Slaking (Update)

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 16, 2010

STAMPS

QC: 2/2:

(Bad Ass)

(folgorio)

GP: 2/2:

(Snorlaxe)

(Flora)

======

Changes from current:

Removed all mentions of OUs and Double Battles
Redid Choice Scarf set, as many of its options revolved around said OUs
Major concising (4813 words -> 1881 words)
Conformed to current layout

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/slaking

======
[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking boasts immense physical strength, a phenomenal movepool, and excellently distributed stats, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, which causes him to be idle every other turn. Because of this, Slaking performs best when holding a Choice item, as it allows him to make the most of his discrete turns. Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully, but this requirement is of far greater importance when using Slaking. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and it will almost always result in a casualty; whether it is Slaking's or your opponent's, however, depends on who made the right move.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack (the third highest in the game) and quick base 100 Speed. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power boost from Choice Band, Slaking will be flattening opposing teams in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOes a great number of Pokemon, while at the very least 2HKOing every Pokemon that doesn't resist it. However, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should initially have Slaking scout with a coverage move to keep your opponents on their toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, and although it is not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types such as Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw and Pursuit. The first is a reliable option to nail defensive Ghost-types, 2HKOing even the bulkiest of them after Stealth Rock, but Pursuit can be used to trap foes that might attempt to flee from Slaking.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because any opponent will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can help to counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. Defensive Hariyama with Whirlwind is a great choice for this role, and if Slaking mispredicts against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its super effective STAB Fighting-type attacks to crumble them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great teammates to Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking deals a minimum of 99% to the standard Regirock with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents such as Tangrowth and Torterra are also potentially OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, use Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. Using a spinblocker to prevent opponents from spinning away any entry hazards you set up is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and sport good, balanced stats; furthermore, RestTalk versions can absorb any status that opponents might have attempted to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to use a hit-and-run approach to pick off opposing Pokemon one by one. While the loss of Choice Band's power is disheartening, an Attack stat of 460 is still very threatening, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches a Speed stat of 448, which is enough to outrun numerous common Pokemon; up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, which is essentially the entire metagame. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it packs an insane amount of power; in fact, it even hits harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most of them have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, while Shadow Claw deals with Ghost-types that are immune to Return. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, which is great for revenge killing Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Calm Mind Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, as it is able to Slack Off any damage taken, set up with Calm Mind, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel don't take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, and they resist the rest of Slaking's moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it and threaten with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to many opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first, know what Slaking can and can't deal with, take down the Pokemon that he can't harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio is particularly great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking has trouble taking on. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs, respectively.

[Team Options]

There are a number of options that you can include on your team to greatly aid Slaking. Reliable phazers are crucial to cover for mispredictions that you will inevitably make with Slaking, leaving him open to be set up on. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking so that you may know what he can and can't KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, as it changes many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep these entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, is able to phaze opponents with Roar, set up both Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with her STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate for Slaking. Uxie is another reliable Stealth Rock user that also resists Fighting. Finally, Qwilfish, another Pokemon that resists Fighting, can be used to set up Spikes. RestTalk Spiritomb is a bulky spinblocker that is able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and also absorb crippling status for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting the opponent's team for threatening Rock- and Steel-types, while Primeape makes a good U-turn partner to deal with said threats. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status, except paralysis, for Slaking thanks to its ability, Guts.

[Optional Changes]

Slaking has many other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam, which has a cool 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjunction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final (and most controversial) option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt Slaking's most powerful attack, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, Slaking is better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no part-Flying or Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable, so use whichever appeals to you more. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it one of the worst examples of set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set utilizing Sucker Punch is not completely out of the question, though. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used to cripple Pokemon that get greedy in doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, an EV spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, the above set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and is therefore less reliable. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost granted by Choice Band is beneficial.

[Counters]

While Slaking seems like a divine force that is able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by a number of strategies. The first strategy is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike him on the turn he loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Similar to Protect-abusing opponents, Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponent that is faster than him. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, which can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, and then obtain a Calm Mind or Nasty Plot boost before sweeping Slaking's entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful as he can trap Slaking with Arena Trap, and take it out, though it can only be brought in on a revenge kill. Finally, Slaking can easily be wasted by using a Pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage. Slowbro is a perfect example of a Pokemon who can effectively utilize this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Band-boosted Return, Slaking's strongest attack against it; and by alternating between Slack Off and another one of its moves, it will ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

======

Post-critique changes a la bmb

Added Taunt to OC - Flashrider57
Added Life Orb to OC - shrang
Added SubDugtrio to Counters - shrang
Removed Sucker Punch -Bad Ass / EonADS
Implemented proofread - Komodo
Implemented proofread - cosmicexplorer
Implemented proofread - Eraddd
GP Check 1 - Snorlaxe
GP Check 2 - Flora

Flashrider57 · Dec 16, 2010

On the Choice Band set, I would argue that Shadow Claw should be the first slash in the fourth slot, followed by Pursuit, because not many Pokemon will stay in on Slaking, and being locked into Sucker Punch is never good. Just my personal opinion...
Anyway, I can see a couple of moves that should be added to OC. First, Taunt deserves a mention to stop Pokemon like Mismagius from setting up. Next, Crush Claw has a great chance at lowering your opponent's Defense, making Slaking's attacks hit even harder (if that Pokemon stays in...). Amnesia can patch up Slaking's bad Special Defense stat, allowing it to survive longer. Finally, Punishment can severely hurt Pokemon that attempt to set up in Slaking's face (it gains power according to the number of boosts the opponent has). Other than that, good job!

shrang · Dec 16, 2010

Any mention of Life Orb?? Yea, I know Slaking would be a hit and run Pokemon anyway, but for something like a last Pokemon Slaking, you'd hate to be stuck on one move, particularly Sucker Punch, even if you loaf around every second turn.

Oh, you should probably mention Substitute Dugtrio as a check too. If Duggy can get a free switch-in (usually on the revenge), Duggy can alternate between Sub and EQ to trap and take out Slaking.

EonADS · Dec 16, 2010

I don't like having Sucker Punch on the Choice Band set, not at all. Being locked into Sucker Punch on something like Slaking is a one-way ticket to doom, with no refunds and no rain check. Seriously, it's that bad. IMO, it belongs in OC, or on an LO set if you decide to use that.

Have you given Body Slam a test run? I actually found it tons more useful than Return when I ran Slaking in UU for fun. Stuff like Intimidate Hitmontop who'll switch into Slaking thinking that Intimidate will let them survive and KO back will get handed a nice Paralysis chance. Slaking has plenty of power as is, so its not as though Body Slam will cause a drastic drop in power for Slaking.

Bad Ass · Dec 23, 2010

Yeah, no Sucker Punch. That's gotta be the worst set-up fodder ever. Have fun with stuff like Alakazam or Mismagius laughing in your face.

Otherwise, STAMPED.

Folgorio · Dec 25, 2010

looks solid. nothing wrong here as far as i can see

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 25, 2010

Thanks all. This is now ready for GP Checks.

Komodo · Dec 26, 2010

I decided to make this quick, I'm really tired right now.

Aeron Ee1 said:
[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking's physical strength is unquestionably immense, his movepool phenomenal, and his stats excellently distributed, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, that causes him to be idle every other turn. This is why Slaking is usually found with holding a Choice item, to make the most of his discrete turns. Now Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully, but this requirement is of a far greater calibre with Slaking. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and it will almost always result in a casualty, be it you or your opponent, that depending on who made the right move.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack, one of the highest in the game, and speedy sporting a nice base 100 Speed. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power boost from Choice Band, and Slaking will be flattening capital cities in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOs a great number of things Pokemon, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist at the very least; however, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should scout with a coverage move to keep your opponent on his / her toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, although it's not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types like Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw, and Pursuit. The first is the most reliable option, and as it 2HKOes even the bulkiest of Ghost-types after Stealth Rock damage, but though Pursuit can be used to make Slaking a trapper of sorts, heavily wounding even neutral foes that attempt to flee from him.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because opponents will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can work together with Slaking to counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. Defensive Hariyama can do just that with Whirlwind, and if Slaking mispredicts against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its STABs (in a way, it only has one STAB, type wise anyway) to crumble them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and Pokemon that can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great partners to Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking will be able to knock off deals a MINIMUM of 99% off the to standard Regirock's health with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents like Tangrowth and Torterra also have chances to be OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, as well as using Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. A spinblocker on your team to prevent opponents from doing away with any entry hazards you might have spent time setting up is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and Rest + Sleep Talk versions can absorb any status that opponents might aim towards have wished to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to use a hit-and-run approach to pick off the opponents Pokemon one by one. While it is true that the loss of Choice Band's power is disheartening, 460 Attack is still very commendable, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches 448 Speed, which is enough to outrun quite a number of Pokemon - up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, which is pretty much the entire metagame. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great assassin-esque revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it's powerful to say the least, hitting harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, and Shadow Claw does the same, but for Ghost-types instead. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, and it's great for revenge killing Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do too much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, able to Slack Off any damage sustained obtained, set up with Calm Mind a bit, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel won't take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, and they resist the rest of the moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it and threaten with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to a number of opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first, know what Slaking can and can't deal with, take down the things he can't harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton, Probopass, and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio in particular, is great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking would greatly appreciate to have removed from the match. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs respectively.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

There are a number of options that you can include in on your team to greatly aid Slaking. Phazers are just about crucial for when you mispredict with Slaking, leaving him open to be set up upon. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking, to know what he can and can't KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, to change many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep those entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, is able to she can phaze opponents with Roar, set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate. ResTalk Spiritomb is an adept bulky spinblocker able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and also absorb crippling status for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting out Rock- and Steel-types, and Primeape makes a good U-turn partner to either to deal with them. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status but paralysis for Slaking with Guts. These are just a few examples though, there are actually quite a number of interesting team options with Slaking, so go with what your team can best fit in and don't feel too constrained.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

Slaking has a whole lot of other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam which has that a cool 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjuction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final and most controversial option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt Slaking's most powerful attack, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some pretty disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, you are better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no floating Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it, probably, the absolute worst set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set with it is completely out of the question though. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used, to cripple Pokemon that get greedy doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, a spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, this set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and it's very unreliable doesn't work all the time. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost from Choice Band is beneficial.

[COUNTERS]

While Slaking seems like a divine force able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by numerous strategies:

The first of which is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike he on the turn it loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out, eventually depleting his health. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponent that is faster than him, in much the same way it can't beat ones with Protect. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, who can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, then Calm Mind or Nasty Plot before sweeping your entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful in taking out Slaking as it can also trap it, just don't bring it on anything but a revenge kill. Finally, by using Pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage, you can easily waste Slaking. Slowbro is an example of a Pokemon who can effectively use this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Banded Return, Slaking's strongest attack against it. Slowbro can then alternate between Slack Off and another of its moveswhatever to ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

Red is removal
Blue is changes

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 26, 2010

Thank you, Komodo =]

cosmicexplorer · Dec 26, 2010

Aeron Ee1 said:
[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking's physical strength is unquestionably immense, his movepool phenomenal, and his stats excellently distributed, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, that causes him to be idle every other turn. This is why Slaking is usually found holding Because of this, Slaking generally performs best with a Choice item, to make the most of his discrete turns. Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully, but this requirement skill is of a far greater calibre with much more important when using Slaking. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and it will almost always result in a casualty, be it you or your opponent, that depends on depending upon who made the right move.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack, one of the highest in the game, and speedy high base 100 Speed. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power Attack boost from Choice Band, Slaking will be flattening capital cities in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOes a great number of Pokemon, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist at the very least;. However, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly harshly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should scout with a coverage move to keep your opponent on his / her their toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, and although it is not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types like Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw, and Pursuit. The first Shadow Claw is a reliable option to nail defensive Ghost-types, and it 2HKOes even the bulkiest of them after Stealth Rock, but Pursuit can be used to make Slaking a trapper of sorts, heavily wounding even neutral foes neutral to it that attempt to flee from him.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because opponents will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can work help to counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. Defensive Hariyama can do just that with Whirlwind, and if Slaking mispredicts against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its STAB to crumble them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and Pokemon that can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great partners to Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking deals a MINIMUM of 99% off the to standard Regirock's health with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents like Tangrowth and Torterra also have a chances to be OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, as well as use Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. A spinblocker on your team to prevent opponents from doing away with any entry hazards and absorb Fighting-type attacks directed at Slaking is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and Rest + Sleep Talk versions of Rotom and Spiritomb can absorb any status that opponents might have wished to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to use a hit-and-run approach to pick off the opponent's Pokemon one by one. While it is true that the loss of Choice Band's power in comparison to the Choice Band set is disheartening, 460 Attack is still very commendable, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches 448 Speed, which is enough to outrun quite a number of Pokemon - up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, which is pretty much the entire metagame outside of other scarfers. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great assassin-esque revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it's powerful to say the least, hitting harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, and Shadow Claw does the same, but for to Ghost-types instead. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, and it's which is used great for revenge killing Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do too much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Calm Mind Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, able to Slack Off any damage sustained, set up with Calm Mind, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel won't take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, and they resist the rest of the moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it and threaten it with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to a number of opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first, know what Slaking can and can't deal with, take down the things he can't harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton, Probopass, and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio in particular, is great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking would greatly appreciate to have removed from the match. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs respectively.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

There are a number of options that you can to include on your a (I believe the analyses should stay in the third person) team to greatly aid Slaking. Phazers are just about crucial for when you to cover mispredictions with Slaking, which would otherwise leavinge him open to be set up upon. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking, to know what he can and can't KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, to change many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep those entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, is able to phaze opponents with Roar, set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate. ResTalk Spiritomb is an adept bulky spinblocker able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and also absorb crippling status for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting the opponent's team for Rock- and Steel-types, and Primeape makes a good U-Turn partner to either to deal with them. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status but paralysis for Slaking with Guts. These are just a few examples though, there are actually quite a number of interesting team options with Slaking, so go with what your team can best fit in and don't feel too constrained. (I couldn't think of how to revise this sentence into the third person while retaining the original style)

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

Slaking has a whole lot of other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam, which has a cool 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjuction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final and most controversial option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt Slaking's most powerful attack, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some pretty disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, you are better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no part-Flying or Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it, probably, the absolute worst set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set with it is completely out of the question though. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used, to cripple Pokemon that get greedy doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, a spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, this set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and is thusly less reliable. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost from Choice Band is beneficial.

[COUNTERS]

While Slaking seems like a divine force able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by numerous strategies:

, one first of which is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike he on the turn it loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out, eventually depleting his health. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponent that is faster than him, in much the same way it can't beat ones with Protect. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, who can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, then Calm Mind or Nasty Plot before sweeping your entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful in taking out Slaking as it can also trap it, just don't bring it but can't be brought in on anything but a revenge kill. Finally, by using Pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage, you can easily waste Slaking can easily be wasted by using pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage. Slowbro is an example of a Pokemon who can effectively use this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Banded Return, Slaking's strongest attack against it. Slowbro can then alternate between Slack Off and another one of its moves to ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

Blue is for additions.
Red is for removals.

I'm not on the GP team, but I hope this helps!

Komodo · Dec 26, 2010

Cosmicexplorer you just edited the old version again, Aeron didn't edit in all of my changes (unless he/she had a reason?)

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 26, 2010

sporting a nice base 100 Speed

I didn't see what was wrong with mine

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOs a great number of things Pokemon

If I remember correctly, OHKOes is like a verb, and OHKOs is like a noun. Here, OHKO is used as a verb, so I used OHKOes.

Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and Rest + Sleep Talk versions can absorb any status that opponents might aim towards Slaking.

Again, I didn't find anything wrong with the original.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, she can phaze opponents with Roar, set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate.

This just sounds awkward, must've been your sleepiness xP

I think that's it, I implemented the rest. How'd you notice I did not do everything? O_o I'll be starting with cosmicexplorer's now..

Komodo · Dec 26, 2010

For the first one, I thought speedy and Speed in the same sentence sounded repetetive. The third one just seemed to run on a bit, so I tried to shorten it :P the others are a bit pointless.

Eraddd · Dec 27, 2010

Aeron Ee1 said:
Changes from current:

Removed all mentions of OUs and Double Battles

Redid Choice Scarf set, as many of its options revolved around said OUs

Major concising (4813 words -> 1881 words)

Conformed to current layout

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/slaking

======
[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking boasts a great attack stat, a phenomenal movepool, and an excellent distribution of stats, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, causing him to lose every other turn. Because of this, Slaking performs best when holding a Choice item, to make the most of his limited number of turns. Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully; however, in order to effectively use Slaking with a Choice item, prediction is even more essential. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and will almost always result in a casualty; in determining who suffers the casualty, however, depends on whether you predicted correctly or not. .

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack, one of the highest in the game, and his
base 100 Speed allowing him to outspeed many significant pokemon in the metagame. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power boost from Choice Band, Slaking will be flattening capital cities in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist at the very least. However, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should scout with a coverage move to keep your opponents on their toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, and although it is not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types like Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw, and Pursuit. The first is a reliable option to nail defensive Ghost-types, and it 2HKOes even the bulkiest of them after Stealth Rock, but Pursuit can be used to make Slaking a trapper of sorts, heavily wounding even foes neutral to it that attempt to flee from him.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because opponents will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can help counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. Defensive Hariyama can do just that with Whirlwind, and if Slaking predicts wrongly [Editor's Note] I don't think mispredict is a word. Therefore, I changed it. However, it still sounds a bit messy, so would someone please check it again? against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its STAB move to hit them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, are able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great partners to Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking deals a MINIMUM of 99% to the standard Regirock with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents like Tangrowth and Torterra also can potentially be OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, use Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. A spinblocker on your team to prevent opponents from doing away with any entry hazards is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks and sport good balanced stats; furthermore, Rest + Sleep Talk versions can also absorb any status that opponents might have wished to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to be used in a hit-and-run approach to pick off the opposing Pokemon one by one. While the loss of Choice Band's power is disheartening, a 460 Attack stat is still very respectable, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches 448 Speed, which is enough to outrun quite a number of Pokemon - up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, outspeeding pretty much the entire metagame. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great assassin-esque revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it's powerful to say the least, hitting harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, and Shadow Claw does the same, but for Ghost-types instead. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, and it's great for revenge killing Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do too much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Calm Mind Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, being able to Slack Off any damage sustained, set up with Calm Mind, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel will not take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, while resisting the rest of Slaking's moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it and threaten with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to a number of opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first and find what Slaking can and cannot deal with, take down the things he cannot harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton, Probopass, and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio in particular is great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking would greatly appreciate being removed from the match. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs respectively.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

There are a number of options that you can include on your team to greatly aid Slaking. Phazers are crucial for when you predict wrongly with Slaking, leaving him open to be set up upon. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking, to know what he can and cannot KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, changing many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep those entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting and is able to phaze opponents with Roar, set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and threaten Rock- and Steel-types with her STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate. ResTalk Spiritomb is an adept bulky spinblocker who is able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and absorb crippling status moves for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting the opponent's team for Rock- and Steel-types, and Primeape makes a good U-Turn partner to either to deal with them. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status but paralysis for Slaking with Guts. These are just a few examples though, as there are actually quite a number of interesting team options with Slaking, so go with what your team can best fit in and don't feel too constrained.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

Slaking has a whole lot of other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam which has a cool 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjuction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final and most controversial option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt Slaking's most powerful attack, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some pretty disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, you are better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no part-Flying or Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it, probably, the absolute worst set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set with it is completely out of the question though. [Editor's Note] I don't understand this sentence. You should say why the Life Orb is out of the question, or (if I'm correct in saying this), that only Life Orb should be used when using Sucker Punch, and not a Choice item. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used, to cripple Pokemon that get greedy in doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, a spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, this set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and is thusly less reliable. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost from Choice Band is beneficial.

[COUNTERS]

While Slaking seems like a divine force able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by a number of strategies:

The first of which is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike he on the turn it loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out, eventually depleting his health. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponent that is faster than him, in much the same way it cannot beat ones with Protect. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, who can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, and then Calm Mind or Nasty Plot before sweeping your entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful in taking out Slaking as it can also trap it; however, due to Dugtrio's fragile defenses, it should only used as a revenge killer. Finally, any pokemon that can absorb Slaking's attacks and use a healing move, can be used as a counter against Slaking Slowbro is an example of a Pokemon who can effectively use this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Banded Return, Slaking's strongest attack against it. Slowbro can then alternate between Slack Off and another one of its moves to ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

======
Post-critique changes a la bmb

Added Taunt to OC - Flashrider57

Added Life Orb to OC - shrang

Added SubDugtrio to Counters - shrang

Removed Sucker Punch -Bad Ass / EonADS

Implemented proofread - Komodo

Good write up, you just had a few grammatical mistakes.

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 27, 2010

A Life Orb set with it is completely out of the question though. [Editor's Note] I don't understand this sentence. You should say why the Life Orb is out of the question, or (if I'm correct in saying this), that only Life Orb should be used when using Sucker Punch, and not a Choice item.

Thanks for that catch, it's meant to be NOT completely out of the question =P Wow, every GP Checker that's not on the GP team came by.. Thanks, everyone! I've also decided to change some stuff that you all felt sounded better, even though I didn't...

[Editor's Note] I don't think mispredict is a word.

It is =]

Snorlaxe · Dec 30, 2010

GP CHECK 1/2

blue is additions
red is removals

[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking's boasts immense physical strength, a phenomenal movepool, and excellently distributed stats, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, which causes him to idle every other turn. Because of this, Slaking performs best when holding a Choice item, to as this allows him to make the most of his discrete turns. Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully, but this requirement is of a far greater calibre importance with Slaking. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and it will almost always result in a casualty; be it whether it is you or your opponent, however, depends on who made the right move.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack, one of the Attack (the third highest in the game, game) and quick base 100 Speed. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power boost from Choice Band, Slaking will be flattening capital cities opposing teams in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOes a great number of Pokemon, while at the very least 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist it. at the very least. However, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should scout with a coverage move to keep your opponents on their toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, and although it is not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types like such as Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw, and Claw or Pursuit. The first is a reliable option to nail defensive Ghost-types, and it 2HKOes 2HKOing even the bulkiest of them after Stealth Rock, but Pursuit can be used to make Slaking a trapper of sorts, heavily wounding even foes neutral to it that attempt to flee from him.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because opponents will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can help to counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. Defensive Hariyama can do just that with Whirlwind is a great choice for this role, and if Slaking mispredicts against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its super effective STAB Fighting-type attack to crumble them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and Pokemon that can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great partners to teammates for Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking deals a MINIMUM minimum of 99% to the standard Regirock with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents like such as Tangrowth and Torterra also have chances to be are potentially OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, use Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. A Using a spinblocker on your team to prevent opponents from doing away with any entry hazards you set up is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and sport good, balanced stats; furthermore Rest + Sleep Talk versions can also absorb any status that opponents might have wished attempted to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to use a hit-and-run approach to pick off opposing Pokemon one by one. While the loss of Choice Band's power is disheartening, an Attack stat of 460 is still very commendable threatening, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches a Speed stat of 448, which is enough to outrun quite a number of numerous common Pokemon; up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, which is pretty much essentially the entire metagame. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great assassin-esque revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it's powerful to say the least, hitting and packs an insane amount of power; in fact, it even hits harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, and while Shadow Claw does the same, but for deals with Ghost-types instead that are immune to Return. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, and it's great for revenge killing which allows Slaking to revenge kill Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do too much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Calm Mind Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, being able to Slack Off any damage sustained taken, set up with Calm Mind, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel don't take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, and they resist the rest of Slaking's moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it and threaten with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to a number of many opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first, know what Slaking can and can't deal with, take down the things Pokemon that he can't harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton, Probopass, and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio, in particular, is Dugtrio is particularly great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking would greatly appreciate to have removed from the match has a tough time taking on. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs, respectively.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

There are a number of options that you can include on your team to greatly aid Slaking. Reliable phazers are crucial to cover for mispredictions you will make with Slaking, leaving him open to be set up on. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking, to Slaking so that you know what he can and can't KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, as it changes many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep those these entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, is able to phaze opponents with Roar, set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with her STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate for Slaking. ResTalk RestTalk Spiritomb is an adept a bulky spinblocker who that is able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and also absorb crippling status for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting the opponent's team for Rock- and Steel-types, and while Primeape makes a good U-Turn U-turn partner user to either to deal with them. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status but status, except paralysis, for Slaking with thanks to its Guts ability Guts. These are just a few examples though, as there are actually quite a number of interesting team options with Slaking, so go with what your team can best fit in and don't feel too constrained.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

Slaking has a whole lot of many other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam, which has a cool useful 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjuction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final (and most controversial) option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt which is Slaking's most powerful attack, attack by far. However, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some pretty disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, you are better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no part-Flying or Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable, so use whichever appeals to you more. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it, probably, the makes it one of the absolute worst examples of set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set with it utilizing Sucker Punch is not completely out of the question, though. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used, used to cripple Pokemon that get greedy in doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, a spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, this the above set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and is thusly therefore less reliable. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost from Choice Band is beneficial.

[COUNTERS]

While Slaking seems like a divine force able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by a number of strategies. The first of which a good example of an effective strategy is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike him on the turn it he loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out, eventually depleting his health. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponent that is faster than him, in much the same way it can't beat ones with Protect. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, who which can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, and then obtain a Calm Mind or Nasty Plot boost before sweeping your entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful in taking out Slaking as it can also trap it, though it can't be brought in on anything but a revenge kill. Finally, Slaking can easily be wasted by using a Pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage. Slowbro is an example of a Pokemon who can effectively use utilize this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Banded Band-boosted Return, Slaking's strongest attack against it; and then, by alternating between Slack Off and another one of its moves, it will ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

d-d-done. the grammar was decent, but i made quite a few changes regarding prose because imo the analysis was pretty choppy. hopefully it will flow more smoothly after my edits are implemented. good job overall ^_^

Aeron Ee1 · Dec 30, 2010

Thank you Snorlaxe =D This is now ready for GP Check 2.

Flora · Jan 1, 2011

GP Check: 2/2
additions/changes in blue
removals in red
comments in navy

[OVERVIEW]

While Slaking boasts immense physical strength, a phenomenal movepool, and excellently distributed stats, he is severely hampered by his ability, Truant, which causes him to idle every other turn. Because of this, Slaking performs best when holding a Choice item, as it allows him to make the most of his discrete turns. Generally, Choiced Pokemon require some level of prediction to be used successfully, but this requirement is of far greater importance with to Slaking. Bringing Slaking onto the field is a huge gamble, and it will almost always result in a casualty; whether it is your's Slaking's or your opponent's, however, depends on who made the right move.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Slaking exhibits great distinction as a physical sweeper because of his herculean base 160 Attack (the third highest in the game) and quick base 100 Speed. Coupled with an unbelievably wide movepool, a hefty amount of bulk, and the power boost from Choice Band, Slaking will be flattening opposing teams in no time.

STAB Return coming off 690 Attack is no joke at all, and it OHKOes a great number of Pokemon, while at the very least 2HKOing everything other Pokemon that doesn't resist it. However, using it randomly in the hopes of hitting an opponent hard is not recommended, as Slaking's ability firmly punishes any misplays. Instead, you should let Slaking scout with a coverage move to keep your opponents on their toes. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return very hard, 2HKOing the standard Steelix and Regirock, as well as OHKOing Registeel with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes on the field. Fire Punch also hits Steel-types super effectively, and although it is not as powerful as Earthquake, it also OHKOes frail Levitating Ghost-types such as Mismagius and Rotom with Stealth Rock support. In the final slot, Slaking has two promising options in Shadow Claw and Pursuit. The first is a reliable option to nail defensive Ghost-types, 2HKOing even the bulkiest of them after Stealth Rock, but Pursuit can be used to trap foes that attempt to flee from Slaking make Slaking a trapper of sorts, heavily wounding even foes neutral to it that attempt to flee from him.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Because any opponent will gladly set up on Slaking whenever they can, a number of partners can help to counter these nuisances. Having a phazer on your side can dramatically help in defeating Substitute-using stat boosters. A Defensive Hariyama with Whirlwind is a great choice for this role, and if Slaking mispredicts against Rock- and Steel-types, Hariyama can also use its super effective STAB Fighting-type attacks to crumble them. In general, Pokemon that are immune to Will-O-Wisp, able to switch in on Fighting-type attacks and threaten their users, and can deal with Rock- and Steel-types are great teammates to Slaking.

This Slaking greatly benefits from the use of entry hazards. With three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, Slaking deals a minimum of 99% to the standard Regirock with Earthquake. Similarly, other physically defensive opponents such as Tangrowth and Torterra are also potentially OHKOed with these entry hazards in play. Defensive Drapion is a fantastic partner as it can set up Toxic Spikes, use Whirlwind to phaze, and threaten Slowbro and Mismagius with Crunch. (Maybe you can put Qwilfish for Spikes and Uxie for Stealth Rock?) Using a spinblocker to prevent opponents from doing away with spinning away any entry hazards that your Pokemon have set up is also recommended. Pokemon like Rotom and Spiritomb are the best at the job because they are immune to Fighting-type attacks, and sport good, balanced stats; furthermore, (comma) RestTalk versions can also absorb any status that opponents might have attempted to inflict upon Slaking.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw / Pursuit
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is designed to use a hit-and-run approach to pick off opposing Pokemon one by one. While the loss of Choice Band's power is disheartening, an Attack stat of 460 is still very threatening, and with an Adamant nature, Slaking reaches a Speed stat of 448, which is enough to outrun numerous common Pokemon—up to Scarfed positive-natured base 85s, which is essentially the entire metagame. These characteristics allow Slaking to become a great assassin-esque revenge killer that can even take a hit or two when needed.

Return is the obligatory STAB move, and it packs an insane amount of power; in fact, it even hits harder than a 2x super effective elemental punch, which is why most of them have been omitted from the set. Earthquake is Slaking's response to Rock- and Steel-types that arrogantly believe they can wall him, while Shadow Claw deals with Ghost-types that are immune to Return. The final slot goes to Ice Punch, and it's which is great for revenge killing Rock Polish Torterra and Bulky Dragon Dance Altaria, both of which are not OHKOed by Return.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Choice Scarf Slaking is unable to do too much damage to bulkier walls, allowing them to have a very easy time with him. Calm Mind Slowbro is more than happy to face Scarf Slaking, being as he is able to Slack Off any damage taken, set up with Calm Mind, and cause immense problems for your team. Steelix, Regirock, and Registeel don't take too much damage from Slaking's unboosted Earthquake, and they resist the rest of Slaking's moveset. Tangrowth can easily take whatever Slaking decides to use against it him and threaten with Leech Seed, Power Whip, or Sleep Powder. The key to using Choice Scarf Slaking is to realize one very important thing: even with 460 Attack, Slaking still loses to many opponents. Therefore, it would be wise to scout first, know what Slaking can and can't deal with, take down the Pokemon that he can't harm, and then send him in.

To trap and KO Steel-types, Magneton, Probopass, and Dugtrio are sensational options. Dugtrio is particularly great because it he can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking has trouble taking on. As with Choice Band Slaking, bulky phazers and entry hazards will help immensely against stat-boosters and for securing KOs, respectively.

[Team Options]

There are a number of options that you can include on your team to greatly aid Slaking. Reliable phazers are crucial to cover for mispredictions that you will inevitably make with Slaking, leaving which leaves him open to be set up on. Scouts can expose vital information about the opponent's team, which is especially important when using Slaking so that you may know what he can and can't KO. Entry hazard support is also particularly beneficial for Slaking, as it changes many 2HKOs into OHKOs, greatly increasing his potential damage output. Solid spinblockers would also be ideal to keep these entry hazards on the field. Finally, teammates that can check Rock-, Steel-, and Fighting-types are very much appreciated.

Nidoqueen resists Fighting, is able to phaze opponents with Roar, can set up both or either Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, and can also threaten Rock- and Steel-types with her STAB Earth Power, making her a great teammate for Slaking. RestTalk Spiritomb is a bulky spinblocker that is able to take on almost any Fighting-type, and also absorb crippling status for Slaking. Swellow and Scyther are good for scouting the opponent's team for threatening Rock- and Steel-types, while Primeape makes a good U-turn partner to either to deal with them the threats. Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status, except paralysis, for Slaking thanks to its his ability, Guts. These are just a few examples though, as there are actually quite a number of interesting team options with Slaking, so go with what your team can best fit in and don't feel too constrained. (Might as well put that in every analysis.)

[Optional Changes]

Slaking has a many other options that he can use. Aside from Return, Slaking has four other decent STAB moves that can be used in its place. The first option is Body Slam, which has a cool 30% paralysis rate; however, Slaking is actually quite fast and almost always prefers the extra power that Return offers. The second and third options are Double-Edge and Facade in conjunction with Toxic Orb, and while both are more powerful than Return, they both also greatly undermine Slaking's bulk. The final (and most controversial) option is Giga Impact, and while it is without a doubt Slaking's most powerful attack, it also prevents Slaking from switching out the next turn, which can lead to some disastrous scenarios.

Slack Off and Rest are options to keep Slaking healthy. However, you are Slaking is better off sticking to attacking moves instead, since the recovery is normally negated when Slaking loafs around. Slaking also has access to Rock Slide, but most of the time the elemental Punches offer greater coverage. Brick Break can be used for a reliable Fighting-type move, but with Earthquake being stronger, and there being no part-Flying or Levitating Steel-types in UU, it's almost always better to use the latter. Night Slash and Shadow Claw are practically interchangeable, so use whichever appeals to you more. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority move, but using it on a Choiced Slaking makes it one of the worst examples of set-up bait in the game. A Life Orb set utilizing Sucker Punch is not completely out of the question, though. Taunt can stop Pokemon from setting up on Slaking, and for a huge surprise, Encore can be used to cripple Pokemon that get greedy in doing so. Yawn is also unexpected on Slaking, but many opponents will find themselves switching out from Slaking's attacks anyway.

A wallbreaker set with a Rash nature, a spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs, and a moveset along the lines of Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Return has a huge surprise factor, but clever opponents will take advantage of this in any way they can. Other than scoring an occasional KO on the likes of Tangrowth and Donphan, the above set is significantly easier to wall than any of Slaking's other sets, and is therefore less reliable. A Life Orb set is also fine if you feel that the inability to switch attacks is more detrimental than the power boost granted from Choice Band is beneficial.

[Counters]

While Slaking seems like a divine force that is able to outright destroy just about anything with the right move, he can easily be countered by a number of strategies. The first of which strategy is to use Protect to stall out Slaking's attacking turn, and then strike him on the turn he loafs around. With this strategy, even physically fragile Pokemon such as Wish + Protect Chansey can easily stall him out, eventually depleting his health. Another strategy is to use Substitute. Similar to Protect-abusing opponents, Slaking cannot win against a Substitute-abusing opponents that is are faster than him, in much the same way it can't beat ones with Protect. A dangerous example of a Pokemon that can abuse this strategy is Mismagius, which can switch in on the majority of Slaking's moveset, set up a Substitute, and then obtain a Calm Mind or Nasty Plot boost before sweeping your Slaking's entire team. Substitute Dugtrio is particularly useful in taking out as he can trap and take out Slaking as it can also trap it, though it can't be brought in on anything but he can only be brought in on a revenge kill. Finally, Slaking can easily be wasted by using a Pokemon that can take a hit and then use a recovery move to heal off the damage. Slowbro is a perfect example of a Pokemon who that can effectively utilize this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Band-boosted Return—Slaking's strongest attack against it him; and by alternating between Slack Off and another one of its his moves, it Slowbro will ultimately triumph over Slaking. Be warned, however, that this last strategy is more prone to being ruined by critical hits than the previous two.

Team Options, Optional Changes, and Counters stay capitalized if you keep them like that, so I lowercased. For some reason, the Overview doesn't do that, so I didn't change that.

Anyway, I think it's good.

Aeron Ee1 · Jan 1, 2011

Thank you, Flora, implemented your changes except the ones that changed the 'it's to 'he's. IIRC, it's ok to refer to the main Pokemon with a gender, and everything else with it. I'll change it if that's not allowed anymore, but Camerupt's analysis will probably have to be changed as well then.

Oglemi · Jan 1, 2011

That's exactly what Flora was doing Aeron. If you're going to refer to a Pokemon by gender, then every instance has to be "he", "his", and "him", there can't be any "its" or "it" in the analysis when referring to that Pokemon.

Aeron Ee1 · Jan 1, 2011

Dugtrio is particularly great because it can take out both Rock- and Steel-types, as well as Blaziken, all of which Slaking has trouble taking on.

refers to Dugtrio

Swellow has the added advantage of also being able to absorb any status, except paralysis, for Slaking thanks to its ability, Guts.

refers to Swellow

Slowbro is a perfect example of a Pokemon who that can effectively utilize this strategy, taking only a maximum of 66% from a Choice Band-boosted Return—Slaking's strongest attack against it; and by alternating between Slack Off and another one of its moves, Slowbro will ultimately triumph over Slaking

refers to Slowbro

O_o

Oglemi · Jan 1, 2011

OK, I thought the part with Slowbro was referring to Slaking, my bad.

Yeah, I really don't agree with those changes, but as Flora pointed out, that is how it's worded in the Grammar Reference article. I personally don't think it's that big of a deal as long as everything regarding the Pokemon in question makes sense and stays consistent.

Oglemi · Jan 2, 2011

In other news, this is uploaded. Great job, only one misplaced comma as far as I could see.

Slaking (Update)

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General Kenobi

Custom Title

I KickTehAss

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pewpewpew

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Huff

One Pixel

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2 kawaii 4 u

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Yep, that tasted purple!

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Zoltraak

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Zoltraak

Zoltraak