http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/volbeat
[SET]
name: Tail Glow Passer
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Encore / Bug Buzz
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Salac Berry
ability: Swarm
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Volbeat is one of the few Pokemon who can Baton Pass +2 Special Attack boosts, and this can actually work well in the UU/NU environment. Tail Glow is obvious on this set, and Encore helps immobilize something that tries to set up, or Stealth Rock, allowing for safer switches later. Substitute gives Volbeat something to hide behind while you activate the Salac Berry, giving your recipient +1 Speed. Bug Buzz is useful for avoiding having to Struggle after being Taunted, and is a nice STAB move which also gets a Swarm boost.</p>
<p>When using Salac Berry, give Volbeat a 30 HP IV so that you activate the Salac Berry in three Substitutes. Focus Sash should mainly be used if running Bug Buzz, so that you can live through an attack that would otherwise OHKO Volbeat. Max Speed and HP on this set, so that Volbeat gets to 295 Speed, and can survive a few weak hits.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Ice Punch / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swarm
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set utilizes Choice Scarf to further boost Volbeat's fairly decent Speed, turning it into a surprising revenge killer for the lower tiers.</p>
<p>Although not spectacular, Volbeat's movepool proves adequate for this task. U-turn serves as it's primary attack, and can be employed to scout your opponents team by luring unsuspecting opponents into unfortunate situations, such as an optimistic Steelix switch, then you switch into an incoming Probopass. Zen Headbutt covers those pesky Poison and Fighting-types who resist your STAB U-turn, whilst Brick Break is for Steel-types who utterly wall this set otherwise. Finally, an elemental punch completes the set, and whilst both prove super effective against Flying-types, Ice Punch is usually the more useful of the two, doing double damage against Altaria, and proving useful against Ground-types who have a habit of switching in.</p>
<p>With an Adamant nature, Volbeat will hit 403 Speed, outspeeding all Pokemon not holding a Choice Scarf bar max Speed Electrode, and all base 70 Choice Scarf Pokemon, including Luxray and Victreebel. Jolly will outspeed the afore mentioned Electrode, and Scarfed base 75 Pokemon, including Absol and Kingler, although the drop in attack is problematic. An Adamant Volbeat maxes out at 269 Attack, whilst with Jolly its around 245 Attack, meaning that even with entry hazards you might just miss out on a vital OHKO.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Trick / Aerial Ace
move 4: Brick Break / Focus Punch
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Swarm
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Band attached, Volbeat can actually do some damage in the lower tiers. U-turn will be your main move, allowing for safe switches and hitting bulky Psychic and Grass-types, but use it carefully, because you only have two chances to switch back in with Stealth Rock up. Zen Headbutt provides good coverage with the listed moves, and hits the common Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Muk. Brick Break or Focus Punch rounds out coverage on this set, hitting Normal, Rock, Steel, and Dark-types that this set otherwise can't touch. Trick allows you to screw up an opposing wall with an unwanted Choice Band, but Aerial Ace allows you to hit other Bug-types.</p>
<p>The EVs are obvious, maximum Attack allows for a stat of 493 with the Choice Band and an Adamant nature. A Jolly nature can be used, but normally Volbeat wants as much power as it can get. The rest of the EVs are not put into HP because Volbeat needs to switch into Stealth Rock more than twice.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>For offensive options, Charge Beam can give you a Special Attack boost that can help you if you want to Special Sweep, but is generally outclassed by Tail Glow. The Bolt-Beam punches can work on the Choice Band set, but the other options are generally better, and the same goes for Double-Edge and Return. For support, Volbeat has Confuse Ray, Light Screen, Swagger-Psych Up, Toxic, and Thunder Wave. It also has Roost and Moonlight for recovery, and access to Weather, making a Sunny-Beam set viable.</p>
[EVs]
<p>For the Tail Glow passer, max Speed with a Timid nature and 252 EVs so that it can be as fast as possible for the Baton Pass, while the rest can go into HP unless using Bug Buzz. On the Choice Scarf and Choice Band sets, max Attack and Speed to give Volbeat the most power it can get. Adamant is usually the best, but you can use Jolly if you want extra Speed.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Volbeat is outclassed by just about everything. Volbeat's counterpart, Illumise, was given a fair stat distribution and Tinted Lens, letting it actually do some damage. For Baton Passing, Volbeat is ruined by the existance of Minun, who is faster, can also pass +2 Special Attack, and doesn't have that killer Stealth Rock weakness. But, the good thing is that Volbeat has a respectable movepool, and an Attack Stat of 493 can do some damage in the lower tiers. Overall, though, Volbeat isn't really a good choice for teams unless you want to be original.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Anything faster that doesn't try to use a set up move can take out the Baton Passing set with any hit, Volbeat's defenses are just that low. The Choice sets are beaten by prediction as always, but sets without Ice Punch or ThunderPunch are beaten by Flying-types. Steelix is also a good switch-in to Volbeat, and can set up Stealth Rock as it U-turns or switches. Rotom can easily counter the attacking sets, resisting everything but Zen Headbutt and Ice Punch. Bulky Water-types like Blastiose and Lanturn are also good counters, as they take very little damage from everything.</p>
