Slowking
QC: 0/3
GP: 0/1
[OVERVIEW]
- Good typing and solid bulk enable Slowking to check and counter prominent threats like the Lati twins, Tapu Lele, Greninja, Kingdra, Kyurem, and Mega Alakazam.
- Regenerator is a fantastic ability for a pivot such as Slowking, letting it come in on many attacks and regain a considerable amount of HP as it switches out, keeping up your momentum
- Respectable base 100 Special Attack is enough to get the job done, and with a great movepool with options such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Scald, Thunder Wave, Dragon Tail, Toxic, and more, Slowking can hit almost any threat it faces for decent damage.
- Slowking's relatively lackluster physical defense, especially in comparison to Slowbro, make it susceptible to powerful physical attackers like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard X, Genesect, Hoopa-Unbound, Phermosa, and more.
- Base 30 Speed means that Slowking will almost always take a hit before retaliating.
- Common weaknesses in Electric, Dark, and Bug are unfortunate in a metagame where Tapu Koko, Genesect, and Knock Off users run amok. Even worse, Slowking is weak to both U-Turn and Volt Switch, common pivoting moves that give the opponent considerable momentum if one switches Slowking into users of those moves.
- Slowking's impressive special bulk is what sets it apart from Slowbro. If you need a fat special pivot that can hit back fairly hard, Slowking is a great option.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest Offensive Tank
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psychic/Psyshock/Future Sight
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Ice Beam/Fire Blast/Future Sight
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 236 SpA / 24 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Scald is spammable STAB with a nice 30% burn chance, threatening the physical attackers that otherwise might switch in or set up on you for free (Mega Gyarados, Tapu Bulu, etc.)
- Psychic/Psyshock hit Keldeo, Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, Buzzwole, Phermosa, Toxapex, and Gengar for good damage. On this set, Psychic is preferable in most cases because it hits Toxapex and Buzzwole for much more damage than Psyshock, while still netting the relevant damage versus Keldeo, Mega Venusaur, and the rest. Future Sight is a viable option since it's noticeably higher base power hits quite hard with your Special Attack investment. If you do use Future Sight, make sure to pair Slowking with a strong Bug or Fighting type attacker to exploit common Dark and Steel switchins to Future Sight.
- Dragon Tail seems weird given that Slowking has paltry attack, but the phazing is the important part. You can phaze out powerful special sweepers like TG Manaphy and Z-Conversion Porygon-Z and neuter them, at least temporarily. Since Slowking has Regenerator, you can even come back in later to phase them out again if necessary.
- Ice Beam is the preferred option as it lets you OHKO or 2HKO almost every Dragon-type in the tier. Fire Blast lets you destroy Ferrothorn, (Mega) Scizor, and Skarmory, while doing good damage to Excadrill, Mega Metagross, and Celesteela, but the miss chance and low PP hurt, and the prevalence of Rain means that Fire Blast doesn't net the KOs needed. Lastly, if you already have Ice/Fire coverage on your team and like Future Sight but also want powerful on-demand Psychic STAB, consider running Future Sight in your last slot.
Set Details
========
- With the given EV spread, Slowking can take a +5 TG Manaphy Energy Ball from full, or a +1 Max SpA Adaptability Timid Electric Porygon-Z's Thunderbolt 100% of the time and proceed to pha phaze them out with Dragon Tail. This is incredibly useful since Z-moves are a one-time deal, and both of these dangerous special sweepers are much easier to deal with once phazed out.
- Ice Beam nets the 2HKO on Latios and Dragonite, the OHKO on Offensive Garchomp and Landorus-I/T, and the 2HKO Thundurus-I and Life Orb Tornadus-T.
- Fire Blast has a ~60% chance to OHKO standard Ferrothorn, OHKOs Mega Scizor, and 2HKOs Specially Defensive Skarmory, Mega Metagross, and Sand Rush Excadrill. However, in the Rain, Ferrothorn is 3HKO'd by Fire Blast while Offensive Mega Scizor is never OHKO'd (and proceeds to outspeed and OHKO with Bug Bite).
Usage Tips
========
- This set works well on bulky offense and balance, functioning as a pivot and a special tank while also hitting hard thanks to the investment in Special Attack. AV Slowking checks many special attackers, and switches into any that don't have a STAB super effective move. Even special Z-moves like +3 Hydro Vortex can be taken by this set, which can then switch out and regain a third of Slowking's HP with Regenerator. AV Slowking can also phaze out specially-oriented setup sweepers that lack Substitute thanks to Dragon Tail. Offensively, AV Slowking is no slouch and with its great coverage, can threaten to 2HKO many common OU threats.
Team Options
========
- A lack of Leftovers means that Toxic and Poison (and to a lesser degree Burn) severely hampers Slowking's ability to check special attackers, so a status absorber or a cleric is useful. Clefable is a solid partner, as it resists Bug, has solid overall bulk, and can carry Wish and Heal Bell.
- Hazards are great with AV Slowking, which often uses Dragon Tail to phaze out special set-up sweepers like Manaphy and Porygon-Z. Good partners include Specially Defensive Excadrill, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Slack Off
move 4: Calm Mind
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 188 Def / 72 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Scald is spammable STAB with a nice 30% burn chance, threatening the physical attackers that otherwise might switch in or set up on you for free (Mega Gyarados, Tapu Bulu, etc.). This is especially useful since physical attackers will switch in on you once you reveal that you're Calm Mind and start boosting up.
- Psyshock is your obligatory Psychic STAB, and also hits on the physical side, which lets it bypass the increased Special Defense of opposing Calm Mind users (Suicune, Clefable, Mega Alakazam, Reuniclus).
- Slack Off is the mandatory recovery move.
- Calm Mind is your boosting move, quickly propelling your STAB attacks from being pretty weak to dangerous with only a few boosts and making your extremely difficult to break from the special side.
Set Details
========
- With this EV spread, you can boost on powerful attackers like non-ThunderPunch Mega Metagross, LO Tornadus-Therian, and Mega Alakazam, as they all are unable to 2HKO you (although you should keep Stealth Rocks off to ensure this).
- At +2, Tapu Koko only has a ~25% to 2HKO you with Timid Life Orb Thunderbolt, while +3 Manaphy's Energy Ball does under 50% and +1 Timid Max Special Attack Electric Porygon-Z does a max of 72%. At +3, Timid Scarf Xurkitree cannot 2HKO with Thunderbolt.
- At +1, you 2HKO Defensive Mega Venusaur with Psyshock while taking a maximum of 31% from Giga Drain. At +2, you 2HKO Tail Glow Manaphy and +1/+1 Porygon-Z with Psyshock.
- Basically, after you set up 1 Calm Mind, you can CM up again on many powerful special attackers and proceed to Slack Off and then KO them with Psyshock.
- Alternatively, an EV spread of 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SpD, which while unboosted hard checks or counters are non-Calm Mind Mega Alakazam, Choice Specs Kyurem, LO Protean Greninja, Rain-boosted Choice Specs Kingdra, Choice Specs Keldeo, Choice Specs Volcanion, Choice Specs Latios, Choice Specs Tapu Lele, and Life Orb Gengar. However, while you still are able to counter non-Thunder Punch Mega Metagross, your physical bulk is noticeably lower. If you feel vulnerable to the aforementioned powerful special attackers, this EV spread is likely better.
Usage Tips
========
Early on, use Scald to wear down and cripple its checks and counters with Burn to help your team and also make it easier for you to setup and sweep in the late-game. If other CM sweepers like Clefable or Suicune attempt to boost on you and sweep, don't fear them and counter-boost: with Psyshock, you'll be able to nail them on their unboosted Defense, win the 1v1, and possibly sweep.
This Slowking set is still fine for handling threats like LO Tornadus-T and Choice Specs Keldeo, so don't be afraid to switch this in on those attackers. Make sure to Slack off if Slowking takes damage from powerful attacks and residuals as it switches in, as Slowking relies on being near full health to check the attackers it does.
Finally, watch out for an opponent switching or doubling into strong Pursuit-Trappers like Tyranitar and Bisharp, as they threaten to outspeed and OHKO Slowking with STAB Pursuit. Of course, such a play can be predictable, and having a strong Fighting or Fairy teammate can turn the tables on your opponent.
Team Options
========
- Physically bulky defensive Pokemon form a good core with Slowking, which can in turn take on powerful special attackers with little fear. Specially Defensive Excadrill is a fantastic partner for Slowking, as it clears away Stealth Rock to ensure that Slowking is able to beat Landorus-I, while also setting up hazards of its own. In addition, Specially Defensive Excadrill is immune to Electric attacks and resists Slowking's Bug weakness as well. Hippowdon is another great partner, being immune to Electric and also able to set up Stealth Rock. Its massive physical bulk also means that it can eat up the powerful physical attacks usually sent Slowking's way. Mandibuzz resists Dark and Ghost, has great physical bulk, and can Defog away hazards to ensure Slowking beats the powerful special attackers it needs to. Tapu Bulu, Magearna.
- Bulky Grass types such as Mega Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss are great partners as they resist Electric types attacks that force out Slowking. Tangrowth and Amoongus also have Regenerator, making them a great addition to a pivot core along with Slowking.
- Offensive Dark-types such as Weavile, Tyranitar, and Bisharp are good teammates for their ability to check Ghost-types and threaten powerful Psychic types pokemon such as the Lati twins and Reuniclus, which don't care about Slowking's offensive power and in the latter's case, can even use Slowking as setup fodder.
- Heatran, Mega Charizard X, and Alolan Marowak are nice partners as each resists and forces out common Grass-, Electric-, and Bug-types, all of which threaten Slowking.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Thunder Wave is great for slowing down dangerous threats like Mega Gyarados and Mega Charizard X so teammates have an easier time revenge killing them. Note that you will still likely lose the one on one with them as paralysis only halves speed now, meaning that Dragon Dance boosters will still outspeed you at after one DD even after being paralyzed.
- Toxic is also an option to put common switchins such as Mega Charizard X, Tangrowth, and opposing Slowbro and Slowking on a timer.
- Trick Room is a nifty option that Slowking is a decent user of, as it has decent Special Attack and a good movepool to use.
- In that vein, Choice Specs Slowking is also a good surprise option, as it hits surprisingly hard and still retains solid special bulk, while healing up with Regenerator after dealing a strong hit and switching out. This set plays similarly to AV Slowking, in that it fits best on bulky offense as a hard-hitting pivot.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur, Tangrowth, Serperior, and Tapu Bulu take little damage from Scald, and the first two do not mind being burned, as they are special attackers and have either reliable recovery or Regenerator. However, Mega Venusaur does not take Slowking's Psychic STAB well, especially from a +1 CM or AV Slowking, while Serperior, Tangrowth, and Tapu Bulu don't appreciate Ice Beam. However, Slowking is outsped by all of these threats and is seriously threatened back by their STAB. Tapu Bulu and Serperior get special mention as Tapu Bulu hits on Slowking's lower physical defense, and Serperior can snatch free Leaf Storm boosts if Slowking does not switch out.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Xurkitree, Magnezone, and Thundurus outspeed and threaten Slowking with their powerful STAB attacks. The AV set can take one hit from any of the aforementioned threats, but these special Electric attackers don't much mind being burned, are immune to Thunder Wave, and can often just Volt Switch on Slowking to deal significant damage and gain momentum. Even CM Slowking needs several boosts in order to avoid the 2HKO from these special attackers.
**Dragon-types**: Hydreigon and Kyurem-B resist Slowbro's best attacking option, Scald, and take meager damage from Psyshock. However, Kyurem-B fears Scald burns, while both Kyurem-B and Hydreigon must also be wary of Thunder Wave. All these Dragon-types must also be wary of Thunder Wave, and to a lesser degree Toxic. In return though, both dragons outspeed Slowking and can easily KO it back: Hydreigon blows through Slowking with powerful STAB Dark Pulse, and Kyurem-B obliterates Slowking with strong STAB Dragon Claw or a super-effective Fusion Bolt.
**Bug-types**: Genesect, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole are able outspeedand threaten Slowking with their powerful STAB, which also target Slowking's weaker physical defense. None of them appreciate being burned or paralyzed though, so they don't want to switch directly into Slowking if possible.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Powerful physical attackers like LO Garchomp, Choice Scarf or Earth Plate Landorus-T, LO Mamoswine, Mega Charizard X, Mega Scizor, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Sharpedo can outpace and OHKO or 2HKO Slowking with their STAB. Most of these threats don't want to be brought in directly for fear of being burned by Scald or paralyzed by Thunder Wave, but once in they threaten to either force out Slowking or set up on it.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: While Slowking is very specially bulky, it is susceptible to being overloaded or lured by extremely powerful special attackers such as Choice Specs Hoopa Unbound, Darknium-Z Gengar, and Choice Specs Hydreigon.
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