My beautiful boiiiii[SET]
Swampert @ Leftovers
Name: Defensive Pivot (Water)
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Atk / 232 SpD
Careful / Calm Nature
- Earthquake / Earth Power
- Flip Turn
- Stealth Rock
- Roar / Protect / Knock Off
[SET COMMENTS]
Swampert is the best offensive Stealth Rock setter available to Water teams thanks to its great bulk and access to Flip Turn. Its partial Ground typing is also excellent, granting it an Electric immunity which notably lets it block Volt Switch from common threats such as Zapdos, Iron Treads, and Iron Hands. STAB Earthquake strikes fear into the heart of bulky Pokemon that often annoy Water such as Clodsire, Alolan Muk, and Gouging Fire while boasting decent neutral damage even with low investment. Alternatively, Earth Power deals less neutral damage but allows Swampert to lure annoying physical tanks like Archaludon, Torkoal, and Pecharunt and surprise them with a 2HKO. Flip Turn allows Swampert to pivot out of common switch-ins like Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Latios and act as a pivot for frailer teammates. Flip Turn's damage also shouldn't be underestimated; boosts from it being a STAB move, rain, and potentially Torrent can make it a nasty parting gift. As an example, a Flip Turn with all of those multipliers active has a chance to OHKO Gliscor after Stealth Rock. Swampert can set up Stealth Rock itself, providing critical entry hazard support for a type with somewhat limited options for the role; this also lets it break Focus Sash on major threats that use it such as Breloom. Since its STAB combination is excellent on its own, Swampert is free to run a utility move of choice in the last moveslot: Roar lets it rack up passive damage against the opposing team after setting up Stealth Rock and phaze some setup sweepers that it can't threaten to KO, such as Calm Mind Primarina and IronPress Skarmory. Protect lets Swampert make the most of Leftovers recovery while scouting Choice item users such as Choice Band Chien-Pao and Choice Specs Flutter Mane, making them easier to play around. Knock Off gives Swampert extra coverage against foes like Latios and lets it remove Heavy-Duty Boots from its switch-ins, forcing them to take Stealth Rock damage and thus making them easier to outlast. The given EV spread maximizes Swampert's ability to take special hits, achieving such feats as avoiding a 2HKO from Choice Specs Iron Valiant's Moonblast after Stealth Rock and surviving 4x super effective hits like Hydrapple's Giga Drain. 24 Attack EVs guarantee that Earthquake will always 2HKO Garganacl after Stealth Rock damage, as well as OHKO Excadrill, and 2HKO bulky Gouging Fire. On Earth Power sets, use a Calm nature and move the Attack EVs into Special Attack.
Since its typing and Stealth Rock make it universally useful to Water, Swampert is highly flexible in what teams it can fit on. Swords Dance Ogerpon-W is a quintessential teammate that enjoys entry hazard support to wear down its checks before a sweep. Empoleon is great for checking Grass-type attackers that threaten Swampert, like Amoonguss and Abomasnow, and discouraging Freeze-Dry spam from Kyurem and Alolan Ninetales; its STAB Flash Cannon also threatens Hatterene and Galarian Weezing, both of which can frustrate Swampert's attempts to set up Stealth Rock. Toxapex is an even sturdier Grass-type check that can deal with Meowscarada and Ogerpon formes, and it stacks hazards with Swampert in the form of Toxic Spikes. Choice Scarf Hisuian Samurott can check some threats that annoy Swampert like Slowbro, Latios, and Air Balloon Gholdengo while also contributing Spikes. Calm Mind Primarina is a potent wincon that can deal with offensive Dark- and Dragon-types like Chien-Pao and Dragonite, which tend to overwhelm Swampert, and it enjoys Swampert pressuring common special walls, most notably Clodsire. Choice Specs Greninja especially can tear massive holes in the opposing team with help from Swampert's Stealth Rock, and its coverage threatens common hazard-control options like Hatterene, Great Tusk, and Brambleghast. Keldeo can threaten some Rapid Spin users that Swampert has trouble with like Great Tusk, Avalugg, and Alolan Sandslash, and it enjoys Flip Turn support to hit the field safely; other frail offensive threats like Greninja, Barraskewda, and Cloyster love Swampert's reliable ability to pivot as well. Other pivots like Rotom-W, Pelipper, Barraskewda, and Urshifu-R can form an oppressive VoltTurn core with Swampert, continuously wearing down foes in conjunction with entry hazards. Volcanion can punish Grass- and Ice-types similarly to Empoleon while discouraging Corviknight and Forretress from spending a turn on hazard removal with its Fire-type STAB move.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Water
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Yawn lets Swampert threaten to put foes to sleep while forcing switches, a rarity for Water teams aside from fringe options like Politoed. Ice Punch can surprise Ground-resistant switch-ins with super effective damage, notably 2HKOing Latios after Stealth Rock, but finding a moveslot for it is difficult. Mirror Coat can grab a surprise OHKO on problematic targets like Flutter Mane, but its reliance on prediction makes it inconsistent. Heavy-Duty Boots can be worthwhile on some teams, since Swampert struggles against some Spikes-stacking teams like Flying and Poison, but this leaves it without any recovery and thus more easily worn down by direct damage.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stupidflandrs48.633500/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/neko.542526/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/boomp.637295/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sapphiree.567354/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
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