Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Dragon Tail
move 2: Roost
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Defog
ability: Intimidate
item: Salamencite
evs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
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Dragon Tail is very efficient in effective at exerting defensive pressure on the opponent, which Salamence can accomplish do with its solid bulk. Roost is extremely useful in keeping usefully keeps Salamence alive throughout the match to check threats and remove entry hazards. Body Slam also keeps offensive threats on their toes with above-average damage and a looming paralysis chance. Salamence's ability to Defog is assisted by Intimidate and its above-average offensive presence, letting it do its job against powerhouses such as Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus. If balance or stall is a concerning problem in to the team's build, Toxic can whittle down opposing walls and tanks if needed, and Refresh can keep Salamence status-free and become make it a more consistent Ho-Oh check.
Set Details
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The EV spread lets Mega Salamence outspeed the neutral base 95 Speed tier,(rc) gaining an advantage against wallbreakers such as an Adamant Rayquaza and Modest Kyurem-W. If one wishes to aim for a higher benchmark, an EV spread of 248 HP / 172 Def / 88 Spe with an Impish nature can outrun lets Salamence outspeed Modest Xerneas and Yveltal. An even higher benchmark A sweet spot between these two spreads is 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 Spe with an Impish nature, as it prevents threats such as letting Mega Salamence outspeeds max Speed Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre,(ac) from outspeeding Mega Salamence,(rc)(What does this mean?)but many of these options extend to what it needs to check on a team.(See my comments for the bit between these parantheses sections)
Usage Tips
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Differentiation of when and when not When to Mega Evolve is key to using this variant of Salamence, as balancing the importance of utilizing Intimidate and the increased Speed and power of its Mega Evolution during a match increases intensifies Salamence's effectiveness. This is because Salamence can effectively check common offensive threats such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus, but sometimes needs to Mega Evolve to either take particularly powerful attacks or avoid lure moves such as Toxic and Stone Edge, respectively. If a wallbreaker is likely to switch in to punish Salamence for trying to Defog, using either Dragon Tail or Body Slam can have a chance to do enough residual damage to deter or cripple them, and which therefore making makes Defog less difficult to utilize. Also, if Refresh is not opted for, avoid any and all status moves other than Sleep-inflicting moves when possible,(rc) as burn, paralysis, and poison can all have a high chance of reducing ,(ac) as they can all reduce Salamence's effectiveness in checking most offensively-oriented Pokemon.
Team Options
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Support variants of Primal Groudon are a good option for a partners with for Salamence, as Primal Groudon checks the Fairy-types that can threaten this variant of Salamence, in addition to providing Stealth Rock for Salamence to take advantage of with Dragon Tail. Klefki is in In the same vein;,(semicolon to comma) Klefki it has great type synergy with Salamence, checks Xerneas, Latios, and Latias, absorbs Toxic, and gives Salamence Spikes to defensively pressure the opponent with alongside Dragon Tail. Aegislash also has good synergy with Salamence, checks checking Latios and Latias through Pursuit and can check checking Xerneas, three major offensive threats to Salamence. Defensive variants of Primal Kyogre appreciate having Primal Groudon checked by Salamence, can soak up most Ice-type attacks, and almost freely have the ability to spread burns with Scald, giving Salamence's defenses more of an edge. Ghost Arceus can cover Stone Edge Extreme Killer Arceus variants for Salamence, and the freedom of not running Defog can let Ghost Arceus run multiple different utility moves to support its team better. Ferrothorn and Skarmory also assist Salamence in checking Stone Edge Extreme Killer Arceus, and have access to entry hazards that Salamence can use in conjunction with Dragon Tail.
Other Options
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Iron Defense allows Salamence to handle Swords Dance Primal Groudon variants by itself, which gives it a solid niche on certain stall teams, at the cost of having Defog usually being the foregone move foregoing Defog. Wish support is something both Salamence and its Mega Evolution can fill provide, with both having a solid HP stat to take advantage of Wish, and regular Salamence's ability to hold Leftovers,(rc) which can open up the Mega Evolution slot for another Pokemon to use. Earthquake can give Salamence the opportunity to lure some of its common defensive checks such as Klefki, Mega Diancie, and Rock Arceus (if it is paralyzed by Body Slam), and beat them one-on-one, but prevents Salamence from running Dragon Tail or Defog.
