[OVERVIEW]
Virizion's great Speed tier and threatening offensive typing make it a dangerous offensive threat that can serve as both a wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. Virizion has access to Swords Dance, which allows it to boost its attack and wallbreak consistently. Its great Speed tier lets it stay threatening versus offensive teams and even clean them up late-game when its checks are weakened or removed. Virizion has naturally high special bulk and a workable defensive typing that allow it to find set up opportunities versus Choice-locked special attackers like Jolteon, Magneton, and Clawitzer, and there is some ambiguity to its sets thanks to its good coverage and ability to run a physical or special set. However, Virizion isn't especially strong without a boost, and it can struggle to break through physically bulky checks like Weezing, Dipplin, and Qwilfish. Virizion also competes for a team slot with Swords Dance Hisuian Decidueye, which has a higher Attack stat and has useful tools such as Triple Arrows, Scrappy, and Sucker Punch. Hisuian Decidueye's popularity also means that many teams are naturally prepared for Virizion, as they share similar checks. However, Virizion retains a very solid niche thanks to its higher Speed tier and its ability to run coverage options like Stone Edge and Zen Headbutt.
[SET]
Swords Dance (Virizion) @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
Tera Type: Rock / Psychic
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge / Zen Headbutt
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance allows Virizion to break through bulky foes like Mesprit, Palossand, and Regirock. Stone Edge lets Virizion threaten Charizard, Articuno, and the Oricorio formes. Zen Headbutt can be used instead to threaten Poison-types like Qwilfish, Weezing, and Muk. Justified dissuades foes such as Passimian and Hisuian Decidueye from attempting to remove Virizion's item via Knock Off. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Virizion to come in multiple times throughout a game without fear of chip damage from entry hazards. However, Lum Berry is a viable alternative on offensive teams, as it allows Virizion to set up safely on foes that might try to cripple it with status, such as Mesprit, Rotom, and Sandaconda. Tera Rock allows Stone Edge to OHKO Whimsicott and 2HKO Weezing after Stealth Rock damage at +2. It also gives Virizion a resistance to Fire- and Flying-type attacks, which lets it deal with Charizard, Typhlosion, and the Oricorio formes with more confidence. Tera Psychic lets Zen Headbutt 2HKO Tera Poison Regirock at +2, do significantly more damage to Weezing and defensive Qwilfish, removes Virizion's weakness to their Poison-type STAB moves, and gives Virizion a useful Fighting resistance that can foil revenge killing attempts from Choice Scarf Passimian and opposing Virizion.
Virizion's great Speed tier and ability to both wallbreak and sweep depending on the situation make it usable on teams ranging from balanced to hyper offensive team styles. Virizion dislikes facing down extremely bulky physical walls such as Dipplin and Weezing and Iron Defense Pokemon such as Regirock and Orthworm, which can also outlast Virizion should they begin boosting as it comes in. Strong special attackers, such as Nasty Plot Mesprit, Magneton, and Charizard, are therefore good teammates; the former is especially good at disrupting these extremely bulky threats. These teammates appreciate Virizion's Speed tier helping them out against offensive builds and its ability to threaten special walls like Lanturn and Porygon2. Virizion appreciates entry hazards on the opponent's side, as it tends to force a lot of switches and loves seeing its defensive checks worn down. Stealth Rock setters such as Mesprit, Dudunsparce, and Palossand are good teammates as a result, as are Spikes setters like Qwilfish and Orthworm. These bulky hazard setters help to check revenge killers that are dangerous to Virizion; Regirock, Rhydon, and Naclstack can help check Choice Scarf Typhlosion; Mesprit and Palossand help out versus Choice Scarf Passimian; and Qwilfish and Orthworm can deal with Choice Scarf Floatzel. Lanturn pivots into Fire-types like Typhlosion and Charizard easily and can bring Virizion into battle safely with Volt Switch. Virizion pairs well with other physical wallbreakers, especially on offense and hyper offense, as they can work together to break down their shared defensive answers. Teammates such as Swords Dance Qwilfish, Swords Dance Sneasel, and Glastrier work well as a result.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Virizion can run a Tera Flying Calm Mind set using Giga Drain, Air Slash, and Focus Blast or Aura Sphere. This turns the tables on many of Virizion's traditional answers such as Dipplin and Weezing, and Virizion's STAB combination threatens several common special walls, such as Lanturn, Dudunsparce, and Porygon2. However, Virizion can only boost its Special Attack by one stage at a time with Calm Mind, and it is forced to use weak moves unless it opts for the inaccurate Focus Blast as its Fighting-type STAB move, which makes the set considerably less threatening in practice. A mixed attacker set with Leaf Storm, Close Combat, Stone Edge, and Synthesis with a Life Orb can be threatening to certain offensive and balance teams but fails to make significant progress versus builds packing common walls such as Dipplin, Mesprit, and Muk. Sacred Sword is an interesting alternative to Close Combat that ignores the Defense boosts on IronPress foes such as Regirock, Orthworm, and Naclstack and doesn't lower Virizion's own defenses, but the drop in power is very noticeable. Tera Fairy is a fringe alternative Tera type that gives Virizion a Fighting resistance, allowing it to stave off revenge killing from Choice Scarf Passimian, and an immunity to Dragon Tail, which lets it potentially break past Dipplin after accruing multiple Swords Dance boosts. Tera Poison grants Virizion a generally useful defensive typing to counteract revenge killing attempts from the likes of Whimsicott, Passimian, and Grafaiai. These are inferior to the other Tera types outside of these specific situations, however.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dipplin**: Dipplin's massive physical bulk allows it to handily deal with the standard Swords Dance set. It isn't even 2HKOed by a +2 Close Combat and can use Dragon Tail to phaze Virizion before healing off any damage, which makes it a very reliable answer. It has to be wary of a surprise Calm Mind set, however, and the rare Tera Fairy can turn it into setup fodder.
**Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types such as Weezing, Muk, and Qwilfish resist Virizion's STAB moves and threaten it in return with their STAB moves or, in Weezing's case, a burn from Will-O-Wisp. They must be cautious of Zen Headbutt, however. Grafaiai, Hisuian Sneasel, and Choice Scarf Qwilfish are faster than Virizion and can OHKO it with Gunk Shot or, in Grafaiai's case, cripple it with Encore or Switcheroo. Additionally, several Pokemon that Virizion usually threatens, such as Brute Bonnet and Regirock, commonly run Tera Poison and can therefore turn the tables on it.
**Revenge Killers**: Virizion's Speed tier, while very solid, still leaves it outpaced by several common revenge killers. Choice Scarf Passimian, Lycanroc, Whimsicott, Sneasel, and Choice Scarf Typhlosion all outrun Virizion and can threaten to revenge kill it. All but the latter two need chip damage dealt before they can KO Virizion, however, and only Whimsicott and Passimian can directly switch in.
**Status**: Burns and paralysis are especially threatening to Virizion. Common Pokemon such as Weezing, Lanturn, Porygon2, Charizard, and Dudunsparce are all capable of spreading those status conditions, and Virizion is not capable of OHKOing any of them except for Charizard if it chooses to run Stone Edge. However, Lum Berry allows Virizion to circumvent this and set up on many of these foes fearlessly.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sputnik.475916/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
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