Why Speed Isn't Everything - The Slowbro Theorem

Going fast isn't always the best thing to do.

PATREON!

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0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Negative Priority
3:40 - The Slow Family
5:56 - The Original Slow Pivoters
12:06 - Misc. Applications
16:23 - Outro

Directed & Narrated by Kellen

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[Missiletainn]

Chilly Reception doesn't have negative priority, it's just exclusively on the Slows so always goes last

[PedroHenrique-mkzi]

I find funny how the rebuttal to the Deoxys Theorem took 1 year to arrive. Slowbro takes things slowly, true to its name.

[freddyP]

"Domain Expansion Trick Room. Now you're too slow, bro." - Slowbro 2006

[donkarasu-]

Remembering how certain players would have Groudon/Kyogre slower on purpose to override the other weather Pokemon's, well, weather.

[sekaihunter]

The Slowbro and Slowking family are such CHADs that:
- They have always stayed competitive ever since their debuts all the way in Gen 1 and Gen 2 (never fall below RU while the frauds Snorlax and Tauros went to ZU and Untiered)
- Oblivious to all forms of power creeps, always grinding in the gym to become their better selves (Regenerator in Gen 5, Mega Slowbro in Gen 6, Teleport in Gen 8, Chilly Reception in Gen 9)
- Are so CHAD that the only one who could power creep their roles are their cousin in Galar!

[njivwathomassilavwe]

Everyone is gangster until trick room goes up

[brandontherabboat]

I’m ngl, I’m REALLY glad that there’s a bunch of moves, Abilities, Pokémon and viable strategies that hinge on you being slower that your opponent. It just shows that higher numbers aren’t the end-all be-all.

[lvlVaporeon]

I like thinking slowbro becomes the flash and gains alakazams IQ under trick room; then proceeding to spout the most unhinged philosophical hot takes during those 5 turns.

[singingcrow]

Mons with weather setting abilities also benefit from being slower because if they enter the same turn as an opposing weather setter, the faster mons ability activates first, only for their weather to be canceled out by the slower one.
This means being slower is an advantage as you can get your weather up while preventing theirs.

[Nadid_Dhrabb]

"You can consider this video to be SLOW CINEMA"
I see you BKC

[mistahanansi]

FSG: “Speed isn’t everything.”

**GYRO BALL liked that**

[darklightning]

I’m surprised he didn’t talk about Aegislash, as in that video, he acknowledged how great going second was.

[HMZeroTwo]

I had a feeling this would come out, after all speed is ALMOST everything

[IndigoZacc]

Taking Slowking even further beyond - I made a kinda goofy gen 9 trick room singles team, and my Slowking was the trick room setter. Chilling reception does not have lower priority like teleport does, and the slows dont have teleport in gen 9. This means after Trick Room is set, Slowking would normally go first with Chilling Reception the following turn. To ensure that the Chilling Reception instead went second, I used a Lagging Tail, allowing something like an Assault Vest Iron Hands or a Guts-Flame Orb-Facade Ursaluna getting in safely so they can immediately get to work with the remaining 3 turns of Trick Room.

[gaster_]

I think we all must now agree that speed is the single most important stat in pokemon, whether high or low

[Connowot]

Can’t wait for the Regieleki Theorem: Why Trick Room isn’t everything (and why it can be ignored if you’re fast enough).

[redwings]

Very generally speaking, the bulkier you are, the more you can afford going second, and bulky pivots actively want to go second.

If you're frail though, you'd better be going first, otherwise you're in trouble.

Also, wow, I had no idea about gen 2 phasing mechanics, that's hilarious. I never thought Raikou would want a set that would lower its speed.

[xeruexe]

You forgot to mention the impact of speed on the weather wars, which had huge impacts on the turbulent Generation 5 competitive scene, but also on the Gen 6 to 7 Unrestricted VGCs. Since the faster setter lost their weather to the slower one, players were trying to set their speed to beat the other setter, but not too slow to be a liability when facing other Pokémon.

This was especially true with the Primal VGCs, as Kyogres and Groudons specced each other to be slower than the opposing weather setter. I also think this is the reason why ultimately the Ray-ogre core gained an advantage, as Rayquaza Mega Evolving AFTER the weather has been set makes it unconcerned about speed ties with the other two weather legendaries.

[justindekoning]

Another great example of this is the occasinal instances steelix was actually used in Gen 4 OU. It exceled at compa ting roles. Like it could rocks, explode, constantly switch into twaves and toxics, if you gave it an iron ball with 0 speed investment it could also be trickroom and trick punish while getting the benfit having 150 power gyro balls agaisnt a lot of targets. Straight up OHKO'd most latias and did 50% to Rotom

[YourHumbleNarrator]

We need a How GREAT was Slowbro actually