Salamence (WIP)

[Swamp-Rocket]

Current Analysis


[Overview]

• Excellent Mixed Attacking stats and a good speed stat.
• Excellent offensive typing thanks to Dragon STAB.
• Versatile enough to threaten almost any Pokemon and perform many roles.
• Access to two great abilities that aid it further.
• Some competition from other Dragon types.
• Unfortunate weakness to Stealth Rock.

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

[Set Comments]

• Choie Scarf ensures it outspeeds many things, making it hard to force out.
• Moxie means that sacrificing a weak Pokemon to open up a revenge kill makes Salamence stronger, making it an excellent revenge killer.
• Outrage is a powerful STAB option that dents anything.
• Dragon Claw is less powerful, but its better for cleaning up a weakened team.
• Fire Blast heavily dents Steel-types such as Forretress.
• Earthquake is a physical option for several Steel-types such as Heatran and is preffered.
• Brick Break does more damage to Tyranitar and Balloon Heatran than anything else in the moveset.

[Additional Comments]

• EVs maximize offensive presence.
• Naive nature is preffered to ensure it outspeeds slower scarfed Dragons like Hyrdeigon and Haxorus, but a Naughty nature gives it more power.
• Flamethrower is an option for reliability, but the power drop is noticable.
• Fire Fang can also be used, but most Steel types are weak on the special side, not the physical side.
• Magnezone makes an excellent partner as it traps Steel-types, allowing Outrage to be more spammable.
• Scizor can threaten Ice Shard users with Bullet Punch, which can otherwise OHKO Salamence.

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

[Set Comments]

• One Dragon Dance boost makes it both hit very hard and make it difficult to revenge kill, letting it defeat many types of teams.
• Notable for being the fastest user of Dragon Dance that is a physical attacker.
• Outrage is a hard-hitting move that dents or flat-out KOs several Pokemon after the boost.
• Earhquake hits several Steel-types and Tyranitar hard.
• Fire Blast is pretty much purely for Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn.

[Additional Comments]

• Once again, EVs maximize offensive presence.
• A Life Orb pushes its Offensive capabilities even further.
• Either ability is fine. Intimidate allows Salamence to switch into more attacks and set up from there but Moxie makes it hit harder over time.
• Dragon Claw is an option to not lock Salamence into a move, but the power drop is noticeable.
• Brick Break can be used to hit Tyranitar and Balloon Heatran harder, but Earthquake hits Tyranitar very hard regardless and Heatran's Balloon can be popped early on.
• Roost can be used to recover health, notably Life Orb recoil.
• Magnezone once again is useful for removing Steel-types from the field, making Salamence more unstoppable.
• Another Dragon type can also finish off what Salamence did to make a "double dragon" straegy.

[Set]
name: MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Roost/Outrage
move 4: Earthquake/Brick Break
item: Life Orb
nature: Rash/Naive
evs: 100 Atk / 168 SpA / 240 Spe
ability:

[Set Comments]

• Set aims to threaten teams with high-power moves from both the special side and the physical side.
• Draco Meteor OHKOs many Pokemon, notably those expecting a more common physical variant.
• Fire Blast hits steel types that come in to absorb Dragon-moves.
• Roost allows it to be used more, but Outrage gives it another powerful physical attack to use.
• Earthquake deals heavy damage to Jirachi and OHKOs non-Balloon Heatran.
• Brick Break is also useful, as it 2HKOs Heatran and Blissey and OHKOs Tyranitar. Note a STAB Outrage outdamages a Super-effective Brick Break.

[Additional Comments]

• EVs allow Salamence to hit as hard as possible on both attacking sides and outspeed everything up to Neutral-Natured Hydreigon if it has a Rash Nature.
• Ability depends on what the third move is. Intimidate should be used with Roost to give it more opportunities to switch in, but Moxie is a good option with Outrage to act more as an early-game wallbreaker.
• Life Orb should be used in order increase the damage output.
• Tyranitar is notable for trapping Latios and Latias, who could otherwise outspeed and OHKO with Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse.
• Starmie is an offensive Pokemon that can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away, as this Salamence will be coming in often.
• Another Dragon type can be used to continue what Salamence was doing in the case that it faints.

[Set] name: Lure
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake/Brick Break
item: Lum Berry/Expert Belt
nature: Naive/Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
ability: Moxie

[Set Comments]

• Set aims to suprise foes expecting a Choiced set, which can be used to an effect since the items given do not heal or damage Salamence.
• Similar to the Choice Scarf set, but without the Choice Scarf.
• Dragon Claw is more preferred early game, as it can hit hard and see what the opponent's response is.
• Outrage still heavily dents everything, but be wary of the fact that it locks you into the move like a Choice item.
• Fire Blast can destroy Steel types that think Salamence will keep using Dragon Claw.
• Earthquake and Brick Break can work in a similar way to Dragon Claw, as it can lure in a Pokemon and then hit it with the appropriate move.

[Additional Comments]

• The EV spread is the same as any other offensive set.
• A Lum Berry can be used to heal status, which otherwise heavily cripples Salamence. An expert belt allows it to hit some Pokemon harder.
• As temping as a Life Orb is on this set, note that it ruins the purpose of this set due to the obvious fact that he can switch moves.
• Doesn't need many partners as it deals with its common switch-ins.
• Ice Shard users still could be dealt with by Scizor's Bullet Punch, as they cannot be outsped due to the priority the move has.

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

[Set Comments]

• Choice Band is always a possibliltiy thanks to its high Attack and Speed.
• Outrage's immediate power is very devastating.
• Dragon Claw is usable if Outrage's side effect of not being able to switch out is too risky.
• Eathquake is for coverage.
• Fire Blast is for Steel types.
• Fire Fang is an option thanks to the Choice Band boosting its power, as it does more damage to Ferrothorn this way.

[Additional Comments]

• EVs maximize offesnive power.
• Moxie is preffered to make Salamence destroy walls with its moves. Intimidate allows it to switch in more often, but Moxie fits in more with this version of Salamence.
• Magnezone again is an option to remove Steel-types from the field.
• Forretress can switch into Dragon and Ice moves. It also can rapid spin Stealth Rock away.

[Set]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect/Roost
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
ability: Intimidate

[Set Comments]

• Set aims to support the team and act as a physical wall.
• Wish allows it to support its team by passing 197 HP wishes to them.
• Protect ensures that Salamence gets healed from its own wish.
• Roost can also be used if a more immediate heal is needed.
• Dragon Tail allows it to phaze while racking up damage.
• Flamethrower is needed to get past Steel types that resist Dragon Tail.

[Additional Comments]

• EVs aim to outspeed neutral natured Base 70s. The rest is placed into physical defense.
• Intimidate allows it to switch into non-dragon physical attackers very easily.
• A Bold nature is preffered because raises its defense even more, and Dragon Tail still hits off a somewhat high Attack stat despite the nature.
• Roar can be used over Dragon Tail, but Salamence needs a STAB option to be threatening at all.
• Speed EVs can be modified to outspeed certain Pokemon but too many Speed EVs takes away from its bulk.
• Rapid Spinners like Forretress allow Stealth Rock to stay off the field to allow Salamence to perform its role often. Forretress also enjoys the wish recovery.
• Scizor can switch into Ice-types and threaten them all of them with a powerful Bullet Punch, which lets Salamence support easier.

[Other Options]

• Very wide special movepool including Draco Metoer, Hydro Pump, and Fire Blast, but sets revolving around this are generally outclassed by Hydreigon and Latios.
• Several types of Dragon Dance can be used, including Mixed and Bulky. However, it cannot cover as much with a Mixed set and a Bulky set gets competition from Dragonite.
• Substitute can be used to account switches.
• Stone Edge hits some Pokemon types of harder, but none resist Outrage anyway and its 80% accuracy is annoying.

[Checks and Counters]

• Revenge Killing is the best option since it cannot switch out when it is locked into Outrage and due to its high power.
• Mamoswine and Weavile OHKO with Ice Shard.
• Scarfed Pokemon above base 100 like Terrakion and Latios.
• Balloon Heatran is immune to or resists almost everything Salamence can do except Brick Break.
• When locked into Outrage, Steel-types can beat it. Jirachi and Ferrothorn also have Thunder Wave so then they can cripple Salamence heavily.
• Landorus-T can use Intimidate to soften blows and OHKO with Stone Edge.
• Cresselia has Thunder Wave and Ice Beam, as well as enough bulk to take hits from either spectrum.
• Porygon2 can trace Intimidate variants and OHKO with Ice Beam.
• Priority Moves in general hurt it badly.

-------------------------------------------
I decided to combine the two MixMence sets, since the only difference is the EVs and Outrage over Roost.