[OVERVIEW]
* Volcanion is blessed with a great typing that allows it to check Genesect, Mega Scizor, Heatran, Celesteela, Magearna, and Kartana.
* Its signature move Steam Eruption is stupidly powerful with a nifty burn chance.
* Volcanion has solid bulk and Water Absorb to discourage Water-type attacks, namely Scald.
* It is rather slow at base 70 Speed, which leaves it outpaced by threats such as Pheromosa, Latios, and Mega Gyarados, but is fast enough to get the jump on common defensive Pokemon such as Clefable and Skarmory.
* It has common weaknesses to common types in Ground, Electric, and Rock, but it has valuable resistances to Fire, Fairy, and Steel.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs / Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Steam Eruption is an incredibly powerful STAB move that has no drawbacks bar slightly imperfect accuracy.
* Fire Blast is a similarly powerful STAB move with excellent coverage alongside Steam Eruption.
* Flamethrower is a more accurate option over Fire Blast, but it fails to guarantee certain OHKOes.
* Sludge Bomb hits Azumarill, Tapu Fini, and Primarina for heavy damage.
* Hidden Power Electric is mainly for the Choice Specs variants, as it gives Volcanion a way to hit bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Toxapex, and Mantine.
* Hidden Power Grass still hits bulky Water-types, but instead targets Gastrodon and Seismitoad instead of Mantine and Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used on non-Choice Specs sets to target all bulky Water-types with the exception of Toxapex and weaken other Pokemon that resist Water- and Fire-type moves such as Latios and Latias.
* Earth Power is an option to hit Volcanion and Toxapex much harder.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack investment allows Volcanion to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed investment allows it to outrun every Pokemon up to opposing base 70 Speed threats.
* Modest provides a significant boost in power while Timid allows it to Speed tie with other positive-natured base 70s and outspeed Timid Magearna and Adamant Mega Scizor.
* Choice Specs amps Volcanion's power to ridiculous levels to the point where it can 2HKO frailer Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Keldeo, Latios, and Pelipper after Stealth Rock.
* Leftovers is an option when using Toxic to provide longevity that Volcanion lacks.
Usage Tips
========
* It's best to use Volcanion as an early-game wallbreaker that softens up the opposition for a sweeper later on in the match.
* Use Steam Eruption most of the time, since it's powerful and spammable; although be wary of other Water Absorb users.
* VoltTurn support is nice due to its low speed to get it into play.
* Hidden Power Electric and Hidden Power Grass should only be used to pick off weakened bulky Water-types and never as a main attacking option.
* When using Toxic, Steam Eruption becomes a bit trickier to use, as it may burn something you want to poison.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Koko, Genesect, Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, and Pheromosa all pair well with Volcanion, as it appreciates the VoltTurn support they provide. Landorus-T also sets Stealth Rock as well, which assists in securing more KO's.
* Tyranitar pairs excellently with Volcanion for its ability to trap Volcanion's checks such as Latios, Latias, Slowking, and Slowbro.
* Latios and Latias are great partners, since they check Electric-types while also removing hazards.
* Grass- and Electric-types such as Tapu Bulu and Xurkitree pair well with it as they break down the bulky Water-types that it struggles with.
* It pairs nicely with Pokemon that appreciate its wallbreaking prowess such as, Zygarde, Zygarde-10%, Mimikyu, and other setup sweepers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Grassium Z + Solar Beam gives Volcanion a one-time powerful Grass-type attack to lure in bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Rotom-W.
* Type-resist Berries such as Wacan Berry, Charti Berry, and Shuca Berry are nice for allowing Volcanion to function as a lure.
* A bulkier, defensive variant could work to utilize Volcanion's bulk and defensive qualities.
* A Choice Scarf can bring a surprise factor and allows Volcanion to function as a revenge killer.
* Expert Belt allows Volcanion to possibly bluff a Choice Specs set or other items with no indication of their use.
* Flame Charge can be used to patch up Volcanion's low Speed, but Volcanion has a hard time finding room to use it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Toxapex, Gastrodon, and Mantine are all excellent checks to Volcanion, and the latter two of which are immune to Steam Eruption. However, all but Toxapex must be wary of Toxic and Hidden Power Grass or Bloom Boom, and in Mantine's case, Hidden Power Electric. Volcanion also serves as an excellent check to opposing Volcanion, but it takes heavy damage from Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Electric.
**Dragon-types:** Latias and Latios are able to comfortably switch into all of Volcanion's attacks and threaten to KO it with Draco Meteor or the uncommon Thunderbolt. Dragonite and Kommo-o can switch into its STAB moves and set up with Dragon Dance or fire off a powerful attack.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Excadrill, Garchomp, and Landorus-T outspeed and KO Volcanion with their Ground-type STAB moves.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl are able to outspeed and heavily damage Volcanion with their super effective Rock-type STAB moves.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Xurkitree, and Thundurus are examples of Electric-types that are able to outspeed and OHKO Volcanion with their Electric-type STAB moves.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Chansey and Blissey are able to easily come into all of Volcanion's attacks with ease, except for Toxic.
* Volcanion is blessed with a great typing that allows it to check Genesect, Mega Scizor, Heatran, Celesteela, Magearna, and Kartana.
* Its signature move Steam Eruption is stupidly powerful with a nifty burn chance.
* Volcanion has solid bulk and Water Absorb to discourage Water-type attacks, namely Scald.
* It is rather slow at base 70 Speed, which leaves it outpaced by threats such as Pheromosa, Latios, and Mega Gyarados, but is fast enough to get the jump on common defensive Pokemon such as Clefable and Skarmory.
* It has common weaknesses to common types in Ground, Electric, and Rock, but it has valuable resistances to Fire, Fairy, and Steel.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs / Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Steam Eruption is an incredibly powerful STAB move that has no drawbacks bar slightly imperfect accuracy.
* Fire Blast is a similarly powerful STAB move with excellent coverage alongside Steam Eruption.
* Flamethrower is a more accurate option over Fire Blast, but it fails to guarantee certain OHKOes.
* Sludge Bomb hits Azumarill, Tapu Fini, and Primarina for heavy damage.
* Hidden Power Electric is mainly for the Choice Specs variants, as it gives Volcanion a way to hit bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Toxapex, and Mantine.
* Hidden Power Grass still hits bulky Water-types, but instead targets Gastrodon and Seismitoad instead of Mantine and Pelipper.
* Toxic can be used on non-Choice Specs sets to target all bulky Water-types with the exception of Toxapex and weaken other Pokemon that resist Water- and Fire-type moves such as Latios and Latias.
* Earth Power is an option to hit Volcanion and Toxapex much harder.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack investment allows Volcanion to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed investment allows it to outrun every Pokemon up to opposing base 70 Speed threats.
* Modest provides a significant boost in power while Timid allows it to Speed tie with other positive-natured base 70s and outspeed Timid Magearna and Adamant Mega Scizor.
* Choice Specs amps Volcanion's power to ridiculous levels to the point where it can 2HKO frailer Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Keldeo, Latios, and Pelipper after Stealth Rock.
* Leftovers is an option when using Toxic to provide longevity that Volcanion lacks.
Usage Tips
========
* It's best to use Volcanion as an early-game wallbreaker that softens up the opposition for a sweeper later on in the match.
* Use Steam Eruption most of the time, since it's powerful and spammable; although be wary of other Water Absorb users.
* VoltTurn support is nice due to its low speed to get it into play.
* Hidden Power Electric and Hidden Power Grass should only be used to pick off weakened bulky Water-types and never as a main attacking option.
* When using Toxic, Steam Eruption becomes a bit trickier to use, as it may burn something you want to poison.
Team Options
========
* Tapu Koko, Genesect, Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, and Pheromosa all pair well with Volcanion, as it appreciates the VoltTurn support they provide. Landorus-T also sets Stealth Rock as well, which assists in securing more KO's.
* Tyranitar pairs excellently with Volcanion for its ability to trap Volcanion's checks such as Latios, Latias, Slowking, and Slowbro.
* Latios and Latias are great partners, since they check Electric-types while also removing hazards.
* Grass- and Electric-types such as Tapu Bulu and Xurkitree pair well with it as they break down the bulky Water-types that it struggles with.
* It pairs nicely with Pokemon that appreciate its wallbreaking prowess such as, Zygarde, Zygarde-10%, Mimikyu, and other setup sweepers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Grassium Z + Solar Beam gives Volcanion a one-time powerful Grass-type attack to lure in bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Rotom-W.
* Type-resist Berries such as Wacan Berry, Charti Berry, and Shuca Berry are nice for allowing Volcanion to function as a lure.
* A bulkier, defensive variant could work to utilize Volcanion's bulk and defensive qualities.
* A Choice Scarf can bring a surprise factor and allows Volcanion to function as a revenge killer.
* Expert Belt allows Volcanion to possibly bluff a Choice Specs set or other items with no indication of their use.
* Flame Charge can be used to patch up Volcanion's low Speed, but Volcanion has a hard time finding room to use it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Toxapex, Gastrodon, and Mantine are all excellent checks to Volcanion, and the latter two of which are immune to Steam Eruption. However, all but Toxapex must be wary of Toxic and Hidden Power Grass or Bloom Boom, and in Mantine's case, Hidden Power Electric. Volcanion also serves as an excellent check to opposing Volcanion, but it takes heavy damage from Sludge Bomb and Hidden Power Electric.
**Dragon-types:** Latias and Latios are able to comfortably switch into all of Volcanion's attacks and threaten to KO it with Draco Meteor or the uncommon Thunderbolt. Dragonite and Kommo-o can switch into its STAB moves and set up with Dragon Dance or fire off a powerful attack.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Excadrill, Garchomp, and Landorus-T outspeed and KO Volcanion with their Ground-type STAB moves.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl are able to outspeed and heavily damage Volcanion with their super effective Rock-type STAB moves.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Xurkitree, and Thundurus are examples of Electric-types that are able to outspeed and OHKO Volcanion with their Electric-type STAB moves.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Chansey and Blissey are able to easily come into all of Volcanion's attacks with ease, except for Toxic.
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