v based
Overview
#######
- Decent 100 BSTs across the board
- V-Create hits like a firetruck, especially in sunlight.
- Fairly versatile, it has the option of being a self-supporting TR cleaner, lure for bulky walls, or just a general nuke.
- Trick Room set can function as a Geomancy Xerneas and Mewtwo-Y check for HO, since it lives all of their possible coverage even ater SR. No other Pokémon does this really (lol Aegislash).
- Victory Star lets its own attacks become 1.1* more accurate, but Bolt Strike will still always miss.
- Weak to all forms of hazards and has a 2x weakness to SR which limits the amount of times it can switch around. This can be awkward because using V-Create often forces it out.
- Often fares poorly versus bulkier archetypes due to not having strong coverage.
- Only an average defensive typing, and fire/electric coverage leaves it walled by relevant Mons like Zekrom and Giratina-Origin.
- Really appreciates hazard support which can clash with the defog user it also wants.
- Sun support is borderline mandatory for Victini, since it can have a harder time wearing down its checks without it. The presence of sunlight will also remove Kyogre's dreaded rain, making Victini free to spam powerful V-Creates.
Trick Room
#######
set name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Bolt Strike
move 4: U-turn / Blue Flare
ability: Victory Star
item: Flame Plate
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
ivs: 0 Spd
nature: Brave
moves
=======
- As the name implies, Trick Room is mandatory on this set. Victini finds the space to set it up on steel Pokémon, Xerneas, and Mewtwo/Y, which can be invaluable for checking the latter two.
- V-Create is stupidly strong, 180 BP max-invested Flame Plate STAB often does impressive damage to even Pokémon that resist it. Factor in a potential boost from sunlight and you'll be taking souls.
- Bolt Strike hits water types, but is weak in comparison to V-Create.
- The last slot can be used to "quickly" pivot out of a check like Zekrom into something that can handle that better. Blue Flare hits physically defensive Pokémon harder as well as KOing Steel Types without making contact or taking a defense drop, however.
Set details
=======
- V-Create pairs wonderfully with Trick Room, making Victini even harder to kill the more it attacks with its main STAB, due to the fact that the speed drop from V-Create effectively augments its speed while Trick Room is in effect. Of course, the defense drops from V-Create can also be counterproductive if your opponent has a still-living priority user.
- Flame Plate is used over any other item to provide longevity while still hitting hard with the move that matters. Using something such as Life Orb just makes Victini faint too fast.
- A Brave Nature with zero speed IVs makes Victini deceptively slow, but things such as Forretress will still be slower than it under Trick Room.
- The remaining EVs are placed in HP so you stand a greater chance of surviving Xerneas' coverage as well as having a better chance of setting up Trick Room in general. 8 Defense always gives Gensect +Attack from a Download boost, while 248 HP provides an odd HP number to let Victini switch into Stealth Rock one more time.
Usage Tips
=======
- Functions best versus offensive teams which don't have as many (if any) V-Create resists.
- Can anti-lead Deoxys-Speed (or at worst limit it to one layer of hazards) when paired with a defog user such as Arceus by leading off versus Deoxys-Speed, setting Trick Room, then U-turning out into the Defog Pokémon as Deoxys-S either Taunts or sets more hazards. If it Taunts, you can Judgment for the KO. If it sets Spikes, just Defog then Judgment on the following turn. This leaves you with a support Arceus that outspeeds potential HO Pokémon such as Darkrai and Scarf Zekrom, which can give you a huge edge versus this archetype.
- Functions best when the opponent's priority users are gone or crippled by status such as a burn. Eliminating checks such as Zekrom and Landorus-Therian is also key to ensuring a successful sweep.
- Has the tendency to use U-turn a lot versus bulkier or more defensive teams when the sun isn't shining.
Team Options
=======
- Groudon is probably Victini's best teammate, for numerous reasons. It checks Victini checks such as Zekrom while getting chip damage on others such as Giratina-Origin, provides sunlight to boost V-Create to unhealthy levels of power, and eliminates other weather (especially rain), which can really put a damper on Victini's performance if not kept in check.
- Cloyster and Forretress make good teammates since they can both set and remove hazards to help Victini. Rapid Spin is very underrated in this metagame, and the successful use of the move is actually a realistic thing to hope for now that Giratina and Arceus-Ghost have declined in usage.
- Other Trick Room Pokémon such as Trick Room Palkia and Bronzong can be used alongside Victini if a full-on Trick Room team is desirable. Palkia is especially nice for switching in on things like Kyogre, which can threaten Victini.
- Support Arceus makes a decent teammate as it can Defog for Victini. Pairing Victini with something such as Arceus-Water can be especially helpful to manage Palkia and Kyogre.
- Ferrothorn and Skarmory make good teammates as they can set Spikes for Victini while greatly annoying the priority Pokémon that trouble it. Additionally, they frustrate bulkier team archetypes, while Skarmory can potentially Defog for it.
- Trappers such as Mega-Gengar and Gothitelle can benefit Victini by removing opposing Support Arceus or turning them into liabilities for the opposition. Just be sure not to stack too many Yveltal weaknesses.
- Bulky Ground Types in general can be nice teammates, things like Landorus-Therian and Gliscor can set Stealth Rock for it while being annoying as ever.
- Zekrom is a good partner, as it forms a decent Voltturn core with Victini while Fire / Electric / Dragon coverage is possibly one of the most dangerous things in übers. Tailwind or Mixed Zekrom can also lure out things like Landorus-Therian, only to hit them hard with a surprise Draco Meteor and pave the way for a Victini sweep later in the match.
Choice Scarf (This is probably the part of the analysis that's most WIP, I know it's viable but haven't experimented enough with it to know exactly what works).
#######
set name: Vendetta (Uber Choice Scarf)
move 1: Final Gambit
move 2: V-Create
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Bolt Strike
ability: Victory Star
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 168 HP / 164 Atk / 176 Spd
nature: Jolly
moves
=======
- Final Gambit is essentially a free 383 damage to throw around, albeit at the cost of Victini's own life. With the decline of Giratina forms and Arceus-Ghost's popularity, I think this is seriously viable. You OHKO (or come stupidly close to OHKOing) most of the übers tier with it.
- V-Create still hits as hard as it needs to--even without maximum investment, Victini has a 90% chance to 2HKO 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Groudon after Stealth Rock. Victini's above-average speed tier means that it can often find the time to use the move twice before switching out.
- U-turn is vital for scouting things such as a potential Arceus-Ghost switchin. It can also get momentum on Pokémon such as Xerneas.
- Bolt Strike is just filler, you'll never really use it since 9/10 times Victini will just want to Final Gambit a Kyogre or Arceus-Water.
Set details
=======
- The EVs might seem complex, but they hit three important benchmarks. 168 HP is enough to always OHKO 252 HP Landorus-Therian with Final Gambit when at full HP while providing an odd HP stat, meaning Victini can switch into Stealth Rock one more time. 176 Speed with a Jolly Nature outpaces Timid Choice Scarf Kyogre and everything slower. The remaining EVs were dumped into Attack, giving Victini just enough investment to have a high chance of 2HKOing Max Defense / Max HP Impish Groudon after Stealth Rock.
- Choice Scarf is used more to provide a fast Final Gambit than anything else. This isn't necessarily supposed to be used as a revenge killer, but Victini can be utilized this way.
Usage Tips
=======
- It's generally best to use this set as early as possible to prevent Victini from getting worn down by Stealth Rock or any other troublesome hazard; this can make a good lead, and is phenomenal for paving the way to sweep with another thing due to the damage Final Gambit can deal to the "glue Pokémon" of a team like Groudon or Zekrom.
- This is a lure first and a Revenge Killer second; while Scarf Victini can be used as a dedicated check to some setup sweepers, it really shouldn't be. Think of it more as an "emergency button" Pokémon that can go one-for-one versus something that would normally pose a significant threat to your team.
- Running another Choice Scarf user alongside this set is totally viable due to the fact that Victini doesn't function like a Revenge Killer in the usual sense and probably won't be alive in the endgame when Revenge Killing a sweeper could be really important.
- Always try to scout for Arceus-Ghost; it's uncommon, but it is the death of this set due to its Final Gambit immunity. Other Ghost Type switchins are easy to predict and U-turn out of, but it can take a dedicated player to correctly guess the opponent's Arceus form in the team preview and play accordingly.
Team Options
=======
- Dark types are generally this Victini's best teammates. Darkrai, Yveltal, and Arceus-Dark easily threaten the Ghost Types Choice Scarf Victini can bait, and can be absolutely devastating when given momentum from a U-turn.
- U-turn Yveltal, Choice Scarf Victini, and Mega-Gengar form a very lethal trapping core together.
- Choice Scarf Zekrom can be a great teammate since Victini tends to bait Ground Type Pokémon that can hinder Zekrom's performance, only to utterly maul them with a surprise Final Gambit.
- Setup sweepers that are bothered by Groudon, Hippowdon, and Landorus-Therian tend to appreciate this Victini. Blaziken, Extremekiller Arceus, and especially your own Rock Polish Groudon all appreciate the luring capabilities of this set.
- Cloyster is again a good Pokémon to use alongside this set, to prevent the Stealth Rock that Victini loathes while luring out Arceus-Ghost and massively damaging it with a +2 Icicle Spear.
- Ho-Oh makes a good teammate for this Victini, as it appreciates the removal of things such as Zekrom, Scarf Kyogre, and bulky Ground-type Pokémon while checking Xerneas, something this Victini can't do.
Choice Band
#######
set name: The Adorable Nuke (Uber Choice Band)
move 1: V-Create
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Bolt Strike
move 4: Brick Break / Final Gambit
ability: Victory Star
item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd or 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
nature: Adamant / Jolly
moves
=======
- V-Create is very strong. In sunlight with an Adamant Nature, it has a high chance to 2HKO 4 HP Palkia, which 4x resists the attack while having decent physical bulk. I can't emphasize enough how unfairly powerful this move is; you don't want to know how many times over it KOs Abomasnow.
- U-turn gets chip damage on potential switchins, which is really beneficial for pushing Pokémon into the KO/2HKO range of your moves. Impish Max HP / Max Defense Groudon is a good example of this; it can stomach an Adamant U-turn only to get cleanly KO'd by V-Create the next time it switches in. The move is also quite nice for scouting potential switchins such as Arceus-Water.
- Bolt Strike rarely sees use-- it cleanly OHKOs 252 HP Ho-Oh and 252 HP Kyogre with an Adamant Nature, but it takes fine prediction to scout these switchins, and staying in one-on-one versus Kyogre is suicide unless you know it isn't the Choice Scarf variant.
- Brick Break is generally just filler; even a super-effective Brick Break hits for far less damage than a weatherless, neutral V-Create, so it doesn't see much use. It hurts Tyranitar and Heatran, neither of which are especially common. Generally, Choice Band Victini wants to be spamming V-Create since it deals more damage than Final Gambit, but it's an option for when you sense Victini won't be the most useful Pokémon in a match and want to deal some serious damage. Be warned that the gratuitous usage of this move while Xerneas is still around can spell your doom if you lack another check to the cosmic deer.
Set details
=======
- An Adamant Nature is typically better than a Jolly Nature-- you can miss out on several clean KOs without a +Attack nature, but Jolly gives Victini insurance versus
+Spe base 100s and slower. Essentially, it gets the jump on Timid Kyogre, Jolly Groudon, Jolly Landorus-Therian, Jolly Ho-Oh, Timid Dialga, Timid Xerneas, slower Lugia, and +Spe Yveltal (this last one is risky due to how often it carries Sucker Punch).
- The first EV spread is more desirable for staying in versus Pokémon such as offensive Groudon, which outspeeds the bulky Choice Band spread if it runs enough investment. However, the bulky Choice Band spread provides a stronger check to Mewtwo and Geomancy Xerneas.
- Don't run Jolly on the bulky Choice Band spread.
Usage Tips
=======
- Don't be afraid to spam V-Create, it is one of the hardest-hitting attacks in Pokémon and 2HKOs even strong resists. The other moves on this set pale in importance to V-Create.
- Be wary of using U-turn with multiple hazards up. Victini really likes having enough longevity to use V-Create as much as possible.
- This set is good on its own but nigh on unstoppable with the proper prediction. All it can take is one smart Bolt Strike to turn a would-be check into mere death fodder, and lack of experience dealing with Choice Band Victini can spell doom for many opponents.
Team Options
=======
- Please use this alongside Groudon. Sunlight makes a massive difference in securing O/2HKOs, and Victini easily overwhelms Groudon checks such as Landorus-Therian.
-Cloyster, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn are nice for setting hazards and providing strong switchins to things that threaten a -1/-1/-1 Victini (I.e. most of the metagame). Skarmory and Cloyster also remove the opposition's hazards, which is nice.
- Aside from sun support and hazard control, this thing is pretty self-sufficient. Teambuilding around it is generally more about what you want it to remove for you than what you want to support it with. Like the Choice Scarf set, this is dangerous alongside powerful physical Pokémon like Zekrom, Ho-Oh, Extremekiller Arceus, and Blaziken which benefit from the luring and removal of Pokémon such as Giratina-Origin, which is cleanly 2HKO'd by V-Create in sunlight.
Other Options
#######
- Taunt is generally a good move in übers, but Victini generally wants to spend its time attacking and forces out or severely dents things that Taunt would affect anyway.
- Victini has a nice special movepool with attacks such as Grass Knot and Focus Blast, but these moves are generally weak by übers standards and a full-on special attacking set defeats the purpose of Victini.
- Glaciate hits Landorus-Therian, Rayquaza, and Gliscor, and the speed drop can be nice for a few switchins such as Scarf Zekrom.
- Toxic and Thunder Wave can bother things like Support Arceus on the switchin.
- Zen Headbutt is an option on the Choice Band set, but it doesn't really hit anything outsidie of Blaziken or the rare Terrakion.
Checks and Counters
#######
Note that Victini becomes tremendously easy to check at a -1/-1/-1 state, unless it is under Trick Room.
**Heatran**- Is immune to your strongest STAB and takes nothing from Bolt Strike.
**Giratina forms** -Probably the second-best dedicated counters to Victini, they take nothing from all of its moves barring sunny V-Create, which Giratina-A is still able to shrug off rather easily.
**Support or Bulky Calm Mind Arceus** -Things like Arceus-Rock, Water, and Ghost threaten Victini with their Judgments while V-Create only scratches them. Arceus-Ghost is also immune to Final Gambit.
**Defensive Yveltal** -Scares Victini out with the threat of a Sucker Punch and can stomach a V-Create from anything barring Choice Band Sunny Victini.
**Lugia** -Effectively walls Victini with its Multiscale still intact, but must be wary of fast Choice Band Bolt Strikes.
**Dragon types** -Things such as Zekrom, Rayquaza, and Palkia are able to take a few V-Creates outside of sunlight while threatening to KO Victini with their strong attacks. They will fall to repeated use of the attack, however.
**Mega-Gengar** -Threatens slower Victini with Shadow Ball which KOs after just a bit of prior damage, but absolutely hates its Choice Scarf set.
**Kyogre** -Particularly Physically Defensive variants remove Victini's precious sunlight while not taking much from V-Create. However, it must be quite wary of Bolt Strike, especially from Choice Band Victini.
**Physically Defensive Ho-Oh** -This is an iffy check to Victini since it can't switch in on Bolt Strike, but it can force Victini out if it manages to come in on V-Create.
**Priority** -Threatens Victini particularly after it has used V-Create. Things like Sucker Punch Yveltal and Mega-Kangaskhan are troublesome, especially for the Trick Room set. Extreme Killer Arceus and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground are also problematic, especially if they manage to set up a Swords Dance for free on a fleeing Victini.
It took me many hours to type this on a phone so PLEASE LOVE IT.
Overview
#######
- Decent 100 BSTs across the board
- V-Create hits like a firetruck, especially in sunlight.
- Fairly versatile, it has the option of being a self-supporting TR cleaner, lure for bulky walls, or just a general nuke.
- Trick Room set can function as a Geomancy Xerneas and Mewtwo-Y check for HO, since it lives all of their possible coverage even ater SR. No other Pokémon does this really (lol Aegislash).
- Victory Star lets its own attacks become 1.1* more accurate, but Bolt Strike will still always miss.
- Weak to all forms of hazards and has a 2x weakness to SR which limits the amount of times it can switch around. This can be awkward because using V-Create often forces it out.
- Often fares poorly versus bulkier archetypes due to not having strong coverage.
- Only an average defensive typing, and fire/electric coverage leaves it walled by relevant Mons like Zekrom and Giratina-Origin.
- Really appreciates hazard support which can clash with the defog user it also wants.
- Sun support is borderline mandatory for Victini, since it can have a harder time wearing down its checks without it. The presence of sunlight will also remove Kyogre's dreaded rain, making Victini free to spam powerful V-Creates.
Trick Room
#######
set name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: V-Create
move 3: Bolt Strike
move 4: U-turn / Blue Flare
ability: Victory Star
item: Flame Plate
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
ivs: 0 Spd
nature: Brave
moves
=======
- As the name implies, Trick Room is mandatory on this set. Victini finds the space to set it up on steel Pokémon, Xerneas, and Mewtwo/Y, which can be invaluable for checking the latter two.
- V-Create is stupidly strong, 180 BP max-invested Flame Plate STAB often does impressive damage to even Pokémon that resist it. Factor in a potential boost from sunlight and you'll be taking souls.
- Bolt Strike hits water types, but is weak in comparison to V-Create.
- The last slot can be used to "quickly" pivot out of a check like Zekrom into something that can handle that better. Blue Flare hits physically defensive Pokémon harder as well as KOing Steel Types without making contact or taking a defense drop, however.
Set details
=======
- V-Create pairs wonderfully with Trick Room, making Victini even harder to kill the more it attacks with its main STAB, due to the fact that the speed drop from V-Create effectively augments its speed while Trick Room is in effect. Of course, the defense drops from V-Create can also be counterproductive if your opponent has a still-living priority user.
- Flame Plate is used over any other item to provide longevity while still hitting hard with the move that matters. Using something such as Life Orb just makes Victini faint too fast.
- A Brave Nature with zero speed IVs makes Victini deceptively slow, but things such as Forretress will still be slower than it under Trick Room.
- The remaining EVs are placed in HP so you stand a greater chance of surviving Xerneas' coverage as well as having a better chance of setting up Trick Room in general. 8 Defense always gives Gensect +Attack from a Download boost, while 248 HP provides an odd HP number to let Victini switch into Stealth Rock one more time.
Usage Tips
=======
- Functions best versus offensive teams which don't have as many (if any) V-Create resists.
- Can anti-lead Deoxys-Speed (or at worst limit it to one layer of hazards) when paired with a defog user such as Arceus by leading off versus Deoxys-Speed, setting Trick Room, then U-turning out into the Defog Pokémon as Deoxys-S either Taunts or sets more hazards. If it Taunts, you can Judgment for the KO. If it sets Spikes, just Defog then Judgment on the following turn. This leaves you with a support Arceus that outspeeds potential HO Pokémon such as Darkrai and Scarf Zekrom, which can give you a huge edge versus this archetype.
- Functions best when the opponent's priority users are gone or crippled by status such as a burn. Eliminating checks such as Zekrom and Landorus-Therian is also key to ensuring a successful sweep.
- Has the tendency to use U-turn a lot versus bulkier or more defensive teams when the sun isn't shining.
Team Options
=======
- Groudon is probably Victini's best teammate, for numerous reasons. It checks Victini checks such as Zekrom while getting chip damage on others such as Giratina-Origin, provides sunlight to boost V-Create to unhealthy levels of power, and eliminates other weather (especially rain), which can really put a damper on Victini's performance if not kept in check.
- Cloyster and Forretress make good teammates since they can both set and remove hazards to help Victini. Rapid Spin is very underrated in this metagame, and the successful use of the move is actually a realistic thing to hope for now that Giratina and Arceus-Ghost have declined in usage.
- Other Trick Room Pokémon such as Trick Room Palkia and Bronzong can be used alongside Victini if a full-on Trick Room team is desirable. Palkia is especially nice for switching in on things like Kyogre, which can threaten Victini.
- Support Arceus makes a decent teammate as it can Defog for Victini. Pairing Victini with something such as Arceus-Water can be especially helpful to manage Palkia and Kyogre.
- Ferrothorn and Skarmory make good teammates as they can set Spikes for Victini while greatly annoying the priority Pokémon that trouble it. Additionally, they frustrate bulkier team archetypes, while Skarmory can potentially Defog for it.
- Trappers such as Mega-Gengar and Gothitelle can benefit Victini by removing opposing Support Arceus or turning them into liabilities for the opposition. Just be sure not to stack too many Yveltal weaknesses.
- Bulky Ground Types in general can be nice teammates, things like Landorus-Therian and Gliscor can set Stealth Rock for it while being annoying as ever.
- Zekrom is a good partner, as it forms a decent Voltturn core with Victini while Fire / Electric / Dragon coverage is possibly one of the most dangerous things in übers. Tailwind or Mixed Zekrom can also lure out things like Landorus-Therian, only to hit them hard with a surprise Draco Meteor and pave the way for a Victini sweep later in the match.
Choice Scarf (This is probably the part of the analysis that's most WIP, I know it's viable but haven't experimented enough with it to know exactly what works).
#######
set name: Vendetta (Uber Choice Scarf)
move 1: Final Gambit
move 2: V-Create
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Bolt Strike
ability: Victory Star
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 168 HP / 164 Atk / 176 Spd
nature: Jolly
moves
=======
- Final Gambit is essentially a free 383 damage to throw around, albeit at the cost of Victini's own life. With the decline of Giratina forms and Arceus-Ghost's popularity, I think this is seriously viable. You OHKO (or come stupidly close to OHKOing) most of the übers tier with it.
- V-Create still hits as hard as it needs to--even without maximum investment, Victini has a 90% chance to 2HKO 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Groudon after Stealth Rock. Victini's above-average speed tier means that it can often find the time to use the move twice before switching out.
- U-turn is vital for scouting things such as a potential Arceus-Ghost switchin. It can also get momentum on Pokémon such as Xerneas.
- Bolt Strike is just filler, you'll never really use it since 9/10 times Victini will just want to Final Gambit a Kyogre or Arceus-Water.
Set details
=======
- The EVs might seem complex, but they hit three important benchmarks. 168 HP is enough to always OHKO 252 HP Landorus-Therian with Final Gambit when at full HP while providing an odd HP stat, meaning Victini can switch into Stealth Rock one more time. 176 Speed with a Jolly Nature outpaces Timid Choice Scarf Kyogre and everything slower. The remaining EVs were dumped into Attack, giving Victini just enough investment to have a high chance of 2HKOing Max Defense / Max HP Impish Groudon after Stealth Rock.
- Choice Scarf is used more to provide a fast Final Gambit than anything else. This isn't necessarily supposed to be used as a revenge killer, but Victini can be utilized this way.
Usage Tips
=======
- It's generally best to use this set as early as possible to prevent Victini from getting worn down by Stealth Rock or any other troublesome hazard; this can make a good lead, and is phenomenal for paving the way to sweep with another thing due to the damage Final Gambit can deal to the "glue Pokémon" of a team like Groudon or Zekrom.
- This is a lure first and a Revenge Killer second; while Scarf Victini can be used as a dedicated check to some setup sweepers, it really shouldn't be. Think of it more as an "emergency button" Pokémon that can go one-for-one versus something that would normally pose a significant threat to your team.
- Running another Choice Scarf user alongside this set is totally viable due to the fact that Victini doesn't function like a Revenge Killer in the usual sense and probably won't be alive in the endgame when Revenge Killing a sweeper could be really important.
- Always try to scout for Arceus-Ghost; it's uncommon, but it is the death of this set due to its Final Gambit immunity. Other Ghost Type switchins are easy to predict and U-turn out of, but it can take a dedicated player to correctly guess the opponent's Arceus form in the team preview and play accordingly.
Team Options
=======
- Dark types are generally this Victini's best teammates. Darkrai, Yveltal, and Arceus-Dark easily threaten the Ghost Types Choice Scarf Victini can bait, and can be absolutely devastating when given momentum from a U-turn.
- U-turn Yveltal, Choice Scarf Victini, and Mega-Gengar form a very lethal trapping core together.
- Choice Scarf Zekrom can be a great teammate since Victini tends to bait Ground Type Pokémon that can hinder Zekrom's performance, only to utterly maul them with a surprise Final Gambit.
- Setup sweepers that are bothered by Groudon, Hippowdon, and Landorus-Therian tend to appreciate this Victini. Blaziken, Extremekiller Arceus, and especially your own Rock Polish Groudon all appreciate the luring capabilities of this set.
- Cloyster is again a good Pokémon to use alongside this set, to prevent the Stealth Rock that Victini loathes while luring out Arceus-Ghost and massively damaging it with a +2 Icicle Spear.
- Ho-Oh makes a good teammate for this Victini, as it appreciates the removal of things such as Zekrom, Scarf Kyogre, and bulky Ground-type Pokémon while checking Xerneas, something this Victini can't do.
Choice Band
#######
set name: The Adorable Nuke (Uber Choice Band)
move 1: V-Create
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Bolt Strike
move 4: Brick Break / Final Gambit
ability: Victory Star
item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd or 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
nature: Adamant / Jolly
moves
=======
- V-Create is very strong. In sunlight with an Adamant Nature, it has a high chance to 2HKO 4 HP Palkia, which 4x resists the attack while having decent physical bulk. I can't emphasize enough how unfairly powerful this move is; you don't want to know how many times over it KOs Abomasnow.
- U-turn gets chip damage on potential switchins, which is really beneficial for pushing Pokémon into the KO/2HKO range of your moves. Impish Max HP / Max Defense Groudon is a good example of this; it can stomach an Adamant U-turn only to get cleanly KO'd by V-Create the next time it switches in. The move is also quite nice for scouting potential switchins such as Arceus-Water.
- Bolt Strike rarely sees use-- it cleanly OHKOs 252 HP Ho-Oh and 252 HP Kyogre with an Adamant Nature, but it takes fine prediction to scout these switchins, and staying in one-on-one versus Kyogre is suicide unless you know it isn't the Choice Scarf variant.
- Brick Break is generally just filler; even a super-effective Brick Break hits for far less damage than a weatherless, neutral V-Create, so it doesn't see much use. It hurts Tyranitar and Heatran, neither of which are especially common. Generally, Choice Band Victini wants to be spamming V-Create since it deals more damage than Final Gambit, but it's an option for when you sense Victini won't be the most useful Pokémon in a match and want to deal some serious damage. Be warned that the gratuitous usage of this move while Xerneas is still around can spell your doom if you lack another check to the cosmic deer.
Set details
=======
- An Adamant Nature is typically better than a Jolly Nature-- you can miss out on several clean KOs without a +Attack nature, but Jolly gives Victini insurance versus
+Spe base 100s and slower. Essentially, it gets the jump on Timid Kyogre, Jolly Groudon, Jolly Landorus-Therian, Jolly Ho-Oh, Timid Dialga, Timid Xerneas, slower Lugia, and +Spe Yveltal (this last one is risky due to how often it carries Sucker Punch).
- The first EV spread is more desirable for staying in versus Pokémon such as offensive Groudon, which outspeeds the bulky Choice Band spread if it runs enough investment. However, the bulky Choice Band spread provides a stronger check to Mewtwo and Geomancy Xerneas.
- Don't run Jolly on the bulky Choice Band spread.
Usage Tips
=======
- Don't be afraid to spam V-Create, it is one of the hardest-hitting attacks in Pokémon and 2HKOs even strong resists. The other moves on this set pale in importance to V-Create.
- Be wary of using U-turn with multiple hazards up. Victini really likes having enough longevity to use V-Create as much as possible.
- This set is good on its own but nigh on unstoppable with the proper prediction. All it can take is one smart Bolt Strike to turn a would-be check into mere death fodder, and lack of experience dealing with Choice Band Victini can spell doom for many opponents.
Team Options
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- Please use this alongside Groudon. Sunlight makes a massive difference in securing O/2HKOs, and Victini easily overwhelms Groudon checks such as Landorus-Therian.
-Cloyster, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn are nice for setting hazards and providing strong switchins to things that threaten a -1/-1/-1 Victini (I.e. most of the metagame). Skarmory and Cloyster also remove the opposition's hazards, which is nice.
- Aside from sun support and hazard control, this thing is pretty self-sufficient. Teambuilding around it is generally more about what you want it to remove for you than what you want to support it with. Like the Choice Scarf set, this is dangerous alongside powerful physical Pokémon like Zekrom, Ho-Oh, Extremekiller Arceus, and Blaziken which benefit from the luring and removal of Pokémon such as Giratina-Origin, which is cleanly 2HKO'd by V-Create in sunlight.
Other Options
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- Taunt is generally a good move in übers, but Victini generally wants to spend its time attacking and forces out or severely dents things that Taunt would affect anyway.
- Victini has a nice special movepool with attacks such as Grass Knot and Focus Blast, but these moves are generally weak by übers standards and a full-on special attacking set defeats the purpose of Victini.
- Glaciate hits Landorus-Therian, Rayquaza, and Gliscor, and the speed drop can be nice for a few switchins such as Scarf Zekrom.
- Toxic and Thunder Wave can bother things like Support Arceus on the switchin.
- Zen Headbutt is an option on the Choice Band set, but it doesn't really hit anything outsidie of Blaziken or the rare Terrakion.
Checks and Counters
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Note that Victini becomes tremendously easy to check at a -1/-1/-1 state, unless it is under Trick Room.
**Heatran**- Is immune to your strongest STAB and takes nothing from Bolt Strike.
**Giratina forms** -Probably the second-best dedicated counters to Victini, they take nothing from all of its moves barring sunny V-Create, which Giratina-A is still able to shrug off rather easily.
**Support or Bulky Calm Mind Arceus** -Things like Arceus-Rock, Water, and Ghost threaten Victini with their Judgments while V-Create only scratches them. Arceus-Ghost is also immune to Final Gambit.
**Defensive Yveltal** -Scares Victini out with the threat of a Sucker Punch and can stomach a V-Create from anything barring Choice Band Sunny Victini.
**Lugia** -Effectively walls Victini with its Multiscale still intact, but must be wary of fast Choice Band Bolt Strikes.
**Dragon types** -Things such as Zekrom, Rayquaza, and Palkia are able to take a few V-Creates outside of sunlight while threatening to KO Victini with their strong attacks. They will fall to repeated use of the attack, however.
**Mega-Gengar** -Threatens slower Victini with Shadow Ball which KOs after just a bit of prior damage, but absolutely hates its Choice Scarf set.
**Kyogre** -Particularly Physically Defensive variants remove Victini's precious sunlight while not taking much from V-Create. However, it must be quite wary of Bolt Strike, especially from Choice Band Victini.
**Physically Defensive Ho-Oh** -This is an iffy check to Victini since it can't switch in on Bolt Strike, but it can force Victini out if it manages to come in on V-Create.
**Priority** -Threatens Victini particularly after it has used V-Create. Things like Sucker Punch Yveltal and Mega-Kangaskhan are troublesome, especially for the Trick Room set. Extreme Killer Arceus and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground are also problematic, especially if they manage to set up a Swords Dance for free on a fleeing Victini.
It took me many hours to type this on a phone so PLEASE LOVE IT.
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