Swalot Movesets & Competitive Sets

This set attempts to use Swalot's decent coverage and Assault Vest-boosted bulk to act as a special tank. However, Swalot is prone to getting worn down because it does not have access to reliable recovery, limiting the amount of times it can switch in to check special attackers. Eelektross has access to solid coverage options and a higher Special Attack stat, which gives Swalot further competition. Swalot also competes with Skuntank and Victreebel as an offensive Poison-type due to their secondary typings and better offensive stats.

Moves Sludge Bomb is Swalot's main STAB move with a nice chance to poison the foe. Giga Drain hits Rock-, Water-, and certain Ground-types such as Golem and Floatzel hard. Ice Beam hits most Ground-types such as Gabite harder, as well as Pokemon such as Jumpluff, and it is Swalot's strongest move against Ghost-types such as Misdreavus. Earthquake 2HKOes Pawniard and Probopass, which would otherwise wall Swalot. Set Details Assault Vest turns Swalot into a special tank, and the EVs allow Swalot to take three Hydro Pumps from Life Orb Simipour after Stealth Rock damage and Giga Drain recovery as well as three Thunderbolts from Zebstrika. The rest is dumped in Special Attack for more power, and a Quiet nature is chosen to boost this more. It is required over Modest to let Swalot 2HKO Probopass. Sticky Hold helps against Knock Off Clefairy and Simipour and is Swalot's least situational ability. Usage Tips Swalot can be switched into special attackers such as Simipour, Simisage, and Rotom-F, but it should not be switched into too many strong attacks due to its lack of recovery, limiting the number of times it can switch in. Although it may wall Roselia, be wary of switching into it, as it can use Swalot as entry hazard bait. Additionally, it should be wary of switching into Pokemon such as Politoed, which can burn Swalot with Scald, severely weakening it for the rest of the match. After being weakened from taking on special attackers, it is fine to sack Swalot, as outside checking specific Pokemon, it does not do much. Swalot is also a decent absorber of the, albeit rare, move Trick, so Swalot can be switched into users such as Rotom-F if predicted. Team Options Swalot fits best on balanced and often bulky offensive teams to check specific special attackers that tend to threaten those builds. Flying- and Grass-types such as Pelipper and Tangela check Ground-types, which are the most threatening Pokemon to Swalot. Steel- and defensive Psychic-types such as Probopass and Grumpig check offensive Psychic-types. Ghost- and Dark-types such as Misdreavus and Pawniard can offensively threaten Psychic-types but dislike switching in on them. Audino can provide Wish support for Swalot to prevent it from being worn down too easily. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon such as Pelipper and Armaldo is greatly appreciated, as otherwise Swalot gets worn down too quickly. Pokemon that can immediately pressure Roselia such as Dodrio and Rapidash are important in preventing Roselia from setting up entry hazards on Swalot. Phazers such as Altaria, though fairly specific, can be very helpful, as Swalot often finds itself setup fodder for bulky sweepers such as Duosion.

Swalot's main niche is Encore, which allows Swalot to disrupt sweepers trying to set up on it, such as Gurdurr and Musharna. Toxic is Swalot's most reliable method of dealing damage, as its offensive stats are too lackluster to leave a serious dent. Sludge Bomb is Swalot's most reliable STAB attack, due to its high PP and decent Base Power. The potential poisoning effect is also great when afflicting switch-ins. Pain Split offers Swalot decent recovery, but Earthquake hits the Steel- and Poison-types that plan on switching into Toxic super effectively. Swalot should only use a Relaxed nature if it is using Earthquake. Protect can fit in the set to scout for moves, Toxic stall, and gain Leftovers recovery. Great partners for Swalot include Mandibuzz, which is immune to both of Swalot's weaknesses and wields outstanding bulk. Ground-types, such as Golurk and Golem, make good offensive partners for Swalot because they can eliminate the Poison- and Steel-type Pokemon that could switch in on Toxic, saving Swalot the trouble of needing Earthquake as well. Lastly, partners with Taunt are also helpful so clerics can not eliminate the status Swalot spreads.

Although Swalot has competition from Muk and Weezing as a Poison-type wall, it manages to separate itself by being the only one of the three to have access to Encore. Encore allows Swalot to effectively stop setup sweepers and certain walls from using Swalot as setup fodder. Yawn is used to effectively cripple any switch-ins, and also stops the majority of setup sweepers indifferent to Encore. Pain Split is Swalot's only way of recovering health outside of Rest, and although it is rather unreliable, Swalot's low HP stat usually makes up for this. The last moveslot is up to personal preference, although STAB Sludge Bomb is usually the better choice, Ice Beam can be used to hit dual Grass-types like Venusaur harder. Leftovers is basically mandatory on any wall for extra recovery, though Black Sludge can be used if Swalot is using Sticky Hold as its ability. The given EVs maximize Swalot's defensive prowess, while the small amount of HP EVs make Pain Split much more effective. The nature is chosen to complement its bulk on the special side, whilst Liquid Ooze is the preferred ability to stop SubSeeders in their tracks. This set highly appreciates the presence of entry hazards, as both Encore and Yawn will cause many switches when used together. Toxic Spikes are highly recommended in this case as it allows Swalot to defeat Water-types more easily. As for teammates, Swalot appreciates Pokemon that can cover both its Psychic- and Ground-type weaknesses. Slowbro is the most effective candidate against Ground-types, as it can hit back hard with STAB Surf, but Spiritomb is a better option against Psychic-types, turning those counters into setup fodder. In general, setup sweepers appreciate how Swalot can cripple other setup sweepers and walls with Encore.

Swalot has higher HP and Special Defense stats than Weezing, thus creating a niche of being a Poison-type that is bulky on both ends. These attributes allow Swalot to run a viable RestTalk set. Sludge Bomb is for STAB and allows Swalot to hit other Pokemon for a reasonable amount of damage. Earthquake is required to hit Steel-types that are immune to Swalot's STAB, and often catches many switch-ins off guard. Swalot walls any specially-oriented version of the versatile Venusaur 100% with this set. Leftovers is the preferred item on any wall, as it provides longetivity, although if Sticky Hold is the chosen ability, Black Sludge can be used as an alternate recovery option. The EVs give Swalot good defenses on both sides, and a Sassy nature complements this whilst allowing Swalot to have a slightly more powerful mixed moveset. Liquid Ooze is the preferred ability as it allows Swalot to wall Leech Seed users more effectively, but Sticky Hold is also effective to prevent Trick. This set is built for survivability, and as such, Wish support is highly recommended. Entry hazards also work well with this set as many Pokemon will be forced to switch in and out, or risk being hit by one of its high-power moves. Bulky Grass-type Pokemon such as Venusaur, Leafeon, and to a lesser extent, Meganium are effective against the Ground-types that wall Swalot. Hitmontop can defeat Steel-types such as Registeel and Steelix that like to come in on this set, and can also get rid of entry hazards with Rapid Spin, which goes a long way in adding to this set's survivability.

A slightly different approach to Swalot, this set aims to do one thing: not faint, ever. Amazing mixed bulk, immunity to Toxic, and great longevity provided by RestTalk make this set extremely hard to take out, especially for balanced defensive teams. Ice Beam is Swalot's best general attacking move, as it sports good power and has no immunities, although Sludge Bomb can be used instead, as it has a good poison chance and hits slightly harder on neutral targets, in particular Hitmonchan, thanks to STAB, though at the cost of Swalot being completely walled by Steel-types if not also running Hidden Power Ground. Toxic pairs best with Ice Beam to spread as much residual damage as possible and allows Swalot to outstall certain threats like Sableye and Flareon, which cannot do much in return thanks to Swalot's immunity to Toxic. Sludge Bomb + Toxic may be kind of redundant and leaves Swalot completely exposed to Steel-types and Rock-types with Substitute, meaning Hidden Power Ground is the better move to run when using Sludge Bomb. Yawn is a viable third option for the second slot, but it doesn't really allow Swalot to outstall other Pokemon except for the chance to put Chimecho or Lickitung with Heal Bell to sleep. The EV spread and nature let Swalot avoid being 3HKOed by Timid Plusle's Thunderbolt and any of Choice Band Hitmonchan's attacks aside from Earthquake. There are a lot of moves that can be used in the first and second slots not mentioned above, and they depend largely on what your team needs. Counter is the most prominent and can ensure that Choice Band attackers think twice before trying to take out Swalot. Spikes are a near must with this set, meaning Roselia and Glalie are good teammates to consider. Chimecho is particularly dangerous for this set, as it can set up Calm Mind or use Heal Bell in front of Swalot without it being able to do much in return. Haunter also doesn't care for much of anything Swalot does with this set. Lickitung, Sableye, or an offensive check like Murkrow or Kecleon is an almost required teammate due to this fact. Steel-, Ground-, and Rock-types have an easier time with this set as well, as they don't need to really watch out for Counter, Explosion, or Hidden Power Ground in most cases. Defensive teammates like Pelipper and Relicanth or offensive checks like Hitmonchan are therefore needed to ensure that Swalot isn't just complete setup bait for these Pokemon.

Swalot can make a spectacular special wall and use Explosion on the only special sweeper that really scares it, Chimecho. It's also one of the few Pokemon that's not 2HKOed by Rain Dance Huntail, assuming it is running Surf over Hydro Pump; even if things go south, Swalot can Explode on it as well. Physical attacks like Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Ground are preferred with a specially defensive spread as most special attackers tend to have a lower Defense stat, which is particularly true of most of the Grass-types save for Tangela. Encore can be used over Hidden Power Ground to lock the foe into a useless move like Toxic to force switches. Toxic is the best option in the third slot to allow Swalot to spread damage around defensive teams, though it may be a bit redundant with the poison chance from Sludge Bomb. Yawn can be used to force switches and works super well with Spikes on the opponent's side of the field. Shadow Ball is another good option for the third slot to complete Swalot's neutral coverage with Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Ground, destroy Haunter, and land a good hit on Chimecho without having to resort to Explosion. The last slot goes to Explosion, which gives Swalot a nearly guaranteed way to take out the foe and ensures the opponent can't use Swalot as setup bait. Specially defensive Swalot is one of, if not the, best counters to Grass-types in the tier, due largely to its massive bulk, resistance to both Grass and Poison, and Liquid Ooze ability, the latter of which punishes the use of Leech Seed. Maximum Special Defense is the preferred EV spread to allow Swalot the best possible chance of tanking an attack from Huntail and being able to retaliate in some manner. Special attacks like Ice Beam and Thunder Punch can be used over Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Ground, and doing so comes with the benefit of being able to hit Tangela, Huntail, and Seadra super effectively while targeting their weaker defensive stat, but the stronger hits on most other special attackers are more desired. Chimecho and Haunter are probably the safest switches into Swalot, though the former needs to be really careful of Explosion and Swalot's specially defensive set may just be luring it in for that exact reason. Regardless, Pokemon that can take them on like Kecleon and Murkrow can be used to switch into and KO them. Steel- and Rock-types have a harder time consistently switching into Hidden Power Ground, but they have an almost free switch into Sludge Bomb, meaning physically defensive Pokemon like Wailord and Mawile can be good teammates to take them on. Physically defensive Lickitung makes a good teammate in particular, as Swalot can easily switch into most Hitmonchan variants for it and Lickitung takes on most other physical attackers for Swalot in return.

This set is one of the best physical walls around and sports only one physical weakness in Ground. With this set, Swalot becomes one of the best counters to Hitmonchan, giving it an almost assured spot on many defensive teams if Sableye doesn't fit anyway. Ice Beam is used as the general attacking move, as it hits the Ground-types looking to switch into Swalot for super effective or neutral damage and nails the Flying- and Grass-types that Swalot counters super effectively. Counter is a major move that sets Swalot apart from other defensive Pokemon like Chimecho and Sableye, giving it a tool to take a powerful physical attack and eliminate the attacker in one turn. Toxic is the best option in the third slot to allow Swalot to spread damage around defensive teams and force Chimecho to switch out or use Heal Bell or Rest. Yawn can be used to force switches, which works extra well with Spikes on the opponent's side of the field. Thunder Punch is another option for this slot to give Swalot amazing neutral coverage and let it hit the Water-types that can otherwise tank Ice Beam super effectively. The last slot goes to Explosion, which gives Swalot another tool to take out the foe and is a great way to ensure that the opponent can't use Swalot as setup bait for a sweeper like Vigoroth. A fully physically defensive EV spread gives Swalot the ability to counter physical threats as well as possible, with a Relaxed nature used because Swalot's Speed is largely unimportant and it doesn't weaken the power of Ice Beam or Explosion. Physical attacks such as Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Ground can be used over Ice Beam and Thunder Punch, but most of the physical threats that Swalot can counter have lower Special Defense (the major exception being Hitmonchan). Running a physical move also allows Swalot to run a neutral Speed nature, which can sometimes come in handy to get the Explosion off against a defensive Pokemon like Kecleon before getting hit. Chimecho is probably the best immediate safe switch-in to Swalot, as it destroys Swalot with its STAB Psychic, but it really needs to be wary of Explosion. Haunter with Psychic is probably a better switch-in to Swalot for this reason alone, though it takes far more damage from Ice Beam than Chimecho does. Still, these two Pokemon and others like Venomoth can be kind of threatening for Swalot, making specially defensive Pokemon like Kecleon and Lickitung good teammates that can form an almost impenetrable defensive core together with Swalot. Steel-types like Mawile and Metang are immune to Toxic and resist Ice Beam and Explosion, but they need to watch out for Counter. Mawile with Substitute, however, is particularly threatening for Swalot, and may force it to use Explosion or risk having it set up Swords Dance and Baton Passing to a teammate. Water- and Fire-types make good teammates for Swalot for this reason, Flareon in particular because it can pass Wish to Swalot on top of checking Mawile. Rock-types not weak to Ice Beam like Sudowoodo and Relicanth can nail Swalot super effectively with Earthquake and resist Explosion, though they too have to be extremely wary of Counter. A Grass-type like Bellossom or Tangela can be a good teammate to have to switch into Earthquake anyway, and they enjoy having Swalot around to tank attacks from Murkrow and Pidgeot.