[SET]
name: Defog
move 1: Defog
move 2: Steam Eruption
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Shuca Berry / Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Steam Eruption is Volcanion's best Water-type STAB move, coming with high Base Power, reliable accuracy, a good chance to burn Volcanion's target, and most notably the ability to OHKO slower Ground-type Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Rhyperior, and Mega Steelix after Stealth Rock damage. Flamethrower is chosen over Fire Blast due to its higher accuracy and PP while still retaining the ability to 2HKO Mega Aggron and OHKO Doublade. Sludge Bomb is Volcanion's best option against Fairy-types, notably 2HKOing Mega Altaria and defensive Primarina, which resist Volcanion's STAB moves. It is preferable to Sludge Wave due to the higher poison chance, which helps to punish Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Latias, and Mantine for attempting to switch into Volcanion.
Set Details
========
216 Speed EVs allow Volcanion to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Scizor and OHKO it with Flamethrower before it can hit Volcanion with a +2 Knock Off or Superpower. Maximum Special Attack investment with a Modest nature lets Volcanion hit as hard as possible, allowing it to 2HKO defensive Primarina after Stealth Rock with Sludge Bomb and OHKO Celebi after Stealth Rock with Flamethrower. The remaining EVs are put into HP for additional bulk. Shuca Berry allows Volcanion to lure in faster Ground-types such as Mamoswine, Nidoking, and Krookodile that may attempt to revenge kill it and OHKO them with Steam Eruption. Leftovers is an alternative option that offers Volcanion a form of passive recovery, allowing it to switch into Pokemon such as Scizor and Primarina more reliably. Water Absorb offers Volcanion a way to recover its health, albeit unreliably, when switching in against targets such as Suicune and Primarina. Volcanion may opt to run 188 Speed EVs with a Timid nature to outspeed offensive Mega Altaria and Adamant Bisharp or 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature to outspeed Adamant Mamoswine, although the loss of power is noticeable, preventing Volcanion from OHKOing Amoonguss after Stealth Rock damage, for example.
Usage Tips
========
Due to Volcanion's weakness to Stealth Rock, it should take advantage of its good matchup versus slower entry hazard setters such as Hippowdon, Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Nidoqueen and proactively attempt to prevent them from setting Stealth Rock. Due to its respectable bulk and Shuca Berry, it can risk switching in on the former two and forcing them out with the threat of Steam Eruption if it has high enough HP and keeping Stealth Rock off the field is a priority, although it must watch out for Toxic when doing this. Volcanion can also make use of the switches it forces against Pokemon such as Primarina and Scizor to clear entry hazards when facing Stealth Rock setters such as Terrakion, Mew, and Blissey that it cannot beat. If Volcanion is running a Shuca Berry, it can also attempt to lure and take out faster Ground-types such as Krookodile and Mamoswine. Shuca Berry can also be used to allow Volcanion to stay in against Swampert, which is otherwise risky to stay in against due to the high chance that Steam Eruption won't burn it, especially Choice Band sets, which can OHKO Volcanion from full. Due to its lack of reliable recovery, Volcanion should be kept healthy when possible in order to check Pokemon such as Primarina, non-Earthquake Mega Aggron, non-Earthquake Mega Altaria, and Scizor more reliably, especially if the opposing Stealth Rock setter has not yet fainted so it can continue to remove entry hazards. It should also watch out for coverage from these Pokemon, such as Psychic from Choice Specs Primarina and Superpower from Choice Band Scizor, as it leaves Volcanion susceptible to being 2HKOed the next time it comes in, and Primarina can survive one Sludge Bomb to 2HKO Volcanion with Psychic. If you predict a Pokemon such as Calm Mind Latias, Slowbro, or Suicune to switch in and Volcanion does not need to use Defog, it is recommended to either use Sludge Bomb to attempt to poison the opposing Pokemon or double switch to prevent Volcanion being used as setup fodder. Similarly, Volcanion should prioritize double switching when expecting Blissey to switch in to prevent offering it free turns to heal up, pass Wish, or set Stealth Rock. Volcanion should be careful about attempting to switch in against Scald users such as Empoleon, Tentacruel, and Starmie in order to attempt to regain HP due to the threat of either having its item removed by Knock Off or being hit by Toxic, the latter of which severely limits its longevity. However, if Volcanion has already used its Shuca Berry or has a teammate with Heal Bell, it can more freely attempt this and wear these Pokemon down for its teammates.
Team Options
========
Defog Volcanion fits mainly on bulky offense and balance teams that appreciate a strong offensive entry hazard remover that checks Pokemon such as Primarina and Scizor. Krookodile, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon are excellent Stealth Rock setters to pair with Volcanion, being able to check Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, Rotom-H, and Mega Aerodactyl for it. Krookodile can also shut down common entry hazard setters such as Hippowdon and Mega Steelix with Taunt, taking pressure off of Volcanion to use Defog, while Rhyperior provides a check to Flying-types such as Togekiss and Moltres, and Hippowdon can provide a switch-in to other threats to Volcanion such as Choice Scarf Krookodile while more consistently checking the above Pokemon due to having reliable recovery. In return, Volcanion offers a switch-in to Primarina, which can OHKO all of them. Steel-types such as Mega Steelix, Mega Aggron, and Doublade are great partners, as they can check threats such as Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl, which can OHKO Volcanion after Stealth Rock damage, as well as Latias and non-Fire Blast Mega Altaria, which can freely set up on Volcanion, provided Mega Altaria has not yet Mega Evolved. Mega Steelix and Mega Aggron can also set up Stealth Rock, while Doublade can check Terrakion. In return, Volcanion can provide a switch-in to Scald users such as Empoleon, Tentacruel, and Primarina while offering a secondary Scizor check. Pursuit trappers such as Choice Scarf Krookodile, Mega Aerodactyl, and Choice Band Scizor can help alleviate some of the problems Latias causes for Volcanion. Krookodile in particular also offers a valuable Electric immunity, which helps to deal with Pokemon such as Mega Manectric and Rotom-H, while Mega Aerodactyl can help check Flying-types such as Togekiss and Moltres. Volcanion appreciates them checking threatening Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl and Terrakion and provides a switch-in to Primarina and Scizor in return.
Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Florges, and Togekiss are able to check Hydreigon, one of Volcanion's best checks. They can also provide Heal Bell support in order to remove status such as poison and paralysis inflicted by Mega Aggron, Klefki, and Empoleon, allowing Volcanion to remove entry hazards from these setters more readily. Sylveon and Florges can also provide Wish support, alleviating Volcanion's lack of recovery and letting it check Primarina and Scizor more consistently. In return, these Fairy-types greatly appreciate Volcanion removing Steel-types such as Scizor and Doublade, which helps Togekiss in particular to sweep more easily. Mega Altaria can check and set up on Electric-types such as Zeraora and Rotom-H and deal with Calm Mind Suicune, which can set up on Volcanion. It can also help to threaten Pokemon such as Pyukumuku and Blissey, and in return, it appreciates Volcanion's ability to OHKO Scizor and Amoonguss, which can otherwise consistently check Mega Altaria and limit its sweeping potential. Hydreigon and Latias make for good partners for Volcanion, as they can check Ground-types such as Swampert, Nidoking, and, in Hydreigon's case, Krookodile for Volcanion, which can potentially allow Volcanion to forgo running Shuca Berry in favor of Leftovers for extra recovery. Furthermore, Hydreigon can run Taunt to prevent Pokemon such as Swampert, Blissey, and Krookodile from setting entry hazards, which takes pressure off Volcanion, and to help break bulkier teams featuring Pokemon such as Mantine and Pyukumuku. Hydreigon and Latias can also help to deal with Calm Mind Mega Slowbro and Suicune, which can both use Volcanion as setup fodder, and in return, they appreciate Volcanion weakening Fairy- and Steel-types such as Primarina and Mega Steelix. Pivots such as Mienshao and Scizor make for helpful partners to Volcanion. Assault Vest Mienshao in particular can switch into Hydreigon and bring Volcanion into favorable positions against common switch-ins such as Hippowdon, Primarina, Scizor, and Amoonguss. Mega Manectric also pairs well with Volcanion, appreciating it breaking bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon that would otherwise prevent Mega Manectric from pivoting with Volt Switch, and in return, it can pressure bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Mega Slowbro that wall Volcanion while taking some pressure off Volcanion to check Scizor.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Estarossa, 461329]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Martha, 384270]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]
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