[OVERVIEW]
There are few things as scary in PU as Victreebel in sun. With access to powerful STAB movs like Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb, perfect coverage with Weather Ball, great Special Attack, and Speed that lets it outrun the entire tier in sun even with a neutral nature, Victreebel can violently carve its way through unprepared teams. However, walls such as Audino and Klang can weather the heat, and priority users such as Purugly can whittle Victreebel down even with Chlorophyll's Speed boost. Victreebel also demands sun to be up; otherwise, it finds itself quickly outclassed by the long list of capable Grass-types in PU.
[SET]
name: Sun Sweeper
move 1: Solar Beam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Weather Ball
move 4: Sunny Day / Hidden Power Ground / Growth
item: Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Solar Beam is Victreebel's most powerful attack and does not have a charge turn while under sun, so it functions as the primary STAB option. Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB option for threats that resist Grass, such as Flying-types like Natu and Dragon-types like Zweilous. Sun-boosted Weather Ball gives Victreebel coverage for Steel-types like Klang and Bronzor while also hitting Grass-types like Vileplume hard. The last move is recommended to be Sunny Day, so Victreebel can set itself up and sweep. However, if Victreebel finds itself on a dedicated sun team, it can use Hidden Power Ground for additional coverage against Fire- and Poison-types like Monferno and Arbok. Growth is also an option for the fourth moveslot to give Victreebel even more power, but this uses a valuable sun turn, and the extra power is really only of use against particularly bulky teams.
The most notable partner for Victreebel is the best weather setter in the format, Volbeat, and together they make the beginnings of a dedicated sun team. Other choices for dedicated sun teams include Onix as a reliable suicide lead that can set up sun for Victreebel and Rapidash as a sun wallbreaker that can break down special walls that Victreebel might struggle with. In general, Zebstrika makes for a good partner that can pivot in Victreebel while checking some key threats like Jumpluff and Klang very well. Sun teams generally cannot afford defensive teammates, but outside of those kinds of teams, teammates like Stunfisk and Tentacool are great at checking offensive threats such as Purugly and Simisear. Monferno is another notable partner, as it is able to get rid of high-value specially defensive walls like Audino, Scraggy, and Zweilous that would wall Victreebel otherwise. One last interesting partner is Weepinbell; while it does not contribute at all to defensive synergy, having what is effectively a slightly weaker second Victreebel makes for an interesting offensive combo that banks on the fact that most teams can barely handle Victreebel by itself.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/akir.231726/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
There are few things as scary in PU as Victreebel in sun. With access to powerful STAB movs like Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb, perfect coverage with Weather Ball, great Special Attack, and Speed that lets it outrun the entire tier in sun even with a neutral nature, Victreebel can violently carve its way through unprepared teams. However, walls such as Audino and Klang can weather the heat, and priority users such as Purugly can whittle Victreebel down even with Chlorophyll's Speed boost. Victreebel also demands sun to be up; otherwise, it finds itself quickly outclassed by the long list of capable Grass-types in PU.
[SET]
name: Sun Sweeper
move 1: Solar Beam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Weather Ball
move 4: Sunny Day / Hidden Power Ground / Growth
item: Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Solar Beam is Victreebel's most powerful attack and does not have a charge turn while under sun, so it functions as the primary STAB option. Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB option for threats that resist Grass, such as Flying-types like Natu and Dragon-types like Zweilous. Sun-boosted Weather Ball gives Victreebel coverage for Steel-types like Klang and Bronzor while also hitting Grass-types like Vileplume hard. The last move is recommended to be Sunny Day, so Victreebel can set itself up and sweep. However, if Victreebel finds itself on a dedicated sun team, it can use Hidden Power Ground for additional coverage against Fire- and Poison-types like Monferno and Arbok. Growth is also an option for the fourth moveslot to give Victreebel even more power, but this uses a valuable sun turn, and the extra power is really only of use against particularly bulky teams.
The most notable partner for Victreebel is the best weather setter in the format, Volbeat, and together they make the beginnings of a dedicated sun team. Other choices for dedicated sun teams include Onix as a reliable suicide lead that can set up sun for Victreebel and Rapidash as a sun wallbreaker that can break down special walls that Victreebel might struggle with. In general, Zebstrika makes for a good partner that can pivot in Victreebel while checking some key threats like Jumpluff and Klang very well. Sun teams generally cannot afford defensive teammates, but outside of those kinds of teams, teammates like Stunfisk and Tentacool are great at checking offensive threats such as Purugly and Simisear. Monferno is another notable partner, as it is able to get rid of high-value specially defensive walls like Audino, Scraggy, and Zweilous that would wall Victreebel otherwise. One last interesting partner is Weepinbell; while it does not contribute at all to defensive synergy, having what is effectively a slightly weaker second Victreebel makes for an interesting offensive combo that banks on the fact that most teams can barely handle Victreebel by itself.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/akir.231726/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited: