Volcarona's good defensive typing and Quiver Dance make it a threatening late-game sweeper. Its significant bulk with a Defense donation lets it find many opportunities to set up against passive Pokemon such as RegenVest Reuniclus and Slowbro, as well as offensive Pokemon such as Buzzwole and Zamazenta-C. Flamethrower is a consistent STAB move that lets it deal with common Steel- and Grass-types, notably Tangrowth and Skarmory, as Fire Blast's low PP and accuracy is not worth the extra power. Giga Drain is the preferred coverage to heavily damage Water-types, especially Gastrodon, which can use Clear Smog to erase all Quiver Dance boosts. Toxic hits common switch-ins such as Ho-Oh, wearing them down more easily over the course of a game. Roost lets Volcarona consistently act as a defensive wall and has great synergy with Flame Body, as it can fish for burns against the likes of Zeraora and Corviknight. Heavy-Duty Boots prevents entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, from limiting its attempts to switch in. The given EV spread alongside a Timid nature helps Volcarona outrun Tapu Fini, as well as Pheromosa and its Speed receivers at +1.

Volcarona is usually seen on balance and bulky offense builds as a late-game wincon. Gods with a high Defense stat like Necrozma-DM and Zamazenta-C greatly bolster Volcarona's defensive capabilities. However, even a lower donation from Rayquaza and Kyurem-W is appreciated. Water-types, notably Gastrodon and Rotom-W, appreciate Volcarona's ability to check Grass-types like Rillaboom and Kartana. While Volcarona has to watch out for Knock Off from both, it can potentially burn them, making them much easier to deal with. In return, they take care of opposing Fire-types, namely Ho-Oh, Heatran, and Victini. Rotom-W synergizes especially well with Volcarona, as it also provides Defog, which comes in handy if Volcarona has to take Knock Off, and deals with Rayquaza and Urshifu-R, which beat Volcarona prior to boosting. Teammates that can break Ho-Oh and Heatran are a must, as the aforementioned Water-types can't heavily damage them, which makes Zeraora and Zygarde-10% great partners.