QC: MrAldo / Arifeen / Arikado
GP: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
A great Speed stat allows Virizion to perform as a strong setup sweeper in the RU metagame, especially with Continental Crush giving it very good coverage. In addition to its offensive capabilities, Virizion's defensive typing, along with its incredible Special Defense stat, allows it to check threats in the RU metagame such as Donphan, Gigalith, Jolteon, Kingdra, and Galvantula. Despite this, however, Virizion is relatively weak without a boost and tends to rely on its Z-Move in order to inflict great damage, meaning it can get checked by bulky threats such as Cresselia, Necrozma, Dhelmise, and Acrobatics Gligar after using its Z-Move. It also has poor physical bulk that leaves it pressured by physical threats in the metagame such as Flygon and Choice Scarf Heracross. Finally, its Speed, while great, still allows Virizion to get revenge killed by the likes of Durant, Swellow, and Salazzle.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Rockium Z
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance allows Virizion to raise its Attack and threaten a majority of the metagame that it outspeeds with its great coverage. Leaf Blade allows it to hit Rhyperior, Bruxish, Jellicent, Slowbro, and Diancie harder than its other moves. Close Combat is Virizion's secondary STAB move and is useful to hit Steel-types and other threats that take Leaf Blade with ease such as Registeel, Umbreon, Snorlax, Shaymin, and Goodra. Stone Edge rounds out Virizion's coverage by using Rockium Z to turn into Continental Crush, which, at +2, threatens a huge portion of the metagame that Virizion has difficulty hitting with its STAB combination, such as Dragalge, Reuniclus, Dhelmise, Mantine, Roserade, and Venusaur out of sun. It is also useful outside of its Z-Move to attack Fire- and Flying-type switch-ins such as Salazzle, Rotom-H, Swellow, and Moltres.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Virizion to outspeed Zoroark, Shaymin, Mega Glalie, Flygon, and Cryogonal. Justified is Virizion's only ability and gives it an Attack boost whenever it is hit by Dark-type moves, which can be useful to switch directly into weak Dark-type attacks such as Umbreon's Foul Play, although this is more of a novelty than a useful ability most of the time. Rockium Z allows Virizion to use Continental Crush, which gives it great coverage overall, being able to hit Roserade, Mantine, and Reuniclus all in one slot. Other options include Grassium Z to let it use Bloom Doom, which, in combination with Swords Dance, gives it the best ability to break past bulkier threats such as Gligar and Cresselia, which take a +2 Continental Crush with relative ease. If another Z-Move user is present on Virizion's team, Lum Berry can be used to allow Virizion to avoid status, specifically burns from the likes of Sableye, which can cripple Virizion with Will-O-Wisp.
Usage Tips
========
Virizion can use its decent defensive typing to switch directly on threats that it checks such as Rhyperior, Gigalith, Jolteon, and Galvantula. It can also come in to revenge kill a special attacker that it can handle due to its great Special Defense stat, such as Choice-locked Rotom-C, and gain momentum off of it by setting up with Swords Dance. Be wary of switching in on Water-types such as non-Air Slash Mantine, as getting burned by Scald on the switch can severely cripple Virizion. Use Swords Dance when Virizion forces out a passive threat or a threat that it checks such as Rhyperior or Registeel. If you predict the opponent to send out a faster threat to Virizion such as Salazzle, Virizion may go for the proper coverage move, such as Stone Edge, on the switch to take it out. It is best to save Virizion's Z-Move for a threat that it cannot normally take out at +2, such as Dragalge, Florges, or Roserade with Continental Crush or Cresselia with Bloom Doom.
Team Options
========
Partners that handle Doublade are necessary, as it is the hardest stop to this Virizion set; partners such as Zoroark, Sharpedo, Nidoqueen, and Milotic can do this. Nidoqueen also can set up Stealth Rock for Virizion, which allows it to secure more OHKOs on checks such as Gligar. Zoroark specifically is a notable partner, being able to disguise itself as Virizion to lure in Doublade and smack it with a super effective Dark-type STAB move, as well as breaking past bulky Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Reuniclus. Sharpedo can also assist in taking out Doublade and bulky Psychic-types while having the additional benefit of being able to handle Gligar, which this set has difficulty breaking past. Due to Virizion's poor Defense stat, it tends to get overwhelmed by physical attackers that outspeed it such as Choice Scarf Heracross; partners like Mantine with Air Slash can check these attackers while also helping Virizion handle Water-types such as Milotic, which this set is scared of switching into due to fear of Scald burns. Mantine also checks Fire-types like Salazzle. Flying-type checks such as Rhyperior, Diancie, and Aerodactyl can help Virizion deal with Honchkrow and Air Slash Swellow, and they can also set up Stealth Rock for Virizion. Other partners include Choice Scarf users or designated revenge killers to deal with the faster threats that can come in and revenge kill Virizion; Choice Scarf users like Heracross, Gardevoir, and Durant help take on these faster threats.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Calm Mind set is a very usable option, as it allows Virizion to break past one of its best answers, Doublade, with Hidden Power Fire. This set suffers from having poor coverage in comparison to the Swords Dance set, however, which can hit more threats overall due to Continental Crush. Zen Headbutt is an option on the Swords Dance set to hit Grass-types like Venusaur, Chesnaught, and Roserade, although the coverage provided by Continental Crush makes this an unnecessary option. Taunt lets Virizon deal with bulkier setup threats such as non-Acrobatics Gligar to prevent it from Defogging or healing off damage with Roost, although this comes at the cost of a valuable coverage option. Another option instead of Taunt is Substitute, which lets Virizion avoid status and guarantee setup against passive threats that Virizion takes advantage of, although this suffers from the same issue as Taunt in regards to the coverage of its third move being too much to pass up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Doublade**: Doublade resists Virizion's STAB combination, takes very little from any of its physical attacks, and, while it must watch out for Hidden Power Fire on the Calm Mind set, is a full stop to the Swords Dance set.
**Psychic-types**: Cresselia and Reuniclus can use their outstanding bulk to take on Virizion with ease, especially Continental Crush variants, while walling Calm Mind variants outright; they must, however, be careful for a +2 Bloom Doom. Faster offensive Psychic-types such as Espeon and Choice Scarf Gardevoir serve as threats to Virizion.
**Poison-types**: Dragalge, Nidoqueen, Salazzle, and Toxicroak can threaten Virizion with their super effective STAB moves. Dragalge takes Virizion's attacks with ease other than Continental Crush, but Nidoqueen can find itself worn down easily due to its lack of recovery.
**Fire-types**: Rotom-H and Salazzle resist Virizion's Grass-type moves and can take a Close Combat. Although they cannot take a Continental Crush or Stone Edge on the switch, Salazzle outspeeds Virizion naturally while Rotom-H can outspeed Virizion with a Choice Scarf and hit it with a powerful Fire-type STAB attack.
**Grass-types**: Roserade, Dhelmise, and Venusaur resist Virizion's STAB combination while threatening Virizion with their Poison-type STAB moves in the case of Roserade and Venusaur or a strong Choice Band-boosted STAB move in the case of Dhelmise.
**Flying-types and Coverage**: Noivern, Aerodactyl, and Swellow can use their Flying-type STAB moves to take out Virizion, despite the fact that they have immense difficulty switching in directly into it. Flying-type coverage from threats that Virizion can set up on such as Gligar with Acrobatics and Mantine with Air Slash can give it great problems.
Last edited:
