[OVERVIEW]
Salazzle's good Speed tier, ability in Corrosion, and solid offensive utility make it a potent support Pokemon in UU. It can outspeed many offensive threats such as Zarude and Azelf, and it takes advantage of defensive staples like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Celesteela. The combination of Knock Off and Toxic lets it outlast Pokemon that would otherwise counter it, such as Tentacruel and Nihilego, and open up counters like Hippowdon for teammates. However, due to its weakness to Stealth Rock, Salazzle is forced to run Heavy-Duty Boots as opposed to a power-boosting item, which makes it heavily reliant on chip damage to make an impact. Its poor bulk also leaves it unable to contribute defensively in most games, and its typing makes it susceptible to priority users like Azumarill and Lycanroc-D. Salazzle's frailty also makes it reliant on pivots to safely enter the battlefield. This frailty also deters it from switching directly into most Pokemon it would otherwise check, such as Scizor and Tangrowth, as both carry Knock Off and remove its Heavy-Duty Boots. Therefore, it would rather be preserved as a secondary check to the aforementioned Pokemon. It is also extremely difficult for Salazzle to make progress against bulkier Pokemon like Slowking and Hippowdon, but this doesn't stop it from paving the way for late-game cleaners in the long run.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Flamethrower
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Knock Off
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Corrosion
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Salazzle's amazing STAB combination lets it threaten common UU Pokemon including Amoonguss, Celesteela, Scizor, and Primarina. Knock Off makes Salazzle more difficult to pivot around with common checks such as Chansey, Mandibuzz, and Swampert. Toxic alongside Corrosion lets Salazzle cripple switch-ins like Nihilego, Tentacruel, Hippowdon, and Slowking, allowing itself or a teammate to overwhelm them and enhancing its offensive potential. Maximum Speed investment is needed to outspeed offensive threats like Azelf, Zarude, and Cobalion. Heavy-Duty Boots alleviates Salazzle's crippling Stealth Rock weakness and helps with its longevity, giving it more opportunities to enter the field safely.
Salazzle fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate it heavily chipping the opposing team, paving the way for teammates to break holes with ease. Mamoswine is an excellent partner for Salazzle, beating checks like Chansey and Mandibuzz and wearing down their shared answers in Swampert and Slowking. Chip damage from Stealth Rock setters, such as Nihilego, Cobalion, and Swampert, is valuable to make switching into Salazzle even more of a pain. Knock Off absorbers, such as the aforementioned Cobalion, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth, are all appreciated due to how punishing it is for Salazzle to lose Heavy-Duty Boots. Cobalion in particular can draw in Grass-types to give Salazzle entry points to fire off an attack. Meanwhile, Amoonguss and Tangrowth check Swampert and Azumarill. Thundurus-T and Zarude are great partners, as both offensively pressure Slowking and Swampert while pivoting on Amoonguss and Tangrowth, giving Salazzle safe entry points despite its frailty. Celesteela and Slowking both reliably check Nihilego and Lycanroc-D for Salazzle. Slowking is able to pivot out on Grass-types with Teleport to let Salazzle in. Checks to defensive Scizor like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Salamence all pair well with Salazzle, as it cannot function as the sole Scizor check on most teams. Salamence also appreciates Salazzle wearing down specially defensive Hippowdon and Slowking through Knock Off + Toxic, as this makes it extremely difficult for Scizor to switch into repeated Hurricanes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Pulse can OHKO Zygarde-10% but should only be used if your team is weak to it. Nasty Plot over Toxic can make Salazzle a threatening wallbreaker or cleaner, but due to its frailty, it struggles to set up because even resisted attacks sting. Substitute + Toxic Salazzle can be annoying, but Salazzle struggles to make an impact when lacking one of its STAB moves, leaving it to pick and choose its good matchups and lose out on valuable utility. Substitute + Toxic also requires very solid entry hazard control, if running Leftovers, and is still vulnerable to sand chip damage. A Choice Specs set has powerful wallbreaking potential, OHKOing threats like Conkeldurr and Thundurus-T from full health, but Salazzle can't follow up with Toxic and becomes weak to Stealth Rock, cutting into its longevity. It is also extremely prediction reliant, heavily limiting its wallbreaking potential against common defensive staples like Slowking and Hippowdon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Threats and Priority**: Pokemon that commonly run Choice Scarf, such as Hydreigon, Diggersby, and Krookodile, take advantage of Salazzle's extreme frailty and revenge kill it with ease. Priority users like Lycanroc-D and Zygarde-10% revenge kill Salazzle as well.
**Special Walls**: Chansey can switch into Salazzle thanks to its reliable recovery and Natural Cure, proceeding to force Salazzle out. However, it hates taking Knock Off. Mandibuzz, specially defensive Hippowdon, and Nihilego are all able to switch in comfortably; however, they all hate Knock Off and Toxic.
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Slowking, Tentacruel, and Swampert can all switch into Salazzle multiple times but despise taking Toxic. Offensive Water-types such as Crawdaunt and Azumarill both KO it with Aqua Jet.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sulo, 528036]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Monky25, 515132], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [deetah, 297659]]
Salazzle's good Speed tier, ability in Corrosion, and solid offensive utility make it a potent support Pokemon in UU. It can outspeed many offensive threats such as Zarude and Azelf, and it takes advantage of defensive staples like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Celesteela. The combination of Knock Off and Toxic lets it outlast Pokemon that would otherwise counter it, such as Tentacruel and Nihilego, and open up counters like Hippowdon for teammates. However, due to its weakness to Stealth Rock, Salazzle is forced to run Heavy-Duty Boots as opposed to a power-boosting item, which makes it heavily reliant on chip damage to make an impact. Its poor bulk also leaves it unable to contribute defensively in most games, and its typing makes it susceptible to priority users like Azumarill and Lycanroc-D. Salazzle's frailty also makes it reliant on pivots to safely enter the battlefield. This frailty also deters it from switching directly into most Pokemon it would otherwise check, such as Scizor and Tangrowth, as both carry Knock Off and remove its Heavy-Duty Boots. Therefore, it would rather be preserved as a secondary check to the aforementioned Pokemon. It is also extremely difficult for Salazzle to make progress against bulkier Pokemon like Slowking and Hippowdon, but this doesn't stop it from paving the way for late-game cleaners in the long run.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Flamethrower
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Knock Off
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Corrosion
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Salazzle's amazing STAB combination lets it threaten common UU Pokemon including Amoonguss, Celesteela, Scizor, and Primarina. Knock Off makes Salazzle more difficult to pivot around with common checks such as Chansey, Mandibuzz, and Swampert. Toxic alongside Corrosion lets Salazzle cripple switch-ins like Nihilego, Tentacruel, Hippowdon, and Slowking, allowing itself or a teammate to overwhelm them and enhancing its offensive potential. Maximum Speed investment is needed to outspeed offensive threats like Azelf, Zarude, and Cobalion. Heavy-Duty Boots alleviates Salazzle's crippling Stealth Rock weakness and helps with its longevity, giving it more opportunities to enter the field safely.
Salazzle fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate it heavily chipping the opposing team, paving the way for teammates to break holes with ease. Mamoswine is an excellent partner for Salazzle, beating checks like Chansey and Mandibuzz and wearing down their shared answers in Swampert and Slowking. Chip damage from Stealth Rock setters, such as Nihilego, Cobalion, and Swampert, is valuable to make switching into Salazzle even more of a pain. Knock Off absorbers, such as the aforementioned Cobalion, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth, are all appreciated due to how punishing it is for Salazzle to lose Heavy-Duty Boots. Cobalion in particular can draw in Grass-types to give Salazzle entry points to fire off an attack. Meanwhile, Amoonguss and Tangrowth check Swampert and Azumarill. Thundurus-T and Zarude are great partners, as both offensively pressure Slowking and Swampert while pivoting on Amoonguss and Tangrowth, giving Salazzle safe entry points despite its frailty. Celesteela and Slowking both reliably check Nihilego and Lycanroc-D for Salazzle. Slowking is able to pivot out on Grass-types with Teleport to let Salazzle in. Checks to defensive Scizor like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Salamence all pair well with Salazzle, as it cannot function as the sole Scizor check on most teams. Salamence also appreciates Salazzle wearing down specially defensive Hippowdon and Slowking through Knock Off + Toxic, as this makes it extremely difficult for Scizor to switch into repeated Hurricanes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Pulse can OHKO Zygarde-10% but should only be used if your team is weak to it. Nasty Plot over Toxic can make Salazzle a threatening wallbreaker or cleaner, but due to its frailty, it struggles to set up because even resisted attacks sting. Substitute + Toxic Salazzle can be annoying, but Salazzle struggles to make an impact when lacking one of its STAB moves, leaving it to pick and choose its good matchups and lose out on valuable utility. Substitute + Toxic also requires very solid entry hazard control, if running Leftovers, and is still vulnerable to sand chip damage. A Choice Specs set has powerful wallbreaking potential, OHKOing threats like Conkeldurr and Thundurus-T from full health, but Salazzle can't follow up with Toxic and becomes weak to Stealth Rock, cutting into its longevity. It is also extremely prediction reliant, heavily limiting its wallbreaking potential against common defensive staples like Slowking and Hippowdon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Threats and Priority**: Pokemon that commonly run Choice Scarf, such as Hydreigon, Diggersby, and Krookodile, take advantage of Salazzle's extreme frailty and revenge kill it with ease. Priority users like Lycanroc-D and Zygarde-10% revenge kill Salazzle as well.
**Special Walls**: Chansey can switch into Salazzle thanks to its reliable recovery and Natural Cure, proceeding to force Salazzle out. However, it hates taking Knock Off. Mandibuzz, specially defensive Hippowdon, and Nihilego are all able to switch in comfortably; however, they all hate Knock Off and Toxic.
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Slowking, Tentacruel, and Swampert can all switch into Salazzle multiple times but despise taking Toxic. Offensive Water-types such as Crawdaunt and Azumarill both KO it with Aqua Jet.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sulo, 528036]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Monky25, 515132], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [deetah, 297659]]
Last edited: