[OVERVIEW]
By virtue of an amazing ability in Huge Power, which doubles Attack, Azumarill is a fearsome sweeper in the OU metagame that is capable of muscling past even the bulkiest of checks. Further augmenting Azumarill's offensive presence are its access to Belly Drum and a Water / Fairy typing that offers excellent STAB coverage and useful resistances to Dragon-, Dark-, Fire-, and Fighting-type attacks, which gives it plenty of setup opportunities. Alongside its powerful STAB attacks in Play Rough and Waterfall are useful coverage options such as Knock Off, Superpower, and Ice Punch, as well as powerful STAB priority in the form of Aqua Jet. Unfortunately, Azumarill is cursed with lackluster Speed, which, despite its adequate natural bulk, leaves it threatened by faster powerful threats such as Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Gengar. It also has weaknesses to the tier's common Electric-, Grass-, and Poison-type attacks, which can at times compromise its wallbreaking capabilities. The prevalence of Psychic Terrain can also be a problem for Azumarill, as its low Speed will infrequently force it to rely on using Aqua Jet. Lastly, Azumarill's lack of reliable recovery leaves it prone to being worn down over time by powerful neutral hits, which can hurt its chances of setting up.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Knock Off
item: Normalium Z / Sitrus Berry
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum is mandatory for maximizing Azumarill's already impressive Attack and thus turning it into an obscenely powerful attacker. Aqua Jet is an extremely powerful priority move once boosted, and it is capable of aiding Azumarill in circumventing its poor Speed by hitting Pokemon weak or even neutral to the attack quite hard. Play Rough is Azumarill's most powerful STAB attack, and at +6 is capable of hitting anything that doesn't resist it extremely hard, notably OHKOing the likes of Tangrowth, Tapu Fini, and defensive Landorus-T, which are all Pokemon that are otherwise notorious for their resilience. Knock Off complements Azumarill's STAB coverage nicely, OHKOing Amoonguss, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn after Stealth Rock damage. Waterfall is an option over Aqua Jet for more power against defensive threats like Skarmory and Mega Mawile. These threats, however, are often hit hard enough by either Play Rough or Knock Off to justify not using Waterfall.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment is important for giving Azumarill immense power behind its boosted attacks. 252 EVs invested in Speed are also quite important, as this makes Azumarill nearly as fast as possible. An Adamant nature is preferred due to giving Azumarill as much power as possible, though a Jolly nature can be used to outrun the likes of Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, and Suicune at the cost of some power. Normalium Z is the preferred item, as it allows Azumarill to restore its health to full before using Belly Drum, which then brings it down to 50% HP. It's also useful for tanking Knock Off, as it cannot be removed. While Sitrus Berry should only be used if another teammate is holding a Z-Crystal, it is useful for restoring 25% of Azumarill's HP after it uses Belly Drum. Huge Power is mandatory as Azumarill's ability, as it doubles Azumarill's Attack and provides it with its offensive presence.
Usage Tips
========
This set should aim to clean up late-game once Azumarill's checks and counters are removed or weakened. Therefore, Toxapex and Mega Venusaur, two Pokemon infamous for reliably checking Azumarill, should be removed or severely dented before Azumarill sets up. If Azumarill's checks are still close to full health, it is best to refrain from setting up, as Azumarill will likely be unable to survive attacks from offensive checks or break past defensive checks. Examples of offensive threats that are particularly important to remove include Scolipede, Tapu Koko, Serperior, and Magnezone. In order to safely set up, Azumarill should look to use Belly Drum against Pokemon that won't likely do much damage to it, such as Fighting- and Dark-types like Keldeo and Weavile, defensive Pokemon like Gliscor and Bronzong, and Pokemon that are Choice-locked into moves that don't hurt Azumarill too much, like Choice Specs Ash Greninja and Choice Band Tyranitar.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio is a particularly useful partner, as it is capable of disposing of the Poison-, Electric-, and Steel-type Pokemon that Azumarill often struggles to outspeed or break past. Mega Charizard X and Alolan Marowak are also useful, as they can check the fast Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon that threaten Azumarill. Landorus-T, Jirachi, and Garchomp can all support Azumarill with Stealth Rock, which helps it KO Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Skarmory and Toxapex are easily the most reliable defensive checks to Belly Drum Azumarill. As a result, Electric-types capable of disposing of these threats, such as Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Magnezone, make useful teammates. Powerful wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Hoopa-U can help Azumarill muscle past bulky threats late-game by punching holes in the likes of Amoongus and Toxapex early on. Mega Alakazam, Mega Pinsir, Latios, and Tornadus-T are examples of strong Psychic- and Flying-type Pokemon capable of taking care of the Grass- and Poison-type Pokemon that threaten Azumarill. Lastly, Healing Wish support from Jirachi, Latias, or Clefable is an option if one wishes to use Azumarill early on in the game and then later to clean up.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Knock Off / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Play Rough is Azumarill's most powerful STAB option, and with a Choice Band and Huge Power, it is capable of hitting anything that isn't resistant to the move for great damage, notably scoring 2HKOs on Tangrowth and Tapu Fini and an OHKO on Mega Sableye. Aqua Jet is a powerful STAB priority attack that allows Azumarill to circumvent its poor Speed as well as pick off weakened threats. Waterfall is a more powerful Water-type attack that allows Azumarill to break past the likes of Landorus-T, Celesteela, and Alolan Marowak. Knock Off punishes Azumarill's common switch-ins in Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Toxapex with the removal of their items and can hit Jirachi and Bronzong, which would attempt to switch in on Play Rough, super effectively. Superpower is an option over Knock Off, as it allows Azumarill to likely OHKO Ferrothorn after Stealth Rock damage as well as break past Magnezone and Chansey.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature and Choice Band allows Azumarill to hit as hard as possible and properly function as a wallbreaker. 164 EVs invested in Speed are helpful for outpacing most defensive Pokemon, including Tangrowth, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The remaining EVs are invested in HP, as this allows Azumarill to bolster its decent defensive presence. Huge Power gives Azumarill an immense amount of power behind its attacks and thus its wallbreaking capabilities.
Usage Tips
========
This set's function is as a wallbreaker, and it should be used early- and mid-game to punch holes in teams as well as late-game, when Azumarill can freely spam either Play Rough or Aqua Jet. Due to the nature of Choice Band, it is important that Azumarill predicts carefully when wallbreaking. If a switch-in to one of its STAB attacks is predicted, Azumarill's coverage or other STAB attack should be used to punish it. Azumarill's adequate bulk and typing will often allow it to switch into Fire-, Fighting-, Dragon-, and Dark-type attacks. However, it should refrain from switching in on Water-types, as most carry Scald, which can burn and therefore cripple Azumarill by halving its Attack. If Azumarill wishes to clean up late-game, it should wait until its checks are removed, as with the likes of Toxapex and Skarmory gone, it will be able to reliably spam Play Rough and Aqua Jet.
Team Options
========
Most bulky Grass-types aside from Tangrowth completely wall Azumarill. As a result, Grass-type checks like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Gengar, and Mamoswine make good teammates. Bulky Poison-types are also quite annoying to Azumarill, so checks to them, such as Dugtrio, Garchomp, and Mega Alakazam, often make useful teammates as well. Electric-types are also a concern, as most outspeed and OHKO Azumarill. Checks to said Electric-types, such as Mamoswine, Zygarde, and Landorus-T, are capable of removing these threats and allowing Azumarill to wallbreak more easily. Since Rotom-W is a particularly threatening Electric-type, Pokemon capable of checking it, such as Serperior and Latios, make good teammates as well. Magnezone and Dugtrio are particularly useful partners, as both trap the Steel-types that Azumarill hates dealing with. Dugtrio also traps Electric- and Poison-type foes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aqua Tail is an option over Waterfall for its slightly better damage output, but it usually isn't preferred due to its worse accuracy. Ice Punch is an option that, on paper, offers good coverage alongside Azumarill's Water-type attacks. Play Rough, however, adequately covers many of the Pokemon Ice Punch would likely aim to hit, such as Garchomp, Zygarde, and Tangrowth. A defensive set with the Sap Sipper ability and moves like Perish Song and Whirlpool is an option, but due to Azumarill's poor power and lack of recovery, it is generally outclassed by Tapu Fini and other defensive Water-types. Assault Vest is an option for allowing Azumarill to check prominent special attackers like Ash-Greninja, Latios, and Magerna, but such a set comes with a notable lack of power behind Azumarill's attacks. Bounce with Flyinium Z is an option for hitting the likes of Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, which heavily pressure Azumarill, with a super effective Supersonic Skystrike, but this prevents Azumarill from reliably boosting its Attack with Z-Belly Drum or Choice Band. Lastly, 92 Speed EVs can be run on the Choice Band set to increase Azumarill's bulk and still outspeed some defensive Pokemon, though heavier Speed investment is usually better for outpacing uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Defensive Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types easily pose the biggest threat to Azumarill, as most have additional typings that allow them to resist its STAB combination. Examples include Amoonguss, Toxapex, and particularly Mega Venusaur, which takes minimal damage from Knock Off as well.
**Bulky Water-types**: Azumarill often won't have enough power behind its attacks to break past the tier's common bulky Water-types, such as Toxapex, which resists Play Rough, Tapu Fini, Mega Slowbro, and Suicune.
**Electric-types**: All relevant Electric-types outspeed Azumarill and can threaten to OHKO it with super effective STAB attacks. Examples include Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Magnezone.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon are often bulky enough to withstand Azumarill's attacks and threaten it with status, entry hazards, or powerful attacks. Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory are all examples of Pokemon that fit this criteria.
**Fast and Powerful Attackers**: Azumarill's poor Speed means that it will often be forced to take a hit before attacking or setting up, which can be a problem against especially powerful faster threats in Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, Hoopa-U, and Mega Pinsir.
By virtue of an amazing ability in Huge Power, which doubles Attack, Azumarill is a fearsome sweeper in the OU metagame that is capable of muscling past even the bulkiest of checks. Further augmenting Azumarill's offensive presence are its access to Belly Drum and a Water / Fairy typing that offers excellent STAB coverage and useful resistances to Dragon-, Dark-, Fire-, and Fighting-type attacks, which gives it plenty of setup opportunities. Alongside its powerful STAB attacks in Play Rough and Waterfall are useful coverage options such as Knock Off, Superpower, and Ice Punch, as well as powerful STAB priority in the form of Aqua Jet. Unfortunately, Azumarill is cursed with lackluster Speed, which, despite its adequate natural bulk, leaves it threatened by faster powerful threats such as Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Gengar. It also has weaknesses to the tier's common Electric-, Grass-, and Poison-type attacks, which can at times compromise its wallbreaking capabilities. The prevalence of Psychic Terrain can also be a problem for Azumarill, as its low Speed will infrequently force it to rely on using Aqua Jet. Lastly, Azumarill's lack of reliable recovery leaves it prone to being worn down over time by powerful neutral hits, which can hurt its chances of setting up.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Knock Off
item: Normalium Z / Sitrus Berry
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum is mandatory for maximizing Azumarill's already impressive Attack and thus turning it into an obscenely powerful attacker. Aqua Jet is an extremely powerful priority move once boosted, and it is capable of aiding Azumarill in circumventing its poor Speed by hitting Pokemon weak or even neutral to the attack quite hard. Play Rough is Azumarill's most powerful STAB attack, and at +6 is capable of hitting anything that doesn't resist it extremely hard, notably OHKOing the likes of Tangrowth, Tapu Fini, and defensive Landorus-T, which are all Pokemon that are otherwise notorious for their resilience. Knock Off complements Azumarill's STAB coverage nicely, OHKOing Amoonguss, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn after Stealth Rock damage. Waterfall is an option over Aqua Jet for more power against defensive threats like Skarmory and Mega Mawile. These threats, however, are often hit hard enough by either Play Rough or Knock Off to justify not using Waterfall.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment is important for giving Azumarill immense power behind its boosted attacks. 252 EVs invested in Speed are also quite important, as this makes Azumarill nearly as fast as possible. An Adamant nature is preferred due to giving Azumarill as much power as possible, though a Jolly nature can be used to outrun the likes of Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, and Suicune at the cost of some power. Normalium Z is the preferred item, as it allows Azumarill to restore its health to full before using Belly Drum, which then brings it down to 50% HP. It's also useful for tanking Knock Off, as it cannot be removed. While Sitrus Berry should only be used if another teammate is holding a Z-Crystal, it is useful for restoring 25% of Azumarill's HP after it uses Belly Drum. Huge Power is mandatory as Azumarill's ability, as it doubles Azumarill's Attack and provides it with its offensive presence.
Usage Tips
========
This set should aim to clean up late-game once Azumarill's checks and counters are removed or weakened. Therefore, Toxapex and Mega Venusaur, two Pokemon infamous for reliably checking Azumarill, should be removed or severely dented before Azumarill sets up. If Azumarill's checks are still close to full health, it is best to refrain from setting up, as Azumarill will likely be unable to survive attacks from offensive checks or break past defensive checks. Examples of offensive threats that are particularly important to remove include Scolipede, Tapu Koko, Serperior, and Magnezone. In order to safely set up, Azumarill should look to use Belly Drum against Pokemon that won't likely do much damage to it, such as Fighting- and Dark-types like Keldeo and Weavile, defensive Pokemon like Gliscor and Bronzong, and Pokemon that are Choice-locked into moves that don't hurt Azumarill too much, like Choice Specs Ash Greninja and Choice Band Tyranitar.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio is a particularly useful partner, as it is capable of disposing of the Poison-, Electric-, and Steel-type Pokemon that Azumarill often struggles to outspeed or break past. Mega Charizard X and Alolan Marowak are also useful, as they can check the fast Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon that threaten Azumarill. Landorus-T, Jirachi, and Garchomp can all support Azumarill with Stealth Rock, which helps it KO Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Skarmory and Toxapex are easily the most reliable defensive checks to Belly Drum Azumarill. As a result, Electric-types capable of disposing of these threats, such as Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Magnezone, make useful teammates. Powerful wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Hoopa-U can help Azumarill muscle past bulky threats late-game by punching holes in the likes of Amoongus and Toxapex early on. Mega Alakazam, Mega Pinsir, Latios, and Tornadus-T are examples of strong Psychic- and Flying-type Pokemon capable of taking care of the Grass- and Poison-type Pokemon that threaten Azumarill. Lastly, Healing Wish support from Jirachi, Latias, or Clefable is an option if one wishes to use Azumarill early on in the game and then later to clean up.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Knock Off / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Play Rough is Azumarill's most powerful STAB option, and with a Choice Band and Huge Power, it is capable of hitting anything that isn't resistant to the move for great damage, notably scoring 2HKOs on Tangrowth and Tapu Fini and an OHKO on Mega Sableye. Aqua Jet is a powerful STAB priority attack that allows Azumarill to circumvent its poor Speed as well as pick off weakened threats. Waterfall is a more powerful Water-type attack that allows Azumarill to break past the likes of Landorus-T, Celesteela, and Alolan Marowak. Knock Off punishes Azumarill's common switch-ins in Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Toxapex with the removal of their items and can hit Jirachi and Bronzong, which would attempt to switch in on Play Rough, super effectively. Superpower is an option over Knock Off, as it allows Azumarill to likely OHKO Ferrothorn after Stealth Rock damage as well as break past Magnezone and Chansey.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature and Choice Band allows Azumarill to hit as hard as possible and properly function as a wallbreaker. 164 EVs invested in Speed are helpful for outpacing most defensive Pokemon, including Tangrowth, Celesteela, and Skarmory. The remaining EVs are invested in HP, as this allows Azumarill to bolster its decent defensive presence. Huge Power gives Azumarill an immense amount of power behind its attacks and thus its wallbreaking capabilities.
Usage Tips
========
This set's function is as a wallbreaker, and it should be used early- and mid-game to punch holes in teams as well as late-game, when Azumarill can freely spam either Play Rough or Aqua Jet. Due to the nature of Choice Band, it is important that Azumarill predicts carefully when wallbreaking. If a switch-in to one of its STAB attacks is predicted, Azumarill's coverage or other STAB attack should be used to punish it. Azumarill's adequate bulk and typing will often allow it to switch into Fire-, Fighting-, Dragon-, and Dark-type attacks. However, it should refrain from switching in on Water-types, as most carry Scald, which can burn and therefore cripple Azumarill by halving its Attack. If Azumarill wishes to clean up late-game, it should wait until its checks are removed, as with the likes of Toxapex and Skarmory gone, it will be able to reliably spam Play Rough and Aqua Jet.
Team Options
========
Most bulky Grass-types aside from Tangrowth completely wall Azumarill. As a result, Grass-type checks like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Gengar, and Mamoswine make good teammates. Bulky Poison-types are also quite annoying to Azumarill, so checks to them, such as Dugtrio, Garchomp, and Mega Alakazam, often make useful teammates as well. Electric-types are also a concern, as most outspeed and OHKO Azumarill. Checks to said Electric-types, such as Mamoswine, Zygarde, and Landorus-T, are capable of removing these threats and allowing Azumarill to wallbreak more easily. Since Rotom-W is a particularly threatening Electric-type, Pokemon capable of checking it, such as Serperior and Latios, make good teammates as well. Magnezone and Dugtrio are particularly useful partners, as both trap the Steel-types that Azumarill hates dealing with. Dugtrio also traps Electric- and Poison-type foes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aqua Tail is an option over Waterfall for its slightly better damage output, but it usually isn't preferred due to its worse accuracy. Ice Punch is an option that, on paper, offers good coverage alongside Azumarill's Water-type attacks. Play Rough, however, adequately covers many of the Pokemon Ice Punch would likely aim to hit, such as Garchomp, Zygarde, and Tangrowth. A defensive set with the Sap Sipper ability and moves like Perish Song and Whirlpool is an option, but due to Azumarill's poor power and lack of recovery, it is generally outclassed by Tapu Fini and other defensive Water-types. Assault Vest is an option for allowing Azumarill to check prominent special attackers like Ash-Greninja, Latios, and Magerna, but such a set comes with a notable lack of power behind Azumarill's attacks. Bounce with Flyinium Z is an option for hitting the likes of Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, which heavily pressure Azumarill, with a super effective Supersonic Skystrike, but this prevents Azumarill from reliably boosting its Attack with Z-Belly Drum or Choice Band. Lastly, 92 Speed EVs can be run on the Choice Band set to increase Azumarill's bulk and still outspeed some defensive Pokemon, though heavier Speed investment is usually better for outpacing uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Defensive Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types easily pose the biggest threat to Azumarill, as most have additional typings that allow them to resist its STAB combination. Examples include Amoonguss, Toxapex, and particularly Mega Venusaur, which takes minimal damage from Knock Off as well.
**Bulky Water-types**: Azumarill often won't have enough power behind its attacks to break past the tier's common bulky Water-types, such as Toxapex, which resists Play Rough, Tapu Fini, Mega Slowbro, and Suicune.
**Electric-types**: All relevant Electric-types outspeed Azumarill and can threaten to OHKO it with super effective STAB attacks. Examples include Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Magnezone.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon are often bulky enough to withstand Azumarill's attacks and threaten it with status, entry hazards, or powerful attacks. Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Skarmory are all examples of Pokemon that fit this criteria.
**Fast and Powerful Attackers**: Azumarill's poor Speed means that it will often be forced to take a hit before attacking or setting up, which can be a problem against especially powerful faster threats in Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, Hoopa-U, and Mega Pinsir.
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