[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch / Knock Off
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Toxicroak serves as a wallbreaker that also walls Milotic and Suicune thanks to Dry Skin and its Toxic immunity, giving it ample setup opportunities alongside its ability to threaten Zarude and Fairy-types like Togekiss and Sylveon. However, it struggles with certain Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Crobat and faces slight competition as a Fighting-type from Cobalion and Heracross, which bring their own defensive qualities, and in Heracross's case, much more power. Sucker Punch prevents Pokemon like Zygarde-10% and Starmie from revenge killing Toxicroak. Knock Off is able to cripple usual switch-ins and deals more damage against Galarian Slowbro and Dragalge, but sacrifices a useful tool against offense in Sucker Punch.
Toxicroak's ability to threaten certain cores and prevent Milotic and Suicune from making any progress is a great asset, but against more offensive teams, it struggles to find matchups where it can reliably threaten the opposition. Teammates like Noivern and Xurkitree can help against threats like Salazzle and Crobat, and they can also bait in Pokemon Toxicroak does well against, like Sylveon and Roserade. Zygarde-10% prevents Raikou and Xurkitree from freely using Volt Switch against Toxicroak and tends to bait in Togekiss and Zarude, Pokemon that Toxicroak can use as an opportunity to wallbreak. Toxicroak's dislike for early-game matchups against bulky Pokemon like Seismitoad, Metagross, and Steelix can be shored up with wallbreakers like Necrozma and Toxic Volcanion. While Toxicroak does well against Zarude and Roserade, it's advisable to carry additional checks like Crobat and Durant, as Toxicroak is liable to being overwhelmed by itself from repeated hits and Life Orb recoil.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jmash, 363823]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [EonX, 91480]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732]
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