Oh, you're right.
That's, uh... Embarrassing :S
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Salamence (Analysis)
- Thread starter Delta 2777
- Start date
That's, uh... Embarrassing :S
Actually, the sets currently up look fine (for now at least, that can change later).
The only thing I see wrong is the comment on Moxie in the DW section. Honestly, it is just as dangerous as Intimidate and should not be underestimated. Of course, it isn't released yet, so it doesn't matter much, but I think the statement about it should be changed. It opens up opportunities during sweeps that you just cannot get with Intimidate (while Intimidate does the same itself to Moxie in turn).
But, good analysis so far.
The only thing I see wrong is the comment on Moxie in the DW section. Honestly, it is just as dangerous as Intimidate and should not be underestimated. Of course, it isn't released yet, so it doesn't matter much, but I think the statement about it should be changed. It opens up opportunities during sweeps that you just cannot get with Intimidate (while Intimidate does the same itself to Moxie in turn).
But, good analysis so far.
I swear to God, this is probably the dumbest argument I've heard against it so far. It's just like saying "There is no point running Fire Blast since it only hits Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Scizor, but otherwise it's useless." Hello, Gliscor counters you, Hippowdon counters you, Slowbro counters you, you can use Draco Meteor to defeat them.
But anyway, if you're really against it, you should probably at least slash Dragon Dance or at the very least mention it in AC on the MixMence set.
Im seconding shrang here. "Draco Meteor only beats physical walls that beat you otherwise". I don't understand how the mixed dancer got into other options described as an inferior set.
Not to mention, the extra speed is usually useless on Mence. Things like Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Darmanitan can be scarfed to kill it one on one and Mence is not a revenge killer, its a sweeper/wall breaker. Those extra EVs are welcome to add more bulk or make it a mixed attacker, theres hardly any loss to running only 84 speed and beefing it up, in fact its better most of the time. DD/D Claw(or Outrage)/Fire Blast/Roost alongside a bulky spread makes a nice physical tank that can still be a fully threatening DD Mence.
Not to mention, the extra speed is usually useless on Mence. Things like Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Darmanitan can be scarfed to kill it one on one and Mence is not a revenge killer, its a sweeper/wall breaker. Those extra EVs are welcome to add more bulk or make it a mixed attacker, theres hardly any loss to running only 84 speed and beefing it up, in fact its better most of the time. DD/D Claw(or Outrage)/Fire Blast/Roost alongside a bulky spread makes a nice physical tank that can still be a fully threatening DD Mence.
I completely agree with shrang and raiku about the mixed dd. It may not be his #1 set, but it is able to adapt really well, especially with team preview. You already know what your opponent has to counter him, so you know axactly when to DM, when to FB, and when it is ok to go for the dragon dance. Of course it is not that black and white, but having something that can go from wallbreaker -> sweeper -> wallbreaker on the fly is really important. This is DEFINITELY the hardest mence to counter IMO.
I won't make a heavy push for changes like I said before, but Shrang is right about the Mixed Dragon Dance set.
Mixed DD is actually kind of ass. In order to even get a chance to KO important stuff with Draco Meteor, you need to be running maxed Special Attack with LO and a +nature. For example: You never KO Slowbro with a neutral LO 252 SAtk Draco Meteor. It just doesn't happen. You can never OHKO standard Hippowdon (252/104 Impish) with even a +Nature Draco Meteor, and meanwhile you've taken 41% just for thinking you can roll with the big boys (SR/SS/LO). You also barely eke out a KO on Gliscor (with rocks), and that's assuming it doesn't scout your Draco Meteor with Protect and get the fuck out of dodge.
Meanwhile, you really need more than 1 boost to sweep with the mediocre Outrage that not running any Attack brings. Or if you decide you'd rather forego speed, you're now stupid against offense because you lose to basically any scarfer, which is the whole point of running Mence- its 100 speed.
If you want to stallbreak, you need Roost to counteract the significant residual damage that happens (and you might as well be running Dragonite because of the better bulk and Superpower). If you want to sweep, you need the consistent offense that the standard DD set has. Trying to mash the two together just gets one set that only does half the job, and not especially well.
Also as an aside, this is a decision reached after careful deliberation by the QC staff, which is unanimous with all people consulted (which is significantly more than half the staff). As such, this decision is final.
Meanwhile, you really need more than 1 boost to sweep with the mediocre Outrage that not running any Attack brings. Or if you decide you'd rather forego speed, you're now stupid against offense because you lose to basically any scarfer, which is the whole point of running Mence- its 100 speed.
If you want to stallbreak, you need Roost to counteract the significant residual damage that happens (and you might as well be running Dragonite because of the better bulk and Superpower). If you want to sweep, you need the consistent offense that the standard DD set has. Trying to mash the two together just gets one set that only does half the job, and not especially well.
Also as an aside, this is a decision reached after careful deliberation by the QC staff, which is unanimous with all people consulted (which is significantly more than half the staff). As such, this decision is final.
Excellent. I love Salamence this gen; he's still so powerful and unpredictable.
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[Overview]
<p>Salamence possesses an enormous offensive movepool, which, when tied in with its fantastic offensive stats - —base 135 Attack and 110 SAtk - pecial Attack—has the potential to tear through even the most prepared of teams. Despite not changing very much since Generation IV, it still has all the tools needed to pose a major threat to the opponent, whether it be early-, mid-, or late-game. While Salamence does face competition from new threats such as Latios, Garchomp, Haxorus, and Hydreigon, it still has its advantages over each of them and remains the omnipresent menace that it has always been.<p>
<p>Perhaps Salamence's greatest advantage over its competition is its versatility. Between its options of going physical, special, or even mixed, true counters to Salamence remain few and far between. Its defensive capabilities are not to be overlooked either. 95 HP / 80 Def / 80 SpD Defenses aren't too shabby, and in conjunction with reliable recovery in Roost along withnd Intimidate to weaken physical attacks, Salamence is one of the most durable sweepers available. A purely defensive set is also more than viable due to these traits, which can utilize a new move in Dragon Tail in order to phaze enemies and rack up entry hazard damage. Despite the fact that Salamence hasn't changed much overall, it still continues to be thean omnipresent menace that it has always been, and has the potential to change the course of any match with the blink of an eye.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
nature: Naive / Naughty
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpAtk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While many threats from previous generations strugglein order to adapt to the new generation, Salamence continues to be a force to be reckoned with, with its relic Dragon Dance set. Dragon Dance is Salamence's vice; it boosts both its Attack and Speed one stage, making it not only more powerful, but due to the speed boost, also much more difficult to revenge kill with slower threats. Outrage will be your primary attack, which i. In exchange for locking Salamence into the same move for 2-3 turns, it unleashes a 120 Base Power STAB attack, coming off of an incredible 404 attack (before boosts), which is further boosted by 30% thanks to Life Orb. After a boost, Outrage will OHKO everything that doesn't resist it, with the exception of only the most defensive of Pokemon. However, because a Salamence locked into Outrage is much easier to revenge kill, Dragon Claw is a viable alternative, although there is a significant drop in power. Earthquake has great synergy with Outrage, dealing with the steaels that resist it, namely Heatran, Jirachi, Metagross, and Empoleon. Fire Blast rounds off the set with perfect neutral coverage, and gives Salamence a method of dealing with Bronzong, Ferrothorn, and Scizor, among others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature are given to maximize both speed and power, angd allow Salamence to, at the very worst, tie with opposing base 100s. A Naughty nature is also a viable alternative for greater offensive power, although in exchange for this offensive buff, Salamence may no longer outspeed certain threats such as Hydreigon, Darmanitan, and numerous opposing base 100s, such as Jirachi, Zapdos, and Volcarona. Roost is an option over Fire Blast if Pokemon such as Scizor, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn are not overly threatening to you, as it allows Salamence to restore the inevitable passive damage gained from Stealth Rock, Sandstorm, and Life Orb recoil. Keep in mind that a if running Roost over Fire Blast, a Jolly or Adamant nature is preferred.</p>
<p>Life Orb gives this set the power that it needs to be such a devastating threat. With it, both Salamence's physical and special attacks receive a 30% boost, ensuring many important KOs [COMMENT: Such as…?]. However, because of the massive amounts of residual damage Salamence will be taking from the combination of Sandstorm, Stealth Rock, and Life Orb, there is always the option of running Leftovers, Lum Berry, or even Yache Berry as thehold item. Leftovers can counteract Sandstorm damage, and gives Salamence the opportunity to set up an additional Dragon Dance. On the other hand, a Lum Berry can shed an unwanted Burn, Paralysis, Sleep, or Confused staus that may otherwise plague your sweep. Lastly, Yache Berry may allow Salamence to survive certain Ice-type attacks that would otherwise destroy it, and in retaliation, either take the opportunity to set up another Dragon Dance or straight out attack.</p>
[SET]
name: MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Brick Break / Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Outrage
nature: Rash / Naive
item: Life Orb
evs: 116 Atk / 216 SAtkpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the Dragon Dance set attempts to sweep the opponent's entire team, this set aims to break down walls and wreak as much havokc as possible. Draco Meteor is the cruzx of the set; in addition to OHKOing most non-steel types not named Blissey, Chansey, or Tyranitar, it can surprise many Pokemon who switch in expecting the Dragon Dance variant, such as Hippowdon and Porygon2. Fire Blast is the next staple, which prevents Skarmory, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Scizor from laughing at itSalamence. Of course, If the lack of accuracy is discouraging, Salamence can still use the more reliable Flamethrower, although you will miss out on some damage output.</p>
<p>The next two moves is where it gets tricky. While Salamencemuchgreatly appreciates the powerful STAB Outrage in its arsenal, locking yourself into a move for 2-3 turns could be risky. Should you choose Outrage for your fourth attack, then Earthquake is your best option for slot #3, as it hits Heatran, who otherwise resists all of your attacks, along with Empoleon, who can also stand up to Salamence's other moves. Of course, with a weakness to Stealth Rock, Life Orb recoil, and potential sandstorm damage stacking up each turn, Salamence just loves a way to heal itself, and Roost gives Salamence the ability to do just thatso. Should you choose Roost instead of Outrage, it is recommended that you use Brick Break instead of Earthquake, as otherwise Blissey will be able to stall you out, since Earthquake can't manage to 2HKO it. Brick Break also manages to hits the omnipresent Tyranitar harder than Earthquake, which is important since, as Tyranitar is very capable of taking Salamence's Draco Meteors.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set has a variety of options for being EVed. The suggested EV spread of 116 Atk / 216 SpAtk / 176 Spe gives Salamence great power on both sides of the damage spectrum, while allowing it to outrun everything up to neutral -natured Pokemon with Base 90 Speed. Of course, there are several threats that can outspeed Salamence with this EV spread, such as Darmanitan, Haxorus, Hydreigon, Timid Rotom-A, and all other Bbase 100 Speed Pokemon that use a Speed-boosting nature. For this reason, an EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe with a Naive nature is viable, although there is a significant drop in power.</p>
<p>Prediction is often key when using this set. While Draco Meteor is very destructive, it will still do little damage to Pokemon such as Blissey, Tyranitar, and most Steel-types. Meanwhile, Salamence can not afford to continue taking residual damage from switching into Stealth Rocks, as well as taking Life Orb and possibly Ssandstorm damage (although, as mentioned, Roost is a minor remedy for this). Furthermore, once Draco Meteor is used once, its power (as well as Fire Blast's) drops significantly, often forcing Salamence to switch out. Hitting a switch-in with the most appropriate move, whether it be Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Brick Break, will not only help in eliminating an opponent's Pokemon faster, but spare Salamence from future passive damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Roost
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Flamethrower
nature: Impish / Relaxed
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While usually regarded as an offensive Pokemon, Salamence can also switch roles and make for an excellent team supporter. Boasting defenses greater than those of Gyarados, in combination with Intimidate, reliable recovery, 5 resistances, decent speed, and a phazing move in STAB Dragon Tail, Salamence can check a wide variety of Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Victini, while simultanieously providing team support thanks to Wish. However, in order to heal reliably, Salamence needs to use either Protect or Roost in addition to Wish. Protect allows Salamence to avoid being hit the turn after Wish is used, guareanteeing that Salamence will restore health. On the other hand, Roost allows Salamence to heal itself without waiting an extra turn to do so, which can be useful, considering Salamence may want to heal itself on the same turn it would expect to recieeive an otherwise fatal hit. Roost also has the advantage of eliminating Salamence's Rock and Ice weaknesses for one turn, allowing it to stall out certain Ice Beams and Stone Edges.</p>
<p>Salamence's final two moves are for the sake of both coverage and utility, and for the fact that it would be criminal not to take advantage of Salamence's 135 Atk / 110 SpA offensive stats. Dragon Tail forces out stat boosters such as Scrafty and Sigilyph, while also doing a significant amount of damage to most targets. It is highly recommended to use this set alongside Spikes, as forcing opponents out and thus, racking up residual damage when grounded Pokemon switch in, can add up. Finally, Flamethrower is useful to fry certain Pokemon such as Scizor, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Skarmory, and others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The option of whether to use a Relaxed or Impish nature is relatively trivial. While Impish allows you to speed tie with other minimum speed base 100s, Relaxed will slightly increase the power of Dragon Tail. Should you run an Impish nature, it is advised that you run 16 Speed EVs, as this will allow you to outrun all Adamant Breloom, allowing you to hit them with Flamethrower before being Spored.</p>
<p>As mentioned, Salamence appreciates entry hazard support in order to spread more damage with Dragon Tail. In the same regard, Salamence hates switching into Stealth Rock, as the 25% health loss seriously hampers its walling potential. Forretress stands out of the crowd as a teammatenot only that canthat can not only aid Salamence in its endeavors in both of these regards, but the two also haves great synergy with one anotherSalamence. Of course, Forretress is only one of many excellent teammates to Salamence; any other Pokemon that can assist with entry hazards or appreciates the Wishes which Salamence can pass will more often than not be a good partner to Salamence.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Salamence has numerous additional options at its disposal, and while all of them are usable, there is usually another Pokemon that can do it better. Choice Band Salamence is a devastating force, thanks to thedevastating power of Outrage right off the bat. However, with options such as Garchomp, Dragonite, and Haxorus available, each with their own advantages over Salamence, its Choice Band set will never truly have the chance to shine, with the exception of on teams that simply try to abuse multiple Dragons. Choice Specs Salamence is also surprisingly powerful, thanks to its base 110 Special Attack stat and moves such as Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, and Fire Blast. However, with the introduction of Hydreigon who all but outclasses this set, Choice Specs Salamence should only be used either for its three higher base sSpeed points over Hydreigon, or for the sheer surprise factor. Latias and Latios also give Salamence competition for a Choice Specs set, thanks to their higher Speed, Special Attack, and lack of Stealth Rock weakness. A Choice Scarf set is also usable, but due to its Stealth Rock weakness, alongside competition from Pokemon such as Garchomp, it is generally reccomended againstdiscouraged.</p>
<p>In addition to Choice items, there are several unique ways in which Salamence can take advantage of Dragon Dance as well. First and foremost, a bulky Dragon Dancer set is viable, which takes advantage of Salamence's decent bulk in combination with Roost and Intimidate. The goal of this set is to accumulate multiple Dragon Dances thanks to defensive investment, all while Roosting off damage, and then sweep. However, Salamence must rely on Fire Blast or Earthquake as its secondary attacking move, each of which has its own disadvantages. Dragonite, on the other hand, not only has the more reliable Fire Punch, but also boasts Multiscale, which is generally superior to Intimidate when trying to accumulate multiple boosts.</p>
<p>A Dragon Dance set with Draco Meteor is also usable, as it allows Salamence to unleash a powerful STAB move without locking itself into Outrage. Draco Meteor also has the advantage of doing serious damage to certain physical walls such as Slowbro, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Of course, this does have several downsides. For one, Fire Blast can not be used after Draco Meteor, or it will be nowhere nearly as powerful, doing laughable damage to threats such as Skarmory and Bronzong even considering their weakness to Fire moves. Even if Earthquake is used over Fire Blast, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Ferrothorn become much more capable of walling Salamence, meaning more team support is needed. Lastly, using Draco Meteor forces Salamence to shift either more Attack or Speed EVs into Special Attack in order to have a respectably powerful Draco Meteor, and whichever the choice, those EVs will be missed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Salamence's fantastic stats, offensive typing, and enormous movepool, countering all sets at once is literally impossible. However, there are some Pokemon that come close.</p>
<p>Cresselia is perhaps the closest thing to a counter to Salamence. Thanks to her incredible defenses,itshe can switch in on nearly any set and either cripple itSalamence with Thunder Wave or inflict massive damage with Ice Beam. However, Cresselia is 2HKOed by a Choice Band Salamence's Outrage, and takes upwards of 80% minimum from the combination of Draco Meteor and Outrage from MixMence, meaning it is not completely safe. Rhyperior and Regirock in the sand can also withstand the majority of Salamence's attacks, although the former can not take a Hydro Pump or boosted Draco Meteor. Registeel can also take two Fire Blasts or Earthquakes, depending on how it is EVed, and can either paralyze itSalamence or hit it with Ice Punch. Bronzong can switch in on anything but Fire Blast and inflict massive damage with either Gyro Ball or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
<p>Steel-types in general are often the first Pokemon to be looked at when considering countering a Dragon-type, as they are the only Pokemonwhichthat resist the powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors whichthat dominate the metagame. Choice Band Scizor can switch into any move with the exception of Fire Blast, and deal over 60% damage with Bullet Punch. Metagross, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Forretress, Skarmory, and other defensive Steels can all sponge an Outrage or Draco Meteor and retaliate accordingly. It should be noted that if rain is on the field, both Skarmory and Bronzong become hard counters, as a neutered Fire Blast will not be powerful enough to defeat thatem so long as they have not sustained prior damage. Overall, forcing a Salamence into locking itself into Outrage should never be one's main strategy in terms of countering Salamenceit, but should it come to ithat, it is always a good last resort. </p>
<p>There are several other Pokemon that can switch in on the Dragon Dance set and survive a boosted hit. Swampert, Hippowdon, Suicune, and several others can all take a +1 Outrage, Salamence's best means of offense against them, and attack back with their Ice moves. Quagsire ignores Salamence's stat boosts, thanks to Unaware, and can use Curse in the Dragon Dance set's face. However, if Salamence is running a set with Draco Meteor, this tactic can backfire, as Unaware ignores the Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor as well. Lastly, while it can't take any attacks, and requires good prediction to be effective, Whimsicott can switch in on a Roost or Dragon Dance, Encore it, and proceed to Leech Seed Salamence to death if it stays in.</p>
<p>Weavile and Mamoswine are both excellent users ofthe move Ice Shard, and therefore can revenge even a +6 Salamence, so long as it doesn't have a Yache Berry; however, neither can risk switching in on a Fire Blast or Draco Meteor. Donphan is also capable of using Ice Shard, and can withstand a boosted Outrage to back it up. However, Donphan's Ice Shard is incredibly weak otherwise, and Donphan itself is not very common in OU play. Cloyster is in the same boat as Donphan, boasting great Defense and having access to Ice Shard (which, unlike Donphan, it gets STAB on).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, revenge killing is also often a common method of dealing with Salamence, as defeating it without losing a Pokemon either requires lots of luck or good prediction, neither of which should be completely depended on. Starmie, Thundurus, Landorus, Latios, and Garchomp all have a higher base speed than Salamence, and can revenge Salamence either with or without utilizing a Choice Scarf, depending on if Salamence has a Dragon Dance under its belt.DoryuuzuExcadrill in the sand can also finish off a weakened Salamence with a Rock Slide, as long as it has not used Dragon Dance twice or more.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Salamence recieeives Moxie as its Dream World ability. While this may seem like an amazing asset at first, it also means that Salamence may not use any moves exclusive to previous generations, the important ones being Outrage and Roost. Because of this, Salamence struggles to gain much use out of its Dream World ability, as it means it would have to use Dragon Claw rather than Outrage on the Dragon Dance set. Intimidate is also a great ability for Salamence, and giving it up could be the difference between surviving an attack and being KOed by it. While it still has its niches, Moxie, once released, will still generally be overshadowed by Intimidate in terms of overall usefulness.</p>
<p>Salamence possesses an enormous offensive movepool, which, when tied in with its fantastic offensive stats
<p>Perhaps Salamence's greatest advantage over its competition is its versatility. Between its options of going physical, special, or even mixed, true counters to Salamence remain few and far between. Its defensive capabilities are not to be overlooked either. 95 HP / 80 Def / 80 SpD Defenses aren't too shabby, and in conjunction with reliable recovery in Roost a
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
nature: Naive / Naughty
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While many threats from previous generations struggle
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature are given to maximize both speed and power, an
<p>Life Orb gives this set the power that it needs to be such a devastating threat. With it, both Salamence's physical and special attacks receive a 30% boost, ensuring many important KOs [COMMENT: Such as…?]. However, because of the massive amounts of residual damage Salamence will be taking from the combination of Sandstorm, Stealth Rock, and Life Orb, there is always the option of running Leftovers, Lum Berry, or even Yache Berry as the
[SET]
name: MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Brick Break / Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Outrage
nature: Rash / Naive
item: Life Orb
evs: 116 Atk / 216 S
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the Dragon Dance set attempts to sweep the opponent's entire team, this set aims to break down walls and wreak as much havo
<p>The next two moves is where it gets tricky. While Salamence
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set has a variety of options for being EVed. The suggested EV spread of 116 Atk / 216 SpA
<p>Prediction is often key when using this set. While Draco Meteor is very destructive, it will still do little damage to Pokemon such as Blissey, Tyranitar, and most Steel-types. Meanwhile, Salamence can not afford to continue taking residual damage from switching into Stealth Rock
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Roost
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Flamethrower
nature: Impish / Relaxed
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While usually regarded as an offensive Pokemon, Salamence can also switch roles and make for an excellent team supporter. Boasting defenses greater than those of Gyarados, in combination with Intimidate, reliable recovery, 5 resistances, decent speed, and a phazing move in STAB Dragon Tail, Salamence can check a wide variety of Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Victini, while simultan
<p>Salamence's final two moves are for the sake of both coverage and utility, and for the fact that it would be criminal not to take advantage of Salamence's 135 Atk / 110 SpA offensive stats. Dragon Tail forces out stat boosters such as Scrafty and Sigilyph, while also doing a significant amount of damage to most targets. It is highly recommended to use this set alongside Spikes, as forcing opponents out and thus, racking up residual damage when grounded Pokemon switch in, can add up. Finally, Flamethrower is useful to fry certain Pokemon such as Scizor, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Skarmory, and others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The option of whether to use a Relaxed or Impish nature is relatively trivial. While Impish allows you to speed tie with other minimum speed base 100s, Relaxed will slightly increase the power of Dragon Tail. Should you run an Impish nature, it is advised that you run 16 Speed EVs, as this will allow you to outrun all Adamant Breloom, allowing you to hit them with Flamethrower before being Spored.</p>
<p>As mentioned, Salamence appreciates entry hazard support in order to spread more damage with Dragon Tail. In the same regard, Salamence hates switching into Stealth Rock, as the 25% health loss seriously hampers its walling potential. Forretress stands out of the crowd as a teammate
[Other Options]
<p>Salamence has numerous additional options at its disposal, and while all of them are usable, there is usually another Pokemon that can do it better. Choice Band Salamence is a devastating force, thanks to the
<p>In addition to Choice items, there are several unique ways in which Salamence can take advantage of Dragon Dance as well. First and foremost, a bulky Dragon Dancer set is viable, which takes advantage of Salamence's decent bulk in combination with Roost and Intimidate. The goal of this set is to accumulate multiple Dragon Dances thanks to defensive investment, all while Roosting off damage, and then sweep. However, Salamence must rely on Fire Blast or Earthquake as its secondary attacking move, each of which has its own disadvantages. Dragonite, on the other hand, not only has the more reliable Fire Punch, but also boasts Multiscale, which is generally superior to Intimidate when trying to accumulate multiple boosts.</p>
<p>A Dragon Dance set with Draco Meteor is also usable, as it allows Salamence to unleash a powerful STAB move without locking itself into Outrage. Draco Meteor also has the advantage of doing serious damage to certain physical walls such as Slowbro, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Of course, this does have several downsides. For one, Fire Blast can not be used after Draco Meteor, or it will be nowhere nearly as powerful, doing laughable damage to threats such as Skarmory and Bronzong even considering their weakness to Fire moves. Even if Earthquake is used over Fire Blast, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Ferrothorn become much more capable of walling Salamence, meaning more team support is needed. Lastly, using Draco Meteor forces Salamence to shift either more Attack or Speed EVs into Special Attack in order to have a respectably powerful Draco Meteor, and whichever the choice, those EVs will be missed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Salamence's fantastic stats, offensive typing, and enormous movepool, countering all sets at once is literally impossible. However, there are some Pokemon that come close.</p>
<p>Cresselia is perhaps the closest thing to a counter to Salamence. Thanks to her incredible defenses,
<p>Steel-types in general are often the first Pokemon to be looked at when considering countering a Dragon-type, as they are the only Pokemon
<p>There are several other Pokemon that can switch in on the Dragon Dance set and survive a boosted hit. Swampert, Hippowdon, Suicune, and several others can all take a +1 Outrage, Salamence's best means of offense against them, and attack back with their Ice moves. Quagsire ignores Salamence's stat boosts, thanks to Unaware, and can use Curse in the Dragon Dance set's face. However, if Salamence is running a set with Draco Meteor, this tactic can backfire, as Unaware ignores the Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor as well. Lastly, while it can't take any attacks, and requires good prediction to be effective, Whimsicott can switch in on a Roost or Dragon Dance, Encore it, and proceed to Leech Seed Salamence to death if it stays in.</p>
<p>Weavile and Mamoswine are both excellent users of
<p>Unfortunately, revenge killing is also often a common method of dealing with Salamence, as defeating it without losing a Pokemon either requires lots of luck or good prediction, neither of which should be completely depended on. Starmie, Thundurus, Landorus, Latios, and Garchomp all have a higher base speed than Salamence, and can revenge Salamence either with or without utilizing a Choice Scarf, depending on if Salamence has a Dragon Dance under its belt.
[Dream World]
<p>Salamence rec
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[SET]
name: Mixed Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Fire Fang
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive / Hasty
item: Draco Plate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This is my take on the mixed DDmence with DM. I know that moxie hasn't been released yet, but it wouldn't be half as effective without it. This came about after much trial and error. I used life orb at first, but I found that it just killed him too quickly. Draco plate boosts his STAB enough to make DM spammable and using fire fang eases prediction against switchy opponents using stuff like ferrothorn + gliscor. Max speed is obvious, and the rest is put in special attack. With this spread mence's attack sits at 306 which is more than enough in most cases considering how often it will be boosted by both moxie and DD.
I saw that a mixDD set has been rejected, which is a shame. When the analysis is edited due to moxie bagon's release, maybe consider this set?
name: Mixed Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Fire Fang
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive / Hasty
item: Draco Plate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This is my take on the mixed DDmence with DM. I know that moxie hasn't been released yet, but it wouldn't be half as effective without it. This came about after much trial and error. I used life orb at first, but I found that it just killed him too quickly. Draco plate boosts his STAB enough to make DM spammable and using fire fang eases prediction against switchy opponents using stuff like ferrothorn + gliscor. Max speed is obvious, and the rest is put in special attack. With this spread mence's attack sits at 306 which is more than enough in most cases considering how often it will be boosted by both moxie and DD.
I saw that a mixDD set has been rejected, which is a shame. When the analysis is edited due to moxie bagon's release, maybe consider this set?
GP CHECK 2/2
additions
removals
very detailed and well done analysis. nice work!
additions
removals
[Overview]
<p>Salamence possesses an enormous offensive movepool, which, when tied in with its fantastic offensive stats—base 135 Attack and 110 Special Attack—has the potential to tear through even the most prepared of teams. Despite not changing very much since Generation IV, it Salamence still has all the tools needed to pose a major threat to the opponent, whether it be early-, mid-, or late-game. While Salamence does face competition from new threats such as Latios, Garchomp, Haxorus, and Hydreigon, it has its advantages over each of them and remains the omnipresent menace that it has always been.<p> been.</p>
<p>Perhaps Salamence's greatest advantage over its competition is its versatility. Between its options of going Due to its ability to go physical, special, or even mixed, true counters to Salamence remain few and far between. Its defensive capabilities are not to be overlooked either. 95 HP / 80 Def / 80 SpD Defenses aren't isn't too shabby, and in conjunction with reliable recovery in Roost and Intimidate to weaken physical attacks, Salamence is one of the most durable sweepers available. A purely defensive set is also more than viable due to these traits, which can utilize a new move in Dragon Tail in order to phaze enemies and rack up entry hazard damage. Despite Overall, despite the fact that Salamence hasn't changed much, overall, it still remains one of the most dangerous Pokemon in OU, and has the potential to change the course of any match with in the blink of an eye.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
nature: Naive / Naughty
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While many threats from previous generations struggled to adapt to the new generation, Salamence continues to be a force to be reckoned with, with its relic tried-and-true Dragon Dance set. Dragon Dance is Salamence's vice; it boosts both its Attack and Speed one stage, making it not only more powerful, but due to the speed Speed boost, also much more difficult to revenge kill. with slower threats. Outrage will be your is Salamence's primary attack. In exchange for locking Salamence into the same move for 2-3 turns, it unleashes a 120 Base Power STAB attack coming off of an incredible 404 attack Attack (before boosts), which is further boosted by 30% thanks to Life Orb. After a boost, Outrage will OHKO everything that doesn't resist it with the exception of only the most defensive of Pokemon. However, because a Salamence locked into Outrage is much easier to revenge kill, Dragon Claw is a viable alternative, although there is a significant drop in power. Earthquake has great synergy with Outrage, dealing with the steels Steel-types that resist it, namely Heatran, Jirachi, Metagross, and Empoleon. Fire Blast rounds off the set with perfect neutral coverage, and gives Salamence a method of dealing with Bronzong, Ferrothorn, and Scizor, among others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature are given to maximize both speed Speed and power, and allow Salamence to at the very worst tie with opposing base 100s. A Naughty nature is also a viable alternative for greater offensive power, although in exchange for this offensive buff, Salamence may no longer outspeed certain threats such as Hydreigon, Darmanitan, and numerous opposing base 100s such as Jirachi, Zapdos, and Volcarona. Roost is an option over Fire Blast if Pokemon such as Scizor, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn are not overly threatening to you, as it allows Salamence to restore the inevitable passive damage gained from inflicted by Stealth Rock, Sandstorm, sandstorm, and Life Orb recoil. Keep in mind that a if running Roost over Fire Blast, a Jolly or Adamant nature is preferred.</p>
<p>Life Orb gives this set the power that it needs to be such a devastating threat. With it, both Salamence's physical and special attacks receive a 30% boost, ensuring many important KOs after a Dragon Dance, such as on Jirachi with Earthquake, Ferrothorn with Fire Blast, and Blissey with Outrage. However, because of the massive amounts of residual damage Salamence will be taking from the combination of Sandstorm, sandstorm, Stealth Rock, and Life Orb, there is always the option of running Leftovers, Lum Berry, or even Yache Berry as the item. Leftovers can counteract Sandstorm sandstorm damage, and give Salamence the opportunity to set up an additional Dragon Dance. On the other hand, a Lum Berry can shed an unwanted Burn, Paralysis, Sleep, or Confused staus that may otherwise plague your sweep. Last, Finally, Yache Berry may allow Salamence to survive certain Ice-type attacks that would otherwise destroy it, and in retaliation either take the opportunity to set up another Dragon Dance or straight out attack outright.</p>
[SET]
name: MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Brick Break / Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Outrage
nature: Rash / Naive
item: Life Orb
evs: 116 Atk / 216 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the Dragon Dance set attempts to sweep the opponent's entire team, this set aims to break down walls and wreak as much havoc as possible. Draco Meteor is the crux of the set; in addition to OHKOing most non-steel types non-Steel-types not named Blissey, Chansey, or Tyranitar, it can surprise many Pokemon who switch in expecting the Dragon Dance variant, such as Hippowdon and Porygon2. Fire Blast is the next staple, which prevents Skarmory, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Scizor from laughing at walling Salamence. Of course, If if Fire Blast's the lack of accuracy is discouraging, Salamence can still use the more reliable Flamethrower, although you it will miss out on some damage output.</p>
<p>The next two moves is are where it gets tricky. While Salamence greatly appreciates the powerful STAB Outrage in its arsenal, locking yourself into a move for 2-3 turns could be risky. Should you choose Outrage for your Salamence's fourth attack, then Earthquake is your best option for slot #3, as it hits Heatran, who otherwise resists all of your its attacks, along with Empoleon, who can also stand up to Salamence's other moves. Of course, with a weakness to Stealth Rock, Life Orb recoil, and potential sandstorm damage stacking up each turn, Salamence loves having a way to heal itself, and Roost gives Salamence the ability to do so. Should If you choose Roost instead of Outrage, it is recommended that you use Brick Break instead of Earthquake, as otherwise Blissey will be able to stall you Salamence out, since Earthquake can't manage to 2HKO it. Brick Break also hits the omnipresent Tyranitar harder than Earthquake, which is important, as Tyranitar is very capable of taking Salamence's Draco Meteors Meteor thanks to its sandstorm-boosted Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set has a variety of options for being EVed in terms of EVs. The suggested EV spread of 116 Atk / 216 SpA / 176 Spe gives Salamence great overall attacking power, on both sides of the damage spectrum, while allowing it to outrun everything up to neutral natured Pokemon with Base base 90 Speed. Of course, there are several threats that can outspeed Salamence with this EV spread, such as Darmanitan, Haxorus, Hydreigon, Timid Rotom-A, and all other base 100 Speed Pokemon that use a Speed-boosting nature. For this reason, an EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Naive nature is viable, although there is a significant drop in power.</p>
<p>Prediction is often key when using this set. While Draco Meteor is very destructive, it will still do little damage to Pokemon such as Blissey, Tyranitar, and most Steel-types. Meanwhile, Salamence cannot afford to continue taking take residual damage from switching into Stealth Rock, as well as taking Life Orb and possibly sandstorm damage (although, as mentioned, Roost is a minor remedy for this). Furthermore, once Draco Meteor is used once, its power (as well as Fire Blast's) drops significantly, often forcing Salamence to switch out. Hitting a switch-in with the most appropriate move, whether it be Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Brick Break, will not only help in eliminating an opponent's Pokemon faster, but spare Salamence from future passive residual damage, ensuring that it survives longer into the match.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Roost
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Flamethrower
nature: Impish / Relaxed
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While usually regarded as an offensive Pokemon, Salamence can also switch roles and make for an excellent team supporter. Boasting defenses greater than those of Gyarados, in combination with Intimidate, reliable recovery, 5 resistances, decent speed, Speed, and a phazing move in STAB Dragon Tail, Salamence can check a wide variety of Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Victini, while simultaneously providing team support thanks to Wish. However, in order to heal reliably, Salamence needs to use either Protect or Roost in addition to Wish. Protect allows Salamence to avoid being hit the turn after Wish is used, guaranteeing that Salamence's will restore health will be restored. On the other hand, Roost allows Salamence to heal itself without waiting an extra turn to do so, which can be useful, useful considering Salamence may want to heal itself on the same turn it would expect to receive an otherwise fatal hit. Roost also has the advantage of eliminating Salamence's Rock and Ice weaknesses for one turn, allowing it to stall out certain Ice Beams and Stone Edges.</p>
<p>Salamence's final two moves are for the sake of both coverage and utility, and for the fact that it would be criminal not to take advantage of Salamence's 135 Atk / 110 SpA amazing offensive stats. Dragon Tail forces out stat boosters such as Scrafty and Sigilyph, while also doing a significant amount of damage to most targets. It is highly recommended to use this set alongside Spikes, as forcing opponents out, and thus, thus racking up residual damage when grounded Pokemon switch in, can add up. Finally, Flamethrower is useful to fry certain Pokemon such as Scizor, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Skarmory, and others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The option of whether to use a Relaxed or Impish nature is relatively trivial. While Impish allows you Salamence to speed tie with other minimum speed Speed base 100s, Relaxed will slightly increase the power of Dragon Tail. Should you run an Impish nature, it is advised that you run 16 Speed EVs, as this will allow you Salamence to outrun all Adamant Breloom, allowing you it to hit them with Flamethrower before being crippled by Spore. Spored.</p>
<p>As mentioned, Salamence appreciates entry hazard support in order to spread more damage with Dragon Tail. In the same regard, Salamence hates switching into Stealth Rock, as the 25% health loss seriously hampers its walling potential. Forretress stands out of the crowd as a teammate that can not only aid Salamence in its endeavors in both of these regards, but also has great synergy with Salamence. Of course, Forretress is only one of many excellent teammates to Salamence; any other Pokemon that can assist with entry hazards or appreciates the Wishes Salamence can pass will more often than not be a good partner.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Salamence has numerous additional options at its disposal, and while all of them are usable, there is usually another Pokemon that can do it better. Choice Band Salamence is a devastating force, thanks to the power of Outrage right off the bat. However, with options such as Garchomp, Dragonite, and Haxorus available, each with their own advantages over Salamence, its Choice Band set will never truly have the chance to shine, with the exception of on teams that simply try to abuse multiple Dragons. Choice Specs Salamence is also surprisingly powerful, thanks to its base 110 Special Attack stat and moves such as Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, and Fire Blast. However, with the introduction of Hydreigon, who all but outclasses this set, Choice Specs Salamence should only be used either for its three base Speed points over Hydreigon, or for the sheer surprise factor. Latias and Latios also give Salamence competition for a Choice Specs set, thanks set due to their higher Speed, Special Attack, and lack of a Stealth Rock weakness. A Choice Scarf set is also usable, but due to its Salamence's Stealth Rock weakness, alongside as well as competition it faces from Pokemon such as Garchomp, it is generally discouraged.</p>
<p>In addition to Choice items, there are several unique ways in which Salamence can take advantage of Dragon Dance. as well. First and foremost, a bulky Dragon Dancer Dance set is viable, which takes advantage of Salamence's decent bulk in combination with Roost and Intimidate. The goal of this set is to accumulate multiple Dragon Dances thanks to defensive investment, all while Roosting off damage, Roost off any damage taken, and then sweep. However, Salamence must rely on Fire Blast or Earthquake as its secondary attacking move, each of which has its own disadvantages. Dragonite, on the other hand, not only has the more reliable Fire Punch, but also boasts Multiscale, which is generally superior to Intimidate when trying to accumulate multiple boosts.</p>
<p>A Dragon Dance set with Draco Meteor is also usable, as it allows Salamence to unleash a powerful STAB move without locking itself into Outrage. Draco Meteor also has the advantage of doing serious damage to certain physical walls such as Slowbro, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Of course, this does have several downsides. For one, Fire Blast cannot be used after Draco Meteor, or it will be nowhere nearly as powerful, doing laughable damage to threats such as Skarmory and Bronzong even considering their weakness to Fire moves. Even if Earthquake is used over Fire Blast, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Ferrothorn become much more capable of walling Salamence, meaning more team support is needed. Lastly, using Draco Meteor forces Salamence to shift either more Attack or Speed EVs into Special Attack in order to have a respectably powerful Draco Meteor, and whichever the choice, those EVs will be missed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Salamence's fantastic stats, offensive typing, and enormous movepool, countering all sets at once is virtually impossible. However, there are some Pokemon that come close.</p>
<p>While niche, Porygon2 is the closest thing to a counter to Salamence in existance. Thanks to the new item Evolite, Porygon2 boasts superb defenses, and thanks to Trace, can use Salamence's own Intimidate against it to weaken its physical attacks even further. Porygon2 can then either paralyze Salamence with Thunder Wave or OHKO it with Ice Beam. Cresselia is your next best bet, as much like Porygon2, she can switch in on nearly any set thanks to her incredible defenses and either cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave or inflict massive damage with Ice Beam. However, Cresselia is 2HKOed by a Choice Band Salamence's Outrage, and takes upwards of 80% minimum from the combination of Draco Meteor and Outrage from MixMence, meaning she is not completely safe. Rhyperior and Regirock in the sand sandstorm can also withstand the majority of Salamence's attacks, although the former can not take a Hydro Pump or boosted Draco Meteor. Registeel can also take two Fire Blasts or Earthquakes, depending on how it is EVed, and can either paralyze Salamence or hit it with Ice Punch. Bronzong can switch in on anything but Fire Blast, and inflict massive damage with either Gyro Ball or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
<p>Steel-types in general are often the first Pokemon to be looked at when considering countering a Dragon-type, as they are the only Pokemon that resist the powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors that dominate the metagame. Choice Band Scizor can switch into any move with the exception of Fire Blast, and deal over 60% damage with Bullet Punch. Metagross, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Forretress, Skarmory, and other defensive Steels Steel-types can all sponge an Outrage or Draco Meteor and retaliate accordingly. It should be noted that if rain is on the field, both Skarmory and Bronzong become hard counters, as a neutered Fire Blast will not be powerful enough to defeat them so long as they have not sustained prior damage. Overall, forcing a Salamence into locking itself into Outrage should never be one's main strategy in terms of countering it, but should it come to that, it is always a good last resort.</p>
<p>There are several other Pokemon that can switch in on the Dragon Dance set and survive a boosted hit. Swampert, Hippowdon, Suicune, and several others can all take a +1 Outrage, Salamence's best means of offense against them, and attack back with their Ice moves. Quagsire ignores Salamence's stat boosts, boosts thanks to Unaware, and can use Curse in the Dragon Dance set's face. use the Dragon Dance set as setup fodder with Curse. However, if Salamence is running a set with Draco Meteor, this tactic can backfire, as Unaware ignores the Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor as well. Lastly, while it can't take any attacks, and requires good prediction to be effective, Whimsicott can switch in on a Roost or Dragon Dance, Encore it, and proceed to Leech Seed Salamence to death if it stays in.</p>
<p>Weavile and Mamoswine are both excellent users of Ice Shard, and therefore can revenge kill even a +6 Salamence, so long as it doesn't have a Yache Berry; however, neither can risk switching in on a Fire Blast or Draco Meteor. Donphan is also capable of using Ice Shard, and can withstand a boosted Outrage to back it up. However, Donphan's Ice Shard is incredibly weak otherwise, and Donphan itself is not very common in OU play. Cloyster is in the same boat as Donphan, boasting great Defense and having access to Ice Shard (which, unlike Donphan, it gets STAB on).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, revenge killing is also often a common method of dealing with Salamence, as defeating it without losing a Pokemon either requires lots of luck or good prediction, neither of which should be completely depended on. Starmie, Thundurus, Landorus, Latios, and Garchomp all have a higher base speed Speed than Salamence, and can revenge Salamence either with or without utilizing a Choice Scarf, depending on if whether Salamence has a Dragon Dance under its belt. Excadrill in the sand sandstorm can also finish off a weakened Salamence with a Rock Slide, as long as it has not used Dragon Dance twice or more.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Salamence receives Moxie as its Dream World ability. While a free Attack boost after a kill may seem like an amazing asset at first, it also means that Salamence may not use any moves exclusive to previous generations, the important ones being Outrage and Roost. Because of this, Salamence struggles to gain much use out of its Dream World ability, as it means it would have to use Dragon Claw rather than Outrage on the Dragon Dance set. Intimidate is also a great ability for Salamence, and giving it up could be mean the difference between surviving an attack and being KOed by it. While it still has the potential to be very useful, Moxie, once released, will still generally be overshadowed by Intimidate in terms of overall usefulness.</p>
<p>Salamence possesses an enormous offensive movepool, which, when tied in with its fantastic offensive stats—base 135 Attack and 110 Special Attack—has the potential to tear through even the most prepared of teams. Despite not changing very much since Generation IV, it Salamence still has all the tools needed to pose a major threat to the opponent, whether it be early-, mid-, or late-game. While Salamence does face competition from new threats such as Latios, Garchomp, Haxorus, and Hydreigon, it has its advantages over each of them and remains the omnipresent menace that it has always been.<p> been.</p>
<p>Perhaps Salamence's greatest advantage over its competition is its versatility. Between its options of going Due to its ability to go physical, special, or even mixed, true counters to Salamence remain few and far between. Its defensive capabilities are not to be overlooked either. 95 HP / 80 Def / 80 SpD Defenses aren't isn't too shabby, and in conjunction with reliable recovery in Roost and Intimidate to weaken physical attacks, Salamence is one of the most durable sweepers available. A purely defensive set is also more than viable due to these traits, which can utilize a new move in Dragon Tail in order to phaze enemies and rack up entry hazard damage. Despite Overall, despite the fact that Salamence hasn't changed much, overall, it still remains one of the most dangerous Pokemon in OU, and has the potential to change the course of any match with in the blink of an eye.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
nature: Naive / Naughty
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While many threats from previous generations struggled to adapt to the new generation, Salamence continues to be a force to be reckoned with, with its relic tried-and-true Dragon Dance set. Dragon Dance is Salamence's vice; it boosts both its Attack and Speed one stage, making it not only more powerful, but due to the speed Speed boost, also much more difficult to revenge kill. with slower threats. Outrage will be your is Salamence's primary attack. In exchange for locking Salamence into the same move for 2-3 turns, it unleashes a 120 Base Power STAB attack coming off of an incredible 404 attack Attack (before boosts), which is further boosted by 30% thanks to Life Orb. After a boost, Outrage will OHKO everything that doesn't resist it with the exception of only the most defensive of Pokemon. However, because a Salamence locked into Outrage is much easier to revenge kill, Dragon Claw is a viable alternative, although there is a significant drop in power. Earthquake has great synergy with Outrage, dealing with the steels Steel-types that resist it, namely Heatran, Jirachi, Metagross, and Empoleon. Fire Blast rounds off the set with perfect neutral coverage, and gives Salamence a method of dealing with Bronzong, Ferrothorn, and Scizor, among others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature are given to maximize both speed Speed and power, and allow Salamence to at the very worst tie with opposing base 100s. A Naughty nature is also a viable alternative for greater offensive power, although in exchange for this offensive buff, Salamence may no longer outspeed certain threats such as Hydreigon, Darmanitan, and numerous opposing base 100s such as Jirachi, Zapdos, and Volcarona. Roost is an option over Fire Blast if Pokemon such as Scizor, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn are not overly threatening to you, as it allows Salamence to restore the inevitable passive damage gained from inflicted by Stealth Rock, Sandstorm, sandstorm, and Life Orb recoil. Keep in mind that a if running Roost over Fire Blast, a Jolly or Adamant nature is preferred.</p>
<p>Life Orb gives this set the power that it needs to be such a devastating threat. With it, both Salamence's physical and special attacks receive a 30% boost, ensuring many important KOs after a Dragon Dance, such as on Jirachi with Earthquake, Ferrothorn with Fire Blast, and Blissey with Outrage. However, because of the massive amounts of residual damage Salamence will be taking from the combination of Sandstorm, sandstorm, Stealth Rock, and Life Orb, there is always the option of running Leftovers, Lum Berry, or even Yache Berry as the item. Leftovers can counteract Sandstorm sandstorm damage, and give Salamence the opportunity to set up an additional Dragon Dance. On the other hand, a Lum Berry can shed an unwanted Burn, Paralysis, Sleep, or Confused staus that may otherwise plague your sweep. Last, Finally, Yache Berry may allow Salamence to survive certain Ice-type attacks that would otherwise destroy it, and in retaliation either take the opportunity to set up another Dragon Dance or straight out attack outright.</p>
[SET]
name: MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Brick Break / Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Outrage
nature: Rash / Naive
item: Life Orb
evs: 116 Atk / 216 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the Dragon Dance set attempts to sweep the opponent's entire team, this set aims to break down walls and wreak as much havoc as possible. Draco Meteor is the crux of the set; in addition to OHKOing most non-steel types non-Steel-types not named Blissey, Chansey, or Tyranitar, it can surprise many Pokemon who switch in expecting the Dragon Dance variant, such as Hippowdon and Porygon2. Fire Blast is the next staple, which prevents Skarmory, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Scizor from laughing at walling Salamence. Of course, If if Fire Blast's the lack of accuracy is discouraging, Salamence can still use the more reliable Flamethrower, although you it will miss out on some damage output.</p>
<p>The next two moves is are where it gets tricky. While Salamence greatly appreciates the powerful STAB Outrage in its arsenal, locking yourself into a move for 2-3 turns could be risky. Should you choose Outrage for your Salamence's fourth attack, then Earthquake is your best option for slot #3, as it hits Heatran, who otherwise resists all of your its attacks, along with Empoleon, who can also stand up to Salamence's other moves. Of course, with a weakness to Stealth Rock, Life Orb recoil, and potential sandstorm damage stacking up each turn, Salamence loves having a way to heal itself, and Roost gives Salamence the ability to do so. Should If you choose Roost instead of Outrage, it is recommended that you use Brick Break instead of Earthquake, as otherwise Blissey will be able to stall you Salamence out, since Earthquake can't manage to 2HKO it. Brick Break also hits the omnipresent Tyranitar harder than Earthquake, which is important, as Tyranitar is very capable of taking Salamence's Draco Meteors Meteor thanks to its sandstorm-boosted Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set has a variety of options for being EVed in terms of EVs. The suggested EV spread of 116 Atk / 216 SpA / 176 Spe gives Salamence great overall attacking power, on both sides of the damage spectrum, while allowing it to outrun everything up to neutral natured Pokemon with Base base 90 Speed. Of course, there are several threats that can outspeed Salamence with this EV spread, such as Darmanitan, Haxorus, Hydreigon, Timid Rotom-A, and all other base 100 Speed Pokemon that use a Speed-boosting nature. For this reason, an EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Naive nature is viable, although there is a significant drop in power.</p>
<p>Prediction is often key when using this set. While Draco Meteor is very destructive, it will still do little damage to Pokemon such as Blissey, Tyranitar, and most Steel-types. Meanwhile, Salamence cannot afford to continue taking take residual damage from switching into Stealth Rock, as well as taking Life Orb and possibly sandstorm damage (although, as mentioned, Roost is a minor remedy for this). Furthermore, once Draco Meteor is used once, its power (as well as Fire Blast's) drops significantly, often forcing Salamence to switch out. Hitting a switch-in with the most appropriate move, whether it be Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Brick Break, will not only help in eliminating an opponent's Pokemon faster, but spare Salamence from future passive residual damage, ensuring that it survives longer into the match.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Roost
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Flamethrower
nature: Impish / Relaxed
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While usually regarded as an offensive Pokemon, Salamence can also switch roles and make for an excellent team supporter. Boasting defenses greater than those of Gyarados, in combination with Intimidate, reliable recovery, 5 resistances, decent speed, Speed, and a phazing move in STAB Dragon Tail, Salamence can check a wide variety of Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Victini, while simultaneously providing team support thanks to Wish. However, in order to heal reliably, Salamence needs to use either Protect or Roost in addition to Wish. Protect allows Salamence to avoid being hit the turn after Wish is used, guaranteeing that Salamence's will restore health will be restored. On the other hand, Roost allows Salamence to heal itself without waiting an extra turn to do so, which can be useful, useful considering Salamence may want to heal itself on the same turn it would expect to receive an otherwise fatal hit. Roost also has the advantage of eliminating Salamence's Rock and Ice weaknesses for one turn, allowing it to stall out certain Ice Beams and Stone Edges.</p>
<p>Salamence's final two moves are for the sake of both coverage and utility, and for the fact that it would be criminal not to take advantage of Salamence's 135 Atk / 110 SpA amazing offensive stats. Dragon Tail forces out stat boosters such as Scrafty and Sigilyph, while also doing a significant amount of damage to most targets. It is highly recommended to use this set alongside Spikes, as forcing opponents out, and thus, thus racking up residual damage when grounded Pokemon switch in, can add up. Finally, Flamethrower is useful to fry certain Pokemon such as Scizor, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Skarmory, and others.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The option of whether to use a Relaxed or Impish nature is relatively trivial. While Impish allows you Salamence to speed tie with other minimum speed Speed base 100s, Relaxed will slightly increase the power of Dragon Tail. Should you run an Impish nature, it is advised that you run 16 Speed EVs, as this will allow you Salamence to outrun all Adamant Breloom, allowing you it to hit them with Flamethrower before being crippled by Spore. Spored.</p>
<p>As mentioned, Salamence appreciates entry hazard support in order to spread more damage with Dragon Tail. In the same regard, Salamence hates switching into Stealth Rock, as the 25% health loss seriously hampers its walling potential. Forretress stands out of the crowd as a teammate that can not only aid Salamence in its endeavors in both of these regards, but also has great synergy with Salamence. Of course, Forretress is only one of many excellent teammates to Salamence; any other Pokemon that can assist with entry hazards or appreciates the Wishes Salamence can pass will more often than not be a good partner.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Salamence has numerous additional options at its disposal, and while all of them are usable, there is usually another Pokemon that can do it better. Choice Band Salamence is a devastating force, thanks to the power of Outrage right off the bat. However, with options such as Garchomp, Dragonite, and Haxorus available, each with their own advantages over Salamence, its Choice Band set will never truly have the chance to shine, with the exception of on teams that simply try to abuse multiple Dragons. Choice Specs Salamence is also surprisingly powerful, thanks to its base 110 Special Attack stat and moves such as Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, and Fire Blast. However, with the introduction of Hydreigon, who all but outclasses this set, Choice Specs Salamence should only be used either for its three base Speed points over Hydreigon, or for the sheer surprise factor. Latias and Latios also give Salamence competition for a Choice Specs set, thanks set due to their higher Speed, Special Attack, and lack of a Stealth Rock weakness. A Choice Scarf set is also usable, but due to its Salamence's Stealth Rock weakness, alongside as well as competition it faces from Pokemon such as Garchomp, it is generally discouraged.</p>
<p>In addition to Choice items, there are several unique ways in which Salamence can take advantage of Dragon Dance. as well. First and foremost, a bulky Dragon Dancer Dance set is viable, which takes advantage of Salamence's decent bulk in combination with Roost and Intimidate. The goal of this set is to accumulate multiple Dragon Dances thanks to defensive investment, all while Roosting off damage, Roost off any damage taken, and then sweep. However, Salamence must rely on Fire Blast or Earthquake as its secondary attacking move, each of which has its own disadvantages. Dragonite, on the other hand, not only has the more reliable Fire Punch, but also boasts Multiscale, which is generally superior to Intimidate when trying to accumulate multiple boosts.</p>
<p>A Dragon Dance set with Draco Meteor is also usable, as it allows Salamence to unleash a powerful STAB move without locking itself into Outrage. Draco Meteor also has the advantage of doing serious damage to certain physical walls such as Slowbro, Hippowdon, and Gliscor. Of course, this does have several downsides. For one, Fire Blast cannot be used after Draco Meteor, or it will be nowhere nearly as powerful, doing laughable damage to threats such as Skarmory and Bronzong even considering their weakness to Fire moves. Even if Earthquake is used over Fire Blast, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Bronzong, and Ferrothorn become much more capable of walling Salamence, meaning more team support is needed. Lastly, using Draco Meteor forces Salamence to shift either more Attack or Speed EVs into Special Attack in order to have a respectably powerful Draco Meteor, and whichever the choice, those EVs will be missed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Salamence's fantastic stats, offensive typing, and enormous movepool, countering all sets at once is virtually impossible. However, there are some Pokemon that come close.</p>
<p>While niche, Porygon2 is the closest thing to a counter to Salamence in existance. Thanks to the new item Evolite, Porygon2 boasts superb defenses, and thanks to Trace, can use Salamence's own Intimidate against it to weaken its physical attacks even further. Porygon2 can then either paralyze Salamence with Thunder Wave or OHKO it with Ice Beam. Cresselia is your next best bet, as much like Porygon2, she can switch in on nearly any set thanks to her incredible defenses and either cripple Salamence with Thunder Wave or inflict massive damage with Ice Beam. However, Cresselia is 2HKOed by a Choice Band Salamence's Outrage, and takes upwards of 80% minimum from the combination of Draco Meteor and Outrage from MixMence, meaning she is not completely safe. Rhyperior and Regirock in the sand sandstorm can also withstand the majority of Salamence's attacks, although the former can not take a Hydro Pump or boosted Draco Meteor. Registeel can also take two Fire Blasts or Earthquakes, depending on how it is EVed, and can either paralyze Salamence or hit it with Ice Punch. Bronzong can switch in on anything but Fire Blast, and inflict massive damage with either Gyro Ball or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
<p>Steel-types in general are often the first Pokemon to be looked at when considering countering a Dragon-type, as they are the only Pokemon that resist the powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors that dominate the metagame. Choice Band Scizor can switch into any move with the exception of Fire Blast, and deal over 60% damage with Bullet Punch. Metagross, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Forretress, Skarmory, and other defensive Steels Steel-types can all sponge an Outrage or Draco Meteor and retaliate accordingly. It should be noted that if rain is on the field, both Skarmory and Bronzong become hard counters, as a neutered Fire Blast will not be powerful enough to defeat them so long as they have not sustained prior damage. Overall, forcing a Salamence into locking itself into Outrage should never be one's main strategy in terms of countering it, but should it come to that, it is always a good last resort.</p>
<p>There are several other Pokemon that can switch in on the Dragon Dance set and survive a boosted hit. Swampert, Hippowdon, Suicune, and several others can all take a +1 Outrage, Salamence's best means of offense against them, and attack back with their Ice moves. Quagsire ignores Salamence's stat boosts, boosts thanks to Unaware, and can use Curse in the Dragon Dance set's face. use the Dragon Dance set as setup fodder with Curse. However, if Salamence is running a set with Draco Meteor, this tactic can backfire, as Unaware ignores the Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor as well. Lastly, while it can't take any attacks, and requires good prediction to be effective, Whimsicott can switch in on a Roost or Dragon Dance, Encore it, and proceed to Leech Seed Salamence to death if it stays in.</p>
<p>Weavile and Mamoswine are both excellent users of Ice Shard, and therefore can revenge kill even a +6 Salamence, so long as it doesn't have a Yache Berry; however, neither can risk switching in on a Fire Blast or Draco Meteor. Donphan is also capable of using Ice Shard, and can withstand a boosted Outrage to back it up. However, Donphan's Ice Shard is incredibly weak otherwise, and Donphan itself is not very common in OU play. Cloyster is in the same boat as Donphan, boasting great Defense and having access to Ice Shard (which, unlike Donphan, it gets STAB on).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, revenge killing is also often a common method of dealing with Salamence, as defeating it without losing a Pokemon either requires lots of luck or good prediction, neither of which should be completely depended on. Starmie, Thundurus, Landorus, Latios, and Garchomp all have a higher base speed Speed than Salamence, and can revenge Salamence either with or without utilizing a Choice Scarf, depending on if whether Salamence has a Dragon Dance under its belt. Excadrill in the sand sandstorm can also finish off a weakened Salamence with a Rock Slide, as long as it has not used Dragon Dance twice or more.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Salamence receives Moxie as its Dream World ability. While a free Attack boost after a kill may seem like an amazing asset at first, it also means that Salamence may not use any moves exclusive to previous generations, the important ones being Outrage and Roost. Because of this, Salamence struggles to gain much use out of its Dream World ability, as it means it would have to use Dragon Claw rather than Outrage on the Dragon Dance set. Intimidate is also a great ability for Salamence, and giving it up could be mean the difference between surviving an attack and being KOed by it. While it still has the potential to be very useful, Moxie, once released, will still generally be overshadowed by Intimidate in terms of overall usefulness.</p>
very detailed and well done analysis. nice work!
Offensive DD mentions a 404 Attack stat. However, the recommended nature is positive-Speed. You also changed the EV spread from 248 Atk to 252 Atk, so it now is a 405 Attack stat when Salamence has a Naughty nature and a 369 Attack stat when it's a Naive one.
The second set mentions "surprising" Porygon2. However, Porygon2 takes at best 50% damage and Brick Break is so weak it won't do much to it (and Intimidate kicks in, too), letting it Recover the damage off and Ice Beam / Thunder Wave you. I wouldn't mention "having a chance to beat Porygon2" on this set (or any of the sets, for that matter). Hippowdon also takes around 50% from the first Draco Meteor and can Slack Off the damage, too.
The second set mentions "surprising" Porygon2. However, Porygon2 takes at best 50% damage and Brick Break is so weak it won't do much to it (and Intimidate kicks in, too), letting it Recover the damage off and Ice Beam / Thunder Wave you. I wouldn't mention "having a chance to beat Porygon2" on this set (or any of the sets, for that matter). Hippowdon also takes around 50% from the first Draco Meteor and can Slack Off the damage, too.
This is finally done. Thanks to both TelamonianAjax and Snorlaxefor GP checking! Also I'd like to remorsefully thank everyone else who criticized the analysis... You were all a pain in the ass, but I think it overall helped improve the quality ;)
@Doom Chaos; you're right about the first part with the Offensive DD set, but MixMence deals 76.7% - 90.7% to 252 HP / 104 SpD Hippowdon (the standard if I'm not mistaken), a clean 2HKO. I replaced Porygon2 with Slowbro.
@Doom Chaos; you're right about the first part with the Offensive DD set, but MixMence deals 76.7% - 90.7% to 252 HP / 104 SpD Hippowdon (the standard if I'm not mistaken), a clean 2HKO. I replaced Porygon2 with Slowbro.
This doesn't sound very convincing... Normally you wouldn't DD from the get-go trying to sweep without getting rid of Mence's counters first, and with team preview, this is very easy to discern. LO DM + DM off 319 SpA will always KO Slowbro, Gliscor and Hippowdon, with or without SR support, SpA drop included, even when Gliscor gets two turns of Poison Heal. If you do predict wrong, DM + Fire Blast KOs Skarmory or at the very least cripples the specially defensive spread. There is literally no reason to DD over DM in the early stages of the game.
Sorry, it just sounds like a lot of theorymonning has been going on without actually testmonning.
The standard is actually Impish 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD, but I realized I used the wrong Defensive Stat for the calc. Sorry about that... anyway, the analysis looks perfect. Good job !
Alright, before the celebration begins, let me make clear that "you" are not "Salamence", and thus moves like Outrage cannot be "your" main move. "You" also do not have a main Dragon-type STAB move.
Bottom line: You =/= Salamence.
I personally recommend doing this for consistency with other analyses.
Bottom line: You =/= Salamence.
I personally recommend doing this for consistency with other analyses.
It's only two above. Just a little nitpick.
please remove any garchomp mentions
