I am looking to get reqs to vote
Ban.
Volc has several sets and Teras to use that you can’t account for without slotting in multiple checks. Even checks you’d think would normally work like non-AV Prima get 2HKOd by +1 Tera Ground Blast from offensive Volc while Surf doesn’t OHKO. Pult needs to have T-Wave or CB to check Volc pre-Tera. Plus offensive Volc doesn’t need to Tera to break Dragapult.
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dragapult: 144-169 (45.4 - 53.3%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO
Dnite loses to Wisp and Tera Fairy. Also let’s not forget that Dnite is often tasked with checking other offensive threats like Wogre.
Compared to other Tera abusers like Gambit or Valiant, Volc is much harder to figure out because there’s no indication as to what Tera it uses, and unlike Gambit, you can’t use Zama or Encore to try and scout it because you’ll just give it 2 Quiver Dance boosts. Volc can either be QD Morning Sun, Wisp, Offensive QD, or Sub-QD. Imo Sub-QD has been the most broken set. Throwing counterplay like Glowking or Garg in the garbage.
Imo, banning Volc would actually allow Pokemon that benefit the meta more to thrive. For example.
-Rilla was already good, but banning Volc would make Grassy Glide easier to click and Rilla in general, easier to slot. Rilla also keeps Pokemon like Primarina, Garg, Wogre, and Raging Bolt (with High Horsepower) in check. The same applies to Grasspon, who has a similar role, but with Encore.
-Scizor would benefit heavily off the Volc ban. Scizor provides the role compression of Knock, priority Bullet Punch, and U-Turn. Also unlike Volc, it doesn’t die to Specs Kyu Draco or Rock Slide. So I’d be a more reliable Kyurem check while Bullet Punch can hit targets like Valiant, Moon, Enamorus, Rilla, etc.
To provide an example of Volc being broken, here’s a replay showing how a single misread with Volc can decide the game. (Warning, I made some shitty plays)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2102599427?p2
Here, my opponent haa all the Volc checks in the world. Tera Dragon Brave Bird Skarm, Dozo, Dirge, Gliscor, Garg, and a janky Light Screen Psychic Noise Glowking. Volc comes in once, reveals Sub and turns Glowking into a liability. Even once the Garg breaks the Sub and lands a Salt Cure, Volc fucking lives it and Giga Drains to continue healing up. If I had played better, Rilla + Volc would’ve been able to beat this whole Balance team more easily. Could my opponent have played better? Maybe, but the point is that there’s no way of telling what Volc you’re up against and guessing wrong is a gg.
For BO, you often have to stack checks like Dnite, Prima, and Tera Fire Gambit together. Balance has more room to slap in multiple checks, but again, your response to it will determine the actual match, cause like the Glowking example, you would not know what set or Tera it has until it nukes your “check”
Stall has no problem cause it has the only two hard checks in Blissey and Clodsire, but Stall also has a problem with one of Volc’s most common partner, Ogerpon-W.
The other problem with Volc is how it makes checking other threats like Primarina and Raging Bolt harder in practice. Glowking can hold off Volc, but would get overwhelmed by the Rbolt or Prima in the back.
Volc promotes unhealthy matchup fishing. If Stall is the only way to consistently check it, that’s not a sign of a healthy metagame.