Golduck Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Rain Dance allows Golduck to set up rain for itself and act as emergency rain support for its teammates on dedicated rain teams. Ice Beam provides valuable coverage against Grass-types that resist Hydro Pump, OHKOing Leafeon and having upwards of an 85% chance to OHKO Exeggutor if Stealth Rock is up. Synchronoise allows Golduck to muscle through Poliwrath and Mareanie, which would be good checks otherwise. It also provides decent chip damage against Silvally-Water. Focus Blast is an alternative option that hits targets such as Cradily and Lapras hard, but its targets are generally much less common in the metagame, and a rain-boosted Hydro Pump hits almost everything else harder. Set Details Life Orb is the preferred item, as it cranks Golduck's power up and allows it to achieve greater damage with its coverage moves. For example, Life Orb-boosted Ice Beam will always KO Leafeon, while unboosted Ice Beam has a much lower chance of doing so. Exeggutor will also always survive an Ice Beam if it is not powered up by Life Orb. Waterium Z is an alternative option that gives Golduck a ludicrously powerful one-time nuke that improves its matchup against bulkier foes such as Dusclops and Assault Vest Kecleon while seriously denting most Pokemon and circumventing Hydro Pump's meager accuracy. Usage Tips Golduck can be used as both a wallbreaker and a sweeper. Sets utilizing Waterium Z are adept at wallbreaking, while Life Orb sets are better suited for sweeping, but both sets are capable of doing either should the situation arise. Rain Dance should be used on Pokemon that Golduck forces out, such as Camerupt and Altaria, in order to avoid unnecessary chip damage onto Golduck. Golduck's checks need to be weakened before a sweep is attempted, as most of ZU's special walls can stall Golduck out while forcing it to take chip damage from Life Orb recoil. Golduck has a tendency to fall into the damage range of priority moves coming from users such as Kecleon and Purugly if it has taken too much prior chip damage. It is also frail and should not be switched into any attacks if at all possible. Bringing it in via a slow U-turn or Volt Switch avoids such a scenario. Golduck also despises status, as it is crippled by both paralysis and Toxic, so play carefully when Pokemon that can inflict these, such as Lickilicky, Bronzor, and Dusclops, are on the field. Team Options Golduck is a natural fit on full rain teams thanks to the sweeping and breaking power it provides them. Thus, rain setters are mandatory teammates on such a team. Volbeat works incredibly well on rain teams, as it can set up rain while also giving Golduck easy points of entry thanks to its slow U-turn and its ability to lock foes into unfavorable moves with Encore. Electrode is an alternate option that can bring Golduck and its teammates in using Volt Switch while also annoying opposing walls with Taunt. Entry hazard support is highly recommended when using Golduck, as it really appreciates the extra chip damage when attempting to sweep through teams. Relicanth is a great choice for rain teams looking to set up Stealth Rock, as it has access to both Rain Dance and Stealth Rock while also being able to do some serious damage with Head Smash, as well as potentially allowing Golduck to switch in for free by KOing itself with recoil damage. Golduck appreciates teammates with some physical wallbreaking power to take down checks such as Lickilicky and Servine. Poliwrath and Beartic are both rain sweepers that can smash through Lickilicky with little issue while also threatening Grass-types thanks to their Ice-type coverage. Swanna is another option that can effectively cleave through Grass-types while also using Roost to keep itself healthy throughout the match. While Golduck is usually found on full rain teams, it can also function as a cleaner on standard offensive teams. Teams that utilize Golduck in this fashion need to have ways to chip down Golduck's checks and prepare the battlefield for it to clean late-game. Knock Off users can be used to annoy bulkier Pokemon such as Lickilicky and Kecleon while also removing Eviolite from threats such as Dusclops. Pivots such as Electivire and Komala can bring Golduck in safely against something that does not immediately threaten it, which is imperative, as Golduck will need to set up rain for itself. Crippling these Pokemon with status from the likes of Bronzor and Altaria is an option as well. Mixed Simisage is an exemplary partner, as it can utilize Knock Off while also threatening several Water-types that Golduck struggles with, such as Silvally-Water and Pyukumuku. Hazard removal is highly recommended, as Golduck wants to be as healthy as possible before it attempts a sweep. As such, Rapid Spin or Defog support from a teammate such as Komala or Silvally-Dragon is very nice.

Moves Hydro Pump is its main STAB move, which can OHKO Pokemon like Kartana and Tapu Koko in rain. Scald is another solid STAB move in Golduck's arsenal, since it has 80 Base Power and 100% accuracy. When used under rain, the move still does a respectable amount of damage and also has a chance to burn its targets. Hydro Pump's extra power is much more preferred, however, but if you're paranoid about Hydro Pump's less-than-perfect accuracy, feel free to use Scald. Encore is great for locking Pokemon into Protect after using the move last turn. It is also good for stopping setup sweepers, specifically Dragon Dance Gyarados, which Golduck would otherwise have a hard time stopping with its weak coverage. Ice Beam is a good coverage move that dents Pokemon like Drampa and Tapu Bulu, which would otherwise wall this set; in addition, Ice Beam can OHKO Pokemon like Garchomp and Salamence. Soak is another good support move that can be used over Scald, as it allows Electric-type partners such as Tapu Koko to hit Pokemon for super effective damage, which can KO Pokemon that usually survive its attacks. Protect serves to buy more time for Golduck as its partner deals with its checks or sets up. Set Details Waterium Z allows Golduck to use an incredibly powerful Hydro Vortex. If the Z-move slot is already taken, Mystic Water is a decent replacement, as rain-boosted Water-type attacks are Golduck's main method for dealing damage. Swift Swim is required for Golduck to boost its average base 85 Speed. Maximum EVs in Special Attack let Golduck hit as hard as possible, and 124 Speed EVs allow Golduck to out run Choice Scarf Tapu Lele with rain. Modest nature is chosen over Timid because even without a Timid nature, Golduck outspeeds most Pokemon. The power boost is simply more useful, since its base Special Attack isn't that high. Usage Tips Pelipper/Politoed + Golduck is a strong lead combination if none of your opponent's Pokemon challenges them, but considering how popular Electric-types, opposing weather setters, and Gastrodon are, you probably can't afford to use it. Another option is to switch in your rain setter as Golduck uses Protect. If you don't want to do either of those, saving Golduck until all of its checks are gone to sweep is a perfectly fine option. Set up rain as quickly as possible. If your opponent has an opposing weather setter such as Torkoal or Gigalith, be prepared to engage in weather wars. Always remember that Golduck is significantly slower and weaker without rain, so preserve your rain setter for as long as possible. Golduck's defensive stats are poor, so be careful of which moves you switch it in on. Switching it in on weak or resisted moves or after an ally has fainted is your best bet. Golduck should mainly be using Hydro Pump on foes, as it does massive damage with rain. You should save Hydro Vortex for targets bulky enough to survive Hydro Pump, such as Porygon2 and Alolan Muk. Avoid using Water-type attacks until Gastrodon is gone from the opponent's team. One wrong move against a Gastrodon can easily turn the tides against you. You should also watch out for opposing Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu, as they are your main offensive threats. Alolan Raichu is able to outspeed Golduck with Electric Terrain, so watch out for that lightning rat especially. They can also survive a Scald or Surf but not a Hydro Pump. Don't be afraid to still let it rip with your Water-type attacks if Tapu Koko has some prior damage. Team Options Since rain is mandatory for Golduck to function properly, Drizzle Politoed or Drizzle Pelipper is required to be on the same team. Kartana makes a good teammates for Golduck, since it easily scares off bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Milotic, and it hits special tanks like Goodra much harder than Golduck can. Kartana also appreciates having its Fire weakness mitigated by the rain. Even under rain, Arcanine's typing, natural bulk, and Intimidate ability allow it to handle Tapu Bulu and Kartana well. Electric-types like Tapu Koko, Alolan Raichu, and Xurkitree greatly appreciate Golduck's ability to eliminate Alolan Marowak, while Golduck appreciates their ability take on Gyarados and Araquanid. They also love to use 100% accurate Thunder, which synergizes well with rain teams. Golduck gets worn down by status and attacks and is also vulnerable to strong priority attacks. Tapu Fini, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Lele all give Golduck nice buffs with their respective terrains. Tapu Koko also pairs well with Golduck for the aforementioned reasons.

Substitute blocks status and absorbs damage, giving Golduck opportunities to safely set up Calm Mind. Golduck after one Calm Mind is also decently bulky. Leftovers is the recommended item to hopefully give Golduck more opportunities to set up Substitute, but Life Orb is also excellent for making the most out of the Calm Mind boosts at the cost of being put on a timer. Scald is the preferred STAB option for the added utility of a potential burn, making setup easier and making this set useful beyond sweeping or wallbreaking. Ice Beam hits Dragon- and Grass-types like Zweilous and Vileplume. Cloud Nine is useful for turning rain and sun off against the occasional hyper offensive weather teams, letting it outspeed and KO threats like Victreebel. Golduck appreciates being brought in safely via Volt Switch or U-turn, so partners like Zebstrika and Jumpluff are excellent choices that also patch up Golduck's Speed. Paralysis support also goes a long way towards helping Golduck, so teammates like Stunfisk and Clefairy make for excellent picks as well. Golduck is weak to common Electric- and Grass-type attacks from threats like Zebstrika and Simisage, so counters such as Stunfisk and Zweilous can also help Golduck. Lastly, Golduck is great for luring in and weakening Grass-types and other kinds of walls such as Vileplume and Tentacool, so Pokemon that appreciate those walls being gone such as Torterra or Simisear are also good choices for rounding out a team.

Hydro Pump is the stronger of the two STAB options but has lower accuracy than Surf does. Ice Beam hits Grass- and Dragon-types such as Maractus and Zweilous that can wall Golduck otherwise. Hidden Power Electric is Golduck's only meaningful way to hit Water-types like Mantine and Tentacool. Focus Blast is a strong hit against would-be walls like Scraggy or Audino and a heavier hit on Zweilous than Ice Beam. Encore is also a strong option for the last moveslot, as with a Choice Scarf, Golduck is able to lock common setup sweepers like Huntail, Torterra, and Duosion into an unfavorable move, but it comes at the cost of Golduck having to switch out as well. Cloud Nine is critical for this set, as it lets Choice Scarf Golduck outspeed and revenge kill common weather abusers such as Victreebel and even other Golduck. Golduck tends to get stopped by specially defensive walls such as Klang, Audino, and Zweilous, so wallbreakers like Monferno and Stoutland make for good partners. Golduck also tends to bring in Grass- and Electric-types, so defensive teammates like Bronzor and Stunfisk can allow Golduck to pivot out safely. This set heavily appreciates entry hazards to make revenge killing easier, so Pokemon that can reliably set up Stealth Rock or Spikes such as Marowak and Maractus pair well with Golduck. Choice Scarf Golduck fits well on offensive teams that require a revenge killer that can cover weather teams, so slower offensive Pokemon like Beheeyem and Life Orb Mawile love having Golduck around.

Golduck is one of three Pokemon that get access to Cloud Nine. Of the 4 auto-weather Pokemon, Golduck has big problems with Abomasnow and Hidden Power Grass Politoed, but it checks weather pretty well otherwise. Since many teams in VGC 2012 rely heavily on setting up weather, Golduck is a real nuisance. Cloud Nine is a support ability, so it only makes sense that Golduck's moveset is supporting as well. It should be noted that Cloud Nine does not stop weather from occurring, it just negates any effects that would come from it while Golduck is on the field. Scald is usually preferred because of its chance to burn, as well as better accuracy than Hydro Pump. Icy Wind helps with coverage and slowing threats down. Focus Sash can't be broken by weather, so it's a great choice for Golduck. It also helps Golduck survive powerful boosted attacks, which is highly useful considering the prevalence of Gems in VGC. Protect is a given, as it is needed to preserve Focus Sash and to keep Golduck's Cloud Nine active as long as possible. The choice between Hidden Power Electric, Hidden Power Grass, and Encore can be complicated; it depends on how Golduck's teammates handle threats. Hidden Power Electric is mostly for Gyarados, but it also hits other common threats such as Rotom-W. Hidden Power Grass can be used if Golduck's teammates have problems with Gastrodon. Encore, is more of a surprise factor that works if Golduck does not need the coverage from the Hidden Powers. Timid is Golduck's best choice for the nature as it allows Golduck to benefit from Icy Wind. Heracross, Nidoking, and Cresselia have the same Base Speed as Golduck, but with Timid, Golduck will almost always outspeed them. Since Golduck is running Focus Sash, it doesn't need any bulk; the given EV spread makes the best use of Focus Sash. Although Golduck is a support Pokemon, it doesn't mind the added support Rage Powder Amoonguss and Follow Me Electivire bring; Amoonguss and Electivire each handle one of Golduck's two weaknesses. Although this help is appreciated, Golduck can also help its partner handle the opponents as well, as it can hold its own against Ninetales and Tyranitar. Technician Hitmontop and Virizion are good partners as well, as they can deal with Abomasnow and Politoed, two weather inducers that give Golduck trouble. Golduck appreciates switch support as people tend to double target it if the weather is important for their team's success.

Golduck is perhaps the only UU Water-type that can effectively boost its own Special Attack and sweep. While Slowbro and Slowking can also set up with Calm Mind or Nasty Plot, their extremely low Speed makes it easy for opponents to halt an attempted sweep with Toxic or Haze. Golduck, on the other hand, is fast enough to outspeed the defensive Pokemon that commonly carry such moves and can often 2HKO them after a boost, making it a much harder sweeper to stop. Hydro Pump is Golduck's most powerful STAB attack, dealing heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. After a single boost, even sturdy Pokemon such as Spiritomb and Hariyama can be OHKOed, while Clefable and Uxie are hit for guaranteed 2HKOs. Ice Beam takes care of Grass-types as well as Altaria, while Hidden Power Grass covers Golduck's fellow Water-types. With good prediction, Golduck can 2HKO Milotic with a boosted Hidden Power Grass and avoid being stifled by Toxic or Haze. Alternatively, Golduck can use Encore in the last slot to gain free turns. While this makes setting up much easier, it comes at the cost of a coverage move. If you choose to use Encore, Psychic is a good option over Ice Beam, as it has better two-move coverage alongside Hydro Pump. The only common UU Pokemon that resist both Water and Psychic are Slowbro and Exeggutor. Unfortunately, the loss of super effective coverage makes it significantly easier for the opponent to wall Golduck with bulky Water resistors. While Golduck has decent Speed and passable bulk, it is still vulnerable to faster physical attackers. Despite being unable to safely switch in on an attack, Leafeon, Sceptile, and Hitmonlee can all come in while Golduck sets up, and will outspeed and OHKO Golduck with their STAB moves. Because of this, it is usually better to simply fire off unboosted attacks during the early-game and save Calm Mind for later in the match when you have scouted most of your opponent's team. Life Orb is the recommended item thanks to the consistent power boost it brings. Without it, Golduck will often require more than one boost to be able to KO defensive Pokemon. However, Leftovers can be used if you wish to play Golduck more conservatively, especially in tandem with Encore. This will help keep Golduck healthy early on and may give it the opportunity to accumulate multiple boosts when it's ready to sweep. Hydro Pump is usually recommended due to the key KOs that it achieves, but Surf has more PP and better accuracy, and is worth considering for its reliability if you choose to use Leftovers. Golduck's Cloud Nine ability makes it an excellent counter to most Swift Swim and Chlorophyll sweepers. With their weather boosts nullified, Golduck can outspeed and OHKO Pokemon such as Kabutops and Tangrowth that might otherwise do serious damage to your team. Max Speed and a Timid nature are required to outspeed or tie the most common weather abusers along with the all-important base 80 Speed group. Special Attack is then maximized to cause as much damage as possible, while the final 4 EVs are placed in HP. You can instead put those 4 EVs into one of Golduck's defenses and use an HP IV of 29 to minimize damage from Life Orb recoil, although this will also slightly reduce the power of Hidden Power Grass. Entry hazard support is always helpful for an offensive Pokemon, and Golduck is no exception. After a single boost, Golduck gets a guaranteed OHKO on Spiritomb and specially-defensive Weezing and has a decent chance to 2HKO Registeel with Hydro Pump if Stealth Rock is in play. Hazards become even more important when running Encore to punish the switches that it causes while making up for the loss of super effective coverage. With Encore, Golduck can even come out on top against Chansey if Stealth Rock is up, as +1 Hydro Pump will be a guaranteed 3HKO, forcing Chansey to use a recovery move immediately after switching in. Golduck can then Encore the recovery move to force Chansey out and grab another boost. Registeel is a good choice to set up Stealth Rock due to its excellent defensive capabilities and decent synergy with Golduck. This set's counters depend on which moves Golduck is running. With three attacks, the only Pokemon that can safely switch in after a boost is Chansey. In this case, the best teammates for Golduck are mixed attackers or Choiced special attackers with Trick that can cripple Chansey. Blaziken and Rotom are both fine choices for this job. On the other hand, if Golduck is limited to a single coverage move, it will have more trouble breaking through bulky Water- and Grass-types that are not weak to Psychic. This makes Venusaur the best possible teammate, as it can come in on either of Golduck's weaknesses and use its powerful STAB Grass- and Poison-type attacks to destroy the Pokemon that wall Golduck.

This set takes full advantage of Golduck's excellent coverage in order to pose an immediate threat to a variety of Pokemon. With Cloud Nine, Golduck is especially effective at countering Pokemon that rely on the weather to boost their Speed and power. Fire-type Sunny Day abusers lose their instant Solar Beam and are swiftly KOed by Golduck's STAB Hydro Pump. Chlorophyll sweepers are easily outsped once their Speed boost is nullified and can be defeated with Ice Beam. Hidden Power Grass takes care of some of the most common Swift Swimmers, while Psychic rounds out the coverage by hitting Qwilfish and Toxicroak hard. The given EVs are standard for a special attacker. A Timid nature is required to outspeed the crucial base 80 Speed group and tie with other base 85s, such as Qwilfish and Toxicroak. Life Orb is the recommended item since it provides a solid boost to Golduck's attacks without limiting its flexibility, but Choice Specs provide a bigger boost and can be used if you plan to play Golduck as a hit-and-run Pokemon. Either way, Golduck will be completely walled by Chansey, so Cross Chop is an option in the fourth moveslot to get past it. With a Life Orb, Mild nature, and EV spread of 120 Atk / 252 SpA / 136 Spe, Golduck can always 2HKO Chansey while still outspeeding neutral-natured base 70s. However, Cross Chop has little value outside of hitting Chansey, and the drop in Speed makes Golduck lose to many key Pokemon that it could have otherwise beat, so using such a spread is only recommended if Chansey poses a huge problem for your team. Once again, using 29 HP IVs to drop Golduck's HP to 299 is an option as it will minimize Life Orb recoil at the cost of a tiny reduction in Hidden Power Grass's power. While this set's great coverage allows Golduck to get past most Pokemon easily, it has trouble beating Pokemon that can take a hit or two. Entry hazards make life much easier for Golduck, softening up bulkier Pokemon and punishing weakened sweepers as they switch out. Most of Golduck's counters are grounded, so Spikes support would be ideal; unfortunately, most of the best UU Spikers are Water-types that don't work very well on the same team as Golduck. Cacturne is an exception, and has good defensive synergy with Golduck; unfortunately, neither Cacturne nor Golduck are very adept at taking Fighting-type attacks. Stealth Rock can be set up by a much wider variety of teammates, including reliable tanks such as Registeel and Uxie, and is therefore likely to be your best bet. Even with entry hazards up, this set is walled by most bulky Water-types. As such, Venusaur makes a great teammate thanks to its ability to consistently beat the most popular Water-types in UU.

Golduck, an otherwise decidedly mediocre Pokemon, has two things that set it firmly apart from the many other similarly molded Water-types: its Cloud Nine ability and access to Encore. This set combines both and turns Golduck into a very versatile Pokemon who can fit on many different team types, in particular those which have trouble dealing with opposing weather teams. Cloud Nine is a brilliant ability which effectively negates every effect weather has in battle, from boosting the power of Water-type moves in rain to the Speed-doubling effect of Chlorophyll in sun. Clearly this gives Golduck a great niche in UU as a one-Pokemon answer to rain and sun sweepers alike. Encore allows Golduck to pull his weight in battles against non-weather teams, and with its good base 85 Speed, it can come in on a predicted ineffective move and force the opponent to repeat it, shifting the momentum of the battle in your favor. The other three slots are coverage moves which allow Golduck to inflict good damage on a wide range of foes. Hidden Power Grass is especially helpful on this set as it allows a quick, clean OHKO on Kabutops and Omastar, two common rain sweepers, as well as Quagsire. Ice Beam is a reliable choice for the last slot, but if you are looking to make Golduck an even surer answer to weather teams, Signal Beam can be used to hit Ludicolo and Snover harder than any of his other attacks. It is also a stronger option against Slowbro and Slowking as well. Another option is Psychic, which gets super effective hits on Qwilfish, Toxicroak, and Venusaur, all of whom take little from Surf and Hidden Power Grass. Golduck gets many opportunities to switch in on opposing weather teams. Against rain teams, it can come in on all of the common rain sweepers, with the exception of Ludicolo, with great ease, and then force them out of play with the threat of a super effective Hidden Power Grass. When switching into opposing Chlorophyll users, such as Exeggutor and Tangrowth, Golduck can use its ability to force a predicted Solar Beam to take a charge turn, forcing the hapless foe to stay in and be taken out by Ice Beam. Fire-types won't manage much against Golduck either when their STABs are resisted and don't receive a power boost from the sunlight. Encore combined with Golduck's Speed comes extremely handy when playing against more standard teams. Any supporting move or ineffective attack can be switched into and Encored. From an opposing Milotic's Surf or Recover to Registeel's Stealth Rock or Iron Head, or if you're feeling particularly gutsy, Venusaur's Swords Dance, Golduck can come in and force them all to switch out. This free turn allows you to pummel the opposing team with your choice of attack, and while it doesn't possess the highest of Special Attack stats, the ease with which Golduck can give itself free turns means this constant pummeling process will very quickly begin to take a toll. The 224 Speed EVs with a Timid nature ensure that Golduck outspeeds Jolly Kabutops and Timid Milotic, allowing it to Hidden Power Grass or Encore before they can attack. Maximizing Special Attack gives Golduck's attacks a much needed power boost, just enough to allow Ice Beam to 2HKO the standard offensive Venusaur. Leftovers is the item of choice, providing a steady source of recovery and helps switching into entry hazards a bit easier. Life Orb can be used to increase damage output (as can using Hydro Pump over Surf as your STAB attack), but it's hard to give up Leftovers when you're wanting Golduck to be in good health for switching in multiple times. A good middle ground between the two items is Expert Belt—Golduck will often be receiving the damage boost with the impressive coverage it has on this set, and won't have to take any recoil damage for it either. Overall, this Golduck set is very self-sufficient and needs little in the way of specific team support. Rather, Golduck provides a good catch-all for offensive teams that want a bit of insurance against being destroyed by even more offensive rain teams, while also being an effective tool against more defensive Pokemon. As with most Pokemon, entry hazard support is appreciated, but in Golduck's case, it is especially helpful because of the number of switches Encore forces. Be careful when using one of UU's Water-type Spikers (Omastar, Cloyster, or Qwilfish) alongside Golduck because you will inevitably double up on weaknesses.

Set Description Golduck can find opportunities to set up Calm Mind on Pokemon such as Omastar, Gligar, or Kangaskhan after it uses Rest. The threat of Calm Mind can prevent Kangaskhan from using Rest to stall Golduck, as +1 Hydro Pump 2HKOes specially defensive variants. It can also set up by forcing out a Rock- or Ground-type such as Solrock or Gligar, on which Golduck can enter with a double switch, after they KO Golduck's teammate, or after a teammate has used Explosion. Psychic is used to hit Poison-types that resist Water like Tentacruel, Vileplume, and Qwilfish. Hidden Power Grass is used for other Water-types, notably OHKOing Omastar and 2HKOing Gorebyss, which Golduck can revenge kill by ignoring Swift Swim. While Hydro Pump is Golduck's preferred STAB option, Golduck can also feasibly run Surf over Hidden Power Grass to have guaranteed accuracy against super effective targets while also preserving Hydro Pump's minimal 8 PP. A Timid nature allows Golduck to, at worst, speed tie with other base 85 Speed Pokemon like Gligar, Qwilfish, and Nidoking. A Modest Golduck hits harder with its coverage, allowing for reliable 2HKOs on Vileplume and Tentacruel and a 3HKO on Lanturn without boosts while still outspeeding Omastar, Gorebyss, and Vileplume. Team Options Golduck fits well on hyper offensive teams as a Water-type setup sweeper that helps its frail teammates avoid being bowled over by weather sweepers. Golduck appreciates Spikes support from offensive spikers such as Qwilfish and Glalie, which lay as many layers of Spikes down as possible before they use Explosion to bring in an offensive teammate. Yawn Kangaskhan can create entry points for Golduck by threatening the opponent with sleep, which can force out or disable Electric-types and bulky Water-types that would give Golduck trouble when it sets up. Due to Golduck's difficult matchups against Electric-types, it appreciates Ground-types that reliably check them and keep up offensive pressure like Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Sandslash; Nidoqueen and Nidoking are fast wallbreakers with great coverage, whereas Sandslash is a Swords Dance sweeper with great physical bulk. In return, Golduck can adequately handle any Water-types that give these Pokemon trouble. If Golduck ever faints before it can complete a sweep, it appreciates a cleaner that can take advantage of the damage Golduck has done and revenge kill foes, such as Scyther, Arcanine, Haunter, or a fast Electric-type like Electrode.

Other Options: Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Rest