LGPE OU Victreebel

McCoolDude

Just a fat shark
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BIG OL' BEL
Victreebel_XY.gif

[OVERVIEW]

Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and a powerful Grass-type STAB attack, it is capable of scaring out many prominent Pokemon, including common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it, like Mega Alakazam and Starmie. Victreebel's main flaw is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offenses, Victreebel's stats are extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch, and most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Sleep Powder / Poison Jab
item: No Item
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor Speed stat by outprioritizing the faster Pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Starmie, and Mega Alakazam. Power Whip threatens Pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and forces them out. Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immense Attack stat and forces the opponent to play around the possibility of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. While somewhat unreliable, Sleep Powder allows Victreebel to put any non-Grass-type out of commission as it comes in to deal with Victreebel, granting it turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening. Poison Jab forgoes these turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB move that can be useful against slower teams and notably helps with KOing weakened Zapdos and Dragonite. While an Adamant nature is preferred for its significant power increase, a Jolly nature can be useful for avoiding a Speed tie with Poliwrath and outspeeding neutral natured Nidoqueen and Eevee-S.

Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant and only becomes truly threatening versus neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon and Poliwrath, on the turn they use their status moves. Setting up Victreebel when there are obvious Grass-type answers like Venusaur on your opponent's team is a good idea, as at +2, Victreebel can beat them one-on-one with Sucker Punch if Stealth Rock is up. If your opponent lacks a Grass-type but has an otherwise excellent switch-in for Victreebel, like Charizard or Melmetal, using Sleep Powder can not only shut down a potent threat but also give you several turns to swap around or boost. In situations where the opposing Pokemon is in range of a Sucker Punch and you've already revealed it, using Sleep Powder or Power Whip can be a good way to punish a cheeky switch.

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur and chip them into range of its moves with Power Whip and Sucker Punch, respectively. Zapdos benefits from Victreebel's ability to pressure Ground-types like Rhydon and Sandslash, and, in return, Victreebel appreciates Zapdos's U-turn for free entry into a favorable matchup against incoming Ground-types. In addition, Zapdos is one of the only Pokemon in the metagame that can switch into all of Melmetal's attacks, which Victreebel lets in for free. Mega Beedrill is a powerful U-turn user that can bring Victreebel into favorable matchups, as it tends to bait in Rhydon. It also appreciates Victreebel's ability to lure in Melmetal and put it to sleep, hindering its ability to counter Mega Beedrill throughout the game.

Alolan Dugtrio, Mega Charizard X, and Sandslash particularly appreciate Starmie being removed, which Victreebel is capable of baiting in and OHKOing with a +2 Sucker Punch. Other Water-types, like Mega Gyarados and Vaporeon, can be heavily pressured by Victreebel, but it generally cannot safely come in on either.


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

Leech Life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping STAB move for it is generally not recommended.

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

**Melmetal**: Melmetal can take any attack Victreebel throws at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after Stealth Rock with Double Iron Bash.

**Gengar**: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB attacks, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by Sucker Punch. In addition, Gengar can take advantage of a predicted Sucker Punch or Sleep Powder by setting up Substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite can use its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and heal off any damage with Roost, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab.

**Mew**: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOed by a +2 Sucker Punch. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to stop Victreebel from punishing it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

**Drill Peck Zapdos**: Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant.

**Mega Aerodactyl**: If Mega Aerodactyl is carrying Wing Attack, it is capable of OHKOing Victreebel after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Aerodactyl must be cautious, as attempting to outplay Sucker Punch with Roost can lead to a guaranteed OHKO from Power Whip, even if Victreebel has not set up.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[McCoolDude, 469684]]
- Quality checked by: [[Eve, 375272] , [Vengeance417, 198446], [Lilburr, 481709]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Eve

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Community Leader
You know the drill
[OVERVIEW]
BIG OL' BEL
View attachment 248513

Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker in the meta,. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and powerful Grass STAB, it is capable of scaring out many of the tier's prominent Pokemon, including common stealth rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance to break, sleeping significant threats, and potentially forcing damage on Melmetal. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it. Victreebel's main flaw, however, is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offensive stats, Victreebel is extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch and most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip. It is held back by inaccurate moves, general frailty, and a poor speed tier. This needed significant padding

[SET]
name: Breaker Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Sleep Powder/Poison Jab
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor speed stat by out-prioritizing the faster pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively, as well as dealing heavy damage to the fast Psychic/Ghost types like Alakazam, Starmie, and Gengar that are prevalent in the tier I feel like this is basically saying the same thing twice. Power Whip is generally strong STAB and allows Victreebel to threaten pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and force them out, as well as being generally strong STAB. Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immensely strong attack stat and force the opponent to play around the possibility of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. Sleep powder is a somewhat unreliable status, but allows Victreebel to put any non-grass type to sleep as it comes in to deal with Victreebel, allowing Victreebel turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening. Poison Jab forgoes these turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB that can be useful against slower teams.

Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant and only becomes truly threatening vs neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon or Poliwrath, on the turn they would set up Stealth Rock or Toxic. This will allow Victreebel to either immediately set up or toss out a sleep powder for an incoming pokemon, potentially allowing it to boost safely. Try and give examples of when it may be best to just attack or use Sleep Powder rather than set up e.g. if you expect hard answers to switch in, so that you can weaken those answers for a setup sweep later on

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur (as their HP, defense, and typing makes them some of the few things able to switch in safely). Once in, Melmetal can potentially be slept or chipped down with +2 Power Whip - a single +2 Power Whip is enough to bring Melmetal into range of two Earthquakes from Mega Aerodactyl after Stealth Rock damage. Likewise, a +2 Sucker Punch will bring Mega Venusaur into range of a single Wing Attack or two Earthquakes from Mega Aerodactyl. This can be written as a single sentence, and the info in the brackets is implied Zapdos appreciates Victreebel's ability to pressure the Ground-types in the tier, and Victreebel appreciates Zapdos ability to bait out Toxic and lure in opposing Ground-types for opportunities to switch in for free. This really needs more than two Pokemon- find some stuff that Victreebel benefits from e.g. things that force damage on its best answers to help it attempt a sweep

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

Leech life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping STAB for it is generally not recommended.

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

Melmetal: Melmetal, obviously, can take any attack Victreebel will throw at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after rocks with Double Iron Bash.

Gengar: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by Sucker Punch. In additon, Gengar can abuse Sucker Punch/Sleep Powder attempts to set up substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

Dragonite: Like Gengar, Dragonite can abuse its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and roost off any damage, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab

Mew: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOd by a +2 Sucker Punch from full. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to stop Victreebel from being able to punish it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

Zapdos (with Drill Peck): Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant. However, if it lacks drill peck, it struggles to effectively pressure Victreebel.

Good list- could be worth mentioning Mega Aerodactyl too, maybe combine it, Zapdos, and Dragonite into a "faster Flying-types" section

[CREDITS]
-[McCoolDude, 469684]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
That'll be QC 1/3
 
I'd mention that Pokemon who appreciate Water-types removed make for good teammates. Fire-types and Ground-types appreciate the likes of Starmie, Vaporeon, and Mega Gyarados taken care of. For a "such as" list, you could say something like Mega Charizard Y, Alolan Dugtrio, and Sandslash. Also, mention what these Pokemon do for Victreebel in return, such as denting Melmetal and checking Zapdos (for the Ground-types).

QC 2/3
 

McCoolDude

Just a fat shark
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Community Leader Alumnus
I'd mention that Pokemon who appreciate Water-types removed make for good teammates. Fire-types and Ground-types appreciate the likes of Starmie, Vaporeon, and Mega Gyarados taken care of. For a "such as" list, you could say something like Mega Charizard Y, Alolan Dugtrio, and Sandslash. Also, mention what these Pokemon do for Victreebel in return, such as denting Melmetal and checking Zapdos (for the Ground-types).

QC 2/3

Life has been crazy, but I finally got to this! Implemented!
 
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Lily

wouldn't that be fine, dear
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UU Leader
victreebel makes me glad this meta doesnt have sun
add remove comments

[OVERVIEW]
BIG OL' BEL
View attachment 248513

Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker in the meta. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and powerful Grass STAB, it is capable of scaring out many prominent Pokemon, including common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it, like Mega Alakazam and Starmie. Victreebel's main flaw, however is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offensive stats, Victreebel is extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch, and most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip.

[SET]
name: Breaker Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Sleep Powder/Poison Jab Sleep Powder / Poison Jab
item: No Item

nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor speed Speed stat by out-prioritizing the faster pokemon Pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively such as Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Starmie, and Mega Alakazam. Power Whip allows Victreebel to threaten pokemon Pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and force them out.. remove one of these periods Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immensely strong attack Attack stat and forces the opponent to play around the possibility of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. Sleep powder Sleep Powder is a somewhat unreliable status, but allows Victreebel to put any non-grass type Grass-type to sleep as it comes in to deal with Victreebel, allowing Victreebel turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening. Poison Jab forgoes these turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB that can be useful against slower teams. it's particularly good for pressuring zapdos and dragonite which wall you otherwise so i'd note that
also add a mention of a jolly nature to outspeed neutral natured nidoqueen and starter eevee as well as avoiding the tie with poliwrath, ofc mention the negatives of the lowered damage output too


Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant and only becomes truly threatening vs neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon or Poliwrath, on the turn they would set up Stealth Rock or Toxic. Setting up Victreebel (as opposed to hitting Sleep Power) don't think this is necessary here when there are obvious grass Grass-type answers like Venusaur on your opponent's team is a good idea, as at +2, Victreebel can win the 1v1 with Sucker Punch if Stealth Rocks are Stealth Rock is up. If your opponent lacks a grass-type Grass-type but has an otherwise excellent switch-in for Victreebel, like Charizard or Melmetal, clicking sleep powder Sleep Powder can not only shut down a potent threat but also give you several turns to swap around or boost. In situations where your opponent is in range of a Sucker Punch and you've already revealed it, clicking Sleep Powder or Power Whip can be a good way to punish a cheeky switch.

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur . remove the space between "Venusaur" and "." Once in, Melmetal and Venusaur can be chipped into range of Mega Aerodactyl's moves with Power Whip and Sucker Punch, respectively.

Zapdos appreciates Victreebel's ability to pressure the Ground-types like Rhydon and Nidoqueen, and Victreebel appreciates Zapdos ability to U-Turn use U-turn against incoming Ground-types for free entry into a favorable matchup for Victreebel. In addition, Zapdos is one of the only things Pokemon in the metagame that can switch into all of Melmetal's attacks, who Victreebel lets in for free.

Chansey is another excellent teammate, as it can effortlessly pivot into the fast special attackers that would otherwise threaten Victreebel with an OHKO, as well as potentially bringing in Victreebel for free with Teleport. this is fine in theory but in practice you're never going to build a successful team with both chansey and victreebel, + they both suffer from an inability to rly do much to melm/mew, so it's an awkward thing to recommend

Mega Beedrill is a powerful U-Turner U-turn user that can bring Victreebel into favorable matchups, as it tends to bait in Rhydon. remove the double space here It also appreciates Victreebel's ability to lure and sleep Melmetal, hindering Melmetal's ability to counter Mega Beedrill throughout the game.

Alolan? Dugtrio, Charizard-X Mega Charizard X, add a space here and Sandslash particularly appreciate Starmie being removed, and Victreebel is capable of baiting in Psychic/Ice Beam carrying Starmie and OHKOing with a +2 Sucker Punch. Other Water-types, like Mega? Gyarados and Vaporeon, can be heavily pressured by Victreebel, but Victreebel generally cannot safely come in on either.

you don't need to separate these btw, having them all in one paragraph is better than having separate lines, consider changing the chansey mention to something else to fluff this paragraph up too - stealth rock users would be good!

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

Leech life Leech Life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping STAB for it is generally not recommended.

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

**Melmetal**: Melmetal, obviously, can take any attack Victreebel will throw at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after rocks Stealth Rock with Double Iron Bash.

**Gengar**: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by Sucker Punch. In additon, Gengar can abuse take advantage of Sucker Punch/Sleep Powder attempts to set up substitute Substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

**Dragonite**: Like Gengar, Dragonite can abuse its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and roost heal off any damage with Roost, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab

**Mew**: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOd by a +2 Sucker Punch from full. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to stop Victreebel from being able to punish it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

**Zapdos (with Drill Peck) Drill Peck Zapdos**: Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant. However, if it lacks drill peck Drill Peck, it struggles to effectively pressure Victreebel.

**Mega Aerodactyl**: If Mega Aerodactyl is carrying wing attack Wing Attack, it is capable of OHKOing Victreebel after rocks Stealth Rock. However, Mega Aerodactyl must be cautious, as attempting to outplay Sucker Punch with Roost can lead to a guaranteed OHKO from Power Whip, even if Victreebel has not set up.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [McCoolDude, 469684]
- Quality checked by: [[Eve, 375272] , [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
be sure to add vengeance to your credits too. excellent work, qc 3/3 :3
 
Last edited:

Adeleine

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AM Check :)
Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)=Add Comma
(RS)=Remove Space


[OVERVIEW]
Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker in the metagame. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and a powerful Grass-type STAB move, it is capable of scaring out many prominent Pokemon, including common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it, like Mega Alakazam and Starmie. Victreebel's main flaw, however(AC), is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed then obliterated (may seem arbitrary, but iirc "destroyed" is an accepted synonym for "fainted". "obliterated" describes a matchup more broadly than a fainting.) by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offensive stats, Victreebel is offenses, Victreebel's stats are extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch(RC), and that most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch Swords Dance
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance Sucker Punch (make sure to reorder the SD and Sucker set description sentences accordingly)
move 4: Sleep Powder / Poison Jab
item: No Item
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor Speed stat by out-prioritizing outprioritizing the faster Pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively(AC), such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Starmie, and Mega Alakazam. Power Whip allows Victreebel to threaten threatens (repetitive phrasing) Pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and forces them out.(remove extra period). Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immensely strong Attack stat and forces the opponent to play around the possibility simultaneous possibilities of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. Sleep Powder is a somewhat unreliable status move, but it allows Victreebel to put render helpless any non-(RS)Grass-type to sleep as it that comes in to deal with Victreebel, it, allowing Victreebel turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening offensively. Poison Jab forgoes these free turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB move that can be useful against slower teams and notably helps with helpful for KOing weakened Zapdos and Dragonite. While an Adamant nature is preferred for its significant power increase, a Jolly nature can be useful for avoiding a Speed tie with Poliwrath and outspeeding neutral natured neutral-natured Nidoqueen and Starter Eevee. Eevee-S.

Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant(AC), and only becomes truly threatening versus neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon or Poliwrath, on the turn they would will set up Stealth Rock or use Toxic. Setting up Victreebel when there are obvious Grass-type Victreebel (clarity) answers(AC), like Venusaur(AC), on your opponent's team is a good idea, as at +2(RC), Victreebel can win the 1v1 take them on one-on-one after a boost, beating Venusaur with Sucker Punch if Stealth Rock is up. If your opponent lacks a Grass-type but has an otherwise excellent switch-in for Victreebel, has an excellent Victreebel switch-in that is not Grass-type, like Charizard or Melmetal, using Sleep Powder can not only shut down a potent threat but also give you several turns to swap switch around or boost. In situations where your opponent foe is in range of a Sucker Punch and(AC), but you've already revealed it, the move, using Sleep Powder or Power Whip can be a good way to punish a cheeky switch.

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur. Once in, Melmetal and Venusaur can be chipped into range of Mega Aerodactyl's moves with Power Whip and Sucker Punch, respectively. Zapdos appreciates Victreebel's ability to pressure Ground-types like Rhydon and Sandslash, and Victreebel appreciates Zapdos ability to use using (repetitive phrasing) U-turn against incoming Ground-types for to give Victreebel free entry into a favorable matchup for Victreebel. In addition, Zapdos is one of the only Pokemon in the metagame that can switch into all of Melmetal's attacks, who a Pokemon Victreebel lets in for free. Mega Beedrill is a powerful U-turn user that can bring Victreebel into favorable matchups, as it tends to bait in Rhydon. It also appreciates Victreebel's ability to lure in and sleep put Melmetal to sleep, hindering Melmetal's ability to counter it in countering Mega Beedrill throughout the game. (removed extra lines) Alolan Dugtrio, Mega Charizard X, and Sandslash particularly appreciate Starmie being removed, and Victreebel is capable of baiting in Starmie and OHKOing it with a +2 Sucker Punch. Other Water types, Victreebel can pressure other Water-types for them, like Mega Gyarados and Vaporeon, can be heavily pressured by Victreebel, but Victreebel it generally cannot safely come in on either.


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

Leech Life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as(AC), when combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping a STAB move for it is generally not recommended.

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

**Melmetal**: Melmetal(RC), obviously(RC), can take any attack Victreebel will throw at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after Stealth Rock with Double Iron Bash.

**Gengar**: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB, both of Victreebel's STAB types, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by being forced to play into (clarity) Sucker Punch. In addition, Gengar can take advantage of Sucker Punch/Sleep Powder attempts Sucker Punch or Sleep Powder to set up Substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

**Dragonite**: Like Gengar, (because Gengar can only set up Substitute, and can't set up off of resistance) Dragonite can abuse its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and can heal off any damage with Roost, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab.

**Mew**: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOed by a +2 Sucker Punch from full health. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to(AC), which stop Victreebel from being able to punish punishing it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

**Drill Peck Zapdos**: Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant. However, if it lacks Drill Peck, it struggles to effectively pressure Victreebel.

**Mega Aerodactyl**: If Mega Aerodactyl is carrying Wing Attack, it is capable of OHKOing Victreebel after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Aerodactyl must be cautious, as attempting to outplay Sucker Punch with Roost can lead to a guaranteed OHKO from Power Whip, even if Victreebel has not set up.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [McCoolDude, 469684]
- Quality checked by: [[Eve, 375272] , [Vengeance417, 198446], [Lilburr, 481709]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]
Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker in the meta. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and a powerful Grass-type STAB attack, it is capable of scaring out many prominent Pokemon, including common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it, like Mega Alakazam and Starmie. Victreebel's main flaw, however is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offensive stats offenses, Victreebel's stats are is extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch, and most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Sleep Powder / Poison Jab
item: No Item
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor Speed stat by out-prioritizing outprioritizing the faster Pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Starmie, and Mega Alakazam. Power Whip allows Victreebel to threaten threatens Pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and force them out. (remove double period) Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immensely strong immense Attack stat and forces the opponent to play around the possibility of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. Sleep Powder is a While somewhat unreliable status, but Sleep Powder allows Victreebel to put any non-Grass-type (spacing) to sleep out of commission as it comes in to deal with Victreebel it, allowing Victreebel granting it turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening. Poison Jab forgoes these turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB move that can be useful against slower teams and notably helps with KOing weakened Zapdos and Dragonite. While an Adamant nature is preferred for its significant power increase, a Jolly nature can be useful for avoiding a Speed tie with Poliwrath and outspeeding neutral-natured (AH) Nidoqueen and Starter Eevee Eevee-S.

Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant and only becomes truly threatening vs versus neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon or and Poliwrath, on the turn they would set up Stealth Rock or Toxic use their status moves. Setting up Victreebel when there are obvious Grass-type answers like Venusaur on your opponent's team is a good idea, as at +2, Victreebel can win the 1v1 beat them one-on-one with Sucker Punch if Stealth Rock is up. If your opponent lacks a Grass-type but has an otherwise excellent switch-in for Victreebel, like Charizard or Melmetal, using Sleep Powder can not only shut down a potent threat but also give you several turns to swap around or boost. In situations where your opponent the opposing Pokemon is in range of a Sucker Punch and you've already revealed it, using Sleep Powder or Power Whip can be a good way to punish a cheeky switch.

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur. Once in, Melmetal and Venusaur can be chipped and chip them into range of Mega Aerodactyl's moves with Power Whip and Sucker Punch, respectively. Zapdos appreciates Victreebel's ability to pressure Ground-types like Rhydon and Sandslash, and in return Victreebel appreciates Zapdos's ability to use U-turn against incoming Ground-types for free entry into a favorable matchup for Victreebel against incoming Ground-types. In addition, Zapdos is one of the only Pokemon in the metagame that can switch into all of Melmetal's attacks, who which Victreebel lets in for free. Mega Beedrill is a powerful U-turn user that can bring Victreebel into favorable matchups, as it tends to bait in Rhydon. It also appreciates Victreebel's ability to lure and sleep in Melmetal and put it to sleep, hindering Melmetal's ability to counter Mega Beedrill throughout the game.

Alolan Dugtrio, Mega Charizard X, and Sandslash particularly appreciate Starmie being removed, and which Victreebel is capable of baiting in Starmie and OHKOing with a +2 Sucker Punch. Other Water-types, (AH) like Mega Gyarados and Vaporeon, can be heavily pressured by Victreebel, but Victreebel generally cannot safely come in on either.


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

Leech Life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping STAB for it is generally not recommended.

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

**Melmetal**: Melmetal, obviously, can take any attack Victreebel will throw at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after Stealth Rock with Double Iron Bash.

**Gengar**: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB attacks, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by Sucker Punch. In additon, Gengar can take advantage of a predicted Sucker Punch or Sleep Powder attempts to set up Substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

**Dragonite**: Like Gengar, Dragonite can abuse use its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and heal off any damage with Roost, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab.

**Mew**: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOd OHKOed by a +2 Sucker Punch from full. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to stop Victreebel from being able to punishing it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

**Drill Peck Zapdos**: Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant. However, if it lacks Drill Peck, it struggles to effectively pressure Victreebel.

**Mega Aerodactyl**: If Mega Aerodactyl is carrying Wing Attack, it is capable of OHKOing Victreebel after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Aerodactyl must be cautious, as attempting to outplay Sucker Punch with Roost can lead to a guaranteed OHKO from Power Whip, even if Victreebel has not set up.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [McCoolDude, 469684]
- Quality checked by: [[Eve, 375272] , [Vengeance417, 198446], [Lilburr, 481709]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
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[OVERVIEW]
BIG OL' BEL
View attachment 248513

Victreebel is a decent, if unreliable, setup wallbreaker. Thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and a powerful Grass-type STAB attack, it is capable of scaring out many prominent Pokemon, including common Stealth Rock setters like Rhydon and Sandslash, and setting up with Swords Dance. It even has Sucker Punch in order to pick off frail or weakened pokemon Pokemon that could otherwise outspeed and KO it, like Mega Alakazam and Starmie. Victreebel's main flaw is its lack of coverage, which leaves it walled and destroyed by the omnipresent Melmetal. Outside of its offenses, Victreebel's stats are extremely lacking, meaning most fast Pokemon can KO it easily if they survive a Sucker Punch, and most bulky Pokemon can do the same if they survive Power Whip.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Power Whip
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Sleep Powder / Poison Jab
item: No Item
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Sucker Punch allows Victreebel to overcome its poor Speed stat by outprioritizing the faster Pokemon that attempt to deal with it offensively such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Beedrill, Starmie, and Mega Alakazam. Power Whip threatens Pokemon like Rhydon, Golem, and Sandslash with an OHKO and force forces them out. Swords Dance allows Victreebel to attain an immense Attack stat and forces the opponent to play around the possibility of a +2 Sucker Punch and a +2 Power Whip at the same time. While somewhat unreliable, Sleep Powder allows Victreebel to put any non-Grass-type out of commission as it comes in to deal with it Victreebel, granting it turns to set up and become extremely offensively threatening. Poison Jab forgoes these turns in favor of a strong, spammable STAB move that can be useful against slower teams and notably helps with KOing weakened Zapdos and Dragonite. While an Adamant nature is preferred for its significant power increase, a Jolly nature can be useful for avoiding a Speed tie with Poliwrath and outspeeding neutral natured Nidoqueen and Eevee-S.

Usage Tips
========

Victreebel is generally very prediction reliant and only becomes truly threatening versus neutral targets when it has set up with Swords Dance. Due to this, Victreebel should be brought in versus Stealth Rock or Toxic users that are slower than it, like Rhydon and Poliwrath, on the turn they would use their status moves. Setting up Victreebel when there are obvious Grass-type answers like Venusaur on your opponent's team is a good idea, as at +2, Victreebel can beat them one-on-one with Sucker Punch if Stealth Rock is up. If your opponent lacks a Grass-type but has an otherwise excellent switch-in for Victreebel, like Charizard or Melmetal, using Sleep Powder can not only shut down a potent threat but also give you several turns to swap around or boost. In situations where the opposing Pokemon is in range of a Sucker Punch and you've already revealed it, using Sleep Powder or Power Whip can be a good way to punish a cheeky switch.

Team Options
========

Mega Aerodactyl appreciates Victreebel's ability to draw in Melmetal and Venusaur and chip them into range of Mega Aerodactyl's its moves with Power Whip and Sucker Punch, respectively. Zapdos appreciates benefits from (repetitive) Victreebel's ability to pressure Ground-types like Rhydon and Sandslash, and,(AC) in return,(AC) Victreebel appreciates Zapdos's U-turn for free entry into a favorable matchup against incoming Ground-types. In addition, Zapdos is one of the only Pokemon in the metagame that can switch into all of Melmetal's attacks, which Victreebel lets in for free. Mega Beedrill is a powerful U-turn user that can bring Victreebel into favorable matchups, as it tends to bait in Rhydon. It also appreciates Victreebel's ability to lure in Melmetal and put it to sleep, hindering Melmetal's its ability to counter Mega Beedrill throughout the game.

Alolan Dugtrio, Mega Charizard X, and Sandslash particularly appreciate Starmie being removed, which Victreebel is capable of baiting in and OHKOing with a +2 Sucker Punch. Other Water-types, like Mega Gyarados and Vaporeon, can be heavily pressured by Victreebel, but Victreebel it generally cannot safely come in on either.


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

Leech Life is an option for Victreebel over Poison Jab or Sleep Powder, as combined with Swords Dance, the recovery it provides can allow Victreebel to survive an extra attack from tanks like Alolan Muk. However, the move's typing does not do Victreebel many favors offensively, and dropping a STAB move for it is generally not recommended.

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

**Melmetal**: Melmetal (RC) obviously (RC) can take any attack Victreebel will throw throws at it, even at +2. It also threatens an OHKO after Stealth Rock with Double Iron Bash.

**Gengar**: Gengar commonly carries Will-O-Wisp and resists all of Victreebel's STAB attacks, allowing it to shut down Victreebel without being consistently beaten by Sucker Punch. In additon addition, Gengar can take advantage of a predicted Sucker Punch or Sleep Powder to set by setting up Substitute and become difficult to remove without sacrificing a Pokemon.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite can use its resistance to Power Whip to set up Agility and heal off any damage with Roost, though it must be wary of taking a Sleep Powder or +2 Poison Jab.

**Mew**: Mew is the only viable Psychic-type in the tier that is not OHKOed by a +2 Sucker Punch from full. It also frequently carries Taunt, Roost, and Will-O-Wisp to stop Victreebel from punishing it with Sleep Powder or Sucker Punch.

**Drill Peck Zapdos**: Zapdos resists Power Whip, has excellent bulk, and carries Roost, so it can frequently stop Victreebel from running rampant. However, if it lacks Drill Peck, it struggles to effectively pressure Victreebel. (what's the point of this sentence if you're only specifying Drill Peck Zapdos as a Victreebel answer?)

**Mega Aerodactyl**: If Mega Aerodactyl is carrying Wing Attack, it is capable of OHKOing Victreebel after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Aerodactyl must be cautious, as attempting to outplay Sucker Punch with Roost can lead to a guaranteed OHKO from Power Whip, even if Victreebel has not set up.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[McCoolDude, 469684]](added missing brackets)
- Quality checked by: [[Eve, 375272] , [Vengeance417, 198446], [Lilburr, 481709]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]
 
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