Slowking is one of the best Pokemon for bulky offensive teams, as it can check Fighting- and Ground-types while still having respectable offensive presence thanks to its good Special Attack. Slowking's solid 95 / 80 / 110 bulk, combined with reliable recovery in Slack Off and Regenerator, ensures it will be around for a long time. Its good all-around base stats and excellent movepool let it run offensive and defensive sets equally as well. Its typing is nice too, granting it useful resistances to Fire, Fighting, Ice, and Water.
However, Slowking's typing also gives it five bad weaknesses to Grass, Electric, Dark, Ghost, and Bug, with weaknesses to Knock Off and Pursuit being especially notable. Base 30 Speed is also pitiful, meaning Slowking will often have to rely on sponge-and-hit tactics.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Scald
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Psyshock / Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers / Colbur Berry
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=======
Scald has a 30% chance to burn the foe, and Slack Off is used to recover HP. Calm Mind is used to boost Slowking's Special Attack and Special Defense, letting it sweep. Psyshock is an alternate STAB move and helps in winning Calm Mind wars. Thunder Wave can be used instead to cripple faster frail attackers like Absol on the switch in.
Set Details
=======
The EVs maximize Slowking's physical bulk, since Calm Mind boosts Special Attack and Special Defense, so they don't need investment. A spread of 248 HP / 224 Def / 24 SpA with Psychic in place of Psyshock can be run instead if you wish to beat Bulk Up Gurdurr. The remaining EVs are placed in Speed to outrun opposing uninvested base 30s. Leftovers provides Slowking with a form of recovery. A Colbur Berry can be used to endure a Knock Off. Leftovers makes Slowking more adept in checking the likes of Emboar and Medicham, while Colbur Berry helps deal with Pokemon with Dark-type coverage such as Hitmonlee and Sawk. It also makes Slowking less susceptible to Pursuit. Regenerator keeps Slowking healthy until it's ready to start boosting.
Usage Tips
=======
Unlike other boosting sweepers, Slowking should be played as a defensive tank early- and mid-game. Then, when your opponent's team has been weakened, Slowking can boost and try to a sweep. Avoid setting up while Slowking's counters, like Jellicent and Rotom-C, are still standing. Be wary of status, as Slowking has no means of curing itself. This set is best used on bulky offense teams as a check to Fighting-types that still has offensive presence.
Team Options
=======
Clerics like Aromatisse and Diancie are appreciated, as poison and burns will worsen Slowking's ability to check opposing Fighting-types. They can both also check Dark-types for Slowking. Specially defensive Druddigon can take the Grass- and Electric-type moves Slowking draws in, while Slowking can take the Ice-type moves Druddigon attracts. Pokemon like Scrafty and Mega Glalie that appreciate having a check to Fighting-types pair well with this set. Registeel appreciates having a teammate that can switch into the Fighting- and Fire-type moves it is weak to. It can also set up Stealth Rock and switch in on Grass- and Bug-type moves for Slowking. Mega Camerupt can also wall most Electric-types and set up Stealth Rock for Slowking. Escavalier can switch in on the Grass-type moves Slowking is weak to (even Sleep Powder courtesy of Overcoat), while Slowking can switch in on the Fire-type moves Escavalier fears.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Dragon Tail
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 92 Def / 168 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald hits decently hard and has a good chance to burn. Future Sight hits extremely hard and helps Slowking force switches. Fire Blast toasts bulky Grass- and Steel-types. Dragon Tail is used to phaze foes and prevents Slowking from becoming setup fodder. It can also prevent your opponent from switching to a Dark-type to tank Future Sight if used at the right time. Grass Knot can also be used to hit opposing Slowking as well as Seismitoad and Gastrodon.
Set Details
=======
248 HP EVs give Slowking good overall bulk while also giving it a HP stat divisible by 3, thus maximizing the recovery gained through Regenerator. 92 Defense EVs let Slowking survive Fletchling's Acrobatics after Stealth Rock and OHKO with Scald. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack for more firepower. An Assault Vest gives Slowking amazing special bulk, making it virtually impossible to OHKO with special attacks. Regenerator provides Slowking with a form of recovery that many Assault Vest users lack.
Usage Tips
=======
This set is best used as a special tank, so pivot Slowking into special attackers that it can wall like special Flygon and Meloetta. Scald is generally the go-to move, as its high chance to burn can cripple many of the physical attackers Slowking draws in. This set is more susceptible to Pursuit due to its lower physical bulk, so be wary of physically inclined Dark-types like Absol and Spiritomb.
Team Options
=======
Slowking can form a good Regenerator core with Tangrowth, with both Pokemon covering each other's checks and counters. Pokemon with low Special Defense like Tangrowth and Rhyperior enjoy having this set around, as it can take many of the special moves they draw in. Fighting- and Fairy-types like Virizion and Granbull are also good teammates, as they can check the Dark-types Slowking lures. They can also force out the Dark-types that might try to tank a Future Sight. Registeel and Rhyperior can set up Stealth Rock for Slowking; they can switch in on the Electric-type moves Slowking is weak to, with the former also being able to tank Grass- and Bug-type attacks that Slowking fears. In turn, Slowking can switch in on the Fighting- and, in Rhyperior's case, Water-type moves they are weak to. Escavalier can beat Venusaur and Tangrowth that lack Hidden Power Fire due to its 4x Grass resistance and Overcoat, making it immune to Sleep Powder.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Fire Blast / Nasty Plot
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=======
Trick Room turns Slowking's poor Speed into a strength, letting it strike before anything not using a priority move. Scald lets Slowking perform its role as a tank before setting up Trick Room. Psychic is the alternate STAB move, dealing heavy damage to physical walls like Golbat and Alomomola, though Psyshock can be used to OHKO Virizion. Fire Blast gets great coverage with Slowking's STAB moves, OHKOing Assault Vest Escavalier and Tangrowth that lack Assault Vest. However, if you don't need the coverage, Nasty Plot can be used to boost Slowking's Special Attack to massive levels. Grass Knot can also be used to hit opposing Slowking as well as Seismitoad and Gastrodon.
Set Details
=======
The given EVs maximize Slowking's HP to give Slowking good bulk, with Special Attack maximized to do as much damage as possible. The rest of the EVs are put in Defense to cushion Slowking slightly from priority moves. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs are used to make Slowking as slow as possible. A Life Orb is used as the item to give Slowking as much power as it can get. However, Leftovers should be used if running Nasty Plot, as it can make setting up easier. If Slowking is forced out, Regenerator heals a good chunk of health, possibly giving it another chance to sweep.
Usage Tips
=======
This set is best used as a late-game sweeper, so ideally, don't send Slowking in until your opponent's walls have been weakened or removed. You use this set much like any other sweeper: come in on something Slowking forces out, like a Choice-locked Fighting-type locked into their STAB move or a defensive Poison-type (watch out for Sleep Powder from Venusaur, though), use Trick Room, and KO as many Pokemon as you can. While Slowking isn't frail, this it shouldn't be used to sponge hits, as it doesn't have Defense or Special Defense investment.
Team Options
=======
As with any sweeper, strong wallbreakers like Choice Specs Exploud and Choice Band Rhyperior make for good teammates to soften up the opponent's team. Entry hazards are always appreciated. Rhyperior and Druddigon can both set up Stealth Rock for Slowking to help it get KOs more easily. Additionally, they can both switch into the Electric-type moves Slowking is weak to, while Slowking in return can switch into the Water- and Fighting-type moves Rhyperior is vulnerable to and the Ice-type moves Druddigon should be wary of. Escavalier can take out most of the Grass-types Slowking fears, and due to its base 20 Speed it can take advantage of Trick Room well too. Mega Camerupt walls most Electric-types and can also utilize Trick Room.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A purely defensive set using Thunder Wave or Toxic can be used. It can be a physical, special, or mixed wall. Slowking can wield Choice Specs, although that does make it very susceptible to Pursuit. Signal Beam can be used to hit Malamar, offensive Tangrowth, and opposing Slowking. Ice Beam and Shadow Ball are other coverage moves Slowking can run, although their targets are rather niche.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Walls**: Jellicent is immune to Scald thanks to Water Absorb and can cripple Slowking with Taunt. Registeel is only 3HKOed by a Life Orb-boosted Fire Blast and can stall Slowking out with Toxic. Alomomola can cripple Slowking with Toxic and stall it out with Wish and Protect.
**Dark-types**: Absol can often OHKO non-Colbur Berry versions of Slowking with a Life Orb-boosted Knock Off, and it can smash Trick Room Slowking with Sucker Punch. It can also survive a +1 Scald. Scrafty can set up a Dragon Dance in Slowking's face and OHKO non-Colbur Berry versions with a +1 Knock Off. If it's running Shed Skin, even Scald burns might not hamper it. Lum Berry Drapion can set up on Slowking and OHKO it with a +2 Knock Off if Slowking lacks Colbur Berry.
**Grass-types**: Choice Specs Rotom-C outruns Slowking and OHKOes the Assault Vest set with Leaf Storm after a little prior damage. Life Orb Tangrowth and Venusaur can do much the same and can prevent Slowking setting up with Sleep Powder. Swords Dance Virizion can endure an unboosted Psychic and OHKO with a +2 Leaf Blade. However, they all take major damage from Fire Blast, and in Venusaur and Virizion's case, Psychic or Psyshock.
**Electric-types**: Choice Specs Magneton, Life Orb Manectric, and Life Orb Jolteon outrun and 2HKO Slowking with Thunderbolt. However, Magneton is OHKOed by Fire Blast and Jolteon and Manectric are both 2HKOed by Psyshock.
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