Salamence

[Ashenlock]

Salamence # 373

HP: 95
Atk: 135
Def: 80
SpA: 110
SpD: 80
Spe: 100

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PHP Code:

Level-Up Moves
 
-- Fire Fang
-- Thunder Fang
-- Rage
-- Bite
-- Leer
-- Headbutt
Lv5 Bite
Lv10 Leer
Lv16 Headbutt
Lv20 Focus Energy
Lv25 Ember
Lv30 Protect
Lv32 DragonBreath
Lv37 Zen Heabutt
LV43 Scary Face
Lv50 Fly
Lv53 Crunch
Lv61 Dragon Claw
Lv70 Double-Edge
Lv80 Dragon Tail
 
Machine Moves
 
TM01 Hone Claws
TM02 Dragon Claw
TM05 Roar
TM06 Toxic
TM10 Hidden Power
TM11 Sunny Day
TM15 Hyper Beam
TM17 Protect
TM18 Rain Dance
TM21 Frustration
TM26 Earthquake
TM27 Return
TM31 Brick Break
TM32 Double Team
TM35 Flamethrower
TM38 Fire Blast
TM39 Rock Tomb
TM40 Aerial Ace
TM42 Facade
TM44 Rest
TM45 Attract
TM48 Round
TM59 Incinerate
TM65 Shadow Claw
TM68 Giga Impact
TM71 Stone Edge
TM78 Bulldoze
TM80 Rock Slide
TM82 Dragon Tail
TM87 Swagger
TM90 Substitute
TM94 Rock Smash
HM01 Cut
HM02 Fly
HM04 Strength
 
Egg Moves
 
Defense Curl
Dragon Dance
Dragon Pulse
Dragon Rage
Dragon Rush
Endure
Fire Fang
Hydro Pump
Shadow Claw
Thrash
Twister 


(Tutor moves coming soon)

Salamence -> Double Battles

->MixMence<-


Salamence @ Eject Button / Life Orb / Yache Berry
HASTY / NAIVE - MILD / RASH - MODEST / TIMID
+Intimidate+
4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
-Fire Blast / Heat Wave
-Rock Slide / Earthquake / Hydro Pump
-Protect

Even more a hit-and-run Pokemon than the Specsmence of old. Hit your foes with Intimidate, fire off a Draco Meteor, and, if you get hit and ejected, come back in to Intimidate and Draco Meteor again. Heat Wave and Fire Blast are a user preference; Heat Wave essentially hits at 75 power twice, and has an 81% chance to hit both opponents, while Fire Blast has an 85% chance to hit one at 120 power. Fire Blast is chosen as the first slot here because Heat Wave is just so weak when fired off Salamence's SpA without STAB (I believe even some Scizor can survive it), but being able to hit both foes is sometimes a gamebreaker.

The choice of the third moveslot is more important. Rock Slide needs no introduction and is generally useful support; Earthquake completes a perfect coverage triangle but is very reliant on the typing/ability of Salamence's ally; Hydro Pump is useful if you want to turn entirely Special and get a nature that lowers Atk instead of one of the defenses.

If you want to run Life Orb instead of Eject Button, you can switch Draco Meteor for Dragon Pulse. In this instance, you may want to run Mild or Rash (Or Modest / Timid if you have Hydro Pump) in place of Hasty or Naive in order to hit more effectively, since you won't have to worry as much about Spe since you won't be wearing the double-edged Eject Button.

-------------------------------------

Any more sets for Doubles y'all find useful? If someone can make a case for all-physical Salamence please do (No DD + Outrage, though).

[Human]

You forgot about Yache Berry to begin with and the fact that Tailwind got boosted.

[Ashenlock]

I didn't forgot about either, although I'll include Yache as a possibility. If you're referring to Tailwind as an option for Salamence to run, I think there are much more qualified users of the move. Salamence has neither the speed of Tornadus, Whimsicott, and Murkrow, nor the immunity to Fake Out of Dragonite and Crobat, nor the bulkiness of Suicune. It can use it with the surprise factor, but so can Latios and Latias, without as big a weakness to Ice.

[Shining Latios]

Are you going to add DD Mence?

[muffinhead]

your main set has too many other options and slashed to really give a clear idea of what that set is supposed to do. from my own experience, doubles Salamence has two main options:

timid @ yache berry
-draco meteor
-hydro pump
-flamethrower / heat wave
-protect

the only reason to use this over lati@s is intimidate and the water move not hitting your partner. specs is an option because of salamence's lower special attack, but with all the ice beams, abomasnow, and weavile, yache berry is salamence's best option. heat wave is a decent attack, but does not get the important KOes that flamethrower does

the most viable physical set (in my humble opinion) is:

jolly / adamant @ yache berry
-dragon claw
-earthquake
-crunch
-protect

salamence is edged out in terms of speed by garchomp, but salamence boasts ground immunity and intimidate to make up for it. crunch helps out against gengar and bulkier support pokemon (read: cresselia).

[Ashenlock]

The reason I slashed so many things in is that I was told elsewhere not to make multiple sets if the central idea is the same. Also, while Yache Berry is an option, it is just not as good as other items and should really only be considered if the Item Clause restricts those items. (In Double Battles, that is) Salamence may as well just wear a Focus Sash, it would at least stop Dragon-type attacks too.

I'll edit in a physical set sometime.

Also, @Shining Latios: For Singles or for Doubles? In Doubles, Dragon Dance is much less useful than in Singles. It could be added as an option, but it isn't very good as the premise for a whole set.

[Solace*]

i think you should add yache berry in order to avoid blizzards that people run in doubles because its a spread move

salamence is weird with sets because its uses change based on your team so its a tricky pokemon

[Baz Anderson]

I stopped using Salamence in Singles when I started using Dragonite, and never went back...

I'm considering giving this set another go though... this is the Salamence I'd be using:

Naive
10 Atk / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
-Draco Meteor
-Outrage
-Fire Blast
-Earthquake

I cannot decide on an item though. My Reuniclus will have the Life Orb, so my options for this are either... Dragon Fang? Dragon Gem? Expert Belt? maybe the Eject Button to try out in Singles...?

Which would you lot rather go for?

[Ashenlock]

I wouldn't go for the Eject Button in Singles, but I have very little experience in it. I know Gems aren't nearly as good in Singles but since it's only 3v3 and since none of the others look great on it, perhaps Dragon Gem?

[Baz Anderson]

Yeh, that would have probably been my choice too. I'll have to linger around in some cave to try and find one...
I'll try and try this out at some point soon. I quite like the Gems in general though.

[bluemon]

white herb to spam draco meteor?

[Joel]

necro-bumpin'......

Is it just me, or have others been seeing Japanese battlers running HP Flying on Mence?

I've seen it on both MixMence, and Specs Mence. I've only noticed it in doubles though.

[cosmicexplorer]

What does HP Flying even hit that Draco Meteor doesn't hit just as hard? Breloom and Virizion do nothing to Salamence anyway thanks to Intimidate and good defenses, and I can't think of anything else that would warrant HP Flying over just using Draco Meteor.

[Ashenlock]

Are you entirely sure it was HP Flying that it was using?

[Joel]

Only other thing it could have been was Psychic. More than a handful of different Japanese battlers over the past few weeks have been tagging my Conkeldurr with a SE Hidden Power for a OHKO. I really wouldn't understand Psychic though.

[soul_survivor]

Wasn't hp flying a standard in vgc 09 like years ago....... Other than that I see no need to run it when fire blast, and DM cover everything.

[cosmicexplorer]

Salamence can't learn Psychic 9.9

[Ashenlock]

I think he meant HP Psychic, as in that's the only other thing that could hit Conkeldurr SE, thus giving evidence to that it was HP Flying.

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Fat cosmicexplorer

Salamence can't learn Psychic 9.9

Originally Posted by Fat Ashenlock

I think he meant HP Psychic, as in that's the only other thing that could hit Conkeldurr SE, thus giving evidence to that it was HP Flying.

Maybe it's for a second STAB only? I don't rememder any of them using Draco Meteor. The one's I remember all had either Dragon Pulse or Dragon Claw.

[soul_survivor]

As I said earlier hp fly was a common move in 08/09 format of vgc. It was also used on the specs mence(yes people ran specs mence in doubles lol). It was mainly used to preserve DM for a final hit. Most special mence sets were this
-Draco meteor -hp fly
-fire blast -protect


This set while outclassed by latios is suprisingly still used.

[Sprocket]

I've seen several Salamences in doubles, and the only problem with them is that they're easy to take down with faster dragons (especially Latios), or with an Ice Beam / Blizzard.

I hadn't considered HP Flying as a secondary stab, but I could see it being a surprise factor against pesky Fighting and Grass types. Effin Whimsicott and Amoongus.

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Fat Sprocket

I've seen several Salamences in doubles, and the only problem with them is that they're easy to take down with faster dragons (especially Latios), or with an Ice Beam / Blizzard.

I hadn't considered HP Flying as a secondary stab, but I could see it being a surprise factor against pesky Fighting and Grass types. Effin Whimsicott and Amoongus.

Since seeing HP Flying on Mence, I've been playtesting (only in singles) to try and see what can be done with it.

Biggest plusses, so far......Getting rid of Volcarona's that may possibly be running HP Rock, and versus Scrafty that is most likely running Ice Punch.

I'm running mine like this (for singles)......

Salamence @ Draco Plate (Alakazam is holding Life Orb on my team >_<)
Nature: Timid
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpAtk/252 Speed/4 Def
Moveset:
-Dragon Pulse
-Fire Blast
-HP Flying
-Roost

HP Flying does seem to work for specific threats (beware of Heatran w/ HP Ice or Dragon Pulse).

[Sprocket]

Have you considered a Dragon Gem for a one-time high power Dragon Pulse, instead of Draco Plate?

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Fat Sprocket

Have you considered a Dragon Gem for a one-time high power Dragon Pulse, instead of Draco Plate?

After running damage calcs for someone in the Dugtrio thread (Gems v. Choice Band damage), I've found the Gems to be sort of meh.

I've been getting my OHKO's versus other Dragons that don't outspeed still, aside from the occasional HabanChomp and Multiscale D-nite (neither of which get OHKOd by Dragon Gem D-Pulse anyways).