Nominating
Samurott
What effect did Samurott have on the metagame?
Samurott is a large reason why teams carry one, or more water resists capable of taking its coverage on. It has a respectable speed tier, maxing out at 239 speed with a neutral nature, and has essentially forced the incredibly important 240 speed tier into prominence. It is either one of the tier's best wallbreakers or best sweepers, and its flexibility, and natural bulk allows it to get itself easy setup opportunities, or free attacks. Its ability to break walls that would normally wall gives it exceptional synergy with pokemon such as HW Mesprit, and sweepers that share similar checks such as Rhydon and Pyroar. Simply put, it has made a check to its SD set mandatory on bulky offense/balance, and heavily contributed to the rise of Jynx, which is one of its checks on even more offensive teams.
In what main roles was Samurott used?
Sets:
- Swords Dance
- Specially Offensive
Samurott is generally used as a wallbreaker, or sweeper. In its specially offensive set, it abuses its coverage to break through teams fairly easily, as it can hit most of the tier's water resists super effectively, or at least hard, with a combination of Ice Beam, Megahorn, and Grass Knot. In its Swords Dance sweeper set, it abuses its ability to force switches, and natural bulk to set up a swords dance to plow through teams with a very powerful Waterfall and Megahorn. Both sets retain good midgame utility with a powerful Aqua Jet, and can easily revenge a lot of threatening enemy mons such as Pyroar, Rhydon, or Magmortar.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
Samurott's impact is due to its fantastic mixed attacking stats, natural bulk, and speed, which is a large part of why 240 speed is so important in the current metagame. Additionally, water stab is, and always has been a fantastic neutral attacking stab, and as a typing allows it to have easy switchins and setup opportunities. Simply put, the flexibility, and sheer power of both its sets allows it to find a place on almost any offensive or balanced teams, which makes it an incredibly powerful mon. Torrent is also a fantastic ability, allowing it to throw off one last absurdly powerful Hydro Pump/Waterfall or Aqua Jet, which could often allow it break through certain checks it wouldn't be able to normally break through, and made it much more difficult to revenge kill.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NU?
While its checks do vary somewhat by set, bulkier grass types such as Vileplume or Gourgeist are very solid answer to the physical set, and can check the special set in an emergency. The special set is dealt with more solidly by bulkier water types such as Lanturn and Mantine, and the ever present special sponge of AV Hariyama. Both sets are fairly solidly dealt with by pokemon such as Poliwrath and Gastrodon. Offensive pressure from pokemon it cannot meaningfully threaten with its Aqua Jet, such as Jynx, Sceptile, or Kangaskhan can also revenge it, or force it out.