[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Swalot is not a great Pokemon, but it plays an important role in patching up important weaknesses and providing valuable utility while also checking many of the best offensive Pokemon in the metagame. Its bulk allows it to be a reliable check to many Fairy- and Fighting-types; it can't have its item removed thanks to Sticky Hold; and it absorbs and sets its own Toxic Spikes, which strongly benefit its teammates. Although it has good coverage, Swalot struggles to deal damage due to its weak offensive stats and low Speed. It also struggles with longevity, relying on Pain Split or Rest to stay healthy. At its price, it is a solid utility Pokemon that should not come to every game, but as a late pick, it can provide great occasional value.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Utility**: Swalot is typically brought to check a specific foe while also providing valuable utility. It can disrupt annoying setup sweepers with Yawn, Clear Smog, and Encore; weaken other foes with Toxic Spikes and Knock Off; and deal some damage with its coverage options.
**Setup**: Swalot has multiple setup options that it can use in niche scenarios, including Acid Armor and Swords Dance, that allow it to break through and trade KOs with foes more effectively. It typically won't be able to sweep due to its low Speed, but Swalot can catch foes off guard and break through them to enable a late-game sweep from its teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Acid Armor, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Knock Off, Encore, Yawn, Pain Split, Rest, Sleep Talk, Clear Smog, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Ice Punch, Ice Beam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Zen Headbutt, Giga Drain, Seed Bomb, Body Press, Shadow Ball
Niche Moves
========
**Acid Spray**: Acid Spray can help Swalot break through specially defensive walls more effectively and potentially force them to switch out.
**Endure**: Endure can be used alongside Custap Berry to guarantee getting a move off, typically Destiny Bond or Toxic Spikes. It can also be used with Rocky Helmet to chip down foes more before sacrificing Swalot.
**Destiny Bond**: Although Swalot is typically too slow to utilize Destiny Bond, it can force foes to make tricky plays if used last, and it can also be used with Custap Berry to catch a foe off guard.
**Mud Shot**: Although most foes outspeed Swalot even after using Mud Shot, it can allow its teammates to outspeed Speed-boosting foes and revenge killers.
Common Items
========
**Black Sludge / Leftovers**: Black Sludge and Leftovers give Swalot a form of longevity outside of Pain Split. Although it typically does not matter which item is used, Black Sludge is ideal if Swalot has an ability other than Sticky Hold, since foes will be punished from using Trick or Switcheroo, while Leftovers is preferred if it is expected to Terastallize.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: In matches where Swalot is expected to enter the field frequently, Heavy-Duty Boots is an ideal item to prevent it from taking unnecessary entry hazard damage.
**Rocky Helmet**: Swalot is very bulky, making it an effective counter to physically defensive Pokemon with Rocky Helmet. It notably resists U-turn and takes little damage from Flip Turn, making it a great way to punish pivoting.
**Sitrus / Iapapa Berry**: Sitrus Berry helps Swalot survive 2HKOs from specific Pokemon. Alternatively, Iapapa Berry can be used with Gluttony to heal off more damage.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries can act as a one-time check to some foes, especially if Swalot can deal large damage back or provide necessary utility in return.
**Custap Berry**: Since Swalot is slow, Custap Berry can be used to catch foes off guard with a fast attack or Destiny Bond. It can also be activated at higher health on Gluttony sets.
**Red Card**: Since Swalot is very bulky, it can hold a Red Card to effectively phaze wallbreakers and setup sweepers.
Tera
========
Swalot can benefit as a cheap Tera Captain to further boost its defensive capabilities. It is best paired with a higher-priced Tera Captain, and it is typically only used in the rare occasion that a specific defensive typing is needed more than its own. It can choose key defensive Tera types like Tera Water, Fairy, and Steel to better check foes that its teammates would typically struggle against. It can also use Tera Fighting with Body Press, but that gives it a much worse defensive typing.
Draft Strategy
========
Swalot is a good Pokemon to add onto a team that has a notable Fairy- or Fighting-type weakness. It provides great value in its ability to check some of the best Pokemon in the format, including Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Meowscarada. It also plays a key role as a Toxic Spikes absorber. It should typically be drafted late if a cheap Poison-type is necessary.
**Fast Pivots**: Swalot's Toxic Spikes support is most valuable when foes are forced to switch out, making it pair well with pivots that force switches like Ogerpon-W and Urshifu-R. Dark-types like Meowscarada and Greninja are especially notable, since Swalot can switch into and resist their key weaknesses.
**Wincons**: Swalot provides utility such as Toxic Spikes and Thunder Wave that can help enable its teammates for a late-game sweep. Notable teammates include Palafin, Tornadus-T, and Iron Valiant.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types can act as a spinblocker in matchups where the opponent does not have a grounded Poison-type. They can also help break Psychic-types that can beat Swalot and potentially other teammates. Gholdengo is especially notable, since it can block Defog as well, but other Ghost-types like Annihilape and Skeledirge also work.
Checks and Counters
========
**Substitute**: Since Swalot is very slow and often needs specific coverage to break Pokemon, it is easy for opponents to set a Substitute on it when super effective attacks are anticipated or if its Poison-type attacks deal less than 25% HP.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Swalot has very average offensive stats, making it struggle with breaking through bulky Pokemon, especially if they have recovery or are immune to poison. Good examples of this include Clodsire, Archaludon, and Cresselia.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types are immune to Swalot's Poison-type attacks and require specific coverage for it to hit them, which will typically not do much damage regardless due to its low Attack. Effective Steel-type counters include Gholdengo, Iron Treads, and Tinkaton.
**Poison-types**: While they typically cannot deal much damage in return, Poison-types resist Swalot's attacks effectively and can absorb its Toxic Spikes. Swalot typically becomes much less valuable when facing a grounded Poison-type such as Overqwil, Muk, and Glimmora.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Swalot is not a great Pokemon, but it plays an important role in patching up important weaknesses and providing valuable utility while also checking many of the best offensive Pokemon in the metagame. Its bulk allows it to be a reliable check to many Fairy- and Fighting-types; it can't have its item removed thanks to Sticky Hold; and it absorbs and sets its own Toxic Spikes, which strongly benefit its teammates. Although it has good coverage, Swalot struggles to deal damage due to its weak offensive stats and low Speed. It also struggles with longevity, relying on Pain Split or Rest to stay healthy. At its price, it is a solid utility Pokemon that should not come to every game, but as a late pick, it can provide great occasional value.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Utility**: Swalot is typically brought to check a specific foe while also providing valuable utility. It can disrupt annoying setup sweepers with Yawn, Clear Smog, and Encore; weaken other foes with Toxic Spikes and Knock Off; and deal some damage with its coverage options.
**Setup**: Swalot has multiple setup options that it can use in niche scenarios, including Acid Armor and Swords Dance, that allow it to break through and trade KOs with foes more effectively. It typically won't be able to sweep due to its low Speed, but Swalot can catch foes off guard and break through them to enable a late-game sweep from its teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Acid Armor, Curse
**Utility Moves**: Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Knock Off, Encore, Yawn, Pain Split, Rest, Sleep Talk, Clear Smog, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Ice Punch, Ice Beam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Zen Headbutt, Giga Drain, Seed Bomb, Body Press, Shadow Ball
Niche Moves
========
**Acid Spray**: Acid Spray can help Swalot break through specially defensive walls more effectively and potentially force them to switch out.
**Endure**: Endure can be used alongside Custap Berry to guarantee getting a move off, typically Destiny Bond or Toxic Spikes. It can also be used with Rocky Helmet to chip down foes more before sacrificing Swalot.
**Destiny Bond**: Although Swalot is typically too slow to utilize Destiny Bond, it can force foes to make tricky plays if used last, and it can also be used with Custap Berry to catch a foe off guard.
**Mud Shot**: Although most foes outspeed Swalot even after using Mud Shot, it can allow its teammates to outspeed Speed-boosting foes and revenge killers.
Common Items
========
**Black Sludge / Leftovers**: Black Sludge and Leftovers give Swalot a form of longevity outside of Pain Split. Although it typically does not matter which item is used, Black Sludge is ideal if Swalot has an ability other than Sticky Hold, since foes will be punished from using Trick or Switcheroo, while Leftovers is preferred if it is expected to Terastallize.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: In matches where Swalot is expected to enter the field frequently, Heavy-Duty Boots is an ideal item to prevent it from taking unnecessary entry hazard damage.
**Rocky Helmet**: Swalot is very bulky, making it an effective counter to physically defensive Pokemon with Rocky Helmet. It notably resists U-turn and takes little damage from Flip Turn, making it a great way to punish pivoting.
**Sitrus / Iapapa Berry**: Sitrus Berry helps Swalot survive 2HKOs from specific Pokemon. Alternatively, Iapapa Berry can be used with Gluttony to heal off more damage.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries can act as a one-time check to some foes, especially if Swalot can deal large damage back or provide necessary utility in return.
**Custap Berry**: Since Swalot is slow, Custap Berry can be used to catch foes off guard with a fast attack or Destiny Bond. It can also be activated at higher health on Gluttony sets.
**Red Card**: Since Swalot is very bulky, it can hold a Red Card to effectively phaze wallbreakers and setup sweepers.
Tera
========
Swalot can benefit as a cheap Tera Captain to further boost its defensive capabilities. It is best paired with a higher-priced Tera Captain, and it is typically only used in the rare occasion that a specific defensive typing is needed more than its own. It can choose key defensive Tera types like Tera Water, Fairy, and Steel to better check foes that its teammates would typically struggle against. It can also use Tera Fighting with Body Press, but that gives it a much worse defensive typing.
Draft Strategy
========
Swalot is a good Pokemon to add onto a team that has a notable Fairy- or Fighting-type weakness. It provides great value in its ability to check some of the best Pokemon in the format, including Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Meowscarada. It also plays a key role as a Toxic Spikes absorber. It should typically be drafted late if a cheap Poison-type is necessary.
**Fast Pivots**: Swalot's Toxic Spikes support is most valuable when foes are forced to switch out, making it pair well with pivots that force switches like Ogerpon-W and Urshifu-R. Dark-types like Meowscarada and Greninja are especially notable, since Swalot can switch into and resist their key weaknesses.
**Wincons**: Swalot provides utility such as Toxic Spikes and Thunder Wave that can help enable its teammates for a late-game sweep. Notable teammates include Palafin, Tornadus-T, and Iron Valiant.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types can act as a spinblocker in matchups where the opponent does not have a grounded Poison-type. They can also help break Psychic-types that can beat Swalot and potentially other teammates. Gholdengo is especially notable, since it can block Defog as well, but other Ghost-types like Annihilape and Skeledirge also work.
Checks and Counters
========
**Substitute**: Since Swalot is very slow and often needs specific coverage to break Pokemon, it is easy for opponents to set a Substitute on it when super effective attacks are anticipated or if its Poison-type attacks deal less than 25% HP.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Swalot has very average offensive stats, making it struggle with breaking through bulky Pokemon, especially if they have recovery or are immune to poison. Good examples of this include Clodsire, Archaludon, and Cresselia.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types are immune to Swalot's Poison-type attacks and require specific coverage for it to hit them, which will typically not do much damage regardless due to its low Attack. Effective Steel-type counters include Gholdengo, Iron Treads, and Tinkaton.
**Poison-types**: While they typically cannot deal much damage in return, Poison-types resist Swalot's attacks effectively and can absorb its Toxic Spikes. Swalot typically becomes much less valuable when facing a grounded Poison-type such as Overqwil, Muk, and Glimmora.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
