|
-
Intimidate
- Lowers the foe's Attack one stage. Decreases wild encounter rate.
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Moxie
- Boosts Attack by one stage if the wielder knocks out another Pokemon.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
95
|
- |
26 |
29 |
- |
| Atk |
135
|
18 |
20 |
23 |
25 |
| Def |
80
|
12 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
| SpA |
110
|
15 |
17 |
20 |
22 |
| SpD |
80
|
12 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
| Spe |
100
|
14 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
Overview
To put it simply, Salamence is an offensive powerhouse. Boasting the second highest Attack stat of any Dragon-type in OU at base 135, Salamence can easily take out the opponent with its massively powerful STAB Outrage, both before and after a boost. Salamence is made even more threatening by the addition of Moxie, allowing its damage output to snowball to uncontrollable levels. Intimidate is another nice ability that enables Salamence to tank physical hits just a bit better, and complements its decent defensive typing and stats. Furthermore, Salamence can separate itself from its Dragon-type brethren quite easily when using Dragon Dance, thanks to a higher Speed stat, as well as the ability to go mixed, taking out Steel-types outside of rain thanks to Fire Blast backed by a base 110 Special Attack stat.
Salamence does have a few key weaknesses, however. The most apparent of these is its vulnerability to Stealth Rock, which cripples even sets with Roost. Salamence's Speed could also just be a smidge faster; many Pokemon that outspeed it can hit it super effectively with Ice- or Dragon-type attacks. Garchomp in particular is a huge threat to Salamence, as Choice Scarf variants of Garchomp outspeed Salamence even if it has acquired a Dragon Dance boost and smash it with either Outrage or Stone Edge. Steel-types can also come in on Salamence if it's locked into Outrage and do whatever they please. However, don't let these drawbacks prevent you from using Salamence; there was a reason it was banned from DPP OU!
Salamence is still the fastest relevant user of Dragon Dance in OU, and it can make use of the boosting move quite effectively thanks to STAB Outrage or Dragon Claw coming off its base 135 Attack. Earthquake is its main coverage move, hitting most Steel-types at least neutrally, bar Skarmory. Fire Blast hits all Steel-types except for Heatran, who is handled by Earthquake, and is Salamence's best way of getting past some of the most prominent Steel-types in the tier, namely Ferrothorn and Genesect. Roost, however, is also an option if you seek some sort of reliable recovery on Salamence.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Maximum Attack EVs ensure that Salamence will be hitting as hard as possible, while maximum Speed EVs let it hit as quickly as possible. Life Orb boosts Salamence's power even further, ensuring KOs on many Pokemon that would otherwise be unobtainable, such as an OHKO on Ferrothorn with Fire Blast outside of rain, as well as an OHKO on Jirachi with Earthquake. Lum Berry, however, is also an option to prevent Salamence from being crippled by status. A Naive nature is preferred to at least Speed tie with opposing base 100s; if you are using Roost over Fire Blast, use Jolly instead. Naughty and Adamant natures are options to boost Salamence's Attack even further; run Naughty with Fire Blast, and Adamant with Roost. However, Speed is often more important than power, as a neutral natured Salamence will be outsped after a Dragon Dance by Choice Scarf Genesect, then KOed with Ice Beam or Thunderbolt.
Teammates that can weaken the opponent before Salamence comes onto the field, such as Keldeo and Darmanitan, are recommended. Entry hazards also weaken the opponent, so teammates such as Deoxys-S are a big help as well. Pokemon who can take care of faster opponents are also great for removing troublesome opponents beforehand; Choice Scarf Garchomp and Life Orb Deoxys-S are both excellent examples.
An important thing to note is that even in DW OU, Salamence can only use Outrage and Dragon Dance on the same set if its ability is Intimidate. Thus, if you would like to use Moxie and Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw is the most powerful physical Dragon-type move you can use.
Yache Berry and Leftovers are both interesting items to try out on Salamence. Yache Berry lets it sponge one Ice-type attack and deal with the threat accordingly. Leftovers, however, gradually restores Salamence's HP, canceling out sandstorm damage. In terms of other moves to try on this set, Brick Break and Draco Meteor are both options in the final slot. Brick Break allows Salamence to break through Chansey and Blissey without resorting to Outrage, while Draco Meteor gives Salamence a special STAB move with which to surprise physical walls such as Gliscor and Slowbro, often allowing it to get a free Moxie boost as well.
With the release of Moxie, Salamence can effectively spam Outrage thanks to the Attack boosts Moxie brings after every KO, which can let Salamence sweep the opponent easily once Steel-types have been eliminated or significantly weakened. While it might be tempting to go ahead and select Outrage as soon as Salamence is out, this is rarely the best course of action. Dragon Claw has a decent amount of power after the STAB boost, while Fire Blast will easily take out most Steel-types looking to come in on Outrage; Heatran, the only Steel-type immune to Fire Blast, is easily dispatched by Earthquake. Brick Break will still hit Heatran and other Steel-types, while smashing into other Pokemon, namely Blissey and Terrakion.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Maximum EVs in Attack and Speed ensure that Salamence hits as hard and as fast as possible. Choice Scarf is the preferred item, as it allows Salamence to outspeed the majority of the unboosted metagame, as well as many slower users of Choice Scarf, notably Genesect, who is roasted by Fire Blast. A Naive nature further boosts Salamence's Speed, allowing it to tie with opposing base 100s; Jolly can be used if forgoing Fire Blast, or if one doesn't mind the power drop to Fire Blast that a Jolly nature provides. Moxie is the preferred ability as it increases Salamence's sweeping potential with Outrage, but Intimidate has the merit of allowing Salamence to come in on many more physical attacks. Draco Meteor is an option over one of the other moves, giving physical walls expecting Outrage quite a surprise. For example, Salamence 2HKOes Gliscor with Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock damage, allowing it to come in later and wreck the opposing team once they lack a physical wall to contain Salamence.
Salamence has a hard time getting through teams by itself, so powerful wallbreakers are very useful in this regard. Keldeo stands out as an excellent partner, being able to smash through the opposition with a powerful Hydro Pump under rain. Secret Sword lets Keldeo obliterate opposing Steel-types as well, allowing Salamence to spam Outrage much more easily. On that note, Pokemon that can trap Steel-types and generally bulky foes also make great teammates. Magnezone is great for removing Steel-types, while Chandelure can be used to trap more Pokemon, such as Latios and Breloom, if your team needs that support.
Given that Salamence has amazing attacking stats across the board, the fact that it can run an excellent wallbreaker set should come as no surprise. Draco Meteor is the main move on this set, as it makes full use of Salamence's Special Attack stat and obliterates most of the physical walls that can take Outrage. Fire Blast is an interesting move in the second slot, as it allows Salamence to take care of Steel-types before using Draco Meteor. In the third slot, Earthquake provides coverage on Heatran and Chandelure while Brick Break hits all Steel-types and does super effective damage to Chansey and Blissey, who otherwise wall Salamence. In the final slot, Outrage gives Salamence an effective STAB move to use once Draco Meteor is spent; it is still incredibly powerful even without full investment. Roost is also an option that allows Salamence to recover health lost to Life Orb recoil, increasing its longevity.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The given EVs spread Salamence's attacking power fairly evenly between its offenses, while 176 Speed EVs let it outspeed neutral base 90s with Speed investment. A Rash nature is preferred to give Salamence a boost to Draco Meteor while keeping its physical attacks powerful. A Naive nature can also be considered, but the drop in power is discouraging. On that note, one can also fully invest in Speed to beat Life Orb Genesect. However, as Choice Scarf variants are far more common, full Speed investment will be in vain quite a bit of the time. Regarding items, Life Orb is the preferred choice to further increase Salamence's power. Both Intimidate and Moxie can be used on this set; Intimidate allows Salamence to come in on physical attackers such as Breloom, while Moxie enables Salamence to go to town with Outrage after it KOes one opponent. However, Intimidate is more reliable in most situations.
Recommended teammates are ones that can take advantage of the gaping holes Salamence can create. Swords Dance Breloom, for example, appreciates the removal of Gliscor and other physical walls, such as Skarmory. Rapid Spin support is also essential to this set, especially if it lacks Roost, as Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb recoil will quickly pile up otherwise. Forretress in particular can provide both Rapid Spin and entry hazard support; Stealth Rock and Spikes greatly help Salamence break through the opposition.
Moxie Salamence is such a threat in the OU metagame that many players have to cautiously prepare their teams with switch-ins to take the resisted or ineffective attacks from the Choice Scarf set; this common scenario can be exploited by utilizing items other than Life Orb or a Choice item. Thanks to the lack of HP modification in Leftovers recovery or Life Orb recoil, as well as the absence of Intimidate, the opponent will likely expect Salamence to be using a Choice Band or Choice Scarf set, and send in an "appropriate" check or counter. However, with this set, Salamence can retaliate with an appropriate coverage move and deal massive damage to the presumed "safe" switch-in. Thanks to Salamence's high offensive stats, it almost always achieves at least one kill, receives an Attack boost thanks to Moxie, and becomes a fearful sweeper. This set, however, should be used early-game to lure and eliminate as many foes as possible; do not be overzealous with switching Salamence in constantly if you can't afford it.
All attacks from the Choice Scarf set are still applicable due to this set's ability to lure in checks and counters to the aforementioned set. In order to successfully attract these threats, Outrage must be used only in case of bulky threats that cannot be KOed in any other way. Otherwise, Salamence will be locked in for a couple of turns, which creates an easy opportunity for the opponent to send in a surefire counter. Dragon Claw should be used first to scout potential switch-ins, especially Steel-types, who can then be hit super effectively with Fire Blast, Earthquake, or Brick Break. After these Steel-types are eliminated, Salamence is virtually free to go all-out with its STAB moves.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs are a given because of this set's offensive nature. However, unlike other sets, a Naive nature is preferred to outrun as many Pokemon as possible, which amplifies this set's ability to bluff a Choice set. Additionally, Salamence is likely to obtain Attack boosts with Moxie, which makes up for the power lost from using the Naive nature. A Naughty nature is a viable option as well, as the extra Attack points can come in handy on a Pokemon with little to no item boosts.
Salamence has many items to choose from. The boost provided by Expert Belt helps especially against bulky Pokemon, as it allows Salamence to always OHKO common variants of Jirachi, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Ninetales, and even physically defensive Latias, without an Attack boost. While Lum Berry doesn't provide any boosts necessary to OHKO such threats, it gives Salamence more flexibility against bulky status users, especially Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and Chansey; it can also heal Outrage-induced confusion. There are other fairly gimmicky but usable items that Salamence can use. For instance, if you are not too concerned about the loss of power against Rock- and Steel-types, Draco Plate can be used to boost the power of Dragon Claw and Outrage. Going further down the list of situational items, Haban Berry enables Salamence to survive unboosted attacks from Dragon-type revenge killers, such as Latios's Dragon Pulse and opposing Salamence's Outrage, and retaliate with its own Dragon-type move. Yache Berry similarly weakens Ice-type attacks, especially those from Mamoswine, Abomasnow, Landorus, and bulky Water-types. Finally, Fire, Fighting, or Ground Gems can be used to ensure OHKOs against specific Steel-types if Salamence cannot afford to only 2HKO them. Fire Gem is especially recommended as it enables Salamence to deal massive damage to Ferrothorn and Skarmory, even in rain.
As this set easily lures in and eliminates certain Pokemon, it should be paired with Pokemon that benefit from the removal of such threats. It performs particularly well on teams with multiple offensive Dragon-type Pokemon, as it can easily remove Steel-types while bluffing a Choice Scarf. Meanwhile, Salamence can pose an offensive threat all by itself, so it isn't completely reliant on the offensive support of its teammates. All in all, Salamence is a great fit for teams that have problems against specific defensive Pokemon, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Of course, as this set lacks a method of boosting its Speed, faster Pokemon are Salamence's bane. Once Salamence's bluff has disappeared, the opponent will be eager to revenge kill it with faster threats, such as Terrakion, Latios, Jolteon, and opposing Choice Scarf Salamence. Salamence appreciates Steel-type teammates for this matter, as they resist the super effective Ice-, Rock-, and Dragon-type moves aimed at it. Rapid Spin support is also recommended as it extends Salamence's longevity by removing Stealth Rock from the field. Donphan and Forretress are bulky enough to Rapid Spin effectively, and can both set up entry hazards themselves. For a more offensive approach, Starmie is an excellent choice thanks to its impeccable power, Speed, and coverage. Magic Bounce Espeon is also a viable teammate, as it can deflect Stealth Rock immediately while setting up defensive screens for Salamence and its teammates.
Other Options
There are a number of sets that Salamence can run effectively, but they are often better done by other Pokemon. A Choice Band set is workable, as it poses a massive threat to defensive teams if it acquires boosts from Moxie. However, it faces direct competition from Dragonite and Garchomp, as the former has Multiscale while the latter has a higher base Speed. Choice Specs is an interesting option for Salamence thanks to its access to powerful special attacks, especially Hydro Pump, but again, Choice Specs Latios and Hydreigon are usually better in that role. Lastly, Salamence can attempt a defensive set thanks to access to Intimidate, phazing in the form of Dragon Tail or Roar, as well as Wish, but it suffers from too many common weaknesses to work effectively. Hydro Pump is a choice on any set that requires a special attack; it can work especially well over Fire Blast if one is using rain. However, Hydro Pump can only be used with one of Moxie or Outrage if you choose to use either, which greatly limits its viability. Fire Blast is also more reliable against Steel-types such as Ferrothorn. Dragon Pulse is an option over Draco Meteor, but the drop in power is painful.
Checks and Counters
Salamence's sheer versatility and power makes countering every set a difficult feat to accomplish. Intimidate variants of Salamence can all be handled nicely by Porygon2, whose Trace ability lowers Salamence's Attack by one stage. With all of Salamence's physical attacks weakened, Porygon2 can destroy it with Ice Beam. Skarmory and Bronzong can both switch in on any of Salamence's attacks except for Fire Blast; Skarmory can set up Spikes on Salamence if it's locked into Outrage, while Bronzong can nail Salamence with a super effective Hidden Power Ice. Other Steel-types make great checks as well. Metagross can come in and deal heavy damage with Bullet Punch, while Jirachi can take an Outrage and either heal back up with Wish or hit Salamence with STAB Iron Head. If rain is up, any Salamence not carrying Hydro Pump is hard-countered by Skarmory and Bronzong.
Offensive checks are much easier to come by, as there are many Pokemon that can outspeed Salamence and KO it. Choice Scarf Ditto will beat most Salamence sets by outspeeding and KOing with a Dragon-type attack. Choice Scarf Chandelure can also come in on MixMence and KO with Shadow Ball if Salamence is sufficiently weakened. Heatran can take on any Salamence without Earthquake and KO with Hidden Power Ice. Users of Ice Shard get a special note thanks to Ice Shard's priority. Mamoswine and Weavile are the first users that come to mind, though Donphan can use Ice Shard as well, albeit a much weaker one. Cloyster can also use Ice Shard effectively as well, though most Shell Smash sets do not carry Ice Shard. In addition, Cloyster has the benefit of tremendous physical bulk, which lets it tank most unboosted attacks with ease. Finally, Choice Scarf users that have more than base 100 Speed, such as Latios and Garchomp, are great revenge killers, as they outspeed even a boosted Salamence and can KO it with their respective STAB moves.
