steel dragons
04-29-2011, 01:26 PM
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Volcarona
Type: Fire/Bug
Abilities:
Flame Body- "The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with BURN when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon." (from Serebii)
Swarm (Dream World, unreleased)- "When HP is below 1/3rd, Bug’s power increases to 1.5 times." (from Serebii)
Base Stats:
HP: 85
Attack: 60
Defense: 65
Special Attack: 135
Special Defense: 105
Speed: 100
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/637.shtml
Overview
Volcarona can be a fearsome sweeper. It has access to the move Quiver Dance, which boosts its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one level after every use. Volcarona has a very high base 135 Special Attack and a decent base 100 Speed, so after a Quiver Dance, Volcarona can become a very threatening sweeper. With moves like Fiery Dance, Bug buzz, and a Hidden Power for coverage, Volcarona can hit many Pokemon hard. Volcarona also has good offensive typing, but its defensive typing is relatively bad. This is due to the fact that Volcarona takes 50% damage from Stealth Rock. Also, Volcarona has a relatively low Defense stat, so most strong physical hits will severely damage it. Despite Volcarona's 4X weakness to Stealth rocks, Volcarona does resist two of the most common priority moves, Mach Punch and Bullet Punch. If Stealth Rock is kept off of the field, Volcarona can become a threat to nearly any team.
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In Depth/Move Sets
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Quiver Dance Sweeper
Volcarona w/ Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA; 252 Spe; 4 Def
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fiery Dance/Fire Blast
Hidden Power Rock/Hidden Power Ground/Hidden Power Ice
Set Comments
This set will probably be Volcarona's most common set for a long time. It utilizes Volcarona's offensive capabilities to the fullest: maximizing Special Attack and Speed in order to out-speed and hit as much as possible. Bug Buzz is used for the second slot, as it is Volcarona's strongest Bug-typed move. Fiery Dance is the primary option for the third slot, as it is 100% accurate, has decent power, and has a chance to raise Volcarona's special attack by one level. Fire Blast is also an option for the third slot, as it has more power than Fiery Dance. However, Fire Blast is less accurate and doesn't have a chance of raising Volcarona's special attack. For the last slot, Hidden Power Rock is the primary option, as it hits Dragonite, Salamence, and Gyarados harder than Volcarona's STAB moves. Hidden Power Ground is also an option here, mainly for hitting Heatran, who otherwise resists Volcarona's STAB moves. Hidden Power Ice is also viable for this slot, hitting the likes of Salamence, Gliscor, and Dragonite very hard.
Additional Comments
252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs should be used to make Volcarona the best sweeper that it can be. A Timid nature should be used to out-speed Pokemon like Haxorus and Hydreigon, or to speed-tie Pokemon like Salamence and Zapdos. A Life Orb should be used to increase Volcarona's damage output.
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Chesto-Rest Quiver Dance Sweeper - from Seth Vilo
Volcarona w/ Chesto Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA; 144 HP; 112 Spe
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fire Blast/Fiery Dance
Rest
Set Comments
This set trades the power and coverage of the first set for the ability to fully heal. With Rest, this Volcarona set has the ability to get multiple boosts and sweep, despite only having two attacking moves. Bug Buzz is the best Bug move for Volcarona, and it is the best option for the second slot. Fire Blast is preferred for the third slot due to the fact that it has more power. This set focuses on boosting many times with the help of Rest then sweeping, making the Special Attack boost from Fiery Dance is less useful for this set. Fiery Dance can still be used though, as it is a consistent move that has a chance to raise Special Attack and it's more accurate. Rest is used for the last slot to completely heal Volcarona, so that it has more opportunities to sweep.
Additional Comments
This set focuses on boosting many times with Quiver Dance, then sweeping. After one or two boosts Volcarona out-speeds most OU Pokemon anyway, so a Modest nature with 252 SpA EVs is more beneficial to Volcarona here. The 112 EVs in Speed are used to out-speed base 130 Pokemon after one Quiver Dance boost, and most other Pokemon after two boosts, like Scarfed Terrakion. The 144 HP is used to take some resisted priority hits, like Scizor's Bullet Punch and Hitmontop's Mach Punch. However, instead of the listed spread, a spread of 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def with a Timid nature can be used. That spread is much faster, but less powerful than the other spread. For the item, Chesto Berry is preferred so that Volcarona can more reliably use Rest without sleeping for two turns.
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Bulky Quiver Dancer
Volcarona w/ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 Def; 248 HP; 8 Spe
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fiery Dance / Fire Blast
Morning Sun
Set Comments
Unlike the offensive Volcarona set, this set is more bulky. It allows Volcarona to set up many boosts, then sweep the opponent's team. This set is best used in the Sun, which allows Volcarona to recover 66% of its health through Morning Sun, and boosts the power of Fiery Dance. Again, Bug Buzz is Volcarona's strongest Bug move, and it should be included on this set. Fiery Dance is preferred for the third slot because it is a consistent Fire move that has a chance of boosting Volcarona's Special Attack by one stage after each use. Fire Blast can be used here also, as it has considerably more power than Fiery Dance. Morning Sun is used in the last slot, allowing Volcarona to recover its health while setting up on the opponent. In the Sun, Morning Sun recovers two thirds of Volcarona's health, making it a useful method of recovery.
Additional Comments
Near max HP and max defense EVs are used for this set, along with a Bold nature, to give Volcarona the best physical bulk possible. 248 HP EVs are used on Volcarona instead of 252 HP EVs to allow Volcarona to switch into Stealth rock twice without dying and without taking any other damage. Having this good physical bulk especially helps because, in the Sun, Volcarona can take some attacks like Gyarados' Waterfall, and proceed to set up. Also, physical attackers may be burned due to Flame Body, further increasing the odds that Volcarona can survive against physical attackers. Leftovers is the preferred item for this set, as it ultimately makes Volcarona harder to take down.
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Other Options
Hurricane - Could be used as an additional coverage move instead of a Hidden Power. This could make Volcarona an interesting sweeper under Rain, as Hurricane then becomes a 100% accuracy and 120 power move under Rain.
Flamethrower - Could be used on any Volcarona set. It has 100% accuracy like Fiery Dance, and has more power than Fiery Dance. However, Fiery Dance is usually preferred for its chance to raise special attack, and Fire Blast is preferred for its superior power to Flamethrower.
U-Turn - Could be used to gain the upper hand in a match by switching out Volcarona to another Pokemon. However, because of Volcarona's vulnerability to entry hazards like Stealth rock, this is usually not recommended.
Whirlwind - Could be used to phaze out threatening opponents. However, this is usually best-suited for a different Pokemon.
Will-o-wisp - Could be used to Burn physical opponents, allowing Volcarona to have an easier time setting up Quiver Dances.
Teammates
Ninetales is a great teammate for Volcarona, as its prema-sun from Drought strengthens Volcarona's Fire moves and Morning Sun. Magic Mirror Pokemon, like Espeon and Xatu, are helpful to use with Volcarona as they can block attempts to use the harmful Stealth Rock. Espeon is probably recommended because it doesn't share any weaknesses with Volcarona. If a Magic Mirror Pokemon is not desired, a Rapid Spinner can be used instead. Forretress pairs well with Volcarona, and can lay down entry hazards to affect the opposing team. Hitmontop also works well with Volcarona because of its resistance to Rock moves, its access to Rapid Spin, and its access to Intimidate to weaken some physical attacking Pokemon. Starmie also pairs well with Volcarona, as Starmie can threaten many of Volcarona's counters, like Heatran, Gyarados, Dragonite, Salamence, and Chandelure. Ferrothorn works well with Volcarona, resisting the Rock and Water attacks aimed at Volcarona. Ferrothorn also does well against some of Volcarona's counters, like Tentacruel, Politoed, Gyarados, and Azumarill. Ferrothorn can even set up Stealth Rock, which hurt a fair amount of Volcarona's counters. Infernape can also work well, since it is able to get rid of Pokemon like Blissey, Chansey, Heatran, Dragonite, Salamence, and Landorus.
Counters
Stealth Rock is a major enemy to Volcarona. If Stealth Rock is on the field when Volcarona switches in, Volcarona loses half of its health, making it much less threatening to the opposing team. Spikes and Toxic Spikes can hurt Volcarona, but Stealth Rock puts a big dent in its health. Special walls, like Blissey or Chansey usually can wall Volcarona. However, Volcarona can set up on Blissey or Chansey if it is running the Chesto-Rest Quiver Dance Sweeper set. Heatran is a decent counter to Volcarona because it takes little or no damage from Volcarona's STAB moves. Tentacruel is perhaps an even better counter than Heatran because Tentacruel has the bulk to take most of Volcarona's attacks, and it can strike Volcarona with super-effective Water attacks. Politoed is a big threat to Volcarona, as its Drizzle ability can usually stop Volcarona from sweeping. Jellicent is a good counter as well, not really fearing any of Volcarona's attacks and resisting Volcarona's STAB moves. Gyarados, Dragonite, Salamence, and Chandelure also resist Volcarona's STAB moves, but they need to watch out for Hidden Power Rock. In terms of checks, anything that is faster than Volcarona and has strong physical moves will generally be a threat. In Sand, Excadrill out-speeds any Volcarona that has boosted once, and can demolish Volcarona with Earthquake or Rock Slide. Other good checks are Garchomp, Starmie, Terrakion, and Landorus, which all have the ability to out-speed Volcarona and significantly damage it. Azumarill is also a great check to Volcarona, as its powerful Aqua Jet will almost always force Volcarona to switch out.
Opinion
Volcarona can be a major threat in this metagame. It has access to a great stat-boosting move in Quiver Dance, and it has the moves to hit nearly everything for decent damage at the least. Volcarona also has great sweeping stats, in particular a high Special Attack stat, and an acceptable Speed stat. Volcarona's main downfall is Stealth Rock, but if you can find a way around that, Volcarona can have an easy time sweeping opposing teams.
Volcarona
Type: Fire/Bug
Abilities:
Flame Body- "The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with BURN when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon." (from Serebii)
Swarm (Dream World, unreleased)- "When HP is below 1/3rd, Bug’s power increases to 1.5 times." (from Serebii)
Base Stats:
HP: 85
Attack: 60
Defense: 65
Special Attack: 135
Special Defense: 105
Speed: 100
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/637.shtml
Overview
Volcarona can be a fearsome sweeper. It has access to the move Quiver Dance, which boosts its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one level after every use. Volcarona has a very high base 135 Special Attack and a decent base 100 Speed, so after a Quiver Dance, Volcarona can become a very threatening sweeper. With moves like Fiery Dance, Bug buzz, and a Hidden Power for coverage, Volcarona can hit many Pokemon hard. Volcarona also has good offensive typing, but its defensive typing is relatively bad. This is due to the fact that Volcarona takes 50% damage from Stealth Rock. Also, Volcarona has a relatively low Defense stat, so most strong physical hits will severely damage it. Despite Volcarona's 4X weakness to Stealth rocks, Volcarona does resist two of the most common priority moves, Mach Punch and Bullet Punch. If Stealth Rock is kept off of the field, Volcarona can become a threat to nearly any team.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Depth/Move Sets
http://i53.tinypic.com/33mvfkm.gif
Quiver Dance Sweeper
Volcarona w/ Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA; 252 Spe; 4 Def
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fiery Dance/Fire Blast
Hidden Power Rock/Hidden Power Ground/Hidden Power Ice
Set Comments
This set will probably be Volcarona's most common set for a long time. It utilizes Volcarona's offensive capabilities to the fullest: maximizing Special Attack and Speed in order to out-speed and hit as much as possible. Bug Buzz is used for the second slot, as it is Volcarona's strongest Bug-typed move. Fiery Dance is the primary option for the third slot, as it is 100% accurate, has decent power, and has a chance to raise Volcarona's special attack by one level. Fire Blast is also an option for the third slot, as it has more power than Fiery Dance. However, Fire Blast is less accurate and doesn't have a chance of raising Volcarona's special attack. For the last slot, Hidden Power Rock is the primary option, as it hits Dragonite, Salamence, and Gyarados harder than Volcarona's STAB moves. Hidden Power Ground is also an option here, mainly for hitting Heatran, who otherwise resists Volcarona's STAB moves. Hidden Power Ice is also viable for this slot, hitting the likes of Salamence, Gliscor, and Dragonite very hard.
Additional Comments
252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs should be used to make Volcarona the best sweeper that it can be. A Timid nature should be used to out-speed Pokemon like Haxorus and Hydreigon, or to speed-tie Pokemon like Salamence and Zapdos. A Life Orb should be used to increase Volcarona's damage output.
http://i53.tinypic.com/33mvfkm.gif
Chesto-Rest Quiver Dance Sweeper - from Seth Vilo
Volcarona w/ Chesto Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA; 144 HP; 112 Spe
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fire Blast/Fiery Dance
Rest
Set Comments
This set trades the power and coverage of the first set for the ability to fully heal. With Rest, this Volcarona set has the ability to get multiple boosts and sweep, despite only having two attacking moves. Bug Buzz is the best Bug move for Volcarona, and it is the best option for the second slot. Fire Blast is preferred for the third slot due to the fact that it has more power. This set focuses on boosting many times with the help of Rest then sweeping, making the Special Attack boost from Fiery Dance is less useful for this set. Fiery Dance can still be used though, as it is a consistent move that has a chance to raise Special Attack and it's more accurate. Rest is used for the last slot to completely heal Volcarona, so that it has more opportunities to sweep.
Additional Comments
This set focuses on boosting many times with Quiver Dance, then sweeping. After one or two boosts Volcarona out-speeds most OU Pokemon anyway, so a Modest nature with 252 SpA EVs is more beneficial to Volcarona here. The 112 EVs in Speed are used to out-speed base 130 Pokemon after one Quiver Dance boost, and most other Pokemon after two boosts, like Scarfed Terrakion. The 144 HP is used to take some resisted priority hits, like Scizor's Bullet Punch and Hitmontop's Mach Punch. However, instead of the listed spread, a spread of 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 Def with a Timid nature can be used. That spread is much faster, but less powerful than the other spread. For the item, Chesto Berry is preferred so that Volcarona can more reliably use Rest without sleeping for two turns.
http://i53.tinypic.com/33mvfkm.gif
Bulky Quiver Dancer
Volcarona w/ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 Def; 248 HP; 8 Spe
Quiver Dance
Bug Buzz
Fiery Dance / Fire Blast
Morning Sun
Set Comments
Unlike the offensive Volcarona set, this set is more bulky. It allows Volcarona to set up many boosts, then sweep the opponent's team. This set is best used in the Sun, which allows Volcarona to recover 66% of its health through Morning Sun, and boosts the power of Fiery Dance. Again, Bug Buzz is Volcarona's strongest Bug move, and it should be included on this set. Fiery Dance is preferred for the third slot because it is a consistent Fire move that has a chance of boosting Volcarona's Special Attack by one stage after each use. Fire Blast can be used here also, as it has considerably more power than Fiery Dance. Morning Sun is used in the last slot, allowing Volcarona to recover its health while setting up on the opponent. In the Sun, Morning Sun recovers two thirds of Volcarona's health, making it a useful method of recovery.
Additional Comments
Near max HP and max defense EVs are used for this set, along with a Bold nature, to give Volcarona the best physical bulk possible. 248 HP EVs are used on Volcarona instead of 252 HP EVs to allow Volcarona to switch into Stealth rock twice without dying and without taking any other damage. Having this good physical bulk especially helps because, in the Sun, Volcarona can take some attacks like Gyarados' Waterfall, and proceed to set up. Also, physical attackers may be burned due to Flame Body, further increasing the odds that Volcarona can survive against physical attackers. Leftovers is the preferred item for this set, as it ultimately makes Volcarona harder to take down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other Options
Hurricane - Could be used as an additional coverage move instead of a Hidden Power. This could make Volcarona an interesting sweeper under Rain, as Hurricane then becomes a 100% accuracy and 120 power move under Rain.
Flamethrower - Could be used on any Volcarona set. It has 100% accuracy like Fiery Dance, and has more power than Fiery Dance. However, Fiery Dance is usually preferred for its chance to raise special attack, and Fire Blast is preferred for its superior power to Flamethrower.
U-Turn - Could be used to gain the upper hand in a match by switching out Volcarona to another Pokemon. However, because of Volcarona's vulnerability to entry hazards like Stealth rock, this is usually not recommended.
Whirlwind - Could be used to phaze out threatening opponents. However, this is usually best-suited for a different Pokemon.
Will-o-wisp - Could be used to Burn physical opponents, allowing Volcarona to have an easier time setting up Quiver Dances.
Teammates
Ninetales is a great teammate for Volcarona, as its prema-sun from Drought strengthens Volcarona's Fire moves and Morning Sun. Magic Mirror Pokemon, like Espeon and Xatu, are helpful to use with Volcarona as they can block attempts to use the harmful Stealth Rock. Espeon is probably recommended because it doesn't share any weaknesses with Volcarona. If a Magic Mirror Pokemon is not desired, a Rapid Spinner can be used instead. Forretress pairs well with Volcarona, and can lay down entry hazards to affect the opposing team. Hitmontop also works well with Volcarona because of its resistance to Rock moves, its access to Rapid Spin, and its access to Intimidate to weaken some physical attacking Pokemon. Starmie also pairs well with Volcarona, as Starmie can threaten many of Volcarona's counters, like Heatran, Gyarados, Dragonite, Salamence, and Chandelure. Ferrothorn works well with Volcarona, resisting the Rock and Water attacks aimed at Volcarona. Ferrothorn also does well against some of Volcarona's counters, like Tentacruel, Politoed, Gyarados, and Azumarill. Ferrothorn can even set up Stealth Rock, which hurt a fair amount of Volcarona's counters. Infernape can also work well, since it is able to get rid of Pokemon like Blissey, Chansey, Heatran, Dragonite, Salamence, and Landorus.
Counters
Stealth Rock is a major enemy to Volcarona. If Stealth Rock is on the field when Volcarona switches in, Volcarona loses half of its health, making it much less threatening to the opposing team. Spikes and Toxic Spikes can hurt Volcarona, but Stealth Rock puts a big dent in its health. Special walls, like Blissey or Chansey usually can wall Volcarona. However, Volcarona can set up on Blissey or Chansey if it is running the Chesto-Rest Quiver Dance Sweeper set. Heatran is a decent counter to Volcarona because it takes little or no damage from Volcarona's STAB moves. Tentacruel is perhaps an even better counter than Heatran because Tentacruel has the bulk to take most of Volcarona's attacks, and it can strike Volcarona with super-effective Water attacks. Politoed is a big threat to Volcarona, as its Drizzle ability can usually stop Volcarona from sweeping. Jellicent is a good counter as well, not really fearing any of Volcarona's attacks and resisting Volcarona's STAB moves. Gyarados, Dragonite, Salamence, and Chandelure also resist Volcarona's STAB moves, but they need to watch out for Hidden Power Rock. In terms of checks, anything that is faster than Volcarona and has strong physical moves will generally be a threat. In Sand, Excadrill out-speeds any Volcarona that has boosted once, and can demolish Volcarona with Earthquake or Rock Slide. Other good checks are Garchomp, Starmie, Terrakion, and Landorus, which all have the ability to out-speed Volcarona and significantly damage it. Azumarill is also a great check to Volcarona, as its powerful Aqua Jet will almost always force Volcarona to switch out.
Opinion
Volcarona can be a major threat in this metagame. It has access to a great stat-boosting move in Quiver Dance, and it has the moves to hit nearly everything for decent damage at the least. Volcarona also has great sweeping stats, in particular a high Special Attack stat, and an acceptable Speed stat. Volcarona's main downfall is Stealth Rock, but if you can find a way around that, Volcarona can have an easy time sweeping opposing teams.