Yuichi
umu!
[OVERVIEW]
Volcarona's access to Quiver Dance, coupled with a decent Special Attack and Speed, allows it to function as a setup sweeper that can snowball out of control if not stopped. Its diverse coverage options allow it to choose its checks to a certain degree. However, no matter the coverage option it chooses, Volcarona is bound to be walled by a significant number of relevant threats in the Doubles metagame. Volcarona also has a variety of utility moves in its movepool, enabling it to take up a more supportive role with Rage Powder. This allows Volcarona to redirect most attacks away from teammates and makes a great combo with its Fire STAB moves, which let Volcarona remove problematic Grass-types, which cannot have their attacks redirected by Rage Powder. That being said, it is not easy to fit Volcarona onto teams due to the amount of support it requires to function to its fullest potential. Volcarona also faces stiff competition from other, more popular Fire-types, such as Incineroar, Victini, and Volcanion, which can fulfill more useful niches in teams. As a bulky supporter, it has a niche over other popular support options, thanks to its unique combo of utility moves, allowing it to act as a redirection user, provide speed control, and even act as a phazer all in one slot. However, its mediocre physical bulk and poor defensive typing mean that Volcarona can be forced out easily by common physical attackers or bulkier Pokemon that can wall it reliably. The fairly common use of Stealth Rock in the Doubles metagame also makes it hard for Volcarona to function to its fullest potential.
[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Giga Drain / Bug Buzz
move 3: Quiver Dance
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Wiki Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave is the Fire STAB move of choice, allowing Volcarona to hit both targets. Giga Drain allows Volcarona to hit bulky Water-types such as Tapu Fini and Suicune, which otherwise wall it. Bug Buzz is another option over Giga Drain, nabbing 2HKOs on Zygarde and Tyranitar when Volcarona has set up Quiver Dance once. Quiver Dance lets Volcarona boost its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage, allowing it to function as a late-game sweeper once all of its checks have been gotten rid of. Protect is good for scouting moves and stalling out turns, especially if Volcarona has already set up and cannot afford to switch out while its partner gets rid of the threat.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to outspeed Choice Scarf Genesect after a single Quiver Dance and hit as hard as possible. A bulkier spread of 60 Def / 232 SpA / 216 Spe can also be used, allowing Volcarona to take two of Zygarde's Thousand Arrows while maximizing damage output and outspeeding Kyurem-B and Tapu Lele before setup. Flame Body is the ability of choice to make opposing physical attackers think twice before attacking Volcarona. Firium Z gives Volcarona a way to break though bulkier Pokemon even without a Quiver Dance boost, such as Amoonguss and Landorus-T. However, a Wiki Berry can also be used instead to increase Volcarona's longevity and grant it more opportunities to set up.
Usage Tips
========
Volcarona can be brought in mid-game or late-game to set up Quiver Dance and try to seal the game after most of its checks have been gotten rid of. However, it is not mandatory to set up before attacking, as Volcarona can always use its Z-Move as a one-time (AH) nuke to muscle past bulkier Pokemon or to chunk a foe early-game. It should not typically be brought into the field directly, as it is vital to keep it as healthy as possible in order to set up Quiver Dance successfully, so it should only be brought in with a pivot or when an ally faints. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible. Sometimes, it may also be more beneficial for Volcarona to set up a Quiver Dance instead of attacking when its health is low, as this may allow Volcarona to take another special attack and activate its Wiki Berry, restoring its health.
Team Options
========
Water- and Ground-types are often good Volcarona partners, as they help Volcarona remove Rock- and Fire-types, which could be problematic for Volcarona. Araquanid in particular deserves a special mention due to its access to Wide Guard, shielding Volcarona from spread moves such as Rock Slide and Thousand Arrows. Especially when not carrying Giga Drain, Volcarona appreciates Electric- or Grass-type partners such as Tapu Koko and Kartana, which can break through bulky Water-types with their respective STAB moves. Intimidate users like Landorus-T help prolong Volcarona's longevity by giving Volcarona an easier time setting up in front of physical attackers. Fake Out users such as Zeraora and Mew are also able give Volcarona opportunities to set up Quiver Dance. Defog users, such as Mew, Tapu Fini, and Landorus-T, are nearly mandatory on teams with Volcarona to help get rid of Stealth Rock, which poses a serious threat to Volcarona's survivability and functionality. Kyurem-B is another good partner for Volcarona, helping remove Dragon-types and physical attackers such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, allowing Volcarona to set up smoothly.
[SET]
name: Bulky Support
move 1: Heat Wave / Overheat
move 2: Rage Powder
move 3: Tailwind / Whirlwind
move 4: Protect / Whirlwind
item: Wiki Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: Modest
evs: 240 HP / 168 Def / 56 SpA / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave allows Volcarona to deal good damage to both foes thanks to its high base Special Attack and the move's STAB, especially against Grass-types such as Tapu Bulu and Kartana, which cannot have their attacks redirected by Rage Powder. Overheat can be used as an alternative option to grab a OHKO on bulkier Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Amoonguss. Rage Powder is useful for redirecting moves away from Volcarona's teammates while threatening physical attackers with a burn in the process. Tailwind lets Volcarona provide a form of speed control for its teammates. Protect helps Volcarona scout opposing sets and shields it from Fake Out. Whirlwind can also be used in place of either Tailwind or Protect in order to stop Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Cresselia from setting Trick Room or to remove setup sweepers such as Tapu Fini and Zygarde from the field.
Set Details
========
The given HP and Defense investments enable Volcarona to survive Mega Metagross's Psychic Terrain-boosted Zen Headbutt and activate its Wiki Berry. 44 EVs in Speed let Volcarona outspeed Choice Scarf Victini in Tailwind. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to maximize Volcarona's offensive capabilities while retaining its defensive benchmarks. Flame Body punishes contact attackers that Volcarona redirects.
Usage Tips
========
Volcarona can be brought in early-game to set up Tailwind or to stop Trick Room from getting up with Whirlwind. Volcarona can also be hard switched into resisted contact moves for a chance of inflicting burns on the attacking Pokemon thanks to Flame Body. It is also a good idea to bring Volcarona into the field to help support a setup sweeper such as Zygarde or a glass cannon such as Deoxys-A with Rage Powder. However, it is worth noting that spread moves, such as Thousand Arrows and Icy Wind, are not affected by Rage Powder, so be sure to use it wisely. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible.
Team Options
========
Fairy-types such as the Island Guardians and Pokemon weak to Steel such as Kyurem-B appreciate Volcarona's ability to KO Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Kartana. Pokemon with middling Speed tiers, such as Tapu Lele and Kyurem-B, benefit from the speed control provided by Tailwind. Defog users such as Mew and Tapu Fini make great partners with Volcarona by removing Stealth Rock, allowing Volcarona to do its job properly. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T also help make up for Volcarona's poor physical bulk and increase its longevity. Setup sweepers, especially those weak to Ice- and Fairy-type attacks such as Zygarde, Mega Latias, and Kommo-o, value Volcarona's ability to redirect such attacks away while they set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Buginium Z can also be used in conjunction with Swarm and Bug Buzz on the Quiver Dance set in order to net KOs on unsuspecting Incineroar, Tyranitar, and Victini at +1. Fiery Dance can be used as a more accurate alternative over Heat Wave on the Quiver Dance set as well as for a chance at getting a Special Attack boost, although it is worth noting that it has lower Base Power and will also result in a weaker Inferno Overdrive. Flamethrower and Fire Blast can also replace Heat Wave on the Quiver Dance set, with the latter being able to OHKO Mega Metagross without any boosts, though it is risky due to its low accuracy. In addition, all three fail to deal spread damage and are thus less likely to clean than Heat Wave. Hidden Power Ice can replace Giga Drain or Bug Buzz to OHKO a chipped Mega Salamence or Landorus-T. Incinerate has some use in helping to remove Berries from common Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Incineroar.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Volcanion, and Suicune are annoying for Volcarona to face, as they are able to take most of Volcarona's attacks comfortably and hit back with a strong STAB move or annoy Volcarona with Snarl. That being said, Tapu Fini and Suicune need to watch out for Quiver Dance Volcarona carrying Giga Drain to avoid getting chunked.
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Incineroar, Mega Charizard Y, and Victini are able to take all of Volcarona's attacks comfortably and deal reasonable damage back with their Fire-type STAB attacks.
**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Diancie are all able to take a Giga Drain or two from Volcarona and hit back with their respective STAB attacks, OHKOing Volcarona a majority of the time. Common Rock coverage users such as Landorus-T also threaten Volcarona greatly.
**Dragon-types**: Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Kommo-o often have no trouble taking Volcarona's attacks and can deal huge damage back with their STAB attacks or set up in front of Volcarona. Mega Salamence in particular can also counter both of Volcarona's sets unless Volcarona is carrying the rare Hidden Power Ice.
**Strong Physical Attackers**: Volcarona's poor physical bulk means that it cannot stay in against some strong physical attackers such as Incineroar and Landorus-T. Staying in recklessly on such Pokemon means that Volcarona might get 2HKOed easily.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock is extremely threatening to Volcarona and can chunk Volcarona upon switching in, pushing it into KO range of opposing Pokemon.
**Spread Attackers**: Common spread attackers such as Zygarde and Mega Charizard Y can ignore Volcarona's attempts to redirect their respective spread STAB moves, rendering Rage Powder useless.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yuichii, 435812]]
- Quality checked by: [[Majorbowman,188164], [talkingtree, 232101]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [talkingtree, 232101]]
Volcarona's access to Quiver Dance, coupled with a decent Special Attack and Speed, allows it to function as a setup sweeper that can snowball out of control if not stopped. Its diverse coverage options allow it to choose its checks to a certain degree. However, no matter the coverage option it chooses, Volcarona is bound to be walled by a significant number of relevant threats in the Doubles metagame. Volcarona also has a variety of utility moves in its movepool, enabling it to take up a more supportive role with Rage Powder. This allows Volcarona to redirect most attacks away from teammates and makes a great combo with its Fire STAB moves, which let Volcarona remove problematic Grass-types, which cannot have their attacks redirected by Rage Powder. That being said, it is not easy to fit Volcarona onto teams due to the amount of support it requires to function to its fullest potential. Volcarona also faces stiff competition from other, more popular Fire-types, such as Incineroar, Victini, and Volcanion, which can fulfill more useful niches in teams. As a bulky supporter, it has a niche over other popular support options, thanks to its unique combo of utility moves, allowing it to act as a redirection user, provide speed control, and even act as a phazer all in one slot. However, its mediocre physical bulk and poor defensive typing mean that Volcarona can be forced out easily by common physical attackers or bulkier Pokemon that can wall it reliably. The fairly common use of Stealth Rock in the Doubles metagame also makes it hard for Volcarona to function to its fullest potential.
[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Giga Drain / Bug Buzz
move 3: Quiver Dance
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Wiki Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave is the Fire STAB move of choice, allowing Volcarona to hit both targets. Giga Drain allows Volcarona to hit bulky Water-types such as Tapu Fini and Suicune, which otherwise wall it. Bug Buzz is another option over Giga Drain, nabbing 2HKOs on Zygarde and Tyranitar when Volcarona has set up Quiver Dance once. Quiver Dance lets Volcarona boost its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage, allowing it to function as a late-game sweeper once all of its checks have been gotten rid of. Protect is good for scouting moves and stalling out turns, especially if Volcarona has already set up and cannot afford to switch out while its partner gets rid of the threat.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to outspeed Choice Scarf Genesect after a single Quiver Dance and hit as hard as possible. A bulkier spread of 60 Def / 232 SpA / 216 Spe can also be used, allowing Volcarona to take two of Zygarde's Thousand Arrows while maximizing damage output and outspeeding Kyurem-B and Tapu Lele before setup. Flame Body is the ability of choice to make opposing physical attackers think twice before attacking Volcarona. Firium Z gives Volcarona a way to break though bulkier Pokemon even without a Quiver Dance boost, such as Amoonguss and Landorus-T. However, a Wiki Berry can also be used instead to increase Volcarona's longevity and grant it more opportunities to set up.
Usage Tips
========
Volcarona can be brought in mid-game or late-game to set up Quiver Dance and try to seal the game after most of its checks have been gotten rid of. However, it is not mandatory to set up before attacking, as Volcarona can always use its Z-Move as a one-time (AH) nuke to muscle past bulkier Pokemon or to chunk a foe early-game. It should not typically be brought into the field directly, as it is vital to keep it as healthy as possible in order to set up Quiver Dance successfully, so it should only be brought in with a pivot or when an ally faints. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible. Sometimes, it may also be more beneficial for Volcarona to set up a Quiver Dance instead of attacking when its health is low, as this may allow Volcarona to take another special attack and activate its Wiki Berry, restoring its health.
Team Options
========
Water- and Ground-types are often good Volcarona partners, as they help Volcarona remove Rock- and Fire-types, which could be problematic for Volcarona. Araquanid in particular deserves a special mention due to its access to Wide Guard, shielding Volcarona from spread moves such as Rock Slide and Thousand Arrows. Especially when not carrying Giga Drain, Volcarona appreciates Electric- or Grass-type partners such as Tapu Koko and Kartana, which can break through bulky Water-types with their respective STAB moves. Intimidate users like Landorus-T help prolong Volcarona's longevity by giving Volcarona an easier time setting up in front of physical attackers. Fake Out users such as Zeraora and Mew are also able give Volcarona opportunities to set up Quiver Dance. Defog users, such as Mew, Tapu Fini, and Landorus-T, are nearly mandatory on teams with Volcarona to help get rid of Stealth Rock, which poses a serious threat to Volcarona's survivability and functionality. Kyurem-B is another good partner for Volcarona, helping remove Dragon-types and physical attackers such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, allowing Volcarona to set up smoothly.
[SET]
name: Bulky Support
move 1: Heat Wave / Overheat
move 2: Rage Powder
move 3: Tailwind / Whirlwind
move 4: Protect / Whirlwind
item: Wiki Berry
ability: Flame Body
nature: Modest
evs: 240 HP / 168 Def / 56 SpA / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave allows Volcarona to deal good damage to both foes thanks to its high base Special Attack and the move's STAB, especially against Grass-types such as Tapu Bulu and Kartana, which cannot have their attacks redirected by Rage Powder. Overheat can be used as an alternative option to grab a OHKO on bulkier Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Amoonguss. Rage Powder is useful for redirecting moves away from Volcarona's teammates while threatening physical attackers with a burn in the process. Tailwind lets Volcarona provide a form of speed control for its teammates. Protect helps Volcarona scout opposing sets and shields it from Fake Out. Whirlwind can also be used in place of either Tailwind or Protect in order to stop Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Cresselia from setting Trick Room or to remove setup sweepers such as Tapu Fini and Zygarde from the field.
Set Details
========
The given HP and Defense investments enable Volcarona to survive Mega Metagross's Psychic Terrain-boosted Zen Headbutt and activate its Wiki Berry. 44 EVs in Speed let Volcarona outspeed Choice Scarf Victini in Tailwind. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to maximize Volcarona's offensive capabilities while retaining its defensive benchmarks. Flame Body punishes contact attackers that Volcarona redirects.
Usage Tips
========
Volcarona can be brought in early-game to set up Tailwind or to stop Trick Room from getting up with Whirlwind. Volcarona can also be hard switched into resisted contact moves for a chance of inflicting burns on the attacking Pokemon thanks to Flame Body. It is also a good idea to bring Volcarona into the field to help support a setup sweeper such as Zygarde or a glass cannon such as Deoxys-A with Rage Powder. However, it is worth noting that spread moves, such as Thousand Arrows and Icy Wind, are not affected by Rage Powder, so be sure to use it wisely. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible.
Team Options
========
Fairy-types such as the Island Guardians and Pokemon weak to Steel such as Kyurem-B appreciate Volcarona's ability to KO Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Kartana. Pokemon with middling Speed tiers, such as Tapu Lele and Kyurem-B, benefit from the speed control provided by Tailwind. Defog users such as Mew and Tapu Fini make great partners with Volcarona by removing Stealth Rock, allowing Volcarona to do its job properly. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T also help make up for Volcarona's poor physical bulk and increase its longevity. Setup sweepers, especially those weak to Ice- and Fairy-type attacks such as Zygarde, Mega Latias, and Kommo-o, value Volcarona's ability to redirect such attacks away while they set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Buginium Z can also be used in conjunction with Swarm and Bug Buzz on the Quiver Dance set in order to net KOs on unsuspecting Incineroar, Tyranitar, and Victini at +1. Fiery Dance can be used as a more accurate alternative over Heat Wave on the Quiver Dance set as well as for a chance at getting a Special Attack boost, although it is worth noting that it has lower Base Power and will also result in a weaker Inferno Overdrive. Flamethrower and Fire Blast can also replace Heat Wave on the Quiver Dance set, with the latter being able to OHKO Mega Metagross without any boosts, though it is risky due to its low accuracy. In addition, all three fail to deal spread damage and are thus less likely to clean than Heat Wave. Hidden Power Ice can replace Giga Drain or Bug Buzz to OHKO a chipped Mega Salamence or Landorus-T. Incinerate has some use in helping to remove Berries from common Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Incineroar.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Volcanion, and Suicune are annoying for Volcarona to face, as they are able to take most of Volcarona's attacks comfortably and hit back with a strong STAB move or annoy Volcarona with Snarl. That being said, Tapu Fini and Suicune need to watch out for Quiver Dance Volcarona carrying Giga Drain to avoid getting chunked.
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Incineroar, Mega Charizard Y, and Victini are able to take all of Volcarona's attacks comfortably and deal reasonable damage back with their Fire-type STAB attacks.
**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Diancie are all able to take a Giga Drain or two from Volcarona and hit back with their respective STAB attacks, OHKOing Volcarona a majority of the time. Common Rock coverage users such as Landorus-T also threaten Volcarona greatly.
**Dragon-types**: Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Kommo-o often have no trouble taking Volcarona's attacks and can deal huge damage back with their STAB attacks or set up in front of Volcarona. Mega Salamence in particular can also counter both of Volcarona's sets unless Volcarona is carrying the rare Hidden Power Ice.
**Strong Physical Attackers**: Volcarona's poor physical bulk means that it cannot stay in against some strong physical attackers such as Incineroar and Landorus-T. Staying in recklessly on such Pokemon means that Volcarona might get 2HKOed easily.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock is extremely threatening to Volcarona and can chunk Volcarona upon switching in, pushing it into KO range of opposing Pokemon.
**Spread Attackers**: Common spread attackers such as Zygarde and Mega Charizard Y can ignore Volcarona's attempts to redirect their respective spread STAB moves, rendering Rage Powder useless.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yuichii, 435812]]
- Quality checked by: [[Majorbowman,188164], [talkingtree, 232101]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [talkingtree, 232101]]
Last edited: