Pokémon Volcarona

[ImperialGamer517]

Volcarona

Base Stats: 85 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe

Abilities: Flame Body / Swarm (Hidden Ability)

Learnset

Level Up Moves:
Evolution - Quiver Dance
[00] - Quiver Dance
[00] - Fiery Dance
[00] - Whirlwind
[00] - Ember
[00] - Flame Charge
[00] - Take Down
[00] - Double-Edge
[00] - Flare Blitz
[00] - Fire Spin
[00] - String Shot
[00] - Gust
[00] - Struggle Bug
[18] - Flame Wheel
[24] - Bug Bite
[30] - Screech
[36] - Leech Life
[42] - Bug Buzz
[48] - Heat Wave
[54] - Amnesia
[62] - Hurricane
[70] - Fire Blast
[78] - Rage Powder

TMs:

[TM06] - Fly
[TM08] - Hyper Beam
[TM09] - Giga Impact
[TM11] - Solar Beam
[TM13] - Fire Spin
[TM16] - Screech
[TM17] - Light Screen
[TM19] - Safeguard
[TM21] - Rest
[TM24] - Snore
[TM25] - Protect
[TM28] - Giga Drain
[TM31] - Attract
[TM34] - Sunny Day
[TM38] - Will-o-Wisp
[TM39] - Facade
[TM56] - U-turn
[TM76] - Round
[TM78] - Acrobatics
[TM92] - Mystical Fire

TRs:

[TR02] - Flamethrower
[TR11] - Psychic
[TR15] - Fire Blast
[TR17] - Amnesia
[TR18] - Leech Life
[TR20] - Substitute
[TR26] - Endure
[TR27] - Sleep Talk
[TR36] - Heat Wave
[TR43] - Overheat
[TR49] - Calm Mind
[TR55] - Flare Blitz
[TR57] - Poison Jab
[TR61] - Bug Buzz
[TR69] - Zen Headbutt
[TR86] - Wild Charge
[TR89] - Hurricane

Egg Moves:

Harden
Absorb
Thrash

Tutor Attacks:

Dual Wingbeat
Skitter Smack

Transfer-Only:

Toxic
Roost
Double Team
Aerial Ace
Swagger
Confide
Morning Sun
Magnet Rise
Tailwind
Defog
Incinerate

New Moves:

Attract
Mystical Fire
Dual Wingbeat
Skitter Smack

Notable Moves:

Quiver Dance
Calm Mind
Solar Beam
Flamethrower
Fire Blast
Psychic
Giga Drain
Hurricane
Toxic
Roost
Mystical Fire
Bug Buzz
Overheat
Heat Wave
Fiery Dance
Will-o-Wisp
U-turn
Substitute

Pros:

1. Volcarona has a good Speed tier, allowing it to outpace common Pokemon such as Excadrill, Rotom-H, and both Urshifu forms. It is also able to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after just one Quiver Dance.
2. It fits on many different kinds of teams, ranging from it appreciating sun teams for Solar Beam to even rain teams for Hurricane.
3. It has a good movepool and coverage, as well as some good utility options.

Cons:

1. Volcarona is extremely Heavy-Duty Boots reliant, so getting them removed via Knock Off or Trick will hurt it a lot and will limit its ability to switch in.
2. Volcarona is easily walled by OU’s arguably current top Specially Defensive Pokemon: Pink Blob Chansey.
3. Without Heavy-Duty Boots, Volcarona can easily be crippled from taking hazard damage, most notably losing half of its full HP when switching in. Even with Heavy-Duty Boots, it is easily crippled from status conditions.

Potential Moveset:

Quiver Dance

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz / Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Fire Blast

In this set, Volcarona potentially aims to answer many of its checks, most notably Toxapex, which resists both of Volcarona’s STAB. Quiver Dance is the first move, which turns Volcarona to a good late-game win condition, and after one Quiver Dance like said awhile ago, it is able to outspeed the entire unboosted tier. It is also able to outspeed after one Quiver Dance some Choice Scarf mons such as Hydreigon. Bug Buzz is recommended over Giga Drain since it can hit stuff like Hydreigon and Alakazam pretty hard, but if you still don’t have a way to deal with Gastrodon and Seismitoad, you can use Giga Drain instead. Psychic is the next move for Volcarona to better handle the one Pokemon that resists its STAB: Toxapex. It is also able to hit other notable targets like Urshifu Rapid-Strike, Conkeldurr, and Terrakion, but Volcarona has to get a Quiver Dance against the latter to OHKO. Finally, Fiery Dance because it is STAB and hits a good chunk of the tier, including the reintroduced Tangrowth, as well as Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Bisharp, and Aegislash. This Volcarona set is recommended for the late game, since it can freely set up Quiver Dance and sweep without fear of any of its counters. For that reason, Volcarona fits on hyper offense teams best, but it can still be used in balance and bulky offense teams.

Questions:

1. Do you think these sets of Volcarona are going to be viable in OU?
2. Which set do you think should be added to the “Potential Movesets” section?
3. How do you think Volcarona is going to impact the current OU metagame?
4. Which Pokemon are going to see a drop in usage because of Volcarona?
5. Which Pokemon are going to see a rise in usage because of Volcarona?

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Mystical Fire might be cool on bulky sets. It has much PP than Flamethrower, and of course it weaker, but it gives Volcarona a way to mess with special attackers that's less passive than Quiver Dance.

Because Heavy-Duty Boots allows Volcarona to switch around without fear of hazards, and because it's so insanely threatening with counterplay limited to only a handful of options like Chansey and Scarf Keldeo, and because the opponent is likely to hard-switch into their Volc answer to prevent it from getting out of hand with Quiver Dance, it might be interesting to use U-turn and potentially forgo Quiver Dance entirely. You send out Volcarona to lure in the opponent's Volc answer, then U-turn into something that exploits said Volc answer.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

Seems weird, but I’ll answer my own questions:

Do you think these sets of Volcarona are going to be viable in OU?

Of course! These sets optimize Volcarona’s ability to act as a setup sweeper.

Which set do you think should be added to the “Potential Movesets” section?

I believe I should add either a defensive variant of Volcarona or even a rain team version. What do you guys think?

How do you think Volcarona is going to impact the current OU metagame?

Volcarona is going to have a lot of impact in the OU metagame. I see the following changes happening:

1. Increased usage of Specially Defensive Toxapex and Ferrothorn
2. Increased usage of Chansey

Which Pokemon are going to see a drop in usage because of Volcarona?

I see Bisharp and Hydreigon being hit the hardest. Volcarona basically checks Bisharp, while I may see Choice Scarf Hydreigon increasing in usage just to check it, but Volcarona still outspeeds any Hydreigon set after one Quiver Dance. Volcarona has to run Bug Buzz though.

Which Pokemon are going to see a rise in usage because of Volcarona?

The most likely being both Chansey and Dragapult. Chansey walls Volcarona completely, while Dragapult can handle Volcarona’s STAB.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Ok, so what do you guys think of the following set? Should I add it to the OP or not?

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 208 SpD / 52 Spe
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- U-turn

Will-O-Wisp, my dude.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

Will-O-Wisp, my dude.

Oh ok

 

[nameless90]

Questions:
2. Which set do you think should be added to the “Potential Movesets” section?
3. How do you think Volcarona is going to impact the current OU metagame?

(2) Volcarona has both the stats and the movepool to use a variety of sets, including:
* A Rain set with Hurricane
* A set (offensive or defensive) with WoW
* A SubToxic set
* A Specs set
Simply put, Volcarona has too many useful moves and stats high enough to be used in many sets with different pros&cons, depending on the other 5 teammates.

(3) Heavy-Duty Boots it is a blessing when we have pokèmons weak 4x to Stealth Rocks because this means that you don't really need hazards controllers that much and (Toxic) Spikes aren't that common.
This means that Volcarona is even stronger than before even with Dragapult in the format.

 

[Kav]

personally id still recommend psychic and giga drain on the sun sweeper set. you'll be paired with venu, so being able to play off of things that he struggles with (kommo, spdef pex, rotom if he doesnt get a growth off, etc) will give volc a much easier time setting up and sweeping.

Giga pretty much gets the same kills as solarbeam so long as you can get a boost off. it still kills gastro, toad, azumarill after rocks. and solarbeam is weaker than your fire move in the sun, so unless theres something specific that solarbeam is needed for, i think it just makes volc too depending on keeping sun up and hurts the matchup vs sand/rain.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I have decided to bring up our first discussion slate! These will last for at least a week, then afterwards, I will bring up a new discussion slate.

Slate No. 1: Choiced Volcarona

Do you think a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set of Volcarona become a viable set for OU? If yes, why and please give a sample set. If no, why not? If possible, you can add sample teams or replays of you using Choiced Volcarona.

 

[Ema Skye]

I want to throw Indeedee out as a partner. Psychic Terrain does a lot for Volcarona, such as:

• +0 Psychic OHKOs Keldeo and Terrakion, making them even more unreliable as checks
• Priority immunity, so Azumarill, Crawdaunt and the niche Lycanroc cannot revenge you
• +0 Psychic can 2HKO SpDef Pex, and +1 Psychic can OHKO if Pex takes more than 15% damage before switching in
• +1 Psychic can OHKO Dragapult after Stealth Rock, who otherwise resists both STABs
• +1 Psychic can 2HKO Primarina after Stealth Rock, who also resists both STABs and can 2HKO with Scald.

Indeedee itself is fairly useless, but it turns Volcarona into an even more difficult Pokemon to deal with by removing so many counterplay options that are normally used.

I have decided to create our first discussion slate! These will last for at least a week, then afterwards, I will bring up a new discussion slate.

Slate No. 1: Choiced Volcarona

Do you think a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set of Volcarona become a viable set for OU? If yes, why and please give a sample set. If no, why not?

Heavy Duty Boots is the only item Volc should be using. Bug STAB is difficult to use with Choice moves as they are resisted by so much. And you deny yourself Quiver Dance which can turn the tide of games in a turn.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Indeedee itself is fairly useless, but it turns Volcarona into an even more difficult Pokemon to deal with by removing so many counterplay options that are normally used.

Indeedee at least has Expanding Force now. It probably won't save Indeedee from only being used to provide terrain (especially with Nasty Plot Alakazam being a thing) but an effectively 234 power move is nothing to sneeze at (STAB + general terrain boost + Expanding Force's unique boost).

 

[War Incarnate]

Slate No. 1: Choiced Volcarona

Not really. The thing is, if you're gonna forfeit HDB, you might as well not use Volcarona. Being weak to Stealth Rock does not sound like a good idea, and while the extra power from Choice Specs is nice, locking yourself into any move seems undesirable - Fire Blast leaves you walled by Toxapex, Bug Buzz is bad to be walled by, Psychic leaves you walled by Corviknight, and worst of all, Hurricane has 70% accuracy, so basically, no, a choice item on Volcarona seems like a bad idea.

Choice Scarf is even worse because you don't even have the increased power to deal with them.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I’ve decided that due to the dumb idea of me using choice specs over hdb, I’ve decided to change the discussion slate. New slate discussion is Substitute + Will-o-Wisp. I feel it is an interesting set to use, and it really works well with status abusers (Hex) such as Dragapult and Gengar.

 

[MrHands]

Indeedee at least has Expanding Force now. It probably won't save Indeedee from only being used to provide terrain (especially with Nasty Plot Alakazam being a thing) but an effectively 234 power move is nothing to sneeze at (STAB + general terrain boost + Expanding Force's unique boost).

To give an idea of how powerful Indeedee Expanding Force is...

252 SpA Indeedee Expanding Force vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Manaphy in Psychic Terrain: 220-259 (64.5 - 75.9%)

252 SpA Life Orb Mewtwo Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Manaphy: 218-257 (63.9 - 75.3%)

252 Atk Terrakion Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 195-231 (57.1 - 67.7%)

252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 186-219 (54.5 - 64.2%)

252+ SpA Choice Specs Primarina Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 250-295 (73.3 - 86.5%)


Of course Indeedee can run Modest and / or Specs to buff its power but just as a raw 120 BP STAB move in Psy terrain it hits pretty hard. But if we do go the Specs + Modest route...

252+ SpA Choice Specs Indeedee Expanding Force vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Scizor in Psychic Terrain: 150-177 (43.7 - 51.6%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Choice Specs Indeedee Expanding Force vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Eviolite Chansey in Psychic Terrain: 229-270 (32.5 - 38.4%) -- 3.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes

252+ SpA Choice Specs Indeedee Expanding Force vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Clefable in Psychic Terrain: 279-328 (70.8 - 83.2%)

Edit: I know this is the Volcarona thread but I just wanted to point out that partner Indeedee has some bite on top of just the Psy terrain utility.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

Announcement:

By the request of Ruft, we are no longer having discussion slates. Innovating and coming up with new sets is fine, but let’s keep the focus on its Quiver Dance set and its impact on the post-DLC metagame.

 

[Ema Skye]

Indeedee at least has Expanding Force now. It probably won't save Indeedee from only being used to provide terrain (especially with Nasty Plot Alakazam being a thing) but an effectively 234 power move is nothing to sneeze at (STAB + general terrain boost + Expanding Force's unique boost).

Ngl Zam sounds like a good partner. Volc takes out the Darks and Steels so Zam doesn't need to rely on Focus Blast as much.

 

[Martin]

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body / maybe Swarm?
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic

I think this is the best set for offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona in the current meta. Giga Drain sets are just not very consistent by comparison, and while it is nice to hit Rhyp and Gastro I just think hitting Zam and Hydreigon (as well as stuff like Incin and (lol) Tyranitar) is much more valuable in general. Consistency almost always >>> random specific coverage on speed boosting cleaners IMO. Volca is rlly stupid 0_0

I’ve not run many calcs on Swarm so I kinda wonder if that does anything notable for Volca. It probably isn’t worth it over Flame Body cheese, but it might be nice depending on if it nets any noteworthy KOs. The only calc I’ve run is vs Gastrodon, which Swarm lets you win out vs w/o SpD drops by capitalising on Clear Smog/Scald chip if you’re able to force a Recover to boost once. This does leave it very vulnerable to priority tho so it might not be worthwhile in the long run without Sub.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body / maybe Swarm?
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic

I think this is the best set for offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona in the current meta. Giga Drain sets are just not very consistent by comparison, and while it is nice to hit Rhyp and Gastro I just think hitting Zam and Hydreigon (as well as stuff like Incin and (lol) Tyranitar) is much more valuable in general. Consistency almost always >>> random specific coverage on speed boosting cleaners IMO. Volca is rlly stupid 0_0

I’ve not run many calcs on Swarm so I kinda wonder if that does anything notable for Volca. It probably isn’t worth it over Flame Body cheese, but it might be nice depending on if it nets any noteworthy KOs. The only calc I’ve run is vs Gastrodon, which Swarm lets you win out vs w/o SpD drops by capitalising on Clear Smog/Scald chip if you’re able to force a Recover to boost once. This does leave it very vulnerable to priority tho so it might not be worthwhile in the long run without Sub.

Sorry for the late reply! I agree with this set, in fact I slashed Bug Buzz in fact of Giga Drain in the Sweeper set. However, I don’t think Swarm is useful with Volcarona, since Flame Body is a more viable choice that helps with the abundant physical attackers in the tier such as Excadrill, Urshifu, etc.

 

[Yak Attack]

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body / maybe Swarm?
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic

I think this is the best set for offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona in the current meta. Giga Drain sets are just not very consistent by comparison, and while it is nice to hit Rhyp and Gastro I just think hitting Zam and Hydreigon (as well as stuff like Incin and (lol) Tyranitar) is much more valuable in general. Consistency almost always >>> random specific coverage on speed boosting cleaners IMO. Volca is rlly stupid 0_0

I’ve not run many calcs on Swarm so I kinda wonder if that does anything notable for Volca. It probably isn’t worth it over Flame Body cheese, but it might be nice depending on if it nets any noteworthy KOs. The only calc I’ve run is vs Gastrodon, which Swarm lets you win out vs w/o SpD drops by capitalising on Clear Smog/Scald chip if you’re able to force a Recover to boost once. This does leave it very vulnerable to priority tho so it might not be worthwhile in the long run without Sub.

Swarm could allow you to push through against any of the Psychic types that spam Calm Mind like Espeon, Slowking (or Slowbro), Alakazam, or Reuniclus. As it makes for good mind games to even have Flame Body as a potential ability, I can totally see Swarm being used to get the surprise on an unsuspecting Calm Mind sweeper.

 

[MrHands]

Swarm could allow you to push through against any of the Psychic types that spam Calm Mind like Espeon, Slowking (or Slowbro), Alakazam, Reuniclus, or Hatterne. As it makes for good mind games to even have Flame Body as a potential ability, I can totally see Swarm being used to get the surprise on an unsuspecting Calm Mind sweeper.

I think you break them regardless as you also have quiver dance. Swarm is sometimes cool for stuff like Chansey but even then you just Fire Blast for comparable damage.

 

[RaikouLover]

Roost deserves a mention. It allows Volcarona to switch into Rillaboom throughout the match, and turns most special attackers into pure set up fodder. Enjoy boosting to +6!

 

[It is Blue]

I enjoy using a scarfed set sometimes, it is kind of unexpected and can sweep surprisingly well if timed right. But 90% of the time, HDB and quiver dance is a better choice. One scarfed set I like to use is:

Volcarona @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Swarm/Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
- Psychic/Hurricane

Because of stealth rocks, wish support and hazard removal is almost required if you want to last more than one turn. However, stones can actually be used to your advantage by activating swarm to boost bug buzz. The star on scarfing volccarona is fiery dance; while it is lower base power than flamethrower, the 50% chance to increase sp. atk. by one stage allows it to become better than fire blast after one turn. This means that if lucky, you can quickly snowball out of control. It is a high risk and high reward strategy. Bug buzz is another stab that can be boosted with swarm if used late game. It hits hard, but don't expect it to sweep the same way as fiery dance. Giga drain allows you to hit water and ground types, while also offering quick recovery. Psychic is only there for its coverage and its power. Hurricane can be used instead if in rain, but it provides no coverage for rotom-h. Another plus with scarf is that due to its speed, some of the only moves that can hit you are priority. Luckily, typing allows your to resist moves like mach and bullet punch.

I'm not saying that scarf is superior to HDB, but it is a fun gimmick set that can really throw your opponents off guard. The only time this set works is when the opponent is expecting you to boost but you attack instead. As said before, the lack of boots requires you to have something else to handle stealth rock damage.

 

[Rotten]

ImperialGamer517 I think you should slash Fire Blast over Fiery Dance, as it is a general nuke against many Pokemon since it's one of its hardest hitting STABs, and more reliant than trying to get a +1 SpA boost from Fiery Dance. You could also slash Flamethrower if you prefer the accuracy but personally I like to use Fire Blast. Some calcs:

Fire Blast sauce

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz: 223-264 (52.5 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (guaranteed)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz: 184-217 (43.3 - 51.1%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO (damage roll)

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 363-427 (86.4 - 101.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO (can OHKO hippowdon)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 330-390 (78.5 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (still a guaranteed 2HKO)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 297-351 (70.7 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (same as above)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 264-312 (62.8 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (least damage out of all moves)

Those Hippowdon calcs above just show how strong Fire Blast is.

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult: 174-206 (54.8 - 64.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult: 127-150 (40 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Heat: 131-154 (43.2 - 50.8%) -- 3.1% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Heat: 95-112 (31.3 - 36.9%) -- 80.1% chance to 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 150-177 (46.1 - 54.4%) -- 59% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 110-129 (33.8 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

(Hydreigon just can't switch in to Fire Blast, and is also helpful if you're not running Bug Buzz.)

Of there there are alot of more calcs to abide to, but I think these are generally the most useful ones. I would slash Fire Blast / Fiery Dance, just for it's higher power which you would always want on Volcarona imo.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

ImperialGamer517 I think you should slash Fire Blast over Fiery Dance, as it is a general nuke against many Pokemon since it's one of its hardest hitting STABs, and more reliant than trying to get a +1 SpA boost from Fiery Dance. You could also slash Flamethrower if you prefer the accuracy but personally I like to use Fire Blast. Some calcs:

Fire Blast sauce

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz: 223-264 (52.5 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (guaranteed)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz: 184-217 (43.3 - 51.1%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO (damage roll)

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 363-427 (86.4 - 101.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO (can OHKO hippowdon)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 330-390 (78.5 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (still a guaranteed 2HKO)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 297-351 (70.7 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (same as above)
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Hippowdon: 264-312 (62.8 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (least damage out of all moves)

Those Hippowdon calcs above just show how strong Fire Blast is.

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult: 174-206 (54.8 - 64.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult: 127-150 (40 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Heat: 131-154 (43.2 - 50.8%) -- 3.1% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Heat: 95-112 (31.3 - 36.9%) -- 80.1% chance to 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 150-177 (46.1 - 54.4%) -- 59% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 110-129 (33.8 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

(Hydreigon just can't switch in to Fire Blast, and is also helpful if you're not running Bug Buzz.)

Of there there are alot of more calcs to abide to, but I think these are generally the most useful ones. I would slash Fire Blast / Fiery Dance, just for it's higher power which you would always want on Volcarona imo.

Sorry for the late reply! Imo I prefer Fiery Dance over Fire Blast because the former is more consistent than the latter, plus Fiery Dance has the added benefit of a 50% chance to raise SpA so that it may not become setup fodder when using Quiver Dance.

 

[Martin]

There is no good reason to run Fiery Dance or Flamethrower over Fire Blast. The KOs it attains are just far, far too valuable to pass up in practice, and the sheer strength of +1 Fire Blast is a big part of why QD Volcarona is so threatening. When you're running a frail setup sweeper, you need as much firepower as you can get as the aim is to KO as much as you can in one or two hits, and frankly 80 BP is pathetic—even with the boosting rate. If you need consistency you already have Bug Buzz—no reason to skimp on your main breaking move.

 

[badmonting]

I enjoy using a scarfed set sometimes, it is kind of unexpected and can sweep surprisingly well if timed right. But 90% of the time, HDB and quiver dance is a better choice. One scarfed set I like to use is:

Volcarona @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Swarm/Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
- Psychic/Hurricane

Because of stealth rocks, wish support and hazard removal is almost required if you want to last more than one turn. However, stones can actually be used to your advantage by activating swarm to boost bug buzz. The star on scarfing volccarona is fiery dance; while it is lower base power than flamethrower, the 50% chance to increase sp. atk. by one stage allows it to become better than fire blast after one turn. This means that if lucky, you can quickly snowball out of control. It is a high risk and high reward strategy. Bug buzz is another stab that can be boosted with swarm if used late game. It hits hard, but don't expect it to sweep the same way as fiery dance. Giga drain allows you to hit water and ground types, while also offering quick recovery. Psychic is only there for its coverage and its power. Hurricane can be used instead if in rain, but it provides no coverage for rotom-h. Another plus with scarf is that due to its speed, some of the only moves that can hit you are priority. Luckily, typing allows your to resist moves like mach and bullet punch.

I'm not saying that scarf is superior to HDB, but it is a fun gimmick set that can really throw your opponents off guard. The only time this set works is when the opponent is expecting you to boost but you attack instead. As said before, the lack of boots requires you to have something else to handle stealth rock damage.

I just don't think it's ever worth running scarf. I guess it's a cool gimmick to surprise somebody but tbh Volc's stab coverage in OU isn't the greatest and while 369 special attack w/ timid nature is normally great for a scarfer, I think it really misses out on that power it normally gets by setting up, and the pressure it applies to your opponent. Volc is just one of those mons that's amazing for one set, and while it can be versatile to some extent it just isn't nearly as good when it isn't running the standard set. Also one of the reasons why Volc is so good rn imho is because while losing out on z-moves definitely hurt Volc (Psychium-z was just so good since Pex no longer walled), HDB is HUGGEE for it. When running scarf now you have to constantly worry about getting defog off. Seriously, as someone who used Volc a good amount every generation it's so amazing now that I never have to worry about hazard control when I am using it. A scarfer that's 4x weak to stealth rock is just no bueno imho, unless it has amazing stab coverage and crazy raw power or something.
So yeah basically it's definitely an interest set there, but at the end of the day the gimmick just doesn't seem like it's worth it. Cuz what do you really get out of it? When you switch in w/o getting hazards off your opponent is going to immediately realize it's not a standard set. And say you come in w/ no hazards and so your opponent assumes it's standard quiver dance set. But what's the real benefit of surprising your opponent w/ scarf? Whenever something switches into Volc, it's usually because it's either very bulky and can take Volc's moves (usually the combo of fire stab, bug buzz, and psychic/giga drain) or they'll switch in a speedy mon that can take one hit and then outspeed or use priority to k.o. or near k.o. In essence, your opponent already prepares for Volc as if it's scarfed, since w/ quiver dance you already prepare for Volc as if it's +1 speed.