[PIMG]531[/PIMG]
dewgonggong otter
[Overview]
<p>NU is a tier packed with Water-types that you might consider for a spot on your team, but none of them share the combination of power and unpredictability that Samurott has. With great mixed attacking stats, Samurott can run physical, special, and mixed sets to great effect. Samurott also has great bulk for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take a few hits while dishing out many in return. Perhaps the only real drawback to Samurott is its middling Speed stat, but even this is patched up by its access to priority and the ability to outspeed most of the common walls that it can beat.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Razor Shell
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Lum Berry / Mystic Water
ability: Torrent
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Samurott plays the role of a boosting sweeper, taking advantage of its good bulk to set up. This set compensates for its lack of Speed with its great Attack stat, its boosting move, and access to priority. Swords Dance is the reason for a physical set; after a single boost, Samurott hits a threatening 656 Attack, meaning that even some of the bulkiest walls in the tier struggle to tank its attacks. Waterfall is a reliable physical STAB for Samurott to utilize, though Razor Shell is a viable alternative, as it trades in 5 Base Power and accuracy for a 50% chance to lower the foe's Defense. Another reason to consider Razor Shell is that Waterfall's flinch chance is less exploitable with a low Speed stat. Aqua Jet is used on the set for a strong STAB priority attack, which allows Samurott to beat many of the faster Pokemon that could otherwise revenge kill it with ease. Finally, Megahorn is used on this set as Samurott's strongest coverage move, and it allows Samurott to hit Tangela and Musharna, two of the tier's most common physical walls, for super effective damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs on this set serve a few different purposes. To begin with, maximum investment is used in Attack to allow Samurott to muscle past many of the tier's common physical walls. 56 Speed EVs are used to allow Samurott to outspeed fully invested base 45 Speed Pokemon, such as Marowak, Golem, and Armaldo, as well as minimum Speed Garbodor. Finally, the rest of the EVs are used in HP, as they allow Samurott a chance to survive a Close Combat from Adamant Choice Band Sawk as well as a Life Orb Horn Leech from Sawsbuck. An alternate EV spread of 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe can be used should you be more interested in outspeeding other Pokemon, such as Timid Gorebyss before a Shell Smash. Since this set is very susceptible to all forms of status, Lum Berry is a fantastic option for an item. Most notably, it keeps Samurott from being stopped by an untimely Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus or Lovely Kiss from Jynx. Mystic Water is another viable option that boosts the power of Samurott's choice in STAB, as well as its Aqua Jet, without the drawback of Life Orb recoil. Finally, thanks to its ability, Torrent, Samurott receives an additional boost to its Water-type attacks when it is brought down to one-third or less of its max HP, only adding onto how deadly this set can be for opponents to face.</p>
<p>Despite how powerful this set is, Samurott cannot defeat the whole tier on its own. Grass-types, such as Simisage, Serperior, and Vileplume, pair well with this set, as they can defeat Alomomola, a Pokemon that has the ability to Toxic stall this set. Since Mantine and Frillish wall this set completely, Electric-types, such as Eelektross and Rotom-A, can be used alongside Samurott in order to defeat them. Vileplume is difficult to break, making strong Flying- and Fire-types, such as Braviary and Charizard, good partners as well. Wish and Heal Bell support from Lickilicky and Audino, while not entirely necessary, is also appreciated, as they can restore Samurott if it has been crippled mid-sweep, giving it another chance to attempt to sweep again later in the match. Lickilicky and Audino also take on many of the tier's Grass- and Electric-types, as most of them use special attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Megahorn / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Torrent
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Samurott's great Special Attack stat and access to great support moves to let it serve as a powerful wallbreaker. Since this set defeats most of the checks and counters to the Swords Dance set, it also serves as a great lure; one poor switch from the opponent can leave them without a physical wall for the remainder of the match. Hydro Pump is used on this set as Samurott's most powerful STAB move. Ice Beam has great coverage alongside Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types, as well as the occasional Dragon-type, for super effective damage. Hidden Power Grass is used in the third slot for reliable coverage against Water-types. The last slot depends on what your team would prefer. Megahorn, even with a Modest nature, OHKOes Jynx 100% of the time, while taking down Ludicolo after Stealth Rock damage. Taunt, however, can be used to allow Samurott to function as an anti-lead and a means of keeping entry hazards off your side of the field. It also helps Samurott take down bulky walls that rely on hitting it with a status-inducing move in order to help defeat it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature is used instead of Timid on this set, as the only Pokemon that a Timid nature allows Samurott to outspeed is the rare Fraxure. It does, however, also allow Samurott to Speed tie with Timid Ludicolo and Victreebel, so should you prefer to get the jump on these Pokemon, a Timid nature is still viable. Life Orb is chosen for the item on this set to help increase Samurott's immediate power, as it has no move that allows it to boost its Special Attack. Life Orb also comes with the added bonus of bringing Samurott into Torrent range. Should the accuracy of Hydro Pump be off-putting, Surf is a viable alternative in the first moveslot. Hidden Power Electric can also be used instead of Hidden Power Grass to let Samurott hit Mantine for super effective damage, but Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad, a much more common threat in the metagame. While Aqua Jet isn't very powerful with a Modest nature, it can still be used in the last slot to help it pick off severely weakened foes. Dragon Tail is another interesting potential choice for Samurott, as Samurott is good at forcing switches. With Dragon Tail, Samurott can rack up entry hazard damage against its checks and counters. Finally, Encore can be used in the last slot, as it is one of the best support moves in the game, but Samurott's Speed doesn't allow it to utilize the move as well as other Pokemon in the tier.</p>
<p>Since this set is very good at breaking down physical walls, attackers that can clean up weakened teams, such as Swellow and Choice Scarf Sawk, work well with this set. Without Megahorn, this set still struggles to defeat Ludicolo and Jynx, so priority users, such as Kangaskhan and Skuntank, are appreciated as ways of taking them out. Special walls can still prove to be troublesome, even in spite of Samurott's power; strong Fighting-types, such as Sawk and Gurdurr, are great ways to defeat them, as most of the tier's common special walls—particularly Regice, Audino, and Lickilicky—are weak to Fighting-type attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>While these sets are certainly Samurott's easiest ways to succeed in the tier, there are some other options that it can use. A set with Substitute and Salac Berry can sweep opponent's teams through boosting its Speed and taking advantage of Torrent; however, with the tier as offensive as it is, Samurott won't get many opportunities to set up. A Choice Scarf set is an interesting option to consider, but Samurott loses out on a way of boosting its offensive capabilities and is often too slow to utilize the item. Return can be used on the Swords Dance set, but Megahorn's greater power and super effective coverage against Tangela and Musharna make it the preferred option. Superpower can also be used on either set, but its Attack and Defense drops are undesirable, especially since Samurott functions well enough without it. Knock Off is an interesting option for Samurott, but since the move's targets are usually bulky walls and Samurott can defeat many of them, it is often better off without it. X-Scissor can be used over Megahorn if you prefer accuracy over power, though the loss of power is too detrimental. Finally, Samurott can use Toxic to help it beat opposing walls, but Samurott already has other means of accomplishing this.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The first thing to do when trying to check an opposing Samurott is figure out which set it is running. This alone is what makes Samurott so difficult to handle; even if you use Protect to scout out what move it's going to use, you always run the risk of it using Swords Dance. Despite this, bulky Water-types handle either set decently well. Mantine is a good check, as it either resists or is immune to every move on the Swords Dance set, and the special set typically prefers to use Hidden Power Grass. Alomomola and Shelgon both handle the Swords Dance set well; the former can Toxic Samurott and then stall it out with Wish and Protect, while the latter can take a hit and Roar away its boosts. Bulky Vileplume also handles the Swords Dance set fairly well, surviving even a +2 Megahorn then striking back with Giga Drain. Regice, Lapras, and Articuno all fare well against the special set, but they do struggle a bit because of their Stealth Rock weakness. Lickilicky and Audino can switch into any hit from the special set and then stall out Life Orb recoil while they use Wish and Protect. You can try to wall Samurott's moves, but the better way to defeat it is through revenge killing it. Jynx and Ludicolo both excel in revenge killing it, thanks to taking either no damage or minimal damage from Water-type attacks, but both of them must be wary of switching into a Megahorn if they are unable to KO. In general, faster Water-types, such as Simipour and Floatzel, do well in revenge killing either set, as they can outspeed it and typically avoid being KOed by Aqua Jet.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows Samurott to set up without fear of critical hits. Despite avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker needs Torrent just as much, as without it, the set is just not as threatening. Although Shell Armor might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.</p>
[Overview]
<p>NU is a tier packed with Water-types that you might consider for a spot on your team, but none of them share the combination of power and unpredictability that Samurott has. With great mixed attacking stats, Samurott can run physical, special, and mixed sets to great effect. Samurott also has great bulk for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take a few hits while dishing out many in return. Perhaps the only real drawback to Samurott is its middling Speed stat, but even this is patched up by its access to priority and the ability to outspeed most of the common walls that it can beat.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Razor Shell
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Lum Berry / Mystic Water
ability: Torrent
nature: Adamant
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Samurott plays the role of a boosting sweeper, taking advantage of its good bulk to set up. This set compensates for its lack of Speed with its great Attack stat, its boosting move, and access to priority. Swords Dance is the reason for a physical set; after a single boost, Samurott hits a threatening 656 Attack, meaning that even some of the bulkiest walls in the tier struggle to tank its attacks. Waterfall is a reliable physical STAB for Samurott to utilize, though Razor Shell is a viable alternative, as it trades in 5 Base Power and accuracy for a 50% chance to lower the foe's Defense. Another reason to consider Razor Shell is that Waterfall's flinch chance is less exploitable with a low Speed stat. Aqua Jet is used on the set for a strong STAB priority attack, which allows Samurott to beat many of the faster Pokemon that could otherwise revenge kill it with ease. Finally, Megahorn is used on this set as Samurott's strongest coverage move, and it allows Samurott to hit Tangela and Musharna, two of the tier's most common physical walls, for super effective damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs on this set serve a few different purposes. To begin with, maximum investment is used in Attack to allow Samurott to muscle past many of the tier's common physical walls. 56 Speed EVs are used to allow Samurott to outspeed fully invested base 45 Speed Pokemon, such as Marowak, Golem, and Armaldo, as well as minimum Speed Garbodor. Finally, the rest of the EVs are used in HP, as they allow Samurott a chance to survive a Close Combat from Adamant Choice Band Sawk as well as a Life Orb Horn Leech from Sawsbuck. An alternate EV spread of 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe can be used should you be more interested in outspeeding other Pokemon, such as Timid Gorebyss before a Shell Smash. Since this set is very susceptible to all forms of status, Lum Berry is a fantastic option for an item. Most notably, it keeps Samurott from being stopped by an untimely Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus or Lovely Kiss from Jynx. Mystic Water is another viable option that boosts the power of Samurott's choice in STAB, as well as its Aqua Jet, without the drawback of Life Orb recoil. Finally, thanks to its ability, Torrent, Samurott receives an additional boost to its Water-type attacks when it is brought down to one-third or less of its max HP, only adding onto how deadly this set can be for opponents to face.</p>
<p>Despite how powerful this set is, Samurott cannot defeat the whole tier on its own. Grass-types, such as Simisage, Serperior, and Vileplume, pair well with this set, as they can defeat Alomomola, a Pokemon that has the ability to Toxic stall this set. Since Mantine and Frillish wall this set completely, Electric-types, such as Eelektross and Rotom-A, can be used alongside Samurott in order to defeat them. Vileplume is difficult to break, making strong Flying- and Fire-types, such as Braviary and Charizard, good partners as well. Wish and Heal Bell support from Lickilicky and Audino, while not entirely necessary, is also appreciated, as they can restore Samurott if it has been crippled mid-sweep, giving it another chance to attempt to sweep again later in the match. Lickilicky and Audino also take on many of the tier's Grass- and Electric-types, as most of them use special attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Megahorn / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Torrent
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Samurott's great Special Attack stat and access to great support moves to let it serve as a powerful wallbreaker. Since this set defeats most of the checks and counters to the Swords Dance set, it also serves as a great lure; one poor switch from the opponent can leave them without a physical wall for the remainder of the match. Hydro Pump is used on this set as Samurott's most powerful STAB move. Ice Beam has great coverage alongside Hydro Pump, hitting Grass-types, as well as the occasional Dragon-type, for super effective damage. Hidden Power Grass is used in the third slot for reliable coverage against Water-types. The last slot depends on what your team would prefer. Megahorn, even with a Modest nature, OHKOes Jynx 100% of the time, while taking down Ludicolo after Stealth Rock damage. Taunt, however, can be used to allow Samurott to function as an anti-lead and a means of keeping entry hazards off your side of the field. It also helps Samurott take down bulky walls that rely on hitting it with a status-inducing move in order to help defeat it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature is used instead of Timid on this set, as the only Pokemon that a Timid nature allows Samurott to outspeed is the rare Fraxure. It does, however, also allow Samurott to Speed tie with Timid Ludicolo and Victreebel, so should you prefer to get the jump on these Pokemon, a Timid nature is still viable. Life Orb is chosen for the item on this set to help increase Samurott's immediate power, as it has no move that allows it to boost its Special Attack. Life Orb also comes with the added bonus of bringing Samurott into Torrent range. Should the accuracy of Hydro Pump be off-putting, Surf is a viable alternative in the first moveslot. Hidden Power Electric can also be used instead of Hidden Power Grass to let Samurott hit Mantine for super effective damage, but Hidden Power Grass hits Seismitoad, a much more common threat in the metagame. While Aqua Jet isn't very powerful with a Modest nature, it can still be used in the last slot to help it pick off severely weakened foes. Dragon Tail is another interesting potential choice for Samurott, as Samurott is good at forcing switches. With Dragon Tail, Samurott can rack up entry hazard damage against its checks and counters. Finally, Encore can be used in the last slot, as it is one of the best support moves in the game, but Samurott's Speed doesn't allow it to utilize the move as well as other Pokemon in the tier.</p>
<p>Since this set is very good at breaking down physical walls, attackers that can clean up weakened teams, such as Swellow and Choice Scarf Sawk, work well with this set. Without Megahorn, this set still struggles to defeat Ludicolo and Jynx, so priority users, such as Kangaskhan and Skuntank, are appreciated as ways of taking them out. Special walls can still prove to be troublesome, even in spite of Samurott's power; strong Fighting-types, such as Sawk and Gurdurr, are great ways to defeat them, as most of the tier's common special walls—particularly Regice, Audino, and Lickilicky—are weak to Fighting-type attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>While these sets are certainly Samurott's easiest ways to succeed in the tier, there are some other options that it can use. A set with Substitute and Salac Berry can sweep opponent's teams through boosting its Speed and taking advantage of Torrent; however, with the tier as offensive as it is, Samurott won't get many opportunities to set up. A Choice Scarf set is an interesting option to consider, but Samurott loses out on a way of boosting its offensive capabilities and is often too slow to utilize the item. Return can be used on the Swords Dance set, but Megahorn's greater power and super effective coverage against Tangela and Musharna make it the preferred option. Superpower can also be used on either set, but its Attack and Defense drops are undesirable, especially since Samurott functions well enough without it. Knock Off is an interesting option for Samurott, but since the move's targets are usually bulky walls and Samurott can defeat many of them, it is often better off without it. X-Scissor can be used over Megahorn if you prefer accuracy over power, though the loss of power is too detrimental. Finally, Samurott can use Toxic to help it beat opposing walls, but Samurott already has other means of accomplishing this.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The first thing to do when trying to check an opposing Samurott is figure out which set it is running. This alone is what makes Samurott so difficult to handle; even if you use Protect to scout out what move it's going to use, you always run the risk of it using Swords Dance. Despite this, bulky Water-types handle either set decently well. Mantine is a good check, as it either resists or is immune to every move on the Swords Dance set, and the special set typically prefers to use Hidden Power Grass. Alomomola and Shelgon both handle the Swords Dance set well; the former can Toxic Samurott and then stall it out with Wish and Protect, while the latter can take a hit and Roar away its boosts. Bulky Vileplume also handles the Swords Dance set fairly well, surviving even a +2 Megahorn then striking back with Giga Drain. Regice, Lapras, and Articuno all fare well against the special set, but they do struggle a bit because of their Stealth Rock weakness. Lickilicky and Audino can switch into any hit from the special set and then stall out Life Orb recoil while they use Wish and Protect. You can try to wall Samurott's moves, but the better way to defeat it is through revenge killing it. Jynx and Ludicolo both excel in revenge killing it, thanks to taking either no damage or minimal damage from Water-type attacks, but both of them must be wary of switching into a Megahorn if they are unable to KO. In general, faster Water-types, such as Simipour and Floatzel, do well in revenge killing either set, as they can outspeed it and typically avoid being KOed by Aqua Jet.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows Samurott to set up without fear of critical hits. Despite avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker needs Torrent just as much, as without it, the set is just not as threatening. Although Shell Armor might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.</p>
[Overview]
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Razor Shell
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Lum Berry / Mystic Water
nature: Adamant
ability: Torrent
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Megahorn / Taunt
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
ability: Torrent
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[Other Options]
[Checks and Counters]
[Unreleased]
Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows Samurott to set up without fear of critical hits. Despite avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker needs Torrent just as much, as without it, the set is just not as threatening. Although Shell Armor might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.
- Huge threat in NU due to power and unpredictability
- Can run special, physical, mixed sets to great effect
- Awesome bulk for an offensive Pokemon
- Subpar Speed for such a fast paced metagame
- Still one of the best sweepers/wallbreakers in the tier thanks to mix of power and bulk
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Razor Shell
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Megahorn
item: Lum Berry / Mystic Water
nature: Adamant
ability: Torrent
evs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Boosting sweeper
- Makes up for middling Speed with high power moves to hit walls and priority to hit faster Pokemon
- Swords Dance is its best boosting move
- Waterfall is standard fare for a physical Water-type attacker, with cool flinch chance to boot
- Razor Shell can be used instead to help break walls thanks to a negligible loss in power in exchange for 50% chance to lower opponent's Def
- Aqua Jet helps clean up and works great against more offensive teams
- Megahorn is highest power coverage move, has great coverage alongside Water in NU, and hits Pokemon like Musharna and Tangela hard
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- EVs to outspeed max Speed base 45s (Marowak, Golem, Armaldo) and 0 Spe Garbodor with the rest in Atk and HP for added bulk to help set up and survive certain hits (chance to survive CC from CB Sawk and a Horn Leech from LO Sawsbuck)
- A spread of 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe can be used to outspeed Timid Gorebyss before a Shell Smash
- Lum Berry helps Samurott set up and continue its sweep against an untimely burn or paralysis, as well as keeping Jynx's Lovely Kiss from stopping it
- Mystic Water can also be used to increase the power of Samurott's STAB moves without any drawbacks, and you can nickname your otter "1 Chainz"
- Alomomola can Toxic stall and is hard to break; offensive Grass-types, (Simisage, Serperior, etc) are good partners to beat it
- Mantine and Frillish also wall the set; Electric-types such as Eelektross and Rotom-A can beat them both
- Vileplume is hard to beat, so strong Flying- and Fire-types also pair nicely with otter
- Wish support from Lickilicky or Audino, while not entirely necessary, is still nice, especially since most Grass- and Electric-types (Sam's weaknesses) attack from the special side where they typically invest in bulk
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Megahorn / Taunt
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
ability: Torrent
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Takes advantage of otter's great SpA to function as a powerful wallbreaker
- Beats almost all of the checks and counters to SD set, making it a good lure
- Hydro Pump for pwrfl STAB
- Ice Beam is great coverage alongside Hydro, hitting Grass-types (and the rare Dragon-type) super effectively
- HP Grass is used for reliable coverage against Water-types
- Since both Jynx and Ludicolo can run train over this set, Megahorn is a solid last option to OHKO the former from full and the latter after SR
- Taunt let's otter serve as an efficient anti-lead and helps it break down bulky walls
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Modest nature used over Timid since the only mon Timid gets the jump on w/ Timid is Fraxure, and it speed ties with Victreebel (fairly rare) and Ludicolo
- If you want to run Megahorn to beat Ludicolo, Timid is still a great option
- Life Orb is chosen to help otter's immediate power, and the recoil can help bring it into Torrent range
- Surf>Hydro if you dread missing
- Aqua Jet isn't too strong without Atk invest, but can be used because priority is always welcome to finish off offensive threats and gets a nice boost from Torrent
- HP Electric can be used over HP Grass if you are more concerned about Mantine, though HP Grass is usually better to beat Seismitoad
- Encore can also be used in the last slot as it is a great support move, but is not listed on the set because otter is usually too slow to make the best use of it
- Since this set is good at breaking down walls, particularly physical walls, attackers that like them removed are nice (examples include SWELLOW, scarf Sawk which can clean up after physical walls are removed, etc)
- Still struggles to beat Ludicolo and Jynx, so if you aren't running Megahorn, Pokemon like Kangaskhan are great for removing them with priority
- Special walls in general still cause the set troubles, so strong Fighting-types such as Sawk and Gurdurr are appreciated as most of the tier's special walls (Regice, Audino, Lickilicky) are weak to Fighting
[Other Options]
- SubSalac
- Return on SD, but Megahorn's SE coverage is preferred
- Superpower
- Scarf, but slow for a Scarf-er and loses out on some method of boosting (Life Orb / SD)
- Knock Off
- Dragon Tail
- X-Scissor if Megahorn's accuracy makes you sad
- Uhhh Toxic? That's about it
[Checks and Counters]
- Depends on the set, which means it can be hard to counter right off the bat. Even if you can Protect against it when it comes out to scout, you still have to fear it using SD
- Bulky Water-types do decently well against either set, depending on the HP choice; since it is usually Grass, Mantine is a good check to both sets
- Alomomola and Shelgon both handle the SD set decently well, since both can Toxic and Wish+Protect stall, and the latter can Roar
- Bulky Vileplume handles the SD set very well, surviving even a +2 Megahorn with just 252 HP EVs and striking back with Giga Drain
- Regice, Lapras, and Articuno handle the special set decently well, but struggle a bit because of SR weakness
- Lickilicky and Audino can switch into any hit from the special set, and then Wish+Protect stall while it takes Life Orb recoil
- Best way to beat it is to revenge it
- Jynx and Ludicolo revenge kill it well, but still must be wary of Megahorn
- In general, fast Water-types like Simipour and Floatzel do well against either set since they can outspeed and typically avoid being KOed by Aqua Jet
[Unreleased]
Shell Armor is an interesting ability for Samurott, as it allows Samurott to set up without fear of critical hits. Despite avoiding hax, it is not as useful as Torrent because it does not help offensively. The Swords Dance set loves Torrent because it allows Samurott to go out with a bang, making it nearly unstoppable offensively when low on health. The special attacker needs Torrent just as much, as without it, the set is just not as threatening. Although Shell Armor might appeal to the more conservative player, it is just not as useful as Torrent on Samurott.
