Gravity: the most underrated field effect

[TurboMechaElgyem]

After reading an article on gravity teams, I decided to try building a few myself. The result: a fantastic anti-metagame team that frustrates opponents and is a lot of fun to use. Ironically, I have only seen one other person on PO use a team based around gravity, and I must say that gravity teams seem to be very underrated.

Advantages of gravity:

No more pesky levitate or flying types-to interfere with ground-types sweeping abilities (the fact that landorus gets gravity makes this deal even sweeter). This also applies to arena trap, meaning it is the equivalent of shadow tag under gravity.

The evasiveness of all pokemon is reduced considerably, to the point where hypnosis has the equivalent of 100% accuracy. This means that you can abuse hydro pump, focus blast, fire blast, blizzard, and thunder without worrying about them missing.

Neutral priority, making it incredibly easy to set up.

Finally, there are plenty of pokemon that get this move. Blissey, sableye (with prankster, mind you), reuniclus, dusclops, starmie, the previously mentioned landorus, and many other pokemon have access to gravity, meaning you can fit it on a team without sacrificing too much.

Disadvantages:

Only lasts five turns, with no way to increase the length.

All effects apply to you as well, meaning gravity is a two-edged sword.

No ability that causes gravity upon entering the field, meaning it must be set up manually.


In conclusion, I think gravity should be exploited more often as a field effect. It is efficient to use and the results can be staggering. I would like to hear what you think about this.

[jesusfreak94]

Gravity got a huge boost in BW2 seeing as how Landorus and Landorus-T have it, making them arguably the best users of it in OU. Gravity pretty much does everything that the old Smack Down sets could hope to do, which is great for breaking stuff like Skarmory and Bronzong with a STAB Earthquake. I've tried a couple of Gravity teams in the past, with Starmie being an amazing user/abuser. Nidoking is also incredible in Gravity, since it can hit anything with a STAB Earth Power and can use Thunder, Blizzard, Fire Blast, and Focus Blast with near perfect accuracy. Heck, pretty mich anything that likes to run Earthquake and would normally be laughed at by Skarmory appreciates it.

The main problem with Gravity is how long it lasts, and I wish there was some way to extend the effect period. For example, I was going to make an NU team based off Gravity support to patch up Combusken's STAB accuracy issues. However, I gave it up after realizing that in the time it takes to set up Gravity, switch to Combusken, and stall for speed boosts, Combusken might only have a turn or two to abuse the Gravity. If there was an item to boost its effect to 8 turns or so (similar to the Damp and Heat Rocks), that would leave Combusken with at least 4 turns to wreak havoc before the effect ends.

[That Crazy Russian™]

just to point out, in the second disadvantage, most people wont/dont realize that. so, they may not go for the earthquake on skarmory, or they may just forget gravity is in place.

being such an unknown concept to most trainers, they wont know crap about it. so you could put relative anonymity or something under advantages

[AquaRegisteel]

Metagross has to be a classic abuser of Gravity, with it being normally walled by Skarm. It can EQ it no problem with Gravity, and then it can Thunderpunch/Ice Punch to take down Waters/Dragons, and Hammer Arm isn't necessary. Because Gravity negates Air Balloon, Heatran dies if it switches in.

Starmie has Thunder/Blizzard/Hydro Pump to abuse, so that is also usable.

[Agonist]

Metagross has to be a classic abuser of Gravity, with it being normally walled by Skarm. It can EQ it no problem with Gravity, and then it can Thunderpunch/Ice Punch to take down Waters/Dragons, and Hammer Arm isn't necessary. Because Gravity negates Air Balloon, Heatran dies if it switches in.

Starmie has Thunder/Blizzard/Hydro Pump to abuse, so that is also usable.

Metagross also gets acceptably good coverage between Meteor Mash, and Earthquake under Gravity. If you're feeling particularly ballsy, you could run an Agility/Gravity and use those two for your attacks. Other options it has available are DynamicPunch, which is decidedly amusing, and Hammer Arm, which is more reliable than DynamicPunch (though less fun).

other good users of Gravity would be Porygon2, which has the bulk to repeatedly set it up again and again, Blissey, who is in basically the same boat as Porygon2, Ferrothorn (and Forretress), who can also conveniently set up Spikes, which Gravity teams just adore having down. Dusclops and Dusknoir can both set it up reliably, and can abuse 100% accurate Will-o-Wisp, and again, DynamicPunch, as well as Earthquake. Obviously Landorus has been mentioned, though it's worth nothing it does get a 100% accurate Stone Edge as well (though you'll mostly be using Earthquake). Sableye obviously can abuse it well with Prankster, and also can abuse a 100% accurate Will-o-Wisp. Starmie is a good offensive abuser, being able to set it, and pound opponents with its great coverage. Jirachi can abuse it well, especially with Serene Grace, abusing a Thunder that never misses, and has a 60% chance of Paralysis.

[Ghosts of the Forums]

i've always wanted to try a gravity team, i just can't get the movesets/team members right. i wasn't aware that sableye got gravity, so i'd definitly try that.

[ParaChomp]

I do have Gravity on one of my Pokemon, Probopass. However, I barely use it anyways but the odd times I have, its Zap Cannon cripples the odd foe so well.

[TurboMechaElgyem]

For those of you wanting to start a gravity team, here are some pokemon I would suggest:

For setup






Abusers

(hypnosis and focus blast at 100%)


(arena trap)
(hustle is incredible in gravity)

Both




(power whip and leech seed always hit)



Hopefully these gave you a little bit to work with. Of course, there are plenty of other pokemon that work under gravity. Let me know of any other pokemon that can function in gravity.

[Ghosts of the Forums]

garchomp is uber.

sableye is gravity god.

[TurboMechaElgyem]

^whoops. Forgot about that. Taking it off.

This might be a good time to mention that the creation trio set up gravity quite well and the r/s/e mascots abuse it incredibly.

[ParaChomp]

I would also mention Hypnosis on Gengar while Gravity in mind. That said it's also a risk on your part using Gengar in Gravity as it negates Levitate. This is where using one with a Fighting weakness comes to play such as Porygon2. Speaking of Porygon2, I haven't tried it out but it does get both Thunder and Blizzard.

[That Crazy Russian™]

some good things to have:

tyranitar- he makes a great stealth rocker, while setting up sand for sand force landorus to wreak havoc with its quakeedge coverage. can abuse it as well

nidoking/queen- one provides sheer power(geddit?) other does the same but the added benefit of t-spikes utility

a good, strong fighting type. takes out blisseys/chanseys that would normally wall half the gravity abusers out there.

starmie- spins and great, high powered coverage moves. can also set up gravity.

blissey - takes any and all special hits the opponent might use to abuse gravity, i.e. thunders, fire blasts, the odd blizzard, hydro pump, etc.



those are just a few pokemon who can help fill certain niches in gravity teams. generally, i classify them into 2 types: offensive and stall based, like hail.

stall based key points- gravity and spikes is a great combo, being able to get 3 layers down benefits greatly, taking off 25% each time. slowly wear them down. typical stall.

offensive - these take a more direct approach. generally, you pack a couple sweepers(who make a great offensive core) with a couple high power, low accuracy moves and let them run rampant. keep in mind, you'll still want at least a couple 90%< moves to have a good team. the good players learn fast, and wont keep letting you set up gravity.

[trident20]

i saw a youtube video with gravity.

registeel gets zapcannon and dynamicpunch.

[ParaChomp]

i saw a youtube video with gravity.

registeel gets zapcannon and dynamicpunch.

...and Gravity. Now just slap on Rest, have a team full of entry hazards, add a trapper for the Rapid Spin user, and all you have to do is hope that the foe isn't a Golurk.