Looks like GF officially acknowledges Venusaur as an amphibian and not a reptile :/
[OVERVIEW]
Venusaur boasts a good typing that grants it useful resistances to Water, Fairy, Grass, Fighting, and Electric, as well as an immunity to Toxic and powder moves plus the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes. It also has high Special Attack and powerful STAB moves in Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb that prove to be very troublesome to a large majority of slower Pokemon, giving it amazing wallbreaking potential. Venusaur's Speed tier lets it outspeed most other wallbreakers as well, such as Exploud, Emboar, Tyrantrum, and Samurott. All of these traits give Venusaur great offensive and defensive presence. If that weren't enough, Venusaur can also be a potent Chlorophyll sweeper, using its bulk to set up Growths and overwhelm foes with +2 Giga Drains. However, Venusaur has several common weaknesses in Fire, Psychic, Flying, and Ice, of which many users outspeed Venusaur. Despite that, Venusaur has relatively minor flaws when its stats, typing, and movepool complement it so well.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Synthesis
move 4: Sleep Powder / Knock Off
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow / Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Leaf Storm is Venusaur's nuking attack, doing substantial damage to all but the bulkiest of Pokemon that resist it, although it harshly drops Venusaur's Special Attack per use. Sludge Bomb is a reliable and safe to throw out STAB move, as well as having a chance to poison foes. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy, which is important to help Venusaur last against the numerous defensive Pokemon it threatens. Sleep Powder allows Venusaur to shut down an additional threat or prevent foes from exploiting Venusaur, especially after Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop. It can also stop Steel- and Poison-types that wall or check Venusaur, namely Bronzong, Registeel, Eviolite Magneton, Golbat, defensive Drapion, Weezing, and Garbodor, from doing what they want, as well as allowing teammates to take advantage of them. Knock Off removes items and softens up the the aforementioned Steel- and Poison-types to be KOed easier by teammates or Venusaur itself. Knock Off also OHKOes Hoopa and helps to ward off faster Psychic-types such as Delphox and Sigilyph from switching in.
Giga Drain gives Venusaur an additional Grass-type move that doesn't lower its Special Attack while also recovering some health. It is not strongly advised to use replace Leaf Storm with Giga Drain, though, as Venusaur's offensive potential would suffer greatly. Hidden Power Fire pretty much targets only Escavalier, as Knock Off or Leaf Storm is better or sufficient against every other notable Steel-type.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Venusaur's offensive prowess. A Timid nature lets Venusaur outrun the likes of positive-natured Tyrantrum, Hoopa, Magneton, Absol, and Smeargle, as well as the likes of neutral-natured Medicham, Gallade, Braviary, Hitmonlee, and opposing Venusaur. A Modest nature gives Venusaur even more power for efficient holepunching and consequently better odds of OHKOing Pokemon such as Aromatisse and Exploud, though this is usually less meaningful than the speed boost granted by a Timid nature. Life Orb grants Venusaur's attacks a substantial boost in power. Black Sludge can be used for longevity, although Venusaur's power drops noticeably. Overgrow is the most useful ability, as it can bolster Venusaur's power even further. Chlorophyll can be used as a safeguard against sun teams, as opposing Chlorophyll Venusaur's use of Hidden Power Fire renders it slower than Venusaur without it.
Usage Tips
========
Venusaur can switch into several defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola, Aromatisse, Hitmontop, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Seismitoad and even some stronger defensive Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Diancie. It can threaten a large majority of Pokemon slower than it, including the likes of Rhyperior, Slowking, defensive Flygon, Mega Steelix, Samurott, Abomasnow, and Exploud. Venusaur may also get attacking opportunities against certain faster offensive Pokemon, such as Virizion, Hitmonlee, Rotom-C, and Flygon. Once Venusaur is in a position to threaten a KO on a slower Pokemon, which isn't difficult, it can start punching holes in defensive cores, making it a terror against stall and balanced teams. Venusaur best fits on balance or offensive teams, which appreciate its wallbreaking prowess and defensive utility.
Team Options
========
A core of Venusaur, Mega Steelix, and a bulky Water-type, such as Alomomola, Slowking, or Jellicent, makes for an easy start to an effective balanced team combination. Venusaur doesn't have a terrific matchup against offensive teams, as its weaknesses are easily targeted, so Venusaur's partners should be suited to handle faster teams for it. Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, Aerodactyl, Sneasel, Fletchinder, and Unburden Hitmonlee are examples of Pokemon that pose an immense threat to offensive teams, and most defensive measures the opponent has for these Pokemon get preyed upon by Venusaur. Particularly, Fletchinder has Will-O-Wisp to make it easier for Venusaur to switch into Fletchinder's counters, whereas Sneasel can Pursuit trap Psychic-types, such as Bronzong, Meloetta, Sigilyph, and Delphox, that would threaten Venusaur. Pursuit support from the likes of Sneasel, Spiritomb, Houndoom, Drapion, and Absol can be useful for Venusaur in general, though this is slightly less important should Venusaur carry Knock Off.
Venusaur especially appreciates teammates that resist or can capitalize on its weaknesses. Most Stealth Rock users, such as Rhyperior, Seismitoad, Mega Steelix, Bronzong, Diancie, and Mega Camerupt, resist and can threaten most of Venusaur's checks, as well as set up Stealth Rock to make it easier for Venusaur to attain KOs. The aforementioned Tyrantrum and Aerodactyl are especially appealing offensive teammates due to their Fire and Flying resistances. The likes of Houndoom, Mega Steelix, Slowking, and Rhyperior can enter battle by switching into Venusaur's weaknesses.
[SET]
name: Chlorophyll Sweeper
move 1: Growth
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Sleep Powder / Hidden Power Fire / Solar Beam
item: Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Growth doubles Venusaur's Attack and Special Attack in the sun. Giga Drain does damage and replenishes Venusaur's health, making it very easy to set up Growth, as Venusaur can simply heal off any damage it takes while setting up. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's main weapon against Fire- and Flying-types and is its strongest attack outside of sun.
Sleep Powder puts foes to sleep, which allows Venusaur to circumvent Sucker Punch and get free Growth turns, though one should be aware of the remaining usable sun turns while using this move to help set up. Sleep Powder is also great to use on the final turn of sun, allowing Venusaur's sun-setting teammates to switch in safely. Solar Beam is used as a disgustingly strong nuke; a Modest +2 Life Orb Solar Beam is able to cleanly OHKO offensive Drapion, for instance, much less Pokemon that do not resist Grass. Hidden Power Fire is primarily used to smack Steel-types that resist both of Venusaur's STAB moves, such as Escavalier, Bronzong, and Registeel, while also receiving a boost from sun.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Venusaur's offensive potential. Chlorophyll is the obvious ability of choice for a set that relies on sun to function. A Modest nature gives Venusaur the most damage output; Timid can be used to outspeed opposing Chlorophyll Venusaur, but be aware that Venusaur's use of Hidden Power Fire means that its Speed IVs would be imperfect, rendering it always slower than opposing Timid Chlorophyll Venusaur without Hidden Power Fire. Life Orb is used to enhance Venusaur's power, and Venusaur cares very little about the recoil when it can simply override it with Giga Drain.
Usage Tips
========
Venusaur's first priority as a Chlorophyll sweeper is to set up and sweep while remaining healthy. Using its bulk and typing, Venusaur should be able to find a target that cannot threaten it with an immediate KO and use Growth in the sun, after which it can Giga Drain foes for the OHKO while recovering a majority of its health back, making it that much harder for the opposing team to revenge kill Venusaur. Of course, KOing the foe can take precedence, as Venusaur would not like to waste precious sun turns. Should Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam, or sun-boosted Hidden Power Fire be able to KO a foe that Giga Drain would fail to, Venusaur should prioritize the KO, although a weakened Venusaur can use its target to replenish health if Venusaur is at no risk of taking more damage than Giga Drain can heal.
Team Options
========
Venusaur's first choices of teammates are those that can set up sun, of which there are some noteworthy candidates. Mesprit, Uxie, and Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in addition to Sunny Day, and all have their own methods of allowing Venusaur to enter battle safely, whether via U-turn, Healing Wish, Memento, or Explosion. Memento in particular synergizes well with Venusaur, as it gives Venusaur more setup opportunities. Liepard and Volbeat have Prankster Sunny Day and can give Venusaur a potential free switch in by virtue of Encore and U-turn.
Venusaur highly appreciates teammates that can make use of sun in order to weaken each other's checks. Other Chlorophyll sweepers, such as Shiftry, Victreebel, and Exeggutor, are fine choices, while Fire-types such as Delphox, Houndoom, Emboar, and Mega Camerupt can wallbreak with sun-fueled Fire-type attacks, easily demolishing anything that Venusaur may have trouble breaking through.
Pokemon that can circumvent Fletchinder are of utmost importance, as Venusaur would otherwise get its sweep impeded. Diancie can keep Fletchinder at bay, although its longevity on a sun team can be questionable. Tyrantrum offers a very strong offensive presence outside of sun, whereas Electric-types such as Manectric and Eelektross are worth consideration because they can bring Venusaur into battle via Volt Switch and have sun fuel their Fire-type coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Giga Drain
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Synthesis
move 4: Leech Seed / Knock Off
item: Black Sludge
ability: Overgrow
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpA / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Giga Drain does good damage while replenishing some of Venusaur's health. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's stronger STAB move and has a chance to poison foes. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy when Giga Drain's recovery would not suffice, which is important to help Venusaur keep up against the numerous defensive Pokemon it threatens. Leech Seed gives Venusaur a much easier time fending off boosting Fighting-types, such as Scrafty and Gurdurr, and allows it to wear down bulky Steel- and Poison-types, as well as making it easier for Venusaur's teammates to switch into its checks. Knock Off also wears down Steel- and Poison-types, as well as putting pressure on Psychic-type switch-ins. Venusaur has access to Roar, which can phaze setup sweepers, particularly Fighting-types, especially if Venusaur has been Knocked Off prior, meaning those Fighting-types have little chance to break through Venusaur later.
Set Details
========
24 Special Attack EVs ensure Venusaur 2HKOes Virizion with Sludge Bomb. The HP, Defense, and Special Defense investment, coupled with a Bold nature, is tailored to prevent or minimize the chances of a 2HKO from the likes of Adamant Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick, Choice Band Sawk's Close Combat, and Life Orb Tangrowth's and Jolteon's super effective Hidden Power, all after Stealth Rock damage. Alternatively, Venusaur can try a faster spread by taking away EVs from Defense in order to outrun certain offensive threats, although the Defense investment should not fall below 72 Defense EVs, as it hits a useful jump point; Special Defense and Special Attack EVs can be shifted for additional Speed as well. Venusaur can invest up to 180 Speed EVs to outrun positive-natured Abomasnow and a bit less to still outpace neutral-natured Samurott, Hoopa, Exploud, or Emboar. Any higher than 180 Speed EVs would begin to compromise its ability to take weaker hits, such as tank Rhyperior's Earthquake, +2 Virizion's Stone Edge, and super effective Hidden Powers from Jolteon and Tangrowth. Black Sludge is used for greater longevity. Overgrow is the chosen ability because it can boost Venusaur's Giga Drain in a pinch to keep it healthy, and Chlorophyll is not as useful on a Venusaur set that does not fully invest in Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Defensive Venusaur acts mainly as a glue for teams that appreciate its typing. Bulky Venusaur can switch into several defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola, Diancie, Aromatisse, Hitmontop, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Seismitoad and can handle more offensive Pokemon, such as Hitmonlee, Sawk, tank Rhyperior, and Tangrowth. Venusaur's typing and longevity allow it to harass defensive teams, and its ability to absorb Toxic Spikes can be very useful for balanced teams relying on the likes of Blastoise and Hitmontop for entry hazard control. Venusaur can act as a soft Fighting-type check, particularly against the likes of Gurdurr, Scrafty, and Swords Dance Virizion lacking Zen Headbutt, though it is paramount that Venusaur isn't used as the team's lone Fighting-type response.
Team Options
========
Venusaur primarily fits on bulkier, slower balanced teams, where its respectable offenses and decent Speed are helpful to provide fewer openings for opposing wallbreakers. Wish users such as Alomomola and Aromatisse make for good partners, keeping Venusaur healthy so that it does not have to use Synthesis as often. Alomomola has helpful Fire and Ice resistances, whereas Aromatisse provides a more solid Fighting-type switch-in to relieve Venusaur's burden and has Aromatherapy support; Venusaur in turn can help deal with their Electric, Grass, and Poison weaknesses.
Venusaur can form a pivot core with bulky wallbreakers such as Choice Band Scrafty, Meloetta, Rhyperior, Aggron, and Druddigon. Stealth Rock users such as Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, Seismitoad, Diancie, Mega Camerupt, and Mawile have good defensive synergy with Venusaur and provide Stealth Rock to help Venusaur put more pressure on switch-ins. Many offensive Pokemon like Venusaur's ability to prey on Fairy- and Water-types and can wear down Steel-types for each other; the likes of Swords Dance Absol, Dragon Dance Scrafty, Emboar, Virizion, Sigilyph, Houndoom, and Tyrantrum provide immediately threatening offensive presences, while Venusaur helps to pivot into their weaknesses.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Venusaur may attempt to run a physical set due to its access to Swords Dance, Power Whip, and Knock Off, but it faces too much competition from Virizion and Torterra, which are faster and have better neutral coverage, respectively. Unfortunately, Weather Ball is incompatible with Chlorophyll, which is why it is not listed on the Chlorophyll sweeper's moveset.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Golbat shrugs off anything Venusaur wants to throw at it, Roosts off the damage, and retaliates with STAB Brave Bird; Golbat's only real annoyance is losing its item to Knock Off or getting put to sleep, but it still does not weaken its matchup against Venusaur. Drapion can check Venusaur due to its higher Speed, but Leaf Storm still stings a lot and the Speed advantage is lost against Chlorophyll Venusaur. The likes of Weezing and Garbodor can retaliate with Flamethrower or Gunk Shot, although being slower than Venusaur can limit their ability to check it, and boosted Solar Beams really sting. While a risky switch-in due to the threat of Sludge Bomb, opposing Venusaur can switch into Leaf Storm and force the -2 Special Attack Venusaur out.
**Steel-types**: Registeel can easily tank all of Venusaur's moves, even surviving a sun-boosted +2 Hidden Power Fire with some health to spare, and can cripple Venusaur with Thunder Wave. Escavalier counters Venusaur variants that lack Hidden Power Fire and can still check Hidden Power Fire Venusaur if it switches into Leaf Storm, as well as being immune to Sleep Powder and threatening back with powerful STAB attacks. Do note that while Bronzong can take Venusaur's STAB moves, it detests taking Knock Off or +2 sun-boosted Hidden Power Fire, and it struggles to take down bulkier variants with Leech Seed.
**Fire-types**: Delphox and Houndoom both have high-powered STAB moves that can OHKO Venusaur without trouble, and they can switch into Venusaur's Grass-type STAB attacks and Hidden Power Fire, as well as Knock Off in Houndoom's case, though Life Orb-boosted Sludge Bomb threatens to 2HKO and being poisoned cripples them, nor do they like being put to sleep. Non-Choice Scarf Emboar and Mega Camerupt can also easily KO Venusaur, but their lower Speed means they have to be ready to eat a big hit from offensive Venusaur.
**Flying-types**: Fletchinder is a huge threat to Chlorophyll Venusaur, as it can easily snipe it down with priority Acrobatics before Venusaur can do anything. Aerodactyl and Braviary also hit Venusaur hard, while Calm Mind Sigilyph and Golbat can shrug off Venusaur's hits.
**Psychic-types**: The likes of Delphox, Meloetta, Sigilyph, Medicham, Gallade, and Mesprit can all take down Venusaur, although Medicham's frailty and risk of a Speed tie mean it may well be KOed in return. Switching into Venusaur can be a difficult task for most of them, and none of them bar Gallade appreciate switching into a Knock Off.
**Ice-types**: Sneasel and Mega Glalie can outspeed Venusaur and threaten it with their powerful Ice-type attacks, but they cannot switch in directly unless they predict Synthesis or Knock Off. Abomasnow risks being OHKOed by Sludge Bomb, but its Snow Warning reduces Synthesis's effectiveness and cancels out sun. All of these Ice-types can attempt to pick off a weakened Chlorophyll-boosted Venusaur with Ice Shard.
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