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Set Details Slowbro's ability to check some of the tier's strongest wallbreakers while supporting its offensive teammates with Future Sight and Teleport makes it one of the most reliable pivots for bulky offense and balance teams. FuturePort enables teammates like Urshifu-R, Weavile, and Kartana by threatening their checks with a Future Sight and granting them safe entry with Teleport. Scald immediately threatens Pokemon weak to it like Landorus-T and other physical attackers with a burn, but Body Press can be used in tandem with Colbur Berry to turn Slowbro into a decent Weavile check. However, Heavy-Duty Boots is usually preferred as its item to stay healthy and switch into opposing wallbreakers even if entry hazards are on the field. Rocky Helmet is also an option to further punish physical attackers, especially those with multi-hit moves like Melmetal and Urshifu-R. A Relaxed nature with 0 Speed IVs makes Teleport as slow as possible and underspeeds, or at worst ties, Slowking and opposing Slowbro. Offensive Fighting- and Dark-types have great synergy with Future Sight because it lets them break past their respective Poison- and Fighting-type defensive switch-ins; Urshifu-R, Galarian Zapdos, and Weavile benefit greatly from Slowbro's Future Sight. Other wallbreakers like Dragapult, Melmetal, and Kartana can take advantage of Future Sight to break through common switch-ins like Toxapex. Landorus-T is a fantastic defensive teammate for Slowbro, especially its Colbur Berry set, as it checks Electric-types like Zeraora and Tapu Koko while benefiting from Slowbro answering Urshifu-R and Weavile. Tornadus-T, Zapdos, and Buzzwole are great partners for handling Kartana and less common Grass-types like Rillaboom and Tapu Bulu, with Buzzwole even being able to take advantage of Future Sight. Teammates such as Clefable, Heatran, and Assault Vest Tornadus-T can help shore up Slowbro's weakness against special wallbreakers like Dragapult, while the latter and Astrolotl each make strong Regenerator cores with Slowbro that have great staying power. Ferrothorn is another fantastic partner, able to check Weavile if Slowbro is not Colbur Berry while Slowbro can take on Urshifu-R and Fire-types like Heatran and Astrolotl.

Slowbro's nice physical bulk paired with a pivot move and multiple recovery options make it a great defensive wall with longevity in battle. Colorful coverage options allow for Slowbro to have several usable typings, but Ghost / Fighting and Water / Fighting typings offer it the most defensive utility. Shadow Ball Slowbro gains two great immunities to Fighting-type attacks like Close Combat and strong Normal-type moves like Extreme Speed, Facade, and Boomburst, allowing it to switch into attacks from threats like Entei, Heracross, and Kommo-o to scout and heal with Regenerator. Scald offers no immunities but gives Slowbro a number of useful resistances to Fire, Ice, and Water, which allow it to check physical threats such as Triple Axel Pheromosa, Fire-type Entei, and Aqua Tail Garchomp. Body Press takes advantage of Slowbro's naturally high defense and makes for a powerful attack that requires no offensive investment. Slack Off lets Slowbro recover without needing to switch out, which comes in handy against passive Pokemon like Blissey. Rocky Helmet lets Slowbro punish physical attackers by chipping away at their health, after which Slowbro just heals as it switches out. Leftovers is another option, but it is not as useful as Rocky Helmet because Slowbro already has two methods of healing. Heavy-Duty Boots is a third item option that allows Slowbro to pivot while Spikes and Toxic Spikes are on the field and reduces chip damage. A Relaxed nature with full defensive investment maximizes Slowbro's physical bulk and increases the power of Body Press, while minimum Speed lets Slowbro deal with Trick Room attackers and have the slowest possible Teleport for momentum. Slowbro appreciates specially defensive teammates such as Dark / Poison Unaware Clefable and Toxapex to handle the special attackers that force it out. These teammates also cover Slowbro's weaknesses to Ghost- and Psychic-type attacks and vulnerability to being poisoned and can help it gain momentum with Stealth Rock or Teleport from Clefable and Regenerator from Toxapex. Opposing Dark / Poison Clefable and Toxapex can also cripple Slowbro with Toxic and Knock Off, so physical wallbreakers like Garchomp and Melmetal make great offensive teammates that can pressure them. These wallbreakers also appreciate Slowbro's Teleport allowing them to safely switch into battle.

Slowbro is an excellent defensive pivot for Psychic teams, as it is able to take on threats such as Urshifu-R, Excadrill, and Mamoswine. Scald dissuades physical attackers such as Excadrill and Scizor from staying in and setting up on Slowbro due to the threat of burn. Foul Play should be paired with Kasib Berry, as it lets Slowbro survive a hit from and remove threats such as Dragon Dance Dragapult, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Swords Dance Aegislash. Foul Play also punishes setup sweepers such as Dragonite and Garchomp. Body Press + Colbur Berry allows Slowbro to check Swords Dance Bisharp and Weavile, and it also has the added benefit of punishing Substitute users such as Hydreigon and Kyurem, which otherwise take advantage of it. Ice Beam is another option, as it heavily damages threatening setup sweepers such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Dragonite. Teleport safely switches in a teammate that can take advantage of the foe. Heavy-Duty Boots protects Slowbro from entry hazards, allowing it to sponge hits more easily. Alternatively, Rocky Helmet punishes physical attackers such as Landorus-T, Galarian Zapdos, and Urshifu-R that tend to pivot out of it with U-turn. 0 Speed IVs allow it to underspeed opposing Teleport users, letting its teammates come in after the foe has already used Teleport. Galarian Slowking is an excellent teammate for Slowbro, as they form a strong defensive Regenerator core, with the former taking on special attackers such as Tapu Koko, Aegislash, and Kingdra, while the latter easily switches into physical attackers. Psychic teams also appreciate Slowbro taking on physical threats and bringing in wallbreakers such as Latios, Victini, and Tapu Lele safely. Victini deals with Grass-types like Rillaboom and Ferrothorn, loves Slowbro taking on Landorus-T and Excadrill, and appreciates being pivoted into Steel- and Flying-types such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela. Tapu Lele deals with Dark-types such as non-Choice Scarf Weavile and Bisharp, which is especially helpful if Slowbro isn't holding a Colbur Berry, and also deals with Dragon-types like Hydreigon and non-Choice Scarf and Dragapult. It also appreciates pivoting support. Jirachi and Bronzong can take on other special attackers such as Tapu Lele and Hatterene, and they also set Stealth Rock, which synergizes with Slowbro's ability to force switches. If Slowbro isn't running Heavy-Duty Boots, it has a tendency to get overwhelmed by entry hazards, so entry hazard control teammates like Latias and Hatterene are greatly appreciated.

Slowbro is one of the best defensive pivots thanks to its great mixed defensive stats with a Special Defense donation, Regenerator, and Teleport. Its good defensive typing allows it to switch into predicted STAB moves from Zamazenta-C and Volcanion. It can then use Teleport as the foe switches out, safely bringing a teammate into an advantageous position. Scald allows Slowbro to spread burns across the opposing team, possibly crippling physical attackers such as Rillaboom and Zeraora who could otherwise switch into Slowbro freely. Future Sight, mostly used in combination with Teleport, lets Slowbro support wallbreaking teammates, as it can force their checks to take Future Sight damage while trying to check them. Body Press is another option to deter possible switch-ins like Weavile, while Ice Beam nails Dragon-types like Garchomp. Slack Off keeps Slowbro healthy throughout the game, as Regenerator can often be out damaged due to Slowbro switching in repeatedly. For its item, Slowbro can choose between Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots, with Leftovers providing extra recovery while Heavy-Duty Boots allows Slowbro to dodge entry hazards while pivoting. Slowbro finds its home on balance and bulky offense teams where it can soft check a wide range of threats and provide safe entry to wallbreaking teammates. Slowbro pairs well with a wide variety of gods, but gods that can patch up its Special Defense like Zamazenta-C, Ho-Oh, and Necrozma-DM make especially great partners. Most wallbreakers like Zygarde-10% and Blacephalon make great teammates, as they appreciate Slowbro’s ability to help them safely switch into the field. Physical wallbreakers such as Zygarde-10% pair well with Slowbro, which can use Future Sight to threaten common checks to them like Buzzwole. Slowbro pairs well with Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, as they resist the Grass-type moves that threaten Slowbro and provide the team with a solid physically defensive wall. Fighting-types such as Buzzwole are also good teammates, resisting Dark- and Bug-type attacks from Pokemon such as Weavile and Pheromosa that Slowbro can not switch into. Slowbro is not able to check every special attacker, as common Pokemon such as Tapu Koko commonly have an Electric-type move to hit Slowbro with, making switch-ins to these Pokemon such as Rotom-H necessary; they can also be checked with sufficient offensive pressure from teammates like Rillaboom and Dhelmise. Slowbro also has good physical defense and can be used as a soft check for certain physical attackers such as Urshifu-R and Necrozma-DM, but should not be confused with a physical wall.

Slowbro functions as a great defensive pivot due to its access to Teleport and Regenerator, which together allow Slowbro to safely pivot its teammates in multiple times throughout a match. The combination of Future Sight and Teleport reliably sets up teammates like Ash-Greninja and Mega Lopunny to break through troublesome defensive walls such as Toxapex, Tangrowth, and Clefable. Its good physical bulk allows it to check many key physical attackers such as Mega Medicham, Landorus-T, and Mega Lopunny. Scald lets Slowbro threaten the likes of Corviknight and Excadrill with a burn. Ice Beam is another option that lets Slowbro threaten Ground-types such as Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T better, but causes it to struggle to check other physical attackers. Heavy-Duty Boots lets Slowbro ignore damage from entry hazards, which is key in keeping it healthy throughout longer games. It can also run Rocky Helmet to punish physical attackers like Mega Medicham, Urshifu-R, and Mega Lopunny, but this makes its longevity much worse. A Relaxed nature with 0 Speed EVs ensures the slowest possible Teleport, guaranteeing a speed tie in Teleport mirrors against opposing Slowbro and Slowking. Slowbro tends to fit on bulky offense builds, where it can be paired with other Pokemon with pivoting moves, such as Mega Lopunny, Landorus-T, and Corviknight. Fast and frail wallbreakers such as Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Kartana appreciate Slowbro pivoting them onto the field safely and providing Future Sight support, which lets them more easily KO their checks like Landorus-T, Toxapex, Corviknight, and Tangrowth. Due to Slowbro's weakness to Electric-types such as Magnezone and Tapu Koko, pairing it up with Ground- and Grass-types that can switch into these Pokemon such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Tangrowth makes for a solid defensive backbone. Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Assault Vest Tangrowth deserve a special mention, as they are able to check Ash-Greninja, which Slowbro tends to let in for free. Pokemon that resist Dark such as Clefable and Kommo-o make for good teammates, as they're able to switch into Dark-type moves from the likes of Tyranitar, Greninja, and Hydreigon, which threaten Slowbro. Lastly, Blissey forms a stellar defensive core alongside Slowbro, as its ability to switch into special attacks directed at Slowbro, alongside its access to Teleport, lets these two cover most offensive Pokemon while keeping up momentum.

Thanks to its high Defense stat, Slowbro can utilize Dauntless Shield to act as a physical wall, and its low Speed stat and Teleport give it utility as a slow pivot. Leftovers keeps Slowbro healthier long term, while Rocky Helmet can be used instead to punish physical attackers, such as Barraskewda. Scald uses Slowbro's respectable Special Attack stat and STAB to deal damage and inflict burns, hindering physical attackers and making it even harder for them to break through Slowbro. Body Press can also be used given its high power from Slowbro's Defense and the Dauntless Shield boost, and it serves as Slowbro's best attack against Desolate Land users like Cinderace and Heatran. Ice Beam is a coverage option to hit common threats like Garchomp and Zygarde-10% super effectively. Future Sight can also be used to pressure opponents and force out threatening Pokemon. Slack Off keeps Slowbro healthy so it can switch into wallbreakers like Terrakion. Bulkier teams can utilize Calm Mind instead of Teleport, allowing Slowbro to take special hits better and enabling a bulky wincon for the team. If this choice is made, Psyshock is preferred over Ice Beam or Future Sight to better hit specially defensive Pokemon and Toxapex. Minimum Speed and Attack investment makes Slowbro's Teleport almost always the slowest pivot on the field and minimizes the damage it takes from Foul Play. Bulky offense and balance teams appreciate Slowbro's ability to take physical hits and bring in offensive threats with Teleport. Offensive Pokemon such as Barraskewda, Cinderace, and Galarian Zapdos enjoy having Slowbro as a teammate due to their physical frailty, and they appreciate its safe pivots. These offensive Pokemon also synergize well with Future Sight, as it helps them to break through walls like Kommo-o and Toxapex. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and Blissey can take hits from special attackers like Primordial Sea Zapdos and Tapu Koko that threaten Slowbro. Slowbro is also unable to check certain strong physical attackers like Zarude and Dhelmise, so it appreciates teammates like Intimidate Corviknight that are able to switch into them. It also appreciates having an entry hazard remover on the team, such as Excadrill or Mandibuzz, so it takes less chip damage when pivoting.

Moves Psyshock hits many Pokemon that resist Scald, such as Virizion, Roserade, and Toxicroak. Ice Beam targets Grass-types like Shaymin and Mega Sceptile, along with Dragon-types such as Noivern, that resist Scald and take little damage from Psyshock. Calm Mind can be used to make Slowbro a bulky setup sweeper and wall more specially offensive threats like Necrozma. Grass Knot allows Slowbro to hit Water-types like Milotic, Mega Blastoise, and Slowking, which otherwise completely wall it. Toxic lets Slowbro whittle its defensive checks such as Mega Blastoise, Cresselia, Mandibuzz, and non-Refresh Milotic. Set Details Leftovers allows Slowbro to passively regain health every turn, which can ease pressure off repeated uses of Slack Off or constant switching. Alternatively, Colbur Berry is an option that helps it when faced with a Dark-type like Drapion or Pangoro or Pokemon with Dark-type coverage like Mega Blastoise, Toxicroak, Machamp, and Donphan. Regenerator allows Slowbro to pivot into most neutral physical attacks with ease and takes pressure off using Slack Off repeatedly. Usage Tips Unlike other defensive Pokemon, Slowbro should avoid spamming Slack Off due to its ability to regain health through Regenerator; this usually makes attacking with its STAB moves or Ice Beam more beneficial, although neglecting Slack Off completely isn't ideal either. Use Slack Off when Slowbro can't KO the opposing Pokemon quickly and its HP is low. Scald should be used most of the time due to its decent power and useful chance to burn. However, if the opposing team has a Water-resistant Pokemon such as Shaymin, Goodra, or Roserade, try to predict if the opponent will switch into it and use the appropriate coverage move. Slowbro should exploit its access to Regenerator and high Defense by switching into Pokemon it walls or threatens such as Toxicroak and Zygarde-10% throughout the game, forcing them out and regaining most of the health lost in the process. Slowbro should avoid staying in on special attackers such as Gardevoir and Ninetales due to its mediocre Special Defense stat, which means most decently strong special attacks can severely dent it. Walls such as Registeel and Cresselia often run Toxic to cripple Slowbro and severely limit its longevity on the field. Scout for potential Toxic users before sending Slowbro out to beat them. Team Options Dragon-type Pokemon such as Dragalge and Goodra appreciate Slowbro's ability to deal with most physical Dragon-types like Zygarde-10% and Tyrantrum, while they easily switch into Grass- and Electric-types like Shaymin, Roserade, and Raikou. Fairy-types like Florges and Diancie can deal with most Dark- and Bug-types that Slowbro struggles with, such as Pangoro and Yanmega. Pokemon that invite the Pokemon Slowbro walls appreciate its ability to wall them. Some examples include Salazzle baiting in Flygon and Virizion luring Toxicroak. Mega Abomasnow appreciates a switch-in to dangerous Fire-, Fighting-, and Rock-types, and in return it can switch into Grass- and Electric-type attacks thrown at Slowbro, as well as pressure the Water-types Slowbro hates. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Florges and Bronzong can take pressure off Slowbro from checking special attackers like Gardevoir and Noivern. Additionally, Florges can provide Aromatherapy support to rid Slowbro of pesky status, while Bronzong can set Stealth Rock to further support the whole team.

Moves Scald is Slowbro's main STAB move, capable of spreading burns and dealing decent amounts of damage at the same time. Ice Beam is mandatory coverage, allowing Mega Slowbro to nail Grass-types like Rotom-Mow and Celebi as well as Dragon-types like Hydreigon, Mega Altaria, and Latias for super-effective damage so it isn't walled by many of the tier's most capable Pokemon. Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that hits many Pokemon that resist Scald for at least neutral damage, such as Primarina, Suicune, and Tentacruel, as well as dealing more damage to potent special walls like Blissey. Fire Blast can also be used in the third slot, allowing Slowbro to OHKO Scizor and deal neutral damage to Pokemon that resist both Scald and Ice Beam like Empoleon. Keep in mind, however, that forgoing Psyshock in this third slot will leave Slowbro incapable of touching Tentacruel and walled by a few Pokemon that resist Water-, Ice-, and Fire-type attacks like Mantine and Jellicent. Finally, Slack Off is mandatory in the last slot, giving Slowbro reliable recovery that allows it to stay healthy over the course of a match and, when coupled with its non-Mega ability, Regenerator, enables it to repeatedly switch into threats it walls such as Infernape and Cobalion. Thunder Wave is another option for the third slot, hitting common offensive switch-ins to Mega Slowbro such as Volcanion and crippling them with paralysis, but it gives up a very nice offensive move in either Psyshock or Fire Blast to do so, so it's not recommended. Toxic is also an option for the third slot, crippling common bulkier switch-ins such as Alomomola and other Mega Slowbro, which take very little damage from any of Slowbro's offensive options. Set Details 252 HP EVs maximize Slowbro's overall bulk while 76 Defense EVs and a Bold nature capitalize on Slowbro's naturally high Defense. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense. Slowbronite ensures Slowbro can Mega Evolve, which boosts its defenses significantly, while Regenerator is used pre-Mega as an excellent defensive ability so Slowbro remains healthy over the course of a match. Usage Tips This Slowbro set should be used to repeatedly switch into threats it is able to check, like Infernape, Cobalion, Mamoswine, and Mega Aerodactyl. For the majority of the game, Slowbro should not Mega Evolve, as Regenerator is such an important ability that enables it to keep switching in and out of the majority of the tier's physical attackers, which is more important than the extra stats given by Slowbro's Mega Evolution. Pre-Mega, Slowbro should consistently utilize Scald to spread burns and its coverage moves to spread damage and cripple its most common switch-ins. If a dangerous Pokemon such as Haxorus or Swords Dance Terrakion requires Slowbro to Mega Evolve to check with boosted Defense, Slowbro should Mega Evolve. Keep in mind that Mega Evolving means Slowbro loses Regenerator, so it should typically only be done late in the match. Team Options Grass-types such as Celebi can easily knock out Slowbro, so pairing it with Fire-, Dragon-, and Steel-types like Moltres, Latias, and Scizor is generally a good idea. Pairing Slowbro with a strong Ground-type like Hippowdon or Nidoqueen helps Slowbro because it is naturally weak to Volt Switch from users like Mega Manectric and Zeraora. Special walls such as Blissey and Florges are good partners for Slowbro, since its Special Defense is naturally relatively low and many of the tier's strong special attackers can easily break through it. Slowbro can also take the strong physical attacks aimed at Blissey and Florges. Heal Bell users, including Togekiss, Sylveon, and the aforementioned Florges and Blissey are good partners, since Slowbro is weak to status due to its lack of Leftovers recovery and lack of immunity to Toxic or Will-O-Wisp. Fairy-types like the aforementioned Togekiss and Sylveon can help Slowbro deal with Dark-types like Hydreigon and Mega Sharpedo that can easily break through it, and Slowbro can beat the strong Steel-types like Mega Aggron and Cobalion that threaten these Fairy-types. Steel-types such as Bisharp, Scizor, and Stakataka are capable of checking Psychic-types like Latias and Celebi that can give Mega Slowbro troubles. Strong offensive pivots such as Hydreigon and Scizor that appreciate Slowbro's ability to pivot into offensive threats that may revenge kill them make good teammates and can patch up Slowbro's somewhat lackluster offensive pressure.

Moves Block allows Slowbro to trap passive Pokemon like Blissey, Alomomola, and Bronzong and potentially take advantage of them. Toxic lets Slowbro wear down Pokemon it attempts to trap, including Swampert, Quagsire, and Alomomola, along with common switch-ins, such as Latias and Hydreigon. Alternatively, Calm Mind allows Slowbro to take advantage of passive Pokemon such as Klefki and Mega Aggron by boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense and potentially sweeping. It should be mainly used with Slowbronite, however, because Mega Slowbro is significantly bulkier and stronger than Slowbro, so Mega Slowbro finds it easier to sweep. Scald is a reliable and spammable STAB move that allows Slowbro to potentially burn its target and cripple physical attackers like Mamoswine and Crawdaunt. Scald also allowing it to punish Steel-types such as Cobalion and Mega Aggron that are immune to Toxic. Despite having access to Slack Off, Rest is Slowbro's preferred recovery move because it allows Slowbro to beat passive Pokemon such as Swampert and Empoleon that may rely on status ailments like Toxic to beat it. Set Details 252 HP EVs in tandem with 252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature make Slowbro as physically bulky as possible, which allows it to take on physical attackers such as Terrakion and Krookodile better. Colbur Berry is used to surprise Dark-types that normally check Slowbro such as Mega Houndoom and Hydreigon and helps reduce its susceptibility to Pursuit.. Alternatively, Leftovers can be used for a passive form of recovery to help handle offensive threats like Mamoswine and Infernape better as it is otherwise reliant on Rest and Regenerator. Slowbronite allows Slowbro to Mega Evolve, which boosts Slowbro's Defense and Special Attack and makes it an even more dangerous sweeper. Hence, it should mainly be used with Calm Mind. Furthermore, Mega Slowbro's ability Shell Armor makes Mega Slowbro even harder to break while boosted. Slowbronite also weakens opposing Knock Off damage on Slowbro. Waterium Z can be used to give Slowbro a strong Water-type STAB attack that lets it OHKO or severely weaken certain threats such as Terrakion and Scizor while also lowering the damage dealt to Slowbro by Knock Off, but should be opted for as a last resort. Regenerator is Slowbro's preferred ability because it allows Slowbro to pivot into physical attackers such as Terrakion and Mamoswine better mid-game. Usage Tips Early-game, Slowbro should be pivoted into physical attackers it can take on such as Mamoswine and Infernape. Do not reveal Block early-game because this set partly relies on the surprise factor on unsuspecting passive Pokemon. Use Block on passive Pokemon like Klefki, Mega Aggron, Alomomola, and Empoleon and take advantage of them with Toxic or Calm Mind. However, scouting for Roar is mandatory; otherwise, Block's effect will be removed and the foe could attempt to play around Block to prevent Slowbro from eliminating any Pokemon. Additionally, use Block with caution because of its low PP. Use Scald to wear down switch-ins as well as trapped Pokemon. Attempt to inflict Steel-types with a burn because they are immune to Toxic. Use Scald with caution, as if Slowbro inflicts a burn on a Pokemon it wants to cripple with Toxic, it will be harder to wear that Pokemon down, and Slowbro will waste PP trying to KO them. If using a Colbur Berry, Slowbro should attempt to badly poison a Dark-type foe that normally checks it, such as Mega Houndoom or Hydreigon and allows it to stay in on Krookodile and weaken it with Scald. If using Slowbronite, do not Mega Evolve immediately because then Slowbro loses Regenerator, which makes it harder for it to repeatedly pivot into physical attackers like Terrakion and Infernape. Toxic should be used early-game to wear down Slowbro's main checks, including Mega Manectric, Hydreigon, and Latias. It should also be used on trapped Pokemon such as Mantine and Blissey to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Calm Mind should mainly be used against trapped foes like Klefki, Sylveon, and Bronzong to attempt a sweep. Make sure to not set up with Calm Mind variants if there are Pokemon like Mantine and Volcanion that are immune to Water-type coverage, although the latter also has no way of breaking through Slowbro. If running Waterium Z then use Hydro Vortex to KO certain threats, including setup sweepers that may try to avoid the KO from Scald and set up, such as Infernape and Scizor. Rest should be used to maintain Slowbro's longevity. However, it should be mainly used against trapped foes, as Slowbro can otherwise easily be taken advantage of by setup sweepers such as Scizor and Latias. Furthermore, Rest should generally not be used early-game so Slowbro's set isn't revealed. Instead, take advantage of Slowbro's ability Regenerator to retain longevity. Similarly, do not stay in on setup sweepers that do not mind status ailments, such as Reuniclus, Refresh Mega Altaria, and Togekiss. Team Options Slowbro mainly fits on defensive teams because of its ability to trap opposing passive Pokemon that are troublesome like entry hazard setters such as Mega Aggron and Empoleon and clerics such as Sylveon and Blissey. Ground-types such as Mega Steelix and Hippowdon pair well with Slowbro because they check Electric-types such as Mega Manectric and Zeraora and block opposing Volt Switch. They can also set up Stealth Rock, which synergizes well with Regenerator to help wear the opposing team down. Amoonguss pairs really well with Slowbro because it also has Regenerator. By switching frequently between Amoonguss and Slowbro with Stealth Rock up, you can wear down the opponent's team while preserving your team's PP. Amoonguss can also pivot into Electric- and Grass-types, such as Mega Manectric, Rotom-Mow, and Tsareena. Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Florges, and Klefki pair well with Slowbro because they can switch into hostile Dragon- and Dark-types, such as Latias and Hydreigon. Sylveon and Florges can also provide Slowbro with Wish support, which allows Slowbro to pivot into physical attackers more easily, and Heal Bell support, which allows Slowbro to be cured of a status ailment without revealing Rest. Hazard removers such as Rotom-Heat, Hydreigon, and Tsareena can clear entry hazards that are hostile to Slowbro, which allows it to pivot in better and take better advantage of Regenerator. Hydreigon and Rotom-Heat also being able to check Grass-types that Slowbro struggles with such as Celebi and Amoonguss. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Krookodile can pivot into Ghost-types that check Slowbro, such as Chandelure and Gengar, respectively. Lastly, setup sweepers such as Scizor and Latias appreciate Slowbro trapping problematic defensive Pokemon such as Mega Aggron, Klefki, and Mantine.

Moves Calm Mind serves as Slowbro's boosting move and allows it to increase both its Special Attack and Special Defense. Scald is a consistent, reliable, and spammable STAB move with good coverage and a 30% chance to burn the target. Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that allows Slowbro to break through special walls such as Blissey with enough boosts, helps Slowbro defeat other Calm Mind users, and threatens Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Tentacruel. Finally, Slack Off provides Slowbro with reliable recovery. Set Details 252 HP EVs maximize overall bulk. 252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature increase Slowbro's ability to take physical attacks. Leftovers provides Slowbro with passive recovery, while Waterium Z and Psychium Z allow Slowbro to switch into Knock Off more freely and hit its checks with a powerful STAB move. Regenerator allows Slowbro to recover health upon switching out, enabling it to serve as a more effective pivot. Usage Tips Slowbro is a self-sustaining late-game sweeper that also provides early- and mid-game defensive utility. Slowbro can pivot into strong physical attackers, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Cobalion, and Infernape, and use its STAB moves instead of using Slack Off to heal itself because Regenerator enables it to recover HP simply by switching out. Slowbro should set up later in the match, after its checks and counters have been removed or sufficiently weakened. Slowbro has to be cautious of status, primarily Toxic, as this greatly hinders its ability to check these threats as well as pull off a sweep with Calm Mind in the late-game. Team Options Slowbro is very vulnerable to status and thus benefits from cleric support from Pokemon such as Sylveon, Togekiss, and Blissey. Pokemon like Mega Altaria, Moltres, and Empoleon can use Defog to remove entry hazards from the field, especially the Toxic Spikes that Slowbro fears. Poison-types like Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Nihilego can similarly remove Toxic Spikes by absorbing them while the latter two can also set up Toxic Spikes of their own to wear down Slowbro's checks and help it break through bulkier teams. Specially bulky Pokemon such as Blissey and Alolan Muk can take on common Grass- and Electric-type Pokemon like Celebi, Rotom-Mow, and Mega Manectric that threaten Slowbro. Amoonguss covers Slowbro's Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses and forms the second half of a core that can take advantage of Regenerator to pivot effectively. Hippowdon and Mega Steelix can check Electric-types, and set Stealth Rock, to wear down opposing Slowbro checks. Mega Steelix is also a phenomenal check to Calm Mind Latias sets that easily beat Slowbro. In return, Slowbro resists Water- and Ice-type attacks and can set up on bulky Water-types like Suicune that try to take advantage of Hippowdon. Fairy-types like Sylveon, Mega Altaria, and Togekiss benefit from Slowbro's resistances to Fire- and Steel-type attacks and can switch in on Bug- and Dark-type attacks aimed at Slowbro. Steel-types resist Grass- and Bug-type attacks that give Slowbro trouble. In exchange, Slowbro can take on Fire- and Fighting-types like Cobalion and Infernape. Scizor, Doublade, and Klefki can make good partners for this reason, with Scizor also being able to bring Slowbro in safely with U-turn. Pursuit trappers like Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and the aforementioned Scizor makes ideal partners for Slowbro, as they are capable of removing the likes of Latias and Celebi for it. Fighting-types such as Cobalion, Infernape, and Terrakion provide answers to offensive Dark-types that threaten Slowbro.

Moves Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that threatens Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Tentacruel, and Volcanion that wouldn't mind being hit by Scald. Ice Beam is a solid option over Psyshock, as it can hit Dragon- and Grass-types such as Hydreigon and Celebi that resist Scald. Toxic is easy to spread, as Slowbro can be difficult to wear down, and can provide valuable chip toward enemy tanks such as Alomomola and opposing Slowbro. Thunder Wave allows Slowbro to support its team by crippling opposing offensive Pokemon that rely on their Speed like Latias and Hydreigon​. Set Details Leftovers provides Slowbro with passive recovery and helps it better check Pokemon like Terrakion and Cobalion more consistently throughout the match. Colbur Berry gives Slowbro a chance to escape Pursuit from the likes of Krookodile and stomach other Dark-type moves such as Hydreigon's Dark Pulse and punish its enemy with Scald or a status move. Usage Tips Slowbro can pivot into strong physical attackers, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Cobalion, Infernape, Mamoswine, and Terrakion, and fire off STAB attacks and status moves over the course of a match. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowbro doesn't need to rely on purely Slack Off for recovery. Pivoting Slowbro into Pokemon that it forces out, such as Terrakion and Gligar, is an easy way to get back health while double switching out or getting off a Slack Off. Slowbro should take advantage of its bulk and innate recovery from Regenerator to spread status with Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Scald burns. If utilizing Colbur Berry then Slowbro can risk staying in on threats such as Hydreigon and Mega Sharpedo to get off a crucial Toxic or Thunder Wave. Try to not let Slowbro take Toxic poison or a Scald burn carelessly; chip damage from status can seriously hinder its ability to remain effective throughout the match. Mew can be a prominent issue for this reason as it is able to synchronize back any status ailments Slowbro may inflict on to it. Slowbro shouldn't be used recklessly and should stay out of harm's way, as special attackers like Primarina, Celebi, and Mega Houndoom and super effective physical attacks from threats such as Crawdaunt, Mega Sharpedo, and Scizor pose a major threat. Team Options While Water / Psychic is a solid defensive typing, it leaves Slowbro vulnerable to VoltTurn cores, as it's weak to both Volt Switch and U-turn. Mega Manectric, Rotom-Heat, Rotom-Mow, Scizor, and Zeraora are all threatening in this manner. Mega Steelix is a solid teammate, as it is immune to Electric-type moves, resists U-turn, and may beat the aforementioned threats bar Rotom-Heat. Hippowdon also provides an Electric-type immunity and can run Rocky Helmet to punish U-turn. Special walls such as Florges and Blissey can patch up Slowbro's weakness to special attackers like Mega Manectric and Hydreigon. Cobalion and Mega Aggron freely switch into Dark-type moves like Knock Off for Slowbro and can set up entry hazards to capitalize on the switches Slowbro forces. Scizor's U-turn helps Slowbro to get into more favorable positions; for example, Infernape and Cobalion often switch into Scizor. Scizor also checks Pokemon like Latias, Mimikyu, and Mega Altaria for Slowbro. Pursuit users like Mega Aerodactyl and Choice Scarf Krookodile are able to defeat Ghost-types such as Gengar and Chandelure that can blow through Slowbro as well as trap fast Electric-types like Mega Manectric and Zeraora for Slowbro. In return, Slowbro can wear down their checks in bulky Ground- and Water-types with Toxic. Toxic can seriously cut into Slowbro’s longevity, so clerics such as Diancie, Sylveon, and Togekiss are appreciated. Slowbro synergizes well with other Regenerator users, which include Amoonguss and Assault Vest Mienshao. Both can take special hits for Slowbro while being able to rotate taking weaker hits, and Amoonguss is able to absorb Toxic Spikes for Slowbro. Dark-types such as Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, and Crawdaunt threaten Slowbro with relative ease, making Fairy-types good partners for it. Primarina and Mega Altaria excel in dealing with these Dark-types and can switch into them with ease. With Slowbro serving as a blanket check to the Fighting-types in the tier, Pokemon such as Cobalion, Hydreigon, and Rotom-Heat can all capitalize on Slowbro suppressing those. When Slowbro is running Thunder Wave, slower breakers like Lucario, Nidoking, and Mamoswine have an easier time dealing with faster Pokemon that it lures in, such as Latias and Hydreigon.​

Moves Scald is Slowbro's main STAB move, capable of spreading burns and dealing adequate amounts of damage, bolstering its offensive presence. Calm Mind buffs Slowbro's naturally average Special Defense to acceptable levels as well as buffing its Special Attack, increasing its offensive pressure. Slack Off offers reliable recovery and should be used on every Slowbro set. The last slot is a choice of coverage: Ice Beam allows Mega Slowbro to nail common offensive switch-ins such as Hydreigon and Latias for super effective damage, preventing it from being walled by many of the tier's most prominent Pokemon and making sure it isn't setup bait for many Water-resistant Pokemon. Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that can deal more damage to common Water-resistant switch-ins such as Amoonguss, Chesnaught, and Tentacruel, hitting all three for super effective damage. Psyshock also allows Mega Slowbro to beat other Calm Mind users like Suicune and Reuniclus, while allowing it to break specially defensive walls in Blissey. Set Details 252 HP EVs maximize Slowbro's overall bulk while 76 Defense EVs and a Bold nature ensure that Slowbro has the physical defense to wall essentially the entire tier after a few Calm Mind boosts. The remaining EVs are added into Special Defense to help out with its overall bulk pre-Calm Mind boosts and also increase its walling capabilities after it has started boosting. Slowbronite ensures Slowbro can Mega Evolve, giving it a large amount of extra bulk, while Regenerator is used pre-Mega as an excellent defensive ability that helps Slowbro remain healthy over the course of a match. Usage Tips Calm Mind Mega Slowbro should stay pre-Mega until its major checks and counters have been removed, as its pre-Mega ability Regenerator is much better for consistently switching into Pokemon it is able to wall. It should play mostly as a physically defensive tank until its checks have been removed, which are Pokemon like Hydreigon that are capable of breaking through even after using Calm Mind once or twice as well as Haze users such as Tentacruel and Mantine. If running Ice Beam it is best to use this move early game to catch its common checks like Latias, Hydreigon, and Celebi on the switch to wear them down to sweep later. It can serve as an excellent win condition once your opponent no longer has answers for its sheer bulk after a boost or two. Additionally, Slowbro should not Mega Evolve and set up until the major Toxic users such as Blissey and Empoleon have been removed, as Toxic prevents its ability to sweep by providing consistent residual damage and putting it on a timer. Once it can set up, Mega Slowbro should boost so that it can tank both physical and special attacks, as it can often win just because nothing can break through it. Team Options Since many teams utilize Grass-type Pokemon such as Celebi and Tsareena as their Water-type checks, Grass-type checks such as Scizor, Gengar, and Infernape make good partners. Pursuit users such as Krookodile and the aforementioned Scizor make great partners as they can help trap and remove the likes of Celebi and Latias, two of the best checks to Slowbro. Electric-type checks such as Hippowdon, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior make Slowbro less vulnerable to foes like Mega Manectric. Nidoqueen is also able to set up Toxic Spikes, which helps wear down some defensive checks like Blissey and Pyukumuku for it. Cobalion and Moltres are good partners for Mega Slowbro as they can check most of the Bug-type attacks aimed at it, primarily U-turn from Scizor and punish it with Rocky Helmet chip and a burn from Flame Body, respectively. Heal Bell users make Slowbro less vulnerable to status, so Pokemon such as Togekiss, Florges, and Diancie make good partners. Special walls such as Blissey are good partners, capable of taking on the powerful special attackers such as Latias and Starmie that can threaten Slowbro. Offensive pivots that can benefit from Slowbro's prowess as a defensive pivot, such as Scizor and Hydreigon, are good partners that can help patch up Mega Slowbro's somewhat lackluster offensive presence before it sets up. If Mega Slowbro opts for Ice Beam, then Pokemon capable of dealing with bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Empoleon are appreciated. For this reason Mamoswine, Terrakion, and Hydreigon make great partners for it.

Moves Scald is Slowbro's main way to deal damage, capable of spreading status and not giving many of the tier's most common offensive Pokemon free switch-ins. Slack Off provides reliable recovery and allows Slowbro to stay reasonably healthy the entire game, especially when paired with its pre-Mega ability, Regenerator. Ice Beam is Slowbro's best coverage move, allowing it to hit Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon that resist Scald such as Celebi, Mega Sceptile, and Latias. Psyshock is Slowbro's secondary STAB move and hits Tentacruel for super effective damage while dealing neutral damage to a lot of Pokemon that resist Scald such as Suicune and Volcanion. Fire Blast allows Slowbro to OHKO Scizor while also providing excellent neutral coverage with Scald and Ice Beam, so it can be used over Psyshock. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment allows Slowbro to hit as hard as possible and utilize its Special Attack boost from Mega Evolution. 44 Speed EVs allow Slowbro to outspeed Doublade. 212 HP EVs maximize Slowbro's overall bulk and are left over from its Special Attack and Speed investment. Regenerator is used pre-Mega, allowing Slowbro to stay healthy before it Mega Evolves. Usage Tips This Slowbro set should be Mega Evolving early, as the Special Attack boost upon Mega Evolution is the main reason to use this set. Slowbro can be switched into physical and special attackers that it walls, such as Cobalion, Terrakion, and Nasty Plot Infernape, but keep in mind that without maximum HP or any Defense investment, it will be significantly less bulky than a defensive set. Scald should be used as much as possible, as it is capable of spreading status and helping Slowbro wear down the opposing team. Slowbro should use its coverage moves to smack common switch-ins such as Celebi and Mega Altaria, and try to do as much damage in its Mega forme as possible with the Special Attack boost. Keep in mind that without Regenerator, Mega Slowbro is very easily worn down, so try to keep it healthy and keep entry hazards off of the field as much as possible. Avoiding Toxic is paramount to avoiding getting Slowbro worn down, so make sure not to switch it in if there is any threat of a Toxic coming its way. Team Options Steel-types such as Scizor and Cobalion make solid partners, as they can check the Dragon- and Fairy-type Pokemon that can threaten out Mega Slowbro, while Mega Slowbro can check the Fire- and Ground-type attackers that often threaten these Pokemon. Rapid Spin and Defog users such as Tentacruel, Tsareena, and Rotom-Heat make good partners because Mega Evolving early makes Slowbro especially vulnerable to being worn down by Stealth Rock and Spikes. Heal Bell users such as Togekiss and Sylveon are good partners, as Mega Slowbro is very susceptible to being worn down by poison and burn damage. Sylveon can also provide Wish support to support the fact that Mega Slowbro can't take advantage of Regenerator upon Mega Evolving early. Ground-type Pokemon that can switch into Mega Manectric and Zeraora and stop Volt Switch momentum are good partners for Mega Slowbro; therefore, Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Rhyperior, and Krookodile make solid partners. Special walls such as Florges and Empoleon make good partners for Mega Slowbro, as it often succumbs to pressure from high-powered special attackers such as Latias and Hydreigon. Pursuit users such as Scizor, Krookodile, and Assault Vest Bisharp make great partners as they can trap and remove Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Gengar and Celebi.

Moves Future Sight is a great STAB move to support Pokemon like Terrakion, overwhelming their defensive answers and improving the team's matchup against stall. Scald is an easy-to-use STAB move that can spread burn. Slack Off gives Slowbro sustainability, which is especially important after it Mega Evolves and loses Regenerator. Ice Beam gives Slowbro solid coverage to hit Water-resistant foes like Hydreigon, Latias, and Altaria, preventing them from healing, pivoting in, or setting up freely. Set Details Slowbro is able to hit as hard as possible while retaining some bulk with the provided spread. The Speed investment allows Slowbro to outpace slow Pokemon like Doublade and Amoonguss. Psychium Z can be used with Future Sight to allow another Pokemon to Mega Evolve and immediately threaten Pokemon like Amoonguss. Usage Tips Slowbro should wait to Mega Evolve to gain value from Regenerator. It can use Future Sight or chip foes with Scald and immediately switch out without much consequence thanks to Regenerator; it should only Mega Evolve when it needs the extra strength or bulk to check Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl. To help wallbreakers break past their checks more easily, Slowbro should prioritize setting up Future Sight, which is especially effective against stall. Slowbro can effectively utilize its coverage as long as it avoids Toxic, as it is worn down too quickly otherwise. Given Slowbro's usual passivity, it is actually able to lure Pokemon like Celebi and Mega Altaria that can normally sponge uninvested hits with ease. Slowbro must also remain wary of Pursuit trappers like Krookodile and Alolan Muk and try to stay out of range of a Pursuit KO. As Slowbro lacks investment in Defense, it should be careful against physical wallbreakers it would normally handle like Swords Dance Terrakion. Team Options Future Sight Slowbro thrives in conjunction with other wallbreakers to pressure their switch-ins. Choice Band Terrakion makes for a great example; upon taking a Future Sight, Gligar is 2HKOed by Stone Edge, and Alomomola can no longer safely scout it. Other Fighting-types such as Infernape and Mienshao are consistent partners as well, as they threaten Pokemon that can sponge Future Sight comfortably, like Blissey or Latias. Amoonguss makes for a reliable partner, as it sponges strong physical hits from Pokemon that could otherwise overwhelm offensive Slowbro, like Terrakion, and checks Primarina, which Slowbro cannot threaten without Psychium Z. Amoonguss also forms a Regenerator core with Slowbro, and generates free turns to set up Future Sight through Spore. Steel-types like Cobalion and Scizor are appreciated to answer the bulky Fairy-types such as Florges and Sylveon that can take anything Slowbro throws at them. Slowbro's Future Sight support also helps Cobalion beat Amoonguss. Scizor is able to check Celebi, which can be especially bothersome to Slowbro if Celebi is running Recover. Slowbro is also rather vulnerable to VoltTurn cores, so Pokemon like Hippowdon and Rhyperior are very useful for being able to take hits from Rotom-Heat and Mega Manectric. Hippowdon also takes hits from Terrakion and Scizor and can use Whirlwind to cause additional disruption with Future Sight. Slowbro appreciates Pursuit trappers like Scizor or Choice Scarf Krookodile to remove Pokemon that can overpower it such as Latias and Gengar.

Moves Scald serves as Mega Slowbro's trusty attacking option, allowing it to slowly whittle down the opposing Pokemon, combined with a 30% chance to burn. A burn can provide extra security against physical attackers that can boost their Attack, such as Mega Gyarados, Dragonite, and Zygarde-C. Iron Defense boosts Mega Slowbro's already insane natural physical bulk to impenetrable levels in order to lessen the damage dealt by the aforementioned physical attackers as well. Calm Mind allows Mega Slowbro to boost its somewhat lacking Special Defense while also boosting the damage dealt by each of its Scalds. This is essential in effectively breaking through Pokemon that can recover from the damage dealt from unboosted Scalds and the following burn chip damage or boost their own Special Defense stat, such as bulky Magearna, Zygarde-C, Mega Altaria, and Mega Sableye. Amnesia can also be run if Mega Slowbro needs to boost its Special Defense faster than Calm Mind and if the Special Attack boost brought by Calm Mind is unnecessary. This can come in handy against particularly scary matchups, like Mega Gardevoir, Meloetta, and Choice Specs Deoxys-S. Slack Off recovers Mega Slowbro's HP. Use this to heal off damage taken before Mega Slowbro boosts its defensive stats. Rest is another recovery option that fully restores Mega Slowbro's health and removes any status condition such as poison or burn. This can be particularly useful when facing off against other stall Pokemon, such as Jumpluff, Whimsicott, and non-Sleep Powder Mega Venusaur. However, the three turns of immobility can leave Mega Slowbro wide open for more offensive Pokemon like Mega Gyarados and Mega Gardevoir to set up and attack while Mega Slowbro is unable to match them defensively. Set Details As Mega Slowbro already has excess physical bulk uninvested, all the EVs are instead invested into HP and Special Defense in order to make sure that it can have the highest possible Special Defense. The leftover EVs are invested into Defense. Mega Slowbro runs 0 Speed IVs to make sure it can underspeed Pokemon such as Metal Burst Mega Aggron and Mega Mawile. This also ensures that you don't automically lose the Mega Slowbro mirror, which will end in Struggle being used on both sides and the slowest Pokemon winning. Before Mega Evolving, Slowbro has access to Oblivious, which prevents Taunt shutting it down, unlike most other stall Pokemon. Oblivious even blocks Taunt from Mold Breaker Pokemon like Mega Gyarados and Haxorus, allowing Mega Slowbro to continue setting up its defenses. Thanks to Shell Armor, Mega Slowbro can set up without worrying about critical hits, which similar Pokemon such as stall Deoxys-S and Necrozma worry about and often fall prey to. Usage Tips Mega Slowbro is designed to tank hits while setting up its defenses in order to make sure it can comfortably attack with Scald without ever getting in range of being knocked out. Shell Armor affords Mega Slowbro to not have to waste recovery to get out of range from a critical hit. Therefore, feel free to set up in ranges that might be a little bit more dangerous to other Pokemon as long as Mega Slowbro can recover from the damage dealt the next turn. Oblivious means you can send Mega Slowbro out against traditional Taunt users, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, Stall Deoxys-S, and bulky Kommo-o, and not have to worry about it being shut down as long as you do not Mega Evolve. One particularly important foe, Mega Gyarados, can only consistently beat Mega Slowbro if it has both Taunt and Crunch, as Slowbro must not Mega Evolve to avoid being Taunted, but Crunch will do too much to regular Slowbro. If Mega Gyarados only has Taunt, never Mega Evolve and instead set up Iron Defense in Mega Slowbro's regular form, getting to maximum Defense before chipping at it with Scald. If Mega Gyarados only has Crunch, you should Mega Evolve and set up to avoid fatal Crunch damage. Additionally, while Mega Gyarados's access to Mold Breaker won't matter against Oblivious, it can bypass Shell Armor. Dragonite can run both a viable physical set and a viable special set, so if you do not know the opponent's Dragonite set, you should boost Mega Slowbro's Special Defense immediately with either Amnesia or Calm Mind, as Mega Slowbro has enough natural bulk to tank a Supersonic Skystrike followed by Outrage, but not a Dragonium Z-boosted Draco Meteor or Flyinium Z-boosted Hurricane followed by Draco Meteor without a Special Defense buff. Also, Mega Slowbro is heavier than regular Slowbro, so if you find yourself up against Grass Knot users such as Choice Scarf Greninja, do not Mega Evolve. Team Options Pokemon that can tank attacks that would be super effective against Mega Slowbro, namely Grass-, Electric-, Dark-, Bug-, and Ghost-type moves, naturally are its best teammate option. Pokemon such as Kommo-o and specially defensive Mega Charizard X can deal with Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y, Choice Specs Greninja, Aegislash, and Tapu Bulu that give Mega Slowbro a hard time and appreciate the positive matchups Mega Slowbro has against Psychic- and Rock-types, respectively. Specially defensive tanks are also a great option for teammates, as Mega Slowbro's biggest threats are usually special attackers. Pokemon like Meloetta, Chansey, Mega Tyranitar, and Blissey all work well with Mega Slowbro and appreciate the Fighting-type resistance that Mega Slowbro offers. As a Water-type, Mega Slowbro can fit well on a standard Fire / Water / Grass core team, especially appreciating the work put in by Pokemon from Fire-types like Incineroar, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Blaziken and from Grass-types like Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu. The Fire- and Grass-types can effectively deal with Pokemon that threaten Mega Slowbro such as Z-Conversion Porygon-Z, Magnezone, Mega Charizard Y, and other Mega Slowbro. As Mega Slowbro is naturally slow, it is also susceptible to Pokemon such as Vivillon and Smeargle, whose strategies are only successful if they go first. Be sure to pair Mega Slowbro with at least sufficiently fast Pokemon, like Pheromosa, Mega Lopunny, and Porygon-Z. Mega Slowbro can beat the common Jumpluff, as it is able to recover back the health leeched by Leech Seed and PP stall Jumpluff.

Moves Toxic is used to put opposing Pokemon on a timer. Scald is a reliable STAB move that can burn foes and enables Slowbro to beat Swords Dance Necrozma-DM. Scald also helps against Steel-types in general, as they are immune to Toxic; 2HKOes Mega Gengar; and makes it easier for Slowbro to beat Ho-Oh. Ice Beam makes Slowbro able to check Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and Rayquaza more reliably. Foul Play is another attacking option that allows Mega Slowbro to check some boosting threats like Necrozma-DM more reliably but makes it more passive. Slack Off allows Slowbro to keep itself healthy to check physical threats. Iron Defense boosts Slowbro's Defense, allowing it to beat boosting Pokemon such as Ultra Necrozma, Arceus, and Mega Lucario one-on-one. Set Details 248 HP and 44 Special Defense EVs allow Mega Slowbro to survive two consective Overheats from Primal Groudon. The remaining EVs are put into Defense with a Bold nature, allowing Mega Slowbro to check physical threats more easily. Slowbronite is used to make Slowbro Mega Evolve. Regenerator allows Slowbro to work as a pivot before it Mega Evolves, giving it an extra recovery option. Usage Tips Slowbro should be used as a pivot prior to Mega Evolving in the early- and mid-game. Prioritize spreading Toxic early-game or double around to prevent Slowbro from being used as entry hazard or setup fodder. It should only Mega Evolve when it's necessary to use its higher Defense. Mega Slowbro should prioritize using Slack Off after it takes some damage, as being forced out weakened makes it harder for Mega Slowbro to check what it's supposed to due to the lack of Regenerator. Slowbro should switch immediately into boosting threats it's supposed to check, as if they are allowed to set up more than once, they might be able to beat Slowbro. It should avoid being hit by Toxic at all costs, as Toxic will limit its longevity and make it easier for offensive Pokemon to get past Slowbro. Since Slowbro's Special Defense is not particularly good, it shouldn't be used to take special hits from Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. Be careful when playing against Mega Gengar and Gothitelle, as they can easily trap Mega Slowbro and open the path for Pokemon such as Ultra Necrozma and Mega Lucario to win the game. Team Options Pokemon that check Xerneas like Magearna and Necrozma-DM are required, as Mega Slowbro gives Xerneas a somewhat free setup opportunity. Ferrothorn can check Z-Geomancy Xerneas, provide Spikes support for Mega Slowbro, and work as a Primal Kyogre check and an emergency check to Ultra Necrozma if Slowbro is weakened. Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas and Magearna can help Slowbro by checking Dark-type Pokemon like Yveltal and Arceus-Dark that can easily threaten Slowbro with their STAB moves; Xerneas and Magearna can also carry Aromatherapy or Heal Bell to cure Mega Slowbro from a status condiction. Dark-type Pokemon such as Yveltal, Alolan Muk, and Tyranitar can help by checking Ghost- and Dark-type Pokemon. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar in particular can help by Pursuit trapping Mega Gengar, which can trap Mega Slowbro. Alolan Muk also absorbs Toxic Spikes, which cripples Slowbro. Rest Zygarde can check Steel-type Pokemon and absorb status for Mega Slowbro. Entry hazard control from Pokemon such as Giratina, Lugia, and Arceus-Dark can help, as hazards, mainly Toxic Spikes, make it harder for Mega Slowbro to check opposing Pokemon; Arceus-Dark can also check Ghost-type Pokemon. Gothitelle can trap and beat most defensive Pokemon Slowbro can't deal with. Chansey and Blissey can usually sponge special attacks for Slowbro and cure it from status condictions with Heal Bell. Slowbro can't do much against most Steel-type Pokemon, so Pokemon that can check them such as Primal Groudon, Arceus-Ground, and Ho-Oh are appreciated. Arceus-Ground can also check Swords Dance Primal Groudon and provide Defog support.

Moves Calm Mind makes Mega Slowbro more powerful while patching up its middling Special Defense. Slack Off gives it reliable recovery, which lets it effectively act as a defensive pivot or bulky sweeper without getting worn down. Scald is a STAB move that has a good chance to spread burns and further improves Mega Slowbro's bulk by burning physical attackers, making it very hard to break past. Psychic as Mega Slowbro's secondary STAB move allows it to hit Pokemon that resist Scald like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex. Psyshock may be used over Psychic to win Calm Mind wars and hit special walls, such as Chansey, significantly harder. However, Psyshock is less reliable against Toxapex, as most Toxapex are physically defensive. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature makes Mega Slowbro incredibly physical bulky, allowing Slowbro to switch in on Choice Band Diggersby to tank the hit and then Mega Evolve to tank the subsequent hit and prevent Diggersby from getting a clean KO. The spread also allows it to avoid a 2HKO from Tapu Bulu's Horn Leech. Slowbro has the ability Regenerator before Mega Evolving, letting it effectively act as a defensive pivot. Upon Mega Evolving, Mega Slowbro gains the ability Shell Armor, which allows it to safely use its setup moves. Usage Tips Avoid Mega Evolving Slowbro right away early-game, as it loses Regenerator upon Mega Evolving, which is incredibly useful for acting as a physical wall for Water teams. However, Slowbro should Mega Evolve as soon as possible against Normal teams to take on Choice Band Diggersby better. Early-game, Scald should be used often to spread burns and wear the opposing team down. Mega Slowbro has a mediocre Special Defense stat, so strong special wallbreakers like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Koko, and Hydreigon need to be taken care of before it attempts to set up. Pokemon that carry Haze or phazing moves, such as Mantine, Swampert, and Empoleon, also need to be taken out before Mega Slowbro can attempt to set up. Status moves and entry hazards, such as Toxic and Toxic Spikes, should be avoided at all costs, as they make Mega Slowbro very easy to check by putting it on a timer. Against Water teams, Mega Slowbro should try to get burned by Scald, as this prevents the opposing team from using Toxic and crippling it, thus allowing it to set up effectively. Against Poison teams, Mega Slowbro should not switch into Toxic Spikes, as poison severely limits its ability to be a Calm Mind sweeper. Mega Slowbro can set up on passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, but one must scout for Toxic first to ensure safe setup. Team Options Toxapex has very good synergy with Mega Slowbro, as it provides a neutrality to Grass and forms a Regenerator core with Slowbro, which can be very hard for opposing teams to break. Toxapex can even check threats such as Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, provide Toxic Spikes support for Mega Slowbro, and absorb Toxic Spikes. Swampert, Gastrodon, and Lanturn provide Mega Slowbro with a crucial Electric immunity, checking threats like Tapu Koko and Magnezone. Swampert also provides Stealth Rock support, which is useful for wearing down opposing teams and making types like Bug and Flying easier to deal with; Gastrodon has reliable recovery and good mixed bulk that allows it to better check Electric-type Pokemon for Mega Slowbro; and Lanturn can provide Heal Bell support, making it hard for opposing teams to wear down Mega Slowbro through Toxic. Mantine helps Mega Slowbro by checking special attackers such as Hydreigon and Volcarona. Additionally, it provides Defog support so that Mega Slowbro is not plagued by entry hazards like Toxic Spikes. Choice Scarf Greninja is a good teammate, as it can check fast threats such as Tapu Bulu and Tapu Koko as well as Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Latios. Keldeo breaks down walls such as Chansey, which are obstacles for Mega Slowbro if they carry Toxic. Keldeo also checks Dark-types like Hydreigon, while Mega Slowbro provides a defensive backbone for Keldeo by coming in on strong physical moves. Gyarados helps to check Grass-types such as Breloom and Tapu Bulu by utilizing its Flyinium Z set. Gyarados also acts as a secondary sweeper for Water teams and makes certain matchups, such as against Bug, a little easier. Sap Sipper Azumarill is a great teammate, as it not only provides a valuable Grass immunity to the team for checking threats such as Tapu Bulu and Breloom, but also acts as a check to Dragon-types like Hydreigon for Mega Slowbro. Azumarill can also take out walls such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn, with its Perish Song trapping set, which makes it easier for Mega Slowbro to set up. Suicune is a good teammate for Mega Slowbro, as it helps pressure Mega Slowbro's checks, making it difficult for a team to beat both.

Moves Calm Mind allows Mega Slowbro to patch up its lackluster Special Defense stat and tank special hits from threats like Latios and Greninja after a few Calm Mind boosts. Iron Defense allows Mega Slowbro to boost its gigantic Defense even further and shrug off strong setup sweepers such as Garchomp and Mega Pinsir, turning Mega Slowbro into an impenetrable force. Scald is the only STAB move on the set, as it offers good utility by having a very good chance to burn physical threats such as Tapu Bulu and Belly Drum Azumarill. Rest not only allows Mega Slowbro to fully regain its health but also makes Mega Slowbro unafraid of status-inducing moves such as Toxic. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature allows Mega Slowbro to be as physically bulky as possible and reliably check most physical attackers, including Diggersby. Regenerator as a pre-Mega ability allows Slowbro to be an effective defensive pivot for Water teams that is hard to wear down. Once it has Mega Evolved, it gains the ability Shell Armor, which gives it an easier time setting up. Usage Tips It is important to not Mega Evolve early-game, as this causes Mega Slowbro to lose out on Regenerator, which is very important for it to stay healthy during the match and act as a reliable wall for Water teams. Since Mega Slowbro has pretty lackluster Special Defense, it should not be switched in against strong special attackers such as Landorus, as it risks getting severely weakened. Mega Slowbro should attempt to use Calm Mind against physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Mega Gallade as well as walls, as such Pokemon cannot do much damage to it in return and it can boost its Special Defense to endure special attackers on the opposing team. As Mega Slowbro relies on setup moves to pose a defensive threat, Taunt users such as stallbreaker Mew and Jellicent need to be removed before it can attempt to set up. Haze users such as Mantine and Toxapex also need to be removed, as these Pokemon can easily nullify all of Mega Slowbro's boosts and waste its PP. Additionally, Poison-types like Mega Venusaur and Toxapex need to be taken care of, as Mega Slowbro's only attacking move is Scald and both of these Pokemon resist the move. Mega Slowbro should use Rest to get rid of status conditions such as poison and set up on status inducers like Celesteela. Rest should also be used to keep Mega Slowbro healthy to allow it to better tank hits from special attackers once it starts setting up Calm Mind, while Iron Defense should be used to check physical setup sweepers and Z-Move users such as Gyarados, Bisharp, and Belly Drum Azumarill. Team Options Teammates that can cover Mega Slowbro's weakness to Electric such as Swampert and Gastrodon are appreciated. Both of these Pokemon can provide additional support for it, with Swampert using Stealth Rock to wear down Mega Slowbro's checks and counters and Gastrodon having reliable recovery and good mixed bulk to fare better against Electric teams. Toxapex provides a neutrality to Grass, which is important for checking threats such as Mega Venusaur. Additionally, Toxapex can provide Toxic Spikes support to wear down teams for Mega Slowbro and can also stop special set up sweepers such as Volcarona with Haze. Mantine can check strong special attackers such as Mega Charizard Y and Hydreigon as well as provide Defog support so that Mega Slowbro is not worn down by entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes, which may force it to use Rest. For stall teams, Alomomola is another good teammate that acts as a good mixed wall and can relieve pressure on Mega Slowbro to check physical attackers. It also forms a Regenerator core with Slowbro that is very hard to break past, provides Wish support to help with recovery, and checks threats such as Mega Venusaur by utilizing Mirror Coat. Sap Sipper Azumarill covers Water's weakness to Grass-type moves and checks Pokemon such as Breloom and Tapu Bulu, which can cripple or break past Mega Slowbro. It has an additional immunity to Dragon, allowing it to check Pokemon like Hydreigon. Teammates that can break the Mega Venusaur + Toxapex core such as Flyinium Z Gyarados and Groundium Z Greninja are also good teammates for Mega Slowbro. Keldeo is a good partner for Mega Slowbro, as it can take care of Water-immune Pokemon such as Mantine and Seismitoad with Hidden Power Electric and Secret Sword.

Moves Calm Mind is Mega Slowbro's main form of setup, raising its Special Attack and Special Defense in order to sweep. Slack Off acts as Mega Slowbro's reliable recovery and works in tandem with Calm Mind in order to let it set up safety and heal off damage. Scald is Slowbro's most spammable attack and is useful for crippling physical attackers and wearing down Pokemon. Psychic allows Mega Slowbro to hit Poison-type Pokemon super effectively and is used over Psyshock in order to hit Toxapex harder. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense EVs with a Bold nature ensure that Mega Slowbro will be able to take physical hits comfortably after Mega Evolving, notably Choice Band Diggersby's Return, and safely boost with Calm Mind. Slowbro Mega Evolves through Slowbronite, increasing its Defense and Special Attack. Regenerator is the preferred ability before Mega Evolving because it allows Slowbro to serve as a defensive pivot. Shell Armor, Mega Slowbro's ability, protects Mega Slowbro from critical hits. Usage Tips Before Mega Evolution, utilize Slowbro as a defensive pivot that can heal itself with Slack Off and Regenerator. Be aware that Mega Slowbro loses Regenerator once it Mega Evolves. Thus, it is best to hold off on Mega Evolving and setting up until Mega Slowbro's checks and counters like Mantine and Tapu Koko have been removed. Mega Evolving Slowbro is also a good idea if the extra bulk is needed to check a certain threat that Slowbro wouldn't be able to otherwise such as Choice Band Diggersby or Dragonite. Take advantage of Pokemon Choice-locked into a move that does not threaten Mega Slowbro such as Victini's V-Create and Landorus-T's Earthquake in order to freely use Calm Mind. Try to remove entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes and Spikes before Slowbro comes in, as the former will leave Slowbro poisoned, putting a timer on it, and the latter will slowly wear it down when it switches in, hurting Slowbro's ability to switch into threats. Spikes aren't a huge threat to Slowbro until it has Mega Evolved, though, as then it cannot regenerate the chip damage caused by them as easily anymore. Steer Slowbro away from Toxic users like Porygon2, as being badly poisoned impedes its ability to set up and sweep. Similarly, in matchups such as Normal where Slowbro will be threatened by Toxic users, it is best to use it to bait burns or paralysis so that it cannot be affected by Toxic any longer. In matchups where Mega Slowbro does not have many setup opportunities, such as Fairy with Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu, prioritize attacking and fishing for burns with Scald over trying to set up. Team Options Victini in particular is a good partner for Mega Slowbro, as its Choice Scarf set helps keep faster foes in check and beats Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, while its Choice Band set serves as an effective wallbreaker that can punch holes in Pokemon that Mega Slowbro struggles against such as Chansey, Mantine, and Mega Venusaur. Mega Slowbro is also able to switch into Pokemon like Excadrill and Diggersby that could potentially harm Victini in return. Latios pairs well with Mega Slowbro because it can Defog away entry hazards, mainly Toxic Spikes, and it can support Mega Slowbro through the power it packs with its offensive Life Orb and Soul Dew sets. Latias, like Latios, is also able to support Mega Slowbro by checking many Pokemon that threaten it, such as Choice Scarf Heracross and Hydreigon, while also giving Mega Slowbro more setup opportunities by healing it with Healing Wish. Additionally, using Latias and Latios along with Slowbro can confuse the opposing player as to which Mega Evolution you are actually using. Mew is a good partner for Mega Slowbro because it is able to deal with many of Mega Slowbro's defensive checks by using Taunt and Knock Off with its stallbreaker set and use Defog to remove hazards such as Toxic Spikes that may potentially damage Mega Slowbro. Jirachi can switch into special attackers such as Latios and Mega Diancie thanks to its high Special Defense and can also heal Mega Slowbro with Healing Wish; in return, Mega Slowbro is able to protect Jirachi from physical attackers such as Excadrill and Garchomp.

Moves Scald is Slowbro's main attack and can cripple physical attackers like Gyarados and Mega Lopunny with a burn. Slack Off is a form of reliable recovery and is used to ensure that Slowbro stays healthy throughout the battle. Thunder Wave is used to cripple fast Pokemon that cannot otherwise be beaten through Scald and Slack Off like Hydreigon, Greninja, and Latios. Fire Blast is used to hit Steel- and Grass-type Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Ferrothorn. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense EVs along with a Bold nature are used in order to let Slowbro serve as an effective physical wall. Colbur Berry is the preferred item on Slowbro, as it gives Slowbro the ability to take a Dark-type attack, which can be crucial when checking huge threats like Mega Sharpedo and Bisharp. A huge reason why Slowbro is an effective pivot lies in its ability Regenerator, which keeps it healthy throughout the duration of the game by healing it a bit every time it switches out. Usage Tips Send Slowbro in to soak up physical attacks like Mega Lopunny's Return and Excadrill's Earthquake and shield your other Pokemon from getting damaged. Use Slowbro as a pivot that can consistently heal itself with Slack Off and Regenerator. If Slowbro gets hit with a very strong attack, switch it back out in order to keep it healthy. Utilize Regenerator throughout the battle by constantly switching out Slowbro to keep its HP high. Because of the aforementioned reason, Slowbro is great for soaking up moves like U-turn. Avoid Toxic users such as Porygon2 and Gastrodon, as being badly poisoned wears Slowbro down and hinders its ability to check physical attackers reliably. In some situations, using Thunder Wave twice in a row is recommended, when the opposing player may switch a check directly into Slowbro, in order to cripple the Pokemon that is sent out. Use Scald frequently in order to inflict burns and wear down bulky Pokemon such as Toxapex and Celesteela. Preserve Slowbro's Colbur Berry until it is necessary to check Dark-type Pokemon, most notably Mega Sharpedo and Bisharp, later in the game. Use Thunder Wave in order to cripple Pokemon that cannot otherwise be beaten through using Slack Off and Scald such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Sharpedo. Thunder Wave is also useful in situations where you would need to cripple faster Pokemon such as Mega Sharpedo and Mega Pidgeot, while fishing for burns with Scald would be more useful against physical attackers or bulky Pokemon that can be crippled or worn down by burn such as Garchomp and Celesteela. Be wary of Taunt users like Mega Gyarados looking to shut Slowbro down; use Scald on a predicted Taunt in order to fish for burns, crippling the opposing Pokemon. Team Options Choice Scarf Victini is a good partner for Slowbro, as it takes care of many of Slowbro's offensive checks such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu. When using a Choice Band, Victini can break past Slowbro's defensive checks such as Chansey and Porygon2. Victini will often need to switch out sooner or later because of V-create and U-turn, and Slowbro is an excellent partner for Victini to pivot out to, being able to switch into Water- and Ground-type Pokemon such as Mega Swampert and Excadrill for Victini. Choice Scarf Latios is able to offensively check many of Slowbro's checks such as Hydreigon and Blacephalon. Similarly to Victini, Choice Specs Latios can also beat defensive Pokemon that Slowbro struggles against. Latios also checks Grass- and Electric-types that would otherwise threaten Slowbro. Latios and Latias pair well with Slowbro for their Defog support, being able to remove Toxic Spikes and other hazards, while Latias is also able to heal Slowbro with Healing Wish. Celebi supports Slowbro using its Grass typing, which allows it to switch into Electric- and Grass-type attacks for Slowbro. Celebi can also use U-turn to pivot into Slowbro and can absorb Toxic poison with Natural Cure. Mega Latias pairs well defensively with Slowbro because Slowbro's physical bulk protects Mega Latias from strong wallbreakers such as Excadrill and Mega Lopunny that may threaten Mega Latias before it sets up with Calm Mind. Mega Gallade can beat defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and Porygon2 for Slowbro. Slowbro can also use Thunder Wave to slow down opposing threats such as Greninja that could otherwise check Mega Gallade. Jirachi forms a solid defensive core with Slowbro, since it appreciates Slowbro's ability to switch into Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi, while Jirachi can switch into special attackers such as Latios and Mega Diancie that threaten Slowbro thanks to its Steel typing. Mew is a good partner for Slowbro because it beats Slowbro's defensive checks with Knock Off and Taunt and can also run Defog, which is especially good because it clears hazards such as Toxic Spikes that can threaten Slowbro's health. Offensive Mew sets also appreciate the speed control that comes from Slowbro's Thunder Wave, which can cripple fast threats and pave the way for Mew to sweep.

Slowbro is a good choice as a bulky Water-type, since it's among the few with a reliable recovery move. The big choice to make is whether to use Mega Slowbro or regular Slowbro. Mega Slowbro is bulkier, and its access to Shell Armor makes it among the few Pokemon to be able to effectively use Iron Defense, while regular Slowbro can wear down physical attackers quicker with Rocky Helmet and can restore its health via switching out with Regenerator.

Mega Slowbro's good Special Attack and pathetic Speed makes it a great choice for a Trick Room setter. Since setting up Trick Room is the most important aspect, Slack Off isn't always needed, though it's still useful if coverage isn't as important. While Regenerator is usually the better ability, Oblivious can be useful before Mega Evolving to set up Trick Room in the face of Taunt users.

Moves Scald functions as a reliable STAB move that can inflict burns and cripple physical attackers. Psyshock can be used as a secondary STAB move to hit threats such as Mollux, Plasmanta, and Mega Venusaur. Flamethrower and Fire Blast can both be used to check Cawmodore more reliably and hit Ferrothorn, Scylant, Necturna, and unboosted Mega Scizor for super effective damage. The choice between Flamethrower and Fire Blast comes down to preference. Flamethrower is more accurate , while Fire Blast 2HKOes Ferrothorn and gives Slowbro a chance to OHKO bulky Swords Dance Mega Scizor on the switch. Toxic can be used to cripple more defensively oriented Pokemon such as Pyroak and, to a lesser extent, Tomohawk. Thunder Wave, on the other hand, can be used to severely cripple setup sweepers. Slack Off functions as Slowbro's primary source of recovery. Set Details The EV spread allows Slowbro to avoid an OHKO from Syclant's Bug Buzz and a 2HKO from Technician Strategem's Ancient Power and Mega Metagross's Grass Knot as well as allowing Slowbro function as a bulky pivot more effectively. Slowbronite is used in order to Mega Evolve Slowbro. If you plan on using a different Mega Evolution, Leftovers should be used in order to gradually restore Slowbro's health. If using Slowbronite, an alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature can be used instead, which sacrifices some of Mega Slowbro's special bulk in order to increase its already large Defense to sky-high levels. A Calm nature can also be used on this spread, but Bold is generally preferred. Usage Tips This Slowbro set works most effectively when used on a stall team. When you're using Slowbro, even though it can function as a pivot, it is going to be used primarily as a wall, so it is best to treat it that way. If running Slowbronite, it is best to wait to Mega Evolve until it needs to take a powerful attack, particularly a super effective physical one, as move because Slowbro's ability to function as a pivot is drastically reduced as Mega Slowbro due to the loss of Regenerator. When holding Leftovers, it is strongly recommended to avoid switching Slowbro into Pokemon that commonly use Knock Off such as Colossoil and Malaconda because of the large amount of damage Slowbro will take from it, not to mention that it will lose its passive recovery. Also, if using Toxic, be careful when using the move if your opponent has Colossoil, as it can either severely cripple Slowbro if Colossoil has Rebound or can power Colossoil up if it has Guts. Team Options Tomohawk functions as a great partner for Slowbro, as they can form a great defensive core. Tomohawk can deal with the Bug- and Dark-type Pokemon that haunt Slowbro, while Slowbro can take the Psychic- and Ice-type attacks directed towards Tomohawk in return. Clerics such as Heal Bell Cyclohm and Clefable can patch up Slowbro's weakness to status ailments, while Slowbro can take on some of the Ground-types that Cyclohm fears as well as some of the Steel-types that Clefable fears in return. Status absorbers such as Mollux, Heatran, and Colossoil are also recommended for to their ability to soak up status moves used against Mega Slowbro, such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp. The latter two can also absorb Taunt, although Colossoil needs Rebound to do so.

Moves Scald functions as Slowbro's main attack thanks to its STAB boost and high chance to burn the foe. Slack Off is Mega Slowbro's only way to recover health. Calm Mind allows Slowbro to function as a setup sweeper, patching up its weaker Special Defense stat as well as boosting its already high Special Attack. Psyshock and Flamethrower are Slowbro's main coverage moves, and each one hits different Pokemon in the CAP metagame. Psyshock allows Slowbro to hit Pokemon such as Mollux, Plasmanta, Mega Venusaur, and Tomohawk for super effective damage and gives it both a secondary STAB move and a way to hit more specially defensive Pokemon. Alternatively, Flamethrower allows Slowbro to check Cawmodore more reliably and take on its common threats such as Syclant, Ferrothorn, Necturna, and unboosted Mega Scizor. If none of these Pokemon are a threat to your team, Iron Defense can be used instead to boost Slowbro's already high Defense to godly levels and allow it to set up on more powerful physical attackers. Set Details Slowbronite is used on this set in order to allow Slowbro to Mega Evolve. Regenerator allows Slowbro to function as a pivot before Mega Evolving by letting it switch in and out without needing to worry about entry hazards as much. 252 HP and 184 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Slowbro to patch up its lower Special Defense in order to avoid an OHKO from Syclant's Bug Buzz and a 2HKO from Technician Stratagem's Ancient Power and Mega Metagross's Grass Knot. The remaining 72 EVs are put into Defense in order to capitalize on Slowbro's high Defense stat, especially as Mega Slowbro. An alternate spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD can be used in order to allow Slowbro to wall physical attackers even better, allowing it to taking minimal damage from even super effective attacks from physical attackers such as Colossoil and Aurumoth in exchange for not being able to take special attacks as well. Usage Tips This set is best suited for more defensive and balanced teams thanks to its ability to both deal great amounts of damage and take physical hits very well. Oftentimes, it is better to wait to Mega Evolve Slowbro until it is needed in order to take on a powerful physical attacker or a super effective physical attack, as base Slowbro has much less physical bulk than Mega Slowbro. It can also find many opportunities to set up for a sweep thanks to its ability to act as a bulky pivot with Regenerator. If Slowbro does not need to take hits from physical attackers, it is recommended to use it as more of a late-game sweeper thanks to its ability to set up rather easily. When using Slowbro, be cautious when dealing with Pokemon that can run both physical and special sets such as Mega Altaria, Charizard, and Aurumoth because Slowbro has trouble dealing with the special sets of these Pokemon. Additionally, try to avoid letting Slowbro get hit by Taunt because it almost completely shuts down this set, and if Slowbro does happen to be hit by Taunt, switch out unless you feel that Slowbro can outlast the turns that Taunt is in effect, which usually won't be the case. Team Options Clerics such as Heal Bell Cyclohm, Clefable, and Chansey make for great partners for Slowbro thanks to their ability to remove the status effects that severely hinder Slowbro's ability to sweep and wall. In return, Slowbro can help deal with the Ground-types that trouble Cyclohm, such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, Diggersby, and, to a lesser extent, Colossoil, and it can help deal with Steel- and Poison-types that cripple Clefable such as Heatran and Mollux without Thunderbolt, although it needs Psyshock to beat the latter. Chansey makes for an especially good partner thanks to its huge special bulk and its ability to provide Wish support for Slowbro, making a nice stall core. Status absorbers such as Mollux, Heatran, and Plasmanta are also great partners for Slowbro thanks to their ability to soak up Toxic and, in the case of the latter, Thunder Wave, both of which are commonly used against Slowbro. Colossoil gets a special mention thanks to its ability to threaten Latios, Latias, and Cyclohm, as well as soak up both status moves and, if running Rebound, Taunt. In return, Slowbro can deal with Pokemon such as Arghonaut and Azumarill. Slowbro also works well on a Trick Room team thanks to its low Speed and its ability to take on certain threats to Fidgit.

Moves Slack Off is Slowbro's best and most reliable recovery move. Always run it on the defensive set, as it prevents Slowbro from being worn down easily and aids it in stalling out its foe. Ice Beam is necessary for Slowbro to be an effective check to Mega Salamence. It inflicts reliable damage, unlike Toxic, which can be cured by Refresh. Ice Beam is also Slowbro's best way of directly damaging Primal Groudon. Toxic is great for crippling opposing walls and stalling out common threats such as Ho-Oh, Groudon, and Arceus, which otherwise would not take any significant damage from Slowbro. Scald is its most reliable Water STAB move, which has a chance to burn the foe, discouraging Pokemon such as Kyogre and Gengar from switching in. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment allows Slowbro to tank hits from strong physical attackers, such as Mega Lucario and Mega Salamence. Regenerator is necessary to keep Slowbro alive, as it allows Slowbro to recover a bit of HP every time it switches out. Usage Tips Thunder Wave should be used to cripple Choice Scarf users and Speed boosters that would normally outspeed your sweepers, while Toxic can also be used in order to to stall out opposing Pokemon. Scald is a great utility move to potentially burn physical attackers and maximize Slowbro's ability to wall them. Avoid Mega Evolving immediately to take full advantage of Regenerator. Slack Off should be used to stall out Pokemon and healing off damage when needed, but try to utilize Regenerator to the best of your ability to avoid running out of Slack Off PP late-game. Slowbro receives Shell Armor when Mega Evolving, which allows it to stall out Pokemon more efficiently given that it is not prone to critical hits. Try to avoid all special attacks if possible (besides Lava Plume from Groudon), as Slowbro has mediocre Special Defense. Despite Slowbro having outstanding Defense, do not overestimate its bulk. It can still be defeated. Team Options Ferrothorn forms a fantastic defensive core with Slowbro, as they cover each other's weaknesses flawlessly. Swords Dance Arceus-Ground pairs well with Slowbro, as Slowbro resists both of Arceus-Ground's weaknesses while Arceus is immune to one of Slowbro's. Slowbro's Toxic can cripple some of Arceus's checks such as Lugia, which makes for an easy late-game sweep. A special attacking cleric can remove status ailments inflicted upon Slowbro. Xerneas fulfills this role exceptionally, as it can keep Slowbro from being crippled by status with Aromatherapy. In return, Slowbro can wear down its checks while resisting Xerneas's Steel-type weakness. Defog support is greatly appreciated considering that entry hazards hinder Slowbro's ability to freely switch in and out after losing Regenerator, which makes Latios and Latias outstanding partners for it. Latias pairs especially well with Slowbro, as it can provide Healing Wish support in addition to Defog support.

Moves Scald is an extremely spammable STAB move due to its chance to burn the foe. Grass Knot is Slowbro's preferred coverage move, which in conjunction with Colbur Berry allows it to handle several threats to Psychic teams such as Mega Sharpedo and Mega Gyarados, as well as Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Seismitoad that would otherwise wall Slowbro. Thunder Wave gives Slowbro utility in paralyzing faster Pokemon and Scald switch-ins such as Choice Scarf Victini and Latios, respectively, as well as certain threats such as Mega Sharpedo and Hydreigon. Alternatively, other coverage options can be run; Fire Blast hits Bisharp, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor, whereas Ice Beam hits Dragon-types in general. It's fine to drop Thunder Wave, as Slowbro has the coverage to check the Pokemon Thunder Wave targets, primarily Mega Sharpedo. Slack Off is Slowbro's most reliable form of recovery, allowing it to stay healthy enough to check Dark-types. Set Details The investment in HP and Defense along with a Bold nature allows Slowbro to switch into and check many physical attackers such as Choice Band Terrakion and Mega Gallade. 12 EVs in Special Defense let Slowbro avoid the OHKO from a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor from Kingdra. Colbur Berry allows Slowbro to deal with a plethora of threats to Psychic teams; with Colbur Berry, it can revenge kill Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo with Grass Knot, revenge kill Bisharp with Fire Blast, and paralyze Hydreigon with Thunder Wave without fear of taking significant damage from a Dark-type move. Regenerator heals Slowbro every time it switches out, allowing it to act as a great defensive pivot. Usage Tips Slowbro should be used as a defensive pivot, switching into physical attackers that it threatens such as Mega Lopunny. With Regenerator, Slowbro can be used to switch into and scout Choice-locked foes with reduced negative repercussions, and then switch back out to the appropriate partner. The Colbur Berry should be preserved in matchups against threats such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo. Slowbro should be careful when switching into Mega Sharpedo or Mega Gyarados on a prediction, as losing the Berry early can be a death sentence. Thunder Wave should be used on threats such as Hydreigon and healthy Mega Sharpedo. It also lets Slowbro neutralize sweepers in an emergency and allow its teammates to deal with them more easily. Grass Knot should be used to deal with Mega Gyarados, as it generally runs Substitute or Taunt, rendering Thunder Wave useless. Slowbro should be wary of weak Dark-type moves from Pokemon like Mandibuzz, as it wastes the Colbur Berry. In other matchups, it is recommended that Slowbro switch into Knock Off and U-turn users that threaten Psychic-types, such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Choice Band Mamoswine, as it can check them exceptionally well with Colbur Berry. Residual damage from entry hazards, status, or previous attacks can prevent Slowbro from checking threats such as Choice Specs Hydreigon. Therefore, Slowbro should avoid taking too much damage and use Slack Off liberally to stay healthy. Slowbro shouldn't be left in against setup sweepers that it can't touch, such as Lum Berry Bisharp, which it cannot effectively check without Fire Blast, and Calm Mind Clefable. Team Options Many frail wallbreakers that are weak to priority moves, particularly Sucker Punch, appreciate Slowbro as a defensive partner. Mega Gallade can break through defensive Pokemon that normally wall or threaten Slowbro such as Chansey and Ferrothorn. Mega Gardevoir, in conjunction with Slowbro, can easily dismantle Dark teams. It can also help preserve Slowbro's Colbur Berry by removing weaker Dark-types such as Mandibuzz. Mega Gardevoir also beats many Dragon-types that threaten Slowbro, such as Latios. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can check the same Pokemon in addition to weather sweepers that Slowbro cannot switch into, such as Choice Band Excadrill and Choice Specs Kingdra. Victini, especially a Choice Scarf variant, is also a great partner to Slowbro by checking the Grass- and Bug-type Pokemon that threaten Slowbro such as Breloom, Heracross, and Volcarona. Choice Scarf Victini can also finish off a weakened Mega Gyarados with Bolt Strike if Slowbro goes down prematurely. Latios and Latias are great partners, as they can Defog away entry hazards, letting Slowbro switch into attacks more easily. This is particularly relevant due to this Slowbro set's lack of passive recovery from Leftovers. Latias can also support Slowbro with Healing Wish. Jirachi is a good defensive complement, as it can easily switch into strong special moves that threaten Slowbro out, such as Draco Meteor and Hyper Voice from Latios and Mega Gardevoir, respectively, due to its great defensive typing. As it tends to be setup bait for Mega Scizor and Bisharp, Jirachi appreciates having Fire Blast Slowbro as a partner. Mew is another great defensive Pokemon with access to a variety of utility moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, and Taunt. Its stallbreaker set allows it to break through defensive Pokemon that Slowbro cannot touch, such as Chansey and Porygon2. With significant Speed investment, Mew can cripple Bisharp and Mega Gyarados with Will-O-Wisp, lessening the pressure on Slowbro.

This is the standard Calm Mind Slowbro, a set that's existed since the third generation, albeit with the gifts it got from the two generations that followed. Still, it plays pretty much the same way, being a physical tank capable of boosting its weaker Special Defense and its usable Special Attack stat at the same time, similarly to how CurseLax plays on the specially defensive field. The strategy is simple: switch it in on a physical move the Hermit Crab Pokemon resists—e.g. Mienshao's High Jump Kick or Darmanitan's Flare Blitz—and Calm Mind on the predicted switch to a special attacker. If Slowbro manages to get a couple of boosts behind its belly, it'll be very hard to take out, barring critical hits. Though Calm Mind also improves Slowbro's Special Attack, this set is not really meant to sweep as much as it's meant to be able to tank hits on both defensive sides; that said, it can work as a late-game sweeper once its counters have been weakened, just like most stat-boosters. Teams leaning towards stall really appreciate Slowbro's power, as it is a nice tank that can take both physical and special attacks—despite its five weaknesses. Scald and Psyshock are its STAB moves of choice, the former has a 30% chance to burn the target, which particularly makes physical attackers such as Snorlax easier to beat, while the latter enables Slowbro to win Calm Mind wars against Suicune and Virizion that switch in while Slowbro uses Calm Mind. Slack Off rounds out the set, giving Slowbro a way to recover HP without having to switch out and lose its boosts. The 16 Special Attack EVs let Slowbro OHKO standard 252/0 Roserade with Psyshock on the switch after Stealth Rock, while the rest are used to optimize physical defense to make the most of its bulk. Fire Blast can be used instead of either of Slowbro's STAB moves to hit Shaymin—and to a lesser extent, Bronzong—harder, though doing so means losing out on beating things it otherwise should, such as Arcanine, Darmanitan, and Machamp, the first two being hit harder by Scald, and the latter by Psyshock. As for partners, Pokemon that can absorb Toxic Spikes (however rare they might be) really help Slowbro succeed. Amoonguss and Roserade stand out, each having its perks over the other: for one, Amoonguss has much better overall bulk, Regenerator, and the rare Spore, while Roserade can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, is much faster and more powerful, can absorb status thanks to Natural Cure and can use Sleep Powder, which though not as reliable as Spore and unfortunately illegal with Spikes, does go well with its high Speed stat. Other options for a Toxic Spikes absorber include Nidoking and Nidoqueen, both being able to set up Stealth Rock and having more offensive presence due to Sheer Force. A paralysis spreader can also be useful to get around Slowbro's Speed issues. Notable ones, though gimmicky, are Whimsicott and Liepard, both having access to Prankster to get priority on Stun Spore and Thunder Wave, respectively. Double status Amoonguss is another good option for spreading paralysis, being able to cripple another Pokemon after Sleep Clause has activated. Finally, things that can lure in and take out Suicune and Milotic (especially RestTalk variants) also make good teammates for Slowbro. Special mention here goes to mixed Victini, which is amazing at luring bulky Water-types and hitting them hard with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot—or the now available Bolt Strike. However, Rotom-H can also do the trick if it predicts the switch (no pun intended).

Unlike the previous sets, this one capitalizes on Slowbro's good base 100 Special Attack stat, hitting 492 with a Modest nature and Choice Specs. Here, it functions well as a bulky pivot for more offensive teams, but isn't as good on defensive teams due to the big loss in bulk. Surf gets the upper hand here instead of Scald, being more powerful overall—though if you need the burn chance, Scald is perfectly usable. Psyshock is a bit better than Psychic against the things Slowbro will be using it on (notably Snorlax), but Psychic still OHKOes standard 252/240+ Roserade after Stealth Rock. Fire Blast offers coverage against Shaymin and Bronzong that try to switch in on Slowbro, and Grass Knot rounds out the set giving it coverage against the ever-present bulky Water-types. Trick is an option in the last slot, though, crippling special walls such as Snorlax and Umbreon. Regenerator is probably more important here than on the other sets, since Slowbro is being used as a hit-and-run Pokemon without any other form of recovery. The EVs make Slowbro a full tank, investing in HP and Special Attack. The leftover EVs go to Speed to outpace uninvested Snorlax, Amoonguss, and opposing Slowbro. An alternate spread of 248 HP / 120 Def / 140 SpA with a Modest nature can be used to prevent Life Orb Darmanitan from 2HKOing Slowbro after Stealth Rock, while still reliably OHKOing Shaymin and Bronzong after Stealth Rock, but this Slowbro isn't meant to tank repeated hits anyway, and the standard spread already reliably counters Choice Scarf Darmanitan and Choice Scarf Victini, their most-used sets. Ice Beam can be used to hit Flygon and Druddigon for super effective damage, while also hurting Shaymin. Signal Beam and Focus Blast are other coverage options, hitting Umbreon harder than anything else, while also getting coverage on opposing Slowbro and Slowking and opposing Snorlax and Empoleon, respectively, but they're otherwise weaker than the listed options. As for teammates, a Pokemon that can spread paralysis is a great asset to this Slowbro. While Prankster users Whimsicott and Liepard are good at it, Togekiss is also an option with Thunder Wave or Serene Grace Body Slam, and double status Amoonguss can be used to form the BroMoonguss Regenerator core. Though Slowbro's ability helps most of the times, Rapid Spin support can be useful to prevent 2HKOs from turning into OHKOs with Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hitmontop is probably the best option, being able to switch into Heracross's Megahorn and Scrafty's Crunch with ease thanks to Intimidate, while also not sharing weaknesses with Slowbro like Blastoise and Kabutops do. Finally, while not as mandatory as the Calm Mind set since this Slowbro is pretty self-sufficient, Pokemon that can lure in and KO Suicune and Milotic, such as Expert Belt mixed Victini and Rotom-H, can also be useful.

This set is a great asset on balanced teams that struggle with Fighting-types other than Heracross and Scrafty. Scald is the set's main move, having a notable chance to completely cripple the physical attackers Slowbro has to counter. Psyshock is a bit better than Psychic as the Fighting-types it's used for have better Special Defense on average, and Psyshock also hits Roserade on its weaker defensive stat. Slack Off offers the Hermit Crab Pokemon a means of recovery in case it can't reliably switch out. Thunder Wave can go on the last slot to paralyze faster things (like 80% of the metagame, accounting for immunities) that try to switch in on it, but Fire Blast is an option to hit Shaymin harder. It should be noted that Slowking has access to Dragon Tail to not be setup fodder, but Slowbro has the advantages of having higher natural physical bulk and being able to run both of its STABs on the same set, something Slowking can't do without losing either a support or a recovery move. 16 Special Attack EVs let Slowbro KO Roserade on the switch after Stealth Rock, while the rest goes to optimizing physical defense. Ice Beam can be used to KO Flygon, but a burnt Flygon is already as good as dead (and it will usually U-turn out of Slowbro); Ice Beam can also hit Druddigon super effectively. Grass Knot is another option to hit opposing bulky Water-types harder. Yawn can also be used in the last slot, being able to phaze opponents that try to set up on Slowbro. Roserade and Amoonguss partner up well with this set, the former being faster and more powerful and the latter being much bulkier, forming a solid Regenerator core with Slowbro for defensive and balanced teams to fall back on. Offensive Snorlax can benefit from Slowbro's paralysis and burn spreading, allowing it to hit things hard more reliably. It should be noted that, defensively speaking, a core of Slowbro, Aromatherapy Roserade, and Snorlax is very difficult to break, but it just takes one misprediction for Heracross to sweep your team. Lastly, this set fears Toxic poison, so a cleric and a Toxic Spikes absorber can be useful. Roserade fills both niches, but Mismagius can also work on balanced teams.

Slowbro relies on its high bulk to set up Trick Room, shrugging off the majority of physical attacks directed at it. Once Trick Room is up, Slowbro can function as a powerful, bulky sweeper with its good Special Attack, low Speed, and dual STAB attacks. Scald is its main attack, dealing solid damage while also having a nifty 30% burn chance. As Scald is a Water-type attack, rain support will greatly increase Slowbro's offensive power. Surf can be utilized to hit both opponents, but a suitable partner such as Ludicolo or Toxicroak is required to mitigate the damage that Surf will otherwise do. Psychic is used to take down Fighting-types such as Hitmontop, Toxicroak, and Hariyama; it also functions as a strong secondary STAB. Due to Slowbro's physical bulk, it is never 2HKOed by Sucker Punch from Hitmontop or Toxicroak without a Dark Gem, while Psychic will 2HKO in return. If Blissey or other special walls are of concern, Psyshock can be used instead to deal physical damage while still receiving a STAB boost. Protect is a staple in this metagame, allowing Slowbro to stop a predicted Fake Out or Taunt and guard itself from attacks while its partner eliminates a threat. However, using Protect will limit Slowbro's coverage, so either Ice Beam or Flamethrower can be used in its place. Ice Beam hits the ever-common Zapdos, Thundurus, and Latios for super effective damage, while Flamethrower will hit Metagross, Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Abomasnow, likely OHKOing the latter two outside of rain. The EV spread gives Slowbro near maximum overall bulk; the rest is put in Special Attack to nearly maximize damage. A 0 Speed IV is essential to make Slowbro as fast as possible under Trick Room. Slowbro's Regenerator ability and a Sitrus Berry grant it incredible longevity and the capability to take many hits. Mental Herb can be used to stop the effects of Taunt, virtually guaranteeing Trick Room gets set up. As Slowbro has trouble with bulky Water-types, it appreciates partners that can dispose of them. Ferrothorn works extremely well under Trick Room with its incredible bulk and powerful STAB Grass attacks. Eelektross is also an excellent Trick Room partner that can zap Water-types with STAB Electric attacks. Slow, bulky Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, Scrafty, and Hariyama all benefit from Trick Room and can scare away Ferrothorn with STAB Fighting attacks; the latter two can also use Fake Out to give Slowbro a better chance of setting up Trick Room. Politoed's Drizzle ability brings rain, which boosts the power of Scald and Surf. Rain speeds up Swift Swim users as well, making them much slower while Trick Room is in effect. Slowbro also works well with Abomasnow, as hail makes Blizzard 100% accurate.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

While Slowbro usually plays the role of a passive, defensive bulky Water-type, Calm Mind provides a way for it to gradually become a very real offensive threat, while at the same time patching up Slowbro's less than stellar Special Defense. With access to Slack Off for instant recovery and good coverage with its STAB attacks, Slowbro makes for a reliable and powerful tank after a few boosts. Getting good coverage with only two attacks is of great importance on this set, since you will be heavily relying on them to do damage. Thankfully, Slowbro's Water and Psychic STABs pair up for neutral coverage on the vast majority of UU. When using Surf and Psychic, Special Attack investment is not really needed as Surf will 2HKO Chansey at +6, and Psychic will do the same to Milotic. Although it looks hard to stop on paper, Calm Mind Slowbro can run into several problems in practice. The biggest one is status, in particular Toxic. Slowbro is very vulnerable to Toxic from the likes of Milotic and Chansey, both of which can only be beaten by Slowbro after significant set up. Rest and Sleep Talk can be run over Psychic and Slack Off to greatly increase Slowbro's durability, but it would mean Slowbro is completely helpless against Toxicroak and other Pokemon immune to Water. Also, +6 Surf only manages 46% on average against Bold Milotic, and other Milotic might run even more Special Defense than that. Another problem is that strong Electric and Grass special attacks can OHKO Slowbro even after it has started to set up. The Special Defense investment helps this somewhat, and means that after two Calm Minds, Specs Sceptile Leaf Storm (the strongest special attack Slowbro will likely face) won't OHKO. Finally, Slowbro needs to be wary of Haze Milotic, since it can come in for free on 3/4 of Slowbro's moves and erase all its hard work in a single turn. For these reasons, Venusaur makes an almost ideal partner for a Calm Mind Slowbro - it resists both Electric and Grass, comes with a very useful immunity to Toxic, and instantly threatens Milotic. Opposing Venusaur' Leaf Storms will do miniscule damage, while you can threaten a 2HKO back with Sludge Bomb. Chansey and Milotic fail to leave much of a mark, and Venusaur can use Leech Seed to drain their health (which can later be passed to Slowbro if need be) or even set up Swords Dance on them. Nasty Plot Houndoom with a Passho Berry and Beat Up makes a great partner as well, since it lures in Milotic like no other and 2HKOs with +2 Dark Pulse while surviving a Surf because of the berry. It also gets a quick surprise kill on Chansey with Beat Up. Slowbro and Houndoom have pretty great type synergy together too, with Houndoom resisting Ghost, Dark, and Grass, and Slowbro providing Fighting and Water resistances. Chansey and Clefable are also good teammates to have because they can use Aromatherapy to cure any unexpected status ailments Slowbro gets afflicted with. The RestTalk version greatly appreciates Toxic Spikes on the opponent's field to help it beat the likes of Milotic. Encore users will ruin Slowbro's sweep, since it is so slow that they are almost guaranteed to outspeed it. Common Encore users include Clefable, Alakazam, Poliwrath, and Jumpluff. The best way to deal with them is to simply have a hard hitting teammate that can come in for free on the Encore and regain your momentum. Torterra works well with Slowbro here, its powerful Wood Hammer making short work of Clefable, Alakazam, and Poliwrath, and an immunity to Leech Seed helping it deal with Jumpluff. If you invest in its Special Defense, it makes an even more reliable check for Alakazam as well.

Slowbro and Slowking share a lot of things in common, and one of these is the ability to set up Trick Room. When opting for one of them on a Trick Room team, it is important to choose the right one for your team's needs, as both do a slightly different job well. There is little use trying to use Slowbro to both set up Trick Room and sweep during it, since Slowking has access to Nasty Plot, which allows it to become a threat much faster than Slowbro can with Calm Mind. Conversely, Slowbro is usually the preferable choice for a super bulky Trick Room supporter, as Slowbro's higher Defense stat makes the most of its resistances to common physical Fighting and Water attacks and allows it to do the job slightly better than its sibling. Surf and Psychic once again make for the best two attack combination. Slack Off allows Slowbro to come in and use Trick Room multiple times, which is a great asset to have as a Trick Room supporter since the field effect lasts for such a short period of time. Good partners for this Slowbro set are Pokemon that can make the most of Trick Room - namely slow, powerful, and preferably bulky sweepers. Rhyperior and Marowak are both extremely threatening in this regard and have some limited type synergy with Slowbro in that they can come in on predicted Electric attacks for free. However, because of the rarity of Electric-type attacks, and because of the shared crippling weakness to Grass, it's highly recommended to run a Pokemon that can come into Grass-type moves with little trouble alongside them. Hariyama is also a great partner, with Close Combat, one of the strongest physical attacks in UU, at its disposal. It can also increase its firepower even further by deliberately activating Guts with a Toxic or Flame Orb, or by using Bulk Up. However, this can often be hard to pull off, as the former slashes Hariyama's longevity, while the latter may come to naught as Hariyama is forced to switch once Trick Room runs out. Hariyama does have useful resistances to Dark and Bug to come in on, though.

Slowbro's biggest advantages over other more powerful Specs users is its ability to cripple Chansey and other special walls with a Tricked Choice Specs, and the surprise value involved when a cute, defensive hermit crab hits with enough power to 2HKO Clefable. That, and Slowbro's considerable bulk even with just HP investment making up for its abysmal Speed, make Slowbro a slow but powerful Choice Specs tank. Surf and Psychic get great neutral coverage in UU by themselves, and this is an excellent quality for any Specs user since prediction is much less of an issue when you can just choose between your powerful STAB attacks to throw out and catch the switch-in. Trick is a self-explanatory move, ruining the walling potential of any Chansey that comes in to Toxic Slowbro. However, it should be noted that Tricking straightaway against an unscouted team is not advised at all - it's much better to hit an incoming Venusaur or Sceptile with Psychic than give them a power boost, especially in the case of Sceptile, which often wields Specs itself and will then gets a free attack against your team. In the last slot, Slack Off will let Slowbro function more like a wall once it has tricked his Specs away, and even while it is still holding them in a pinch. Grass Knot completes the attacking combination for perfect coverage, 2HKOing the most specially defensive of Milotic and giving you an attack to hit opposing Slowbro and Slowking with as well. Using Pokemon that can take advantage of weakened and Choice-locked special walls maximizes the potency of this set. Since Clefable is 2HKOed by Specs Surf, and if predicted right, Chansey will be locked into a single move, SubRoost Moltres can make for a deadly partner. Clefable is one of its biggest checks because of its pseudo-immunity to Toxic, and so once Clefable is weakened, it can be removed easily with a Flamethrower. Chansey will be unable to touch Moltres at all once it is locked into a single attack, and will be stalled out by Roost and Pressure. If you can keep Stealth Rock off the field, Moltres makes a good defensive complement to Slowbro, with the ability to come into both Venusaur's Leaf Storm and Scyther's Bug Bite with ease and pose an immediate threat. In return, Slowbro helps out against Azumarill, which can use a combination of Waterfall and Aqua Jet to break Moltres's Substitute and then subsequently take it out.

Slowbro is one of the physically bulkiest Water-types in the game, and its useful resistances to Fighting, Water, and Fire allow it to check a lot of UU's biggest threats. Instant recovery in the form of Slack Off means it has incredible staying power against physical sweepers, and its Psychic typing and ability to reliably spread paralysis with Thunder Wave set it firmly apart from other bulky Water-types such as Milotic. The combination of 95 base HP and 110 base Defense is very hard to break with neutral attacks, and when instant recovery is thrown on top of it, physical sweepers will struggle even more to bypass Slowbro. It brings a whole host of very threatening Pokemon, including Azumarill, Hariyama, Feraligatr, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Poliwrath, and Arcanine, to a grinding halt. Slack Off is a great asset, with the reliable recovery it provides allowing Slowbro to wall physical attackers all game long. Many physical sweepers cannot do over 50% to Slowbro even with super effective attacks, meaning it has little trouble alternating between attacking and recovering to stall them out. Surf utilizes Slowbro's primary Water STAB and coming off its base 100 Special Attack stat can do a sizable chunk to those that don't resist it, making it an obvious move choice. Psychic is an excellent choice as an auxiliary attack since it makes the most of Slowbro's secondary STAB, and more importantly, allows it to hit the myriad Fighting- and Poison-types of UU super effectively. A strong STAB Psychic makes quick work of Hitmonlee and Hitmontop, whose high Special Defense stats mean they can survive more Surfs than you'd care for, and it also allows you to break the Substitutes of bulkier Hariyama and Azumarill. In addition, it hits Venusaur very hard, ensures that physical Toxicroak doesn't threaten Slowbro in the slightest, and also enables it to actually damage other Water-types such as Milotic. Water and Psychic together have great neutral coverage, with the combination being resisted only by other Slowbro, Slowking, and Exeggutor in UU, whereas the Water and Ice combination used by many other bulky Waters lacks such good coverage. A status move in the last slot provides a way of threatening the Pokemon Slowbro cannot hurt significantly with its attacks. Both Thunder Wave and Toxic are viable options, and which one is more beneficial depends on the rest of the team. Thunder Wave brings many opposing Pokemon down to around Slowbro's Speed level and is very helpful when playing with a team of other slower sweepers such as Torterra and Hariyama. It's also particularly effective since almost all of the Pokemon that are immune to Thunder Wave will take massive damage from Slowbro's STAB attacks (watch out for Torterra, though). Toxic, on the other hand, gives Slowbro a greater ability to take opponents out itself with less support from its team; with Slack Off and its high defenses, Slowbro can outlast the majority of UU. Light Screen is a helpful option as it patches up Slowbro's lower Special Defense while at the same time supporting the rest of the team temporarily. However, it's worth noting that without a status move, many Pokemon will see Slowbro as a non-threat and will simply use it as a free switch in. While Slowbro's Water/Psychic dual typing does bring it many valuable resistances, it gives Slowbro quite a few exploitable weaknesses as well. Despite its bulk, which often allows Slowbro to survive even super effective physical attacks, you'll want to pair up Slowbro with a Pokemon that can take these hits more easily to take some of the pressure off of Slowbro. Venusaur, as well as being a big threat to Slowbro, also makes for a great partner with its ability to take the Grass and Electric attacks that Slowbro attracts. Venusaur also automatically absorbs Toxic Spikes upon switching in, which, despite their rarity, obviously destroy Slowbro's defensive potential. Specially defensive Clefable also has good synergy with Slowbro, possessing an immunity to Ghost-type attacks and the defensive stats to switch into threatening special attackers. If Clefable is already poisoned with Toxic Orb, it can come in on almost all Venusaur sets with ease due to its immunities to Sleep Powder and Leech Seed. It can also spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, and this defensive pairing makes a great backbone for teams based around slow attackers. Both these Pokemon can come into Toxic from defensive Milotic, which is a big problem for Slowbro if it isn't carrying Toxic itself, as it will be forced out by Milotic almost every time.

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