[OVERVIEW]
Vileplume's incredible defensive typing and access to a wide assortment of utility moves allow it to pivot into and check top-tier threats such as Passimian, Steelix, Heliolisk, and Sceptile. In particular, Vileplume's access to two reliable forms of recovery, Sleep Powder, and Growth enables it to be menacing against offensive and defensive teams alike, and Effect Spore lets Vileplume dissuade Pokemon such as Passimian and Xatu from spamming U-turn. On top of this, Vileplume's high natural Special Attack and Sludge Bomb's chance to poison means Vileplume is considerably less passive than other options and is able to do solid amounts of damage to checks such as Xatu and Incineroar. However, Vileplume's poor Speed and handful of weaknesses to common attacking types mean it fails to hold its own against attackers such as Vanilluxe, Swords Dance Incineroar, and Medicham. In addition, Vileplume's heavy reliance on status moves and lack of coverage options mean it's often setup fodder for the likes of Klinklang, Delphox, and Braviary. Finally, without proper investment, Vileplume can fall short of checking powerful physical attackers such as Swords Dance Torterra and Choice Band Dhelmise.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Giga Drain
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Sleep Powder / Strength Sap / Growth
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Giga Drain serves as both a form of recovery and a tool to heavily damage Ground-, Rock- and Water-types like Seismitoad, Rhydon, and Slowbro. Sludge Bomb is Vileplume's strongest STAB move and targets Grass- and Fairy-types like Mega Abomasnow and Whimsicott. Its high chance to poison allows it to potentially cripple checks such as Incineroar and Xatu. Moonlight is a reliable form of recovery that isn't blocked by Xatu, doesn't give Braviary a Defiant boost, and allows Vileplume to keep on top of Pokemon like Heliolisk and Guzzlord. Sleep Powder enables Vileplume to cripple checks like Delphox and Golbat and discourages Pokemon like Braviary and Klinklang from coming in and freely setting up. Strength Sap offers an immense amount of recovery against physical Pokemon like Steelix and Passimian and lowers their Attack by one stage, further allowing Vileplume to check them. Growth gives Vileplume the ability to become a more threatening offensive presence against bulkier teams, putting pressure on Pokemon like Xatu and defensive Torterra.
Set Details
========
Full investment in HP and Special Defense alongside a Calm nature maximizes Vileplume's ability to pivot into special attackers such as Heliolisk, Guzzlord, and Sceptile. Black Sludge acts as a form of passive recovery, improving longevity. Effect Spore is a vital ability, as it lets Vileplume further punish physical attackers such as Passimian and Hariyama.
Usage Tips
========
Vileplume can effectively pivot into attackers such as Passimian, Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Rhydon and threaten them with status or a decently powerful attack. Sludge Bomb is the best attacking option to use in terms of dealing damage due to its overall high Base Power and chance to poison. Avoid reckless use of Moonlight, as its low PP count limits its uses. To remedy this, Vileplume should use Giga Drain or Strength Sap in crucial scenarios where the PP preservation of Moonlight is needed to keep attackers like Heliolisk in check. Sleep Powder should be used in order to cripple switch-ins and generate momentum for its team; Pokemon that can normally exploit Vileplume such as Braviary and Klinklang are annoyed by Sleep Powder, letting frail foes such as Heliolisk and Houndoom switch in for free. Growth is best utilized against bulkier teams as a way to pressure defensive Pokemon like Xatu and Steelix, which Vileplume can use as setup fodder.
Team Options
========
Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-types like Incineroar, Steelix, and Guzzlord thrive on Vileplume's ability to cripple or dispatch Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Whimsicott. Incineroar is also able to weaken Vileplume's checks such as Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking with Knock Off. Electric-, Rock- and Water-types such as Rotom, Diancie, and Vaporeon handle Flying-, Ice-, and Fire-type checks to Vileplume. In return, Vileplume can also switch into harmful moves such as Toxic for Pokemon like Vaporeon and Slowbro. Diancie can additionally set Stealth Rock, which punishes all of these Pokemon, while Vaporeon appreciates Vileplume's ability to switch into Grass- and Electric-types like Sceptile and Heliolisk. Various wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Vanilluxe, Klinklang, and Incineroar greatly appreciate Vileplume's ability to wear down the opposing team while also creating setup opportunities through Sleep Powder. Frailer Pokemon like Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Vivillon can more freely switch into targets put to sleep by Vileplume.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A physically defensive set with a spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD and Black Sludge enables Vileplume to check physical attackers such as Dhelmise and Rhydon more easily, and with 16 Special Defense EVs, it can still avoid the 2HKO from Life Orb Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. Rocky Helmet also works on this set, further allowing Vileplume to punish contact moves from Pokemon like Passimian and Xatu. However, without considerable Special Defense investment, Vileplume becomes a far less consistent answer to Pokemon like Comfey and Choice Specs Heliolisk. Moonblast enables Vileplume to dispatch Scrafty and deals higher damage to Guzzlord and Sneasel, but it lacks notable other uses, and Vileplume is strapped for moveslots as it is. Aromatherapy allows Vileplume to double down on its defensive capabilities by letting it act as a cleric. Poisonium Z gives Vileplume a tool to more easily pressure bulky teams, especially in conjunction with Growth; Acid Downpour also helps Vileplume take down Calm Mind-boosted Comfey, as well as OHKO Xatu with slight prior damage. Stun Spore slows down faster offensive threats like Sneasel and Incineroar, though this is normally eclipsed by the usefulness of Sleep Powder in terms of crippling foes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Vileplume does very little to Pokemon such as Garbodor and Golbat, which gives the former a chance to set Spikes and the latter an opportunity to Taunt Vileplume or throw off a Brave Bird.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Klinklang and Silvally-Steel can pivot into Vileplume's attacks, while Klinklang can turn it into setup fodder thanks to its immunity to Strength Sap.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Incineroar, Vanilluxe, and Sneasel are all threatening attackers due to their super effective attacks. Physically defensive Vileplume lacks the investment to take on powerful special attackers like Choice Specs Guzzlord and Heliolisk, while specially defensive variants struggle to keep up with Pokemon like Rhydon. Both sets are pressured by dedicated wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Choice Band Dhelmise.
**Psychic-types**: Delphox, Medicham, and Sigilyph can break past Vileplume with their super effective moves. Assault Vest Slowbro and Slowking can't reliably switch into Giga Drain but are able to pose a threat to Vileplume with either Psychic or Future Sight.
**Setup Sweepers**: Due to Vileplume's lack of coverage and poor Speed, it tends to let in Pokemon such as Decidueye, Scrafty, and Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary to take advantage of it, though none of these like potentially being poisoned by Sludge Bomb.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [tondas, 442732]]
- Earlier versions by: [[banks, 379208]]
- Quality checked by: [[quziel, 297859], [Rabia, 336073], [Espeonage., 395065]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
Vileplume's incredible defensive typing and access to a wide assortment of utility moves allow it to pivot into and check top-tier threats such as Passimian, Steelix, Heliolisk, and Sceptile. In particular, Vileplume's access to two reliable forms of recovery, Sleep Powder, and Growth enables it to be menacing against offensive and defensive teams alike, and Effect Spore lets Vileplume dissuade Pokemon such as Passimian and Xatu from spamming U-turn. On top of this, Vileplume's high natural Special Attack and Sludge Bomb's chance to poison means Vileplume is considerably less passive than other options and is able to do solid amounts of damage to checks such as Xatu and Incineroar. However, Vileplume's poor Speed and handful of weaknesses to common attacking types mean it fails to hold its own against attackers such as Vanilluxe, Swords Dance Incineroar, and Medicham. In addition, Vileplume's heavy reliance on status moves and lack of coverage options mean it's often setup fodder for the likes of Klinklang, Delphox, and Braviary. Finally, without proper investment, Vileplume can fall short of checking powerful physical attackers such as Swords Dance Torterra and Choice Band Dhelmise.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Giga Drain
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Sleep Powder / Strength Sap / Growth
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Giga Drain serves as both a form of recovery and a tool to heavily damage Ground-, Rock- and Water-types like Seismitoad, Rhydon, and Slowbro. Sludge Bomb is Vileplume's strongest STAB move and targets Grass- and Fairy-types like Mega Abomasnow and Whimsicott. Its high chance to poison allows it to potentially cripple checks such as Incineroar and Xatu. Moonlight is a reliable form of recovery that isn't blocked by Xatu, doesn't give Braviary a Defiant boost, and allows Vileplume to keep on top of Pokemon like Heliolisk and Guzzlord. Sleep Powder enables Vileplume to cripple checks like Delphox and Golbat and discourages Pokemon like Braviary and Klinklang from coming in and freely setting up. Strength Sap offers an immense amount of recovery against physical Pokemon like Steelix and Passimian and lowers their Attack by one stage, further allowing Vileplume to check them. Growth gives Vileplume the ability to become a more threatening offensive presence against bulkier teams, putting pressure on Pokemon like Xatu and defensive Torterra.
Set Details
========
Full investment in HP and Special Defense alongside a Calm nature maximizes Vileplume's ability to pivot into special attackers such as Heliolisk, Guzzlord, and Sceptile. Black Sludge acts as a form of passive recovery, improving longevity. Effect Spore is a vital ability, as it lets Vileplume further punish physical attackers such as Passimian and Hariyama.
Usage Tips
========
Vileplume can effectively pivot into attackers such as Passimian, Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Rhydon and threaten them with status or a decently powerful attack. Sludge Bomb is the best attacking option to use in terms of dealing damage due to its overall high Base Power and chance to poison. Avoid reckless use of Moonlight, as its low PP count limits its uses. To remedy this, Vileplume should use Giga Drain or Strength Sap in crucial scenarios where the PP preservation of Moonlight is needed to keep attackers like Heliolisk in check. Sleep Powder should be used in order to cripple switch-ins and generate momentum for its team; Pokemon that can normally exploit Vileplume such as Braviary and Klinklang are annoyed by Sleep Powder, letting frail foes such as Heliolisk and Houndoom switch in for free. Growth is best utilized against bulkier teams as a way to pressure defensive Pokemon like Xatu and Steelix, which Vileplume can use as setup fodder.
Team Options
========
Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-types like Incineroar, Steelix, and Guzzlord thrive on Vileplume's ability to cripple or dispatch Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Whimsicott. Incineroar is also able to weaken Vileplume's checks such as Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking with Knock Off. Electric-, Rock- and Water-types such as Rotom, Diancie, and Vaporeon handle Flying-, Ice-, and Fire-type checks to Vileplume. In return, Vileplume can also switch into harmful moves such as Toxic for Pokemon like Vaporeon and Slowbro. Diancie can additionally set Stealth Rock, which punishes all of these Pokemon, while Vaporeon appreciates Vileplume's ability to switch into Grass- and Electric-types like Sceptile and Heliolisk. Various wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Vanilluxe, Klinklang, and Incineroar greatly appreciate Vileplume's ability to wear down the opposing team while also creating setup opportunities through Sleep Powder. Frailer Pokemon like Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Vivillon can more freely switch into targets put to sleep by Vileplume.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A physically defensive set with a spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD and Black Sludge enables Vileplume to check physical attackers such as Dhelmise and Rhydon more easily, and with 16 Special Defense EVs, it can still avoid the 2HKO from Life Orb Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. Rocky Helmet also works on this set, further allowing Vileplume to punish contact moves from Pokemon like Passimian and Xatu. However, without considerable Special Defense investment, Vileplume becomes a far less consistent answer to Pokemon like Comfey and Choice Specs Heliolisk. Moonblast enables Vileplume to dispatch Scrafty and deals higher damage to Guzzlord and Sneasel, but it lacks notable other uses, and Vileplume is strapped for moveslots as it is. Aromatherapy allows Vileplume to double down on its defensive capabilities by letting it act as a cleric. Poisonium Z gives Vileplume a tool to more easily pressure bulky teams, especially in conjunction with Growth; Acid Downpour also helps Vileplume take down Calm Mind-boosted Comfey, as well as OHKO Xatu with slight prior damage. Stun Spore slows down faster offensive threats like Sneasel and Incineroar, though this is normally eclipsed by the usefulness of Sleep Powder in terms of crippling foes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Vileplume does very little to Pokemon such as Garbodor and Golbat, which gives the former a chance to set Spikes and the latter an opportunity to Taunt Vileplume or throw off a Brave Bird.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Klinklang and Silvally-Steel can pivot into Vileplume's attacks, while Klinklang can turn it into setup fodder thanks to its immunity to Strength Sap.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Incineroar, Vanilluxe, and Sneasel are all threatening attackers due to their super effective attacks. Physically defensive Vileplume lacks the investment to take on powerful special attackers like Choice Specs Guzzlord and Heliolisk, while specially defensive variants struggle to keep up with Pokemon like Rhydon. Both sets are pressured by dedicated wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Choice Band Dhelmise.
**Psychic-types**: Delphox, Medicham, and Sigilyph can break past Vileplume with their super effective moves. Assault Vest Slowbro and Slowking can't reliably switch into Giga Drain but are able to pose a threat to Vileplume with either Psychic or Future Sight.
**Setup Sweepers**: Due to Vileplume's lack of coverage and poor Speed, it tends to let in Pokemon such as Decidueye, Scrafty, and Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary to take advantage of it, though none of these like potentially being poisoned by Sludge Bomb.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [tondas, 442732]]
- Earlier versions by: [[banks, 379208]]
- Quality checked by: [[quziel, 297859], [Rabia, 336073], [Espeonage., 395065]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
Last edited:
