[Overview]
<p>Slowking has an interesting niche as a mixed tank in the BW OU metagame, but it often falls short of a place on many teams due its mediocre Defense, abysmal Speed, and weakness to Pursuit and U-turn, all which make its life extremely uncomfortable in a tier dominated by physical powerhouses, namely Tyranitar and Scizor. It also faces direct competition from its physically defensive cousin Slowbro, who is often preferred for its ability to counter many of the game's powerful Fighting-types.</p>
<p>Fans of the king may rejoice, however, for what it lacks in raw defensive capability, it makes up for in general utility. With Nasty Plot, Slowking establishes itself as a very competent sweeping aid, and poses a veritable threat under Trick Room. Its solid Special Defense and extremely useful ability, Regenerator, also make it a valuable candidate for absorbing a stray Hydro Pump or Draco Meteor without fear of being worn down over the course of a match. While it may not find a home on many conventional teams, the eccentric but effective nature of the king's abilities earn it a silent spot within the populous OU metagame.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psychic / Flamethrower
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In a tier where auto-weather dominates, Slowking's defensive prowess is a blessing. Its Water and Fire resistances allow it to switch in on the common weather starters Ninetales and Politoed without being a worn away, thanks to Regenerator. The Water resistance is crucial here as Politoed is by far the more common of the two. Infernape, another problematic Pokemon for many teams, is also countered consummately; factoring in Leftovers recovery, even a Nasty Plot-boosted Grass Knot fails to 2HKO Slowking. Be on the lookout for U-turn though, as it gives Infernape a free shot and an instant ticket out of the match-up, which could spell doom for Slowking if Infernape is paired with a Pursuit user.</p>
<p>As a mixed wall, Slowking carries a great burden on its shoulders, as it is expected to switch in on and scare off a wide range of potent physical and special attackers. Its important Fighting resistance, glaring Pursuit weakness, and modest Defense stat mean Slowking can't invest as much in its Special Defense as it might like. The current EV spread compromises by giving it enough Special Defense to switch in on Specs Politoed's rain-boosted Hydro Pumps, while also allowing it to wall powerful STAB Fighting-type attacks from the likes of Conkeldurr and Choice Band Terrakion. It may not always be safe for the king to switch in, though; Terrakion's X-Scissor or Stone Edge will wreck Slowking, and a Conkeldurr at +1 will 2HKO with Payback.</p>
<p>Scald is the STAB attack of choice for its burn rate, which helps ward off potential counters like Tyranitar. Psychic also gives it a chance to counter Fighting-types such as Machamp, Conkeldurr, and Toxicroak, while also preventing Tentacruel from setting up Toxic Spikes without fear, while Flamethrower is mainly used to combat Scizor and Ferrothorn trying to switch in. Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out anything it can't beat immediately, and phases set-up Pokemon like Reuniclus, Latias, and Conkeldurr in a clutch situation.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>More than anything else, Slowking appreciates bulky partners to take care of the threats it can't handle. For example, it is absolutely useless in the face of a Calm Mind Latias with Substitute, since Dragon Tail doesn't deal enough damage to break its Substitutes. Ironically, its greatest nemeses, Scizor and Tyranitar, come in handy here, since they're two of the best Latias counters; in return, Slowking can shield them from incoming Fire- or Fighting-type attacks. In this regard, Slowking is also an ideal partner for Ferrothorn, as it walls both of Ferrothorn's weaknesses with impunity. This is a one-sided partnership, however, since Ferrothorn won't be of any help in countering the likes of Celebi and Raikou, despite resisting their main STAB moves. Enemy bulky Water-types, especially those carrying Water-immune abilities, will hate taking a Toxic, as it hinders their longevity. This applies especially to Gastrodon, Vaporeon, and Jellicent, who otherwise perpetually wall Slowking.</p>
<p>Hail teams benefit heavily from Slowking's ability to switch into Politoed and Ninetales, not to mention the exceedingly dangerous Infernape. Slowking can also be used alongside a defensive core of Skarmory and Blissey to alleviate the team's weakness to Infernape and other mixed attackers. Ice Beam can be used to check the likes of Dragonite and Salamence, while Yawn more or less functions in the same way Dragon Tail does, but has limited use due to Sleep Clause and status-immune targets.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Scald
move 3: Psyshock
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As mentioned previously, there isn't a whole lot Slowking can do better than Slowbro in the standard metagame. Thankfully, this set utilizes one of Slowking's greatest selling points over its cousin: Nasty Plot. Unlike Calm Mind, this move allows Slowking to boost its Special Attack to dangerous levels twice as quickly, enabling it to survive powerful hits from sweepers and KO in return, or overcome walls that would otherwise impede its progress. For example, Zapdos cannot OHKO without a Life Orb-boosted Thunder, and Slowking can retaliate with one of its boosted attacks. Nasty Plot Celebi also has trouble dealing with Slowking, as a +2 Ice Beam or Fire Blast will OHKO with some prior damage, while an unboosted Giga Drain barely takes away half of Slowking's HP. Even Swords Dance Virizion, which targets Slowbro's weaker Defense stat, fails to OHKO with Leaf Blade, and is easily OHKOed by Psyshock.</p>
<p>Defensive Pokemon have an especially hard time stopping Slowking, since they lack the means to KO it right away. +2 Psyshock handily 2HKOs Blissey, while a +2 Ice Beam or Fire Blast slays defensive Celebi. Ferrothorn, however, can survive a boosted attack in the rain and deal heavy damage with Power Whip. Regenerator is key to this set's effectiveness: while Slowking may not be able to sweep an entire team in one sitting, Regenerator gives it multiple chances to switch in and set up by recovering 33% of its health on each switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This type of Slowking is best used in the rain, but for different reasons than one might expect: Slowking and Politoed share many common checks, whom Slowking can effectively lure out and defeat. The boost provided by rain also helps Slowking plow through bulky offensive Pokemon such as Reuniclus, who can otherwise stall Slowking out with Calm Mind. Focus Blast is an alternative coverage option to deal more damage to both Ferrothorn and Tyranitar, but an untimely miss will be the end of the king.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Focus Blast / Fire Blast
move 4: Nasty Plot / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Slowking is no slouch as a Trick Room sweeper, and is once again comparable to Slowbro in all but the move Nasty Plot. Rather than absorbing blows and striking back with even greater force, this type of Slowking gets the jump on its opponents by turning their speed against them and promptly proceeds to KO all in its path with the appropriate boosted moves. Unlike Slowking's other sets, an all-out Trick Room sweeper requires the higher Base Power of Surf. Its other moveslots are dedicated to coverage: Fire Blast secures a guaranteed OHKO on even the bulkiest of Ferrothorn and Scizor in neutral weather, whereas Focus Blast hits Tyranitar, who often invests heavily in Special Defense to shrug off all but the most powerful Surfs in OU. It also retains coverage against Ferrothorn if Fire Blast is not being used. Slowking may struggle to find two turns to both set up Trick Room and Nasty Plot for a sweep; if so, Ice Beam can use used instead for coverage against Dragons.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Though decent as a standalone sweeper, the support this type of Slowking offers for Trick Room teams is vital. Its typing, bulk, and Regenerator allow it many switch-ins, and a dedicated Trick Room team would really appreciate the lingering field effect. In addition to supporting its team with Trick Room, Slowking also has the option of running a more defensive build to stay in the game longer and cover its teammates' weaknesses; in this case, the standard tank spread would be desirable, with a Sassy nature, 0 Speed IVs, and Slack Off replacing Nasty Plot.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Slowking can run an effective Choice Specs set, but is hampered by Trick being incompatible with Regenerator. Calm Mind sets are entirely outclassed by Slowbro, who has a much higher base Defense to work with. Thunder Wave is an inferior option on sets that employ the use of Scald, since it denies Slowking the chance to burn some of its common physical enemies. Grass Knot is only useful in defeating Gastrodon, as Swampert and Quagsire lacking Water Absorb already take a decent amount of damage from a rain-boosted Scald, with an additional burn chance.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Unless burned switching in, Tyranitar wreaks havoc on all Slowking sets. Defensive variants 2HKO the king effortlessly with Crunch, as a +2 Scald barely dents Tyranitar, and Choice Band variants can trap king with Pursuit. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also a good counter, but its Crunch is weaker and does not OHKO, whereas a boosted Scald can take it out after Stealth Rock damage. Scrafty can also switch in on Slowking and boost without fear unless it's raining, in which case Scrafty risks being KOed by a +2 Scald. Scizor and the less common Escavalier are also forerunners among Slowking counters. Like Tyranitar, their Choice Band sets can trap it with Pursuit, while Scizor's U-turn can OHKO or steal momentum as Slowking switches out. However, both fear Scald's burn chance in addition to Flamethrower or Fire Blast.</p>
<p>Slowking's Defense is much weaker than its Special Defense, so it generally has more problems dealing with physical powerhouses. Choice Band Haxorus, for instance, can KO it with Outrage after Stealth Rock damage. Ferrothorn can also dent it severely with Power Whip, or set up entry hazards if Slowking isn't packing a Fire-type move. Electric- and Grass-types, such as Virizion and Zapdos, also make good checks as long as Slowking is not at full health or hasn't boosted. Keep an eye out for Rotom-W and Celebi especially, as both are very common in standard play, with the latter using Slowking as a free setup opportunity should it lack Ice Beam or Fire Blast. Hydregion can also threaten Slowking with Dark Pulse.</p>
