Goodra, the Dragon Pokémon. It loves the rain. This mellow Pokémon can be seen walking around on the plains and in the mountains on rainy days. This Pokémon is uncontrollable when enraged. It rampages on and on, lashing its tail with enough power to send a dump truck flying.
Overview
Goodra has had a tumultuous history, surprising, given that it is a pseudo-legendary. Especially since it is the pseudo-legendary with the singular highest stat of any of its contemporaries, a massive Base 150 Special Defense. This in conjunction with above average 90 HP turn has Goodra one of the best special walls in the game not named Blissey, getting excellent mileage out of the many predominantly special resists Dragon provides, able to endure attacks that would spell doom for anything else. Goodra also boasts the wide coverage expected of Dragon types, giving it a way to threaten almost everything it can switch in on, including being one of the rare non-Poison types to get Toxic, along with the fantastic Scald giving Goodra many ways to spread suffering to the opponent.
Goodra does suffer for its specialization however. Its massive Special Defense is contrasted by a paltry 70 Defense leaving physical attackers a rather reliable out to Goodra. Goodra also lacks any form of recovery outside of Rest, giving it significant longevity issues, which a middling base 80 Speed does not help. Goodra’s only usable offensive stats and lack of boosting leave it struggling against bulkier threats that it can’t hit for super effective damage, often forcing Goodra to play a grind game in which it has no recovery to survive in comparison to other sponges like Umbreon and Florges who at least have Wish. Goodra’s massive Special Defense is not to be discounted, and many a trainer has found this slimy Dragon the backbone to their defense.
Positives
Base 150 Special Defense is tied for 6th highest in the game enabling Goodra to eat all sorts of special attacks without issue.
Incredible movepool with balanced offensive stats leaves Goodra an unpredictable attacker with a move for almost every situation.
Goodra gets rare support moves like Scald, Toxic and Dragon Tail, offering powerful disruptive options that make defensive sets even more formidable.
Negatives
Below Average 70 Defense is rather exploitable, preventing Goodra from tanking physical attacks.
No reliable recovery leaves Goodra liable to be worn down.
Lack of boosting options has Goodra struggle breaking through bulkier targets.
Movesets
Stay Hydrated
-Rain Dance
-Rest
-Toxic
-Scald
Ability: Hydration
Item: Damp Rock
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
One of the few sets that addresses Goodra’s longevity issues, Hydration Goodra finds itself a niche on Rain teams, easily soaking up the Grass and Electric attacks that threaten many members of such teams. Goodra’s fantastic bulk also lends itself well to setting up Rain Dance in the first place, making it reliable at setting up Rain while being unexpected for your opponent. Rest pairs well with Hydration, instantly waking up Goodra after use and giving it effectively a complete heal on command while the Rain is up, enabling Goodra to repeatedly come in and tank Electric and Grass attacks. Toxic is recommended given Goodra’s relative passivity on this set, enabling Goodra to wear down such checks over time. Scald provides valuable offense and utility, effectively being STAB in the Rain while the high Burn chance does a lot to address Goodra’s lacking Defense.
Hydration Goodra excels on Rain teams, especially Rain Stall teams that can take advantage of the slower pace Goodra forces, though normal Stall teams can also appreciate Goodra’s massive Special Defense and status spreading proclivities.
Tera Types:
As a defensive wall, Goodra tends to favor defensive Teras in turn to help perform its job better, but team composition is important to consider on when to Terastalize Goodra. If on a Rain team, it is highly recommended not to Terastalize Goodra, at least until opposing Electric and Grass attackers are removed as Goodra is the team’s backbone against such attacks and losing those valuable resistances can cause problems in the long run. Tera Steel has long been a defensive staple for Dragon types given that Steel resists all three of Dragon’s resistances and Goodra is no exception. Rain support shines here as well, weakening Fire attacks and strengthening Goodra’s Scald for deterring Fire and Ground type attackers. Fairy is another good defensive type and provides an immunity against opposing Dragon attackers while Water is good on non-Rain teams as an offensive defensive option, giving an Ice resistance while super charging Goodra’s Scalds.
EVs and Items:
This set is all about Goodra tanking attacks, so maximum bulk investment is recommended. Given Goodra’s massive Special Defense, investment is recommended there to make Goodra as effective a Special Wall as possible, leaving physical walling to a teammate. That being said, shifting investment to physical Defense helps Goodra as an all-around wall. Speed investment can be considered to outstrip attackers and improve Goodra’s matchup against them. Opting for a Timid Nature and 128 Speed is enough to outspeed neutral natured Toxtricity and Armarouge, 96 Speed and neutral nature guarantees outrunning Magnezone, while neutral 148 Speed guarantees outrunning Torterra. This set is meant for Goodra as one of the team’s Rain setters, so having Damp Rock to ensure the Rain sticks around for as long as possible is preferred. If you already have a dedicated Rain setter, Goodra can drop the Damp Rock for either Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots for extra longevity.
Partners:
Rain abusing Pokémon love Goodra for its ability to handle Electric and Grass types given that most are Water types. Basculegion and Floatzel both love Goodra for this reason, while able to tank an Ice attack for Goodra in a pinch. Goodra also being capable of answering opposing Water types not running Ice attacks also makes it invaluable to such Pokémon that may struggle otherwise. Tentacruel despite being a Rain Stall staple may seem redundant with Hydration Goodra given its high Special Defense and tendency for Toxic/Toxic Spikes, but Tentacruel offers valuable anti Fairy support and hazard control while opening up Goodra’s moveset to handle a other threats.
Slowbro, Suicune and Swampert all offer themselves as fantastic physical walls to Goodra’s special wall, while benefitting for the Rain boosting their own STABs and making them less passive. Magnezone is another physically Defensive Pokémon that works well with Goodra, loving the Anti Fire support Goodra provides while boasting the fantastic Steel typing that answers all of Goodra’s weaknesses and having some minor synergies in the rain.
Other Options:
Dragon Tail is a phazing option that prevents setup sweepers from boosting over Goodra.
Sludge Wave threatens opposing Fairies and the Grass types that Goodra is expected to counter.
Thunderbolt, Thunder and Power Whip give Goodra an answer against opposing Water types that may be used to soak its partner’s Water attacks.
Earthquake directly answers opposing Electric types, especially Magnezone that is otherwise rather bulky for an Electric type.
Knock Off is invaluable for its utility in item removal and as such is always worth considering.
Super Slug
-Draco Meteor
-Sludge Bomb
-Fire Blast
-Scald
Ability: Sap Sipper
Item: Choice Specs
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Goodra stands out from other choice users due to its sheer bulk, affording it multiple switch in opportunities and to play defense while on offense. With the innate boost from Choice Specs, Goodra’s fantastic coverage is on full display as its blasts down everything in its path. Draco Meteor is Goodra’s primary STAB, dealing serious damage to even bulky targets like Umbreon, Alolan Muk, Suicune and Milotic, leaving scant few safe switch ins. Sludge Bomb punishes Fairy types like Florges, Sylveon, and Scream Tail who think they can switch into Draco Meteor safely, while Fire Blast does the same to bulky Steel types like Magnezone, Copperajah and Registeel. Scald gives a reliable coverage option against many Fire, Ground and Rock types while providing great utility with the Burn making Goodra even harder to take down.
Choice Goodra fits well on a wide variety of teams. On offensive teams its great Special bulk enables Goodra to act as a vital pivot for such teams while still providing the continuous pressure and momentum that drives their strategy, while balance teams appreciate Specs Goodra as both a sponge against powerful weather sweepers and a win condition capable of eliminating or at least greatly weakening key parts of the opponent’s team.
Tera Types:
Damage is the primary end goal for this set, so hard to look any farther than Tera Dragon. Tera Dragon boosted Specs Meteors deal incredible damage, favored to outright 2HKO Pokémon as bulky as Umbreon after a layer of Stealth Rocks, while most other non Fairy and Steel targets cannot switch in safely. Tera Fire is also worth noting, boosting Fire Blast up and giving Goodra valuable Ice and Fairy resist that can help it survive to land powerful counter attacks.
EVs and Items:
Max Speed and Special Attack are recommended for as much offensive pressure as possible. This Goodra is nowhere near as bulky, so it needs the max speed investment to outstrip foes like Cetitan, Toxtricity, Tsareena, and speed tie with Chandelure. Choice Scarf is another alternative, giving Goodra a massive unexpected Speed boost, and being much bulkier than other naturally faster Pokémon, but its lack of base Special Attack is more apparent.
Partners:
Goodra struggles against faster atttackers that can threaten it out, so having speedy allies that can provide pressure and revenge KO them in turn are greatly appreciated. Scarf Krookodile is a notable example, capable of pivoting into physical attackers thanks to Intimidate, and threatens opposing Fairies and Steel types with Gunk Shot and STAB Earthquake respectively, issues for a Draco Meteor locked Goodra, while Goodra absorbs the Grass and Water attacks that threaten Krookodile. Lycanroc Dusk is another standout thanks to its priority Accelrock and Tough Claws boosted Close Combat alongside being able to set Stealth Rocks.
Hazard setters are great partners for Goodra, helping it nab important KOs and Goodra is fantastic at wracking up hazard damage thanks to all the switches its massive Special Defense forces. Overqwill and Swampert are fantastic examples, setting hazards and offering physical bulk to compliment Goodra’s Special. Swampert especially loves Goodra for its ability to hard wall most Grass types and Swampert reciprocates with incredible Knock Off support.
Other Options:
Dragon Pulse is a more reliable Dragon STAB that can be ran alongside Draco Meteor to avoid Goodra being forced out by the self-inflicted Special Attack drops.
Ice Beam offers insanely wide coverage against many targets and is incredibly free to use if weaknesses are available to exploit.
Gooey can be a powerful option, punishing attackers trying to exploit Goodra’s weaker defense and make then more vulnerable to being KO’d back by Goodra or its team, but the Grass immunity from Sap Sipper is invaluable in pivoting.
Countering Goodra
Goodra’s incredible Special Defense makes all but the strongest of special assaults a folly against it. Specs Regidrago Dragon Energy is one of the few that can reliably OHKO Goodra, including all but the most defensive of Assault Vest variants, though Tera Normal Specs Toxtricity Boomburst can OHKO offensive sets with Boomburst.
Physical attackers are far more recommended to bring Goodra down low, given its more exploitable defense. Banded Lucario, Banded Mienshao, Guts Heracross, Banded Krookodile after Stealth Rocks and Spikes are just some of the examples that reliably outspeed and one shot Goodra. Having Goodra stay in against such attackers is difficult, and aside from Lucario’s Extreme Speed, none of these Pokémon Pokémon enjoy a speed drop from Gooey.
Getting these attackers in safely is another matter given Goodra’s absurdly wide moveset, leaving few direct safe switch ins. As the large majority of Goodra sets will be Special, Chansey and Blissey are reliable switch ins, able to endure even Specs Draco Meteors and heal the damage off. Other special sponges like Umbreon, Florges, Sylveon, and Registeel can all tank non Specs sets nicely, though the Fairies must take care in not switching into a Sludge Bomb and all but Registeel are ruined by the more passive set’s Toxic. Against the rare physical sets, Fairies are more reliable in taking Goodra head on given its lack of Anti Fairy coverage, though the risk of Knock Off is annoying.
It is important to note that outside of Hydration sets, Goodra is very much lacking in longevity with repeated hits and hazard damage bringing it down low.
Hisuian Goodra, the Shell Bunker Pokémon. Able to freely control the hardness of its metallic shell. It loathes solitude and is extremely clingy—it will fume and run riot if those dearest to it ever leave its side.
Overview
Of all the Pokémon to get a regional variant in Legends Arceus, Goodra was unexpected, though not underserved. Goodra’s Hisuian form has breathed new life into our slimy friend. The additional Steel typing is a massive boon, given the historic strength of the Dragon Steel typing and the large number of resistances it provides. Goodra’s massive base 150 Special Defense is now complemented by an above-average base 100 Defense, making it rather bulky on both sides of the spectrum and hard to break down. All of this is in conjunction with its untouched balanced offenses and absurd movepool make Hisuian Goodra an unpredictable foe that can ruin almost any foe with the right coverage option.
Hisuian Goodra still isn’t cream of the crop when it comes to walling however. Most of that added Defense came as a cost to Speed, making Hisiuan Goodra far easier to outstrip and falling short of many threatening Ground types like Mamoswine and Great Tusk. Hisuian Goodra Like its Kalosian form, a lack of reliable recovery still leaves it vulnerable to being worn down via repeated hits a noticeable blemish on its otherwise fantastic defenses. Common Ground and Fighting weaknesses are also incredibly exploitable, further cutting into Hisuian Goodra’s bulk. Being a Steel type that doesn’t resist Dragon, Ice or Fairy does place it into awkward spots at times, failing to tank attacks you would otherwise expect it to. Even with these issues, few Steel types boast the special bulk Hisuian Goodra commands, and even fewer can run its blend of offense and defense, leaving it another great option to any team’s backbone.
Positives
Base 150 Special Defense is tied for 6th highest in the game enabling Goodra to eat all sorts of special attacks without issue.
Dragon Steel is amazing defensively, with nine resistances and one to two immunities giving Hisuian Goodra many opportunities to switch in.
Incredible movepool with balanced offensive stats leaves Goodra an unpredictable attacker with a move for almost every situation.
Negatives
Lack of reliable recovery leaves Goodra worn down sooner rather than later.
Base 60 Speed is rather poor further worsening Hisuian Goodra’s bulk as it will likely take damage before acting.
Movesets
Bunker Buster
-Draco Meteor
-Flamethrower
-Flash Cannon
-Counter
Ability: Gooey
Item: Shuca Berry
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
Hisuian Goodra makes the most out of its insane special bulk and appreciable physical bulk to pivot in on opponents lacking Ground and Fighting moves and launch Draco Meteors that raze anything not too overly bulky. Flamethrower and STAB Flash Cannon punish Dragon resistant Steel types and Dragon immune Fairies respectively, leaving opponents few safe switch ins. Counter enables Hisuian Goodra to nab a KO on most physical attackers looking to exploit its lower Defense, since Hisuian Goodra’s bulk is overall excellent, and with the right Terastalization or Berry can even turn the tables on Super Effective Ground and Fighting attackers.
Hisuian Goodra works well on bulky offense teams looking for a Special Wall, its great Special bulk and ability to pick up advantageous trades thanks to its wide coverage and Draco Meteor with Counter subverting traditional checks.
Tera Types:
Hisuian Goodra rarely likes Terastalizing due to the sheer breadth of resistances Dragon Steel provides. However, to get the most out of Counter, Terastalizing can be vital in ensuring the difference between an advantageous trade and a KO’d Hisuian Goodra. Tera Bug is strongly recommended for its resistance to Fighting and Ground, enabling Hisuian Goodra to survive its weaknesses and Counter back. Bug is recommended over Flying which provides a similar defensive profile thanks to it merely resisting Ground instead of being immune, enabling Hisiuan Goodra to Counter Ground attacks instead of having them deal no damage. Otherwise, defensive Teras of Fairy and Water are good standbys for the great base defensive profiles and few resistances. Tera Steel is also tempting, changing neutrality to Fairy, Ice and Dragon into weaknesses while bolstering Hisuian Goodra’ Steel STAB.
EVs and Items:
Max HP and Special Attack investment for a mix of bulk and offense that enables Hisuian Goodra as a bulky attacker. If running Counter, maximum HP is nonnegotiable to get the most out of the move and have Hisiuian Goodra survive the broadest range of physical attacks as possible. Special Attack investment is also hard to give up given Hisuian Goodra’s only decent Special Attack. Speed investment to outrun select targets does have its merits in saving Hisuian Goodra a big hit. 176 neutral Speed outstrips max Speed Kingambit, while speed tying with more offensive Primarina. 108 Speed with a positive nature beats common Speed investment for Metagross, and Banded Tyranitar. Shucca Berry is recommended for the item as a one time buffer to Gound attacks, giving HisuianGoodra a safe sway to abuse Counter. Choice Specs is also a healthy alternative, buffing Draco Meteor up to levels of damage that drop Pokémon sooner rather than later.
Partners:
Landorus-Therian stands out thanks to its easy switch in into Fighting and Ground attacks, and blunting physical attackers with Intimidate, making Hisuian Goodra even harder to take down. Landorus-Therian drawing in Water and to a lesser extent Grass types also synergizes well with Hisiuain Goodra that handily rousts both, while setting up Stealth Rocks to capitalize on all the switches it and Hisuian Goodra forces. Zapdos is another notable alternative, appreciating Goodra’s Rock weakness and Ice neutrality while offering Thunder Wave and Volt Switch support for crippling opponents and getting Hisuian Goodra in safely. Cinderace is another great pivot that ruins physical Attackers with Will-O-Wisp and providing hazard control so that Hisuian Goodra doesn’t repeatedly pivot in and have its bulk ruined by Stealth Rocks and Spikes.
Other Options:
Ice Beam offers incredibly wide coverage, particularly against Ground types that otherwise threaten Hisiuian Goodra, without Goodra having to Draco Meteor and make itself vulnerable.
Dragon Tail remains a potent and popular disruption option to prepare against setup sweepers.
Acid Armor and Body Press enabling Goodra to perform a brutal Zacian or Archaludon impression, given how high its Special Defense is natively leaving opponents trapped between a hard rock and place.
VGC & Doubles Options
While Hisuian Goodra has made a splash in VGC, with its great typing and bulk while not being utterly passive. It does face incredibly steep competition with Archaludon, whose higher Speed, self-boosting in Electro Shot and absurd Stamina ability make it a terrifying threat and win condition on a wide variety of teams. Hisuian Goodra still has its niches over Achaludon. Its high Special Defense often means it is not as beholden to Assault Vest, giving Hisuian Goodra a degree more flexibility while not sacrificing too much bulk. Shell Armor and Sap Sipper also provide invaluable immunities that Archaludon can’t replicate, and its slower Speed does lend Hisuian Goodra more to Trick Room teams. While Archaludon is often the better pick, Hisuian Goodra’s strengths do give it a tiny niche.
Hell House
-Acid Armor
-Body Press
-Heavy Slam
-Life Dew
Tera Type: Flying/Fairy/Water
Ability: Shell Armor
Item: Leftovers
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 172 Def / 84 Spe
Impish Nature
Hisuian Goodra weaponizes its shell to great effect with this set, acting as brutal IronPress attacker that is impossible to break through once setup. Hisuian Goodra stands out from other IronPress users like Kommo-o and Archaludon thanks to not requiring Terastalization or Assault Vest to avoid being annihilated by Flutter Mane. Shell Armor is another boon, preventing critical hits from Urshifu and Ogerpon from breaking through Hisuian Goodra once setup. Acid Armor serves dual purpose, fixing Hisuian Goodra’s lower Defense and effectively doubling the power of its main offensive tool in Body Press. Heavy Slam is for the most common Ghost type in Flutter Mane, while being decently powered thanks to being STAB and Hisuian-Goodra’s rather high weight. Life Dew gives Hisuian Goodra and its team extra longevity, preventing them from being worn down.
EVs are to maximize health and place everything else into Defense to make Hisuian Goodra as bulky as possible and maximize the damage output of Body Press. Speed investment is to synergize with Tailwind, having Hisuian Goodra outspeed Ogerpon and slower variants of Flutter Mane after Tailwind support. Otherwise, Speed investment can be sacrificed for more defense, especially if running Trick Room support. Moving all Defense investment to Special Defense is an option to make Hisuian Goodra as bulky as possible on both ends post setup as a win condition. As for Tera Types, Flying invalidates both of Hisuian Goodra's weaknesses, and resists Chien-Pao's Sacred Sword that can otherwise ignore Shelter boosts. Fairy also provides the selfsame Fighting resistance while being an all-around phenomenal defensive type.
Other Options and Preferred Partners:
Pokémon that offer damage mitigation are invaluable for helping Hisuian Goodra survive to the late game where it can become a win condition, and Hisuian Goodra can help them in turn with Life Dew giving them more longevity. Incineroar is a key example thanks to its Intimidate and Parting Shot support. Amoongus can also facilitate setup with Spore and Rage Powder, eating Fighting and Ground attacks with ease. Ting-Lu offers its own passive Special Attack reduction while reliably answering opposing non-Flutter Mane Ghost types with its Dark STAB Iron Jugulis is another standout partner, offering both valuable Tailwind support and damage control in STAB Snarl, while posing a threat to attackers like Urshifu thanks to its higher base Speed. Cresselia is on the opposite side of the Speed control spectrum, being a fantastic Trick Room setter, while its Lunar Blessing opens space in Hisuian Goodra’s own moveset.
Protect is a staple in Doubles matches for good reason, blocking Fake Out, stalling for ally setup, stalling out opposing field conditions, scouting for information and more. Assault Vest all but makes Hisuian Goodra immune to Special Attackers, tanking some of the strongest around, and enabling it to attack freely with its wide coverage, though it does not work well with IronPress sets.
Countering Hisuian Goodra
Hisuian Goodra is a tough nut to crack, with its amazing Special Defense, good Defense and fantastic typing limiting it to few Pokémon that can break through it. Fighting and Ground types like Great Tusk, Landorus-Therian, Mamoswine, Blaziken, Hawlucha are some who can reach an OHKO, but can be laid low by the appropriate Tera and either Counter or Draco Meteor. It’s not just Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail stops setup to bypass the possibility of Terastalization.
It is important to exploit Hisuian Goodra’s lack of innate recovery and wear it down so these moves do not become options. Multiple layers of Spikes are fantastic given the amount of switching Hisuian Goodra tends to do. Goodra’s power is also middling without Specs, so Pokémon that can take advantage of that like Primarina, and Azumarill can grind Hisuian Goodra down without fear of reprisal. In a worst-case scenario, forcing Hisuian Goodra to tank a big hit from a Specs/Banded attacker or the like can compromise it for the rest of the battle, its low Speed making it ineffectual at applying pressure.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in Game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in Game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in Game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in Game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in Game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in Game
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in Game
Black/White:
Not in Game
Black 2/White 2:
Not in Game
X/Y:
Evolve Sliggoo
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Sliggoo
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Sliggoo
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Evolve sliggoo
Max Raid Battles: Axew's Eye, Rolling Fields, Loop Lagoon, Workout Sea, Honeycalm Sea
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Growlithe (Brilliant Diamond)
Trade from Brilliant Diamond (Shining Pearl)
Legends: Arceus:
Obsidian Fieldlands: Lake Verity (Alpha)
Coronet Highlands: Ancient Quarry or nearby
Crimson Mirelands: Massive Mass Outbreak
Scarlet/Violet:
Evolve Sliggoo
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles, 6 Star Raid Battles/p>
Anime Appearences
