Then just don't use Giga Impact and it's not a "game-losing turn". You can always switch it out. If you sack a pokemon by switching out, then you can bring Slaking back in again the next turn and nuke something else with Retaliate. Rinse and repeat until all the serious threats are out of the way.
Switching out is still a dead turn. Your opponent could boost and outspeed it, substitute, etc. Anyways, my main point is that there is already a better wallbreaker in Staraptor that nearly hits as hard in one turn, and definitely hits much harder in two turns. There is no need to use Slaking as a wallbreaker.
252 Atk Choice Band Slaking Retaliate vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Zapdos: 417-492 (108.5 - 128.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO one-turn move
Staraptor would never run Pursuit lol. Slaking forces a lot of switches which is why Pursuit's somewhat viable. (Flying user has a choiced Lando-I, he sees Slaking come in and he's afraid that it's scarfed so he switches out and gets Pursuited.) Normal has the great walls, and Porygon2 to absorb almost everything. Cinccino can come in if the substitute is obvious and use some multi hit moves to break the Sub. Special Hazard setters are pretty rare so Staraptor can come right in a Defog. As for the Ditto stuff, most types don't have OP walls to take predicted moves.
While I respectfully see your point, You're making the mistake of sending it in to just hit with a banded Giga Impact and then letting it simmer and be set up on or hit hard. When rather there is Retaliate which loses only 10 Base Power. 10 BP is Constrict damage. Retaliate after saccing something like Smeargle, or losing perhaps a Porygon2 allows Slaking to quickly come in and prevent a sweep, OHKOing most things with a STAB 140 retaliate. And then, previously stated, switching into something like Chansey, or even Ditto.
Slaking is forced to run a Dark move to hit Ghosts that have Levitate whereas Staraptor has the moveset it needs to be OPPP. Besides, any Ghost team with Aegislash will try and switch into it since Aegi is the perfect Slaking counter
I apologize in advanced, I will be addressing both you and AFD at once, but not going to Quote his post. While it is true that they both have different roles, you still have to compare them, because they are the same mon. You can't have both on the same team, so you try to go for which one is better. I didn't say it was bad because it was choice locked, yet I am trying to say it is limited because of this choice lock. It is true that it does good on volt turn, and that's good, revenge killing is good, but as I said earlier, it can't switch in as easily, to which I will now reply to AFD and you. While Therian does have that good volt absorb, that is it's best bet to switch in, which only does it good against electric teams. While AFD says that it can switch in to electric while not having the 4x weakness to ice, you also have to remember it's defenses. They're the same for both I and T, keep this in mind. 70 in defense, and 80 in special defense. So these are the usage sets for Thundy-T and Mega Manectric, the most common mega on thunder teams (source, the stats)
Pursuit is common. As Anttya has already stated, Slaking forces a lot of switches, so Pursuit is far from just a gimmick.
, I still stand by the fact that Staraptor and Diggersby can wallbreak just as effectively without Truant, though, so I stand by D Rank, but I can settle with C Rank, I GuessAs stated in the set I posted, Slaking gets both Night Slash and Earthquake to deal with the likes of Aegislash:
lolol we bullies. I'm not taking sides, I'm just putting stuff out there xD And I'm happy with C rank as wellOk I'm being triple teamed ;_; I give up
I think it's C rank since a majority of us agreed on, what do you think? (One last chance to change this decision)
Normal is taken, so you'd have to do ground xD
Seriously don't know, I guess I ran out of random bug Pokemon with Sticky Web :[Volbeat for D-rank
Volbeat @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Nature: Bold/Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe or 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
-Thunder Wave
-Substitute
-Baton pass
-Tail Glow/Confuse Ray
The only reason volbeat is ever used is for its ability, prankster. This, with the combination of baton pass, has the possibility of providing deadly support to its teammates. Thunder wave helps to slow down threats that would outspeed and kill all of its teammates, and substitute is very helpful to ensure a successful baton pass. In conjunction with t-wave and confuse ray, passing a sub will often provide enough opportunities for a teammate to set up and sweep everything. On the other hand, tail glow can be used instead of confuse ray to boost the power of scarfed special pokemon tremendously (although the only reason they would be scarved is because they would be expecting a tail glow pass). With the confuse ray set, I have often been able to easily create opportunities for mega pinsir or volcarona to set up behind a sub. However, although volbeat's support capabilities are insane and can often decide the fate of a game, it is held back by its bland typing, terrible stats, four moveslot syndrome, and inability to do anything else. Its typing leaves it susceptible to many of bug's weaknesses, and does nothing to help it defensively (and support should be defensive). Its stats don't really help it to actually survive attacks either; if it can't survive, it can't support, so it relies on substitute + t-wave and possibly confuse ray stall the opponent. (Although the speed does help against sableye and klefki.) While it does get roost, thanks to its four moveslot syndrome, it is unable to run roost and provide the needed support at the same time. Finally, thanks to its stats, it has 0 offensive capability, and centers its play solely on baton passing to a teammate. In some matches where it gets no opportunity to play, this makes it completely dead weight. In addition, there are many times it gets no opportunity, such as if the opponent itself has substitute and setup, or if the opponent has taunt. I wasn't able to decide between C and D rank, but I decided the cons were enough to warrant a D rank.
(Sorry if this is hard to read; I feel kind of sick right now.)
Also, why is spinarak D-rank when it is completely outclassed by ariados? E-rank feels like a better fit.
Definitely some solid points, can't argue that. What I can argue, however, is the fact that Thundy-T is just as easily placed on a team as Thundy-I. You state that Rkilling and VoltTurning is good, then say 'it can't switch as easy' as your argument to that. Honestly, that is nowhere near an argument against the great support that Therian offers. A powerful VoltTurning core is far more effective than Twave/Taunt support. Yes, this does require another mon to do successfully, but many of those pokes were likely already going to be used on the team anyway, like Raptor and Lando, and even a small VoltTurning core is extremely, extremely effective against nearly every team out there. One more thing: While AFD and I pushed on about how Volt Absorb is Therian's greatest niche, that was very false. I rarely see myself use it; it is mostly there for the mental effect-preventing Tbolt spamming and forcing the opponent to make more plays.
