phantom
Banned deucer.
Vileplume
[Overview]
<p>Vileplume has a combination of traits that make it worthy of a teamslot; these traits include a Grass / Poison typing, solid physical bulk, a good support movepool, and a high Special Attack. With its well-rounded bulk and useful typing, it can check some of NU's most powerful sweepers, such as Samurott, Primeape, Serperior, and Eelektross. Unfortunately, Vileplume's typing also inflicts it with painful weaknesses to common Flying-, Psychic-, and Ice-type attacks. It also faces stiff competition as an offensive and defensive Pokemon from the likes of Victreebel and Roselia, respectively. While it's not always going to be the star of the show, Vileplume's unique attributes make it a solid contender on any balanced or stall team in need of a little flower power.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Moonlight
move 2: Aromatherapy / Sleep Powder
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a good typing, reliable recovery, and solid resistances, Vileplume can run an effective physically defensive set. Moonlight is a given, as it allows Vileplume to heal itself throughout the course of the match and works great in ensuring that it outlives what it checks and counters. Aromatherapy is geared towards more stall-orientated teams; waking a teammate that has previously used Rest and removing the dreaded poison, but it can be just as effective on offensive teams by ridding fast sweepers such as Kangaskhan of paralysis and removing crippling burns on physical attackers. Sleep Powder is an excellent status move, as it allows Vileplume to often cripple a potential threat for the remainder of the match. Giga Drain is Vileplume's best defensive STAB, inflicting respectable amounts of damage on threats such as Samurott while simultaneously regaining health. Sludge Bomb deals with most Pokemon resistant or immune to Vileplume's Grass-type STAB, including Tangela, Sap Sipper Sawsbuck, and Charizard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Most of the EVs go into Defense so that Vileplume can reliably take advantage of its Fighting-type resistance to beat Sawk and Primeape. The 44 Special Defense EVs allow Vileplume to take random Ice Beams more effectively. For example, Vileplume will always survive Life Orb Gorebyss's Ice Beam, even after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Grumpig is one of Vileplume's best defensive partners, given its ability to tank Fire-, Psychic-, and Ice-type attacks, which lets it walk all over Jynx and Torkoal. It also appreciates status affliction relief that Vileplume can provide with Aromatherapy. Piloswine also works as an effective partner, as it can set up Stealth Rock and sponge any Ice-type moves. In return, Vileplume can take Grass-, Fighting-, and Water-type moves aimed at it. Another Ground-type that pairs well with Vileplume is Camerupt. Camerupt can roast troublesome Steel- and Ice-types, while Vileplume can sap the life out of opposing Water-types. Alomomola also works as a fine partner by tanking physical Fire- and Flying-type attacks, while Vileplume can return the favor by sponging physical Electric-, Fighting-, and Grass-type attacks. Finally, Regirock and Regice can beat Pokemon that trouble Vileplume; Regirock can take on Swellow, Braviary, and Charizard, while Regice has no difficulty inflicting pain on Rotom-S, Haunter, and Golbat.</p>
<p>Vileplume can also work just as effectively on more balanced teams. Here, offensive partners such as Sawk work well for their ability to demolish opposing Ice- and Steel-types that trouble Vileplume. Skuntank also makes a good partner, given its ability to Pursuit trap pesky Psychic-types. Vileplume can even aid Skuntank with Aromatherapy support or act as a shock absorber for Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Carracosta and Seismitoad also appreciate Vileplume's ability to tank Grass-type attacks aimed at them. Another Water-type that's fond of Vileplume's presence is Samurott; they cover each other's weaknesses well and, as a result, can appropriately deal with each other's checks and counters.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Moonlight
item: Life Orb
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Modest
evs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>An offensive set might seem odd given Vileplume's low base Speed; however, it has a few key features over its competitors: great bulk, access to a reliable recovery move, Sleep Powder, and a surprisingly high Special Attack. Sleep Powder is one Vileplume's main perks, as it allows it to cripple any Pokemon resistant to its attacks, such as Golbat, Weezing, and Skuntank. Giga Drain forms an exceptional combination with Life Orb given its capability to nullify recoil damage and keep the offensive momentum going. Sludge Bomb is Vileplume's most powerful Poison-type STAB and can serve as a battering ram when dealing with Grass-type resists such as Roselia, Sawsbuck, and Charizard. With Moonlight, Vileplume can act more as a defensive tank, not being worn out by either Life Orb recoil or entry hazard damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is designed to outspeed minimum Speed Tangela and other uninvested base 60s. The EVs maximize Special Attack while the remainder is put into HP so that Vileplume can function as a bulky attacker of sorts. Vileplume has one other option it could use: Hidden Power Ground. With Hidden Power Ground, Vileplume can maim Skuntank and Metang on the switch, two Pokemon that wall it otherwise.</p>
<p>Vileplume's appreciation for Stealth Rock support couldn't be any more pronounced. With the pointed stones up, Vileplume has the capability to OHKO Jynx, Swellow, and Charizard on the switch with Sludge Bomb. Not only that, but with Stealth Rock jabbing away at its opponent, it can OHKO offensive Regirock with Giga Drain and Skuntank with Hidden Power Ground. Supportive variations of Carracosta and Seismitoad both make excellent partners to set up Stealth Rock and generally have good synergy with Vileplume. While Skuntank is normally considered a nemesis, it can form a superb partnership with Vileplume, as its Pursuit trapping utility can come in handy when dealing with Psychic-types such as Hypno, Gardevoir, and Musharna. In exchange, Vileplume can destroy opposing Ground-types that trouble Skuntank. Finally, Spikes support from the likes of Scolipede isn't quite necessary, but Vileplume can pose an even bigger offensive threat with it, as it can then OHKO defensive Regirock and Ludicolo with Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb, respectively.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Leech Seed is generally an excellent support move; however, Vileplume only has access to it through an event and has to sacrifice Effect Spore to use it. A physical sweeping set consisting of Drain Punch, Seed Bomb, Return, and Swords Dance can work, but it is outclassed by Cacturne; moreover, Vileplume is too slow too pull it off consistently. Toxic and Stun Spore are both plausible options; however, using them is unadvised for a few reasons: Sleep Powder is usually the superior status move, Effect Spore can already inflict poison and paralysis, and Vileplume just doesn't have any moveslots to spare. Vileplume can put its hula skills to the test with Teeter Dance or Petal Dance, but as mentioned previously, Vileplume is strapped for moveslots as it is, so these options are generally not recommended. Finally, Vileplume can attempt to use a Chlorophyll set to sweep, but it is outclassed by almost every other Chlorophyll user in NU.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Hypno is quite possibly the best counter to Vileplume, as it is immune to Sleep Powder and its gargantuan Special Defense allows it to survive even Life Orb-boosted attacks; Hypno can then obliterate Vileplume with Psychic. Sleep Powder can make Vileplume a little tricky to counter; however, after Sleep Clause has been activated, it's much easier to manage. Articuno, Golbat, Mandibuzz, Regice, and Weezing all make solid counters, as all five take very little from any of Vileplume's attacks and can decimate it with their STAB moves. Opposing Poison-types, such as Roselia and Skuntank, make for solid checks. Roselia and Skuntank can beat defensive Vileplume, although offensive variants can threaten Roselia with repeated Sludge Bombs and Skuntank with Hidden Power Ground. Speaking of Hidden Power Ground, if Vileplume lacks the move, Steel- and Poison-types such as Bastiodon, Mawile, Metang, Scolipede, and Garbodor can all deal with it.</p>
<p>Magmar is one of the better offensive checks to Vileplume, given its resistance to Giga Drain and immunity to Sleep Powder, although it won't enjoy taking a Life Orb-boosted Sludge Bomb or Hidden Power Ground. Jynx and Charizard can take any attack (provided Stealth Rock is not up) and OHKO with their high-powered STABs. Musharna can OHKO Vileplume with Psychic and tank at least one attack, making it a good check. Use care when switching it in however, as it will be outsped and 2HKOed if it switches into a Vileplume that has entry hazard support. Finally, powerful Flying-, Ice-, and Fire-types such as Braviary, Rotom-S, Rotom-F, and Camerupt can all take on Vileplume, though they all share the same fate as the previous offensive threats if they switch into the wrong move.</p>
Skeleton said:[Overview]
[SET]
- great poison/grass typing gives it resistances and ability to absorb Toxic spikes, makes a good wall with its decent bulk too
- good support movepool consisting of aromatherapy and sleep powder
- defensive sets aren't setup bait due to having respectable offensive presence
- faces lots of competition from other grass-types - shiftry offensively, tangela and roselia defensively
- typing is a double-edged swords, making it weak to psychic- and flying-type moves
- overall a good pokemon and always solid, though not great
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Moonlight
move 2: Aromatherapy / Sleep Powder
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Black Sludge
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Moonlight can works as reliable recovery and lets vileplume stay for an exteneded time through the course of the match
it also lets it come in and consistently wall sawk (provided it doesn't switch into a CB ice punch)- good wall for teams that need to check samurott, primape and a load of other water- and fighting-types
- Aromatherapy to remove status and can help relieve teammates
- Sludge bomb to damage and does a good chunk uninvested as it's a good weapon against grass-types such as serperior and tangela
- Sleep Powder is cool for knocking out a single poke
- Giga Drain is a useful secondary stab against water-types
[SET]
- Defenses evs needed to beat fighting-types special defense evs lets vile take ice beams better
- works well on teams are in need of a physical grass-type that can provide cleric support
- pairs well with grumpig, as the two cover each other's weaknesses well
- partners well with piloswine, Regice, Camerupt, and Regirock for the same reason
- Vileplume can help defensive teammates such as grumpig and mola by taking away status
name: Offensive
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Moonlight / Hidden Power Ground
item: Life Orb
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Modest
evs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- strong, bulky, gand ood coverage make it a great offensive and defensive pokemon
- Sleep Powder can potentially cripple a counter or incoming offensive threat
- giga drain is the best stab and can offset lo recoil
- moonlight lets vileplume recover off any lo damage giga drain cannot cover
- sludge bomb nails grass-types like tangela and cacturne
- hidden power ground maims poison types and fire-types such as torkal
[Other Options]
- outspeed minimum speed tangela with the evs
- pairs well with dark-types like skuntank to remove musharna and fighting-types like sawk and primape to get rid of ice-types regice and metang, all those Pokemon could
otherwise be troublesome- pairs well with golurk and piloswine offensively too as they can deal with poison types if not running HP ground
- entry hazard support from golem and scolipede is helpful to break down the opposing team
[Checks and Counters]
- Swords dance
- toxic
- eech seed, though it has to sacrifice effect spore
- stun spore
- teeter dance
- petal dance
- sunny day + chlorophyll
- kinda hard to counter before sleep clause
- after sleap clause weezing, articuno, golbat, and regice make solid counters
- Jynx and charixard make solid offensive checks
- fire-types like camerupt and ice-types like rotom-f to a lesser extent
- briviary can use it as setup bait
- flying types like rotom-s can beat it too
- psychic-types such as musharna can destroy it
- poison-types such as Skuntank, Scoliepede, and Garbodor beat it w/o HP Ground Roselia can beat defensive versions
- steel-types like metang, mawile, and bastiodon can beat it if it lacks hp ground