What is a good moveset for Salamence?

If you have a good competitive moveset for Salamence,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 includefull 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.

Salamence Pokédex and learnsetfor reference.

Pleaselog inorregisterto add a comment.

Imposter proof Mega-SalamenceGen 7 UbersDitto you dare touch (Salamence-Mega) @ SalamenciteAbility: AerilateHappiness: 0EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Dragon Dance- Frustration- Earthquake- Roost

Got them annoying Dittos in ladder? No worries! This set will make those Ditto cry and punch them hard!

Okay so what’s different from other sets that Frustration has 1 BP with maximum happiness, whose effect you’re gonna take! Whenever Ditto will copy to you, it will have a 1 BP Frustration, as it doesn’t copy the happiness of the opposing Pokemon. The next move Earthquake handles Dusk Mane Necrozma, Primal Groudon, etc. while granting yourself full immunity from Ditto—1 BP Frustration that hits like nothing and a Earthquake which you’re immune to! Roost is for recovery, and we chose Frustration over Return for Improofing it.

+6 252+ Atk Aerilate Salamence-Mega Frustration vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Salamence-Mega: 7-9 (2.1 - 2.7%) – possibly the worst move ever

Get rekt, you ugly copy cat pink blob!

Salamence (F) @ LeftoversAbility: IntimidateEVs: 248 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpeImpish Nature- Wish- Dragon Claw- Roost- Roar

Intimidate means Salamence has defensive merit to potentially pull off a bulky set. Its main forms of utility are Roar (reduces passivity, controls setup sweepers) and Wish (heals teammates, potentially good on less offensive teams).

Salamence @ Life OrbAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 SpeNaive Nature- Draco Meteor- Outrage- Brick Break- Stone Edge

You may be wondering why I have a Special move with the nature I put down, but just hear me out. You send in Salamence, and when the opponent realizes that it has Moxie, he switches to a physical wall. You use Draco Meteor and possibly KO, scoring you a Moxie boost. Then all that is left is complete pwnage with your other moves.

STOP.

MOXIE-MENCE TIME!

Salamence @ Life Orb / Lum BerryAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpANaive Nature- Dragon Dance- Dragon Claw / Outrage- Earthquake- Fire Blast

The gist is simple; use only a turn to power up, then proceed to tear your opponents up as your boosts rack up. ;D

Fire Blast has more immediate power than Fire Fang, avoids chip damage from Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet, and helps Salamence against physically defensive opponents. High-profile targets like Skarmory and Corviknight mean Earthquake not does not have perfect coverage.

Salamence (M) @ Choice ScarfAbility: IntimidateEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeNaive Nature- Outrage- Fire Blast- Draco Meteor- Earthquake

Revenge killer and speed control with wide coverage to hit many opponents and force switches. One of the most used Salamence sets at this moment in time.

Salamence (M) @ Choice SpecsAbility: IntimidateEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Dragon Pulse- Fire Blast- Draco Meteor- Hydro Pump

My personal fav as it hits like a truck.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: Intimidate –> AerilateEVs: 252 Atk / 228 Spe / 20 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpDAdamant Nature- Return / Double-Edge / Facade- Outrage / Earthquake- Dragon Dance- Roost

Return is no-recoil, high power STAB, Double-Edge is even more powerful STAB but comes with the drawback of recoil, while Façade is to surprise things like Chansey, Toxapex, and bulky waters with Scald. Earthquake is to destroy Steel, Rock, and Electric types that resist your Flying-type STAB, while Outrage is decent (I guess?) STAB that covers Dragon types and is also useful for having STAB if you run dual megas. Dragon Dance because why run Adamant Mega Salamence if you’ve got no DD? Without it, Jolly Nature is mandatory for more speed, which is a big hindrance because Salamence really needs to hit as hard as possible. Roost to heal off and to reduce damage from Ice and Rock moves. The latter is very useful, since you probably wont be surviving any Ice attack unless you’re grounded, however you can take Rock type moves and then see if you should set up or attack by seeing how much damage a Rock attack does, then multiply the damage done by 2. Roost is also very important on Double-Edge sets because it holds them together, since Roost lets it heal off the damage taken from Double-Edge recoil. Hope you liked this set :)

Salamence (M) @ Life OrbAbility: IntimidateEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeModest Nature- Flamethrower- Hydro Pump- Dragon Pulse- Hidden Power [Ground]

Hydro Pump for the Sheer Power of that Coverage, No since in Covering something if you can’t OHKO it. Flamethrower for the Icee’s. Dragon Pulse for that Beastly STAB, and HP Ground for further Coverage.

Salamence @ Life OrbAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Outrage / Dragon Claw- Fire Blast- Earthquake- Dragon Dance

Outrage and Dragon Claw are both good STABs, it depends on if you have Steel types covered already and think you can get rid of them. Fire Blast hits Pokemon x4 weak to it like Scizor, and other Steel types as well. Earthquake also hits Steel types, and has pretty good coverage. Dragon Dance is nice setup move, and may result in a sweep.

Jade (Salamence) (F) @ Life OrbAbility: MoxieEVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 SpeNaive Nature- Draco Meteor- Fire Blast- Dragon Claw- Earthquake / Brick Break

Fire Blast is special coverage. Draco Meteor is special STAB. Once you get a kill with that and your SpA halves, we have two physical moves to help us: one for STAB and one for coverage, and Draco Meteor should be practically insta-kill, so we automatically switch to physical Moxie-Mence. Only 4 EVs make a decent 307 Attack at +0.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: Intimidate –> AerilateEVs: 248 HP / 152 Atk / 56 SpD / 52 SpeAdamant Nature- Dragon Dance- Substitute- Roost- Return / Thrash

If this thing doesn’t get banned, I don’t know what will. The EV spread is something I stole from a YouTuber by the name of Pokeaim. Don’t really recall what it’s meant to take, but I do remember it being able to not have its sub broken by a Volt Switch from most Rotom-Wash sets.Dragon Dance sets you up to godmode standards with an Aerilate boosted Return off of base 145 attack. Substitute and Roost lets you set up more, with Substitute also protecting you from status. Intimidate lets you set up on things more easily.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: Moxie –> AerilateEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 SpeNaive Nature- Fire Blast- Earthquake- Dragon Claw / Dragon Dance / Outrage- Return

Wallbreaker set. Fire Blast is there to surprise Ferrothorn and Scizor. It’s a great idea to get a revenge kill to get a Moxie boost before Mega Evolving.

As usual I’ll post a VGC set for my favourite of them all:

Salamence (M) @ Dragonium ZAbility: IntimidateLevel: 50Shiny: YesEVs: 36 HP / 218 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Draco Meteor- Flamethrower- Substitute- Protect

Pretty straight forward nuke-mence: the EVs: are for taking a Life Orb Koko’s Dazzling Gleam 100% of the time while maximizing damage and speed.Z-Draco Meteor can OHKO pretty much anything that doesn’t resist it (or Porygon2) while not dropping the Special Attack. Flamethrower is there for Kartana and Steel types in general. Substitute is a filler move but you can use whatever move you need because Salamence is one on the most versatile Pokemon in the format.

Salamence @ Lum BerryAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HPAdamant Nature- Dragon Dance- Outrage- Earthquake- Brick Break

One Dragon Dance is all you need to set up this insane monster. After that, it’s basically tyrannical sweeping with Moxie-boosted Outrages.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HPAdamant Nature- Dragon Dance- Dragon Claw- Return / Double Edge- Brick Break / Roost

Set up Dragon Dance, then sweep with Dragon Claw and Return. Double Edge/Roost combo is the riskier but “hardcore” way to use this Mega.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: IntimidateEVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Return- Earthquake- Dragon Dance- Roost

So the plan here is simple: Get Salemence to max friendship. Mega Evolve and DD on the first turn. The only exception to this is if the opposing Pokemon can learn any powerful Ice move.Then you sweep using Return and Earthquake. Roost is obviously for recovery.

Special Mega:

Mega Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: Intimidate –> AerilateEVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HPModest Nature- Hyper Beam- Draco Meteor- Hydro Pump- Flamethrower / Fire Blast

This set is meant to OHKO one or two of the opponent’s Pokémon.Hyper Beam has 150 power, STAB boost, and Aerilate boost. It will hit like a nuclear bomb but it has a recharge turn, so be careful. Draco Meteor has awesome power and STAB, but -2 Special Attack, so again, be careful. Hydro Pump is strong coverage. Flamethrower/Fire Blast take out Ice (your double weakness), Steel (the type that resists your STABs), as well as Bug and Grass (if you don’t want to waste a Hyper Beam).

Gen 8 UUSalamence @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeAdamant / Jolly Nature- Dual Wingbeat- Earthquake- Dragon Dance- Roost / Dragon Claw

Dual Wingbeat is STAB and can break subs. Earthquake is a powerful move. Dragon Dance is to boost your atttack and speed. Roost is for healing if you predict a switch, or you could run STAB Dragon Claw.

Salamence @ SalamenciteAbility: IntimidateEVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpDTimid Nature- Flamethrower / Fire Blast- Hydro Pump- Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor- Hyper Voice

This is a special sweeper set. Flamethrower or Fire Blast is your choice of fire coverage. Hydro Pump is surprise coverage. Dragon Pulse is STAB. Hyper Voice is his best special flying STAB (which is a pain).

Gen 8 Moxie Dynamax SweeperSalamence @ Weakness PolicyAbility: MoxieEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Earthquake- Dual Wingbeat- Dragon Claw- Brick Break

EARTHQUAKEfor CoverageDUAL WINGBEATfor max airstream + STABDRAGON CLAWfor STABBRICK BREAKfor max knuckle + Screen destroyer

First go for max airstream even if you fighting a dragon type or a fairy type, then go for any move that cover the enemy weakness.It is free Dragon dance if you can beat a Pokemon with airstream.Also weakness policy because dynamax is soo bulky so you can tank dragon, fairy and rock but not ice and also can get your boost going.

Also Pokemons that 4x weak to fight,such as Tyranitar will not know that you have brick break a fighting type move and it always result as a free Moxie.

Gen 8 NFEShelgon @ EvioliteAbility: OvercoatEVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 DefImpish Nature- Dragon Claw- Toxic / Roar- Wish- Protect

Dragon Claw is STAB. Toxic is to poison Pokemon. Roar can be used instead to force out a Pokemon and can be useful with hazards one the opposing side. Wish is for healing. Protect allows you to scout and can be useful after you use Wish.

Gen 8 UU

Salamence @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: IntimidateEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Hurricane- Draco Meteor / Defog- Flamethrower- Roost

Hurricane is the main STAB move here, hitting lots of threats neutrally and a few major Pokemon like Tangrowth, Amoonguss, and Keldeo super-effectively. Draco Meteor is a nice secondary STAB move that has good neutral coverage, Defog removes hazards. Flamethrower roasts Steels trying to come in on Hurricane. Roost lets Salamence heal.

Salamence @ SalamenciteIntimidate—-> Aerilate252 Atk evs, 252 Speed evs, 4 HP evsNature:- AdamantMoveset:-ReturnEarthquakeFire fangDragon dance

(People only think about their own Pokemon and not the enemy’s pokemom, we must access the threats in their team and adapt to it, use moves that will catch them off guard. Anyway enough lectures I’ll explain, after fighting for a while in pokmon battles I have came to this moveset. Return{if at max friendship} does 100 damage and with Aerilate boosting it as well as with flying STAB, this move does 195 damage, so this is the move I would click most of the time. Earthquake to kill of rock and steel types and 1 dragon dance boost and ur Earthquake can kill most of them. Now Fire Fang, reason I didn’t use dragon claw, is while it’s a good move to hit for neutral damage, it’s only super effective to dragon types and Fairy types are immune to dragon moves. And another reason I use Fire fang is because It damages the steel types that don’t get killed by Earthquake like Skarmony, Corvikinght, Scizor and Ferrathorn and also it does super effective damage to ice type pokemom like Weavile, Alolan-Ninetales etc.)