What is a good moveset for Samurott?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Samurott, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Samurott Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

Likely Tier: Underused

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Samurott is the best of a bad bunch! Emboar has good attack but no speed to back it up. Serperior has good speed and defense but lower attack (depending on movesets I *may* choose Serperior). Samurott is a great all-rounder.

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Nobody likes Emboar D=

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Emboar is a great suicide sweeper! With it's ability to learn Flare Blitz and Head Crash, (or is it Head Charge? I forgot. ) and Wild Charge through tm, give it a Life Orb and sweep away! :3 Hammer Arm is a good filler.

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Actual tier: NU.

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samurott for life!!!!!

Answer 1

Gen 9 NU Mixed Wallbreaker

Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Dark / Fighting
EVs: 64 Atk / 192 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off
- Ice Beam

Samurott has dropped to NU, so here is a mixed set that serves as a mid-ground option from preventing it from being outclassed by Bruxish and Clawitzer. Hydro Pump is Samurott's strongest Water STAB that isn't Hydro Cannon. Sacred Sword is a useful coverage move that provides coverage against Blissey, Abomasnow, Tera Steel Appletun and Dudunsparce. With the 64 Attack EVs, Sacred Sword can 2HKO Blissey. Sacred Sword ignoring stat changes makes it useful vs Coil Dudunsparce. Hydro Pump + Sacred is really nice coverage vs defensive cores using Pokemon like Sandaconda, Blissey, and Cryogonal/Avalugg. The last two moves are filler moves. Knock Off is used to make progress vs opposing Pokemon by removing their item that they need. Ice Beam is used for coverage against Grass-types such as Lurantis and Appletun. Aqua Jet is an option to allow Samurott to have a priority STAB to pick off weakened Pokemon. The Tera Type can be a Type that boosts a coverage move, such as Dark to boost Knock Off, or Fighting to boost Sacred Sword.

Answer 2

Samurott @ Salac Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot

Eh, thought i'd post my new Samurott set. So I made this up with my friend, Jassen.
This Samurott set is very unorthodox to say the least. Special Samurott is already an uncommon sight, but Substitute and Salac Berry takes the surprise factor to a whole new level. With Spikes support, this set can sweep through unprepared teams with ease.

Samurott's best checks, Alomomola and Amoonguss, are both 2HKOed on the switch by the appropriate move if hazards are up. After Salac Berry, Samurott reaches 393 Speed, good enough to outrun every unboosted threat with the exception of Electrode. Activating it also puts Samurott in Torrent range, which allows it to hit extremely hard with Surf. Even without a boost, Samurott outspeeds many threats such as Emboar, Absol, Adamant Braviary, Drifblim, and other Samurott. This is possibly the best Samurott set to use right now since Swords Dance is so easily walled by Alomomola and Amoonguss.

Answer 3

Fast physical sweeper:

Samurott @ Salac Berry
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 56 Def / 176 SpD / 24 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Sacred Sword
- Megahorn
- Smart Strike / Night Slash

Salac Berry (Solves Speed problem)
Ability: Shell Armor (Protects against critical hits)
EVs: 252 Atk / 56 Def / 176 SpD / 24 Spe

-Liquidation (STAB, 100% accuracy, 20% Defence lowering chance)
-Sacred Sword (Ignores target's stats, including raised Defence and Evasion, making it nearly always hit with 100% accuracy)
-Megahorn (Covers Grass-type weakness, deals good damage)
-Smart Strike (Always hits, also Steel-type move in moveset, but Sacred Sword nearly always hits, making it also not the most important move) / Night Slash (High critical ratio)

I don't give it Sword Dance due to Encore, Taunt and more things that make it a wasted turn, and Samurott already has a pretty high Attack stat.

Comments

Torrent doesn’t protect from critical hits

Answer 4

Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Liquidation
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off / Aqua Jet

Swords Dance standard set. Liquidation is the main damage dealing attack, while Sacred Sword offers neutral coverage for targets that resist Water and bulky Steel-types that need 2x damage to be broken. The last slot depends on the goals for the set; Knock Off offers additional coverage with a strong balance-breaking side effect, while Aqua Jet gives Samurott more scenarios where it can sweep.

Jolly should be considered depending on the format, especially if Aqua Jet isn't used. Alternative coverage such as Megahorn can also be considered, e.g. if there are many defensive Grass-types in the format you use Samurott in.

Answer 5

Gen 9 NU Swords Dance

Samurott @ Lum Berry / Mystic Water
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Water / Ground / Dark / Electric / Poison
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Liquidation
- Aqua Jet
- Megahorn / Drill Run / Knock Off

A Swords Dance set Samurott can use in Gen 9 NU. Swords Dance boosting its Attack stat allows Samurott to become a scary breaker. Liquidation is used for a powerful Water STAB that is consistent. Aqua Jet allows Samurott to have a priority Water STAB to allow it to revenge kill faster Pokemon in the tier such as Jolteon, Zoroark, Scyther, and Hisuian Sneasel. The last slot depends on what coverage move you want to use. Megahorn is usually the coverage move since it hits Grass-types such as Appletun, Cacturne, Abomasnow, and Lurantis super effectively. Drill Run can be used instead as a lure option to hit Poison-types such as Qwilfish and Toxicroak, Pokemon who can switch into Samurott's Water STABs. Knock Off can be used for the coverage item since it allows Samurott to remove items from its checks that try to switch in. Lum Berry can be used for the item to let Samurott remove status conditions that hinder its ability to sweep, while Mystic Water can be used to boost Samurott's Water STABs. 176 Speed EVs allow Samurott to outspeed Pokemon such as max speed Modest Clawitzer and max speed Adamant/Modest Abomasnow. Torrent is the chosen Ability so if Samurott gets knocked down to Torrent range, its Water STABs can hit really hard with a Swords Dance boost and potentially with a Tera Water and Mystic Water boost.

Swords Dance Samurott has quite a few options it can use for its Tera Type. Tera Water can be used to boost the power of Samurott's Water STABs. Tera Ground allows Samurott to have an Electric immunity and can boost the power of Drill Run. Tera Dark is used if you use Knock Off so Knock Off can have more power to cripple checks such as Appletun and Qwilfish. Samurott can utilze Tera defensively just like Kingambit in order to turn the tables in certain matchups. Tera Electric allows Samurott to resist Electric moves and have a paralysis immunity. Tera Poison gives Samurott a Toxic immunity, making it easier to setup on Poison-types such as Qwilfish, Muk, and Toxicroak. Tera Poison is useful if you have Drill Run as the coverage move. Tera Electric and Tera Poison make it easier for Samurott to use Mystic Water as the item.

Answer 6

Samurott @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Sword Dance
- Dragon Tail
- Copycat
- Aqua Jet (final move before death with priority, get power up from Torrent and Swords Dance)

So, have another Pokemon set Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, then switch to Samurott. Use Swords Dance once, and have fun Dragon Tailing using Copycat with normal priority.

Comments

This wouldn't end well, since copycat has no priority with samurott's low base speed, and poor defensive bulk. It's more built for attacking.

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that's the reason that it must maxed speed stat, eventough he is not that fast but 262 is enough, i think,
even so, this is a good way to make use copycat, isn't it?

Answer 7

Samurott @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Modest Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump / Scald
- Ice Beam
- Air Slash
- Hidden Power [Ground]

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Your choice of STAB: Surf is for reliable power, Hydro Pump is for power, and Scald is lower power but with a chance of burn if you really want it. Ice Beam is coverage. Air Slash is also coverage. And once again, Hidden Power [Ground] is coverage. This has nothing that resists it and covers 417 Pokemon for super-effective damage.

Answer 8

Samurott (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Atk / 68 Def / 128 SpA
Brave Nature
- Megahorn
- Hydro Pump
- Dragon Tail
- Revenge

Mixed tank is my favorite for this guy.

Megahorn + Hydro Pump gives some nice coverage options.

Dragon Tail + Revenge are milking all they can off of that Brave nature. Dragon Tail for threats you can't take down, but can take a hit from. Revenge for things that you can take a hit from, but need a little bit of an extra push to take down >:)

Expert Belt is a nice item choice because you're running 4 attacking moves that give pretty good coverage.

Answer 9

Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Night Slash

Waterfall- STAB and 20% chance of flinching the opponent.
Swords Dance- Raises Attack by 2 stages.
Megahorn- Coverage, most powerful Bug move.
Night Slash- Coverage, high critical hit ratio.

This guy can pretty much go Physical or Special.

Answer 10

Late-Game Broom Gen V

Samurott @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
- Air Slash
- Brine

Ice Beam - Great type coverage and damage all wrapped into one.
Grass Knot - An excellent choice for those other annoying Water Pokemon.
Air Slash - Another niche attack, but I can vouch it comes in handy from time to time.
Brine - My personal choice (opposed to Hydro Pump/Scald). With Modest nature and properly invested EVs, it will OHKO the obvious Fire types.

Notes: Please feel free to use whichever water move you would like, but I find Brine is actually an amazing threat on this set, allowing it to OHKO entire teams late game who weren't prepared (most aren't). After your team has worn down the defensive core, you can bring in Samurott again to basically execute everything that remains with a 130 STAB move. Try it out ^ ^

Answer 11

Samurott (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Brave Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Razor Shell / Hydro Pump
- Megahorn
- Ice Beam

This samurott is a mixef attacker. Assault Vest is so it can survive special attacks. Shell Armor is so critical hits by the opponent never occurs. Brave is so it gets a boost on Attack, and it's slow anyway. Fun fact, this Samurott can actually defeat Mega Charizard Y by using Razor Shell or Hydro Pump first, then Aqua Jet, but only if at least one gets a critical hit.

Answer 12

Gen 5-7 NU

Samurott @ Assault Vest
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Scald
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam

Aqua Jet's purpose on this set is to revenge kill weakened foes. Scald is STAB that has a 30% chance to burn, which can pair well with Assualt Vest to give Samurott more "bulk". Grass Knot is for coverage and deals with other water types. Ice Beam deals with grass types.

Answer 13

Samurott (M) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Liquidation
- Knock Off
- Megahorn

Salac Berry + Jolly Nature (covers Speed problem)
-Sacred Sword (ignores stat changes and 100%, 90 power)
-Liquidation (STAB, 100%, 20% lowered defense)
-Knock Off (65 x 1.5 if opponent is holding item, plus 252 attack EVs)
-Megahorn (120 power + coverage against grass type)

Swords Dance is not a move I would use because of the fact I could get killed because of the wasted turn and Samurott will have lots of attack. Swords Dance could cause Foul Play to be even more powerful then it was without Swords Dance. Bruxish and Clawitzer will not outclass Samurott with this moveset.

Comments

If you think Swords Dance is a waste of a turn, why wait for Salac Berry?