Why Water Types Dominate Competitive Play in Scarlet and Violet

As a long-time Pokémon trainer and self-proclaimed water type expert, I can definitively say water Pokémon are more abundant and powerful than ever in Generation 9. With new aquatic additions paired with rebalanced classics, water teams crush the competition by leveraging this essential type‘s versatility and strength.

What Makes Water Types So Effective

Before diving into individual top Pokémon, understanding why water dominates helps inform smart team building. Here are the key reasons competitive players rightfully gravitate toward water:

1. Sheer Number of Options

Scarlet and Violet feature 54 total water types – over 10% of all Pokémon available. No other type exceeds water‘s depth or diversity. This allows water trainers to tailor teams to their specific playstyle. With titans like Palafin, glass cannons like Kingdra, and bulky options like Gastrodon, water truly has it all.

2. Offensive Movepool

Water packs incredible offensive potential through sheer movepool size. Between powerful water STAB attacks like Hydro Pump and the ability to learn ice and other special attacks, water Pokémon melt teams lacking proper counters. And widely distributed coverage moves like Scald, Flip Turn, and Liquidation make them unpredictable.

3. Defensive Utility

Beyond offense, water also claims several excellent defensive assets like Toxapex and Tapu Fini. Their balanced bulk and ability to heal makes properly built water teams difficult to quickly take down. This defensive backbone lets offensive water sweepers set up safely and function as game-ending win conditions.

4. Rain Synergy

Multiple top water threats like Kingdra and Barraskewda appreciate and abuse rain conditions. By summoning rain with Pelipper‘s Drizzle for example, these deadly attackers activate key swift swim boosts enabling them to outspeed opponents. And boosted water attacks combined with more switches forced by rain‘s chip damage keep opponents off balance.

With an understanding of why water dominates Generation 9, let‘s explore the best aquatic options to leverage these advantages yourself!

10. Empoleon

Type: Water/Steel
Abilities: Torrent, Defiant (Hidden Ability)
Total Base Stats: 530

Empoleon sports a unique water/steel typing granting it 10 total resistances and just 3 weaknesses. This makes the reliable emperor penguin resilient against common attacking types and useful for switching in against predicted threats.

It also packs substantial Special Attack letting it blast opponents with rain-boosted Hydro Pumps. Though its speed tier lags behind faster threats, Empoleon finds opportunities to utilize powerful special attacks, reliable recovery, and its considerable bulk.

While often seen as a supportive asset, Empoleon‘s well-rounded capabilities make it a formidable standalone attacker under the right circumstances – worthy of a lower end top 10 water spot.

9. Gastrodon

Type: Water/Ground
Abilities: Sticky Hold, Storm Drain (Hidden Ability)
Total Base Stats: 475

Gastrodon‘s dual water/ground typing leaves it vulnerable exclusively to grass attacks – an easily covered sole weakness. And with substantial special defense and HP, Gastrodon reliably switches into special attackers it resists and cripples them with STAB Earthquakes.

Its Storm Drain hidden ability delivers particular utility by granting water immunity while boosting its own Special Attack simultaneously. With Clear Smog eliminating enemy stat changes as well, a bulky support Gastrodon disrupts setup and nets critical game winning KOs after opposing win conditions receive neutralizing burn or toxic poison status.

8. Azumarill

Type: Water/Fairy
Abilities: Thick Fat, Huge Power (Hidden Ability)
Total Base Stats: 420

Deceptively powerful, Azumarill explodes onto teams after activating its hidden ability Huge Power which doubles its base attack statistic. And when wielding a waterium Z crystal to use a once per battle gigantic Isle of Armor move, or holding a normalium Z crystal to break through protective screens, Azumarill relentlessly pursues KOs.

With access to priority attacks like Aqua Jet and Play Rough, few switch-ins safely counter the rampaging rabbit. And by using Belly Drum to maximize its attack at the cost of HP, Azumarill outpaces the damage output of practically any unboosted threat at +6 attack. Throw in usefulness against menacing dragons thanks to its fairy typing and Azumarill makes its case as an unexpected top water sweeper.

7. Pelipper

Type: Water/Flying
Abilities: Keen Eye, Drizzle
Total Base Stats: 440

While rarely considered for its individual power, Pelipper‘s Drizzle hidden ability makes the winged water type a staple on rain teams. By automatically summoning hazardous rainy weather upon switching in, Pelipper activates key swift swim speed boosts on allies like Barraskewda and Kingdra.

This utility separates it from other middling water types, as Pelipper enables allies to sweep unprepared teams with doubled speed and boosted water attacks. Its own decent bulk and access to reliable recovery in roost give it longevity as well. And Pelipper tactical Move tutoring even allows creative trainers to surprise opponents through weather ball type changes or smart future sight planning.

6. Kingdra

Type: Water/Dragon
Abilities: Swift Swim, Sniper (Hidden Ability)
Total Base Stats: 540

With just a solitary fairy weakness to accompany its water/dragon typing, Kingdra makes up for its mediocre speed with excellent attacking and defensive potential. Uniquely useful dragon STAB attacks distinguish Kingdra from more conventional water types as well.

And by leveraging Swift Swim to double Kingdra‘s speed under rain, smart trainers dynamax for increased bulk and launch through opponents reliant on passive damage. Alternatively, the devastating critical hit ratio boost from Sniper empowers Kingdra‘s water attacks into terrifying KO threats. With versatility to assault enemies either physically or specially, Kingdra‘s unpredictability cements its place among water‘s premiere options.

5. Toxapex

Type: Water/Poison
Abilities: Merciless, Regenerator (Hidden Ability)
Total Base Stats: 495

On the opposite end of Kingdra‘s aggressive risk-reward spectrum, Toxapex provides extreme defensive utility. With both sky high physical and special bulk, Toxapex sponges hits from even super effective threats. This cements its role as an excellent switch in response to dangerous set up sweepers seeking to win with multiple stat boosts.

And utilizing baneful bunker ensures Toxapex punishes these physical attackers by inflicting poison or burn status. Regenerator even restores up to one third of its health upon switching out, resetting Toxapex to again counter threats after the endangered ally gets a chance to heal. This reliable recovery also synergizes nicely with Black Sludge item regeneration.

By mixing disruptive entry hazard attacks and haze eliminating enemy boosts alongside its sheer bulk, Toxapex wears down unprepared teams with passive damage enabling allies secure a late game victory.

4. Tapu Fini

Type: Water/Fairy
Ability: Misty Surge
Total Base Stats: 570

As a Guardian Deity of Alola region lore, Tapu Fini enters Scarlet and Violet packing substantial well-rounded bulk capable of withstanding barrage after barrage of attacks. This enduring longevity permits Tapu Fini opportunities to consistently Leech Seed sap away opponent health.

It further weaponizes health redistribution through Pain Split averages and reflective Rocky Helmet or Flame Orb recoil damage. Tapu Fini also provides Misty Terrain field support upon switch in, preventing grounded ally Pokémon from receiving status and canceling enemy critical hits – effectivelyterraforming the battlefield itself to Tapu Fini‘s liking.

Rounding out its sizable utility belt, Tapu Fini removes opponent field assets like Sticky Web or Stealth Rock entry hazards through heavy duty boots immune Defog clearing. With solid power behind its special attacks as well, Tapu Fini‘s versatility lands it among water‘s finest frontier.

3. Gyarados

Type: Water/Flying
Abilities: Intimidate, Moxie
Total Base Stats: 540

Since conquering the early games by rampaging through unprepared trainers, Gyarados continues dominating battle stadiums today by leveraging its massive 125 base attack. By boosting damage output even further with Dragon Dance‘s dual offensive buffs, Gyarados outpaces defensive switch in options through a sheer inability to tank its heavy blows after a single setup turn.

With TMs now offering STAB flying coverage in Brave Bird alongside traditional waterfall liquidation attacking, checking Gyarados becomes even more challenging. Intimidate even cripples physical attackers early while Moxie snowballs additional attack bonuses KOs accumulate.

And thanks to excellent overall natural bulk and access to recovery options, skilled Gyarados pilots find openings to accomplish the small amount of setup needed to清潭 through unboosted teams. Beware this beast from below the waves lest your squad suffer a crushing defeat.

2. Dracovish

Type: Water/Dragon
Ability: Water Absorb
Total Base Stats: 505

This fossil revival from Galar‘s prehistoric past showcases phenomenal talent thanks to its signature move Fishious Rend. At 170 base power before any other damage modifiers, a STAB Fishious Rend summons tidal wave tsunami crashing into opposing Pokémon with sheer one-hit KO power.

And with Dracovish‘s solid 90 base attack backing this devastating water move, few combatants withstand more than a single crushing wave. Water Absorb granting an immunity to opposing water attacks minimizes potential counters as well – resisting its own brand of torrential offense.

Bolstered by useful dragon typing resistances, reasonable bulk and access to Strong Jaw boosted crunch flinching, Dracovish proves even extinct ancient threats still have bite in today‘s contemporary metagame landscape:

According to the Pokemon Database, "Its Fishious Rend is savage. It can defeat Dynamax Pokémon in just one hit."

1. Beware

Type: Water/Fighting
Abilities: Tough Claws, Strong Jaw
Total Base Stats: 539

The newest water legendary added in Violet dominates competitive play thanks to its staggering 120 base attack – unmatched by any other fully evolved water type. This mighty offense utilizes Swords Dance boosting to overwhelm opponents through sheer damage output alone.

When wielding a Waterium Z Crystal, Beware unleashes an unguardable point blank Malicious Moonsault. This bursts limits by breaking through Protect, bypassing Substitute dolls, and even striking airborne targets for maximum damage.

And leveraging Tough Claws to further empower its liquidation, cross chop and poison jab attacks cements Beware‘s title as top threat. With solid overall bulk minimizing incoming retaliation as well, practically no single pickup group Pokémon overpowers an endgame Beware – living up to its ominous name.

According to the PokeWiki competitive analysis:

With access to Swords Dance and Aqua Jet, Beware is very dangerous, especially since Poison Jab gives near-perfect coverage alongside Liquidation and Close Combat.

Fielding a well-constructed water centered squad provides the versatility and defensive longevity for consistent victory seeing. The essential water type‘s abundance enables personalized selection catered to specific combat needs and playstyles.

Whether requiring a relentless attacker, disruptive support or impenetrable tank, water has an elite option to fill practically any vital competitive role. This alleviates pressure on the rest of your lineup needing to cover inherent weaknesses of alternative Pokémon lacking water‘s depth and flexibility.

And the presence of rain summoning abilities like Drizzle opens explosive damage avenues through weather manipulation unseen by other type teams. So be sure to splash multiple water Pokémon onto your next championship caliber crew!