[SET]
name: Assault Vest Pivot
move 1: Future Sight
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Scald
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 116 SpA / 140 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Galarian Slowking is a solid option for teams that need a sturdy check to Fairy-types such as Clefable, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Fini, and other strong special attackers such as Serperior, Kyurem, and Magnezone. Also, its good Special Attack and great movepool make Galarian Slowking a hard Pokemon to pivot around. Thanks to Assault Vest, good natural bulk, Regenerator, and good defensive typing, it can easily tank special attacks such as Kyurem's Ice Beam and Ash-Greninja's Hydro Pump, letting it use Future Sight to provide advantageous situations for its teammates or punish its switch-ins. While Knock Off doesn't completely ruin Galarian Slowking, losing its item does notably compromise its bulk, preventing it from pivoting into threats like Ash-Greninja and Kyurem. Furthermore, Galarian Slowking's crippling weakness to Pursuit can discourage it from entering the field, since Weavile and Mega Tyranitar can trap and KO it. Finally, Galarian Slowking faces competition from Slowking as a special wall due to its better immediate recovery, access to Teleport, and ability to check threats well without Assault Vest. Flamethrower punishes Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Corviknight that try to pivot in Galarian Slowking's STAB attacks. Scald is used over Hydro Pump due to its burn chance discouraging switch-ins from Pursuit trappers, like Weavile and Mega Tyranitar, and Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor without its Toxic Orb activated. It also wins the one-on-one Heatran matchup. 252 HP and 140 SpD EVs along with a Calm Nature allow Galarian Slowking to avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Greninja's Dark Pulse, and the remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack to improve its ability to punish switch-ins.
Galarian Slowking fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate Future Sight support and need a sturdy check to strong special attackers and Fairy-types. Dragon-types like Garchomp, Kommo-o, and Hydreigon appreciate Galarian Slowking forcing out Fairy-type Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, and Clefable. Tangrowth likes Galarian Slowking's ability to check Tapu Koko, Kyurem, and Tapu Lele. In return, Tangrowth checks Ground-types like Garchomp and other physical attackers such as Kartana, Mega Swampert, and Mega Tyranitar for it, as well as forming a great Regenerator core. Urshifu-R, Mega Lopunny, Weavile, Mega Charizard Y, and Ash-Greninja appreciate the Future Sight support to prevent Toxapex, Clefable, and Kommo-o from safely switching into them. Due to Galarian Slowking's weakness to Pursuit, Knock Off, and Dark-types such as Weavile and Tyranitar generally, offensive Dark-type checks like Mega Lopunny and defensive checks like Tangrowth and Ferrothorn work well with it. Dark-resistant Pokemon like Tyranitar and Clefable help Galarian Slowking check Ash-Greninja more easily. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T also tend to force Galarian Slowking out, making Corviknight, Synthesis Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and Rillaboom good partners. Rillaboom and Tapu Bulu are especially good, as they both provide Grassy Terrain support, decreasing Earthquake damage and giving it a form of passive recovery.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option to better prevent Ground-types such as Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T from directly switching in, but Scald's burn chance is generally preferred. Earthquake with a Sassy nature is also an option to improve the Heatran matchup, 2HKOing it, but losing the ability to punish switch-ins such as Garchomp and Gliscor with Scald is noticeable. A Calm Mind set running Scald, Sludge Bomb, Slack Off, and Waterium Z can be used to break through balance teams and punish Steel-types such as Mega Scizor and Melmetal, but it's completely stopped by Toxapex and has difficulties setting up due to lacking Assault Vest's bulk.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Weavile, Tyranitar, and Mega Tyranitar can come in and force Galarian Slowking out with their STAB moves or even use Pursuit to trap and KO it. However, all three struggle to directly switch in, as they risk getting burned by Scald.
**Knock Off**: Despite Galarian Slowking's ability to check Tapu Fini and Clefable, some sets utilize Knock Off, which severely cripples its ability to check special attackers.
**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Landorus-T, Mega Swampert, and Gliscor can easily KO Galarian Slowking with Earthquake; however, they are very crippled by status.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Due to Galarian Slowking's poor physical bulk, it is very prone to physical attackers like Mega Mawile, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Medicham. However, they are not safe switch-ins and don't like to be burned or poisoned.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Blissey, Chansey, and Slowking can all pivot quite easily into Galarian Slowking and use Teleport to bring another teammate in safely, gaining an advantage in the match. However, Slowking doesn't appreciate being poisoned.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pubo, 535121]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [adem, 529732]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
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