|
-
Guts
- Attack is increased 50% when statused.
|
Statistics
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
60
|
- |
261 |
324 |
- |
| Atk |
85
|
185 |
206 |
269 |
295 |
| Def |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| SpA |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
| SpD |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
| Spe |
125
|
257 |
286 |
349 |
383 |
Swellow gets walled badly by most Rock and Steel-types, so early on you'll be hopping out with U-turn and sending in your counters. In the later stages of the battle, Swellow becomes a fearsome sweeper thanks to its STAB 140 base power Facade, Guts boosted Attack, and incredible Speed. Brave Bird takes out the Ghosts that Facade can't hit, and can 2HKO Rotom, despite being resisted. Protect is good if you lead with Swellow, since it will be unable to get hit with a sleep attack, and it activates the Orbs, so you can U-turn out for extra damage. Quick Attack is handy for taking out Choice Scarfers and Electrode. Pursuit punishes fleeing opponents, especially Hypno and Grumpig.
Toxic Orb does less damage to Swellow the first two turns it is out, but on the third turn, it is tied with Flame Orb for total damage done. If you think you can keep Swellow in for more than three turns, you'll want to use Flame Orb, otherwise, use Toxic Orb.
This has the potential to be even more powerful than the last set, provided you manage to switch into Toxic or Will-O-Wisp. As you don't have a powered up Facade, Brave Bird will be your main offensive option. Facade and Return are your options for Normal STAB. As you can't guarantee Facade will be powered up by status, Return is the more reliable option for hitting Electric-types. For example, Return will OHKO Manectric, whereas an unboosted Facade falls short.
Substitute down to activate whichever Berry you wish to make Swellow hold, Endeavor your opponent, then finish them with your attack move. Return is better for sweeping (in cases where you can kill your opponent without needing to Endeavor first), while Quick Attack is helpful for Electrode, Ninjask, Choice Scarfers and slower enemies who also carry priority attacks. Agility is also a decent option since Swellow will then be able to pass both a Speed boost and a boost from the Berry of choice; beware of faster Taunt users such as Electrode though since you are now without a solid attacking option. Liechi Berry is a direct boost to Swellow, as it can enable a sweep with Return. However, Starf Berry makes it more of a team player, as you have more options to benefit from the stat boost. If you managed to keep Stealth Rock off the field, you can Baton Pass a Berry boost (and possibly a Substitute) rather than Endeavor immediately. Then you can send Swellow out later and Endeavor something before it dies.
Other Options
Sleep Talk is useful to absorb Sleep Powder from Grass-types. Remember that Facade is not activated by Sleep, so you will usually be better off sticking with Return. Steel Wing is an option if you want to hit Rock-types harder, but it barely scratches most of them. Mirror Move is an interesting option since you can switch into an Earthquake from a Rock or Steel-type and Mirror Move it back.
EVs
Swellow always needs maximum Speed and Attack, with the remaining EVs placed anywhere but HP, so residual damage from Stealth Rock and status round down. Jolly nature is recommended to ensure it will outrun the likes of Gengar, Starmie and Froslass.
Opinion
The loss of physical Hidden Power makes Swellow struggle early in the game, as it can't do adequate damage to most Rock and Steel-types. Thankfully it makes up for these failings, by becoming an excellent late game cleaner. Guts, STAB Facade and very high Speed all combine to make Swellow a significant threat in UU battles. Swellow's movepool may be very limited, but you would do well not to underestimate its power.
Counters
Most Rock or Steel-types are counters to Swellow. Aggron, Probopass, Steelix, and Relicanth are all good examples. Ghosts can come in on Normal-attacks from the Choice Bander, and they're immune to Endeavor, but switching into Brave Bird will OHKO most of them (Rotom is 2HKOed, despite resisting Flying attacks). Priority moves (especially Ice Shard) combined with residual damage can often lead to a KO thanks to Swellow's poor defenses.
