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Swampert can clean up most opponents in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire with a good moveset.
The main reason why Swampert is an excellent choice for a starter is because of its typing. Being part Water-type and part Ground-type, Swampert is only vulnerable to Grass moves. Considering that it also has decent bulk (100 HP and 90 Defense), there are only a handful of Pokemon that can consistently take Swampert down.
This Pokemon also has the benefit of beating three out of the first five gyms on its own (Roxanne, Watson and Flannery). Here are the moves trainers are going to want to run on Swampert.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.
The best moveset for Swampert in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
While it is known for its high Attack stat (110), a mixed set is what works best on Swampert, simply so that it can use Water-type attacks. This moveset really just focuses on dropping as much damage as possible, which is Swampert’s specialty.
- Earthquake
- Surf
- Dive
- Ice Beam
Swampert is one of the lucky few that can learn Earthquake by level up, which means there is no reason not to use it. It may take some time to get Swampert to level 52, but an Earthquake from such a strong Pokemon will always inflict a good chunk of damage. This move will make Swampert become an excellent countermeasure against Steven, the Steel-type using champion.
Since it doesn’t learn Hydro Pump, Surf is the strongest Water-type attack that Swampert can learn. There is really no point in teaching it Muddy Water, since it has the same base power as Surf but less accuracy. Other than getting the player across the map, Surf is going to be a very powerful move on Swampert.
Although Surf is already a powerful Water-type attack, Swampert can still make use of Dive. Every trainer will need a Pokemon with this move anyways, since it’s required to get underwater at the later half of the game. It may only have 60 base power, but it has some utility being a two-turn attack. If Swampert can catch a Pokemon using something like Fly or Focus Punch, Dive will allow it to dodge the attack and retaliate on the next turn.
Considering the endgame of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Ice-type coverage is going to be very useful on Swampert. One of the toughest members of the Elite Four is Drake, the Dragon-type user. Most of his Pokemon learn really strong physical attacks. Due to Swampert’s bulk, though, it can take these attacks and use Ice Beam in return to KO just about Drake’s entire team. Swampert can also take care of its one weakness, Grass-types, with this move.
