[OVERVIEW]
Volcanion is a prominent wallbreaker that demands very specific checks, since it can exploit positive type matchups versus Landorus-T, Heatran, and Ferrothorn while being able to use its raw power to beat Clefable and specially defensive Garchomp. Volcanion also has beneficial defensive traits, as its solid natural bulk, great typing, and access to Water Absorb all let it take hits and gain opportunities to show its offensive power. Steam Eruption makes any physical attacker petrified of switching in on it, as they don't want to be inflicted with a burn; it can also burn Galarian Slowking and Toxapex, which are immune to poison damage. Volcanion's decent coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Wave helps it fix its problems, hitting would-be switch-ins like Toxapex and Tapu Fini, respectively. However, Volcanion has its fair share of its weaknesses, as it is quite susceptible to being revenge killed by the likes of Tapu Koko, Garchomp, and Landorus-T in addition to having a massive weakness to Stealth Rock.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Sludge Wave / Toxic / Substitute
item: Choice Specs / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thanks to its high Special Attack, solid coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Wave, and access to the powerful Steam Eruption, Volcanion functions as a hard-hitting wallbreaker that is difficult to switch into. Steam Eruption, in addition to being a STAB move, has a decent chance of inflicting burn, threatening would-be switch-ins like Dragonite and Dragapult. Earth Power hits Pokemon like Toxapex, Galarian Slowking, and opposing Volcanion. Sludge Wave hits Tapu Fini and Clefable and should always be the fourth move on Choice Specs sets. For Heavy-Duty Boots sets, Toxic wears down common switch-ins like Dragonite, Gastrodon, and Slowbro, while Substitute alternatively lets Volcanion take advantage of Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Heatran when they switch out. Choice Specs lets Volcanion unload massive damage, giving it a chance to OHKO Tornadus-T and offensive Garchomp; however, Heavy-Duty Boots is a solid alternative, as Stealth Rock is a major weakness for Volcanion. A Modest nature lets Volcanion deal more damage, giving it a much higher chance to OHKO offensive Garchomp and Clefable, whereas a Timid nature lets it outspeed Pokemon like Magnezone and Adamant Choice Band Buzzwole while providing Volcanion a chance to outspeed opposing Volcanion. Water Absorb, while being the only ability Volcanion can choose, is solid, since it lets Volcanion switch in on Barraskewda and Urshifu-R Choice-locked into a Water-type move.
Team Options
========
Volcanion functions best on offense and balance teams. Weavile is a great partner, as it threatens Pokemon like Dragonite and Dragapult; in return, Volcanion takes care of Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Melmetal. Landorus-T is another good teammate, since it can set Stealth Rock or provide Defog support, which greatly helps Volcanion due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Landorus-T can also pivot it in thanks to U-turn. Zapdos is another option for a potential Defogger, threatens Water-types, and can bring Volcanion in safely with Volt Switch; in return, Volcanion threatens Heatran and Ferrothorn. Tornadus-T is another potential Defogger that can also spread Knock Off and bring Volcanion in with U-turn. Volcanion can support Tornadus-T by threatening Heatran and Melmetal, two Pokemon that it can't do much against. Kartana is a great offensive partner that can threaten some of Volcanion's best checks, namely Gastrodon, Slowbro, and Rotom-W; Volcanion can take care of Landorus-T and Ferrothorn in return. Ferrothorn provides some entry hazard support in Spikes, which are quite helpful for Volcanion, as it just barely misses out on OHKOing Garchomp without any hazards set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volcanion can use Sludge Bomb over Sludge Wave for the higher chance of a poison, but the higher power of Sludge Wave is generally preferred in addition to it preferring to burn the foe with Steam Eruption. Volcanion can also use Defog on Heavy-Duty Boots sets to remove entry hazards itself, though it usually either prefers Sludge Wave, Toxic, or Substitute, and there are many other Defoggers that fit on its team.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Gastrodon don't take too much damage from any of Volcanion's moves, and all of them have some access to recovery, meaning they can check it late-game while also being able to threaten it directly.
**Revenge Killers**: Volcanion gets easily revenge killed by Garchomp and Tapu Koko due to their super effective attacks as well as Choice Specs users like Tapu Lele and Dragapult due to Volcanion's low special bulk.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Blissey and Assault Vest Galarian Slowking have ridiculously high Special Defense, meaning they can take any of Volcanion's attacks with ease. The former can also remove poison from Toxic with Nature Cure, while the latter is immune to any poison damage.
**Dragon-types**: Dragonite takes hits from Volcanion quite well and can use Roost to check it long-term. Dragapult is able to take one hit if Volcanion is using Choice Specs, though it can take two hits if it Heavy-Duty Boots, and then threaten Volcanion with its STAB moves.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit_gamin.652656/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Volcanion is a prominent wallbreaker that demands very specific checks, since it can exploit positive type matchups versus Landorus-T, Heatran, and Ferrothorn while being able to use its raw power to beat Clefable and specially defensive Garchomp. Volcanion also has beneficial defensive traits, as its solid natural bulk, great typing, and access to Water Absorb all let it take hits and gain opportunities to show its offensive power. Steam Eruption makes any physical attacker petrified of switching in on it, as they don't want to be inflicted with a burn; it can also burn Galarian Slowking and Toxapex, which are immune to poison damage. Volcanion's decent coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Wave helps it fix its problems, hitting would-be switch-ins like Toxapex and Tapu Fini, respectively. However, Volcanion has its fair share of its weaknesses, as it is quite susceptible to being revenge killed by the likes of Tapu Koko, Garchomp, and Landorus-T in addition to having a massive weakness to Stealth Rock.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Sludge Wave / Toxic / Substitute
item: Choice Specs / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thanks to its high Special Attack, solid coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Wave, and access to the powerful Steam Eruption, Volcanion functions as a hard-hitting wallbreaker that is difficult to switch into. Steam Eruption, in addition to being a STAB move, has a decent chance of inflicting burn, threatening would-be switch-ins like Dragonite and Dragapult. Earth Power hits Pokemon like Toxapex, Galarian Slowking, and opposing Volcanion. Sludge Wave hits Tapu Fini and Clefable and should always be the fourth move on Choice Specs sets. For Heavy-Duty Boots sets, Toxic wears down common switch-ins like Dragonite, Gastrodon, and Slowbro, while Substitute alternatively lets Volcanion take advantage of Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Heatran when they switch out. Choice Specs lets Volcanion unload massive damage, giving it a chance to OHKO Tornadus-T and offensive Garchomp; however, Heavy-Duty Boots is a solid alternative, as Stealth Rock is a major weakness for Volcanion. A Modest nature lets Volcanion deal more damage, giving it a much higher chance to OHKO offensive Garchomp and Clefable, whereas a Timid nature lets it outspeed Pokemon like Magnezone and Adamant Choice Band Buzzwole while providing Volcanion a chance to outspeed opposing Volcanion. Water Absorb, while being the only ability Volcanion can choose, is solid, since it lets Volcanion switch in on Barraskewda and Urshifu-R Choice-locked into a Water-type move.
Team Options
========
Volcanion functions best on offense and balance teams. Weavile is a great partner, as it threatens Pokemon like Dragonite and Dragapult; in return, Volcanion takes care of Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Melmetal. Landorus-T is another good teammate, since it can set Stealth Rock or provide Defog support, which greatly helps Volcanion due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Landorus-T can also pivot it in thanks to U-turn. Zapdos is another option for a potential Defogger, threatens Water-types, and can bring Volcanion in safely with Volt Switch; in return, Volcanion threatens Heatran and Ferrothorn. Tornadus-T is another potential Defogger that can also spread Knock Off and bring Volcanion in with U-turn. Volcanion can support Tornadus-T by threatening Heatran and Melmetal, two Pokemon that it can't do much against. Kartana is a great offensive partner that can threaten some of Volcanion's best checks, namely Gastrodon, Slowbro, and Rotom-W; Volcanion can take care of Landorus-T and Ferrothorn in return. Ferrothorn provides some entry hazard support in Spikes, which are quite helpful for Volcanion, as it just barely misses out on OHKOing Garchomp without any hazards set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volcanion can use Sludge Bomb over Sludge Wave for the higher chance of a poison, but the higher power of Sludge Wave is generally preferred in addition to it preferring to burn the foe with Steam Eruption. Volcanion can also use Defog on Heavy-Duty Boots sets to remove entry hazards itself, though it usually either prefers Sludge Wave, Toxic, or Substitute, and there are many other Defoggers that fit on its team.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Gastrodon don't take too much damage from any of Volcanion's moves, and all of them have some access to recovery, meaning they can check it late-game while also being able to threaten it directly.
**Revenge Killers**: Volcanion gets easily revenge killed by Garchomp and Tapu Koko due to their super effective attacks as well as Choice Specs users like Tapu Lele and Dragapult due to Volcanion's low special bulk.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Blissey and Assault Vest Galarian Slowking have ridiculously high Special Defense, meaning they can take any of Volcanion's attacks with ease. The former can also remove poison from Toxic with Nature Cure, while the latter is immune to any poison damage.
**Dragon-types**: Dragonite takes hits from Volcanion quite well and can use Roost to check it long-term. Dragapult is able to take one hit if Volcanion is using Choice Specs, though it can take two hits if it Heavy-Duty Boots, and then threaten Volcanion with its STAB moves.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit_gamin.652656/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/veti.612907/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
