[OVERVIEW]
Fire
========
Thanks to Fire's ability to provide sun support, Choice Band Victini is capable of at least 2HKOing almost every Pokemon that is not immune to Fire-type attacks with its powerful V-create, making it the strongest wallbreaker in Monotype. Notably, Victini's V-create is capable of breaking every defensive core that typically gives Fire trouble, including Normal's, Poison's, and Water's, meaning it hardly needs to predict in spite of using a Choice item. Victini can also use extra supportive options in Bolt Strike to KO almost all Water-types and Fire-immune Pokemon and U-turn to avoid Pursuit trappers and pivot into teammates. It has decent defensive stats for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take some weaker hits relatively easily, particularly Scald from Water-type walls in sun. Unfortunately, V-create's Defense and Special Defense drops make Victini very easy to revenge kill, a problem only compounded by the accompanying loss in Speed allowing even slower Pursuit trappers like Scizor to trap and KO Victini. To make the Speed loss even more of an issue, its natural Speed is already rather average, making it only really able to beat defensive Pokemon and a handful of the slowest offensive Pokemon like Mamoswine. Victini does still have trouble fitting onto some Fire teams, as it doesn't help with the more important offensive threats to the type in Nihilego and Mega Diancie, and other Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Infernape can wallbreak while compressing other roles such as setup sweeper and priority revenge killer.
[SET]
name: Choice Band (Fire)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
ability: Victory Star
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
V-create makes Victini an unstoppable wallbreaker under sun, able to hit almost anything for at least a 2HKO at the cost of almost forcing it to switch out after every attack. When sun isn't up to boost V-create's damage output, Bolt Strike pressures Water teams by being able to 2HKO even Toxapex and Mega Slowbro with Stealth Rock support, as only Electric-immune Water-types can switch into it and it doesn't drop Victini's Speed. U-turn allows Victini to switch out to a teammate on a forced switch, which lets it gain momentum in matchups where it is afraid to KO foes because of Pursuit trappers like Scizor. Because sun-boosted V-create and Bolt Strike cover almost the entire metagame, Trick is rarely used, but it is a decent filler option in specific circumstances such as for crippling Gastrodon on sand teams or if sun is no longer an option.
Set Details
========
Choice Band and maximum Attack investment make Victini's V-create as strong as possible, and Victory Star makes sure it can never miss. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used to make sure Victini can outspeed Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Mega Garchomp, and Kyurem-B that would otherwise be able to KO it.
Usage Tips
========
Victini should be sent in as often as possible when sun is up, as it is all but guaranteed a KO with V-create if it is in against a slower Pokemon. If sun is up and there are no Fire-immune Pokemon on the opposing team, V-create is almost always spammable, as even Pokemon that resist it can be easily KOed. However, be careful of Pursuit users, as Victini is a sitting duck after using V-create and will almost certainly be taken out by them. For example, be careful of spamming V-create too much against Poison teams, as Alolan Muk can outspeed a -3 Victini and be guaranteed to Pursuit trap it. Don't be afraid to take Toxic from walls to KO them, as Victini rarely stays in long enough for the scaling poison damage to matter. You should be aware of V-create's 8 PP, as it can disappear rather quickly, and Victini is an unimpressive wallbreaker without V-create. This is especially problematic against Pressure Pokemon or Protect users that can stall additional PP out. Victini is also very dependent on Choice Band to make its V-create strong enough to wallbreak, so it should avoid letting even weaker Knock Off users like Tornadus-T remove its item. Victini will need to switch in and out frequently due to V-create's drops, so be diligent in removing Stealth Rock to make sure Victini is as healthy as possible. Bolt Strike should mainly be used only against Fire-immune Pokemon or against Water teams when Victini can possibly be setup fodder after using V-create, as Pokemon like Suicune and Keldeo can only set up on V-create. In other circumstances, even against Pokemon that resist V-create, Bolt Strike is usually not worth needing to predict around. Trick should almost never be used, but if your sun setter is KOed, Victini can use it to cripple its switch-ins.
Team Options
========
Torkoal is a necessary teammate for Victini, as it provides sun support, Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin, and a defensive pivot, all of which are essential to making Victini's job possible. Outside of Torkoal, Victini doesn't need much team support and helps its teammates more instead. However, Rotom-H can be a substitute for Torkoal on more offensive teams, as its dual screens support can protect Victini from Pursuit trappers, and it can use Defog to remove Stealth Rock as well while giving Victini free switches with Volt Switch. However, lacking sun support does noticeably lower Victini's damage output against faster Pokemon that can now switch into one V-create and threaten to revenge kill. If Torkoal is replaced for Rotom-H, Mega Charizard Y is a decent replacement that can still set sun for Victini. A Choice Scarf user in either Blacephalon or Infernape can be useful to take out faster Pokemon like Gengar, Mega Diancie, and Nihilego for Victini. Heatran can also beat Mega Diancie and Nihilego with its Steel typing while providing Stealth Rock if necessary. Setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X and Volcarona appreciate Victini's ability to break almost all defensive Pokemon that can stop them, making them even more threatening. Volcanion can be helpful for switching into Water-types when Victini is forced out after using V-create. Notably, it is immune to Azumarill's Aqua Jet, making it useful for checking Z-Belly Drum Azumarill if Victini locks into V-create outside of sun.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fire
--------
Victini's other options are outclassed or generally unviable.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fire
--------
**Mega Slowbro**: Mega Slowbro is always capable of switching into any of Victini's moves when Stealth Rock isn't up because it is immune to Trick and can survive two hits from V-create and Bolt Strike. Mega Slowbro can then freely use Victini as setup fodder.
**Pursuit**: Because Victini's Defense and Speed drop after using V-create, it is very easy to Pursuit trap. For example, even Adamant Choice Band Scizor can outspeed a -1 Victini, and Pursuit almost always OHKOes even if Victini stays in, making it a surefire check for Bug teams.
**Revenge Killers**: Victini's average Speed even before V-create makes it very susceptible to many Pokemon that can revenge kill it, such as Keldeo, Garchomp, and Mega Gallade. Like with Pursuit users, the Defense and Special Defense drops incurred by V-create make it even easier to OHKO.
**Opposing Weather**: If sun is not active, Victini can be walled. Sand teams can wall it with physically defensive Gastrodon, which can spam Toxic or Scald after switching in. Rain is even more dangerous, as V-create's damage is not only unboosted but halved too, meaning it can be stopped by Mega Swampert.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Eien, 100418]]
- Fire analysis by: [[Eien, 100418]]
- Quality checked by: [[maroon, 305839], [Moosical, 215618], [Havens, 391540]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Fire
========
Thanks to Fire's ability to provide sun support, Choice Band Victini is capable of at least 2HKOing almost every Pokemon that is not immune to Fire-type attacks with its powerful V-create, making it the strongest wallbreaker in Monotype. Notably, Victini's V-create is capable of breaking every defensive core that typically gives Fire trouble, including Normal's, Poison's, and Water's, meaning it hardly needs to predict in spite of using a Choice item. Victini can also use extra supportive options in Bolt Strike to KO almost all Water-types and Fire-immune Pokemon and U-turn to avoid Pursuit trappers and pivot into teammates. It has decent defensive stats for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take some weaker hits relatively easily, particularly Scald from Water-type walls in sun. Unfortunately, V-create's Defense and Special Defense drops make Victini very easy to revenge kill, a problem only compounded by the accompanying loss in Speed allowing even slower Pursuit trappers like Scizor to trap and KO Victini. To make the Speed loss even more of an issue, its natural Speed is already rather average, making it only really able to beat defensive Pokemon and a handful of the slowest offensive Pokemon like Mamoswine. Victini does still have trouble fitting onto some Fire teams, as it doesn't help with the more important offensive threats to the type in Nihilego and Mega Diancie, and other Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Infernape can wallbreak while compressing other roles such as setup sweeper and priority revenge killer.
[SET]
name: Choice Band (Fire)
move 1: V-create
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
ability: Victory Star
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
V-create makes Victini an unstoppable wallbreaker under sun, able to hit almost anything for at least a 2HKO at the cost of almost forcing it to switch out after every attack. When sun isn't up to boost V-create's damage output, Bolt Strike pressures Water teams by being able to 2HKO even Toxapex and Mega Slowbro with Stealth Rock support, as only Electric-immune Water-types can switch into it and it doesn't drop Victini's Speed. U-turn allows Victini to switch out to a teammate on a forced switch, which lets it gain momentum in matchups where it is afraid to KO foes because of Pursuit trappers like Scizor. Because sun-boosted V-create and Bolt Strike cover almost the entire metagame, Trick is rarely used, but it is a decent filler option in specific circumstances such as for crippling Gastrodon on sand teams or if sun is no longer an option.
Set Details
========
Choice Band and maximum Attack investment make Victini's V-create as strong as possible, and Victory Star makes sure it can never miss. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used to make sure Victini can outspeed Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Mega Garchomp, and Kyurem-B that would otherwise be able to KO it.
Usage Tips
========
Victini should be sent in as often as possible when sun is up, as it is all but guaranteed a KO with V-create if it is in against a slower Pokemon. If sun is up and there are no Fire-immune Pokemon on the opposing team, V-create is almost always spammable, as even Pokemon that resist it can be easily KOed. However, be careful of Pursuit users, as Victini is a sitting duck after using V-create and will almost certainly be taken out by them. For example, be careful of spamming V-create too much against Poison teams, as Alolan Muk can outspeed a -3 Victini and be guaranteed to Pursuit trap it. Don't be afraid to take Toxic from walls to KO them, as Victini rarely stays in long enough for the scaling poison damage to matter. You should be aware of V-create's 8 PP, as it can disappear rather quickly, and Victini is an unimpressive wallbreaker without V-create. This is especially problematic against Pressure Pokemon or Protect users that can stall additional PP out. Victini is also very dependent on Choice Band to make its V-create strong enough to wallbreak, so it should avoid letting even weaker Knock Off users like Tornadus-T remove its item. Victini will need to switch in and out frequently due to V-create's drops, so be diligent in removing Stealth Rock to make sure Victini is as healthy as possible. Bolt Strike should mainly be used only against Fire-immune Pokemon or against Water teams when Victini can possibly be setup fodder after using V-create, as Pokemon like Suicune and Keldeo can only set up on V-create. In other circumstances, even against Pokemon that resist V-create, Bolt Strike is usually not worth needing to predict around. Trick should almost never be used, but if your sun setter is KOed, Victini can use it to cripple its switch-ins.
Team Options
========
Torkoal is a necessary teammate for Victini, as it provides sun support, Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin, and a defensive pivot, all of which are essential to making Victini's job possible. Outside of Torkoal, Victini doesn't need much team support and helps its teammates more instead. However, Rotom-H can be a substitute for Torkoal on more offensive teams, as its dual screens support can protect Victini from Pursuit trappers, and it can use Defog to remove Stealth Rock as well while giving Victini free switches with Volt Switch. However, lacking sun support does noticeably lower Victini's damage output against faster Pokemon that can now switch into one V-create and threaten to revenge kill. If Torkoal is replaced for Rotom-H, Mega Charizard Y is a decent replacement that can still set sun for Victini. A Choice Scarf user in either Blacephalon or Infernape can be useful to take out faster Pokemon like Gengar, Mega Diancie, and Nihilego for Victini. Heatran can also beat Mega Diancie and Nihilego with its Steel typing while providing Stealth Rock if necessary. Setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X and Volcarona appreciate Victini's ability to break almost all defensive Pokemon that can stop them, making them even more threatening. Volcanion can be helpful for switching into Water-types when Victini is forced out after using V-create. Notably, it is immune to Azumarill's Aqua Jet, making it useful for checking Z-Belly Drum Azumarill if Victini locks into V-create outside of sun.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fire
--------
Victini's other options are outclassed or generally unviable.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fire
--------
**Mega Slowbro**: Mega Slowbro is always capable of switching into any of Victini's moves when Stealth Rock isn't up because it is immune to Trick and can survive two hits from V-create and Bolt Strike. Mega Slowbro can then freely use Victini as setup fodder.
**Pursuit**: Because Victini's Defense and Speed drop after using V-create, it is very easy to Pursuit trap. For example, even Adamant Choice Band Scizor can outspeed a -1 Victini, and Pursuit almost always OHKOes even if Victini stays in, making it a surefire check for Bug teams.
**Revenge Killers**: Victini's average Speed even before V-create makes it very susceptible to many Pokemon that can revenge kill it, such as Keldeo, Garchomp, and Mega Gallade. Like with Pursuit users, the Defense and Special Defense drops incurred by V-create make it even easier to OHKO.
**Opposing Weather**: If sun is not active, Victini can be walled. Sand teams can wall it with physically defensive Gastrodon, which can spam Toxic or Scald after switching in. Rain is even more dangerous, as V-create's damage is not only unboosted but halved too, meaning it can be stopped by Mega Swampert.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Eien, 100418]]
- Fire analysis by: [[Eien, 100418]]
- Quality checked by: [[maroon, 305839], [Moosical, 215618], [Havens, 391540]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
