Image courtesy of PokeAPI (official artwork)
Gloom, a dual-type Grass/Poison Pokémon, often earns a surprising amount of respect in competitive circles thanks to a strong Special Attack stat and solid bulk for its tier. With base stats that read HP 60, Attack 65, Defense 70, Special Attack 85, Special Defense 75, and Speed 40, Gloom isn’t chasing horsemen’s speeds or raw physical power; it’s built to apply pressure from the special side and pivot when the moment calls for it. In the right team context, Gloom can threaten a wide swath of threats while soaking up hits that smaller, speedier rivals would rather avoid. 🌱⚡
Base Stats Snapshot
- HP: 60
- Attack: 65
- Defense: 70
- Special Attack: 85
- Special Defense: 75
- Speed: 40
Strategic Outlook: Where Gloom Shines in Battle
Gloom’s standout is its Special Attack at 85, which paves the way for a dedicated special attacker role in many teams. Its Grass/Poison typing brings a flexible offensive profile—you can pressure common Grass, Water, and Fairy targets while keeping a defensive umbrella available through bulkier stats: defense sits at 70 and special defense at 75, giving it a bit more staying power than a pure glass cannon. The relatively modest Speed of 40 means Gloom will usually function as a tempo-swinging piece rather than a guaranteed fast cleaner, so players lean into careful timing and recovery or pivot options to maximize opportunities. 🌊🪨
In practice, Gloom thrives when you pair its power with teammates that can handle faster foes and exploitable threats. Because the stat spread favors bulk and special offense, you’ll typically want to minimize unnecessary physical exposure and rely on your partner’s pressure to force favorable matchups. The dual typing also offers some defensive utility by pressuring foes that must choose between risky super-effective hits and safer options, creating opportunities for a well-timed attack or a defensive pivot. 🍃✨
Natures, EVs, and Build Ideas
Given Gloom’s higher Special Attack relative to its other offensive stats, a nature that boosts SpA while reducing a less-used stat is a natural fit. A common choice is Modest, which raises SpA and lowers Atk, helping Gloom convert more damage on its strong special moves without compromising its weaker physical presence. If you’re aiming for a more balanced or bulkier approach, Calm or Careful natures can push SpD or SpDef without sacrificing all of Gloom’s offensive potential. 🧪
- SpA-focused set (typical for many grassy-poison pivots): 252 SpA / 4 HP / 252 Spe with Modest. This helps Gloom hit harder while improving its matchup against slower threats, and the EV spread allows it to outspeed a number of common, slower targets in various formats.
- Bulky special attacker: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 SpA with Calm (or Careful). This pushes Gloom’s bulk upward, enabling it to take more hits while still threatening with its best special moves, especially against special attackers that rely on one-shot power.
Item choices can tilt the scales significantly. Tools like a Life Orb or a Choice item can augment Gloom’s damage with its strong Special Attack, while a defensive item (like a Leftovers) helps it stay in the fight longer to wear down foes and support teammates. Since you’re prioritizing bulk and power, you’ll want to tailor item choices to your team’s needs and the formats you expect to face. 🎒
Matchups and Team Synergy
Gloom’s Grass/Poison typing grants a mix of resistances and weaknesses that influence its pairings. On one hand, its dual typing can help you answer water- and Fairy-type threats that otherwise pressure pure grass-types, while its poison typing adds a bit of coverage against certain bulky foes that otherwise resist Grass moves. On the other hand, Gloom is relatively slow, so you’ll want teammates who can handle fast threats or keep it safe from outspeeders. Consider pairing it with teammates who can chip away at common counters or provide switches that let Gloom come in safely and start pressuring with its high Special Attack. 🌿🧊
Because the official flavor notes aren’t provided in this dataset, the practical, in-battle flavor comes from its stat distribution and typing: Gloom is a patient, channeling presence on the field—best deployed when you can stabilize the board and force favorable trades rather than swinging for a quick knockout every turn. In formats that reward careful play and mid-to-late-game power, Gloom earns its keep by wearing down foes and dictating the pace of a fight. 🔥🎯
Flavor Notes
The provided dataset doesn’t include flavor text for Gloom, so we focus on its mechanical potential in this piece. If flavor notes become available, they can deepen your appreciation for how Gloom fits into broader team lore and strategies. Until then, the stat-centered approach gives you a solid, evergreen path to maximizing its competitive value. 🍃✨