Pokémon Toxapex - The Great Wall

Professor Palutena

Professor Palutena

The Queen
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Type: Water/Poison
Abilities: Merciless/Limber/Regenerator
Stats: 50 HP / 62 Atk / 152 Def / 53 SpA / 142 SpD / 35 Spe

Notable Moves: Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Recover, Scald, Haze

Say hello to OU's newest wall! With defenses rivaling, and in some instances, exceeding, its closest comparison Ferrothorn, Toxapex's stats turned a lot of heads when it was first revealed. It's incredibly passive but it never dies when used properly. It sits there and takes hits, and proceeds to poison your entire team as they try to take it down. It's incredibly easy to use in that regard. Additionally, it absorbs Toxic Spikes to prevent the other team from doing the same. Recover AND Regenerator will keep it alive for basically forever.

As some notes, going off of what I've seen online, I feel like it's important to mention why Merciless and Baneful Bunker are bad. Firstly, with Merciless, Toxapex' job is to sponge hits and recover back. You have some of the best defenses of any Pokemon ever, and you waste them by trying to make an offensive set with Merciless. While this is certainly a good ability, it's wasted on Toxapex due to its Rattata-like offenses.

With Baneful Bunker, you already have reliable Toxic Poisoning with Toxic or Toxic Spikes. In this sense, it makes Bunker both redundant and unreliable. Chances are, you won't be KOed when they attack you, so you can fire off a Toxic to achieve a better result, as Toxic poisoning is always better than standard poison.

So how have you been using Toxapex? How have you managed to beat it?
 
I'm going to repeat your PSA because this is getting on my nerves too.

Scald
Toxic (Spikes)
Recover
Haze

You run these moves, and only these moves, with Regenerator, and only Regenerator. The only choice you should have here is what item, as Shed Shell and Rocky Helmet can both provide niche opportunities in this metagame.

Toxapex is the reason why I'm going back to stall for the first time since Gen 4. It's simply insane how much ground this thing covers in this metagame. The only gripe I've had with it is that its passive nature limits it to stall and the most defensive of teams, unlike Ferrothorn who can find places on bulky offensive teams.
 
I've seen a lot of Tapu Bulu + Toxapex + Heatran cores for stall and they're so obnoxious to break through. The synergy they have is incredible and they wall a lot.
 
Toxapex + A-Marowak + Celesteela is also a solid core for checking a large portion of the metagame. Ferrothron + Toxapex + A-Marowak deserves credit as well for its hazard stacking ability. FGW cores are usually the best thanks to their natural synergy.

Speaking of hazards, Toxapex has monopolized the Toxic Spiking job. Even with the competition's niches, like Tentacreul and Forretress' ability to Rapid Spin or Nihilego's offensive advantages, Toxapex is the best setter available for its consistency.
 
Indeed Ferrothorn would be a good comparison, but I think it's even better! It's defensive typing gives it only 3 weaknesses, but most importantly, unlike Ferrothorn, it doesn't pack a 4x weakness. Ferrothorn could often be dealt with pretty easily (when I would see a Ferrothorn in team preview, I would start with my specs flamethrower Blissey for an unexpected OHKO).

Still, I guess even Toxapex is not without it's flaws, as things like choice band garchomp will still ruin it because of the pittyful HP and the same goes for things like Mega Metagross/Salamence although they have to watch for Scald burns. Toxic spikes are easily removed (I carry a muk for instance) and steel/flying types, which are abundant, are unaffected.. Lastly I see a problem with not being able to burn, say a Garchomp when it's already poisoned..

In the end though, with those defenses, access to recover, regenerator, 100% accurate toxic and scald I'd say it's gonna be a monster. Have not used Toxapex myself, because I like to play hyper offensive, but in stall teams I imagine it to be a staple. Maybe couple it with Cresselia for the Earthquake immunity/psychic resistance and ice beam for dragons?
 
Toxapex is amazing! The typing granted is just too good, and you can't send set-up sweepers in against it! Not to mention that Regeneration + Recover is absurd and more than makes up for the 50 base HP. I think it'd be good to pack a Pursuit user as well when using Toxapex to take out probably it's biggest enemies; Lati@s (post bank) and Tapu Lele
 
Professor Palutena said:
I've seen a lot of Tapu Bulu + Toxapex + Heatran cores for stall and they're so obnoxious to break through. The synergy they have is incredible and they wall a lot.
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This is also my favourite core in the metagame right now. You suggested the Bulu on Skype, but I added Heatran and I'm very pleased I did. :p Their synergy is excellent, as you mentioned, and both Bulu and Heatran have a wide range of moves to allow for the core to be quite versatile. At some point I want a set where I put the Stealth Rocks on Heatran, Toxic Spikes on Toxapex and then turn Bulu into a bulky phaser, as it gets Whirlwind.

Honestly I think Toxapex is responsible for the majority of Tapu Bulu's usage. I think that without the incredible synergy it has with Toxapex, allowing it to absorb so many strong special hits while boasting excellent physical bulk to handle itself on that side of the spectrum, Tapu Bulu would be significantly less viable. That's just a testament to how great Toxapex really is.
 
Toxapex has acces to various strong movesets, in my opinion there's not a moveset that absolutely trumps every other. Toxapex can be a way better offensive wise when you raise it physically. Scald is a bit overrated in my opinion. I'm not one to put my hopes in a 30% chance of burn. Liquidation does significantly more damage. I'll share another good move: Payback (Dark-Physical). Toxapex lacks speed and it will double Payback's power to 100 with max accuracy. Quite lethal even though it doesn't have STABonus

Baneful Bunker is a great stalling move and it can really take your opponent by surprise. I'm actually glad that not many players choose to include it in their moveset. I'm liking it with Black Sludge. When I first saw what this Pokémon had to offer I knew it was going to be monstrous.
 
I can understand Liquidation (though it does as much damage as Scald; both have 80 BP) but I question how viable Payback would be. Scald and Liquidation, after STAB, hit 120 BP which outdamages Payback at 100. I guess it could be useful for Ghost types (as you hopefully wouldn't say in on a Psychic type with Toxapex) but that seems too niche in my opinion.
 
Robin Aisaga said:
Toxapex has acces to various strong movesets, in my opinion there's not a moveset that absolutely trumps every other. Toxapex can be a way better offensive wise when you raise it physically. Scald is a bit overrated in my opinion. I'm not one to put my hopes in a 30% chance of burn. Liquidation does significantly more damage. I'll share another good move: Payback (Dark-Physical). Toxapex lacks speed and it will double Payback's power to 100 with max accuracy. Quite lethal even though it doesn't have STABonus

Baneful Bunker is a great stalling move and it can really take your opponent by surprise. I'm actually glad that not many players choose to include it in their moveset. I'm liking it with Black Sludge. When I first saw what this Pokémon had to offer I knew it was going to be monstrous.
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Alas, that's a waste though on a lackluster attack stat + Baneful Bunker only gives the weaker poison (the one that only does 6% per turn) :/ Honestly you probably have a higher damage output with just Toxic alone, you're not really threatening anything as is. Baneful Bunker imo is pretty good to a degree, allowing you to scout out movesets, but honestly you have so much bulk as is that you need to only specifically worry about super effective attacks, and from the three types that Toxapex is weak too, this is even easier to predict.

While yes, that ability and the moves you listed are good, it's just not good on this particular Pokemon considering the stats and the other moves
 
Professor Palutena said:
(though it does as much damage as Scald; both have 80 BP)
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Small correction, Liquidation does 85BP + Toxapex has better attack.

Equinox said:
While yes, that ability and the moves you listed are good
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Hm, I don't think I mentioned an ability, because I agree that Regenerator is the only viable ability for Toxapex. Also I don't use Baneful Bunker for its poisonous side effect, just as a slightly better protect, which is a good move to have on a staller team.
 
Robin Aisaga said:
Small correction, Liquidation does 85BP + Toxapex has better attack.



Hm, I don't think I mentioned an ability, because I agree that Regenerator is the only viable ability for Toxapex. Also I don't use Baneful Bunker for its poisonous side effect, just as a slightly better protect, which is a good move to have on a staller team.
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Oh, well without her other ability, any offensive choice is even more nullified :/ Also Protect is better because it defends you from attacks, status moves, and debuffs
 
I should have explained my reasoning better on why Baneful Bunker is a bad option.

Let's throw out the fact that BB only does NORMAL poison on contact moves (ie no Earthquake). Let's throw out the fact that you have to sacrifice one of Toxapex's other moves, which means no spreading the good poison or stopping anything from setting up on you. Let's throw out the fact that Regenerator + Recover lets you scout for coverage moves just like BB does. Let's throw out the fact that Toxapex only fears one contact move, and that's Zen Headbutt. Let's discuss the real reason why you shouldn't run BB.

Protect and all of its variants are only good on something that forces you to respect it. Heatran forces you to respect its Protect because the alternative is that it's going to fire off moderately powerful Lava Plumes or setting up Rocks. It's also its prime source of recovery, which makes it harder to wear down. Ferrothron and Chesnaught force you to respect their Protect because the alternative is another layer of Spikes or more health regained by Leech Seed. They can also smack you around with their STAB attacks. Aegislash needs no explanation, as the entire metagame was based on respecting its King's Shield.

There is literally no reason for me to respect Toxapex's BB. It's far too passive for me to fear any Attack it throws out. The only hazard it sets up is also the easiest to remove and ignore. There's nothing that Toxapex can do that forces me to fear giving it a free turn.

On Liquidation, Scald is still a superior choice for getting burns on Steel- and Poison-types, as well as doing any form of status to non-grounded threats if you opt for Toxic Spikes. Even if Liquidation does more damage, this is irrelevant as both its attacking stats are trash. This debate boils down to the secondary effect, which Scald wins.
 
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The funny thing is that toxapax existence alone makes toxic spikes bad. It seems that this mon has only one good set and that makes him extremely predictable, which I guess is its main flaw but other than that it's pretty awesome:)
 
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