[OVERVIEW]
Seismitoad provides a lot of utility for teams that appreciate its ability to set up Stealth Rock and provide a useful Water- and Electric-type immunity. Seismitoad can also beat other threats such as Incineroar, Garbodor, and Aerodactyl as well as force out other common entry hazard users such as Rhydon and Steelix. Furthermore, the combination of Substitute and Toxic lets Seismitoad cripple and break past Pokemon like Vaporeon, Blastoise, and Druddigon. However, Seismitoad is extremely reliant on Leftovers to perform all of these roles, which makes it vulnerable to being crippled by Knock Off and status such as Toxic if not utilizing Refresh. While Seismitoad is able to pressure the Ground- and Rock-type entry hazard users, it is unable to punish other entry hazard users such as offensive Druddigon and Mesprit as easily, the former of which can inflict a lot of chip damage with Devastating Drake while the latter can KO Seismitoad with Energy Ball, though Druddigon must be wary of a Scald burn. Seismitoad's 4x weakness to Grass-type coverage leaves it very vulnerable in a tier littered with Grass-types such as Decidueye and Sceptile, which Seismitoad can only punish by crippling them with Toxic. This weakness also leaves Seismitoad unable to handle threats like Delphox and Samurott, which commonly run super effective coverage for it. Seismitoad is forced to mostly run a defensive set because more offensively oriented variants lack the defensive capabilities to pivot into threats like Incineroar and Aerodactyl as easily; however, this can make Seismitoad fairly passive, leaving it unable to set up Stealth Rock against Xatu.
[SET]
name: Defensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Scald
move 3: Refresh
move 4: Earthquake / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Seismitoad is a decent Stealth Rock user by virtue of its natural bulk and ability to pressure other entry hazard setters in the tier such as Steelix, Garbodor, and Palossand. Scald is the Water-type STAB move of choice due to its decent chance to burn the foe, which can be detrimental to a lot of Pokemon such as Dhelmise and Druddigon. Refresh allows Seismitoad to cure itself of status ailments such as Toxic, which helps improve its longevity. It also allows Seismitoad to pivot into Pokemon like Blastoise and Vaporeon knowing it can stall them out of Toxic PP while absorbing their Water-type STAB moves. Earthquake hits threats like Delphox, Heliolisk, and defensive Garbodor significantly harder than Earth Power would, notably being strong enough to KO Heliolisk. Alternatively, Toxic gives Seismitoad the ability to cripple Pokemon like Slowking, Alolan Exeggutor, and Vaporeon, which fear very little from Seismitoad's STAB moves and don't care about being burned that much, and the latter is immune to Scald due to Water Absorb. Protect can be used over Refresh to allow Seismitoad to scout for coverage options such as Grass-type moves from Pokemon like Delphox and Slowking as well as what Choice item Pokemon such as Whimsicott and Passimian lock themselves into. Protect also allows Seismitoad to get an extra turn of recovery from Leftovers and can rack up a free turn of Toxic damage; however, this comes at the cost of leaving Seismitoad very vulnerable to status like Toxic, preventing it from being able to pivot into Pokemon like Blastoise and Vaporeon.
Set Details
========
The given Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Seismitoad to outpace Incineroar and Xatu. The rest of the EVs are invested into physical bulk to allow Seismitoad to check Pokemon like Incineroar and Aerodactyl better. Leftovers gives Seismitoad the passive recovery it requires to consistently keep pivoting into these threats. Water Absorb provides Seismitoad with an immunity to Water-type coverage from Pokemon like Blastoise and Vaporeon to potentially provide Seismitoad with another way to recover its health when hit by said coverage. An EV spread of 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 Spe with a Bold nature can be run to give Seismitoad more defensive capabilities that can allow it to pivot into Pokemon like Aerodactyl more easily. The 40 Speed EVs allow Seismitoad to outspeed defensive Garbodor and 2HKO it with Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Seismitoad should aim to switch into Pokemon it can check and force out like Steelix, Palossand, and Togedemaru, securing a free opportunity to set up Stealth Rock. Seismitoad can use its ability Water Absorb and Refresh to pivot into Pokemon like Vaporeon and defensive Slowking to regain health and potentially put them on a timer with Toxic. You should look to remove Seismitoad's status immediately to prevent it from being worn down too much, especially if it can't find a free opportunity to do so later on. While Seismitoad has a good set of resistances and immunities, it should not switch into some threats like Samurott and Delphox too liberally, as they can easily threaten it with strong or super effective coverage options; they are notably effective users of Grass Knot. Similarly, Seismitoad invites Grass-types like Whimsicott and Sceptile and can only put them on a timer with Toxic before being forced out. However, Seismitoad can limit their switches with Toxic damage in conjunction with Stealth Rock chip damage, especially if utilizing Protect to get more Toxic damage off. Seismitoad is reliant on Leftovers for passive recovery, so it should avoid switching into strong physical attackers like Incineroar and Rhydon too liberally.
Team Options
========
Fire-types like Incineroar, Magmortar, and Delphox work well with Seismitoad thanks to their ability to pressure Grass-types. Incineroar is able to lure in many of its checks like Rhydon and Aerodactyl to potentially pivot out with U-turn and give Seismitoad the free turn to pressure them and set up Stealth Rock. Delphox appreciates these checks being removed too and is able to provide Wish support, which is fantastic due to Seismitoad's reliance on Leftovers. Aerodactyl is another great partner that can threaten the abundance of Grass-types in the tier while also providing a secondary check to Fire-types, which takes some pressure off Seismitoad. In return, Seismitoad is able to take the Water coverage aimed at Aerodactyl and check the bulky Ground-types that Aerodactyl struggles to break. Pursuit users such as Sneasel and the aforementioned Aerodactyl can trap and remove Xatu while also threatening it with their STAB coverage, which gives Seismitoad an easier time to set up Stealth Rock. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon like Rotom, Dhelmise, and Decidueye works well to prevent Seismitoad from getting worn down easily. These Pokemon can also pressure the bulky Water-types that Seismitoad struggles with such as Slowking, Blastoise and opposing Seismitoad and are capable of acting as effective spinblockers. Poison-types such as Garbodor and Weezing work well with Seismitoad by pressuring Grass-types like Whimsicott, Sceptile, and Dhelmise; additionally, both can act as Toxic absorbers for Seismitoad, and Garbodor is also able to absorb Toxic Spikes, which prevents Seismitoad from having to use Refresh immediately and draining momentum
[SET]
name: Substitute + Toxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Scald
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute provides Seismitoad with a lot more opportunities to use Toxic on faster threats like Sceptile and Decidueye without fearing being KOed in the process. Additionally, Substitute allows Seismitoad to avoid being statused by Toxic from foes such as Vaporeon and Blastoise. Toxic allows Seismitoad to wear down an opposing Pokemon and cripple threats such as Decidueye and Alolan Exeggutor that it otherwise is unable to effectively punish. Scald allows Seismitoad to punish users it can't touch with Toxic, such as Weezing and Golbat; however, it can be counterproductive if it inflicts a burn on an unwanted target like Sceptile, preventing Seismitoad from being able to use Toxic on it. Earthquake allows Seismitoad to remove the likes of Heliolisk and Togedemaru as well as punish Pokemon like Garbodor from setting up entry hazards freely against Seismitoad. Protect is an option to scout for coverage and status while still racking up a turn of Toxic damage. It can also allow Seismitoad to gain a free turn of Leftovers recovery, but Seismitoad has to drop Earthquake leaving it more vulnerable when pressuring threats like Heliolisk.
Set Details
========
The given 232 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Seismitoad to outpace Magmortar, Decidueye, and Samurott to effectively rack up multiple turns of Toxic damage with Substitute or potentially put them on a timer as a last-ditch effort and, in the former's case, to remove it with Earthquake. The rest of the EVs are invested into bulk with a Bold nature to allow Seismitoad to still pivot into threats like Incineroar and Aerodactyl. Leftovers is vital for Seismitoad to passively recover its health, especially when it continually reduces its health with Substitute. Water Absorb grants Seismitoad an immunity to Water-type attacks, allowing it to take advantage of Pokemon like Blastoise and opposing Seismitoad.
Usage Tips
========
While this set can look to pivot into Pokemon it can check like Aerodactyl and Garbodor, its main goal is to spread Toxic to whittle down its switch-ins, so Seismitoad should attempt to come in on a free switch rather than take too much unnecessary damage. It is important for Seismitoad to be behind a Substitute in order to safely get a Toxic off against some of its checks such as Sceptile, Decidueye, and Alolan Exeggutor as well as beat Pokemon like Vaporeon and defensive Druddigon one-on-one, which are unable to break its Substitute or wear down Seismitoad with status like Toxic as a result. Substitute should not be used too liberally, as it is important that Seismitoad conserves enough health to pivot into threats like Aerodactyl, especially with it being reliant on Leftovers as its source of recovery. Seismitoad is also very susceptible to Knock Off for this reason. Status moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp similarly hinder Seismitoad's effectiveness, so it should not switch too liberally into common status users. Water Absorb gives Seismitoad the potential to switch into Pokemon like Blastoise and opposing Seismitoad to recover lost health; however, Seismitoad has to be careful of getting poisoned by Toxic in the process.
Team Options
========
Seismitoad beating bulky Water-types is greatly appreciated by Pokemon like Magmortar and Mega Glalie, both of which are unable to effectively break past Water-types like Vaporeon and Slowking without specific coverage moves. In return, Mega Glalie and Magmortar are able to threaten Grass-types, and Mega Glalie can also set up Spikes to stack residual damage with Seismitoad's Toxic. Fire-types like Delphox and Incineroar are great partners, as they can pressure the many Grass-types like Whimsicott and Sceptile that threaten Seismitoad. Delphox also has the ability to greatly improve Seismitoad's longevity through Wish support, especially with it reducing its health with Substitute a lot. Delphox also invites Water- and Rock-types such as Vaporeon and Rhydon, which gives Seismitoad an opportunity to switch in and set up a free Substitute. Defensive Incineroar's access to a slow U-turn combined with its tendency to invite in bulky Ground-types like Rhydon helps Seismitoad secure an opportunity to come in and fire off its STAB coverage or set up a free Substitute. Incineroar also checks the many Grass-types that force out Seismitoad and appreciates Seismitoad's ability to absorb the Water coverage aimed at it in return. Other slow pivots such as Vikavolt and Xatu work well with Seismitoad, as it appreciates the safe switches in. Vikavolt also helps switch into the Grass-types that threaten Seismitoad and retaliate with its Bug-type STAB moves to remove them. Pokemon such as Samurott and Heliolisk appreciate Seismitoad luring in Grass-types like Dhelmise and Decidueye to cripple them with Toxic. Late-game cleaners such as Braviary, Comfey, and Vivillion appreciate Seismitoad's ability to cripple a multitude of Pokemon and remove Pokemon like Rotom and Togedemaru for them to sweep more easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An offensive set with maximum Special Attack and Speed investment can be run so Seismitoad can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu by threatening to 2HKO it with a Life Orb-boosted Hydro Pump or OHKO it with Hydro Vortex, as well as luring in and removing Grass-types like Whimsicott and Sceptile with Sludge Wave. Knock Off is an option to cripple and remove items from item-reliant Pokemon like Golbat, Slowking, and opposing Seismitoad. Normalium Z is an option in conjunction with Refresh to provide Seismitoad with a one-time opportunity to recover all of its health. However, most of the time a teammate would prefer the Z-Move more for an offensive purpose. A physically offensive variant of Seismitoad with Stealth Rock is an option to take advantage of its greater Attack stat with coverage options such as Ice Punch and Knock Off. However, Seismitoad lacks a physical Water-type STAB move, meaning it has to rely on its secondary STAB moves and coverage options to break through Ground-types like Palossand and Rhydon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types and Grass-type coverage**: Seismitoad's typing only leaves it with a 4x weakness to Grass, which can leave it open to getting KOed by any Grass coverage. Pokemon such as Samurott and Delphox are common users of Grass Knot, restricting its ability to pivot into them safely. Similarly, Seismitoad invites almost every Grass-type in the tier like Alolan Exeggutor and Dhelmise for free, giving them an opportunity to remove the Stealth Rock it sets or fire off a strong attack.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Seismitoad is unable to safely pivot into threats like Heliolisk and Vikavolt safely due to their extremely high Special Attack, allowing both to 2HKO it, and the latter even commonly carries Energy Ball to remove it. Seismitoad can only safely switch into Heliolisk when it is not Choice locked into Hyper Voice.
**Setup Sweepers**: Setup sweepers like Substitute Braviary, Comfey, and Mismagius are capable of using Seismitoad as setup fodder due to its passivity preventing it from being able to threaten and force them out; however Seismitoad can put them on a timer with Toxic.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Twilight, 344575]]
- Quality checked by: [[Yoshi, 322194], [Earth, 231788], [Rabia, 336073]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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