[OVERVIEW]
Slaking’s obscene power enables it to deal with some of 1v1’s bulkiest threats like non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X, Kommo-o, Primarina, and Tapu Fini. It also has a great movepool with coverage against other common metagame threats including Zygarde, Heatran, and Genesect and can utilize alternative spreads to beat bulkier Pokemon like Mega Gyarados. However, Slaking’s awful ability in Truant leaves it open every other turn, which is taken advantage of by Protect or Substitute users and Pokemon that are able to survive Slaking's first hit and have the means to KO it back like Aegislash and Mega Gyarados. It also faces competition from Pokemon like Diggersby, which swaps bulk and greater power on Giga Impact for a more powerful Earthquake and a better ability.
[SET]
name: Bulky Choice Band
move 1: Giga Impact
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Hammer Arm / Earthquake
move 4: Fire Punch / Earthquake
item: Choice Band
ability: Truant
nature: Adamant
evs: 68 HP / 232 Atk / 100 SpD / 108 Spe
Moves
========
Giga Impact is usually Slaking's most used move with its high Base Power and STAB, OHKOing foes that aren't overly bulky like Tapu Fini, Primarina, and non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X. Ice Punch is used against Pokemon like Zygarde, non-Substitute Garchomp, and non-bulky Dragonite. Hammer Arm is useful against Heatran and Mega Tyranitar. Fire Punch is mainly for matchups against 4x super effective targets that either Slaking outspeeds or can't knock it out in one turn, like Ferrothorn, Genesect, and Kartana. Earthquake is useful in matchups where Giga Impact is resisted, such as against Excadrill, offensive Mega Metagross, and Choice Band Zeraora.
Set Details
========
68 HP EVs in combination with 100 Special Defense EVs allows Slaking to tank attacks from Choice Specs Genecect and Choice Specs Greninja, as well as letting it take a Head Smash from Choice Band Archeops. 108 Speed EVs are particularly for outspeeding maximum Speed Breloom, as well as fast Dragonite and fast Mega Venusaur. 232 Attack EVs along with Choice Band and an Adamant nature guarantee an OHKO on fast Dragonite with Ice Punch and on Pokemon like Primarina and Tapu Fini with Giga Impact.
Alternatively, you can run 72 HP and 248 Defense EVs, with the rest of the EVs invested into Attack with an Adamant nature, to survive two +1 Waterfalls from Mega Gyarados and 2HKO in return, as well as beating non-Bulk Up Zeraora. Alternatively, you could run maximum Speed and Attack investment with a Jolly nature for outspeeding Tapu Lele and Normalium Z Porygon-Z.
Usage Tips
========
Try to send Slaking against weaker foes that don't have the best offensive prowess like Breloom or, if you are running the bulkier EV spread, Mega Gyarados, as you can 2HKO it safely. Remember not to send Slaking against Fake Out, Protect, and fast Substitute users such as occurring Incineroar, Aegislash, and Substitute Mega Charizard X or Landorus-T. Giga Impact is the move you’ll want to spam, unless the opposing Pokemon resists it or is 4x weak to another move, including cases like offensive Dragonite, Landorus-T, and Genesect. You should also use 100% accurate moves like Ice Punch and Earthquake whenever applicable instead of Giga Impact, so you don't risk the 10% chance of missing against foes like Choice Band Garchomp and Victini. When Slaking is up against stall foes that it can't beat otherwise, the optimal play is to either use Giga Impact if a critical hit can OHKO the opposing Pokemon or spam Ice Punch to attempt to freeze it.
Team Options
========
Bulky special Psychic-types are generally good teammates for Slaking because they cover up its weakness to Fighting-types like Mega Lucario and Pheromosa and to common heavy-hitters that rely on their abilities like Donphan, Golem, and Dragonite. Alongside this, a physical / special attacker pairing is usually a good way to cover a variety of threats. In return, Slaking can be a effective Psychic-type partner, as it can smash frail Bug- and Ghost-types like Mega Heracross and Blacephalon fairly well. While Dark-types like Mega Sableye can often be a problem for Slaking, Fairy-types like Tapu Lele, Mega Gardevoir, and Clefable generally have a good matchup against them. Teammates that cover Slaking’s ability and beat Protect and fast Substitute users include Pokemon like Volcarona, Serperior, and Greninja. Volcarona and Serperior benefit from Substitute and their Special Attack-boosting moves to pressure opposing utility Pokemon, not to mention Volcarona can hit through Substitute with Bug Buzz, while Greninja's great movepool, power, and Speed typically grant it a great matchup against most Protect and Substitute users like Jumpluff and Mega Swampert. In return, Slaking deals with bulky offensive Pokemon that can survive weaker attacks and OHKO back like non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X and Kommo-o. Sturdy users like Crustle and Magnezone often pose a threat to Slaking; naturally, Pokemon that beat them can fit well with it. These would include Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, fast Donphan, and special Dragonite. In return, Slaking covers up most faster frail foes that intimidate them like Mega Diancie and Tapu Bulu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Slaking’s main set is Choice Band, there are also two other variants you could run. A Choice Scarf set takes advantage of the gained Speed to OHKO fast frail foes like offensive Mega Gardevoir and Choice Scarf Porygon Z. However, this set comes up short of OHKOing bulkier threats like Tapu Fini and Kommo-o. The other set, which is less common, is stall. This set takes advantage of Slaking’s ability and natural bulk to PP stall Pokemon like Mega Slowbro and Type: Null. This usually runs Amnesia / Bulk Up / Rest. However, this set lacks power to KO threats and relies too much on its bulk to survive multiple hits.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Protect and Fast Substitute Users**: Protect and faster Substitute users completely nullify Choice Band Slaking because of its Truant ability. Pokemon that take advantage of these moves are Whimsicott, Landorus-T, Groundium Z Garchomp, Mega Blaziken, Jumpluff, Mega Swampert, Serperior, and Aegislash.
**Fake Out Users**: A Fake Out flinch turn 1 triggers Truant the next turn for Slaking and allows the foe to freely use a super effective attack or boosting move. This makes most matchups against common foes like Mega Lopunny, Incineroar, Mega Medicham, and Zeraora completely unreliable and an uphill battle for Slaking.
**Steel-types**: Most Steel-types can tank Slaking's attacks fairy well and overwhelm it either through boosting or simply by KOing it within a few turns. Some Steel-types worth mentioning would be Magearna, bulky Mega Metagross, Celesteela, Mega Mawile, and Registeel.
**Bulky Offense**: While most Steel-types also fit into this category, generally Pokemon that can withstand attacks and have a followup can beat Slaking. For example, Mega Gyarados, bulky Dragonite, and Kyurem all have some way to combat Slaking after its first attack while it's loafing around.
**Bulky Stall**: Bulky stall Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Mega Sableye, and Type: Null usually can easily deal with Slaking's attacks and gain the initiative to set up because of Truant.
**Sturdy Users**: Pokemon like Donphan, Magnezone, Crustle, Sawk, and Carracosta can take advantage of their ability in Sturdy to usually get the edge over Slaking because it needs at least three turns to KO them.
**Fighting-types**: Most Fighting-types have the advantage not only typing but also in Speed. This allows Pokemon like Mega Lucario and Pheromosa to easily gain a win over Slaking.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Gym Socks!, 491598]]
- Quality checked by: [[Alakazam, 276708], [pqs, 425798], [Osra, 239997 ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Slaking’s obscene power enables it to deal with some of 1v1’s bulkiest threats like non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X, Kommo-o, Primarina, and Tapu Fini. It also has a great movepool with coverage against other common metagame threats including Zygarde, Heatran, and Genesect and can utilize alternative spreads to beat bulkier Pokemon like Mega Gyarados. However, Slaking’s awful ability in Truant leaves it open every other turn, which is taken advantage of by Protect or Substitute users and Pokemon that are able to survive Slaking's first hit and have the means to KO it back like Aegislash and Mega Gyarados. It also faces competition from Pokemon like Diggersby, which swaps bulk and greater power on Giga Impact for a more powerful Earthquake and a better ability.
[SET]
name: Bulky Choice Band
move 1: Giga Impact
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Hammer Arm / Earthquake
move 4: Fire Punch / Earthquake
item: Choice Band
ability: Truant
nature: Adamant
evs: 68 HP / 232 Atk / 100 SpD / 108 Spe
Moves
========
Giga Impact is usually Slaking's most used move with its high Base Power and STAB, OHKOing foes that aren't overly bulky like Tapu Fini, Primarina, and non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X. Ice Punch is used against Pokemon like Zygarde, non-Substitute Garchomp, and non-bulky Dragonite. Hammer Arm is useful against Heatran and Mega Tyranitar. Fire Punch is mainly for matchups against 4x super effective targets that either Slaking outspeeds or can't knock it out in one turn, like Ferrothorn, Genesect, and Kartana. Earthquake is useful in matchups where Giga Impact is resisted, such as against Excadrill, offensive Mega Metagross, and Choice Band Zeraora.
Set Details
========
68 HP EVs in combination with 100 Special Defense EVs allows Slaking to tank attacks from Choice Specs Genecect and Choice Specs Greninja, as well as letting it take a Head Smash from Choice Band Archeops. 108 Speed EVs are particularly for outspeeding maximum Speed Breloom, as well as fast Dragonite and fast Mega Venusaur. 232 Attack EVs along with Choice Band and an Adamant nature guarantee an OHKO on fast Dragonite with Ice Punch and on Pokemon like Primarina and Tapu Fini with Giga Impact.
Alternatively, you can run 72 HP and 248 Defense EVs, with the rest of the EVs invested into Attack with an Adamant nature, to survive two +1 Waterfalls from Mega Gyarados and 2HKO in return, as well as beating non-Bulk Up Zeraora. Alternatively, you could run maximum Speed and Attack investment with a Jolly nature for outspeeding Tapu Lele and Normalium Z Porygon-Z.
Usage Tips
========
Try to send Slaking against weaker foes that don't have the best offensive prowess like Breloom or, if you are running the bulkier EV spread, Mega Gyarados, as you can 2HKO it safely. Remember not to send Slaking against Fake Out, Protect, and fast Substitute users such as occurring Incineroar, Aegislash, and Substitute Mega Charizard X or Landorus-T. Giga Impact is the move you’ll want to spam, unless the opposing Pokemon resists it or is 4x weak to another move, including cases like offensive Dragonite, Landorus-T, and Genesect. You should also use 100% accurate moves like Ice Punch and Earthquake whenever applicable instead of Giga Impact, so you don't risk the 10% chance of missing against foes like Choice Band Garchomp and Victini. When Slaking is up against stall foes that it can't beat otherwise, the optimal play is to either use Giga Impact if a critical hit can OHKO the opposing Pokemon or spam Ice Punch to attempt to freeze it.
Team Options
========
Bulky special Psychic-types are generally good teammates for Slaking because they cover up its weakness to Fighting-types like Mega Lucario and Pheromosa and to common heavy-hitters that rely on their abilities like Donphan, Golem, and Dragonite. Alongside this, a physical / special attacker pairing is usually a good way to cover a variety of threats. In return, Slaking can be a effective Psychic-type partner, as it can smash frail Bug- and Ghost-types like Mega Heracross and Blacephalon fairly well. While Dark-types like Mega Sableye can often be a problem for Slaking, Fairy-types like Tapu Lele, Mega Gardevoir, and Clefable generally have a good matchup against them. Teammates that cover Slaking’s ability and beat Protect and fast Substitute users include Pokemon like Volcarona, Serperior, and Greninja. Volcarona and Serperior benefit from Substitute and their Special Attack-boosting moves to pressure opposing utility Pokemon, not to mention Volcarona can hit through Substitute with Bug Buzz, while Greninja's great movepool, power, and Speed typically grant it a great matchup against most Protect and Substitute users like Jumpluff and Mega Swampert. In return, Slaking deals with bulky offensive Pokemon that can survive weaker attacks and OHKO back like non-Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X and Kommo-o. Sturdy users like Crustle and Magnezone often pose a threat to Slaking; naturally, Pokemon that beat them can fit well with it. These would include Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, fast Donphan, and special Dragonite. In return, Slaking covers up most faster frail foes that intimidate them like Mega Diancie and Tapu Bulu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Slaking’s main set is Choice Band, there are also two other variants you could run. A Choice Scarf set takes advantage of the gained Speed to OHKO fast frail foes like offensive Mega Gardevoir and Choice Scarf Porygon Z. However, this set comes up short of OHKOing bulkier threats like Tapu Fini and Kommo-o. The other set, which is less common, is stall. This set takes advantage of Slaking’s ability and natural bulk to PP stall Pokemon like Mega Slowbro and Type: Null. This usually runs Amnesia / Bulk Up / Rest. However, this set lacks power to KO threats and relies too much on its bulk to survive multiple hits.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Protect and Fast Substitute Users**: Protect and faster Substitute users completely nullify Choice Band Slaking because of its Truant ability. Pokemon that take advantage of these moves are Whimsicott, Landorus-T, Groundium Z Garchomp, Mega Blaziken, Jumpluff, Mega Swampert, Serperior, and Aegislash.
**Fake Out Users**: A Fake Out flinch turn 1 triggers Truant the next turn for Slaking and allows the foe to freely use a super effective attack or boosting move. This makes most matchups against common foes like Mega Lopunny, Incineroar, Mega Medicham, and Zeraora completely unreliable and an uphill battle for Slaking.
**Steel-types**: Most Steel-types can tank Slaking's attacks fairy well and overwhelm it either through boosting or simply by KOing it within a few turns. Some Steel-types worth mentioning would be Magearna, bulky Mega Metagross, Celesteela, Mega Mawile, and Registeel.
**Bulky Offense**: While most Steel-types also fit into this category, generally Pokemon that can withstand attacks and have a followup can beat Slaking. For example, Mega Gyarados, bulky Dragonite, and Kyurem all have some way to combat Slaking after its first attack while it's loafing around.
**Bulky Stall**: Bulky stall Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Mega Sableye, and Type: Null usually can easily deal with Slaking's attacks and gain the initiative to set up because of Truant.
**Sturdy Users**: Pokemon like Donphan, Magnezone, Crustle, Sawk, and Carracosta can take advantage of their ability in Sturdy to usually get the edge over Slaking because it needs at least three turns to KO them.
**Fighting-types**: Most Fighting-types have the advantage not only typing but also in Speed. This allows Pokemon like Mega Lucario and Pheromosa to easily gain a win over Slaking.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Gym Socks!, 491598]]
- Quality checked by: [[Alakazam, 276708], [pqs, 425798], [Osra, 239997 ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
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