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[Overview]
<p>Toxicroak is a very diverse Pokemon. It has a plethora of boosting moves and can allowing for it to choose from a powerful Swords Dance set, a Bulk Up sweeper, a Subpuncher, or even a Nasty Plot set. Toxicroak also has access to one of the strongest priority moves, in Sucker Punch and has also obtained a powered-up Drain Punch, giving it a more reliable alternative to Cross Chop. Toxicroak also has a great ability in Dry Skin. With Drizzle present this generation Toxicroak can as well, allowing it to heal 12.5% per turn with Dry Skin in rain. Compounded wWith its useful resistances to Grass-, Water-, Fighting-, Bug-, and Dark-type moves plus Dry Skin, this makes it is relatively easy for Toxicroak to set up. By virtue of its Poison-typing and its ability Dry Skin, Toxicroak can wall nearly every single Bbulky Water-type in the game. The Bulk Up set can make Toxicroak very tough to take down, especially with investment in HP. It also helps heal Toxicroak a lot more when combined with Dry Skin and Leftovers. Toxicroak's Ground, and rather uncommon Psychic and Flying weaknesses can be easily dealt with through a careful selection of teammates. Toxicroak has improved drastically this generation not only because of his new Drain Punch, but also because of the introduction of an certain OU Pokemon with access to Drizzle.</p>
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
Move 1: Swords Dance
Move 2: Sucker Punch
Move 3: Drain Punch / Low Kick
Move 4: Ice Punch / Substitute
Item: Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> A respectable base 106 Attack stat coupled with Swords Dance and Sucker Punch makes Toxicroak a very potent sweeper. After a Swords Dance Toxicroak hits a massive 684 Attack which can dent almost anything that puts a dent in almost anything with Sucker Punch or STAB Drain Punch. Substitute is the main option for the fourth slot on this set. as Iit allows Toxicroak to block status, and set up Swords Dance. Ice Punch is an option over Substitute to defeat Gliscor but Substitute provides relinquishes the protection against priority and allows for an easier time of setting up. It is fairly easy to set up a Swords Dance with Toxicroak by coming in on a predicted Water attack or other weak moves that it resists, and the health that you lose is negligible since it will be healed back by Dry Skin in the rain. This set allows Toxicroak to be one of the most dangerous Pokemon behind a Substitute. After two Swords Dances not even neither dedicated physical walls and nor true counters can stop it. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs on this set are pretty straightforward, with 252 invested in Attack to maximize the offensive prowess of Toxicroak. and 252 in Speed helps to help outspeed slower Pokemon and set up faster Substitutes. The Adamant nature gives Toxicroak max Attack, and with Leftovers + Dry Skin Toxicroak heals a massive 18.5% of its health per turn in rain. That's more than Poison Heal Gliscor and Breloom. With that this combination you only lose 6.5% of your health after you use make a Substitute. Life Orb is another option as it greatly augments Toxicroak's power output and since Dry Skin virtually cancels out recoil. </p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Slime Wave / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Modest
ability: Dry Skin
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Toxicroak can also utilize Nasty Plot to hit hard despite its lower Special Attack. Toxicroak still retains priority in an arguably better form of, STAB Vacuum Wave. Dark Pulse helps hit Psychic- and Ghost-types that resist its fighting STAB and Slime Wave / Hidden Power Ice rounds out the already phenomenal coverage Toxicroak attains with just two moves. Max Special Attack and Speed EVs with a Modest nature provides the most attacking power. This set Toxicroak surprises its Toxicroak's normal counters with strong special attacks after a Nasty Plot boost despite its underwhelming Special Attack stat. The choice between Slime Wave and Hidden Power Ice depends on what your team needs: STAB Slime Wave destroys Grass-types and Hidden Power Ice wrecks the common Garchomp, Landorus, and Gliscor switch-ins. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the preferred item as Toxicroak's Special Attack isn't stellar, and it still cancels its recoil damage is canceled out in the rain due to Dry Skin, but Leftovers. However, Leftovers heals a remarkable amount of health in conjunction with Dry Skin. Substitute is an option over the third coverage move to block status and enable an easier time setting up, but Nasty Plot Toxicroak doesn't really suffer from any status like the physical sets do such as with burn. Even paralysis doesn’t particularly matter cripple it due to Toxicroak’s access to STAB priority in the form of Vacuum Wave. Unfortunately, like most special attackers, Blissey and Chansey completely wall it bar a +6 Vacuum Wave. Focus Blast can be used over Hidden Power Ice or Slime Wave for a stronger STAB move but the coverage is usually needed to take out things like Gliscor. An alternative ev EV spread of 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 Spe is viable but Nasty Plot Toxicroak likes outspeeding things rather than staying around longer trading hits.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Payback / Sucker Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
ability: Dry Skin
evs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The idea is to come in on something that you can set up on, ideally a Water- or Bug-type move, and use sSubstitute on the switch. Substitute provides protection from status but leaves you vulnerable to phazing, however . However, most things that can phaze such as most of the common OU phazers, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory, are more likely to KO with their STAB Ground- and Flying-type moves, respectively. However, Nevertheless, once this Toxicroak is set up, it can essentially be more destructive than the Swords Dance set. After a few Bulk Ups the defense boost allows him it to take an Earthquake from even Hippowdon and heal his its health back with Drain Punch, leaving Hippowdon in the conundrum of using either Slack Off to heal or another Earthquake. 244 evs EVs in HP keeps Toxicroak as bulky as possible without taking away attacking power. Speed investment isn't worth much since Toxicroak is plodding at best anyway.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute allows gives Toxicroak many more opportunities to set up, and with a few Bulk Ups under its belt, Toxicroak becomes a decent physical wall bar supereffective super effective STAB Earthquakes. Toxicroak becomes so physically bulky after one Bulk Up that even Choice Band Scizor will not be able to 2HKO with Bullet Punch after a Bulk Up, while —plus Toxicroak naturally resists Scizor’s other common moves such as Bug Bite, U-turn, and Superpower. Low Kick is an option over Drain Punch to hit heavy foes, but this set usually needs the healing from Drain Punch as it is meant to be bulky and the healing allows Toxicroak to stay around longer. Toxicroak can also utilize Taunt to prevent Pphazers like Skarmory from ruining its day, but Toxicroak is rather frail and will be KO’ed by something like Brave Bird anyway.</p>
[Set]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch / Payback
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The idea of this set is to come in on something you can force out or wall, and either use Substitute or Focus Punch on the switch, to do some with the latter doing serious damage, even when resisted. Sucker Punch is used to beat faster threats who are immune to Focus Punch such as Gengar, but Payback can be used if the Sucker Punch feels too unreliable. Ice Punch destroys Gliscor on the switch and also hits other Flying-types, who can then usually be finished off with a Sucker Punch. The evs EVs provide reasonable bulk as this set doesn't need Speed. With Sucker Punch, Toxicroak can scare faster threats like Latios and Latias with Sucker Punch to force a switch, however, —however, if they use Substitute is used by them, Toxicroak will always lose. Leftovers could be used over Life Orb but isn't recommended as Toxicroak needs the extra power since it doesn't have it provides in absence of Swords Dance or Bulk Up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An alternative EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed allows Toxicroak to outspeed most Gliscor and other threats hovering around the Base 80 range, but this set is focused on using Substitute to avoid direct hits so sSpeed investment isn't as necessary as proper switching. Unlike the other sets which have a means of boosting, this set may sometimes miss out on OHKOs and therefore it is important to remove physical walls before attempting to sweep. This set is meant to hit hard early game and also functions as a late game sweeper. With the proper support, SubPunch Toxicroak can pose a serious threat. Because of its ability, it is always recommended to have Politoed as a teammate to provide permanent rain and also as a buffer against Ninetales with Drought. With regards to moves, Toxicroak doesn't really have that many more options other than perhaps Stone Edge over Ice Punch, but the only notable coverage you lose with Ice Punch over Stone Edge is on Gyarados, and Toxicroak walls Gyarados without lacking Earthquake or Bounce.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Toxicroak is best paired with Politoed to abuse its Dry Skin ability. Skarmory, Zapdos, and Scizor are all great teammates for Toxicroak, as they cover his weaknesses to Psychic, Flying, and Ground. In addition, Zapdos and Scizor directly benefit from permanent rain as well due to a perfectly accurate Thunder and halved Fire weakness, respectively. Skarmory deserves a special mention for its ability to set up entry hazards as well as and phasze, to both of which help Toxicroak get KO's much easier more easily. Substitute is essential for every physical set as it provides Toxicroak with many more opportunities to set up and attack, but the loss of Ice Punch is notable and leaves you unable to defeat Gliscor barring a critical hit. A Choice Band set with Drain Punch or Cross Chop / Sucker Punch / Stone Edge / Ice Punch could work although it is mostly outclassed by the Swords Dance set.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Most physical walls can beat physical Toxicroak due to his frailty, but must watch out for Nasty Plot variants. Skarmory resists Dark-type moves, is neutral to Fighting-type moves, is immune to Poison-type moves, and can KO with STAB Brave Bird or phaze him out with Whirlwind. Hippowdon also works well to phaze Toxicroak out with roar or KO with Earthquake as it phazes Toxicroak out with Roar or KOes with Earthquake, but a +2 Life Orb Drain Punch from Toxicroak can 2HKO, and a Nasty Plot boosted Hidden Power Ice will usually OHKO most of the time. Gliscor can wall all of Toxicroak’s sets, bar the Nasty Plot set with Hidden Power Ice and the physical sets with Ice Punch, and in return KOes with Earthquake or Acrobatics. Gliscor is generally the best counter due to its enormous defense and resistance to Fighting-type moves. Faster Flying-types will usually beat Toxicroak,—especially Tornadus, as the rain will give it a 100% accurate Hurricane. Because Toxicroak’s defenses are nothing to write home about, even strong neutral hits have a large chance to 2HKO,—such as Thundurus’ Life Orb boosted Thunderbolt. Ghost-types with substitute can work around a Toxicroak utilizing Sucker Punch and can to outstall and eventually KO it. SubDisable Gengar works especially well as once Sucker Punch or Dark Pulse is Disabled, Toxicroak is completely walled by Gengar bar Ice Punch or Hidden Power Ice.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Toxicroak’s Dream World ability is Poison Touch, which gives a 30% chance of normal poison to all of his contact moves. This ability is nearly as useless as Anticipation and should not be used over Dry Skin under any circumstances. Dry Skin is the primary reason that Toxicroak is viable in OU, otherwise, Toxicroak is a very average Pokemon.</p>
