Azumarill's convenient resistances to Water-, Ice-, and Fire-type attacks paired with respectable 100 / 80 / 80 defenses grant it multiple opportunities to switch in and inflict damage. Waterfall and Double-Edge provide great type coverage; the attacking combination of Water + Normal is resisted only by Shedinja (in UU) and Empoleon (in OU). Return is an option over Double-Edge if you are wary of recoil damage, but the additional power is appreciated by a Choice Band set (for example, choosing Return forgoes any chance of a 2HKO on Slowbro). Aqua Jet is too good to pass up; a STAB priority attack coming off 654 attack allows Azumarill to function as a revenge killer and even gives it a chance at a late-game sweep once Water-type resists are weakened or eliminated. The last slot is allocated for type coverage; Ice Punch helps Azumarill combat Roserade, Tangrowth, Venusaur, and Altaria switch-ins while Superpower gives a super-effective hit on the likes of Registeel. Bulky waters such as Slowbro and Milotic can shrug off Azumarill's STAB attacks and recover off any damage taken. Other physically bulky Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks, including Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Weezing, may be somewhat problematic. Pairing Azumarill with a Grass-type and a specially-based Fire-type is recommended to take advantage of the defensive and offensive synergy inherent in the Fire / Grass / Water combination. Roserade can easily switch into Slowbro, Milotic, and Tangrowth. Houndoom can take advantage of a switch to get in a Nasty Plot and has access to Dark STAB to combat Slowbro. Blaziken can OHKO opposing Grass-types and even 2HKO bulky waters with appropriate prediction. Azumarill can 2HKO the majority of UU with the appropriate move, but choosing the wrong attack can often mean a free turn for the opponent. The key to defeating the set is the same as the key to success—whenever Azumarill appears in battle, it is recommended to read your opponent like a large-print copy of Dr. Seuss and pick your move accordingly. Often at times, even when Azumarill is brought into a Fire- or Ground-type, opening with Double-Edge may be more beneficial than using Waterfall. Your opponent is unlikely to keep his or her Pokemon in or bring in a Regirock, Steelix, Registeel, or a physically frail Ghost; on the other hand, Double-Edge can hit the majority of Azumarill's common switch-ins like Venusaur or Milotic for neutral damage and has a slight chance to 2HKO Slowbro.
Whereas the Choice Band set is dependent on prediction to inflict massive amounts of damage, this set takes advantage of Azumarill's ability to create 101 HP Substitutes to function more as a team player in wearing down the opponent. The first two moves are self-explanatory, and Waterfall provides a reliable STAB attack. Aqua Jet is the preferred option in the last slot, as it allows Azumarill to reliably revenge kill low-HP opponents and threatening Fire-types such as Houndoom, Ninetales, Arcanine, and Magmortar. Azumarill can also use Aqua Jet and its low Speed to garner a free Substitute: use Substitute as an attack from a faster but weakened opponent hits Azumarill, then Aqua Jet for the KO before the Substitute is broken. Encore is a possibility to help Azumarill set up a Substitute more reliably and rack up Spikes and Stealth Rock damage. Encore can also stop RestTalkers such as Milotic in their tracks. Since this Azumarill loses the raw power granted by a Choice Band and Double-Edge, bulky waters become more of a problem, and Toxic is a viable option to cripple them. While using Ice Punch in the fourth slot enables Azumarill to hit Grass-types super-effectively, this set doesn't need the additional coverage as much as the Choice Band set does. Against mono-Grass opponents such as Tangrowth, a neutral Focus Punch hits for the same power as a super-effective Ice Punch. Focus Punch drops in power relative to Ice Punch against dual-type Grass / Poison Pokemon, but still knocks off a hefty chunk of Roserade's health due to its paltry HP and Defense (a combination of Focus Punch and Aqua Jet is almost always a 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage). The addition of Ice Punch only helps against Venusaur and Flying-type Pokemon that resist water, like Altaria. Pokemon who can withstand assaults from the Choice Band set will also fare well against the SubPuncher, so the same teammates are also recommended. For example, while Slowbro is occasionally 2HKOed by a Choice Banded Double-Edge, it is never 4HKOed by this set's attacks. However, with the decreased power comes increased unpredictability. While a SubPunching Azumarill cannot defeat Slowbro through raw power, it can cripple Slowbro through Toxic or rack up entry hazards damage by Encoring a Slack Off. As with any Substitute user, Azumarill benefits from a way to restore lost HP and screen support. Defensive screens are a great option because they allow Azumarill's substitutes to live through two hits from Slowbro and four hits from Milotic (unless it has a super-effective Hidden Power). Torterra is a fine choice for a partner, as it can set up both Reflect and Light Screen and has access to Leech Seed to restore Azumarill's HP. Azumarill resists Torterra's Fire and Ice weaknesses while Torterra is immune to the Electric attacks that Azumarill attracts but unfortunately is still vulnerable to Grass-type attacks. Gardevoir and Espeon are also able to set up dual screens, and both have access to Wish to replenish Azumarill's HP.
This set helps absorb status for the team, while also hitting the opponent from 438 Attack with two attacks that hit all of the UU metagame for at least neutral damage with the exception of Shedinja. Return is the preferred option over Double-Edge because this Azumarill is primarily designed to take hits and any recoil damage reduces his staying power. For OU play, a simple comparative analysis can be made with a similar set, Rest + Sleep Talk Machamp. Speed and Special Attack will be ignored because both Pokemon are essentially “expected” to go last and neither is ever going to use a Special move. Machamp generally runs 252 HP / 252 Attack with an Adamant nature, yielding stats of 384 HP / 394 Atk / 196 Def / 206 SpD, and has DynamicPunch and Stone Edge as its two main attacks. This Azumarill reaches 401 HP / 436 Atk / 196 Def / 196 SpD and has Waterfall and Double-Edge as its two main attacks. Azumarill is 5% bulkier physically, about as bulky specially, and 11% more powerful. Its Water + Normal attacks have at least as efficient coverage as Machamp's Fighting + Rock attacks. Machamp's advantages are in DynamicPunch's confusion and the fact that Fighting is such a useful offensive attacking type. Essentially, Azumarill and Machamp perform this Rest + Sleep Talking job comparatively well, and both have their slight advantages. It is essential that your team feature an external strong defensive core to deal with any threats that may set up on Azumarill while it is Resting. It may be worth including a cleric on your team to wake up Azumarill in case it is needed immediately. Roserade learns Aromatherapy and has great defensive synergy with Azumarill. Other possible clerics include Altaria, Miltank, and Chansey.
The potency of Belly Drum cannot be ignored on a Pokémon with Azumarill's Huge Power ability. Water + Normal offers great type coverage, and Azumarill reaches a maximum of 327 Speed after the Salac Berry boost. Unfortunately, Belly Drum + Aqua Jet is an illegal move combination (and probably for good reason). The 30 IV in HP makes Azumarill's HP divisible by four, which activates the Salac Berry after one Substitute and subsequent Belly Drum. One of the main faults of this Azumarill is that it is easily revenge killed; even with a Salac boost, its maximum Speed falls one point short of the maximum speed of positive-natured base 100s. It will also fall to many of the common priority moves in the tier, including Ambipom and Hitmontop's Fake Out, Hitmontop's Mach Punch, Blaziken's Vacuum Wave, and Honchkrow and Absol's Sucker Punch. It is recommended to thoroughly scout your opponent's team for these Pokemon and eliminate them before attempting a sweep. Since this Azumarill is a make-or-break sweeper, having a teammate to setup Stealth Rock in addition to a layer or two of Spikes is highly recommended, as it aids the sweep. Team OptionsAs an offensive Pokemon that focuses on getting KOes through raw power, Azumarill appreciates Stealth Rock support. For example, the standard Slowbro doesn't even come close to being 2HKOed by a Choice Banded Double-Edge without Stealth Rock on the field, but has a 20.19% of being 2HKOed with Stealth Rock damage (factoring in Leftovers recovery). The majority of Azumarill's counters are grounded Pokemon, so any layers of Spikes in addition to Stealth Rock will be particularly effective in wearing them down. Toxic Spikes support is extremely effective in combating bulky waters such as Milotic and Slowbro, who usually carry moves to recover health (Recover and Slack Off, respectively) but not status. Be aware that using Toxic Spikes will activate Milotic's Marvel Scale, making it bulkier than Slowbro while it's alive. Defensively oriented Roserade is an ideal partner, because has access to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, a special Grass STAB to scare off bulky waters, and a Poison STAB to deal heavy damage to Grass-types like Tangrowth. It can switch in with virtual impunity against bulky waters due to Natural Cure and the ability to easily recover lost HP with Synthesis. Specially defensive Drapion can also set up Toxic Spikes and can utilize STAB Poison Jab against Grass-types and Crunch against Slowbro and has the added ability of stopping bulky waters from recovering by Taunting. Torterra can help replenish Azumarill's HP with Leech Seed and has the ability to effectively make Azumarill's substitutes bulkier through Reflect and Light Screen. Azumarill's primary counters are physically bulky Grass- and Water-type Pokemon. Pairing it with a Fire- and Grass-type can help each member of your team eliminate its counters. Roserade can easily threaten bulky waters with their STAB Grass moves, and take little damage from Hidden Power Electric and Grass. Fire-types like Blaziken, Houndoom, Ninetales, or Moltres can easily threaten Grass-types. Nidoking can lure in bulky waters and 2HKO with a well-predicted Thunderbolt. A core of Water, Fire, and Grass Pokemon provides excellent defensive as well as offensive support; the common super-effective attacks on each member are typically resisted by one or more of the other members. Including a Ground-type Pokemon such as Steelix, Claydol, or Nidoqueen can help absorb Electric attacks aimed at Azumarill. All of these Pokemon can lay down Stealth Rock, and Nidoqueen also has the ability to set up Toxic Spikes. Steelix and Claydol have access to Explosion, and utilizing that in conjunction with a Passho Berry can be an easy way to eliminate the opposing bulky water. While the same bulky waters who love switching into Azumarill can hit also hit Nidoqueen super-effectively, she has the bulk to survive several hits and lay down Toxic Spikes regardless. Azumarill's most common counters are often seen on balanced or bulky offensive teams. The most common teammates for its counters include Roserade, Mismagius, Clefable, and Registeel. A mixed Blaziken is also able to handle these threats, and happens to threaten to 2HKO bulky waters with an appropriate combination of Fire Blast, Superpower, and Hidden Power. Magmortar also deserves a nod for having access to Thunderbolt to KO opposing bulky waters. Other OptionsIf you don't care about using moves with 90% accuracy, Aqua Tail is a stronger alternative to Waterfall and can be substituted on any of the sets. Sing can be used by Azumarill to send its counter to sleep, but is generally too unreliable. A Life Orb can be used in lieu of a Choice Band to maintain an Attack boost while gaining the ability to switch moves, but is not recommended because it sacrifices Azumarill's bulk. EVsThe primary EV spread given in the sets is optimal. 16 Speed EVs guarantees that Azumarill outspeeds other neutral-nature base 50s who may invest slightly in Speed, including Regirock, Registeel, Chansey, Hariyama, and Tangrowth. Attack is maximized and the remaining EVs are placed into HP. On the SubPuncher set, HP is maximized to create 101 HP Substitutes, and the remainder is placed into Attack. If using Azumarill in OU battles, placing 44 EVs into Speed outspeeds minimum speed Blissey. 84 Speed EVs outspeeds no-speed base 60 Pokemon such as Clefable, Porygon2, and Weezing. On the Rest Talk set, moving 4 EVs from HP into each of Defense and Special Defense maximizes its ability to take hits. OpinionWith physical STAB, the equivalent of 150 base Attack, decent defenses, and convenient typing, Azumarill can run circles around unprepared teams. With a Choice Band, it can break down even UU's bulkiest walls with the appropriate move, 2HKOing Slowbro, Milotic, Regirock, Registeel, Steelix, and Spiritomb. Substitute variants can take advantage of a wide range of defensive Pokemon including Chansey and Registeel, breaking the mid-game wide open with a massive Attack stat and decent coverage. Azumarill has a niche on offensive teams due to its good defenses, ability to take hits, and STAB priority move. Although Aqua Jet somewhat alleviates Azumarill's Speed concerns, its subpar Speed is still its greatest shortcoming. CountersSlowbro stands out as Azumarill's number one counter. He resists all of Azumarill's commonly used moves except for Double-Edge / Return and has access to reliable recovery. However, you should use caution when switching into the Choice Band set; it has a 21.10% chance to 2HKO a full-health Slowbro with Double-Edge after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery. Beware of Toxic from the Substitute variants, though; a Slowbro inflicted with Toxic is essentially neutered (and can be stalled out by Substitute if Slowbro lacks Psychic or Hidden Power Electric). In the same vein, defensive variants of Milotic fare relatively well, but risk a 2HKO from Double-Edge. Milotic actually outspeeds Azumarill, meaning it can escape the 2HKO by activating Marvel Scale through Rest, KOing Azumarill with Hidden Power Electric or Grass, or abusing Double-Edge's recoil damage with Recover. Venusaur sports a resistance to Focus Punch and can Knock Off Azumarill's Choice Band or Leftovers. With an immunity to Azumarill's STAB, Water Absorb Pokemon are also fine counters. Poliwrath can use Azumarill as an excuse to start using Bulk Up, and Quagsire can Curse. Lapras has a massive HP stat, higher Speed, and access to Thunderbolt, but will have to beware of Stealth Rock and the possibility of taking a heavy hit from Superpower or Focus Punch. While Toxicroak is also immune to Water attacks because of its ability, Dry Skin, its relative physical frailty means switching it directly into Azumarill is not recommended. However, it does sport a resistance to Fighting-type attacks, which allows it to more easily set up on a Choice Banded Superpower or a Substitute Azumarill without Encore. Weezing is never 2HKOed by a Choice Banded Waterfall and can force Azumarill out with the threat of Will-O-wisp or Thunderbolt but lacks reliable recovery. Tangrowth, possessing defensive stats that make Skarmory a tad green, can defeat Azumarill even if it does have a Choice Band and Ice Punch (but will lose if it has taken previous or residual damage). Altaria works against variants without Ice Punch, resisting the entirety of Azumarill's movepool except for Double-Edge. Luxray can switch in easily thanks to Intimidate and threaten with a STAB Thunderbolt. In OU, Empoleon rips through Azumarill by sporting a resistance to three of its attacking moves (beware of Focus Punch and Superpower, though). Sleep Talking Suicune can use Azumarill as set-up bait. Gyarados also resists the majority of Azumarill's moves and is able to cushion blows with Intimidate. |
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