Quality Control SS Venusaur (QC 1/2)

Nick

is a Tiering Contributor
[SET]
SubSeed (Venusaur) @ Wide Lens
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Sludge Bomb


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=============
Venusaur uses the combination of Sleep Powder and Substitute to survive attacks from slower Pokemon and set up a Leech Seed to slowly chip at them. Sludge Bomb is used to beat Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Whimsicott, which can't be hit with Leech Seed. Wide Lens helps Sleep Powder and Leech Seed hit more frequently, which overall gives Venusaur more consistent odds of winning. Chlorophyll lets Venusaur beat Drought Ninetales.
EVs
=============
Maximum Speed with a Timid Nature allows Venusaur to outspeed Pokemon below base 80 Speed. Maximum Defense helps to get the best rolls against Choice Band Garchomp.
Usage Tips
=============
Against slower Pokemon, Venusaur should first use Sleep Powder, then get up a Substitute, repeat if the foe wakes up and otherwise use Leech Seed. Once the foe is affected by Leech Seed, Venusaur should repeatedly use Substitute to stall out turns, using Sleep Powder only when too low on health for another Substitute and using Sludge Bomb when this would KO the foe. Against faster threats like Urshifu-Single-Strike and Regieleki first use Sleep Powder, then repeatedly use Sludge Bomb, keeping in mind that this relies on multiple sleep turns. As Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko's terrains prevent them from being affected by Sleep Powder, simply use Sludge Bomb because Taunt is common on those Pokemon.
[SET]
Custap (Venusaur) @ Custap Berry
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 68 HP / 92 Def / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Frenzy Plant
- Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake / Earth Power / Sleep Powder
- Endure

[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=============
Venusaur uses a Custap Berry to defeat foes that would typically OHKO it. This allows it to beat Pokemon such as Porygon-Z, Darmanitan-Galar, and Choice Scarf Volcanion that would beat Substitute Venusaur. Frenzy Plant is the best choice for a grass attack due to its whopping 150 base power which gets a 1.5x boost from STAB, and another 1.5x boost from Overgrow, if Venusaur has less than 1/3 of its health left. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's most powerful Poison type move, which is extremely useful as 1v1 is dominated by fairy types such as Sylveon, Tapu Bulu, Aromatisse, and more. Earthquake can be used to safely beat Magnezone and Nihilego, while Earth Power can be run to beat Choice Scarf Heatran, with the downside being a worse matchup into Mirror Coat Magnezone and Nihilego. Sleep Powder gives Venusaur a chance to win a few matchups such as Assault Vest Urshifu-S, Non-Lum Berry Crustle, and Non-Choice Band Haxorus, though this is unreliable due to inconsistency with sleep turns. Endure allows Venusaur to both get into Overgrow range against foes that would OHKO it, and move first the next turn because its health is low enough to trigger Custap Berry.
EVs
=============
Modest Nature and Max Special Attack are used to maximize the damage output from Venusaur which matters against Tapu Koko, Specially Defensive Aromatisse, Life Orb Urshifu-S, and more. Its speed allows it to outspeed Modest Magnezone. The HP EVs ensure that Venusaur always survives a Modest Choice Specs Hyper Beam from Magnezone. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense to give the best odds against physical attackers like Dracozolt, Life Orb Urshifu-S, or Stall Avalugg. If you aren’t running Earthquake or Earth Power, moving the 68 EVs from HP to Defense helps with the physical attackers mentioned above.
Usage Tips
=============
Against Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Volcanion, and Galarian Darmanitan that threaten to KO Venusaur, use Endure to survive their moves and KO with Overgrow Frenzy Plant on the following turn. On the other hand, use Sludge Bomb turn 1 against targets like Zeraora and Zarude, then Endure when their next attack will KO. Against Aromatisse, make sure you first click Sludge Bomb and then click Frenzy Plant so you don't get locked into struggle.


[CREDITS]
Written by: Nick
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nick.558869/

Quality checked by:
[insert user link]

Grammar checked by:
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Last edited:
Quirky Cabbage

Green add red remove blue comment

[SET]
SubSeed (Venusaur) @ Wide Lens / Black Sludge
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- Sludge Bomb


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=============
Venusaur uses the combination of Sleep Powder and Substitute to safely nullify survive (Substitute does not 'nullify' attacks per se) attacks from slower Pokemon and set up a Leech Seed to slowly chip at them. Sludge Bomb is used to beat Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Whimsicott, which can't be hit with Leech Seed. Wide Lens helps Sleep Powder and Leech Seed hit more frequently, which overall gives Venusaur more consistent odds of winning. Black Sludge is used as an alternative item for recovery in addition to Leech Seed. (Mention specific matchups where Black Sludge helps, Magnezone iirc is an example) Chlorophyll is more useful than Overgrow as it helps against lets Venusaur beat Drought Ninetales.

EVs
=============
Max speed Maximum Speed with a Timid Nature allows Venusaur to outspeed Pokemon below base 80 Speed. Max defense Maximum Defense helps to get the best rolls against Choice Band Garchomp. Only 4 EV's are invested into HP, this maximizes the amount of Leech Seed recovery towards Venusaur. (Unnecessary to explain when 504 EVs are already accounted for and a little confusing.)

Usage Tips
=============
Against most (weasel word, if there are unintuitive exceptions, list them explicitly) slower Pokemon, Venusaur should aim to first use Sleep Powder, then get up a Substitute, repeat if the foe wakes up and finally otherwise use Leech Seed last. Once the foe is affected by Leech Seed, Venusaur should repeatedly use Substitute to stall out turns, using Sleep Powder only when too low on health for another Substitute and using Sludge Bomb when this would KO the foe. (This is the sort of general gameplan that really needs to be in here, as opposed to ambiguous references to using moves in a particular order) By using Substitute before Leech Seed, Venusaur can avoid damage from Pokemon like Celesteela and Non Choice Scarf Metagross. The exceptions are Against faster threats like Urshifu-Single-Strike and Regieleki where you would aim to first use Sleep Powder, then repeatedly use Sludge Bomb, keeping in mind that this relies on multiple sleep turns. As Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko's abilities terrains allow them to not be prevent them from being affected by Sleep Powder, you should just simply attack them with use Sludge Bomb and Leech Seed against those Pokemon (Bit weird to refer to Leech Seed as an attack, also note that these mons commonly run taunt or in fini's case even trick and that t1 sludge is safest).

[SET]
Custap (Venusaur) @ Custap Berry
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 68 HP / 92 Def / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
- Frenzy Plant
- Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake / Earth Power / Sleep Powder
- Endure

[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=============
Venusaur uses a Custap Berry to defeat foes which will that would ('Would' is typically used for events that have been prevented) typically OHKO it. It's most effective against Pokemon which run Choice items, This allows it to beat Pokemon such as Porygon-Z, Darmanitan-Galar, and Choice Scarf Volcanion that would beat Substitute Venusaur. (Explicitly outlining how the secondary set is different from the main set is never bad) Frenzy Plant is the best choice for a grass attack due to its whopping 150 base power damage which gets a 1.5x boost from STAB, and another 1.5x boost from Overgrow, if it Venusaur has less than 1/3 of its health left. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's its most powerful Poison type move, which is extremely useful in a fairy type dominated tier (Give some examples, sylveon, aroma, etc). Earthquake can be used to safely beat Magnezone and Nihilego, while Earth Power can be ran to beat Choice Scarf Heatran, with the downside being a worse matchup into Mirror Coat Magnezone and Nihilego . If you have enough luck with accuracy and sleep turns, (Needn't be stated, at best add 'though this is unreliable' at the end) Sleep Powder can cheese gives Venusaur a chance to win a few matchups such as against Assault Vest Urshifu-Single-Strike, Non-Lum Berry Crustle, and Non-Choice Band Haxorus. Although it is definitely the least appealing choice for a move. Endure is a staple slot among Custap Berry Pokemon, it will allows Venusaur to both get into Overgrow range against foes that will would OHKO it, and give it priority move first (Custap berry does not grant priority - it allows the wielder to move first in its priority bracket. Let's not muddle the distinction) the next turn because its health is low enough to trigger Custap Berry.

EVs
=============
Modest Nature and Max Special Attack are used to maximize the damage output from Venusaur (Which matters versus Koko, Specially defensive aromatisse, LO shifu, etc). Its speed allows it to outspeed Modest Magnezone. The HP EVs ensure that Venusaur always survives a Modest Choice Specs Hyper Beam from Magnezone. (If this is the case, provide an alternate EV spread for Sleep Powder sets, as the Magnezone benchmark makes no sense for them) The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense to give the best odds against physical attackers like Dracozolt, Life Orb Urshifu-Single-Strike, or Stall Avalugg.

Usage Tips
=============
Many matchups will be 50-50s, against Porygon-Z you should endure if you think they'll click Hyper Beam/Uproar, if you believe they'll click either a setup move or attacking move that won't OHKO you, then you'll want to use Sludge Bomb. Same goes for Darmanitan-Galar, you have to decide whether you believe they'll opt to OHKO you, or if they'll use a different move, predicting your endure. Against Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Volcanion, and Galarian Darmanitan that threaten to KO Venusaur, use Endure to survive their moves and KO with Overgrow Frenzy Plant on the following turn. On the other hand, use Sludge Bomb turn 1 against targets like Zeraora and Zarude, then Endure when their next attack will KO. (Not a fan of the whole wording on this, unfortunately. I think that with subseed/custap venu being somewhat set ambiguous, it is fine to just assume Pokemon like PZ/Gdarm will attack and I don't think you have to explain the general mindgames custap creates. 'Decide whether you believe' is the sort of phrse to avoid, try to write a little more confident and condensed) Against Aromatisse, make sure you first click Sludge Bomb and then click Frenzy Plant so you don't get locked into struggle.


[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nick.558869/

Quality checked by:
[insert user link]

Grammar checked by:
[insert user link]

Implement and tag me, I'd like to have a second look at this.
 
Looks great, qc 1/2.
(for future QCs: we talked about it and decided that black sludge didn't have much of a niche over wide lens, both are just attempts to minimize rng but wide lens does it better)
QCgif2.gif
 
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