Apparently, I'm taking over a take over @-@
**Credit goes to Lord of Bays and LilOuOn for the original skeleton of the analysis.**
Original Slowbro Analysis
3/3: | PK Gaming | ginganinja | BKC |
2/2: | relaunched | Oglemi |
[Overview]
<p>Slowbro has many talents to offer a team, even in the OU tier. The fact that Slowbro is one of the best Fighting-type checks is often overlooked; it can handle Terrakion, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr quite well. It's also an excellent physical Dragon-type check; Garchomp, Salamence, and Dragonite are completely cornered by Ice Beam. You cannot look past Slowbro's fantastic ability in Regenerator, which greatly increases its walling capabilities. Not only does Slowbro get a recovery move in Slack Off, it also has amazing physical bulk to back it up. Though mediocre, Slowbro's Special Defense can allow it to survive a strong blow. Slowbro not only shines on the defensive side, as its Special Attack is high enough to make use of, especially when combined with its great coverage. Slowbro can also turn its horrid Speed into a powerful weapon thanks to Trick Room. There's more: Slowbro is one of the few Psychic-types that doesn't mind taking a Pursuit from the likes of Tyranitar and Scizor.</p>
<p>However, Slowbro has many flaws that make it undesirable to some players. It is extremely slow, so it cannot outspeed any notable threats besides Ferrothorn. Slowbro is also outclassed by many Water-types when it comes to team support; Jellicent is a much better option in that department. All in all, while Slowbro has some flaws, it also has many qualities that make it a great ally on a variety of teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Scald
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Psychic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to an amazing ability in Regenerator, a reliable healing move in Slack Off, a great defensive typing, and a respectable Defense stat, Slowbro works well as a defensive wall. This set allows Slowbro to counter almost every Fighting-type, including Terrakion, Conkeldurr, and Lucario. In fact, Breloom is the only physical attacker in OU that can OHKO Slowbro at full HP without any setup. Scald is Slowbro's primary STAB move, potentially crippling the opponent with its 30% burn chance. Ice Beam is a great coverage move, especially against Dragon-types; Salamence and Dragonite in particular are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage with Ice Beam, while Garchomp is 2HKOed by it. There are two alternatives for the third moveslot. If another STAB move is preferred, Psychic can be used. Psychic does more damage in general, specifically having optimal coverage on Conkeldurr and Cloyster. Thunder Wave is a great option to cripple the opponent, crippling fast, powerful Pokemon, such as Latios. It also gives Slowbro a means of supporting the entire team. Slack Off fills the final moveslot, allowing Slowbro to stay in prime condition while enhancing its ability as a defensive wall by lengthening its lifespan.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>19 Speed IVs forces standard Conkeldurr to outspeed Slowbro so the latter never takes full damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's most powerful attack against it. Psyshock can be used as a secondary STAB move in this set, as it hits Calm Mind Keldeo, Terrakion in the sand, and Gyarados harder than any other move Slowbro has. Toxic can be used to cripple opposing walls like as Hippowdon and Cresselia. Flamethrower is a viable option as well; it 2HKOes Ferrothorn outside of rain, OHKOes 248/0 Scizor 81% of the time, and brings 252/0 Forretress down to Sturdy. However, Fire Blast does even more damage in exchange for less accuracy, OHKOing every variant of Scizor, bar the bulky Swords Dance set. Thanks to Regenerator, you have the option to replace Slack Off for an alternative move. Slowbro's longevity decreases significantly with this change, however.</p>
<p>Despite having a decent Special Defense stat, Slowbro always appreciates partners who can sponge powerful special attacks for it. Blissey and Chansey are fantastic special walls that can take the special attacks for Slowbro. Celebi is a great partner for Slowbro, as it can take most of Slowbro's weaknesses, such as Eletric- and Grass-type moves. Celebi shares Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type weaknesses with Slowbro, so you must be wary of that. Amoonguss also bears Regenerator and has nice synergy with Slowbro, forming a nice Regenerator core. Amoonguss can also handle Breloom, a common OU threat to Slowbro. Heatran combined with these two completes a potent defensive Fire / Water / Grass core; Heatran can also deal with specially defensive Celebi and Magnezone for Slowbro, which aids in keeping the balance between the core. Finally, Slowbro's biggest enemies to this set are Choice Band Tyranitar, Breloom, and Scizor. Skarmory handles all three of them while setting up Spikes in certain situations.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Trick / Ice Beam / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Though Slowbro is widely known for its formidable bulk, it can still make use of its respectable base 100 Special Attack with Choice Specs. With the new gift of Trick in BW2, Slowbro now has the opportunity to cripple opposing walls by exchanging items with the them. Slowbro also doesn't mind switching in and out of entry hazards thanks to Regenerator, which makes it stand out from fellow Choice users. Add that to its wonderful bulk; not only can Slowbro survive a hit, the ability to also inflict damage onto the foe is what makes this set unique.</p>
<p>Surf is the powerful, primary STAB move for Slowbro. Fire Blast is a great coverage move against the many Steel-type Pokemon roaming the OU metagame, including Ferrothorn. It can also handle Grass-types like Venusaur and Breloom. The secondary STAB move for the third moveslot depends on preference. Psyshock helps Slowbro break through special walls, and while Psychic cannot achieve this, Psychic is a stronger STAB attack that can defeat Conkeldurr. The final moveslot presents another choice. Trick is the recommended option, ruining the opponent's strategy by forcing them to stick to one move. However, Ice Beam and Grass Knot are both good coverage moves against Dragon- and opposing Water-type Pokemon, respectively, and should be used if either type is harmful to the rest of your team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Regardless of Speed investment, Slowbro won't outspeed anything significant, so 252 EVs are placed in HP to give it as much bulk as possible, and 252 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature maximizes its power. Regenerator is the ability of choice, allowing Slowbro to switch freely without fear of passive damage from Spikes and Stealth Rock. 19 Speed IVs make Slowbro slower than standard Conkeldurr, letting it avoid double damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's strongest attack against it. Shadow Ball is a possible alternate move for Slowbro, as it can dent Ghost- and opposing Psychic-types. Flamethrower is also an alternative for Fire Blast; while it lacks the raw power Fire Blast provides, it has higher accuracy, which makes it more reliable in certain cases.</p>
<p>Slowbro has a plethora of coverage moves to choose from, so it doesn't need any one partner in particular. Slowbro can lure Ferrothorn onto the field and defeat it with Fire Blast, so any Pokemon that benefits from having Ferrothorn removed will work well with Slowbro, Choice Scarf or Specs Keldeo, Double Dance Thundurus-T, and Kyurem-B being a few examples of note. Since Slowbro is going to be switching often with this set, a Choice Band Tyranitar's Pursuit would put Slowbro in danger. Having partners who can defeat Tyranitar, such as Landorus-T and Terrakion, are recommended; however, the latter cannot switch in on a Superpower from Tyranitar. Thundurus-T can easily outspeed and OHKO Slowbro with its STAB Electric-type attacks; Gastrodon and Quagsire are both great counters to Thundurus-T since they can take almost everything it can throw at them bar Grass Knot. When Psyshock is not used, Slowbro has difficulty defeating special walls, such as Blissey, so physical attackers, such as Terrakion and Garchomp, work well with Slowbro. Celebi can also handle Jellicent, a Pokemon that is difficult for Slowbro to defeat thanks to its great bulk, while not being bothered by a Toxic or Will-O-Wisp Latios and Calm Mind Latias both give Slowbro trouble, with the latter being able to set up against Slowbro. Specially defensive Jirachi can handle both of them, walling their Hidden Power Fire quite nicely and potentially paralyzing them with Body Slam or Thunder Wave. Jirachi also synergizes with Slowbro well, taking the special attacks for it, including the Ghost-, Bug-, and Dark-type moves for neutral damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 232 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Slowbro's pitiful Speed can be used to its advantage with Trick Room. With its offensive presence, formidable bulk, and access to healing via Regenerator, Slowbro has all the necessary supplies it needs to function as a successful offensive Trick Room user. This set is mostly used late-game to clean up any scraps the sweepers may have left. However, thanks to Regenerator, Slowbro is one of the few Trick Room sweepers that can useful in the entire game due to its ability to act as a pivot and hit-and-run attacker. Trick Room is the key factor to this set, allowing Slowbro to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the OU tier, bar Ferrothorn. Surf is Slowbro's main STAB move, and Psyshock or Psychic are its secondary STAB moves, a classic choice between power and "mixed" attacking. The final move depends on the coverage needed; Ice Beam is for Dragon-types, and Shadow Ball hits Celebi and Jirachi for great damage while also denting Celei, Latios, and Latias as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb enhances Slowbro's power, and it doesn't have to worry about the recoil damage thanks to Regenerator, healing any excess damage Slowbro may have incurred. A Quiet nature and zero Speed IVs minimize Slowbro's Speed, allowing Slowbro to outspeed almost all OU threats under Trick Room. A 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA EV spread can be used if you wish for Slowbro to play a more defensive role, making it more of a pure Trick Room supporter. If that path is taken, it's advised to drop one of Slowbro's attacks for Slack Off to maintain its lifespan. Leftovers should be replaced with Life Orb as well if Slowbro runs the defensive EV spread. Fire Blast can also be used in the final moveslot to deal with Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn.</p>
<p>Many Trick Room sweepers appreciate being paired with Slowbro, since it can set up Trick Room for them. Examples of these sweepers are Magnezone, who can remove Ferrothorn, making it easier for Slowbro to sweep; Conkeldurr, who can get past Ferrothorn, Celebi and Jellicent, and Reuniclus who is another excellent Trick Room sweeper that can clean up after Slowbro weakens the opposition. Ferrothorn and Forretress can be used with Slowbro as well for a more defensive route, as they can make use of their Speed to set up entry hazards. They also can take the super effective attacks against Slowbro, such as Ghost-, Bug-, Grass-, and Dark-type moves. Since Slowbro will usually come in late-game, sweepers such as Volcarona are preferred to weaken the opponent, making Slowbro's job as an offensive Trick Room user much easier. Volcarona can aid in defeating Ferrothorn and Celebi for Slowbro as well. Entry hazards to weaken the adversary are also appreciated; Ferrothorn is a great hazard setter with Slowbro, covering its weaknesses quite well. Slowbro has no way of reliably defeating Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Jirachi, since it loses a Fire-type coverage move. Heatran and Magnezone are prime choices to handle them; the former can roast almost every Steel-type it encounters, and the latter can trap and defeat the Steel-types quite easily with Hidden Power Fire.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There are very few other options for Slowbro. It can run a Life Orb tank set, which complements Regenerator's usefulness quite nicely, healing any damage from Life Orb's recoil. Slack Off and three moves is a great example of such a set. Slowbro can run a Calm Mind set, but he needs several boosts to have a chance of sweeping, giving more time for a powerful attacker to come in and cripple Slowbro, and is outclassed for the most part by Jirachi and Latias as a bulky boosting sweeper.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Celebi, Chansey, Blissey, and Gastrodon are the best counters to Slowbro. They can brush off anything that defensive Slowbro can do and beat it one-on-one. Latias, Latios, Amoonguss, Starmie, Rotom-W, and Jellicent are also good checks to Slowbro, as they can wall the majority of his attacks and defeat him without difficulty. Slowbro is lacking in the Special Defense department, special attackers, such as Jolteon, Thundurus-T, and Magnezone, are the best offensive checks. While Breloom cannot switch into Slowbro's Psychic-type attacks, it can OHKO Slowbrother with Bullet Seed, accounting that it hits at least three times. Choice Band Tyranitar is the only Pursuit user Slowbro actually worries about, as Tyranitar can 2HKO Slowbro with Pursuit. Ferrothorn, defensive Politoed with Toxic, Kyurem-B and Kyurem with Substitute, Tentacruel with Toxic in rain, SubCM Jirachi, Hydreigon, Ninetales, and Venusaur are all good checks as well; most of them cannot wall or switch into some of Slowbro's attacks, but they can land a KO on Slowbro in the right situation. Finally, anything that can seriously injure Slowbro but can't switch into it Id a great revenge killer against Slowbro. Scizor, for example, is a good revenge killer against Slowbro, as its STAB Bug-type moves can seriously dent Slowbro. However, it must be wary of Flamethrower and Fire Blast. There are many approaches to defeating Slowbro, but any powerful special attacker won't have too much trouble taking it down.</p>
**Credit goes to Lord of Bays and LilOuOn for the original skeleton of the analysis.**
Original Slowbro Analysis
Code:
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[/LIST]Slowbro
[Overview]
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Scald
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder Wave / Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Trick / Ice Beam / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 232 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[OTHER OPTIONS]
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
- The Bro to end all Bros
- Seriously underrated physical wall, one of the best Fighting-type checks in the game, completely shuts down any Terrakion besides SD Rock Gem
- Excellent physical Dragon check; Kyurem-B tops out at 88% with +1 252+ Atk Fusion Bolt
- Gives less fucks about Pursuit than most Psychic-types thanks to insane physical bulk and Regenerator
- Rather specially frail; can't take too many neutral hits, much less SE ones
- Extremely slow, only outspeeds Ferrothorn, so it's taking several hits every time it switches, at least
- If you're looking for team support/utility, almost every bulky water does that better, but Slowbro is a better wall than most of them
- Offensive sets (Specs and Trick Room) appreciate rain support to boost his Water STAB
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Scald
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder Wave / Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Poops all over almost every Fighting-type ever
- There are very, very few physical attackers that can beat Slowbro without fear of reprisal. Breloom is the only OU Pokémon that can OHKO fully healthy Bro without set-up, but Scizor, Tyranitar, and Kyurem-B can KO with hazard support (all with Choice Band, of course)
- Scald for that evil, evil 30% burn chance
- Thunder Wave cripple opposing Pokémon
- Ice Beam puts the hurt on Dragons, OHKOing Salamence, Dragonite after Rocks, and does a minimum of 88.3% to Garchomp
- Psyshock hits Gyarados harder as well as is the most consistent option against Terrakion. Psychic hits harder on average, and specifically hits Conkeldurr and Cloyster hard
- 19 Speed IVs allows it to always underspeed Conkeldurr so it never takes full damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's most powerful attack against Bro
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Toxic to cripple opposing walls, though Ferrothorn and any Pokémon with Natural Cure won't care
- 4 SpA Flamethrower 2HKOs Ferrothorn out of the rain and OHKOs 248/0 Scizor 81% of the time, and brings 252/0 Forretress down to Sturdy, Fire Blast does even more damage (I would give calcs but Kalashnikov is down and I don't know any other reliable calculators. Suffice to say that Ferro can be OHKOd with Spikes support and Scizor never survives)
- Thanks to Regenerator, you can conceivably drop Slack Off for a third attacking move or a second status move
- The pink blobs and Celebi are good teammates, providing Heal Bell/Aromatherapy support as well as sponging most special attacks. Celebi shares Bug, Dark, and Ghost weaknesses, so watch out for that
- Amoonguss also has Regenerator and synergizes nicely as a Regenerating Core, Slowbro as a physical wall and Amoonguss as a special wall. Unfortunately, outside of status they don't offer much team support
- Heatran and Amoongus complete a Fire-Water-Grass core, worth looking into
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Trick / Ice Beam / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Surprise your opponents with Slowbro's respectable base 100 SpA and Choice Specs
- Received Trick in BW2, opening the ever popular strategy of tricking a Choice item to an opposing wall
- Really doesn't give a damn about entry hazards with Regenerator, making him rather unique among Choice users
- Fire Blast puts the hurt on Grass-types and Steels, especially Ferrothorn (fuck this guy)
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Grass Knot for opposing Water-types
- Ice Beam for Dragons; this is not a primary move because without that physical investment Bro is not such a good switch-in anymore
- Anything that hates Ferrothorn (Choice Keldeo, Double Dance Thundurus-T, Kyurem-B) love to see it roasted on the lure so they can sweep more freely
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 232 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Trick Room, fuck yeah
- Life Orb gives Slowbro just a little sweeping power
- More than enough bulk to tank a hit, put Trick Room back up if it's gone, and then Regenerate the hell out of there, letting something like Guts Conkeldurr have his day
- STABs for attacking, most bang for your buck
- Ice Beam hits Dragons thinking to prey on you when setting up Trick Room, Shadow Ball hits opposing Psychics hard
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- All other attacking options listed earlier are viable over Bro's STABs, just depends on what you need
- Defensive spread (252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA) and Leftovers make Slowbro more of a pure Trick Room supporter. In this case, drop one of your attacking moves for Slack Off
- Lots of Trick Room sweepers appreciate it if they can't put Trick Room up themselves or can't afford to spend the turn themselves: Conkeldurr, Reuniclus, Escavalier, Gigalith, Rhyperior, Magnezone, Tyranitar, Chandelure (honestly, I just threw a bunch of Pokémon with relatively low Speed stats and high attacking stats out here. This will be much cleaner in the final write-up)
[OTHER OPTIONS]
- Could run a straight-up LO tank set. Regenerator seriously adds to that viability, Slack Off + 3 Attacks and whatnot
- Calm Mind is seriously outdone by other Pokémon, but if you make it work more power to you
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
- First and foremost: Special walls, barring Jirachi (SpDef Jirachi does dick for damage and risks Scald burns and T-Wave if it tries to stay in and flinch hax)
- Powerful special attackers (so CM Jirachi with Thunder or Grass Knot, etc.)
- Breloom HAS to watch out for Psyshock/Psychic and Scald Burns, but if it's in, Bullet Seed is going to shred Slowbro
- Similar to Breloom, Scizor needs to beware Flamethrower/Fire Blast and Scald, but U-turn will tear Bro a new one
- Bulky set-up attackers with Substitute; Gyarados' SubDD set is a prime example
- CB Tyranitar does up to 88% with Pursuit on the switch, but that's really the only Pursuiter you should fear with Regenerator
[Overview]
<p>Slowbro has many talents to offer a team, even in the OU tier. The fact that Slowbro is one of the best Fighting-type checks is often overlooked; it can handle Terrakion, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr quite well. It's also an excellent physical Dragon-type check; Garchomp, Salamence, and Dragonite are completely cornered by Ice Beam. You cannot look past Slowbro's fantastic ability in Regenerator, which greatly increases its walling capabilities. Not only does Slowbro get a recovery move in Slack Off, it also has amazing physical bulk to back it up. Though mediocre, Slowbro's Special Defense can allow it to survive a strong blow. Slowbro not only shines on the defensive side, as its Special Attack is high enough to make use of, especially when combined with its great coverage. Slowbro can also turn its horrid Speed into a powerful weapon thanks to Trick Room. There's more: Slowbro is one of the few Psychic-types that doesn't mind taking a Pursuit from the likes of Tyranitar and Scizor.</p>
<p>However, Slowbro has many flaws that make it undesirable to some players. It is extremely slow, so it cannot outspeed any notable threats besides Ferrothorn. Slowbro is also outclassed by many Water-types when it comes to team support; Jellicent is a much better option in that department. All in all, while Slowbro has some flaws, it also has many qualities that make it a great ally on a variety of teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Scald
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Psychic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to an amazing ability in Regenerator, a reliable healing move in Slack Off, a great defensive typing, and a respectable Defense stat, Slowbro works well as a defensive wall. This set allows Slowbro to counter almost every Fighting-type, including Terrakion, Conkeldurr, and Lucario. In fact, Breloom is the only physical attacker in OU that can OHKO Slowbro at full HP without any setup. Scald is Slowbro's primary STAB move, potentially crippling the opponent with its 30% burn chance. Ice Beam is a great coverage move, especially against Dragon-types; Salamence and Dragonite in particular are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage with Ice Beam, while Garchomp is 2HKOed by it. There are two alternatives for the third moveslot. If another STAB move is preferred, Psychic can be used. Psychic does more damage in general, specifically having optimal coverage on Conkeldurr and Cloyster. Thunder Wave is a great option to cripple the opponent, crippling fast, powerful Pokemon, such as Latios. It also gives Slowbro a means of supporting the entire team. Slack Off fills the final moveslot, allowing Slowbro to stay in prime condition while enhancing its ability as a defensive wall by lengthening its lifespan.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>19 Speed IVs forces standard Conkeldurr to outspeed Slowbro so the latter never takes full damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's most powerful attack against it. Psyshock can be used as a secondary STAB move in this set, as it hits Calm Mind Keldeo, Terrakion in the sand, and Gyarados harder than any other move Slowbro has. Toxic can be used to cripple opposing walls like as Hippowdon and Cresselia. Flamethrower is a viable option as well; it 2HKOes Ferrothorn outside of rain, OHKOes 248/0 Scizor 81% of the time, and brings 252/0 Forretress down to Sturdy. However, Fire Blast does even more damage in exchange for less accuracy, OHKOing every variant of Scizor, bar the bulky Swords Dance set. Thanks to Regenerator, you have the option to replace Slack Off for an alternative move. Slowbro's longevity decreases significantly with this change, however.</p>
<p>Despite having a decent Special Defense stat, Slowbro always appreciates partners who can sponge powerful special attacks for it. Blissey and Chansey are fantastic special walls that can take the special attacks for Slowbro. Celebi is a great partner for Slowbro, as it can take most of Slowbro's weaknesses, such as Eletric- and Grass-type moves. Celebi shares Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type weaknesses with Slowbro, so you must be wary of that. Amoonguss also bears Regenerator and has nice synergy with Slowbro, forming a nice Regenerator core. Amoonguss can also handle Breloom, a common OU threat to Slowbro. Heatran combined with these two completes a potent defensive Fire / Water / Grass core; Heatran can also deal with specially defensive Celebi and Magnezone for Slowbro, which aids in keeping the balance between the core. Finally, Slowbro's biggest enemies to this set are Choice Band Tyranitar, Breloom, and Scizor. Skarmory handles all three of them while setting up Spikes in certain situations.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Trick / Ice Beam / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Though Slowbro is widely known for its formidable bulk, it can still make use of its respectable base 100 Special Attack with Choice Specs. With the new gift of Trick in BW2, Slowbro now has the opportunity to cripple opposing walls by exchanging items with the them. Slowbro also doesn't mind switching in and out of entry hazards thanks to Regenerator, which makes it stand out from fellow Choice users. Add that to its wonderful bulk; not only can Slowbro survive a hit, the ability to also inflict damage onto the foe is what makes this set unique.</p>
<p>Surf is the powerful, primary STAB move for Slowbro. Fire Blast is a great coverage move against the many Steel-type Pokemon roaming the OU metagame, including Ferrothorn. It can also handle Grass-types like Venusaur and Breloom. The secondary STAB move for the third moveslot depends on preference. Psyshock helps Slowbro break through special walls, and while Psychic cannot achieve this, Psychic is a stronger STAB attack that can defeat Conkeldurr. The final moveslot presents another choice. Trick is the recommended option, ruining the opponent's strategy by forcing them to stick to one move. However, Ice Beam and Grass Knot are both good coverage moves against Dragon- and opposing Water-type Pokemon, respectively, and should be used if either type is harmful to the rest of your team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Regardless of Speed investment, Slowbro won't outspeed anything significant, so 252 EVs are placed in HP to give it as much bulk as possible, and 252 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature maximizes its power. Regenerator is the ability of choice, allowing Slowbro to switch freely without fear of passive damage from Spikes and Stealth Rock. 19 Speed IVs make Slowbro slower than standard Conkeldurr, letting it avoid double damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's strongest attack against it. Shadow Ball is a possible alternate move for Slowbro, as it can dent Ghost- and opposing Psychic-types. Flamethrower is also an alternative for Fire Blast; while it lacks the raw power Fire Blast provides, it has higher accuracy, which makes it more reliable in certain cases.</p>
<p>Slowbro has a plethora of coverage moves to choose from, so it doesn't need any one partner in particular. Slowbro can lure Ferrothorn onto the field and defeat it with Fire Blast, so any Pokemon that benefits from having Ferrothorn removed will work well with Slowbro, Choice Scarf or Specs Keldeo, Double Dance Thundurus-T, and Kyurem-B being a few examples of note. Since Slowbro is going to be switching often with this set, a Choice Band Tyranitar's Pursuit would put Slowbro in danger. Having partners who can defeat Tyranitar, such as Landorus-T and Terrakion, are recommended; however, the latter cannot switch in on a Superpower from Tyranitar. Thundurus-T can easily outspeed and OHKO Slowbro with its STAB Electric-type attacks; Gastrodon and Quagsire are both great counters to Thundurus-T since they can take almost everything it can throw at them bar Grass Knot. When Psyshock is not used, Slowbro has difficulty defeating special walls, such as Blissey, so physical attackers, such as Terrakion and Garchomp, work well with Slowbro. Celebi can also handle Jellicent, a Pokemon that is difficult for Slowbro to defeat thanks to its great bulk, while not being bothered by a Toxic or Will-O-Wisp Latios and Calm Mind Latias both give Slowbro trouble, with the latter being able to set up against Slowbro. Specially defensive Jirachi can handle both of them, walling their Hidden Power Fire quite nicely and potentially paralyzing them with Body Slam or Thunder Wave. Jirachi also synergizes with Slowbro well, taking the special attacks for it, including the Ghost-, Bug-, and Dark-type moves for neutral damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 232 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Slowbro's pitiful Speed can be used to its advantage with Trick Room. With its offensive presence, formidable bulk, and access to healing via Regenerator, Slowbro has all the necessary supplies it needs to function as a successful offensive Trick Room user. This set is mostly used late-game to clean up any scraps the sweepers may have left. However, thanks to Regenerator, Slowbro is one of the few Trick Room sweepers that can useful in the entire game due to its ability to act as a pivot and hit-and-run attacker. Trick Room is the key factor to this set, allowing Slowbro to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the OU tier, bar Ferrothorn. Surf is Slowbro's main STAB move, and Psyshock or Psychic are its secondary STAB moves, a classic choice between power and "mixed" attacking. The final move depends on the coverage needed; Ice Beam is for Dragon-types, and Shadow Ball hits Celebi and Jirachi for great damage while also denting Celei, Latios, and Latias as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb enhances Slowbro's power, and it doesn't have to worry about the recoil damage thanks to Regenerator, healing any excess damage Slowbro may have incurred. A Quiet nature and zero Speed IVs minimize Slowbro's Speed, allowing Slowbro to outspeed almost all OU threats under Trick Room. A 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA EV spread can be used if you wish for Slowbro to play a more defensive role, making it more of a pure Trick Room supporter. If that path is taken, it's advised to drop one of Slowbro's attacks for Slack Off to maintain its lifespan. Leftovers should be replaced with Life Orb as well if Slowbro runs the defensive EV spread. Fire Blast can also be used in the final moveslot to deal with Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn.</p>
<p>Many Trick Room sweepers appreciate being paired with Slowbro, since it can set up Trick Room for them. Examples of these sweepers are Magnezone, who can remove Ferrothorn, making it easier for Slowbro to sweep; Conkeldurr, who can get past Ferrothorn, Celebi and Jellicent, and Reuniclus who is another excellent Trick Room sweeper that can clean up after Slowbro weakens the opposition. Ferrothorn and Forretress can be used with Slowbro as well for a more defensive route, as they can make use of their Speed to set up entry hazards. They also can take the super effective attacks against Slowbro, such as Ghost-, Bug-, Grass-, and Dark-type moves. Since Slowbro will usually come in late-game, sweepers such as Volcarona are preferred to weaken the opponent, making Slowbro's job as an offensive Trick Room user much easier. Volcarona can aid in defeating Ferrothorn and Celebi for Slowbro as well. Entry hazards to weaken the adversary are also appreciated; Ferrothorn is a great hazard setter with Slowbro, covering its weaknesses quite well. Slowbro has no way of reliably defeating Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Jirachi, since it loses a Fire-type coverage move. Heatran and Magnezone are prime choices to handle them; the former can roast almost every Steel-type it encounters, and the latter can trap and defeat the Steel-types quite easily with Hidden Power Fire.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There are very few other options for Slowbro. It can run a Life Orb tank set, which complements Regenerator's usefulness quite nicely, healing any damage from Life Orb's recoil. Slack Off and three moves is a great example of such a set. Slowbro can run a Calm Mind set, but he needs several boosts to have a chance of sweeping, giving more time for a powerful attacker to come in and cripple Slowbro, and is outclassed for the most part by Jirachi and Latias as a bulky boosting sweeper.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Celebi, Chansey, Blissey, and Gastrodon are the best counters to Slowbro. They can brush off anything that defensive Slowbro can do and beat it one-on-one. Latias, Latios, Amoonguss, Starmie, Rotom-W, and Jellicent are also good checks to Slowbro, as they can wall the majority of his attacks and defeat him without difficulty. Slowbro is lacking in the Special Defense department, special attackers, such as Jolteon, Thundurus-T, and Magnezone, are the best offensive checks. While Breloom cannot switch into Slowbro's Psychic-type attacks, it can OHKO Slowbrother with Bullet Seed, accounting that it hits at least three times. Choice Band Tyranitar is the only Pursuit user Slowbro actually worries about, as Tyranitar can 2HKO Slowbro with Pursuit. Ferrothorn, defensive Politoed with Toxic, Kyurem-B and Kyurem with Substitute, Tentacruel with Toxic in rain, SubCM Jirachi, Hydreigon, Ninetales, and Venusaur are all good checks as well; most of them cannot wall or switch into some of Slowbro's attacks, but they can land a KO on Slowbro in the right situation. Finally, anything that can seriously injure Slowbro but can't switch into it Id a great revenge killer against Slowbro. Scizor, for example, is a good revenge killer against Slowbro, as its STAB Bug-type moves can seriously dent Slowbro. However, it must be wary of Flamethrower and Fire Blast. There are many approaches to defeating Slowbro, but any powerful special attacker won't have too much trouble taking it down.</p>
