[OVERVIEW]
Volcarona carves a place for itself in the DOU metagame as both a niche but effective redirector and a powerful setup sweeper. Volcarona's Fire typing lets it safely redirect Steel- and Ice-type moves, which partners like Kyurem-B and Dragapult appreciate, while access to a strong STAB move in Overheat threatens Grass-types like Rillaboom and Tsareena that ignore Rage Powder. Its excellent base 100 Speed outspeeds most common threats, such as Urshifu-R and Kyurem-B, allowing Volcarona to provide effective speed control with Tailwind. Volcarona's strong supporting toolkit pairs well with aggressive partners that enjoy speed control and redirection such as Landorus and Zygarde. Volcarona can also burn through the opposing team as a setup sweeper thanks to a powerful setup move in Quiver Dance and a STAB spread move in Heat Wave. It is difficult to revenge kill, as it outspeeds almost all relevant Pokemon, even Choice Scarf users, at +1 and resists Grassy Glide. Volcarona struggles to threaten bulky Fire- and Water-types like Incineroar, Heatran, Volcanion, and Tapu Fini; Pokemon like Rillaboom and Zeraora can help provide space for Volcarona to set up by offering Fake Out support and breaking down bulky Water-types, while partners such as Landorus and Urshifu-R can help remove Fire-types. Redirectors such as Indeedee-F, Blastoise, and Amoonguss can help facilitate Volcarona's setup with Follow Me or Rage Powder. Unfortunately, no matter what set it runs, Volcarona is still weak to physical threats like Urshifu-R, Incineroar, and Zygarde. Thanks to its weakness to Rock, Volcarona also folds to Rock-types like Diancie and Nihilego, which can easily stomach any attack from Volcarona and OHKO it in return. Additoinally, it is often forced to use Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid being severely crippled by Stealth Rock.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rage Powder
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Tailwind
item: Sitrus Berry / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Rage Powder allows Volcarona to redirect Ice- and Steel-type attacks from Pokemon like Metagross and Kyurem-B, giving partners such as Dragon Dance Dragapult and Kyurem-B and Shift Gear Genesect opportunities to set up safely.
* Overheat is Volcarona's STAB move, and provides Volcarona with an offensive presence by threatening KOs on Pokemon like Genesect and Metagross, as well as massive damage to Rillaboom.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples strong physical attackers such as Urshifu-R, Zygarde, and Dragon Dance Kyurem-B before they have a chance to move.
* Tailwind allows Volcarona to provide speed control and assist strong allies such as Urshifu-R and Landorus.
* Maximum Speed and HP investment with a Timid nature helps Volcarona fulfill its support role by making it as fast and bulky as possible.
* A Sitrus Berry increases Volcarona's longevity; for example, it lets Volcarona survive two Sludge Bombs from a Life Orb Naganadel. Heavy-Duty Boots can also be used, but Support Volcarona is typically sent in early and aggressively.
* Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, such as Rillaboom or Tsareena. It also discourages foes like Zeraora from targeting Volcarona.
[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Protect
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Sitrus Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Speed, bulk, and power, allowing it to sweep late-game. Notably, Volcarona outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, and even most Choice Scarf users, at +1.
* Heat Wave is Volcarona's main attacking spread move, threatening the likes of Rillaboom and Metagross while hitting neutral targets for strong damage after a Quiver Dance.
* Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB move, which also deals more damage to a single target than Heat Wave. It also provides important coverage against Psychic-types like Mew and Necrozma, as well as Fire resistant foes like Incineroar and Zygarde.
* Protect lets Volcarona keep itself safe while its partners, such as Zeraora, enter the field to support it.
* Since Quiver Dance Volcarona is typically reserved for late-game sweeps when Stealth Rock is more likely to be on the field, it appreciates Heavy-Duty Boots to alleviate its weakness to Stealth Rock. A Sitrus Berry can be used to help Volcarona increase its longevity, helping it setup easier against opposing Pokemon.
* 252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature maximizes Volcarona's offensive potential byoutspeeding common offensive threats like Urshifu-R, Kyurem-B and Zygarde, as well as most Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Fini after a Quiver Dance.
* Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, discouraging Fake Out users like Zeraora from targeting it. Additionally, burns can also give Volcarona easier set up opportunities.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Support Volcarona can run Whirlwind to phase out setup sweepers and Trick Room setters before they can set Trick Room. Giga Drain and Psychic are options over Bug Buzz on the Quiver Dance set; Giga Drain at +1 provides an OHKO on Urshifu-R and a 2HKO on Tapu Fini, while Psychic hits foes like Volcanion for more damage than any of its other options.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Crunchman, 546393]]
- Quality checked by: [[dnagerbdager, 531334], [Memoric, 215000]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
Volcarona carves a place for itself in the DOU metagame as both a niche but effective redirector and a powerful setup sweeper. Volcarona's Fire typing lets it safely redirect Steel- and Ice-type moves, which partners like Kyurem-B and Dragapult appreciate, while access to a strong STAB move in Overheat threatens Grass-types like Rillaboom and Tsareena that ignore Rage Powder. Its excellent base 100 Speed outspeeds most common threats, such as Urshifu-R and Kyurem-B, allowing Volcarona to provide effective speed control with Tailwind. Volcarona's strong supporting toolkit pairs well with aggressive partners that enjoy speed control and redirection such as Landorus and Zygarde. Volcarona can also burn through the opposing team as a setup sweeper thanks to a powerful setup move in Quiver Dance and a STAB spread move in Heat Wave. It is difficult to revenge kill, as it outspeeds almost all relevant Pokemon, even Choice Scarf users, at +1 and resists Grassy Glide. Volcarona struggles to threaten bulky Fire- and Water-types like Incineroar, Heatran, Volcanion, and Tapu Fini; Pokemon like Rillaboom and Zeraora can help provide space for Volcarona to set up by offering Fake Out support and breaking down bulky Water-types, while partners such as Landorus and Urshifu-R can help remove Fire-types. Redirectors such as Indeedee-F, Blastoise, and Amoonguss can help facilitate Volcarona's setup with Follow Me or Rage Powder. Unfortunately, no matter what set it runs, Volcarona is still weak to physical threats like Urshifu-R, Incineroar, and Zygarde. Thanks to its weakness to Rock, Volcarona also folds to Rock-types like Diancie and Nihilego, which can easily stomach any attack from Volcarona and OHKO it in return. Additoinally, it is often forced to use Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid being severely crippled by Stealth Rock.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rage Powder
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Tailwind
item: Sitrus Berry / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Rage Powder allows Volcarona to redirect Ice- and Steel-type attacks from Pokemon like Metagross and Kyurem-B, giving partners such as Dragon Dance Dragapult and Kyurem-B and Shift Gear Genesect opportunities to set up safely.
* Overheat is Volcarona's STAB move, and provides Volcarona with an offensive presence by threatening KOs on Pokemon like Genesect and Metagross, as well as massive damage to Rillaboom.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples strong physical attackers such as Urshifu-R, Zygarde, and Dragon Dance Kyurem-B before they have a chance to move.
* Tailwind allows Volcarona to provide speed control and assist strong allies such as Urshifu-R and Landorus.
* Maximum Speed and HP investment with a Timid nature helps Volcarona fulfill its support role by making it as fast and bulky as possible.
* A Sitrus Berry increases Volcarona's longevity; for example, it lets Volcarona survive two Sludge Bombs from a Life Orb Naganadel. Heavy-Duty Boots can also be used, but Support Volcarona is typically sent in early and aggressively.
* Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, such as Rillaboom or Tsareena. It also discourages foes like Zeraora from targeting Volcarona.
[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Protect
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Sitrus Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Speed, bulk, and power, allowing it to sweep late-game. Notably, Volcarona outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, and even most Choice Scarf users, at +1.
* Heat Wave is Volcarona's main attacking spread move, threatening the likes of Rillaboom and Metagross while hitting neutral targets for strong damage after a Quiver Dance.
* Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB move, which also deals more damage to a single target than Heat Wave. It also provides important coverage against Psychic-types like Mew and Necrozma, as well as Fire resistant foes like Incineroar and Zygarde.
* Protect lets Volcarona keep itself safe while its partners, such as Zeraora, enter the field to support it.
* Since Quiver Dance Volcarona is typically reserved for late-game sweeps when Stealth Rock is more likely to be on the field, it appreciates Heavy-Duty Boots to alleviate its weakness to Stealth Rock. A Sitrus Berry can be used to help Volcarona increase its longevity, helping it setup easier against opposing Pokemon.
* 252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature maximizes Volcarona's offensive potential byoutspeeding common offensive threats like Urshifu-R, Kyurem-B and Zygarde, as well as most Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Fini after a Quiver Dance.
* Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, discouraging Fake Out users like Zeraora from targeting it. Additionally, burns can also give Volcarona easier set up opportunities.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Support Volcarona can run Whirlwind to phase out setup sweepers and Trick Room setters before they can set Trick Room. Giga Drain and Psychic are options over Bug Buzz on the Quiver Dance set; Giga Drain at +1 provides an OHKO on Urshifu-R and a 2HKO on Tapu Fini, while Psychic hits foes like Volcanion for more damage than any of its other options.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Crunchman, 546393]]
- Quality checked by: [[dnagerbdager, 531334], [Memoric, 215000]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
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