Pokemon of the Week DP: Slaking
Set
The Monster
- Item Held
- Choice Band
- Nature
- Adamant (+Attack, -Sp.Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 Attack - 252 Speed - 6 HP
- Giga Impact
- Hammer Arm
- Pursuit / Shadow Claw
- Earthquake / Rock Slide / Ice Punch / Aerial Ace / Thunderpunch
Giga Impact was created for this Pokemon. Slaking has an ENORMOUS Attack (it can reach 460). Now, Giga Impact has 150 Base Power, 1.5x by STAB and 1.5x by Choice Band = 337.5! And of course, the best part is here: Slaking would lose the next turn anyway, so Giga Impact has no drawbacks on Slaking. Giga Impact is going to be your main attack, but it is weak against Rock and Steel. Hammer Arm will do the job here and don't be afraid of the Speed reduction because Slaking is a Choice Bander and you will switch it out a lot. Giga Impact cannot hit Ghosts, so the third move should be Pursuit or Shadow Claw. Shadow Claw is usually more powerful than Pursuit, but Pursuit will be more useful because it will finish a lot of Pokémon who try to escape. The last move depends on what you want to hit. Earthquake is a great sweeping move and will surely defeat Heatran. Rock Slide will defeat Flying-type Pokémon. Ice Punch is for the Dragons. Aerial Ace is for Heracross and Breloom and Thunderpunch is for Skarmory and Gyarados.
Other Possible Options
Using a different moveset on Slaking means that you are insane. Slaking's Ability doesn't let it do anything else and as I said before, if you want to use Giga Impact on a Pokémon, it should be Slaking due to its Ability. Choice Scarf could be used for more Speed, but Truant cuts the quick sweeping capabilities, so Choice Band is better in my opinion.
Counters
Protect and a faster Substitute make Slaking useless.
Pokémon with Intimidate can switch on the turn that Slaking loafs around and cut its Attack. If Slaking uses Earthquake on your Pokémon, you can then send out Gyarados or Salamence. Slaking will surely change because it cannot hit you, and you will have a free turn.
Skarmory and Bronzong can take some hits, but they should be very careful.
Stealth Rock, Sandstorm and Spikes will always be good, because Slaking is going to switch a lot.
Slaking is a Pokémon that uses a lot of prediction and to counter it you will need a lot of prediction too. If Slaking uses the right move, nothing can resist its power. You should take advantage of its Ability and predict some hits to defeat it.
Opinion & Notes
As a person I don't like big, fat, silly guys that the only thing they do is punching others. Although Slaking is exactly like this, I cannot deny that he is a very powerful Pokémon. The new generation improved Slaking's moveset by giving him Hammer Arm, Pursuit and the Elemental Punches. Slaking's power is almost unstoppable and can OHKO many Pokémon in the game. Its ability is obviously his weak point but it is not THAT bad with the Choice Bander set or when Slaking uses Giga Impact. If you want sheer and brutal power, Slaking should definitely be a part of your team.
Note that Pursuit is an egg move.
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JimLink @ 08/10/2007, 11:39:42 am
TM65 Shadow Claw can be obtained only one time at Hearthome Gym, so it's better to breed your slakoth to get Night Slash, which hits exactly the same types as Shadow Claw. If you are bored to do chain breedings to get Night Slash/Pursuit, the level up move Faint Attack it's worth using it.
In addition too, Slaking is very good for double battles. Bring with a fast pokemon like Alakazam/Starmie and use Skill Swap to take away Truant. Then you can sweep the entirely oppossing team. Only remember to replace Giga Impact with the breeding moves Body Slam/Slash or Return.
The elemental punches can be learned only via Emerald Battle Frontier Move Tutor, so I prefer Earthquake for the last slot.
Aluado @ 09/10/2007, 06:40:49 pm
How about trying Worry Seed on Slaking (on double battles) too? So, you could get rid of Truant without having to switch Slaking´s partner or wasting a turn.
Hum… maybe a sunnybeamer Cherrim with Worry Seed could work well with Slaking… How about it? :)
Blue @ 10/10/2007, 08:34:11 pm
Guys, all of your ideas are great, but this POTW is about single battles.Aluado and Jim, you can prepare some Double Battle POTW if you want!
miski @ 14/10/2007, 02:45:34 am
Giga Impact still sucks, as you cannot switch out the next turn and are thus going to face an OHKO or a set up. Just stick with Return.
Blue @ 14/10/2007, 09:40:48 pm
Giga Impact is far more powerful than Return and will guarantee you the KO.Furthermore Slaking can take hits, so the only thing that it fears is the Super Effective hits from powerful sweepers.I think that it is a matter of prediction.If you fear thing like Heracross so much, stick with Return…
Ninjomewtwo @ 17/10/2007, 02:55:30 pm
But isn't Slaking gonna miss the next turn anyway? If you use either Giga Impact or Return, the outcome will be the same, you'll lose a turn, that's it. So why use the 102 base power Return and not the 150 Giga Impact?
JimLink @ 18/10/2007, 12:51:14 pm
If you use return, your Slaking will have the chance to switch the next turn. But with Giga Impact will stay in the arena the next turn to recharge and maybe take serious damage from the upcoming pokemon. That's an important disadvantage of giga impact.
judebox! @ 01/11/2007, 04:05:33 am
I like your reasoning on giga impact. If it is going to miss a turn anyway, why not attack with a powerful force then go bum around? Slaking has awesome defenses as well so it can take a hit in that round it's, well, slaking. (: Good job!
SlakingHater @ 10/11/2007, 09:14:23 pm
Lets just all agree that Slaking sucks ()0() and no one will ever use it:D
Feraligtr @ 02/12/2007, 10:30:55 am
sweet first moveset but useless abilty
Feraligtr @ 02/12/2007, 10:34:59 am
I Need A Slaking with Giga Impact Earthquake Hammer Arm And Shadow Claw 2 Keep Company With Choice Band
DanS @ 18/12/2007, 08:18:55 am
Pair Slaking and a Shuckle (who knows Gastro Acid) together in a double battle. Have Shuckle attack Slaking with Gastro Acid. Truant is negated.
alex @ 27/04/2008, 06:07:57 am
gastro acid does work in doubles, what also works particularly well is to get yourself a pokemon which knows Skill Swap, such as Gardevoir holding focus sash, skill swap with slaking, and then two turns after that you can (if gardevoir is still alive) skill swap truant to an opponent.
IDK @ 21/05/2008, 05:29:34 am
Nice article!
I agree with you that Giga Impact is better on Slaking than Return. Very few things can switch in on a Giga Impact from Slaking, and it has awesome defences anyways. Anything that uses Protect/Detect on the turn Slaking attacks, and attacks on the turn Slaking loafs off can just cripple it, though…
Alex, about your strategy, I think the general concept is good, but
1. Wouldn't a sturdier pokemon (Bronzong for example) be better than Gardevoir?
2. Since Skill Swaped abilities only last until the pokemon switches out, wouldn't Skill Swapping Truant just have the same effect as Yawn? (making the foe switch out) Maybe it would work with Block or something…
What do you think? Please comment
Ghalib @ 15/06/2008, 01:04:33 pm
how can i teach Slaking the elemental punches in D/P. Can anybody answer plz.
ExplorerAce @ 28/06/2008, 08:01:49 pm
To answer Ghalib's question, you breed slakoths in Emerald, teach them the elemantal punches through the move tutor in the Battle Frontier, then transfer them to D/P. You must have emerald to this. So buy it or find a friend who will let you use it!
ExplorerAce @ 28/06/2008, 08:04:15 pm
BTW, Skarmory is not a valid counter due to the chance that Slaking could know Thunderpunch.
ice1158 @ 14/07/2008, 08:23:39 pm
Look! I have a slaking and he is ultimatly unstoppable
Giga Impact - power
Hammer Arm - takes care of steel and rock
Rest - negates loafing around
Sleep Talk - let's you use a random move while asleep
reaperdeath @ 04/12/2008, 07:25:53 pm
but, if you use giga impact, wont it say "slaking used giga impact". then "slaking is loafing around" then "Slaking must recharge" then you can move the next turn?
Keeno @ 25/12/2008, 05:45:30 pm
When Slaking uses Fire Blast, Flamethrower or Fire Punch, the opponent has been burned! Ouch!
Keeno @ 25/12/2008, 05:46:27 pm
Slaking has the ability to Truant.
Mr. Bean @ 25/12/2008, 05:47:11 pm
Ha ha ha! You're so truant!
Adk @ 22/06/2009, 10:37:27 pm
If Slaking uses Giga Impact he won't have the opportunity to switch the next round because he would be FORCED to stay and recharge…in comparison to Return,which you can use and the next turn just switch and avoid the "loafing around" turn.
So it's a matter of "do you want the opponent to slaughter your Slaking or set up on you but you'll surely have OHKO one Poke or do you prefer to play safe?" thing :P
BBClock @ 30/07/2009, 03:40:01 am
I play a more Risky game, and as such, I run a Giga Impact set.
It could work either way though. It all boils down to safety over power.
cj @ 03/10/2007, 12:07:50 pm
cheap and yuck!?