Samurott
[Overview]
<p>While Samurott might be outclassed in RU by Pokemon such as Feraligatr, in this metagame, he really gets a chance to shine. His good defensive typing, coupled with his passable bulk, lets him take a couple of hits while he uses his excellent attacking stats to dish out his own powerful hits. Samurott is capable of both sweeping entire teams at a moments notice through the use of Swords Dance, or systematically breaking down defensive teams with Taunt. Although its subpar Speed stat lets him down at times, this samurai otter is still more than capable of tearing teams apart if given the chance.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Torrent
nature: Adamant
evs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Samurott makes for a surprisingly good Swords Dancer, as his good typing and decent defensive stats allow him to take almost any neutral unboosted hit as he sets up. His STAB moves provide very good coverage alongside Megahorn, with Aqua Jet bypassing his mediocre Speed, letting him get the jump on faster Pokemon. Swords Dance, obviously the crux of this set, allows Samurott to double his Attack in a single turn and proceed to tear the opposing team to shreds. Waterfall is used as Samurott's primary STAB due to its good Base Power and consistency, but Aqua Tail can be used if you don't mind the 10% accuracy drop. Megahorn provides coverage, as well as a super effective hit on bulky Grass-types, such as Tangela and Meganium. Aqua Jet gives Samurott priority, and will hit suprisingly hard after a Swords Dance boost, especially if Samurott happens to be in Torrent range.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set's EVs are quite basic: maximum Attack yields the most physical power possible; enough Speed is used to outpace Adamant Torterra, Modest Exeggutor, and uninvested Misdreavus; and the remainder is thrown into HP to take hits better.</p>
<p>Samurott's moveset is pretty specific, but there are a few other options that can be considered. Return can be used over Megahorn for good neutral coverage, but the ability to hit bulky Grass-types hard with Megahorn is usually preferred. Encore and Taunt are also options to help Samurott set up a Swords Dance, but using them means losing Aqua Jet, so they're not very appealing. The given EV spread is usually optimal, but by no means set in stone, so feel free to play around with it to better suit your team's needs. For example, you can drop all the Speed EVs in order to maximize Samurott's bulk and ease setup, or aim to beat other specific threats, such as uninvested Mesprit, which would only require 84 EVs. Finally, Lum Berry allows Samurott to set up on Pokemon who rely on status to counter boosting threats, such as Will-O-Wisp Misdreavus.</p>
<p>Although Samurott is quite a self-sufficient sweeper in his own right, a bit of team support is always appreciated. Samurott really hates Toxic Spikes, so pairing him with a grounded Poison-type, such as Skuntank, is a good idea. Additionally, Meganium makes an excellent teammate due to her ability to perform as a cleric, potentially heal Samurott with Leech Seed, and take Electric- and Grass-type moves aimed at the otter.<p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Torrent
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Samurott aims to systematically break down defensive teams through the use of Taunt, and by abusing his relatively powerful moves and good coverage to tear holes in opposing teams. Hydro Pump is picked as a STAB move due to its higher Base Power and greater damage output even factoring in accuracy, but Surf can be used if you fear missing at a crucial time. Ice Beam and Grass Knot provide very good coverage alongside Samurott's STAB, with the former hitting opposing Grass-types and the latter hitting opposing Water-types, both of which resist Water-type moves. Taunt is used so that this set can tear apart defensive teams by preventing recovery, status, phazing, and the like.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is simple and straightforward: Special Attack is maximized in order to tear holes in opposing teams, while 252 Speed EVs let him Taunt as quickly as possible. Due to Samurott's incredibly shallow movepool, there isn't really aren't many alternative options, but there are a couple of things you can consider. Encore can be used over Taunt or one of the coverage moves as it can force a lot of switches if used properly. Another option you have is to hit specific Speed benchmarks in order to either increase his bulk or to invest in Attack and opt for a mixed set. Aside from that, however, there isn't really much this set can change without becoming less effective.</p>
<p>While Samurott's top-notch coverage and power might usually be enough to break through opposing teams by itself, his relatively low Speed really hinders him against faster teams. Due to this, paralysis support from the likes of Musharna or Rotom-S, the latter of whom can also take Grass-type hits for Samurott, is much appreciated. As with many offensive Pokemon, Spikes support from the likes of Garbodor is also welcome. As a bonus, Garbodor absorbs Toxic Spikes, which Samurott really dislikes.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Samurott's incredibly shallow movepool leaves him with very few other options, but there are a couple things that could be considered. Due to the lack of Natural Cure Grass-types in NU, Toxic is a very viable option to cripple Samurott's common switch-ins. A defensive set employing Dragon Tail and Scald could be viable, but the lack of reliable recovery makes that option very iffy. A Choice Specs set with Surf or Hydro Pump, Hidden Power Electric or Grass Knot, Ice Beam, and Air Slash could be used to take advantage of Samurott's fantastic STAB and respectable bulk, but it's generally outclassed by the Life Orb set. Choice Scarf and Choice Band sets are also viable, but not recommended.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fantastic coverage, good STAB, and the ability to go either physical or special, make Samurott impossible to straight up counter. However, bulky Grass- and Water-types do okay in general, if all else fails, you can just prey on Samurott's low Speed with Pokemon who aren't hit too hard by Aqua Jet. Cradily is bulky enough to take anything but a +2 Life Orb Megahorn and can do a good amount of damage with its Grass-type STAB. Leafeon outpaces Samurott, resists Aqua Jet, and does a ton of damage with Leaf Blade, but must watch out for Ice Beam and Megahorn on the switch. Eviolite Tangela has a chance to survive a +2 Life Orb Megahorn with Stealth Rock down (always surviving without it) and can hit back with Sleep Powder or a strong Giga Drain. Altaria walls it to hell and back if it happens to lack Ice Beam as well.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Samurott gets Shell Armor courtesy of the Dream World, which prevents it from getting hit by a critical hit. However, Torrent is more useful as it has the potential to boost his Water-type moves.</p>
