[SET]
name: OU Countering Utility
move 1: Slack Off
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Slowbro is usually seen
in the UU metagame, but it can also be used very well in the OU environment. It is a perfect counter to Machamp, and can take on other top threats like Gyarados and Salamence very well. It also has reliable
recovery in the form of Slack Off, which sets it apart from
its fellow bulky
Water-type Suicune.</p>
<p>
Slack Off is a huge asset on Slowbro, and sets it apart from other bulky Waters in the OU tier [Remove this, you already mentioned that above]. Surf gives Slowbro a reliable STAB to work with. In the third slot, the move that you use is entirely up to what Pokemon your team needs Slowbro to check. Ice Beam can OHKO Salamence (even without Stealth Rock), while Hidden Power Electric is a guaranteed 2HKO on Gyarados (which struggles to 2HKO in return, even with a +1 Adamant Life Orb Bounce). In the final slot, two moves can be used. Thunder Wave is a nice choice to provide paralysis support for slower sweepers like Bulk Up Machamp. Toxic, on the other hand, is more useful for stall-based teams, as Toxic Slowbro can stall out many of the OU tier's top physical forces with Slack Off.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Slowbro counters Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados, but also fares well against other common sweepers such as physical Infernape, Metagross, and Flygon. It is also notable as a perfect counter to Machamp, thanks to Own Tempo (which prevents confusion), a resistance to DynamicPunch, and its low base Speed (which ensures it never takes double
the damage from Payback). Slowbro is particularly great at taking neutral unboosted
physical attacks, as most do not even 2HKO and Slowbro can slowly bring the opposing Pokemon to the ground with a combination of Surf / Toxic and Slack Off. Slowbro faces competition for a team slot from Suicune and Vaporeon, but has distinct advantages over both. Suicune must use the unreliable Rest and Sleep Talk combination for recovery, while Slowbro has access to Slack Off. On the other hand, Slowbro's ability to use Thunder Wave to stop sweepers that it can't hit effectively sets it apart from Vaporeon. Its Psychic sub-typing also lets it counter Fighting-types more effectively than either Suicune or Vaporeon.</p>
<p>Slowbro is generally better off used on more defensively-oriented or stall-based teams, as its natural physical bulk and access to instant recovery tend to draw out matches to make for a slower game, but that isn't to say that Slowbro can't be used on offensive teams. Slowbro makes a great partner for Pokemon that enjoy having the opponent's set-up sweepers taken out of the game. This includes Choice item wielding Pokemon such as Choice Specs Latias and Choice Band Metagross, as predicting incorrectly can lead to some sticky situations (such as if Dragon Dance Gyarados or Salamence switches in on Metagross's Choice-locked Earthquake).</p>
<p>Scizor and Tyranitar, two of the OU tier's most common Pokemon, are a huge threat to Slowbro. These Pokemon can switch in rather easily on any of Slowbro's attacks (but Dragon Dance variants of Tyranitar won't
enjoy paralysis from Thunder Wave). They can then proceed to severely dent Slowbro with their STAB U-turns and Crunches, respectively. Machamp is a nearly surefire Tyranitar counter and benefits greatly from Slowbro's paralysis support. Protect Gengar with Hidden Power Fire and Focus Blast can lure and kill both Scizor and Tyranitar. Lucario makes a good partner due to Slowbro's Pursuit weakness, as it can easily come in on a Choice-locked Pursuit from the likes of Scizor, Weavile, and Tyranitar, and proceed to set up a Swords Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs (OU)
move 1: Surf
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Trick
move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Slack Off
item: Choice Specs
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs Slowbro can be a dangerous force in OU, as its STAB combination of Surf + Psychic gives great type coverage. An advantage of using Choice Specs Slowbro is that your opponent will never see it coming; who uses Slowbro in OU to begin with, much less a Choice Specs variant? Slowbro
can hit extremely hard with Choice Specs equipped, and as
such, should not be underestimated. The great thing about Specs Slowbro is that it defeats its own counters. Scizor and Tyranitar are unable to switch into a Choice Specs boosted Surf, and Celebi will take huge damage from Fire Blast. More frail Pokemon will have their work cut out for them trying to deal with this Slowbro variant thanks to its
amalgam [I suggest you just stick with a word that younglings can actually understand, lol.] of bulk and power, while defensive Pokemon are crippled with Trick.</p>
<p>Surf is easily Slowbro's best form of STAB, providing nice neutral coverage; Water is a fantastic offensive typing in the OU tier, as the only Pokemon commonly found there that resist it are other bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Gyarados and Vaporeon, Dragon-type Pokemon such as Salamence and Latias, and OU's lone Grass-type Pokemon, Celebi and Roserade. Psychic gives Slowbro a nice way of hitting opposing Water-type Pokemon harder than Surf. Trick is great on Slowbro, as it allows it to cripple any defensive Pokemon that may be switching in on it attempting to wall its attacks (Blissey comes readily to mind). In the final slot, there are two viable options. Fire Blast is the better choice as it allows Slowbro to handle Steel-type Pokemon that attempt to switch in on it, as well as Celebi. Ice Beam can also be used to get past Celebi and Latias. Slack Off is a viable alternative if your team already has a powerful user of Fire-type moves
[What about Ice-type moves?], however, such as Life Orb Heatran.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Good teammates for this set are Pokemon that can take advantage of the massive holes that Slowbro opens up in the opposing team. Dragon Dance Salamence is a good choice for this role, as it resists Grass-type attacks and is neutral to Electric-type attacks. Dragon Dance Salamence can easily sweep an opposing team once all of its physical walls have been weakened. Swords Dance Lucario and Dragon Dance Gyaradaos are in a similar boat (although Gyarados shares Slowbro's Electric-type weakness). Slowbro needs Stealth Rock to be most effective, as it softens up the opposing team so that Slowbro can dish out more damage
[Technically, Stealth Rock doesn't let Slowbro dish out more damage. It ensures a few more 2HKOes/OHKOes,]with its STAB attacks. Swampert is a good choice for this role, as it is immune to Electric-type attacks. It does, unfortunately, share Slowbro's Grass-type weakness, but Grass-type moves are rarely seen in the OU environment, barring Grass Knot.</p>
<p>Here are some damage calculations to demonstrate how powerful this set is:</p>
<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Surf vs. 248 HP Scizor:
75% - 88%</li>
<li>Surf vs. 4 HP Tyranitar:
83% - 98%</li>
<li>Surf vs. 160 HP Tyranitar:
75% - 88%</li>
<li>Surf vs. 252 HP Tyranitar:
70% - 83%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs. 252 HP Metagross: 100%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Celebi:
89% - 100%</li>
<li>Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 92 SpD Bronzong:
78% - 92%</li>
<li>Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados:
61% - 72%</li>
<li>Psychic vs. 188 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon:
47% - 56%</li>
</ul>
[Other Options]
<p>All of Slowbro's more effective options for use in the OU environment have already been discussed. Psychic can be used to hit Machamp harder, but even with
a STAB boost and factoring in the
super effective hit, Slowbro can still only 2HKO standard 252 HP / 0 SpD Machamp. Slowbro does have access to Light Screen, which can be useful in certain situations if you are aiming for Slowbro to perform more of a support role on your team. It is generally outclassed by Bronzong and Cresselia, however, as far as setting up Light Screen goes. Slowbro can also use Grass Knot as a more powerful means of hitting fellow Water-type Pokemon than Hidden Power Electric, but Slowbro generally has more productive things to do with its precious moveslots. Slowbro
also has access to Flamethrower and Fire Blast. While these moves can be useful for hitting Scizor
switch-ins for
an OHKO, they warrant little use outside of that. Scizor can outspeed and deal ridiculous damage to Slowbro with
a STAB boosted Choice Band U-turn as it is, so Flamethrower and Fire Blast are really only useful if you
are positive your opponent is switching in Scizor. Should it not be the metal bug, your opponent will have gotten a new Pokemon in practically for free
[How do you know?], while Slowbro will have wasted one of its moveslots.</p>
<p>Calm Mind Slowbro can also be used effectively in OU after Scizor and Tyranitar are taken out by teammates like Bait Latias and Bait Tyranitar. Calm Mind Slowbro is somewhat outclassed by Latias, but the fact that Slowbro is much more physically bulky and has two powerful STAB attacks to work with does somewhat help its case. Slowbro is also a great user of Trick Room, as it is one of the slowest Pokemon in the entire game. A simple 252 HP / 252 SpA spread can work wonders on a Trick Room team, as Slowbro's dual STAB combination and decent Special Attack stat can tear through weakened teams. Slowbro is a great support Pokemon in general, and while other Pokemon may have a wider movepool, Slowbro's bulk and access to Slack Off allow it to fulfill a valuable niche on almost any kind of team; moves like Trick, Yawn, and Counter set Slowbro apart from fellow bulky Water-type Pokemon like Vaporeon and Suicune. This is important, as when you are playing with Slowbro in OU, you should try and make sure you're using it in a role where it cannot be "outclassed".</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Slowbro struggles with Scizor and Tyranitar, who both have access to powerful
super effective STAB moves that dent Slowbro severely. For this reason, Heatran can make a great partner, as it can not only force out Scizor with the prospect of
a STAB Fire Blast but can also take Dark- and Bug-type attacks that will be commonly aimed at Slowbro very well; Heatran cannot, however, deal with Tyranitar. In order to check Tyranitar, Bulk Up Machamp can be a great teammate for Slowbro. Not only is Bulk Up Machamp a great Tyranitar counter, but it can also easily set up on confused foes and then proceed to break through the opposing team. Swords Dance Lucario is in a similar boat, as it can check Tyranitar very well and really benefits from having the opponent's Salamence or Gyarados taken out of the match. Slowbro likes being partnered up with powerful Fighting-type Pokemon, as they can easily take care of Tyranitar and, to an extent, Scizor. Mixed Infernape is another great partner for Slowbro, easily capable of taking out the aforementioned threats.</p>
<p>As physically bulky as Slowbro is, the same does not hold true on the special side. Slowbro is by no means frail, but it won't enjoy repeated Thunderbolts from the likes of Life Orb Starmie and Hidden Power Electrics from Vaporeon. For this reason, any variant of Latias makes a wonderful partner. Latias can easily take these attacks and proceed to set up Calm Minds in the face of these Pokemon, or just spam Life Orb boosted Draco Meteors. Latias does share Slowbro's unfortunate Pursuit weakness though, so beware. On stall
teams, Blissey makes a great partner for Slowbro, capable of walling any and all special attacks that may harm Slowbro. Slowbro can also easily take Blissey's only weakness, Fighting-type
attacks, with ease. While Slowbro is bulky to begin with, if it has dual screen support its defenses enter a whole new world. Bronzong stands out as a partner since it can easily deal with Tyranitar thanks to Gyro Ball and its Psychic / Steel typing (making it neutral to Dark-type attacks and resistant to Rock-type attacks).</p>
[EVs]
<p>A simple 252 HP / 252 Def spread will generally be best, as it maximizes Slowbro's physical bulk; OU is a tier crammed with powerful physical sweepers, and Slowbro needs all of the bulk that it can muster to stand up to these giants. Maximum defense allows Slowbro to survive a +1 Dragon Dance Salamence's Life Orb Outrage after Stealth Rock damage (to give you an idea of how bulky it truly is). On the Choice Specs set, an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA will generally be the best, as it allows Slowbro to balance bulk and power. It will not be able to take as many hits as it would with 252 EVs in Defense, however; while it is by no means frail when lacking defense EVs, it isn't as bulky as it was, and can no longer survive a Swords Dance Lucario's +2 Life Orb Crunch (among other attacks).</p>
[Opinion]
<p>While Slowbro seems like an odd choice for the OU tier, it can be quite handy in countering some of the metagame's top threats. When using Slowbro in OU, make sure that it isn't being used in a role where it can be outclassed by Suicune and Vaporeon. Slowbro is a blessing on teams that struggle with Dragon Dancers (excluding Tyranitar), and will generally see the most use on those teams. With it's rock-solid Defense and decent Special Defense, however, it can be used as a more general physical wall in general. The pink hermit crab Pokemon is quite underrated in OU; don't underestimate Slowbro, no matter what!</p>
I'm gonna skip out on proofreading this because you need to change this to the new format. Overview at the top + Optional Changes.
[Counters]
<p>As mentioned a few times in the analysis, Tyranitar and Scizor make Slowbro their
bitch [Lol... You might want to change that.]. Slowbro, while very bulky, simply cannot stand up to repeated Crunches and U-turns from these Pokemon.
Basically, any Pursuit user will give Slowbro a rough time, as they can scare Slowbro away with their STAB attacks and proceed to take out the fleeing Slowbro with Pursuit. Weavile is a major pain for the Choice Specs set, as it can switch in on an expected Psychic and simply Pursuit away as Slowbro has no choice but to switch. Weavile can switch in on Slowbro, but it will lose a large chunk of health in the process due to its frailness and Stealth Rock weakness. Blissey can put a full stop to Slowbro's plans with ease thanks to her absurd Special Defense and HP stats, but she will not enjoy being hit
with Trick from the Choice Specs set. Slowbro, as bulky as it is, will not be able to take multiple neutral hits. Slowbro's typing somewhat limits its defensive capabilities, as it leaves it weak to Grass-, Dark-, Bug-, Electric-, and Ghost-type attacks. These attacking types are relatively common in the OU tier, and the fact that most Grass-, Ghost-, and Electric-type attacks are
special attacks doesn't help at all. Gengar and Jolteon are big pains for Slowbro, as while they cannot switch in on it, they can certainly come in after a teammate faints; from there, they simply have to spam their STAB move for a clean OHKO on Slowbro.</p>
