How GREAT was Swampert ACTUALLY? - History of Swampert in Competitive Pokemon

[@jonathandax]

Blaziken: *Becomes the best starter ever with its Hidden Ability* Swampert: *Damp*

[@hario7641]

It should've gotten swift swim or water absorb

[@Drakorre]

​@@hario7641fuck It *Sap Sipper*

[@KreyZanus]

Damp pre gen5 would’ve been good though, since explosion was actually a thing

[@Dingus_Mcbingused]

​@@hario7641nah give it regenerator since it has flip turn

[@MightyMobileMatt]

Imagine Swampert with Sap Sipper

[@ilikemusic4135]

Swampert in RU and Garchomp in UU seems unreal. Imagine telling that someone back in Gen 4.

[@darkfiredragon3410]

With this month's tier changes, Swampert actually dropped down to NU which is kinda crazy.

[@saiyanscaris6530]

@@darkfiredragon3410 same with infernape among many other mons. heck excadrill is uu now

[@PerfectAzrael]

Remember when Garchomp was considered powercreep? That’s called karma since Garchomp did that to other pokemon so it’s only fair to be on the receiving end.

[@kimotokirby1601]

@@jaretco6423why would you hate swampert lol. What more do you hate? your mom? flowers? cute cats?

[@kimotokirby1601]

@@jaretco6423 It was never OP, just the Best option for speeduruning cuz it's the earliest mon that can solo the game. Plus, why would You even hate him for that lol, it's a cool and balanced pokemon that just happens to also be the Best starter for completing the game

[@josepharmstrong1788]

With the game’s themes of land and sea, Team Aqua vs Team Magma, Swampert is a glorious example of both uniting to be a powerful force. It was born in water as Mudkip, wanders onto land and swims faster through mud as Marshtomp, and unites the two perfectly as a fully evolved beach dwelling Swampert.

[@Zwigg0]

Seeing his colosseum animations just hits different man, proud to be the number 1 pert fan 🥰

[@PyroManiac753]

Nuh uh. I am the number one pert fan.

[@brandontherabboat4850]

Back when I was a little kid and knew very little about Pokémon, Swampert’s RSE sprite and cry were so imposing that mentally nicknamed it “Emperor”. I also thought Muddy Water was a cooler Surf and OHKO’d everything.

[@shelikesmyramen3642]

We literally thought on the same wave length that’s wild

[@menameta1316]

I named mine dr kippson

[@terriblejokefactory8831]

Muddy Water is a cooler Surf.

[@rheeeeeee2011]

What’s RSE?

[@rheeeeeee2011]

Ruby sapphire emerald?

[@saiyanscaris6530]

fun fact. usage stats were shown 2 days ago and swampert droped to nu with infernape among many other mons

[@snapclub8751]

Infernape is in NU!? Noooooooooooo!

[@laxusstrauss5945]

I doubt it will last tho gyarados Infernape swampert are even too strong for RU But people were just busy using the new tools in the tier

[@djdrizzy9139]

​Are you sure? Do you see all of the mons that dropped to NU too?

[@davidhyatoola3127]

Losing Scald and Toxic messed Pert up. Would've been nice to see a choice band set with Waterfall, Earthquake, Ice punch and Flip Turn(or Knock Off).

[@skeetermania3202]

@@davidhyatoola3127There’s still Yawn.

[@tena2013]

Swampert getting DAMP as a hidden ability was the greatest hate crime against it by gamefreak. To this day, it still hasn't been changed and has little utility. They gave mega swamp swift swim but left base swamp untouched and unbuffed. Could also argue it's weird for an axolotl to not have viable recovery beyond rest? Thematically it should get something like recover since they can regenerate so well. Maybe switch damp for regenerator? Considering speed boost blaziken exists, i think swampert deserves some love

[@SJrad]

Imagine it had gotten rain dish. Then it might’ve had a niche in gen 5 OU because it could make use of the rain.

[@tena2013]

@@SJrad not all starters get favorable treatment like blaziken and incineroar.

[@TunisianTesticleTickler]

since its also an axolotl it makes perfect since for it to have regenerator. axolotls can literally grow back limbs and organs.

[@tena2013]

@jaretco6423 it needs an ability buff bare minimum. Moveset buff with recover might be too much but it's the next step before a stat buff (honestly most pokemon need a stat buff with all the power creep but yeah let's not go there)

[@alexanderhalvorson9950]

Regenerator on Swampert???? WITH FLIP TURN!? Are you insane??? For that reason, its a yes from me. Make the chonky Axolotl even scarier

[@-._____-]

When liking mudkips paid off

[@brendanpryce8009]

There was never a downside to liking mudkips ❤

[@Erik_Ochoa013]

Lieking mudkipz shall never die!

[@ToastedKittenSun]

Mudkip

[@Bwicklel0712]

Mudkip

[@baddragonite]

I remember one time I bought a used copy of Omega Ruby and it had a Mega Swampert in the party/box named "Swole Patrol" which I think is the best nickname

[@ryzakoi]

My first starter pokémon ever was mudkip in pokémon emerald. That was the game that got me into pokémon in the first place, so Swampert holds #1 as my favorite water type starter

[@mr.gamewatch6165]

*Political Mudkip noises*

[@daniellejackson6543]

P-political?

[@ZaidanDarmasakti]

​@@daniellejackson6543 Poipolitical!

[@blazikenchad8876]

mudlitical mudkip conservative noises

[@sashalittledemon6766]

Radical socialist Mudkip growls

[@HollyJJJ]

Competitive pokemon is the politics of the pokemon scene

[@surelyyoujestin4871]

WE STONE WALLIN' ALMOST EVERY ELECTRIC TYPE POKÉMON WITH THIS ONE 🗣🔥🗣🔥💯

[@vossboss220]

HP Grass

[@pranavdiwan1650]

No more worried about that​@@vossboss220

[@pranavdiwan1650]

@pranavdiwan1650 Tera grass-

[@ngct4952]

@rotom-mow

[@QueenofAgnus]

That's why he said almost every electric type 💀

[@axearmor214]

-Bulky Water -Stealth Rocker -Gets a Mega -5 base stat points higher than any other starter -Gets Flip Turn in Gen 8 -Gets Poison Jab, Sludge Wave, and Knock Off in Gen 9 Excellent Tera options Yeah, Swampert is hands down one of the best.

[@anzeigefehler6495]

and then theres damp

[@axearmor214]

@@anzeigefehler6495 Unless you want to stop Misty Explosion maybe.

[@axearmor214]

@@jaretco6423 How is it doing down there?

[@handoverthestromboli6715]

Why would you tera pert? Its already got a great type

[@axearmor214]

@@handoverthestromboli6715 Just to maybe stop those Grass types from giving it a x4 whooping.

[@crylec6534]

My favorite starter gets revised. HELL YEAH.

[@chaosgallade2331]

Swampert is the best starter for a Hoenn play through simply because of its lack of bad matchups, the only ones being the rival's Treecko/Grovyle/Sceptile, Sidney's Cacturne and Shiftry, and random route trainers who happen to have Grass Pokemon; those can be easily dealt with by a teammate. It's had solid competitive success too, even though power creep wasn't kind to it over the years and losing its Mega in Sword/Shield sucked.

[@JustButton]

I'm so ready to get swift swim swampert back in Pokemon zaza

[@Dahb1GOAT]

Nah mate always picking blaziken idc whos better 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@skeetermania3202]

Knowing how much attention Gens 3 and 4 OU get on this channel, I was expecting around 40 minutes.

[@590488]

He dramatically undersold swampert in theses gens.

[@maxlimit9129]

@@590488 BKC is a Blaziken fan after all. Bias much?

[@skeetermania3202]

@@590488 How?

[@skeetermania3202]

@@maxlimit9129Maybe the bias will show in the remake…

[@IschmarVI]

to be fair, gen 3 and 4 were the gens that basically provided the foundation for modern day pokemon (1 and 2 wer almost like a completely different franchise competetively). Thus, a lot that can be said about a pokemon in those gens also applies to later gens. So they usually don't repeat those things over and over again.

[@LordRumshi]

Swampert remaining in OU and UU for several generations was certainly an impressive feat though falling into RU in generation 9 is somewhat of a shame. The loss of mega evolution did hurt Swampert somewhat but regular Swampert still showed just how good a Pokémon Swampert is within the competitive scene.

[@ruiribeiro8010]

Swampert's hidden ability, as an axolotl, could've been Regenerator 😔 now that it has Flip Turn that'd be crazy. Damp is such a middle finger. They changed Empoleon's tho so a man can dream.

[@daigustoemeral3710]

I'm hoping gamefreak changes blastoise rain dish ability to mega launcher

[@sashasscribbles]

Oooh yesss regenerator would be badass. I was thinking unaware or dry skin but I like regenerator better tbh

[@tristancummings5925]

​@@daigustoemeral3710 wrong monster collecting game Mr.Emeral lol

[@erikphillips7106]

I have been hoping for regenerator on swampert for a while. Axolotls are literally studied for their regenerative abilities

[@hofumoya]

​@@tristancummings5925wdym, mega launcher is an ability tho

[@-libertyprimev1-902]

Fun Fact: Swampert still has the Highest Base Stat Total of any starter, at 535, beating out Delphox and Infernape by 1 Point! This holds true for Mega Starters as well, Mega Swampert's at 635, beating out Both Mega Charizards by again 1 Point! Truly, Mudkip Stocks are unrivaled.

[@IschmarVI]

swampert is a big boi with big numbers

[@orangblack3665]

Swampert has gotta be in everyones top 50 favorites

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

Best starter by far.^^

[@nobleginger2535]

Not quite

[@anastasiskal2608]

For me #1

[@loganpoal5025]

He has to be in everyone's top 1025 Pokemon

[@danielmaynard239]

@@aureliodeprimus8018 Quaquaval's my favorite starter along with Inteleon

[@WiiMote070]

If there's one thing this video has proven to me is that Swampert's success is for the same reason why it's my favourite starter of all: it's simply ol' reliable.

[@handoverthestromboli6715]

ol' reliable dont need none of that fancy regenerator or recover. ol' reliable just comes in on electric type and sets up rocks and throws a fat ice beam out there

[@alter6243]

Mudkip/Swampert is the only time in all of the Pokemon games my brother and I picked the exact same starter. That’s just how awesome of a Pokemon it is. It still amazes me how popular of a Pokemon it is to this day because as I kid I vividly remember all the other kids liking Torchic or Treecko more.

[@primrosevale1995]

Ah yes, the only well-designed Hoenn starter. No my level 94 Swampert at age 7 does not make me biased.

[@marshupp]

94?? I had him 60+ only 🥲

[@grixan8012]

BIG PERT BRING ON THE HURT! My favorite starter ever and my no.2 fav pokemon ever, excited to see how this turns out especially during gen 8! Being able to stay in UU despite powercreep without any broken ability makes it incredible in my eyes

[@Not_interestEd-]

PERT ACTIVITIES DETECTED

[@Firetrigger2110]

...so i herd you liek GETTING REKTED

[@oopsgtg]

Great vid, I think for BW VGC you missed that Swampert did actually have an excellent showing at Worlds 2012, with Kasty reaching top 8 in the Masters division and Jaime Martinez got 2nd in Senior division. It had a niche as a bulky water that could both take on Tyranitar/Metagross/Garchomp among others whilst also not fearing Thundurus-I. Whilst it did face competition from Gastrodon - who was far superior in the Rain matchup, it could be used on compositions that covered this weakness with the other members of the team. Also Swampert won UK Nationals 2009 and was generally a strong but underutilised mon in the DPP VGC era.

[@skeetermania3202]

I feel even more tempted to apply for the role of a researcher than ever. Burnout seems to be hitting this channel hard with all the weekly releases.

[@oopsgtg]

@@skeetermania3202 To be fair it can be difficult to research these old gens VGC results, I have plans to send a lot of results to limitless VGC, so then it should be easier to find (although an error that I reported months ago still hasn't been fixed so idk if there is much hope for it)

[@skeetermania3202]

@@oopsgtg Wait, how do you track such placements? Are you one of the sites main researchers? If you are, that site needs to be updated to include Regulation F events.

[@oopsgtg]

@@skeetermania3202 No, I am not associated with the site at all, but I have in my own time compiled a document with a lot of teams/results of VGC from 2004-2013. Including events in Japan where I could find online archives of results

[@olivergro7105]

"perts presence partially prepelled such perceptions" shows some writing skills.

[@Alex-vl1mk]

The writer for this channel loves alliteration.

[@catsinhats31]

Hoenn is one of the only generations with all 3 banger starters

[@matticus_p626]

Sinnoh being the other?

[@spiderssssssssssss]

@@matticus_p626I'd also say Alola has a really good starter trio.

[@Deadflower019]

@@spiderssssssssssss Incineroar tho :/

[@solstia458]

Discounting kanto Johto and Sinnoh is crazy

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

@@matticus_p626Nah, Piplup lets it down quite a bit...

[@hiddenpowerfairy]

25:34 fun fact: swampert actually dropped below RU and fell to NU recently. how the mighty have fallen

[@Bwicklel0712]

:(

[@thel-iteralone4592]

Swampert and water-ground types are singlehandedly the reason why HP Grass is a thing. It's just that busted of a type combo.

[@IschmarVI]

Yep. Swamperts mere existence causes zappi birb to mostly run hidden power grass even though it REALLY wants ice. Heck, its existence causes some METAGROSS to run that move (pursuit variants which go special because pursuit is special in gen 3 and an invested psychic still hits hard even when burned, turning the tides on will o wisp gengar when trapping it)

[@vampiricofficial8726]

Swampert is literally my favourite Pokemon. I kinda feel disappointed with its hidden ability .

[@foreversevenfold1666]

Amazing that Swampert has been so good for so long without ever having a reliable recovery move!

[@BananaR777]

Swampert getting bulk up was super nice too.

[@deltalord6969]

Pokemon sapphire was my first ever game and swampert was my first starter so this nostalgia hits hard fr fr

[@DalkanoMudDrip]

And this is proof of why Swampert is the GOAT, always has been and always will be, I'm glad it was my starter back in emerald

[@HeyitsCamden]

Still hits me a touch every time I hear "the late Angel Miranda".

[@gio9255]

Swampert is so good it was immune to power creep until recently. It may be down in Gen IX but it is still among the most consistent staters of all time. If it gained water absorb over damp and toxic back, I could see it being amazing once again.

[@gretchling5012]

swampert actually just dropped to NU with the march tier shifts. no idea whether or not it'll stick around in the tier, though. also, shoutouts to gen 4 banded swampert. really fun set

[@Cruzer108]

I feel it's been an issue of new toy syndrome less people use it but it's def better then the tier it's in

[@turtlefifa17394]

@@jaretco6423axolotl?

[@gretchling5012]

@@Cruzer108 i think pert probably has a place in RU. i'm not super familiar with the tier, but i think most people are using empoleon over it atm for its access to roost. i think swampert has some merit for beating high horsepower revaroom, though, which is a pretty common threat in current RU (and which empoleon is not a great check to).

[@turtlefifa17394]

@@jaretco6423 it’s an animal. The animal swampert is based off.

[@menameta1316]

Sceptile and blazeiken got speed boosting abilities and swampert got damp thats such a middle finger to it It could have gotten swift swim lile its mega or regenerator since axolots are known for their regenerative abilites

[@xavierthomas5835]

Maybe even dry skin

[@JustButton]

I'm so ready to get swift swim swampert back in Pokemon zaza

[@cornonjacob]

Swap damp for swift swim or regenerator on swampert and that's an immediate tier bump, maybe even up to OU with regenerator

[@IschmarVI]

provided it can hold its ground against the derpy monarch with the fancy hat

[@sashasscribbles]

Swampert deserves a better hidden ability then freaking Damp. Give it Dry Skin, or Unaware, anything So proud of them for doing so well though~ (Unaware Swampert would go hard as hell tho, its like Quagsire but with good stats)

[@PerfectAzrael]

That’s likely why they didn’t give Swampert that since it makes Quagsire completely redundant. Swampert already got a lot of good things. It doesn’t need more and its time in the spotlight is over.

[@gugg2216]

Dry skin wouldn't make sense for swampert, who's current hidden is literally the opposite. He's constantly wet.

[@lop0998]

Regenerator cause its an axolotl..?​@@gugg2216

[@nesswednesday2976]

February 7th, 2025 will mark the 20th anniversary of the "So I herd u like Mudkips" meme

[@asfjibreel]

mudkip is love mudkip is life

[@Mcflyeon]

I would give Swampert Water Absorb as a more practical ability that gives it another immunity and recovery. Also give it back Scald.

[@SmashBrosAssemble]

Next to Charizard, Swampert is undoubtedly one of the most popular starters to date in Pokemon.

[@EdmacZ]

I like how falling from OU isn't a badge of dishonor for a Pokémon anymore. OU really isn't OU anymore. Its been a second Ubers tier since Gen 7.

[@brandonmoore9754]

Let’s go! Swampert, my favorite Pokémon line!

[@UnwantedGhost1-anz25]

After Pokémon Legends Z-A was announced, mega evolution is finally returning. I wonder if this will be the best opportunity for Swampert to make a comeback?

[@A.K.A-17]

It's crazy that pokemon has been around so long that there are competitive players who are no longer with us

[@RaymonZX200]

They need to buff Damp and give it a burn immunity on top of its normal effect

[@123Comrade]

The team-player, The reliable, The Dampert

[@Brandon.thebaby]

Pert is such a solid mon in adv & dpp, such a great team player offensively & defensively

[@smoxch5444]

My favourite Pokemon. I still hold on to the dream that one day it gets given Regenerator instead of Damp.

[@mizu6891]

WHAT…ARE YOU DOING IN MY SWAMP… ert

[@azurewriter8347]

Ayo?

[@emojifr...]

AN SHIRAISHI PFP MENTIONED 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@vossboss220]

He's weak to grass so I'm sewing my seeds

[@exeggutivejudge3747]

Yooo 😂😂​@@vossboss220

[@Colaschnittchen]

Kinky?

[@jayanths1221]

Since Swampert is based on axolotls, it makes thematic sense for GF to give it regenerator. At least it makes hell of a lot more sense than Tornadus-T and Mienshao having regenerator.

[@handoverthestromboli6715]

Swampert is way closer to a mudskipper than an axolotl. Also, if they gave regenerator or recover to Pert it would immediately be compared to Milotic and Toxapex and hated for being do-nothing recover walls. I like how surprisingly defensive and threatening swampert is in spite of its lack of recovery.

[@radicalswampert7980]

SWAMPERT STANS UNITE

[@BraveFrontierRemeberer]

Finally the video I was waiting for

[@JOOOP98]

I forgot how goofy the gen 4 sprite is lmaoooo

[@mikhailhutchinson2011]

YESSIR!! I've been waiting for this

[@misteral9045]

Mud shot has such an interesting battle animation and sound, as a kid I didn't know how to feel about that coming out of Swampert. At least it came out of the front.

[@gioanysgonzalez3396]

Good to see my boy despite the power creep still be a solid pokemon throughout the generations.

[@thepogpugchess]

YESSS DUDE IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE MEWTWO!

[@JustJulyo]

Do you like Swampert?

[@megamanzero29]

Swampert my boi! My first starter ever

[@Bwicklel0712]

Same :))

[@zdelrod829]

Swampert is actually NU right now.

[@dylanbuchanan6511]

Gen 3 Swamper may have been great, but Mega Swampert was absolutely stupid. Swift Swim on top of 150 attacking stat, STAB EQ and water attacks powered up by rain. One of my greatest fears in gen 7 OU.

[@missplayer30]

His hidden ability is the reason why I want Damp to be completely erased from the ability pool and forgotten like Cacophony. Period. I wish I could say the same with something like Sturdy, but at least that has a complete overhaul. The developers are too much of a coward to overhaul this one.

[@BigTurboTrucker]

One of my top 2 starters alongside Torterra

[@AudioGAWD]

12:19 You wild for that self imposed alliteration 😂

[@eyecontrol4900]

partially propelled such perception to the public. 🤣

[@infinitydesu]

When my friends and I heard the news that Swampert was going to get a Mega evolution, we hoped Gamefreak would give it Sap Sipper.

[@ariace3602]

How was your response to swift swim?

[@infinitydesu]

@@ariace3602 "Another cool way of making it crazy powerful"

[@mariojmz011]

Something I’d love to see you guys try is “How great was actually” like Wolfey, Pokeaim, Blunder, Ray Rizzo etc

[@alexanderst.7993]

WE KIPPIN IN THE MUD WITH THIS ONE

[@TheFallGrind]

That's my goat, Teamplayer!

[@Marcelthebeastmcdaniels]

Mega swampert has huge muscles and I like it

[@mr.truffles9294]

Yeah, the remake we needed!!!!

[@kadabraguy9846]

Me watching the original video: This is cool Me watching this video, having been brainwashed by JimothyCool: This is insane

[@x7251z]

Bronzong, Cresselia, Rotom, Drifblim, Mothim and Lumineon all need a review.

[@fuyuk1r1ft8]

Swampert had a tendency to be overlooked for players of the main game in rse and oras because blaziken was a comfortable choice for the whole game and sceptile looked so cool. But damn was it a competitive beast, and it came back with even more vengeance in oras in rain teams Getting swept by it on showdown convinced me to try a rain team during gen 7 and it was the only themed team i used in ou for quite a long time, which i normally dislike due to their niche nature, but mega swampert was just that much of a beast in rain.

[@chaosgallade2331]

Mudkip isn’t exactly overlooked. In fact, it’s the best starter for a Hoenn playthrough, whether it’s R/S/E or OR/AS because its matchups against the bosses are consistent.

[@fuyuk1r1ft8]

@@chaosgallade2331 it's undoubtedly the best starter, but for a first time player of the games, or someone not playing for a competition, it's unlikely they woul choose mudkip. Sceptile had huge press coverage with ash's badass one and its own cool design amd blaziken is just too comfortable early game.

[@boomjokazoomie569]

How long must I wait for my beloved Drifblim to get a video

[@sosams]

With the new March tier shifts this guy is now NU, *let that sink in*

[@IschmarVI]

Meanwhile, Skarmory is firmly sitting in OU. Jap ... that thing IS immune to powercreep after all.

[@vinny4765]

18:50 RIP, you're still missed man

[@radicalswampert7980]

I did not know I needed to see this today, I love it

[@SuperStro509]

The original TEAMPLAYER

[@pattablefreezingmachine]

Swampert, in my opinion, is the best example of how a game could manage power creep. Sure, it was affected a bit, but it was never truly "outclassed" in the excellent jobs it would take.

[@mightywaranvil2912]

In the Rubied Sapphire, straight up "treinan them". And by "them", well, haha. Let's just say. Swamprit.

[@_Mutt_]

Lol

[@kylelangdon6724]

Get ready for the hour long Blaziken remake.

[@joshuarichards8025]

I Literally just watched the older version of this video lol.

[@JumboSizedRichard]

STILL WAITING FOR “How Good Was Amoonguss Actually”…

[@TheMurphination]

I don’t even need to watch the full video to already give it a thumbs up GOATED MON RIGHT HERE

[@naturalharmoniagropius4486]

Sad to see an OU behemoth in the past gens now being dropped in Gen 9 *NU* as of this month.

[@ZeroZeke-]

They did my boy dirty when they gave him Damp.

[@MundungusMooney]

Petition to give swampert sap sipper

[@YesImJoeKing]

26:03 Outro

[@EvilaRK3914]

Lol guys I was just thinking like what if swampert had intimidate as his hidden ability would it have been as good as incineroar if not better?

[@mcbumblesnocht4773]

I've been waiting for this remake for years.

[@owo5062]

Please just give swampert the regenerator he needs it so bad

[@Devin64589]

I heard you liek mudkips And swamperts ?

[@acc3209]

Just remember to not throw your mega swampert staying in vs will o wisp rotom wash

[@Foul_Ghoul]

Is it Swampert day? FSG, and Haydunn both dropped videos on the mon