S-Rank Victreebel (QC 0/3)

[UberSkitty]

dropped on discord -mz

[OVERVIEW]

• Victreebel is a great wallbreaker with its decent Special Attack, average Speed, and solid offensive typing, but a majority of its viability comes from its access to Strength Sap.
• On top of giving Victreebel a source of recovery, Strenght Sap also allows it to face various physical attackers one-on-one, such as Stoutland, Skuntank, and Kangaskhan. Furthermore, Victreebel's typing allows it to defensively check Fighting-, Grass- and Water-types such as Gurdurr, Tangela, and defensive Lanturn.
• Victreebel is also able to offensively check Pokemon with a weakness or low special defense like Choice Specs Aurorus, Carracosta, and Aggron.
• This leads to Victreebel having few reliable defensive checks, with exceptions being Pokemon such as Oricorio-Sensu and special Skuntank.
• Victreebel's main weakness is to faster threats such as Dodrio, Simisear, and Alolan Raichu.

[SET]
name: Strength Sap
move 1: Strength Sap
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Grassium Z / Rocky Helmet
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Strength Sap allows Victreebel to check physical attackers while giving it a source of recovery.
• Hidden Power Fire gives Victreebel a way to hit Pokemon like Ferroseed and Alolan Sandslash.

Set Details
========

• Timid nature is run for Victreebel to outspeed Pokemon such as Stoutland and Ludicolo. It can also run Modest nature for more immediate power.
• Grassium Z is the go-to item on Victreebel, as it allows Victreebel to nuke Pokemon such as Eelektross without Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop.
• If your Z-move slot is taken, Rocky Helmet is a decent option to wear foes like Kangaskhan and Primeape down.

Usage Tips
========

• Victreebel should switch into resisted attacks from Pokemon like Gurdurr, Tangela, and defensive Lanturn and support moves like Hitmonchan's Toxic and Ferroseed's Leech Seed. It is able to defeat all of these Pokemon using its coverage or Strength Sap. However, when switching in, watch out for moves such as Tangela's Hidden Power Fire and Lanturn's Ice Beam.
• Another Pokemon to watch out for is Primeape, who is able to switch into Strength Sap and get a boost thanks to Defiant. Otherwise, Strength Sap is a safe way to keep Victreebel healthy throughout the match and allows it to defeat powerful physical wallbreakers such as Aggron and Kangaskhan one-on-one.
• Its Z-move can be saved to defeat Pokemon that it does not wish to take damage from such as Eelektross and Swords Dance Torterra. It can also be used as a replacement for Leaf Storm if you do not want the Special Attack drop or fear a miss. This is best to use late-game when threats such as Oricorio-G and Altaria have been taken out.

Team Options
========

• Since Flying-types are a large problem for Victreebel, Rock-types such as Lyanroc, Regirock, and Arurous make for good teammates. Ice-types like Alolan Sandslash and Jynx can also help in this matter.
• Regirock and Alolan Sandslash can also set up Stealth Rock, and other hazard setters like Qwilfish can help wear down foes for Victreebel.
• Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Jynx and Haunter are offensive threats for Victreebel, so Pursuit trappers like Skuntank and Absol can be helpful.
• Slow pivots such as Eelektross and Lanturn can safely get Victreebel into ideal matchups which it can use to gain momentum or heal off damage. Lanturn also helps against Fire-types like Simisear and Combusken. Other Water-ypes like Jellicent and Floatzel also defeat Fire-types.
• Physical wallbreakers like Stoutland and Aggron pair well with Victreebel's special wallbreaking, with Victreebel taking down their threats like Regirock and Mudsdale.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• A Swords Dance set with Leaf Blade, Poison Jab, and Strength Sap or Knock Off can make for a good stallbreaker, but is otherwise outclassed by its special set. Sucker Punch can also be used in the last slot, but is generally less useful than the other two options.
• Hidden Power Ice, Hidden Power Ground, and Hidden Power FIghting can hit Pokemon like Altaria and Aggron harder, but Vicreebel prefers being able to hit Pokemon like Ferroseed and Metang harder.
• Victreebel can be used as a Sun sweeper with Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Weather Ball, and Sunny Day, but Sun in general is not a great playstyle.
• A gimmicky set with Salac Berry or Petaya Berry alongside Belch can be used, but is generally hard to pull off.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flying-types**: Flying types such as Oricorio-G and Altaria can switch in on Victreebel and heal off any damage taken with Roost. Others such as Dodrio and Oricorio-E aren't reliable switch-ins but outspeed and OHKO Victreebel.

**Ice-types**: Cryogonal is able to switch in on Victreebel while dealing a large amount of damage and being able to heal off with recover. Rotom-Frost, Choice Scarf Aurorus, and Choice Scarf Abomasnow can outspeed and OHKO Victreebel. Mixed Abomasnow can also take out a weakened Victreebel with Ice Shard. Pokemon with Ice-type coverage like Floatzel and non-defensive Lanturn can lure in Victreebel and pick up the 2HKO. Occa Berry Alolan Sandslash can also be used as a lure.

**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Simisear and +1 Speed Combusken outspeed and OHKO Victreebel. They are able to switch into most of its moves, but have to watch out for Sludge Bomb. Turtonator can take a hit and set up a Shell Smash.

**Psychic-types**: While not being good switch-ins to Victreebel, Psychic-types such as Alolan Raichu and Jynx can outspeed and OHKO it. Additionally, Calm Mind Musharna can use Victreebel as setup fodder.

**Drampa**: Drampa is immune to both Leaf Storm and Strength Sap and can take a Sludge Bomb. Because of this, it is able to OHKO in return with its Choice Specs set or set up with its Calm Mind set.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as special Skuntank and Haunter resist both of Victreebel's STAB moves and can pick up the 2HKO. Physical Skuntank can switch in on any move bar Strength Sap and take out a weakened Victreebel.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[UberSkitty, 355061]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]