[OVERVIEW]
Poliwrath is a well-rounded Pokemon that offers unique advantages over Slowking as a bulky Water-type in DPP NU. Its secondary Fighting typing gives it resistances to Rock- and Dark-type moves from Regirock, Skuntank, and Sharpedo, which is a notable trait over Slowking, as these Pokemon are some of the best progress-makers in the tier. Poliwrath's defensive profile is backed up with a solid base 70 Speed that lets it outpace a majority of defensive Pokemon, allowing it to effectively use Encore to disrupt defensive teams and capitalizing on its entry with Substitute. Poliwrath's good abilities also back up its defensive presence, letting it pivot around Water-types with Water Absorb or being immune to Explosion and Aftermath from Regirock and Skuntank with Damp.
Despite this, Slowking remains as the premier Water-type by virtue of having a much better defensive profile versus the metagame at large, bolstered by instant recovery in Slack Off to check metagame staples such as Charizard, Medicham, and Gardevoir, whereas Poliwrath is a more specific pick against certain offensive threats. On top of Slowking's omnipresence in the tier, it is also one of Poliwrath's best checks, being one of the only Pokemon alongside Vileplume to resist Poliwrath's STAB combination. While Poliwrath has good all-around base stats, it can be underwhelming in power and Speed compared to other offensive Water- and Fighting-types like Floatzel, Sharpedo, Hitmonchan, and Medicham.
[SET]
Name: SubPunch
Move 1: Waterfall
Move 2: Focus Punch / Brick Break
Move 3: Substitute
Move 4: Toxic / Encore
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
With a Substitute-based set, Poliwrath can take advantage of its entry on Regirock, Skuntank, and Sharpedo while playing around common switch-ins with Focus Punch or Toxic. Poliwrath's last move outside of its STAB combination is used for dealing with Slowking: Toxic wears Slowking down over time and forces it to use up Slack Off PP, while Encore locks Slowking into a setup move such as Calm Mind or Nasty Plot, Slack Off, or status moves, which Poliwrath can block with Substitute. These moves also come in handy for other matchups, as Toxic wears down other walls such as Dusclops and Meganium, and Encore punishes status and recovery from Pokemon like Vileplume and setup moves from defensive sweepers such as Curse Regirock and Curse Lickilicky. Brick Break is an alternative option over Focus Punch with less power but offers immediate pressure against Fighting-weak targets such as Sharpedo, Magneton, and Cradily. Ice Punch can also be considered in the last moveslot for Vileplume and lands strong hits on Meganium and Drifblim.
The current EV spread allows Poliwrath to outspeed neutral-natured Cacturne to gain a faster Encore or Brick Break and outspeeding Articuno to set Substitute versus it. The leftover HP EVs allow Poliwrath to survive Jynx's Psychic from full health and hit back with a strong Waterfall.
Team Options
=========
Although Poliwrath can break down Slowking over time with Substitute + Toxic, Poliwrath isn't self-sufficient against it and appreciates support against other Psychic-types such as Gardevoir and Jynx. Therefore, Poliwrath is almost never seen without Skuntank to Pursuit trap these Pokemon and provide additional defensive utility against Grass- and Ghost-types like Vileplume, Shiftry, Drifblim, and Haunter. Poliwrath pairs well with Pokemon that appreciate the all-in approach of breaking down Slowking with Substitute + Toxic and Skuntank's Pursuit trapping. Charizard, Typhlosion, Hitmonchan, Medicham, and Gardevoir among other Fire-, Fighting-, and Psychic-types are good benefactors of this strategy and can also deal with Slowking themselves in a pinch. Since Poliwrath is meant to fill a bulky Water-type team slot over Slowking, teams using it must find alternative methods of dealing with Charizard, as Poliwrath is weak to Air Slash. Specially defensive Regirock is a good switch-in to offensive Charizard that provides Stealth Rock support to limit its field time. Bulky Grass-types are good at walling this Poliwrath set, especially Vileplume with its Toxic immunity, meaning Pokemon that can take advantage of them are greatly appreciated, including Magneton, Haunter, and Fire-types like Charizard and Typhlosion. This Poliwrath set is useful in the lead position to match up well versus Sharpedo, Floatzel, Regirock, and Nidoqueen and gain an early Substitute to scout the opposing team, or it can be useful in the back to switch into these Pokemon whenever it is needed.
[SET]
Name: Special Attacker
Move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
Move 2: Vacuum Wave / Focus Blast
Move 3: Ice Beam
Move 4: Toxic
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb / Damp
Nature: Modest
EVs: 120 HP / 252 SpA / 136 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Despite Poliwrath's weaker base Special Attack, it can effectively utilize a special set to hit Stealth Rock users such as Regirock and Nidoqueen harder than physical sets, stay unperturbed by Tauros's Intimidate and Dusclops's Will-O-Wisp, and use Ice Beam for bulky Grass-types such as Vileplume and Meganium. Vacuum Wave gives Poliwrath access to priority to KO faster foes after some chip damage, especially Tauros, which is hit super effectively. Toxic is the standard last move to give Poliwrath a way to set Slowking on a timer while also breaking down other walls like Articuno, Dusclops, and Hypno. While Surf is a consistent neutral hit, Hydro Pump can provide better effective damage on bulky targets, disregarding its worse accuracy. Focus Blast can be used over Vacuum Wave for better damage on Water-types, Cradily, Cacturne, and Lickilicky. Focus Blast is also helpful when running Surf, as it gives Poliwrath a way to heavily damage Regirock while keeping Surf's accuracy. Encore is an alternative option over Toxic to disrupt opposing Poliwrath and defensive Pokemon to lock them into recovery moves or Protect.
Water Absorb is the standard ability to pivot around Slowking while walling other Water-types such Floatzel and Sharpedo, but Damp is more appealing on this Poliwrath because it blocks Explosion, and it prevents Gardevoir from using Trace on Water Absorb to switch in on Surf or Hydro Pump. The given EVs allow Poliwrath to outspeed neutral-natured Cacturne to OHKO it with Focus Blast, while the HP EVs let it tank Jynx's Psychic in a pinch. More Speed EVs can be used for positive-natured Cacturne and Sandslash, while less Speed EVs allow for better bulk when switching into Regirock and Skuntank.
Team Options
=========
Poliwrath greatly appreciates Skuntank's Pursuit trapping support against Slowking, Gardevoir, Jynx, and Calm Mind Drifblim, as this Poliwrath set is weaker at pressuring these Pokemon and is thus more reliant on their removal. This Poliwrath set's access to Ice Beam is useful for Pokemon that appreciate bulky Grass-types like Vileplume being weakened such as Hitmonchan, Manectric, and Meganium. Bulky Grass-types themselves also make for good teammates that can switch into Poliwrath's offensive checks such as Slowking, Shiftry, and Manectric. Due to Poliwrath's weakness to Charizard's Air Slash as a bulky Water-type, it likes to be paired with Charizard checks that don't stack types with Poliwrath such as specially defensive Regirock, which can reliably switch in and set up Stealth Rock to hinder Charizard's longevity, and offensive checks like Tauros and Manectric, which provide valuable speed control. In the lead position, this Poliwrath matches up very well against common leads such as Sharpedo, Regirock, and Nidoqueen, and it can pressure what switches into it with Toxic or Ice Beam for Slowking and Vileplume, respectively. However, this Poliwrath set is also useful outside of lead where it can switch into Regirock and Skuntank mid-game and save its Vacuum Wave for late-game sweepers such as Tauros.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bulk Up can be used on Substitute sets to pose a potential sweeping threat and use the physical attackers it finds entry on as setup fodder, but it is generally worse against Slowking without Toxic. Belly Drum sets with Substitute + Salac Berry allow Poliwrath to have quick sweeping potential on its entry with an unresisted attack combination of Waterfall + Return and Damp to prevent Skuntank Aftermath from KOing it, but it is inconsistent due to being outsped by every relevant Choice Scarf user and not having guaranteed setup on Earthquake Regirock and Poison Jab Skuntank.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Slowking**: Slowking resists both of Poliwrath's STAB moves, doesn't care about any coverage it might have, and hits it back with a strong Psychic. However, if Slowking drops Psychic in favor of Signal Beam, Poliwrath has a safer time setting Substitute and using Toxic or Encore to hinder Slowking's longevity or prevent a sweeping attempt.
**Bulky Grass-types**: On top of resisting Poliwrath's STAB moves, Vileplume is also immune to Toxic from Poliwrath, outlasting and pressuring it with impunity. While Meganium doesn't resist Focus Punch, its sheer bulk and recovery in Synthesis make it adept at switching into and pressuring Poliwrath with Swords Dance + Seed Bomb. While both of these Pokemon are great against physical variants of Poliwrath, they have to be wary of special variants with Ice Beam.
**Psychic-types**: Gardevoir's ability to use Trace on Water Absorb means it's another Psychic-type besides Slowking that can switch in on both of Poliwrath's STAB moves, although this is situational, since Damp Poliwrath won't be affected by this. Gardevoir also has Thunderbolt to hit Poliwrath super effectively while also covering a potential Skuntank switch, and Poliwrath won't be likely to make its own progress against Gardevoir with Taunt or Encore unless it runs Damp as its ability or uses Toxic on the switch. Medicham and especially Jynx are frailer and lack the ability to switch into Poliwrath's Waterfall, but they are still solid offensive checks to it.
**Dusclops**: While Dusclops doesn't resist Poliwrath's Waterfall, its great mixed bulk, Fighting immunity, and access to Will-O-Wisp make it an adept check to Poliwrath. Pressure enables Dusclops to reliably stall Poliwrath, as moves like Hydro Pump and Encore will only have 4 PP against it, and it can run RestTalk to shrug off Toxic.
**Electric-types**: While not being the most adept switch-ins to Poliwrath, Electric-types serve as good offensive checks to it. Ampharos has the best bulk and is a solid anti-lead against Poliwrath, and Manectric and Electrode outspeed Poliwrath. Magneton has to win a Speed tie on Poliwrath while potentially being OHKOed by a Fighting-type move, but Choice Scarf Magneton can threaten non-Vacuum Wave Poliwrath.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/amity.619555/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vivalospride.151509/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heysup.21929/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
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