[SET]
name: Magic Guard Wallbreaker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Substitute / Sludge Bomb
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Naive
evs: 12 HP / 240 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Volcanion is a powerful mixed attacker that dismantles many traditional defensive cores, such as those relying on Blissey, Corviknight, and Mew, with ease. Steam Eruption is its most powerful move and comes with a handy 30% burn chance. Once burned, would-be checks like Assault Vest Garchomp and Swampert cannot outdamage Volcanion and lose the one-on-one. Flare Blitz is the Fire-type move of choice, as it hits special walls like Blissey and Jirachi on their weaker defense while also having more PP and accuracy than other Fire-type moves. Earth Power nails Toxapex as well as Desolate Land users like Heatran and Cinderace. Substitute further increases Volcanion's wallbreaking prowess by allowing it to set up on Pokemon like Toxapex, Jirachi, and Ferrothorn lacking Power Whip and conveniently avoids the risk of its Life Orb being removed by Knock Off; alternatively, Sludge Bomb allows it to beat Tapu Fini more easily and threatens to inflict poison on Pokemon like Desolate Land Moltres and Choice Scarf Latias, which otherwise avoid the 2HKO from Volcanion. Magic Guard and Life Orb synergize well together and provide excellent longevity and power, notably giving Volcanion an immunity to entry hazards. The given EV spread ensures that Toxapex never breaks Volcanion's Substitute using Scald while maximizing Speed and power; on Sludge Bomb variants, the HP EVs can be moved to Special Attack. A Naive nature is preferred so that Volcanion can trade damage against burned Pokemon more comfortably.
Volcanion fits well on pivot-heavy teams where it can get as many wallbreaking opportunities as possible. Thanks to its immunity to entry hazards, it can be brought in freely against most slower Pokemon like Corviknight and Toxapex and threaten to 2HKO them, or set up using Substitute. As such, offensive pivots like Galarian Zapdos and Zarude are prime partners, as they invite in defensive Pokemon like the aforementioned Corviknight, and can use U-turn to bring in Volcanion, preserving momentum. Furthermore, Galarian Zapdos threatens to OHKO Volcanion's checks like Chansey, Silvally-Dragon, and Swampert, while Zarude provides Grassy Terrain support, nullifying Volcanion's Ground-type weakness and providing a source of recovery. These offensive Pokemon, in turn, appreciate Volcanion's ability to punch huge holes in opposing teams so they can clean up late-game. Other offensive Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Talonflame are also useful, as they cover up Volcanion's middling Speed and can force out revenge killers such as Galarian Zapdos. Lastly, entry hazards support pairs well with Volcanion as it forces many switches, and it is useful to secure the OHKO on Jirachi and the 2HKO on non-Assault Vest Garchomp. As such, setters like Garchomp and Ferrothorn make good teammates. Dauntless Shield Mew deserves special mention as a Spikes setter, as it checks many Pokemon that outspeed and threaten Volcanion, such as Terrakion and Zygarde-10%, and can bring it in safely with Volt Switch or Teleport.
[SET]
name: Primordial Sea Wallbreaker
move 1: Weather Ball
move 2: Steam Eruption
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Choice Specs
ability: Primordial Sea
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Volcanion is one of the strongest wallbreakers in the metagame. It distinguishes itself from other Primordial Sea users with its secondary Fire typing, which allows it to keep its STAB boost on Weather Ball if a Desolate Land user switches in, notably being able to OHKO offensive Heatran, OHKO Cinderace after minor chip, and 2HKO Moltres. Weather Ball also offers higher accuracy and PP than Steam Eruption. That said, Steam Eruption is Volcanion's strongest move in rain and 2HKOes the likes of Ferrothorn, Assault Vest Swampert and Jirachi, and OHKOes Garchomp after minor chip. Moreover, the burn chance lets it eventually 2HKO Blissey and specially defensive Ferrothorn once they are burned. Earth Power is the strongest move against Toxapex, which can otherwise stall out Steam Eruption's PP. Sludge Bomb allows Volcanion to poison its checks like Silvally-Dragon and Blastoise and also hits Tapu Fini and Tapu Bulu. Choice Specs in conjunction with a Modest nature maximizes Volcanion's power.
Volcanion finds home on balance and bulky offense teams in need of a strong wallbreaker, and it greatly benefits from the many slow pivots present on these types of teams, such as Corviknight and Mandibuzz, that can safely bring in Volcanion. Both are especially useful to switch into Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T attempting to revenge kill Volcanion, while also crucially providing Defog, as Volcanion can be chipped down quickly from entry hazards damage. Similarly, Tapu Fini and Excadrill are great partners, as they have access to Defog and Rapid Spin, respectively; in addition, the former provides Knock Off support, while the latter is an excellent check to Tapu Koko, a prime revenge killer to Volcanion. Volcanion also pairs well with offensive pivots like Landorus-T and Tapu Koko, which invite in defensive Pokemon like Corviknight and Heatran, respectively, and can bring in Volcanion safely to wallbreak. Azelf is also a useful teammate to Volcanion, as they both have similar checks, and Azelf threatens to cripple the likes of Chansey and Silvally-Dragon with Trick or Knock Off. All three Pokemon mentioned serve as excellent revenge killers to check Pokemon like Terrakion and Zygarde-10% that can revenge kill Volcanion. Furthermore, entry hazards setters like Ferrothorn and Mew are important teammates that can help wear down the opposing team, chipping Pokemon like specially defensive Ferrothorn into 2HKO range and Garchomp into OHKO range. Entry hazards are also very important to rack up damage on Silvally-Dragon, as Volcanion can eventually outdamage its Regenerator recovery and 2HKO it using Steam Eruption.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Defog can be used on the Magic Guard set over Substitute, which provides extra utility and works well with the switches Volcanion can frequently force, but limits its capabilities as a wallbreaker. A Desolate Land set similar to its Primordial Sea variant can be run, utilizing Fire Blast instead of Steam Eruption, but Water is a generally more potent offensive type and it would be outclassed by other Desolate Land wallbreakers like Heatran and Chandelure, which provides more utility and power, respectively. It should be noted, however, that this set is able to switch into Primordial Sea Pokemon without fear of Weather Ball thanks to its 4x resistance to Fire. Swift Swim can also be used over Primordial Sea on rain teams, though this archetype is generally inconsistent due to the prominence of Primal Weather.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Chansey**: While Volcanion can 2HKO Blissey with ease, it fails to do the same to Chansey while it threatens paralysis or heavy chip in return. Magic Guard Chansey is especially troublesome, as it cannot be chipped down by entry hazards or status damage.
**RegenVest Pokemon**: Silvally-Dragon and Blastoise can switch into Volcanion with ease and bring in a revenge killer; others like Assault Vest Garchomp and Swampert can switch into the Magic Guard set and threaten to 2HKO back using Earthquake, but can be overwhelmed if burned by Steam Eruption.
**Faster Pokemon**: Volcanion's mediocre Speed and bulk means that it is easily revenge killed by a plethora of faster Pokemon, such as Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, Terrakion, and Zygarde-10%, which all threaten to OHKO Volcanion.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[avyrie, 476520]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523866], [Isaiah, 375662]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
name: Magic Guard Wallbreaker
move 1: Steam Eruption
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Substitute / Sludge Bomb
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Naive
evs: 12 HP / 240 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Volcanion is a powerful mixed attacker that dismantles many traditional defensive cores, such as those relying on Blissey, Corviknight, and Mew, with ease. Steam Eruption is its most powerful move and comes with a handy 30% burn chance. Once burned, would-be checks like Assault Vest Garchomp and Swampert cannot outdamage Volcanion and lose the one-on-one. Flare Blitz is the Fire-type move of choice, as it hits special walls like Blissey and Jirachi on their weaker defense while also having more PP and accuracy than other Fire-type moves. Earth Power nails Toxapex as well as Desolate Land users like Heatran and Cinderace. Substitute further increases Volcanion's wallbreaking prowess by allowing it to set up on Pokemon like Toxapex, Jirachi, and Ferrothorn lacking Power Whip and conveniently avoids the risk of its Life Orb being removed by Knock Off; alternatively, Sludge Bomb allows it to beat Tapu Fini more easily and threatens to inflict poison on Pokemon like Desolate Land Moltres and Choice Scarf Latias, which otherwise avoid the 2HKO from Volcanion. Magic Guard and Life Orb synergize well together and provide excellent longevity and power, notably giving Volcanion an immunity to entry hazards. The given EV spread ensures that Toxapex never breaks Volcanion's Substitute using Scald while maximizing Speed and power; on Sludge Bomb variants, the HP EVs can be moved to Special Attack. A Naive nature is preferred so that Volcanion can trade damage against burned Pokemon more comfortably.
Volcanion fits well on pivot-heavy teams where it can get as many wallbreaking opportunities as possible. Thanks to its immunity to entry hazards, it can be brought in freely against most slower Pokemon like Corviknight and Toxapex and threaten to 2HKO them, or set up using Substitute. As such, offensive pivots like Galarian Zapdos and Zarude are prime partners, as they invite in defensive Pokemon like the aforementioned Corviknight, and can use U-turn to bring in Volcanion, preserving momentum. Furthermore, Galarian Zapdos threatens to OHKO Volcanion's checks like Chansey, Silvally-Dragon, and Swampert, while Zarude provides Grassy Terrain support, nullifying Volcanion's Ground-type weakness and providing a source of recovery. These offensive Pokemon, in turn, appreciate Volcanion's ability to punch huge holes in opposing teams so they can clean up late-game. Other offensive Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Talonflame are also useful, as they cover up Volcanion's middling Speed and can force out revenge killers such as Galarian Zapdos. Lastly, entry hazards support pairs well with Volcanion as it forces many switches, and it is useful to secure the OHKO on Jirachi and the 2HKO on non-Assault Vest Garchomp. As such, setters like Garchomp and Ferrothorn make good teammates. Dauntless Shield Mew deserves special mention as a Spikes setter, as it checks many Pokemon that outspeed and threaten Volcanion, such as Terrakion and Zygarde-10%, and can bring it in safely with Volt Switch or Teleport.
[SET]
name: Primordial Sea Wallbreaker
move 1: Weather Ball
move 2: Steam Eruption
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Choice Specs
ability: Primordial Sea
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Volcanion is one of the strongest wallbreakers in the metagame. It distinguishes itself from other Primordial Sea users with its secondary Fire typing, which allows it to keep its STAB boost on Weather Ball if a Desolate Land user switches in, notably being able to OHKO offensive Heatran, OHKO Cinderace after minor chip, and 2HKO Moltres. Weather Ball also offers higher accuracy and PP than Steam Eruption. That said, Steam Eruption is Volcanion's strongest move in rain and 2HKOes the likes of Ferrothorn, Assault Vest Swampert and Jirachi, and OHKOes Garchomp after minor chip. Moreover, the burn chance lets it eventually 2HKO Blissey and specially defensive Ferrothorn once they are burned. Earth Power is the strongest move against Toxapex, which can otherwise stall out Steam Eruption's PP. Sludge Bomb allows Volcanion to poison its checks like Silvally-Dragon and Blastoise and also hits Tapu Fini and Tapu Bulu. Choice Specs in conjunction with a Modest nature maximizes Volcanion's power.
Volcanion finds home on balance and bulky offense teams in need of a strong wallbreaker, and it greatly benefits from the many slow pivots present on these types of teams, such as Corviknight and Mandibuzz, that can safely bring in Volcanion. Both are especially useful to switch into Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T attempting to revenge kill Volcanion, while also crucially providing Defog, as Volcanion can be chipped down quickly from entry hazards damage. Similarly, Tapu Fini and Excadrill are great partners, as they have access to Defog and Rapid Spin, respectively; in addition, the former provides Knock Off support, while the latter is an excellent check to Tapu Koko, a prime revenge killer to Volcanion. Volcanion also pairs well with offensive pivots like Landorus-T and Tapu Koko, which invite in defensive Pokemon like Corviknight and Heatran, respectively, and can bring in Volcanion safely to wallbreak. Azelf is also a useful teammate to Volcanion, as they both have similar checks, and Azelf threatens to cripple the likes of Chansey and Silvally-Dragon with Trick or Knock Off. All three Pokemon mentioned serve as excellent revenge killers to check Pokemon like Terrakion and Zygarde-10% that can revenge kill Volcanion. Furthermore, entry hazards setters like Ferrothorn and Mew are important teammates that can help wear down the opposing team, chipping Pokemon like specially defensive Ferrothorn into 2HKO range and Garchomp into OHKO range. Entry hazards are also very important to rack up damage on Silvally-Dragon, as Volcanion can eventually outdamage its Regenerator recovery and 2HKO it using Steam Eruption.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Defog can be used on the Magic Guard set over Substitute, which provides extra utility and works well with the switches Volcanion can frequently force, but limits its capabilities as a wallbreaker. A Desolate Land set similar to its Primordial Sea variant can be run, utilizing Fire Blast instead of Steam Eruption, but Water is a generally more potent offensive type and it would be outclassed by other Desolate Land wallbreakers like Heatran and Chandelure, which provides more utility and power, respectively. It should be noted, however, that this set is able to switch into Primordial Sea Pokemon without fear of Weather Ball thanks to its 4x resistance to Fire. Swift Swim can also be used over Primordial Sea on rain teams, though this archetype is generally inconsistent due to the prominence of Primal Weather.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Chansey**: While Volcanion can 2HKO Blissey with ease, it fails to do the same to Chansey while it threatens paralysis or heavy chip in return. Magic Guard Chansey is especially troublesome, as it cannot be chipped down by entry hazards or status damage.
**RegenVest Pokemon**: Silvally-Dragon and Blastoise can switch into Volcanion with ease and bring in a revenge killer; others like Assault Vest Garchomp and Swampert can switch into the Magic Guard set and threaten to 2HKO back using Earthquake, but can be overwhelmed if burned by Steam Eruption.
**Faster Pokemon**: Volcanion's mediocre Speed and bulk means that it is easily revenge killed by a plethora of faster Pokemon, such as Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, Terrakion, and Zygarde-10%, which all threaten to OHKO Volcanion.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[avyrie, 476520]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523866], [Isaiah, 375662]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
Last edited:
