Pokémon Galarian Slowbro

[ChrystalFalchion]

Type:

/

Ability: Quick Draw / Own Tempo / Regenerator (available)
Base stats: 95 / 100 / 95 / 100 / 70 / 30
Quick Draw: Sometimes allows the user to go first within its priority bracket. Stacks with Quick Claw for a 36% chance.

Movepool

Level up[/B]
Evo: Shell Side Arm
0: Shell Side Arm
0: Withdraw
0: Tackle
0: Curse
0: Growl
0: Acid
9: Yawn
12: Confusion
15: Disable
18: Water Pulse
21: Headbutt
24: Zen Headbutt
27: Amnesia
30: Surf
33: Slack Off
36: Psychic
39: Psych Up
42: Rain Dance
45: Heal Pulse
TMs
Mega Punch
Mega Kick
Pay Day
Ice Punch
Hyper Beam
Giga Impact
Thunder Wave
Dig
Light Screen
Safeguard
Rest
Snore
Protect
Icy Wind
Attract
Rain Dance
Sunny Day
Whirlpool
Facade
Swift
Brick Break
Imprison
Dive
Weather Ball
Mud Shot
Brine
Fling
Drain Punch
Avalanche
Trick Room
Wonder Room
Venoshock
Round
Bulldoze
Razor Shell
Psychic Terrain
Brutal Swing
TRs
Body Slam
Flamethrower
Hydro Pump
Surf
Ice Beam
Blizzard
Earthquake
Psychic
Fire Blast
Amnesia
Tri Attack
Substitute
Sludge Bomb
Psyshock
Endure
Sleep Talk
Iron Tail
Shadow Ball
Future Sight
Trick
Skill Swap
Muddy Water
Iron Defense
Calm Mind
Poison Jab
Focus Blast
Nasty Plot
Zen Headbutt
Grass Knot
Sludge Wave
Foul Play
Stored Power
Scald
Liquidation
Tutor Moves
Expanding Force
Egg Moves
Belch
Belly Drum
Block
Stomp

Shell Side Arm
Poison-type, Special, 90 BP, 100% accuracy, 10 PP (16 max). Becomes physical if the opponent has higher Special Defence. May poison the foe (don't know what % chance at the moment).

Pros
Fantastic movepool gives it incredible coverage
Though not as bulky as Kantonian Slowbro, it still takes hits pretty well
Regenerator and Toxic immunity make it very effective against stall teams, as it can frequently come in on defensive Pokemon like Toxapex and Corviknight

Cons
Typing leaves it weak to common Ghost, Dark and Ground moves
Terrible Speed means outside Trick Room it'll be going last
Physical sets are outclassed by Special ones, leaving its base 100 Attack stat wasted
100 base Special Attack is nothing spectacular
As a bulky Psychic-type, it faces stiff competition from the likes of Hatterene and Reuniclus, which have much more firepower.

Sets

Nasty Plot
Slowbro-Galar @ Life Orb / Quick Claw
Ability: Regenerator / Quick Draw
EVs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Sludge Bomb
- Psyshock
- Flamethrower

Designed to break stall, this set can destroy a lot of prominent walls like Toxapex, Ferrothorn, Clefable, Tangrowth and Skarmory. Nasty Plot boosts its Special Attack. Sludge Bomb wrecks Fairy types. Psyshock hits opposing Poison types, and lets Slowbro break special walls like Chansey. The EVs allow it to outrun uninvested Toxapex so it can OHKO it with a +2 Psyshock before getting Hazed. You could go up to 164 Speed EVs to outrun uninvested Tangrowth and Chansey. Life Orb gives Slowbro a welcome power boost, and Regenerator heals off the recoil. Alternatively, Quick Draw and Quick Claw can be used to give Slowbro a decent chance to circumvent its low Speed, though it's unreliable.

Choice Specs
Slowbro-Galar @ Choice Specs
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Trick / Grass Knot / Ice Beam

Trading the Nasty Plot set's freedom of moves for instant power, Choice Specs Slowbro exists to punch holes in teams or ruin a wall by Tricking away its Specs. The first three moves serve as STAB and coverage on Steel types, respectively. Trick is the best option in the final slot, to cripple a wall Slowbro can't break through like Chansey. However, Grass Knot cleanly 2HKOes Tyranitar which would otherwise wall this set. Lastly, Ice Beam can be used to hit Ground types and OHKO Dragapult on the switch in.

Belly Drum
Slowbro-Galar @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Quick Draw
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Shell Side Arm
- Zen Headbutt
- Drain Punch

Probably on the gimmicky side, and yeah it's probably outclassed by Azumarill, but it could be fun in the lower tiers. Belly Drum boosts Slowbro's Attack stat to huge levels. Shell Side Arm is a powerful STAB that wrecks Fairy types. Zen Headbutt hits opposing Poison types hard, OHKOing Amoongus and Toxapex at +6. Drain Punch hits the Steel types that resist Slowbro-G's STABs super effectively, OHKOing Ferrothorn at +6. The EVs give Slowbro enough Speed to outrun uninvested 50s like Tangrowth and Chansey. Quick Draw is chosen to give Slowbro a chance to circumvent its low Speed; it's chosen over Regenerator as this set prefers to stay in.

Honourable Mentions
An offensive Trick Room set can work, though it faces massive competition with Magearna
A pure defensive set can be used, but Kanto Slowbro does that better as it's bulkier and has better defensive typing
A bulky booster set with Calm Mind and Stored Power can be used, but Reuniclus does that better as it's more powerful

Closing thoughts

I really like Galarian Slowbro, though I don't think it will make it to OU. Still, I can easily see it being the face of UU or RU.

 

[Spyro]

Quick Claw deserves a mention somewhere. With Nasty Plot it can potentially hax sweep an entire team.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

Quick Claw deserves a mention somewhere. With Nasty Plot it can potentially hax sweep an entire team.

Has it been confirmed that Quick Claw and Quick Draw stack?

 

[garatoi]

Shell Side Arm has 20% chance to poison the foe for the moment on showdown. Don't know if it is the case in the game

 

[Iseeker]

I have a question about Shell Side Arm. Does increasing your Attack increase the power of the physical variant of the move? I tested it with Attack EVs and Choice Band and the power does seems to increase by a lot. I am not an experienced tester though so maybe my tests are wrong. I thought it would be pretty great if this was true as you can run slowbro as a physical attacker and it does increase the unpredictability of this pokemon.

 

[Lune Knight]

Is there any argument that can be made for a Curse set?

Slowbro-Galar @ Leftovers/Quick Claw
Quick Draw
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 4 Def / 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 SpD / 252 Hp, 252 SpD, 4 Def
Adamant/Bold/Careful
Curse
Poison Jab/Zen Headbutt/Ice Punch
Ice Punch/Earthquake
Slack Off/Drain Punch

What sets Galarbro apart from Kantobro using a Curse set is its higher base Attack and ability Quick Draw. I have Lefties as the primary item, but depending on how Quick Draw and Quick Claw interact I think it would be justified using it. I'd say it has a bit of hax potential with Quick Draw/Claw activating, negating its abysmal speed, allowing it to fire off a boosted attack or heal before the opponent can move, which should lead to some pretty close calls/hype plays. Belly Drum is also an option, but imo it's outclassed by Azumarill in that role thanks to it having Aqua Jet.

Given its Poison typing, it also won't get worn down by Toxic. Still has to be wary of burns though.

 

[roxie]

CM + Iron Defense + Stored could be a possible set

 

[Colonel M]

I have a question about Shell Side Arm. Does increasing your Attack increase the power of the physical variant of the move? I tested it with Attack EVs and Choice Band and the power does seems to increase by a lot. I am not an experienced tester though so maybe my tests are wrong. I thought it would be pretty great if this was true as you can run slowbro as a physical attacker and it does increase the unpredictability of this pokemon.

It's like Necrozma's signature move except with a chance of Poison. So it would only be boosted by Special Attack boosts.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

It's like Necrozma's signature move except with a chance of Poison. So it would only be boosted by Special Attack boosts.

Photon Geyser looks at the user's attacking stats. Shell Side Arm looks at the target's defending stats and maybe also the user's attacking stats (jury's still out, last I heard). Your second sentence sounds like you know that it looks at the target's defenses, but it isn't directly comparable to Photon Geyser.

 

[Colonel M]

Photon Geyser looks at the user's attacking stats. Shell Side Arm looks at the target's defending stats and maybe also the user's attacking stats (jury's still out, last I heard). Your second sentence sounds like you know that it looks at the target's defenses, but it isn't directly comparable to Photon Geyser.

Ah my bad.

But yes this looks at defenses, so the move would not be affected by your Attack, but with Special Attack.

I havent touched Necrozma much so I forget it looks at attacking stats and not opponents defenses. >_>;

 

[garatoi]

I just noticed, but this thing also has BELLY DRUM with 100 BS in attack. I think it is worth mentioning it, especially if quick draw and quick claw stack (36 % to get priority). With drain punch it can make a decent funny set

edit : met a guy with the same idea lol
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1135146287
as expected it doesn't work at all x) 36% is too low

 

[Cbt Relampago Marquin]

I have a question about Shell Side Arm. Does increasing your Attack increase the power of the physical variant of the move? I tested it with Attack EVs and Choice Band and the power does seems to increase by a lot. I am not an experienced tester though so maybe my tests are wrong. I thought it would be pretty great if this was true as you can run slowbro as a physical attacker and it does increase the unpredictability of this pokemon.

Only does physical damage if foe's sdef is better than def, but damage using your spa instead

 

[Ema Skye]

Per the Battle Mechanics thread, the physical damage is calculated using Slowbro's attack, not special attack.

...which explains why they decided they wanted the attack stats to be equal.

 

[viol and bass]

Per the Battle Mechanics thread, the physical damage is calculated using Slowbro's attack, not special attack.

...which explains why they decided they wanted the attack stats to be equal.

Yup, which means you should always run a -speed nature if you're using this move, because half the time it will come off the stat you're not investing in.

It also means that on a Nasty Plot set like in the OP, Shell Side Arm is a terrible move to have because if you're facing a mon with slightly higher spdef than defense, the move will come off your unboosted Attack stat instead of your boosted Special Attack stat, even if it would do more damage as a special attack. You're gonna have to stick with Sludge Bomb.

Edit: this is wrong

 

[Life]

Per the Battle Mechanics thread, the physical damage is calculated using Slowbro's attack, not special attack.

...which explains why they decided they wanted the attack stats to be equal.

lol, I just bred two boxes of Modest Slowpokes.

Yup, which means you should always run a -speed nature if you're using this move, because half the time it will come off the stat you're not investing in.

It also means that on a Nasty Plot set like in the OP, Shell Side Arm is a terrible move to have because if you're facing a mon with slightly higher spdef than defense, the move will come off your unboosted Attack stat instead of your boosted Special Attack stat, even if it would do more damage as a special attack. You're gonna have to stick with Sludge Bomb.

Edit: this may have been a misunderstanding. In the immortal words of Lord Finchinator, hold the phone.

The ATK/SATK selection is not based on defensive stats. It's based on damage done at the beginning of the turn (before any moves).

Based on our current understanding, it would calculate SATK -> SDEF, ATK -> DEF and see which does more at the beginning of the turn.

 

[viol and bass]

lol, I just bred two boxes of Modest Slowpokes.



The ATK/SATK selection is not based on defensive stats. It's based on damage done at the beginning of the turn (before any moves).

Based on our current understanding, it would calculate SATK -> SDEF, ATK -> DEF and see which does more at the beginning of the turn.

Right, we've been having a conversation about that in the battle mechanics thread. I was misled by Showdown which just said it was based on the opponent's defensive stats, which isn't correct. It's based on raw damage output, as you said.

A -speed nature still is technically beneficial if you're concerned about maximizing your damage output, but I guess I wouldn't view it as strictly necessary because in most situations, the stat you're investing in will do more damage. But against certain mons with skewed defenses, a -speed nature does boost your damage a little bit.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

CM + Iron Defense + Stored could be a possible set

Could be but Reuniclus does it better with its higher SpA.

 

[nameless90]

I really like Galarian-Slowbro for two reasons:
(1) Actual bulk despite the numerical bulk being worse than its Kantonian counterpart because of this set of resistances:
* resistance 4x to Fighting
* resistance 2x to Fairy
* resistance 2x to Grass
* resistance 2x to Poison
* Immunity to Poison (bar Corrosion) is a thing
* weak 2x to Earth
* weak 2x to Dark
* weak 2x to Ghost
Three weaknesses instead of 5 is still an improvement because you have to fear less coverage moves and one good thing is the fact we are not weak to Rotom Forms' STABs, even though Shadow Ball is a thing.
I don't think that Kantonian Slowbro has a better pool of weake/resistance but what makes the original Slowbro superior is the fact that its stats are spread better in the bulk and on the SpA.

(2) Mixed offenses but with access to set-up moves in order to hit on both sides of the spectrum, including Poison-inducing moves that are quite good towards pokèmons without reliable recovery and checks not immune to Poison.
Also, Assault Vest + Regenerator is a combination perfectly viable that fixes that SpD and you can dish out damage with both offenses.

====> to summarize, I think that this Galarian-Slowbro can have its niche in the OU environment even though less relevant that Slowbro's one.

 

[KingMikeX]

Has it been confirmed that Quick Claw and Quick Draw stack?

I just went online and looked it up, they do stack. With quick claw and quick draw, Galarian Slowbro has a 36% chance to go first.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

I just went online and looked it up, they do stack. With quick claw and quick draw, Galarian Slowbro has a 36% chance to go first.

Thanks have updated. Has Shell side Arm been confirmed to become physical, or does it just turn into Psyshock if the foes SpD is higher

 

[MaahirMomtaz12]

Thanks have updated. Has Shell side Arm been confirmed to become physical, or does it just turn into Psyshock if the foes SpD is higher

It becomes physical if the opponent's Defense is higher than Special Defense

 

[Champion Leon]

Right, we've been having a conversation about that in the battle mechanics thread. I was misled by Showdown which just said it was based on the opponent's defensive stats, which isn't correct. It's based on raw damage output, as you said.

A -speed nature still is technically beneficial if you're concerned about maximizing your damage output, but I guess I wouldn't view it as strictly necessary because in most situations, the stat you're investing in will do more damage. But against certain mons with skewed defenses, a -speed nature does boost your damage a little bit.

So basically if the foe uses Amnesia in the same turn you attack, it will still hit the SpD because it was calculated before the move took effect.

one question: what about switching?

If I Baton Pass Amnesia to a new Pokemon, or just switch / U-Turn, or use Parting Shot, does that re-calculate based on the new mon coming in, or is it based off of the mon that was in at the start of the turn, before any switching?

It becomes physical if the opponent's Defense is higher than Special Defense

Dont you mean it becomes Special (so it hits off the weaker Defense)?

 

[Cuddly]

So how does Quick Draw+Quick Claw work?
Is it 40% (.2+.2), 36% (1 - (.8*.8)), or something else?

 

[viol and bass]

So basically if the foe uses Amnesia in the same turn you attack, it will still hit the SpD because it was calculated before the move took effect.

one question: what about switching?

If I Baton Pass Amnesia to a new Pokemon, or just switch / U-Turn, or use Parting Shot, does that re-calculate based on the new mon coming in, or is it based off of the mon that was in at the start of the turn, before any switching?
Dont you mean it becomes Special (so it hits off the weaker Defense)?

I would guess that it doesn't recalculate it until the next turn, but I don't know for sure.

A wild level 60 Chansey with a Defense IV of 3 or less always has a chance of being OHKOed by any Shell Side Arm coming off 110 or more Attack. If you have no way of verifying what stats the Chansey has (such as by catching it after hitting it), then the test doesn't mean much. The Wooper I saved in front of to do my several dozen tests happened to have a Defense IV of 0 or 1, so it's not unheard of. Anyway, said tests that I posted on the last page already prove it only ever calculates Attack with Defense or Special Attack with Special Defense; there's no mixing or Wooper would be taking over 100 damage every hit in the 168 Attack, 141 Special Attack series of tests (which, if mixed would calculate Attack into Special Defense).

More Shell Side Arm stuff:
Additional testing shows Reflect does nothing to Shell Side Arm's decision-making. A 106 Defense, 126 Sp. Def opponent continues taking physical Shell Side Arms (from the 141/141 Slowbro) every turn after Reflect goes up. So, the only explanation that makes sense for the Reflect Gardevoir video from earlier in the thread is that its Defense and Special Defense were somehow the perfect combination to take identical damage rolls from both categories.

Since Choice Band doesn't affect this move's category, I strongly doubt any item or Ability does (in the same way that Photon Geyser doesn't care about non-stat stage boosts). I don't have anything with Ice Scales at the moment so someone can feel free to test that. In my opinion, the only plausible thing other than stat stages that might affect it is Sandstorm's Special Defense boost for Rock types, which I will check at some point soon.

Rising Voltage stuff:
Level 60 Jolteon 123 SpAtk Rising Voltage VS level 100 Togedemaru 153 SpDef
57 damage on Electric Terrain, then 27 damage after Togedemaru used Magnet Rise

This makes Rising Voltage 140 power on Electric Terrain if the target is grounded, which is then further boosted by Electric Terrain assuming the user is also grounded. If the target is airborne or there's no Electric Terrain it's just 70 power.

Marty's extensive testing has determined that Shell Side Arm is either attack-->defense or spatk-->spdef, based on the game's calculation of which will do more raw damage. However, this calculation seemingly ignores the boost from items. So even if specs special SSA would hit harder than physical SSA, the game will make it physical if the mon would be be hit harder physically ignoring the specs.

Given that, I think it's clear that a Specs set should run Sludge Bomb. Boosting sets can effectively run Shell Side Arm.

I think this is basically definitive at this point. Sorry for all the confusion, this move is goddamn maddening.

 

[Flareblitzkreig]

What nature would be the best for a galarian slowbro??