Salamence (Ubers Analysis)

[trickroom]

The Wallbreaker set sucks in Gen 4 too. I don't even know why it got included. Rayquaza is better at helping Salamence sweep than the other way round. Rayquaza has a much higher Special Attack, powering up Draco Meteor.

Salamence should just use Dragon Dance last gen and in this gen a Scarf set is viable as well. Arceus with full EVs makes Salamence unable to break past it with the Mixed Wallbreaker set. Mixed DD Salamence isn't strong enough, without Special Attack EVs, Draco Meteor isn't killing anyone. If you drop Attack EVs, Salamence's Outrage will be weak.

The rise of Extremekiller Arcreus also makes Wallbreaker Salamence a lot less useful, Dragon Dance Salamence can OHKO Offensive Arceus at +1 with Outrage.

Remove the being outclassed part. Moxie Salamence is good enough to have its own set, no Spikes weak, Ground immune and Moxie are good enough reasons to use it over Garchomp or Palkia. It is also a bit stronger than Garchomp.

 

[Furai]

I read that sentence and completely forgot about it. I'll put it first line and phrase it "while it may seem this set is outclassed by garchomp or Palkia, Salamence gets a niche..."


Thanks shrang and Banedon!

 

[Fireburn]

QC APPROVED (3/3)

 

[Furai]

Alright, in order to start writing this, I added a few calcs.
Could a QC member go over them, and nitpick about what should I add and remove?
Here they are:
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/0 Kyogre 125.73% - 148.25%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Kyogre 75.25% - 88.61%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Manaphy 97.28% - 114.60%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Dialga 82.67% - 97.52%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Arceus 56.08% - 66.22%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 248/252+ Giratina 99.01% - 116.90%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/252 Chansey 88.32% - 103.89%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Groudon 54.95% - 64.85%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/4 Skarmory 43.71% - 51.50%</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs 252/0 Dialga 92.57% - 109.41%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (no weather) 134.46% - 159.32%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (in rain) 67.80% - 80.23%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (no weather) 89.77% - 106.82%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (in rain) 45.45% - 54.55%</li>
</ul>

 

[Furai]

FINALLY this is written and ready for GP checks!

 

[sirndpt]

[Overview]

<p>Salamence is often overlooked by Rayquaza. However, many people forget that the two arcan be tango-partners! Dragon-type attacks are only resissted by one type in the game—, Steel-type; thus, thus making this combo is very hard to stop, as each one soften these Pokemon. Either Rayquaza or Salamence can soften opposing Steel-types, allowing the other to wreak havoc ion the opponent's team. However, sharing the same typing does have its drawbacks. Being weak to common Dragon- and Ice-type attacks is not pleasant andt all. Moreover, both are weak to Stealth Rock and some common priority moves, thus both require a lot of team support.</p>

<p>Salamence's offensive stats and typing make himit an amazing sweeper. With 135 base 135 Attack, access to Dragon Dance, and a very wide movepool anwith good coverage, it's guaranteed that the flying salamander will be a nightmare for many teams. Dream World also introduced a new ability for Salamence: Moxie. Moxie grants an Attack boost each time Salamence kills an opponent, and with the aforementioned qualities -, it's more than likely to happen. However, sinceas Dragon Dance, Outrage, and Moxie aren't obtainable together, Salamence has to settle byfor utilizing a Choice Scarf set with its newly introduced ability. Salamence may be a forgotten wonder, but don't let its rarity fool you, as it is definetitely a deadly force in Ubers.</p>

name: Ubers Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Salamence's great stats, amazingly wide movepool, and typing make himit a devastating sweeper. Not only that, though; Salamence gets access to one of the greatest set-up moves it could ask for: Dragon Dance, which boosts its Attack and Speed by 50%. The goal is to set up at any oppuortunity Salamence gets, or keep it for late-game, creating holes in the opponent's team and maybe sweep. The goal can be doneis can be achieved with an ease, because Salamence can cause many switches againstforces many Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn and Chansey, to switch. The most notable onesfoes Salamence sets up against, however, are Choice Scarf users that are locked into a move that Salamence resists, such as Palkia locked into Surf or Terrakion locked into Close Combat.</p>

<p>The set is pretty much straightforward. Dragon Dance is Salamence's best set-up move, and this set utilizes it very well. Outrage is an amazing STAB move, especially in a tier with Dragon-type Pokemon lurking everywhere. Outrage's power after STAB boost reaches 180, thus it will hit very bad any Pokemon that gets stricken by itreaches 180 after STAB, and will do enormous damage to just about everything. Earthquake and Fire Blast grant Salamence coverage.; Earthquake hits the likes of Steel Arceus, Heatran, and Dialga, while Fire Blast is used to roast Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Forretress. All three moves together are unresisted, thus by any single Pokemon, making Salamence a very deadly sweeper.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To demonstrate Salamence's power, here are some calculations:</p>

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/0 Kyogre 125.73% - 148.25%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Kyogre 75.25% - 88.61%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Manaphy 97.28% - 114.60%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Dialga 82.67% - 97.52%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Arceus 56.08% - 66.22%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/144 Arceus 66.89% - 79.05%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/252 Chansey 88.32% - 103.89%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Groudon 54.95% - 64.85%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/4 Skarmory 43.71% - 51.50%</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs 252/0 Dialga 92.57% - 109.41%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (no weather) 134.46% - 159.32%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (in rain) 67.80% - 80.23%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (no weather) 89.77% - 106.82%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (in rain) 45.45% - 54.55%</li>
</ul>

<p>Life Orb is the primary and only item for this set, as it boosts Salamence's damage output by 30% while still retains theing its ability to change moves. Intimidate is the primary ability as well, because Moxie cannot be obtained with both Dragon Dance and Outrage. If you still wish to use this ability, however, feel free to use Dragon Claw over Outrage, but the loss in power is massive. A Naive nature is used for more Speed, as it lets +1 Salamence outspeed +1 Rayquaza, Choice Scarf Palkia, and Choice Scarf Dialga. The EV spread areis also straightforward; maximizing Outrage power and Speed, and the leftover 4 EVs are dumped into Special Attack in order to boost Fire Blast's power by a bitSalamence's Attack and Speed are maximized, and the leftover 4 EVs are dumped into Special Attack in order to boost Fire Blast's power by a bit. Stone Edge is a viable alternative over Fire Blast, as it deals 66.35% - 78.37% to the standard Great Wall Lugia, and has a 28.21% chance to OHKO with Stealth Rock. However, in non-damaging weather, or if Lugia doesn't switch into Dragon Dance, Lugia will survive the attack and OHKO with Ice Beam, or phaze Salamence out with Dragon Tail.</p>

<p>Entry Hhazards are probably the greatest support Salamence could ask for. T, as they help it score many important OHKOs and 2HKOs. For example, likeas shown in the calculations, after Stealth Rock damage, Salamence will always OHKO standard Chansey with a +1boosted Outrage and standard defensive Dialga with a +1boosted Earthquake. Forretress excels in this job, as not only it can it set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, it can also Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock, which hurts Salamence, and Volt Switch to bring Salamence in safely. The best way to beat this set is to force Salamence to use Outrage, therefore locking himself into it, and then send in a Steel-type which resists Outrage, such as Scizor, Steel Arceus, and Skarmory.</p>

<p>Mixed Rayquaza also makes an amazing partner, as it lures in Groudon and Lugia, who are troublesome for this set, and strikes them with a powerful Draco Meteor. Rayquaza can then procceed andto weaken the opponent's team, allowing Salamence to sweep. Wobbuffet can defeat most Choice Scarf users, who are a pain for Salamence, as most outrun or sSpeed-tie with it, even after the Dragon Dance boost. Wobbuffet can also Encore Earthquakes and Close Combats, allowing Salamence to switch in safely and set up easily. A Steel-type Pokemon of your own makes a great teammate, as Steel-types have perfect synergy with Salamence. Scizor is especially good, as it can U-turn out to bring Salamence in safely, and kill weakened faster foes with Bullet Punch, making Salamence's sweep easier. Darkrai also is a great partner, because it can beat Lugia with its super effective STAB, Dark Pulse. Darkrai also supports Salamence by putting something to sleep with Dark Void, allowing Salamence to set up in front of isaid sleeping opponent. Groudon brings sun, which boosts Fire Blast's power, sets up Stealth Rock, and can beat Extreme Killer Arceus, therefore it also makes a solid teammate. Stone Edge is a viable alternative over Fire Blast, as; therefore, it deals 66.35% - 78.37% to the standard Great Wall Lugia, having 28.21% chance to OHKO with Stealth Rock. However, unless the weather isn't sandstorm or hail, or if Lugia doesn't switch into a Dragon Dance, Lugia will survive the attack and OHKO with Ice Beam, or phaze Salamence out with Dragon Tailo makes a solid teammate.</p>


[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While this set may seem outclassed by Garchomp or Palkia, Salamence gethas the niche over them in Ubers withadvantage of them in one area: its newly introduced ability:, Moxie. Choice Scarf Salamence reaches a magnificaent Speed of 492 after Choice Scarf boost, allowing it to outspeed, which outpaces many top threats in Ubers, such as Deoxys-A, Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Shaymin-S. It also Speed-ties with Palkia, the most common Choice Scarf user. The point in this set is to surprise the opponent, such as in a situation where the opponent has a +1 Mewtwo withboosted Mewtwo packing Ice Beam at 80% of its health. Salamence's base Speed is slower than Mewtwo without Choice Scarf's, so the opponent will likely leave Mewtwo out, and then will be shocked as his poor cloned Pokemon getis OHKOed by Outrage, Salamence's strongest move. But it doesn't stop there! After Salamence has killed one of the opponent's Pokemon, hiits Dream World ability activates, and boosts his aits Attack by 50%. Dragon Claw is used for the situations when you can kill the opponent without fearing being confused, while still enjoyingSalamence's best choice against a weakened opponent, as it doesn't lock Salamence or leave it confused, and still grants it the Moxie boost. Fire Blast and Earthquake are fillers, but they have a perfect coverage with Salamence's Dragon-type STAB moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Naive nature is used to make Salamence as fast as possible, while not lowering its Special Attack, so Fire Blast will not lose power. Moxie is the preferred ability as it giveis this set's niche in Ubers. Dragon Dance is not needed anyway, thus Moxie is the superior ability. The EVs are straightforward;: maximizinge Salamence's Attack so Outrage will hit as hard as possible, and maximizinge Salamence's Speed so it will outrun as many foes as possible. A Naughty nature can be used if you wish to strike the opponent harder, but it will cost you some Speed, meaning you will be slower than Choice Scarf Dialga, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and +1 Rayquaza, which is terriblemight cost Salamence's sweep.</p>

<p>When Salamence utilizes a Choice Scarf, it becomes a great cleaner, so before you send in Salamence, you mightwill want to stack some damage on the opponent. There are a few ways to do so. Entry Hhazards will put a lot of pressure on the opponent, especially; Stealth Rock and Spikes, as they in particular can take 37.5% maximum out of the opponent's health, making Salamence's job much easier to do. Another way is to use any h. Hard hitters, such as Choice Specs Dialga, Choice Specs Palkia, Choice Band Zekrom, and more, also do this well. Mixed Rayquaza once again is an amazing partner, as it can lure out many physical walls, such as Groudon and Lugia, and hit verythem hard with Draco Meteor. Salamence's weaknesses to Ice-, Stone-Rock-, and Dragon-type moves makes Steel-type Pokemon great partners, as they resist all of Salamence's weakness. Scizor deserves a special mention here as well, as it can utilizes U-turn to bring Salamence in safely. Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake or Fire Blast in order to pick off Flying-types off, such as Lugia and Ho-oOh. Draco Meteor can also be used over Dragon Claw if you wish to surprise Groudon and Lugia, but itthe stat drops makes Salamence a set-up bait.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Salamence can run a mixed set very well, as it gets access to many amazing offensive moves, such as Draco Meteor, Outrage, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Brick Break. Although, thisHowever, such a set is outclassed by Rayquaza, who has better offensive stats and priority in ExtremeSpeed. Moreover, Salamence can learn one move that Rayquaza can't: Roost. Roost, which is an amazing reliable recovery move, especially on offensive Pokemon, but i. In the Ubers environment, however, Salamence probably willwill likely not get the chance to Roost off. In the rain, Hydro Pump in rain, with 4 EVs invested in Special Attack, 2HKOes Sspecially Ddefensive Skarmory and Specially Defensive Forretress, and OHKOes Heatran. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast if you don't want to risk a miss, but the loss in power is very significant. Crunch is another option if you wish to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon harder, but Outrage is strong enough, and Crunch's coverage is very narrow.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>SinceAs Salamence is very versatile, it doesn't have many counters. However, because Salamence shares the same typing as Rayquaza, they both have similar counters. The best way to take on Salamence is by forcing it to use Outrage, and then switching to a bulky Steel-type such as Skarmory, Bronzong, or Steel Arceus. Skarmory and Bronzong can Toxic Salamence, while; additionally, the former can Roost the damage of and phaze Salamence away with Whirlwind, and the latter can usehit Salamence very hard with either Hidden Power Ice or Gyro Ball to hit very hard. Steel Arceus can burn Salamence with Will-O-Wisp, set up Calm Minds on it, and Recover the damage it has taken. Steel Arceus is also capable of phazing by using Roar, or it can limit Salamence's outrageous sweep by using Perish Song. Timid Lugia can outspeed a +1boosted Salamence and OHKO with Ice Beam, but it risks being OHKOed by a +1 Stone Edge. The Great Wall Lugia, however, only has 28.21% chance of being OHKOed by +1 Stone Edge after it has taken Stealth Rock damage, making it a solid counter. Lugia iIn return, Lugia can phaze Salamence with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind, cripple it with Thunder Wave, or go for the kill by usingwith Ice Beam. Lugia can also heal itself with Recover or Roost. Cresselia falls in the same boat as Lugia; she can take a +1 Outrage, heal herself with Moonlight, and cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave or Ice Beam. Groudon also makes a solid counter, since it only takes 64.85% maximum from a +1 Outrage, and from there it can either phaze with Dragon Tail, OHKO Salamence with Stone Edge after Salamence switched into Stealth Rock damage, or cripple Salamence as well with Thunder Wave. Any bulky Arceus form that is not weak to Dragon-type moves can burn Salamence or phaze it, and; as mentioned, Steel Arceus is the best option. Choice Scarf Garchomp and Shaymin-S outspeed +1 Salamence even after it used Dragon Dance and cand OHKO with Outrage or Hidden Power Ice, respectively. Choice Scarf Palkia can also OHKO Salamence with Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor, but risks a loss ing the sSpeed- tie, if Salamence managed to get a Speed boost from Dragon Da with +1 Salamence. Mamoswine orand Weavile, though extremely rare, don't mind Salamence's boost because their 4x super effective STAB Ice Shard will always strike first, bypassing Salamence's boosts. Salamence is weak to Stealth Rock; each switch-in it will lose 25% because of itstrips it of 25% of its health, so if you can keep them on the field be sure, Salamence will have a harshd time setting up and sweeping. Moreover, Salamence's defenses aren't high, so priority moves from the likes of Scizor orand Arceus will wear it down quickly.</p>

1/2

copypastable

[Overview]

<p>Salamence is often overlooked by Rayquaza. However, many people forget that the two can be tango-partners! Dragon-type attacks are only resisted by one type in the game, Steel, thus making this combo very hard to stop. Either Rayquaza or Salamence can soften opposing Steel-types, allowing the other to wreak havoc on the opponent's team. However, sharing the same typing does have its drawbacks. Being weak to common Dragon- and Ice-type attacks is not pleasant at all. Moreover, both are weak to Stealth Rock and some common priority moves, thus both require a lot of team support.</p>

<p>Salamence's offensive stats and typing make it an amazing sweeper. With base 135 Attack, access to Dragon Dance, and a very wide movepool with good coverage, it's guaranteed that the flying salamander will be a nightmare for many teams. Dream World also introduced a new ability for Salamence: Moxie. Moxie grants an Attack boost each time Salamence kills an opponent, and with the aforementioned qualities, it's more than likely to happen. However, as Dragon Dance, Outrage, and Moxie aren't obtainable together, Salamence has to settle for utilizing a Choice Scarf set with its newly introduced ability. Salamence may be a forgotten wonder, but don't let its rarity fool you, as it is definitely a deadly force in Ubers.</p>

[SET]
name: Ubers Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Salamence's great stats, amazingly wide movepool, and typing make it a devastating sweeper. Not only that, though; Salamence gets access to one of the greatest set-up moves it could ask for: Dragon Dance, which boosts its Attack and Speed by 50%. The goal is to set up at any opportunity Salamence gets, or keep it for late-game, creating holes in the opponent's team and maybe sweep. This can be achieved with ease because Salamence forces many Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn and Chansey, to switch. The most notable foes Salamence sets up against, however, are Choice Scarf users that are locked into a move that Salamence resists, such as Palkia locked into Surf or Terrakion locked into Close Combat.</p>

<p>The set is pretty much straightforward. Dragon Dance is Salamence's best set-up move, and this set utilizes it very well. Outrage is an amazing STAB move, especially in a tier with Dragon-type Pokemon lurking everywhere. Outrage's power reaches 180 after STAB, and will do enormous damage to just about everything. Earthquake and Fire Blast grant Salamence coverage; Earthquake hits the likes of Steel Arceus, Heatran, and Dialga, while Fire Blast is used to roast Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Forretress. All three moves together are unresisted by any single Pokemon, making Salamence a very deadly sweeper.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To demonstrate Salamence's power, here are some calculations:</p>

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/0 Kyogre 125.73% - 148.25%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Kyogre 75.25% - 88.61%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Manaphy 97.28% - 114.60%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Dialga 82.67% - 97.52%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Arceus 56.08% - 66.22%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/144 Arceus 66.89% - 79.05%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/252 Chansey 88.32% - 103.89%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Groudon 54.95% - 64.85%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/4 Skarmory 43.71% - 51.50%</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs 252/0 Dialga 92.57% - 109.41%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (no weather) 134.46% - 159.32%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (in rain) 67.80% - 80.23%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (no weather) 89.77% - 106.82%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (in rain) 45.45% - 54.55%</li>
</ul>

<p>Life Orb is the primary and only item for this set, as it boosts Salamence's damage output by 30% while still retaining its ability to change moves. Intimidate is the primary ability as well, because Moxie cannot be obtained with both Dragon Dance and Outrage. If you still wish to use this ability, however, feel free to use Dragon Claw over Outrage, but the loss in power is massive. A Naive nature is used for more Speed, as it lets +1 Salamence outspeed +1 Rayquaza, Choice Scarf Palkia, and Choice Scarf Dialga. The EV spread is also straightforward; Salamence's Attack and Speed are maximized, and the leftover 4 EVs are dumped into Special Attack in order to boost Fire Blast's power by a bit. Stone Edge is a viable alternative over Fire Blast, as it deals 66.35% - 78.37% to the standard Great Wall Lugia, and has a 28.21% chance to OHKO with Stealth Rock. However, in non-damaging weather, or if Lugia doesn't switch into Dragon Dance, Lugia will survive the attack and OHKO with Ice Beam, or phaze Salamence out with Dragon Tail.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are probably the greatest support Salamence could ask for, as they help it score many important OHKOs and 2HKOs. For example, as shown in the calculations, after Stealth Rock damage, Salamence will always OHKO standard Chansey with a boosted Outrage and standard defensive Dialga with a boosted Earthquake. Forretress excels in this job, as not only can it set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, it can also Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock, which hurts Salamence, and Volt Switch to bring Salamence in safely. Mixed Rayquaza also makes an amazing partner, as it lures in Groudon and Lugia, who are troublesome for this set, and strikes them with a powerful Draco Meteor. Rayquaza can then proceed to weaken the opponent's team, allowing Salamence to sweep. Wobbuffet can defeat most Choice Scarf users, who are a pain for Salamence, as most outrun or Speed-tie with it even after the Dragon Dance boost. Wobbuffet can also Encore Earthquakes and Close Combats, allowing Salamence to switch in safely and set up easily. A Steel-type Pokemon of your own makes a great teammate, as Steel-types have perfect synergy with Salamence. Scizor is especially good, as it can U-turn out to bring Salamence in safely and kill weakened faster foes with Bullet Punch, making Salamence's sweep easier. Darkrai also is a great partner, because it can beat Lugia with its super effective STAB Dark Pulse. Darkrai also supports Salamence by putting something to sleep with Dark Void, allowing Salamence to set up in front of said sleeping opponent. Groudon brings sun, which boosts Fire Blast's power, sets up Stealth Rock, and can beat Extreme Killer Arceus; therefore, it also makes a solid teammate.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While this set may seem outclassed by Garchomp or Palkia, Salamence has the advantage of them in one area: its newly introduced ability, Moxie. Choice Scarf Salamence reaches a magnificent Speed of 492, which outpaces many top threats in Ubers, such as Deoxys-A, Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Shaymin-S. It also Speed-ties with Palkia, the most common Choice Scarf user. The point in this set is to surprise the opponent, such as in a situation where the opponent has a boosted Mewtwo packing Ice Beam at 80% of its health. Salamence's base Speed is lower than Mewtwo's, so the opponent will likely leave Mewtwo out, and then will be shocked as his poor cloned Pokemon is OHKOed by Outrage. But it doesn't stop there! After Salamence has killed one of the opponent's Pokemon, its Dream World ability activates, and boosts its Attack by 50%. Dragon Claw is Salamence's best choice against a weakened opponent, as it doesn't lock Salamence or leave it confused, and still grants it the Moxie boost. Fire Blast and Earthquake are fillers, but they have perfect coverage with Salamence's Dragon-type STAB moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Naive nature is used to make Salamence as fast as possible, while not lowering its Special Attack, so Fire Blast will not lose power. Moxie is the preferred ability as it is this set's niche in Ubers. Dragon Dance is not needed anyway, thus Moxie is the superior ability. The EVs are straightforward: maximize Salamence's Attack so Outrage will hit as hard as possible, and maximize Salamence's Speed so it will outrun as many foes as possible. A Naughty nature can be used if you wish to strike the opponent harder, but it will cost you some Speed, meaning you will be slower than Choice Scarf Dialga, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and +1 Rayquaza, which might cost Salamence's sweep.</p>

<p>When Salamence utilizes a Choice Scarf, it becomes a great cleaner, so before you send in Salamence, you will want to stack some damage on the opponent. There are a few ways to do so. Entry hazards will put a lot of pressure on the opponent; Stealth Rock and Spikes in particular can take 37.5% maximum out of the opponent's health, making Salamence's job much easier. Hard hitters, such as Choice Specs Dialga, Choice Specs Palkia, Choice Band Zekrom, and more, also do this well. Mixed Rayquaza once again is an amazing partner, as it can lure out many physical walls, such as Groudon and Lugia, and hit them hard with Draco Meteor. Salamence's weaknesses to Ice-, Rock-, and Dragon-type moves make Steel-type Pokemon great partners, as they resist all of Salamence's weakness. Scizor deserves a special mention here as well, as it can utilize U-turn to bring Salamence in safely. Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake or Fire Blast in order to pick off Flying-types, such as Lugia and Ho-Oh. Draco Meteor can be used over Dragon Claw to surprise Groudon and Lugia, but the stat drops make Salamence set-up bait.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Salamence can run a mixed set very well, as it gets access to many amazing offensive moves, such as Draco Meteor, Outrage, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Brick Break. However, such a set is outclassed by Rayquaza, who has better offensive stats and priority in ExtremeSpeed. Salamence can learn one move that Rayquaza can't: Roost, which is an amazing reliable recovery move, especially on offensive Pokemon. In the Ubers environment, however, Salamence will likely not get the chance to Roost off. In the rain, Hydro Pump, with 4 EVs invested in Special Attack, 2HKOes specially defensive Skarmory and Forretress, and OHKOes Heatran. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast if you don't want to risk a miss, but the loss in power is very significant. Crunch is another option if you wish to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon harder, but Outrage is strong enough, and Crunch's coverage is very narrow.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As Salamence is very versatile, it doesn't have many counters. However, because Salamence shares the same typing as Rayquaza, they both have similar counters. The best way to take on Salamence is by forcing it to use Outrage, and then switching to a bulky Steel-type such as Skarmory, Bronzong, or Steel Arceus. Skarmory and Bronzong can Toxic Salamence; additionally, the former can Roost the damage of and phaze Salamence away with Whirlwind, and the latter can hit Salamence very hard with either Hidden Power Ice or Gyro Ball. Steel Arceus can burn Salamence with Will-O-Wisp, set up Calm Minds on it, and Recover the damage it has taken. Steel Arceus is also capable of phazing by using Roar, or it can limit Salamence's outrageous sweep by using Perish Song. Timid Lugia can outspeed a boosted Salamence and OHKO with Ice Beam, but it risks being OHKOed by a +1 Stone Edge. The Great Wall Lugia, however, only has 28.21% chance of being OHKOed by +1 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage, making it a solid counter. In return, Lugia can phaze Salamence with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind, cripple it with Thunder Wave, or go for the kill with Ice Beam. Lugia can also heal itself with Recover or Roost. Cresselia falls in the same boat as Lugia; she can take a +1 Outrage, heal herself with Moonlight, and cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave or Ice Beam. Groudon also makes a solid counter, since it only takes 64.85% maximum from a +1 Outrage, and from there either phaze with Dragon Tail, OHKO Salamence with Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage, or cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave. Any bulky Arceus form that is not weak to Dragon-type moves can burn Salamence or phaze it; as mentioned, Steel Arceus is the best option. Choice Scarf Garchomp and Shaymin-S outspeed +1 Salamence and can OHKO with Outrage or Hidden Power Ice, respectively. Choice Scarf Palkia can also OHKO Salamence with Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor, but risks losing the Speed tie with +1 Salamence. Mamoswine and Weavile, though extremely rare, don't mind Salamence's boost because their 4x super effective STAB Ice Shard will always strike first, bypassing Salamence's boosts. Salamence is weak to Stealth Rock; each switch-in strips it of 25% of its health, so if you can keep them on the field, Salamence will have a hard time setting up and sweeping. Moreover, Salamence's defenses aren't high, so priority moves from the likes of Scizor and Arceus will wear it down quickly.</p>

 

[Furai]

Okay, implemented sirndpt's check and only then saw he included a pastable <_<

Ready for check #2, thanks sirndpt~

 

[sandshrewz]

remove add comments

this will take a long time...

[Overview]

<p>Salamence is often overlooked overshadowed they're differeny! :O by Rayquaza. However, many people forget that the two can be tango-partners! Dragon-type attacks are only resisted by one type in the game, Steel, thus making this combo very hard to stop. Either Rayquaza or Salamence can soften opposing Steel-types, allowing the other to wreak havoc on the opponent's team. However, sharing the same typing does have its drawbacks. Being weak to common Dragon- and Ice-type attacks is not pleasant at all. Moreover, both are weak to Stealth Rock and some common priority moves a priority move, which is Ice Shard, thus both require a lot of team support.</p>

<p>Salamence's offensive stats and typing make it an amazing sweeper. With base 135 Attack, access to Dragon Dance, and a very wide movepool with good coverage, it's guaranteed that the flying salamander will be a nightmare for many teams. Dream World also introduced a new ability for Salamence: Moxie. Moxie grants an Attack boost each time Salamence kills an opponent, and with the aforementioned qualities, it's more than likely to happen. However, as Dragon Dance, Outrage, and Moxie aren't obtainable together, Salamence has to settle for utilizing a Choice Scarf set with its newly introduced ability. Salamence may might be a forgotten wonder, but don't let its rarity fool you, as it is definitely a deadly force in Ubers.</p>

[SET]
name: Ubers Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Salamence's great stats, amazingly wide movepool, and typing make it a devastating sweeper. Not only that, though; Salamence gets access to one of the greatest set-up moves it could ask for: Dragon Dance.<period>, which boosts its Attack and Speed by 50%. not really needed. but if you must keep it, change 50% to one stage, because this is only applicable to the first boost. Just remove it xD The goal is to set up at any opportunity Salamence gets, or keep it for late-game, creating holes in the opponent's team and maybe sweep. This can be achieved with ease because Salamence forces many Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn and Chansey, to switch. The most notable foes Salamence sets up against, however, are Choice Scarf users that are locked into a move that Salamence resists, such as Palkia locked into Surf or Terrakion locked into Close Combat.</p>

<p>The set is pretty much straightforward. Dragon Dance is Salamence's best set-up move, and this set utilizes it very well. Outrage is an amazing STAB move, especially in a tier with Dragon-type Pokemon lurking everywhere. Outrage's Base Power reaches 180 after STAB, and will do enormous damage to just about everything. Earthquake and Fire Blast grant Salamence coverage; Earthquake hits the likes of Steel Arceus, Heatran, and Dialga, while Fire Blast is used to roast Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Forretress. All These three moves together combined are unresisted by any single Pokemon, making Salamence a very deadly sweeper.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To demonstrate Salamence's power, here are some calculations:</p>

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/0 Kyogre 125.73% - 148.25%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Kyogre 75.25% - 88.61%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Manaphy 97.28% - 114.60%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/0 Dialga 82.67% - 97.52%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Arceus 56.08% - 66.22%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/144 Arceus 66.89% - 79.05%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 4/252 Chansey 88.32% - 103.89%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Groudon 54.95% - 64.85%</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs 252/4 Skarmory 43.71% - 51.50%</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs 252/0 Dialga 92.57% - 109.41%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (no weather) 134.46% - 159.32%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Forretress (in rain) 67.80% - 80.23%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (no weather) 89.77% - 106.82%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs 252/252+ Ferrothorn (in rain) 45.45% - 54.55%</li>
</ul>

<p>Life Orb is the primary best and only item that should be considered for this set, as it boosts Salamence's damage output by 30% while still retaining its ability to change moves. Intimidate is the primary chosen ability as well, because Moxie cannot be obtained used with both Dragon Dance and Outrage. If you still wish to use this ability, however, feel free to use Dragon Claw over Outrage, but the loss in power is massive. A Naive nature is used for more Speed, as it lets +1 Salamence outspeed +1 Rayquaza, Choice Scarf Palkia, and Choice Scarf Dialga. The EV spread is also straightforward; Salamence's Attack and Speed are maximized, and the leftover 4 EVs are dumped into Special Attack in order to boost Fire Blast's power by a bit. Stone Edge is a viable alternative over Fire Blast, as it deals 66.35% - 78.37% to the standard Great Wall Lugia, and has a 28.21% chance to OHKO with Stealth Rock. However, in non-damaging weather, or if Lugia doesn't switches into Dragon Dance, Lugia will survive the attack and OHKO with Ice Beam, or phaze Salamence out with Dragon Tail. erm... this is confusing me x.x if it switch into a DD, can it survive +1 stone edge. is that what you're saying?</p>

<p>Entry hazards are probably the greatest support Salamence could ask for, as they help it score many important OHKOs and 2HKOs. For example, as shown in the calculations, after Stealth Rock damage, Salamence will always OHKO standard Chansey with a boosted Outrage and standard defensive Dialga with a boosted Earthquake. Forretress excels in this job, as not only can it set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, it can also Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock, which hurts Salamence, and Volt Switch to bring Salamence in safely. Mixed Rayquaza also makes an amazing partner, as it lures in Groudon and Lugia, who are troublesome for this set, and strikes them with a powerful Draco Meteor. Rayquaza can then proceed to weaken the opponent's team, allowing paving way for preferential~ Salamence to sweep. Wobbuffet can defeat most Choice Scarf users, who are a pain for Salamence, as most can either outrun or Speed-<hyphen>tie with it even after the Dragon Dance boost. Wobbuffet can also Encore Earthquakes and Close Combats, allowing Salamence to switch in safely and set up easily. A Steel-type Pokemon of your own makes a great teammate, as Steel-types have perfect synergy with Salamence. Scizor is especially good, as it can U-turn out to bring Salamence in safely unharmed repeated~ and kill weakened faster foes with Bullet Punch, making Salamence's sweep easier. Darkrai also is also a great partner, because it can beat Lugia with its super effective STAB Dark Pulse. Darkrai also supports Salamence by putting something to sleep with Dark Void, allowing Salamence to set up in front of said sleeping opponent. Groudon brings sun, which boosts Fire Blast's power, sets up Stealth Rock, and can beat Extreme Killer Arceus; therefore, it also makes a solid teammate.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While this set may seem outclassed by Garchomp or and Palkia, Salamence has the one great advantage of them in one area over them: its newly introduced ability, Moxie. Choice Scarf Salamence reaches a magnificent blazing Speed of 492, which outpaces many top threats in Ubers, such as Deoxys-A, Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Shaymin-S. It also Speed-<hyphen>ties with Palkia, the most common Choice Scarf user. The point in this set is to surprise the opponent, such as in a situation where the opponent has a boosted Mewtwo packing Ice Beam at 80% of its health. Salamence's base Speed is lower than Mewtwo's, so the opponent will likely leave Mewtwo out, and then will be shocked as his poor cloned genetic Mewtwo isn't cloned from Mew :/ and it isn't cloned from Emerald either. Pokemon is OHKOed by Outrage. But it doesn't stop there! After Salamence has killed one of the opponent's Pokemon, its Dream World ability activates, and boosts its Attack by 50% one stage. Dragon Claw is Salamence's best choice against a weakened opponent, as it doesn't lock Salamence or leave it confused.<period>, and still grants it the Moxie boost. Fire Blast and Earthquake are fillers, but they have perfect coverage with Salamence's Dragon-type STAB moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Naive nature is used to make Salamence as fast as possible, while not lowering its Special Attack, so Fire Blast will not lose power. Moxie is the preferred ability as it is this set's niche in Ubers. Dragon Dance is not needed anyway, thus Moxie is the superior ability. The EVs are straightforward: maximize Salamence's Attack so Outrage will hit as hard as possible, and maximize Salamence's Speed so it will outrun as many foes as possible it can. A Naughty nature can be used if you wish to strike the opponent harder, but it will cost you some Speed, meaning you will be slower than Choice Scarf Dialga, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and +1 Rayquaza, which might cost Salamence's sweep.</p>

<p>When Salamence utilizes a Choice Scarf, it becomes a great cleaner, so before you send in Salamence, you will want to stack some damage on the opponent. There are a few ways to do so. Entry hazards will put a lot of pressure on the opponent; Stealth Rock and Spikes in particular can take 37.5 50% 25% sr if 2x weak. 25% 3 layers of Spikes. I don't think there's a 2x weak + grounded mon though maximum out of the opponent's health, making Salamence's job much easier. Hard hitters, such as Choice Specs Dialga, Choice Specs Palkia, Choice Band Zekrom, and more, also do this well. Mixed Rayquaza once again is an amazing partner, as it can lure out many physical walls, such as Groudon and Lugia, and hit them hard with Draco Meteor. Salamence's weaknesses to Ice-, Rock-, and Dragon-type moves make Steel-type Pokemon great partners, as they resist all of Salamence's weakness. Scizor deserves a special mention here as well, as it can utilize U-turn to bring Salamence in safely. Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake or Fire Blast in order to pick off Flying-types, such as Lugia and Ho-Oh. Draco Meteor can be used over Dragon Claw to surprise Groudon and Lugia, but the stat drops make Salamence set-up bait.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Salamence can run a mixed set very well, as it gets access to many amazing offensive moves, such as Draco Meteor, Outrage, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Brick Break. However, such a set is outclassed by Rayquaza, who has better offensive stats and priority in ExtremeSpeed. Salamence can learn one move that Rayquaza can't: Roost, which is an amazing reliable recovery move, especially on offensive Pokemon. In the Ubers environment, however, Salamence will likely not get the chance to Roost off. In the rain, Hydro Pump, with 4 Special Attack EVs invested in Special Attack, 2HKOes specially defensive Skarmory and Forretress, and OHKOes Heatran. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast if you don't want to risk a miss, but the loss in power is very significant. Crunch is another option if you wish to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon harder, but Outrage is strong enough, and Crunch's coverage is very narrow. Furthermore, a neutral Outrage is stronger than a 2x super effective Crunch. if you want to.. :P</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As Salamence is very versatile, it doesn't have many counters. However, because Salamence shares the same typing as Rayquaza, they both have similar counters. The best way to take on Salamence is by forcing it to use Outrage, and then switching to a bulky Steel-type such as Skarmory, Bronzong, or Steel Arceus. Skarmory and Bronzong can Toxic Salamence; additionally, the former can Roost the damage off and phaze Salamence away with Whirlwind, and the latter can hit Salamence very hard with either Hidden Power Ice or Gyro Ball. Steel Arceus can burn Salamence with Will-O-Wisp, set up Calm Minds on it, and Recover the damage it has taken. Steel Arceus is also capable of phazing by using Roar, or it can limit Salamence's outrageous sweep by using Perish Song. Timid Lugia with maximum Speed EVs can outspeed a boosted Salamence and OHKO with Ice Beam, but it risks being OHKOed by a +1 Stone Edge. The Great Wall Lugia, however, only has 28.21% chance of being OHKOed by +1 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage, making it a solid decent anything that has to be at full health to counter seems not solid to me :/ counter. In return, Lugia can phaze Salamence with Dragon Tail or Whirlwind, cripple it with Thunder Wave, or go for the kill with Ice Beam. Lugia can also heal itself with Recover or Roost. Cresselia falls in the same boat as Lugia; she can take a +1 Outrage, heal herself with Moonlight, and cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave or simply finish it off with Ice Beam. Groudon also makes a solid counter, since as it only takes 64.85% maximum from a +1 Outrage, and from there either phaze with Dragon Tail, OHKO Salamence with Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage, or cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave. Any bulky Arceus formthat is not weak to Dragon-type moves except Dragon Arceus can burn Salamence or phaze it; as mentioned, Steel Arceus is the best option. Choice Scarf Garchomp and Shaymin-S outspeed +1 Salamence and can OHKO with Outrage or Hidden Power Ice, respectively. Choice Scarf Palkia can also OHKO Salamence with Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor, but risks losing the Speed tie with +1 Salamence. Mamoswine and Weavile, though extremely rare, don't mind Salamence's Speed boost because their 4x super effective STAB Ice Shard will always strike first, bypassing Salamence's boosts. Salamence is weak to Stealth Rock; each switch-<hyphen>in that is the noun :P strips it of 25% of its health, so if you can keep them on the field, Salamence will have a hard time setting up and sweeping. Moreover, Salamence's defenses aren't high, so priority moves from the likes of Scizor and Arceus will wear it down quickly.</p>

this took looooooooong~ and sirndpt is great! btw, noticed you refer Arceus as it instead of He... Idk to change that or not... anyway,

GP Approved 2/2

 

[Furai]

PHEW, I'm done! Thanks a lot sandshrewz <3, this is good to upload!

 

[Komodo]

mhmmm