Gliscor remains one of the most polarizing figures in competitive Pokemon. Known for its incredible longevity and utility, this Ground/Flying-type scorpion often feels impossible to take down. However, despite its reputation as a premier physical wall, Gliscor possesses several glaring flaws that savvy players can exploit. Understanding every Gliscor weakness is the difference between getting stalled out for fifty turns and securing a clean knockout.

The Quadruple Ice Vulnerability

The most prominent Gliscor weakness is its typing. As a Ground and Flying-type Pokemon, Gliscor suffers from a massive 4x weakness to Ice-type moves. This is the single most effective way to remove it from the field. In the current metagame, even non-STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) Ice coverage can often force Gliscor to switch out or risk a one-hit knockout (OHKO).

Ice-type attacks deal 400% damage because both the Ground and Flying types are independently weak to Ice. This makes moves like Ice Beam, Blizzard, and the physically oriented Triple Axel or Ice Spinner mandatory for teams struggling with Gliscor's presence. In a high-stakes match, a well-timed Ice-type move on a predicted switch-in is often the turning point. Pokemon like Weavile, Kyurem, and Iron Bundle are natural predators because their primary offensive options directly target this structural flaw.

The Special Defense Gap

Statistically, Gliscor is a lopsided defender. It boasts a formidable base 125 Defense, making it nearly impervious to most neutral physical hits. However, its base 75 Special Defense is significantly more fragile. This disparity is a critical Gliscor weakness that efficient players must capitalize on.

Most Gliscor sets invest heavily in HP and physical Defense to check threats like Great Tusk or Dragonite. This leaves them vulnerable to powerful Special Attackers. Even without a super-effective hit, high-tier special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Gholdengo, Dragapult, or Enamorus can blast through Gliscor's HP pool. When Gliscor is forced to take a Shadow Ball or a Moonblast, its recovery through Poison Heal often fails to keep pace with the raw damage output. Attacking Gliscor from the special side is usually the most reliable way to chip it down if an Ice move isn't available.

Water-Type Pressure

While the 4x Ice weakness gets the most attention, the 2x Water-type weakness is equally important for board control. Water-type Pokemon are ubiquitous in the competitive scene, and many of them possess the bulk to take at least one hit from Gliscor's Earthquake.

Pokemon like Dondozo, Alomomola, and Ogerpon-Wellspring can easily pressure Gliscor. Specifically, Ogerpon-Wellspring is a nightmare for Gliscor because Ivy Cudgel (Water) deals heavy damage while Gliscor's Ground-type STAB moves are resisted by Ogerpon's Grass typing. Furthermore, many Water types carry Scald or Hydro Pump, which target Gliscor's weaker special side, making them effective checks that prevent Gliscor from freely setting up Spikes or Stealth Rock.

Dependence on the Toxic Orb

Gliscor's viability is almost entirely tied to its Hidden Ability, Poison Heal. This ability heals Gliscor for 1/8th of its max HP every turn when it is poisoned. To trigger this, Gliscor must hold a Toxic Orb. This dependency creates a specific window of vulnerability.

On the first turn Gliscor enters the field, it is not yet poisoned. If a faster Pokemon uses Knock Off immediately, Gliscor loses its Toxic Orb and, consequently, its primary source of recovery. Without Poison Heal, Gliscor becomes a mediocre defensive Pokemon that can be easily worn down by entry hazards and neutral hits. Additionally, if the opponent manages to inflict a different status condition—such as Burn or Paralysis—before the Toxic Orb activates at the end of the turn, Poison Heal is rendered useless for the duration of the match. Using moves like Trick to swap a Choice item onto Gliscor is another highly effective way to neutralize its utility and lock it into a single move.

Terastallization as a Double-Edged Sword

In the current Generation 9 landscape, the Terastallization mechanic adds a layer of complexity to the Gliscor weakness equation. A Gliscor player will often use their Tera to shed the 4x Ice weakness. Common defensive Tera types for Gliscor include Tera Water, Tera Fairy, and Tera Steel.

While Tera Water removes the Ice weakness, it introduces a weakness to Electric and Grass. Tera Steel provides a plethora of resistances but makes Gliscor vulnerable to Fire, Fighting, and Ground—ironically making it weak to an opponent's Earthquake. To beat a Gliscor in the 2026 meta, one must play a game of prediction. If the opponent is likely to Tera to avoid an Ice Beam, having a secondary coverage move like Thunderbolt or Earth Power ready can catch them off guard. Predicting the Tera shift is essential for maintaining momentum against defensive cores that rely on Gliscor's presence.

Exploiting Passive Play and Stalling Tactics

Gliscor often relies on a combination of Protect and Substitute to stall out the clock and maximize Poison Heal recovery. This passive playstyle has its own set of weaknesses.

  1. Infiltrator Ability: Pokemon with the Infiltrator ability, such as Dragapult or Crobat, can bypass Gliscor's Substitute and hit it directly. This negates one of Gliscor's primary defensive layers.
  2. Sound-Based Moves: Moves like Torch Song (Skeledirge) or Boomburst also bypass Substitute. Since Skeledirge is physically bulky and ignores stat changes with Unaware, it can often win a 1-on-1 war of attrition against Gliscor.
  3. Taunt and Encore: Gliscor is heavily reliant on non-attacking moves like Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic, and Roost (in formats where it is available). A fast Taunt user like Deoxys-Speed or Iron Valiant can shut down Gliscor's utility entirely, forcing it to use Earthquake or U-turn, which are predictable and easier to wall.
  4. Encore Paradox: Catching Gliscor in a Protect loop with Encore is a death sentence. It forces the Gliscor to switch out, giving the opponent a free turn to set up a sweep or bring in a wallbreaker.

Specific Counters in the Current Environment

To effectively exploit every Gliscor weakness, certain Pokemon are recommended for any serious competitive team:

  • Kyurem: Perhaps the ultimate Gliscor counter. Its Freeze-Dry hits Gliscor for quadruple damage while targeting its lower Special Defense. Even if Gliscor Teras into a Water type, Freeze-Dry remains super-effective.
  • Great Tusk: While Gliscor is often used to check Great Tusk, the latter can carry Ice Spinner specifically to lure and OHKO Gliscor.
  • Gholdengo: Its Make It Rain deals massive damage to Gliscor, and its Good as Gold ability prevents Gliscor from using Toxic or Defog, effectively winning the utility war.
  • Weavile: With its high Speed tier, Weavile can outpace almost any Gliscor variant and threaten an OHKO with Triple Axel or Icicle Crash before Gliscor can react.
  • Walking Wake: In sun teams, Walking Wake’s Hydro Steam deals incredible damage to Gliscor, especially if it doesn't invest in Special Defense.

Strategic EV Management

When preparing for Gliscor, it is helpful to understand the math behind its recovery. Most Gliscor sets use 244 HP EVs. This specific number makes their HP a multiple of 8, which optimizes the Poison Heal recovery of 1/8th per turn.

If you are using a Pokemon that relies on chip damage, you must calculate whether your damage exceeds 12.5% of Gliscor's health per turn. If it doesn't, you are simply giving the Gliscor player free turns to scout your team. This is why "weighty" hits are required. Using moves like Salt Cure from Garganacl is particularly effective; although Gliscor is a Ground-type, Salt Cure's residual damage combined with the potential for Gliscor to be forced into a Tera can eventually overwhelm its healing capacity.

Managing the Hazard War

Gliscor is often used as a "hazard stacker," utilizing Spikes and Toxic Spikes to wear down teams. A significant Gliscor weakness here is its vulnerability to being out-resourced by other hazard control Pokemon.

Corviknight and Skarmory are excellent answers to Gliscor. They are immune to Gliscor's Ground-type STAB and take very little damage from its other common moves like Knock Off or Facade. Corviknight can use Defog to clear Gliscor's hazards or simply U-turn out to a more offensive threat once Gliscor is on the field. Because Gliscor lacks immediate high-power offensive pressure (unless running a Swords Dance set), these defensive birds can effectively stalemate it indefinitely.

Final Strategic Summary

Defeating Gliscor requires a multi-faceted approach. You cannot simply rely on one strategy, as the best Gliscor players will use Terastallization and smart switching to protect their asset. The key is to pressure its Special Defense, threaten it with 4x Ice moves, and neutralize its Toxic Orb whenever possible.

By keeping the pressure high and utilizing Infiltrator, Taunt, or strong Special Attackers, the legendary "Gliscor stall" can be broken. In the 2026 meta, Gliscor remains a top-tier threat, but it is far from invincible. Every time it enters the field, look for the opening in its Special Defense or the moment it is forced to commit its Tera—that is when you strike.