Aaronboyer
Something Worth Fighting For
uploaded -zard
QC: Yogibears / Allstarapology / Megazard
GP: TheDutchPlumberJack / Lotiasite
[OVERVIEW]
Volbeat is one of the tier's best weather setters due to Prankster, decent bulk, and key resistances to Ground and Fighting. Access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day makes Volbeat a superb choice for hyper offensive rain and sun teams alike. Additionally, Volbeat has an array of utility support options like Defog, Thunder Wave, Encore and Roost, as well as U-turn for pivoting. However, Volbeat suffers from a weakness to Stealth Rock and being incredibly passive, meaning it can usually only get up sun or rain twice per game.
[SET]
name: Weather Setter
move 1: Sunny Day / Rain Dance
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Encore
item: Heat Rock / Damp Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sunny Day or Rain Dance assists teammates by setting up the chosen weather with +1 priority thanks to Prankster. U-turn gives Volbeat a slow pivoting move, potentially allowing a teammate to come in unscathed. Thunder Wave cripples the opposing Pokemon, lowering their Speed and potentially giving Volbeat momentum if they get fully paralyzed. Encore helps Volbeat gain momentum by locking the foe into a non-attacking move like Swords Dance or Defog, generating free turns.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs with a Relaxed nature help Volbeat take incoming physical attacks, particularly Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, to the best of its ability. A Speed-lowering nature with 0 Speed IVs helps Volbeat underspeed Pokemon such as Lanturn and defensive Mesprit so that a teammate can be pivoted in for free with U-turn. Prankster gives Volbeat's status moves +1 priority, allowing it to move before certain Taunt users like Archeops and Pyroar and making it an extremely reliable weather setter. Heat Rock or Damp Rock extends the duration of the moves Sunny Day or Rain Dance from five turns to eight turns.
Usage Tips
========
Volbeat is primarily used as a weather setter on hyper offensive weather teams and should only be brought in when the duration of sun or rain has ended or is about to end. Volbeat's main priority should be to set up sun or rain and U-turn out right after. Despite the investment into Volbeat's defensive stats, its bulk is still lackluster; thus, one should switch Volbeat in cautiously when the opponent is predicted to switch or go for a resisted hit, since hyper offensive teams rely heavily on their chosen weather being set up. Volbeat can also be brought in after a teammate has fainted, giving it a free setup turn. There are some Pokemon Volbeat just cannot underspeed, such as Drampa and Gurdurr; in these situations, it's best to stay and let Volbeat faint than to U-turn and let one of your hyper offensive sweepers take a massive hit. In the case of Gurdurr, you may be able to Encore it into a non-attacking move like Bulk Up, allowing you then to safely pivot into a teammate. Encore is able to generate free turns for teammates or force a switch while also keeping setup sweepers checked.
Team Options
========
Volbeat should be used alongside a secondary weather setter, so Pokemon like Mesprit and Liepard are appreciated. For teams utilizing Volbeat's Sunny Day, Chlorophyll sweepers and Fire-types such as Victreebel, Sawsbuck, and Pyroar appreciate having their Speed doubled or their STAB moves boosted. Partners for Rain Dance Volbeat are usually Pokemon with the ability Swift Swim, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, and Carracosta.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A more defensive set utilizing Defog and Roost can be used, but Volbeat is weak to the very entry hazards it's trying to remove and Defog doesn't work against opposing Dark-types due to Prankster. Tailwind + U-turn can help support slower offensive teammates such as Pinsir and Ursaring, but Tailwind has a short duration, and Volbeat is usually outclassed in this regard by bulkier pivots with Tailwind such as Lumineon and various Silvally formes. A specially defensive spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD and a Sassy nature can be run but doesn't take advantage of Volbeat's key resistances to Fighting and Ground as well as a physically defensive spread does. Toxic can cripple a foe by slowly draining their health, but it doesn't help hyper offensive sun and rain teams to nearly the same extent as Thunder Wave does.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Strong Attackers**: While many super effective move users like Carracosta, Magmortar, Archeops, and Swanna dislike being paralyzed by Thunder Wave, their STAB attacks can easily break through Volbeat's average-at-best defensive stats. Volbeat also has difficulty against strong wallbreakers like Drampa.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Pyroar, Lycanroc, and Skuntank can all limit Volbeat to use of only one status move before having to pivot. Faster Prankster Taunt users like Liepard can prevent Volbeat from doing anything at all.
**Residual Damage**: Entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes can chip away at Volbeat's health, possibly preventing it from setting up sun or rain more than one time per match. Toxic and other forms of residual damage also chip away at Volbeat's health throughout the duration of the match.
**Opposing Weather**: Abomasnow, Aurorus, and Hippopotas undo Volbeat's work of setting up the chosen weather by means of their abilities Snow Warning and Sand Stream.
QC: Yogibears / Allstarapology / Megazard
GP: TheDutchPlumberJack / Lotiasite
[OVERVIEW]
Volbeat is one of the tier's best weather setters due to Prankster, decent bulk, and key resistances to Ground and Fighting. Access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day makes Volbeat a superb choice for hyper offensive rain and sun teams alike. Additionally, Volbeat has an array of utility support options like Defog, Thunder Wave, Encore and Roost, as well as U-turn for pivoting. However, Volbeat suffers from a weakness to Stealth Rock and being incredibly passive, meaning it can usually only get up sun or rain twice per game.
[SET]
name: Weather Setter
move 1: Sunny Day / Rain Dance
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Encore
item: Heat Rock / Damp Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sunny Day or Rain Dance assists teammates by setting up the chosen weather with +1 priority thanks to Prankster. U-turn gives Volbeat a slow pivoting move, potentially allowing a teammate to come in unscathed. Thunder Wave cripples the opposing Pokemon, lowering their Speed and potentially giving Volbeat momentum if they get fully paralyzed. Encore helps Volbeat gain momentum by locking the foe into a non-attacking move like Swords Dance or Defog, generating free turns.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs with a Relaxed nature help Volbeat take incoming physical attacks, particularly Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, to the best of its ability. A Speed-lowering nature with 0 Speed IVs helps Volbeat underspeed Pokemon such as Lanturn and defensive Mesprit so that a teammate can be pivoted in for free with U-turn. Prankster gives Volbeat's status moves +1 priority, allowing it to move before certain Taunt users like Archeops and Pyroar and making it an extremely reliable weather setter. Heat Rock or Damp Rock extends the duration of the moves Sunny Day or Rain Dance from five turns to eight turns.
Usage Tips
========
Volbeat is primarily used as a weather setter on hyper offensive weather teams and should only be brought in when the duration of sun or rain has ended or is about to end. Volbeat's main priority should be to set up sun or rain and U-turn out right after. Despite the investment into Volbeat's defensive stats, its bulk is still lackluster; thus, one should switch Volbeat in cautiously when the opponent is predicted to switch or go for a resisted hit, since hyper offensive teams rely heavily on their chosen weather being set up. Volbeat can also be brought in after a teammate has fainted, giving it a free setup turn. There are some Pokemon Volbeat just cannot underspeed, such as Drampa and Gurdurr; in these situations, it's best to stay and let Volbeat faint than to U-turn and let one of your hyper offensive sweepers take a massive hit. In the case of Gurdurr, you may be able to Encore it into a non-attacking move like Bulk Up, allowing you then to safely pivot into a teammate. Encore is able to generate free turns for teammates or force a switch while also keeping setup sweepers checked.
Team Options
========
Volbeat should be used alongside a secondary weather setter, so Pokemon like Mesprit and Liepard are appreciated. For teams utilizing Volbeat's Sunny Day, Chlorophyll sweepers and Fire-types such as Victreebel, Sawsbuck, and Pyroar appreciate having their Speed doubled or their STAB moves boosted. Partners for Rain Dance Volbeat are usually Pokemon with the ability Swift Swim, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, and Carracosta.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A more defensive set utilizing Defog and Roost can be used, but Volbeat is weak to the very entry hazards it's trying to remove and Defog doesn't work against opposing Dark-types due to Prankster. Tailwind + U-turn can help support slower offensive teammates such as Pinsir and Ursaring, but Tailwind has a short duration, and Volbeat is usually outclassed in this regard by bulkier pivots with Tailwind such as Lumineon and various Silvally formes. A specially defensive spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD and a Sassy nature can be run but doesn't take advantage of Volbeat's key resistances to Fighting and Ground as well as a physically defensive spread does. Toxic can cripple a foe by slowly draining their health, but it doesn't help hyper offensive sun and rain teams to nearly the same extent as Thunder Wave does.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Strong Attackers**: While many super effective move users like Carracosta, Magmortar, Archeops, and Swanna dislike being paralyzed by Thunder Wave, their STAB attacks can easily break through Volbeat's average-at-best defensive stats. Volbeat also has difficulty against strong wallbreakers like Drampa.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Pyroar, Lycanroc, and Skuntank can all limit Volbeat to use of only one status move before having to pivot. Faster Prankster Taunt users like Liepard can prevent Volbeat from doing anything at all.
**Residual Damage**: Entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes can chip away at Volbeat's health, possibly preventing it from setting up sun or rain more than one time per match. Toxic and other forms of residual damage also chip away at Volbeat's health throughout the duration of the match.
**Opposing Weather**: Abomasnow, Aurorus, and Hippopotas undo Volbeat's work of setting up the chosen weather by means of their abilities Snow Warning and Sand Stream.
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