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Graveler's high Defense backed by Eviolite, Rock typing, strong STAB combination, and solid Attack carve a niche for it as a physical tank. Graveler walls two of the best physically offensive pivots in the tier, Persian and Emolga. Persian lacking Water Pulse and Emolga can do little to Graveler beyond using Taunt or U-turn, giving it opportunities to set up Stealth Rock. While Lairon is generally preferred as a physical tank, Graveler's lack of 4x Fighting and Ground weaknesses helps it better take on physical attackers like Muk, Shelgon, and opposing Lairon with Earthquake. Graveler can run Rock Blast over Stone Edge for a more accurate STAB move that can conveniently break Substitute on foes like Simisear, Walrein, and Mothim. However, the higher average power and critical hit chance of Stone Edge allow Graveler to threaten Vullaby or Pelipper attempting to pivot into Earthquake a lot more than Rock Blast. Sucker Punch compensates for Graveler's low Speed, and Graveler can use it to pick off frail or weakened cleaners and sweepers such as Mr. Mime, Grumpig, and Leafeon. Toxic can be run over Sucker Punch to punish walls and switch-ins like Solrock, Frillish, Whiscash, and Hippopotas. However, Toxic is often less valuable versus Natural Cure Staryu, Magic Guard Clefairy, and teams that have cleric support from Leafeon and Meganium. Graveler's partners all appreciate it setting Stealth Rock, allowing them to win longer games or wear down their checks into KO range. Meganium and Leafeon's checks, including Glaceon, Simisear, and Emolga, are all weak to Stealth Rock, so they appreciate Graveler and can check Water- and Grass- types that threaten it. Frillish is an especially good partner for Graveler, as it can block Rapid Spin from Staryu to keep Graveler's Stealth Rock up and checks Water-types like Staryu, Kingler, and Whiscash. Graveler has poor Special Defense, so it appreciates partners like specially defensive Clefairy, Grumpig, and Meganium that cover this gap. Physically offensive Water- and Grass-types like Kingler, Whiscash, Leafeon, and Meganium are an issue for Graveler as a physical tank. Partners like Meganium, Leafeon, and Ivysaur cover Graveler's weaknesses while appreciating its good matchup versus Emolga. Arbok and Muk pressure problematic Grass-types like Leafeon, Ivysaur, Gloom, and Meganium for Graveler. Graveler is weak to Water Pulse from Persian's mixed sets, so partners with good mixed bulk like Meganium and Clefairy are appreciated. Graveler can tank a Seed Bomb or Aqua Tail from Arbok, but if it's not healthy, these moves can be problematic. Partners like Frillish and Whiscash can take on Arbok running Aqua Tail, while others like Wormadam-S, Pawniard, and Lairon can check Arbok running Seed Bomb. Graveler's lack of recovery and trade-heavy playstyle often result in it being worn down over a game; Wish users such as Clefairy and Hypno can help offset the chip damage Graveler takes to keep it in good condition for as long as possible.

This set is the best way to take advantage of Graveler's good bulk and great Attack stat. Rock Slide + Earthquake is amazing STAB coverage in the tier, and they're the main moves that are going to be used most of the time; just be wary of using Earthquake and giving the opponent a free switch to Pelipper, Chimecho, Haunter, or other Ground-immune Pokemon. Double-Edge is a great safety move that doesn't have any recoil thanks to Rock Head and should be used when you're not sure what the opponent will do and has an option for both Earthquake and Rock Slide. Explosion is a good replacement and a great tool to take out the opponent's Water-type or threatening Pokemon like Hitmonchan that Graveler tends to lure in. Hidden Power Bug removes Chimecho and Grass-types from the equation and even 2HKOes defensive Tangela after a layer of Spikes. However, Explosion is also an option here in the last slot to be used alongside Double-Edge if Hidden Power Bug isn't needed, and Explosion is a great tool to take out Tangela and other Grass-types too. 44 Speed EVs are used to outpace minimum Speed Kecleon, with the rest pumped into HP and Attack to increase overall bulk and damage output. The Speed EVs can be easily dropped and placed into HP to max out bulk, since outpacing Kecleon isn't that important most of the time, although by doing so you will also typically outrun Sudowoodo, so it really just depends on how you feel about it. Leftovers is an option over Choice Band that increases Graveler's longevity and allows it to switch moves. This is particularly useful when Graveler is being used as the team's primary check to Flying- and Normal-types, which will be running coverage specifically for Graveler and other Rock-types. Toxic is an option on this set, more so with Leftovers than Choice Band, to cripple the bulky Water-types that are likely to switch into Graveler. Toxic is also a good safety move in general, as Poison-types are highly unlikely to switch into Graveler. Graveler should only be chosen over other Rock-types for a team to make use of its secondary Ground typing, which brings an Electric immunity and a powerful STAB Earthquake to the table over the likes of Relicanth and Sudowoodo. Therefore, teammates that are weak to Electric, such as Pidgeot and Huntail, are ideal and both appreciate Graveler's ability to blow through sturdy checks like Mawile and Kecleon. Graveler is exceptionally weak to Grass-, Water-, and Ice-type attacks, being OHKOed by most of them, so unless you can time Explosion well to eliminate these threats as they come in, good defensive teammates are needed so that Graveler can switch out safely. Specially defensive Flareon, Venomoth, and Murkrow are good teammates to switch into Grass-type attacks, while Grass-types like Roselia and Electric-types like Plusle are a good option to remove Water-type attackers. Finally, Hitmonchan can switch into Rock Slide rather easily and KO Graveler in return with Sky Uppercut, making Pokemon like Haunter, Chimecho, and Flying-types valuable teammates as well.

Set Details Earthquake is Graveler's main STAB move, able to at minimum 3HKO every neutral target other than Dewgong and 2HKO frailer Pokemon such as Hitmonlee. Hidden Power Rock is Graveler's secondary STAB move, 2HKOing the likes of Xatu and Pineco and threatening a 3HKO on Dewgong. It has excellent synergy with Earthquake, since it hits every single Ground-resistant and -immune Pokemon for super effective damage, outside of the rare Grass-types. Rapid Spin is Graveler's main niche in the tier and makes it easier for its team to take attacks. Explosion lets Graveler trade itself for an almost guaranteed KO and gives it opportunities to open a path for its teammates if it uses Explosion on the correct target. Team Options Pokemon that give Pineco opportunities to set up Spikes, such as Gloom, Porygon, Stantler, Primeape, and non Double-Edge Wigglytuff, synergize well with Graveler. In return, Gloom can keep Hidden Power Electric Octillery and Dugtrio in check, while Porygon and Wigglytuff can switch into Dewgong. Gloom is an especially great partner, as it can paralyze Xatu, making it even more scared of switching into Graveler, while checking other major threats to it such as Primeape. Graveler also takes on non-Hidden Power Water Weezing and Fearow for Gloom. Octillery and especially Dewgong love Graveler's ability to keep Spikes off the field, while both can switch into Xatu and Ice Beam Octillery for it. Hitmonlee, Primeape, and Kingler all threaten Octillery and Dewgong and appreciate Rapid Spin support. Houndour Pursuit traps Xatu, which makes it easier for Graveler to spam Earthquake. Houndour also pairs well with other Pokemon that appreciate Graveler, like Gloom and Hitmonlee. Ninetales loves Graveler's ability to lure in and use Explosion on Octillery and can ease pressure off it to check Weezing. Weezing works well with Graveler, as its Explosion in combination with Graveler's Explosion is an amazing form of offense, and Weezing loves not having to deal with Spikes due to not using recovery. Pineco can work well with Graveler, but the two are hard to fit together, as the offensive teams Pineco fits on usually prefer Dugtrio or Pupitar as their Ground-type, while the balance teams Graveler fits on struggle to fit Pineco over a more individually useful Pokemon. However, having Spikes on the opposing side of the field while not having them on your own side can be a massive, sometimes game-winning advantage, making it well worth the teambuilding struggles. Other Options Rest keeps Graveler safe from Toxic, but it leaves it unable to spin away Spikes for two turns and forces it to let in key threats. Curse can let Graveler beat Curse + RestTalk Normal-types, such as Wigglytuff. However, Graveler will sorely miss Explosion, and Sudowoodo is often better at using Curse. Checks and Counters Water-types: Pokemon like Octillery and Dewgong can immediately threaten out Graveler with their STAB moves. However, both take heavy damage from Graveler's STAB moves and are usually defensive pillars of their team, making it risky to lose them to Explosion. Status: Graveler doesn't use RestTalk, making it vulnerable to status conditions. Pineco can lure it in and cripple it with Toxic, and it can struggle in other otherwise good matchups like Persian, Ninetales, and Weezing due to their ability to poison it or, in Persian's case, shut it down with Hypnosis. Grass-types: Although rare, pure Grass-types like Exeggcute and Bayleef resist Earthquake, can take Hidden Power Rock, and scare Graveler away with their STAB moves. Gloom doesn't resist Earthquake but can still threaten a swift OHKO with a Grass-type move or cripple it with Stun Spore or poison from Sludge Bomb. Xatu: Although 2HKOed by Hidden Power Rock, Xatu can switch into Earthquake and threaten huge damage due to Graveler's poor Special Defense. Xatu's presence alone makes Graveler hesitant to spam Earthquake at times. Porygon: Porygon can outspeed Graveler, is only 3HKOed by Earthquake, and can threaten a cold 2HKO with Ice Beam, set up Curse on it, or Recover stall its Earthquakes. However, Graveler can pressure Porygon to repeatedly use Recover, giving easier switch opportunities to its teammates, while also having the option to trade itself with Explosion. Graveler can also get a critical hit to break right through a Curse-boosted Porygon with its ample opportunities to use Earthquake. Super Effective Coverage: Graveler's 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass mean that certain Pokemon such as Weezing, Pineco, and Magmar can lure it in and blow it away with Hidden Power Water or Grass. Dugtrio: Although it gets 2HKOed by Earthquake, Dugtrio can easily switch into Hidden Power Rock or Rapid Spin and 2HKO Graveler with Earthquake.

Other Options: Body Slam, Counter