Overview
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Salamence has quite a lot going for it in VGC. For one, its ability, Intimidate, weakens physical attackers on the switch-in. On top of that, Salamence also has decent bulk and combined with its Dragon typing giving it resistances to many common types, it will survive for a relatively long time for an attacker. Salamence has a respectable Special Attack and the movepool to back it up. Salamence's base Speed is 100, which lets it Speed tie or outspeed many Pokemon in the format.
Salamence has a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves, though, which makes it easily OHKOed. Many of the Pokemon which outspeed Salamence, be this through Choice Scarf or higher base Speed, can OHKO it with their STAB moves. Although Salamence's movepool gives it all it needs, Salamence is quite predictable due to it not being too expansive; this is only worsened by Salamence's reliance of low accuracy moves.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Rock Slide / Stone Edge / Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
Both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse are run, with Draco Meteor being run for picking up OHKOes against opposing Dragon-types and frailer attackers. Dragon Pulse is a more reliable STAB option that doesn't miss or result in Salamence's Special Attack being halved. The next move is Fire Blast to hit Steel-types, which would otherwise be able to take its Salamence's Dragon-type STAB attacks. It is also used to hit Grass-types like Amoonguss, which can take Draco Meteor, for super effective damage. The final moveslot is reserved for coverage moves, the choice of which depends on what your team needs. Rock Slide has a percentage chance to OHKO both Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame. Stone Edge can be run over Rock Slide to guarantee the OHKO on Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame and generally hits a lot harder than Rock Slide. Because of how common Rock Slide is, Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame are often paired with a Wide Guard user to block Rock Slides. Stone Edge has the advantage of hitting through Wide Guards as it isn't a spread move. However, it comes at the cost of accuracy and the loss of the flinch chance. Hydro Pump can be used with a Timid nature, as it also guarantees an OHKO against Talonflame, and hits other Fire-types harder coming off the more invested Special Attack.
Set Details
========
A Speed-boosting nature is run to outspeed and Speed tie with other Choice Scarf Salamence running Modest or a Speed-boosting nature respectively. The EVs on this spread are simple; their purpose to both maximize Speed and Special Attack so that Salamence hits as hard and as fast as possible. A Modest nature could be run for a slight Special Attack buff if your team doesn't fear opposing Choice Scarf Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Salamence is commonly played as a lead thanks to its high Speed, coverage, and Intimidate. Getting off an early-game Intimidate weakens your opponent's physical attackers before they have a chance to attack. The move that should be most used on this set is Draco Meteor, as it hits significantly harder than any other move Salamence has access to. Although there is a Special Attack drop, switching out isn't hugely detrimental as it gives Salamence another chance to activate Intimidate. The only times you will find yourself using Dragon Pulse are against weakened opposing Pokemon or when you can't switch to reset Salamence's Special Attack.
Team Options
========
Mega Kangaskhan provides Fake Out support, which is always appreciated. On top of that, it can take on many of Salamence's checks and counters such as Gardevoir and Tyranitar by simply overpowering them with its ability, Parental Bond. Although Salamence and it share many of the same weaknesses, Garchomp has great offensive synergy alongside Salamence, partlydue to Garchomp's ability to fire off Earthquake freely thanks to Salamence's Flying typing. Rotom-W and Rotom-H both provide Will-O-Wisp support, also dealing with Steel-types that can take a Fire Blast in the case of Rotom-H. However, Rotom-W has the advantage of not sharing Salamence's weakness to Rock. Steel-types like Mega Mawile and Aegislash both have good defensive and offensive synergy alongside Salamence. This is because they can take any super effective hits that threaten Salamence and also dish out a sizable amounts of damage to many of Salamence's checks and counters, Gardevoir and Tyranitar for instance.
Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Haban Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is Salamence's most powerful STAB move, and can pick up many KOs on common frail Pokemon or against opposing Dragon-types. While Draco Meteor is for power, Dragon Pulse is for consistency. It has the benefits of guaranteed accuracy and no effect on Salamence's Special Attack. Fire Blast is to hit the Steel-types that resist Salamence's STAB Dragon-type moves for super effective damage. As this set isn't running a Choice item and Salamence is a highly targeted pokemon, Protect is a strongly recommended move for not only scouting but also waiting a turn so your partner can take down the threat.
Set Details
========
Haban Berry is run to allow Salamence to survive a Dragon-type hit. Draco Meteor is then fired off against the opposing Dragon-type for super effective damage, usually for an OHKO. However, for those who want extra power, Life Orb can be used, on top of which a Modest nature could also be run to further maximize Salamence's Special Attack. That said, it is advisable not to run a Modest nature when not carrying a Haban Berry as you are then losing Speed as well as the ability to survive a super effective hit. The EV spread is again to make Salamence's Special Attack and Speed as high as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Because of the immense usefulness of Intimidate to weaken physical attackers, Salamence is often played as a lead. This is done to to somewhat check other common leads such as Mega Kangaskhan. Unlike any of the other sets, this set carries Protect. Protect is played to ease prediction and scout for an unexpected coverage move, like Ice Beam on Tyranitar. On top of that, it gives Salamence's partner a chance to KO the opposing threat. Dragon Pulse should be used when using Draco Meteor is not recommended, for instance when Salamence is one of the last Pokemon on field and needs to maintain its Special Attack for some later use. It is also used when the extra power of Draco Meteor isn't necessary and the loss of Special Attack would be a unneeded hindrance to your team.
Team Options
========
As Steel-types are problematic to Salamence even with Fire Blast, running Salamence alongside Fire- and Fighting-types to take on the Steel-types that can survive a Fire Blast is always a good idea. Other Intimidate Pokemon such as Mawile and Mega Manectric provide nice support and further weaken physical attackers; however, be cautious of Pokemon like Bisharp that can utilize this to boost their Attack higher thanks to Defiant. Fairy-types, which are immune to Salamence's Dragon-type STAB moves, are weak to Steel-type moves. Steel also resists all of the types that Salamence is weak to. Steel-types thereby have both good defensive and offensive synergy alongside Salamence. Good partners are Mawile, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn.
Choice Specs
########
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
========
As with the sets above, both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse are run to give Salamence both a powerful and reliable STAB option. Fire Blast hits significantly harder than the above sets, and hits Steel-types for super effective damage which that would otherwise wall this set. Finally this set runs Hydro Pump to hit common Fire- and Rock-types for super effective damage and complement the rest of Salamence's coverage.
Set Details
========
Unlike the previous sets this set uses a Modest nature to hit as hard as possible. However, a Timid nature can be run to maximize Speed if needed. Choice Specs hits far harder than either of the previous sets, which also guarantees more OHKOes than any other set. This power is such that a Modest Choice Specs Salamence's Draco Meteor is the most powerful Dragon-type move in the format.
Usage Tips
========
As stated, Draco Meteor is the hardest hitting Dragon-type move in the format, and because of this a lot of the time it is a good idea to just use Draco Meteor. As stated before, switching out to reset Salamence's Special Attack can be beneficial, as it also allows another Intimidate to further weaken physical attackers later in the game. If a Modest nature is run you must bear in mind that Salamence no longer outspeeds many Pokemon it did with Timid; however, the increase in power is very noticeable and you must play it to these strengths. As a lot of other Pokemon with a base Speed of 100 run an Attack- or Special Attack-boosting nature, Speed ties might not be lost. Do not bank on this, however. For instance Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y both commonly run a neutral nature.
Team Options
========
Tailwind is far more appreciated on this set than any other as it focuses more heavily on power than Speed. This extra Speed allows Salamence to take care of many of its old checks and counters. Fast Pokemon like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Mamoswine can take on opposing Dragon-types that threaten Salamence. Steel-, Fire-, and Fighting-types are also all welcome partners for Salamence as they care of Steel- and Fairy-types.
Other Options
########
Flamethrower can be run over Fire Blast for increased accuracy; however, but it comes at the price of power. This drop in power is very noticeable as you Salamence loses out on 2HKOes on bulkier Pokemon. Such as Aegislash. Hidden Power Flying can be run as a secondary STAB move to hit Fighting- and Grass-types for super effective damage. However, it is weaker than Dragon Pulse. If you fear Dark Void Smeargle or sleep-inducing moves in general, Sleep Talk is an option on Choice sets to somewhat bypass these negative effects. A bulkier spread could be run, but know that what you are investing in bulk normally comes at the cost of Speed. Losing Speed for bulk isn't always advisable on sets with Choice items as Speed ties are generally very important to at least maintain for Salamence. Yache Berry or Focus Sash can be run to the same effect allowing Salamence to survive a hit before dealing out an attack of its own. Yache Berry is usually worse than Haban Berry given how much more common Dragon-type moves are, though. A Focus Sash can be used to allow Salamence to survive any move from full health, though given the presence of sand Salamence can often find itself being KOed at the end of the turn. A fully physical set could be run with moves like Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Crunch, Fire Fang, and possibly even Steel Wing and Zen Headbutt could be used to some effect, but the presence of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate mean that it will end up hitting far less hard than the special sets very quickly.
Checks & Counters
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**Gardevoir**: Gardevoir is hands down the best Salamence counter, as it can easily take any of Salamence's moves, being immune to its STAB Dragon-type moves and having enough bulk not to fear the coverage options that Salamence carries. On top of that it can easily OHKO Salamence back with its STAB Moonblast.
**Mega Mawile**: Although Mega Mawile fears Fire-type moves that Salamence commonly carries, none of them can OHKO it, and even after the Intimidate drop, Mega Mawile can OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar can take any of Salamence's moves with relative ease and OHKO back with Ice Beam, while STAB Rock Slide will 2HKO most of the time even at -1 Attack.
**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine's STAB Ice-types moves can easily OHKO Salamence. Draco Meteor will do massive damage to Mamoswine, however. It is worth mentioning that at -1 Ice Shard does not OHKO Salamence.
**Aegislash**: Aegislash only needs to fear the 2HKO from Fire Blast. However, after a boost from Weakness Policy, Aegislash can OHKO at +2 with Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon.
**Mega-Manectric**: Mega Manectric can't shrug off Salamence's moves, but it can OHKO it with ease with Hidden Power Ice.
**Faster Dragon-Types**: Faster opposing Dragon-types can potentially OHKO with their super effective STAB moves. This goes both ways, though, as Salamence threatens them just as much.
########
Salamence has quite a lot going for it in VGC. For one, its ability, Intimidate, weakens physical attackers on the switch-in. On top of that, Salamence also has decent bulk and combined with its Dragon typing giving it resistances to many common types, it will survive for a relatively long time for an attacker. Salamence has a respectable Special Attack and the movepool to back it up. Salamence's base Speed is 100, which lets it Speed tie or outspeed many Pokemon in the format.
Salamence has a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves, though, which makes it easily OHKOed. Many of the Pokemon which outspeed Salamence, be this through Choice Scarf or higher base Speed, can OHKO it with their STAB moves. Although Salamence's movepool gives it all it needs, Salamence is quite predictable due to it not being too expansive; this is only worsened by Salamence's reliance of low accuracy moves.
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Rock Slide / Stone Edge / Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
Both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse are run, with Draco Meteor being run for picking up OHKOes against opposing Dragon-types and frailer attackers. Dragon Pulse is a more reliable STAB option that doesn't miss or result in Salamence's Special Attack being halved. The next move is Fire Blast to hit Steel-types, which would otherwise be able to take its Salamence's Dragon-type STAB attacks. It is also used to hit Grass-types like Amoonguss, which can take Draco Meteor, for super effective damage. The final moveslot is reserved for coverage moves, the choice of which depends on what your team needs. Rock Slide has a percentage chance to OHKO both Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame. Stone Edge can be run over Rock Slide to guarantee the OHKO on Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame and generally hits a lot harder than Rock Slide. Because of how common Rock Slide is, Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame are often paired with a Wide Guard user to block Rock Slides. Stone Edge has the advantage of hitting through Wide Guards as it isn't a spread move. However, it comes at the cost of accuracy and the loss of the flinch chance. Hydro Pump can be used with a Timid nature, as it also guarantees an OHKO against Talonflame, and hits other Fire-types harder coming off the more invested Special Attack.
Set Details
========
A Speed-boosting nature is run to outspeed and Speed tie with other Choice Scarf Salamence running Modest or a Speed-boosting nature respectively. The EVs on this spread are simple; their purpose to both maximize Speed and Special Attack so that Salamence hits as hard and as fast as possible. A Modest nature could be run for a slight Special Attack buff if your team doesn't fear opposing Choice Scarf Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Salamence is commonly played as a lead thanks to its high Speed, coverage, and Intimidate. Getting off an early-game Intimidate weakens your opponent's physical attackers before they have a chance to attack. The move that should be most used on this set is Draco Meteor, as it hits significantly harder than any other move Salamence has access to. Although there is a Special Attack drop, switching out isn't hugely detrimental as it gives Salamence another chance to activate Intimidate. The only times you will find yourself using Dragon Pulse are against weakened opposing Pokemon or when you can't switch to reset Salamence's Special Attack.
Team Options
========
Mega Kangaskhan provides Fake Out support, which is always appreciated. On top of that, it can take on many of Salamence's checks and counters such as Gardevoir and Tyranitar by simply overpowering them with its ability, Parental Bond. Although Salamence and it share many of the same weaknesses, Garchomp has great offensive synergy alongside Salamence, partlydue to Garchomp's ability to fire off Earthquake freely thanks to Salamence's Flying typing. Rotom-W and Rotom-H both provide Will-O-Wisp support, also dealing with Steel-types that can take a Fire Blast in the case of Rotom-H. However, Rotom-W has the advantage of not sharing Salamence's weakness to Rock. Steel-types like Mega Mawile and Aegislash both have good defensive and offensive synergy alongside Salamence. This is because they can take any super effective hits that threaten Salamence and also dish out a sizable amounts of damage to many of Salamence's checks and counters, Gardevoir and Tyranitar for instance.
Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Haban Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is Salamence's most powerful STAB move, and can pick up many KOs on common frail Pokemon or against opposing Dragon-types. While Draco Meteor is for power, Dragon Pulse is for consistency. It has the benefits of guaranteed accuracy and no effect on Salamence's Special Attack. Fire Blast is to hit the Steel-types that resist Salamence's STAB Dragon-type moves for super effective damage. As this set isn't running a Choice item and Salamence is a highly targeted pokemon, Protect is a strongly recommended move for not only scouting but also waiting a turn so your partner can take down the threat.
Set Details
========
Haban Berry is run to allow Salamence to survive a Dragon-type hit. Draco Meteor is then fired off against the opposing Dragon-type for super effective damage, usually for an OHKO. However, for those who want extra power, Life Orb can be used, on top of which a Modest nature could also be run to further maximize Salamence's Special Attack. That said, it is advisable not to run a Modest nature when not carrying a Haban Berry as you are then losing Speed as well as the ability to survive a super effective hit. The EV spread is again to make Salamence's Special Attack and Speed as high as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Because of the immense usefulness of Intimidate to weaken physical attackers, Salamence is often played as a lead. This is done to to somewhat check other common leads such as Mega Kangaskhan. Unlike any of the other sets, this set carries Protect. Protect is played to ease prediction and scout for an unexpected coverage move, like Ice Beam on Tyranitar. On top of that, it gives Salamence's partner a chance to KO the opposing threat. Dragon Pulse should be used when using Draco Meteor is not recommended, for instance when Salamence is one of the last Pokemon on field and needs to maintain its Special Attack for some later use. It is also used when the extra power of Draco Meteor isn't necessary and the loss of Special Attack would be a unneeded hindrance to your team.
Team Options
========
As Steel-types are problematic to Salamence even with Fire Blast, running Salamence alongside Fire- and Fighting-types to take on the Steel-types that can survive a Fire Blast is always a good idea. Other Intimidate Pokemon such as Mawile and Mega Manectric provide nice support and further weaken physical attackers; however, be cautious of Pokemon like Bisharp that can utilize this to boost their Attack higher thanks to Defiant. Fairy-types, which are immune to Salamence's Dragon-type STAB moves, are weak to Steel-type moves. Steel also resists all of the types that Salamence is weak to. Steel-types thereby have both good defensive and offensive synergy alongside Salamence. Good partners are Mawile, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn.
Choice Specs
########
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
========
As with the sets above, both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse are run to give Salamence both a powerful and reliable STAB option. Fire Blast hits significantly harder than the above sets, and hits Steel-types for super effective damage which that would otherwise wall this set. Finally this set runs Hydro Pump to hit common Fire- and Rock-types for super effective damage and complement the rest of Salamence's coverage.
Set Details
========
Unlike the previous sets this set uses a Modest nature to hit as hard as possible. However, a Timid nature can be run to maximize Speed if needed. Choice Specs hits far harder than either of the previous sets, which also guarantees more OHKOes than any other set. This power is such that a Modest Choice Specs Salamence's Draco Meteor is the most powerful Dragon-type move in the format.
Usage Tips
========
As stated, Draco Meteor is the hardest hitting Dragon-type move in the format, and because of this a lot of the time it is a good idea to just use Draco Meteor. As stated before, switching out to reset Salamence's Special Attack can be beneficial, as it also allows another Intimidate to further weaken physical attackers later in the game. If a Modest nature is run you must bear in mind that Salamence no longer outspeeds many Pokemon it did with Timid; however, the increase in power is very noticeable and you must play it to these strengths. As a lot of other Pokemon with a base Speed of 100 run an Attack- or Special Attack-boosting nature, Speed ties might not be lost. Do not bank on this, however. For instance Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y both commonly run a neutral nature.
Team Options
========
Tailwind is far more appreciated on this set than any other as it focuses more heavily on power than Speed. This extra Speed allows Salamence to take care of many of its old checks and counters. Fast Pokemon like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Mamoswine can take on opposing Dragon-types that threaten Salamence. Steel-, Fire-, and Fighting-types are also all welcome partners for Salamence as they care of Steel- and Fairy-types.
Other Options
########
Flamethrower can be run over Fire Blast for increased accuracy; however, but it comes at the price of power. This drop in power is very noticeable as you Salamence loses out on 2HKOes on bulkier Pokemon. Such as Aegislash. Hidden Power Flying can be run as a secondary STAB move to hit Fighting- and Grass-types for super effective damage. However, it is weaker than Dragon Pulse. If you fear Dark Void Smeargle or sleep-inducing moves in general, Sleep Talk is an option on Choice sets to somewhat bypass these negative effects. A bulkier spread could be run, but know that what you are investing in bulk normally comes at the cost of Speed. Losing Speed for bulk isn't always advisable on sets with Choice items as Speed ties are generally very important to at least maintain for Salamence. Yache Berry or Focus Sash can be run to the same effect allowing Salamence to survive a hit before dealing out an attack of its own. Yache Berry is usually worse than Haban Berry given how much more common Dragon-type moves are, though. A Focus Sash can be used to allow Salamence to survive any move from full health, though given the presence of sand Salamence can often find itself being KOed at the end of the turn. A fully physical set could be run with moves like Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Crunch, Fire Fang, and possibly even Steel Wing and Zen Headbutt could be used to some effect, but the presence of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate mean that it will end up hitting far less hard than the special sets very quickly.
Checks & Counters
########
**Gardevoir**: Gardevoir is hands down the best Salamence counter, as it can easily take any of Salamence's moves, being immune to its STAB Dragon-type moves and having enough bulk not to fear the coverage options that Salamence carries. On top of that it can easily OHKO Salamence back with its STAB Moonblast.
**Mega Mawile**: Although Mega Mawile fears Fire-type moves that Salamence commonly carries, none of them can OHKO it, and even after the Intimidate drop, Mega Mawile can OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar can take any of Salamence's moves with relative ease and OHKO back with Ice Beam, while STAB Rock Slide will 2HKO most of the time even at -1 Attack.
**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine's STAB Ice-types moves can easily OHKO Salamence. Draco Meteor will do massive damage to Mamoswine, however. It is worth mentioning that at -1 Ice Shard does not OHKO Salamence.
**Aegislash**: Aegislash only needs to fear the 2HKO from Fire Blast. However, after a boost from Weakness Policy, Aegislash can OHKO at +2 with Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon.
**Mega-Manectric**: Mega Manectric can't shrug off Salamence's moves, but it can OHKO it with ease with Hidden Power Ice.
**Faster Dragon-Types**: Faster opposing Dragon-types can potentially OHKO with their super effective STAB moves. This goes both ways, though, as Salamence threatens them just as much.
Overview
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[Pros]
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Rock Slide / Stone Edge / Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Haban Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
########
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Other Options
########
Checks & Counters
########
########
[Pros]
- Fast, base 100, speed ties or out speeds many common Pokemon
- Intimidate is a great ability in doubles
- Access to Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, and Hydro Pump are nice with Salamence's decent Special Attack
- Dragon is a great defensive typing
- Respectable bulk alongside Intimidate
- Four times weak to ice makes it easily OHKO'd
- Many of the Pokemon that out speed non-scarf'd variants can OHKO Salamence
- Limited Special movepool
- Relies on low accuracy moves
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Rock Slide / Stone Edge / Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
- Both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse are run, Draco Meteor is for picking up OHKOes against opposing Dragon-types and frailer attackers. Whereas Dragon Pulse is run for a more reliable STAB option which doesn't result in you Special Attack being halved.
- Fire Blast is run to hit Steel- and Grass-types for super effective damage. It gives Salamence perfect neutral coverage alongside its Dragon-type STAB.
- The final slot is reserved for coverage options Rock Slide has a percentage chance to OHKO Mega-Charizard-Y and Talonflame.
- Stone Edge can be run over Rock Slide to guarantees an OHKO Mega-Charizard-Y and Talonflame and generally hit's a lot harder than Rock Slide. However it is at the cost of even more accuracy.
- However Hydro Pump can be used with a Timid nature, it also guarantees an OHKO against Talonflame and hit other Fire-types harder.
Set Details
========
- On spreads with Rock Slide a hasty nature is preferable as not to limit the damage output with a Timid nature, thanks to intimidate the defense drop from the Hasty nature is more than made up for. However on full special sets a Timid nature is preferable for little extra bulk it gives.
- A Speed positive nature is run to outspeed or speedtie with other Choice Scarf Salamences running Modest or a Speed positive nature.
- The EV's on this spread simple to both maximize Speed and Special Attack, so that Salamence hits as hard and as fast as possible.
Usage Tips
========
- The move most used on this set is Draco Meteor as it harder than any other move Salamence has access to, although there is a Special Attack drop switching out isn't hugely detrimental as it gives you another chance to activate intimidate and weaken physical attackers again.
- Dragon Pulse is only really used for against weakened opposing Dragon-types and frail attackers, or when Salamence can't switch out and thereby the Special Attack drop would quickly render Salamence dead weight.
- Salamence is a good lead because of Intimidate and a high Speed stat, with perfect neutral coverage hit can hit many common Pokemon for super effective damage .
Team Options
========
- Mega-Kangaskhan provides Fake Out support and can take care of many of Salamence's checks and counters, with its Fighting-type moves.
- Although they share many of the same weaknesses Garchomp has great offensive synergy alongside Salamence.
- Rotom-Wash and -Heat both provide Will-o-Wisp support, in the case of Rotom-Heat it can deal with the Steel-types that can survive Salamence's Fire Blast.
- Steel-types like Mega-Mawile and Aegislash both have good Defensive and Offensive synergy alongside Salamence. As they can take any super effective hits that threaten Salamence, and also dish out huge amounts of damage to many of Salamences checks and counters.
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Intimidate
item: Haban Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid / Modest
Moves
========
- Draco Meteor hits hard at the cost of -2 Special Attack, whereas Dragon Pulse is more reliable but weaker.
- Fire Blast hits Steel-types, which would otherwise easily take it's Dragon-type moves, for super effective damage.
- As this set isn't running a Choice item and Salamence is a highly targeted pokemon, and thereby protect is a strongly recommended move for not only scouting but also waiting a turn so your partner can take down the threat.
========
- Haban Berry is run to allow Salamence to survive a Dragon-type hit. Draco Meteor is then fired off against the attacker normally for super effective damage, as Dragon-type is generally not great coverage.
- Life Orb however like Modest nature can be run to boost your damage output.
- Again the EV's are run to both it as hard and fast as possible.
Usage Tips
========
- Salamence is commonly played as a lead to allow you to get a fast Intimidate of early in the match.
- Protect is played to ease prediction and scout for an unexpected coverage move, like Ice Beam Tyranitar. It also gives your partner a chance to KO the threat.
- Dragon Pulse is run for weaker, yet more reliable damage for situations that the extra power of Draco Meteor isn't required.
Team Options
========
- Fire- and Fighting-types are useful for dealing with Steel-types which are able to survive Fire Blasts from Salamence.
- Other Intimidate Pokemon such as Mawile and Mega-Manectric provide nice support and further weaken physical attacker, however you must be cautious of Pokemon like Bisharp who can abuse this to boost its attack higher.
- Steel-types can also be used as they take on many of the pokemon with attempt to check or counter Salamence.
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name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hydro Pump
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Specs
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
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- As with the above sets Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor are both run to give you a reliable and powerful STAB option.
- Fire Blast is run, and with Choice Specs hits considerably harder, for Steel-types which aim to take a Dragon-type move for resisted damage.
- Finally this set runs Hydro Pump as a coverage move to hit Fire- and Rock-types for super effective damage.
Set Details
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- Unlike the previous sets this set runs maximum Special Attack to hit as hard as possible with a Modest nature, however a Timid nature can be run to maximize Speed.
- Choice Specs hits far harder than wither of the previous sets picking up more guaranteed OHKOes.
- Choice Specs Draco Meteor is the hardest hitting Dragon-type move in the format.
Usage Tips
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- As stated Draco Meteor is the hardest hitting Dragon-type move in the format, because of this a lot of the time you will find yourself simply using Draco Meteor. As stated before switching out to reset your Special Attack when done correctly can be beneficial as it also allows you to pull off another Intimidate and further weaken physical attackers.
- If a Modest nature is run you must bare in mind that you no longer outspeed many Pokemon you did with timid however the increase in power is very noticeable and you must play it to these strengths.
- A lot of other Pokemon with a Speed Base Stat of 100 run an Attack or Special Attack positive nature so speedties may not be lost. Do not bank on this however.
Team Options
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- This set appreciates Tail Wind more than the others as it isn't so invested in Speed.
- As above Steel-, Fire-, and Fighting-types are all support Salamence.
- Fast Pokemon which deal with Dragon-types, like Choice Scarf Gardevoir aid in clearing the field of Pokemon which would otherwise deal with Salamence.
Other Options
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- Flamethrower can be run over Fire Blast for increased accuracy, however it comes at the price of power.
- Hidden Power Flying could be run to hit Fighting- and Grass- types for super effective, it is however a generally weak move even with STAB.
- Sleep Talk can be run on Choice'd sets if your scared Sleep, however it uses a moveslot which could be used for coverage options.
- A bulkier spread could be run, however you must know what you are investing in bulk for as it comes normally at the cost of Speed. Which is highly important in this current Meta-Game.
- A fully physical set could be run with moves like Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Crunch, Fire Fang, possibly even Steel Wing, and Zen Head Butt could be used to some effect however the presences of Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate it will end up hitting far less hard than the Special sets very quickly.
- Yache Berry or Focus Sash can be run to the same effect allowing you to survive a hit before dealing out an attack of its own.
Checks & Counters
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- Gardevoir can easily take any of Salamence's hits and hit back hard with either Dazzling Gleam or Moon Blast, the latter of which easily OHKOes.
- Mawile when Mega-evolved is 2HKO'd, however even at -1 Attack Mega-Mawile can OHKO with Play Rough.
- Tyranitar can take any hit from Salamence and either OHKO Ice Beam or can deal a lot of damage with Rock Slide If not at -1 Attack.
- Aegislash can take any hit relatively comfortably barring a Choice Specs Fire Blast, which won't OHKO but will deal massive damage, and can OHKO back with a Weakness Policy boosted Shadow Ball or Flash Canon.
- Mega-Manectric can dispatch of non-Choice Scarf Salamences with Hidden Power Ice.
- Faster opposing Dragon-types can potentially OHKO with their super effective STAB moves.
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