Salamence

Salamence

 Salamence is a Pokemon that has been a major threat since its introduction in Generation 3, though its use over the ages and especially in VGC play has changed. Despite Salamence's sky high base attack, its primary function generally features a special or a mixed set. Salamence in VGC 14 has grown in popularity with the removal of Latios and due to Salamence's fantastic ability, intimidate, which is a staple on many teams in order to aid in a metagame dominated by physical attackers.

Salamence has been on my team for a majority of my matches on Battle Spot and throughout my Virginia Regionals run. I think it is a remarkably versatile and effective Pokemon despite being fairly common to see on opposing teams. I did not invest any defensive EV's on my Salamence set, yet even without any bulk invested Salamence's base defenses allow it to normally take a strong neutral attack or even a weak super effective one. Additionally, Salamence is able to take advantage of Dragon's strong attacking Stab through the weakened though still effective Draco Meteor. Salamence's strong offensive capabilities combined with its natural bulk allows it to remain in the game longer than other frailer options, which often makes Salamence an effective late game cleaner if played correctly.

Salamence makes an ideal Choice Scarf user due to its high base defenses and good offensive typing, which would explain why Choice Scarf is currently the most common set I have encountered. With a Choice Scarf, Salamence is able to pick off damaged opponents with its combination of offensive coverage and Draco Meteor. With the rise in Choice Scarf Salamence however, some players are beginning to experiment with other sets and items, such as Markus Stadter's success with a Life Orb Salamence in the IbM.

As the Metagame develops, I would expect Choice Scarf Salamence usage to drop though still remain present. Salamence's naturally high base Attack stat lends itself to the possibility of a physical set, though with the omnipotence of Intimidate at the moment that seems unlikely. Salamence's other ability, Moxie, raises the Attack stat every time the user knocks out a Pokemon. It is irrelevant unless used on a Physical set.

The Sets: 

Salamence (F) @ Choice Scarf

Trait: Intimidate

EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 244 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd

Modest/Mild/Rash/Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

- Draco Meteor

- Fire Blast/Flamethrower

- Dragon Pulse/Hydro Pump

- Rock Slide/Stone Edge/Roar

This is the standard Choice Scarf Set. I've included a majority of the possible options available to Salamence rather than splitting them into separate sets, though there are other options and combinations available depending on what your team requires. Draco Meteor is the preferred heavy hitter on this set, coupling well with Intimidate as Draco Meteor encourages switching. I personally enjoy the security provided by a 100 Percent accuracy Stab move, which is why I chose to use Dragon Pulse despite its redundancy with Draco Meteor, though I definitely feel it has its uses. Hydro Pump is a reliable option for anyone who wants to hit Tyranitar or other Water weak Pokemon for super effective damage. Flamethrower and Fire Blast are dependent on whether you want to play with fire (pun intended) and risk missing occasionally for the extra power. The last slot is up to what an individual team needs. Rock Slide is unable to OHKO Tyranitar and Talonflame with a Modest Nature, which is why other natures are suggested. Stone Edge is able to OHKO even with a Modest Nature. Roar might seem like a strange option, yet it has been used with moderate success before in order to stop opposing Trick Room teams from setting up.

-Wolfe

While Wolfe decided to only put the Choice Scarf set in his analysis, I'd like to add the Life Orb set that helped me to get to a respectable 2nd place at the IdM. I was looking for a good partner for Mega Manectric and Salamence seemed like the perfect choice, because double Intimidate is just a very good lead to start off a battle as it brings the opponent to switch out their physical attackers immideately. This is especially nice as you want to switch out after firing off a Draco Meteor, since that lowers the special attack stat. 

Salamence (F) @ Life Orb

Trait: Intimidate

EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd

Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

- Draco Meteor

- Fire Blast/Flamethrower

- Protect

- Rock Slide/Stone Edge/Hydro Pump

I don't think Dragon Pulse should be used too much on this set, as you either have to drop the powerful Draco Meteor, or a coverage move, which is not a good idea generally. Life Orb boosted Draco Meteor allows you to do decent damage to even bulky Rotom-W or Gyarados that might switch in in the anticipation of a special move. Personally, I have found Stone Edge to be more useful than Rock Slide on the last slot, since it gives you a way to hit Charizard-Y through Wide Guard (Draco Meteor is also capable of doing so, but you want to make sure you KO even bulky versions and the SpAtk drop is something you want to avoid if possible). In addition to that, even with a hindering nature, it does a lot of damage to Rotom-H, Gyarados, Zapdos and other pokemon that are weak to rock moves. 

Equiped with a Life Orb, Salamence can make better use of it's ability to go mixed and has better chances to break holes in your opponent's defense, rather than revenge killing threats. I'd recommend to test out both, the Choice Scarf and the Life Orb set, but it really just depends on your team, which one fits better!

-Markus