Vague
Banned deucer.
[OVERVIEW]
* Slowbro's typing and excellent bulk allow it to check a wide range of threats such as Landorus-T, Mega Charizard X, Keldeo, Zygarde-10%, and Excadrill.
* It has a great ability in Regenerator to remain healthy throughout the match.
* Mega Slowbro gains incredibly high Defense to keep a wider range of physical attackers in check, even ones that can hit it super effectively, such as Weavile and Bisharp without Swords Dance.
* However, it loses Regenerator upon Mega Evolution and gains Shell Armor, which is relatively useless bar nullifying critical hits.
* Its lackluster Special Defense makes it a liability to against powerful special attackers such as Latios and Tapu Lele.
* Base 30 Speed is very poor, meaning it's usually going to take a hit before retaliating.
* Slowbro is weak to common Electric-, Dark-, and Bug-type attackers such as, Tapu Koko, Hoopa-U, and Genesect, though Mega Slowbro can shrug off weaker super effective physical attacks.
* It faces competition from Toxapex, which is much easier to use, checks a greater portion of the metagame, and doesn't take up the Mega slot.
* Slowbro is hard to use in SM as many offensive teams can break past it easily.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Slack Off
move 4: Calm Mind / Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers / Slowbronite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Scald is a spammable STAB move with a burn chance that reduces its passivity considerably.
* Psyshock hits Keldeo as well as Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and other Pokemon that resist Water for solid damage. It also breaks through other Calm Mind users.
* Slack Off is reliable recovery.
* Calm Mind bolsters Slowbro's offensive potential while also boosting its Special Defense and turning it into a defensive sweeper.
* Thunder Wave can be used for more utility in slowing down dangerous threats like Mega Gyarados and Mega Charizard X so teammates can have an easier time revenge killing them.
* Fire Blast hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, and other Steel-types.
Set Details
========
* The HP and Defense investment provides optimal physical bulk, while 28 Special Defense EVs allow Slowbro to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Keldeo's Hydro Pump.
* Regenerator and Leftovers help keep Slowbro as healthy as possible.
* Slowbronite is an option to use Mega Slowbro's increased Defense and special attacking power. If Mega Slowbro is used, an EV spread of 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SpD should be used to avoid the 2HKO from Adamant Life Orb Diggersby's Return and boost its modest Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Slowbro as a defensive pivot into the threats it checks.
* You should be using Scald most of the time, as the burn cripples a wide range of Pokemon such as Zygarde, Mega Metagross, and Mega Pinsir; it also dissuades them from attempting to set up on or 2HKO Slowbro with their coverage due to the burn risk. Additionally, it punishes it's common switch-ins such as Rotom-W and Latios.
* If you're not clicking Scald, Thunder Wave should be used to impair faster Pokemon, Pokemon that don't mind being burned, and Pokemon that can't be burned.
* Calm Mind should be used when threats to Slowbro have been eliminated.
* Slack Off is used when Slowbro needs recovery.
* When using Mega Slowbro, you should wait until Slowbro no longer needs Regenerator to pivot or Mega Slowbro's immense physical bulk is necessary to check a threat to Mega Evolve. Once Mega Evolved, it should set up against threats that can't touch it, such as Landorus-T, Mega Metagross, and Garchomp.
Team Options
========
* Other Regenerator users such as Tornadus-T, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss are great partners as they form potent defensive cores with Slowbro as well as deal with common Grass-types for the former and Electric-types for the latter two. Mega Venusaur is also a great teammate for its similar qualities to Amoonguss.
* Dark-types such as Weavile, Tyranitar, and Bisharp are good teammates for their ability to check Ghost-types.
* Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Hippowdon, Excadrill, and Alolan Marowak are nice partners as they beat common Grass-, Electric-, and Bug-types.
* Celesteela and Skarmory are also decent partners as they are excellent checks to Grass- and Bug-types while bringing their own unique defensive attributes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Rest and Sleep Talk are decent options on Mega Slowbro as they reduce its susceptibility to status.
* Trick Room is a viable option as Slowbro is a bulky and relatively powerful user of the move.
* Toxic is fine for wearing down opposing bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Rotom-W, and Gastrodon.
* Grass Knot is an option that hits Mega Gyarados, Greninja, and Mega Sharpedo for heavy damage.
* Ice Beam hits most Dragon-types such as Dragonite and Latios hard.
* Iron Defense, when used with Mega Slowbro, transforms it into an impenetrable behemoth that can easily set up with Calm Mind.
* Choice Specs is an option to take advantage of Slowbro's decent Special Attack and wide movepool.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth take negligible damage from Scald, although Mega Venusaur takes heavy damage from Psyshock and Tapu Bulu does not appreciate burns. In reprisal, they can greatly harm Slowbro with their super effective STAB Grass moves.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Xurkitree, Magnezone, and Thundurus are able to outpace and threaten Slowbro with their STAB. They are also immune to Thunder Wave, but they would rather not switch in on its attacks.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Latias, Kyurem, and Kyurem-B all resist Slowbro's best attacking option, Scald, and take meager damage from Psyshock. However, they must be wary of Thunder Wave, and burns in Kyurem-B's case.
**Bug-types**: Genesect, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole are able to outpace and threaten Slowbro with their powerful STAB Bug moves. None of them appreciate being burned or paralyzed though.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers such as Greninja, Gengar, Hoopa-U, and Mega Alakazam are able to hit Slowbro very hard with their STAB moves or super effective coverage.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: While Slowbro is very physically bulky, it is susceptible to being overloaded or lured by extremely powerful physical attackers such as Earth Plate or Groundium-Z Landorus-T, Freeze Dry Mamoswine, and Outrage Mega Charizard X.
**Status**: Slowbro dislikes being burned or poisoned as they inhibit its overall effectiveness in pivoting into threats it checks and setting up with Calm Mind by putting it on a timer.
* Slowbro's typing and excellent bulk allow it to check a wide range of threats such as Landorus-T, Mega Charizard X, Keldeo, Zygarde-10%, and Excadrill.
* It has a great ability in Regenerator to remain healthy throughout the match.
* Mega Slowbro gains incredibly high Defense to keep a wider range of physical attackers in check, even ones that can hit it super effectively, such as Weavile and Bisharp without Swords Dance.
* However, it loses Regenerator upon Mega Evolution and gains Shell Armor, which is relatively useless bar nullifying critical hits.
* Its lackluster Special Defense makes it a liability to against powerful special attackers such as Latios and Tapu Lele.
* Base 30 Speed is very poor, meaning it's usually going to take a hit before retaliating.
* Slowbro is weak to common Electric-, Dark-, and Bug-type attackers such as, Tapu Koko, Hoopa-U, and Genesect, though Mega Slowbro can shrug off weaker super effective physical attacks.
* It faces competition from Toxapex, which is much easier to use, checks a greater portion of the metagame, and doesn't take up the Mega slot.
* Slowbro is hard to use in SM as many offensive teams can break past it easily.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Slack Off
move 4: Calm Mind / Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers / Slowbronite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Scald is a spammable STAB move with a burn chance that reduces its passivity considerably.
* Psyshock hits Keldeo as well as Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and other Pokemon that resist Water for solid damage. It also breaks through other Calm Mind users.
* Slack Off is reliable recovery.
* Calm Mind bolsters Slowbro's offensive potential while also boosting its Special Defense and turning it into a defensive sweeper.
* Thunder Wave can be used for more utility in slowing down dangerous threats like Mega Gyarados and Mega Charizard X so teammates can have an easier time revenge killing them.
* Fire Blast hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, and other Steel-types.
Set Details
========
* The HP and Defense investment provides optimal physical bulk, while 28 Special Defense EVs allow Slowbro to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Keldeo's Hydro Pump.
* Regenerator and Leftovers help keep Slowbro as healthy as possible.
* Slowbronite is an option to use Mega Slowbro's increased Defense and special attacking power. If Mega Slowbro is used, an EV spread of 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 SpD should be used to avoid the 2HKO from Adamant Life Orb Diggersby's Return and boost its modest Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Slowbro as a defensive pivot into the threats it checks.
* You should be using Scald most of the time, as the burn cripples a wide range of Pokemon such as Zygarde, Mega Metagross, and Mega Pinsir; it also dissuades them from attempting to set up on or 2HKO Slowbro with their coverage due to the burn risk. Additionally, it punishes it's common switch-ins such as Rotom-W and Latios.
* If you're not clicking Scald, Thunder Wave should be used to impair faster Pokemon, Pokemon that don't mind being burned, and Pokemon that can't be burned.
* Calm Mind should be used when threats to Slowbro have been eliminated.
* Slack Off is used when Slowbro needs recovery.
* When using Mega Slowbro, you should wait until Slowbro no longer needs Regenerator to pivot or Mega Slowbro's immense physical bulk is necessary to check a threat to Mega Evolve. Once Mega Evolved, it should set up against threats that can't touch it, such as Landorus-T, Mega Metagross, and Garchomp.
Team Options
========
* Other Regenerator users such as Tornadus-T, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss are great partners as they form potent defensive cores with Slowbro as well as deal with common Grass-types for the former and Electric-types for the latter two. Mega Venusaur is also a great teammate for its similar qualities to Amoonguss.
* Dark-types such as Weavile, Tyranitar, and Bisharp are good teammates for their ability to check Ghost-types.
* Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Hippowdon, Excadrill, and Alolan Marowak are nice partners as they beat common Grass-, Electric-, and Bug-types.
* Celesteela and Skarmory are also decent partners as they are excellent checks to Grass- and Bug-types while bringing their own unique defensive attributes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Rest and Sleep Talk are decent options on Mega Slowbro as they reduce its susceptibility to status.
* Trick Room is a viable option as Slowbro is a bulky and relatively powerful user of the move.
* Toxic is fine for wearing down opposing bulky Water-types such as Alomomola, Rotom-W, and Gastrodon.
* Grass Knot is an option that hits Mega Gyarados, Greninja, and Mega Sharpedo for heavy damage.
* Ice Beam hits most Dragon-types such as Dragonite and Latios hard.
* Iron Defense, when used with Mega Slowbro, transforms it into an impenetrable behemoth that can easily set up with Calm Mind.
* Choice Specs is an option to take advantage of Slowbro's decent Special Attack and wide movepool.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth take negligible damage from Scald, although Mega Venusaur takes heavy damage from Psyshock and Tapu Bulu does not appreciate burns. In reprisal, they can greatly harm Slowbro with their super effective STAB Grass moves.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Xurkitree, Magnezone, and Thundurus are able to outpace and threaten Slowbro with their STAB. They are also immune to Thunder Wave, but they would rather not switch in on its attacks.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Latias, Kyurem, and Kyurem-B all resist Slowbro's best attacking option, Scald, and take meager damage from Psyshock. However, they must be wary of Thunder Wave, and burns in Kyurem-B's case.
**Bug-types**: Genesect, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole are able to outpace and threaten Slowbro with their powerful STAB Bug moves. None of them appreciate being burned or paralyzed though.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers such as Greninja, Gengar, Hoopa-U, and Mega Alakazam are able to hit Slowbro very hard with their STAB moves or super effective coverage.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: While Slowbro is very physically bulky, it is susceptible to being overloaded or lured by extremely powerful physical attackers such as Earth Plate or Groundium-Z Landorus-T, Freeze Dry Mamoswine, and Outrage Mega Charizard X.
**Status**: Slowbro dislikes being burned or poisoned as they inhibit its overall effectiveness in pivoting into threats it checks and setting up with Calm Mind by putting it on a timer.
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