What is a good moveset for Salamence?

Question

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 include full 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 learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Salamence @Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Fly
- Roost

Comments

Fly isn't a good move. Replace it with Earthquake or Brick Break

Answer 2

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Roost / Hydro Pump
Explanation: This set is for the Battle Tree in Gen 7. Mega Salamence could be hard to defeat if you have a Venomoth use Quiver Dance 3 or more times, then Baton Pass the stats onto Salamence. When Salamence has +3 SpA due to Baton Pass, it can hit hard. With 252 HP EVs on Salamence and a minimum of +3 Quiver Dance Baton Pass from Venomoth, a STAB special Fairy move can't OHKO Mega Salamence. Watch out for Ice Types and physical super effective moves such as Play Rough though. Hyper Voice is STAB and gets boosted by Aerialate. Dragon Pulse is STAB. Flamethrower is steel types. Roost is to recover HP, or you could go with Hydro Pump to make this Mega Salamence an all out special sweeper.

Answer 3

Dynamaxer:

Salamence @ Focus Sash
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Dual Wingbeat
- Earthquake

Dragon Dance boosts Attack and Speed. Dual Wingbeat can break Mimikyu’s Disguise and hit it. When it Dynamaxes, it gets Max Airstream for a Speed boost. Knocking a Pokémon out with Max Airstream gives you a boost equivalent to a Dragon Dance because of Moxie.

Comments

Why sash? Life Orb is better on a dynamaxing salamence.

Answer 4

Salamence @ Life Orb / Lum Berry
Ability: Moxie / Intimidate
EVs: 252 Spe / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Dual Wingbeat / Dragon Dance
- Zen Headbutt / Earthquake
- Steel Wing

Lum Berry is to counter the confusion that Outrage causes. You also could use the Life Orb for either move. Both cover Dragon Weakness. Dual Wingbeat for STAB, or Dragon Dance for boosted Speed and Attack. Zen Headbutt flinch chance 20%, or Earthquake for lots of power (it also covers Rock types)
Steel Wing covers Rock, Fairy and Ice types.

Answer 5

Gen 7 Doubles OU

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate --> Aerilate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Tailwind
- Hyper Voice
- Heat Wave

Protect gives you a turn of safety where you're ally can still attack, and is just great in doubles. Tailwind is for speed control. Hyper Voice is strong STAB and hits both opponents. Heat Wave also hits both opponent and incinerates steel types.

Answer 6

This is my MegaMence set.

Salamence @ Salamencite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thrash
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Steel Wing

Now, the timing of the Mega Evolution is critical. You can take out a couple of opponents and let the Moxie carry you into Mega Evolution. Aerilate will make Thrash insanely powerful. Everyone uses outrage, but no one realizes thrash is so much better. I think Thrash and Dragon Claw together is better than Outrage and Return, which is the more common set, but really it's tomato tomahto. Steel Wing covers all of Salamence's weaknesses and Earthquake is coverage.

Hope this helps :)

Comments

Pretty good!

Answer 7

Here's mine:

Salamence @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Brick Break

• Dragon Dance: Attack and Speed Boost
• Dragon Claw: Coverage + STAB
• Earthquake: Coverage
• Brick Break: To destroy Ice types

Please tell me if this is good and if this Pokémon needs any improvements:)
Thank You!

Comments

Outrage over Dragon Claw.

Answer 8

Gen 8

The most straightforward Salamence set:

Salamence @ Leftovers / Life Orb / Wide Lens

Ability: Moxie / Intimidate

EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP

Adamant Nature

• Dragon Claw / Dragon Rush
• Steel Wing / Iron Tail
• Earthquake / Zen Headbutt / Dragon Dance
• Dual Wingbeat / Fly / Aerial Ace / Dragon Dance

This set is meant to do one thing: Destroy everything in its path through brute force alone. Dragon Claw has better acc., but if you want you can run Dragon Rush with the Wide Lens. Same for Steel Wing vs Iron Tail. Earthquake and Zen Headbutt work for general coverage if you want, or you could use Dragon Dance instead. He doesn't have to many great Flying STAB moves, so you could use Dragon Dance here instead. Dual Wingbeat breaks Scarfs, and Aerial Ace is a sure hit. Fly is the most powerful of the STABS, but it's 2 turn charge could be inconvenient.

(If you are playing in Gen 7 or something with Megas, this works too. Just switch the Flying moves for something like Facade, Return, or Double Edge and give Salamence a Salmencite)

Hope I helped!

Comments

Ability?

---

The best ability is Moxie, but I guess intimidate works too, to give him bulk.

Answer 9

Gen 9 Monotype Choice Scarf (Flying)

Salamence @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dual Wingbeat
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Crunch

Salamence has a niche as a Choice Scarf user to serve as speed control on Flying teams in Gen 9 Monotype. Dual Wingbeat is used for Flying STAB that allows Salamence to deal super effective damage to Fighting-types such as Breloom, Iron Valiant, Gallade, Quaquaval, and Great Tusk. Dragon Claw is used for a Dragon STAB that is useful for the Dragon matchup. Earthquake allows Salamence to deal super effective damage to Pokemon such as Iron Hands, Iron Treads, Iron Moth, Sandy Shocks, Gholdengo, Skeledirge, Toxapex, and Clodsire. Crunch allows Salamence to deal super effective damage to Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Skeledirge, Slowbro, Air Balloon Gholdengo, and Bronzong. Moxie is used as the ability to let Salamence potentially clean weakened teams late game.

Answer 10

Sweeper Mega Salamence - Gen 7 Battle Tree
https://cdn.staticneo.com/w/pokemon/thumb/3/30/Mega_Salamence.png/300px-Mega_Salamence.png

Salamence (M) Nickname: Mitsuki
Ability(s): Intimidate/Aerilate
Item: Salamencite
EVs: 255 Attack/255 Speed
Nature: Adamant
Moveset:
- Outrage
- Return
- Fire Fang
- Dragon Dance

Before Mega Evolving, Salamence will have Intimidate, which will already lower the foes attack by 1, making it even harder for them to do any meaningful damage to Salamence (if they even have the chance to lol). Then when Salamence mega evolves, it’s ability changes to Aerilate, which will make it’s Normal moves Flying moves, and boost them by 1.5x, which when you add that with Salamence’s flying STAB it already has, it makes a max friendship Return almost impossible to resist, the only things resisting it being tanks and resistant typings like Rock and Steel.

102 (Max Friendship Return) x 1.5 (STAB) x 1.5 (Aerilate) x 213 (My Mega Salamence’s Physical Attack @Level 50)/ 50 = 978 (Damage!)
HAVE FUN SWEEPING!