[OVERVIEW]
Volcarona stands out as a powerful special attacker in a format dominated by physical attackers, boasting a unique offensive typing that lets it threaten a wide variety of threats, such as Cresselia, Aegislash, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, Hydreigon, and Slowbro, with its STAB moves. Volcarona's naturally high Special Attack and Speed along with access to Quiver Dance make it an effective sweeper that is made more dangerous with the fact that most walls are physically defensive rather than specially defensive. Flame Body lets Volcarona punish physical attackers that manage to take it down using contact moves, potentially crippling a foe trying to hit its weaker Defense stat. However, this frailty makes it difficult for Volcarona to find setup opportunities against physical attackers, and weaknesses to common types such as Rock, Flying, and Water limit the number of Pokemon that Volcarona can set up on and allow it to be more easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Volcarona's Bug / Fire typing leaves it walled by many top threats such as Mega Salamence, Talonflame, Blaziken, Heatran, and Azumarill, forcing it to pick what it can and can't beat with its coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Bug Buzz / Giga Drain
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Ground / Giga Drain
item: Lum Berry / Focus Sash
ability: Flame Body
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance lets Volcarona function as an effective setup sweeper thanks to its solid base 100 Speed and naturally high Special Attack. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and has great neutral coverage, which is important to guarantee the OHKO against threats such as Landorus-T and Thundurus after a boost. Flamethrower gives up some of Fire Blast's power for accuracy, notably missing out on the guaranteed OHKO against Landorus-T after a Quiver Dance boost. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB move and lets it hit the Dragon-, Water-, and Rock-types that resist Fire-type moves. Notably, this is Volcarona's best move for hitting Cresselia, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar. Giga Drain is an alternative if Bug-type coverage isn't necessary, hitting Water-types such as Rotom-W and Suicune harder than Bug Buzz while preventing Azumarill from walling Volcarona and getting a free Belly Drum against it. The recovery it offers is also useful for keeping Volcarona healthy while it sweeps. However, running both Bug Buzz and Giga Drain is viable as well. Hidden Power Ice is preferred in the last slot to hit Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T, which notably allows Volcarona to more comfortably opt for Flamethrower, since it no longer needs Fire Blast to OHKO the last. Hidden Power Ground is an alternative that hits Fire-types that would otherwise wall Volcarona, such as Heatran, Blaziken, and Entei, though Volcarona needs multiple boosts in order to OHKO the latter two.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Volcarona's damage output while ensuring that it's as fast as possible, outspeeding Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T after one Quiver Dance boost. While it doesn't come into play often, the leftover EVs are placed in HP to give Volcarona an odd HP number, which allows it to switch into Stealth Rock twice. If you run Hidden Power Ground, 4 Special Attack EVs should be moved to Defense so that no EVs are wasted. A Modest nature is preferred to boost Volcarona's power further, since Quiver Dance boosts are enough to let it afford the Speed drop and the Speed boost from Timid isn't as useful. This also lets Volcarona OHKO Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice on the switch without needing to boost. Modest is also preferred if you're running Flamethrower over Fire Blast. Timid is typically inferior to Modest but lets Volcarona Speed tie with Mega Kangaskhan before boosting as well as outspeed Jolly Choice Scarf Excadrill and the occasional Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T after boosts.
Lum Berry is the preferred item to prevent Toxic and Thunder Wave users such as Cresselia and Thundurus from cutting Volcarona's sweep short; this also lets it function as an effective Klefki check. Focus Sash is an alternative that gives Volcarona a chance to set up against otherwise unsafe foes such as Hydreigon and offensive Zapdos if there's no risk of a priority user finishing it off later, and it also functions as a safety net against threats such as Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Jolly Choice Scarf Garchomp. Flame Body allows Volcarona to punish physical attackers that make contact with it, potentially crippling a dangerous threat such as Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Salamence as it goes down, which can give its teammates an easier time cleaning afterwards.
Usage Tips
========
Volcarona's goal is to sweep, so it'll usually be brought in after a teammate has been KOed or switched into something that can't hurt it much, such as Ferrothorn or Cresselia. If Volcarona tries to set up early, be sure that it has partners such as Choice Scarf Garchomp that can clean up in case Volcarona can't finish the job. Likewise, avoid setting up early if Volcarona is needed to beat a specific threat such as Cresselia, since it's typically used for the unique coverage that its Bug / Fire typing offers. Lum Berry makes it easier for Volcarona to set up against Pokemon that can only threaten it with status, so don't hesitate to set up against foes that can't do much immediate damage such as Porygon2 and Serperior.
Volcarona has very troubling matchups depending on its coverage move, but generally it should avoid setting up if the opponent has a Fire-type, since it can't hit most of them without Hidden Power Ground. Fire Blast is the move Volcarona should be using most of the time due to its huge power even without boosts; if you're running Flamethrower instead, this is still the preferred STAB move due to the superior coverage over its other moves. Bug Buzz should generally only be used against weakened foes and Pokemon that are weak to Bug or resist Fire such as Hydreigon, Suicune, and Tyranitar. Otherwise, it shouldn't be used unless missing Fire Blast is a big risk; even if Bug Buzz doesn't KO, the guaranteed damage can be more important, especially if a partner can pick off the foe afterwards.
Team Options
========
Mega Salamence creates an aggressive setup sweeper pair with Volcarona that boasts great defensive synergy, beating most Fire-types and Belly Drum Azumarill for Volcarona while appreciating Volcarona's ability to switch into Ice Beam and Fairy-types. Intimidate from Salamence before it Mega Evolves also helps Volcarona against physical attackers. Mega Kangaskhan appreciates Volcarona's ability to beat Steel-types such as Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn as well as Cresselia and the occasional Mega Sableye, while Mega Kangaskhan breaks down walls to let Volcarona sweep more easily. Volcarona also appreciates partners that can remove special walls like Chansey, so Mega Gengar makes for an effective partner by trapping and beating these walls. Cresselia can switch into most physical attackers that threaten Volcarona, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Blaziken, while notably dealing with Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence if Volcarona lacks Hidden Power Ice. Cresselia also has Lunar Dance, which can give Volcarona a second chance to sweep.
Stealth Rock gives Volcarona an easier time sweeping, giving it a greater chance to OHKO threats such as Aegislash in Shield forme before boosts, as well as Mega Kangaskhan, Zapdos, and bulkier Thundurus at +1. Stealth Rock also cripples Talonflame, which completely stops Volcarona. Garchomp, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine are all effective partners that can offer this support while being able to check Talonflame and other Fire-types to varying degrees. Hippowdon in particular can put foes to sleep or force them out with Yawn, which can help Volcarona set up. Grass-types such as Ferrothorn, Serperior, and Breloom deal with Water-types that give Volcarona trouble if it lacks Giga Drain. Ferrothorn in particular offers Stealth Rock support and a sturdy Rock-type switch-in for Volcarona. However, all of these are threatened by Fire-types, which Volcarona struggles against as well. Water-types such as Rotom-W, Greninja, Azumarill, Suicune, Cloyster, and Gyarados can take on the Fire- and Rock-types that threaten Volcarona. Volcarona can deal with any Grass-type for them, and Rotom-W in particular serves as an effective Talonflame check. Cloyster also pairs well as a setup sweeper alongside Volcarona, overwhelming slower teams. Electric-types such as Thundurus, Raikou, and Rocky Helmet Zapdos are also capable of checking Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence for Volcarona.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swarm pairs well with Focus Sash to boost Bug Buzz's power after taking an otherwise lethal hit, which provides a more powerful and accurate alternative to Fire Blast when in Swarm range. Notably, a +1 Swarm-boosted Bug Buzz will almost always OHKO standard Mega Kangaskhan, while Sucker Punch from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan will usually put Volcarona into Swarm range. Hidden Power Rock hits Talonflame on the switch and prevents Mega Charizard Y from walling Volcarona, though it has no real advantages otherwise and requires Focus Sash to beat Talonflame reliably. Psychic can be used to hit Blaziken, though it needs boosts to reliably OHKO Mega Blaziken and doesn't hit much beyond that. Substitute can punish switch-ins and create extra turns for Volcarona to set up, though this means Volcarona is easier to wall because it gives up coverage.
Volcarona can run a Choice Scarf set with Fiery Dance, which allows it to function as a dedicated revenge killer and late-game cleaner thanks to Volcarona's high Special Attack and solid base 100 Speed for a Choice Scarf user. Fiery Dance can also be used on a Quiver Dance set for the chance to accumulate boosts while sweeping, though the fact that it has lower power than Flamethrower can be problematic. Overheat can be used as a last-resort attack alongside Fire Blast or Flamethrower and fits well on a Choice Scarf set, securing OHKOs on Mega Gengar, Thundurus, and Aegislash. Life Orb can give Volcarona a noticeable power boost if you're running a Timid nature or if Lum Berry's buffer against status isn't desired, though Volcarona hits very hard without the boost anyway. Roost is also an option on a Life Orb set and provides longevity; it also opens up the possibility of a bulky physically defensive Volcarona with a Bold nature, though as a sweeper with common weaknesses, it isn't easy to find opportunities to make use of a bulky Volcarona.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical Attackers**: Volcarona is physically frail, so strong physical attacks from the likes of Garchomp, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Salamence will easily KO it. However, Flame Body risks crippling many physical attackers, so even if Volcarona faints, the burn can be more detrimental for the foe than Volcarona itself going down.
**Priority Moves**: Volcarona's poor physical bulk makes it susceptible to being revenged killed by priority moves from physical attackers such as Talonflame, Mega Mawile, Mega Kangaskhan, Dragonite, and Azumarill. Talonflame in particular resists both of Volcarona's STAB moves and can easily OHKO it with Gale Wings Brave Bird while being immune to burns due to its typing. Most other priority users must be aware of the risk of Flame Body, and others like Mega Mawile also risk being KOed in return if Volcarona is healthy.
**Rock-type Moves**: Many Pokemon carry Rock-type coverage for Talonflame, so otherwise non-threatening Pokemon such as Breloom and Heracross are risky for Volcarona to switch into. Landorus-T, Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Hippowdon all usually carry Rock-type moves as well, so they can threaten Volcarona and prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is another huge issue, since Volcarona loses half of its HP when switching into it, making it far more difficult for Volcarona to set up. Common Rock-type moves also don't make contact, so foes don't even fear Flame Body burns punishing them.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona's STAB combination is resisted by Fire-types, which can't be burned by Flame Body either, and none of its common coverage moves help against them except in specific cases. Blaziken, Heatran, Entei, Mega Charizard Y, and Rotom-H all wall Volcarona and threaten it due to Volcarona lacking a Fire resistance itself. However, Blaziken and Heatran must be wary of the occasional Psychic or Hidden Power Ground, respectively.
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Gyarados and Suicune don't mind Fire Blast while threatening to KO Volcarona with their respective Water-type moves; the former resists Bug Buzz as well, though it must be wary of getting burned by Flame Body. Other Water-types such as Rotom-W and Greninja also threaten Volcarona, though if Volcarona manages to get enough boosts, then it doesn't mind them as much and can threaten them with Bug Buzz or Giga Drain.
**Dragon-types**: Volcarona can't touch most Dragon-types if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, so Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and Mega Charizard X can comfortably set up on or outright KO it due to its low Defense. Mega Charizard X in particular resists all of Volcarona's moves aside from Hidden Power Ground, and it can avoid Mega Evolving to maintain an immunity to Ground while also being immune to burns from Flame Body.
**Chansey**: Volcarona struggles against Chansey due to its monstrous Special Defense. Even with a Lum Berry, Chansey can continue to use Toxic against Volcarona and stall it out with Soft-Boiled. However, using Seismic Toss can result in Chansey being burned, which can wear it down enough for a partner to finish it off, so being too careless against Volcarona can put Chansey in a tough spot.
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