[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 4 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 Points
**Overview**: Blessed with almost every trait a defensive Pokémon could desire in titanic defenses, solid typing, useful utility moves, and the ever-reliable ability of Regenerator, Toxapex serves as a central defensive piece on any team it finds itself on. Its incredible longevity lets it stonewall many Pokémon who lack the means to break through it normally, allowing it to easily spread debilitating utility across enemy teams for its allies to take advantage of. For all of its defensive prowess however, Toxapex's heavy reliance on passive damage to make progress is an easy factor for prepared foes to take advantage of, with Taunt and Substitute in particular shutting down almost all of its options.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: With incredible longevity through Recover and Regenerator, Toxapex can consistently switch in to absorb attacks for teammates and spread chip damage with either status, from Scald or its multiple options to poison, or item removal through Knock Off. Haze can prevent set-up sweepers from powering through it with boosts, while Toxic Spikes allows Toxapex to indirectly support its teammates with its easily gained free turns.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Scald, Sludge Bomb, Poison Jab, Gunk Shot, Liquidation
**Utility Moves**: Recover, Toxic, Knock Off, Haze, Toxic Spikes, Baneful Bunker
**Coverage**: Ice Beam
Niche Moves
========
**Infestation**: Infestation can accumulate extra chip damage on foes while forcing them to stay in, possibly keeping in an undesired Pokémon for the opponent or letting Toxapex get in a teammate without fearing an opposing double switch.
**Icy Wind**: Icy Wind can slow down offensive Pokémon or negate Speed boosts from setup sweepers through Taunt, allowing teammates to come in with an immediate advantage against them.
Common Items
========
**Black Sludge**: The passive recovery from Black Sludge supplements Toxapex's overall longevity in tandem with Recover and Regenerator.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can give Toxapex another way to dish out chip damage against contact-reliant foes, or punish attempts to play around it with U-Turn.
Niche Items
========
**Red Card**: Red Card allows Toxapex to immediately stop setup sweepers without having to immediately rely on its slow Haze.
**Resistance Berries**: Shuca, Wacan, and Payapa Berry can all allow Toxapex to tank a lethal super-effective hit and cripple a foe with status or stop a setup sweeper's momentum with Haze.
**Eject Button**: Toxapex can easily switch into attacks and use an Eject Button for a free switch into a teammate while shrugging off the damage with Regenerator.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can shield Toxapex against an initial use of Taunt or Encore, allowing it to get off reliable healing in a pinch or hinder set-up sweepers with status or boost removal.
Draft Strategy
========
Toxapex best fits on more balanced teams that appreciate its utility and hit-taking ability, while having offensive teammates to make up for its passivity. Its typing and preference for investing in only one of its defensive stats also makes it ideal as a partner for other defensive Pokemon.
**Wallbreakers**: Pokemon like Kartana, Garchomp, and Mega Diancie can compensate for Toxapex's lack of an offensive presence, while also appreciating its utility and walling capability against their respective checks.
**Other Walls**: Toxapex's possession of only a few weaknesses alongside a bevy of useful resistances makes it easy to form cores with defensive allies, especially ones that are less passive and can provide more utility like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Landorus-Therian.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Toxapex can heal off most chip damage with Regenerator, entry hazards can cut into its ability to handle individual threats, making Pokemon like Zapdos and Excadrill appreciated to remove them from the field. Entry hazard setters like Heatran and Greninja can also further punish foes who are forced out by Toxapex and complement the Toxic Spikes it sets.
Checks and Counters
========
**STAB Super-effective Moves**: Toxapex's bulk means that it can usually shrug off weaker coverage moves, but STAB attacks from the likes of Zeraora, Krookodile, and Latios can power through it. Toxapex's passivity also means such Pokemon can come in without being immediately threatened by it, with the exception of Physical attackers fearing a burn from Scald.
**Z-Moves**: The sheer power of Z-Moves can muscle through Toxapex's normally great bulk partly as a result of its meager HP, allowing even foes like Tornadus-T, Blacephalon, and Azumarill to seriously hurt it with just neutral or STAB Z-Moves.
**Taunt**: Taunt cuts off Toxapex from using crucial moves like Recover, Toxic, and Haze, making it vulnerable to being broken through by repeated attacks or setup moves.
**Substitute**: In a similar vein to Taunt, enemies using Substitute can cut off Toxapex from using status moves to directly deter them on top of blocking its low damage. From there, foes can continuously set up and get one boosted attack every other turn before Toxapex can get a Haze off, effectively making it setup fodder.
**Entry Hazards**: Stealth Rock and Spikes can reduce both Toxapex's immediate bulk against foes' attacks and the effectiveness of Regenerator in the face of excessive chip damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/furyy.529077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Draft Order**: Round 4 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 Points
**Overview**: Blessed with almost every trait a defensive Pokémon could desire in titanic defenses, solid typing, useful utility moves, and the ever-reliable ability of Regenerator, Toxapex serves as a central defensive piece on any team it finds itself on. Its incredible longevity lets it stonewall many Pokémon who lack the means to break through it normally, allowing it to easily spread debilitating utility across enemy teams for its allies to take advantage of. For all of its defensive prowess however, Toxapex's heavy reliance on passive damage to make progress is an easy factor for prepared foes to take advantage of, with Taunt and Substitute in particular shutting down almost all of its options.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: With incredible longevity through Recover and Regenerator, Toxapex can consistently switch in to absorb attacks for teammates and spread chip damage with either status, from Scald or its multiple options to poison, or item removal through Knock Off. Haze can prevent set-up sweepers from powering through it with boosts, while Toxic Spikes allows Toxapex to indirectly support its teammates with its easily gained free turns.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Scald, Sludge Bomb, Poison Jab, Gunk Shot, Liquidation
**Utility Moves**: Recover, Toxic, Knock Off, Haze, Toxic Spikes, Baneful Bunker
**Coverage**: Ice Beam
Niche Moves
========
**Infestation**: Infestation can accumulate extra chip damage on foes while forcing them to stay in, possibly keeping in an undesired Pokémon for the opponent or letting Toxapex get in a teammate without fearing an opposing double switch.
**Icy Wind**: Icy Wind can slow down offensive Pokémon or negate Speed boosts from setup sweepers through Taunt, allowing teammates to come in with an immediate advantage against them.
Common Items
========
**Black Sludge**: The passive recovery from Black Sludge supplements Toxapex's overall longevity in tandem with Recover and Regenerator.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can give Toxapex another way to dish out chip damage against contact-reliant foes, or punish attempts to play around it with U-Turn.
Niche Items
========
**Red Card**: Red Card allows Toxapex to immediately stop setup sweepers without having to immediately rely on its slow Haze.
**Resistance Berries**: Shuca, Wacan, and Payapa Berry can all allow Toxapex to tank a lethal super-effective hit and cripple a foe with status or stop a setup sweeper's momentum with Haze.
**Eject Button**: Toxapex can easily switch into attacks and use an Eject Button for a free switch into a teammate while shrugging off the damage with Regenerator.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can shield Toxapex against an initial use of Taunt or Encore, allowing it to get off reliable healing in a pinch or hinder set-up sweepers with status or boost removal.
Draft Strategy
========
Toxapex best fits on more balanced teams that appreciate its utility and hit-taking ability, while having offensive teammates to make up for its passivity. Its typing and preference for investing in only one of its defensive stats also makes it ideal as a partner for other defensive Pokemon.
**Wallbreakers**: Pokemon like Kartana, Garchomp, and Mega Diancie can compensate for Toxapex's lack of an offensive presence, while also appreciating its utility and walling capability against their respective checks.
**Other Walls**: Toxapex's possession of only a few weaknesses alongside a bevy of useful resistances makes it easy to form cores with defensive allies, especially ones that are less passive and can provide more utility like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Landorus-Therian.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Toxapex can heal off most chip damage with Regenerator, entry hazards can cut into its ability to handle individual threats, making Pokemon like Zapdos and Excadrill appreciated to remove them from the field. Entry hazard setters like Heatran and Greninja can also further punish foes who are forced out by Toxapex and complement the Toxic Spikes it sets.
Checks and Counters
========
**STAB Super-effective Moves**: Toxapex's bulk means that it can usually shrug off weaker coverage moves, but STAB attacks from the likes of Zeraora, Krookodile, and Latios can power through it. Toxapex's passivity also means such Pokemon can come in without being immediately threatened by it, with the exception of Physical attackers fearing a burn from Scald.
**Z-Moves**: The sheer power of Z-Moves can muscle through Toxapex's normally great bulk partly as a result of its meager HP, allowing even foes like Tornadus-T, Blacephalon, and Azumarill to seriously hurt it with just neutral or STAB Z-Moves.
**Taunt**: Taunt cuts off Toxapex from using crucial moves like Recover, Toxic, and Haze, making it vulnerable to being broken through by repeated attacks or setup moves.
**Substitute**: In a similar vein to Taunt, enemies using Substitute can cut off Toxapex from using status moves to directly deter them on top of blocking its low damage. From there, foes can continuously set up and get one boosted attack every other turn before Toxapex can get a Haze off, effectively making it setup fodder.
**Entry Hazards**: Stealth Rock and Spikes can reduce both Toxapex's immediate bulk against foes' attacks and the effectiveness of Regenerator in the face of excessive chip damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/furyy.529077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
