Competitive Information for Salamence [Black/White]
Dragon / Flying
Abilities:
On switch-in, this Pokemon lowers the Attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage.
This Pokemon's Attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and KOes another Pokemon.

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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Salamence? These builds are optimized for Black/White Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Black/White metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Get ready to meet Salamence, the brilliant Dragon and Flying-typed Pokémon! Salamence is a common Pokémon to see in the BW metagame. It is weak to Dragon, Ice, and Rock-typed attacks. Want to master Salamence's movesets? Dive into our detailed strategies below!
Item: Dragon Gem / Leftovers
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Dragon Dance
For single battles, Salamence is pretty popular Physical Sweeper. This setup is intended to crush rivals using powerful physical attacks. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Salamence last longer regaining it's health every turn. With Moxie, Salamence's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon. With a Dragon Gem equipped to it, Salamence's first successful dragon-type attack will have 1.5x power then the Dragon Gem gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a substantial amount of damage.
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Dragon Dance is a status move (raises your Salamence's attack and speed by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gaa175
Item: Yache Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Moveset:
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Shadow Claw
- Aqua Tail / Double-Edge
- Earthquake
For those intense single battles, Salamence is a marvelous Physical Sweeper. The main aim of this moveset is to overwhelm foes with intense physical attacks. Life Orb boosts the power of Salamence's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Salamence lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. Aqua Tail was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a substantial amount of damage.
◆ Shadow Claw is a physical 70-base power Ghost-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Aqua Tail is a physical 90-base power Water-type move that deals a hefty amount of damage.
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gba175
Item: Yache Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
- Air Cutter
- Flamethrower / Heat Wave
- Hyper Voice / Hyper Beam
For those intense single battles, Salamence is a sensational Special Sweeper. This moveset is formulated to crush rivals using heavy-hitting special power. Life Orb boosts the power of Salamence's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Salamence lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Pulse is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Dragon-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
◆ Air Cutter is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Flying-type move (high critical hit ratio. Hits adjacent foes).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 95-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
◆ Hyper Voice is a special 90-base power Normal-type move (no additional effect. Hits adjacent foes).
◆ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Salamence cannot move next turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gca175
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
- Fire Blast / Aqua Tail
- Earthquake
Salamence thrives as a notable Physical Sweeper perfect for single battles. This moveset is designed to overwhelm foes with potent physical moves. Choice Scarf will increase Salamence's speed by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. With Moxie, Salamence's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon.
◆ Outrage is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Dragon-type move (lasts 2-3 turns. Confuses your Salamence afterwards).
◆ Fire Blast is a special 120-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Aqua Tail is a physical 90-base power Water-type move that deals a great amount of damage.
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gda175
Item: Salac Berry
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Rock Slide / Roost
- Earthquake / Stone Edge
Salamence is a decent Physical Sweeper to use for single battles. This moveset was created to take down the opponent's team with devastating physical power. With Moxie, Salamence's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon. With a Salac Berry equipped to it, raises Salamence's speed by 1 stage when at 1/4 max hp or less then the Salac Berry gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a mighty amount of damage.
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Stone Edge is a physical 100-base power Rock-type move (high critical hit ratio).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gea175
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Salamence? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Black/White Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Black/White metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Yache Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 Atk / 244 Spe
Moveset:
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Rock Slide
- Shadow Claw
Salamence shows a renowned Physical Sweeper prowess in double battles. This configuration strives to crush rivals using lethal physical moves. Life Orb boosts the power of Salamence's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Salamence lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed.
◆ Dragon Claw is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dragon-type move that deals a good amount of damage.
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Bulldoze is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent Pokemon speed by 1 stage).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Shadow Claw is a physical 70-base power Ghost-type move (high critical hit ratio).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/haa175
Item: Yache Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Air Cutter
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
- Hyper Voice / Hyper Beam
- Heat Wave / Flamethrower
Ready for double battles? Salamence is a high-quality Special Sweeper. It attempts to overwhelm foes with devastating special moves. Life Orb boosts the power of Salamence's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Salamence lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. With a Yache Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective ice-type attack then the Yache Berry gets consumed.
◆ Draco Meteor is a special STAB-boosted 140-base power Dragon-type move (lowers your Salamence's special attack by 2 stages).
◆ Dragon Pulse is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Dragon-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
◆ Hyper Voice is a special 90-base power Normal-type move (no additional effect. Hits adjacent foes).
◆ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Salamence cannot move next turn).
◆ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 95-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/hba175
Movepool
Want to know what moves Salamence can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Black/White generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Salamence.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Salamence can perform in Black/White. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive BW Move and Ability Combos for Salamence
- Moves: Defense curl + Rollout
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog, Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Salamence's stats
- Defense Curl
- Dragon Dance
- Hone Claws
- Iron Defense
- Ominous Wind
- Rage
- Steel Wing
Most notable and possible best moves for Salamence
- Brick Break
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Pulse
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Fire Fang
- Hydro Pump
- Outrage
- Protect
- Refresh
- Rest
- Roost
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Salamence in Black and White
- Jolly Nature ( 0/252/0/0/4/252/ )
- Naive Nature ( 0/252/0/4/0/252/ )
- Optimize Salamence's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Black and White
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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Here are the best movesets for Salamence. Top rated Salamence Black/White movesets. You can find Salamence builds Black/White. Salamence movesets Black/White are listed here. VGC Salamence Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Salamence in Black/White along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution