Salamence

Salamence is one of the defining threats in ADV OU due to its fantastic offensive stats, expansive movepool, and defensive utility from Intimidate alongside a useful resistance palette. The latter two let it run a variety of sets that can dismantle multiple team types while providing important defensive utility. Mixed Salamence has a great matchup against Toxic, Spikes, and Sandstorm (TSS) cores, more specifically ones that contain Skarmory, Blissey, Swampert, and Tyranitar; its good Speed and coverage also make it generally effective against moderately fast offense teams, which usually lack good options to switch into and eliminate it. With Choice Band, the powerful and fast Salamence becomes one of the strongest wallbreakers in ADV OU—it also becomes one of the most effective ways to prevent Baton Pass Celebi from passing Calm Mind or Swords Dance. Dragon Dance Salamence excels as a sweeper against offensive teams that rely on frail physical checks. Its defensive properties are not to be overlooked; it is one of the sturdiest checks to Fighting-types such as Heracross and Breloom. Moreover, Intimidate is useful against physical Tyranitar and Salamence, especially to stop a Dragon Dance sweep. Additionally, Salamence is one of the few viable Pokemon with Wish, allowing it to heal itself and teammates effectively.

There are no Pokemon that can comfortably deal with all Salamence sets, but each set is answerable once revealed. Mixed Salamence is walled completely by Milotic, Porygon2, and defensive Zapdos if it lacks Rock Slide and is easily revenge killed by most threats with an Ice-type move. Choice Band Salamence is frequently prediction reliant due to its individually weak attacks, can be countered by common physical walls like Skarmory, and can get Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar if it locks into Hidden Power Flying or Rock Slide. Dragon Dance Salamence has a harder time sweeping when its checks, especially bulky Water-types, Gengar, and even Blissey, are healthy. Offensively, Salamence can be threatened by a variety of prominent and fast Pokemon like Gengar, Starmie, and Aerodactyl, limiting the offensive potential of non-Dragon Dance sets. Additionally, Salamence frequently requires prediction just to get in effectively, as its 4x weakness to Ice and vulnerability to status mean that Pokemon it can check with its Speed and coverage, such as weakened Blissey, Swampert, and Tyranitar, can devastate it on the switch.