Community POTW #18

[AndySonSon]

In NU usage, it's important to make sure that Swalot doesn't become a sub-par Muk. If you want to use Swalot, you need to use it in a way that Muk or other Pokemon can't function. As such, I believe there's only one proper set to use for it (and this set is probably Swalot's best set for use in OU).

Encore

Swalot
Ability: Sticky Hold
Item: Leftovers/Black Sludge
Nature: Careful (+SpD,-SAtk)/Calm (+SpD,-Atk)
EVs: 4 HP/252 Def/252 SDef
Encore
Toxic/Yawn/Body Slam
Pain Split
Earthquake/Fire Punch/Ice Beam/Shadow Ball/HP Fire

This set obviously takes a lot of predictive skill, but using Swalot is already hard as it is, so you have to take a bit of risk to be successful. You should use Encore on a Pokemon setting up entry hazards, raising stats, etc. You can pick a status depending on what you're trying to do. You can use Toxic to wear down other walls, Body Slam can heavily cripple sweepers trying to take Swalot down, and Yawn can force switches, leading to entry hazard damage and maybe a chance to use Pain Split on a fresh Pokemon if you need more health. Pain Split is a pretty unreliable form of recovery, but when compared to Rest as its only alternative, at least it's something.

The final moveslot should go to a damage-inducing attack. This really depends on what you're worried about. If you're running Toxic, Earthquake and Fire Punch (with a Careful nature) are advised in order to deal with Steel-types that would otherwise brush Toxic off. HP Fire can be used for this if you're running a Calm nature. However, if you're running a calm nature, you're better off using Ice Beam or Shadow Ball. Ice Beam lets you hit Gliscor (OU), Altaria and Scyther (UU), and basically any Ground-types really hard that would attempt to threaten Swalot. Shadow Ball can also hit Gengar and all of Rotom's forms hard. If you're running Ice Beam or Shadow Ball, be sure to watch out for Steel-types, as they'll wall you all day.

If you want to run two damage-inducing attacks (generally Earthquake and Fire Punch, or two of Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and HP Fire), you could possibly run Yawn in the place of Encore to screw with an opponent that might be second-guessing using a stat-boosting move with Swalot in its presence. You can also forgo Pain Split in order to run a second damage-inducing move, though it isn't advisable, seeing as Swalot takes on a lot of damage over time.

The two most important things to remember about Swalot is that it needs to avoid being a subpar Muk, and it needs to be able to deal with Steel-types and Ground-types, especially the former if you're running Toxic. If you keep an eye out for these guys, Swalot can be a reasonable wall.

Hope that wasn't too long winded.

AndySonSon

[jstiglich]

perfect partner;
Sharpedo

[Pichu47]

perfect partner;
Sharpedo

Nope, sorry, it has to resist psychic and ground to be the best. Mabye Skarmory....

[SomeoneIGuess]

Mandibuzz. Immune to both weaknesses. Or Hydreigon. Or Murkrow/Honchkrow.

[CloudVII]

Swalot
Black Sludge/Lefties
Liquid Ooze
Quiet
(Someone can help with the EVs)
Acid Spray
Pain Split
Shadow Ball
Substitute

Set up sub. Acid Spray. Set up again. When low, use Pain Split. Shadow Ball for other coverage. Used best on a TR team.

[ringuma]

Abilities

Sticky hold: Prevents Swalot's item to be switched with the opponents (which won't even work if one of the Pokemon isn't holding an item).
Gluttony: An ability that can... make Swalot eat his berry earlier than usual (if he's even holding one).
Liquid ooze: An ability that prevents and counters damage from HP-stealing moves like Giga Drain, Horn Leech, and the annoying Leech Seed. Yeah, this is cool.

The mustachioed poison type

-Gunk Shot
-Seed Bomb / Ice Punch
-Earthquake
-Acid Armor / Curse
Item attached: Choice Band
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Atk/ 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

A poison tank? Well, it's all we got anyway. Choice band helps Swalot with his base 73 Attack stat. Gunk Shot is a whopping 120 powered physical STAB move, which is quite effective, despite having 70 accuracy. Seed Bomb and Ice Punch give him type coverage against ground. Earthquake gets rid of bulky Steel and Rock types. Acid Armor is insanely effective for preparing Swalot for ground type moves like Earthquake, considering Swalot's defense stinks. You could also use Curse to rise both defense stats, but it only raises them by one stage each.

Special Poison type

-Ice Beam
-Sludge Bomb
-Shadow Ball
-Amnesia / Curse
Item attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Hp/ 252 SAtk / 4 Sdef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

This one should be used if your worried more about Psychic types than Rock and Steel types. Choice Specs helps Swalot with his terrible Special Attack. Ice Beam covers ground types, as Sludge Bomb is a 90 power STAB move. Shadow Ball takes care of Psychic types, as Amnesia prepares him for Super-effective Special moves like Psychic. Once again, if you want to rise both defensive stats, go with Curse.

Swalot swallows Swellow

-Ice beam / Shadow Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-Stock Pile
-Spit Up / Swallow

Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs and Nature:
Evs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

This is something you could use if you were a Stockpile user. Ice Beam is used against Ground types or you could use Shadow Ball against Psychic types instead. Sludge Bomb is a good STAB move, and Stock Pile is good if you want to rise your defenses and you can follow it up with Swallow to heal yourself or Spit Up to damage the opponent.

[ChaosEsper]

Abilities

Sticky hold: An ability that is specifically used to prevent danger from Trick, and nothing else.... you know what I mean.

Gluttony: A terrible ability that isn't useful at all even if Swalot is holding a berry.

Liquid ooze: Prevents damage from HP-stealing moves like Giga Drain, Drain Punch, and who could forget the infamous Dream Eater? Yeah, this is cool.

The mustachioed poison type

-Gunk Shot
-Seed Bomb/Ice Punch
-Earthquake
-Acid Armor
Item attached: Choice Band
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 Atk/ 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

A poison tank? Well, it's all we got anyway. Choice band helps Swalot with his base 73 Attack stat. Gunk Shot is a whopping 120 powered physical STAB move, which is quite effective, despite having 70 accuracy. Seed Bomb and Ice Punch give him type coverage against ground. Earthquake gets rid of bulky Steel and Rock types. Acid Armor is insanely effective for ground type moves like Earthquake, especially because Swalot's Defense stinks.

I don't think Dream Eater is affected by liquid ooze.

[ASB]

Gluttony will be more useful when pinch berries become available.

[PhilosophicalPsychologica]

Swalot! Yay!

I see that Swally here was left ignored during Gen 4.

I see that we already have three pages worth of sets, so all I'm gonna say is this:
Swalot has balanced stats and has incredible movepools to use Band or Specs. It has two fantastic Abilities (personally I prefer Sticky Hold on defensive sets).

Other than that, I'd say its niches include Block + Yawn, a Stockpile or Curse set while being immune to Trick AND Pain Split for healing, Acid Armour + Amnesia, Encore, and now the new Acid Spray move. I personally say I would not be ashamed to use Swalot in OU (just not Ubers, you need to have at least a x4 resist for that). I actually use a Swalot set from the games for my Koga team and it doesn't work badly (Pain Split, Stockpile, Sludge Bomb, Encore).

[24Teddiursas]

A Kinda Tank Swalot
Nature:Calm
Ability:Liquid Ooze
Moves:
Amnesia
Yawn/Toxic
Protect
Sludge Wave
Evs:252 Sp.Def, 200 Hp, and 56 Def

Amnesia to raise Sp. Def x2. Yawn or Toxic to Stall/Switch the opponent and Protect to help these Moves. Sludge Wave is so you don't get Taunted

[CaptainCombusken]

Sir Tankalot
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Moves:
-Amnesia [Level up]
-Acid Armor [Egg Move- is also an egg move in gen iV]
-Giga Drain [Gen IV TM]
-Toxic [Level up]

Well, basically a tank. Amnesia and Acid Armor raises its defences to really high levels, which, combined with its high HP, will allow it to hang around for a while.
Toxic is to deal damage, which, when combined with Black Sludge and the high defences and HP, will mean he can hang around for a while. Combine that with Giga Drain, which can also deal with ground types which are horrible for this guy to face, and you have a real tank.

Mr. Messy
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Moves:
-Gastro Acid [Level up]
-Destiny Bond [Egg Move- Koffing/Wheezing]
-Pain Split [Egg moves- Koffing/Wheezing
-Sludge Bomb/Gunk Shot [Level up]

This Swalot is one that is a pain to face. It was Gastro Acid, a potential battle-winning move if used on the right Pokemon. For example, it can allow you to KO a Shedninja with any attack, and more valuable, stop Blaziken and Ninjask from being able to set up a sweeper.
Then you have Destiny Bond. This move guarantees that whatever knocks out Swalot, who has a Focus Sash so he doesn't die before using the move. This can ruin an opponent's strategy, especially if its a boosted sweeper such as Garchomp.
Next, Pain Split. Swalot is low on HP, and you opponent sends out a new Pokemon. This will restore Swalot's HP and make the opponent weaker straight away.
Finally, one of two STAB attacking moves, both of which can inflict poison at a 30% chance. It juts depends on whether you prefer more power or more accuracy.

Thanks for reading.

[Kraleck]

Swalot is actually a coOl looking pokemon. If only it had better defensive stats.

I agree, but if only it had better stats, period. HP is the only stat going for it. Great for a 101-Substitute, but it's so slow and fragile to its weaknesses, STABed or not, that you're likely not going to see one.

That said, getting Trick Room support and a safe switch-in is tricky, but doable. Liquid Ooze plus Curse and Block (4th Gen Tutor) is a great way to ruin a Physical Attacker+Seeder/Drainer that somehow isn't taking the full brunt of your STAB (like if you can't hit the broad side of a Snorlax due to inaccurate Moves or if they are a Seeder Ferrothorn).

Getting Swalot in at all is high-risk. So many Pokemon know Psychic or Ground Moves that any Poison Type has issues.

For a safe switch-in on EQ, you'll need to work with an Air Balloon in Singles or an Imprison+EQ Pokemon Partner in Doubles/Triples. Not many Pokemon can have both Imprison and EQ to help - Stantler, Bronzor, Bronzong, Landorus, Dusclops, and Dusknoir. Stantler and Bronzor/Bronzong would be best since they can learn Psychic Moves and use them fairly well (Stantler's Zen Headbutt and Bronzor/Bronzong's Psychic).

A "safe" Doubles/Triples Partner for Swalot:

Bronzong
Quiet, 252 to both defenses, 6 to HP
Red Card/Leftovers/Wise Glasses
Heatproof
Imprison, EQ, Psychic, Hidden Power (Dark)

Triples Partner for Swalot & Bronzong:

Cradily
Impish, same EVs as Bronzong
Leftovers/Muscle Band
Suction Cups
Block (4th Gen), Recover, Pain Split, Rock Slide
Position - Center

Basically, Block High-HP opponents or ones that can't handle super-effective Moves too well, Imprison immediately and go for broke with Swalot. As for a Swalot for this Triple set, try this:

Swalot
Careful/Calm, 252 to HP, 160 to Sp.Def, rest to Defense
Black Sludge/Rocky Helmet
Sticky Hold
Careful - Gunk Shot, Ice Punch (4th Gen Tutor), Thunderpunch (4th Gen Tutor), Seed Bomb (4th Gen Tutor)
Calm - Sludge Bomb, Ice Beam, Shock Wave (4th Gen TM), Giga Drain (4th Gen TM)

[Vodka Haze]

I agree, but if only it had better stats, period. HP is the only stat going for it.

I also feel that if it had learned Toxic Spikes in Gen IV and gotten a much better DW ability, Swalot would be amazing. It's a real shame as well, since I like it's design.

[GroundTypeGuru]

Tanklot
Swallot@Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
- Curse
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Amnesia
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd

Kind of a variant on dual defenses. Curse makes your attack and defense higher, at the cost of your already bad speed, while Amnesia 2x boosts your special defense. Max HP to hang in there and hopefully get a sub up that can take a beating after the boosts. Gunk Shot has STAB, Earthquake is Earthquake

[Epicpip]

...
...
...

I forgot him. I played Emerald oh so long ago and had him. He worked kinda okay, but I see one large use for him: Serperior counter. He can get Serperior so easily.

Seeders go Bye-Bye
Swalot@Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Calm/Careful
252 HP/252 (Sp)Attack/4 SpD
-Amnesia
-Sludge Bomb/Gunk Shot
-Toxic
-Earthquake/Fire Punch/HP Fire

There. Use Toxic on a subseeder, or destroy the sub with Earthquake or a filler, just get toxic down so that something happens. Then Amnesia to prevent Leaf Storm from getting ahead of your defense (If battling Serperior). The last move is there so that after you kill the subseeder you aren't useless.

I am not the best set-maker, so tell me what you think.

[Swoobat]

Swalot's stats are outclassed by many Pokémon. His attacking stats are awful in this tier. The list of counters is almost endless. I think it doesn't deserve an analysis until UU is open, but well...

In the analysis it should be said that Swalot's movepool is great and that it can surprise many opponents with his coverage.

[streetlightdsb]

Lefties vs Black Sludge: Lefties if you don't want someone else on your team to get black sludge.

I have to quote this so more people will see. If a tricker takes your Black Sludge, they're not going to keep it.

[Wild Dragonite]

You could try Acid Spray as a set-up for a partner, or to stop Baton Passers... but that's really the only new piece of advice I can give.

[TheAwesomeOne]

Muk>Swalot IMO.

[CloudVII]

Is Explosion still viable or did it get nerfed?