Guzma & Golisopod

Golisopod is a fairly powerful Striker who’s tanking capabilities and unique typing give it a highly useful niche in Co-op and Battle Villa. The ability to Max its own Critical Hit Chance is highly useful on any Striker, and although “Beat ‘Em Down”’s gauge cost lengthens Golisopod’s setup phase quite a bit, the Buff is a powerful one. Overall, lack of an outstanding attacking move like Focus Blast or Earthquake and the sluggishness of its setup phase keep it from reaching the very top of the Striker pyramid. However, its unique strengths are more than enough to make it a great pickup for Players looking to excel in the Battle Villa and Co-op modes.

Self-Sufficient

Golispod’s Dire Hit + and “Beat ‘Em Down” allow it to maximize its own Critical Hit Chance and reach +4 Atk without the need for outside Support. This makes it a very reliable Striker in Co-op, where you can’t control what the other two Sync Pairs on the field are. Additionally, it makes it a much more versatile Pair in Single Player, where it doesn’t force players to use the other two Team Slots on Offense-Buffing Supports to fulfill its full Damage-dealing potential. 

Unique Typing

Bug is one of the most limited types in terms of Striker options, and in game modes where dealing Supereffective Damage is emphasized, Golisopod is one of the very few options available for dealing damage to bosses weak to Bug. Its primary competition, Pinsir, requires much more Support to be effective, so on some Co-op stages Golispod’s typing alone makes it far and away the optimal choice of Striker. 

Great Physical Bulk

Golisopod’s impressive (for a Striker) Defense Stat combined with the huge Buffs it receives from “Beat ‘Em Down” make it one of the physically bulkiest Damage dealing Pairs in the game. Its survivability is a huge part of what makes it such a powerful Pair in Co-op, where the team’s Striker often has to bear the brunt of the Boss’s Attacks.

Requires Gauge for Setup

“Beat ‘Em Down”’s cost of up to three Bars of Move Gauge lengthens the amount of time it takes for Golisopod to set up by a considerable amount. In Co-op, for a pair as slow as it, this creates a fairly large window during which Golisopod cannot deal significant damage. First Impression’s sheer power alleviates this issue to an extent, but it can still cost games in situations where Pairs like Mewtwo or Garchomp’s speed would have let them finish off a weakened Boss. 

As a Physical Striker who doesn’t usually max their own Atk Stat (because it would cost so much Move Gauge), Golisopod benefits greatly from Supports like Delibird and Samurott who can bring its Attack up to +6. Additionally, both of those Supports can  either raise Golisopod’s Speed or accelerate the team’s Move Gauge, making them even better partners for the somewhat sluggish Pair. In general, any Support who can regenerate Gauge or boost Attack and Speed will make a great partner for Golisopod.