Cynde
toasty
[OVERVIEW]
Salazzle has an excellent Speed tier that allows it to outspeed many prominent threats in the UU metagame such as Serperior, Latias, and Cobalion. It has a respectable Special Attack stat and access to moves like Fire Blast and Sludge Wave that complement it. It also has a fantastic offensive typing that is well suited the UU metagame, which is full of Grass-, Fairy-, and Steel-type Pokemon such as Serperior, Azumarill, and Scizor. Access to Nasty Plot allows it to reliably threaten most defensive Pokemon. Unfortunately, Salazzle has extremely poor coverage outside of its STAB moves; it relies on Hidden Power for coverage. Additionally, its ability to set up and plow through teams is hampered by its lackluster bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock, which makes it hard to set up and incredibly easy to revenge kill.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Poisonium Z
ability: Oblivious
nature: Timid
evs: 24 Def / 232 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot boosts Salazzle's Special Attack sharply, allowing it to become a powerful threat. Sludge Wave is Salazzle's most reliable STAB move, which when augmented by Poisonium Z provides Salazzle with a very strong Acid Downpour that is capable of breaking past Pokemon such as Latias at +2. Fire Blast is Salazzle's secondary STAB move and allows Salazzle to have good offensive coverage coupled with Sludge Wave, capable of hitting Steel- and Ground-types that Sludge Wave can't. Hidden Power Grass offers coverage for Pokemon that Fire Blast and Sludge Wave do not hit at least neutrally such as Swampert, Gastrodon, and Quagsire. Hidden Power Ice may be run over Hidden Power Grass to hit Gliscor.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread allows Salazzle to avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch while maximizing Special Attack and Speed. Oblivious prevents Salazzle from being Taunted, meaning that it can always set up with Nasty Plot. Poisonium Z is the item of choice, which allows Salazzle to break past Pokemon such as Latias and Rotom-W with Acid Downpour. Firium Z is an alternative to this, as Inferno Overdrive is capable of heavily damaging checks like Alolan Muk and can OHKO other Pokemon like Gliscor without having to forfeit Hidden Power Grass.
Usage Tips
========
Salazzle is at its best when its faster checks such as Choice Scarf Pokemon, like Hydreigon and Terrakion, and Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Manectric, and Mega Beedrill are removed from play, so ideally avoid setting up while they are still around. Do not attempt to use Salazzle as a switch-in to anything; its abysmal bulk prevents it from being a reliable switch-in to even resisted hits. Salazzle can be brought in via pivoting, via double switches, or after a teammate has fainted. It is best to set up with Salazzle on a Pokemon that it forces out like Sylveon or Scizor. Alternatively, you can take advantage of a foe locked into a move like Pursuit or Bullet Punch and set up with Salazzle. Ensure that Pokemon that could potentially halt a Salazzle sweep such as Hippowdon are sufficiently worn down or eliminated before attempting to set up. Due to Salazzle's typing, it can serve as a soft check to Pokemon like Serperior if absolutely necessary, but this hampers its ability to set up in the process.
Team Options
========
Salazzle appreciates methods to alleviate its pathetic bulk. This can be in the form of support from Aurora Veil, Light Screen, or Reflect users, like Alolan Sandslash and Klefki. Entry hazard removers like Hydreigon, Rotom-W, and Starmie synergize really well and ensure that Salazzle will be as healthy as possible when trying to set up. Methods of speed control like Thunder Wave from Pokemon such as Klefki and Rotom-W and Tailwind from the Pokemon such as Tornadus help Salazzle to get around its faster checks. Entry hazard setters like Gliscor, Cobalion, Seismitoad, and Klefki make for great partners because they are able to wear down Salazzle's defensive checks. Pokemon that are capable of punishing Ground- and Rock-types like Serperior, Mega Sceptile, and Rotom-W make for good partners. Pivots like Hydreigon and Rotom-W can be used to bring in Salazzle safely.
Other Options
=============
Substitute provides Salazzle with some safety against faster Pokemon, but it comes at the cost of coverage. A Corrosion set that uses Sludge Bomb instead of Sludge Wave is a possibility, as it can fish for a poison against Pokemon such as Tentacruel to wear it down. Taunt can be run to prevent defensive walls such as Blissey from recovering. Knock Off allows Salazzle to cripple some checks to it like Tentacruel and Empoleon by removing their passive recovery but again, like all of its other options, is hard to justify due to the fact that it forces Salazzle to give up Hidden Power coverage. Given its excellent Speed tier, Salazzle can run a Choice Scarf set to make it a capable revenge killer. If you already have a Z-Move user on your team, then using Life Orb Salazzle is a viable alternative.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Salazzle's pathetic bulk and lack of a way of boosting its Speed, it will always lose to faster Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Manectric, Crobat, and Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Chandelure.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Terrakion and Mega Aerodactyl are capable of taking any hit from Salazzle and KOing it in return. They do have to be cautious of Hidden Power coverage; however, they do not take much damage from an unboosted attack.
**Ground-types**: Pokemon such as specially defensive Gliscor and Hippowdon can take any hit from Salazzle and KO it. Similarly to Salazzle's Rock-type checks, they do not take much from an unboosted attack yet have to be cautious of what Z-Move it is running or what Hidden Power it has.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon with high a Special Defense stat such as Alolan Muk and Snorlax do not get KOed by Salazzle and damage it badly in return.
**Water-types**: Water-types like Tentacruel and Jellicent make for good checks to Salazzle, as they resist both its STAB moves and will not be OHKOed by a boosted attack. It's also vulnerable to Aqua Jet from Pokemon like Crawdaunt and Azumarill.
Salazzle has an excellent Speed tier that allows it to outspeed many prominent threats in the UU metagame such as Serperior, Latias, and Cobalion. It has a respectable Special Attack stat and access to moves like Fire Blast and Sludge Wave that complement it. It also has a fantastic offensive typing that is well suited the UU metagame, which is full of Grass-, Fairy-, and Steel-type Pokemon such as Serperior, Azumarill, and Scizor. Access to Nasty Plot allows it to reliably threaten most defensive Pokemon. Unfortunately, Salazzle has extremely poor coverage outside of its STAB moves; it relies on Hidden Power for coverage. Additionally, its ability to set up and plow through teams is hampered by its lackluster bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock, which makes it hard to set up and incredibly easy to revenge kill.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Poisonium Z
ability: Oblivious
nature: Timid
evs: 24 Def / 232 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot boosts Salazzle's Special Attack sharply, allowing it to become a powerful threat. Sludge Wave is Salazzle's most reliable STAB move, which when augmented by Poisonium Z provides Salazzle with a very strong Acid Downpour that is capable of breaking past Pokemon such as Latias at +2. Fire Blast is Salazzle's secondary STAB move and allows Salazzle to have good offensive coverage coupled with Sludge Wave, capable of hitting Steel- and Ground-types that Sludge Wave can't. Hidden Power Grass offers coverage for Pokemon that Fire Blast and Sludge Wave do not hit at least neutrally such as Swampert, Gastrodon, and Quagsire. Hidden Power Ice may be run over Hidden Power Grass to hit Gliscor.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread allows Salazzle to avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch while maximizing Special Attack and Speed. Oblivious prevents Salazzle from being Taunted, meaning that it can always set up with Nasty Plot. Poisonium Z is the item of choice, which allows Salazzle to break past Pokemon such as Latias and Rotom-W with Acid Downpour. Firium Z is an alternative to this, as Inferno Overdrive is capable of heavily damaging checks like Alolan Muk and can OHKO other Pokemon like Gliscor without having to forfeit Hidden Power Grass.
Usage Tips
========
Salazzle is at its best when its faster checks such as Choice Scarf Pokemon, like Hydreigon and Terrakion, and Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Manectric, and Mega Beedrill are removed from play, so ideally avoid setting up while they are still around. Do not attempt to use Salazzle as a switch-in to anything; its abysmal bulk prevents it from being a reliable switch-in to even resisted hits. Salazzle can be brought in via pivoting, via double switches, or after a teammate has fainted. It is best to set up with Salazzle on a Pokemon that it forces out like Sylveon or Scizor. Alternatively, you can take advantage of a foe locked into a move like Pursuit or Bullet Punch and set up with Salazzle. Ensure that Pokemon that could potentially halt a Salazzle sweep such as Hippowdon are sufficiently worn down or eliminated before attempting to set up. Due to Salazzle's typing, it can serve as a soft check to Pokemon like Serperior if absolutely necessary, but this hampers its ability to set up in the process.
Team Options
========
Salazzle appreciates methods to alleviate its pathetic bulk. This can be in the form of support from Aurora Veil, Light Screen, or Reflect users, like Alolan Sandslash and Klefki. Entry hazard removers like Hydreigon, Rotom-W, and Starmie synergize really well and ensure that Salazzle will be as healthy as possible when trying to set up. Methods of speed control like Thunder Wave from Pokemon such as Klefki and Rotom-W and Tailwind from the Pokemon such as Tornadus help Salazzle to get around its faster checks. Entry hazard setters like Gliscor, Cobalion, Seismitoad, and Klefki make for great partners because they are able to wear down Salazzle's defensive checks. Pokemon that are capable of punishing Ground- and Rock-types like Serperior, Mega Sceptile, and Rotom-W make for good partners. Pivots like Hydreigon and Rotom-W can be used to bring in Salazzle safely.
Other Options
=============
Substitute provides Salazzle with some safety against faster Pokemon, but it comes at the cost of coverage. A Corrosion set that uses Sludge Bomb instead of Sludge Wave is a possibility, as it can fish for a poison against Pokemon such as Tentacruel to wear it down. Taunt can be run to prevent defensive walls such as Blissey from recovering. Knock Off allows Salazzle to cripple some checks to it like Tentacruel and Empoleon by removing their passive recovery but again, like all of its other options, is hard to justify due to the fact that it forces Salazzle to give up Hidden Power coverage. Given its excellent Speed tier, Salazzle can run a Choice Scarf set to make it a capable revenge killer. If you already have a Z-Move user on your team, then using Life Orb Salazzle is a viable alternative.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Salazzle's pathetic bulk and lack of a way of boosting its Speed, it will always lose to faster Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Manectric, Crobat, and Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Chandelure.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Terrakion and Mega Aerodactyl are capable of taking any hit from Salazzle and KOing it in return. They do have to be cautious of Hidden Power coverage; however, they do not take much damage from an unboosted attack.
**Ground-types**: Pokemon such as specially defensive Gliscor and Hippowdon can take any hit from Salazzle and KO it. Similarly to Salazzle's Rock-type checks, they do not take much from an unboosted attack yet have to be cautious of what Z-Move it is running or what Hidden Power it has.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon with high a Special Defense stat such as Alolan Muk and Snorlax do not get KOed by Salazzle and damage it badly in return.
**Water-types**: Water-types like Tentacruel and Jellicent make for good checks to Salazzle, as they resist both its STAB moves and will not be OHKOed by a boosted attack. It's also vulnerable to Aqua Jet from Pokemon like Crawdaunt and Azumarill.
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