OU Bulky Volcarona

Mellow

Mellow

is a Contributor to Smogon
[SET]
name: Bulky Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Roost
item: Buginium Z
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Flamethrower is used over Fiery Dance for the extra PP, because of the long games this set will usually force. It's also chosen over Fire Blast because the consistency is preferred over the higher power. Bug Buzz in conjunction with Buginium Z and boosts from Quiver Dance gives Volcarona a way to break through Fire-resistant Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp. Roost allows Volcarona to stay healthy so it can continue to check Mega Mawile and Kartana and continue to set up on Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios.

Set Details
========

136 Speed EVs with a Timid nature mean Volcarona can outspeed Pokemon like Tapu Fini and non-Mega Heracross before a boost and Timid Mega Alakazam at +1. The remaining EVs are put into bulk, enabling Volcarona to better check Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and Kartana.

Usage Tips
========

It is paramount to Volcarona's success that entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, be cleared before sending it out because of its vulnerability to them and 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. If hazards are off Volcarona's side of the field, it's perfectly fine to throw off attacks with Volcarona multiple times throughout the game in order to wear down Pokemon like Heatran lacking Leftovers. You should still prioritize weakening Pokemon like Heatran and Toxapex with your other teammates as well, though, as without support, Volcarona will find it very difficult to do so. Unlike offensive variants, this set can be used liberally to check Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Mega Scizor, potentially even crippling them with a burn from Flame Body. Roost should be used frequently to keep Volcarona healthy enough to check the aforementioned threats. Avoid status at all costs, particularly Toxic, as it drastically decreases Volcarona's efficacy.

Team Options
========

Bulky Volcarona can be used on a multitude of teams thanks to its offensive potency combined with its ability to check problematic Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Kartana. Entry hazard removers are essential for Volcarona teams—it's not uncommon for two hazard removers to be utilized on Volcarona teams, so Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Koko are great partners. Mega Sableye in particular is useful due to Magic Bounce, making hazard setters think twice, and its access to Knock Off and Will-O-Wisp to wear down Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, and Gastrodon. Since Volcarona is hopelessly walled by Heatran and Toxapex, ways to circumvent them are necessary: Pokemon that take advantage of Volcarona's counters like Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham are good options, as Volcarona will give them several opportunities to come in. Similarly, lures for them like Thunder Punch + Focus Punch or Brick Break Mega Mawile and Fightinium Z Tapu Lele are useful. Ways to chip down the two are also appreciated, be it by removing their passive recovery with Knock Off from Ferrothorn, overloading its checks with Pokemon like Calm Mind Reuniclus and offensive Magearna, or by stacking your own hazards with Heatran, Ferrothorn, or Ash-Greninja. Pokemon utilizing a Choice Scarf such as Landorus-T, Greninja, and Victini can outspeed Volcarona even after a Quiver Dance and dish out heavy damage to it, so measures for these Pokemon should be considered. Tapu Fini is a great partner, as it can lure Toxapex and remove it with Whirlpool or weaken it with Taunt + Nature's Madness, pivot into Heatran, and if needed utilize Defog to keep hazards off the field.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[mellowyellowhd, 423226]]
- Quality checked by: [[lyd, 303291], [Jordy, 395754], [LL, 144451]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
 
Last edited:
  • i know you probably tried to cut some things off in light of Gary’s thread, and I appreciate it. but I still think it’s important to mention Roost in moves, allowing it to constantly check mega mawile ect. so please add that in, its not as immediately obvious as qd is.
  • id also mention on the flamethrower bit how the extra accuracy is prefered.
  • on set details id rather have heracross over nidoking, as it is a lot more prevalent (as unevolved mega that is).
  • mention mega mawile as something volcarona checks in usage tips and team options too.
qc 1/3
qc-lyd2-gif.124224
 
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lyd said:
  • i know you probably tried to cut some things off in light of Gary’s thread, and I appreciate it. but I still think it’s important to mention Roost in moves, allowing it to constantly check mega mawile ect. so please add that in, its not as immediately obvious as qd is.
  • id also mention on the flamethrower bit how the extra accuracy is prefered.
  • on set details id rather have heracross over nidoking, as it is a lot more prevalent (as unevolved mega that is).
  • mention mega mawile as something volcarona checks in usage tips and team options too.
qc 1/3
qc-lyd2-gif.124224
Click to expand...
did ty
 
[Usage Tips]

mellowyellowhd said:
  • Unlike the offensive variant, this set can be used liberally to check Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Mega Scizor, potentially even crippling them with a burn from Flame Body.
Click to expand...
Mention that you have to use Roost pretty often to reliably check Mega Mawile throughout the match.

[Team Options]

mellowyellowhd said:
  • This set is hopelessly walled by Heatran and Toxapex, so Pokemon with good matchups against one or both of them like Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham should be used.
Click to expand...
Mention Tapu Fini as a Toxapex lure and decent Heatran pivot.

2/3
beans_stamp.png
 
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Hi I'm here to drop unreadable word vomit about the stuff

Moves
also the boosts provided by Fiery Dance are often inconsequential as the Pokemon that beat Volcarona, namely Heatran and Toxapex, will still beat Volcarona in most cases despite the boosts from Fiery Dance.
Click to expand...
honestly id just take this part out bc the increased pp is the thing u wanna stress but that's a personal choice. Also this statement isnt even strictly true bc u can power through heavily weakened pex with well placed fiery dance boosts.

Usage Tips:
This section seems rly bare in general. mention how its fine to come in and set up/attack multiple times a game to try and break/chip stuff if youre facing a team with smthn like taunt tran that a teammate wants weakened. also talk about how u still wanna try using teammates to strategically chip/break mons that wall volc like how u specifically bring in knock ferro to bait in tran and remove its lefties or taunt madness fini to wear down pex or w/e, just add some more poignant detail bc this set isn't that straightforward to use for beginners in that regard.

Team Options
This section. is written way too simplistically and doesn't rly consider what mons to pair this with to make it an actual consistent wincon rather than just a matchup sniping one. Include mentions of mons that can get chip damage on tran/pex as well as lures in general. like knock ferro is amazing bc it removes trans healing and makes pex way easier to chip down w hazards. knock wisp sab is another nice one bc u remove trans lefties, remove pexes lefties/burn it to keep it getting worn down. yr own pex is nice bc u burn opposing pex and trapping tran variants oftentimes take a fuckton of chip trying to take you out. another good one is taunt madness fini bc u force pex to be a lot lower than is comfortable and irritate heatran constantly bc misty stops it from toxicing shit. Another thing u prolly wanna include is offensive mons that tran/pex check but cant beat unscathed. cm reuni oftentimes forces shit like taunt tran to take chip dmg. also super important but also probably wanna mention entry hazard setters like spikes ferro n sr tran and other stuff bc pex n tran are way easier to wear down with spikes up.
 
I think you could probably condense the two current Usage Tips bullets into a single sentence if you framed it as what the spread as a whole lets it achieve rather than what each aspect of it achieves. Also it's probably worth mentioning why Flame Body is used instead of Swarm, especially considering that being able to mess Mega Mawile around is one of the big boons of this set over offensive variants.

Edit: Also others may disagree with me on this but IMO the Roost and Bug Buzz bullets currently qualify as filler; consider re-framing them or cut them out altogether--the Roost bullet point is basically a Usage Tips point+regurgitating the teambuilder, and the Bug Buzz bullet needs a better focus on its purpose other than just "it's an attack and buginium boosts it+arbitrary targets that we have no idea why it's important to hit them at the end that are framed like a minor aside"
 
Last edited:
I think as long as it's mentioned somewhere what bulky Volc is useful for checking than it's fine where ever, considering that's one of the main draws of the set. I do agree that the "Roost should be used frequently to keep Volcarona healthy enough to check the aforementioned threats" probably doesn't need to be included because it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Volcarona probably wants to use Roost when its low on health otherwise it wont be able to do its job. Bug Buzz is fine imo just because it mentions specific targets that Z Bug can smash whereas without the Z move it would fail to kill them without multiple boosts, which not everyone would know unless they know damage calcs.
 
Gary said:
I think as long as it's mentioned somewhere what bulky Volc is useful for checking than it's fine where ever, considering that's one of the main draws of the set. I do agree that the "Roost should be used frequently to keep Volcarona healthy enough to check the aforementioned threats" probably doesn't need to be included because it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Volcarona probably wants to use Roost when its low on health otherwise it wont be able to do its job. Bug Buzz is fine imo just because it mentions specific targets that Z Bug can smash whereas without the Z move it would fail to kill them without multiple boosts, which not everyone would know unless they know damage calcs.
Click to expand...
Idt I explained myself properly so I'll give a bit more detail wrt what I mean here. With Buzz I just think that the focus of the sentence is just kinda off; I agree it's important to mention on there what it targets, which it does atm to an extent, but at the same time just look at how it's written:

  • Bug Buzz is Volcarona's other STAB move, which when powered up by a Quiver Dance and Buginium Z becomes a frightening Savage Spin-Out, smashing through Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp.

Currently the sentence treats what it hits over Flamethrower as the handy aside rather than as the specific reason you use it instead of one of the many other options Volc has at its disposal, nor does it tell me what links said targets together. Bug Buzz being the STAB move is given emphasis here even though the reader knows it's the STAB move already. It could very easily be cut down 1/2-2/3 of that length without sacrificing any necessary detail, and that's before considering any additional detail that could make the sentence more information rich.

To illustrate what I mean, I have stricken through anything which we can assume the reader already knows because they're playing Pokemon:

"Bug Buzz is Volcarona's other STAB move, which when powered up by a Quiver Dance and Buginium Z becomes a frightening Savage Spin-Out, smashing through Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp."

Now remove the stricken-through bits, reword to reduce verbosity, and add detail that helps people identify other targets beyond the examples and you're left with this:
  • Bug Buzz alongside Buginium Z gives boosted Volcarona a consistent way of breaking through Fire-resistant Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp.
That's what I meant when I said I felt it was filler-y.
 
Last edited:
Usage Tips:
  • Mention how a lot of times you can just throw out attacks like Bug Buzz to get chip damage on things like non-lefties tran/tran with its lefties knocked off.
  • Also talk about how you should avoid letting Volcarona get statused, especially by Toxic, as that throws its effectiveness in the gutter.

The rest of this looks great after the changes, QC 3/3
QC-LL-Big.gif
 
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GP 1/2
[SET]
name: Bulky Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Roost
item: Buginium Z
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Flamethrower is used over Fiery Dance, (AC) as the extra PP is valued because of the long games theis set will usually force. It's also chosen over Fire Blast because the consistency is preferred over the higher power. Bug Buzz in conjunction with Buginium Z and boosts from Quiver Dance gives Volcarona a way to break through Fire-resistant Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp. Roost allows Volcarona to either stay healthy so it can continue to check Mega Mawile and Kartana, or to allow it to and continue to set-up up (remove hyphen, add space) on Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios.

Set Details
========

136 Speed investmentEVs with a Timid Nature means Volcarona can outspeed Pokemon like Tapu Fini and non-Mega Heracross before mega evolving at neutral, (RC) and Timid Mega Alakazam at +1. The remaining EVs are put into bulk, enabling Volcarona to better check Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and Kartana.

Usage Tips
========

It is paramount to Volcarona's success that entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, (AC) are cleared before sending it out because of its vulnerability to them and 4x weakness to them. Stealth Rock. If hazards are off Volcarona's side of the field, it's perfectly fine to throw off attacks with Volcarona multiple times throughout the game in order to wear down Pokemon like Heatran lacking Leftovers. You should still prioritize weakening Pokemon like Heatran and Toxapex with your other teammates as well, (AC) though, as without support, (AC) Volcarona will find it very difficult to do so. Unlike the offensive variant, this set can be used liberally to check Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Mega Scizor, potentially even crippling them with a burn from Flame Body. Roost should be used frequently to keep Volcarona healthy enough to check the aforementioned threats. Avoid status at all costs, particularly Toxic, as it drastically decreases Volcarona's efficacy.

Team Options
========

Bulky Volcarona can be used on a multitude of teams thanks to its offensive potency combined with its ability to check problematic Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Kartana. HEntry hazard removers are essential for Volcarona teams - —it's not uncommon for two hazard removers to be utilized on Volcarona teams, so Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Koko are great partners. Mega Sableye in particular is nice as it hasuseful due to Magic Bounce, making hazard setters think twice, and it can use Knock Off and Will-O-Wisp to wear down Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, and Gastrodon. This set is hopelessly walled by Heatran and Toxapex, so ways to circumvent this are necessary: Pokemon that abusetake advantage of Volcarona's counters like Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham are good options, (AC) as Volcarona will give them several opportunities to come in. Similarly, lures for them like Thunder Punch + Focus Punch /or Brick Break Mega Mawile orand Fightinium Z Tapu Lele are useful. Ways to chip down the two are also appreciated, be it by removing their passive recovery with Knock Off from Ferrothorn, overloading it'(apo)s checks with Pokemon like Calm Mind Reuniclus orand offensive Magearna, or by stacking your own hazards with Heatran, Ferrothorn, or Ash-Greninja. Pokemon utiliszing a Choice Scarf such as Landorus-T, Greninja, and Victini, (RC) can outspeed Volcarona even after a Quiver Dance and dish out heavy damage to it, so measures for these Pokemon should be utilized.considered. (or something idk you just used that) Tapu Fini is a great partner, (AC) as it can lure Toxapex lure with Whirlpool or generally just weakening it with Taunt + Nature's Madness, a pivot forinto Heatran, and if needed can utilisze Defog to keep hazards off the field.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[mellowyellowhd, 423226]]
- Quality checked by: [[lyd, 303291], [Jordy, 395754], [LL, 144451]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [, ]]
 
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[SET]
name: Bulky Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Roost
item: Buginium Z
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Flamethrower is used over Fiery Dance (RC) as for the extra PP, (AC) is valued because of the long games this set will usually force. It's also chosen over Fire Blast because the consistency is preferred over the higher power. Bug Buzz in conjunction with Buginium Z and boosts from Quiver Dance gives Volcarona a way to break through Fire-resistant Pokemon like Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Garchomp. Roost allows Volcarona to stay healthy so it can continue to check Mega Mawile and Kartana and continue to set up on Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios.

Set Details
========

136 Speed EVs with a Timid nature mean Volcarona can outspeed Pokemon like Tapu Fini and non-Mega Heracross at neutral before a boost and Timid Mega Alakazam at +1. The remaining EVs are put into bulk, enabling Volcarona to better check Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and Kartana.

Usage Tips
========

It is paramount to Volcarona's success that entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, (AC) are be cleared before sending it out because of its vulnerability to them and 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. If hazards are off Volcarona's side of the field, it's perfectly fine to throw off attacks with Volcarona multiple times throughout the game in order to wear down Pokemon like Heatran lacking Leftovers. You should still prioritize weakening Pokemon like Heatran and Toxapex with your other teammates as well, (AC) though, as without support, (AC) Volcarona will find it very difficult to do so. Unlike the offensive variants, this set can be used liberally to check Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Mega Scizor, potentially even crippling them with a burn from Flame Body. Roost should be used frequently to keep Volcarona healthy enough to check the aforementioned threats. Avoid status at all costs, particularly Toxic, as it drastically decreases Volcarona's efficacy.

Team Options
========

Bulky Volcarona can be used on a multitude of teams thanks to its offensive potency combined with its ability to check problematic Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Mega Mawile, and Kartana. Entry hazard removers are essential for Volcarona teams—it's not uncommon for two hazard removers to be utilized on Volcarona teams, so Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Koko are great partners. Mega Sableye in particular is useful due to Magic Bounce, making hazard setters think twice, and it can use its access to Knock Off and Will-O-Wisp to wear down Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, and Gastrodon. This set Since Volcarona is hopelessly walled by Heatran and Toxapex, so ways to circumvent this them are necessary: Pokemon that take advantage of Volcarona's counters like Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham are good options, as Volcarona will give them several opportunities to come in. Similarly, lures for them like Thunder Punch + Focus Punch or Brick Break Mega Mawile and Fightinium Z Tapu Lele are useful. Ways to chip down the two are also appreciated, be it by removing their passive recovery with Knock Off from Ferrothorn, overloading its checks with Pokemon like Calm Mind Reuniclus and offensive Magearna, or by stacking your own hazards with Heatran, Ferrothorn, or Ash-Greninja. Pokemon utilizing a Choice Scarf such as Landorus-T, Greninja, and Victini can outspeed Volcarona even after a Quiver Dance and dish out heavy damage to it, so measures for these Pokemon should be considered. Tapu Fini is a great partner, as it can lure Toxapex and remove it with Whirlpool or weaken it with Taunt + Nature's Madness, pivot into Heatran, and if needed utilize Defog to keep hazards off the field.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[mellowyellowhd, 423226]]
- Quality checked by: [[lyd, 303291], [Jordy, 395754], [LL, 144451]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [, ]]
 
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