roman
Banned deucer.
[OVERVIEW]
Toxicroak is one of the biggest nuisances for balance teams thanks to Dry Skin, which lets it use Pokemon like Milotic and Araquanid as setup bait, its immunity to Toxic, and access to Swords Dance. In fact, even offensive teams are forced to prepare for it because of Sucker Punch. It has the option to run Poisonium Z to flat-out invalidate checks to its Life Orb setsuch as Slowbro, Brave Bird Mandibuzz, and even Cresselia provided Stealth Rock is up. It also has further versatility by means of other potential sets such as Choice Scarf. Toxicroak's unique defensive typing allows it to check Pokemon like Virizion, Roserade lacking Hidden Power Fire, and Mega Blastoise in a pinch. However, although Toxicroak's Speed tier allows it to outpace common threats like Mega Blastoise, it leaves a lot to be desired with a good bit of the unboosted tier outpacing it, meaning Pokemon like Zygarde-10% and Salazzle can revenge kill Toxicroak as long as they aren't in range of Sucker Punch. Furthermore, Toxicroak has to compete with a plethora of other Fighting-types for a teamslot. For example, a team might prefer Virizion's Speed tier, Sawk's utility in Sturdy, Assault Vest Machamp's ability to act as a glue Pokemon, or Pangoro's immediate power over Toxicroak's assets.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Toxicroak's Attack stat, letting it remove walls such as Milotic. Gunk Shot is Toxicroak's hardest-hitting STAB attack and lets Toxicroak break down defensive Pokemon and heavily dent offensive checks such as Noivern if they try to switch directly into it. Drain Punch improves Toxicroak's longevity and allows it to more freely set up on walls like Registeel, since it'll be able to heal off any damage taken. Sucker Punch, when boosted, is great for removing revenge killers such as Sigilyph and Choice Scarf Gardevoir.
Set Details
========
Life Orb allows Toxicroak to increase its damage output at the cost of slight recoil. Dry Skin lets Toxicroak capitalize on its unique defensive typing by countering Pokemon like Golisopod lacking Drill Run and Araquanid. Poisonium Z lets Toxicroak dismantle defensive Pokemon like Slowbro and Cresselia more easily, as Acid Downpour will almost always OHKO both of them after Stealth Rock damage, whereas Life Orb sets have to chip them down or fish for poison with Gunk Shot to remove them at +2. However, this cuts into Toxicroak's matchup against more offensive teams, as without Life Orb, its Sucker Punch will be extremely underwhelming. Darkinium Z works similarly to Poisonium Z, mainly removing Bronzong but also dealing with Slowbro and Cresselia. However, Toxicroak struggles to deal with Brave Bird Mandibuzz, something Poisonium Z sets excel at.
Usage Tips
========
Set up early-game against balance teams on passive defensive Pokemon like Registeel and bulky Water-types like Milotic and break down defensive cores to make it easier for setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Feraligatr or even Choice Scarf Pokemon to clean up opposing teams. However, against more offensive teams, Sucker Punch Toxicroak has the potential to sweep late-game, so keep in mind that it might be more advantageous to go that route instead. Make sure that opposing means of defensive counterplay are sufficiently chipped before trying to set up and wallbreak, especially when running a Life Orb set. For example, if the opposing team has a Cresselia, don't bother to set up. Instead, aim to poison it with Gunk Shot or focus on chipping it down with other means like Toxic and Stealth Rock from teammates before using Swords Dance. Although Toxicroak's main role is as a sweeper, it can still capitalize on its unique defensive typing to check Pokemon like Virizion and Araquanid. Also, when running a Z-Move, keep in mind that you can bluff a Choice Scarf set, so use that to set up on forced switches.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that appreciate Toxicroak's ability to beat Water-types and break defensive cores work well with it. For example, late-game setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Feraligatr and Agility Metagross work well with it. Grass-types such as Shaymin work well with Toxicroak, as they appreciate its ability to break down Steel-types and take down Ground-types like Donphan and Quagsire for it. Chip damage found in forms such as Toxic and Stealth Rock is key for chipping defensive Pokemon like Slowbro, Cresselia, and Mandibuzz into range of Toxicroak's boosted attacks, so pairing it with teammates like Registeel and Toxic Metagross is beneficial. Other Fighting-types like Machamp and Virizion can be paired with Toxicroak, working as a wallbreaking core that wears down their checks together.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Low Kick
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Knock Off
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot allows Toxicroak to successfully remove setup sweepers like Virizion. Low Kick is used over other Fighting-type STAB moves like Drain Punch because it's much stronger against the usual targets, mainly Rock-, Steel-, and Normal-types such as Tyrantrum, Registeel, and Snorlax. Earthquake is great for revenge killing Pokemon like Salazzle and opposing Toxicroak that resist Toxicroak's STAB moves. Knock Off is great for crippling defensive switch-ins like Porygon2 and Bronzong and helps Toxicroak revenge kill Ghost- and Psychic-types like Mismagius and Sigilyph.
Set Details
========
Choice Scarf allows Toxicroak to revenge kill setup Pokemon like Drapion and Virizion. Dry Skin with Toxicroak's Poison / Fighting typing allows it to counter Pokemon like Araquanid and completely stop Pokemon like Toxic Mantine.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Toxicroak's main use is to revenge kill Pokemon, so use it to force out setup Pokemon like Salazzle. Toxicroak can be used to clean up weakened teams late-game as well. While other Choice Scarf users like Gardevoir have utility like Healing Wish, one of Choice Scarf Toxicroak's main advantages is its unique defensive typing that gives it the ability to act as a one- or two-time switch-in to many setup Pokemon such as Virizion, so make use of it to do so. As with every Choice item Pokemon, be cautious when using Toxicroak, as using a certain move might leave it vulnerable to opposing setup sweepers. For example, revenge killing a Virizion with Gunk Shot gives other setup Pokemon such as Barbaracle free rein to set up and sweep.
Team Options
========
Wallbreakers work great with Toxicroak, breaking down Pokemon that stand in the way of a late-game sweep with it. Thus, Pokemon such as Choice Band Metagross, Choice Band Tyrantrum, Choice Band Zygarde-10%, and Choice Specs Gardevoir as well as setup Pokemon such as Ninetales, Raikou, and Mega Abomasnow are good teammates. While a Choice Scarf allows Toxicroak to outpace the entire unboosted tier, it fails to beat Speed-boosting setup sweepers such as Zygarde-10% and Barbaracle, so make sure you have other ways to revenge kill them such as priority from Pokemon like Golisopod and niche Sturdy Pokemon like Sawk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Knock Off gives Toxicroak further utility in crippling Pokemon like Porygon2 and allows it to KO Slowbro with Stealth Rock damage. However, Sucker Punch + Darkinium Z does the same thing but trades Knock Off's utility for a good matchup against offensive teams. Ice Punch on Swords Dance sets lets Toxicroak deal with checks like Dragalge, Donphan, and Nidoqueen but is otherwise useless when another move like Sucker Punch would be much more useful. On Choice Scarf sets, Ice Punch makes it easier for Toxicroak to revenge kill Pokemon like Noivern. Earthquake on Swords Dance sets deals with checks like Dragalge, Nidoqueen, and Metagross while hitting opposing Toxicroak.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Pokemon**: Toxicroak's weak non-STAB Sucker Punch leaves it vulnerable to Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Tyrantrum and Noivern as well as faster threats such as Ninetales and Choice Specs Ribombee.
**Physical Walls**: Sturdy walls like Slowbro and Cresselia can deal with standard Life Orb Toxicroak, but both can be removed by Poisonium Z variants, and Slowbro has to watch out for Darkinium Z as well. Although typically restricted to stall teams, Quagsire should be noted as a reliable counter to Toxicroak.
**Ground-types**: Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Donphan sponge up any of Toxicroak's attacks and KO it in return.
**Poison-types**: Many Poison-types, notably Dragalge and Nidoqueen, are fantastic Toxicroak checks thanks to their typing, which lets them resist Toxicroak's STAB attacks. However, they do struggle with Earthquake and Ice Punch on Swords Dance sets and Earthquake on Choice Scarf sets.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[roman, 396169]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [Mr Aldo, 227521], [Chrisloud1, 332202]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Toxicroak is one of the biggest nuisances for balance teams thanks to Dry Skin, which lets it use Pokemon like Milotic and Araquanid as setup bait, its immunity to Toxic, and access to Swords Dance. In fact, even offensive teams are forced to prepare for it because of Sucker Punch. It has the option to run Poisonium Z to flat-out invalidate checks to its Life Orb setsuch as Slowbro, Brave Bird Mandibuzz, and even Cresselia provided Stealth Rock is up. It also has further versatility by means of other potential sets such as Choice Scarf. Toxicroak's unique defensive typing allows it to check Pokemon like Virizion, Roserade lacking Hidden Power Fire, and Mega Blastoise in a pinch. However, although Toxicroak's Speed tier allows it to outpace common threats like Mega Blastoise, it leaves a lot to be desired with a good bit of the unboosted tier outpacing it, meaning Pokemon like Zygarde-10% and Salazzle can revenge kill Toxicroak as long as they aren't in range of Sucker Punch. Furthermore, Toxicroak has to compete with a plethora of other Fighting-types for a teamslot. For example, a team might prefer Virizion's Speed tier, Sawk's utility in Sturdy, Assault Vest Machamp's ability to act as a glue Pokemon, or Pangoro's immediate power over Toxicroak's assets.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance boosts Toxicroak's Attack stat, letting it remove walls such as Milotic. Gunk Shot is Toxicroak's hardest-hitting STAB attack and lets Toxicroak break down defensive Pokemon and heavily dent offensive checks such as Noivern if they try to switch directly into it. Drain Punch improves Toxicroak's longevity and allows it to more freely set up on walls like Registeel, since it'll be able to heal off any damage taken. Sucker Punch, when boosted, is great for removing revenge killers such as Sigilyph and Choice Scarf Gardevoir.
Set Details
========
Life Orb allows Toxicroak to increase its damage output at the cost of slight recoil. Dry Skin lets Toxicroak capitalize on its unique defensive typing by countering Pokemon like Golisopod lacking Drill Run and Araquanid. Poisonium Z lets Toxicroak dismantle defensive Pokemon like Slowbro and Cresselia more easily, as Acid Downpour will almost always OHKO both of them after Stealth Rock damage, whereas Life Orb sets have to chip them down or fish for poison with Gunk Shot to remove them at +2. However, this cuts into Toxicroak's matchup against more offensive teams, as without Life Orb, its Sucker Punch will be extremely underwhelming. Darkinium Z works similarly to Poisonium Z, mainly removing Bronzong but also dealing with Slowbro and Cresselia. However, Toxicroak struggles to deal with Brave Bird Mandibuzz, something Poisonium Z sets excel at.
Usage Tips
========
Set up early-game against balance teams on passive defensive Pokemon like Registeel and bulky Water-types like Milotic and break down defensive cores to make it easier for setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Feraligatr or even Choice Scarf Pokemon to clean up opposing teams. However, against more offensive teams, Sucker Punch Toxicroak has the potential to sweep late-game, so keep in mind that it might be more advantageous to go that route instead. Make sure that opposing means of defensive counterplay are sufficiently chipped before trying to set up and wallbreak, especially when running a Life Orb set. For example, if the opposing team has a Cresselia, don't bother to set up. Instead, aim to poison it with Gunk Shot or focus on chipping it down with other means like Toxic and Stealth Rock from teammates before using Swords Dance. Although Toxicroak's main role is as a sweeper, it can still capitalize on its unique defensive typing to check Pokemon like Virizion and Araquanid. Also, when running a Z-Move, keep in mind that you can bluff a Choice Scarf set, so use that to set up on forced switches.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that appreciate Toxicroak's ability to beat Water-types and break defensive cores work well with it. For example, late-game setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Feraligatr and Agility Metagross work well with it. Grass-types such as Shaymin work well with Toxicroak, as they appreciate its ability to break down Steel-types and take down Ground-types like Donphan and Quagsire for it. Chip damage found in forms such as Toxic and Stealth Rock is key for chipping defensive Pokemon like Slowbro, Cresselia, and Mandibuzz into range of Toxicroak's boosted attacks, so pairing it with teammates like Registeel and Toxic Metagross is beneficial. Other Fighting-types like Machamp and Virizion can be paired with Toxicroak, working as a wallbreaking core that wears down their checks together.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Low Kick
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Knock Off
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Gunk Shot allows Toxicroak to successfully remove setup sweepers like Virizion. Low Kick is used over other Fighting-type STAB moves like Drain Punch because it's much stronger against the usual targets, mainly Rock-, Steel-, and Normal-types such as Tyrantrum, Registeel, and Snorlax. Earthquake is great for revenge killing Pokemon like Salazzle and opposing Toxicroak that resist Toxicroak's STAB moves. Knock Off is great for crippling defensive switch-ins like Porygon2 and Bronzong and helps Toxicroak revenge kill Ghost- and Psychic-types like Mismagius and Sigilyph.
Set Details
========
Choice Scarf allows Toxicroak to revenge kill setup Pokemon like Drapion and Virizion. Dry Skin with Toxicroak's Poison / Fighting typing allows it to counter Pokemon like Araquanid and completely stop Pokemon like Toxic Mantine.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Toxicroak's main use is to revenge kill Pokemon, so use it to force out setup Pokemon like Salazzle. Toxicroak can be used to clean up weakened teams late-game as well. While other Choice Scarf users like Gardevoir have utility like Healing Wish, one of Choice Scarf Toxicroak's main advantages is its unique defensive typing that gives it the ability to act as a one- or two-time switch-in to many setup Pokemon such as Virizion, so make use of it to do so. As with every Choice item Pokemon, be cautious when using Toxicroak, as using a certain move might leave it vulnerable to opposing setup sweepers. For example, revenge killing a Virizion with Gunk Shot gives other setup Pokemon such as Barbaracle free rein to set up and sweep.
Team Options
========
Wallbreakers work great with Toxicroak, breaking down Pokemon that stand in the way of a late-game sweep with it. Thus, Pokemon such as Choice Band Metagross, Choice Band Tyrantrum, Choice Band Zygarde-10%, and Choice Specs Gardevoir as well as setup Pokemon such as Ninetales, Raikou, and Mega Abomasnow are good teammates. While a Choice Scarf allows Toxicroak to outpace the entire unboosted tier, it fails to beat Speed-boosting setup sweepers such as Zygarde-10% and Barbaracle, so make sure you have other ways to revenge kill them such as priority from Pokemon like Golisopod and niche Sturdy Pokemon like Sawk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Knock Off gives Toxicroak further utility in crippling Pokemon like Porygon2 and allows it to KO Slowbro with Stealth Rock damage. However, Sucker Punch + Darkinium Z does the same thing but trades Knock Off's utility for a good matchup against offensive teams. Ice Punch on Swords Dance sets lets Toxicroak deal with checks like Dragalge, Donphan, and Nidoqueen but is otherwise useless when another move like Sucker Punch would be much more useful. On Choice Scarf sets, Ice Punch makes it easier for Toxicroak to revenge kill Pokemon like Noivern. Earthquake on Swords Dance sets deals with checks like Dragalge, Nidoqueen, and Metagross while hitting opposing Toxicroak.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Pokemon**: Toxicroak's weak non-STAB Sucker Punch leaves it vulnerable to Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Tyrantrum and Noivern as well as faster threats such as Ninetales and Choice Specs Ribombee.
**Physical Walls**: Sturdy walls like Slowbro and Cresselia can deal with standard Life Orb Toxicroak, but both can be removed by Poisonium Z variants, and Slowbro has to watch out for Darkinium Z as well. Although typically restricted to stall teams, Quagsire should be noted as a reliable counter to Toxicroak.
**Ground-types**: Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Donphan sponge up any of Toxicroak's attacks and KO it in return.
**Poison-types**: Many Poison-types, notably Dragalge and Nidoqueen, are fantastic Toxicroak checks thanks to their typing, which lets them resist Toxicroak's STAB attacks. However, they do struggle with Earthquake and Ice Punch on Swords Dance sets and Earthquake on Choice Scarf sets.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[roman, 396169]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [Mr Aldo, 227521], [Chrisloud1, 332202]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
