[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Sludge Wave
move 4: Toxic
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Corrosion
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Due to Salazzle's fantastic STAB combination, great Speed tier, solid Special Attack, and access to Nasty Plot, this set can perform as an effective setup sweeper. Thanks to its ability to threaten out Pokemon such as Galarian Weezing, Sylveon, and slower threats like Cobalion and Roserade, it can find many opportunities to greatly boost its Special Attack. However, as a Fire-type it faces stiff competition from Incineroar, Chandelure, and Darmanitan for a place on teams due to its frailty restricting it from taking advantage of the defensive utility that its typing provides. Regardless, amidst its competition, it holds a niche in its great Speed tier and Nasty Plot. Salazzle's options for a Fire-type STAB move consist of Fire Blast and Flamethrower, with one's choice depending on the user's preference of power or consistency. Notably, the additional power coming from +2 Salazzle's Fire Blast is capable of OHKOing Golisopod and Necrozma from full health. Toxic is the best move in Nasty Plot Salazzle's last moveslot, and thanks to Corrosion, it can always badly poison its defensive switch-ins regardless of their typing. Common defensive switch-ins to punish with Toxic include Gigalith, Mantine, and Rhyperior.
Nasty Plot Salazzle best works on balance and Bulky Offense teams that benefit from its Speed tier, wallbreaking capabilities, and ability to consistently cripple any defensive switch-ins with Corrosion. Due to its difficulty with Rock-types such as Gigalith and Rhyperior, it partners well with Flygon and Cobalion. These two create a good offensive core with Nasty Plot Salazzle, due to Salazzle being able to threaten Fairy-types like Sylveon for Flygon and pressure Cobalion's defensive checks like Doublade. Additionally, they are also able to safely pivot Salazzle in with U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively, on Pokemon like Sylveon and Vileplume. Nasty Plot Salazzle appreciates entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Golisopod, Rhyperior, and Gigalith to help its offenses. Particularly, Golisopod is capable of revenge killing Psychic-types like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and threatening slower Rock-types like Rhyperior that put pressure on Salazzle, while Rhyperior and Gigalith can check offensive answers like Noivern. Nasty Plot Salazzle is vulnerable to revenge killers like Noivern and Flygon, which partners it well with common bulky checks to them like Milotic and Mantine. These Pokemon also check Chandelure, which Salazzle otherwise struggles to break through. Sylveon is also a fantastic defensive partner because it can check revenge killers and keep Salazzle healthy with Wish and Heal Bell. Offensive pivots like Rotom-W, Heliolisk, and Tsareena are able to bring Salazzle in safely via pivoting and pressure common defensive answers, such as Gigalith, Rhyperior, and common bulky Water-types like Milotic.
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Black Sludge
ability: Corrosion
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
SubToxic Salazzle exploits its great Speed tier and Toxic to beat its normal defensive checks like Mantine, as well as Gigalith and Rhyperior lacking Rock Blast, while still besting threats such as Sylveon and Cobalion. After badly poisoning its target, it uses the combination of Substitute and Protect to stall out turns and allow for Toxic damage to wear away its foe's health. Salazzle can easily exploit Pokemon such as Sylveon, Cobalion, and Roserade to use Substitute and safely land a Toxic on its checks. For this reason, it uses a Black Sludge to heal off Substitute damage and more efficiently stall its foes. Protect is useful for stalling out turns; however, it can also scout the attacks of Choice item users like Gardevoir and Flygon, as well as answers to the set like Rock Blast users. Gaining this information can provide the Salazzle user with another opportunity to set up a Substitute or to get more Black Sludge recovery. Finally, Flamethrower is superior as Salazzle's offensive move for its consistency and higher PP.
Salazzle's reliance on Black Sludge for healing leaves Salazzle weak to entry hazards, which requires teammates that can provide hazard control. Its best hazard clearing allies come in the form of Tsareena and Rotom-W, which are capable of clearing hazards while safely pivoting into Salazzle with their respective pivoting moves and providing key resistances and immunities. For example, SubToxic Salazzle appreciates Tsareena and Rotom-W checking Rock Blast variants of Rhyperior and Gigalith. Defog variants of Noivern also work well with SubToxic Salazzle, as it is able to cripple Noivern's checks with Toxic like Gigalith, Rhyperior, and Sylveon. SubToxic Salazzle is very prone to revenge killing, and consequently it functions well with defensive switch-ins such as Milotic and Mantine that check common revenge killers like Noivern and Flygon. Defensively, Sylveon works greatly with it too. It can provide valuable Wish support and a safe retreating option for Salazzle, while Salazzle can check common Steel-type answers like Cobalion, Lucario, and Escavalier and Poison-types like Galarian Weezing. Bronzong can check Psychic-, Ground-, and Rock-types that pressure Salazzle while providing Stealth Rock to make stalling foes require less Substitute damage. Lastly, SubToxic Salazzle works well with wallbreakers like Necrozma, Pangoro, and Machamp, as well as Choice Scarf cleaners like Flygon and Heliolisk for its ability to dismantle defensive Pokemon. Reuniclus counters SubToxic Salazzle with Magic Guard, making offensive allies such as Pangoro and Golisopod good for wearing it down, while Salazzle can check their answers like Cobalion and Mantine in return.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ausma, 360720]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lilburr, 481709], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
Last edited:
