Overview
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- Unique typing typing couple with a unique ability allows for great resistances. Checking major threats such as Keldeo and Terrakion.
- Other than its Attack stat, all of its other stats are below average.
- A very diverse movepool allows it to be unpredictable. Though relies heavily on coverage moves.
- Due to rain's nerf, Politoed no longer is a viable to be played on the same team as Toxicroak.
- Thanks to steel's nerf, sucker punch now limits his counters and threatens faster steels such as jirachi, excadrill, and choice scarf heatran.
- Huge advantage over other fighting types for being able to get passed fairies with STAB Poison Jab.
Sword Dance
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name: Sword Dance
move 1: Sword Dance
move 2: Cross chop/ Low kick
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Poison Jab/Ice punch
ability: Dry Skin
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant/Jolly
evs: 28 HP/ 252 Atk/ 228 Spe
Moves
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- Sword Dance is of course the necessity of this set. Toxicroak can find many switch in opportunities to utilize sword dance. Best to use when all of Toxicroaks checks and counters are in KO range with other moves.
- Cross chop is Toxicroak's first fighting STAB of choice. With rain's nerf it now need immediate power as it's not trying to stay in long. If the accuracy is a put off than one can op for Low Kick. While low kick has variable base power, the power after a Sword Dance make's it a viable choice.
- Sucker punch is one of Toxicroak's main niches. A powerful priority move nearly on par with lucario's Extremespeed. Sucker punch also compliments its Fighting STAB, giving it near perfect coverage. As stated earlier, revenge killing Toxicroak with faster steels is much harder thanks to the nerf on resisting dark.
- The 4th move is dependent on what teammates Toxicroak has and what the team needs coverage for. Ice punch is hits flyers, dragons, Gliscor, and Landlorus-T who can get in the way for Toxicroak to sweep effeciently. Poison jab(FINALLY) has viability on Toxicroak now to get passed fairies and its strongest move against M-Venasaur. With Poison Jab Toxicroak gains perfect coverage on all of his moves as well as a secondary STAB.
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- Adamant is the preferred nature as it will make the difference between a OHKO and a 2HKO. The speed EVs allow Toxicroak to outspeed a jolly Breloom before it can spore.
- With the Speed EVs listed, Jolly lets it outspeed important threats such as jolly Mamoswine, Gliscor that invest in a little Speed EVs, and timid spec heatran.
- The HP and Speed EVs can be played around with to suit team's needs. Investing in Toxicroak's bulk can a benefit.
- Life orb is the item of choice for the best power.
Usage Tips
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- Toxicroak will find many switch in opportunities to set up Sword Dance and wreck. But it's still best to choose wisely and scout the opponents team out. Switch ins such as, non-spore breloom, CB pursuit scizor, Tyranitar, Bulky Waters, CB aqua jet/waterfall azumarill and choiced Keldeo.
- It is best to use this set mid-late game and take out Toxicroak's counters or weaken them to put them in sucker punch KO range.
- This set can be very variable so it is important you build it around the team's needs.
- Mixing and matching the EVs with the moves can be a fun experiment when trying this Toxicroak set out
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- Stealth Rock support is necessary for this set to turn 2HKOs into OHKOs and wear down faster counters overtime putting them into sucker punch KO range.
- Last generation Politoed was mandatory to be played around with Toxicroak. This is no longer ideal because of rain's limited time. Rain teams should be more focused on offense rather than defense.
- Celebi is a great partner for Toxicroak as it can on physical walls such as Hippodown, Gliscor, and Jellicent. With the latter not being afraid of status nor ghost moves.
- Pokemon who can consistently keep Stealth Rock on the field.
Bulky Sub Punch
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name: Sub Punch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker punch
move 4: Ice punch/Poison Jab
ability: Dry Skin
item: Black Sludge
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP/ 252 Atk/ 4 Def
Moves
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- Substitute compliments Toxicroak's bulk as it finds many switch in opportunities to take advantage of. Substitute blocks status and eases prediction for countering it's common counters.
- Focus Punch coming from this toad hits like a truck without any boost. Doing enough damage to either KO Pokemon or put them in range to be finished off by sucker punch.
- Ice punch should be the first choice as gliscor, Landorus-T and dragon/flyers are some of Toxicroak's main switch ins. Ice punch will put a huge dent in switch in Gliscors, put Landorus-T in KO range to be finished off by sucker punch, and OHKO all dragon/flyers on the switch after SR damage.
- Poison jab can be used for the Fairies and MegaVenasaur, though you wont get past the latter. It is also a good choice if you need a safe STAB option if you can't keep Substitute in tact.
Set Details
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- This set focus's more on bulk of Toxicroak's typing and and keeping that bulk to attack safely behind a substitute. Toxicroak will need to switch in on checks and still have plenty enough health to force them out while it sets up a substitute.
- The EVs are poured into bulk rather than speed this set. 252 HP EVs ensure's it gets a good amount of bulk to utilize. Since this set loses quite a bit of power without a Life Orb boost, 252 Atk EVs are necessary to do as much damage as possible with Toxicroak's coverage moves.
- Black sludge is preferred over Life Orb because without Politied's rain, Toxicroak now needs a way to keep itself alive for a bit longer.
Usage Tips
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- This set can be used throughout the game. As stated consistently, it is not difficult for Toxicroak to find switch in opportunities and set up behind a sub.
- This set scouts for opponents while dealing heavy damage to certain walls, making it easier for other sweepers to clean house more efficiently.
- Bulky waters not named Slowbro, Keldeo, and a choiced Terrakion not locked into close combat, Ferrorthorn and many others should be the target of choice for Toxicroak to switch into.
- It should be noted that this set is very easy to revenge kill and as such if Toxicroak is ever put into a situation where it cant make a substitute than it is better to go off with a bang from focus punch rather than allow the opponent set something up on the switch.
Team Options
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- As with the Sword dance set, this set requires Stealth rock to be effective. It puts necessary pokemon into KO range with sucker punch and allows Toxicroak to beat Talonflame on the switch into Substitute.
- Since this set focuses on hurting and breaking through walls, other physical sweepers greatly appreciate this set. Lucario or Terrakion are great partners where each pokemon cover each others weakness. While the former has no problem getting past bulky ghosts with crunch.
- If Toxicroak opts for poison jab than Celebi will be great to set up Stealth Rocks and take on the bulky grounds that Toxicroak will struggle against
- And lastly Mixed M-Garchomp is a new partner that Toxicroak can help break through more efficiently with Poison Jab. Toxicroak attracts fairies(mainly Togekiss) who gives Mixed M-Garchomp problems.
Other Options
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- Toxicroak has access to Nasty Plot+ Vacuum Wave. Which may seem appealing at first but not very powerful and sweeping with the set is gimmicky at best.
- Drain punch was a main option last Gen as it allowed Toxicroak a little more survivability in rain. This is not the case as it needs as much power as it can get.
- Bulk Up was another standard from last Gen, however since the lost of rain, it can no longer regain HP to build up multiple Bulk Ups.
- Gunk Shot may be used over Poison Jab in any of its sets for the power over accuracy. Gunky Shot will turn some 2HKOs into OHKOs.
Checks & Counters
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- Physically defensive Hippowdon can take anything toxicroak throws at him and KO with EQ
- RestTalk Gyarados can phaze out Toxicroak, only fearing SD Poison Jab
- Jellicent, Cofagrigus, Sableye, M-Banette and fears nothing from Toxicroak and can burn with Will-O-Wisp. The latter two being able bypass the speed with prankster.
- M-Venasuar can take any hit from Toxicroak and put it to sleep then recover.
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