Swampert makes an excellent lead due to its high defensive stats, excellent coverage against other leads, and access to Stealth Rock. This set can also be used later in the battle to sponge physical hits, unlike other frailer leads. Stealth Rock gives Swampert something to do with the switches it forces. Earthquake is mandatory STAB. Ice Beam keeps Salamence at bay, and does passable damage to Latias and Celebi. Don't rely on it to do much to the latter two though, as Swampert's Special Attack isn't stellar, and both can easily heal off the damage. Avalanche could be used to deal more damage to Latias, but the increase is negligible. Protect is often the best choice for the last slot, since it lets Swampert scout for Choiced attacks and Explosions,and also nets Swampert a free turn of Leftovers recovery. Surf can be used to hit Skarmory and Rotom-A much harder than Ice Beam. Hydro Pump 2HKOes Skarmory with 52 SpA EVs, but Surf’s reliability often proves more useful. Lastly, Roar can be used if your team lacks a phazer. The EVs maximize Swampert’s defensive potential. With the given spread, a positive nature +1 Salamence will never OHKO Swampert with a Life Orb Outrage while Ice Beam will always OHKO Salamence after Stealth Rock. Swampert can also take on Choice Band Tyranitar with ease, as even Choice Band Crunch will fail to 2HKO. Other options include Stone Edge, which allows Swampert to also serve as a decent Gyarados counter and still deal a fair amount of damage to Salamence, and Toxic, which allows you to hit Latias and cripple it. Swampert's typing means it is hit super effectively by only Grass-type attacks. On an offensive team, Scizor (with its 4x Grass resistance) makes an excellent partner to Swampert for its ability to hit Celebi and Latias with U-turn or Pursuit, but you should scout for Hidden Power Fire before attacking. An offensive variant of Rotom-A, particularly the "Substitute + Charge Beam" set, can come in on Celebi, provided it doesn't switch in on Thunder Wave, as Grass Knot will be unable to break Rotom-A's Substitute, and nab free Charge Beam boosts. Swampert benefits greatly from Wish support because it lacks recovery beyond Leftovers. Blissey can pass Wish and can also sponge special attacks aimed at Swampert. In return, Swampert is able to take on Tyranitar, a common switch-in to Blissey. However, Lucario is able to set up on Blissey without much trouble, so a Gyarados, Zapdos, or Rotom-A (depending on Lucario's set) to prevent it from sweeping. Rotom-A also allows you to switch into lead Metagross if Swampert does not have Protect to block Explosion.
Functioning similarly to CroCune, this Swampert has the possibility of boosting its stats even while sleeping. Curse boosts Swampert's Attack and Defense stats, boosting its ability to take and dish out hits simultaneously. Rest gives Swampert the ability to heal off damage and burn or Toxic status. Sleep Talk allows Swampert to continue to boost its stats or attack with Waterfall, even while asleep. Because Swampert only has one move slot to use for attacking, Waterfall is the best option. However, it should be noted that this Swampert should be saved for late game, once Water-resists are removed from play. Earthquake could be used in place of Waterfall, but isn't recommended because there are lots of OU Pokémon immune to Ground. Because Swampert is boosting its Defense, EVs are focused into HP and Special Defense. 216 SpD reaches a bonus point in Special Defense; this Swampert can even take a Life Orb max SpA Infernape’s Grass Knot and Waterfall in return for an OHKO. 40 Defense EVs allows +1 Swampert to take a +2 Life Orb Close Combat from Lucario if it tries to set up when it realizes Swampert lacks Earthquake. This set's biggest drawback is being unable to scratch common Water-types, most notably Vaporeon and Suicune. Roserade is one of the best partners possible for Swampert, since they not only cover each other's weaknesses, but Roserade can also set up Toxic Spikes. Additionally, Roserade's Leaf Storm deals a significant amount of damage to any Water-type brave enough to stay in. You will also need to consider another Pokémon to weaken non-grounded Pokémon which resist Waterfall. The most common are Salamence, Latias, and Gyarados. Substitute / Toxic / Dragon Pulse Heatran can lure all three of these Pokémon and cripple them with either Toxic or KO with Dragon Pulse.
With Curse, Swampert has the potential to set up against a good number of opponents because it has decent special and physical bulk and only one weakness. The strategy is quite simple: once Swampert’s counters have been eliminated, Curse up, Rest when weakened, and sweep. The given attacks provide Swampert with the best coverage. Earthquake is a tad stronger than Waterfall, making it the primary option. Avalanche is Swampert's secondary form of attack, allowing you to hit Flying-types. Stone Edge is also a good option for Gyarados, but Avalanche is usually better for the PP and better accuracy. For the final slot, both Waterfall and Rest are usable options. Waterfall allows you to hit Rotom-A and Bronzong, but Rest allows you to recover your health or relieve yourself of status. The provided EV spread gives Swampert an easier time setting up Curse, as the Special Defense EVs reduce the damage Heatran and other special attackers deal to Swampert. Grass-types like Celebi and Phazers like Skarmory and Hippowdon will stop Swampert from sweeping. SubCharge Rotom-A is a good option for taking these Pokémon out while adding more offense to your team. Nasty Plot Infernape can also take out most of Swampert’s counters and has an easy time setting up on Celebi. Despite its heavy Special Defense investment, Swampert is also still vulnerable to high powered special attacks like Latias or Salamence's Draco Meteor. For this reason, Swampert should be paired with a special sponge such as Blissey, or a Steel-type for their resistances to Ghost-, Dragon-, and Grass-type attacks. Scizor makes a good choice due to its access to Bullet Punch and Pursuit. At the same time, you will need checks against Pokémon that can set up on Swampert while asleep. An all purpose revenge killer can help out with this. Although Swampert is one of the best physical walls in the game, it is hindered by not having reliable recovery. This set attempts to make up for that problem by providing Swampert with recovery at the cost of not being able to use support moves such as Stealth Rock or Roar. The choice in attacking moves allow Swampert to have the best coverage possible in two moves. Earthquake is the stronger of Swampert’s two STABs and has better coverage with Avalanche. Stone Edge can be used to hit Gyarados, but the low PP and accuracy make it a lesser option. Rest and Sleep Talk are obvious choices for the third and fourth slots. The EVs serve the same function as those of the MixPert set, allowing you to take physical attacks such as Tyranitar’s Choice Band Crunch and +1 Life Orb Outrage from Salamence. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to give Swampert’s attacks a bit more power, though they can be put into Special Defense. Since this Swampert is meant to be played defensively, one should focus on making sure that Swampert will survive the attacks it is meant to survive. For this reason, a user of Rapid Spin can serve as a good partner for Swampert. Forretress gets a particular mention because it complements Swampert as they cover each other's weaknesses, and also has access to Toxic Spikes, which allows Swampert to out-stall opponents through Rest + Sleep Talk. Swampert will have trouble with durable, physical attackers, such as Gyarados and Machamp, who are not really bothered by anything you can throw at them (unless Swampert is carrying Stone Edge to hit Gyarados). Celebi is able to take on both of these Pokémon with relative ease, but must watch out for Gyarados's Bounce or Taunt and Machamp's Payback. Additional coverage can be provided in the form of your own Gyarados, since it counters most Machamp and can threaten Gyarados with Stone Edge, although opposing Gyarados could be carrying the same move.
Although Swampert is considered to be one of the best physical walls in today's metagame, it is unfortunately hindered by not having a reliable source of recovery outside of Leftovers, excluding Wish support. This set attempts to make up for that problem by providing Swampert with a feasible form of recovery at the cost of not being able to use support moves such as Stealth Rock or Roar. Swampert is already capable of walling physical Salamence and Tyranitar with relative ease, and this set makes it much easier to do so, since you can Rest off any damage taken and have a 2/3 chance of dealing damage to your opponent while asleep. The choice in attacking moves allows Swampert to have the best coverage possible in two moves. Earthquake is recommended over Waterfall due to a higher Base Power and overall better neutrality. Avalanche is generally preferred in the second slot to hit Flying-types such as Salamence, but Stone Edge can be used if you want to attempt to counter Gyarados, but the low PP and accuracy is unreliable on a Pokémon meant to be sticking around for a while. Rest and Sleep Talk are obvious choices for the third and fourth slots, as implied by the name of this set. The EVs are quite standard for this set, allowing for the best defensive potential Swampert can claim. The EVs function relatively the same as for the MixPert set, allowing you to have a high chance of surviving Dragon Dance Salamence's +1 Outrage and not get 2HKOed by Choice Band Tyranitar's Crunch about 97% of the time with both Stealth Rock damage and Leftovers recovery factored in. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to give Swampert a slightly better damage output with its attacks, but the EVs can also be relocated to Special Defense if you desire. As always, you will want Swampert to avoid getting hit by Grass-type attacks for obvious reasons. Since this Swampert is meant to be played defensively, one should focus on making sure that Swampert will survive the attacks it is meant to survive. For this reason, a user of Rapid Spin can serve as a good partner for Swampert. Forretress gets a particular mention because it complements Swampert by covering each other's weaknesses, and also has access to Toxic Spikes, which allows Swampert to outstall opponents through Rest + Sleep Talk. Swampert will also have trouble with durable, physical attackers, such as Gyarados and Machamp, who are not really bothered by anything you can throw at them (unless Swampert is carrying Stone Edge to hit Gyarados) and can hit extremely hard after a few boosts, or in Machamp's case, repeated confusion from DynamicPunch. Celebi is able to take on both of these Pokémon with relative ease, but must watch out for Gyarados's Bounce or Taunt and Machamp's Payback; however, the latter is outsped and can be hit hard by Grass Knot or Leaf Storm, especially on an offensive set, such as the Offensive Calm Minder or Tinkerbell. Additional coverage can be brought in the form of your own Gyarados, since it counters most Machamp and can threaten Gyarados with Stone Edge, although it is highly likely opposing Gyarados will be carrying the same move.
Using Choice Band on Swampert allows you to hit incoming counters much harder than before, at the cost of being locked into one move. However, this set's lack of Speed is its main drawback. For this reason, one must be able to predict successfully in order to make the best use of this set. These attacks give Swampert the best coverage possible. When using this set, it is generally a good idea to use either Waterfall or Stone Edge first to scout for Earthquake immune Pokémon. With this spread, Swampert manages to reach an Attack stat of 505, but loses the ability to take as many physical attacks. However, even with the lower EV investment in HP and defenses, Swampert still manages to avoid getting 2HKOed by Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge and 3HKOed by neutral natured Heatran's Fire Blast, assuming Stealth Rock is not set up. The given Speed EVs yield 181 Speed, allowing Swampert to outspeed most Skarmory, Tyranitar, and Metagross. Since Swampert's main hindrance is its low base Speed, it is a very good idea to provide Swampert with paralysis support. The best inducers of paralysis in OU are Celebi, Jirachi, and Togekiss. It is also worth noting that Jirachi and Togekiss also have access to Wish, which can help keep Swampert healthy throughout the match. Another large problem with Choice Band Swampert is that Pokémon like Salamence and Gyarados tend to set up on it easily when Swampert is locked into a resisted attack. As such, it is vital that you have a way to work around these Pokémon. Stealth Rock will prevent these Pokémon from switching in freely. Choice Scarf Latias is an effective revenge killer that can defeat most set-up Pokémon 1-on-1. Porygon2 works in a similar fashion by being a dual counter to both Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados. Bulky Grass-types, such as Celebi, will wall this set without much difficulty. Heatran manages to set up on most Celebi as long as you avoid Thunder Wave, and a strong Pursuit user in Scizor or Tyranitar can weaken it to the pointthat it can no longer come in on Ice Punch. Team OptionsSince Swampert lacks a form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Wish support is a great aid. Both Jirachi and Blissey make good teammates, as Jirachi and Swampert cover each other's weaknesses well, while Blissey can take special attacks aimed at Swampert. Non-Rest Swampert is also susceptible to Toxic so a user of Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, such as Blissey or Celebi, can be useful. If running Roar, Spikes support can help Swampert rack up entry hazards damage even faster. Celebi is often considered the best possible Swampert counter; however, Celebi has a horrible weakness to Pursuit, so by using either Scizor or Tyranitar, you should have an easy time against Celebi (provided you avoid Hidden Power Fire or Leaf Storm). Latias can be dispatched in a similar fashion. Pokémon like Infernape and Rotom-A will enjoy setting up on Celebi (provided they avoid Thunder Wave). Some Gyarados will also attempt to set up on you since it doesn't fear taking much from Ice Beam, so Rotom-A once again makes a good offensive partner if you want to tackle Gyarados. In addition, Calm Mind Latias has an easy setting up on Swampert’s counters. Swampert’s only weakness to Grass-type attacks can be covered by a multitude of Pokémon. Heatran is an excellent Pokémon to consider pairing with Swampert, since it handles Grass-types with ease due to its STAB Fire Blast. In addition, you can also pair Celebi with Swampert, and when combined with Heatran, will form the defensive combo normally regarded as "CelePertTran", which walls all 17 types; in addition, each of these Pokémon is bulky enough to shrug off several hits, making it difficult for the opponent to break through your team. If using this combo, you will also need an additional teammate to handle Pokémon attempting to set up on you, since the aforementioned defensive core has trouble taking on Pokémon like Gyarados carrying Bounce or even Dragon Dance Salamence. Choice Scarf Latias or a Choice Band Scizor with Quick Attack will often be your best choice, since both are useful in taking out Pokémon in emergencies. Swampert's main problem Pokémon are Celebi and Latias. Celebi is more than not partnered with Heatran due to their defensive synergy. A strong mixed sweeper such as Salamence has an easy time dealing with both Celebi and Heatran. Scizor is not far behind Heatran in teammate usage, and can be dispatched by Salamence as well, assuming you are in good enough health to survive Bullet Punch; otherwise, Scizor can be dispatched by any Fire-type attack or crippled by Will-O-Wisp. Latias shares similar partners, which include Metagross and Salamence, who are both taken on by Swampert without much effort. Other OptionsHidden Power Electric can 2HKO Gyarados, but doesn't really hurt any of the other Water-types like Milotic or Suicune. Hidden Power Bug can catch Celebi and Ludicolo off guard, but won't OHKO either of them. Counter or Mirror Coat can grab a surprise KO on certain attackers that Swampert would otherwise have problems hurting. Swampert can Focus Punch from behind 101 Substitutes to block Blissey's Seismic Toss and hurt her badly, but sapping Swampert's HP when it's usually relied upon to take hits is counter productive. Hydro Cannon gets a mention simply to say this—do not use it. The extra power over Hydro Pump isn't worth the second turn recharge and inability to switch. Swampert can make use of its decent base 85 Special Attack stat and run a Choice Specs set with Surf, Earth Power, Ice Beam, and Hidden Power Electric, although it is generally inferior to other sets. Rain Dance can also be used on Swampert on a Rain Dance team, as many teams have trouble against Tyranitar (due to its Sand Stream ability), and Swampert makes a fine counter to it. EVsMixPert can be Relaxed with 240 HP / 216 Def / 52 SpA. The Special Attack EVs allow Swampert to reach a stat of 219, which is sufficient to score a likely OHKO on Salamence with Ice Beam (94–100%, against a minimum HP Salamence). To guarantee an OHKO on the same Salamence, 235 Special Attack (116 EVs) is required. 219 also allows for a likely 2HKO on Weezing and Skarmory with Hydro Pump, with both taking 48–57% (assuming max HP/0 Special Defense). Dumping 40 EVs into Speed allows -Speed natured Swampert to outrun Weezing (although you're not doing much damage to him), and "Tyraniboah" as well. The Curse set should have the recommended EV spread to allow Swampert to have an easier time taking special attacks. With Curse, the use of Defense EVs is not as particularly useful as the high investment in Special Defense EVs, since Curse boosts your already decent Defense stat anyways. The Sleep Talker can follow the same EV spread as the MixPert set, but it is advised that you invest in Special Defense instead. The Sleep Talker Curse set will be able to set up Curses more easily, making Defense EVs less necessary. The Choice Bander should invest around 100 EVs in Speed to outrun neutral natured Skarmory and Metagross. A decent amount of EVs should be invested in Attack and the remaining between HP and Defense. OpinionIn ADV, Swampert fell into the category of "Bulky Water" alongside the likes of Suicune and Milotic. Swampert's Rock-type resistance, sandstorm immunity, and Electric-type immunity gave it a nice advantage over those two back then, and it's of even greater importance in the 4th generation. This is due to the addition of a new Sand Stream Pokémon in Hippowdon, a more powerful Rock attack in Stone Edge, and the introduction of Stealth Rock. Albeit not as common, Donphan, Hippowdon, and Rhyperior are stiff competition for Swampert for the position of Ground-type on a team. Swampert's advantages over those three include its neutrality to Water- and Ice-type attacks, higher Special Defense, and usable Special Attack stat. It's also worth noting that it will almost always beat those three one on one. While its movepool upgrades from the previous generation are slight, they are both significant and welcome. Physical Water- and Ice-type attacks are a nice bonus, as is its ability to provide support with Stealth Rock. Stone Edge is also a useful new addition, giving Swampert the opportunity to take on Gyarados with some degree of success without having to resort to Hidden Power Electric. Its ability to counter heavy hitters such as Tyranitar, Metagross, and Salamence has taken a hit from the previous generation, as all three now have 80 Base Power STAB attacks to hit it for neutral damage. In the case of Metagross, Grass Knot can easily 2HKO Swampert, and Salamence's Draco Meteor can OHKO it on a Choice Specs set. The new Grass-type attacks such as Energy Ball and Grass Knot pose an obvious threat to Swampert, but are fairly predictable. Overall, Swampert is an solid choice on any team, and will rarely let you down. CountersLudicolo is an excellent counter: Ground- and Water-type resists, neutralilty to Ice- and Rock-type attacks, and a STAB Grass-type attack to batter Swampert with. Almost any other Grass-type that can take at least one Ice-type attack should finish it with ease. The best candidates for this include Celebi, Venusaur, Leafeon, Tangrowth, Exeggutor, Meganium, and Shaymin. Rotom-A, Dusknoir, and Spiritomb shrug off Swampert's attacks and can cripple most variants with Will-O-Wisp. Cresselia, Uxie, and Mesprit are immune to its STAB Earthquake and possess sufficient defenses to take hits from its other attacks. All three can hit back with Energy Ball or Grass Knot. Azelf works in a similar way, but its lower defenses mean it can't take quite as much a repeated beating from Swampert's Water-type attacks. Gengar doesn't enjoy taking hits from Swampert's STAB Water-type attacks, but will usually survive them and can either cripple Swampert with Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp, or simply throw powerful Energy Balls at it. Mismagius works in much the same way, but her high Special Defense means she can sponge Surfs and Hydro Pumps more effectively than Gengar. Zapdos can survive a Stone Edge and any of Swampert's Ice-type attacks, and take it down with Hidden Power Grass. It can also use Light Screen to sponge hits from Ice Beam. Heracross resists Earthquake and 2HKOes Swampert with a Choice Banded Megahorn or Close Combat. Waterfall is a possible 2HKO on the bug, but requires more Attack EVs than most Swampert usually carry (280 for a possible 2HKO, 320 for guaranteed 2HKO on a minimum HP Heracross). Milotic can Recover off Swampert's Earthquakes, and wear it down with Surf. Vaporeon can fill a similar role by alternating between Wish and Protect to stall out Swampert while hitting him with Surf. Suicune does the same job with its incredible Defense. All three can Haze / Roar the Cursing set. Latias is immune to Swampert's STAB Earthquake, resists Water-type attacks, and can take Ice Beams with its monstrous Special Defense. In general it is a very safe switch-in, but you should watch out for Ice Punch, as it has a chance to OHKO Latias if Swampert is holding a Choice Band. |
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