Volbeat Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Sunny Day or Rain Dance assists teammates by setting up the chosen weather with +1 priority thanks to Prankster. U-turn gives Volbeat a slow pivoting move, potentially allowing a teammate to come in unscathed. Thunder Wave cripples the opposing Pokemon, lowering their Speed and potentially giving Volbeat momentum if they get fully paralyzed. Encore helps Volbeat gain momentum by locking the foe into a non-attacking move like Swords Dance or Defog, generating free turns. Set Details A Speed-lowering nature with 0 Speed IVs helps Volbeat underspeed Pokemon such as Lanturn so that a teammate can be pivoted in for free with U-turn. Prankster gives Volbeat's status moves +1 priority, allowing it to move before certain Taunt users like Qwilfish and Lycanroc and making it an extremely reliable weather setter. Heat Rock or Damp Rock extends the duration of the moves Sunny Day or Rain Dance from five turns to eight turns. Usage Tips Volbeat is primarily used as a weather setter on hyper offensive weather teams and should only be brought in when the duration of sun or rain has ended or is about to end. Volbeat's main priority should be to set up sun or rain and U-turn out right after. Despite the investment into Volbeat's defensive stats, its bulk is still lackluster; thus, one should switch Volbeat in cautiously when the opponent is predicted to switch or go for a resisted hit, since hyper offensive teams rely heavily on their chosen weather being set up. Volbeat can also be brought in after a teammate has fainted, giving it a free setup turn. There are some Pokemon Volbeat just cannot underspeed, such as Drampa and Gurdurr; in these situations, it's best to stay and let Volbeat faint than to U-turn and let one of your hyper offensive sweepers take a massive hit. In the case of Gurdurr, you may be able to Encore it into a non-attacking move like Bulk Up, allowing you then to safely pivot into a teammate. Encore is able to generate free turns for teammates or force a switch while also keeping setup sweepers checked. Team Options Volbeat should be used alongside a secondary weather setter, so Pokemon like Liepard are appreciated. For teams utilizing Volbeat's Sunny Day, Chlorophyll sweepers such as Victreebel, Sawsbuck, and Leafeon appreciate having their Speed doubled or their STAB moves boosted. Partners for Rain Dance Volbeat are usually Pokemon with the ability Swift Swim, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, and Omastar.

Moves Sunny Day allows sun sweepers such as Sawsbuck and Leafeon to sweep, while Rain Dance gives rain sweepers such as Golduck and Floatzel the chance to sweep. U-turn gets in teammates safely and allows Volbeat to pivot out from an unfavorable matchup. Encore provides free turns for Volbeat's teammates and allows Volbeat to lock passive Pokemon such as Lickilicky and Roselia into an unfavorable move. Encore also prevents setup sweepers such as Clefairy and Klang from attacking. Thunder Wave cripples fast and powerful threats such as Dodrio, Simipour, and Rapidash, which pose a threat to Volbeat. Thunder Wave also cripples Chlorophyll Jumpluff and Sawsbuck, which are big threats to sun teams. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes Volbeat's bulk and allows it to tank as many physical hits as possible. 0 Speed IVs and a Relaxed nature allow Volbeat to provide a slow but strong U-turn, letting sun sweepers such as Sawsbuck and rain sweepers such as Golduck get in safely. Prankster gives priority to Rain Dance and Sunny Day, which almost always guarantees weather setup, as well as Thunder Wave and Encore. Damp Rock and Heat Rock increase the number of turns of rain and sun, respectively, giving weather sweepers a longer time to sweep. Usage Tips Preserving Volbeat is crucial, as it provides great utility, so it should be sent in whenever weather is needed or after the turns of weather have ended. However, don't be afraid to sacrifice Volbeat just to set up weather, as doing so also allows a rain or sun sweeper to switch in safely. Volbeat should focus on setting up Sunny Day or Rain Dance before it does anything else, and it should use U-turn directly after it sets up weather, allowing its teammates to make the most use of it. The combination of Encore and Thunder Wave can cripple opposing leads as well, but bear in mind that it is quite predictable. Team Options Volbeat only fits on weather teams, as they are able to take advantage of rain or sun. Weather sweepers are absolutely compulsory so that they can take advantage of Volbeat's weather. Some examples are Golduck, Beartic, and Floatzel for rain teams and Sawsbuck, Weepinbell, and Leafeon for sun teams. Other weather setters such as Relicanth for rain and Golem and Onix for sun are able to set up weather in case Volbeat faints. Electric-types such as Raichu and Zebstrika can use a perfectly accurate Thunder in rain and take on Water-types such as Politoed; the former can also absorb Electric-type attacks. Swanna can utilize a perfectly accurate Hurricane in the rain and heal its status ailments thanks to Hydration. In sun, Fire-types such as Rapidash and Ninetales are able to switch in on predicted Fire-type attacks and also get a boost to their own Fire-type attacks. Zebstrika works well on sun teams because of its ability to counter Jumpluff, which is a huge threat to such teams.

Volbeat is the only Pokemon in NU that is able to Baton Pass Tail Glow, and this set is the best way he can accomplish this. Tail Glow provides an amazing +3 boost to Special Attack, which Baton Pass then gives to a teammate. Substitute is another option to use alongside Baton Pass, providing its recipient with a shield against attacks as well as status conditions. Encore is the best move for the last slot, locking the opposing Pokemon into an ineffective move to guarantee at least a single turn to safely set up. However, Thunder Wave is a viable option in order to cripple opposing sweepers, and it still provides a small chance of providing free setup turns thanks to paralysis. The EVs and nature take full advantage of Volbeat's useful Fighting- and Ground-type resistances by maximizing his physical bulk. Speed is not necessary because all of his moves have priority thanks to Prankster. Leftovers is the best item for this set because it guarantees that Volbeat can create five Substitutes if he hasn't taken any prior damage. Bug Buzz is a viable option over Substitute in order to enable Volbeat to take advantage of his own Tail Glow boosts and to not be entirely crippled by Taunt. However, even after a boost, his power is unimpressive with an uninvested base 47 Special Attack stat. He is also extremely slow without any Speed investment and will not likely be able to hit the opponent before being taken out first. Roost can also be used to enhance Volbeat's longevity, but it uses up a valuable turn which could be spent setting up or passing boosts. The best teammates for this set would be ones that can take advantage of the Tail Glow boost Volbeat provides. Water-type recipients, such as Samurott and Swanna, are notable because they can take Fire-type attacks that are aimed at Volbeat and retaliate back with powered-up Water-type attacks. Electric-types such as Eelektross and Electabuzz are also good recipients because they can take the Flying-type attacks that would destroy Volbeat. Otherwise, fast special attackers in general, such as Kadabra, Serperior, and Swoobat, are good recipients, especially if Volbeat isn't carrying Thunder Wave, as they can all sweep teams with a single boost. Note that Swoobat's Simple ability doesn't activate with boosts that are Baton Passed. Because entry hazards, notably Stealth Rock, limit how often Volbeat can set up, teammates such as Mold Breaker Sawk and defensive Torkoal are effective teammates to hinder their setup. Many players will assume that Volbeat can only support special attacking teammates, but many physical attackers, such as Golurk and Scolipede, appreciate Substitutes being sent their way.

Volbeat's role with this set is to support his teammates with weather moves. Rain Dance and Sunny Day are given priority due to Prankster and are almost guaranteed to be set up if Volbeat can safely enter the field. U-turn is usually the best move to use after setting up your selected weather in order to provide a safe switch-in for your sweepers while wasting as few turns of weather as possible. Volbeat doesn't invest in Speed, so he will usually move last, letting him safely bring in a teammate by taking the opponent's attack. Encore is used to create openings for Volbeat to either set up or safely switch in a teammate. Thunder Wave is not quite as useful, but it is excellent for hindering Pokemon holding a Choice item who don't care about Encore; it's also effective against Pokemon who have a high base Speed and don't set up. Encore and Thunder Wave are generally the most effective when they are used before Volbeat sets up weather in order to prevent the loss of too many weather turns. Volbeat has useful resistances to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, which are usually physically based. The EVs and nature take full advantage of that by maximizing his physical bulk. On a side note, you can reduce Volbeat's Speed IVs to 0 and use a Relaxed nature to get a slow U-turn on as many Pokemon as possible. Volbeat has a few other move selections that he can use on this set. One of these is Roost, but since Volbeat is still pretty frail and will usually take over 50% damage from powerful neutral attacks, he is generally better off focusing on supporting his team rather than healing himself. Baton Pass is an option over U-turn because of its priority, but Volbeat generally prefers being able to give his teammates a safe switch-in opportunity. Substitute and Tail Glow can also be used over Encore and Thunder Wave. While the power boost to your sweepers is amazing if this is successful, Volbeat generally won't be lasting long enough to accomplish all of this, so these options are best used on their own set. Weather sweepers are necessary teammates for Volbeat in order to actually make use of the weather he provides. With Rain Dance, Swift Swim sweepers, such as Ludicolo, Floatzel, Gorebyss, and Seismitoad, are excellent teammates. With Sunny Day, Chlorophyll sweepers, such as Exeggutor, Victreebel, Shiftry, and Sawsbuck, are all good options. Other Pokemon to utilize the weather are also useful, with Dry Skin Jynx, Hurricane Swanna, and Electric-types carrying Thunder all being good options for rain teams and Solar Power Charizard and other Fire-types, specifically Rapidash, being excellent options for sun teams. A Rapid Spin user to remove entry hazards is appreciated, as Toxic Spikes reduces rain team's lifespan while Stealth Rock does the same to sun teams. It is notable that sun teams tend to carry at least one Pokemon with a Grass / Poison typing, namely Victreebel, so they are less likely to be affected by Toxic Spikes. Swift Swim Armaldo is a good Rapid Spin user for rain teams as it receives a useful Speed boost in the rain; likewise, Shell Smash Torkoal is a good Rapid Spin user for sun teams, as its Fire-type moves are enhanced in the sun. If using a spinner feels like it is limiting your offensive pressure, having a Poison-type Pokemon, such as Scolipede, can help to remove Toxic Spikes for rain teams, while Mold Breaker Sawk can stop most Stealth Rock users before they can set up. Other bulky Pokemon that can help set up weather and ease pressure off Volbeat are helpful teammates. Rotom-S and Electrode are good rain inducers, and Regirock and Gardevoir are good sun inducers.

While Volbeat's offenses, physical movepool, and Speed are decidedly mediocre, he has one saving grace in his access to Trick, which gives him a slight niche as a Bug-type Choice item user. This, in tandem with U-turn's ability to scout the opposing team, can make Volbeat tricky to play around, since defensive Pokemon will be crippled by Trick, and offensive Pokemon will take a chunk of damage from U-turn. Furthermore, U-turn will help keep momentum in your favor, as well as doing somewhat respectable damage, despite Volbeat's poor Attack stat, and it's Volbeat's strongest STAB option. Brick Break nails Steel-types such as Registeel and Aggron, and with a Choice Scarf, Volbeat can outspeed +2 Adamant Aggron and do hefty damage to it. Zen Headbutt complements Brick Break and U-turn's coverage by hitting Poison-types who resist them for super effective damage, as well as offering neutral coverage on Ghost-types who take minute damage from U-turn and are immune to Brick Break. Alternatively, Ice Punch and Thunder Punch are options to hit other specific foes -- Flying-types, in particular -- for super effective damage, though they don't hit as many important foes as Zen Headbutt does. Quick Attack is also usable as a form of priority, but it is pitifully weak. Depending on which item was utilized in the last slot, an appropriate nature must be chosen. Usually, with a Choice Scarf, an Adamant nature will suffice, since this allows Volbeat to outspeed the entire unboosted UU metagame bar Electrode; however, this does mean Volbeat misses out on beating Choice Scarf users with maximum Speed investment and base 80 Speed, which may pose an issue. Therefore, you must decide whether or not these Pokemon are a big enough issue to sacrifice the much needed power boost that Adamant provides in favor of the ability to possibly revenge kill them. If Choice Band is used, a Jolly nature is a must to outspeed max Speed Base 80s, as well as tie with other max Speed Base 85s. Because Volbeat is simply very weak, even with a boost from a Choice Band, bulky Pokemon tend to be highly annoying. Dugtrio and entry hazards are useful for this reason; Dugtrio can trap weakened walls such as Registeel, whereas entry hazards can slowly wear bulky Pokemon down. Omastar makes an excellent candidate for setting up hazards, with great overall defenses to continually set up throughout the match. With the combination of entry hazards and Volbeat's U-turns, the opponent will find themselves weakening extremely fast. As such, powerhouses who can finish off the opposing team work well alongside Volbeat; Moltres, Alakazam, and Aggron are prime examples, boasting extremely strong attacks to muscle through the opposing team. However, on the flip side, entry hazards are detrimental to Volbeat as he will attempt to switch in and out multiple times during the match, and entry hazards hinder this endeavor greatly. As such, Rapid Spin users such as Hitmontop, Blastoise, and Donphan are good partners.

The ability to Baton Pass +2 Special Attack is a rare and coveted ability, and Volbeat is undeniably blessed to have it. While Volbeat is easily a lesser choice for this role, being outclassed by other users of the combination, such as Plusle and Minun, he is nonetheless a respectable option. However, it is hard to deny that Volbeat has a harder time fitting on teams than his fellow Baton Pass users, having poor defenses and a slew of common weaknesses. Volbeat's only real advantages lie in his resistances to Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks and his access to Encore. Fortunately, Encore does give Volbeat a means to circumvent his poor defenses, as with the ability to lock an offensively inept Pokemon such as Registeel into a support move, Volbeat gains a slew of new opportunities to set up. Substitute is also fairly helpful in this regard; not only does it prevent Volbeat from being struck by status and provide a cushion for Volbeat, it can also be Baton Passed to another teammate. Bug Buzz can be used if you fear Taunt, but it will typically do pitiful damage against most foes due to Volbeat's pathetic Special Attack. This EV spread is designed to boost Volbeat's defensive abilities as much as possible, while keeping his Speed maxed to allow him to tie with other max Speed base 85s. However, should Bug Buzz be used, you may shift Volbeat's HP EVs into Special Attack to make him stronger. You may opt to use a Salac Berry to give an additional Speed boost to Baton Pass; Substitute is recommended if you go down that road to consistently bring Volbeat down to the 25% range. With Substitute, Bug Buzz, Swarm, and a Salac Berry, Volbeat can attempt to sweep with Swarm-boosted Bug Buzz with at least +2 Special Attack and +1 Speed, even with this setup though, Volbeat is still incredibly prone to priority attacks. Due to the fact that this set revolves around Baton Passing Tail Glow boosts, appropriate Baton Pass recipients are necessary. Unfortunately, due to the copious amount of weaknesses Volbeat possesses, it's difficult to find a recipient who shares few weaknesses with him. Blaziken and Lanturn are arguably the best recipients for this reason; despite being somewhat slow, they boast a means to boost their Speed stat via Agility, and have great type coverage in their STAB moves. Lanturn also has the ability to defeat Milotic, who can otherwise pose an issue for Volbeat with Haze. However, if you aren't too afraid of synergy issues, receivers such as Espeon, Alakazam, Moltres, Mismagius, Rotom, Sceptile, and other such specially-oriented Pokemon are good choices as well. To deal with special sponges such as Chansey that may give Volbeat and his recipient grief, strong physical attackers such as Rhyperior, Aggron, and Donphan are recommended; they are also helpful for weakening the opposing team via their brutally strong attacks. Furthermore, Donphan can utilize Rapid Spin to prevent Volbeat and the Baton Pass recipient from taking damage from entry hazards. Dugtrio can also be used as a means to guarantee the removal of special sponges, but he can only remove weakened variants due to his mediocre offenses.

Substitute shields Volbeat from status conditions and allows it to set up with Tail Glow more safely. Passing a Substitute with Baton Pass also allows the recipient to come in freely without worry of taking an attack head-on. Thunderbolt is Volbeat's strongest special attacking option, nailing Flying-types such as Pidgeot and Murkrow, while also hitting scary Water-types such as Huntail, Relicanth, and Wailord super effectively (the latter of which will usually try to phaze Volbeat with Roar). However, Thunderbolt leaves Volbeat vulnerable to common Grass-types such as Bellossom and Roselia that can set up with Sunny Day and Spikes quite easily, and it does nothing to the elusive Dragonair and Shelgon. Thus, Ice Punch, albeit not nearly as strong as Thunderbolt, is an option to still hit Flying-types super effectively while also dealing with said Grass-types, all of which commonly carry Hidden Power Fire. However, running Ice Punch comes at the cost of not being able to deal with Fire-types, such as Magcargo and Torkoal, should the need arise. Leftovers gradually restores Volbeat’s health, allowing it to set up multiple Substitutes through the course of the match and further ensure that the eventual Baton Pass recipient comes in safely. Maximum HP EVs make the strongest Substitutes for the foe to break, while maximum Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature allow Volbeat to outpace a large portion of the metagame and pass Special Attack boosts and Substitutes to a teammate safely. On non-Baton Pass chain teams, Volbeat should attempt to switch into a Pokemon locked into a resisted attack, such as Choice Band Hitmonchan locked into Earthquake or Sky Uppercut. When talking about Baton Pass chain teams, Volbeat is typically not the lead, so expect it to be Baton Passed into with a few Defense or Special Defense boosts before attempting to boost with Tail Glow. In either situation, Volbeat should try to set up a few Tail Glow boosts and have a Substitute up before Baton Passing to another Baton Pass user or the recipient. The best teammates for Volbeat fall under two categories: Pokemon that can continue the Baton Pass chain and Baton Pass recipients. Other Pokemon that can continue the Baton Pass chain include Mawile with Swords Dance and Iron Defense, Plusle with Agility, Delcatty with Calm Mind, and Ariados with Spider Web. Since Volbeat will be passing Special Attack boosts, special attackers with great type coverage options such as Huntail make for the best recipients.