[OVERVIEW]
Bug
========
Thanks to its great Speed and Special Attack and access to Quiver Dance, Volcarona is the best special setup sweeper available to Bug and is a very reliable wincon against types that Bug has trouble with such as Steel. Volcarona's Speed allows it to outspeed virtually all unboosted Pokemon when at +1 as well as the entire boosted metagame when at +2. Volcarona's coverage options allow it to hit the majority of Pokemon at least neutrally, aiding its ability to function as a setup sweeper. However, moveslot constraints force it to choose which coverage would best suit the team, leaving Volcarona's moves exploitable by a variety of Pokemon. Its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock compounds Bug's weakness to it and puts even more pressure on Armaldo or Forretress to keep it off of the field. Its Bug / Fire typing is lacking defensively, leaving it extremely threatened by Rock-type coverage as well as common Water-type coverage. However, Volcarona's typing also allows it to take neutral damage from the Fire-type attacks that can be problematic for Bug. Volcarona's Defense is on the lower end and leaves it weak to physical attackers as well as common priority attackers such as Dragonite and Azumarill. On the other hand, Volcarona has high Special Defense, which is boosted even higher after using Quiver Dance, allowing it to check and set up on weak special attackers such as Clefable and Zapdos.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper (Bug)
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Bug Buzz
item: Firium Z
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance is Volcarona's setup move, granting it a +1 boost in Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, allowing it to act as a potent sweeper. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and is used in conjunction with Firium Z to unleash a powerful Inferno Overdrive. Hidden Power Ground is utilized to take care of Heatran once its Air Balloon has been removed, as it walls Volcarona otherwise. It is also useful for hitting troublesome Rock-types such as Alolan Golem and Diancie when Giga Drain is not used. Giga Drain provides extra coverage and small recovery to aid in the Water and Ground matchups, being able to blast past Pokemon such as Keldeo, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon that resist Fire Blast. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's second most powerful STAB move and is an option over Giga Grain. It is useful in hitting Psychic-types such as Latios and Victini as well as Dark-types such as Hydreigon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to be as fast and as strong as possible, outspeeding Pokemon such as Kyurem-B as well as Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Landorus-T when at +1. Flame Body grants Volcarona a 30% chance to burn foes upon physical contact, crippling physical attackers that risk making contact with Volcarona. Firium Z enables Volcarona to utilize a 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, allowing it to break past Pokemon that typically survive a Fire Blast such as Latios and Mega Venusaur when at +1.
Usage Tips
========
Preserve Volcarona's Inferno Overdrive throughout the battle, as it can only be used once. Utilize it to OHKO Pokemon that typically absorb Volcarona's attacks and threaten to wear it down such as Latios and Armaldo. Look for opportunities throughout the battle to set up Quiver Dance, typically against weakened foes or those that don't pose a threat against Volcarona such as Celesteela. In this same notion, take advantage of forced switches and Choice-locked Pokemon to set up Quiver Dance to more easily sweep through teams. Save Volcarona for the mid- or late-game, after its common offensive and defensive checks have been either weakened or removed from the battle. In the Steel matchup, avoiding setting up with Quiver Dance until after Heatran's Air Balloon has been removed, as Volcarona is unable to touch Heatran otherwise, preventing the clean sweep through Steel. Considering Volcarona has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, avoid bringing it onto the field as much as possible while the entry hazard is up. Volcarona relies on preserving its HP in order to set up and effectively sweep in the mid- or late-game stage of a battle and should thus avoid any unnecessary chip damage as well. Keep Volcarona away from paralysis whenever possible, as it relies on its Speed to outrun and KO opposing Pokemon after setting up Quiver Dance.
Team Options
========
Heracross pairs amazingly well with Volcarona due to its ability to Pursuit trap Heatran, guaranteeing to pop its Air Balloon so that Volcarona can KO it with Hidden Power Ground as it threatens to KO Volcarona with Stone Edge. Armaldo and Forretress provides Rapid Spin support for Volcarona while also setting their own entry hazards to chip down foes. Armaldo also can remove opposing Pokemon's items, such as Choice Scarf and Leftovers, with Knock Off to help minimize Volcarona's checks. Forretress, on the other hand, can safely bring in Volcarona with a Volt Switch on Pokemon it can set up against such as Celesteela and Magnezone. Scizor and Mega Pinsir help eliminate faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu and Keldeo thanks to their strong priority attacks, clearing the way for Volcarona to act as a sweeper. Scizor notably can utilize Pursuit to trap and remove Victini for Volcarona after it has reduced its Speed from V-create as well as remove troublesome Rock-types such as Mega Diancie and Tyranitar with its Steel-type STAB attacks. Mega Scizor is another great partner for Volcarona, as they combine to make a great offensive core. Volcarona can remove the defensive checks to Mega Scizor such as Hippowdon, while Mega Scizor can remove the specially defensive checks to Volcarona such as Chansey. Galvantula provides Sticky Web support for Volcarona to slow down opposing Pokemon, granting Volcarona more setup opportunities while preventing faster revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo from outspeeding it even at +1. Additionally, Galvantula helps check troublesome Water-types such as Toxapex with its STAB Thunder. Araquanid is a secondary Sticky Web setter for Volcarona that can also check Fire-types that resist Volcarona's coverage moves such as Mega Charizard Y. It also can act as a powerful wallbreaker thanks to its decent Attack stat coupled with its ability Water Bubble, effectively doubling the damage of its Liquidation.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bug
--------
Psychium Z can be used over Firium Z in conjunction with Psychic in order to lure in Toxapex and land a KO, eliminating one of Volcarona's common checks. Hidden Power Electric can be used in conjunction with Psychium Z in order to get past Mantine on Water teams. However, Shattered Psyche is significantly weaker than Inferno Overdrive and reduces Volcarona's ability to break past walls. Additionally, Alolan Muk is still able to check Volcarona in the Poison matchup, even after you remove Toxapex.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bug
--------
**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Mega Aerodactyl and Nihilego resist Volcarona's STAB attacks and threaten it with their STAB attacks, easily eliminating it from the battle.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Overly bulky Pokemon such as Chansey and Mantine brush off Volcarona's attacks, easily healing back any damage taken while threatening Volcarona with status moves like Toxic.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Toxapex, Sap Sipper Azumarill, and Araquanid take little damage from Volcarona's coverage moves and whittle it down thanks to their super effective STAB attacks.
**Haze and Phazing Moves**: Volcarona is threatened by Pokemon like Toxapex, Mantine, and Garchomp that carry moves such as Haze and Dragon Tail, which effectively negate its ability to act as a setup sweeper.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Keldeo and Nihilego are able to come in and revenge kill Volcarona even after a Quiver Dance thanks to their high Speed and super effective coverage.
**Priority**: Powerful priority attackers such as Azumarill, Mega Pinsir, and Dragonite threaten to take advantage of Volcarona's low Defense by KOing it after prior chip damage.
**Stealth Rock**: Volcarona's presence in a battle is severely inhibited by its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, and it is very reliant on the hazard being off of the field in order to work as a setup sweeper.
Bug
========
Thanks to its great Speed and Special Attack and access to Quiver Dance, Volcarona is the best special setup sweeper available to Bug and is a very reliable wincon against types that Bug has trouble with such as Steel. Volcarona's Speed allows it to outspeed virtually all unboosted Pokemon when at +1 as well as the entire boosted metagame when at +2. Volcarona's coverage options allow it to hit the majority of Pokemon at least neutrally, aiding its ability to function as a setup sweeper. However, moveslot constraints force it to choose which coverage would best suit the team, leaving Volcarona's moves exploitable by a variety of Pokemon. Its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock compounds Bug's weakness to it and puts even more pressure on Armaldo or Forretress to keep it off of the field. Its Bug / Fire typing is lacking defensively, leaving it extremely threatened by Rock-type coverage as well as common Water-type coverage. However, Volcarona's typing also allows it to take neutral damage from the Fire-type attacks that can be problematic for Bug. Volcarona's Defense is on the lower end and leaves it weak to physical attackers as well as common priority attackers such as Dragonite and Azumarill. On the other hand, Volcarona has high Special Defense, which is boosted even higher after using Quiver Dance, allowing it to check and set up on weak special attackers such as Clefable and Zapdos.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper (Bug)
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Bug Buzz
item: Firium Z
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance is Volcarona's setup move, granting it a +1 boost in Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, allowing it to act as a potent sweeper. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and is used in conjunction with Firium Z to unleash a powerful Inferno Overdrive. Hidden Power Ground is utilized to take care of Heatran once its Air Balloon has been removed, as it walls Volcarona otherwise. It is also useful for hitting troublesome Rock-types such as Alolan Golem and Diancie when Giga Drain is not used. Giga Drain provides extra coverage and small recovery to aid in the Water and Ground matchups, being able to blast past Pokemon such as Keldeo, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon that resist Fire Blast. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's second most powerful STAB move and is an option over Giga Grain. It is useful in hitting Psychic-types such as Latios and Victini as well as Dark-types such as Hydreigon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to be as fast and as strong as possible, outspeeding Pokemon such as Kyurem-B as well as Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Landorus-T when at +1. Flame Body grants Volcarona a 30% chance to burn foes upon physical contact, crippling physical attackers that risk making contact with Volcarona. Firium Z enables Volcarona to utilize a 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, allowing it to break past Pokemon that typically survive a Fire Blast such as Latios and Mega Venusaur when at +1.
Usage Tips
========
Preserve Volcarona's Inferno Overdrive throughout the battle, as it can only be used once. Utilize it to OHKO Pokemon that typically absorb Volcarona's attacks and threaten to wear it down such as Latios and Armaldo. Look for opportunities throughout the battle to set up Quiver Dance, typically against weakened foes or those that don't pose a threat against Volcarona such as Celesteela. In this same notion, take advantage of forced switches and Choice-locked Pokemon to set up Quiver Dance to more easily sweep through teams. Save Volcarona for the mid- or late-game, after its common offensive and defensive checks have been either weakened or removed from the battle. In the Steel matchup, avoiding setting up with Quiver Dance until after Heatran's Air Balloon has been removed, as Volcarona is unable to touch Heatran otherwise, preventing the clean sweep through Steel. Considering Volcarona has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, avoid bringing it onto the field as much as possible while the entry hazard is up. Volcarona relies on preserving its HP in order to set up and effectively sweep in the mid- or late-game stage of a battle and should thus avoid any unnecessary chip damage as well. Keep Volcarona away from paralysis whenever possible, as it relies on its Speed to outrun and KO opposing Pokemon after setting up Quiver Dance.
Team Options
========
Heracross pairs amazingly well with Volcarona due to its ability to Pursuit trap Heatran, guaranteeing to pop its Air Balloon so that Volcarona can KO it with Hidden Power Ground as it threatens to KO Volcarona with Stone Edge. Armaldo and Forretress provides Rapid Spin support for Volcarona while also setting their own entry hazards to chip down foes. Armaldo also can remove opposing Pokemon's items, such as Choice Scarf and Leftovers, with Knock Off to help minimize Volcarona's checks. Forretress, on the other hand, can safely bring in Volcarona with a Volt Switch on Pokemon it can set up against such as Celesteela and Magnezone. Scizor and Mega Pinsir help eliminate faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu and Keldeo thanks to their strong priority attacks, clearing the way for Volcarona to act as a sweeper. Scizor notably can utilize Pursuit to trap and remove Victini for Volcarona after it has reduced its Speed from V-create as well as remove troublesome Rock-types such as Mega Diancie and Tyranitar with its Steel-type STAB attacks. Mega Scizor is another great partner for Volcarona, as they combine to make a great offensive core. Volcarona can remove the defensive checks to Mega Scizor such as Hippowdon, while Mega Scizor can remove the specially defensive checks to Volcarona such as Chansey. Galvantula provides Sticky Web support for Volcarona to slow down opposing Pokemon, granting Volcarona more setup opportunities while preventing faster revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo from outspeeding it even at +1. Additionally, Galvantula helps check troublesome Water-types such as Toxapex with its STAB Thunder. Araquanid is a secondary Sticky Web setter for Volcarona that can also check Fire-types that resist Volcarona's coverage moves such as Mega Charizard Y. It also can act as a powerful wallbreaker thanks to its decent Attack stat coupled with its ability Water Bubble, effectively doubling the damage of its Liquidation.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bug
--------
Psychium Z can be used over Firium Z in conjunction with Psychic in order to lure in Toxapex and land a KO, eliminating one of Volcarona's common checks. Hidden Power Electric can be used in conjunction with Psychium Z in order to get past Mantine on Water teams. However, Shattered Psyche is significantly weaker than Inferno Overdrive and reduces Volcarona's ability to break past walls. Additionally, Alolan Muk is still able to check Volcarona in the Poison matchup, even after you remove Toxapex.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bug
--------
**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Mega Aerodactyl and Nihilego resist Volcarona's STAB attacks and threaten it with their STAB attacks, easily eliminating it from the battle.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Overly bulky Pokemon such as Chansey and Mantine brush off Volcarona's attacks, easily healing back any damage taken while threatening Volcarona with status moves like Toxic.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Toxapex, Sap Sipper Azumarill, and Araquanid take little damage from Volcarona's coverage moves and whittle it down thanks to their super effective STAB attacks.
**Haze and Phazing Moves**: Volcarona is threatened by Pokemon like Toxapex, Mantine, and Garchomp that carry moves such as Haze and Dragon Tail, which effectively negate its ability to act as a setup sweeper.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Keldeo and Nihilego are able to come in and revenge kill Volcarona even after a Quiver Dance thanks to their high Speed and super effective coverage.
**Priority**: Powerful priority attackers such as Azumarill, Mega Pinsir, and Dragonite threaten to take advantage of Volcarona's low Defense by KOing it after prior chip damage.
**Stealth Rock**: Volcarona's presence in a battle is severely inhibited by its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, and it is very reliant on the hazard being off of the field in order to work as a setup sweeper.
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