Competitive Information for Poliwag [Ruby/Sapphire]
Water
Abilities:
Prevents Explosion and Self-Destruct while this Pokemon is active.
This Pokemon heals 1/4 of its max HP when hit by Water moves; Water immunity.
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Note: Pokemon with the Water Absorb ability are immune to Water attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Poliwag? These builds are optimized for Ruby/Sapphire Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Ruby/Sapphire metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Unveil the power of Poliwag, a first-rate Pokémon known for its Water typing! Poliwag is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. In the LC tier (Little Cup), it's a fierce competitor. Its only type-related weaknesses are Electric and Grass. Explore the movesets of Poliwag below to understand its battle capabilities.
Item: Shell Bell / Silk Scarf
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Dig
- Defense Curl
- Hypnosis
Poliwag excels as a sensational Physical Sweeper during single battles. It's meant to take down the opponent's team with destructive physical power. In the old days prior to Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Poliwag recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Water Absorb, Poliwag heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Silk Scarf equipped to it, Poliwag's normal-type attacks have 1.1x power.
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Dig is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (digs underground turn 1, strikes turn 2).
◆ Defense Curl is a status move (raises your Poliwag's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Hypnosis is a status move (causes the target to fall asleep).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/caa3c
Item: Mystic Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Surf / Waterfall
- Ice Beam / Icy Wind
- Psychic
- Thief
For those intense single battles, Poliwag is an awesome Special Sweeper. It attempts to overwhelm foes with destructive special moves. Remember before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. With Water Absorb, Poliwag heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Mystic Water equipped to it, Poliwag's water-type attacks have 1.1x power.
◆ Waterfall is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
◆ Ice Beam is a special 95-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Psychic is a special 90-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Thief is a special 40-base power Dark-type move (if your Poliwag has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/cba3c
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Poliwag? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Ruby/Sapphire 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 Ruby/Sapphire metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Shell Bell / Silk Scarf
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Dig
- Defense Curl
- Hypnosis
In double battles, Poliwag is known as a terrific Physical Sweeper. It is primarily designed to crush rivals using heavy-hitting physical moves. In the old days prior to Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Poliwag recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Water Absorb, Poliwag heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Silk Scarf equipped to it, Poliwag's normal-type attacks have 1.1x power.
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Dig is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (digs underground turn 1, strikes turn 2).
◆ Defense Curl is a status move (raises your Poliwag's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Hypnosis is a status move (causes the target to fall asleep).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/daa3c
Item: Mystic Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Surf / Waterfall
- Icy Wind / Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Thief
Poliwag is an outstanding Special Sweeper to use for double battles. The purpose of this moveset is to crush rivals using lethal special power. Remember prior to Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. With Water Absorb, Poliwag heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Mystic Water equipped to it, Poliwag's water-type attacks have 1.1x power.
◆ Waterfall is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move that deals a nice amount of damage.
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 95-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Psychic is a special 90-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Thief is a special 40-base power Dark-type move (if your Poliwag has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/dba3c
Movepool
Want to know what moves Poliwag can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire 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 Poliwag.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Poliwag can perform in Ruby/Sapphire. 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 RS Move and Ability Combos for Poliwag
- Moves: Defense curl + Ice ball
- Moves: Belly drum + Rest
- 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 inflict status: Hypnosis, Toxic
Moves that boost Poliwag's stats
- Belly Drum
- Defense Curl
Most notable and possible best moves for Poliwag
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Rest
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Poliwag in Ruby and Sapphire
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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