[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Punch / Toxic
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute / Superpower
item: Swampertite
ability: Damp
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Waterfall is Mega Swampert's most spammable STAB move thanks to the boost provided by the rain, its perfect accuracy, and its odds to flinch. Earthquake smashes the likes of Toxapex, Tapu Koko, Magearna, and Mega Mawile to smithereens. Ice Punch threatens Dragon- and Grass-types like Mega Latias and Serperior. If Mega Swampert's teammates have these targets accounted for, it can use Toxic to cripple the likes of Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Tapu Bulu, all of which can reliably take its STAB moves. Mega Swampert can take advantage of Pokemon that it scares out, such as Heatran, Gliscor, and Landorus-T, to set up Stealth Rock. Substitute eases prediction and works well alongside Toxic to punish the aforementioned switch-ins. Finally, Superpower allows Mega Swampert to chip Ferrothorn and finish off Kartana and Kyurem-B after entry hazard damage.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is mandatory to outspeed Choice Scarf Kartana, +1 Mega Charizard X, and +2 Magearna under the rain. If Mega Swampert runs Substitute, it can run 40 Special Defense EVs to guarantee that Toxapex's rain-boosted Scald doesn't break its Substitute. Damp is Swampert's preferred pre-Mega ability to let it switch in to block Explosion from Landorus-T and Mew.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Swampert has great natural bulk and a helpful typing, so it can often come right in on the likes of defensive Landorus-T and Tapu Koko early-game without much issue, as well as naturally benefitting from pivoting support. In most cases, it's wise to get your rain up from turn one so that Mega Swampert can make a splash immediately. Once Mega Swampert is in, it can focus on weakening shared checks for common teammates like Ash-Greninja and Manaphy to help them clean up later in the game and vice versa. Mega Swampert can make good use of its Electric immunity to force entry on Volt Switch users like Magearna and Tapu Koko, but be aware of coverage like Fleur Cannon and Dazzling Gleam and consider mixing things up with a switch to a more traditional answer like Ferrothorn instead. Mega Swampert must tread carefully against Pokemon that can inflict chip damage or have abilities that can afflict it with status such as Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Rocky Helmet users like Landorus-T and Zapdos because it will be easier to deal with if it has been weakened throughout the game.
Team Options
========
Mega Swampert should mainly only be used on dedicated rain teams, which value its Electric immunity and its capabilities as a physical rain sweeper. Therefore, Pelipper is a mandatory partner for Mega Swampert, summoning rain thanks to Drizzle, providing a safe switch-in with a slow U-turn, and removing entry hazards with Defog. In return, Mega Swampert can take Electric-type attacks aimed at Pelipper. Mega Swampert also pairs well with fellow rain attackers such as Manaphy and Ash-Greninja, as they can overwhelm shared checks like Toxapex and Ferrothorn for the others to clean up. Manaphy is a fantastic stallbreaker thanks to Tail Glow and Hydration; using the rain provided by Pelipper, it can blow past targets such as Tapu Fini and Chansey with a Tail Glow-boosted Hydro Vortex and shrug off status attempts aimed at Mega Swampert. Ash-Greninja breaks past the likes of Slowbro, has a solid priority move in Water Shuriken, and provides Spikes support, wearing down checks like Kartana and Tapu Bulu. Steel-type partners like Ferrothorn and Magearna are also greatly appreciated, as they provide a crucial Grass and Psychic resistance and enjoy having their Fire weakness reduced under the rain. Ferrothorn offers plenty of utility with Spikes and has access to Knock Off to remove items such as Leftovers from Celesteela and status like Thunder Wave to cripple faster targets such as Mega Alakazam. Magearna brings Mega Swampert in safely with Volt Switch and possesses valuable Flying and Dark resistances, which most rain teams otherwise lack. If Mega Swampert has either Superpower or Substitute + Toxic, it will give Ferrothorn room to run Stealth Rock. Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko can grant Mega Swampert safe entry via U-turn and Volt Switch and remove entry hazards with Defog. Tornadus-T also has the benefit of taking on Grass-types like Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and Serperior, and it can actually keep off Toxic Spikes with the combination of Taunt + Defog, while Tapu Koko threatens physically bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W with its powerful Thunder.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Punch / Toxic
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute / Superpower
item: Swampertite
ability: Damp
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Waterfall is Mega Swampert's most spammable STAB move thanks to the boost provided by the rain, its perfect accuracy, and its odds to flinch. Earthquake smashes the likes of Toxapex, Tapu Koko, Magearna, and Mega Mawile to smithereens. Ice Punch threatens Dragon- and Grass-types like Mega Latias and Serperior. If Mega Swampert's teammates have these targets accounted for, it can use Toxic to cripple the likes of Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Tapu Bulu, all of which can reliably take its STAB moves. Mega Swampert can take advantage of Pokemon that it scares out, such as Heatran, Gliscor, and Landorus-T, to set up Stealth Rock. Substitute eases prediction and works well alongside Toxic to punish the aforementioned switch-ins. Finally, Superpower allows Mega Swampert to chip Ferrothorn and finish off Kartana and Kyurem-B after entry hazard damage.
Set Details
========
A Jolly nature is mandatory to outspeed Choice Scarf Kartana, +1 Mega Charizard X, and +2 Magearna under the rain. If Mega Swampert runs Substitute, it can run 40 Special Defense EVs to guarantee that Toxapex's rain-boosted Scald doesn't break its Substitute. Damp is Swampert's preferred pre-Mega ability to let it switch in to block Explosion from Landorus-T and Mew.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Swampert has great natural bulk and a helpful typing, so it can often come right in on the likes of defensive Landorus-T and Tapu Koko early-game without much issue, as well as naturally benefitting from pivoting support. In most cases, it's wise to get your rain up from turn one so that Mega Swampert can make a splash immediately. Once Mega Swampert is in, it can focus on weakening shared checks for common teammates like Ash-Greninja and Manaphy to help them clean up later in the game and vice versa. Mega Swampert can make good use of its Electric immunity to force entry on Volt Switch users like Magearna and Tapu Koko, but be aware of coverage like Fleur Cannon and Dazzling Gleam and consider mixing things up with a switch to a more traditional answer like Ferrothorn instead. Mega Swampert must tread carefully against Pokemon that can inflict chip damage or have abilities that can afflict it with status such as Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Rocky Helmet users like Landorus-T and Zapdos because it will be easier to deal with if it has been weakened throughout the game.
Team Options
========
Mega Swampert should mainly only be used on dedicated rain teams, which value its Electric immunity and its capabilities as a physical rain sweeper. Therefore, Pelipper is a mandatory partner for Mega Swampert, summoning rain thanks to Drizzle, providing a safe switch-in with a slow U-turn, and removing entry hazards with Defog. In return, Mega Swampert can take Electric-type attacks aimed at Pelipper. Mega Swampert also pairs well with fellow rain attackers such as Manaphy and Ash-Greninja, as they can overwhelm shared checks like Toxapex and Ferrothorn for the others to clean up. Manaphy is a fantastic stallbreaker thanks to Tail Glow and Hydration; using the rain provided by Pelipper, it can blow past targets such as Tapu Fini and Chansey with a Tail Glow-boosted Hydro Vortex and shrug off status attempts aimed at Mega Swampert. Ash-Greninja breaks past the likes of Slowbro, has a solid priority move in Water Shuriken, and provides Spikes support, wearing down checks like Kartana and Tapu Bulu. Steel-type partners like Ferrothorn and Magearna are also greatly appreciated, as they provide a crucial Grass and Psychic resistance and enjoy having their Fire weakness reduced under the rain. Ferrothorn offers plenty of utility with Spikes and has access to Knock Off to remove items such as Leftovers from Celesteela and status like Thunder Wave to cripple faster targets such as Mega Alakazam. Magearna brings Mega Swampert in safely with Volt Switch and possesses valuable Flying and Dark resistances, which most rain teams otherwise lack. If Mega Swampert has either Superpower or Substitute + Toxic, it will give Ferrothorn room to run Stealth Rock. Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko can grant Mega Swampert safe entry via U-turn and Volt Switch and remove entry hazards with Defog. Tornadus-T also has the benefit of taking on Grass-types like Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and Serperior, and it can actually keep off Toxic Spikes with the combination of Taunt + Defog, while Tapu Koko threatens physically bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W with its powerful Thunder.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited:
