[OVERVIEW]
Vigoroth is an excellent Pokemon in the NU tier due to its decent stats, great movepool, and high number of sets to work with. It faces very little competition from other Normal-types in the tier and performs a variety of roles due to its great movepool. Vigoroth also is part of a very good Speed tier, Speed tying with Pokemon such as Golbat, Abra, Pikachu, and Venomoth while outspeeding Pokemon like Hitmonchan and Glalie. Vigoroth's Normal typing is somewhat of a hindrance, however, as it has trouble hitting Ghost-types, particularly Haunter and Sableye, and is weak to the omnipresent Hitmonchan. While Vigoroth's bulk is good, it has a low base 55 Special Defense stat. However, with the right EV investment, Vigoroth can still be an incredibly bulky and threatening Pokemon in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Return / Body Slam
move 2: Earthquake / Shadow Ball / Substitute
move 3: Slack Off
move 4: Bulk Up
item: Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
The purpose of this set is to provide a bulky setup sweeper that is difficult to break after acquiring boosts. Return is the more powerful STAB option; however, Body Slam can be used to fish for paralysis. Earthquake is used to hit Steel-types such as Mawile and Metang and Rock-types like Relicanth and Sudowoodo. Shadow Ball hits Ghost-types like Haunter super effectively, but it still is not doing very much damage to Sableye. Alternatively, Substitute protects Vigoroth from status but leaves it without useful coverage. Slack Off guarantees recovery for Vigoroth, allowing it to have a good matchup versus bulky teams lacking solid checks. Bulk Up boosts Vigoroth's Attack and Defense, letting it become a bulky and powerful threat.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Vital Spirit is Vigoroth's only ability and can help against sleep spreaders like Venomoth and Tangela. Its EV spread helps compensate for its poor special bulk and allows it to manually boost its Defense with Bulk Up. Vigoroth best sets up on weaker attackers such as Roselia and Mawile when given free turns, but it needs to make sure it is able to set up multiple boosts before it attempts to take on Hitmonchan. It also should make sure any phazers are eliminated or able to be OHKOed before they can force Vigoroth out if it wants any chance of sweeping. Vigoroth is almost hard countered by Sableye, so make sure it is removed or significantly weakened before attempting to set up with Vigoroth. Ghost-types in general trouble Vigoroth, and as Haunter is immune to Earthquake due to Levitate, it is advised that all Ghost-types be dealt with beforehand. It also struggles with Rock- and Steel-types, so they should also be weakened or removed prior. This set is far less dependent to get to 1 HP than Flail or Reversal sets and can be used more freely as an end-game sweeper without the fear of keeping Spikes off the field. Vigoroth needs to be wary about Toxic, as it can render it almost useless, since it nearly always needs quite a few turns to set up. Vigoroth appreciates Pursuit support from Pokemon like Houndour and Murkrow to help deal with troublesome Ghost-types. Vigoroth also likes having teammates like Golbat and Chimecho that can sponge Fighting-type attacks, the latter of which can also provide some crucial Heal Bell support in the event of Vigoroth getting inflicted by Toxic.
[SET]
name: Flail + Reversal
move 1: Endure / Substitute
move 2: Flail
move 3: Reversal
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Salac Berry
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
As a more offensive approach to Vigoroth, this set aims to take advantage of the fact that it is the only Pokemon capable of running Flail and Reversal, and it uses this to great effect. Endure is used to guarantee to survive a hit that would OHKO it at 1 HP; however, it relies more on prediction than Substitute. Substitute, however, requires Vigoroth to be faster than whatever it is using it against before Salac Berry activates and can get thoroughly messed up by Spikes currently on your side of the field. Flail is a powerful STAB move that will have 200 Base Power in ideal circumstances. Reversal can be a powerful 200-Base Power Fighting-type move that hits Steel- and Rock-types that resist Flail, but it is also reliant at being low on HP. Shadow Ball allows Vigoroth to hit Haunter as well as Sableye, but it fails at doing anything to Sableye if it has any sort of HP left.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Salac Berry raises Vigoroth's Speed when it is under a quarter of its total HP. If running Substitute, more HP investment might be useful, as Vigoroth might be able to survive some weak hits behind Substitute. However, Vigoroth's HP should always be a multiple of 4 plus 1 to allow it to get down to 1 HP. An Adamant nature can be used for more power, but Jolly can be used if Vigoroth wants to outspeed Huntail in rain after its Salac Berry activates. Vigoroth appreciates Pokemon that can deal with Ghost-types such as Steel-types, Pursuit trappers, and many specially defensive RestTalk users. Ground-types can be used to deal with Pokemon like Metang, which resists Flail and takes Reversal neutrally, though it is 2HKOed by a maximum Base Power Reversal. Rapid Spin users like Hitmonchan and Wartortle are a necessity for sets involving Substitute to work properly, and sets utilizing Endure appreciate them as well.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return / Double-Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Focus Punch / Brick Break
item: Choice Band
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Band is a good option for Vigoroth if it wants immediate power. Return or Double-Edge can be used, but Return is preferred for its lack of recoil damage even though it doesn't hit as hard. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types, and Shadow Ball nails Ghost-types that every Vigoroth set struggles with. Focus Punch is a more powerful option to hit Normal-resistant Pokemon on the switch but requires far more prediction than Brick Break, which on the other hand is far less destructive.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
An Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment let Vigoroth hit as hard as possible. 252 Speed EVs allow Vigoroth to outspeed Jolly Hitmonchan. Choice Band gives Vigoroth a boost in initial power but prevents the freedom of switching moves. This set relies significantly more on prediction than other Vigoroth sets, but this is to be expected when equipping a Choice Band. As usual, Vigoroth appreciates Pokemon that can remove its normal counters of Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types while also enjoying teammates that appreciate its breaking power.
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Focus Punch
move 4: Flail / Shadow Ball / Body Slam
item: Salac Berry / Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
The main boon of this set is Focus Punch, which allows Vigoroth to deal with many of its conventional checks that are not Ghost type, such as Mawile, Relicanth, and other Steel- and Rock-types. Substitute eases prediction and helps to safely utilize Focus Punch. Bulk Up is a useful boosting tool to increase Vigoroth's power and bulk. Flail has the potential to be a powerful STAB attack but often requires ideal scenarios to work properly. Shadow Ball lets Vigoroth hit pesky Ghost-types like Haunter and Shedinja. Body Slam is a more consistent option that is useful for fishing for paralysis as well as solid damage output without the needed setup or prediction with using Focus Punch.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Maximum Attack and Speed investment with an Adamant nature allows Vigoroth to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding Hitmonchan. Salac Berry is the preferred item due to its ability to boost Vigoroth's Speed in a pinch, but Leftovers can be used for more longevity. Note that Leftovers should never be used in combination with Flail. Vigoroth needs Pokemon that deal with Ghost-types, as they are most likely a hard stop to Vigoroth. If using Flail, Rapid Spin support from Pokemon like Hitmonchan and Wartortle is required to ensure that the move works optimally.
[SET]
name: Taunt Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Shadow Ball
move 4: Shadow Ball / Encore / Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Taunt is an excellent move for preventing status and entry hazards and allows Vigoroth to shut down Pokemon like Roselia, Venomoth, and Glalie. Return is a solid STAB move with consistent damage, and Earthquake hits Steel- and Rock-types that resist Return. Shadow Ball hits Ghost-types, while Encore is a very useful option that locks setup users into their setup move and generally allows more flexibility at the cost of being completely walled by Ghost-types. Toxic is another viable move for this set to help wear down foes. Slack Off can be run in the last slot in order to give Vigoroth a more useful long-term purpose in a match, enabling it to wear down many Pokemon while having recovery of its own.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
This set is optimal as a lead, having very few bad matchups against most of the common leads seen in the tier. A Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment are required for Vigoroth to outspeed common Glalie leads. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack to allow for Vigoroth to have an offensive presence as well. Vigoroth retains excellent stallbreaking potential with Taunt and Encore with this set, and they can be used to their full effect in stall matchups. Vigoroth should not riskily switch into a potential Toxic, which would completely neuter it. In case of emergency, Vigoroth does appreciate cleric support from teammates like Roselia and Chimecho. Leftovers is the preferred item for its consistent and reliable recovery.
[Other Options]
Rock Slide is a niche option that allows Vigoroth to hit Flying-types like Golbat super effectively while also catching Fire-types like Flareon and Torkoal.
[Checks and Counters]
Ghost-types are the most significant counter to Vigoroth, though Haunter has to watch out for Shadow Ball. Sableye in particular walls every Vigoroth set excluding ones with Taunt. Steel-types like Metang and Mawile are difficult to break without Earthquake, but the latter needs to watch out for Reversal, Brick Break, or Focus Punch as well. Bulky Rock-types like Sudowoodo and Relicanth resist Vigoroth's Normal-type STAB moves and take surprisingly little from all super effective coverage due to their sheer bulk. Toxic renders almost every Vigoroth set useless, as many require certain HP or multiple turns to set up, thus reducing Vigoroth's overall usefulness throughout a match.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[DurzaOffTopic,357488]]
- Quality checked by: [[oglemi,40358], [Hogg,228003]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha,384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack,232216]]
Vigoroth is an excellent Pokemon in the NU tier due to its decent stats, great movepool, and high number of sets to work with. It faces very little competition from other Normal-types in the tier and performs a variety of roles due to its great movepool. Vigoroth also is part of a very good Speed tier, Speed tying with Pokemon such as Golbat, Abra, Pikachu, and Venomoth while outspeeding Pokemon like Hitmonchan and Glalie. Vigoroth's Normal typing is somewhat of a hindrance, however, as it has trouble hitting Ghost-types, particularly Haunter and Sableye, and is weak to the omnipresent Hitmonchan. While Vigoroth's bulk is good, it has a low base 55 Special Defense stat. However, with the right EV investment, Vigoroth can still be an incredibly bulky and threatening Pokemon in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Return / Body Slam
move 2: Earthquake / Shadow Ball / Substitute
move 3: Slack Off
move 4: Bulk Up
item: Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
The purpose of this set is to provide a bulky setup sweeper that is difficult to break after acquiring boosts. Return is the more powerful STAB option; however, Body Slam can be used to fish for paralysis. Earthquake is used to hit Steel-types such as Mawile and Metang and Rock-types like Relicanth and Sudowoodo. Shadow Ball hits Ghost-types like Haunter super effectively, but it still is not doing very much damage to Sableye. Alternatively, Substitute protects Vigoroth from status but leaves it without useful coverage. Slack Off guarantees recovery for Vigoroth, allowing it to have a good matchup versus bulky teams lacking solid checks. Bulk Up boosts Vigoroth's Attack and Defense, letting it become a bulky and powerful threat.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Vital Spirit is Vigoroth's only ability and can help against sleep spreaders like Venomoth and Tangela. Its EV spread helps compensate for its poor special bulk and allows it to manually boost its Defense with Bulk Up. Vigoroth best sets up on weaker attackers such as Roselia and Mawile when given free turns, but it needs to make sure it is able to set up multiple boosts before it attempts to take on Hitmonchan. It also should make sure any phazers are eliminated or able to be OHKOed before they can force Vigoroth out if it wants any chance of sweeping. Vigoroth is almost hard countered by Sableye, so make sure it is removed or significantly weakened before attempting to set up with Vigoroth. Ghost-types in general trouble Vigoroth, and as Haunter is immune to Earthquake due to Levitate, it is advised that all Ghost-types be dealt with beforehand. It also struggles with Rock- and Steel-types, so they should also be weakened or removed prior. This set is far less dependent to get to 1 HP than Flail or Reversal sets and can be used more freely as an end-game sweeper without the fear of keeping Spikes off the field. Vigoroth needs to be wary about Toxic, as it can render it almost useless, since it nearly always needs quite a few turns to set up. Vigoroth appreciates Pursuit support from Pokemon like Houndour and Murkrow to help deal with troublesome Ghost-types. Vigoroth also likes having teammates like Golbat and Chimecho that can sponge Fighting-type attacks, the latter of which can also provide some crucial Heal Bell support in the event of Vigoroth getting inflicted by Toxic.
[SET]
name: Flail + Reversal
move 1: Endure / Substitute
move 2: Flail
move 3: Reversal
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Salac Berry
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
As a more offensive approach to Vigoroth, this set aims to take advantage of the fact that it is the only Pokemon capable of running Flail and Reversal, and it uses this to great effect. Endure is used to guarantee to survive a hit that would OHKO it at 1 HP; however, it relies more on prediction than Substitute. Substitute, however, requires Vigoroth to be faster than whatever it is using it against before Salac Berry activates and can get thoroughly messed up by Spikes currently on your side of the field. Flail is a powerful STAB move that will have 200 Base Power in ideal circumstances. Reversal can be a powerful 200-Base Power Fighting-type move that hits Steel- and Rock-types that resist Flail, but it is also reliant at being low on HP. Shadow Ball allows Vigoroth to hit Haunter as well as Sableye, but it fails at doing anything to Sableye if it has any sort of HP left.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Salac Berry raises Vigoroth's Speed when it is under a quarter of its total HP. If running Substitute, more HP investment might be useful, as Vigoroth might be able to survive some weak hits behind Substitute. However, Vigoroth's HP should always be a multiple of 4 plus 1 to allow it to get down to 1 HP. An Adamant nature can be used for more power, but Jolly can be used if Vigoroth wants to outspeed Huntail in rain after its Salac Berry activates. Vigoroth appreciates Pokemon that can deal with Ghost-types such as Steel-types, Pursuit trappers, and many specially defensive RestTalk users. Ground-types can be used to deal with Pokemon like Metang, which resists Flail and takes Reversal neutrally, though it is 2HKOed by a maximum Base Power Reversal. Rapid Spin users like Hitmonchan and Wartortle are a necessity for sets involving Substitute to work properly, and sets utilizing Endure appreciate them as well.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return / Double-Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Focus Punch / Brick Break
item: Choice Band
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Band is a good option for Vigoroth if it wants immediate power. Return or Double-Edge can be used, but Return is preferred for its lack of recoil damage even though it doesn't hit as hard. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types, and Shadow Ball nails Ghost-types that every Vigoroth set struggles with. Focus Punch is a more powerful option to hit Normal-resistant Pokemon on the switch but requires far more prediction than Brick Break, which on the other hand is far less destructive.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
An Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment let Vigoroth hit as hard as possible. 252 Speed EVs allow Vigoroth to outspeed Jolly Hitmonchan. Choice Band gives Vigoroth a boost in initial power but prevents the freedom of switching moves. This set relies significantly more on prediction than other Vigoroth sets, but this is to be expected when equipping a Choice Band. As usual, Vigoroth appreciates Pokemon that can remove its normal counters of Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types while also enjoying teammates that appreciate its breaking power.
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Focus Punch
move 4: Flail / Shadow Ball / Body Slam
item: Salac Berry / Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
The main boon of this set is Focus Punch, which allows Vigoroth to deal with many of its conventional checks that are not Ghost type, such as Mawile, Relicanth, and other Steel- and Rock-types. Substitute eases prediction and helps to safely utilize Focus Punch. Bulk Up is a useful boosting tool to increase Vigoroth's power and bulk. Flail has the potential to be a powerful STAB attack but often requires ideal scenarios to work properly. Shadow Ball lets Vigoroth hit pesky Ghost-types like Haunter and Shedinja. Body Slam is a more consistent option that is useful for fishing for paralysis as well as solid damage output without the needed setup or prediction with using Focus Punch.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Maximum Attack and Speed investment with an Adamant nature allows Vigoroth to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding Hitmonchan. Salac Berry is the preferred item due to its ability to boost Vigoroth's Speed in a pinch, but Leftovers can be used for more longevity. Note that Leftovers should never be used in combination with Flail. Vigoroth needs Pokemon that deal with Ghost-types, as they are most likely a hard stop to Vigoroth. If using Flail, Rapid Spin support from Pokemon like Hitmonchan and Wartortle is required to ensure that the move works optimally.
[SET]
name: Taunt Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Shadow Ball
move 4: Shadow Ball / Encore / Slack Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Taunt is an excellent move for preventing status and entry hazards and allows Vigoroth to shut down Pokemon like Roselia, Venomoth, and Glalie. Return is a solid STAB move with consistent damage, and Earthquake hits Steel- and Rock-types that resist Return. Shadow Ball hits Ghost-types, while Encore is a very useful option that locks setup users into their setup move and generally allows more flexibility at the cost of being completely walled by Ghost-types. Toxic is another viable move for this set to help wear down foes. Slack Off can be run in the last slot in order to give Vigoroth a more useful long-term purpose in a match, enabling it to wear down many Pokemon while having recovery of its own.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
This set is optimal as a lead, having very few bad matchups against most of the common leads seen in the tier. A Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment are required for Vigoroth to outspeed common Glalie leads. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack to allow for Vigoroth to have an offensive presence as well. Vigoroth retains excellent stallbreaking potential with Taunt and Encore with this set, and they can be used to their full effect in stall matchups. Vigoroth should not riskily switch into a potential Toxic, which would completely neuter it. In case of emergency, Vigoroth does appreciate cleric support from teammates like Roselia and Chimecho. Leftovers is the preferred item for its consistent and reliable recovery.
[Other Options]
Rock Slide is a niche option that allows Vigoroth to hit Flying-types like Golbat super effectively while also catching Fire-types like Flareon and Torkoal.
[Checks and Counters]
Ghost-types are the most significant counter to Vigoroth, though Haunter has to watch out for Shadow Ball. Sableye in particular walls every Vigoroth set excluding ones with Taunt. Steel-types like Metang and Mawile are difficult to break without Earthquake, but the latter needs to watch out for Reversal, Brick Break, or Focus Punch as well. Bulky Rock-types like Sudowoodo and Relicanth resist Vigoroth's Normal-type STAB moves and take surprisingly little from all super effective coverage due to their sheer bulk. Toxic renders almost every Vigoroth set useless, as many require certain HP or multiple turns to set up, thus reducing Vigoroth's overall usefulness throughout a match.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[DurzaOffTopic,357488]]
- Quality checked by: [[oglemi,40358], [Hogg,228003]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha,384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack,232216]]
Last edited: