Overview
- Good Offensive Typing
- Great spammable move in Steam Eruption
- Combined with great SpA stat
- Large enough attack stat and solid movepool for mixed set
- Good natural bulk makes it difficult to ohko and revenge kill
- Slow for an offensive threat
- Weak to Stealth Rocks
- Attacks can be predictable
Choice Specs Wallbreaker
Volcanion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Scald
- Will-o-Wisp / Focus Blast / Sludge Wave
Set Comments
Moves
- Steam Eruption is Volcanion's best move. It provides an extremely powerful STAB attack with solid accuracy as well as a 30% chance to burn the foe.
- Fire Blast provides another strong STAB option for Volcanion
- Scald is a safer option when Steam Eruption is unnecessary, whether to ensure the move hits or to save valuable Steam Eruption pp.
- Due to Tinted Lens, Volcanion almost never uses its fourth move. Will-o-Wisp is a decent option to burn checks like Chansey or RegenVest Meloetta and Manaphy. Focus Blast can hit opponents with immunities and resists to Volcanion's STABs, such as Flash Fire Ferrothorn. Sludge Wave can hit the rare bulky Fairy type foe in AAA, such as Sylveon.
Set Details
- SpA EVs, Modest Nature, and Choice Specs all maximize the power of Volcanion
- Speed EVs to outspeed most defensive foes
- Tinted Lens allows Volcanion to plow through most would-be checks, and it pairs perfectly with Choice Specs
Usage Tips
- Use Steam Eruption whenever you can, unless the opponent has an immunity
- Use a slow teammate's Volt Switch or U-Turn to get Volcanion safely into play to threaten the opponent
- Weaken checks with other special attackers as well as hazards before sending Volcanion into play
Team Options
- Special Attackers with Knock Off, such as Thundurus and Manaphy, are great teammates as they can lure in special defensive walls such as Chansey and RegenVest users, and then significantly weaken their spdef
- Zapdos provides a ground immunity, hazard removal and a slow Volt Switch/U-Turn
- Diancie can provide a check for Gale Wings users that threaten Volcanion, and it appreciates Volcanion's pressure on the opponent's Steel type team members.
Adaptability Mixed Attacker
Volcanion @ Choice Scarf / Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Flare Blitz
- Focus Blast / Earth Power
Set Comments
Moves
- Steam Eruption is Volcanion's best move. It provides a strong, accurate STAB with a 30% chance to burn.
- Fire Blast is Volcanion's alternate STAB move that provides great coverage in tandem with Steam Eruption.
- Flare Blitz provides a powerful physical STAB option to surprise and defeat many checks designed for Volcanion's special attacks, such as RegenVest Meloetta.
- Focus Blast provides coverage for foes with an immunity to Volcanion's STAB such as Flash Fire Ferrothorn and Desolate Land Heatran.
- Earth Power more reliably hits Heatran, at the cost of easily defeating Ferrothorn. Focus Blast is thus the preferred option unless Volcanion's teammates can easily defeat Ferrothorn.
Set Details
The EVs are set to maximize Volcanion's special attack and speed; combined with a Choice Scarf Volcanion outspeeds and OHKO foes like Raikou, Thundurus, and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. The Naughty Nature gives Volcanion max speed, while still provided it with strong special attacking stat, as well as a decent attacking stat. Adaptability further increases the power of Volcanion's STABs, making it a devestating attacker. Life Orb is another option to further increase Volcanion's damage output. However, Volcanion's slow speed leaves it vulnerable to fast attackers like Thundurus, and the Life Orb set is often outclassed by Choice Specs Tinted Lens. That said, a Life Orb mixed Adaptability set is devastating against stall.
Usage Tips
- Volcanion should be played aggresively. If often surprises foes with its Choice Scarf to OHKO them.
- It is better to avoid bringing it in directly on a offensive foe that would outspeed Volcanion if it did not have a Choice Scarf, as you can make your item obvious.
- To expand, leading with Volcanion against a predicted offensive opponent's lead can provide you with a great starting matchup.
- Pivot Volcanion in against defensive opponents with U-Turn and Volt Switch.
- If you can predict remove a special defensive check like Meloetta and defeat it with Flare Blitz, Choice Scarf Steam Eruption will often plow through the opponent's remaining team.
Team Options
- Special Attackers with Knock Off, such as Thundurus and Manaphy, are great teammates as they can lure in special defensive walls such as Chansey and RegenVest users, and then significantly weaken their spdef
- Zapdos provides a ground immunity, hazard removal and a slow Volt Switch/U-Turn
- Diancie can provide a check for Gale Wings users that threaten Volcanion, and it appreciates Volcanion's pressure on the opponent's Steel type team members.
- Magnet Pull Infernape is able to trap and defeat steel typed Volcanion checks such as Ferrothorn and Heatran.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
- Motor Drive can surprise threats like Thundurus to give Volcanion an advantage.
- Swift Swim makes Volcanion a devastating fast attacker on rain teams.
- Magnet Pull seems appealing at first, but is generally outclassed by Heatran and Infernape
- Regenerator can make use of Volcanion's natural bulk to improve its longevity at the cost of power.
Checks and Counters
Special Defensive Walls: Volcanion has a tough time breaking walls like Chansey as well as RegenVest users like Meloetta and Manaphy. These checks can also hinder Volcanion's effectiveness with status or Knock Off, or pivot out.
Bulky Water Types: With a resistance to both of Volcanion's STABs, bulky waters such as Poison Heal Suicune and Manaphy have the stats to check even the Tinted Lens set.
Fast Electric Types: Thundurus and Raikou can outspeed Volcanion without a Choice Scarf and OHKO it easily.
