Monotype Salamence (Dragon)


[OVERVIEW]

Dragon
========

Salamence has access to Dragon Dance, which, combined with its decent Attack and Speed and its ability Moxie, makes it a very good late-game cleaner for Dragon teams. With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake, Salamence is able to run through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye, and Mega Venusaur. Salamence can also be a decent Choice Scarf user for Dragon teams to cover the role of revenge killer and late-game cleaner with the support of Moxie. However, Salamence's Flying typing makes it weak to Stealth Rock, which limits its opportunities to switch in and makes it harder to set up, making entry hazard control provided by Defog Latios or Defog Latias necessary. Another problem that Salamence faces is the wide presence of Choice Scarf users with base 100 Speed or more and access to moves that hit Salamence effectively, such as Greninja and Terrakion, which hinders Salamence's job because it can be easily revenge killed by them even at +1 Speed. In addition, its Dragon / Flying typing means it carries a 4x weakness to the common Ice-type attacks, which makes revenge killing much easier for the opponent and leaves Salamence vulnerable to Ice Shard from Ice-types like Mamoswine and Weavile. Despite its access to coverage moves like Fire Fang and Earthquake to hit Steel-types super effectively, Salamence is still neutralized by common walls such as Skarmory if they are healthy enough. It is important to note that Salamence is generally outclassed by Latios as a Choice Scarf user, since even +1 Salamence is outsped by threats like Choice Scarf Terrakion and Mega Swampert in rain. Furthermore, Salamence faces competition as a Dragon Dance user from Mega Altaria, which provides the team with an immunity to Dragon-type moves despite having lower base Speed.

[SET]
name: Devastating Drake (Dragon)
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Dragon Dance allows Salamence to boost its Attack and Speed, helping it to become a powerful sweeper. Outrage is Salamence's STAB Dragon-type attack and its most powerful move with 120 Base Power. However, this move has the disadvantage of locking Salamence into it for two to three turns and preventing it from switching out, so the opponent can take advantage of a badly timed Outrage. Devastating Drake is a 190-Base Power move resulting from Dragonium Z that deals massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that don't resist it, such as Mandibuzz, Mega Venusaur, Porygon2, and Mega Sableye. Earthquake is coverage that hits Steel-, Electric- and Poison-types such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, and Toxapex super effectively. Fire Fang hits Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Salamence to hit as hard as possible and be as fast as possible, outspeeding threats such as Hydreigon, Kyurem-B, Mimikyu, and Porygon-Z. Moxie boosts Salamence's Attack by one stage every time it knocks out a foe, which helps it clean late-game. Dragonium Z turns Outrage into a 190-Base Power STAB Dragon-type move that increases the probability of Salamence running through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, and Mega Venusaur.

Usage Tips
========

Use Salamence late-game, once its checks have been weakened or KOed and potential revenge killers have fainted, to ensure it is able to clean the opposing team, acting as a snowball sweeper thanks to Moxie. It can occasionally be used mid-game if it is needed to break some foes so its teammates can take advantage of the weakened opposition. Set up on Pokemon that Salamence checks, such as Victini and Mega Charizard Y, and Choice item users locked into moves Salamence resists, such as Excadrill locked into Earthquake. Be careful to avoid locking Salamence into Outrage when there are still Steel- and Fairy-types around, that can easily revenge kill it, such as Excadrill, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir. Furthermore, avoid switching Salamence into powerful hits to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to set up. It is important to remove Stealth Rock before sending Salamence in, as it needs as much health as possible to ensure it can set up. Finally, avoid letting Salamence get hit by status moves such as Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye and Thunder Wave from Klefki, since burn makes Salamence almost useless and paralysis makes revenge killers such as Terrakion and Nihilego even more threatening.

Team Options
========

Garchomp has access to Stealth Rock, which helps wear opposing teams down and allows Salamence to sweep more easily, and it resists Rock-type moves aimed at Salamence. Garchomp can also threaten Steel-types with Earthquake and Fire Blast, KOing or at least weakening them and easing Salamence's job. Choice Band Dragonite can act as a wallbreaker, weakening or KOing the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory and Porygon2. Once Dragonite has muscled past these walls, Salamence has an easier path to a sweep. Latios and Latias are the best bet for Dragon teams in terms of entry hazard control support, as both are able to remove Stealth Rock with Defog to preserve Salamence's health. In addition to that, Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds threatening revenge killers for Salamence such as Nihilego and Terrakion and is able to OHKO them with Psychic, while Latias has access to Healing Wish to restore Salamence's health and give it another opportunity to sweep. Latios and Latias also have access to STAB Psychic-type attacks that threaten Toxapex, which can be a problem for Salamence due to its combination of Recover and Haze, while Salamence threatens Alolan Muk, which can tank every hit from Latios and Latias and trap them with Pursuit. Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. Kyurem-B can destroy some of the common checks to Salamence, such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Fusion Bolt and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore, Kyurem-B can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks for Salamence due to its Ice typing. Dragalge is neutral to Fairy thanks to its Poison typing and can threaten opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sludge Wave. Dragalge can also set up Toxic Spikes to wear down opposing walls such as Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro, making it much easier for Salamence to sweep. In return, Salamence is immune to Ground-type moves. Hydreigon can get rid of more physically defensive walls such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, while Salamence can remove more specially defensive walls, such as Chansey and Zapdos.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Iron Tail
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Outrage is the most powerful physical STAB Dragon-type move that Salamence has access to, with 120 Base Power, and combined with some Moxie boosts, Outrage's power makes Salamence an effective late-game cleaner. Iron Tail is coverage to hit Fairy-types, especially Mega Diancie, which is a massive threat for Dragon teams. Earthquake lets Salamence hit Steel-, Electric-, and Poison-types, such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, and Toxapex. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs are used to maximize Salamence's power as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner, and 252 Speed EVs along with a Naive nature and Choice Scarf make Salamence as fast as possible. Moxie raises Salamence's Attack once for each foe that it KOes, turning Salamence into a good late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

Salamence should be brought in when there's a free turn, after a teammate has fainted, or when a Choice-locked opposing foe is locked into a move that Salamence resists or is immune to such as Earthquake from Landorus-T or Horn Leech from Tapu Bulu. After Salamence is brought in, it should revenge kill weakened threats such as Hydreigon and Tapu Koko. Salamence can also act as a cleaner if it manages to get some Moxie boosts, so it should be brought in late-game when the opposing team has been weakened enough and revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Choice Scarf Terrakion are gone. Most of the time, Salamence will need Stealth Rock removed to maximize the number of times it can come in to revenge kill an opposing Pokemon, so Defog support is needed. Prevent Salamence from taking unnecessary damage; otherwise, it won't have enough health to switch in and revenge kill opposing threats. It is very important for Salamence to avoid status, especially burns or paralysis, since it won't be able to clean the opposing team or act as a revenge killer due to the Attack or Speed drop. Therefore, Salamence shouldn't stay in front of an incoming Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye or Rotom-W, Thunder Wave from Klefki or Slowbro, or move that has a chance to burn, such as Scald from Toxapex or Lava Plume from Torkoal. Finally, you should think twice before going for Outrage, as Salamence will be locked into it for two to three turns, making it easier for Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill, Mega Gardevoir, Mimikyu, and Azumarill to revenge kill Salamence.

Team Options
========

Latios and Latias can provide Defog support to get rid of Stealth Rock so as to preserve Salamence's health and maximize the number of times it can switch in. Choice Scarf Latios is able to outspeed massive threats to Salamence such as Terrakion and Nihilego while also threatening them with its STAB Psychic-type move, and Latias has access to Healing Wish to give Salamence a second opportunity to sweep. In return, Salamence can revenge kill a weakened Alolan Muk, which is one of the most prominent checks to Latios and Latias. Garchomp can set Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams, making it easier for Salamence to clean, while also resisting Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide from Excadrill. Garchomp has access to the combination of Earthquake and Fire Blast, which can weaken Steel-types for Salamence even with no Attack and Special Attack investment. Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker with good coverage, and it can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation where Salamence can clean. Fusion Bolt lets Kyurem-B hit common checks to Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Heatran, and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T. Choice Band Dragonite can break through many opposing threats and weaken the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory with Fire Punch and Porygon2 with Superpower. Hydreigon is able to get rid of physically defensive checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro with Fire Blast and Dark Pulse, while Salamence can cripple Pokemon that wall Hydreigon such as Alolan Muk and Zapdos. Dragalge's Poison typing makes it neutral to Fairy, and it can hit opposing Fairy-types hard with its Adaptability-boosted Sluge Wave. Dragalge can also provide Salamence with an easier path to revenge killing and cleaning thanks to its capacity to set up Toxic Spikes, which can wear down foes that Salamence can't OHKO such as Tapu Fini. Mega Altaria is a powerful Dragon Dance user for Dragon teams that takes advantage of Salamence revenge killing Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill and Mega Diancie, and in exchange Mega Altaria provides an immunity to Dragon-type moves aimed at Salamence such as Draco Meteor from Latios.

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

Dragon
--------
Firium Z can be run over Dragonium Z to turn Fire Fang into a 120-Base Power Inferno Overdrive to allow Salamence to break through bulky Steel-types such as Celesteela and Skarmory, but it is outclassed in most situations because it lacks the power to break through bulky Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Another option to consider is Flyinium Z, which can be run over Dragonium Z along with Fly for a one-time 175 Base Power STAB Flying-type move. However, the coverage it offers is not very useful, and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize Salamence's chances of KOing walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. Dragon Claw is an option to consider for the Choice Scarf set over Outrage if you are concerned about locking Salamence into Outrage, but it makes Salamence so much weaker.

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

Dragon
--------
**Fairy-types**: Tapu Fini and Clefable can take a hit from every set even at +1, and they threaten Salamence with their STAB moves. Azumarill can take a hit from the Dragonium Z set even when it is at +1 and Mimikyu can tank one hit with its Disguise, both being able to OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Salamence when it switches in, hindering its setup.

**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users that outspeed +1 Salamence and have access to moves that can OHKO Salamence are big issues for it. These include Greninja, Keldeo, Latios, Terrakion, and Nihilego. Choice Scarf Ditto can also check Salamence, revenge killing it with ease.

**Ice-types**: Mamoswine and Weavile are able to OHKO Salamence with Ice Shard no matter how many Speed boosts it has, Avalugg can take a Devastating Drake even at +1 and OHKO Salamence with Avalanche, and Alolan Ninetales prevents Salamence from setting up because it is faster and threatens it with Freeze-Dry.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can both take a hit and proceed to recover the damage that was dealt with Roost and Leech Seed, to inflict status conditions on Salamence, or to phaze it with Whirlwind, but they have to watch out if Salamence is running Firium Z, since Inferno Overdrive puts them in range of being KOed by Fire Fang at +1.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon not mentioned above, such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz, and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake at +1 and restore their health while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with moves like Ice Beam and Foul Play.

**Status**: Inflicting status conditions on Salamence limits its capacity to set up and sweep, especially if it gets burned or paralyzed, since that means a significant decrease in its Attack or Speed.
 
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In my experience, Flyinium Z is just generally bad in Monotype. The coverage is useless and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize KO chances for walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. I think it should be OO. It's more helpful for Fairy-types, but Fairy teams can wall Salamence anyway and Fly is too unreliable to be used after Supersonic Skystrike. I'd rather just have Firium Z, which at least has the pretty valuable niche of almost always OHKOing even maximum HP investment Magearna at +1. What're your thoughts?
 
In my experience, Flyinium Z is just generally bad in Monotype. The coverage is useless and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize KO chances for walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. I think it should be OO. It's more helpful for Fairy-types, but Fairy teams can wall Salamence anyway and Fly is too unreliable to be used after Supersonic Skystrike. I'd rather just have Firium Z, which at least has the pretty valuable niche of almost always OHKOing even maximum HP investment Magearna at +1. What're your thoughts?
To be honest, i've only used Dragonium Z on Salamence since i think it's the best possible set. To look for other sets i checked the SM Monotype Sets VR and i saw Flynium Z and Choice Scarf as the other options and that's why i included it. But i definetely agree with you that Firium Z might be more useful to deal with Magearna. However i think there's not much Dragon can do if the opposing Magearna is Shift Gear or Trick Room, and in the case of the Fairy matchup it's difficult to set up with Salamence and even if you manage to do it they still have Klefki. In conclusion i agree with you and i'll replace Flyinium with Firium if you tell me to do it.
 
To be honest, i've only used Dragonium Z on Salamence since i think it's the best possible set. To look for other sets i checked the SM Monotype Sets VR and i saw Flynium Z and Choice Scarf as the other options and that's why i included it. But i definetely agree with you that Firium Z might be more useful to deal with Magearna. However i think there's not much Dragon can do if the opposing Magearna is Shift Gear or Trick Room, and in the case of the Fairy matchup it's difficult to set up with Salamence and even if you manage to do it they still have Klefki. In conclusion i agree with you and i'll replace Flyinium with Firium if you tell me to do it.
Firium Z should definitely stay OO for the exact reason you stated. I agreed with that because it's unreliable. I was comparing Flyinium Z's unreliability to Firium Z's. I would prefer to just have Dragonium Z and Choice Scarf as sets.
 

Moosical

big yikes
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[OVERVIEW]

Dragon
========

* Salamence has access to Dragon Dance, which combined with its decent Attack and Speed and its ability Moxie, make it a very good late-game cleaner for Dragon teams.
* With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake Salamence is able to run through some of deal huge damage to its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye or Mega Venusaur. Supersonic Skytrike can be used as well to give Salamence a powerful second STAB move, although Devastating Drake it's preferred due to the more immediate power. (Changed wording bc +1 devastating drake doesn't ko defensive mvenu or mandibuzz)
* Salamence can be a decent Choice Scarf user for Dragon teams to cover the role of revenge killer and late-game cleaner with the support of Moxie. However it's generally outclassed by Latios as a Choice Scarf user since Salamence is outsped by threats like Choice Scarf Terrakion Nihilego and Mega Swampert under the rain even at +1 Speed.
* Salamence's Flying typing makes it weak to Stealth Rock, which limits its switch-ins opportunities and makes it harder to set up. Entry hazard control support is highly recommended to solve this problem.
* The wide presence of Choice Scarf users with base 100 Speed or more and access to moves that hit Salamence effectively, such as Greninja or Terrakion Nihilego, hinders Salamence's job as it can be easily revenge killed by them even at +1 Speed. (Neither Rock or Fighting are very present types, so I think Nihilego serves as a better example Scarf Pokemon that outspeeds it instead of Terrakion)
* Salamece's Dragon / Flying typing mean it carries a 4x weakness to the common Ice-type attacks which makes revenge killing much easier for the opponent.
* Despite its access to a coverage move like Fire Fang to hit Steel-types effectively, Salamence is still neutralized by common walls such as Skarmory if they are healthy enough.

[SET]
name: Devastating Drake
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

* Dragon Dance allows Salamence to boost its Attack and Speed, helping it to become a powerful sweeper.
* Outrage is Salamence's STAB Dragon-type attack and combined with Dragonium Z it becomes a 190 base power Devastating Drake, dealing massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that doesn't resist it, such as Mandibuzz, Mega Venusaur, Porygon2 or Mega Sableye. However, this move has the disadvantage of locking Salamence into it for 2-3 turns, which prevents it from switching out so the opponent can take advantage of.
* Earthquake is coverage that hits effectively the Steel-types that resist Outrage, such as Heatran, Magearna and Excadrill. It also Electric- and Poison-types such as Tapu Koko and Toxapex, which are immune to Outrage or survive a Devastating Drake respectively. Earthquake allows Salamence to hit Pokemon that resist or are immune to Dragon type attacks, such as Steel and Fairy types. (This sentence is worded very awkwardly and can be simplified - all steel types resist dragon, and devastating drake at +1 has a 75% chance to KO max def toxapex after SR, so if you want to include toxapex here, reword that part).
* Fire Fang offers coverage against Steel-types that are immune to Earthquake such as Skarmory and Celesteela, while also hitting Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn that are neutral to Earthquake.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Attack investment allows Salamence to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Salamence to be as fast as possible outspeeding threats such as Hydreigon, Kyurem-B, Mimikyu and Porygon-Z.
* Moxie boosts Salamence's Attack by one stage every time it knocks out an opposing foe.
* Dragonium Z turns Outrage into a 190 base power STAB Dragon-type move that increases the possibilities of running through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W or Mega Venusaur. (Change the wording here to match the intro part)

Usage Tips
========

* Use Salamence late-game once its checks have been weakened or KOed and revenge killers have fainted, to ensure it's able to clean the opposing team acting as a snowball sweeper thanks to Moxie.
* Salamence can be used mid-game if it's needed to break some foes of the opposing team so its teammates can take advantage of.
* Set up on Pokemon that are checked by Salamence such as Victini and Mega Charizard Y, and Choice items users locked into moves resisted by Salamence such as Keldeo locked into Secret Sword or Hydro Pump or Excadrill locked into Earthquake.
* Be careful to avoid locking Salamence into Outrage when there are still Steel- and Fairy-types that resist or are immune to the aforementioned move that can easily revenge kill it, such as Azumarill or Mega Gardevoir.
* Avoid switching Salamence into powerful hits to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to set up.
* Remove hazards before sending Salamence in as it needs as much health as possible to ensure it sets up.
* Avoid letting Salamence get hit by status moves specifically those which burn or paralyze the opposing target such as Will-o-Wisp from Mega Sableye or Thunder Wave from Klefki, since burns halve its Attack making Salamence almost useless and paralysis makes revenge killers even more threatening.

Team Options
========

* Garchomp has access to Stealth Rock which helps wear opposing teams down allowing Salamence to sweep more easily, and its Ground typing allows it to resist Rock-types moves aimed at Salamence. Garchomp can also threaten Steel-types with Earthquake and Fire Blast, KOing or at least weakening them easing Salamence's job.
* Dragonite can act as a wallbreaker weakening or KOing the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory or Porygon2. Once Dragonite has muscled past this walls Salamence finds an easier path to sweep.
* Latios and Latias are the best bet for Dragon teams in terms of entry hazard control support as both are able to remove Stealth Rock with Defog to preserve Salamence's health at full. In addition to that, Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds revenge killers such as Nihilego and Terrakion and is able to OHKO them with Psychic, while Latias learns Healing Wish to restore Salamence's health and give it another opportunity to sweep. Latios and Latias have access to STAB Psychic type attacks such as Psychic and Psyshock which threaten Toxapex, which can be a problem for Salamence due to Recover+Haze, while Salamence threatens Muk-Alola which is one of the most relevant checks for Latios and Latias.
* Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. It can destroy some of the common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Bolt Strike and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore it can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks due to its Ice typing.
* Dragalge is neutral to Fairy thanks to its Poison typing and can threaten those opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sludge Wave. Dragalge can also set up Toxic Spikes to wear down opposing walls such as Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro. In return Salamence is immune to Ground-type moves.
* Hydreigon can get rid of more physically defensive oriented walls such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro while Salamence can remove more specially defensive oriented walls such as Chansey and Zapdos.
* Goodra can switch into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks due to its good Special Defense and the support of Assault Vest, while being able to threaten Fairy-types with Sludge Wave and Steel Types with Fire Blast.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

* Outrage is the most powerful physical STAB Dragon-type move that Salamence can learn, with 120 Base Power. This move combined with some Moxie boosts will make Salamence an effective late-game cleaner.
* Dragon Claw is the other STAB Dragon-type move of choice, and while it has a low base power it's usually clicked over Outrage for those times when Salamence shouldn't be locked itself into Outrage.
* Earthquake lets Salamence hit the Steel-types that resist both Outrage and Dragon Claw, such as Heatran and Magearna, being also the best move to hit Tapu Koko and Toxapex.
* Fire Blast is used to prevent Steel-types that are immune or neutral to Ground-type moves such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, from having free switch-ins. It's also the only move that can deal some damage to Tapu Bulu.

Set Details
========

* 252 Attack EVs are used to optimize Salamence's power as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner.
* 252 Speed EVs along with a Naive nature and Choice Scarf make Salamence as fast as possible, ensuring that Salamence outspeeds threats such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Choice Scarf Excadrill and avoiding lowering Salamence's Special Attack to hit as hard as posssible with Fire Blast.
* Moxie allows Salamence to raise its Attack after each opposing foe that it KOes, turning Salamence into a good late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

* Salamence should be brought in when there's a free turn, after a teammate has fainted or a choiced opposing foe is locked into a move that Salamence resist or is immune to such as Secret Sword from Keldeo or Earthquake from Excadrill, to revenge kill opposing threats that have been weakened such as Magearna, Hydreigon or Tapu Koko.
* Salamence can also act as a late-game cleaner if it manages to get some Moxie boosts, so it should be brought in late-game to start cleaning when the opposing team have been weakened enough and revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Choice Scarf Terrakion are gone.
* Most of the times Salamence will need Stealth Rock removed to maximize the number of times it comes in to revenge kill an opposing threat, so Defog support is needed.
* Prevent Salamence from taking unnecessary damage otherwise it won't have enough turns to switch in and revenge kill opposing threats.
* Avoid Salamence getting statused, especially burned or paralyzed, since it won't be able to clean the opposing team or act as revenge killer due to the Attack and Speed drop respectively. Therefore Salamence shouldn't stay in front of an incoming Will-o-Wisp from Mega Sableye and Rotom-W or Thunder Wave from Klefki and Slowbro. In addition to that it's not recommended letting Salamence get hit by moves that have a chance to burn, such as Scald from Toxapex or Lava Plume from Torkoal.
* If using Outrage over Dragon Claw be careful when you click it, as Salamence would be locked into it for 2-3 turns. If there are still Steel- and Fairy-types that resist or are immune to Dragon-type moves such as Mega Gardevoir, Mimikyu or Azumarill, they will take advantage of that and will revenge kill Salamence with their respective STAB Fairy-type moves.

Team Options
========

* Latios and Latias can provide Defog support to get rid of Stealth Rock to preserve Salamence's health at full to maximize the turns it can switch in. Choice Scarf Latios is able to outspeed massive threats to Salamence such as Terrakion and Nihilego while also threatening them with its STAB Psychic-type move, and Latias has access to Healing Wish to give Salamence a second opportunity to sweep restoring its health. In return, Salamence can revenge kill a weakened Muk-Alola which is one of the most prominent checks for Latios and Latias.
* Garchomp can set Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams making it easier for Salamence to clean while also resisting Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide from Excadrill. Garchomp has access to the combination of Earthquake+Fire Blast which can weaken Steel-types for Salamence even with no Attack and Special Attack investment.
* Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker thanks to its Attack and Special Attack stats along with the coverage it can have, that can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation when Salamence can clean. Bolt Strike lets it hit common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Magearna and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T.
* Dragonite's 134 base Attack along with Choice Band allows it to break through many opposing threats and weaken the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory with Fire Punch and Porygon2 with Superpower. Multiscale allows Dragonite to take Ice- and Fairy moves at full health, which is huge for Dragon teams.
* Hydreigon is able to get rid of physical checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro with Fire Blast and Dark Pulse respetively, while Salamence can cripple Pokemon that wall Hydreigon such as Muk-Alola and Zapdos.
* Dragalge's Poison typing makes it neutral to Fairy and can hit hard opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sluge Wave, which makes it a big asset for Dragon teams. Dragalge can provide Salamence with an easier path to revenge kill and clean thanks to its capacity to set up Toxic Spikes to wear down the opposing team.
* Goodra's excellent Special Defense combined with Assault Vest allows it to switch into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Salamence,while also learning Sludge Wave to hit Fairy-types and Fire Blast to hit Steel-types.

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

Dragon
--------
* Firium Z can be run over Dragonium Z to turn Fire Fang into a 120 base power Inferno Overdrive to allow Salamence to dismantle better opposing Steel teams while having the pretty valuable niche of almost always OHKOing even maximum HP investment Magearna at +1.
* Flyinium Z can be run over Dragonium Z along with Fly to have a one time use 175 base power STAB Flying-type move. However the coverage it offers it's not very useful and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize KO chances for walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex.

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

Dragon
--------
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users that outpeed +1 Salamence and have access to moves that can OHKO Salamence are big issues for it. These include Greninja, Keldeo, Latios, Terrakion and Nihilego. Choice Scarf Ditto can also check Salamence revenge killing it with ease.
**Priority**: Mamoswine and Weavile are able to OHKO Salamence with Ice Shard no matter how many Speed boosts it has.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Salamence hindering its setup.
**Fairy-types**: Magearna, Tapu Fini and Clefable can take a hit from every set even at +1, and threaten it with their STAB moves. Azumarill can take a hit from the Dragonium set Salamence even at +1 and Mimikyu can resist take one hit with its Disguise, being both able to OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.
**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can both take a hit and proceed to recover the damage that was dealt with Roost and Leech Seed, to inflict status conditions to it or to phaze it with Whirlwind.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake and Supersonic Skystrike at +1 and restore its health with Recover, Roost and Slack Off, while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with Ice Beam and Foul Play.
**Status**: Inflicting status conditions on Salamence will limit its capacity to set up and sweep, especially if it gets burned or paralyzed since that means a significant decrease in Attack and Speed.
AM Check, it's my first one so I went pretty light. This is not official so only implement changes if you agree with them, needs a stamp to be approved.
Aside from the changes I made, you need to talk about the new mega Pokemon. Mega Diancie needs to be included in this, keep in mind +0 Earthquake is an 87.5% chance to KO after SR, and cannot KO Diancie if they don't mega evolve. Mega Altaria fits the same role as Salamence (Dragon Dance), and competes for the slot with it - it needs to be included in this before an official QC is done imo. Mega Latias also needs to be included in this check. Otherwise looks good!
 
Implement the above check alongside the extra comment listed under the check and make sure to remove all mentions of Magearna as well, you can replace it with something else as another example.

Overview:
* With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake Salamence is able to run through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye or Mega Venusaur. Supersonic Skytrike can be used as well to give Salamence a powerful second STAB move, although Devastating Drake it's preferred due to the more immediate power.
- Yeah you can remove this bit from the overview. Sounds more like an OO.
- Mention its coverage moves too.

| Set 1 Devastating Drake

Usage Tips:
- I would mention something about Dragonium Z. Like preserving Devastating Drake for more bulky mons. Even utilizing it as a last resort to nuke something or dealing considerable damage before fainting for its teammates to finish off later. Also should be careful when using it in the presence of a Fairy-type on the opponent's team like Azumarill on Water teams that can switch into that, thus wasting it.

Team Options:
* Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. It can destroy some of the common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Bolt Strike and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore it can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks due to its Ice typing.
- I think you meant Fusion Bolt
* Goodra can switch into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks due to its good Special Defense and the support of Assault Vest, while being able to threaten Fairy-types with Sludge Wave and Steel Types with Fire Blast.
- I would just say special attacks in general, not only fairy and ice attacks, Goodra should be a tank for special attacks.

| Set 2 Choice Scarf

Team Options:
* Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker thanks to its Attack and Special Attack stats along with the coverage it can have, that can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation when Salamence can clean. Bolt Strike lets it hit common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Magearna and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T.
- Same here

Checks and Counters:
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake and Supersonic Skystrike at +1 and restore its health with Recover, Roost and Slack Off, while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with Ice Beam and Foul Play.
- Supersonic Strike isn't remotely as powerful as Devastating Drake.
- Would move Fairy-types alongside Stealth Rock above Revenge Killers.

QC 1/3

 

Vid

Our life is what our thoughts make it
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[OVERVIEW]

Dragon
========

* Salamence has access to Dragon Dance, which combined with its decent Attack and Speed and its ability Moxie, make it a very good late-game cleaner for Dragon teams.
* With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake Salamence is able to run through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye or Mega Venusaur.
* Salamence can be a decent Choice Scarf user for Dragon teams to cover the role of revenge killer and late-game cleaner with the support of Moxie. Put this toward the end so it's positive to negative However it's generally outclassed by Latios as a Choice Scarf user since Salamence is outsped by threats like Choice Scarf Terrakion and Mega Swampert under the rain even at +1 Speed.
* Salamence's Flying typing makes it weak to Stealth Rock, which limits its switch-ins opportunities and makes it harder to set up. Entry hazard control support is highly recommended to solve this problem. these two sentences can easily be merged and I would mention how Defog Latios or Defog Latias is neccesary
* The wide presence of Choice Scarf users with base 100 Speed or more and access to moves that hit Salamence effectively, such as Greninja or Terrakion, hinders Salamence's job as it can be easily revenge killed by them even at +1 Speed.
* Salamece's Dragon / Flying typing mean it carries a 4x weakness to the common Ice-type attacks which makes revenge killing much easier for the opponent. it leaves it weak Ice Shard Priority this goes along with above bullet it can be merged
* Despite its access to a coverage move like Fire Fang and Earthquake to hit Steel-types effectively, Salamence is still neutralized by common walls such as Skarmory if they are healthy enough.
You have to mention how it compete with Mega Altaria in overview as a Dragon Dance user

[SET]
name: Devastating Drake
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

* Dragon Dance allows Salamence to boost its Attack and Speed, helping it to become a powerful sweeper.
* Outrage is Salamence's STAB Dragon-type attack and combined with Dragonium Z it becomes a 190 base power Devastating Drake, dealing massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that doesn't resist it, such as Mandibuzz, Mega Venusaur, Porygon2 or Mega Sableye. However, this move has the disadvantage of locking Salamence into it for 2-3 turns, which prevents it from switching out so the opponent can take advantage of. I would separate Outrage and Devastating Drake to two different bullets
* Earthquake is coverage that hits effectively the Steel-types that resist Outrage, such as Heatran, Jirachi and Excadrill. It also Electric- and Poison-types such as Tapu Koko and Toxapex, which are immune to Outrage or survive a Devastating Drake respectively. I would rather have this analysis be concise just talk about what Earthquake hits by cutting the fluff it'll make analysis easier to read so merging the two sentences would be great
* Fire Fang offers coverage against Steel-types that are immune to Earthquake such as Skarmory and Celesteela, while also hitting Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn that are neutral to Earthquake. I would remove 2nd part because it doesn't flow well and just put it hits Steel-type that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively something along those lines

Set Details
========

* Maximum Attack investment allows Salamence to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Salamence to be as fast as possible outspeeding threats such as Hydreigon, Kyurem-B, Mimikyu and Porygon-Z.
* Moxie boosts Salamence's Attack by one stage every time it knocks out an opposing foe.
* Dragonium Z turns Outrage into a 190 base power STAB Dragon-type move that increases the possibilities of running through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W or Mega Venusaur.

Usage Tips
========

* Use Salamence late-game once its checks have been weakened or KOed and revenge killers have fainted, to ensure it's able to clean the opposing team acting as a snowball sweeper thanks to Moxie.
* Salamence can be used mid-game if it's needed to break some foes of the opposing team so its teammates can take advantage of.
* Set up on Pokemon that are checked by Salamence such as Victini and Mega Charizard Y, and Choice items users locked into moves resisted by Salamence such as Keldeo locked into Secret Sword or Hydro Pump or Excadrill locked into Earthquake. I don't really think Keldeo would use Secret Sword or Hydro against a Dragon team so it isn't the best example
* Be careful to avoid locking Salamence into Outrage when there are still Steel- and Fairy-types that resist or are immune to the aforementioned move that can easily revenge kill it, such as Azumarill or Mega Gardevoir. you need a Steel-type example here
* Avoid switching Salamence into powerful hits to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to set up.
* Remove hazards before sending Salamence in as it needs as much health as possible to ensure it sets up.
* Avoid letting Salamence get hit by status moves specifically those which burn or paralyze the opposing target such as Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye or Thunder Wave from Klefki, since burns halve its Attack making Salamence almost useless and paralysis makes revenge killers even more threatening. you need to give examples and rewording this probably necessary

Team Options
========

* Garchomp has access to Stealth Rock which helps wear opposing teams down allowing Salamence to sweep more easily, and its Ground typing allows it to resist Rock-types moves aimed at Salamence. Garchomp can also threaten Steel-types with Earthquake and Fire Blast, KOing or at least weakening them easing Salamence's job.
* Dragonite can act as a wallbreaker weakening or KOing the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory or Porygon2 which specific Dragonite does this Choice Band or DD?. Once Dragonite has muscled past this walls Salamence finds an easier path to sweep.
* Latios and Latias are the best bet for Dragon teams in terms of entry hazard control support as both are able to remove Stealth Rock with Defog to preserve Salamence's health at full. In addition to that, Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds revenge killers such as Nihilego and Terrakion and is able to OHKO them with Psychic, while Latias learns learns really isn't best phrase here has access to is prob better Healing Wish to restore Salamence's health and give it another opportunity to sweep. Latios and Latias have access to STAB Psychic type attacks such as Psychic and Psyshock which threaten Toxapex, which can be a problem for Salamence due to Recover+Haze, while Salamence threatens Muk-Alola which is one of the most relevant checks for Latios and Latias you need to mention how it can trap them not that it's just a check.
* Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. It can destroy some of the common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Fusion Bolt and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore it can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks due to its Ice typing.
* Dragalge is neutral to Fairy thanks to its Poison typing and can threaten those opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sludge Wave. Dragalge can also set up Toxic Spikes to wear down opposing walls such as Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro you need to mention how Toxic Spikes makes it much easier for Salamence to sweep. In return Salamence is immune to Ground-type moves.
* Hydreigon can get rid of more physically defensive oriented walls such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro while Salamence can remove more specially defensive oriented walls such as Chansey and Zapdos.
* Goodra can switch into special attacks due to its good Special Defense and the support of Assault Vest, while being able to threaten Fairy-types with Sludge Wave and Steel Types with Fire Blast. Goodra I feel is outclassed by Dragele in every way I don't think it should be in team options

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

* Outrage is the most powerful physical STAB Dragon-type move that Salamence can learn same as above, with 120 Base Power. This move combined with some Moxie boosts will make Salamence an effective late-game cleaner. mention the negatives and an example of why I'd use it over Dragon Claw
* Dragon Claw is the other STAB Dragon-type move of choice, and while it has a low base power it's usually clicked "clicked" isn't right phrase here over Outrage for those times when Salamence shouldn't be locked itself into Outrage. you need to mention the negatives of using it with an example
* Earthquake lets Salamence hit the Steel-types that resist both Outrage and Dragon Claw, such as Heatran and Excadrill, being also the best move to hit Tapu Koko and Toxapex. just say it hits Electric-, Poison, and Steel-types with example because this structure makes the sentence unnecessarily long
* Fire Blast is used to prevent Steel-types that are immune or neutral to Ground-type moves such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, from having free switch-ins. It's also the only move that can deal some damage to Tapu Bulu. 2nd part is unnecessary it could easily be added to other sentence with simply change of words

Set Details
========

* 252 Attack EVs are used to optimize Salamence's power as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner.
* 252 Speed EVs along with a Naive nature and Choice Scarf make Salamence as fast as possible, ensuring that Salamence outspeeds threats such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Choice Scarf Excadrill and avoiding lowering Salamence's Special Attack to hit as hard as posssible with Fire Blast. Unnecessary
* Moxie allows Salamence to raise its Attack after each opposing foe that it KOes, turning Salamence into a good late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

* Salamence should be brought in when there's a free turn, after a teammate has fainted or a choiced opposing foe is locked into a move that Salamence resist or is immune to such as Secret Sword from Keldeo what I said earlier applies here or Earthquake from Excadrill wouldn't using Iron Head against Dragon be a lot better since Mega Altaria is a relevant threat, to revenge kill opposing threats that have been weakened such as Hydreigon or Tapu Koko.
* Salamence can also act as a late-game cleaner if it manages to get some Moxie boosts, so it should be brought in late-game to start cleaning when the opposing team have been weakened enough and revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Choice Scarf Terrakion are gone.
* Most of the times Salamence will need Stealth Rock removed to maximize the number of times it comes in to revenge kill an opposing threat, so Defog support is needed.
* Prevent Salamence from taking unnecessary damage otherwise it won't have enough turns to switch in and revenge kill opposing threats.
* Avoid Salamence getting statused, especially burned or paralyzed, since it won't be able to clean the opposing team or act as revenge killer due to the Attack and Speed drop respectively. Therefore Salamence shouldn't stay in front of an incoming Will-o-Wisp from Mega Sableye and Rotom-W or Thunder Wave from Klefki and Slowbro. In addition to that it's not recommended letting Salamence get hit by moves that have a chance to burn, such as Scald from Toxapex or Lava Plume from Torkoal.
* If using Outrage over Dragon Claw be careful when you click same as above and you can easily be worked around in this sentence it, as Salamence would be locked into it for 2-3 turns. If there are still Steel- and Fairy-types that resist or are immune to Dragon-type moves such as Mega Gardevoir, Mimikyu or Azumarill Steel-types examples aren't mentioned, they will take advantage of that and will revenge kill Salamence with their respective STAB Fairy-type moves.

Team Options
========

* Latios and Latias can provide Defog support to get rid of Stealth Rock to preserve Salamence's health at full to maximize the turns it can switch in. Choice Scarf Latios is able to outspeed massive threats to Salamence such as Terrakion and Nihilego while also threatening them with its STAB Psychic-type move, and Latias has access to Healing Wish to give Salamence a second opportunity to sweep restoring its health. In return, Salamence can revenge kill a weakened Muk-Alola which is one of the most prominent checks for Latios and Latias.
* Garchomp can set Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams making it easier for Salamence to clean while also resisting Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide from Excadrill. Garchomp has access to the combination of Earthquake+Fire Blast which can weaken Steel-types for Salamence even with no Attack and Special Attack investment.
* Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker thanks to its Attack and Special Attack stats along with the coverage it can have, that can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation when Salamence can clean. Fusion Bolt lets it hit common checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Heatran and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T.
* Dragonite's 134 base Attack along with Choice Band allows it to break through many opposing threats and weaken the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory with Fire Punch and Porygon2 with Superpower. Multiscale allows Dragonite to take Ice- and Fairy moves at full health, which is huge for Dragon teams this isn't a Dragonite analysis it's a Salamence analysis.
* Hydreigon is able to get rid of physical checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro with Fire Blast and Dark Pulse respetively, while Salamence can cripple Pokemon that wall Hydreigon such as Muk-Alola and Zapdos.
* Dragalge's Poison typing makes it neutral to Fairy and can hit hard opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sluge Wave, which makes it a big asset for Dragon teams. Dragalge can provide Salamence with an easier path to revenge kill and clean thanks to its capacity to set up Toxic Spikes to wear down the opposing team. explain how T Spikes help Salamence sweep late-game
* Goodra's excellent Special Defense combined with Assault Vest allows it to switch into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Salamence,while also learning Sludge Wave to hit Fairy-types and Fire Blast to hit Steel-types. Same as above
* Mega Altaria needs to be added

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

Dragon
--------
* Firium Z can be run over Dragonium Z to turn Fire Fang into a 120 base power Inferno Overdrive to allow Salamence to dismantle better opposing Steel teams. mention what it breaks and why it is outclassed
* Flyinium Z can be run over Dragonium Z along with Fly to have a one time use 175 base power STAB Flying-type move. However the coverage it offers it's not very useful and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize KO chances for walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex.

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

Dragon
--------
**Fairy-types**: Tapu Fini and Clefable can take a hit from every set even at +1, and threaten it with their STAB moves. Azumarill can take a hit from the Dragonium set even at +1 and Mimikyu can resist one hit with its Disguise, being both able to OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Salamence hindering its setup.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users that outpeed +1 Salamence and have access to moves that can OHKO Salamence are big issues for it. These include Greninja, Keldeo, Latios, Terrakion and Nihilego. Choice Scarf Ditto can also check Salamence revenge killing it with ease.
**Priority**: Mamoswine and Weavile are able to OHKO Salamence with Ice Shard no matter how many Speed boosts it has. This just seems like it's only Ice Shard not priority
**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can both take a hit and proceed to recover the damage that was dealt with Roost and Leech Seed, to inflict status conditions to it or to phaze it with Whirlwind. You have to talk about Fire Z and how they have to watch out for that
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake at +1 and restore its health with Recover, Roost and Slack Off, while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with Ice Beam and Foul Play.
**Status**: Inflicting status conditions on Salamence will limit its capacity to set up and sweep, especially if it gets burned or paralyzed since that means a significant decrease in Attack and Speed.
QC 2/3
 
imo scarf mence only has one niche. So why is dragon claw on the set? Iron tail is basically needed right now if you're going to use this set so you can most easily handle fairy (specifically mega dianice which is Basically the most dangerous mon for dragon rn) Scarf on dragon is literally latios or a steel-using fast mon. And latios is a must, so this isn't even ever goig to be a revenge killer. As a resutl I don't see why dragon claw is at all more useful. You're always clicking outrage anyway bc mence is weak without boosts and without damage item, so dragon claw is really going to be rather useless. By the time you weaken opponents team enough for dragon claw to work, you can just outrage anyway and don't really care bout the confusion.

I'll do a full check after you implement vid's btw so tag me whenever you do that.

Sorry for spelling btw on mobile.
 
Implemented Vid's changes except from the ones referred to Choice Scarf 'Set Comments', since i didn't know what kind of examples i need to include in Outrage/Dragon Claw and Eien added that Iron Tail should go over Dragon Claw.
Tagging both Eien Vid
 
If anything, I'd just make the set

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Iron Tail
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

and put Dragon Claw as OO. It's just so weak I wouldn't ever really use it. It doesn't really have much use other than if you're really scared of Fairy-types.
 

frenzyplant

Inertia is a property of matter.
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
1/2 GoldenTorkoal :)

add remove (comments)

(make sure to pay attention to the comma before the last item in a list of three or more)

[OVERVIEW]

Dragon
========

Salamence has access to Dragon Dance, which combined with its decent Attack and Speed and its ability Moxie, make makes it a very good late-game cleaner for Dragon teams. With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake, (comma) Salamence is able to run through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye, and or Mega Venusaur. Salamence can also be a decent Choice Scarf user for Dragon teams to cover the role of revenge killer and late-game cleaner with the support of Moxie. However, Salamence's Flying typing makes it weak to Stealth Rock, which limits its switch-ins switch-in opportunities and makes it harder to set up, making entry hazard control support provided by Defog Latios or Defog Latias necessary. Another problem that Salamence faces is the wide presence of Choice Scarf users with base 100 Speed or more and access to moves that hit Salamence effectively, such as Greninja or and Terrakion, (since the antecedent here, "users", is plural, use "and" instead of "or") which hinders Salamence's job as because it can be easily revenge killed by them even at +1 Speed. In addition, its Dragon / Flying typing mean means it carries a 4x weakness to the common Ice-type attacks, (comma) which makes revenge killing much easier for the opponent and leaves it weak Salamence prone to Ice Shard priority from Ice-types like Mamoswine and Weavile. Despite its access to a coverage moves like Fire Fang and Earthquake to hit Steel-types super effectively, Salamence is still neutralized by common walls such as Skarmory if they are healthy enough. It is important to note that it Salamence is generally outclassed by Latios as a Choice Scarf user since even +1 Salamence is outsped by threats like Choice Scarf Terrakion and Mega Swampert under the in rain even at +1 Speed. Furthermore, Salamence faces competition as a Dragon Dance user from Mega Altaria as a Dragon Dance user, which despite having lower Speed base it provides the team with an immunity to Dragon-type moves despite having lower base Speed.

[SET]
name: Devastating Drake (Dragon) (if this is necessary?)
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Dragon Dance allows Salamence to boost its Attack and Speed, helping it to become a powerful sweeper. Outrage is Salamence's STAB Dragon-type attack and its most powerful move with 120 Base Power. However, this move has the disadvantage of locking Salamence into it for 2-3 two to three turns, which prevents and preventing it from switching out, (comma) so the opponent can take advantage of a badly timed Outrage. (or something similar) Devastating Drake is a 190 Base Power move resulting from the combination of Outrage and Dragonium Z, which (outrage is the only dragon-type move on the set) that deals massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that doesn't don't resist it, such as Mandibuzz, Mega Venusaur, Porygon2, and or Mega Sableye. Earthquake is coverage that hits effectively Steel-, Electric- and Poison-types such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, (comma) and Toxapex super effectively. , respectively. (the "respectively" isn't needed to clarify anything here) Fire Fang hits Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Celesteela, (comma) and Ferrothorn.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Salamence to hit as hard as possible and be as fast as possible, (comma) outspeeding threats such as Hydreigon, Kyurem-B, Mimikyu, (comma) and Porygon-Z. Moxie boosts Salamence's Attack by one stage every time it knocks out an opposing foe. (elaborate on how this helps it sweep?) Dragonium Z turns Outrage into a 190 Base Power STAB Dragon-type move that increases the probability of Salamence possibilities of running through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, (comma) or and Mega Venusaur.

Usage Tips
========

Use Salamence late-game once its checks have been weakened or KOed and potential revenge killers have fainted, to ensure it is able to clean the opposing team, (comma) acting as a snowball sweeper thanks to Moxie. It can occasionally be used mid-game if it is needed to break some foes of the opposing team so its teammates can take advantage of the weakened opposition. Set up on Pokemon that are checked by Salamence checks, such as Victini and Mega Charizard Y, and Choice items item users locked into moves resisted by Salamence, (comma) such as Excadrill locked into Earthquake. Be careful to avoid locking Salamence into Outrage when there are still Steel- and Fairy-types, (comma) which that resist or are immune to the aforementioned move, (comma) that can easily revenge kill it, such as Excadrill, Azumarill, (comma) or and Mega Gardevoir. Furthermore, avoid switching Salamence into powerful hits to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to set up. It is important to remove hazards Stealth Rock before sending Salamence in, (comma) as it needs as much health as possible to ensure it can sets up. Finally, avoid letting Salamence get hit by status moves such as Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye or and Thunder Wave from Klefki, since burns halve its Attack making makes Salamence (I think it's OK to assume people know what burn does) almost useless and paralysis makes revenge killers such as Terrakion and Nihilego even more threatening.

Team Options
========

Garchomp has access to Stealth Rock, (comma) which helps wear opposing teams down allowing and allows Salamence to sweep more easily, and it resists Rock-type its Ground typing allows it to resist Rock-types moves aimed at Salamence. Garchomp can also threaten Steel-types with Earthquake and Fire Blast, KOing or at least weakening them and easing Salamence's job. Choice Band Dragonite can act as a wallbreaker, (comma) weakening or KOing the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory or and Porygon2. Once Dragonite has muscled past this these walls, (comma) Salamence finds has an easier path to a sweep. Latios and Latias are the best bet for Dragon teams in terms of entry hazard control support, (comma) as both are able to remove Stealth Rock with Defog to preserve Salamence's health at full. In addition to that, Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds threatening revenge killers for Salamence such as Nihilego and Terrakion and is able to OHKO them with Psychic, while Latias has access to Healing Wish to restore Salamence's health and give it another opportunity to sweep. Latios and Latias also have access to STAB Psychic-type attacks such as Psychic and Psyshock which that threaten Toxapex, which can be a problem for Salamence due to its combination of Recover and Haze, Recover+Haze, while Salamence threatens Muk-Alola Alolan Muk, which can tank every hit from Latios and Latias and trap them with Pursuit. Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. It Kyurem-B can destroy some of the common checks for to Salamence, (comma) such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Fusion Bolt and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore, Kyurem-B it can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks for Salamence due to its Ice typing. Dragalge is neutral to Fairy thanks to its Poison typing and can threaten those opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sludge Wave. Dragalge can also set up Toxic Spikes to wear down opposing walls such as Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro, making it much easier for Salamence to sweep. In return, (comma) Salamence is immune to Ground-type moves. Hydreigon can get rid of more physically defensive oriented walls such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, (comma) while Salamence can remove more specially defensive oriented walls, (comma) such as Chansey and Zapdos.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon) (?)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Iron Tail
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Outrage is the most powerful physical STAB Dragon-type move that Salamence has access to, with 120 Base Power, (comma) and combined with some Moxie boosts, Outrage's power will makes Salamence an effective late-game cleaner. Iron Tail is coverage to hit Fairy-types, especially Mega Diancie, (comma) which is a massive threats threat for Dragon teams. Earthquake lets Salamence hit Steel-, Electric-, (comma) and Poison-types, such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, (comma) and Toxapex. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, (comma) and Mega Scizor.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs are used to optimize Salamence's power as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner, (comma) and 252 Speed EVs along with a Naive nature and Choice Scarf make Salamence as fast as possible. Moxie allows Salamence to raise its raises Salamence's Attack once for after each opposing foe that it KOes, turning Salamence into a good late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

Salamence should be brought in when there's a free turn, after a teammate has fainted or when a choiced Choice-locked opposing foe is locked into a move that Salamence resists or is immune to such as Earthquake from Landorus-T or Horn Leech from Tapu Bulu. (period) After Salamence is brought in, it should to revenge (the sentence is very long, so I split it up) kill opposing threats that have been weakened such as Hydreigon or Tapu Koko. Salamence can also act as a late-game cleaner if it manages to get some Moxie boosts, so it should be brought in late-game to start cleaning when the opposing team have has been weakened enough and revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Choice Scarf Terrakion are gone. Most of the times time, Salamence will need Stealth Rock removed to maximize the number of times it comes can come in to revenge kill an opposing threat, so Defog support is needed. Prevent Salamence from taking unnecessary damage; (semicolon) otherwise, (comma) it won't have enough turns health to switch in and revenge kill opposing threats. It is very important for Salamence to avoid status, Salamence getting statused, especially burned or paralyzed, burns or paralysis, since it won't be able to clean the opposing team or act as a revenge killer due to the Attack and or Speed drop, respectively. Therefore, (comma) Salamence shouldn't stay in front of an incoming Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye and or Rotom-W, (comma) or Thunder Wave from Klefki and or Slowbro, (comma) In addition to that it is not recommended letting Salamence get hit by moves that have or move that has a chance to burn, such as Scald from Toxapex or Lava Plume from Torkoal. Finally, you should think twice before going for Outrage, as Salamence would will be locked into it for 2-3 two to three turns, (comma) making it easier for Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill, Mega Gardevoir, Mimikyu, and or Azumarill, to revenge kill Salamence.

Team Options
========

Latios and Latias can provide Defog support to get rid of Stealth Rock so as to preserve Salamence's health at full to and maximize the turns number of times it can switch in. Choice Scarf Latios is able to outspeed massive threats to Salamence such as Terrakion and Nihilego while also threatening them with its STAB Psychic-type move, and Latias has access to Healing Wish to give Salamence a second opportunity to sweep restoring its health. In return, Salamence can revenge kill a weakened Muk-Alola Alolan Muk, which is one of the most prominent checks for to Latios and Latias. Garchomp can set Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams, (comma) making it easier for Salamence to clean, (comma) while also resisting Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide from Excadrill. Garchomp has access to the combination of Earthquake+Fire Blast Earthquake and Fire Blast, which can weaken Steel-types for Salamence even with no Attack and Special Attack investment. Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker thanks to its Attack and Special Attack stats along (you already say it's powerful) with good the coverage it can have, that and it can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation when where Salamence can clean. Fusion Bolt lets it Kyurem-B hit common checks for to Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Heatran, (comma) and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T. Choice Band Dragonite can break through many opposing threats and weaken the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory with Fire Punch and Porygon2 with Superpower. Hydreigon is able to get rid of physically defensive checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro with Fire Blast and Dark Pulse respectively, respetively, while Salamence can cripple Pokemon that wall Hydreigon such as Muk-Alola Alolan Muk and Zapdos. Dragalge's Poison typing makes it neutral to Fairy, (comma) and it can hit hard opposing Fairy-types hard with its Adaptability-boosted Sluge Wave, which makes it a big asset for Dragon teams. Dragalge can also provide Salamence with an easier path to revenge killing and cleaning thanks to its capacity to set up Toxic Spikes, which can wear down opposing foes that Salamence can't OHKO such as Tapu Fini. Mega Altaria is a powerful Dragon Dance user for Dragon teams that takes advantage of Salamence revenge killing Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill and Mega Diancie, and in exchange it Mega Altaria provides an immunity to Dragon-type moves aimed at Salamence such as Draco Meteor from Latios.

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

Dragon
--------
Firium Z can be run over Dragonium Z to turn Fire Fang into a 120 Base Power Inferno Overdrive to allow Salamence to break through bulky Steel-types such as Celesteela and Skarmory, but it is outclassed in most situations because it lacks the power to break through bulky Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Another option to consider is Flyinium Z, which can be run over Dragonium Z along with Fly to have for a one-time use 175 Base Power STAB Flying-type move. However, (comma) the coverage it offers it is not very useful, (comma) and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize KO chances for Salamence's chances of KOing walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. Dragon Claw is an option to consider for the Choice Scarf set over Outrage if you are concerned about locking Salamence into Outrage, yourself into it but it makes Salamence so much weaker.

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

Dragon (put line breaks between these)
--------
**Fairy-types**: Tapu Fini and Clefable can take a hit from every set even at +1, and they threaten it Salamence with their STAB moves. Azumarill can take a hit from the Dragonium Z set even when it is at +1 and Mimikyu can resist tank one hit with its Disguise, being both being able to OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Salamence when it switches in, hindering its setup. (list common Stealth Rock setters?)

**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users that outpeed +1 Salamence and have access to moves that can OHKO Salamence are big issues for it. These include Greninja, Keldeo, Latios, Terrakion, (comma) and Nihilego. Choice Scarf Ditto can also check Salamence, (comma) revenge killing it with ease.

**Ice-types**: Mamoswine and Weavile are able to OHKO Salamence with Ice Shard no matter how many Speed boosts it has, Avalugg can take a Devastating Drake even at +1 and OHKO Salamence with Avalanche, and Ninetales-Alola Alolan Ninetales prevents Salamence from setting up because it is faster and threatens it with Freeze-Dry.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can both take a hit and proceed to recover the damage that was dealt with Roost and Leech Seed, to inflict status conditions on Salamence, to it or to phaze it with Whirlwind, but they have to watch out if Salamence is running Firium Z since Inferno Overdrive would put puts them in range of being KOed by Fire Fang at +1.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other Physically bulky Pokemon not mentioned above, (is this what you mean by "other"?) such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz, (comma) and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake at +1 and restore its their health with Recover, Roost and Slack Off, while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with the likes of Ice Beam and Foul Play. (since they're just examples you give earlier)

**Status**: Inflicting status conditions on Salamence will limits its capacity to set up and sweep, especially if it gets burned or paralyzed, (comma) since that means a significant decrease in its Attack and or Speed. (common burn/paralysis move users?)
 

Lumari

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add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Dragon
========

Salamence has access to Dragon Dance, which, (AC) combined with its decent Attack and Speed and its ability Moxie, makes it a very good late-game cleaner for Dragon teams. With a Dragon Dance boost and Devastating Drake, Salamence is able to run through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Mega Sableye, and Mega Venusaur. Salamence can also be a decent Choice Scarf user for Dragon teams to cover the role of revenge killer and late-game cleaner with the support of Moxie. However, Salamence's Flying typing makes it weak to Stealth Rock, which limits its switch-in opportunities to switch in and makes it harder to set up, making entry hazard control provided by Defog Latios or Defog Latias necessary. Another problem that Salamence faces is the wide presence of Choice Scarf users with base 100 Speed or more and access to moves that hit Salamence effectively, such as Greninja and Terrakion, which hinders Salamence's job because it can be easily revenge killed by them even at +1 Speed. In addition, its Dragon / Flying typing means it carries a 4x weakness to the common Ice-type attacks, which makes revenge killing much easier for the opponent and leaves Salamence prone vulnerable to Ice Shard from Ice-types like Mamoswine and Weavile. Despite its access to coverage moves like Fire Fang and Earthquake to hit Steel-types super effectively, Salamence is still neutralized by common walls such as Skarmory if they are healthy enough. It is important to note that Salamence is generally outclassed by Latios as a Choice Scarf user, (AC) since even +1 Salamence is outsped by threats like Choice Scarf Terrakion and Mega Swampert in rain. Furthermore, Salamence faces competition as a Dragon Dance user from Mega Altaria, which provides the team with an immunity to Dragon-type moves despite having lower base Speed.

[SET]
name: Devastating Drake (Dragon)
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Dragon Dance allows Salamence to boost its Attack and Speed, helping it to become a powerful sweeper. Outrage is Salamence's STAB Dragon-type attack and its most powerful move with 120 Base Power. However, this move has the disadvantage of locking Salamence into it for two to three turns (RC) and preventing it from switching out, so the opponent can take advantage of a badly timed Outrage. Devastating Drake is a 190-Base (AH) Power move resulting from Dragonium Z (RC) that deals massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that don't resist it, such as Mandibuzz, Mega Venusaur, Porygon2, and Mega Sableye. Earthquake is coverage that hits Steel-, Electric- and Poison-types such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, and Toxapex super effectively. Fire Fang hits Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Salamence to hit as hard as possible and be as fast as possible, outspeeding threats such as Hydreigon, Kyurem-B, Mimikyu, and Porygon-Z. Moxie boosts Salamence's Attack by one stage every time it knocks out a foe, which helps it clean late-game. Dragonium Z turns Outrage into a 190-Base (AH) Power STAB Dragon-type move that increases the probability of Salamence running through some of its checks, such as Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, and Mega Venusaur.

Usage Tips
========

Use Salamence late-game, (AC) once its checks have been weakened or KOed and potential revenge killers have fainted, to ensure it is able to clean the opposing team, acting as a snowball sweeper thanks to Moxie. It can occasionally be used mid-game if it is needed to break some foes so its teammates can take advantage of the weakened opposition. Set up on Pokemon that Salamence checks, such as Victini and Mega Charizard Y, and Choice item users locked into moves resisted by Salamence resists, such as Excadrill locked into Earthquake. Be careful to avoid locking Salamence into Outrage when there are still Steel- and Fairy-types around, which resist or are immune to the move, that can easily revenge kill it, such as Excadrill, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir. Furthermore, avoid switching Salamence into powerful hits to prevent it from taking unnecessary damage, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to set up. It is important to remove Stealth Rock before sending Salamence in, as it needs as much health as possible to ensure it can set up. Finally, avoid letting Salamence get hit by status moves such as Will-o-Wisp Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye and Thunder Wave from Klefki, since burn makes Salamence almost useless and paralysis makes revenge killers such as Terrakion and Nihilego even more threatening.

Team Options
========

Garchomp has access to Stealth Rock, which helps wear opposing teams down and allows Salamence to sweep more easily, and it resists Rock-types Rock-type moves aimed at Salamence. Garchomp can also threaten Steel-types with Earthquake and Fire Blast, KOing or at least weakening them and easing Salamence's job. Choice Band Dragonite can act as a wallbreaker, weakening or KOing the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory and Porygon2. Once Dragonite has muscled past these walls, Salamence has an easier path to a sweep. Latios and Latias are the best bet for Dragon teams in terms of entry hazard control support, as both are able to remove Stealth Rock with Defog to preserve Salamence's health. In addition to that, Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds threatening revenge killers for Salamence such as Nihilego and Terrakion and is able to OHKO them with Psychic, while Latias has access to Healing Wish to restore Salamence's health and give it another opportunity to sweep. Latios and Latias also have access to STAB Psychic-type attacks that threaten Toxapex, which can be a problem for Salamence due to its combination of Recover and Haze, while Salamence threatens Alolan Muk, which can tank every hit from Latios and Latias and trap them with Pursuit. Kyurem-B can cover the role of mixed wallbreaker punching holes in the opposing team so Salamence can sweep after Kyurem-B has broken through walls. Kyurem-B can destroy some of the common checks to Salamence, such as Skarmory and Celesteela with Fusion Bolt and Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Furthermore, Kyurem-B can hit Steel-types with Earth Power and switch into Ice-type attacks for Salamence due to its Ice typing. Dragalge is neutral to Fairy thanks to its Poison typing and can threaten opposing Fairy-types with its Adaptability-boosted Sludge Wave. Dragalge can also set up Toxic Spikes to wear down opposing walls such as Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro, making it much easier for Salamence to sweep. In return, Salamence is immune to Ground-type moves. Hydreigon can get rid of more physically defensive walls such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, while Salamence can remove more specially defensive walls, such as Chansey and Zapdos.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Dragon)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Iron Tail
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earthquake
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Outrage is the most powerful physical STAB Dragon-type move that Salamence has access to, with 120 Base Power, and combined with some Moxie boosts, Outrage's power makes Salamence an effective late-game cleaner. Iron Tail is coverage to hit Fairy-types, especially Mega Diancie, which is a massive threat for Dragon teams. Earthquake lets Salamence hit Steel-, Electric-, and Poison-types, such as Heatran, Tapu Koko, and Toxapex. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't hit super effectively such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs are used to optimize maximize Salamence's power as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner, and 252 Speed EVs along with a Naive nature and Choice Scarf make Salamence as fast as possible. Moxie raises Salamence's Attack once for each foe that it KOes, turning Salamence into a good late-game cleaner.

Usage Tips
========

Salamence should be brought in when there's a free turn, after a teammate has fainted, (AC) or when a Choice-locked opposing foe is locked into a move that Salamence resists or is immune to such as Earthquake from Landorus-T or Horn Leech from Tapu Bulu. After Salamence is brought in, it should revenge kill opposing weakened threats that have been weakened such as Hydreigon or and Tapu Koko. Salamence can also act as a late-game cleaner if it manages to get some Moxie boosts, so it should be brought in late-game to start cleaning when the opposing team has been weakened enough and revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Greninja and Choice Scarf Terrakion are gone. Most of the time, Salamence will need Stealth Rock removed to maximize the number of times it can come in to revenge kill an opposing threat Pokemon, so Defog support is needed. Prevent Salamence from taking unnecessary damage; otherwise, it won't have enough health to switch in and revenge kill opposing threats. It is very important for Salamence to avoid status, especially burns or paralysis, since it won't be able to clean the opposing team or act as a revenge killer due to the Attack or Speed drop. Therefore, Salamence shouldn't stay in front of an incoming Will-O-Wisp from Mega Sableye or Rotom-W, Thunder Wave from Klefki or Slowbro, or move that has a chance to burn, such as Scald from Toxapex or Lava Plume from Torkoal. Finally, you should think twice before going for Outrage, as Salamence will be locked into it for two to three turns, making it easier for Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill, Mega Gardevoir, Mimikyu, and Azumarill (RC) to revenge kill Salamence.

Team Options
========

Latios and Latias can provide Defog support to get rid of Stealth Rock so as to preserve Salamence's health and maximize the number of times it can switch in. Choice Scarf Latios is able to outspeed massive threats to Salamence such as Terrakion and Nihilego while also threatening them with its STAB Psychic-type move, and Latias has access to Healing Wish to give Salamence a second opportunity to sweep. In return, Salamence can revenge kill a weakened Alolan Muk, which is one of the most prominent checks to Latios and Latias. Garchomp can set Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams, making it easier for Salamence to clean, while also resisting Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide from Excadrill. Garchomp has access to the combination of Earthquake and Fire Blast, which can weaken Steel-types for Salamence even with no Attack and Special Attack investment. Kyurem-B is an extremely powerful mixed wallbreaker with good coverage, and it can punch holes in the opposing team to achieve a situation where Salamence can clean. Fusion Bolt lets Kyurem-B hit common checks to Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro, Earth Power threatens Steel-types that can be annoying for Salamence such as Heatran, and Ice Beam OHKOes Landorus-T. Choice Band Dragonite can break through many opposing threats and weaken the checks it shares with Salamence, such as Skarmory with Fire Punch and Porygon2 with Superpower. Hydreigon is able to get rid of physically defensive checks for Salamence such as Skarmory and Mega Slowbro with Fire Blast and Dark Pulse respectively, while Salamence can cripple Pokemon that wall Hydreigon such as Alolan Muk and Zapdos. Dragalge's Poison typing makes it neutral to Fairy, and it can hit opposing Fairy-types hard with its Adaptability-boosted Sluge Wave, which makes it a big asset for Dragon teams. Dragalge can also provide Salamence with an easier path to revenge killing and cleaning thanks to its capacity to set up Toxic Spikes, which can wear down foes that Salamence can't OHKO such as Tapu Fini. Mega Altaria is a powerful Dragon Dance user for Dragon teams that takes advantage of Salamence revenge killing Steel- and Fairy-types such as Excadrill and Mega Diancie, and in exchange Mega Altaria provides an immunity to Dragon-type moves aimed at Salamence such as Draco Meteor from Latios.

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

Dragon
--------
Firium Z can be run over Dragonium Z to turn Fire Fang into a 120-Base (AH) Power Inferno Overdrive to allow Salamence to break through bulky Steel-types such as Celesteela and Skarmory, but it is outclassed in most situations because it lacks the power to break through bulky Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Another option to consider is Flyinium Z, which can be run over Dragonium Z along with Fly for a one-time 175 Base Power STAB Flying-type move. However, the coverage it offers is not very useful, and the power of Devastating Drake is needed to maximize Salamence's chances of KOing walls like Mega Sableye and Toxapex. Dragon Claw is an option to consider for the Choice Scarf set over Outrage if you are concerned about locking Salamence into Outrage, but it makes Salamence so much weaker.

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

Dragon
--------
**Fairy-types**: Tapu Fini and Clefable can take a hit from every set even at +1, and they threaten Salamence with their STAB moves. Azumarill can take a hit from the Dragonium Z set even when it is at +1 and Mimikyu can tank one hit with its Disguise, both being able to OHKO Salamence with Play Rough.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock deals 25% damage to Salamence when it switches in, hindering its setup.

**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users that outpeed outspeed +1 Salamence and have access to moves that can OHKO Salamence are big issues for it. These include Greninja, Keldeo, Latios, Terrakion, and Nihilego. Choice Scarf Ditto can also check Salamence, revenge killing it with ease.

**Ice-types**: Mamoswine and Weavile are able to OHKO Salamence with Ice Shard no matter how many Speed boosts it has, Avalugg can take a Devastating Drake even at +1 and OHKO Salamence with Avalanche, and Alolan Ninetales prevents Salamence from setting up because it is faster and threatens it with Freeze-Dry.

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Celesteela can both take a hit and proceed to recover the damage that was dealt with Roost and Leech Seed, to inflict status conditions on Salamence, or to phaze it with Whirlwind, but they have to watch out if Salamence is running Firium Z, (AC) since Inferno Overdrive puts them in range of being KOed by Fire Fang at +1.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon not mentioned above, such as Porygon2, Mandibuzz, and Mega Slowbro, can take even Devastating Drake at +1 and restore their health (RC) while being able to inflict status conditions on Salamence and threaten it with the likes of moves like Ice Beam and Foul Play.

**Status**: Inflicting status conditions on Salamence limits its capacity to set up and sweep, especially if it gets burned or paralyzed, since that means a significant decrease in its Attack or Speed.
 
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