Samurott (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)


otter by day, samurai by night


[Overview]

<p>Samurott has always been one of the most powerful Pokemon in BW NU. However, shifts in the metagame have added to its role quite significantly. During the early days of the tier Samurott was almost exclusively a boosting physical attacker; nowadays it maintains that same role but is also an incredibly threatening special attacker. The Swords Dance set is just as amazing as ever, beating physical walls such as Tangela, as well as having STAB priority in Aqua Jet. The special attacker set is great because of its ability to attack right off the bat with a monstrous STAB Hydro Pump, which comes off of Samurott's higher attacking stat. The SubSalac set is a new set created in BW2, and allows Samurott to be a deadly cleaner from the special side. It also has quite impressive bulk for an offensive Pokemon; 95 / 85 / 70 defenses are nothing to laugh at, and Samurott is significantly bulkier than other sweepers in the tier. Samurott isn't even slow; base 70 Speed is fast enough to outrun nearly every defensive threat in the metagame, as well as many offensive ones. For all these reasons and more, Samurott is one of the most defining Pokemon of the NU metagame; truly a force to be reckoned with.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set has always been one of the best sweepers in the tier due to the sheer power it has. Swords Dance launches Samurott's Attack sky high, reaching 598 after a boost! Waterfall is a strong STAB attack, hitting anything that doesn't resist it quite hard. Priority is always great, STAB priority is even better. Aqua Jet is exactly what Samurott needs to be so effective; hitting frail Pokemon that could otherwise defeat it such as Electrode, Zebstrika, and Adamant Absol. Megahorn is used to hit Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks, particularly Grass-types such as Ludicolo and Tangela, though it is also useful for hitting Psychic-types like Musharna and Beheeyem harder than Waterfall.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the preferred nature since it allows Samurott to Speed tie with Timid Ludicolo, which would otherwise defeat this set with ease. Jolly is also handy for outspeeding many Pokemon that sit in Speed tiers close to Samurott such as Jolly Emboar, Adamant Absol, and Jolly Fraxure. Adamant can be used for the increase in power, but the drop in Speed is quite significant. Life Orb significantly increases Samurott's power, but Lum Berry eases set up as status is one of the best ways to check Samurott. Encore or Taunt can be used to aid setup, but the loss of Aqua Jet really limits Samurott's offensive ability. Aqua Tail is slightly more powerful than Waterfall, but the drop in accuracy makes it less valuable. Leftovers can be used for passive recovery, but don't offer the same utility the other items do. Mystic Water can be used to boost Waterfall and Aqua Jet's power, but Samurott appreciates Megahorn being boosted as well so it is not quite as effective. An EV spread of 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used in order to outpace 0 Speed Misdreavus, but the loss in Speed means that Samurott will lose to many more threats.</p>

<p>Samurott struggles heavily against Amoonguss; Pokemon such as Magmar and Emboar are able to take on the mushroom with ease, making them great partners. Samurott also struggles against Alomomola, so Pokemon such as Exeggutor and Regice are good teammates because of their ability to defeat it. Essentially, the Regenerator core ruins Samurott's days, so any teammates that will defeat them are perfect for Samurott. Ludicolo has great synergy with Samurott and can make a great sweeping partner for it. Samurott struggles against faster Water-types such as Simipour, so Grass-types, such as Serperior and Amoonguss, make good teammates in order to handle them. Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary, will help alleviate the weakness to Amoonguss, as well as defeating fast Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO Samurott. Hazard support from Cacturne, Regirock, or Golem is very handy for Samurott, as it allows it to gain KOs against Piloswine and Tangela.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Aqua Jet / Taunt
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unlike the Swords Dance set, the special attacker is a threat right off the bat. Unknown to some, Samurott's Special Attack is eight points higher than its Attack stat, meaning that this set is actually quite powerful. Hydro Pump is strong, 120 Base Power, boosted to 180 with STAB, is nothing to laugh at; if it isn't resisted, it is doing a lot of damage. If 80% accuracy is a bit too low Surf is an option, though it is a lot weaker in comparison and won't do enough damage most of the time until Torrent is activated. Ice Beam offers great coverage with Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types super effectively as well as Dragon-types, both of which resist Water-type attacks. Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Electric are used to hit the few things that Hydro Pump and Ice Beam do not. Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine. Aqua Jet is used to deal the last bit of damage to the opponent, as even with a negative nature it is strong enough to finish off threats that just survive Hydro Pump. Taunt is handy against more defensive teams, as it prevents them from inflicting Samurott with a potentially fatal status or recovering off damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Megahorn is an option if Ludicolo is a threat; however, outside of Ludicolo it is useless. Grass Knot hits opposing Samurott and Seismitoad a little bit harder than Hidden Power Grass, but the difference is usually negligible. Rain Dance is a nifty move to have on rain teams, it boosts the power of Hydro Pump significantly as well as supporting Samurott's teammates. Samurott is fast enough to use Encore effectively and lock defensive Pokemon into nonthreatening attacks. Modest is an option in order to beat specially defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky more easily; however, the loss of Speed means that neutral base 80s as well as neutral Absol will outspeed Samurott. Hasty and Naive are options for the small boost of power for Aqua Jet or Megahorn, though it really detracts from Samurott's respectable bulk.</p>

<p>This set really struggles against specially defensive Pokemon such as Lapras, Regice, Lickilicky, as well as Mantine or Seismitoad depending on the choice of Hidden Power. Most of these Pokemon are weak to Fighting-type attacks, and Mantine, the only resistance in the group, has no physical bulk to speak of and is also dismantled by them. Because of this, Sawk and Emboar are great teammates for Samurott, as they can OHKO most of its counters easily. Physical sweepers work wonders with this set. It's a shame you can't run Swords Dance Samurott together with the special attacker, as they would be great teammates. Tauros and Zangoose work well with Samurott, as they can weaken special walls for Samurott, while Hydro Pump defeats Normal-type counters with ease. Other specially based Water-types, such as Ludicolo and Gorebyss, work well with Samurott as they can weaken each other's counters.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSalac
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Salac Berry
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set plays like the special attacker, but can sweep easier at the expense of wallbreaking ability. The objective is to use Substitute until the Salac Berry activates, allowing Samurott to be very fast as well as have Torrent-boosted Surfs to clean up. Surf is preferred because of the accuracy, though Hydro Pump has a lot more power even if it is less likely to pull off a sweep. Hidden Power Grass hits Water-types super effectively, while Hidden Power Electric does the same. The difference between the two is that Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad harder, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine and Swanna harder. Hidden Power Grass is preferred because Seismitoad is more common. Ice Beam allows Samurott to hit Grass-types such as Samurott, as well as Dragon-types such as Altaria super effectively; without it, they would both wall this set with ease.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Salac Berry is required to make this set work; without it, you are better running any other set. Timid allows Samurott to outspeed extra threats, such as Adamant Choice Scarf Braviary; Modest can be used if you don't mind the loss of Speed as it does allow Samurott to OHKO offensive Exeggutor with Ice Beam, as well as Eviolite Fraxure, both of which Timid usually misses out on.</p>

<p>This set plays like a weaker version of the special attacker set, so it struggles even more against special walls such as Lickilicky and Regice. Because of this, Fighting-types, such as Emboar and Sawk, are even more valuable because they can help Samurott set up as well as destroying its counters. Swellow is a good teammate because it can lure in Rock-types that Samurott can set up on easily. Anything that lures in Rock- or Ground-types are great teammates since they are easy to set up on for Samurott. Samurott is still slower than many standard Choice Scarf Pokemon at +1, such as Rotom-S, Rotom-F, and Zebstrika. Because of this, Ground-types do a good job at absorbing their Electric-type attacks; however, they must watch out for Rotom-F. Bulky Psychic-types, such as Gardevoir and Musharna, can be problems, so Absol and Skuntank are good teammates because they can checkmate them. This Samurott needs a lot of hazard support in order to function, so Cacturne or Garbodor are very important in order to get an OHKO against Pokemon such as Bastiodon, Regirock, or Simipour.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Most of Samurott's options have already been covered, but it does have a few more tricks up its sleeve. BW2 gave Samurott Superpower, which allows it to hit Ice-types like Lapras and Regice harder than any other move. Return is an option on the Swords Dance set to hit Pokemon such as Swanna harder, but offers no utility otherwise. Samurott has the movepool to pull off a decent support set; Dragon Tail, Knock Off, and Scald are all great moves, but Samurott is much better using its great offensive stats instead of its just solid defensive ones. Air Slash is a cool option that Samurott has, but outside of hitting Bug-types a bit harder, it is not useful. A mixed set is an option, but splitting EVs really lowers Samurott's offensive capabilities. Finally, Samurott can run a surprise Choice Scarf set, but it is quite weak and outside of surprise factor doesn't offer much over the other sets.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The only true counter to Samurott is Shedinja, as it can take all of its attacks due to Wonder Guard. Outside of Shedinja, all sets have their own unique counters. Physically defensive Pokemon, such as Shelgon, Relicanth, Vigoroth, Amoonguss, and Alomomola, can take on the Swords Dance set with ease, though Alomomola needs Scald in order to cripple Samurott. Though not as bulky, Altaria, Frillish, and Ampharos also do a good job, as they either resist its attacks or can tank one and OHKO back. The special attacker has a different set of counters, Water Absorb Mantine or Seismitoad (depending on the choice of Hidden Power) do the best, while Lapras, Hypno, Regice, Articuno, and specially defensive Amoonguss all do very well against it. Gurdurr has the bulk and strength needed to take on both sets, but can not switch in on Hydro Pump. Ludicolo is a hard counter to any set without Megahorn, as it can KO with Giga Drain easily. Electric- and Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO are good checks. In particular, Electrode, Electabuzz, Sawsbuck, and Serperior do well against Samurott. Samurott is very susceptible to status, so a well timed burn or paralysis can mean the end of the sea otter. Finally, if Samurott does not have Aqua Jet, Absol does a great job at checking it as it can hit it with an incredibly powerful Sucker Punch.</p>


[Unreleased]

<p>Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows Samurott to set up without fear of critical hits. Despite avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker and SubSalac set need Torrent just as much, as without it they are just not as threatening. Although Shell Armor might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.</p>
 

CrashinBoomBang

außerirdisch, anunnaki
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
samurott dog

  • I'd personally switch the order of the Swords Dance and Special Attacker sets since it is (from what I've seen) both more common and better in this metagame. We didn't reach a consensus in the channel so I'd want other QC members to state their final opinion on this please. Okay, after some heated discussion I'm fine with the Swords Dance set being first.
  • Mention Aqua Tail in the AC of the Swords Dance set for more power.
  • Make Hidden Power [Electric] a secondary slash after Hidden Power [Grass] on the Special Attacker; Grass hits Water Absorb Seismitoad, but Electric destroys Mantine, one of Special Samurott's usual counters (and, to a lesser degree, Swanna).
  • There are a few other options that should be mentioned in the Special Attacker's AC that can be used over Aqua Jet such as Rain Dance (especially cool when paired with Ludicolo), and Taunt which allows you to beat Lickilicky much easier.
  • Hasty/Naive should also mentioned in AC if you want to do a bit more damage with Aqua Jet at the expense of Samurott's defenses.
  • Give a Choice Scarf set a mention in OO; I know it sounds weird, but it actually outspeeds most relevant stuff such as Scarf Emboar, Adamant Scarf Braviary, Swellow, Zangoose and Cinccino while still having its cool natural bulk to fall back on. If anything, it's better than Return.
  • Mention Specially Defensive Amoonguss as a very strong check/counter to Special Samurott.
  • Anything that can take a boosted Aqua Jet, outspeed and OHKO Samurott is able to check/revenge kill it effectively (Swanna, Jolly Choice Band Braviary, etc) and should be mentioned as well.
 

Django

Started from the bottom...
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  • I think the bulky spread currently onsite is still somewhat relevant, but has become less used with the faster pace of the metagame. It's 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with Adamant for reference, so put that into AC. It does miss out on beating other Samurott (as well as Ludicolo) but with better bulk it can occaisionally find extra room to set up.
  • Mention Taunt and Encore in the Special set AC as well, they make decent options over Aqua Jet. Helps it to wreck Lickilicky and other walls which rely on Wish to beat Samurott
  • Mention Modest since it has a much better chance to 2HKO Hypno, Lickilicky, Frillish, Grumpig, Gardevoir, Audino etc. A lot of these can be helped by putting up Stealth Rock first, but can becoe troublesome with Protect and Leftovers.
  • Be sure to make it clear that Swift Swim Mantine does not counter Samurott.
  • Serperior somewhere in C&C
In general I want to see a lot more detail on stuff. Phrases like "modest can be used if you dont mind losing out on the speed" or "obligatory stealth rock support from regirock and golem" "Spikes from Cacturne make him more threatening" mean ~nothing when checking through this. Don't just put in Spikes and Stealth Rock support for the sake of it, mention specific 3HKOes they cna turn into 2HKOes (there's a few examples specific to Samurott above). Likewise with mentioning Modest, explain what extra KO's you can get and what significant Speed benchmarks you miss. I know you probably will when you write it up, but it makes it much easier for us if you include this detail so we know what we're approving :)

EDIT: Also, about HP Electric being a slash, I disagree since it gets 0 usage and Seismitoed is more relevant in the current metagame. The Mantine set likely to gain popularity is Swift Swim, which doesn't even beat Samurott anyway. Swanna is also not taking Ice Beams / Hydro Pumps more than once (provided SR is up) so yeah. It deserves AC at least, but I'll leave it up to the writer with slashing or no. I would also like to point out if HP Electric does get popular, we can easily edit it via SCMS as a slash.
 
I'd slash Taunt after Aqua Jet on the special attacking Samurott set. Samurott is one of the few good Taunt users in NU and it's not like Aqua Jet is that useful. It's only really useful in clutch situations. Taunt allows you to break through walls like Lickilicky and Frillish better as well as prevent Pokemon from setting up Stealth Rock. Samurott is an awesome Pokemon for preventing Pokemon from setting up Stealth Rock which is a big reason I've been using special attacking set on some teams is because of the aforementioned fact.

Mention Mystic Water in Swords Dance AC. It allows you to attack more without taking that annoying Life Orb damage and you get a 20% boost in power on 2/3'rds of your moves. Often Samurott takes like 70-80% from an attack while its setting up and then can't sweep if it's using Life Orb because it dies after 2-3 attacks.
 

Dell

majestic pride.
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I'm definitely on aboard with the idea of Samurott's Special Attacker set being added before the SD set, since it's more common these days and quite possibly the best in-terms of wall-breaking capabilities.

Hidden Power Electric should at worst be a secondary slash to HP Grass the more I think about it. It gives you more utility against the usual counters to Special Samurott, such as Mantine and Swanna, and it hits basically every thing that you would be trying to hit with HP Grass anyways since you can usually tank a hit from non-Water Absorb Seismitoad and KO back with Hydro Pump.

For the SD set, Mystic Water should mentioned as an AC, as DTC mentioned. You don't miss out on much power from the Life Orb varient, and it is much better in terms of abusing your Torrent ranges as it prevents your opponent from switching in and out to resistances for hopes of stalling Life Orb Samurott out. It also prolongs sweeps to a much higher extent, especially if you happen to be open clear of a sweep, assuming that Torrent has activated too early for Life Orb Samurott to clean up everything.
 

MMF

Give me the strength to part this sea
14:47 cbb mmf post in samurott analysis about your opinion on set order/hp electric
14:47 cbb lazy bum
14:47 MMF o_k

And here I am! So I said this on IRC but I'll say it here too, I personally don't think the set order matters all too much. Both these sets are used pretty much equally and they are both extremely deadly in the right situations so its really user preference on what they want to use. So i really dgaf on that matter.

Next, HP Electric. I'd be ok with it being a secondary slash on HP Grass mainly because it is a cool option to help beat two of Samurott's checks but other than that I don't see much use for it. If anything drop that sucker into AC and explain why it could be used.

Edit: Let me make this clearer. I'm indifferent on what you want to do with HP Electric Raseri mainly because I haven't used it and I've heard good arguments for both. I think either way you'll be fine. I'll try and test it and let you know how it goes.

Also.....samurott dog
 
I believe that the Swords Dance set should remain the first set, since it can be far more devastating and is just as effective as the special set.

I added most of the changes here, I didn't list infinity teammates like Django wanted :heart: but I did expand in some areas, if theres anything else you guys would like to see let me know
 

Django

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I never mentioned anything about teammates...?

Anyway, I still want you to expand on

modest can be used if you dont mind losing out on the speed
From SubSalac set. Also:

  • Salac Berry is required...
  • Timid allows you to outspeed extra threats, such as adamant scarf braviary
Both of these points go in AC.

Finally, move the 4 HP EVs from both sets into Defense or something, getting an odd HP number is better.
 
Amateur GP check. Take whatever you think is useful from it.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple

[Overview]

<p>Samurott has always been one of the most powerful Pokemon in BW NU. However, shifts in the metagame have changed added to its role quite significantly. During the early days of the tier Samurott was almost exclusively a boosting physical attacker; nowadays it maintains that same role but is also an incredibly threatening special attacker. The Swords Dance set is just as amazing as ever, beating physical walls such as Tangela, as well as having STAB priority in Aqua Jet. The special attacker set is great because of its ability to attack right off the bat with a monstrous STAB Hydro Pump, which comes off of Samurott's higher attacking stat. The SubSalac set is a new set to from/made possible by/created in/something else you prefer BW2, and allows Samurott to be a deadly cleaner from the special side. It also has quite impressive bulk for an offensive Pokemon, (change to semicolon) 95 / 85 / 70 defenses are nothing to laugh at, as it and Samurott is significantly bulkier than other sweepers in the tier. Samurott isn't even slow, (change to semicolon) base 70 Speed is fast enough to outrun nearly every defensive threat in the metagame, as well as many offensive ones. For all these reasons and more, Samurott is one of the most defining Pokemon of the NU metagame; truly a force to be reckoned with.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Torrent
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set has always been one of the best sweepers in the tier due to the sheer power it has. Swords Dance launches Samurott's Attack sky high, reaching 598 after a boost! Waterfall is a strong STAB attack, hitting anything that doesn't resist it quite hard. Priority is always great, STAB priority is even better. Aqua Jet is exactly what Samurott needs to be so effective; hitting frail Pokemon that could otherwise defeat it, such as, Electrode, Zebstrika, and Adamant Absol. Megahorn is used to hit Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks, particularly Grass-types such as Ludicolo and Tangela, though it is also useful for hitting Psychic-types such as Musharna and Beheeyem harder than Waterfall.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the preferred nature since it allows Samurott to speed tie with Timid Ludicolo, which woiuld would otherwise defeat this set with ease. Jolly is also handy for outspeeding many Pokemon that sit in speed tiers close to Samurott, such as Jolly Emboar, Adamant Absol and Jolly Fraxure. Adamant can be used for the increase in power, but the drop in speed is quite significant. Life Orb significantly increases the Samurott's power of Samurott, but Lum Berry eases set up as status is one of the best ways to check Samurott. Encore or Taunt can be used to aid setup, but the loss of Aqua Jet really limits Samurott's offensive ability. Aqua Tail is slightly more powerful than Waterfall, but the drop in accuracy makes it less valuable. Leftovers can be used for passive recovery, but don't offer the same utility the other items do. Mystic Water can be used to boost Waterfall and Aqua Jet's power, but Samurott appreciates Megahorn being boosted as well so it is not quite as effective. An EV spread of 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used in order to outpace 0 Speed Misdreavus, but the loss in Speed means that Samurott will lose to many more threats.</p>

<p>Samurott struggles heavily against Amoonguss; Pokemon such as Magmar and Emboar are able to take on the mushroom with ease, making them great partners. Samurott also struggles against Alomomola, so Pokemon such as Exeggutor and Regice are good teammates because of their ability to defeat it. Essentially, the Regenerator core ruins Samurott's days, so any teammates that will defeat them are perfect for Samurott. Ludicolo has great synergy with Samurott and can make a great sweeping partner for it. Samurott struggles against faster Water-types such as Simipour, therefore so Grass-types such as Serperior and Amoonguss make good teammates in order to handle them. Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary will help alleviate the weakness to Amoonguss, as well as defeat defeating fast Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO Samurott. Hazard support from Cacturne, Regirock, or Golem is very handy for Samurott, as it allows it to gain KOes KOs against Piloswine and Tangela.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Aqua Jet / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Torrent
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unlike the Swords Dance set, the special attacker is a threat right off the bat. Unknown to some, Samurott's Special Attack is eight points higher than its Attack stat, meaning that this set is actually quite powerful. Hydro Pump is strong, 120 BP, boosted to 180 with STAB (add comma) is nothing to laugh at; if it isn't resisted (add comma) it is doing a lot of damage. If 85% 80% accuracy is a bit to low Surf is an option, though it is a lot weaker in comparison and won't do enough damage most of the time until Torrent is activated. Ice Beam offers great coverage with Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types super effectively as well as Dragon-types, both of which resist Water-type attacks. Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Electric are used to hit the few things that Hydro Pump and Ice Beam do not. Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine. Aqua Jet is used to deal the last bit of damage if to the opponent, as even with a negative nature it is strong enough to finish off threats that just survive Hydro Pump. Taunt is handy against more defensive teams, as it prevents them from inflicting Samurott with a potentially fatal status or recovering off damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Megahorn is an option if Ludicolo is a threat, however, outside of Ludicolo it is useless. Grass Knot hits opposing Samurott and Seismitoad a little bit harder than Hidden Power Grass (Hidden Power Grass is the one that would hit both of them a little less than Grass Knot, even if Samurott would take the same damage from Hidden Power Electric), but the difference is usually negligible. Rain Dance is a nifty move to have on rain teams, it boosts the power of Hydro Pump significantly as well as supports supporting Samurott's teammates. Samurott is fast enough to use Encore effectively and lock defensive Pokemon into non threatening (I think nonthreatening is one word) attacks. Modest is an option in order to beat specially defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky easier more easily, (change to semicolon) however, the loss of speed means that neutral base 80s as well as neutral Absol will outspeed you. Hasty and Naive are options for the small boost of power for Aqua Jet or and (maybe; this might be fine as is) Megahorn, though it really detracts from Samurott's respectable bulk.</p>

<p>This set really struggles against specially defensive Pokemon such as Lapras, Regice, Lickilicky, as well as Mantine or Seismitoad depending on the choice of Hidden Power. Most of these Pokemon are weak to Fighting-type attacks, and Mantine, the only resistance in the group (add comma) has no physical bulk to speak of and is also dismantled by them. Because of this, Sawk and Emboar are great teammates for Samurott, as they can OHKO most of its counters easily. Physical sweepers work wonders with this set. It's a shame you can't run Swords Dance Samurott together with the special attacker, as they would be great teammates. Tauros and Zangoose work well with Samurott, as they can weaken special walls for Samurott, while Hydro Pump defeats Normal-type counters with ease. Other specially based Water-types, such as Ludicolo and Gorebyss, work well with Samurott as they can weaken each others other's counters.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSalac
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Salac Berry
ability: Torrent
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set plays like the special attacker, but can sweep easier at the expense of wallbreaking ability. The objective is to use Substitute until the Salac Berry activates, allowing you to be very fast as well as have Torrent boosted Surfs to clean up. Surf is preferred because of the accuracy, though Hydro Pump has a lot more power but even if it is less likely to pull off a sweep. Hidden Power Grass hits Water-types super effectively, while Hidden Power Electric does the same. The difference between the two is that Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad harder, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine and Swanna harder. Hidden Power Grass is preferred because Seismitoad is more common. Ice Beam allows Samurott to hit Grass-types such as Samurott, as well as Dragon-types such as Altaria super effectively, (change to semicolon) without it (add comma) they would both wall this set with ease.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Salac Berry is required to make this set work, (change to semicolon) without it (add comma) you are better running any other set. Timid allows you to outspeed extra threats, such as Adamant Choice Scarf Braviary; Modest can be used if you don't mind the loss of Speed as it does allow you to OHKO offensive Exeggutor with Ice Beam, as well as Eviolite Fraxure, both of which Timid usually misses out on.</p>

<p>This set plays like a weaker version of the special attacker set, so it struggles even more against special walls such as Lickilicky and Regice. Because of this (add comma) Fighting-types such as Emboar and Sawk are even more valuable because they can help Samurott set up as well as destroy destroying its counters. Swellow is a good teammate because it can lure in Rock-types that Samurott can set up on easily. Anything that lures in Rock- or Ground-types are great teammates since they are easy to set up on for Samurott. Samurott is still slower than many standard Choice Scarf Pokemon at +1, such as Rotom-S, Rotom-F, or and Zebstrika. Because of this, Ground-types do a good job at absorbing their Electric-type attacks, (change to semicolon) however, they must watch out for Rotom-F. Bulky Psychic-types such as Gardevoir and Musharna can be problems, so Absol and Skuntank are good teammates because they can checkmate them. This Samurott needs a lot of hazard support in order to function, so Cacturne or Garbodor are very important in order to get an OHKO against Pokemon such as Bastiodon, Regirock, or and Simipour.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Most of Samurott's options have already been covered, but it does have a few more tricks up its sleeve. BW2 gave Samurott Superpower, which allows it to hit Ice-types such as Lapras and Regice harder than any other move. Return is an option on the Swords Dance set to hit Pokemon such as Swanna harder, but offers no utility otherwise. Samurott has the movepool to pull off a decent support set; Dragon Tail, Knock Off, and Scald are all great moves, but Samurott is much better using its great offensive stats instead of its just solid defensive ones. Air Slash is a cool option that Samurott has, but outside of hitting Bug-types a bit harder (add comma) it is not useful. A mixed set is an option, but splitting EVs really lowers Samurott's offensive capabilities. Finally, Samurott can run a surprise Choice Scarf set, but it is quite weak and outside of surprise factor doesn't offer much over the other sets.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The only true counter to Samurott is Shedinja, as it can take all of its attacks due to Wonder Guard. Outside of Shedinja, all sets have their own unique counters. Physically defensive Pokemon such as Shelgon, Relicanth, Vigoroth, Amoonguss, and Alomomola can take on the Swords Dance set with ease, though Alomomola needs Scald in order to cripple Samurott. Though not as bulky, Altaria, Frillish, and Ampharos also do a good job, as they either resist its attacks or can tank one and OHKO back. the special attacker has a different set of counters, Water Absorb Mantine or Seismitoad (depending on the choice of Hidden Power) do the best, while Lapras, Hypno, Regice, Articuno, and specially defensive Amoonguss all do very well against it. Gurdurr has the bulk and strength needed to take on both sets, but can not switch in on Hydro Pump. Ludicolo is a hard counter to any set without Megahorn, as it can KO with Giga Drain easily. Electric- and Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO are good checks. In particular, Electrode, Electabuzz, Sawsbuck (add comma) and Serperior do well against Samurott. Samurott is very susceptible to status, so a well timed burn or paralysis can mean the end of the sea otter. Finally, if Samurott does not have Aqua Jet, Absol does a great job at stopping/checking it as it can hit it with an incredibly powerful Sucker Punch.</p>
 

Oglemi

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[Overview]

<p>Samurott has always been one of the most powerful Pokemon in BW NU. However, shifts in the metagame have added to its role quite significantly. During the early days of the tier Samurott was almost exclusively a boosting physical attacker; nowadays it maintains that same role but is also an incredibly threatening special attacker. The Swords Dance set is just as amazing as ever, beating physical walls such as Tangela, as well as having STAB priority in Aqua Jet. The special attacker set is great because of its ability to attack right off the bat with a monstrous STAB Hydro Pump, which comes off of Samurott's higher attacking stat. The SubSalac set is a new set created in BW2, and allows Samurott to be a deadly cleaner from the special side. It also has quite impressive bulk for an offensive Pokemon; 95 / 85 / 70 defenses are nothing to laugh at, and Samurott is significantly bulkier than other sweepers in the tier. Samurott isn't even slow; base 70 Speed is fast enough to outrun nearly every defensive threat in the metagame, as well as many offensive ones. For all these reasons and more, Samurott is one of the most defining Pokemon of the NU metagame; truly a force to be reckoned with.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Torrent
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set has always been one of the best sweepers in the tier due to the sheer power it has. Swords Dance launches Samurott's Attack sky high, reaching 598 after a boost! Waterfall is a strong STAB attack, hitting anything that doesn't resist it quite hard. Priority is always great, STAB priority is even better. Aqua Jet is exactly what Samurott needs to be so effective; hitting frail Pokemon that could otherwise defeat it such as Electrode, Zebstrika, and Adamant Absol. Megahorn is used to hit Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks, particularly Grass-types such as Ludicolo and Tangela, though it is also useful for hitting Psychic-types like Musharna and Beheeyem harder than Waterfall.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the preferred nature since it allows Samurott to Speed tie with Timid Ludicolo, which would otherwise defeat this set with ease. Jolly is also handy for outspeeding many Pokemon that sit in Speed tiers close to Samurott such as Jolly Emboar, Adamant Absol, and Jolly Fraxure. Adamant can be used for the increase in power, but the drop in speed is quite significant. Life Orb significantly increases Samurott's power, but Lum Berry eases set up as status is one of the best ways to check Samurott. Encore or Taunt can be used to aid setup, but the loss of Aqua Jet really limits Samurott's offensive ability. Aqua Tail is slightly more powerful than Waterfall, but the drop in accuracy makes it less valuable. Leftovers can be used for passive recovery, but don't offer the same utility the other items do. Mystic Water can be used to boost Waterfall and Aqua Jet's power, but Samurott appreciates Megahorn being boosted as well so it is not quite as effective. An EV spread of 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used in order to outpace 0 Speed Misdreavus, but the loss in Speed means that Samurott will lose to many more threats.</p>

<p>Samurott struggles heavily against Amoonguss; Pokemon such as Magmar and Emboar are able to take on the mushroom with ease, making them great partners. Samurott also struggles against Alomomola, so Pokemon such as Exeggutor and Regice are good teammates because of their ability to defeat it. Essentially, the Regenerator core ruins Samurott's days, so any teammates that will defeat them are perfect for Samurott. Ludicolo has great synergy with Samurott and can make a great sweeping partner for it. Samurott struggles against faster Water-types such as Simipour, so Grass-types, such as Serperior and Amoonguss, make good teammates in order to handle them. Flying-types, such as Swellow and Braviary, will help alleviate the weakness to Amoonguss, as well as defeating fast Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO Samurott. Hazard support from Cacturne, Regirock, or Golem is very handy for Samurott, as it allows it to gain KOs against Piloswine and Tangela.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Aqua Jet / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Torrent
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unlike the Swords Dance set, the special attacker is a threat right off the bat. Unknown to some, Samurott's Special Attack is eight points higher than its Attack stat, meaning that this set is actually quite powerful. Hydro Pump is strong, 120 Base Power, boosted to 180 with STAB, is nothing to laugh at; if it isn't resisted, it is doing a lot of damage. If 80% accuracy is a bit too low Surf is an option, though it is a lot weaker in comparison and won't do enough damage most of the time until Torrent is activated. Ice Beam offers great coverage with Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types super effectively as well as Dragon-types, both of which resist Water-type attacks. Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Electric are used to hit the few things that Hydro Pump and Ice Beam do not. Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine. Aqua Jet is used to deal the last bit of damage to the opponent, as even with a negative nature it is strong enough to finish off threats that just survive Hydro Pump. Taunt is handy against more defensive teams, as it prevents them from inflicting Samurott with a potentially fatal status or recovering off damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Megahorn is an option if Ludicolo is a threat; however, outside of Ludicolo it is useless. Grass Knot hits opposing Samurott and Seismitoad a little bit harder than Hidden Power Grass, but the difference is usually negligible. Rain Dance is a nifty move to have on rain teams, it boosts the power of Hydro Pump significantly as well as supporting Samurott's teammates. Samurott is fast enough to use Encore effectively and lock defensive Pokemon into nonthreatening attacks. Modest is an option in order to beat specially defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky more easily; however, the loss of Speed means that neutral base 80s as well as neutral Absol will outspeed Samrott. Hasty and Naive are options for the small boost of power for Aqua Jet or Megahorn, though it really detracts from Samurott's respectable bulk.</p>

<p>This set really struggles against specially defensive Pokemon such as Lapras, Regice, Lickilicky, as well as Mantine or Seismitoad depending on the choice of Hidden Power. Most of these Pokemon are weak to Fighting-type attacks, and Mantine, the only resistance in the group, has no physical bulk to speak of and is also dismantled by them. Because of this, Sawk and Emboar are great teammates for Samurott, as they can OHKO most of its counters easily. Physical sweepers work wonders with this set. It's a shame you can't run Swords Dance Samurott together with the special attacker, as they would be great teammates. Tauros and Zangoose work well with Samurott, as they can weaken special walls for Samurott, while Hydro Pump defeats Normal-type counters with ease. Other specially based Water-types, such as Ludicolo and Gorebyss, work well with Samurott as they can weaken each other's counters.</p>

[SET]
name: SubSalac
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Salac Berry
ability: Torrent
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set plays like the special attacker, but can sweep easier at the expense of wallbreaking ability. The objective is to use Substitute until the Salac Berry activates, allowing Samurott to be very fast as well as have Torrent-boosted Surfs to clean up. Surf is preferred because of the accuracy, though Hydro Pump has a lot more power even if it is less likely to pull off a sweep. Hidden Power Grass hits Water-types super effectively, while Hidden Power Electric does the same. The difference between the two is that Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad harder, while Hidden Power Electric hits Mantine and Swanna harder. Hidden Power Grass is preferred because Seismitoad is more common. Ice Beam allows Samurott to hit Grass-types such as Samurott, as well as Dragon-types such as Altaria super effectively; without it, they would both wall this set with ease.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Salac Berry is required to make this set work; without it, you are better running any other set. Timid allows Samurott to outspeed extra threats, such as Adamant Choice Scarf Braviary; Modest can be used if you don't mind the loss of Speed as it does allow Samurott to OHKO offensive Exeggutor with Ice Beam, as well as Eviolite Fraxure, both of which Timid usually misses out on.</p>

<p>This set plays like a weaker version of the special attacker set, so it struggles even more against special walls such as Lickilicky and Regice. Because of this, Fighting-types, such as Emboar and Sawk, are even more valuable because they can help Samurott set up as well as destroying its counters. Swellow is a good teammate because it can lure in Rock-types that Samurott can set up on easily. Anything that lures in Rock- or Ground-types are great teammates since they are easy to set up on for Samurott. Samurott is still slower than many standard Choice Scarf Pokemon at +1, such as Rotom-S, Rotom-F, and Zebstrika. Because of this, Ground-types do a good job at absorbing their Electric-type attacks; however, they must watch out for Rotom-F. Bulky Psychic-types, such as Gardevoir and Musharna, can be problems, so Absol and Skuntank are good teammates because they can checkmate them. This Samurott needs a lot of hazard support in order to function, so Cacturne or Garbodor are very important in order to get an OHKO against Pokemon such as Bastiodon, Regirock, or Simipour.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Most of Samurott's options have already been covered, but it does have a few more tricks up its sleeve. BW2 gave Samurott Superpower, which allows it to hit Ice-types like Lapras and Regice harder than any other move. Return is an option on the Swords Dance set to hit Pokemon such as Swanna harder, but offers no utility otherwise. Samurott has the movepool to pull off a decent support set; Dragon Tail, Knock Off, and Scald are all great moves, but Samurott is much better using its great offensive stats instead of its just solid defensive ones. Air Slash is a cool option that Samurott has, but outside of hitting Bug-types a bit harder, it is not useful. A mixed set is an option, but splitting EVs really lowers Samurott's offensive capabilities. Finally, Samurott can run a surprise Choice Scarf set, but it is quite weak and outside of surprise factor doesn't offer much over the other sets.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The only true counter to Samurott is Shedinja, as it can take all of its attacks due to Wonder Guard. Outside of Shedinja, all sets have their own unique counters. Physically defensive Pokemon, such as Shelgon, Relicanth, Vigoroth, Amoonguss, and Alomomola, can take on the Swords Dance set with ease, though Alomomola needs Scald in order to cripple Samurott. Though not as bulky, Altaria, Frillish, and Ampharos also do a good job, as they either resist its attacks or can tank one and OHKO back. The special attacker has a different set of counters, Water Absorb Mantine or Seismitoad (depending on the choice of Hidden Power) do the best, while Lapras, Hypno, Regice, Articuno, and specially defensive Amoonguss all do very well against it. Gurdurr has the bulk and strength needed to take on both sets, but can not switch in on Hydro Pump. Ludicolo is a hard counter to any set without Megahorn, as it can KO with Giga Drain easily. Electric- and Grass-types that can outspeed and OHKO are good checks. In particular, Electrode, Electabuzz, Sawsbuck, and Serperior do well against Samurott. Samurott is very susceptible to status, so a well timed burn or paralysis can mean the end of the sea otter. Finally, if Samurott does not have Aqua Jet, Absol does a great job at checking it as it can hit it with an incredibly powerful Sucker Punch.</p>


shell armor is still unreleased afaik, so that's why i deleted the ability tag for torrent

i'd consider re-adding the tiny unreleased section too while you're at it

[gp]2/2[/gp]
 

Yonko7

Guns make you stupid. Duct tape makes you smart.
is a Contributor Alumnus
[Unreleased]

<p>Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows it Samurott to set up easier, without fear of critical hits. Despite allowing Samurott to avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help it offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker and SubSalac set need Torrent just as much, as without it they are just not as threatening. Though Although Shell Armor may might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.</p>
Nice job^^

[gp]:)[/gp]
 

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