Wailord Movesets & Competitive Sets

Wailord should attempt to trap a passive foe such as Clefairy with Block and then utilize its moves and ability to keep itself healthy, block status conditions, and attempt to PP stall the foe. However, this set is very difficult to pull off and isn't worth the trouble, as Wailord's subpar defenses can easily cause it to lose too much health to set up Substitute or Aqua Ring safely. Defensively, Pyukumuku is a better option because it takes hits much better than Wailord and needs less support to function on stall, since it runs Toxic and Recover to whittle down opposing Pokemon. Furthermore, Wailord cannot function outside of stall and just wastes a teamslot on non-stall teams, where other Water-types in the tier, like Jellicent and Lanturn, are able to perform much better than Wailord.

Moves Substitute allows Wailord to block status and scout switch-ins while letting it also PP stall moves. Aqua Ring gives Wailord recovery that can be utilized with Protect and Substitute. Protect gives Wailord a free turn of recovery, which can also be used to scout a foe's moves. Scald deals chip damage to a foe while also having the chance to burn it. Set Details 252 Defense and Special Defense EVs maximize Wailord's overall bulk, allowing it to set up on as much of the metagame as possible, including resisted Choice-locked moves such as a Waterfall from Floatzel. Pressure allows Wailord to PP stall the majority of the metagame when set up, including threats such as Calm Mind Clefairy. Leftovers gives Wailord a bit of residual recovery, which, when paired with Aqua Ring, allows Wailord to lose no HP when using Substitute and Protect to PP stall a foe. A Bold nature is viable, although a Calm nature is generally preferred, as it allows Wailord to take special hits better, as most Water-types are special attackers. Usage Tips Wailord should be used as a bulky Water-type to absorb resisted or weaker neutral hits and as a nearly unbreakable PP stalling wall after it has set up. If you notice that Toxic Spikes can be easily set up without them being absorbed by a Poison-type foe, that can be an indicator that you can use Wailord as a wincon late-game. Wailord should avoid being inflicted with burn or poison, as it will be unable to survive for long periods of time if it loses HP every turn. Wailord should be preserved to PP stall a threat to stall teams, such as Duosion. Be wary of Boomburst Chatot and Infiltrator Jumpluff, both of which can hit through Substitute. Wailord needs entry hazards set up on the opponent's side of the field to be effective, as foes can switch around without much trouble otherwise, limiting its PP stalling abilities. Don't be afraid to use Wailord's natural bulk to switch in on threats it can wall, such as Camerupt. Team Options Wailord requires support that generally only stall and semi-stall teams can provide. Toxic Spikes is almost mandatory to allow Wailord to stall out Pokemon with Substitute and Protect more easily, saving its own PP. Two layers of Toxic Spikes, which badly poison foes, are often better than one if your opponent has a Pokemon with reliable recovery, such as Milk Drink Gogoat. Roselia is the best option for a Toxic Spikes setter, as it has the bulk to set them up multiple times in a game and resists some of Wailord's weaknesses. Entry hazard removal is extremely valuable to keep Wailord healthy, as Toxic Spikes completely cripples it, and Stealth Rock and Spikes make it harder for Wailord to set up; thus, Rapid Spin users such as Avalugg and Armaldo and Defog users such as Vullaby and Vibrava make for great partners to Wailord. Misdreavus and other Ghost-types can be used as effective spinblockers. Cleric support is also extremely helpful for Wailord, giving it another chance to stall again if it is inflicted with status, such as an unfortunate Scald burn. Lickilicky and Audino have access to Heal Bell and are able to easily sponge special Grass- and Electric-type moves for Wailord. Toxic users help Wailord stall out more foes that are immune to Toxic Spikes. For instance, Gabite can use Toxic on many Defog users that switch into it, which allows Wailord to PP stall them more easily late-game. Wailord pairs well with Pokemon such as Roselia, Camerupt, and Klang, as they can take on Grass-type Pokemon with ease.

Water Spout is Wailord's strongest move if it can maintain relatively high health; enhanced by Choice Specs, Water Spout can power through any Pokemon that doesn't resist it or have high special bulk. Ice Beam has excellent coverage alongside Wailord's Water-type STAB moves, hitting everything bar opposing Water-types for at least neutral damage. Hidden Power Grass allows Wailord to damage most Water-types and is especially useful for damaging Seismitoad. Surf and Hydro Pump are reliable STAB moves for Wailord to use when its HP drops too low. 140 Speed EVs allow Wailord to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Golem, and its damage output is maximized with a Modest nature and maximum investment in Special Attack. The remaining EVs are allocated to its defenses to improve its overall durability better than by simply investing in its HP. Maximum Speed is a possibility in order to outspeed Misdreavus. Scald is a viable option instead of Surf or Hydro Pump, as its burn chance can rack up considerable chip damage on common switch-ins such as Lickilicky and Regice. Stealth Rock support allows Wailord to wear down foes that resist Water, such as Alomomola; Ground-types such as Golem and Golurk are great teammates for this role, as they also provide an immunity to Electric-type moves. Spikes support is also useful, as they can help wear down Pokemon such as Roselia and Ludicolo Wailord struggles to take on. Garbodor and Roselia are excellent options, as they also help absorb Toxic Spikes on your field, which can otherwise quickly drain Wailord's health. Both of these Pokemon also offer a much appreciated resistance to Grass-type moves. Grass- and Electric-types can deal with opposing Water-types that resist Wailord's STAB moves and Ice Beam. Fire-types such as Charizard and Torkoal are effective teammates to remove bulky Grass-types that resist Wailord's STAB moves and also form a Fire / Water / Grass core with it alongside a Grass-type teammate. Torkoal is also able to remove entry hazards from your field to maintain Wailord's HP. Paralysis support from teammates such as Musharna and Liepard is highly beneficial so that Wailord can outspeed a larger portion of the opponent's team. Rain support from Pokemon such as Volbeat and Liepard can be beneficial because it makes Water Spout immensely powerful, though this is most effective on a dedicated rain team.

As one of Wailord's biggest setbacks is its mediocre base Speed stat, running a Choice Scarf set in order to remedy the aforementioned problem is a logical choice, allowing Wailord to act as a great revenge killer or even a late-game sweeper. Water Spout is Wailord's strongest attack that can dent any Pokemon bar Chansey, specially defensive Water- and Grass-types, and Pokemon immune to Water-type attacks. Hydro Pump is used as a secondary form of STAB since, if Wailord is low on HP, Water Spout's Base Power will decrease. Surf can be utilized over Hydro Pump if you value accuracy over power. The third moveslot depends on what foes you want Wailord to specifically revenge kill; Ice Beam hits Flying- and Grass-types, like Altaria and Venusaur, while Hidden Power Grass takes care of bulky Water-types, like Lanturn and Milotic. Finally, Self-Destruct allows Wailord to go out with a bang after it has served its purpose on its team. A Naive nature is recommended over a Timid nature as it boosts Wailord's Speed without decreasing Self-Destruct's power. 228 Speed EVs allow Wailord to outpace Pokemon with up to base 110 Speed stat. Special Attack is maximized to peak the power of Wailord's special attacking moves, and the rest of the EVs are put into Attack in order to slightly power up Self-Destruct. If you wish, you can use Hidden Power Grass or Ice Beam over Self-Destruct for greater coverage. If you decide to go with this, then use a Timid nature with the extra EVs put into a different stat, preferably Defense or Special Defense (but not HP). This set appreciates Pokemon that can remove special walls, such as Clefable, Chansey, and Milotic, with ease. Although Self-Destruct is available to dent the walls, it is not a reliable tool, especially when Wailord has a Choice Scarf. Thus, Fighting-types, most notably Toxicroak, are great partners to Wailord as they can eliminate most of the special walls with their powerful physical attacks. Toxicroak is immune to Toxic, has Dry Skin to absorb Milotic's Surf, and Swords Dance to smash through the opposition. Hitmonlee can also be considered due to its immunity to Thunder Wave and high Special Defense.

With the use of Choice Specs, Wailord's special attacks will become insanely powerful. Water Spout can 2HKO even the most defensive of Pokemon, such as Clefable, as well as inflict large amounts of damage to other considerably bulky Pokemon. Hidden Power Grass allows Wailord to dent Water-types such as Milotic, Blastoise, and Lanturn, which would otherwise wall Wailord. Ice Beam further complements Wailord's moves by blasting through Grass-types like Venusaur and Leafeon. The last move comes down to personal preference; Surf (or Hydro Pump) can be used as an alternative to Water Spout if Wailord gets low on health, although Self-Destruct allows Wailord to potentially take down a foe with it after it has peaked its usefulness in a battle. The EVs maximize Wailord's offensive prowess while simultaneously making it significantly bulky in order to lengthen a potential sweep. Also, note that if you opt for Self-Destruct on the set, moving a couple of EVs from either defenses to Attack would be a good choice. For instance, 108 Attack EVs guarantee an OHKO on Chansey. Due to Wailord's low Speed, it's highly recommended that you utilize Trick Room support, as without it, Wailord will fall before it can even attempt a sweep. Good Trick Room partners to consider include Claydol and Exeggutor, as both can use Explosion to bring in Wailord with ease. However, if you want to use Wailord outside of Trick Room support, you can run a faster EV spread with a Timid or Naive nature, although this approach is not recommended due to the fact that without it, Wailord will become more susceptible to faster attacks than it already is. Since all forms of entry hazards will slowly diminish Wailord's most powerful attack, you will find it very useful to include a Rapid Spinner on your team. Donphan is a great choice as not only can it provide Rapid Spin support, but it also shares great type synergy with Wailord. As much as Wailord hates entry hazards set up by the opponent, it loves entry hazards set up by your teammates, since oftentimes the residual damage collected allows Wailord to more efficiently do its job. Although rarely seen, Defensive Spikes Cacturne is one of the best Spikers to use alongside Wailord due to its resistances to Electric- and Grass-type attacks. Alternatively, you can opt for Nidoqueen to set up Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. Also, Wish support can help preserve Wailord's health throughout a battle, which is important to keep Water Spout's Base Power as high as possible. Lastly, any Pokemon that can deal with the ever-so-troublesome Water- and Grass-types make great offensive partners to Wailord; Sceptile and Registeel are both prime examples of such Pokemon, which share great offensive synergy with Wailord.

Set Description Surf is Wailord's most consistent Water-type attacking option and lets it take out Fire- and Rock-types like Flareon, Torkoal, and Sudowoodo. Rest gives Wailord a boost in longevity, letting it consistently switch into threats like Flareon, Huntail, Chimecho, and Metang. Sleep Talk prevents Wailord from being entirely passive when asleep. Roar lets Wailord stop setup sweepers like Calm Mind Chimecho and Swords Dance Crawdaunt while also disrupting Baton Pass chains. 44 Speed EVs let Wailord outspeed base 65 Pokemon like Flareon and Roselia, while the remaining EVs make Wailord much bulkier. A Bold nature is viable so Wailord better checks Pokemon like physical Flareon, Hitmonchan, Choice Band Relicanth, and Pupitar. Although mostly useless, Water Veil protects against potential burns from Fire-type attacks as well as Will-O-Wisp. Using Wailord is very straightforward: switch it into Pokemon it checks such as Flareon and Octillery and force them out. While Wailord is a good check to Pokemon such as Torkoal and Metang, play around them with caution, as they can easily remove it with Explosion. It's also important to keep Wailord at a good amount of health with Rest, as between Spikes and super effective coverage moves, it risks losing to Pokemon it's supposed to check if it accumulates too much chip damage. Although Wailord isn't entirely passive when asleep thanks to Sleep Talk, keep in mind that certain Pokemon like Roselia, Bellossom, and Cacturne can still easily take advantage of it during those turns. Team Options Roselia and Cacturne are great partners for Wailord; they can check Electric-types like Pikachu and Plusle, and Spikes from them synergizes well with Wailord's ability to phaze foes with Roar. Roselia can also provide cleric support with Aromatherapy. In return, Wailord provides a sturdy Fire-type check. Because Wailord isn't great at pivoting into Normal- and Flying-types like Raticate, Pidgeot, and Murkrow, Ghost- and Steel-types like Haunter, Sableye, and Mawile pair excellently with it. Wailord is extremely passive without offensive investment; teammates like Hitmonchan, Choice Band Golbat, and offensive Flareon can make up for this. Hitmonchan can also provide Rapid Spin support to prevent Wailord from being worn down by Spikes, while Golbat and Flareon are good checks to Grass-types.

Set Description Hydro Pump is generally used as Wailord's Water-type attack for its ability to 2HKO Pokemon like Chimecho, bulky Hitmonchan, and Vigoroth after one layer of Spikes. However, Surf can be used if Hydro Pump's accuracy isn't desired at the cost of significant power. Ice Beam 2HKOes Roselia most of the time and prevents other Grass-types like Bellossom and Cacturne from taking advantage of Wailord. Hidden Power Electric and Hidden Power Grass both target opposing Water-types, although Hidden Power Electric is usually preferred for its damage versus Pelipper. Self-Destruct lets Wailord lure in and remove special walls like Kecleon and Lickitung, as well as take out bulky Water-types like Dewgong and opposing Wailord more reliably. 44 Speed EVs let Wailord outspeed base 65 Pokemon like Roselia, Flareon, and Chimecho, with the remaining EVs making Wailord stronger and more capable of checking Pokemon like special Flareon and Huntail. Wailord can also choose to hit different Speed benchmarks, with outspeeding Dewgong, Bellossom, and Pupitar being notable options. If you're using Wailord as a lead, running 216 Speed EVs is an option to outspeed lead Choice Band Relicanth. A Mild nature can be used over Modest if weakening Self-Destruct's power isn't wanted. Although mostly useless, Water Veil protects against potential burns from Fire-type attacks as well as Will-O-Wisp. The key to using this set is making the most out of Wailord's coverage. It's imperative to catch Pokemon like Roselia and Dewgong on the switch with Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric so Wailord can have an easier time using its STAB attack later in the game. Getting Wailord onto the field safely is also important so it can wallbreak. Bring it in versus Pokemon like special Crawdaunt, Seadra, and special Flareon that don't pose a great threat to it. Additionally, don't haphazardly use Self-Destruct, especially if the opponent hasn't revealed their full team yet, as this risks having a Steel- or Ghost-type come in on it. Doing so also risks losing to an unrevealed sweeper that Wailord could have kept in check. Team Options Spikes support from Glalie and Roselia benefits Wailord greatly, securing the 2HKO on opposing Roselia with Ice Beam while making it easier to get past specially defensive Pokemon like Dewgong, Kecleon, and opposing Wailord. Roselia also helps take on Electric- and Grass-types like Pikachu, Plusle, and Bellossom and benefits from Wailord checking Fire-types like Flareon and Torkoal. Wailord also appreciates having teammates like Murkrow, Pidgeot, and Diglett that can pressure dedicated special walls, with Diglett being able to trap and eliminate weakened ones as well as Pikachu. In return, Wailord can heavily pressure physically defensive Pokemon like Mawile, Torkoal, and Chimecho. Wailord also benefits from Baton Pass support from Mawile and Flareon, which can get it in against Pokemon like Metang, Torkoal, and Relicanth.