Discussion Best Golisopod GX Partner

Devin Ward

Devin Ward

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I am wondering what everyone thinks is best Pokémon to pair with Golisopod GX. I have played the "Stand In" Zoroark w/ Float Stone variant and I really enjoy that one. I have recently switched to the Garbador variant to see how it played. I am enjoying it and it plays especially well against Volcanion if you run the 1 of normal Golisopod, which I do. I have not played the Lurantis Promo variant. Just wanted to see what everyone this is best.
Thanks!
 
I've played with all three variants and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, I think the Garbodor variant used at Worlds is the best option because it can really limit your opponent. They have to be mindful of their item usage and they have to worry about you shutting off their abilities on top of the fact that they have to deal with a GX that can deal big damage for a single energy and is tough to KO. I just think it has great match-ups with everything outside of Volcanion. The downside of running Garbodor would be if you're out of Float Stones, you're going to have a tough time switching Pokemon around. Trashalanche is also dependent upon what your opponent does so that can be good or bad.

Zoroark would be my second option. This is actually the Pokemon I was using before I decided to try Garbodor after seeing it at Worlds. Zoroark is a great one-prize back-up attacker that has a really nice ability that works well with Golisopod. Seeing as how 99% of decks out there use Brigette, benches are usually filled up which makes Mind Jack hit for good numbers. The downside is that you're not getting OHKOs on things you want to get OHKOs on.

Lurantis would be my last option. While the +20 damage is nice, and it can allow Golisopod to hit certain knockout numbers, it provides no offensive support like Garbodor/Zoroark do, at least no significant offensive support, it doesn't provide any disruption support like Garbodor, and it doesn't provide any switch flexibility that Zoroark does.
 
HouchinsDJ said:
I've played with all three variants and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, I think the Garbodor variant used at Worlds is the best option because it can really limit your opponent. They have to be mindful of their item usage and they have to worry about you shutting off their abilities on top of the fact that they have to deal with a GX that can deal big damage for a single energy and is tough to KO. I just think it has great match-ups with everything outside of Volcanion. The downside of running Garbodor would be if you're out of Float Stones, you're going to have a tough time switching Pokemon around. Trashalanche is also dependent upon what your opponent does so that can be good or bad.

Zoroark would be my second option. This is actually the Pokemon I was using before I decided to try Garbodor after seeing it at Worlds. Zoroark is a great one-prize back-up attacker that has a really nice ability that works well with Golisopod. Seeing as how 99% of decks out there use Brigette, benches are usually filled up which makes Mind Jack hit for good numbers. The downside is that you're not getting OHKOs on things you want to get OHKOs on.

Lurantis would be my last option. While the +20 damage is nice, and it can allow Golisopod to hit certain knockout numbers, it provides no offensive support like Garbodor/Zoroark do, at least no significant offensive support, it doesn't provide any disruption support like Garbodor, and it doesn't provide any switch flexibility that Zoroark does.
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Do you think there could be some type of build to combine both Zoroark and Garb? I know that this is me just thinking crazy, but it would be nice to have the best of both worlds.
 
I think you could run a 2-2 line of both zoroark/ garb, although it might be to clunky having three different stage 1's.
 
Devin Ward said:
Do you think there could be some type of build to combine both Zoroark and Garb? I know that this is me just thinking crazy, but it would be nice to have the best of both worlds.
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I think it would be too clunky.

4 Wimpod
3 Golisopod GX
4 Trubbish
2 Trashalanche Garbodor
2 Garbotoxin Garbodor
2 Zorua
2 Zoroark
2-3 Tapu Lele GX

Too many evolution lines. Plus, Garbotoxin completely ruins Zoroark. You could do a 2-2 line of just the Trashalanche Garbodor, but one of the biggest strengths of Naoto's deck was being able to shut down abilities. I just don't see it working.
 
HouchinsDJ said:
I think it would be too clunky.

4 Wimpod
3 Golisopod GX
4 Trubbish
2 Trashalanche Garbodor
2 Garbotoxin Garbodor
2 Zorua
2 Zoroark
2-3 Tapu Lele GX

Too many evolution lines. Plus, Garbotoxin completely ruins Zoroark. You could do a 2-2 line of just the Trashalanche Garbodor, but one of the biggest strengths of Naoto's deck was being able to shut down abilities. I just don't see it working.
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It's probably still tough to get set up the way you want but you could cut 2 trubbish and the garbotoxin Garb and try it. I run just a 2-2 trubbish Trashalanche and I'm fine with it. You're usually not attacking with it until later anyway so you have time to find what you need for it.
 
HouchinsDJ said:
I think it would be too clunky.

4 Wimpod
3 Golisopod GX
4 Trubbish
2 Trashalanche Garbodor
2 Garbotoxin Garbodor
2 Zorua
2 Zoroark
2-3 Tapu Lele GX

Too many evolution lines. Plus, Garbotoxin completely ruins Zoroark. You could do a 2-2 line of just the Trashalanche Garbodor, but one of the biggest strengths of Naoto's deck was being able to shut down abilities. I just don't see it working.
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I did not even think about the ability shut off applying to Zoroark. I feel stupid for even suggesting it now. Tested against Metagross and Gardy w/ Garb variant last night. The ability shut off works wonders against Metagross. You stand a fighting chance against Gardy, but it's still Gardy.
 
I like Zoroark best as it provides a retreat every turn (to boost First Impression) and gives a secondary attacker
 
Some of my friends and I were talking about this very thing last week. I feel like there's nothing in Standard that pairs well with it. Sure, Zoroark's great and all, but not if your opponent is smart and doesn't fill up their Bench. If you know what you're doing, you can keep them hitting from 40-70 damage most of the game. And since Golisopod doesn't have a lot of OHKO potential, whatever you pair it with needs to be able to hit big numbers consistently. But the card has great potential, I feel like we'll get something in a future set that makes this card extremely more playable, but as for now, keep this card in your binders.
 
Mora said:
Some of my friends and I were talking about this very thing last week. I feel like there's nothing in Standard that pairs well with it. Sure, Zoroark's great and all, but not if your opponent is smart and doesn't fill up their Bench. If you know what you're doing, you can keep them hitting from 40-70 damage most of the game. And since Golisopod doesn't have a lot of OHKO potential, whatever you pair it with needs to be able to hit big numbers consistently. But the card has great potential, I feel like we'll get something in a future set that makes this card extremely more playable, but as for now, keep this card in your binders.
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Oh yeah. Put the card that got 2nd at Worlds in your binder, folks!
 
What about pairing Golisopod-GX with Weavile? The Rule of Evil attack is excellent and costs [C], and Weavile has free retreat.
 
Me, I would use Lurantis. Use plenty of switching trainers (like Guzma or Switch) for ways to switch and use Lurantis for extra damage, along with choice band. Run max potions to.
 
Devin Ward said:
Oh yeah. Put the card that got 2nd at Worlds in your binder, folks!
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Allow me to clarify with further discussion, rather than sarcastic one-liners. I said to keep it in your binders, not as in don't play it, but more like hold on to them and don't trade them, because as I also said in my post, it has a lot of potential. No duh, it placed in Worlds. Garbodor is another good attacker, but it has the same problem Zoroark does in that it's damage output is contingent on your opponent's play, which just in principle isn't ideal. The fact that the attacking Garbodor and the one with Garbotoxin are a package deal definitely make it more appealing, and a great choice considering what there is to pick from, but one of the problems with the deck is that there's no way to OHKO things like Gardevoir and Metagross, so if they can get set up and can OHKO Golisopod or in Metagross's case, 2HKO with Max Potion, they're going to win the trade.
 
@Devin Ward - we're talking about two completely different formats now. Did Mega Audino see ANY play after it actually won Worlds? No. Different meta entirely. We're gonna see a lot of big and bulky Pokémon dominate that Golisopod simply cannot touch, and that's what Mora is getting at. Gardy scoops itself up, Metagross uses Max Potion, Volcanion is an auto-loss lol, it's just not the time for the big bug right now.

I agree - hold onto em for now, he'll make a comeback later.
 
Serperior said:
@Devin Ward - we're talking about two completely different formats now. Did Mega Audino see ANY play after it actually won Worlds? No. Different meta entirely. We're gonna see a lot of big and bulky Pokémon dominate that Golisopod simply cannot touch, and that's what Mora is getting at. Gardy scoops itself up, Metagross uses Max Potion, Volcanion is an auto-loss lol, it's just not the time for the big bug right now.

I agree - hold onto em for now, he'll make a comeback later.
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Those same Pokémon are the ones that it competed against this year and if I am not mistaken the only thing the deck really loses is VS Seeker...
From what it sounds like the only 2 decks people "should" play is Gardy and Metagross???
 
Ilovepokemom said:
Maybe you could combine Golispod with Solgaleo. Free retreat every turn.
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That's what I was gonna run initially (before Goli GX was announced I played Scizor EX/Solgaleo GX), but because they are both weak to fire (Altar of the Sunne only protects Steel and Fire) and he isn't that great without steel energy I decided that it would be better off with one of the other partners
 
Mora said:
Allow me to clarify with further discussion, rather than sarcastic one-liners. I said to keep it in your binders, not as in don't play it, but more like hold on to them and don't trade them, because as I also said in my post, it has a lot of potential. No duh, it placed in Worlds. Garbodor is another good attacker, but it has the same problem Zoroark does in that it's damage output is contingent on your opponent's play, which just in principle isn't ideal. The fact that the attacking Garbodor and the one with Garbotoxin are a package deal definitely make it more appealing, and a great choice considering what there is to pick from, but one of the problems with the deck is that there's no way to OHKO things like Gardevoir and Metagross, so if they can get set up and can OHKO Golisopod or in Metagross's case, 2HKO with Max Potion, they're going to win the trade.
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You being up some good points, but allow me to add to the discussion.

Golisopod isn't meant to OHKO Stage 2s. What it does do though is rush in for 120 damage (150 with a Choice Band), get scooped up with Acerola next turn after it gets heavily damaged, and then rush back in after you evolve your Wimpod on the bench or bring out another Golisopod that was already on the bench for another 120-150 damage, which does get the KO on many Stage 2s. You also deny your opponent prize cards and they have to deal with a fresh non-damaged Golisopod.

That's just one scenario, and you don't necessarily NEED Acerola, since you have other options like Guzma and Float Stones, but I'm using that as an example because it's what I've been able to do time and time again with this deck. The main strategy is to constantly rotate your Golisopod to deny your opponent prize cards while getting 2HKOs, all while locking down abilities with Garbotoxin and then keeping a Trashalanche ready on the bench just in case you can get some big OHKOs late game.
 
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