[Overview]
<p>Swampert is one of the most important Pokemon and one of the best defensive pivots in the ADV metagame. Whenever you have a Swampert in your team, it's usually in the thick of the action. It shapes the metagame to the extent where everyone and their dog eschews Hidden Power Ice for Hidden Power Grass on Electric-type Pokemon, such as Raikou, solely to nail Swampert.</p>
<p>Swampert's ability to counter common physical powerhouses, such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Salamence, Flygon, Metagross, and Aerodactyl, and its all-important Rock resistance and very good bulk, are both excellent attributes to have. It is a reliable phazer as well, and it even has the ability to clean up opposing teams late-game with Curse. Swampert is one of the few bulky Water-types that are immune to sandstorm damage, and is therefore relatively hard to wear down.</p>
<p>However, Swampert does suffer from a crippling 4x weakness to Grass, which hinders its ability to check Electric-types that run Hidden Power Grass. Furthermore, Swampert is vulnerable to Spikes damage, which is particularly undesirable as it must often switch in multiple times in a game. It also fears status, especially poison, as the residual damage reduces its ability to tank hits. One of Swampert's largest problems, though, is that although it is excellent at forcing switches, it often cannot do much damage to switch-ins. Overall, Swampert is a key player in ADV OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Standard Utility
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf / Toxic
move 4: Protect / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As opposed to being an offensive threat itself, this set aims to act as a solid utility counter and defensive pivot; it is excellent at forcing switches. Earthquake is a strong STAB move that threatens many Pokemon that Swampert counters, such as Metagross and Jirachi. Ice Beam provides excellent coverage and, in conjunction with Earthquake, enables Swampert to hit everything in OU for neutral damage. Ice Beam takes a decent chunk out of Celebi switch-ins and forces it to Recover, which in turn allows a teammate to switch in without fear of Leech Seed or Psychic. Hydro Pump is the primary option in the third moveslot because it can take a good 50% out of standard Skarmory, which stops Skarmory from setting up on Swampert; it also deals good damage to Gengar. Surf is also an option worth considering due to its higher accuracy. Toxic is an excellent move on Swampert as many of its counters, such as Gyarados, Vaporeon, Milotic, and Ludicolo, have difficulty with poison; it also allows Swampert to beat other Swampert with ease. However, Toxic only works in conjunction with Protect, and is best used on stall teams. Protect is the primary fourth option as it allows Swampert to scout its switch-ins for deadly attacks such as Hidden Power Grass or Explosion. The extra turn of recovery that Protect provides is also extremely useful and helps Swampert Toxic stall its opponents. Roar is an alternative option because Swampert is excellent at forcing switches; it can consistently rack up Spikes damage by using Roar on a predicted switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EV spread, Swampert reaches 404 HP, which enables it to switch into three layers of Spikes four times, and survive five Seismic Tosses thanks to Leftovers. The Special Attack EVs boost Ice Beam's damage output enough to force Celebi to Recover and give up momentum.</p>
<p>Swampert's best partner is probably Skarmory. The pair have excellent type synergy and between them can check numerous threats, such as Tyranitar, Metagross, Heracross, and Salamence. Thanks to its ability to force so many switches, Swampert can also make great use of the Spikes Skarmory can lay. Celebi, Venusaur, and Flygon deserve a mention as well, as any one of the three can pair with Swampert for a surefire answer to any Electric-type. Furthermore, Celebi can provide cleric support for Swampert.</p>
<p>Swampert also appreciates Rapid Spin support; however, none of the OU spinners—namely Claydol, Starmie, Donphan, Forretress, and Cloyster—synergize with the mudfish particularly well. Of the above, Starmie is probably the best option as it beats non-Hidden Power Grass Celebi with Ice Beam, and fares decently against Suicune and Gyarados thanks to Thunderbolt; all of these are good counters to Swampert. Unfortunately, Starmie will have to choose between which of the two moves to run alongside Surf, Rapid Spin, and Recover. Swampert likes the support of other bulky Water-types as well, because those Water-types can act as emergency counters to certain Pokemon—such as Flygon, Tyranitar, and Metagross—should Swampert go down to a powerful Choice Band-boosted Focus Punch (from Tyranitar) or a sneaky Hidden Power Grass. This Swampert set, Roar variants in particular, also appreciates Wish support from the likes of Vaporeon and Blissey, as it does not have a reliable way of healing itself.</p>
[SET]
name: CursePert
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Curse
move 4: Rest / Hydro Pump / Surf
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ah, good ol' CursePert. This variant was once the standard, but has gradually declined in usage. This set is perhaps not as effective at putting a stop to the physical powerhouses of ADV OU, as it is worn down more quickly; for example, it is 2HKOed by Choice Band Salamence's Hidden Power Flying. However, this Swampert can double up as a formidable late-game sweeper thanks to the unresisted combination of Earthquake and Ice Beam. Furthermore, this set makes for a decent lead as well, as it poses both an offensive and defensive threat right off the bat. For this set to work at its fullest potential, the likes of Celebi and Skarmory need to be eliminated. This set is best late-game, when its counters have been removed and its foes worn down a bit. Rest is the primary option for the final move on this set as it allows Swampert to recover HP and heal itself of status. Hydro Pump is also a decent option; it 2HKOes Skarmory and takes a big chunk out of any Gengar that switches in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set should run a specially defensive EV spread because Swampert will boost its Defense with Curse, and will thus need less investment on the physical side. 40 Special Attack EVs enable it to to 2HKO standard Skarmory with Hydro Pump, as well as wear down opposing Celebi with Ice Beam and eventually coerce it into using Recover.</p>
<p>This set benefits greatly from Spikes support; therefore, Skarmory makes for an excellent partner thanks to its great bulk and ability to lay down multiple layers in a match. Flygon is also a fantastic partner for Swampert, as are Venusaur and Celebi, as they help Swampert greatly against Electric-types. Celebi gets a special mention as it can heal Swampert of any status, and even Baton Pass Calm Mind boosts to it. It should be noted that Swampert should only run Surf when it is being passed Calm Mind boosts, because accuracy is superior to power when acting as a late-game cleaner. Although Donphan and Claydol share similar weaknesses with Swampert, they make for great partners. Both Pokemon can spin away Spikes and act as checks to Pokemon that specially defensive Swampert has trouble with, such as Salamence. Swampert can be Spikes fodder for Skarmory; pairing it with Magneton can therefore help the team out immensely. Dugtrio could also be of use as it traps Celebi, which leaves a gaping hole in the opposing team for Swampert to take advantage of.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>RestTalk Swampert is the most durable variant, although it struggles to do notable damage against anything that isn't weak to Earthquake or Ice Beam. Rest and Sleep Talk form the crux of this set, and enable Swampert to stay alive for a long period of time. The combination also allows Swampert to recover without being dead weight while asleep. Despite being the most durable, this set loses phazing utility, the ability to threaten Gengar with Hydro Pump, and the ability to pose a threat with Curse, and as such is only really useful for being an incredibly solid counter to threats such as Tyranitar, Metagross, and Salamence.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>40 Special Attack EVs boost Ice Beam's power to wear down Celebi switch-ins and force it to eventually Recover; this enables your Salamence, Skarmory, or other Celebi counter to switch in freely.</p>
<p>Swampert's greatest enemy is Spikes damage, so Rapid Spin users are recommended partners. Starmie is your best bet by far here, as Ice Beam and Thunderbolt let it beat Psychic Celebi and check Gyarados, respectively; both these Pokemon threaten Swampert immensely, this set in particular. This set reaches its fullest potential on teams based around Toxic, Spikes, and sandstorm, as it can force a lot of switches and has enough bulk and longevity to be successful on such teams. Skarmory is the best provider of Spikes support, which lets Swampert wear down its opponents. Tyranitar provides the sand that this set is best used in, and can also take on Celebi and Zapdos to a certain extent, both of which threaten Swampert. Swampert's ability to wear the opposing team down might also facilitate a late-game Dragon Dance Tyranitar sweep.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thanks to its good base 110 Attack, Swampert can utilize a Choice Band to surprise a few of its usual switch-ins. Celebi, for example, is OHKOed by Hidden Power Bug, and Ludicolo doesn't enjoy taking one either. However, this set is a poorer check to the likes of Salamence and Tyranitar, who will wear it down more quickly, and Swampert really needs Leftovers recovery in order to stick around. The main niche of the above set is the element of surprise, so make sure that you get it in without taking any damage. Swampert can also pull off a CounterCoat set alongside one of its STAB moves and Roar to punish opponents that set up on it. However, it will only work with Spikes support, as a good opponent will otherwise continually switch out of Swampert to burn its PP out. Swampert can attempt an Endeavor set, but its base 60 Speed isn't doing it any favors, and it becomes a weaker check to the likes of Metagross as it must sacrifice bulk in return for Speed. Note that Endeavor Swampert must be used alongside sandstorm. Swampert can go with a SubPunch set, but Substitute taxes its health too much for this to be worthwhile, and Swampert has better things to do in general. Swampert's movepool isn't particularly big, so it's best to stick to the listed sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Celebi is an excellent answer to Swampert, as it can set up Calm Mind boosts with impunity while dealing residual damage with Leech Seed, or just bash away at Swampert with Hidden Power Grass. Ice Beam does at most around 40% to Celebi—although this depends on the EV spreads both Pokemon run—so Celebi has little to fear from Swampert. Specially defensive Zapdos with Hidden Power Grass is good counter to Swampert as it takes little from Ice Beam and is immune to both Spikes and Earthquake. Its fellow legendary bird Articuno also does a pretty good job at countering Swampert thanks to its immunity to Earthquake, Spikes, and Ice Beam's freeze chance, along with its high Special Defense. However, a Curse-boosted Rock Slide renders both turkeys Christmas dinner.</p>
<p>Heracross does a pretty good job against Swampert as it resists Earthquake and has the Special Defense to take Hydro Pump and Ice Beam with relative ease. Heracross can then proceed to take chunks out of Swampert with Megahorn. Venusaur does a number on Swampert with its strong Grass STAB. Giga Drain Gengar is a decent answer to Swampert as it is immune to Earthquake and only fears being hit by Hydro Pump or Surf on the switch. Skarmory can deal with any Swampert that lack Hydro Pump or Surf by freely setting up Spikes on it.</p>
<p>Gyarados is an excellent answer to Swampert that lack Rock Slide, and can set up multiple Dragon Dance boosts while using Taunt to stop Swampert from phazing it out. Suicune is also a strong Swampert counter, as it takes little from anything Swampert can throw at it, and can either inflict decent damage on it with Surf, set up on it with Calm Mind, or even phaze it to rack up Spikes damage. Milotic can use Recover to heal off any damage, and can whittle away at Swampert with Surf and Toxic. However, Milotic must itself be cautious of Swampert's Toxic. Vaporeon can Wish in Swampert's face and only fears Toxic. Ludicolo is a solid counter to Swampert as it takes pitiful damage from any of Swampert's attacks—in fact, it only fears Toxic—and can either OHKO Swampert with Hidden Power Grass or wear it down with Leech Seed, should it lack a Grass-type attack.</p>
<p>Swampert is one of the most important Pokemon and one of the best defensive pivots in the ADV metagame. Whenever you have a Swampert in your team, it's usually in the thick of the action. It shapes the metagame to the extent where everyone and their dog eschews Hidden Power Ice for Hidden Power Grass on Electric-type Pokemon, such as Raikou, solely to nail Swampert.</p>
<p>Swampert's ability to counter common physical powerhouses, such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Salamence, Flygon, Metagross, and Aerodactyl, and its all-important Rock resistance and very good bulk, are both excellent attributes to have. It is a reliable phazer as well, and it even has the ability to clean up opposing teams late-game with Curse. Swampert is one of the few bulky Water-types that are immune to sandstorm damage, and is therefore relatively hard to wear down.</p>
<p>However, Swampert does suffer from a crippling 4x weakness to Grass, which hinders its ability to check Electric-types that run Hidden Power Grass. Furthermore, Swampert is vulnerable to Spikes damage, which is particularly undesirable as it must often switch in multiple times in a game. It also fears status, especially poison, as the residual damage reduces its ability to tank hits. One of Swampert's largest problems, though, is that although it is excellent at forcing switches, it often cannot do much damage to switch-ins. Overall, Swampert is a key player in ADV OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Standard Utility
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf / Toxic
move 4: Protect / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As opposed to being an offensive threat itself, this set aims to act as a solid utility counter and defensive pivot; it is excellent at forcing switches. Earthquake is a strong STAB move that threatens many Pokemon that Swampert counters, such as Metagross and Jirachi. Ice Beam provides excellent coverage and, in conjunction with Earthquake, enables Swampert to hit everything in OU for neutral damage. Ice Beam takes a decent chunk out of Celebi switch-ins and forces it to Recover, which in turn allows a teammate to switch in without fear of Leech Seed or Psychic. Hydro Pump is the primary option in the third moveslot because it can take a good 50% out of standard Skarmory, which stops Skarmory from setting up on Swampert; it also deals good damage to Gengar. Surf is also an option worth considering due to its higher accuracy. Toxic is an excellent move on Swampert as many of its counters, such as Gyarados, Vaporeon, Milotic, and Ludicolo, have difficulty with poison; it also allows Swampert to beat other Swampert with ease. However, Toxic only works in conjunction with Protect, and is best used on stall teams. Protect is the primary fourth option as it allows Swampert to scout its switch-ins for deadly attacks such as Hidden Power Grass or Explosion. The extra turn of recovery that Protect provides is also extremely useful and helps Swampert Toxic stall its opponents. Roar is an alternative option because Swampert is excellent at forcing switches; it can consistently rack up Spikes damage by using Roar on a predicted switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EV spread, Swampert reaches 404 HP, which enables it to switch into three layers of Spikes four times, and survive five Seismic Tosses thanks to Leftovers. The Special Attack EVs boost Ice Beam's damage output enough to force Celebi to Recover and give up momentum.</p>
<p>Swampert's best partner is probably Skarmory. The pair have excellent type synergy and between them can check numerous threats, such as Tyranitar, Metagross, Heracross, and Salamence. Thanks to its ability to force so many switches, Swampert can also make great use of the Spikes Skarmory can lay. Celebi, Venusaur, and Flygon deserve a mention as well, as any one of the three can pair with Swampert for a surefire answer to any Electric-type. Furthermore, Celebi can provide cleric support for Swampert.</p>
<p>Swampert also appreciates Rapid Spin support; however, none of the OU spinners—namely Claydol, Starmie, Donphan, Forretress, and Cloyster—synergize with the mudfish particularly well. Of the above, Starmie is probably the best option as it beats non-Hidden Power Grass Celebi with Ice Beam, and fares decently against Suicune and Gyarados thanks to Thunderbolt; all of these are good counters to Swampert. Unfortunately, Starmie will have to choose between which of the two moves to run alongside Surf, Rapid Spin, and Recover. Swampert likes the support of other bulky Water-types as well, because those Water-types can act as emergency counters to certain Pokemon—such as Flygon, Tyranitar, and Metagross—should Swampert go down to a powerful Choice Band-boosted Focus Punch (from Tyranitar) or a sneaky Hidden Power Grass. This Swampert set, Roar variants in particular, also appreciates Wish support from the likes of Vaporeon and Blissey, as it does not have a reliable way of healing itself.</p>
[SET]
name: CursePert
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Curse
move 4: Rest / Hydro Pump / Surf
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ah, good ol' CursePert. This variant was once the standard, but has gradually declined in usage. This set is perhaps not as effective at putting a stop to the physical powerhouses of ADV OU, as it is worn down more quickly; for example, it is 2HKOed by Choice Band Salamence's Hidden Power Flying. However, this Swampert can double up as a formidable late-game sweeper thanks to the unresisted combination of Earthquake and Ice Beam. Furthermore, this set makes for a decent lead as well, as it poses both an offensive and defensive threat right off the bat. For this set to work at its fullest potential, the likes of Celebi and Skarmory need to be eliminated. This set is best late-game, when its counters have been removed and its foes worn down a bit. Rest is the primary option for the final move on this set as it allows Swampert to recover HP and heal itself of status. Hydro Pump is also a decent option; it 2HKOes Skarmory and takes a big chunk out of any Gengar that switches in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set should run a specially defensive EV spread because Swampert will boost its Defense with Curse, and will thus need less investment on the physical side. 40 Special Attack EVs enable it to to 2HKO standard Skarmory with Hydro Pump, as well as wear down opposing Celebi with Ice Beam and eventually coerce it into using Recover.</p>
<p>This set benefits greatly from Spikes support; therefore, Skarmory makes for an excellent partner thanks to its great bulk and ability to lay down multiple layers in a match. Flygon is also a fantastic partner for Swampert, as are Venusaur and Celebi, as they help Swampert greatly against Electric-types. Celebi gets a special mention as it can heal Swampert of any status, and even Baton Pass Calm Mind boosts to it. It should be noted that Swampert should only run Surf when it is being passed Calm Mind boosts, because accuracy is superior to power when acting as a late-game cleaner. Although Donphan and Claydol share similar weaknesses with Swampert, they make for great partners. Both Pokemon can spin away Spikes and act as checks to Pokemon that specially defensive Swampert has trouble with, such as Salamence. Swampert can be Spikes fodder for Skarmory; pairing it with Magneton can therefore help the team out immensely. Dugtrio could also be of use as it traps Celebi, which leaves a gaping hole in the opposing team for Swampert to take advantage of.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>RestTalk Swampert is the most durable variant, although it struggles to do notable damage against anything that isn't weak to Earthquake or Ice Beam. Rest and Sleep Talk form the crux of this set, and enable Swampert to stay alive for a long period of time. The combination also allows Swampert to recover without being dead weight while asleep. Despite being the most durable, this set loses phazing utility, the ability to threaten Gengar with Hydro Pump, and the ability to pose a threat with Curse, and as such is only really useful for being an incredibly solid counter to threats such as Tyranitar, Metagross, and Salamence.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>40 Special Attack EVs boost Ice Beam's power to wear down Celebi switch-ins and force it to eventually Recover; this enables your Salamence, Skarmory, or other Celebi counter to switch in freely.</p>
<p>Swampert's greatest enemy is Spikes damage, so Rapid Spin users are recommended partners. Starmie is your best bet by far here, as Ice Beam and Thunderbolt let it beat Psychic Celebi and check Gyarados, respectively; both these Pokemon threaten Swampert immensely, this set in particular. This set reaches its fullest potential on teams based around Toxic, Spikes, and sandstorm, as it can force a lot of switches and has enough bulk and longevity to be successful on such teams. Skarmory is the best provider of Spikes support, which lets Swampert wear down its opponents. Tyranitar provides the sand that this set is best used in, and can also take on Celebi and Zapdos to a certain extent, both of which threaten Swampert. Swampert's ability to wear the opposing team down might also facilitate a late-game Dragon Dance Tyranitar sweep.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thanks to its good base 110 Attack, Swampert can utilize a Choice Band to surprise a few of its usual switch-ins. Celebi, for example, is OHKOed by Hidden Power Bug, and Ludicolo doesn't enjoy taking one either. However, this set is a poorer check to the likes of Salamence and Tyranitar, who will wear it down more quickly, and Swampert really needs Leftovers recovery in order to stick around. The main niche of the above set is the element of surprise, so make sure that you get it in without taking any damage. Swampert can also pull off a CounterCoat set alongside one of its STAB moves and Roar to punish opponents that set up on it. However, it will only work with Spikes support, as a good opponent will otherwise continually switch out of Swampert to burn its PP out. Swampert can attempt an Endeavor set, but its base 60 Speed isn't doing it any favors, and it becomes a weaker check to the likes of Metagross as it must sacrifice bulk in return for Speed. Note that Endeavor Swampert must be used alongside sandstorm. Swampert can go with a SubPunch set, but Substitute taxes its health too much for this to be worthwhile, and Swampert has better things to do in general. Swampert's movepool isn't particularly big, so it's best to stick to the listed sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Celebi is an excellent answer to Swampert, as it can set up Calm Mind boosts with impunity while dealing residual damage with Leech Seed, or just bash away at Swampert with Hidden Power Grass. Ice Beam does at most around 40% to Celebi—although this depends on the EV spreads both Pokemon run—so Celebi has little to fear from Swampert. Specially defensive Zapdos with Hidden Power Grass is good counter to Swampert as it takes little from Ice Beam and is immune to both Spikes and Earthquake. Its fellow legendary bird Articuno also does a pretty good job at countering Swampert thanks to its immunity to Earthquake, Spikes, and Ice Beam's freeze chance, along with its high Special Defense. However, a Curse-boosted Rock Slide renders both turkeys Christmas dinner.</p>
<p>Heracross does a pretty good job against Swampert as it resists Earthquake and has the Special Defense to take Hydro Pump and Ice Beam with relative ease. Heracross can then proceed to take chunks out of Swampert with Megahorn. Venusaur does a number on Swampert with its strong Grass STAB. Giga Drain Gengar is a decent answer to Swampert as it is immune to Earthquake and only fears being hit by Hydro Pump or Surf on the switch. Skarmory can deal with any Swampert that lack Hydro Pump or Surf by freely setting up Spikes on it.</p>
<p>Gyarados is an excellent answer to Swampert that lack Rock Slide, and can set up multiple Dragon Dance boosts while using Taunt to stop Swampert from phazing it out. Suicune is also a strong Swampert counter, as it takes little from anything Swampert can throw at it, and can either inflict decent damage on it with Surf, set up on it with Calm Mind, or even phaze it to rack up Spikes damage. Milotic can use Recover to heal off any damage, and can whittle away at Swampert with Surf and Toxic. However, Milotic must itself be cautious of Swampert's Toxic. Vaporeon can Wish in Swampert's face and only fears Toxic. Ludicolo is a solid counter to Swampert as it takes pitiful damage from any of Swampert's attacks—in fact, it only fears Toxic—and can either OHKO Swampert with Hidden Power Grass or wear it down with Leech Seed, should it lack a Grass-type attack.</p>