Volbeat discussion thread

TickingSeedotBomb

Volbeat the red-haired Firefly
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Volbeat is certainly a very fun Pokemon to use! We all know how he can pass Tail Glows and whatnot, but let's see what else this little guy can accomplish!

Sets:

Volbeat@ Leftovers
Bold Nature | 252 HP / 252 Def
- Substitute
- Encore / Thunder Wave
- Tail Glow
- Baton Pass

A no-brainer set, probably the best set for a Tail Glow pass Volbeat. Pass to whatever special sweeper you'd like!

Volbeat@ Leftovers
Bold Nature | 252 HP / 252 Def
- Substitute
- Moonlight
- Thunder Wave
- Seismic Toss

A bulky Volbeat prepared to slowly take down the opponent while crippling sweepers, Sub + T-Wave is really annoying and moonlight is for healing.

*Added by happy endorphins*

name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Encore
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Hp / 252 Def / 4 SpD


So, discuss our firefly friend. Any other sets he can run? Are the above sets viable? What are some of the best Tail Glow receivers? Whatever! just discuss Volbeat and what he serves in the NU metagame
 
Please take off Bug Buzz in the Tail Glow set. Volbeat should never try to sweep. Ever.

Bulky Volbeat is just.... huh? Does that ever work?
 
I honestly don't think that Bug Buzz should be on there. Take off 4 HP EVs and add 8 SpD EVs, but I generally go with Specially Bulky BP Volbeat. Also, slash Encore in with Thunder Wave. Encore lets it set up and BP way more easily.
 
Where is the weather support set?
Volbeat is an amazing weather supporter as it has priority on Rain Dance and Sunny Day and can hold a Damp / Heat Rock unlike Murkrow

Heres the Set

name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Encore
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Hp / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Ive used this set on my Sunny Day team to great success
 
Forget about sweeping with bug buzz + tail glow, just batton pass.

I doubt bulky volbeat will work well. In my opinion t-wave + substitute is a bad strategy as you're already taking a hit to paralize something (volbeat doesn't really force switches) and then push luck to get a free turn.

I strongly dislike the trick set. Volbeat already has prankster, and fast u-turn is ultra meh ( I insist again, Volbeat won't force much switches). So you basically are desperate to trick right away, and you won't be met with walls but rather hard hitting pokes that won't suffer that much from a choice scarf. I would consider lagging tail instead.

In my opinion, Volbeat is one of those noob pokemon. Not saying that it's not useful, but the only set I consider exploitable is the batton pass one (and that's still an inferior playstyle if you ask me). Volbeat can't wall effectively, trick set is only a very obscure set up stopper that may require even two sacrifices, and para fusion makes me laugh.
 
Tail Glow Volbeat could paralyze a dangerous Poke in a pinch and die inmediately avoiding to loss of the game in this moment, like Thundurus could/can do.

I consider Encore as an option on Tail Glow set instead of Thunder Wave/Sub.
 
uhh, quick question, why use Volbeat over Illumise in anything other than TG Passing? They have the same defensive spread, same base speed, same ability, but Illumise gets Wish. In my books even having that as a secondary option makes Illumise better suited for the role, as even the possibility of having it puts the opponent on their toes. but maybe i've missed something in surveying their movepools, i dunno
 
col49 said:
uhh, quick question, why use Volbeat over Illumise in anything other than TG Passing? They have the same defensive spread, same base speed, same ability, but Illumise gets Wish. In my books even having that as a secondary option makes Illumise better suited for the role, as even the possibility of having it puts the opponent on their toes. but maybe i've missed something in surveying their movepools, i dunno
Click to expand...

Illumise is cool, more people should run her.

Imagine a team with both :P

Volbeat is good at what it does, but unfortunately doesn't do much else. If you're looking to recover/troll with status using prankster you'd be better off taking Murkrow, he's much bulkier, better typed (mostly) and has access to more useful moves for crippling your opponent.
 
col49 said:
uhh, quick question, why use Volbeat over Illumise in anything other than TG Passing? They have the same defensive spread, same base speed, same ability, but Illumise gets Wish. In my books even having that as a secondary option makes Illumise better suited for the role, as even the possibility of having it puts the opponent on their toes. but maybe i've missed something in surveying their movepools, i dunno
Click to expand...

The problem is Illumise doesn't even get Tail Glow. Not like the 65 base HP Wish would have been helpful anyways; the higher special attack would have been the reason to use Illumise over Volbeat.

Speaking of special attack, I find the fact that Volbeat doesn't pose much of an offensive threat as its main problem. Even after +3 Volbeat won't be doing much damage thanks to its 47 base special attack meaning you can easily phaze it out. They can always BP to Natu to troll you but Natu isn't exactly that threatening.
 
DragonTamerChris said:
They can always BP to Natu to troll you but Natu isn't exactly that threatening.
Click to expand...
Then, they just wanted two turns. Yea, they get you out of there, but since Volbeat is a lead 99% of the time, there are no hazards yet, and there's also the fact that you're stuck with a Natu, who doesn't get Baton Pass, just plain sucks, and is forced out by any attacker.
 
Maybe I didn't properly elaborate, I am saying that Illumise outclasses Volbeat when not running Tail Glow, ie. the latter two sets. I realize Illumise doesn't get Tail Glow, that's why I ask why you would run Volbeat as say, a weather supporter, when Illumise can do the same thing with the capacity to pass Wishes? Point is, if I'm don't intend to use Tail Glow, I'm gonna use Illumise.
 
Sabinfrost said:
Illumise is cool, more people should run her.

Imagine a team with both :P
Click to expand...

Illumise is awful. Base 65 HP is awful for passing wishes and it's a frail Pokemon. Volbeat just completely outclasses it as a Baton Passer. A team with both is just a terrible team with redundant roles, and not even of equal value.

Volbeat is good at what it does, but unfortunately doesn't do much else. If you're looking to recover/troll with status using prankster you'd be better off taking Murkrow, he's much bulkier, better typed (mostly) and has access to more useful moves for crippling your opponent.
Click to expand...
Volbeat's primary purpose is to pass Tail Glow, and it does not need to do anything else.
 
I'm a bit astonished at all of the negative criticism about having Volbeat use an attacking move. Having a means of self-defense is important for all Pokemon, which is why you don't see things like 4-support moves Chansey. First, it lets a lot of Pokemon get in and stay in absolutely for free, even while they're at low health, and it alllows them a chance to cripple the switch-in as well. If Exeggutor keeps breaking your Subs and predicts your pass with Sleep Powder, you're in pretty deep shit. A Miltank spamming Body Slam to catch your pass to Magmortar won't like taking a +3 Bug Buzz either. If the boost were anything smaller, I probably wouldn't bother either, but unless it's in OU where a weak ass Bug Buzz couldn't do anything, I'd rather have an attacking move over something mostly useless like Encore.
 
while i largely agree with you that not having an attack move is often not advisable, priority Encore and T-Wave are really neat moves to have especially if your goal is to create a set-up opportunity.
 
I think that weather supporter set would be really awesome coupled with like 3 smashers or something like that. We've talked about smash overload on the irc channel a lot and I think priority thunder wave / encore to neuter threats and a reliable ability to set up rain are invaluable for the smashmons. Oh, and a nitpick, he should be Impish not bold ;)
 
glow-pass volbeat and agility special dragonite has been in one of my team and they're awesome duo.

btw, agree on not having attacking moves on glow-pass volbeat. he is a special poke which needs lot support to set-up and no need to attack...

the weather supporter is pretty neat too...esp if you run swift swimmers.
 
(this is for NU only, so no dragonite (even though that combo sounds awesome :P))
I think that there are definitely some thing that you could glow pass to, however, such as Electrode, flame charge magmortar, etc. It's certainly not a bad set by any standards, but the team support it would require would be extensive.
 
oops sorry..

and got to note this though. NU lacks good spinners and volbeat really needs it to perform glow-pass multiple times.
 
Vein said:
btw, agree on not having attacking moves on glow-pass volbeat. he is a special poke which needs lot support to set-up and no need to attack...

the weather supporter is pretty neat too...esp if you run swift swimmers.
Click to expand...
Pure Baton Passing sets with no attack moves have existed since Gen 4 (OU Umbreon) and they were usually laughable at best. I don't think there's enough use for Substitute to warrant placing it over an attack move, since pretty much anything can break it and there aren't any feasible options to replace it.

At +3, his Bug Buzz is about as powerful as Yanmegas, and he can feasibly use it to threaten things like Mesprit or Absol. Being able to finish of a weakened target is great for your recipients too, since you can avoid having them take a hit until absolutely necessary.
 
passing +3 SpA is not laughable at best..and an attack move on volbeat is a waste of a moveslot imo coz as a prankster user, he has so many potential moves to abuse.
 
Okay if you really want to use dedicated Glow Pass I don't see why at all using a special move on a mon that can use TAIL GLOW is bad. Sure Substitute might be nice but I think Encore / Tail Glow / Bug Buzz / Baton Pass gets the job done fine. Your sub will just end up broken in the process of getting a tail glow, Volbeat isn't really that bulky.
 
if you don't like subs, how about this: encore/tail glow/thunder wave/baton pass. volbeat's SpA is still crap even at +3.
 
the guy has prankster.. you can pass before you die.

unless you face a priority..you'll still die anyway even if you chose attack moves.
 
Lol, My favourite bug type pokemon. I know it sounds gimmicky, but it works effectively when used right. It is sad to see how bad his stats are with sucks, but atleast the choice scarf and band give him a little boost. To make the set work at its best, would have to be setting enough hazards up and then a pokemon to roar/whirlwind to pick up enough damage for Voltbet to come in and kill some pokes off.

name: Choiceband
move 1: Brickbreak
move 2: Trick
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Zen-Headbutt
item: Choiceband
ability: Swarm
nature: jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Hp

or

name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Zen-Headbutt
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Ice Punch
item: ChoiceScarf
ability: Swarm
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
 
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