Tidal Wave: Water-types in UU

By nv. Art by Koumashiki.
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Art by Koumashiki

The type itself in UU

There is a reason many associate the Water type with the UnderUsed tier. Not only does the tier itself have more Water-types than any other format, but also Water-types are a notable staple on nearly any team, as each of UnderUsed's Water-types has its own unique niche. With access to offensive, defensive, and utility options, the Water type is arguably the best type, as it has few weaknesses and nice resistances that allow them to easily fit on teams.

The main Water-types

Suicune

One of the most commonly used Water-types in UU, Suicune has become a mascot of sorts in the tier. No matter what tier changes may occur, Suicune is almost always able to adapt to them. With its 100 / 115 / 115 bulk and access to moves such as Calm Mind, Scald, Tailwind, and Hydro Pump, it is able to fill a role as a wall, a wincon, or offensive support, offering great role compression.

Common sets

CroCune
Suicune

This is the (in)famous CroCune set. Suicune uses its natural bulk to tank hits and set up; however, this set is walled by a few key Pokémon, namely Toxicroak and Heliolisk, as well as opposing Calm Mind users that have access to Psyshock such as Reuniclus and Cresselia, leaving it unable to withstand the test of time. That being said, the idea is still the same.

RoarCune
Suicune

This is one of Suicune's newer sets that came about due to metagame trends. This allows Suicune to phaze out the Pokémon that tend to wall the CroCune set (Toxicroak, Heliolisk, Vaporeon, Reuniclus, Cresselia, etc.) while also being able to rack up entry hazard damage, softening the foes for its teammates. Calm Mind is an option over Sleep Talk to allow Suicune to become a wincon while having the ability to phaze out those foes that would force the CroCune set out, but it leaves those variants being much easier to wear down due to a lack of Sleep Talk.

Offensive Support
Suicune

This set is not as popular as the first two, but offensive Suicune can surprise a lot of its common switch-ins, as it can either hit them hard after a Calm Mind boost or outspeed them after it has set up. This set is also a nice check to most Gyarados, which think they can set up on Suicune because Hidden Power Electric from an unboosted Suicune misses the OHKO after Stealth Rock, so if it switches in on a Calm Mind, Gyarados is now gone.

Gyarados

While Gyarados is the newest Water-type to grace UnderUsed, it is also one of the most offensive powerhouses this type has to offer. With a unique Water / Flying typing for higher tiers it can easily set up and has a nice secondary STAB to take care of those pesky Grass- and Fighting-types. It also has two amazing abilities as well as being a reliable Mamoswine check.

Common sets

Offensive
Gyarados

This is the most popular set for Gyarados, as it is a very solid wincon as well as having the coverage to potentially lure in and deal with its common checks (Earthquake for Steel-types, Double-Edge for opposing bulky Water-types as well as decent neutral coverage alongside Waterfall, and Stone Edge for Zapdos). This set is the reason why Gyarados is so threatening, as it becomes so powerful after a boost that even frail Pokémon that resist them fail to tank Gyarados's STAB moves. Power Herb is a nice item that can allow Gyarados to get rid of Bounce's charge turn to deal with would-be checks such as Tangrowth and Chesnaught more easily.

Defensive
Gyarados

While not nearly as used as much as the offensive set, this set allows Gyarados to provide more defensively oriented teams with the most reliable Mamoswine check they have at their disposal. The EV spread is specified to allow Gyarados to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt by one point, avoid the 2HKO from Mamoswine's Icicle Crash after Stealth Rock, and have a decent chance of living a +2 Grass Knot from Nasty Plot Infernape.

Feraligatr

Arguably the scariest offensive Water-type before the Gyarados drop, Feraligatr is a massive thorn for any team depending on its setup move. Offense builds have to watch out for Dragon Dance, relying on faster Pokémon such as Crobat or Prankster Pokémon such as Sableye and Whimsicott to whittle it down or cripple it before it gets out of hand. Balance and stall teams, on the other hand, have to worry about Swords Dance variants, as most tend to carry Aqua Jet, negating its vulnerability to faster Pokémon.

Common sets

Swords Dance
Feraligatr

Swords Dance allows Feraligatr to have immense wallbreaking capabilities as well as a way around its faster checks thanks to its access to STAB priority in Aqua Jet. While this set is scary, making it a very viable threat to slower teams, anything faster with a super effective move or that resists Aqua Jet can just take it down.

Dragon Dance
Feraligatr

Dragon Dance provides Feraligatr with more Attack power than it needs while boosting its below average speed. Also, thanks to its somewhat newly-released Sheer Force ability, it no longer takes Life Orb recoil, allowing it to not worry about whittling itself down. Sadly, even at +1, this set is still outsped by a lot of faster Pokémon in UnderUsed, but it is something to watch out for nonetheless. This set also faces competition from Dragon Dance Gyarados, making Swords Dance the optimal set.

Empoleon

Empoleon has been able to withstand the test of time in a similar vein to Suicune, albeit with not as much prominence. With the rise of Ground-types and the drop of Mamoswine, Empoleon's main set shifted from its specially defensive set to an offensive Defog set with Shuca Berry, which helps it lure in Ground-types and OHKO them with its Water STAB. That isn't to say that the specially defensive set isn't any good, as it still takes on a decent amount of special attackers and can phaze them out or set up Stealth Rock.

Common sets

Offensive Defog
Empoleon

This set was decent before the powerful Ground-types such as Krookodile and Mamoswine popped up, but recently it has become Empoleon's better set, as it allows Empoleon to "negate" its Ground weakness one time to get rid of the opponent's Ground-types. The EVs are specific to outspeed base 65s such as Umbreon and Vaporeon, while Flash Cannon is a nice option for coverage on Florges. Defog and Stealth Rock are interchangeable depending on the team.

Specially Defensive
Empoleon

While not its best set anymore, this set serves as a very nice wall and phazer for more balanced teams. This Empoleon is able to compress roles thanks to its access to Stealth Rock and Defog. Scald gives it a way to burn physical attackers to mitigate its weaker defensive stat. The last slot is somewhat flexible, as Roar can rack up entry hazard damage while Ice Beam can hit Salamence and Hydreigon hard. Shuca Berry can still be nice to take on frail or weakened Pokémon with Ground-type coverage such as Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Mamoswine.

Crawdaunt

This little crab came back to UnderUsed in a very controversial suspect test. Luckily, however, it hasn't made the impact that people initially thought it might make. That being said, it is still a really powerful wallbreaker with the ability to lure in its common checks and cripple or outright OHKO them, paving the way for it to power through the opponent's team despite its lack of bulk and Speed.

Common sets

Choice Band
Crawdaunt

Arguably its best set, Choice Band gives Crawdaunt immense wallbreaking power when backed by Adaptability, as Knock Off hits hard even if the foe has no item. While Choice Band does limit Crawdaunt's power into one move, most Pokémon that resist Crawdaunt's STAB moves either are frail and as such afraid to switch in or they hate losing their items. Aerial Ace is specifically used here to weaken Chesnaught preventing it from continuously switching into Crawdaunt's moves.

Dancing Crab
Crawdaunt

Crawdaunt is lucky enough to have access to two boosting moves, but even with a Dragon Dance boost and a Jolly nature it fails to outspeed quite a few key Pokémon, such as Cobalion, making it an unreliable option. Swords Dance allows Crawdaunt to break Pokémon even more easily than with Choice Band, as even Pokémon that resist it are going to hate a +2 Life Orb-boosted STAB Crabhammer or Knock Off. Sadly, Crawdaunt is hard pressed to find setup opportunities, as it doesn't force the switches it wants to so it can not punish the opposing team appropriately.

Lure
Crawdaunt

This particular set isn't by any means popular, but it allows Crawdaunt to help other Dark- or Water-types by wearing down or getting rid of the checks and counters they share. Sludge Wave allows Crawdaunt to nail Chesnaught and Whimsicott, while Ice Beam allows Crawdaunt to muscle past Dragon-types such as Hydreigon and Salamence, giving its teammates an easier time against the foes.

Swampert

Swampert is a really good all-around bulky Pokémon that has, as a Water type, semi-unique access to moves such as Earthquake and Stealth Rock. It is also able to synergize with common Defoggers thanks to its Electric immunity that most common Water-types tend to share a weakness with. Having only one somewhat uncommon weakness also makes Swampert a really good Stealth Rock setter and physical wall. Scald really helps the defensive set by allowing Swampert to spread burns, making it a defensive force to be reckoned with.

Common set

Defensive
Swampert

This is Swampert's one and only flagship set. Scald and Earthquake are really nice STAB moves, as the former allows Swampert to spread burns and the latter hits hard with little investment. Stealth Rock is one of the main reason Swampert is so good, as it is one of the very few Water-types to learn the move. The last move is somewhat a filler that is dependent on the team. Roar provides phazing support, while Ice Beam can nail Grass-types as well as Dragon-types such as Shaymin, Chesnaught, Salamence, and Hydreigon. Toxic is another option to break down walls quicker than any of its other moves.

Tentacruel

Tentacruel is arguably the best spinner UnderUsed has to offer, as most of the other spinners give too many free turns to the foe or aren't as viable as Tentacruel. Tentacruel's ability to absorb Toxic Spikes while spinning away Stealth Rock and Spikes is a somewhat unique niche in UnderUsed. Tentacruel also has a ton of utility by providing Toxic Spikes support, helping more offensively oriented teams to break through some bulky walls in the tier.

Common sets

Utility Support
Tentacruel

Rapid Spin allows Tentacruel to get rid of entry hazards that may threaten its teammates. It also is a grounded Poison-type which allows it to absorb Toxic Spikes without wasting a turn to spin them away. Scald gives Tentacruel a STAB move that allows it to spread burns to augment its less than average physical bulk. Knock Off gets rid of items allowing Tentacruel to pressure the opponent with Toxic Spikes and Scald burns. However, Acid Spray allows Tentacruel to force out bulky setup sweepers such as Florges, as it can make them weaker and weaker on the special side. Toxic Spikes allows Tentacruel to provide a somewhat unseen entry hazard that pressures more bulkier teams into rushing to get rid of them or forcing them to waste their clerical moves.

Offensive Spinner
Tentacruel

Offensive Tentacruel is a neat lure, since most expect the utility set. This set aims to lure in and KO Pokémon that may try to revenge or switch into Tentacruel such as Krookodile, Defog Salamence, Mamoswine, Shaymin, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. The last slot depends on whether you want to pressure more bulky teams with Toxic Spikes or have a solid STAB move in Sludge Bomb, although either option doesn't do much in the way of pressuring Florges, which can just heal up and get rid of any status.

Alomomola

Alomomola's access to Regenerator, Wish, and a really nice typing has made it somewhat of a staple for UnderUsed stall teams. Thanks to this unique combination, it is able to reliably pass Wishes more reliably than other Wish passers, as it can regain its HP by switching out into a teammate all while passing a massive Wish. However, Alomomola's lack of any real offensive presence means it is solely dedicated to stall, but it does an immense number of things for stall.

Common set

Wall
Alomomola

The set is somewhat self-explanatory. Wish allows Alomomola to either heal itself or an ally for at least 50% of their health. Protect can scout for Choiced users to see what they lock themselves into and guarantees that Alomomola gets the Wish off. Scald allows Alomomola to cripple physical attackers despite the lack of damage output. Toxic is the best option in the last spot, as it can cripple opposing bulky Pokémon as well as wear the foe down very quickly in combination with Rocky Helmet. Knock Off is another option should you want Alomomola to get rid of the foe's items.

Slowking

Arguably one of the least used Water-types, Slowking still has a decent niche, as it is the only Water-type in UnderUsed with access to Thunder Wave as well as reliable recovery in Slack Off. This essentially makes it a very good pivot to cripple a lot of fast attackers. Sadly, it is held back by a lack of a solid Defense stat, meaning it can be worn down fairly easily, as most special attackers have super effective moves to overpower its above-average Special Defense stat.

Common sets

Pivot
Slowking

This set is Slowking's flagship set, as it allows Slowking to cripple faster Pokémon and be able to outspeed them. Scald allows Slowking to have a solid STAB that can burn Pokémon unable to be paralyzed such as Electric- and Ground-types with the added benefit of hitting the latter super effectively. Psyshock gives Slowking a way around special walls that can tank Scald and don't care about the burn such as Blissey, while Dragon Tail provides a nice phazing option to spread paralysis and burns around a lot more easily. Slack Off gives Slowking immense longevity when coupled with Regenerator.

Calm Mind
Slowking

Slowking has one thing going for it over other other Water-types that have access to Calm Mind such as Suicune, and that is its access to Psyshock. STAB Psyshock means Slowking is going to have an easier time against special walls than other special setup sweepers. Scald helps to augment Slowking's bulk by burning physical attackers. Slack Off is a really nice recovery move to allow Slowking to take hits, recover, then hit the foe with a STAB move.

The Megas

Mega Swampert

Arguably the best Water-type Mega Evolution in UnderUsed, Mega Swampert is the bulkiest Swift Swim user overall. Its ability to set up and sweep with access to a great STAB combination and decent coverage makes it a very reliable cleaner. Its bulk aids in setting up Rain Dance as well as allowing it to take most priority attacks while under rain. While its Rain Dance set is really good, Mega Swampert can also take advantages of its bulk by running an offensive Stealth Rock set of sorts, which is still complemented by its massive base 150 Attack stat.

Common sets

Rain Dance
Mega Swampert

This is Mega Swampert's main set. Waterfall is a very nice move, as it not only gets the STAB boost, but it is also boosted under rain. Earthquake has STAB and provides great coverage, as it allows Swampert to hit Pokémon with Water immunities such as Heliolisk and Toxicroak while being a powerful move in general. Ice Punch gives Swampert the best coverage, hitting the Grass-types that wall its STAB moves as well as netting super effective coverage against Dragon-types such as Salamence and Hydreigon. Rain Dance is necessary to allow Mega Swampert to set up its own rain and be able to outspeed all the common fast Pokémon in the tier. Power-Up Punch can turn Mega Swampert into a deadly cleaner, especially if it also has Rain Dance support from the likes of Tornadus, at the cost of being able to set up its own rain.

Stealth Rock
Mega Swampert

This set allows Swampert to capitalize on the bulk it gains from Mega Evolving, and it is also able to hit harder than the Rain Dance set thanks to being able to run an Adamant nature. While there aren't too many differences between this set and the Rain Dance one, this set works better if the team needs the bulk and power rather than the cleaning power that the Rain Dance set provides or if there is a lack of a Stealth Rock user on the team.

Curse
Mega Swampert

Curse turns Mega Swampert into a very bulky sweeper. With all Grass-types gone, Mega Swampert has decent neutral coverage with Earthquake and Ice Punch. Rest means Mega Swampert doesn't fear getting statused; however, without Sleep Talk, Mega Swampert must be wary of clicking Rest, as it can invite setup sweepers in and allow them free setup turns.

Mega Sharpedo

Mega Sharpedo is an excellent cleaner that can use its regular forme to gain Speed and then Mega Evolve to hit hard with its STAB Crunch. Mega Sharpedo also gains a bit of bulk upon Mega Evolving, allowing it to potentially survive weak priority and facilitate a late-game sweep. Sadly, Mega Sharpedo is almost delegated to be used in the late-game only, as its lack of bulk before Mega Evolving means it can't switch in to take care of some would-be threats.

Common set

Offensive
Mega Sharpedo

This is Mega Sharpedo's one and only set. Protect guarantees that Sharpedo can gain at least one boost from its regular forme's Speed Boost. Waterfall is a nice STAB that complements Sharpedo's STAB Crunch, hitting opposing Pokémon that resist Dark, such as Heracross and Florges, hard. Crunch gets not only the STAB boost but the Strong Jaw boost as well, making it a very reliable STAB move after Mega Evolving. Ice Fang provides really good coverage and is also boosted by Strong Jaw. Destiny Bond allows Sharpedo to take down bulky Pokémon down with it if it so chooses, while Earthquake can be a nice coverage move for Pokémon such as Toxicroak and bulky Steel-types such as Empoleon.

Mega Blastoise

Mega Blastoise's main niche lies in being a great spinner thanks to Mega Launcher Dark Pulse. The common Ghost-types in UnderUsed such as Chandelure and Doublade are threatened by not only Blastoise's STAB move, as it can either hit them super effectively or burn them, but also a Mega Launcher-boosted Dark Pulse can hit them hard. Mega Blastoise also has the ability to take on Sableye with the help of Scald burns, meaning it can power through all the spinblockers of the tier and nearly guarantee that entry hazards are removed. Sadly, its lack of any recovery makes it very easy to wear down, which can deter people from using it purely to spin away hazards.

Common sets

Offensive
Mega Blastoise

This set allows Mega Blastoise to potentially forgo Rapid Spin and hit hard. Mega Blastoise uses its new bulk and Mega Launcher ability to hit the foe hard and power through its frail defenses. The 200 Speed EVs in particular allow Mega Blastoise to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow and uninvested base 100s. Sadly, this set doesn't do as much against bulkier teams, but Mega Blastoise is a nice addition to offensively bulky teams that appreciate its power with the potential of removing entry hazards.

Bulky Rapid Spin
Mega Blastoise

This set sacrifices the Speed of the first set to capitalize on Mega Blastoise's amazing bulk. It still gives out roughly the same amount of power with the added benefit of running Scald to potentially burn the foe and wear it down more quickly. Hydro Pump provides a nice way to power through Sableye without relying on burning it; however, the lack of PP is more of an issue on this set. The coverage is also very dependent on what the team needs, as Ice Beam can help with Grass- and Dragon-types, while Aura Sphere can wear down bulky Normal-types such as Porygon2 and Snorlax.

Less used Water-types in UU

While the above mentioned Water-types are staples in UnderUsed, these next Water-types each have unique niches and deserve a mention. However, these niches are either not big enough or are really niche, leaving these Water-types in the dust.

Milotic

Milotic

Milotic is arguably the most viable of these least used Water-types (it had almost a 100% win rate in SPL). While it has decent physical bulk when invested, it's nowhere near as bulky as common staples such as Suicune until it gets statused. Milotic does have a few things going for it, though, such as its access to Haze and reliable recovery in Recover, making it a really good check to common offensive Pokémon such as Dragon Dance Salamence and Dragon Dance Gyarados.

Jellicent

Jellicent

Jellicent is a really nice check to a plethora of threats thanks to its Water / Ghost typing and its Water Absorb ability. Sadly, it suffers the same issue as Vaporeon and Milotic in that it has a low Defense stat. While it does have access to Will-O-Wisp and Recover, it despises status and can be worn down quicker than most common walls due to its lack of Speed. Also, its Fighting immunity is not as important as it once was, making its crippling Knock Off weakness even more prominent.

Cloyster

Cloyster

While Cloyster may seem like an amazing Pokémon thanks to its unique combination of Shell Smash, Skill Link, and moves to abuse its ability such as Icicle Spear and Rock Blast, it sadly lacks a reliable Water-type STAB to plow through the foe. Its special bulk is abysmal and its Water/Ice typing means it suffers from more common weaknesses in Fighting and Rock than other Water-types.

Qwilfish

Qwilfish

Qwilfish has a really amazing movepool with access to moves such as Taunt, Thunder Wave, Explosion, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes. It also has a really nice ability in Intimidate. This means it can run a couple different sets, such as a defensive set or an anti-lead set. Both sets are viable, but Qwilfish lacks the power to be on offensive teams or the bulk to be on defensive teams, leaving much to be desired.

Kingdra

Kingdra

While Kingdra was the god of Generation 5 UU, it has sadly fallen in Generation 6 mainly due to the power creep and the introduction of Fairies. The plethora of better Dragon-types and Dragon Dance users, such as Salamence, Hydreigon, and Feraligatr, has hindered its viability as well. Kingdra does have a saving grace in having the ability to spam a high-powered move in Draco Meteor and access to the semi-unique combination of Sniper + Focus Energy, which, when coupled with Scope Lens, gives it a 100% critical hit rate.

Seismitoad

Seismitoad

Seismitoad is a really good Stealth Rock user that sports a nice Water immunity. Sadly, it has less bulk and power than regular Swampert does. There are also a ton of Stealth Rock users in the tier, leaving Seismitoad to normally not be thought of when in need of a Stealth Rock user, as most other ones have specific and unique niches while Seismitoad shares too similar a niche with Swampert.

Gastrodon

Gastrodon

Gastrodon has a really nice typing, access to reliable recovery, and a Water immunity. Sadly, this doesn't make it shine over other Water / Ground Pokémon such as Swampert, which has better bulk and phazing capabilities, or Seismitoad, which still has a Water immunity while having access to Stealth Rock.

Omastar

Omastar

Omastar is a nice check to Mega Swampert under rain, as it can use Focus Sash to tank a hit and set up Shell Smash to outspeed Mega Swampert in and out of rain thanks to Swift Swim. Defensive sets are nice role compressors, as Omastar can learn three out of the four entry hazards, but for the most part Omastar's typing leaves much to be desired in UnderUsed as being weak to common attacking types in Fighting, Ground, and Electric make it overlooked for the better Water-types.

Sharpedo

Sharpedo

Regular Sharpedo is a decent sweeper, as, unlike Mega Sharpedo, it can accumulate more Speed boosts thanks to not losing its ability Speed Boost upon Mega Evolving. It also has the ability to go mixed unlike its Mega forme. Sadly, regular Sharpedo tends to be overlooked due to its frailty and priority weakness.

Vaporeon

Vaporeon

Vaporeon is not as good as most Water-types in UU due to its lack of physical bulk. While it does have a Water immunity and access to Wish, Baton Pass, and clerical support, it is worn down a lot easier than most Water-types, as it can't take strong physical hits.

Conclusion

The Water-types of UU each have a unique combination that can keep them viable in the tier despite their flaws. Out of the plethora of Water-types, the better ones have a combination of bulk, power, and Speed that gives them advantage over the others, making them "a cut above the rest".

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