[OVERVIEW]
* Toxicroak is mostly outclassed by the other Fighting-types in the tier due to its lower Speed and offensive presence, but it manages to carve out a unique niche thanks to its secondary Poison typing and handy ability in Dry Skin.
* Access to both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot allows Toxicroak to break through many defensive cores and makes it versatile and unpredictable.
* Its typing and ability give it plenty of setup opportunities.
* With a wide movepool both special and physical, including access to priority in the form of Sucker Punch and Vacuum Wave, Toxicroak can function as a powerful wallbreaker and late-game cleaner once set up.
* Unfortunately, Toxicroak's mediocre bulk prevents it from setting up even on powerful resisted hits without some HP investment, such as Choice Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword.
* Although a Poison / Fighting typing provides Toxicroak with resistances to common attacking types such as Dark, Fighting, Grass, and Rock, it gives Toxicroak an extreme weakness to Psychic-type attacks and an additional weakness to the common Ground-type moves littering the tier.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch / Ice Punch / Knock Off
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance is mandatory in order to boost Toxicroak's Attack to sky-high levels and grants it the capability to punch through otherwise difficult-to-break walls.
* Gunk Shot is Toxicroak's main STAB move of choice, as it has a high Base Power and hits very hard after a boost. It also has a handy 30% chance to poison, which can help deal with Pokemon that resist it.
* Drain Punch is a secondary STAB move that provides some sort of pseudo-recovery and helps deal with Life Orb recoil.
* Low Kick is an alternative to Drain Punch that hits heavier Pokemon such as Swampert, Hippowdon, Scizor, and Metagross slightly harder, but it is an inferior option due to the utility provided by Drain Punch.
* The last moveslot can be customized to the team's needs. Sucker Punch provides priority and Dark-type coverage to hit fast Psychic-types such as Alakazam and Latias, while Ice Punch provides much-needed coverage on Gliscor, Crobat, and Nidoqueen, and Knock Off is a high-utility move that can cripple a majority of switch-ins and, as an added bonus, hits fairly hard after a boost.
* Earthquake is another option in the last slot to hit Doublade, Nidoqueen, and Arcanine, but its usefulness is vastly inferior to the coverage provided by Ice Punch and the utility or coverage provided by Sucker Punch and Knock Off.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack and Speed along with a Jolly nature allows Toxicroak to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding positive-natured base 80s, such as Togekiss and Chandelure, and Speed tying with Pokemon such as Suicune, Nidoking, and Kommo-o.
* An Adamant nature is usable, as Toxicroak still outspeeds foes like Jolly Bisharp, Metagross, and Decidueye, but leaves Toxicroak more easily revenge killed, especially by Pokemon in the base 75+ Speed tier.
* Dry Skin should be the ability of choice, as it is the only reason that Toxicroak is usable due to the Water immunity.
* A Life Orb boosts Toxicroak's otherwise mediocre damage output and is the best option overall; however, as Toxicroak is a Poison-type, it can effectively utilize Black Sludge should you prefer longevity over slightly increased power.
Usage Tips
========
* Swords Dance Toxicroak is meant to be used as a wallbreaker. Its powerful STAB Gunk Shot wears down even bulky Pokemon, and when used in conjunction with Knock Off it can easily cripple defensive threats.
* Finding the most opportune moment to set up is crucial to Toxicroak's success. Thanks to its Dry Skin ability, Toxicroak is able to set up on the majority of defensive bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Tentacruel, and Mantine (the latter two can Haze it, however) and proceed to demolish the opposing team with its powerful boosted Gunk Shots.
* Toxicroak can also force switches with the threat of its STAB moves and either pummel the incoming Pokemon or set up on the switch.
* Hitting a switch-in with a STAB move may also wear them down enough to put them into KO range of Sucker Punch.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazards greatly help Toxicroak in breaking through bulky Pokemon, so Stealth Rock setters such as Swampert and Bronzong make great teammates. They also have fairly good defensive synergy with Toxicroak. Aerodactyl also makes a great teammate, as it not only sets up Stealth Rock but is also immune to Ground-type moves and lures in bulky Water-types for Toxicroak to set up on.
* Klefki makes a great teammate as well, as it can cripple faster sweepers with Thunder Wave, weaken defensive Pokemon with Toxic, and easily get up a layer or two of Spikes. It also resists Psychic-type moves and has Magnet Rise to become immune to Ground-type moves.
* Fast and powerful Fire-types such as Infernape, Darmanitan, and Arcanine can help punch some holes in the opponent's team while luring in bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Milotic for Toxicroak to set up on. They also appreciate the Water-types being eliminated by Toxicroak for an easier time sweeping.
* Mega Blastoise resists Fire, can utilize Rapid Spin to prevent Toxicroak from being worn down by entry hazards, and hits decently hard with its Mega Launcher ability.
* Primarina has decent defensive synergy with Toxicroak, hits extremely hard with its STAB moves and high Special Attack, and can sponge a few special hits thanks to its massive Special Defense stat.
* Bisharp can be used as an additional wallbreaker alongside Toxicroak by using its powerful STAB Knock Off and Sucker Punch to deal with the many Psychic-types in the tier. It can also run an Assault Vest set along with Pursuit to check and trap Psychic-types.
* Hydreigon provides nice offensive synergy with Toxicroak, eliminating threats such as Reuniclus, Slowbro, and Swampert with ease.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Sludge Bomb / Sludge Wave
move 3: Vacuum Wave / Focus Blast
move 4: Dark Pulse / Hidden Power Ice / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Nasty Plot boosts Toxicroak's fairly average Special Attack to respectable levels, and with its good coverage, a boosted Toxicroak can hit a large portion of the metagame for high damage.
* Sludge Bomb is Toxicroak's best Poison-type STAB move that is interchangeable with Sludge Wave, trading a higher 30% chance to poison for slightly higher Base Power.
* Vacuum Wave provides special Fighting-type coverage that also allows Toxicroak to get the jump on faster enemies, while Focus Blast is a hard-hitting nuke, especially at +2.
* Dark Pulse rounds out Toxicroak's coverage perfectly, hitting Psychic-types such as Slowbro and Alakazam and Ghost-types such as Gengar and Jellicent for super effective damage.
* Hidden Power Ice is an option to hit Crobat, Gliscor, and Flygon much harder, but it is a weaker option than Dark Pulse against most foes.
* Dual Fighting-type STAB can be used in the form of Focus Blast and Vacuum Wave to provide Toxicroak with a strong nuke as well as priority, but this leaves Toxicroak more vulnerable to Pokemon that resist its STAB combination.
Set Details
========
* EVs are maximized in Special Attack and Speed in order to hit as hard as possible and outspeed or Speed tie with as many Pokemon as possible.
* A Timid nature allows Toxicroak to tie with positive-natured base 85 Speed Pokemon, while a Modest nature allows Toxicroak to hit considerably harder at the cost of being more easily revenge killed by said Pokemon.
* Life Orb should be the only item on this set, as without it, Toxicroak is sorely lacking in power, being unable to OHKO threats that it otherwise would be able to.
* Dry Skin is also a necessity to be able to set up on bulky Water-types lacking super effective coverage.
Usage Tips
========
* Special Toxicroak has slightly different checks and counters from physical variants, but the same principle applies when setting up.
* Try to bring in Toxicroak safely on predicted Water-type moves, as that provides a free turn for Toxicroak to set up Nasty Plot. Toxicroak also has a handy set of resistances to Grass-, Bug-, Fighting-, Poison-, and Rock-type moves, giving it ample opportunities to switch in and set up.
* However, Toxicroak's mediocre bulk means it cannot switch in repeatedly on resisted hits, as it will be easily worn down, especially in conjunction with entry hazards and Life Orb recoil.
* Although Vacuum Wave is a STAB priority move, it is still remarkably weak without a boost, and even then it may not OHKO on a neutral hit, so be sure to use it only on weakened foes if possible.
* Because Toxicroak's Special Attack is considerably lower than its Attack, unlike its counterpart and main competition, Lucario, it is sorely in need of a boost to do any significant damage, with the exception of targets weak to its STAB moves.
* Sludge Bomb is the most spammable move, as it has a handy 30% chance to poison, meaning that checks may no longer be checks after repeated switches in and residual poison damage.
* Nasty Plot Toxicroak is able to lure in and KO typical Swords Dance switch-ins such as Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Doublade, allowing teammates such as Mega Absol, Flygon, and Infernape to set up more easily and providing teammates such as Zygarde-10%, Lucario, and Cobalion with the opportunity to sweep.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazards are extremely useful to help Toxicroak break through its foes, so teammates that can set Stealth Rock and Spikes are particularly beneficial. Klefki is one of the best, if not the best Spikes user in the tier, and it provides a nice Psychic resistance as well. Swampert, Bronzong, and Mew are all useful users of Stealth Rock and provide a nice set of resistances as well.
* Mega Absol is helpful to keep entry hazards off the field, and it can easily switch into the Psychic-type attacks aimed at Toxicroak and proceed to punish them with a powerful STAB Knock Off.
* Offensive Fire-types can easily lure bulky Water-types for Toxicroak to set up on and eliminate. Infernape and Darmanitan receive special mention due to their access to U-turn, allowing them to predict the switch and bring in Toxicroak safely.
* Additional powerful Fighting-types such as Mienshao, Lucario, Cobalion, and Keldeo can work together with Toxicroak to wear down and eventually break through more bulky checks such as Cresselia, Slowking, and Reuniclus.
* Having Hydreigon as a teammate allows Toxicroak to forgo Dark-type coverage for Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ice, as Hydreigon provides a powerful STAB Dark Pulse to deal with Psychic- and Ghost-types. It also has decent synergy with Toxicroak, resisting Fire-type moves and being immune to Psychic- and Ground-type moves.
* Bisharp fulfills a similar role to Hydreigon, and although it compounds the Ground weakness, it can fire off powerful STAB Dark-type moves to weaken Toxicroak's checks and also discourages Defog users thanks to its Defiant ability.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Substitute and/or Bulk Up are options to make Toxicroak less susceptible to status and strong physical hits; however, this is highly inferior to Swords Dance or Nasty Plot due to the sheer power difference after a single turn of setup. Toxicroak is already immune to Toxic and cannot be burned by Scald, so Substitute is a lackluster option unless paired with Focus Punch when compared with more coverage or a priority move.
* Toxicroak has the movepool to run a mixed set, although it is considerably weaker due to mixed offensive investment and the lack of a boosting move.
* Taunt can be used to prevent walls from healing or using a status move, but Toxicroak is better off using a boosting move and attempting to sweep rather than stallbreak with the use of Taunt.
* Poisonium Z can be used to turn Gunk Shot into a 100%-accurate 190-Base Power nuke, but Toxicroak usually prefers the overall power boost from Life Orb, especially since it already hits quite hard after a Swords Dance boost.
* After Stealth Rock damage, Stone Edge + Rockium Z can OHKO Flying-types such as Crobat on the switch.
* Likewise, Cross Chop in conjunction with Fightinium Z gives Toxicroak a one-time Fighting-type nuke, but it is situational and leaves its other moves weaker without the power boost from Life Orb.
* Belch is an interesting option that can be used in conjunction with a battle-viable Berry, but this leaves Toxicroak without a reliable Poison-type STAB until the Berry has been consumed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Crobat**: Because of Crobat's Poison / Flying typing, it can effectively wall any Toxicroak set lacking Ice-type coverage. It easily switches into any move Toxicroak has with the exception of a boosted Ice Punch or Hidden Power Ice. Additionally, it easily outspeeds and OHKOes Toxicroak with Brave Bird while taking negligible damage from Vacuum Wave and surviving a +2 Sucker Punch.
**Bulky Ground-type Pokemon**: Bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Swampert can easily stomach boosted hits from Swords Dance Toxicroak, and they can also switch into any attack from the Nasty Plot set, provided it hasn't set up. They can then proceed to OHKO Toxicroak with STAB Earthquake or phaze it with Whirlwind and Roar, respectively. Nidoqueen's typing gives it a 4x resistance to Poison and a resistance to Fighting, making it one of the best switch-ins to Toxicroak. It also has the bulk to take a boosted Sucker Punch, Knock Off, or even Ice Punch. Nidoking can also take a boosted STAB move from Toxicroak, but its lower bulk makes it risky to switch in more than once. Gliscor also serves as an effective check, but it is more susceptible to Ice Punch or Hidden Power Ice.
**Bulky Psychic-type Pokemon**: Slowbro, Cresselia, Necrozma, and Reuniclus are all bulky enough to tank a +2 Gunk Shot (although the latter has a small chance of being OHKOed) and retaliate with a STAB Psychic or Psyshock. These four Pokemon are also capable of surviving a boosted attack from the Nasty Plot set, provided that entry hazards aren't in play. Slowking is a good check to the Nasty Plot set but cannot survive a +2 Gunk Shot from the Swords Dance set.
**Poison-types**: Physically defensive Amoonguss can tank a +2 Gunk Shot and put Toxicroak out of commission with Spore (specially defensive variants can do the same for Nasty Plot Toxicroak). Gengar is immune to Fighting-type moves and isn't OHKOed by +2 Gunk Shot or Sludge Wave; however, it must be wary of switching into Knock Off or Dark Pulse, and it is also susceptible to Sucker Punch.
**Ghost-types**: Doublade walls any set lacking Dark-type coverage or Earthquake and can easily 2HKO Toxicroak with Iron Head or Shadow Claw. Chandelure is in a similar boat to Doublade, resisting Toxicroak's STAB moves and easily OHKOing Toxicroak with its Fire-type moves should Toxicroak lack Earthquake or Dark-type coverage. It can also play around Sucker Punch with the use of Substitute. Jellicent can switch into anything except Knock Off or Dark Pulse and can use Will-O-Wisp to avoid Sucker Punch and cripple Toxicroak.
**Arcanine**: Defensive Arcanine is never OHKOed by +1 Gunk Shot factoring in Intimidate, while offensive sets outspeed and demolish Toxicroak with STAB Flare Blitz, which is super effective due to Dry Skin's secondary effect.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon that aren't OHKOed by a +2 priority move such as Mega Aerodactyl, Zygarde-10%, Raikou, Flygon, and Infernape can come in and revenge kill Toxicroak with ease. Alakazam, while susceptible to Sucker Punch and Knock Off, can utilize Focus Sash + Magic Guard to serve as a one-time answer to a +2 Toxicroak. If Toxicroak isn't running a priority move, it becomes even more susceptible to faster threats.
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