http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/salamence
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Changes:
- Updated the old analysis with team options for each set
- Added a new team options section
- Worked on making some parts of the analysis more consise
- Fixed proofreading errors
- Added Overview section and combined Other Options and EVs sections
[Overview]
<h2>OU:</h2>
<p>Salamence is arguably the most effective sweeper in OU, and for a very good reason. Salamence functions well as both a pure physical sweeper and mixed attacker, given its access to two very powerful STAB attacks in Outrage and Draco Meteor; its tendency to carry both Earthquake and Fire Blast in addition to the previous attacks makes it even more difficult to manage. Salamence also has an excellent typing for the tier, allowing it to freely switch into Ground-type attacks and to take little from the Fighting-, Grass- Water-, and so forth type attacks it carries a resistance to. Salamence's biggest bane is residual damage through Stealth Rock and sandstorm, which can greatly shorten Salamence's longevity. Still, given Salamence's incredible versatility and power, it should nearly always net you a kill.</p>
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 232 Atk / 24 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set makes use of Salamence's excellent overall stats and set of decent resistances to set up and sweep with a combination of Dragon Dance and Outrage. A +1 Life Orb Outrage is capable of 2HKOing every Pokemon in OU bar select Steel-types, such as physically defensive Skarmory. Earthquake is required to break through grounded Steel-types, such as Metagross and Heatran, who resist Outrage. Finally, Fire Blast handles Scizor, Forretress, and Skarmory, all of whom Earthquake only hits for neutral damage. Roost is also an option for recovering recoil damage from Life Orb and Stealth Rock, while also letting Salamence act as a counter (in lieu of simply a check) to Fighting- and Ground-types; however, having a way to dispose of the aforementioned Pokemon will be necessary. As for other options, Dragon Claw works well as a secondary STAB without Outrage's self-locking drawbacks, while Stone Edge OHKOes Zapdos and offensive Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. Dragon Claw can go over either Outrage or Fire Blast, while Stone Edge should always go in the fourth slot.</p>
<p>The given EVs ensure that Fire Blast will always OHKO 252/0 Impish Skarmory, while tying with other base 100s. The preference between Naive and Naughty comes down to whether you prefer to at least tie with revenge killing threats such as Choice Scarf Jirachi after a Dragon Dance or deal more damage to defensive walls, such as Swampert. For example, a max Attack Outrage stands at a 20% chance of OHKOing 252/252 Relaxed Swampert after Stealth Rock. When not running Fire Blast, Salamence should be given a Jolly or Adamant nature with an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe.</p>
<p>Life Orb is the preferred item, granting Salamence several OHKOs which it could otherwise not attain. Yache Berry can be used to survive an unSTABed Ice-type attack and net a second Dragon Dance, but there is only a .05x power difference between a +1 Life Orb and a +2 boosted attack so it's often not worth it, especially against foes without an Ice-type attack. Lum Berry can be used if status is of concern to you, taking into account Outrage's confusion-causing side effect.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set's biggest problem is going to be Steel-types, which, thanks to their high Defense and resistance to Outrage, can often prevent Salamence from sweeping. Magnezone is a highly recommended partner, who can switch into the more threatening Steel-types, such as Scizor, Skarmory, Jirachi, and Bronzong, and KO them with Thunderbolt. Carrying a Pokémon to lure out Steel-types beforehand is a must, or else Salamence will be too weak to pull off a sweep if it switches in too many times into Stealth Rock. Gengar is a good choice to accomplish this task, who can either scout for Choiced attacks with Protect or KO the Steel-types itself with Hidden Power Fire. In general, Gengar is great at weakening the opponent's Pokémon into Outrage's KO range.</p>
<p>Although most of the metagame will fall to this set, there are three "hard" counters that should be accounted for: Hippowdon, Cresselia, and Porygon2. All three are bulky enough to survive a +1 Outrage (after Tracing Intimidate in the case of Porygon2) and can cause major problems for Salamence in the process. Hippowdon can either phaze out Salamence with Roar, forcing it to lose another 25% of its health upon switching back in, or KO it with Ice Fang. Cresselia and Porygon2 can both Ice Beam Salamence to death or cripple it with Thunder Wave. Pairing Salamence with a Choice Band Scizor is an effective way to beat all three. Scizor can weaken Hippowdon into Outrage's KO range with its STAB U-turn, while also severely denting Cresselia in the same manner; Porygon2 can be easily dispatched with Superpower.</p>
<p>Although with proper support, Salamence can usually sweep on its own, you may also wish to consider partners capable of sweeping with the holes Salamence makes on the opponent's team. Since Salamence lures out bulky Water-types quite easily, using a Choice Scarf Heatran with this set will make it difficult for the opponent to counter both it and Salamence. Alternatively, Steel-types, such as Lucario and Metagross, can also set up on the usual attacks used to revenge kill this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Classic MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
nature: Rash
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is aimed to use both of Salamence's excelling attacking stats to break apart stall teams and should specifically be used on teams which have trouble against them. Salamence finds an easy time switching into resisted attacks, allowing it to begin firing off Draco Meteors at the opponent. Fire Blast provides Salamence with an option to hit Steel-types for super effective, while Brick Break will ensure the 2HKO on Blissey and Heatran after Stealth Rock damage. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast if you prefer the higher accuracy, but you will miss out on OHKO's against Celebi, Specially Defensive Skarmory, and max HP Metagross. For the last slot, Roost ensures that Salamence will stick around, while also making Stealth Rock a lesser issue. Crunch is an alternative option if you want to KO Cresselia and Dusknoir after they switch into a Draco Meteor, but it will find little use outside of that.</p>
<p>A Rash nature and max Special Attack is recommended to allow Salamence to hit as hard as possible. 176 Speed EVs allow Salamence to outpace Adamant Lucario, making it an excellent check to it, as a +1 Life Orb ExtremeSpeed will never KO Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. The leftover EVs are placed into HP to allow Salamence to take hits better. One can feel free to experiment with different EV spreads, such as by using enough Speed to outpace Jolly Gyarados (208 Speed EVs), to suit a team's specific needs. Life Orb is a must on this set, as without it, Salamence will not attain any of the KOs mentioned.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A common misconception is that Draco Meteor can be used haphazardly on this set to break apart stall, but a specific strategy is required to actually do so. Salamence should be switched into a Pokémon that will be forced out, such as Skarmory. A standard stall player will switch out to a Pokémon that can absorb Fire Blast easily, so using another move is often better, such as Brick Break for Blissey or Draco Meteor for Swampert. Although Brick Break does 2HKO Blissey, Brick Break won't KO it after a Fire Blast, by which time Blissey will have crippled Salamence with Toxic or Thunder Wave. Once Blissey has been worn down, Draco Meteor can be used with less risk to break apart the opponent's team. Be warned that Roost cannot be haphazardly used either; it should be used only when the opponent's regular switch-in to Salamence is weakened enough to be KO'd after you use Roost on the switch.</p>
<p>Given this set's specific objective is to weaken stall, teammates for this set should aim to sweep teams weakened by Salamence's assault. Life Orb Starmie is a great partner for this set, as it single-handedly beats stall once Blissey has been sufficiently weakened, while against offensive teams, Starmie will find an easy time switching in against the usual Bullet Punch and Ice-type attacks aimed at Salamence. Agility Metagross and Swords Dance Lucario are also effective partners, as both can set up on the attacks used to revenge kill Salamence, and both will appreciate Salamence's weakening of Swampert and Gyarados. Although not necessary, having a way to prevent or get rid of Stealth Rock will lessen the stress placed on Salamence to repeatedly heal. Both Azelf and Aerodactyl can use Taunt against slower leads to prevent Stealth Rock.</p>
[SET]
name: New MixMence
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 4: Outrage / Dragon Claw
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 16 Atk / 240 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set trades the specific stall-breaking ability of the previous set for the ability to deal raw damage from both sides of the attacking spectrum. One will notice that this set does lack recovery and has to deal with the possibility of being stuck on Outrage, but the use of both Draco Meteor and Outrage is enough to place immediate pressure on just about every offensive team. Obviously, Draco Meteor and Outrage both provide Salamence with solid STAB, although Dragon Claw is an excellent option over Outrage should Salamence be your late game sweeper. Dragon Claw is strong enough to pick off weakened Pokemon while also 2HKOing Blissey after Stealth Rock. Earthquake is required to hit Steel-types, such as Heatran, for super effective damage, while Flamethrower takes care of foes like Scizor and Skarmory. Fire blast can be used to deal more initial damage to switch-ins, but you will fail to KO Celebi and Specially Defensive Skarmory (roughly 50% of the time in the latter's case) due to this set's lower Special Attack investment than the previous set. Roost is a possible option in the fourth slot, but you'd be better off running the previous set if longevity is your preference.</p>
<p>The given EVs ensure that Salamence hits as hard as possible with Draco Meteor and will, at the worst, tie with other base 100s. 16 Attack EVs are recommended as they will allow Salamence to 2HKO Blissey with a combination of Draco Meteor and Outrage after Stealth Rock damage. Life Orb is a must to allow Salamence to hit as hard as possible. A Naive nature is recommended as Intimidate allows Salamence to serve as a good check to physical threats like Swords Dance Lucario. There are other alternate spreads avaliable as well. Running 84 Atk / 216 SpA / 208 Spe with a Mild nature allows Salamence to KO Cresselia with a combination of Stealth Rock and Draco Meteor followed by two successive Outrages, as Ice Beam will fail to KO Salamence. With this spread, Salamence also outpaces Gyarados prior to a Dragon Dance.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Most of the partners from the previous set work here as well. Running Life Orb Starmie with Rapid Spin as a lead gives you a good chance of eliminating Stealth Rock early in the game, allowing Salamence to switch in with less risk. Having a Pokemon that lures out Scizor or Jirachi, such as Gengar, along with a Magnezone lessens the risk that Salamence will have to switch out or that it will be KOed if locked into Outrage. Agility Metagross and Dragon Dance Gyarados can set up on the Steel- and Ice-type attacks, usually used to revenge kill Salamence, and proceed to sweep.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Bulky
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Salamence is best known for being a fearsome and versatile attacker with both a high Attack and Special Attack stat; however, many people overlook Salamence's decent physical Defense. Coupled with Intimidate, Salamence can act as a check to the most dangerous sweepers of OU, such as Swords Dance Lucario, and even set up on them. However, this ability does come at the price of posing as a less immediate threat to the opponent, but given this set's durability, setting up with Dragon Dance should be a breeze anyways.</p>
<p>The crux of this set is Dragon Dance, which allows Salamence to set up on resisted or weaker physical attacks and attempt to pull off a sweep. Dragon Claw and Earthquake provide Salamence with perfect coverage against everything bar Skarmory and Bronzong. Outrage is also an option over Dragon Claw if you find its power lacking. For the last slot, Roost provides Salamence with much needed longevity, making it much easier to set up and switch in more times without worrying about residual damage from Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>The given EVs provide Salamence with maximum durability on the physical end of the defensive spectrum, while at the same time, being able to outspeed neutral base 90's, most notably Lucario. After a Dragon Dance, Salamence will also be able to outpace positively natured Choiced Scarf Heatran. An alternative spread is 192 HP / 140 Def / 176 Spe with a Jolly nature, which ensures that Salamence will outpace all base 90's, as well as Jolly Gyarados. Finally, an Adamant nature with a Life Orb can also be used, but having to recover more often might serve as a liability to some.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Magnezone is the number one partner to this set, as it will always take down non-Shed Shell Skarmory and Bronzong 100% of the time, significantly raising Salamence's chance of pulling off an effective sweep. Although the sandstorm may seem like an issue, Expert Belt Tyranitar is also an effective partner for this set, as it can beat Choice Scarf Latias and Starmie, both capable of outpacing Salamence, with Pursuit. Tyranitar also comes with a bonus of luring in Skarmory and Scizor and taking them down with Fire Blast, should you not wish to use Magnezone support. Finally, Spikes support helps in weakening down grounded Steel- and Water-type switch-ins, both of which can cause trouble for this set. Specially Defensive Skarmory can set up Spikes on most of the OU tier while also providing Salamence with a nice Dragon-type resist.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
nature: Naughty / Naive
evs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to take full advantage of Salamence's versatility and superb mixed base attacking stats. It seeks to lure in physically defensive Pokémon that would be called upon to counter a standard Dragon Dancer, such as Hippowdon and Swampert, and slam them with a surprise special attack, freeing Salamence to use Outrage on a more susceptible target. Furthermore, this set aims to rectify the common problems that halt a Salamence sweep, be it MixMence's relative incapability of damaging special walls without predicting a switch in, or the Dragon Dancer's difficulty with taking on more physically defensive Pokémon.</p>
<p>The most effective tactic when using this set is to Dragon Dance right off the bat, boosting the power of Outrage and allowing you to outspeed normally faster threats. From this point, one should choose the appropriate move depending on the opponent's reaction to Salamence. Draco Meteor will do huge amounts of damage to various physical walls, and having seen Dragon Dance, the likes of Gyarados, Hippowdon, and Swampert will be taken completely by surprise from your strong special attack. Blissey is highly unlikely to switch into a Salamence with a Dragon Dance under its belt, so your special attack should hit its mark, enabling you to use Outrage freely once the initial counter is removed. One of the best advantages of this set is that Salamence will not be forced to Outrage immediately after having Danced up, meaning the common strategy of letting it "Outrage into a Steel" is rendered ineffective.</p>
<p>The last slot is dedicated to a coverage move to help out against the Steel-types that resist Salamence's Dragon attacks. While Fire Blast may seem like the superior choice here at an initial glance, Earthquake will generally provide Salamence with stronger and more consistent damage. The majority of the time, Salamence will find itself having Dragon Danced and Draco Meteored once already when it comes face to face with an opposing Steel-type, meaning attacking from a +1 Attack stat as compared to a -2 Special Attack stat is far more effective, not to mention that it gives Salamence a way of dealing with Heatran. However, this does leave Salamence with the problem of not being able to hit Skarmory and Bronzong for neutral damage.</p>
<p>Running a positive Attack nature will ensure you make the most of Salamence's naturally high Attack stat, and allows it to sweep very easily with Outrage after a Dragon Dance. Max Special Attack with a neutral nature guarantees OHKOs on max HP Zapdos and min HP Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. 176 Speed EVs hit 280 Speed, allowing Salamence to serve as a reliable check against Adamant Lucario and non-Scarfed Heatran before using Dragon Dance, while also allowing it to outspeed Scarfed versions of said Heatran and everything slower after boosting its own Speed. A Naive nature can be run on this set if you so wish; you will lose power on Outrage but will be able to Speed tie with 90 base Speed Pokémon and outspeed Timid Scarf Rotom-H after a Dragon Dance. Notably, a Naive nature and a Dragon Dance will still OHKO the standard 148/252 Calm Blissey with Outrage assuming Stealth Rock is on the field.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pairing this set up with a Magnezone is highly recommended, as it can single-handedly remove Skarmory and Bronzong from the game and give Salamence a clear path to sweep. If you are opposed to using Magnezone, Fire Blast can be used for its ability to hit Celebi notably harder without the need to Outrage; however it is unreliable and will leave you helpless against Heatran. Magnezone also serves as an efficient answer to Scizor, in particular Choice Band versions that try to revenge kill Salamence with Bullet Punch. Lucario pairs up well with this set as well, since it can beat both Skarmory and Bronzong with a boosted Close Combat, and also packs a resistance to Bullet Punch (albeit taking quite a bit of damage from Choice Band Scizor). A Scarf Dugtrio can be employed to beat the majority of Heatran sets, which will allow comfortabe use of Fire Blast in the fourth move slot.</p>
<p>Here are some damage calculations to demonstrate the strength with which this set can hit from both sides of the spectrum (assuming a Naughty nature).</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Draco Meteor vs. max HP / min SpD Hippowdon: 82.9 - 97.4%</li>
<li>Draco Meteor vs. max HP / min SpD Zapdos: 75.0 - 88.5% (OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Draco Meteor vs. min HP / SpD Gyarados: 79.8 - 94.3% (OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>+1 Outrage vs. 148 HP / max Def Blissey: 100%</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs. max HP / min Def Metagross: 93.4 - 100% (92.3% chance to OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>+1 Earthquake vs. max HP / min Def Tyranitar: 97.0 - 100% (OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
</ul>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Dragon Claw / Stone Edge / Aqua Tail
item: Choice Band
nature: Naive / Naughty
evs: 248 Atk / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although normally of the Dragon Dance variant, Salamence can equip a Choice Band for the ability to deal immediate damage in exchange for being able to switch between attacks and raise its Speed. With a Choice Band equipped, Salamence can catch usual counters to the Dragon Dance set, such as Swampert and Hippowdon, off guard.</p>
<p>Outrage is a given for its ability to hit everything but Steel-types for neutral damage. Earthquake and Fire Blast complement Outrage by hitting all of the Steel-types which resist Outrage for super effective. For the last slot, Dragon Claw is a nice STAB alternative to Outrage early game, as you won't have to worry about getting locked in. Stone Edge works great if you need to dispatch of Flying-types, such as Zapdos and Gyarados, while Aqua Tail hits bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Gliscor for super effective damage. Really, any combination of the given attacks work here, depending on what you'd like Salamence to beat one-on-one for your team.</p>
<p>A Naive nature is used to get the jump on neutral Speed-natured base 100 Pokémon and positive Speed natured base 90s, while not weakening the power of Fire Blast; although Naughty is still a viable option to increase Salamence's Attack to guarantee 2HKOs on bulkier Pokémon, such as Hippowdon. Alternatively, you can run a nature that does not affect your defenses and simply opt for Fire Fang. Maximum Attack and Speed should be rather obvious, while the small investment in Special Attack guarantees Salamence 2HKOes 252 HP / 0 SpD Bold Celebi with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set benefits from teammates which can prevent Stealth Rock, unarguably one of the biggest drawbacks to this set, from being set up. Choice Scarf Smeargle outspeeds all of the relevant leads in OU and cripples them with Spore; even better, most leads don't bother switching out! Although Lum Berry leads have the possibility of laying down Stealth Rock, Smeargle can simply Trick its Choice Scarf onto them to limit their effectiveness. Aside from a Stealth Rock-preventing teammate, Salamence will also want to be paired with a Pokemon capable of countering common Steel-, Water-, and Flying-types. Choice Specs Vaporeon can hit Steel-types for a large amount of damage while taking down Water- and Flying-types with Hidden Power Electric and Ice Beam, respectively. If need be, Vaporeon can also heal Salamence through Wish.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hydro Pump
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Salamence boasts extraordinary offensive prowess on both ends of the attacking spectrum, but its Speed sometimes falls short of what is necessary, so a mixed Choice Scarf set is natural. Such a Salamence is well-suited for sweeping late-game, when most opposing Pokémon are weakened; Outrage is perfectly tailored for cleaning up, and Earthquake and Fire Blast ensure that no Pokémon is capable of resisting Salamence's attacks. Hydro Pump rounds out this set nicely considering it easily 2HKOes Hippowdon, Donphan, and Gliscor, Pokémon that would otherwise give this set problems. Draco Meteor is usable over another move, likely Hydro Pump.</p>
<p>Maximizing Salamence's Attack gives it just enough power to 2HKO all Vaporeon after integrating Stealth Rock damage and Leftovers recovery. The 176 Speed EVs result in 280 Speed, outrunning all base 90 Speed Pokémon not possessing a Speed-boosting nature, and Timid Heatran along the way. The remainder is invested in Special Attack to provide a boost to Fire Blast and Hydro Pump, though it doesn't convert any significant 3HKOs into 2HKOs or 2HKOs into OHKOs. Another option is simply to run max Attack and Speed along with a Naive nature, in the case you'd rather at least speed tie with Scarfed base 100's.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Having a way to lure and take down Steel-types works wonders for this set, as Outrage can simply annihilate everything else thereafter. Magnezone is undoubtedly the best partner to this set, as it can beat every Steel-type bar Heatran and Lucario on its own, provided it has Magnet Rise to evade the occasional Earthquake. Entry hazard support in the form of Stealth Rock, and when possible, Spikes, helps wear down the opponent into Outrage's KO range. Smeargle is an effective entry hazard lead, capable of laying down both, while Aerodactyl is the fastest lead capable of solely laying down Stealth Rock. Choice Band Scizor makes an excellent partner for cleaning up after Salamence goes down, given its access to the strongest priority in OU and great typing.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Hydro Pump
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although relatively uncommon nowadays, this set has the potential to use surprise factor as a way to form holes on the opponent's team.</p>
<p>Draco Meteor is Salamence's most powerful special attack, being able to deal a large amount of damage to even Steel-types, like Scizor (which, in fact, has a chance of being 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage). Dragon Pulse provides Salamence with an alternative STAB without the power-dropping effects of Draco Meteor and can be used in the late-game when Salamence has a chance of sweeping. Flamethrower and Hydro Pump provide Salamence with great coverage; the former hits Steel-types for super effective while the latter takes care of Heatran.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Salamence to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding dangerous threats like Lucario. The remaining EVs were placed into Defense so Salamence can switch in a maximum of four turns, instead of three, with Stealth Rock on the field.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>When using this set, you will want to always carry a teammate which can lure out and kill Blissey. Heatran is a good choice to take on this task, given you can feign a Choice Scarf set and Explode at an appropriate time. Additionally, Heatran is an excellent switch-in into the usual Dragon- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Salamence as well as to usual Salamence checks, such as Scizor. Choice Specs Latias can also serve as a good partner for this set. Essentially, you can use either Salamence or Latias to weaken the opponent's Steel-types, then the other will be able to sweep with greater ease.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Bulky
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers / Life Orb / Lum Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 HP / 64 Atk / 116 SpD / 92 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the previous set focuses on Salamence's Defense stat to take hits and set up, this set focuses on Salamence's overlooked Special Defense stat. Often enough, players rely on weaker Ice Beams to KO Salamence, which this set attempts to prevent. The goal is simple: set up with Dragon Dance and heal with Roost as needed, and proceed to sweep.</p>
<p>Dragon Claw and Outrage are both viable options, depending on how you want to play Salamence. Dragon Claw, along with either Leftovers or Life Orb, should be used if you want to get in as many Dragon Dances up as possible before attemping to sweep. On the other hand, Outrage along with Lum Berry should be used if you want to sweep after only one boost; Lum Berry ensures that confusion won't get in the way of your sweep. Earthquake is given to KO the Steel-types, bar Skarmory and Bronzong, which resist your Dragon-type attack of choice.</p>
<p>The EVs ensure that this Salamence will survive an unSTABed Hidden Power Ice from 359 Special Attack, such as from Timid Choice Scarf Gengar, or Ice Beam from 269 Special Attack. 92 Speed EVs returns 259, sufficient to outrun Modest Choice Scarf Heatran after a single Dragon Dance, effectively putting the latter into a checkmate position. Naive variants fail to KO Salamence, allowing you to nab an extra boost. 64 Attack EVs guarantee that 404 HP / 361 Def Suicune is 2HKOed with Outrage after Stealth Rock damage. If you opt to use Dragon Claw, you may want to consider investing slightly more in Attack.</p>
<p>An alternative spread for this set, to make it fully special defensive, is to use a Careful nature with Leftovers and an EV spread of 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe. Leftovers' health recovery gives this Salamence much more survivability, at least nullifying the detrimental effects of possible sandstorm or hail, letting this Salamence switch in more often. 56 HP / 124 Atk / 232 SpD / 92 Spe with an Adamant nature is another alternative for slightly better Special Defensive abilities and will also allow you to 2HKO 444 HP / 372 Def Cresselia with Outrage after a Dragon Dance on average with Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Partners to this set do not differ much from the physically bulky spread, as you're objective is still to set up and sweep. Starmie can serve as a good way of eliminating Stealth Rock off the field thanks to Rapid Spin, while Spikers such as Skarmory and Forretress can weaken both Water- and Steel-type switch-ins. Another thing to keep in mind is that Salamence aims to beat bulky Waters on its own (made even easier by the aforementioned Spikes support), so running a teammate with such counters works wonders for this set. Agility Metagross can set up on the Ice-, Dragon-, and Steel-type attacks often used to revenge kill Salamence and proceed to sweep with Swampert and friends out of the way.</p>
name: Specially Bulky
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw / Outrage
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers / Life Orb / Lum Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 HP / 64 Atk / 116 SpD / 92 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the previous set focuses on Salamence's Defense stat to take hits and set up, this set focuses on Salamence's overlooked Special Defense stat. Often enough, players rely on weaker Ice Beams to KO Salamence, which this set attempts to prevent. The goal is simple: set up with Dragon Dance and heal with Roost as needed, and proceed to sweep.</p>
<p>Dragon Claw and Outrage are both viable options, depending on how you want to play Salamence. Dragon Claw, along with either Leftovers or Life Orb, should be used if you want to get in as many Dragon Dances up as possible before attemping to sweep. On the other hand, Outrage along with Lum Berry should be used if you want to sweep after only one boost; Lum Berry ensures that confusion won't get in the way of your sweep. Earthquake is given to KO the Steel-types, bar Skarmory and Bronzong, which resist your Dragon-type attack of choice.</p>
<p>The EVs ensure that this Salamence will survive an unSTABed Hidden Power Ice from 359 Special Attack, such as from Timid Choice Scarf Gengar, or Ice Beam from 269 Special Attack. 92 Speed EVs returns 259, sufficient to outrun Modest Choice Scarf Heatran after a single Dragon Dance, effectively putting the latter into a checkmate position. Naive variants fail to KO Salamence, allowing you to nab an extra boost. 64 Attack EVs guarantee that 404 HP / 361 Def Suicune is 2HKOed with Outrage after Stealth Rock damage. If you opt to use Dragon Claw, you may want to consider investing slightly more in Attack.</p>
<p>An alternative spread for this set, to make it fully special defensive, is to use a Careful nature with Leftovers and an EV spread of 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe. Leftovers' health recovery gives this Salamence much more survivability, at least nullifying the detrimental effects of possible sandstorm or hail, letting this Salamence switch in more often. 56 HP / 124 Atk / 232 SpD / 92 Spe with an Adamant nature is another alternative for slightly better Special Defensive abilities and will also allow you to 2HKO 444 HP / 372 Def Cresselia with Outrage after a Dragon Dance on average with Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Partners to this set do not differ much from the physically bulky spread, as you're objective is still to set up and sweep. Starmie can serve as a good way of eliminating Stealth Rock off the field thanks to Rapid Spin, while Spikers such as Skarmory and Forretress can weaken both Water- and Steel-type switch-ins. Another thing to keep in mind is that Salamence aims to beat bulky Waters on its own (made even easier by the aforementioned Spikes support), so running a teammate with such counters works wonders for this set. Agility Metagross can set up on the Ice-, Dragon-, and Steel-type attacks often used to revenge kill Salamence and proceed to sweep with Swampert and friends out of the way.</p>
[SET]
name: FatMence
move 1: Roost
move 2: Wish / Toxic
move 3: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In contrast to the other sets, which focus on sweeping, this particular Salamence focuses on supporting your team while taking hits from the likes of Lucario and other Fighting-types. Both Wish and Toxic make Salamence a team player, both of which will allow the rest of your team to outstall the opponent (depending on your strategy).</p>
<p>The rest of the given options require little explanation. Roost provides Salamence with instant recovery, allowing it to switch in more freely. Both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse provide Salamence with a solid Dragon-type STAB move; the former's stat-lowering side effect should be noted however, as Salamence may be forced to switch out after attacking. Flamethrower provides Salamence with a way to take out Steel-types, bar Heatran. Earthquake is also an option over Flamethrower, but giving Skarmory a free switch-in often proves more lethal than with Heatran.</p>
<p>The given EVs provide Salamence with optimum defensive capabilities, while at the same time being able to outpace Adamant Lucario. Outspeeding Jolly Lucario will require 176 Speed EVs.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This Salamence works best on defensive teams revolving around entry hazards, given the fact it forces lots of switches. As such, Forretress makes an excellent partner to this set. Forretress can not only spin away Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, but it can also lay down both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Furthermore, Forretress is an excellent switch-in to the Dragon- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Salamence, which in return packs a resist to the Fire-type attacks aimed at Forretress. Swampert can lay down Stealth Rock, while at the same time covering Salamence's Rock-type weakness. Salamence can also provide both Forretress and Swampert with much needed Wish support. Finally, don't forget to pack something to cover Heatran, which completely walls this set.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most other sweepers, Salamence greatly benefits from entry hazards, which allows it to net specific KO's it would otherwise miss. Stealth Rock is the most vital here, while at the same time being the easiest to set up. To note some examples, Stealth Rock ensures that Salamence will OHKO Gyarados and Zapdos with a +1 Life Orb Outrage. Many Pokemon are capable of laying down Stealth Rock, so it mainly depends on the type of team you are running. Aerodactyl works great on hyper offense teams, while Swampert and Metagross are more suitable for defensive or balanced teams. Spikes and Toxic Spikes should be considered as well, primarily because they help weaken bulky Water-type switch-ins. Both Skarmory and Smeargle are among the best Spikers in OU, while Roserade makes a reliable Pokemon for laying down Toxic Spikes. Finally, dual screens may help in easing set-up. Azelf and Metagross are capable of setting them up fairly easily.</p>
<p>Arguably, Stealth Rock is the biggest threat to Salamence, as it chips away 25% of its health each time it switches in. With both sandstorm and Life Orb chipping away at its health, Salamence can faint pretty quickly. For this reason, Rapid Spin should always merit a consideration on a team featuring Salamence. Two Pokemon for this role come to mind: Starmie and Forretress. Both Pokemon complement Salamence by covering its Ice-type weakness, with the latter also covering Salamence's Dragon-type weakness. Although Ghost-types can get in the way of pulling off a successful spin, both Starmie and Forretress have a way to weaken the most common ones you'll encounter (i.e. Rotom-A and Gengar). By running a Life Orb, Starmie will always 2HKO Rotom-A and OHKO Gengar with Hydro Pump. On the other hand, Forretress can weaken Rotom-A and Gengar with Payback, making sure to avoid a Will-O-Wisp and Hidden Power Fire from both, respectively.</p>
<p>Salamence will have trouble sweeping past Steel-types, particularly because they can come in while it's locked into Outrage and either KO it or phaze it out and force it to take more Stealth Rock damage upon switching back in. Magnezone is a reliable partner for eliminating every Steel-type bar Heatran, Lucario, and some variants of Metagross; if equipped with Choice Scarf, Magnezone can even revenge kill Lucario if needed. Since Salamence focuses on wearing down the opponent's team if it doesn't manage to sweep itself, a lategame sweeper should be paired with the more offensive sets. Life Orb Gengar manages to pull off an easy sweep after Scizor and Metagross have been sufficiently weakened. Other sweepers, such as Swords Dance Lucario, can set up on the usual Dragon- or Ice-type attacks used to revenge kill Salamence and proceed to sweep.</p>
<p>Defensively, Salamence struggles against Dragon-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks, which hit it for super effective damage. As such, Steel-types make the best partners for this set in the given department, as they resist all three of the listed types of attacks. Jirachi packs great base 100 defenses to repeatedly switch into such attacks, while also being able to take down opposing users of the move with its great availability to attacks, such as Iron Head and Ice Punch. Jirachi can also lure in Steel-types and KO them with Fire Punch, or if you wish to take a more defensive route, it can also pass Wishes to Salamence sets lacking Roost. Salamence, in return, can switch into the usual Ground- and Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi.</p>
<p>Aside from Steel-types, Salamence will also have trouble against Mamoswine and Weavile, since both have Ice Shard to bypass any boosts Salamence might have and promptly KO it. Choice Band Scizor pairs well with Salamence both offensively, weakening usual Salamence checks with U-turn, and defensively, covering Salamence's Ice- and Dragon-type weaknesses, and can KO both Mamoswine and Weavile with a Technician-boosted, STAB Bullet Punch. Cresselia, a Pokemon which counters Salamence in its entirety, can be beaten Scizor's U-turn or Pursuit.</p>
<p>Most of Salamence's usual checks, ranging from Scizor to Swampert, are paired with Dragon-types such as opposing Salamence and Latias. Salamence itself can take them out with a STAB Draco Meteor or Outrage, but carrying a Scizor of your own serves as a good check to prevent both from sweeping should Salamence faint.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h2>OU:</h2>
<p>Yache Berry is a viable option on the Dragon Dancer, but Dragonite makes better use of it with his superior defenses. You should also note that a Life Orb paired with a single Dragon Dance is effectively a 1.95x boost. Switching to Yache Berry to get an extra Dragon Dance (a 2x boost) gives only a marginal gain in attacking power; the extra Dragon Dance is really only useful to get more Speed. You can run Aerial Ace if you really hate Heracross, but it's largely unneeded. The 100 Base Power Dragon Rush may be appetizing, but its 75% accuracy sure isn't. There are plenty of move combinations and EV spreads that Salamence can use with a Choice Scarf, be it all physical, special or mixed; however, the given Choice Scarf set it probably your best option if you want to make good use of the item.</p>
<p>Due to Salamence's stat distribution and Intimidate, he can really be EVed to accomplish just about anything. For the more complicated spreads, you'll want to use what was recommended prior to accomplish the specific goals listed. Generally speaking, you'll want to either pump Salamence's offenses or play up its defenses to capitalize on Intimidate. Generally, you'll either want to run a Speed stat of 280 to outpace Adamant Lucario or a max Speed stat of 328 to tie with +Speed base 100's. Running a neutral nature with max Speed is also acceptable on the Dragon Dance sets, but automatically losing to Choice Scarf Jirachi is not worth it on the long run, so a lower (or higher) Speed stat is preferred.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Salamence is one of the few Pokémon which lack definitive counters, given its ridiculous versatility and ability to attack from both sides of the spectrum. Nevertheless, your best bet against it is to let it take residual damage by forcing it to switch out or simply revenge killing it after it has locked itself into Outrage.</p>
<p>Undoubtedly, the best initial switch-ins are Steel-types since they resist both Draco Meteor and Outrage. Choice Band Scizor can switch into everything but Fire Blast and deal upwards to 67% with Bullet Punch (which will KO Salamence after a switch-in into Stealth Rock and one turn of Life Orb recoil). Choice Scarf Jirachi functions in the same way, given it can KO Salamence with Ice Punch after Stealth Rock damage, but it risks the Speed tie against the Naive Dragon Dance set. Bronzong can survive any of Salamence's attacks bar two successive Fire Blasts and threaten it with Gyro Ball or Explosion. Choice Scarf Metagross and Heatran threaten the MixMence sets with Ice Punch and Dragon Pulse respectively, but are useless against the Dragon Dance sets.</p>
<p>There are also hard counters for each set, although it should be noted said counters will lose to other variants. Hippowdon and Swampert work well against the Dragon Dance sets, as both can survive a +1 Life Orb Outrage and either phaze out Salamence with Roar or KO it with Ice Fang or Ice Beam, respectively. Vaporeon and Bold Blissey do decently against the MixMence versions, although both require Ice Beam to do anything of significance in return; Wish stalling will only work against the Roost-lacking variants.</p>
<p>For the Choice Band and Choice Scarf sets, defensively oriented walls, such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, and most Steel-types, are your best bet, although the former two risk a 2HKO from Aqua Tail. For the bulky Dragon Dancers, they are utterly walled by Skarmory and Bronzong, and can be forced out by bulky Waters, such as Swampert and Suicune. Finally, for the FatMence set, Heatran is your best bet against it, since it resists both Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse and actually benefits from Flamethrower, not to mention it is also immune to Toxic.</p>
<p>Ice Shard Donphan / Mamoswine / Weavile can come in if Salamence faints a Pokémon and ward it off 100% of the time, but the only one of those three that can actually switch into Salamence is Donphan, and that's only on the physical variants, preferably the Dragon Dance Salamence. This works especially well if Salamence is locked into Outrage since it will be unable to switch out.</p>
<p>Cresselia beats all of the sets, but has seen little usage due to Scizor and Tyranitar being as common as they are.</p>
<p>If your team cannot accommodate for carrying hard counters for the different sets, you can instead opt for a Choice Scarf revenge killer to beat Salamence. The best options for this task are Latias, Gengar, and Starmie. However, all three are massively weak to Pursuit, so having something to lure out and KO Scizor and Tyranitar is highly recommended.</p>
<p>Generally, the best strategy is to let Salamence be worn down by residual damage, as the sets without Roost are usually the most threatening anyway.</p>
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I will be updating this thread once I get time to work on it. I'd like to thank Joshe for helping me test some sets while I get this written.
Note: Comments in red are the original truncated paragraphs and other old options. These can be ignored for now.
