Why Oshawott Still Matters in Competitive Play
Oshawott is a Water-type starter from the Unova region, first appearing in Pokémon Black and White back in 2010. It evolves into Dewott at level 17, then Samurott at level 36. The final form is Water/Dark, which gives it some interesting defensive typing but also a number of weaknesses to watch out for. Most people remember Oshawott for its signature move, Scald. It has a 30% chance to burn the target, which changes how the move plays out in practice. Without that burn chance, Scald is just a decent water move at 80 power and 100 accuracy. With it, you're rolling dice every time you use it, hoping to shut down a physical attacker mid-game.
Unleashing The Fury The Epic Evolution Of Oshawott
The evolution line from Oshawott to Samurott is straightforward, but the design choices along the way tell a story that isn't immediately obvious. Oshawott carries its shell on its belly like a weapon, which is basically a natural seashell blade. Dewott sharpens that into focus and discipline, standing more upright and treating the shell like a tool. Samurott fully commits to the samurai aesthetic, using the shell as armor and sword simultaneously. It's a clean thematic progression that few starter lines execute as consistently. From a mechanics standpoint, the evolution curve gives you a pure Water type through the first stage, then flips to Water/Dark at the final stage. That Dark secondary type was the right call because it covers the Electric and Psychic weaknesses that pure Water types suffer from, while introducing new vulnerabilities to Fighting, Bug, Fairy, and Grass instead. Here is where things get interesting for anyone actually building a team around this line. Samurott's base stats in its standard form sit at 95 HP, 100 Attack, 85 Defense, 100 Special Attack, 70 Special Defense, and 70 Speed. The raw numbers look solid on paper, but Speed is the bottleneck. A base 70 Speed means you are mostly going out after anything with base 75 or higher, unless you invest heavily in EVs or use a choice scarf.
I spent probably forty hours testing Samurott in Smogon's NU tier over two seasons, and the biggest issue I ran into was predicting who would come in on your Scald. If you lead with Samurott against a common pivot like Rotom-W, they resist Water and can freely switch in, then throw Thunderbolt at your back. You lose 60% or more before you even get to use your shell blade. The workaround I ended up relying on was a simple lead with Dewott holding a choice scarf, then pivoting to Samurott once they confirmed it wasn't a Rock or Grass type sitting there waiting.
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Build Options That Actually Work
There are really two viable directions for Samurott. The physical set runs Close Combat, Knock Off, Aqu Jet, and eitherIce Beam or Sucker Punch, usually with a Life Orb and Adamant nature. This set gets the job done in the lower tiers where teams are slower and more predictable. The special set runs Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Dark Pulse, and Flash Cannon with a Choice Specs or Modest nature. Both are serviceable, but they serve different team roles. The physical set excels at breaking through bulky Water and Rock types that normally check special attackers. Close Combat hits Steel and Normal types that would otherwise switch in freely. Knock Off removes entry hazard control and item dependency from opposing teams. Aqu Jet gives you priority to clean up weakened sweeps, which matters because Samurott's base 70 Speed will rarely let it outspeed anything important without investment. The special set is simpler to run but more predictable. Opponents learn early that you carry Ice Beam, so they stack Grass and Dragon resistances accordingly. Flash Cannon catches Fairy and Ice types that wall Water and Dark moves, but it feels reactive rather than proactive.
Known Weaknesses and When to Walk Away
Samurott struggles against fast Fairy-type Pokémon like Togekiss and primarina, both of which resist Dark and can OHKO with Moonblast or Hurricane. It also loses to any fast Fighting type that outruns it, which is a lot of the meta. The Speed stat is the single biggest limiter, and no amount of EV training fixes that fundamentally. If you are playing in VGC doubles, Samurott is generally not worth the team slot. The format rewards bulkier Water types like Tapu Fini and Gastrodon that can take hits and still contribute. Samurott wants to hit hard and go down, which is a recipe for getting rotated out within two turns. In the main series games, your best bet is running Samurott on a hyper offense team where you can control the pace through lead pressure and early KO opportunities. If your team already has a fast Water type or a dedicated physical sweeper, there is no reason to force Samurott in. It is a niche pick, not a centerpiece.
How to Raise and Train One Properly
When you catch Oshawott in Black and White, teach it Aqua Jet early through move reminders. It is available at level 1 as a default move, but if you forget, head to the Move Reminder in any Pokémon Center. Aqua Jet is critical because it gives you priority before Dewott and Samurott get the Speed to threaten opponents directly. EV training should prioritize Attack and Speed for the physical set, or Special Attack and Speed for the special set. A typical spread is 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe with an Adamant nature, or 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with a Modest nature. You can drop Speed investment to 244 if you want to reach a specific Speed tier under Stealth Rock, but that requires calculating opponent Speed values beforehand. Held items matter more than most players realize. Life Orb boosts your damage by 30% across all moves, which turns several 2HKO situations into actual KOs. Choice Scarf lets Samurott outrun base 75 Speed Pokémon, which includes most common threats in NU. Leftovers works on the special set if you want longevity, but it slows down your offensive pressure significantly. I stopped using Leftovers entirely after finding that the extra recovery was never enough to justify giving up that one KO.
Ability selection is simple: Super Luck increases critical hit rate, which synergizes with Close Combat and Ice Beam for the physical set. Torrent boosts Water moves by 50% when HP is low, which is the standard starter ability and generally the better choice in competitive play. You will not find a reason to use anything else here.
Where the Line Stands Today
Oshawott remains a solid low-tier pick with a clear identity. It is not a top contender in any major format, but it has enough tools to be dangerous in the right hands. The Water/Dark typing provides useful resistance to Steel and Dark moves, while the movepool gives you coverage options that are easy to run without deep preparation. If you are just starting out with this evolutionary line, run the physical set with Life Orb and Adamant. Focus on learning when to lead with Dewott and when to hold Samurott as a late-game cleaner. The line rewards patience and prediction more than raw power, which is why it stays relevant despite its obvious Speed shortcomings.
