[OVERVIEW]
Swampert commonly sees use as a rain attacker that can support its team well with its ability to threaten fast and frail foes with powerful attacks. Solid defenses and an immunity to Electric make Mega Swampert a strong, bulky, and fast threat under the rain that is difficult to defensively check and swiftly take out. Apart from being a sweeper under rain support, Swampert can opt to stay in its regular forme and act as a bulky support Pokemon, using moves like Stealth Rock, Roar, and Yawn while retaining a different kind of offensive presence when compared to other leads.
Though Mega Swampert's offensive prowess under rain cannot be overlooked, it is dependent on the rain to function due to its relatively low Speed in other weather conditions. This leaves Mega Swampert with a rigid and limited pool of Pokemon that it can synergize with. Mega Swampert can 2HKO many neutral targets with its STAB moves, but there are many Pokemon that can be used to pivot around Mega Swampert's STAB moves until the rain stops. Some Pokemon can switch into a resisted Waterfall, and other common Pokemon like Landorus-T and Mega Salamence can switch into Earthquake and weaken Mega Swampert in an emergency. This means there will be difficulty for Mega Swampert to function well as an offensive Pokemon even in rain. Mega Swampert also may compete with Kingdra as a Swift Swim sweeper, as Kingdra does not take a Mega slot, can hold an item of its choice, and sports a secondary typing that situationally has better coverage; however, Kingdra struggles against foes like Toxapex, Tapu Fini, and Mimikyu that Mega Swampert fares better against.
[SET]
name: Mega Rain Attacker
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Substitute / Rock Tomb / Rain Dance
item: Swampertite
ability: Damp
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Waterfall has the highest damage output of Mega Swampert's attacks under rain, and it can outright OHKO foes like Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and uninvested Mimikyu. Earthquake is the biggest draw to using Mega Swampert, as it has a high damage output against foes like Toxapex, Tapu Fini, and Primarina that are otherwise good checks to many Pokemon commonly employed on rain teams. Ice Punch is the best option that Mega Swampert can rely on to punish Grass-types like Breloom, Tapu Bulu, and Serperior, though not one of them bar Breloom is OHKOed by it. Ice Punch also has a varying damage output against Mega Salamence and Landorus-T (though note that Waterfall in the rain does more damage to Landorus-T), which can be lethal should they lack defensive investment.
Substitute eases prediction against foes that attempt to switch around and wait for rain to stop, helps against Sucker Punch Mega Mawile and punishes Celesteela and Rotom-W, which can survive a hit and respond with status moves. Rock Tomb OHKOes Mega Charizard Y on the switch, and it eases the matchup against Mega Salamence and Mega Gyarados, which can use their abilities and typings to pivot into Mega Swampert until the rain stops. When rain support isn't available, Rock Tomb also eases the matchup against Mimikyu. Rain Dance is useful for setting up rain in case your rain setter has been KOed or you predict Mega Charizard Y to switch in.
Set Details
========
An Adamant nature is typically preferred to secure OHKOs against Tapu Lele and uninvested Landorus-T with an appropriate move and maximize Earthquake's damage output against Mega Metagross. Though it involves sacrificing a lot of power, a Jolly nature is possible to outspeed +1 Adamant Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Choice Scarf Kartana Damp prevents moves like Explosion, notably from Landorus-T, which may otherwise heavily damage Swampert before Mega Evolution.
Usage Tips
========
Though Mega Swampert is difficult to deal with under the rain, it won't be too common for it to outright sweep the opposing team by itself. Most teams in Battle Spot Singles have airborne Pokemon to force mind games, and the prevalence of Focus Sash means it is likely that Mega Swampert is going to be revenge killed even when the matchup is in its favor. Therefore, it is typically better for Mega Swampert to focus on netting as much damage as possible during the rain. Unless there are Grass-types that can switch into Mega Swampert relatively easily and quickly force a switch, Mega Swampert can make aggressive moves to weaken various Pokemon and possibly benefit a secondary rain sweeper or another Pokemon on its team. Avoid needlessly wasting health against foes like Porygon2 and Ferrothorn that can win one-on-one and heal off the damage taken. Rather, be patient until they are sufficiently weakened or taken out by other teammates, as weakening Mega Swampert reduces the odds it can survive a hit against foes that it cannot outright run over. If teammates cannot effectively deal with a specific Pokemon, consider taking advantage of Waterfall's considerable chance to cause a flinch.
Team Options
========
A Pokemon with Drizzle is mandatory for Mega Swampert to immediately activate Swift Swim. Pelipper and Politoed are options, and Pelipper is typically preferred due to its ability to threaten Grass-types like Tapu Bulu with Hurricane and access to U-turn. However, Politoed is able to annoy Baton Pass teams with Perish Song and is bulkier, meaning it has more opportunities to set up rain throughout the game compared to Pelipper. It also is better at stomaching hits and bringing in Mega Swampert safely if its Eject Button is intact. Mega Swampert typically needs assistance from other offensive teammates, as it is common for most teams to be naturally prepared to stop it in some way. Kingdra can be a viable teammate should an opponent lack a solid Grass-type Pokemon to keep both Mega Swampert and Kingdra in check, and its ability to dispose of physical walls and Dragon-type Pokemon - particularly Mega Salamence, which can be an annoyance due to Intimidate and its resistance or immunity to Mega Swampert's moves - is appreciated.
There has to be a sufficient countermeasure for Grass-types, as a rain setter and Mega Swampert struggle to effectively deal with them. Kartana can threaten Tapu Bulu, Ferrothorn, and some Water-types, and it can benefit from Mega Swampert at worst weakening Mega Salamence and taking advantage of Celesteela if using Substitute. Ferrothorn can be used as an effective check to Serperior under rain and pivot into other Grass-types. Tapu Koko and Thundurus-T don't necessarily have good offensive or defensive synergy with Mega Swampert, but they can outpace many foes and fire strong Thunders under the rain, taking care of problematic Water-types that can force hesitation from Mega Swampert. Thundurus-T in particular can break through bulkier threats with Nasty Plot-boosted attacks, defeat Ferrothorn with Focus Blast, and even lure in Tapu Bulu and remove it with Sludge Wave if using a Choice Scarf set. Aegislash can be considered, as it can check Breloom and benefit from the offensive pressure applied to many Fire-types. Though they find it difficult to function under the rain, Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Y and Volcarona can be employed and supported by different teammates to punish Grass-types that are enticed by Mega Swampert's rain core from Team Preview.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Yawn / Roar
move 3: Scald / Roar
move 4: Earthquake
item: Sitrus Berry / Rindo Berry
ability: Damp
nature: Sassy / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swampert's good defensive typing, natural bulk, and EV investment combine to make it a viable Stealth Rock user that few Pokemon can threaten to immediately take down. Yawn prevents a foe from freely setting up on Swampert and can potentially provide an ideal setup condition for a teammate once a foe knocks out Swampert. Roar can forcefully remove a foe from the field, punishing Substitute users and racking up damage with Stealth Rock if a foe struggles to swiftly take down Swampert. Scald's burn chance may be counterproductive with Yawn inducing sleep, but Swampert's ability to at worst mildly annoy most foes that it leads against helps separate itself from Hippowdon. Earthquake prevents Swampert from being completely passive and hits foes like Mega Gengar, Mega Mawile, and Heatran.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense makes Swampert more difficult to break through for special attackers like Tapu Lele and Protean Greninja. A physically defensive EV spread with an Impish nature makes it possible for Swampert to better take hits against Pokemon like Landorus-T and Mega Charizard X and, notably, survive a boosted Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. Sitrus Berry enables Swampert to avoid a 2HKO from powerful attacks like Landorus-T's Earthquake, but Rindo Berry can be used to avoid being OHKOed by Mega Charizard Y's Solar Beam as well as Blaziken and Heatran's Bloom Doom. Rindo Berry also enables Swampert to survive Protean Greninja's Life Orb-boosted Grass Knot and grants it a higher chance to survive Bloom Doom.
Usage Tips
========
Swampert differentiates itself from other dedicated leads with limited options for foes to KO it before it uses Stealth Rock and other annoying status moves. If Grass-types are not present on the opposing team, Swampert will make for an effective lead the majority of the time due to its solid bulk and decent offensive presence. However, an opponent may use unusual Pokemon against Swampert, such as Greninja, Heatran, and Blaziken. This may be due to their potential to carry Grass-type moves that will swiftly take out Swampert, so if Swampert lacks a Rindo Berry, exercise caution against them. Depending on the foe, make appropriate decisions about what utility move should be used first. If Pokemon like Mega Salamence seem to be present on the opposing team and teammates will need prior damage to surmount them, prioritize setting up Stealth Rock. Against setup sweepers where a single free turn can bring harsh consequences, use Yawn first. If an opponent lacks Pokemon that will effectively pressure Swampert, focus on putting a Pokemon to sleep and chipping the opposing team as much as possible.
Team Options
========
Similarly to many teammates of a dedicated lead, powerful threats like Blaziken, Mega Salamence, and both formes of Mega Charizard can take advantage of the Stealth Rock support and a foe potentially being put to sleep. These Pokemon can also take advantage of Grass-types that attempt to lead against Swampert and limit its attempt to utilize Stealth Rock and Yawn. Tapu Lele can appreciate Swampert and its aforementioned partners applying massive pressure against Steel-types. It has room to customize its set to aid the team's matchup against faster teams by running a Choice Scarf set or by taking advantage of a foe being put to sleep and using Calm Mind to become more threatening. Mimikyu serves as a nice backup to foes that Swampert cannot sufficiently cover. It also packs Swords Dance to take advantage of foes being put to sleep, as well as other moves like Shadow Sneak and Let's Snuggle Forever to swiftly take out setup sweepers that may get out of hand in case Swampert can not handle them adequately.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Superpower can be used to heavily damage Ferrothorn and OHKO Kartana and Mega Gyarados. However, Mega Swampert is typically forced out after using Superpower due to the stat drops, and physically defensive Ferrothorn is not KOed by Superpower even after switching into Earthquake. Power-Up Punch allows Mega Swampert to take advantage of forced switches and serves as one of the very few ways to surmount over Porygon2. Ice Beam on a utility set heavily damages Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Garchomp, but it is hard to fit due to other moves that are typically more important for Mega Swampert.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types and Grass-type Attacks**: Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and Breloom can easily dispose of Swampert with their STAB moves. As long as Mega Swampert lacks Superpower against Kartana and Tapu Bulu does not directly switch into Ice Punch, they can effectively mess with Mega Swampert. Tapu Bulu can pose further problems, as Grassy Terrain weakens Earthquake. Breloom typically carries Focus Sash to check Mega Swampert, which its party cannot break beforehand due to the difficulty of fitting Stealth Rock onto another teammate. It can even anti-lead Rindo Berry Swampert due to Bullet Seed outright OHKOing it.
**Water-types**: Gyarados and Tapu Fini can prove to be nuisances that force hesitation from Mega Swampert. Gyarados is difficult to defeat due to its resistance to Mega Swampert's STAB moves and Intimidate, while Tapu Fini can avoid the 2HKO with Sitrus Berry even after directly switching into Earthquake and then retaliate. A healthy Primarina can revenge kill Mega Swampert with Oceanic Operetta. The rarer Rotom-W completely walls Mega Swampert, but it is punished by Substitute variants.
**Weather Setters**: Hippowdon and Tyranitar can switch in to remove rain, which is what Mega Swampert relies on to have the Speed advantage over various foes and power up its Waterfall. Mega Charizard Y can be more problematic, as it can pivot into a predicted Earthquake or survive any attack from full health under sun and immediately force a switch with the threat of Solar Beam.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lotus, 434601]]
- Quality checked by: [[Psynergy, 248085], [Theorymon, 29010]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Lumberjack, 232216], [Empress, 175616]]
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