NU Slowking (QC: 3/3) [GP: 2/2]

quziel

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[OVERVIEW]

Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots, taking on Passimian, Delphox, and Mega Glalie reliably. Access to strong STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage move that include Fire Blast, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a dedicated wall to switch into. A wide utility movepool with Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams. However, as its name suggests, Slowking is outrun by essentially every offensive Pokemon in NU as well as most walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill. Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has good Base Power, has an incredibly useful burn chance, and hits common Pokemon like Rhydon and Incineroar, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves. Future Sight lets Slowking support its team by setting up lose / lose situations for its foe when combined with a teammate such as Passimian, by removing Poison-types as a switchin to Passimian on the turn Future Sight hits. Alternatively, Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight and 2HKOes Heliolisk while ignoring Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking from being setup fodder for Comfey. Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, and provides good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk. Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor, OHKOing the latter, as well as heavily damaging Torterra, but it does not hit other Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, lacking the ability to OHKO Sceptile. Dragon Tail lets Slowking prevent setup and force out a foe the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a target that can't take the move well. Grass Knot is Slowking's best way to hit Water-types, which otherwise wall this set.

Set Details
========

212 HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm. This investment is key to letting Slowking effectively check wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Sigilyph. 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun Palossand. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly. Regenerator serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower in order to heal Slowking. If the opponent has Pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian and Weezing, try to use Future Sight and use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to try to force the Psychic-weak Pokemon in or to prevent your opponent from switching Psychic-resistant or -immune Pokemon in. Scald should also be used for this purpose if you predict the opponent to bring in an Incineroar on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Scald is a very useful move early-game, as getting early burns on Pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switch-ins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game. Dragon Tail can be helpful in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers. If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KOed by Surf or Hyper Voice. Fire Blast or Ice Beam should be used if the opponent is predicted to bring in a Grass-type.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that want Poison- and Fighting-types KOed can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an excellent example, as very few Pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison-type gets KOed. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful due to Slowking's Dragon Tail and ability to force switches. Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with Dark-types, and all appreciate Slowking's support, especially its ability to take on Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon. Pokemon that can switch into Electric-types like Heliolisk such as Dhelmise, Rotom, and Togedemaru help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by them. Similarly, Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Braviary, Incineroar, and Garbodor take on threatening foes such as Sceptile and Dhelmise. While Slowking does resist Fighting, additional checks such as Rotom, Garbodor, and Weezing help to reduce the stress placed upon it.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has usable Base Power, an incredibly useful burn chance, and the ability to hit Pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super effective damage, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves. Psyshock hits Poison-types such as Weezing and Garbodor and Fighting-types such as Passimian for heavy damage and prevents Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking. Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and other Slowking as well as the likes of Druddigon and Comfey. Calm Mind is an option that turns Slowking into a useful late-game sweeper. Slack Off lets Slowking stay in against and beat Pokemon such as defensive Incineroar and Passimian. Future Sight can be run over Psyshock to further support Slowking's team and be used to great effect with Spikes support due to the switches it forces; however, the lack of an immediate Psychic-type attack can leave Slowking walled by Heliolisk.

Set Details
========

Maximum physical bulk lets Slowking take attacks such as Passimian's U-turn and Mega Glalie's Double-Edge more easily. Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out and easily sponge attacks such as Passimian's U-turn. A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into and beat defensive Incineroar and Passimian as well as take on Pokemon such as Sneasel by making Pursuit far less threatening. Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against Pokemon such as Garbodor.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking. For example, bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss. As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free of Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls that might carry it such as Steelix and Druddigon. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily by switching out rather than needing to use Slack Off. Calm Mind should be used when the opponent no longer has efficient ways to break through a boosted Slowking; if using Calm Mind, be careful to prevent Slowking from being badly poisoned, and generally do not attempt to set up until all Toxic users are KOed. Thanks to its burn chance and good Base Power, Scald is often very difficult for the opponent to punish, making it a safe choice in unsure situations; however, be wary that it does not accidentally burn a Toxic target such as enemy Slowking or Blastoise.

Team Options
========


Fighting-weak Pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on almost any move from Passimian as well as beat other Fighting-types. Fairy-types such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to beat Poison-types and Steelix for them, and in return they can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking. Pokemon such as Pangoro, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with Dark-types and appreciate Slowking taking on Fighting-, Ground-, and Poison-types for them. Heliolisk switch-ins such as Dhelmise, Togedemaru, and Torterra are good teammates, as Slowking can often let Heliolisk in for free and does not appreciate taking Volt Switch. Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Weezing, Incineroar, and Garbodor take on foes that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. Weezing and Garbodor can also set up Spikes, which can help wear down Sceptile and Heliolisk. Mega Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support, appreciates Slowking's ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Mega Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as a potent trapper, eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon as well as acting as a potent sweeper. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium Z in order to give Slowking a Defense boost from Z-Block. An offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet nature can turn Slowking into a sweeper that can often beat offensive teams by itself; however, this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness. A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Blastoise while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low Speed and is very vulnerable to Toxic. Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking; however, its low accuracy means it often does nothing, and Slowking often has to give up a more consistent option such as Grass Knot or Dragon Tail.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, OHKOing it with Power Whip while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Sceptile can muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs it to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar, Pangoro, and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to take out Colbur Berry sets as efficiently. Pursuit from Sneasel and Absol traps the Assault Vest set. Bulk Up Scrafty has the bulk to easily take almost any hit Slowking can throw at it and set up against it.

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these Pokemon can often switch into Slowking freely use Toxic.

**Electric-types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt Switch, and neither is OHKOed by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spin-Out, but it fears Fire Blast and cannot switch in easily. Heliolisk additionally takes no damage from Slowking's Scald, giving it many chances to switch in against it during a match.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [banks, 379208 ], [Espeonage., 395065]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [CryoGyro, 331519]]
 
Last edited:

Rabia

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GP & NU Leader
[OVERVIEW]
  • Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk, as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots.
  • Access to multiple reliable STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock, as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage moves including Fire Blast, Grass Knot, Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a defensive wall to switch into.
  • A wide utility movepool including Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams.
  • Thanks to good special bulk and Regenerator, Slowking can function as an excellent Assault Vest user, as well as a useful physically defensive pivot. you already said this in the first line, imo this can get deleted
  • However, as its name suggests, Slowking is rather slow, being outran by essentially every offensive pokemon in NU, as well as most of NU's defensive walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill.
  • Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any piece of passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.
  • fwiw the term "defensive wall" is redundant; all walls are defensive
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Future Sight is a strong Psychic STAB move, hitting 2 turns after it is used, and lets Slowking support its team by setting up checkmate situations, as well as forcing switches. I have zero idea what a checkmate situation is. Either expand on it or just remove that bit.
  • Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight, and hits Heliolisk for a 2HKO, as well as immediately hitting Vileplume for a 2HKO. It also ignores Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking for being setup for Comfey.
  • Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, as well as providing good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk.
  • Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor for super-effective damage, OHKOing Alolan Exeggutor, but does not hit Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, losing the ability to OHKO Sceptile.
  • Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out an opponent, and is useful to prevent setup, and to force out an opponent the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a Future Sight target.
  • Grass Knot is Slowking's strongest move against Water-types, OHKOing Seismitoad, and 3HKOing enemy Slowking, while 4HKOing enemy Assault Vest Slowking.
Set Details
========

  • Maximum HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm, as well as increasing its physical bulk. maybe talk more about how this lets Slowking better check Pokemon like Magmortar and Sigilyph
  • 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun enemy Palossand.
  • 212 Special Attack EVs and a Modest Nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly.
  • Regenerator is Slowking's main source of recovery on this set, and serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out. Regenerator is its only source of recovery.
Usage Tips
========

  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. numbers are scary; I'd just note how switching Slowking into weak special attacks can result in a gain of HP upon switching out
  • If the opponent has pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian or Weezing, try to use Future Sight, and then use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to force the Future Sight weak Pokemon in. talk more about how you're aiming to prevent the opponent from switching in a Psychic-resistant or -immune Pokemon (or I guess any special wall that can chew Future Sight too; the idea I want to see here is you're aiming to prevent them from going to their check)
  • Scald is a very useful move to use early game, as getting early burns against pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switchins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game.
  • Be aware that opponent's will often try to switch in a Psychic resistant pokemon in when Future Sight is about to hit; take advantage of this by using Scald or Dragon Tail to prevent them from nullifying it. yeah this point should probably just be merged with the one I commented on above.
  • Dragon Tail can be very useful to use in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers.
  • If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KO'd by Surf or Hyper Voice.
  • something about using Fire Blast and Ice Beam to prevent Grass-types from switching in for free (and I'm thinking here ones like Alolan Exeggutor, Sceptile, and Decidueye -- ones that don't care as much about being burned)
Team Options
========

  • Pokemon that want Poison and Fighting types KO'd can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an example of an excellent teammate, as very few pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison type gets KO'd.
  • Entry Hazard support from pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful, due to Slowking's ability to force switches, and due to their synergy with Dragon Tail.
  • Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate its support.
  • Steelix, Vileplume, and Rotom are all able to switch into Heliolisk to some degree, and help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by Electric-types.
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Vileplume, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking.
  • While Slowking does resist Fighting, teammates such as Rotom, Comfey, and Weezing are all useful, as they can help to reduce the stress placed upon it.
  • like the next set, only real issue I have is the overusing of certain examples
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Psyshock is a very reliable Psychic STAB move for Slowking, hitting Vileplume for heavy damage as well as Fighting-types such as Passimian, and preventing Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking.
  • Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down opposing bulky water types such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and Slowking. This move also is very useful for whittling down pokemon such as Druddigon and Comfey.
  • Calm Mind turns Slowking into a useful win condition, boosting its already impressive special bulk, while the Special Attack boosts let it potentially win a game. this sentence says the same thing twice (turns it into a wincon -> lets it potentially win a game). could just mention how the Special Attack boosts help make this set less passive
  • Slack Off lets Slowking heal itself, letting it stay in and beat pokemon such as Defensive Incineroar and Passimian.
  • I've ran Future Sight on this set to relatively good success, nice with Spikes support. Feel free to mention it here if you want to.
Set Details
========

  • Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold Nature maximizes Slowking's physical bulk, letting it take attacks such as Passimian's U-Turn more easily. could note Mega Glalie here too, it's a really solid answer to the snowball.
  • Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out, essentially nullifying any damage below 33%. no need to get into numbers imo; could mention how it helps Slowking scout moves from Choice item users
  • A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into, and beat Defensive Incineroar and Passimian, and helping it to take on pokemon such as Sneasel. helps versus Pursuit if you want to specify that
  • Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set, and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack, as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against pokemon such as Garbodor.
Usage Tips
========

  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss.
  • As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free from Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls such as Steelix or Druddigon that might carry it.
  • Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team, or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily with Regenerator rather than needing to use Slack Off.
  • something about when to set up with Calm Mind
  • something about how Scald is really hard to punish and is thus a safe move to use almost all of the time
Team Options
========

  • Fighting weak pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk all appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on, and take almost any move that Passimian can use, while also appreciating its ability to beat other Fighting-types.
  • Fairy types such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to switch into and beat Poison-Types for them, as well as its ability to beat Steelix, and can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking.
  • Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support for Slowking, and appreciates its ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking.
  • Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate its support. "its support" is very vague and should probably be expanded on
  • Steelix, Vileplume, and Rotom are all able to switch into Heliolisk to some degree, and provide very useful support for it.
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Vileplume, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking.
  • you repeat a lot of examples in these bullets; see if you can try to condense in certain areas a bit better
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

  • A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as an incredibly potent trapper, trapping and eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon, as well as acting as a potent win condition. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef with a Bold Nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium-Z in order to give Slowking +1 Def from Z-Block.
  • An Offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet Nature can turn Slowking into a very potent sweeper, and can often beat Offensive teams by itself, however this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness.
  • A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest Nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Vileplume, while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low speed, and is very vulnerable to Toxic.
  • Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking, however its low accuracy means it can often do nothing. also means you're forfeiting a more consistent option
Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, hitting it incredibly hard on its weaker defense, OHKOing it with Power Whip, while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Exeggutor-Alola and Sceptile can both muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs Assault Vest Slowking to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-Types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast, and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to do so as efficiently to Colbur Berry sets. I'd throw in a Pangoro mention here just because it'd be nice to have a newer Pokemon appear in a newer analysis. could (should) also mention bulk up scrafty here; doesn't take much damage from either set really, shed skin to nullify burns, uses both as setup fodder p safely

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these pokemon can often switch into Slowking and Toxic it.

**Electric Types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt-Switch, and neither is OHKO'd by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spinout, but fears Fire Blast, and cannot switch in easily. there should definitely be a mention of Heliolisk being able to switch into Scald thanks to Dry Skin



[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[,], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
qc 1/3 once done
 
[OVERVIEW]

  • Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk, as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots.
  • Access to multiple reliable STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock, as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage moves including Fire Blast, Grass Knot, Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a defensive wall to switch into.
  • A wide utility movepool including Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams.
  • However, as its name suggests, Slowking is rather slow, being outran by essentially every offensive pokemon in NU, as well as most of NU's walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill.
  • Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any piece of passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========


  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Future Sight is a strong Psychic STAB move, hitting 2 turns after it is used, and lets Slowking support its team by setting up lose / lose situations for its opponent when combined with a teammate such as Passimian.
  • Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight, and hits Heliolisk for a 2HKO, as well as immediately hitting Vileplume for a 2HKO. It also ignores Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking for being setup for Comfey.
  • Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, as well as providing good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk.
  • Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor for super-effective damage, OHKOing Alolan Exeggutor, but does not hit Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, losing the ability to OHKO Sceptile.
  • Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out an opponent, and is useful to prevent setup, and to force out an opponent the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a Future Sight target.
  • Grass Knot is Slowking's strongest move against Water-types, OHKOing Seismitoad, and 3HKOing enemy Slowking, while 4HKOing enemy Assault Vest Slowking. instead of explicitly saying how much damage it does to opposing king, just mention that gk actually gives a way too damage it, as it's useless against itself apart from dtail
Set Details
========


  • Maximum HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm, as well as increasing its physical bulk. This investment is key to letting Slowking effectively check wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Sigilyph.
  • 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun enemy Palossand.
  • 212 Special Attack EVs and a Modest Nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly.
  • Regenerator is Slowking's only source of recovery on this set, and serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out.
Usage Tips
========


  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower can result in net gains of HP.
  • If the opponent has pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian or Weezing, try to use Future Sight, and then use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to force the Future Sight weak Pokemon in, or to prevent them from switching in Psychic resistant or immune Pokemon in. Scald should also be used for this purpose if the opponent is predicted to bring in an Incineroar on the turn Future Sight is due to hit.
  • Scald is a very useful move to use early game, as getting early burns against pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switchins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game.
  • Dragon Tail can be very useful to use in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers.
  • If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KO'd by Surf or Hyper Voice.
  • Fire Blast or Ice Beam should be used if the opponent is predicted to bring in Grass types on Slowking.
Team Options
========


  • Pokemon that want Poison and Fighting types KO'd can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an example of an excellent teammate, as very few pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison type gets KO'd.
  • Entry Hazard support from pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful, due to Slowking's ability to force switches, and due to their synergy with Dragon Tail.
  • Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate its support.
  • Pokemon that can switch into Heliolisk such as Vileplume or Rotom help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by Electric-types.
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Vileplume, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking.
  • While Slowking does resist Fighting, teammates such as Rotom, Garbodor, and Weezing are all useful, as they can help to reduce the stress placed upon it.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========


  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Psyshock is a very reliable Psychic STAB move for Slowking, hitting Vileplume for heavy damage as well as Fighting-types such as Passimian, and preventing Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking.
  • Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down opposing bulky water types such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and Slowking. This move also is very useful for whittling down pokemon such as Druddigon and Comfey.
  • Calm Mind turns Slowking into a useful win condition, boosting its already impressive special bulk, while the Special Attack boosts let it become far less passive.
  • Slack Off lets Slowking heal itself, letting it stay in and beat pokemon such as Defensive Incineroar and Passimian.
  • Future Sight can be run over Psyshock to further support Slowking's team, and can be used to great effect with Spikes support due to the switches it forces. mention the downfalls of future sight on this set, like being walled by lisk and such
Set Details
========


  • Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold Nature maximizes Slowking's physical bulk, letting it take attacks such as Passimian's U-Turn and Mega-Glalie's Double Edge more easily.
  • Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out, and lets Slowking easily sponge attacks such as Passimian's U-turn.
  • A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into, and beat Defensive Incineroar and Passimian, and helping it to take on pokemon such as Sneasel, making Pursuit far less threatening.
  • Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set, and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack, as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against pokemon such as Garbodor.
Usage Tips
========


  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss.
  • As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free from Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls such as Steelix or Druddigon that might carry it.
  • Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team, or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily with Regenerator rather than needing to use Slack Off.
  • Calm Mind should be used when the opponent no longer has efficient ways to break through a boosted Slowking; if using Calm Mind be careful to prevent Slowking from being badly poisoned, and generally do not attempt to set up until all Toxic users are KO'd.
  • Thanks to its burn chance and good base power, Scald is often very difficult for the opponent to punish, making it very useful to use in unsure situations, however be wary that it does not accidentally burn a target such as enemy Slowking or Blastoise which would be better off Toxiced.
Team Options
========


  • Fighting weak pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk all appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on, and take almost any move that Passimian can use, while also appreciating its ability to beat other Fighting-types.
  • Fairy types such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to switch into and beat Poison-Types for them, as well as its ability to beat Steelix, and can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking.
  • Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support for Slowking, and appreciates its ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking. Vileplume can similarly support Slowking with Aromatherapy, and appreciates Slowking taking on Delphox for it, while helping Slowking against Comfey. is audino really that prevalent? it sounds good on paper but it's hardly used apart from on stall archetypes, either list lower or remove audino
  • Pokemon such as Pangoro, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate it taking on opposing Fighting-, Ground-, and Poison-types for them.
  • Heliolisk switch-ins such as Rotom, Vileplume, and Torterra are all good teammates for Slowking, as it can often give Heliolisk free switchins, and does not appreciate taking Volt Switch.
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Weezing, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. mention how some of these can setup spikes and make pokemon like heliolisk and sceptile less annoying to play

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============


  • A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as an incredibly potent trapper, trapping and eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon, as well as acting as a potent win condition. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef with a Bold Nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium-Z in order to give Slowking +1 Def from Z-Block.
  • An Offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet Nature can turn Slowking into a very potent sweeper, and can often beat Offensive teams by itself, however this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness.
  • A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest Nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Vileplume, while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low speed, and is very vulnerable to Toxic.
  • Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking, however its low accuracy means it can often do nothing, and using Zap Cannon often means giving up a more consistent option such as Grass Knot or Dragon Tail.
Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, hitting it incredibly hard on its weaker defense, OHKOing it with Power Whip, while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Exeggutor-Alola and Sceptile can both muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs Assault Vest Slowking to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-Types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast, and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar, Pangoro, and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to do so as efficiently to Colbur Berry sets. Bulk Up Scrafty has the bulk to easily take almost any hit Slowking can throw at it, and can easily set up against it.

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these pokemon can often switch into Slowking and Toxic it.

**Electric Types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt-Switch, and neither is OHKO'd by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spinout, but fears Fire Blast, and cannot switch in easily. Heliolisk additionally takes no damage from Slowking's Scald, giving it many chances to switch in against it during a match.



[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
2/3
 
[OVERVIEW]


  • Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk, as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots.
  • Access to multiple reliable STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock, as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage moves including Fire Blast, Grass Knot, Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a defensive wall to switch into.
  • A wide utility movepool including Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams.
  • However, as its name suggests, Slowking is rather slow, being outran by essentially every offensive pokemon in NU, as well as most of NU's walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill.
  • Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any piece of passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========



  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Future Sight is a strong Psychic STAB move, hitting 2 turns after it is used, and lets Slowking support its team by setting up lose / lose situations for its opponent when combined with a teammate such as Passimian.
  • Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight, and hits Heliolisk for a 2HKO, as well as immediately hitting Vileplume for a 2HKO. It also ignores Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking for being setup for Comfey. remove plume mention
  • Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, as well as providing good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk.
  • Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor for super-effective damage, OHKOing Alolan Exeggutor, but does not hit Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, losing the ability to OHKO Sceptile. hits tort harder too which is kinda useful now torts not as bad
  • Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out an opponent, and is useful to prevent setup, and to force out an opponent the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a Future Sight target.
  • Grass Knot is Slowking's best way to hit Water-types, which would otherwise wall this set.
Set Details
========



  • Maximum HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm, as well as increasing its physical bulk. This investment is key to letting Slowking effectively check wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Sigilyph.
  • 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun enemy Palossand.
  • 212 Special Attack EVs and a Modest Nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly.
  • Regenerator is Slowking's only source of recovery on this set, and serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out.
Usage Tips
========



  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower can result in net gains of HP.
  • If the opponent has pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian or Weezing, try to use Future Sight, and then use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to force the Future Sight weak Pokemon in, or to prevent them from switching in Psychic resistant or immune Pokemon in. Scald should also be used for this purpose if the opponent is predicted to bring in an Incineroar on the turn Future Sight is due to hit.
  • Scald is a very useful move to use early game, as getting early burns against pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switchins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game.
  • Dragon Tail can be very useful to use in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers.
  • If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KO'd by Surf or Hyper Voice.
  • Fire Blast or Ice Beam should be used if the opponent is predicted to bring in Grass types on Slowking.
Team Options
========



  • Pokemon that want Poison and Fighting types KO'd can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an example of an excellent teammate, as very few pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison type gets KO'd.
  • Entry Hazard support from pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful, due to Slowking's ability to force switches, and due to their synergy with Dragon Tail.
  • Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate its support.
  • Pokemon that can switch into Heliolisk such as Vileplume or Rotom help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by Electric-types.remove plume, also use something like dhelm instead of rotom because rotom can't rly touch lisk
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Vileplume, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. remove plume
  • While Slowking does resist Fighting, teammates such as Rotom, Garbodor, and Weezing are all useful, as they can help to reduce the stress placed upon it.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========



  • Scald has usable base power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage.
  • Psyshock is a very reliable Psychic STAB move for Slowking, hitting Vileplume for heavy damage as well as Fighting-types such as Passimian, and preventing Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking. remove plume
  • Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down opposing bulky water types such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and Slowking. This move also is very useful for whittling down pokemon such as Druddigon and Comfey.
  • Calm Mind turns Slowking into a useful win condition, boosting its already impressive special bulk, while the Special Attack boosts let it become far less passive.
  • Slack Off lets Slowking heal itself, letting it stay in and beat pokemon such as Defensive Incineroar and Passimian.
  • Future Sight can be run over Psyshock to further support Slowking's team, and can be used to great effect with Spikes support due to the switches it forces, however, the lack of an immediate Psychic attack means that it can leave Slowking walled by Heliolisk and Vileplume. remove plume
Set Details
========



  • Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold Nature maximizes Slowking's physical bulk, letting it take attacks such as Passimian's U-Turn and Mega-Glalie's Double Edge more easily.
  • Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out, and lets Slowking easily sponge attacks such as Passimian's U-turn.
  • A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into, and beat Defensive Incineroar and Passimian, and helping it to take on pokemon such as Sneasel, making Pursuit far less threatening.
  • Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set, and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack, as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against pokemon such as Garbodor.
Usage Tips
========



  • Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly, try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss.
  • As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free from Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls such as Steelix or Druddigon that might carry it.
  • Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team, or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily with Regenerator rather than needing to use Slack Off.
  • Calm Mind should be used when the opponent no longer has efficient ways to break through a boosted Slowking; if using Calm Mind be careful to prevent Slowking from being badly poisoned, and generally do not attempt to set up until all Toxic users are KO'd.
  • Thanks to its burn chance and good base power, Scald is often very difficult for the opponent to punish, making it very useful to use in unsure situations, however be wary that it does not accidentally burn a target such as enemy Slowking or Blastoise which would be better off Toxiced.
Team Options
========



  • Fighting weak pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk all appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on, and take almost any move that Passimian can use, while also appreciating its ability to beat other Fighting-types.
  • Fairy types such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to switch into and beat Poison-Types for them, as well as its ability to beat Steelix, and can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking.
  • Pokemon such as Pangoro, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark types for Slowking, and all appreciate it taking on opposing Fighting-, Ground-, and Poison-types for them.
  • Heliolisk switch-ins such as Rotom, Vileplume, and Torterra are all good teammates for Slowking, as it can often give Heliolisk free switchins, and does not appreciate taking Volt Switch. remove plume and change rotom
  • Grass resistant Pokemon such as Weezing, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking, Weezing and Garbodor can also set up Spikes, which can help wear down Sceptile and Heliolisk for it.
  • Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support for Slowking, and appreciates its ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking. Vileplume can similarly support Slowking with Aromatherapy, and appreciates Slowking taking on Delphox for it, while helping Slowking against Comfey. remove plume
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============



  • A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as an incredibly potent trapper, trapping and eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon, as well as acting as a potent win condition. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef with a Bold Nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium-Z in order to give Slowking +1 Def from Z-Block.
  • An Offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet Nature can turn Slowking into a very potent sweeper, and can often beat Offensive teams by itself, however this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness.
  • A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium-Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest Nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Vileplume, while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low speed, and is very vulnerable to Toxic.
  • Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking, however its low accuracy means it can often do nothing, and using Zap Cannon often means giving up a more consistent option such as Grass Knot or Dragon Tail.
Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, hitting it incredibly hard on its weaker defense, OHKOing it with Power Whip, while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Exeggutor-Alola and Sceptile can both muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs Assault Vest Slowking to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-Types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast, and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar, Pangoro, and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to do so as efficiently to Colbur Berry sets. Bulk Up Scrafty has the bulk to easily take almost any hit Slowking can throw at it, and can easily set up against it. mention pursuit

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these pokemon can often switch into Slowking and Toxic it.

**Electric Types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt-Switch, and neither is OHKO'd by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spinout, but fears Fire Blast, and cannot switch in easily. Heliolisk additionally takes no damage from Slowking's Scald, giving it many chances to switch in against it during a match.



[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Banks, 379208 ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
3/3
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]


Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk (RC) as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots. Access to strong STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock (RC) as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage moves including Fire Blast, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a defensive wall to switch into. A wide utility movepool including Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams. However, as its name suggests, Slowking is rather slow, being outran outrun by essentially every offensive Pokemon in NU, as well as most of NU's walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill. Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any piece of passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has good Base Power (RC) and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting Pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super effective (RH) damage. Future Sight is a strong Psychic STAB move, hitting 2 turns after it is used, and (dex info that hinders the flow) lets Slowking support its team by setting up lose / lose situations for its opponent foe when combined with a teammate such as Passimian. Alternatively, Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight (RC) and hits Heliolisk for a 2HKO while ignoring Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking for being setup for Comfey. Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, as well as providing good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk. Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor for super effective (RH) damage, OHKOing Alolan Exeggutor the latter, as well as heavily damaging Torterra, but it does not hit other Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, losing the ability to OHKO Sceptile. Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out an opponent, a foe and is useful to prevent setup RC) and to force out an opponent opposing Pokemon the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a Future Sight target that can't take the move well. Grass Knot is Slowking's best way to hit Water-types, which would otherwise wall this set.

Set Details
========

212 HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm, as well as increasing its physical bulk and maximizing HP recovery from Regenerator. (more HP investment would yield the same or greater HP recovery + greater max HP, this concept as a whole is overrated / doesn't make too much sense) This investment is key to letting Slowking effectively check wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Sigilyph. 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun enemy Palossand. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly. Regenerator is Slowking's only source of recovery on this set (RC) and serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; (SC) try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. Bringing it into weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower can result in net gains of HP. If the opponent has Pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian or and Weezing, try to use Future Sight (RC) and then use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to try to force the Future Sight-weak (AH) Pokemon in (RC) or to prevent them your opponent from switching in Psychic-resistant (AH) or -immune (AH) Pokemon in. Scald should also be used for this purpose if you predict the opponent is predicted to bring in an Incineroar on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Scald is a very useful move to use early-game, (AH) as getting early burns against Pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switchins switch-ins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game. Dragon Tail can be very useful to use in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers. If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KO'd KOed by Surf or Hyper Voice. Fire Blast or Ice Beam should be used if the opponent is predicted to bring in a Grass-types on Slowking. (AH)

Team Options
========

Pokemon that want Poison and Fighting types KO'd KOed can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an excellent example of an excellent teammate, as very few Pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison-type (AH) gets KO'd KOed. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful (RC) due to Slowking's ability to force switches (RC) and due to their synergy with Dragon Tail. Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark-types (AH) for Slowking, and all appreciate its support. Pokemon that can switch into Electric-types such as Heliolisk such as Dhelmise, Rotom, or and Togedemaru help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by Electric-types them. Similarly, Grass-resistant (AH) Pokemon such as Braviary, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types foes such as <....> that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. While Slowking does resist Fighting, teammates additional checks such as Rotom, Garbodor, and Weezing are all useful, as they can help to reduce the stress placed upon it.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has usable Base Power, and an incredibly useful secondary burn chance, and the ability to hit Pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super effective damage, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super-effective damage. Psyshock is a very reliable Psychic STAB move for Slowking, hitting hits Poison-types such as Weezing and Garbodor and Fighting-types such as Passimian for heavy damage as well as Fighting-types such as Passimian, and preventing and prevents Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking. Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down opposing bulky Water-types (AH) such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and Slowking. This move also is very useful for whittling down Pokemon such as Druddigon and Comfey. Calm Mind is an option that turns Slowking into a useful win condition late-game sweeper, boosting its already impressive special bulk (RC) while the Special Attack boosts let it become far less passive. Slack Off lets Slowking heal itself, letting it stay in on and beat Pokemon such as defensive Incineroar and Passimian. Future Sight can be run over Psyshock to further support Slowking's team (RC) and can be used to great effect with Spikes support due to the switches it forces; (SC) however, the lack of an immediate Psychic attack means that it can leave Slowking walled by Heliolisk.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature maximizes Slowking's physical bulk, letting it take attacks such as Passimian's U-turn and Mega Glalie's (RH) Double-Edge (AH) more easily. Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out (RC) and lets Slowking easily sponge attacks such as Passimian's U-turn. A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into (RC) and beat defensive Incineroar and Passimian, and helping it to as well as take on Pokemon such as Sneasel (RC) by making Pursuit far less threatening. Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set (RC) and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack (RC) as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against Pokemon such as Garbodor.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; (SC) try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking using Regenerator. For example, bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss. As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free from Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls such as Steelix or Druddigon that might carry it. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team (RC) or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily with Regenerator by switching out (repetition) rather than needing to use Slack Off. Calm Mind should be used when the opponent no longer has efficient ways to break through a boosted Slowking; if using Calm Mind, (AC) be careful to prevent Slowking from being badly poisoned, and generally do not attempt to set up until all Toxic users are KO'd KOed. Thanks to its burn chance and good Base Power, Scald is often very difficult for the opponent to punish, making it very useful to use in unsure situations; (SC) however, (AC) be wary that it does not accidentally burn a Toxic target such as enemy Slowking or Blastoise which would be better off Toxiced.

Team Options
========


Fighting-weak (AH) Pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk all appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on (RC) and take almost any move that from Passimian can use, while also appreciating its ability to as well as beat other Fighting-types. Fairy-types (AH) such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to switch into and beat Poison-types for them, as well as its ability to beat Steelix, and in return they can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking. Pokemon such as Pangoro, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark-types for Slowking, (AH) and all appreciate it taking on opposing Fighting-, Ground-, and Poison-types for them. Heliolisk switch-ins such as Dhelmise, Togedemaru, and Torterra are all good teammates for Slowking, as it can often give let Heliolisk free switchins, in for free and does not appreciate taking Volt Switch. Grass-resistant (AH) Pokemon such as Weezing, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on Grass-Types foes that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. (period) Weezing and Garbodor can also set up Spikes, which can help wear down Sceptile and Heliolisk for it. (Mega?) Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support for Slowking, and appreciates its Slowking's ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as an incredibly potent trapper, trapping and eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon (RC) as well as acting as a potent win condition sweeper. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef with a Bold nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium Z (RH) in order to give Slowking a +1 Defense boost from Z-Block. An offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium Z (RH) and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet nature can turn Slowking into a very potent sweeper, and that can often beat offensive teams by itself; (SC) however, (AC) this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness. A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium Z (RH) and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Vileplume (RC) while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low speed (RC) and is very vulnerable to Toxic. Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking; (SC) however, AC) its low accuracy means it can often do nothing, and using Zap Cannon often means giving Slowking often has to give up a more consistent option such as Grass Knot or Dragon Tail.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, hitting it incredibly hard on its weaker defense, OHKOing it with Power Whip, while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor-Alola and Sceptile can both muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs Assault Vest Slowking it to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast (RC) and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar, Pangoro, and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to do so as efficiently to take out Colbur Berry sets as efficiently. Pursuit from Sneasel and Absol threatens to easily KO the Assault Vest set, trapping it. Bulk Up Scrafty has the bulk to easily take almost any hit Slowking can throw at it (RC) and can easily set up against it.

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these Pokemon can often switch into Slowking and Toxic it.

**Electric Types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt Switch, (RH) and neither is OHKO'd OHKOed by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spinout Spin-Out, but it fears Fire Blast (RC) and cannot switch in easily. Heliolisk additionally takes no damage from Slowking's Scald, giving it many chances to switch in against it during a match.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Banks, 379208 ], [espeonage, 395065]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Slowking boasts excellent defensive typing, a great ability in Regenerator, and exceptional special bulk as well as good physical bulk, making it one of NU's most reliable defensive pivots. (you say that, but I as a newcomer would love to know what specific stuff it's switching into) Access to strong STAB moves including Scald, Future Sight, and Psyshock as well as good base 100 Special Attack means that Slowking is no slouch offensively either. This is accentuated by its wide variety of coverage moves including that includes Fire Blast, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam, making Slowking difficult for anything but a defensive dedicated wall to switch into. A wide utility movepool including with Dragon Tail, Slack Off, Toxic, Nasty Plot, and Calm Mind means that Slowking can be customized for most teams. However, as its name suggests, Slowking is rather slow, being outrun by essentially every offensive Pokemon in NU, (comma) as well as most of NU's walls, making it fairly easy to revenge kill. Additionally, Slowking is very vulnerable to Toxic, as any passive damage reduces the recovery it gets from Regenerator, hurting its ability to pivot.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Scald
move 2: Future Sight / Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Dragon Tail / Grass Knot
item: Assault Vest
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has good Base Power, (comma) has and an incredibly useful burn chance, and hits common Pokemon like Rhydon and Incineroar, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves, as well as hitting Pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super effective damage. Future Sight lets Slowking support its team by setting up lose / lose situations for its foe when combined with a teammate such as Passimian. (this needs elaboration) Alternatively, Psyshock is more reliable than Future Sight and hits 2HKOes Heliolisk for a 2HKO while ignoring Comfey's Calm Mind boosts, preventing Slowking for from being setup fodder for Comfey. Fire Blast hits Grass-types for very heavy damage, letting Slowking OHKO Sceptile after Stealth Rock, as well as providing and provides good damage against Vikavolt and Heliolisk. Ice Beam can be used to hit Dragon-types such as Guzzlord and Alolan Exeggutor for super effective damage, OHKOing the latter, as well as heavily damaging damage Torterra, but it does not hit other Grass-types as hard as Fire Blast, losing lacking the ability to OHKO Sceptile. Dragon Tail lets Slowking force out a foe and is useful to prevent setup and to force out an opposing Pokemon foe the turn Future Sight hits, potentially forcing in a target that can't take the move well. Grass Knot is Slowking's best way to hit Water-types, which would otherwise wall this set.

Set Details
========

212 HP investment and an Assault Vest maximize Slowking's special bulk, letting it take attacks such as Sceptile's Leaf Storm, as well as increasing its physical bulk. This investment is key to letting Slowking effectively check wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Sigilyph. 44 Speed EVs let Slowking outrun enemy Palossand. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature increase Slowking's offensive presence significantly. Regenerator is Slowking's only source of recovery on this set and serves to keep Slowking healthy throughout a match by healing it when it switches out.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower in order to heal Slowking. Bringing it into weak attacks such as Delphox's Flamethrower can result in net gains of HP. If the opponent has Pokemon weak to Future Sight such as Passimian and Weezing, try to use Future Sight and use Dragon Tail 2 turns later in order to try to force the Future Sight Psychic-weak Pokemon in or to prevent your opponent from switching Psychic-resistant or -immune Pokemon in. Scald should also be used for this purpose if you predict the opponent to bring in an Incineroar on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Scald is a very useful move to use early-game, as getting early burns against on Pokemon such as Druddigon can help to wear them down, while burning potential switch-ins such as Sneasel can cripple them for the rest of the game. Dragon Tail can be very useful to use helpful in an unsure situation, especially when Stealth Rock is up, as it can potentially weaken some of Slowking's answers. If Slowking is healthy, it can be used to scout almost any special hit in the game; it is often better for Slowking to take 70% from a Heliolisk's Thunderbolt than for a teammate to be KOed by Surf or Hyper Voice. Fire Blast or Ice Beam should be used if the opponent is predicted to bring in a Grass-type.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that want Poison- and Fighting-types KOed can make excellent usage of Slowking's Future Sight support. Passimian is an excellent example, as very few Pokemon in NU want to come in on its Close Combat on the turn Future Sight is due to hit. Comfey and Sceptile are excellent partners for similar reasons, being very difficult for opponents to deal with if their Poison-type gets KOed. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Rhydon, Garbodor, and Steelix is incredibly useful due to Slowking's Dragon Tail and ability to force switches and due to their synergy with Dragon Tail. Pokemon such as Incineroar, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark-types for Slowking, and all appreciate its Slowking's support. (a bit vague there) Pokemon that can switch into Electric-types such as like Heliolisk such as Dhelmise, Rotom, and Togedemaru help to prevent Slowking from being worn down by them. Similarly, Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Braviary, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on threatening foes such as Sceptile and Dhelmise that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. While Slowking does resist Fighting, additional checks such as Rotom, Garbodor, and Weezing are all useful, as they can help to reduce the stress placed upon it.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Toxic / Calm Mind
move 4: Slack Off
item: Colbur Berry / Psychium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Scald has usable Base Power, an incredibly useful burn chance, and the ability to hit Pokemon such as Rhydon and Incineroar for super effective damage, making it one of Slowking's most spammable moves. (per) Psyshock hits Poison-types such as Weezing and Garbodor and Fighting-types such as Passimian for heavy damage and prevents Heliolisk from freely switching into Slowking. Toxic provides a very valuable source of passive damage for Slowking, letting it easily wear down opposing bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, Seismitoad, and other Slowking as well as the likes of Druddigon and Comfey. This move also is very useful for whittling down Pokemon such as Druddigon and Comfey. Calm Mind is an option that turns Slowking into a useful late-game sweeper, boosting its already impressive special bulk while the Special Attack boosts let it become far less passive. Slack Off lets Slowking stay in on against and beat Pokemon such as defensive Incineroar and Passimian. Future Sight can be run over Psyshock to further support Slowking's team and can be used to great effect with Spikes support due to the switches it forces; however, the lack of an immediate Psychic-type attack can leave Slowking walled by Heliolisk.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature maximizes Slowking's physical bulk, letting it physical bulk lets Slowking take attacks such as Passimian's U-turn and Mega Glalie's Double-Edge more easily. Regenerator helps Slowking pivot, letting it heal itself after switching out and easily sponge attacks such as Passimian's U-turn. A Colbur Berry minimizes the damage Slowking takes from Knock Off, letting it easily switch into and beat defensive Incineroar and Passimian, (comma) as well as take on Pokemon such as Sneasel by making Pursuit far less threatening. Psychium Z should be primarily used with the Calm Mind set and gives Slowking a one-time nuke to break through Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, letting it OHKO Vaporeon at +3 Special Attack as well as providing a very strong initial hit if needed. This can also be used to provide an unexpectedly strong hit against Pokemon such as Garbodor.

Usage Tips
========

Efficient usage of Regenerator is key to using this set correctly; try as much as possible to bring this set in against weak attacks in order to heal Slowking. For example, bringing it into a Delphox's Flamethrower can often mean a net HP gain of 20%. Similarly, this lets Slowking easily come in on attacks such as Passimian's U-turn with minimal HP loss. As this set often aims to stay in longer than other Slowking sets, keeping Slowking free from of Toxic can be very important. Try to scout for Toxic against walls that might carry it such as Steelix or and Druddigon that might carry it. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking is often free to use its STAB attacks to damage the opponent's team or to use Toxic to potentially cripple an important threat, as it can heal up easily by switching out rather than needing to use Slack Off. Calm Mind should be used when the opponent no longer has efficient ways to break through a boosted Slowking; if using Calm Mind, be careful to prevent Slowking from being badly poisoned, and generally do not attempt to set up until all Toxic users are KOed. Thanks to its burn chance and good Base Power, Scald is often very difficult for the opponent to punish, making it very useful to use a safe choice in unsure situations; however, be wary that it does not accidentally burn a Toxic target such as enemy Slowking or Blastoise.

Team Options
========


Fighting-weak Pokemon such as Incineroar, Steelix, and Heliolisk all appreciate Slowking's ability to come in on and take almost any move from Passimian as well as beat other Fighting-types. Fairy-types such as Whimsicott and Comfey appreciate Slowking's ability to switch into and beat Poison-types and Steelix for them, as well as its ability to beat Steelix, and in return they can take on the Dark-types that trouble Slowking. Pokemon such as Pangoro, Whimsicott, and Passimian help deal with opposing Dark-types and all appreciate it Slowking taking on opposing Fighting-, Ground-, and Poison-types for them. Heliolisk switch-ins such as Dhelmise, Togedemaru, and Torterra are all good teammates for Slowking, as it Slowking can often let Heliolisk in for free and does not appreciate taking Volt Switch. Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Weezing, Incineroar, and Garbodor are helpful teammates, being able to take on foes that would either heavily damage or KO Slowking. Weezing and Garbodor can also set up Spikes, which can help wear down Sceptile and Heliolisk for it. Mega Audino can provide useful Heal Bell support, (comma) appreciates Slowking's ability to switch into Fighting-type attacks for it, and can function as part of a very potent Regenerator core with it. Mega Audino's sheer special bulk also means it can often take on special attackers such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Guzzlord, all of which trouble Slowking.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A set of Block / Calm Mind / Scald / Rest can function as an incredibly potent trapper, eliminating Water-types such as Blastoise and Vaporeon as well as acting as a potent sweeper. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature should be used with this set, as well as Normalium Z in order to give Slowking a +1 Defense boost from Z-Block. (why isn't it a main set if it's so 'incredibly potent'?) An offensive Trick Room set of Nasty Plot / Trick Room / Scald / Psyshock with Psychium Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA with a Quiet nature can turn Slowking into a very potent sweeper that can often beat offensive teams by itself; however, this set needs 2 turns of setup in order to sweep a lot of the time, limiting its effectiveness. A set of Nasty Plot / Scald / Future Sight / Slack Off with Psychium Z and an EV spread of 252 HP / 88 SpA / 160 Spe with a Modest nature turns Slowking into an incredibly terrifying wallbreaker, letting it easily run through many NU walls such as Vaporeon and Blastoise while still supporting its team with Future Sight. However, this set is often easily revenge killed due its low Speed and is very vulnerable to Toxic. Zap Cannon can be used on the Assault Vest set to potentially cripple Vaporeon and enemy Slowking; however, its low accuracy means it can often does nothing, and Slowking often has to give up a more consistent option such as Grass Knot or Dragon Tail.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types**: Dhelmise is one of Slowking's greatest enemies, hitting it incredibly hard on its weaker defense, OHKOing it with Power Whip, (comma) while having the bulk to switch into any of its moves at least once. Special wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Sceptile can both muscle through even Assault Vest Slowking, although Sceptile needs it to be weakened in order to KO it with Leaf Storm.

**Dark-types**: Guzzlord is one of Slowking's greatest foes, taking little from Scald, Future Sight, or Fire Blast and threatening to heavily damage it with Dark Pulse or Knock Off, although it dislikes Dragon Tail. Incineroar, Pangoro, and Sneasel can easily KO the Assault Vest set with Darkest Lariat and Knock Off, although they fail to take out Colbur Berry sets as efficiently. Pursuit from Sneasel and Absol threatens to easily KO traps the Assault Vest set, trapping it. Bulk Up Scrafty has the bulk to easily take almost any hit Slowking can throw at it and can easily set up against it.

**Toxic**: Slowking is often reliant on Regenerator to heal itself, so a source of passive damage such as Toxic from Druddigon, Vaporeon, or Seismitoad can result in Slowking getting worn down rather quickly. All three of these Pokemon can often switch into Slowking and freely use Toxic it.

**Electric-types**: While Heliolisk and Rotom fail to OHKO Slowking, they can easily wear it down using Volt Switch, and neither is OHKOed by Slowking. Vikavolt can easily OHKO even Assault Vest Slowking with Savage Spin-Out, but it fears Fire Blast and cannot switch in easily. Heliolisk additionally takes no damage from Slowking's Scald, giving it many chances to switch in against it during a match.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[quziel, 297859]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [banks, 379208 ], [Espeonage., 395065]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]
 

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