QC 3/3: Kink, Martha, Eyan
GP 2/2: Cake, Martha
[OVERVIEW]
Vileplume's useful Grass / Poison typing and access to Strength Sap let it check threatening Pokemon such as Breloom and Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, and it hits surprisingly hard with its great 110 Special Attack, even uninvested. Effect Spore can serve as a tool to punish U-turn users like Scizor, as well as other physical threats that Vileplume checks such as Mega Altaria. Crippling them with paralysis, poison, or sleep allows Vileplume to check them more easily for the remainder of the game. When using Giga Drain, Vileplume can also check key Ground-types like Swampert, Hippowdon, and Rhyperior. However, Vileplume's poor base 50 Speed leaves it outsped by many of the Pokemon it checks, leaving it susceptible to being threatened out if they attack it first with super effective coverage. In addition, its bulk, while good, is not strong enough to prevent it from being 2HKOed by some of the stronger wallbreakers in the tier, such as Choice Band Scizor. Strength Sap can also be taken advantage of by sending in special attackers that threaten Vileplume, such as Chandelure, to prevent it from recovering as much health. Vileplume can also be used as setup bait for very threatening sweepers like Calm Mind Latias and Swords Dance Gliscor. In addition to the above flaws, it cannot be overstated that Vileplume is a niche option to check the aforementioned sweepers and threats, as its mediocre stat spread for a defensive Pokemon prevents it from being a UU mainstay.
[SET]
name: Defensive Utility
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Strength Sap
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Giga Drain
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb is Vileplume's strongest STAB attack, hitting threatening Grass- and Fairy-types like Breloom, Serperior, Mega Altaria, and Primarina hard. Strength Sap is Vileplume's main source of recovery; it both heals Vileplume based on the opposing Pokemon's Attack stat and lowers that Pokemon's Attack by one stage, keeping physical setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Mega Altaria in check. Sleep Powder lets Vileplume cripple non-Grass-type Pokemon on the other team, potentially allowing a teammate to use the free turns to set up for a sweep or recover. Hidden Power Fire prevents Vileplume from being walled by Steel-types and notably hits Scizor extremely hard, 2HKOing all variants. Vileplume also avoids giving Cobalion free turns, which is a Pokemon that could set up on Vileplume otherwise. Giga Drain is viable for a secondary STAB attack, letting Vileplume threaten common Stealth Rock users in the tier like Hippowdon and Swampert and gain some more passive recovery.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs are used to maximize Vileplume's overall bulk. 252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature buff Vileplume's physical bulk, letting it better utilize Strength Sap versus physical attackers. Black Sludge gives it passive recovery, letting it tank strong hits more easily. Effect Spore punishes foes for using contact moves on Vileplume, with a chance to inflict them with paralysis, sleep, or poison, being very useful versus threats like Mega Beedrill.
Usage Tips
========
Strength Sap will heal Vileplume less the more times it continuously uses it on one target, so be wary when trying to PP stall or outlast opposing Pokemon, especially special attackers not bothered by the Attack drops. Sleep Powder is a good move to use early-game to give your team free turns quickly, and it's especially good to fire off before Gliscor's Toxic Orb has activated. Vileplume can threaten Grass-types that might try to absorb Sleep Powder like Celebi with the threat of a super effective Sludge Bomb. It is generally most effective to try and hit Scizor with Hidden Power Fire on the switch, as it can outspeed Vileplume and pivot out with U-turn before Vileplume gets a chance to attack. Be careful when dealing with Mega Altaria before scouting its set; specially offensive versions with Fire Blast or Ice Beam are very threatening to Vileplume, which is more geared to tanking physical sets. Vileplume gets a lot of its free switches on common Stealth Rock users that it scares out with its typing. Swampert, Hippowdon, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad all have to scout for Giga Drain before staying in. You can use this to get free turns to use Sleep Powder on something or recover Vileplume's health with Strength Sap. Always remember that Vileplume can be worn down easily if Strength Sap is played around, and it appreciates secondary checks to some of its main targets like Breloom.
Team Options
========
Rock-types are great partners for Vileplume, checking the Fire- and Flying-types that it can have tons of issues with. Mega Aerodactyl is a standout in particular, as it can Pursuit trap threatening Pokemon like Chandelure and Gengar, while Vileplume can freely switch into defensive Pokemon like Hippowdon and Swampert that give Mega Aerodactyl trouble. Rhyperior can also set Stealth Rock, helping keep dangerous Pokemon like Moltres and Mega Pidgeot in check. Alolan Muk, despite the shared typing, is a useful partner to Vileplume thanks to its trapping capabilities, removing dangerous threats like Latias and Chandelure. Vileplume can switch into Scald for Alolan Muk, and, if carrying Giga Drain, it can check the Ground-types that give Alolan Muk issues. Swampert can set Stealth Rock for Vileplume, helping chip the Stealth Rock-weak Fire- and Flying-types that annoy Vileplume, while Vileplume can switch into the myriad of offensive Grass-types present in the tier, such as Breloom, Serperior, and Tsareena. Offensive sweepers such as Terrakion and Cobalion both appreciate Vileplume's role of neutralizing Breloom, as they can safely set up without the threat of a strong Mach Punch cutting their sweep short.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Gastro Acid is a potential option to cripple common switch-ins; for example, it can be used to remove Poison Heal from Gliscor or prevent a sweep by removing Contrary from Serperior. It struggles to be as consistent as Giga Drain and Sleep Powder outside of those matchups, however. Synthesis can be used over Strength Sap for more consistent recovery, but the diminished ability to check physical attackers and the loss of burst recovery is sorely missed. Aromatherapy is an option if a team needs cleric support, but other Pokemon like Togekiss, Sylveon, and Blissey are usually more suited to this role. Stun Spore and Leech Seed could be potentially viable, but they fail to make a difference in most games compared to the recommended moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Flying-types are able to come in with little regard for anything Vileplume can throw at them barring Sleep Powder or, in specific cases, Sludge Bomb. Crobat resists all of Vilepume's STAB moves, threatens it with a strong Supersonic Skystrike, and can use the free turns to use Roost or Defog. Other threatening Flying-types include Mega Pidgeot, Mega Aerodactyl, and Togekiss, which all outspeed Vileplume and hit it hard with STAB moves.
**Fire-types**: UU's threatening Fire-types all are able to force out Vileplume. Infernape, Moltres, and Volcanion can all OHKO it with their STAB moves. Chandelure and Alolan Marowak can potentially use Vileplume to gain Calm Mind or Swords Dance boosts, respectively. Sludge Bomb is not enough to OHKO any of these Pokemon as they come in, so its best bet is using Sleep Powder and switching to a proper counter.
**Psychic-types**: Vileplume lacks the natural bulk to take on Pokemon with super effective STAB moves. Latias is the most threatening of these, as it can use Vileplume as setup bait with Calm Mind and potentially sweep. Celebi must be wary of Sludge Bomb, but it can absorb Sleep Powder and, once safely in, it can outspeed Vileplume and hit it with Psychic.
**Strong Special Wallbreakers**: Vileplume can't afford to invest in its Special Defense stat, which leaves it vulnerable to strong special attackers. Choice Specs users like Volcanion and Hydreigon will blow it away, and even Pokemon like Nidoking and Gengar have no problem 2HKOing it. The most Vileplume can do to these threats is hit them with Sleep Powder on the switch.
**Tentacruel**: Due to Vileplume's reliance on Strength Sap for recovery, Tentacruel's Liquid Ooze makes it very hard to use. When Tentacruel is paired with common Pokemon Vileplume has to check, such as Breloom or Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, it can be hugely problematic to even perform an adequate job.
GP 2/2: Cake, Martha
[OVERVIEW]
Vileplume's useful Grass / Poison typing and access to Strength Sap let it check threatening Pokemon such as Breloom and Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, and it hits surprisingly hard with its great 110 Special Attack, even uninvested. Effect Spore can serve as a tool to punish U-turn users like Scizor, as well as other physical threats that Vileplume checks such as Mega Altaria. Crippling them with paralysis, poison, or sleep allows Vileplume to check them more easily for the remainder of the game. When using Giga Drain, Vileplume can also check key Ground-types like Swampert, Hippowdon, and Rhyperior. However, Vileplume's poor base 50 Speed leaves it outsped by many of the Pokemon it checks, leaving it susceptible to being threatened out if they attack it first with super effective coverage. In addition, its bulk, while good, is not strong enough to prevent it from being 2HKOed by some of the stronger wallbreakers in the tier, such as Choice Band Scizor. Strength Sap can also be taken advantage of by sending in special attackers that threaten Vileplume, such as Chandelure, to prevent it from recovering as much health. Vileplume can also be used as setup bait for very threatening sweepers like Calm Mind Latias and Swords Dance Gliscor. In addition to the above flaws, it cannot be overstated that Vileplume is a niche option to check the aforementioned sweepers and threats, as its mediocre stat spread for a defensive Pokemon prevents it from being a UU mainstay.
[SET]
name: Defensive Utility
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Strength Sap
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Giga Drain
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb is Vileplume's strongest STAB attack, hitting threatening Grass- and Fairy-types like Breloom, Serperior, Mega Altaria, and Primarina hard. Strength Sap is Vileplume's main source of recovery; it both heals Vileplume based on the opposing Pokemon's Attack stat and lowers that Pokemon's Attack by one stage, keeping physical setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Mega Altaria in check. Sleep Powder lets Vileplume cripple non-Grass-type Pokemon on the other team, potentially allowing a teammate to use the free turns to set up for a sweep or recover. Hidden Power Fire prevents Vileplume from being walled by Steel-types and notably hits Scizor extremely hard, 2HKOing all variants. Vileplume also avoids giving Cobalion free turns, which is a Pokemon that could set up on Vileplume otherwise. Giga Drain is viable for a secondary STAB attack, letting Vileplume threaten common Stealth Rock users in the tier like Hippowdon and Swampert and gain some more passive recovery.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs are used to maximize Vileplume's overall bulk. 252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature buff Vileplume's physical bulk, letting it better utilize Strength Sap versus physical attackers. Black Sludge gives it passive recovery, letting it tank strong hits more easily. Effect Spore punishes foes for using contact moves on Vileplume, with a chance to inflict them with paralysis, sleep, or poison, being very useful versus threats like Mega Beedrill.
Usage Tips
========
Strength Sap will heal Vileplume less the more times it continuously uses it on one target, so be wary when trying to PP stall or outlast opposing Pokemon, especially special attackers not bothered by the Attack drops. Sleep Powder is a good move to use early-game to give your team free turns quickly, and it's especially good to fire off before Gliscor's Toxic Orb has activated. Vileplume can threaten Grass-types that might try to absorb Sleep Powder like Celebi with the threat of a super effective Sludge Bomb. It is generally most effective to try and hit Scizor with Hidden Power Fire on the switch, as it can outspeed Vileplume and pivot out with U-turn before Vileplume gets a chance to attack. Be careful when dealing with Mega Altaria before scouting its set; specially offensive versions with Fire Blast or Ice Beam are very threatening to Vileplume, which is more geared to tanking physical sets. Vileplume gets a lot of its free switches on common Stealth Rock users that it scares out with its typing. Swampert, Hippowdon, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad all have to scout for Giga Drain before staying in. You can use this to get free turns to use Sleep Powder on something or recover Vileplume's health with Strength Sap. Always remember that Vileplume can be worn down easily if Strength Sap is played around, and it appreciates secondary checks to some of its main targets like Breloom.
Team Options
========
Rock-types are great partners for Vileplume, checking the Fire- and Flying-types that it can have tons of issues with. Mega Aerodactyl is a standout in particular, as it can Pursuit trap threatening Pokemon like Chandelure and Gengar, while Vileplume can freely switch into defensive Pokemon like Hippowdon and Swampert that give Mega Aerodactyl trouble. Rhyperior can also set Stealth Rock, helping keep dangerous Pokemon like Moltres and Mega Pidgeot in check. Alolan Muk, despite the shared typing, is a useful partner to Vileplume thanks to its trapping capabilities, removing dangerous threats like Latias and Chandelure. Vileplume can switch into Scald for Alolan Muk, and, if carrying Giga Drain, it can check the Ground-types that give Alolan Muk issues. Swampert can set Stealth Rock for Vileplume, helping chip the Stealth Rock-weak Fire- and Flying-types that annoy Vileplume, while Vileplume can switch into the myriad of offensive Grass-types present in the tier, such as Breloom, Serperior, and Tsareena. Offensive sweepers such as Terrakion and Cobalion both appreciate Vileplume's role of neutralizing Breloom, as they can safely set up without the threat of a strong Mach Punch cutting their sweep short.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Gastro Acid is a potential option to cripple common switch-ins; for example, it can be used to remove Poison Heal from Gliscor or prevent a sweep by removing Contrary from Serperior. It struggles to be as consistent as Giga Drain and Sleep Powder outside of those matchups, however. Synthesis can be used over Strength Sap for more consistent recovery, but the diminished ability to check physical attackers and the loss of burst recovery is sorely missed. Aromatherapy is an option if a team needs cleric support, but other Pokemon like Togekiss, Sylveon, and Blissey are usually more suited to this role. Stun Spore and Leech Seed could be potentially viable, but they fail to make a difference in most games compared to the recommended moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Flying-types are able to come in with little regard for anything Vileplume can throw at them barring Sleep Powder or, in specific cases, Sludge Bomb. Crobat resists all of Vilepume's STAB moves, threatens it with a strong Supersonic Skystrike, and can use the free turns to use Roost or Defog. Other threatening Flying-types include Mega Pidgeot, Mega Aerodactyl, and Togekiss, which all outspeed Vileplume and hit it hard with STAB moves.
**Fire-types**: UU's threatening Fire-types all are able to force out Vileplume. Infernape, Moltres, and Volcanion can all OHKO it with their STAB moves. Chandelure and Alolan Marowak can potentially use Vileplume to gain Calm Mind or Swords Dance boosts, respectively. Sludge Bomb is not enough to OHKO any of these Pokemon as they come in, so its best bet is using Sleep Powder and switching to a proper counter.
**Psychic-types**: Vileplume lacks the natural bulk to take on Pokemon with super effective STAB moves. Latias is the most threatening of these, as it can use Vileplume as setup bait with Calm Mind and potentially sweep. Celebi must be wary of Sludge Bomb, but it can absorb Sleep Powder and, once safely in, it can outspeed Vileplume and hit it with Psychic.
**Strong Special Wallbreakers**: Vileplume can't afford to invest in its Special Defense stat, which leaves it vulnerable to strong special attackers. Choice Specs users like Volcanion and Hydreigon will blow it away, and even Pokemon like Nidoking and Gengar have no problem 2HKOing it. The most Vileplume can do to these threats is hit them with Sleep Powder on the switch.
**Tentacruel**: Due to Vileplume's reliance on Strength Sap for recovery, Tentacruel's Liquid Ooze makes it very hard to use. When Tentacruel is paired with common Pokemon Vileplume has to check, such as Breloom or Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, it can be hugely problematic to even perform an adequate job.
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