[Monotype/Ground] Seismitoad [QC: 2/3][GP: 0/2]

Taking this over from The-Vale @ scpinion
And shoutout to Vale for letting me use the information he already wrote up in his thread!

(Original Thread)

Seismitoad (QC)

QC: Eien / Zarif / x
GP: x / x

[OVERVIEW]

**Ground**:
- Unique water/ground typing with water immunity, and takes neutral damage from ice.
- Amazing check and counter to a variety of Water-type threats such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Swampert, Slowbro, and Rotom-W thanks to it's water immunity.
- Capability of switching into water type attacks that ground cannot otherwise counter, due to being one of the only viable water absorbers.
- Diverse movepool, allowing Seismitoad to deal with a variety of Pokemon and thus provide support for it's teammates.
- One of the few viable offensive special attackers available to ground.
- Special attack is underwhelming without being boosted by an item.
- While having a useful typing of water/ground and immunity to water this comes at the cost of a 4x weakness to Grass.
- Competes with Gastrodon who has slightly better bulk and access to recovery, however seismitoad forges its own niche with offencive sets due to its better speed and coverage.
- Decent defenses, which it can further booster with an Assault Vest to take on a pivoting role.
- Underwhelming speed stat that generally can't outspeed much other than walls, however is still important for checking major water threats such as Azumarill and Crawdaunt.
- Lack of recovery allows Seismitoad to get worn down and checked very easily.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Ground)
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- Scald is Seismitoad's main attacking water STAB, and it's ability to burn is particularly useful in breaking walls such as Sableye or Mew, along with crippling switch-ins that would normally counter it.
- Hydro Pump is a much stronger water type alternative, however it lacks the ability to burn and has weak Accuracy, which are major drawbacks.
- Earth Power is the secondary STAB, and is also Seismitoad's strongest move(aside from hydro pump). It hits Pokemon that scald doesn't do well against, such as Kyurem-B, Keldeo, and water types.
- Grass Knot is mainly meant for water types, for example it can KO Swampert, and usually 2KO regular Gyarados. Mega Gyarados gets OHKOd by Grass Knot.
- Sludge Wave is useful coverage for Pokemon that resist both of Seismitoad's STABs such as Grass-types, for example Breloom or Whimsicott. It's also important against fairy types, specifically to check Azumarill.
- Focus Blast is decent coverage for Pokemon that resist Seismitoad's STABs well, most notably Ferrothorn, however it isn't quite as useful as Seismitoad's other coverage moves.

Set Details
========

- Choice specs with modest nature lets Seismitoad be as strong as possible, and also allows Sludge Wave to always OHKO Azumarill after belly drum.
- 104 speed guarantees outpacing neutral nature Azumarills and Crawdaunts which are major threats to ground, along with speed creeping Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, bulky Heatran, or Magnezone. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to keep Seismitoad bulky so that it can survive attacks from threats such as Mega Sharpedo, Mamoswine, or Mega Gyarados, along with helping Seismitoad maintain a pivoting role. 152 HP also gives Seismitoad a decent chance to not be 2KO'd by leftovers or scarf Keldeo's Secret Sword.
- A faster spread of 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe with Modest nature allows you to outpace Jolly variants of Azumarill and Crawdaunt, however there is a significant bulk loss.
- A fully offensive spread of 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe Modest nature without any bulk is another option to for outrunning neutral speed nature base 70s such as Ludicolo, Bisharp, Volcanion, or Breloom, while still being able to survive a +1 Crunch from Mega Gyarados after stealth rock.
- Water Absorb is always the chosen ability as ground desperately needs a way to counter water attacks and Seismitoad is one of the few viable Pokemon that has access to it. It also allows Seismitoad to check offensive water threats such as Azumarill or Crawdaunt and defensive water threats such as Slowbro.

Usage Tips
========

- Having water immunity allows Seismitoad to switch into suspected water attacks, or to counter walls that utilize scald as their main attacking moves such as Slowbro. However, if the opponent has powerful water-wielding Pokemon such as Keldeo, it's usually important to play as safe as possible with Seismitoad until those threats are taken care of.
- Choiced wallbreakers such as Azumarill, Kingdra, or Keldeo can either severely damage or OHKO Seismitoad if they predict swaps because Seismitoad cannot tank some attacks as easily. So playing cautiously around these Pokemon is crucial.
- Due to the fact that Seismitoad lacks proper recovery, it's important to play cautiously and maintain it's bulk as it becomes harder to switch in at low health and is easily picked off by stronger Pokemon.
- Avoiding status on Seismitoad is important as the passive damage can leave it unable to check opposing Pokemon.
- When the opponent doesn't have Pokemon with water-type attacks to threaten the rest of the team, Seismitoad can play aggressively and hit as hard as it can against the opposing team.
- In some matchups, Choice Specs allows Seismitoad to wallbreak.
- All opponents with grass type moves should be avoided unless Seismitoad is not really needed in the matchup (for example against a grass monotype).

Team Options
========

- Seismitoad fits best on offensive teams that enjoy keeping up momentum with its power.
- Seismitoad does not require much support defensively as it is the one supporting the team by absorbing water-type attacks and striking back with it's offensive pressure. Most team options are instead to help Specs Seismitoad's offensive wallbreaking capabilities.
- Mega-Garchomp and Mega-Camerupt help with Seismitoads weakness to Grass-type attacks while Seismitoad can helps with their Ice-type and Water-type weaknesses respectively.
- Mamoswine is useful due to its ability to check many Grass-type and Dragon-type Pokemon that would otherwise check Seismitoad.
- Physical wallbreakers in general work well with this set, because they can break the specially defensive walls that counter Seismitoad.
- Hippowdon is a good teammate that appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch into Water-type attacks. It also sets up Stealth Rock to put many foes such as Mega Gyarados and Zapdos into range of Seismitoad's powerful attacks.
- Landorus-I is useful as it can break walls that Seismitoad cannot. Together, they put a lot of pressure on the opposing team by weakening their shared checks over time. Landorus can also run Gravity, which helps Seismitoad break Flying teams with great ease, thanks to its powerful Earth Power.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Grass Knot / Sludge Bomb
move 4: Earth Power
item: Assault Vest
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- Scald is the best water move for AV Seismitoad, as power isn't too important and the ability to burn it's opponents such as walls and switch-ins such as physical threats like Breloom, and is exceedingly valuable.
- Because Seismitoad's power is underwhelming without boosts, Knock Off can be essential for dealing with walls that counter it, such as removing Chansey's eviolite or Zapdos's leftovers.
- Grass Knot is vital coverage for Water-type walls, such as Swampert or Slowbro.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary option mainly for checking Azumarill, however in most situations Knock Off is superior. It is used over Sludge Wave on this set because offensive power isn't quite as important, and the higher chance of poisoning opponents can be especially useful.
- Earth Power is Seismitoad's stronger STAB move, which also provides useful coverage against Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel, Lanturn, or Empoleon. Earth Power also threatens Steel-type Pokemon such as Bisharp or Magnezone.

Set Details
========

- Maximum special attack to maintain an offensive presence.
- 16 speed is used to speed creep bulky M-Scizor, along with some of it's counters such as Lapras, Walrein, and Band Azumarill.
- Modest nature is used over Quiet even with Knock Off to ensure that Seismitoad is still faster than Pokemon such as Skarmory.
- HP bulk is maximized to work with assault vest and to become a tank.
- A spread of 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe with a Modest nature can be used outspeed Adamant variants of Azumarill and Crawdaunt.
- Water Absorb is essential for Seismitoad to counter Water-type Pokemon that threaten Ground teams, and help Seismitoad pivot Water-type attacks.

Usage Tips
========

- Assault Vest with allows Seismitoad to pivot into a variety of special attacks with ease, while Water Absorb grants immunity to water attacks. It's a hit-and-run set that doesn't have the power to actually break walls or the longevity to stay in too long.
- Although Seismitoad's bulk is outstanding with it's Assault Vest and large investment in HP, it still lacks reliable recovery so it can only take a few hits before being worn out. It can take advantage of Water-type attacks to switch in and heal up in order to remedy this.
- It's important to avoid statuses as once again, Seismitoad cannot reliably recover from the damage it takes.
- Hazards can be a major issue as they take a toll on Seismitoad's pivoting potential, and a weakened Seismitoad is easily defeated.
- Even with it's Assault Vest bulk, opponents with Grass-type attacks can almost always easily OHKO or severely damage Seismitoad, so they should be played around cautiously.
- Scald and Knock Off are both fantastic moves for hitting switch-ins, as Scald can burn and Knock Off can remove their items. They can both be spammed pretty safely to wear down checks.

Team Options
========

- Offensive physical wallbreakers are necessasry to work with Seismitoad as many Specially Defensive walls shut it down. Wallbreakers also pair well with Seismitoad because they appreciates their checks having their items Knocked Off and burned by Seismitoad. Landorus and Mega Garchomp are good examples of this, as they take out the walls that Seismitoad cannot touch in return.
- Hippowdon is a good physical wall to work with Seismitoad in a defensive core. It sets stealth rocks, and can force out set up sweepers with Whirlwind. Hippowdon also comes with Sand Stream to strengthen Mega Garchomp or Excadrill, which both help Seismitoad by providing physically offensive pressure.
- Gliscor is a notable defensive partner for AV Seismitoad, as it can alleviate Seismitoad's major Grass-type weakness. Gliscor is also a great stallbreaker, which takes out most of the walls that can stop Seismitoad.
- Landorus-Therian is particularly useful as it can work as a powerful physically offensive pivot with intimidate to weaken physical attackers, while also helping with Seismitoad's Grass-type weakness.
- Mamoswine is a good offensive teammate that can beat Grass-types that threaten Seismitoad, although it cannot switch into them.
- Excadrill appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch in to Fire- and Water-type attacks, while providing powerful wallbreaking power.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

**Ground**:
- A leftovers set can be used by utilizing Knock Off, Toxic, Scald and Stealth Rock however this set lacks the power to check Azumarill and is generally outclassed by Gastrodon who possesses a reliable recovery move and has better bulk than Seismitoad.
- Stealth Rock is also more appropriate on Hippowdon as it can reliably reset the hazards if they have been removed due to its better bulk and reliable recovery.
- A mixed Life Orb Set is also a possibility but the damage output would be underwhelming especially compared to better mixed attackers such as Landorus-I and Mega-Garchomp and it isn't worth compromising Seismitoad's bulk.
- Hidden Power [Fire] is another option which is specifically used to break Scizor and Ferrothorn, however it's difficult to fit onto Seismitoad's limited moveset.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground**:

**Grass-types**:
- Grass-type Pokemon resist Seismitoad's STAB moves and can force Seismitoad out by targeting its 4x weakness.
- Pokemon like Mega Venusaur, Cradily, and Amoonguss are able to switch in on most Seismitoads and force it out, and most other Grass-type Pokemon like Breloom and Celebi are able to check it offensively but are unable to switch in due to taking heavy damage from Sludge Wave or being burned by Scald.
- Many attackers carry Grass-type coverage moves such as Hidden Power Grass on Keldeo and Magnezone, Grass Knot on Infernape and Thundurus and Energy Ball on Latios and Meloetta, threatening Seismitoad.

**Specially Defensive Walls**:
- Even with maximum Special Attack investments and Choice Specs, Seismitoad still gets completely shut down by a large amount of common Specially Defensive walls, such as Chansey, Zapdos, Latias, Latios, or Mega Latias.
- Seismitoad variants with Knock Off can help break these Pokemon, however even then, another Pokemon should be swapped in to do the rest of the work as none of Seismitoad's coverage moves can really hurt most Specially Defensive walls anyway.

**Wallbreakers**:
- Because Seismitoad is easy to wear down due to its lack of reliable recovery, many wallbreakers outspeed and OHKO Seismitoad if they gain the switch in.
- Notable threats to Seismitoad are like Mega Charizard-Y, Specs Meloetta, Banded Diggersby, Specs or Life Orb Hydreigon, and Mega-Garchomp.
- Many of these Pokémon can force Seismitoad out and KO most switch ins with their powerful STAB and coverage.

**Dragon-types**:
The likes of Mega Latias, Latios, Hydreigon, Dragonite, or Kyurem-Black and more all easily counter Seismitoad. It should also be noted that Latios with roost can easily get by Seismitoad's Knock-Off.

**Status**:
Seismitoad hates getting hit with status effects as they easily wear it down, leaving Seismitoad much more vulnerable.
 
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Whew, haven't seen this in a while. Thanks for taking it up!

Overview:
- I'd go as far as to say it checks Mega Gyarados (more relevant than checking Gyarados at any rate). Even though Mold Breaker ignores its Water Absorb, neither Crunch nor Waterfall can OHKO Seismitoad at +1. In return, a weakened Mega Gyarados will take significant damage from even an unboosted Grass Knot.
- I think you should add that it has decent defenses, which it can further bolster with an Assault Vest to take on a pivoting role.
- You should add that Seismitoad is pretty slow. Especially with the spreads we'll be looking at, Seismitoad won't really be outspeeding much anything other than walls.

Choice Specs:
Set:
- I actually think a very fast Seismitoad is more useful than a slow one. The spread I prefer is 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe, which outspeeds and OHKOes, Adamant Breloom and Adamant Bisharp while also outspeeding and 2HKOing slow Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage. The 4 Special Defense EVs are to make Porygon2 Download Attack (Downloading Special Attack puts Hippowdon into 2HKO range. You won't have Gastrodon to tank Porygon2's attacks with a Seismitoad on the team)

name: Choice Specs (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe

- However, if you think bulk is better, then that's definitely still fine. I'd like to see more explanation and reasoning in Set Details for why that's the case, though. Choice Specs Keldeo does not OHKO either way even after two rounds Stealth Rock damage, neither does non-Choice Band Azumarill's Play Rough nor +1 Mega Gyarados's Crunch after one round of Stealth Rock damage, so I'm not exactly on the same page.

Moves:
- Specifically Mega Gyarados is hit hard by Grass Knot and always OHKOed after taking Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves. Gyarados can always survive one even after Stealth Rock damage, so you should definitely say Mega Gyarados instead.
- Fast Zapdos can be 2HKOed by Hydro Pump pretty frequently, actually. And if Stealth Rock is set, then Zapdos will always be 2HKOed. (Relevant for a fast EV spread) I'd change the example as a result.
- No matter how many of them happen to either have Levitate or a Flying typing, Dragon-types do not resist Ground. It's fine to just say it hits Grass- and Fairy-types for serious damage.
- Add examples of Grass-type targets of Sludge Wave.

Set Details:
(I'm going to assume you keep your spread. If you want to use my spread instead, you can just add in the explanation and then definitely have your spread as a viable alternative.)
- Choice Specs allows Sludge Wave to always KO Azumarill after Belly Drum, which is actually pretty important to mention.
- Mentioning that you can outspeed Mega Venusaur is pointless when it cannot be 2HKOed and always OHKOes back.
- Explain why Water Absorb is the chosen ability. It might be obvious to us but it's critical to proper usage of Seismitoad.
- You should definitely give reasons for why the extra bulk is important for Seismitoad. What KOs is it avoiding, etc. Otherwise, it's not obvious why having more bulk than Speed is preferred here.

Team Options:
- I'd also add at the beginning that Seismitoad fits best on offensive teams that enjoy keeping up momentum with its power.
- Hippowdon is a good teammate that appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch into Water-type attacks. It also sets up Stealth Rock to put many foes such as Mega Gyarados and Zapdos into range of Seismitoad's powerful attacks.
- Should mention Landorus for breaking walls that Seismitoad cannot. Together, they put a lot of pressure on the opposing team by weakening their shared checks over time. Landorus can also run Gravity, which helps Seismitoad break Flying teams with great ease, thanks to its powerful Earth Power.

Assault Vest:
Set:
- Since 12 Speed beats Mega Scizor, is there a reason it's 16 instead?

name: Assault Vest (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Knock Off / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Earth Power
item: Assault Vest
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 Spe

Moves:
- Not really seeing the four-moveslot syndrome when it only really wants Knock Off vs. Sludge Bomb / Sludge Wave.
- Don't mention Hidden Power Fire. It's not even a guaranteed 2HKO against Ferrothorn (16% against Leftovers variants) or an OHKO on Mega Scizor ever. Definitely not worth mentioning here, you can move it to Other Options though.
- Please add some examples here.
- What switch-ins is Scald hitting?
- What walls is Knock Off best used for?
- What Water-types is Grass Knot hitting? Rotom-W and Manaphy take exceptionally little damage from it.
- Examples of targets for Earth Power?

Set Details:
- Again, 12 Speed beats Mega Scizor. If you change the set, it should be changed here too.
- Outspeeding max Speed Azumarill isn't particularly important in my opinion. Sludge Bomb has no chance at OHKOing Azumarill after Belly Drum, anyway.
- However, I would mention the 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe spread to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt, which is actually a pretty big threat.
- Explain Water Absorb and why it's the best ability here.

Usage Tips:
- Talk about how this set should be used to pivot into attacks. It's a hit-and-run set that doesn't have the power to actually break walls or the longevity to stay in too long.
- Specifically, it should take advantage of Water-type attacks to switch in and heal up, as it lacks recovery and can be worn down very easily.
- Explain when to use Scald and Knock Off. They're both fantastic moves for hitting switch-ins, as Scald can burn and Knock Off can remove their items. They can both be spammed pretty safely to wear down checks.

Team Options:
- Gliscor is also a great stallbreaker, which takes out most of the walls that can stop Seismitoad.
- Wallbreakers pair well with Seismitoad, as they appreciates their checks having their items Knocked Off and burned by Seismitoad. Landorus and Mega Garchomp are good examples of this, as they take out the walls that Seismitoad cannot touch in return.
- Mamoswine is a good offensive teammate that can beat Grass-types that threaten Seismitoad, although it cannot switch into them.

Other Options:
- You can list Hidden Power Fire here if you want. The Choice Specs can OHKO offensive Mega Scizor with it, for example.

Checks and Counters:
- Add Dragon-types. The likes of Mega Latias, Latios, Hydreigon, and more all easily counter Seismitoad. Latios with Roost don't even care about Knock Off-using Seismitoad.
Just be aware that each section in Checks and Counters doesn't need to be long. Even three sentences each might be a bit long.

There's quite a lot but QC 1/3 after implementations. Oh, if you want to keep your spread for Choice Specs (again, that's 100% fine) add explanations to Set Details and tag me to double check before we go to the second QC.

 
Whew, haven't seen this in a while. Thanks for taking it up!

Overview:
- I'd go as far as to say it checks Mega Gyarados (more relevant than checking Gyarados at any rate). Even though Mold Breaker ignores its Water Absorb, neither Crunch nor Waterfall can OHKO Seismitoad at +1. In return, a weakened Mega Gyarados will take significant damage from even an unboosted Grass Knot.
- I think you should add that it has decent defenses, which it can further bolster with an Assault Vest to take on a pivoting role.
- You should add that Seismitoad is pretty slow. Especially with the spreads we'll be looking at, Seismitoad won't really be outspeeding much anything other than walls.
Added decent defenses and slow speed, however isn't it still important to note that it's speed is important for checking Azumarill & Crawdaunt?
I already had the line "- Amazing check and counter to water type threats such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Gyarados, Swampert, and Rotom-W thanks to it's water immunity." but I'm not sure how I should expand on that with the Gyarados calcs.
Choice Specs:
Set:
- I actually think a very fast Seismitoad is more useful than a slow one. The spread I prefer is 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe, which outspeeds and OHKOes, Adamant Breloom and Adamant Bisharp while also outspeeding and 2HKOing slow Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage. The 4 Special Defense EVs are to make Porygon2 Download Attack (Downloading Special Attack puts Hippowdon into 2HKO range. You won't have Gastrodon to tank Porygon2's attacks with a Seismitoad on the team)

name: Choice Specs (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe

- However, if you think bulk is better, then that's definitely still fine. I'd like to see more explanation and reasoning in Set Details for why that's the case, though. Choice Specs Keldeo does not OHKO either way even after two rounds Stealth Rock damage, neither does non-Choice Band Azumarill's Play Rough nor +1 Mega Gyarados's Crunch after one round of Stealth Rock damage, so I'm not exactly on the same page.
Well I actually already had maximum speed as an option in the set details, but I'll add an exact spread of 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Modest nature, as that's likely more reasonable seeing how 24 HP doesn't more or less nothing while the extra speed allows Seismitoad to creep Pokemon such as Celebi or Gliscor.
The reason why I stress the importance of bulk is because even specs Seismitoad still has to be used as somewhat of a pivot with water absorb, and taking hits better is useful. Also, threats such as M-Sharpedo or +1 M-Gyarados will still deal way too much damage if it lacks bulk, and will usually leave Seismitoad unable to check them.
for example:
+1 252+ Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 312-367 (88.8 - 104.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
224+ Atk Strong Jaw Mega Sharpedo Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 283-334 (80.6 - 95.1%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Moves:
- Specifically Mega Gyarados is hit hard by Grass Knot and always OHKOed after taking Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves. Gyarados can always survive one even after Stealth Rock damage, so you should definitely say Mega Gyarados instead.
- Fast Zapdos can be 2HKOed by Hydro Pump pretty frequently, actually. And if Stealth Rock is set, then Zapdos will always be 2HKOed. (Relevant for a fast EV spread) I'd change the example as a result.
- No matter how many of them happen to either have Levitate or a Flying typing, Dragon-types do not resist Ground. It's fine to just say it hits Grass- and Fairy-types for serious damage.
- Add examples of Grass-type targets of Sludge Wave.
Added that regular Gyarados can usually be 2KO'd by Grass Knot.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Seismitoad Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 161-190 (48.6 - 57.4%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO
Fast Zapdos can be 2KO'd, yeah, but it can continue to roost stall as fast Zapdos is.. well, faster. Added that hydro pump can 2KO after stealth rock.
Removed the Dragon-type thing and added examples.
Set Details:
(I'm going to assume you keep your spread. If you want to use my spread instead, you can just add in the explanation and then definitely have your spread as a viable alternative.)
- Choice Specs allows Sludge Wave to always KO Azumarill after Belly Drum, which is actually pretty important to mention.
- Mentioning that you can outspeed Mega Venusaur is pointless when it cannot be 2HKOed and always OHKOes back.
- Explain why Water Absorb is the chosen ability. It might be obvious to us but it's critical to proper usage of Seismitoad.
- You should definitely give reasons for why the extra bulk is important for Seismitoad. What KOs is it avoiding, etc. Otherwise, it's not obvious why having more bulk than Speed is preferred here.
Mentioned Azumarill OHKO.
Well, I mentioned M-Venusaur because it actually can be useful at times, such as finishing Venusaur off with 2 hits if it swaps in, or if you want to send it in to pick off a weakened Venusaur. Removed though q_q
Added bulk reasons
Explained water absorb
Team Options:
- I'd also add at the beginning that Seismitoad fits best on offensive teams that enjoy keeping up momentum with its power.
- Hippowdon is a good teammate that appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch into Water-type attacks. It also sets up Stealth Rock to put many foes such as Mega Gyarados and Zapdos into range of Seismitoad's powerful attacks.
- Should mention Landorus for breaking walls that Seismitoad cannot. Together, they put a lot of pressure on the opposing team by weakening their shared checks over time. Landorus can also run Gravity, which helps Seismitoad break Flying teams with great ease, thanks to its powerful Earth Power.
Added that Seismitoad works well on offensive teams
Added Hippowdon
Added Lando-I

Assault Vest:
Set:
- Since 12 Speed beats Mega Scizor, is there a reason it's 16 instead?

name: Assault Vest (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Knock Off / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Earth Power
item: Assault Vest
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 Spe
Well a 4 EV difference doesn't actually make any difference whatsoever in any stat but speed. 188 speed over 187 allows you to outspeed not only M-Scizor, but also it's checks such as Lapras and Walrein, and a common banded Azumarill set used on water with 187 speed for Mega Scizor.
Moves:
- Not really seeing the four-moveslot syndrome when it only really wants Knock Off vs. Sludge Bomb / Sludge Wave.
- Don't mention Hidden Power Fire. It's not even a guaranteed 2HKO against Ferrothorn (16% against Leftovers variants) or an OHKO on Mega Scizor ever. Definitely not worth mentioning here, you can move it to Other Options though.
- Please add some examples here.
- What switch-ins is Scald hitting?
- What walls is Knock Off best used for?
- What Water-types is Grass Knot hitting? Rotom-W and Manaphy take exceptionally little damage from it.
- Examples of targets for Earth Power?
I guess you're right about the 4-moveslot thing. I'll remove that and move HP Fire to other options.
Added scald switch-ins examples.
Added Knock Off info
added grass knot uses
Added Earth Power targets
Set Details:
- Again, 12 Speed beats Mega Scizor. If you change the set, it should be changed here too.
- Outspeeding max Speed Azumarill isn't particularly important in my opinion. Sludge Bomb has no chance at OHKOing Azumarill after Belly Drum, anyway.
- However, I would mention the 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe spread to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt, which is actually a pretty big threat.
- Explain Water Absorb and why it's the best ability here.
Explained 16 speed
Replaced Azumarill-checking spread with 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe for Adamant Crawdaunt.
Explained water absorb
Usage Tips:
- Talk about how this set should be used to pivot into attacks. It's a hit-and-run set that doesn't have the power to actually break walls or the longevity to stay in too long.
- Specifically, it should take advantage of Water-type attacks to switch in and heal up, as it lacks recovery and can be worn down very easily.
- Explain when to use Scald and Knock Off. They're both fantastic moves for hitting switch-ins, as Scald can burn and Knock Off can remove their items. They can both be spammed pretty safely to wear down checks.
Updated the pivot info.
Added water absorb use
Added scald/knock off info
Team Options:
- Gliscor is also a great stallbreaker, which takes out most of the walls that can stop Seismitoad.
- Wallbreakers pair well with Seismitoad, as they appreciates their checks having their items Knocked Off and burned by Seismitoad. Landorus and Mega Garchomp are good examples of this, as they take out the walls that Seismitoad cannot touch in return.
- Mamoswine is a good offensive teammate that can beat Grass-types that threaten Seismitoad, although it cannot switch into them.
Updated Gliscor info
Updated wallbreakers info
Added Mamoswine info
Other Options:
- You can list Hidden Power Fire here if you want. The Choice Specs can OHKO offensive Mega Scizor with it, for example.

Checks and Counters:
- Add Dragon-types. The likes of Mega Latias, Latios, Hydreigon, and more all easily counter Seismitoad. Latios with Roost don't even care about Knock Off-using Seismitoad.
Just be aware that each section in Checks and Counters doesn't need to be long. Even three sentences each might be a bit long.
Put HP fire there
Forgot about those dragons. Added.
tried to shorten them
There's quite a lot but QC 1/3 after implementations. Oh, if you want to keep your spread for Choice Specs (again, that's 100% fine) add explanations to Set Details and tag me to double check before we go to the second QC.

This was a lot of help, thanks! I'm keeping the specs set and updating the explanations. Eien
 
Added decent defenses and slow speed, however isn't it still important to note that it's speed is important for checking Azumarill & Crawdaunt?
I already had the line "- Amazing check and counter to water type threats such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Gyarados, Swampert, and Rotom-W thanks to it's water immunity." but I'm not sure how I should expand on that with the Gyarados calcs.
Yeah, I'm saying that it's still pretty slow. It's not fast enough to beat the bigger threats like Jolly Breloom, for example, without unreasonable investment. I like the new line: saying that the Speed is underwhelming, but Seismitoad can still outspeed those two threats.

About the Gyarados thing, there's a difference between Gyarados and Mega Gyarados. The first ONLY applies to non-Mega, while the second only applies to Mega. I'm just saying change Gyarados to Mega Gyarados because that's a more relevant threat. Really minor change.

Well I actually already had maximum speed as an option in the set details, but I'll add an exact spread of 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Modest nature, as that's likely more reasonable seeing how 24 HP doesn't more or less nothing while the extra speed allows Seismitoad to creep Pokemon such as Celebi or Gliscor.
The reason why I stress the importance of bulk is because even specs Seismitoad still has to be used as somewhat of a pivot with water absorb, and taking hits better is useful. Also, threats such as M-Sharpedo or +1 M-Gyarados will still deal way too much damage if it lacks bulk, and will usually leave Seismitoad unable to check them.
for example:
+1 252+ Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 312-367 (88.8 - 104.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
224+ Atk Strong Jaw Mega Sharpedo Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 283-334 (80.6 - 95.1%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
228 Speed beats Celebi and Gliscor already. As I mentioned, the 24 HP keeps Seismitoad out of range of Mega Gyarados at +1 after Stealth Rock damage while still outpacing Pokemon at 240 Speed:

+1 252 Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Crunch vs. 24 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 283-334 (79.2 - 93.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Also, Adamant Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo aren't good because they should both always be +Speed nature, which is why just 24 HP is enough to survive their attacks all the time. There's no difference comparing it to 152 HP, since that doesn't change the fact that Seismitoad gets 2HKOed.

Anyway, it's fine to keep your spread and the set is fine now. The explanation is good too, since Choice Band Earthquake from Mamoswine does have a chance to OHKO my spread.

Well a 4 EV difference doesn't actually make any difference whatsoever in any stat but speed. 188 speed over 187 allows you to outspeed not only M-Scizor, but also it's checks such as Lapras and Walrein, and a common banded Azumarill set used on water with 187 speed for Mega Scizor.
Yeah, it's not a big deal, I was just curious if there was another reason. By the way, I really wouldn't call 187 Speed common for Choice Band Azumarill, which actually doesn't even creep Skarmory most of the time.

Anyway, looks good. Go ahead and call it 1/3 :)
 
Yeah, I'm saying that it's still pretty slow. It's not fast enough to beat the bigger threats like Jolly Breloom, for example, without unreasonable investment. I like the new line: saying that the Speed is underwhelming, but Seismitoad can still outspeed those two threats.

About the Gyarados thing, there's a difference between Gyarados and Mega Gyarados. The first ONLY applies to non-Mega, while the second only applies to Mega. I'm just saying change Gyarados to Mega Gyarados because that's a more relevant threat. Really minor change.
Oh, didn't realize you meant that. Fixed it.
228 Speed beats Celebi and Gliscor already. As I mentioned, the 24 HP keeps Seismitoad out of range of Mega Gyarados at +1 after Stealth Rock damage while still outpacing Pokemon at 240 Speed:

+1 252 Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Crunch vs. 24 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 283-334 (79.2 - 93.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Also, Adamant Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo aren't good because they should both always be +Speed nature, which is why just 24 HP is enough to survive their attacks all the time. There's no difference comparing it to 152 HP, since that doesn't change the fact that Seismitoad gets 2HKOed.
The teambuilder's suggested spreads pushes Celebi's speed to 244 thus making that the most common set (usage stats can speak for that) and same for most Gliscors and Jirachis. Bulky Volcarona, AV Victini, and many others speed creep in that area as well.
Sorry about the M-Gyarados calc, didn't see that in your post. I still don't really think the minor difference is worth it, but I'll change the spread. :I
Also, Adamant variants of the two are actually more common regardless of whether they're better or not so I think they're still relevant. The difference with 152 HP is kind of just that it allows Seismitoad to be chipped a bit more through the pivoting role it has, and still be able to check those Pokemon. It also actually gives Seismitoad a decent chance to take 2 secret swords from Leftovers or Scarf Keldeo, but I doubt that's really worth mentioning.
Anyway, it's fine to keep your spread and the set is fine now. The explanation is good too, since Choice Band Earthquake from Mamoswine does have a chance to OHKO my spread.

Yeah, it's not a big deal, I was just curious if there was another reason. By the way, I really wouldn't call 187 Speed common for Choice Band Azumarill, which actually doesn't even creep Skarmory most of the time.

Anyway, looks good. Go ahead and call it 1/3 :)
Thanks!
 
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Oh, didn't realize you meant that. Fixed it.

The teambuilder's suggested spreads pushes Celebi's speed to 244 thus making that the most common set (usage stats can speak for that) and same for most Gliscors and Jirachis. Bulky Volcarona, AV Victini, and many others speed creep in that area as well.
Sorry about the M-Gyarados calc, didn't see that in your post. I still don't really think the minor difference is worth it, but I'll change the spread. :I
Also, Adamant variants of the two are actually more common regardless of whether they're better or not so I think they're still relevant. The difference with 152 HP is kind of just that it allows Seismitoad to be chipped a bit more through the pivoting role it has, and still be able to check those Pokemon. It also actually gives Seismitoad a decent chance to take 2 secret swords from Leftovers or Scarf Keldeo, but I doubt that's really worth mentioning.

Thanks!
As I said, you don't need to change the spread, just list it in Set Details. (I was just clarifying in the second post.) I'm not holding your QC 1/3 hostage or anything haha. If you think the extra bulk is needed, then you can keep it. My opinion isn't the law and I can be wrong, so don't worry about it. I didn't know your spread could survive 2 Choice Scarf Secret Swords from Keldeo; that's actually really useful, since Keldeo is such a big threat. Mention that in Set Details and keep your spread for sure.

And btw as a side note, the reason the teambuilder says to go to 244 is because they need to outspeed 243 Tyranitar in OU, which isn't a thing in Monotype, since Tyranitar is either 265 because Mega or bulky and with 0 Speed, thus they only go up to 240 to beat Adamant Bisharp.
 
As I said, you don't need to change the spread, just list it in Set Details. (I was just clarifying in the second post.) I'm not holding your QC 1/3 hostage or anything haha. If you think the extra bulk is needed, then you can keep it. My opinion isn't the law and I can be wrong, so don't worry about it. I didn't know your spread could survive 2 Choice Scarf Secret Swords from Keldeo; that's actually really useful, since Keldeo is such a big threat. Mention that in Set Details and keep your spread for sure.
Oh, alright. Thanks n_n
I'll add that part about Keldeo as well I suppose.
And btw as a side note, the reason the teambuilder says to go to 244 is because they need to outspeed 243 Tyranitar in OU, which isn't a thing in Monotype, since Tyranitar is either 265 because Mega or bulky and with 0 Speed, thus they only go up to 240 to beat Adamant Bisharp.
Yeah, I know that, but like I said, the usage stats show that people still use the suggested spread.
Anyway, updated the title to 1/3 QC!
 

Zar

What a time
is a Contributor Alumnus
Overview:
- Mega Gyarados has Mold Breaker and thus negates Seismitoad's Water Absorb. Don't mention it in checking Water-types because of its Water immunity.
- Mention how lack of recovery allows Seismitoad to get worn down and checked very easily.
- The overview is more of a "short description of what a Pokemon can do and what it can't do". Your overview is very repetitive. 'Overall, an excellent addition to ground teams due to its expansive movepool, flexibility and immunity to Water-type attacks.'. This isn't needed as those points have been stated already. You may put this when you write it up but, right now it just feels repetitive.

Hydro Pump is far better than Scald on an offensive set, as it has more power but less accuracy. The set should look like this:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Ground)
move 1: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe

Moves:
- As it has already been stated that Seismitoad has a rather average Special Attack stat, Hydro Pump seems like the logical move to give it. Seismitoad needs all the power it gets to really make use of its Choice Specs
- Replace Hydro Pump with Scald here.

Usage Tips:
- Don't mention Assault Vest against Choiced attackers.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Knock Off / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Earth Power
item: Assault Vest
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe

Moves:
- Since Sludge Bomb is slashed with Knock Off over Grass Knot. It should be put over Grass Knot when describing it.
- Mention how Earth Power threatens Steel-type Pokemon such as Bisharp, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn.

Team Options:
- Mention how Excadrill appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch in to Fire- and Water-type attacks, while Excadrill can somewhat take Grass-type attacks.

Checks and Counters:
- Although it is true that Seismitoad is easily beaten by Grass-type moves, it is silly to put "Grass-types" and "Grass-type Coverage" in different categories. You can merge them together in "Grass-types". Mention how a lot of attackers run Grass-type coverage such as Hidden Power Grass, Grass Knot, and Energy Ball from your given examples.
- Definitely put "Status" in. As already stated, Seismitoad hates getting hit with status effects as they easily wear down Seismitoad and allow it to get beaten easier.

While this isn't a QC thing but, a large portion of the analysis does not meet the Spelling and Grammar standards. I would highly recommend for you to click that link and correct your analysis.

Nicely done! QC 2/3

 
Overview:
- Mega Gyarados has Mold Breaker and thus negates Seismitoad's Water Absorb. Don't mention it in checking Water-types because of its Water immunity.
- Mention how lack of recovery allows Seismitoad to get worn down and checked very easily.
- The overview is more of a "short description of what a Pokemon can do and what it can't do". Your overview is very repetitive. 'Overall, an excellent addition to ground teams due to its expansive movepool, flexibility and immunity to Water-type attacks.'. This isn't needed as those points have been stated already. You may put this when you write it up but, right now it just feels repetitive.

Hydro Pump is far better than Scald on an offensive set, as it has more power but less accuracy. The set should look like this:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Ground)
move 1: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe

Moves:
- As it has already been stated that Seismitoad has a rather average Special Attack stat, Hydro Pump seems like the logical move to give it. Seismitoad needs all the power it gets to really make use of its Choice Specs
- Replace Hydro Pump with Scald here.

Usage Tips:
- Don't mention Assault Vest against Choiced attackers.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest (Ground)
move 1: Scald
move 2: Knock Off / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Earth Power
item: Assault Vest
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe

Moves:
- Since Sludge Bomb is slashed with Knock Off over Grass Knot. It should be put over Grass Knot when describing it.
- Mention how Earth Power threatens Steel-type Pokemon such as Bisharp, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn.

Team Options:
- Mention how Excadrill appreciates Seismitoad's ability to switch in to Fire- and Water-type attacks, while Excadrill can somewhat take Grass-type attacks.

Checks and Counters:
- Although it is true that Seismitoad is easily beaten by Grass-type moves, it is silly to put "Grass-types" and "Grass-type Coverage" in different categories. You can merge them together in "Grass-types". Mention how a lot of attackers run Grass-type coverage such as Hidden Power Grass, Grass Knot, and Energy Ball from your given examples.
- Definitely put "Status" in. As already stated, Seismitoad hates getting hit with status effects as they easily wear down Seismitoad and allow it to get beaten easier.

While this isn't a QC thing but, a large portion of the analysis does not meet the Spelling and Grammar standards. I would highly recommend for you to click that link and correct your analysis.

Nicely done! QC 2/3

Sorry I took so long, I've been a bit busy. Added these things, and you're definitely right about the writing standards so thanks for the link. I'll work on it.
 

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