Finished Slowbro analysis

[Overview]

<p>Slowbro has many talents to offer a team, even in the OU tier. The fact that Slowbro is one of the best Fighting-type checks is often overlooked; it can handle Terrakion, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr quite well. It's also an excellent physical Dragon-type check; Garchomp, Salamence, and Dragonite  are heavily dented or OHKOed by Ice Beam. Slowbro also has a fantastic ability in Regenerator, which greatly increases its walling capabilities. Not only does Slowbro get a recovery move in Slack Off, but it also has amazing physical bulk to back it up. Tough mediocre, Slowbro's Special Defense can allow it to survive a strong blow. Slowbro does not only shines on the defensive side, as its Special Attack is high enough to make use of, especially when combined with its great coverage. Slowbro can also turn its horrid Speed into a powerful weapon thanks to Trick Room. There's more: Slowbro is one of the few Psychic-types that doesn't mind taking a Pursuit from the likes of Tyranitar and Scizor.</p>

<p>However, Slowbro has many flaws that make it undesirable to some players. It is extremely slow, so it cannot outspeed any notable threats besides Ferrothorn. Slowbro is also outclassed by many Water-types when it comes to team support; Jellicent is a much better option in that department. All in all, while Slowbro has some flaws, it possesses many qualities that make it a great chpice on a variety of teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Scald
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Psychic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With access to an amazing ability in Regenerator, a reliable healing move in Slack Off, a great defensive typing, and a respectable Defense stat, Slowbro works well as a physical wall. This set allows Slowbro to counter almost every Fighting-type, including Terrakion, Conkeldurr, and Lucario. In fact, Breloom is the only physical attacker in OU that can OHKO Slowbro at full HP without any set-up. Scald is Slowbro's primary STAB move, potentially crippling the opponent with its 30% burn chance. Ice Beam is a great coverage move, especially against Dragon-types; in particular, Salamence and Dragonite are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage with Ice Beam, while Garchomp is 2HKOed by it. There are two alternatives for the third moveslot. Psychic allows Slowbro to counter dangerous Pokemon such as Conkeldurr, SubDD Gyarados, Toxicroak, and Cloyster, which it would otherwise lose against one-on-one. On the other hand, Thunder Wave is a great option to cripple fast special attackers that like to switch into Slowbro, such as Latios and Rotom-W, and gives it a means of supporting the entire team. Slack Off fills the final moveslot, allowing Slowbro to stay in prime condition while enhancing its ability as a physical wall by lengthening its lifespan.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>19 Speed IVs ensure standard Conkeldur outspeeds Slowbro so the latter never takes full damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's most powerful attack against it. Psyshock can be used as a secondary STAB move in this set, as it hits Calm Mind Keldeo, Terrakion in the sand, and Gyarados harder than any other move Slowbro has. Toxic can be used to cripple Pokemon that like to switch into Slowbro, such as Latias, Jellicent, and Cresselia. Flamethrower is a viable option as well; it 2HKOes Ferrothorn outside of rain, OHKOes 248/0 Scizor 81% of the time, and brings 252/0 Forretress down to its Sturdy. However, Fire Blast does even more damage in exchange for less accuracy, OHKOing every variant of Scizor bar the bulky Swords Dance set. Thanks to Regenerator, you have the option of replacing Slack Off with another move; be warned though that this significantly decreases Slowbro's longevity.</p>

<p>Despite having a decent Special Defense stat, Slowbro always appreciates partners that can sponge powerful special attacks for it. Blissey and Chansey are fantastic special walls that can take special attacks for Slowbro, while Slowbro covers the physical Fighting-type attacks they are weak to. Celebi is a great partner for Slowbro, as it covers its Electric and Grass weaknesses and is able to take on many of the special attackers that it cannot, such as Latios, Latias, and Thundurus-T. However, Celebi shares Bug-, Dark-, and Ghost-type weaknesses with Slowbro, so be sure to carry a teammate that covers those types. Amoonguss has Regenerator and solid defensive synergy with Slowbro, allowing them to form an effective Regenerator core. Amoonguss can also handle Breloom, a major threat to Slowbro. Heatran combined with Slowbro and Amoonguss forms a potent defensive Fire / Water / Grass core; it can also deal with Magnezone and specially defensive Celebi, which threaten the rest of the core. Finally, Breloom, Scizor, and Choice Band Tyranitar are massive threats to this set; Skarmory handles all three of them while being able to set up Spikes in certain situations.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Trick / Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 19 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although Slowbro is widely known for its formidable bulk, it can still make use of its respectable base 100 Special Attack with Choice Specs. With Trick, Slowbro has the ability to cripple opposing walls by exchanging items with them. Slowbro also doesn't mind switching in and out of entry hazards thanks to Regenerator, which makes it stand out from fellow Choice item users. Furthermore, it can still take advantage of wonderful bulk; this Slowbro's ability to take hits and dish them out makes it unique.</p>

<p>Surf is powerful, being Slowbro's primary STAB move. Fire Blast is a great coverage move against the many Steel-type Pokemon roaming the OU metagame, including Ferrothorn. It can also handle Grass-types such as Venusaur and Breloom. The secondary STAB move chosen in the the third moveslot depends on your preference. Psyshock helps Slowbro break through special walls; while Psychic cannot achieve this, it is stronger and can OHKO most Conkeldurr. The final moveslot presents another choice. Trick is the recommended option, ruining the foe's strategy by forcing it to stick to one move. However, Ice Beam and Shadow Ball are both useful coverage moves to have against Dragon-, Psychic-, and Ghost-type Pokemon that would otherwise wall Slowbro, such as Latios, Latias, Hydreigon, Jellicent, and Starmie, so it depends on what threatens the rest of your team.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Regardless of Speed investment, Slowbro won't outspeed anything significant, so 252 EVs are placed in HP to give it as much bulk as possible, while 252 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature maximize its power. Regenerator is the ability of choice, allowing Slowbro to switch in and out freely without being too affected by entry hazards. 19 Speed IVs make Slowbro slower than standard Conkeldurr, letting it avoid double damage from Payback, Conkeldurr's strongest attack against it. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast; while it lacks the raw power Fire Blast provides, it has higher accuracy, which makes it more reliable.</p>

<p>Teammates that can take advantage of the Pokemon that Slowbro lures and destroys are good partners. Slowbro can lure Ferrothorn onto the field and defeat it with Fire Blast, so any Pokemon that benefits from having Ferrothorn removed will work well with Slowbro; Choice item-holding Keldeo, Double Dance Thundurus-T, and Kyurem-B are a few examples of note. Because Slowbro is going to be switching in and out often with this set, Choice Band Tyranitar's Pursuit is dangerous, so having partners that can defeat Tyranitar, such as Landorus-T and Terrakion (though has to be wary of Superpower in Terrakion's case), are recommended. Thundurus-T and Jolteon can easily outspeed and OHKO Slowbro with their STAB Electric-type attacks. Gastrodon and Celebi are both great counters to those Electric-types as they can take almost everything they can throw at them bar Grass Knot and Signal Beam, respectively. Celebi can also handle Jellicent, a Pokemon that is difficult for Slowbro to defeat thanks to its great bulk, while not being bothered by a stray Toxic or Will-O-Wisp. When Psyshock is not used, Slowbro has difficulty defeating special walls, such as Blissey and Jellicent, so physical attackers, such as Terrakion and Breloom, work well with Slowbro. Latios and Calm Mind Latias both give Slowbro trouble, with the latter being able to set up against Slowbro. Specially defensive Jirachi can handle both of them, walling them easily and potentially paralyzing them with Body Slam or Thunder Wave. Jirachi also synergizes with Slowbro well, being able to take the myriad of special attacks that threaten it.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Surf
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Quiet
evs: 232 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Slowbro's pitiful Speed can be used to its advantage with Trick Room. With its offensive presence, formidable bulk, and access to healing via Regenerator, Slowbro has all the necessary tools it needs to function as a successful offensive Trick Room user. This set is mostly used late-game to clean up any scraps its team's sweepers may have left. However, thanks to Regenerator, Slowbro is one of the few Trick Room sweepers that can be useful throughout the entire game due to its ability to act as a pivot and hit-and-run attacker. Trick Room allows Slowbro to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the OU tier bar Ferrothorn. Surf is Slowbro's main STAB move, while Psyshock or Psychic are the options for its secondary STAB&mdash;a choice between power and "mixed" attacking. The choice for the final move depends on the coverage needed; Ice Beam nails Dragon- and Grass-types, while Shadow Ball hits Jellicent and Starmie for great damage while still covering some Dragon- and Grass-types, such as Latios, Latias, and Celebi.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb enhances Slowbro's power, and it doesn't have to worry about the recoil damage thanks to Regenerator healing any excess damage Slowbro might have incurred. A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs minimize Slowbro's Speed, allowing it to move before almost every OU threat under Trick Room. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA can be used if you wish for Slowbro to play a more defensive role, making it more of a pure Trick Room supporter. If that path is taken, it's advised to drop one of Slowbro's attacks for Slack Off to maintain its lifespan. Leftovers should be replaced with Life Orb as well if Slowbro runs the defensive EV spread. Finally, Fire Blast is an option in the final moveslot to deal with Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn.</p>

<p>Many slow hard hitters appreciate being paired with Slowbro, as it can set up Trick Room for them. Examples of such Pokemon are Magnezone, which can remove Ferrothorn, making it easier for Slowbro to sweep; Conkeldurr, which can get past Ferrothorn, Celebi, and Jellicent easily; and Reuniclus, which is another excellent Trick Room sweeper that can clean up after Slowbro weakens the opposition. Ferrothorn and Forretress can be used with Slowbro as well for a more defensive route, as they can make use of their Speed to set up entry hazards. They also can take numerous attacks that are super effective against Slowbro, such as Ghost-, Bug-, Grass-, and Dark-type moves. Entry hazards to weaken the adversary are also appreciated; Ferrothorn is a great entry hazard setter to pair with with Slowbro, covering its weaknesses quite well. Slowbro has no way of reliably defeating Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Jirachi, so Heatran and Magnezone are prime choices to handle them; the former can roast almost every Steel-type it encounters, while the latter can trap and kill the Steel-types quite easily with Hidden Power Fire.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>There are very few other options for Slowbro. It can run a Life Orb tank set, which Regenerator complements quite nicely, healing any damage incurred by Life Orb's recoil; such a set would run Slack Off, Surf, and two coverage moves. Slowbro can run a Calm Mind set, but it needs several boosts to have a chance of sweeping, providing more time for a powerful attacker to come in and cripple Slowbro, and is outclassed for the most part by Jirachi and Latias as a bulky boosting sweeper. Finally, Grass Knot can be used on offensive sets if your team has trouble with Gastrodon</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Celebi, Chansey, Blissey, and Gastrodon are the best counters to Slowbro. They can brush off anything that defensive Slowbro can do and beat it one-on-one. Latias, Latios, Amoonguss, Starmie, Rotom-W, and Jellicent are also good checks to offensive Slowbro, as they can wall the majority of its attacks and defeat him without difficulty. Slowbro is lacking in the Special Defense department, so special attackers, such as Jolteon, Thundurus-T, and Magnezone, are the best offensive checks. While Breloom cannot switch into Slowbro's Psychic-type attacks, it can OHKO Slowbro with Bullet Seed if it hits at least three times. Choice Band Tyranitar is the only Pursuit user Slowbro actually has to worry about, as Tyranitar can 2HKO Slowbro with Pursuit. Ferrothorn, defensive Politoed with Toxic, Kyurem-B and Kyurem with Substitute, Tentacruel with Toxic in rain, SubCM Jirachi, Hydreigon, Ninetales, and Venusaur are all good checks as well; most of them cannot wall or switch into some of Slowbro's attacks, but they can land a KO on Slowbro in the right situation. Finally, anything that can seriously injure Slowbro but can't switch into it prevents Slowbro from switching in, making it much more difficult to use effectively. For example, Scizor's STAB Bug-type moves can seriously dent Slowbro. However, it must be wary of Flamethrower and Fire Blast. There are many approaches to defeating Slowbro, but any powerful special attacker won't have too much trouble taking it down.</p>