What is a good moveset for Swalot?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Swalot, 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 explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Swalot Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Swalot @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 192 HP / 64 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature (+SpA, -Spe)

• Sludge Bomb/Sludge Wave
• Ice Beam
• Giga Drain
• Earthquake

Sludge Bomb is STAB and has a nice chance to poison the opponent, and therefore is the preferred option. If you want, Sludge Wave has 5 more base power, but usually isn't worth it unless you're after some specific KOs.
Ice Beam hits Ground type switch ins and has good coverage.
Giga Drain is healing and come coverage.
Earthquake rounds out the coverage by hitting Steel types.

Answer 2

Gen V

Swalot (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 128 SpA / 64 SpD
Bold Nature

• Acid Spray
• Giga Drain
• Ice Beam
• Shadow Ball

Answer 3

Role: Annoying stall

Swalot @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 HP
Bold Nature

• Stockpile: Raises Attack and Defense by one stage, but can only be used 3 times.
• Toxic: Badly poison your opponent........nuff said.
• Venom Drench: lowers your opponent's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by 1 stage if it is poisoned.
• Infestation / Protect / Giga Drain / Encore

A lot of options for the last slot. Infestation if you wanna trap your opponent and deal damage each turn, Protect if you wanna heal a little more HP without taking a hit, Giga Drain for restoring some HP from your foe, or Encore to make your opponent repeat the same move (good for stalling)

(updated gen 6 moveset)

Answer 4

The mastermind in me has decided to give Swalot yet another annoying moveset.

Swalot @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 HP
Impish Nature

• Amnesia: Raises Special Defense 2 stages
• Acid Armor: Raises Defense 2 stages
• Toxic: Stalling Pokemon need Toxic to function properly
• Giga Drain / Yawn: Decent power and heals your health, or put opponent to sleep

The reason I'm using Amnesia and Acid Armor because using each move once is the same as using Stockpile, but you can only use Stockpile 3 times. You can max this guy's defenses pretty well depending on the opponent's lead Pokemon. Then move onto Toxic and Yawn to continue the stall, or start using Giga Drain to slowly regain health and drain your opponent's. If the opponent switches to a Poison or Steel type, then you can just switch out yourself, and send Swalot in again because it only takes 3 Amnesias or 3 Acid Armors to max out defenses again.

Answer 5

Sweeping Swalot:

Swalot @ Poisonium Z
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

• Gunk Shot
• Earthquake
• Ice Punch
• Gastro Acid

Gunk Shot is for a high base power STAB move. Earthquake allows Swalot to hurt Steel types. Ice Punch is to hit Ground types hard. Gastro Acid is used for two reasons: One is to shut down some Pokemon that rely on their abilities. Another is to boost Speed with Z-Gastro Acid, increasing Swalot’s sweeping capabilities.

The EVs on this set gives Swalot the ability to sweep. Liquid Ooze punishes Pokemon like Mega Venusaur. Poisonium Z allows Swalot to utilize Z-Gastro Acid. Finally, a Timid nature makes Swalot as fast as possible, alongside the speed boost from Z-Gastro Acid.

Hope this set answers your question!

Answer 6

Swalot @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Gluttony
Modest Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
• Yawn
• Amnesia
• Acid Armor
• Belch

Yawn puts opponents to sleep, Acid Armor and Amnesia make defenses better, Belch is STAB that hits crazy hard.

Comments

Check your berry, it will be confused because figy confuses if minus attack nature

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Also as your one offensive move that is poison type, if you come up against a steel you are doomed. Plus, I've tried things like this and normally you get koed pretty quick

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Well any toxic staller is walled by poison and steel, and nobody comments on that

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True, but normally they have some other attack move

Answer 7

Gen 7 ZU
Swalot @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Substitute
Explanation: Curse boosts Swalot's attack and defense. Gunk Shot is STAB. Earthquake is for coverage and deals with Steel Types. Substitute is to help setup. The EVs are 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD because Swalot's attack and defense will be boosted by Curse. The ability Sticky Hold is preferred for this set so your Leftovers won't get knocked off by Knock Off.

Answer 8

Swalot @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Yawn
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam / Shadow Ball

Yawn can either cripple an opponent or force a switch. Sludge Wave is more powerful STAB than Sludge Bomb, but Sludge Bomb can be used for a higher chance of poisoning. Giga Drain recovers health, and is coverage against Ground types Swalot is weak to. Ice Beam is coverage, and is also a way of covering Ground types. Shadow Ball is coverage if you choose not to use Ice Beam, and can soften up opponents with a Special Defense drop. Leftovers and Giga Drain make it quite bulky, and Sticky Hold ensures it cannot lose its Black Sludge.

Answer 9

Gen 7 ZU

Swalot @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Wave
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball

This thing attempts to use Choice Specs to help out with its Special Attack stat. Sludge Wave is STAB. Giga Drain is for ground type coverage and is for healing. Ice Beam is also a way to deal with ground types. Shadow Ball can be used to deal with psychic types.

Answer 10

Swalot @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 102 HP / 102 Def / 102 SpA / 102 SpD / 102 Spe
Quiet Nature

• Sludge Bomb
• Ice Beam
• Stockpile
• Swallow

There's too many recommendations for maxing out one or two specific stat, and Swalot is a perfect example to spread EVs between all the stats, leaving the sixth unused one without training (in this case, the Attack stat because there's no physical move in this set). In the first three turns, try to set up with Stockpile, then attack. Sludge Bomb is a great STAB move with its 30% poisoning chance, while Ice Beam widely covers a few types (especially the super effective Ground and the powerful Dragons). With the power of Liquid Ooze and Black Sludge, it won't be easy to take you out. In case of emergency, use Swallow to restore your HP. Maybe you'll lose the drastically raised Defense and Special Defense, but something for something. :D