Harpp
No rain, no flowers.
[OVERVIEW]
Water
========
Mega Slowbro is a great sweeper for Water-type teams with Calm Mind, as its good natural bulk, access to Regenerator as a pre-Mega ability, and reliable recovery in Slack Off allow it to set up relatively easily. Mega Slowbro's Psychic typing allows it to threaten key Pokemon on Poison teams like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex, both of which can be difficult to for Water teams to overcome. Mega Slowbro's abilities complement its sets and the roles it plays, with its great pre-Mega ability in Regenerator combined with Slack Off allowing it to effectively act as a defensive pivot and its Shell Armor enabling it to set up with Calm Mind and Iron Defense without fear of critical hits. Mega Slowbro has an impressive Defense stat of base 180, which allows it to take on strong wallbreakers that would otherwise muscle through defensive cores on Water teams like Mega Gallade and Choice Band Diggersby. Its defensive capabilities are further improved due to Scald, as it can burn physical threats with the move, making it incredibly hard to break past. However, Mega Slowbro has a mediocre Special Defense stat, which makes it vulnerable to strong special attackers such as Latios and Tapu Koko, although it can beat most of them after a few Calm Mind boosts. Mega Slowbro also possesses weaknesses to types such as Dark and Bug along with Grass and Electric, compounding Water's weaknesses. Mega Slowbro is very slow, which means it will always take a hit before moving and is pressured by strong wallbreakers like Choice Specs Hydreigon. It is reliant on setup moves like Calm Mind and Iron Defense to pose as a threat, so Taunt users such as Mew and Jellicent can shut it down. Mega Slowbro is also susceptible to status moves such as Toxic, which greatly hinder its ability to set up and act as a defensive pivot, but this is not an issue if it is running Rest.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind (Water)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Scald
move 4: Psychic
item: Slowbronite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind makes Mega Slowbro more powerful while patching up its middling Special Defense. Slack Off gives it reliable recovery, which lets it effectively act as a defensive pivot or bulky sweeper without getting worn down. Scald is a STAB move that has a good chance to spread burns and further improves Mega Slowbro's bulk by burning physical attackers, making it very hard to break past. Psychic as Mega Slowbro's secondary STAB move allows it to hit Pokemon that resist Scald like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Psyshock may be used over Psychic to win Calm Mind wars and hit special walls, such as Chansey, significantly harder. However, Psyshock is less reliable against Toxapex, as most Toxapex are physically defensive.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature makes Mega Slowbro incredibly physical bulky, allowing Slowbro to switch in on Choice Band Diggersby to tank the hit and then Mega Evolve to tank the subsequent hit and prevent Diggersby from getting a clean KO. The spread also allows it to avoid a 2HKO from Tapu Bulu's Horn Leech. Slowbro has the ability Regenerator before Mega Evolving, letting it effectively act as a defensive pivot. Upon Mega Evolving, Mega Slowbro gains the ability Shell Armor, which allows it to safely use its setup moves.
Usage Tips
========
Avoid Mega Evolving Slowbro right away early-game, as it loses Regenerator upon Mega Evolving, which is incredibly useful for acting as a physical wall for Water teams. However, Slowbro should Mega Evolve as soon as possible against Normal teams to take on Choice Band Diggersby better. Early-game, Scald should be used often to spread burns and wear the opposing team down. Mega Slowbro has a mediocre Special Defense stat, so strong special wallbreakers like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Koko, and Hydreigon need to be taken care of before it attempts to set up. Pokemon that carry Haze or phazing moves, such as Mantine, Swampert, and Empoleon, also need to be taken out before Mega Slowbro can attempt to set up. Status moves and entry hazards, such as Toxic and Toxic Spikes, should be avoided at all costs, as they make Mega Slowbro very easy to check by putting it on a timer. Against Water teams, Mega Slowbro should try to get burned by Scald, as this prevents the opposing team from using Toxic and crippling it, thus allowing it to set up effectively. Against Poison teams, Mega Slowbro should not switch into Toxic Spikes, as poison severely limits its ability to be a Calm Mind sweeper. Mega Slowbro can set up on passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, but one must scout for Toxic first to ensure safe setup.
Team Options
========
Toxapex has very good synergy with Mega Slowbro, as it provides a neutrality to Grass and forms a Regenerator core with Slowbro, which can be very hard for opposing teams to break. Toxapex can even check threats such as Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, provide Toxic Spikes support for Mega Slowbro, and absorb Toxic Spikes. Swampert, Gastrodon, and Lanturn provide Mega Slowbro with a crucial Electric immunity, checking threats like Tapu Koko and Magnezone. Swampert also provides Stealth Rock support, which is useful for wearing down opposing teams and making types like Bug and Flying easier to deal with; Gastrodon has reliable recovery and good mixed bulk that allows it to better check Electric-type Pokemon for Mega Slowbro; and Lanturn can provide Heal Bell support, making it hard for opposing teams to wear down Mega Slowbro through Toxic. Mantine helps Mega Slowbro by checking special attackers such as Hydreigon and Volcarona. Additionally, it provides Defog support so that Mega Slowbro is not plagued by entry hazards like Toxic Spikes. Choice Scarf Greninja is a good teammate, as it can check fast threats such as Tapu Bulu and Tapu Koko as well as Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Latios. Keldeo breaks down walls such as Chansey, which are obstacles for Mega Slowbro if they carry Toxic. Keldeo also checks Dark-types like Hydreigon, while Mega Slowbro provides a defensive backbone for Keldeo by coming in on strong physical moves. Gyarados helps to check Grass-types such as Breloom and Tapu Bulu by utilizing its Flyinium Z set. Gyarados also acts as a secondary sweeper for Water teams and makes certain matchups, such as against Bug, a little easier. Sap Sipper Azumarill is a great teammate, as it not only provides a valuable Grass immunity to the team for checking threats such as Tapu Bulu and Breloom, but also acts as a check to Dragon-types like Hydreigon for Mega Slowbro. Azumarill can also take out walls such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn, with its Perish Song trapping set, which makes it easier for Mega Slowbro to set up. Suicune is a good teammate for Mega Slowbro, as it helps pressure Mega Slowbro's checks, making it difficult for a team to beat both.
[SET]
name: Iron Defense (Water)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Iron Defense
move 3: Scald
move 4: Rest
item: Slowbronite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind allows Mega Slowbro to patch up its lackluster Special Defense stat and tank special hits from threats like Latios and Greninja after a few Calm Mind boosts. Iron Defense allows Mega Slowbro to boost its gigantic Defense even further and shrug off strong setup sweepers such as Garchomp and Mega Pinsir, turning Mega Slowbro into an impenetrable force. Scald is the only STAB move on the set, as it offers good utility by having a very good chance to burn physical threats such as Tapu Bulu and Belly Drum Azumarill. Rest not only allows Mega Slowbro to fully regain its health but also makes Mega Slowbro unafraid of status-inducing moves such as Toxic.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature allows Mega Slowbro to be as physically bulky as possible and reliably check most physical attackers, including Diggersby. Regenerator as a pre-Mega ability allows Slowbro to be an effective defensive pivot for Water teams that is hard to wear down. Once it has Mega Evolved, it gains the ability Shell Armor, which gives it an easier time setting up.
Usage Tips
========
It is important to not Mega Evolve early-game, as this causes Mega Slowbro to lose out on Regenerator, which is very important for it to stay healthy during the match and act as a reliable wall for Water teams. Since Mega Slowbro has pretty lackluster Special Defense, it should not be switched in against strong special attackers such as Landorus, as it risks getting severely weakened. Mega Slowbro should attempt to use Calm Mind against physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Mega Gallade as well as walls, as such Pokemon cannot do much damage to it in return and it can boost its Special Defense to endure special attackers on the opposing team. As Mega Slowbro relies on setup moves to pose a defensive threat, Taunt users such as stallbreaker Mew and Jellicent need to be removed before it can attempt to set up. Haze users such as Mantine and Toxapex also need to be removed, as these Pokemon can easily nullify all of Mega Slowbro's boosts and waste its PP. Additionally, Poison-types like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex need to be taken care of, as Mega Slowbro's only attacking move is Scald and both of these Pokemon resist the move. Mega Slowbro should use Rest to get rid of status conditions such as poison and set up on status inducers like Celesteela. Rest should also be used to keep Mega Slowbro healthy to allow it to better tank hits from special attackers once it starts setting up Calm Mind, while Iron Defense should be used to check physical setup sweepers and Z-Move users such as Gyarados, Bisharp, and Belly Drum Azumarill.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can cover Mega Slowbro's weakness to Electric such as Swampert and Gastrodon are appreciated. Both of these Pokemon can provide additional support for it, with Swampert using Stealth Rock to wear down Mega Slowbro's checks and counters and Gastrodon having reliable recovery and good mixed bulk to fare better against Electric teams. Toxapex provides a neutrality to Grass, which is important for checking threats such as Mega Venusaur. Additionally, Toxapex can provide Toxic Spikes support to wear down teams for Mega Slowbro and can also stop special set up sweepers such as Volcarona with Haze. Mantine can check strong special attackers such as Mega Charizard Y and Hydreigon as well as provide Defog support so that Mega Slowbro is not worn down by entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes, which may force it to use Rest. For stall teams, Alomomola is another good teammate that acts as a good mixed wall and can relieve pressure on Mega Slowbro to check physical attackers. It also forms a Regenerator core with Slowbro that is very hard to break past, provides Wish support to help with recovery, and checks threats such as Mega Venusaur by utilizing Mirror Coat. Sap Sipper Azumarill covers Water's weakness to Grass-type moves and checks Pokemon such as Breloom and Tapu Bulu, which can cripple or break past Mega Slowbro. It has an additional immunity to Dragon, allowing it to check Pokemon like Hydreigon. Teammates that can break the Mega Venusaur + Toxapex core such as Flyinium Z Gyarados and Groundium Z Greninja are also good teammates for Mega Slowbro. Keldeo is a good partner for Mega Slowbro, as it can take care of Water-immune Pokemon such as Mantine and Seismitoad with Hidden Power Electric and Secret Sword.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Water
--------
Sleep Talk can be used on the Rest set over Iron Defense; however, this forces Mega Slowbro to lose out on augmenting its Defense, allowing it to be more easily broken through by setup sweepers like Bisharp.
Checks and Counters
===================
Water
--------
**Electric-types**: Strong Electric-type Pokemon such as Alolan Raichu, Tapu Koko, and Magnezone pose a huge threat to Mega Slowbro by easily KOing it with STAB moves.
**Grass-types**: Grass-type Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Celebi, and Tapu Bulu can easily check Mega Slowbro with super effective STAB moves and either KO it or render it severely weak.
**Dark-types**: Mega Slowbro has a hard time against Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Greninja, as they can easily check it, especially prior to setting up.
**Toxic**: Toxic puts a stop to Mega Slowbro if it lacks Rest by putting it on a timer.
**Special Attackers**: Strong special attackers, such as Mega Charizard Y and Blacephalon, can hit Mega Slowbro hard prior to setting up due to its average Special Defense stat.
**Stallbreakers**: Stallbreakers such as Jellicent and Mew can easily shut down Mega Slowbro by utilizing Taunt, as Mega Slowbro has to rely on setup moves to be a threat.
**Haze Users and Phazers**: Haze users such as Mantine can easily negate stat boosts of Mega Slowbro and waste its PP, making it hard for Mega Slowbro to beat them. Similarly, phazers such as Swampert and Empoleon can phaze out Mega Slowbro with Roar and negate its stat boosts.
**Water-immune Pokemon**: Water-immune Pokemon such as Mantine, Cradily, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon easily check the Iron Defense set, as that set has only Scald as an attacking move.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Harpp, 320110]]
- Quality checked by: [[[Moosical, 215618], [Tyke, 243751], [Eien, 100418]]
- Grammar checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [CyroGyro, 331519]]
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