when this is combined with Venusaur's ability to hit hard on the switch, your opponent will have to play very carefully in order to survive. Donphan is also a great teammate for Glalie because Stealth Rock adds another entry hazard to the mix, and Rapid Spin support can help mitigate the effects of a bad prediction on your part. Heracross is a reasonable choice as a Glalie partner, however it is much better off being paired with Cloyster, who does a better job of clearing out a few spots on the opponent's team for a Heracross sweep. Finally, bulky Water-types, particularly offensive Milotic and Dragon Dance Feraligatr, are good teammates for Glalie. They offer decent synergy, and make great use of the Spikes that Glalie provides.