Overview
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Salamence has great overall stats; its Attack is far above the rest, and although its defensive stats aren't anything special, it can use them with great success thanks to Intimidate. This, combined with Salamence's fantastic movepool, makes it one of the most versatile Pokemon in the UnderUsed metagame, as it is capable of running many different sets. Physically offensive sets are a bit reliant on Outrage, which isn't a bad move by any means but can be risky to use in certain situations. Salamence's typing has some important weaknesses and takes 25% from Stealth Rock, but it also has some important resistances to common attacking types such as Fighting and Bug, as well as a Ground immunity, which allows it to check plenty of top threats.
Just Dance
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name: Just Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Iron Tail / Earthquake
ability: Intimidate / Moxie
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Dragon Dance boosts Salamence's already massive Attack and Speed, allowing it to sweep. Outrage is by far its strongest move; it can potentially 2HKO Suicune with Life Orb, and after a Dragon Dance, only the bulkiest physical walls and Fairy- and Steel-type Pokemon avoid getting OHKOed. Dragon Claw, despite being significantly weaker, can be used instead of Outrage because it doesn't have any drawbacks. Fire Blast breaks most Steel-type Pokemon, such as Mega Aggron and Forretress, and it also helps against Chesnaught. Iron Tail hits Fairy-type Pokemon for massive damage. Earthquake is mostly for Empoleon, but it also provides good super effective coverage on Pokemon such as Nidoqueen and Arcanine without using Outrage. Roost can be used to give Salamence more longevity and helps it check some threats, such as Heracross and Infernape, without getting worn down too easily.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maximize Salamence's Attack and Speed. 4 Special Attack EVs make Fire Blast slightly stronger. A Naive nature boosts Salamence's Speed to make it harder to revenge kill and is necessary to let it outspeed some threats, such as Hydreigon and Haxorus, before boosting; this nature is used over Hasty to help Salamence tank hits from Pokemon such as Heracross and Darmanitan better. Life Orb makes Salamence significantly stronger, which is necessary to have a chance of 2HKOing Suicune with Outrage and Mega Aggron with Fire Blast and guarantees the OHKO on Florges after a boost. Alternatively, Lum Berry gives Salamence more opportunities to set up and helps with Outrage confusion. Intimidate gives Salamence many chances to set up and helps it check some physical attackers. On the other hand, Moxie helps Salamence sweep, as it boosts Salamence's Attack every time it gets a KO. A bulkier spread can be used with Roost, Intimidate, and Leftovers to improve Salamence's longevity and opportunities to set up; however, Salamence has to lose a significant amount of Speed or Attack in order to use this spread.
Usage Tips
========
Use Salamence's good bulk and typing to find opportunities to set up and sweep. Note that Salamence's 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited easily, so be careful of foes that may carry Ice-type coverage moves. Salamence can sweep late-game or open holes in the opponent's team early on, which allows it to fulfill the roles of sweeper and wallbreaker.
Team Options
========
Having entry hazard control is important when using Salamence. Rapid Spin or Defog users, such as Blastoise and Empoleon, are necessary to remove Stealth Rock from the field. Entry hazard setters, such as Swampert and Roserade, can help Salamence break through some of its switch-ins. Pokemon such as Heracross and Mega Aerodactyl can wear down potential checks and counters for Salamence, which makes sweeping easier. Bulky Water-types usually give Salamence trouble, so Pokemon that can take advantage of them, such as Shaymin and Rotom-C, are good teammates. Shaymin in particular is a good teammate because it can use Healing Wish to support Salamence.
Mixed Attacker
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name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Outrage / Iron Tail
move 4: Roost / Iron Tail / Earthquake
ability: Intimidate
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Draco Meteor allows Salamence to hit physical walls expecting a physical set extremely hard, and it is very spammable because not many Pokemon in the tier resist or are immune to it. Fire Blast hits Steel-type Pokemon, which resist Draco Meteor, and can help against Grass-types such as Chesnaught and Shaymin. Outrage allows Salamence to break through special walls such as Blissey and Umbreon, both of which can take Draco Meteor really well. Iron Tail hits Fairy-types for good damage. Roost gives Salamence more longevity and helps it deal with Life Orb recoil. Earthquake hits Empoleon, which is otherwise able to wall this set, super effectively and also provides good super effective coverage on Pokemon such as as Nidoqueen and Arcanine so that Salamence does not have to use Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maxiimize Salamence's Special Attack and Speed. The 4 Attack EVs make Salamence's physical moves slightly stronger. A Speed-boosting nature is needed to allow Salamence to outspeed Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Lucario, and Krookodile; Naive is used over Hasty nature because it doesn't lower Salamence's Defense, which is useful for checking Pokemon such as Infernape and Heracross. Life Orb helps Salamence 2HKO most of the walls in the tier, such as Suicune, Swampert, and Blissey. Intimidate gives Salamence more opportunities to switch in and allows it to check some physical attackers.
Usage Tips
========
Use Salamence's great bulk and typing to find opportunities to switch in and threaten the opposing team. Opening up with Draco Meteor is usually the best option, because it will do significant damage to most Pokemon in the tier, and the few that have no issues with the move are threatened by Salamence's other moves. This set is meant to be used as a wallbreaker; Salamence won't be able to sweep, but it'll help teammates do that.
Team Options
========
Having teammates that can provide entry hazard control is necessary. Rapid Spin and Defog users, such as Mega Blastoise and Empoleon, can remove Stealth Rock from the field for Salamence. Entry hazard of your own increase Salamence's chance of 2HKOing walls such as Blissey, so using entry hazard setters such as Swampert and Forretress is recommended. Using Pokemon that can take advantage of Salamence's ability to lure in and break some walls, such as Kingdra and Mega Aerodactyl, is a must.
FatMence
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name: FatMence
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Toxic
move 4: Dragon Tail / Roar / Defog
ability: Intimidate
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Roost helps Salamence stay alive, which is extremely important for this set. Dragon Claw is Salamence's main attacking move, as it does consistent damage to most Pokemon and has great neutral coverage. Earthquake helps Salamence hit Steel- and Poison-types, such as Empoleon and Toxicroak, for super effective damage. Toxic can be used to spread status and wear down some switch-ins, such as Hippowdon and Swampert. Dragon Tail and Roar shuffle the opponent's team, potentially forcing foes take entry hazard damage; Roar is more reliable, but Dragon Tail does a decent amount of damage thanks to Salamence's high base Attack. Defog can be used to remove entry hazards from the field, because Salamence is bulky enough to pull it off even with its weakness to Stealth Rock. Flamethrower hits Forretress and Mega Aggron for super effective damage, OHKOing the former even with no Special Attack investment.
Set Details
========
The 24 Speed EVs allow Salamence to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow. The remaining EVs are put into HP and Defense to maximize Salamence's physical bulk. An Impish nature is used to further boost its Defense. Leftovers gives Salamence more longevity, but Rocky Helmet can be used to wear down certain foes, especially U-turn users. Intimidate combined with Salamence's good defenses is what makes this set great, as it decreases the foe's Attack upon switching in, which allows Salamence to deal with some of the strongest wallbreakers in the tier. A faster EV spread can be used to let Salamence outpace Heracross and use Roost before its Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge, but this means Salamence will have problems dealing with Heracross's STAB attacks.
Usage Tips
========
It's fairly obvious that set is meant to be a wall instead of a sweeper, so don't expect Salamence to do a significant amount of damage without any investment. This set's best tool is Intimidate, so smart switching is the best way to use it. Salamence's 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited easily, so be careful against Pokemon that might carry Ice-type coverage moves, such as bulky Water-types.
Team Options
========
If Salamence isn't running Defog, a different Pokemon capable of removing entry hazards, such as Forretress or Tentacruel, is necessary. Entry hazard support of your own helps Salamence wear down the opponent's team with Roar or Dragon Tail, which makes entry hazard setters, such as Roselia and Empoleon, good teammates. Pokemon that can cover Salamence's weaknesses are necessary. Blissey can deal with special attackers, which are the most common users of Ice- and Fairy-type attacks, and Porygon2 deals with important threats such as Hydreigon, Mega Aerodactyl, and opposing Salamence; note that both Blissey and Porygon2 have great synergy with Salamence, as it can deal with the Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten both of them. This set is really susceptible to status moves, especially Scald, which makes clerics such as Umbreon and the aforementioned Blissey necessary teammates.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Fire Blast
move 4: Iron Tail
ability: Moxie
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Naive
Moves
========
Outrage is Salamence's strongest move, which makes it the best move to clean up with. Dragon Claw is a secondary STAB attack with no drawbacks; it's weaker than Outrage, but if Salamence defeats a weakened foe with it, Dragon Claw becomes significantly more threatening. Earthquake deals super effective damage to Steel- and Poison-types, such as Empoleon and Nidoqueen. Fire Blast allows Salamence to wear down or KO Forretress, Mega Aggron, and Chesnaught. It doesn't benefit from Moxie and heavily relies on prediction, but it's Salamence's only way of dealing with those Pokemon. Iron Tail hits Fairy-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maximize Speed and Attack. The 4 remaining EVs should be put in Special Defense to prevent Download users from getting a Special Attack boost. Use a Jolly nature to let Salamence outspeed almost every Choice Scarf user in the tier as well as every Pokemon without a Speed boost. If running Fire Blast, you should instead use 4 Special Attack EVs and a Naive nature. Moxie can create an snowball effect that allows Salamence to become a massive threat late-game.
Usage Tips
========
This set is a fantastic late-game cleaner, but it's subpar as a revenge killer because it heavily relies on Outrage to do damage. The opponent's team needs to be weakened before you should attempt to sweep with Salamence. All of Salamence's non-STAB moves heavily rely on prediction to work, but if Salamence manages to hit the intended targets, it'll have an easier time cleaning up. This Salamence set should only be used on offensive teams.
Team Options
========
Considering the opponent's team needs to be worn down before you can sweep with Salamence, entry hazard setters, such as Froslass and Azelf, can be good teammates. Salamence's Stealth Rock weakness isn't as important on this set because Salamence most likely won't need to switch in more than twice in most games, but a Rapid Spin user, such as Mega Blastoise or Custap Berry Forretress, or a fast lead with Taunt, such as Aerodactyl or Azelf, can be used to make Salamence's job easier. Wallbreakers and other sweepers, such as Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Mega Swampert, are necessary teammates, as they are capable of wearing down the opponent's team to help Salamence sweep late-game.
Other Options
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Salamence is a decent user of Choice Band and Choice Specs, but running them makes Salamence significantly less versatile and the Life Orb boost is usually more than enough. A bulky Dragon Dance set with Refresh to deal with Scald burns can be used with decent success; however, most bulky Water-type Pokemon carry Ice Beam or Roar, which means Salamence usually won't be able to beat them. Hone Claws boosts Salamence Attack and allows it to use Dragon Rush and Iron Tail without being too worried about missing, but Dragon Dance's Speed boost is better in almost every possible scenario. Hydro Pump is Salamence's best move against Hippowdon and Donphan, but both already lose to the Mixed Attacker set and Fire Blast hits significantly more targets. Crunch and Brick Break can be used to hit some specific Pokemon, such as Cresselia and Blissey, decently hard without having to lock Salamence into Outrage, but Outrage is significantly stronger and those moves are extremely situational.
Checks & Counters
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**Porygon2**: Porygon2 has excellent bulk and Trace, which copies Intimidate, allowing Porygon2 to easily switch into any of Salamence's attacks. However, Moxie Salamence's Life Orb-boosted Outrage 2HKOes specially defensive variants, but this scenario is extremely unlikely.
**Cresselia**: Cresselia's superb bulk allows it to not be 2HKOed by any combination of moves, and it has no issues tanking +1 boosted attacks from Salamence. Cresselia can retaliate with Thunder Wave, Moonblast, and Ice Beam to cripple and KO Salamence .
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Fairy-type Pokemon can deal with most of Salamence's moves easily. However, Iron Tail 2HKOes all Fairy-types except Granbull.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Mega Aggron, Bronzong, Doublade, and Forretress beat sets without Fire Blast and can easily take advantage of Salamence if it gets locked into Outrage. Empoleon walls sets without Earthquake but is 3HKOed by Outraged if it doesn't invest into its physical bulk.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Suicune and Vaporeon, can deal with Dragon Dance variants if Salamence is not running Life Orb or if they switch into Dragon Dance. However, Life Orb variants can break through them. Note that they need Ice Beam to be able to deal with the Dragon Dance set without relying on Scald burns; otherwise, the odds are with Salemence.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock makes switching in and setting up significantly harder for Salamence. As long as Stealth Rock is on the field, Salamence is significantly less threatening.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon that can KO Salamence, such as Mega Sceptile and Mega Aerodactyl, can revenge kill it as long its Speed isn't boosted; if holding a Choice Scarf or after using Dragon Dance, Salamence is faster than most Choice Scarf users, which means outspeeding usually isn't a possibility.
**Priority Users**: Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow, Choice Band Entei, and Mega Absol can revenge kill Salamence with their priority moves; however, Salamence is bulky enough to survive all of them, except STAB-boosted Ice Shard, as long as it is healthy.
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Salamence has great overall stats; its Attack is far above the rest, and although its defensive stats aren't anything special, it can use them with great success thanks to Intimidate. This, combined with Salamence's fantastic movepool, makes it one of the most versatile Pokemon in the UnderUsed metagame, as it is capable of running many different sets. Physically offensive sets are a bit reliant on Outrage, which isn't a bad move by any means but can be risky to use in certain situations. Salamence's typing has some important weaknesses and takes 25% from Stealth Rock, but it also has some important resistances to common attacking types such as Fighting and Bug, as well as a Ground immunity, which allows it to check plenty of top threats.
Just Dance
########
name: Just Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Iron Tail / Earthquake
ability: Intimidate / Moxie
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Dragon Dance boosts Salamence's already massive Attack and Speed, allowing it to sweep. Outrage is by far its strongest move; it can potentially 2HKO Suicune with Life Orb, and after a Dragon Dance, only the bulkiest physical walls and Fairy- and Steel-type Pokemon avoid getting OHKOed. Dragon Claw, despite being significantly weaker, can be used instead of Outrage because it doesn't have any drawbacks. Fire Blast breaks most Steel-type Pokemon, such as Mega Aggron and Forretress, and it also helps against Chesnaught. Iron Tail hits Fairy-type Pokemon for massive damage. Earthquake is mostly for Empoleon, but it also provides good super effective coverage on Pokemon such as Nidoqueen and Arcanine without using Outrage. Roost can be used to give Salamence more longevity and helps it check some threats, such as Heracross and Infernape, without getting worn down too easily.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maximize Salamence's Attack and Speed. 4 Special Attack EVs make Fire Blast slightly stronger. A Naive nature boosts Salamence's Speed to make it harder to revenge kill and is necessary to let it outspeed some threats, such as Hydreigon and Haxorus, before boosting; this nature is used over Hasty to help Salamence tank hits from Pokemon such as Heracross and Darmanitan better. Life Orb makes Salamence significantly stronger, which is necessary to have a chance of 2HKOing Suicune with Outrage and Mega Aggron with Fire Blast and guarantees the OHKO on Florges after a boost. Alternatively, Lum Berry gives Salamence more opportunities to set up and helps with Outrage confusion. Intimidate gives Salamence many chances to set up and helps it check some physical attackers. On the other hand, Moxie helps Salamence sweep, as it boosts Salamence's Attack every time it gets a KO. A bulkier spread can be used with Roost, Intimidate, and Leftovers to improve Salamence's longevity and opportunities to set up; however, Salamence has to lose a significant amount of Speed or Attack in order to use this spread.
Usage Tips
========
Use Salamence's good bulk and typing to find opportunities to set up and sweep. Note that Salamence's 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited easily, so be careful of foes that may carry Ice-type coverage moves. Salamence can sweep late-game or open holes in the opponent's team early on, which allows it to fulfill the roles of sweeper and wallbreaker.
Team Options
========
Having entry hazard control is important when using Salamence. Rapid Spin or Defog users, such as Blastoise and Empoleon, are necessary to remove Stealth Rock from the field. Entry hazard setters, such as Swampert and Roserade, can help Salamence break through some of its switch-ins. Pokemon such as Heracross and Mega Aerodactyl can wear down potential checks and counters for Salamence, which makes sweeping easier. Bulky Water-types usually give Salamence trouble, so Pokemon that can take advantage of them, such as Shaymin and Rotom-C, are good teammates. Shaymin in particular is a good teammate because it can use Healing Wish to support Salamence.
Mixed Attacker
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name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Outrage / Iron Tail
move 4: Roost / Iron Tail / Earthquake
ability: Intimidate
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Draco Meteor allows Salamence to hit physical walls expecting a physical set extremely hard, and it is very spammable because not many Pokemon in the tier resist or are immune to it. Fire Blast hits Steel-type Pokemon, which resist Draco Meteor, and can help against Grass-types such as Chesnaught and Shaymin. Outrage allows Salamence to break through special walls such as Blissey and Umbreon, both of which can take Draco Meteor really well. Iron Tail hits Fairy-types for good damage. Roost gives Salamence more longevity and helps it deal with Life Orb recoil. Earthquake hits Empoleon, which is otherwise able to wall this set, super effectively and also provides good super effective coverage on Pokemon such as as Nidoqueen and Arcanine so that Salamence does not have to use Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maxiimize Salamence's Special Attack and Speed. The 4 Attack EVs make Salamence's physical moves slightly stronger. A Speed-boosting nature is needed to allow Salamence to outspeed Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Lucario, and Krookodile; Naive is used over Hasty nature because it doesn't lower Salamence's Defense, which is useful for checking Pokemon such as Infernape and Heracross. Life Orb helps Salamence 2HKO most of the walls in the tier, such as Suicune, Swampert, and Blissey. Intimidate gives Salamence more opportunities to switch in and allows it to check some physical attackers.
Usage Tips
========
Use Salamence's great bulk and typing to find opportunities to switch in and threaten the opposing team. Opening up with Draco Meteor is usually the best option, because it will do significant damage to most Pokemon in the tier, and the few that have no issues with the move are threatened by Salamence's other moves. This set is meant to be used as a wallbreaker; Salamence won't be able to sweep, but it'll help teammates do that.
Team Options
========
Having teammates that can provide entry hazard control is necessary. Rapid Spin and Defog users, such as Mega Blastoise and Empoleon, can remove Stealth Rock from the field for Salamence. Entry hazard of your own increase Salamence's chance of 2HKOing walls such as Blissey, so using entry hazard setters such as Swampert and Forretress is recommended. Using Pokemon that can take advantage of Salamence's ability to lure in and break some walls, such as Kingdra and Mega Aerodactyl, is a must.
FatMence
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name: FatMence
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Toxic
move 4: Dragon Tail / Roar / Defog
ability: Intimidate
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Roost helps Salamence stay alive, which is extremely important for this set. Dragon Claw is Salamence's main attacking move, as it does consistent damage to most Pokemon and has great neutral coverage. Earthquake helps Salamence hit Steel- and Poison-types, such as Empoleon and Toxicroak, for super effective damage. Toxic can be used to spread status and wear down some switch-ins, such as Hippowdon and Swampert. Dragon Tail and Roar shuffle the opponent's team, potentially forcing foes take entry hazard damage; Roar is more reliable, but Dragon Tail does a decent amount of damage thanks to Salamence's high base Attack. Defog can be used to remove entry hazards from the field, because Salamence is bulky enough to pull it off even with its weakness to Stealth Rock. Flamethrower hits Forretress and Mega Aggron for super effective damage, OHKOing the former even with no Special Attack investment.
Set Details
========
The 24 Speed EVs allow Salamence to outspeed Adamant Honchkrow. The remaining EVs are put into HP and Defense to maximize Salamence's physical bulk. An Impish nature is used to further boost its Defense. Leftovers gives Salamence more longevity, but Rocky Helmet can be used to wear down certain foes, especially U-turn users. Intimidate combined with Salamence's good defenses is what makes this set great, as it decreases the foe's Attack upon switching in, which allows Salamence to deal with some of the strongest wallbreakers in the tier. A faster EV spread can be used to let Salamence outpace Heracross and use Roost before its Choice Band-boosted Stone Edge, but this means Salamence will have problems dealing with Heracross's STAB attacks.
Usage Tips
========
It's fairly obvious that set is meant to be a wall instead of a sweeper, so don't expect Salamence to do a significant amount of damage without any investment. This set's best tool is Intimidate, so smart switching is the best way to use it. Salamence's 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited easily, so be careful against Pokemon that might carry Ice-type coverage moves, such as bulky Water-types.
Team Options
========
If Salamence isn't running Defog, a different Pokemon capable of removing entry hazards, such as Forretress or Tentacruel, is necessary. Entry hazard support of your own helps Salamence wear down the opponent's team with Roar or Dragon Tail, which makes entry hazard setters, such as Roselia and Empoleon, good teammates. Pokemon that can cover Salamence's weaknesses are necessary. Blissey can deal with special attackers, which are the most common users of Ice- and Fairy-type attacks, and Porygon2 deals with important threats such as Hydreigon, Mega Aerodactyl, and opposing Salamence; note that both Blissey and Porygon2 have great synergy with Salamence, as it can deal with the Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten both of them. This set is really susceptible to status moves, especially Scald, which makes clerics such as Umbreon and the aforementioned Blissey necessary teammates.
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Fire Blast
move 4: Iron Tail
ability: Moxie
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Naive
Moves
========
Outrage is Salamence's strongest move, which makes it the best move to clean up with. Dragon Claw is a secondary STAB attack with no drawbacks; it's weaker than Outrage, but if Salamence defeats a weakened foe with it, Dragon Claw becomes significantly more threatening. Earthquake deals super effective damage to Steel- and Poison-types, such as Empoleon and Nidoqueen. Fire Blast allows Salamence to wear down or KO Forretress, Mega Aggron, and Chesnaught. It doesn't benefit from Moxie and heavily relies on prediction, but it's Salamence's only way of dealing with those Pokemon. Iron Tail hits Fairy-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
Set Details
========
The given EVs maximize Speed and Attack. The 4 remaining EVs should be put in Special Defense to prevent Download users from getting a Special Attack boost. Use a Jolly nature to let Salamence outspeed almost every Choice Scarf user in the tier as well as every Pokemon without a Speed boost. If running Fire Blast, you should instead use 4 Special Attack EVs and a Naive nature. Moxie can create an snowball effect that allows Salamence to become a massive threat late-game.
Usage Tips
========
This set is a fantastic late-game cleaner, but it's subpar as a revenge killer because it heavily relies on Outrage to do damage. The opponent's team needs to be weakened before you should attempt to sweep with Salamence. All of Salamence's non-STAB moves heavily rely on prediction to work, but if Salamence manages to hit the intended targets, it'll have an easier time cleaning up. This Salamence set should only be used on offensive teams.
Team Options
========
Considering the opponent's team needs to be worn down before you can sweep with Salamence, entry hazard setters, such as Froslass and Azelf, can be good teammates. Salamence's Stealth Rock weakness isn't as important on this set because Salamence most likely won't need to switch in more than twice in most games, but a Rapid Spin user, such as Mega Blastoise or Custap Berry Forretress, or a fast lead with Taunt, such as Aerodactyl or Azelf, can be used to make Salamence's job easier. Wallbreakers and other sweepers, such as Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Mega Swampert, are necessary teammates, as they are capable of wearing down the opponent's team to help Salamence sweep late-game.
Other Options
########
Salamence is a decent user of Choice Band and Choice Specs, but running them makes Salamence significantly less versatile and the Life Orb boost is usually more than enough. A bulky Dragon Dance set with Refresh to deal with Scald burns can be used with decent success; however, most bulky Water-type Pokemon carry Ice Beam or Roar, which means Salamence usually won't be able to beat them. Hone Claws boosts Salamence Attack and allows it to use Dragon Rush and Iron Tail without being too worried about missing, but Dragon Dance's Speed boost is better in almost every possible scenario. Hydro Pump is Salamence's best move against Hippowdon and Donphan, but both already lose to the Mixed Attacker set and Fire Blast hits significantly more targets. Crunch and Brick Break can be used to hit some specific Pokemon, such as Cresselia and Blissey, decently hard without having to lock Salamence into Outrage, but Outrage is significantly stronger and those moves are extremely situational.
Checks & Counters
########
**Porygon2**: Porygon2 has excellent bulk and Trace, which copies Intimidate, allowing Porygon2 to easily switch into any of Salamence's attacks. However, Moxie Salamence's Life Orb-boosted Outrage 2HKOes specially defensive variants, but this scenario is extremely unlikely.
**Cresselia**: Cresselia's superb bulk allows it to not be 2HKOed by any combination of moves, and it has no issues tanking +1 boosted attacks from Salamence. Cresselia can retaliate with Thunder Wave, Moonblast, and Ice Beam to cripple and KO Salamence .
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Fairy-type Pokemon can deal with most of Salamence's moves easily. However, Iron Tail 2HKOes all Fairy-types except Granbull.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Mega Aggron, Bronzong, Doublade, and Forretress beat sets without Fire Blast and can easily take advantage of Salamence if it gets locked into Outrage. Empoleon walls sets without Earthquake but is 3HKOed by Outraged if it doesn't invest into its physical bulk.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon, such as Suicune and Vaporeon, can deal with Dragon Dance variants if Salamence is not running Life Orb or if they switch into Dragon Dance. However, Life Orb variants can break through them. Note that they need Ice Beam to be able to deal with the Dragon Dance set without relying on Scald burns; otherwise, the odds are with Salemence.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock makes switching in and setting up significantly harder for Salamence. As long as Stealth Rock is on the field, Salamence is significantly less threatening.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon that can KO Salamence, such as Mega Sceptile and Mega Aerodactyl, can revenge kill it as long its Speed isn't boosted; if holding a Choice Scarf or after using Dragon Dance, Salamence is faster than most Choice Scarf users, which means outspeeding usually isn't a possibility.
**Priority Users**: Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow, Choice Band Entei, and Mega Absol can revenge kill Salamence with their priority moves; however, Salamence is bulky enough to survive all of them, except STAB-boosted Ice Shard, as long as it is healthy.
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