Toxicroak
[Overview]
<p>Toxicroak is a Pokemon designed to function well in rain teams. It takes no damage from Water-type attacks, has passive recovery under rain, and has access to two boosting moves, Swords Dance and Bulk Up, as well as good coverage options, allowing it to check or bust through many Pokemon that rain teams struggle against such as Ferrothorn, Chansey, Tentacruel, Keldeo, and Breloom. With a bulky set, it is also a useful check to one of the tier's most threatening Pokemon, Terrakion. However, other than its Attack, Toxicroak has poor stats and it relies a lot on rain to be useful. Depending on the set it runs, Toxicroak is also walled by common OU Pokemon such as Jellicent, Hippowdon, Gyarados, and Skarmory. At the end of the day, Toxicroak is an instrumental Pokemon for rain teams that helps them overcome some of their most common weaknesses, and even though it has some significant flaws, its positive traits make up for them with the right support.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With unresisted neutral coverage and a good Attack stat, Toxicroak is very hard to wall after a boost. It's not difficult for Toxicroak to get an opportunity to use Swords Dance, as it can easily switch into many Pokemon that are problematic for rain teams, namely Keldeo, Ferrothorn, Chansey, and Tentacruel, and gain a free boost as they switch out. A notable advantage of Toxicroak over other sweepers is that it can't be worn down under rain (making Politoed a mandatory teammate) thanks to Dry Skin and Drain Punch, making it much more difficult to play around. Drain Punch gains STAB and allows Toxicroak to remain healthy even after taking severe damage, while packing serious power at +2 Attack. Sucker Punch compliments Drain Punch nicely, providing almost unresisted neutral coverage, good Base Power, and priority, preventing Toxicroak from getting revenge killed by faster threats, including Latios, Starmie, and Alakazam. Finally, Ice Punch covers the few threats that the other attacking moves don't, maiming Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Dragonite, and Hippowdon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs allow Toxicroak to outspeed Jolly Breloom, and the rest are thrown into Attack and HP. An Adamant nature is usually the better option, as both Toxicroak's Attack stat and the Base Power of its STAB move leaves something to be desired, and Sucker Punch helps against many faster Pokemon anyway. However, with a Jolly nature, Toxicroak outspeeds Jolly Mamoswine, Timid Heatran, and SubToxic Gliscor variants, all important targets that could otherwise OHKO Toxicroak. If you find Drain Punch's power lacking, Cross Chop is an option that allows Toxicroak to OHKO 252 HP Jirachi after a boost, preventing it from paralyzing Toxicroak; unfortunately, the lowered accuracy is a letdown.</p>
<p>Toxicroak should always be used on rain teams, so Politoed is an obligatory teammate. Stealth Rock and Spikes support are useful for Toxicroak, as with them on the field it can secure the OHKO or 2HKO on various threats after a boost, including Haxorus, Choice Scarf Politoed, and Salamence with Sucker Punch; 252 HP Jirachi and Volcarona with Drain Punch; and Gyarados with Ice Punch. Ferrothorn is an excellent partner that can set up both entry hazards and switch into many Pokemon that Toxicroak struggles against such as Hippowdon, Gyarados, Garchomp, and Kyurem-B. Celebi also has good defensive synergy with Toxicroak, sets up Stealth Rock, and takes care of Hippowdon, Sheer Force Landorus, and Gyarados with a specially defensive set. Offensive Starmie and Choice Scarf Keldeo are able to outspeed and KO almost everything that checks or walls Toxicroak, creating a very potent offensive duo. Generally, Swords Dance Toxicroak thrives in rain offense teams that need a way to handle Keldeo, Terrakion, Chansey, Blissey, Tentacruel, Breloom, and Ferrothorn, all Pokemon that Toxicroak can set up against easily.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Sucker Punch
move 4: Substitute
item: Black Sludge
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 244 HP / 132 Atk / 120 Def / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Bulk Up and significant HP and Defense investment, Toxicroak is able to become a formidable bulky sweeper. Being immune to Scald and Toxic is always nice for a physical sweeper that plans on staying in for a long time, and Toxicroak's resistances allow it to set up against a variety of Pokemon such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Tentacruel, and Conkeldurr. To top it off, Drain Punch and Dry Skin ensure that Toxicroak will almost always be in good shape. After a single boost, it is almost impossible to take down Toxicroak from the physical side, and most Pokemon that can—mainly Ground-types—are all afraid of Ice Punch. Drain Punch is Toxicroak's STAB and healing tool, while Ice Punch hits common switch-ins to Toxicroak for super effective damage, including Gliscor, Dragonite, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. Sucker Punch provides Toxicroak with almost unresisted neutral coverage, bar opposing Toxicroak, when combined with Drain Punch, and has priority, but it can leave Toxicroak struggling against Pokemon that don't care about Drain Punch and have non-attacking moves, namely Jellicent, Disable Gengar, and Perish Song Celebi. Substitute rounds off the set by giving Toxicroak a way to avoid status, revenge killers, and Leech Seed, and is almost penalty-free as Dry Skin and Leftovers heal Toxicroak for 18.5% of its health each turn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The HP and Defense EVs prevent any Terrakion variant from 2HKOing Toxicroak after Stealth Rock in rain. 12 Speed EVs are used to outspeed defensive Rotom-W, allowing Toxicroak to set up a Substitute before it gets neutered by status, and the rest of the EVs are thrown into Attack. Swords Dance is an alternative to Bulk Up, to pose a more immediate threat, but the unboosted physical side of Toxicroak will allow many faster physical attackers to get past it. Payback is the only attacking move that can break through Jellicent, so it is a solid choice that still offers the excellent neutral coverage given by Sucker Punch.</p>
<p>Rain is what makes this set last long enough to be dangerous, so Politoed should be used as a teammate. Because Hippowdon, Skarmory, Jellicent, Celebi with Psychic, and Reuniclus all counter Toxicroak, any Celebi variant pairs very well with it to cover its weaknesses to Ground- and Psychic-type moves. Nasty Plot Celebi can set up against Hippowdon, Jellicent, and Reuniclus and proceed to wreak havoc, while the specially defensive set with Perish Song beats all of the previously mentioned Pokemon bar Skarmory. Toxicroak also loves Toxic and Toxic Spikes support to get past many of the Pokemon that wall it, particularly Jellicent, Hippowdon, and Slowbro. Tentacruel is an excellent partner witch access to Toxic, Toxic Spikes, and Rapid Spin to support Toxicroak. Bulky Starmie with Toxic is a good lure for Jellicent and Slowbro, and is also able to clear the field of any entry hazards that Skarmory or Hippowdon may have set up against Toxicroak. As for more offensively minded partners, Choice Specs Gothitelle with a moveset of Psychic, Thunderbolt, Signal Beam, and Trick takes care of all of Toxicroak's counters; Jolteon, another potential teammate, outspeeds and OHKOes most Pokemon that trouble Toxicroak.</p>
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch / Payback
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A middle road between the Swords Dance and Bulk Up sets, SubPunch Toxicroak has both immediate power and bulk. Substitute protects Toxicroak from status, lets it use Focus Punch safely, and works well with Dry Skin. Sucker Punch is useful priority and coverage against Starmie, Celebi, Alakazam, and many faster Pokemon in general, while also allowing Toxicroak to set up a Substitute against a foe and then kill it the next turn with Sucker Punch, keeping its Substitute intact. Payback is stronger than Sucker Punch against faster foes, and more reliable, but it doesn't have priority and is too weak against any Pokemon slower than Toxicroak. Ice Punch covers the Ground- and Flying-type Pokemon that prey on Toxicroak such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Dragonite.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>12 Speed EVs allow Toxicroak to outspeed defensive Rotom-W and set up a Substitute before it is afflicted with status. Attack is maximized, and the rest of the EVs go to HP. Life Orb gives Toxicroak some much needed power, while Leftovers improves its durability and its ability to PP stall with Substitute. Drain Punch can be used over any coverage move in order to have a reliable STAB move, just in case Toxicroak needs to attack with a STAB move without a Substitute.</p>
<p>Politoed support is a requirement for this set to work. Celebi helps Toxicroak against most Ground- and Psychic-type Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Sheer Force Landorus, and Reuniclus. Scarf Thundurus-T and Jolteon beat Jellicent, Garchomp, Landorus-T, and many faster Pokemon that can OHKO Toxicroak. Finally, Terrakion is a fine partner and forms a dual Fighting-type core with Toxicroak, where each Pokemon weakens the other's counters.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Toxicroak has access to Nasty Plot and Vacuum Wave, allowing it to use a special set to decent success, but Toxicroak's low Special Attack makes such a set have few merits outside of the surprise factor. Work Up is another option, if only for hitting with both physical and special priority, but it is a gimmick at best; Swords Dance is better for wallbreaking anyway. Toxicroak can take advantage of its second STAB by using Poison Jab, to hit Pokemon such as Celebi, Gyarados, and Volcarona for better damage than with any other move, but it leaves Toxicroak helpless against the numerous Ground-types that are found in OU. Although situational, Toxic can cripple quite a few of Toxicroak's checks and counters, namely Jellicent, Slowbro, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon, making it a decent option.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Physically defensive Hippowdon, RestTalk Gyarados, Jellicent, and Sableye are the best counters to any Toxicroak set. Garchomp, Kyurem-B, Landorus-T, Intimidate Salamence, and Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi are some of the best checks to Swords Dance Toxicroak, as they can switch into most of its moves, survive even a +2 Sucker Punch, and OHKO back. The Bulk Up set is less prone to revenge killing and more prone to getting walled, as it is very weak without a couple of boosts under its belt. For this reason, physically defensive Skarmory, Reuniclus, Slowbro, and Volcarona are good counters to that set. As for revenge killing, any Pokemon that outspeeds Toxicroak, can live a +2 Sucker Punch, and OHKO Toxicroak in return works; Pokemon that fit this criteria include Kyurem-B, Landorus, and Choice Band Scizor. Finally, sun teams are troubling for Toxicroak as they take away its passive recovery and make it lose HP each turn, reducing its lifespan.</p>
