I don’t want to reveal too many of my secrets before WCOP, but one thing I find criminally underrated and I’ve been having success with across the entire matchup spectrum has been
! I am sure if I told you it was good, you wouldn’t be too surprised and you’d suspect Specs on Rain would be going to town, which isn’t incorrect at all. However, I’ve found even more steady success, especially against bulkier foes, with this set:
Volcanion @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type:
Fairy
EVs: 152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
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Steam Eruption
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Flamethrower
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Fire Spin
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Taunt
Speed outruns Ursaluna’s maxed out variant we occasionally see outside of TR and pretty much every Kingambit, special attack is maximized, and HP actually comes in clutch against a few EQs and Dragapult attacks.
The premise of the set is to take the already strong profile of Volcanion, who poses a threat as a special attacker, and make the most of it as a team supporter and in less ideal matchups for its offensive profile. You’re able to trap virtually anything on ladder stall right now, which comes into play the most against Blissey and Toxapex. You’re also able to disrupt pivoting around one STAB to bait another if you time Fire Spin nicely as a middleground. Taunt in general also helps prevent a couple of things.
Finally, Tera Fairy is a gigantic assist in the Walking Wake Sun matchup as you retain Water Absorb and can be immune to both STAB. Similar dynamic with Urshifu-Rapid, who cannot Surging Strike you and suddenly had CC resisted after you Terastallization. It also was great when Pao was allowed and still helps you walk physical Dragapult, take neutral damage from EQs, and even can flip the Roaring Moon and +2 Kingambit matchups as they begin to resurface.