**Draft Order**: Round 8
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Floatzel's fantastic speed and STAB options, ranging from the powerful Wave Crash to the pivoting of Flip Turn and the priority of Aqua Jet, make Floatzel look decent when paired with rain to take advantage of Swift Swim. However, Floatzel is prone to being worn down extremely quickly, is one-dimensional, and competes with other Water-types such as Barrawskewda and Qwilfish that fill a similar role.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Wallbreaker**: Floatzel can break holes using its strong STAB and acceptable coverage in the rain and by utilizing Flip Turn to reposition teammates.
**Setup Sweeper**: Floatzel can use Bulk Up and its Water Veil ability to set up on passive, status-heavy teams, though this lacks immediate damage output.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Aqua Jet, Liquidation, Wave Crash, Flip Turn
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up
**Utility Moves**: Substitute, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Crunch, Ice Spinner, Low Kick
Niche Moves
========
**Rain Dance**: Floatzel can activate its Swift Swim ability in a pinch if other setters are KO'd or benched.
Common Items
========
**Choice Band**: Floatzel can equip a Choice Band for the most immediate power at the cost of being unable to swap attacks.
**Damage-boosting Items**: If Floatzel needs to change up moves to avoid becoming setup fodder, other damage-boosting items, such as Mystic Water or Life Orb, can be used instead.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Floatzel is easily worn down over time via entry hazards, Heavy-Duty Boots can help Floatzel’s longevity.
Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry can assist Floatzel’s overall longevity in a match and is often used with the Bulk Up variants.
**Lum Berry**: Floatzel can guard against status options that would otherwise hinder its breaking ability.
**Choice Scarf**: Floatzel can hold a Choice Scarf for niche scenarios outside of rain, allowing it to revenge opposing Choice Scarf pokemon and setup sweepers.
**Protective Pads**: Protective Pads shield against Rocky Helmet and other contact-punishing effects.
Tera
========
Floatzel doesn’t require Terastalization to be effective in its role. However, if elected to become a Tera Captain, it can power up its already strong STAB options with Tera Water. Other Tera options expand Floatzel’s coverage to help it muscle through its checks, such as Tera Grass, Electric, and Fairy.
Draft Strategy
========
Floatzel complements rosters that lean into the rain archetype and are looking for cheap, fast wall breakers while overwhelming Water-resistant pokemon.
**Rain-Setter**: Pelipper and support options like Thundurus or Klefki to set rain are ideal to enable Floatzel.
**Pivots**: Bulkier pokemon that can bring in Floatzel safely, such as Iron Hands, Zapdos, or Landorus-T can position Floatzel effectively to break.
**Wincons**: Floatzel works to soften teams, allowing for pokemon like Iron Valliant, Iron Crown, Archaludon, or Thundurus to sweep.
**Entry-Hazard control**: Floatzel not only appreciates Spikes set by pokemon like Meowscarada and Deoxys-S to aid in its breaking, but also hazard removal from pokemon such as Corviknight, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads to stay healthy itself.
**Healing Wish**: The support from Healing Wish users like Enamorus or Jirachi can give Floatzel more opportunities to come in and break safely after wearing itself down from a previous attempt.
Checks and Counters
========
**Water-resistant Pokemon**: Pokemon that resist or are immune to Water, such as Hydrapple and Ogerpon-W, can eat an attack from Floatzel and KO back with a strong hit.
**Chip Damage**: Entry Hazards, Rocky Helmet, and Wave Crash recoil can wear Floatzel down quickly over time, limiting its opportunities to break.
**Priority**: Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Raging Bolt wield strong priority options that easily revenge or KO Floatzel without taking an attack.
**Other Weather-setters**: Pokemon such as Ninetales, Torkoal, and Alolan Ninetales can change the weather and lessen Floatzel's offensive pressure.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/acetrainerorange.315566/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Floatzel's fantastic speed and STAB options, ranging from the powerful Wave Crash to the pivoting of Flip Turn and the priority of Aqua Jet, make Floatzel look decent when paired with rain to take advantage of Swift Swim. However, Floatzel is prone to being worn down extremely quickly, is one-dimensional, and competes with other Water-types such as Barrawskewda and Qwilfish that fill a similar role.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Wallbreaker**: Floatzel can break holes using its strong STAB and acceptable coverage in the rain and by utilizing Flip Turn to reposition teammates.
**Setup Sweeper**: Floatzel can use Bulk Up and its Water Veil ability to set up on passive, status-heavy teams, though this lacks immediate damage output.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Aqua Jet, Liquidation, Wave Crash, Flip Turn
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up
**Utility Moves**: Substitute, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Crunch, Ice Spinner, Low Kick
Niche Moves
========
**Rain Dance**: Floatzel can activate its Swift Swim ability in a pinch if other setters are KO'd or benched.
Common Items
========
**Choice Band**: Floatzel can equip a Choice Band for the most immediate power at the cost of being unable to swap attacks.
**Damage-boosting Items**: If Floatzel needs to change up moves to avoid becoming setup fodder, other damage-boosting items, such as Mystic Water or Life Orb, can be used instead.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Floatzel is easily worn down over time via entry hazards, Heavy-Duty Boots can help Floatzel’s longevity.
Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry can assist Floatzel’s overall longevity in a match and is often used with the Bulk Up variants.
**Lum Berry**: Floatzel can guard against status options that would otherwise hinder its breaking ability.
**Choice Scarf**: Floatzel can hold a Choice Scarf for niche scenarios outside of rain, allowing it to revenge opposing Choice Scarf pokemon and setup sweepers.
**Protective Pads**: Protective Pads shield against Rocky Helmet and other contact-punishing effects.
Tera
========
Floatzel doesn’t require Terastalization to be effective in its role. However, if elected to become a Tera Captain, it can power up its already strong STAB options with Tera Water. Other Tera options expand Floatzel’s coverage to help it muscle through its checks, such as Tera Grass, Electric, and Fairy.
Draft Strategy
========
Floatzel complements rosters that lean into the rain archetype and are looking for cheap, fast wall breakers while overwhelming Water-resistant pokemon.
**Rain-Setter**: Pelipper and support options like Thundurus or Klefki to set rain are ideal to enable Floatzel.
**Pivots**: Bulkier pokemon that can bring in Floatzel safely, such as Iron Hands, Zapdos, or Landorus-T can position Floatzel effectively to break.
**Wincons**: Floatzel works to soften teams, allowing for pokemon like Iron Valliant, Iron Crown, Archaludon, or Thundurus to sweep.
**Entry-Hazard control**: Floatzel not only appreciates Spikes set by pokemon like Meowscarada and Deoxys-S to aid in its breaking, but also hazard removal from pokemon such as Corviknight, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads to stay healthy itself.
**Healing Wish**: The support from Healing Wish users like Enamorus or Jirachi can give Floatzel more opportunities to come in and break safely after wearing itself down from a previous attempt.
Checks and Counters
========
**Water-resistant Pokemon**: Pokemon that resist or are immune to Water, such as Hydrapple and Ogerpon-W, can eat an attack from Floatzel and KO back with a strong hit.
**Chip Damage**: Entry Hazards, Rocky Helmet, and Wave Crash recoil can wear Floatzel down quickly over time, limiting its opportunities to break.
**Priority**: Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Raging Bolt wield strong priority options that easily revenge or KO Floatzel without taking an attack.
**Other Weather-setters**: Pokemon such as Ninetales, Torkoal, and Alolan Ninetales can change the weather and lessen Floatzel's offensive pressure.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/acetrainerorange.315566/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited: