Volcarona Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Description Life Orb Volcarona takes advantage of its powerful offensive typing, strong STAB moves, and access to one of the strongest setup moves in Quiver Dance, which allows Volcarona to defeat several Pokemon in the metagame like Choice Specs Porygon-Z and Choice Specs Kyurem. Fire Blast threatens foes like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu while Bug Buzz threatens Pokemon like Cresselia, Whimsicott, and Weakness Policy Zarude, and the combination of Swarm and Bug Buzz allows Volcarona to OHKO Choice Band Zeraora after a Quiver Dance. Roost provides Volcarona with recovery so that it can take multiple hits from foes like Naganadel. Alternatively, Substitute helps Volcarona against Pokemon that utilize low-accuracy moves to hit Volcarona, like Galarian Moltres and Zapdos. Substitute also helps Volcarona to get into Swarm range, which is helpful against Adamant Choice Band Haxorus, and secures the win against foes like Yawn + Fake Tears Sylveon. Psychic is another option to consider, as it threatens foes that resist both of Volcarona's STAB moves such as frail Urshifu-R, Naganadel, and Salazzle. If Volcarona doesn't run Substitute, then Overheat can be used against foes like Zeraora, but it is less reliable against Registeel and Spectrier. EVs 124 Special Defense EVs allow Volcarona to survive powerful attacks such as Thunder from Regieleki, letting Volcarona OHKO it back. With 248 HP EVs in conjunction with 16 Defense EVs, Volcarona is able to survive every attack from Jolly Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, except for Rock Slide. 112 Speed EVs allow Volcarona to outspeed neutral-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon like Togekiss, as well as Adamant Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan. Usage Tips Against strong special attackers like Choice Specs Porygon-Z, Dragapult, and Naganadel, use the combination of Quiver Dance + Roost so that Volcarona can survive their STAB moves and defeat them right after with its boosted Special Attack. If Volcarona is running Substitute, it should be used against non-Choice Scarf Togekiss to avoid getting paralyzed by Thunder Wave, letting Volarona set up Quiver Dance and turn the tables on your side. Against Cresselia and Porygon-Z, you should be wary of Trick + Choice Scarf; therefore, always use Bug Buzz on the first turn instead of Quiver Dance if you suspect a Choice Scarf set from your opponent. Volcarona defeats non-Assault Vest Zeraora with the combination of Quiver Dance + Substitute which gets Volcarona into Swarm range to KO Zeraora using Bug Buzz. Against Spectrier, Volcarona should use Quiver Dance on the first turn to secure the win against Life Orb sets. If Spectrier reveals Taunt and Sitrus Berry on the first turn, use Fire Blast until Taunt expires, and then use Quiver Dance or Fire Blast by predicting whether Spectrier will use Hex or Taunt, respectively.

Set Description Kee Berry Volcarona punishes physical attackers that normally defeat other Volcarona sets like Assault Vest Zeraora, Choice Band Regidrago, and some common Urshifu-S sets, thanks to Will-O-Wisp and Flame Body. Kee Berry and Roost allow Volcarona to survive a decent number of physical attacks from the likes of non-Head Smash Steelix and Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, as well as hits from Naganadel. Bug Buzz threatens targets like Cresselia, Rillaboom, and Weakness Policy Zarude. Quiver Dance is used to offer more reliability versus hard-hitting special attackers such as offensive Spectrier, Naganadel, and Magnezone. EVs The HP and Special Defense EVs allow Volcarona to survive a Draco Meteor from Choice Specs Naganadel, while the Speed EVs let it outpace base 95 Speed Pokemon like Galarian Darmanitan and non-physical Kyurem. Usage Tips Will-O-Wisp + Roost in conjuction with Kee Berry should be used to cripple and defeat opposing physical attackers like Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, Assault Vest Zeraora, and certain Urshifu-S sets like Chople Berry Urshifu-S and Custap Berry Urshifu-S. Quiver Dance's boosts allow Volcarona to defeat special attackers like Choice Specs Magnezone, as well as securing the KOs against the aforementioned physical attackers.

Set Description Choice Specs Volcarona maximizes its immediate damage rather than having to set up with Quiver Dance, threatening a range of targets, such as non-Assault Vest sets of both Urshifu formes and Life Orb Landorus-T, with an OHKO. Bug Buzz targets Cresselia, Zarude sets not running Choice Band or Choice Scarf, and Substitute users like Whimsicott, while Overheat threatens Rillaboom, Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn. Hurricane allows Volcarona to OHKO bulky Urshifu-R. Giga Drain defeats Water-type foes like Swampert and Gastrodon and secures the KO against Choice Band Rhyperior. Alternatively, Psychic hits Pokemon that resist both of Volcarona's STAB moves, such as Urshifu-R, while Mystical Fire has the added benefit of lowering the target’s Special Attack, helping Volcarona secure the win against foes like Sylveon, Life Orb Spectrier, and non-Choice Scarf and non-Psychic Seed Tapu Lele. EVs 12 Defense EVs allow Volcarona to take a Sucker Punch from Choice Band Urshifu-S. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is used to outrun base 95 Speed Pokemon at minimum, such as Galarian Darmanitan and Tapu Lele. Usage Tips Due to Choice Specs locking Volcarona into one move, you should be aware of Disable users like Dragapult, as they will force Volcarona to use Struggle, and stall Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Zapdos, which both can use Eerie Impulse and Roost, forcing Volcarona to use Struggle eventually or to deal underwhelming damage to them. If you suspect a Substitute user from your opponent, such as Whimsicott, use Bug Buzz instead of Overheat. Against the likes of non-Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Volcarona should use Mystical Fire to lower the damage taken and secure the win.

Set Description Custap Berry Volcarona aims to surprise Pokemon like Choice Scarf Zarude, Porygon-Z, Choice Band Rhyperior, and Choice Scarf Dracozolt by using the combination of Endure and Custap Berry. Overheat deals an extreme amount of damage to Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Metagross, and Rillaboom. Quiver Dance allows Volcarona to set up against stall Cresselia and increases Volcarona's damage, which is helpful against the likes of Choice Specs Kyurem and Sylveon. Bug Buzz helps versus Substitute users like Whimsicott and allows Volcarona to defeat Cresselia with Quiver Dance boosts. Swarm is preferred to boost Volcarona's Bug Buzz after using Endure, enabling valuable KO benchmarks like OHKOing Dracozolt, Choice Band Rhyperior, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele after one Quiver Dance boost. EVs The 240 HP EVs allow Volcarona to survive Plasma Fists from Choice Band Zeraora and, in conjunction with Special Defense investment, Draco Meteor from Choice Specs Naganadel. The Speed investment allows Volcarona to outpace base 60 Speed Pokemon like Magnezone and Sylveon. Usage Tips Most of the time, Custap Berry Volcarona will have to use Endure on incoming attacks that threaten it with an OHKO, such as Bolt Beak from Choice Scarf Dracozolt, Hyper Beam from Choice Specs Porygon-Z, Giga Impact from Galarian Darmanitan, and Rock Slide from Choice Scarf Zarude. Volcarona's main advantage from using this set is the activation of its Swarm ability in tandem with Endure + Custap Berry, allowing Volcarona to turn the tables on the mentioned threats and OHKO them with priority-boosted Bug Buzz or Overheat. In certain matchups, such as Fake Tears Sylveon, Rocky Helmet Galarian Moltres, and most stall Zapdos variants, Volcarona will need to use Quiver Dance in order to secure the win. Against Cresselia, using Bug Buzz on the first turn secures the win, since you should be aware of Trick + Choice Scarf set and not let Volcarona use Quiver Dance.

Flamethrower is Volcarona's most consistent STAB move that hits Steel-types that Bug teams usually struggle to break, such as Corviknight and Melmetal. Psychic primarily hits Toxapex, but it also hits other Poison- and Fighting-types such as Crobat and Urshifu-R. Giga Drain hits Water- and Ground-types such as Swampert, Gastrodon, and Hippowdon. Roost gives Volcarona reliable recovery, which allows it to stay healthy and gain multiple boosts. Bug Buzz can be used to hit Dark- and Psychic-types like Hydreigon and Slowking. Heavy-Duty Boots is necessary to avoid Stealth Rock damage, and Flame Body can potentially punish physical attackers. Swarm can be used in conjunction with Bug Buzz for increased damage output. Bug teams appreciate Volcarona's unmatched late-game sweeping potential. Scizor is a great partner for Volcarona, as it can switch into and deal with Rock-types like Tyranitar and Cradily and facilitate Volcarona's sweep through removing items with Knock Off. It is also a great switch-in to status and opposing Knock Off attempts directed at Volcarona. Entry hazard support from Shuckle, Golisopod, and Araquanid is also very helpful for Volcarona. Shuckle provides both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web, while Araquanid provides a switch-in to Volcarona's primary check in Heatran. Heracross is a great teammate that can help break through Steel-types without struggling to damage Heatran, which makes Volcarona's cleaning much easier. Choice Scarf Buzzwole threatens to revenge kill some of Volcarona's checks such as Choice Band Urshifu-R and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Galvantula can help Volcarona deal with Water- and Flying-types such as Slowking and Mantine.

Volcarona performs the role of a threatening setup sweeper for Fire-type teams. It has the coveted Quiver Dance, good Special Attack, and passable Speed stat, which allow it to threaten a plethora of teams, given the chance to set up. Quiver Dance is the most important move on the set, as it lets Volcarona be an offensive juggernaut, allowing it to outspeed and beat threat like Choice Scarf Dracovish after minor chip damage. Fire Blast is its strongest STAB move and should be used to break through Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Hatterene, Corviknight, and Galarian Weezing after a Quiver Dance boost. Psychic is used to threaten Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon like Toxapex, Dragalge, and Keldeo. Roost allows Volcarona to keep itself healthy and set up easily against types like Electric, Ghost, Dragon, and Psychic without getting worn out. Bug Buzz allows Volcarona to threaten Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Slowbro and Tyranitar, which can shrug off other attacks from it. It also has the added benefit of hitting Pokemon behind Substitute like Heliolisk and Seismitoad. Volcarona should seek opportunities to set up against Pokemon that do not threaten it like Mew and Galarian Weezing. It should be used mid- or late-game once its checks and counters like Incineroar, Snorlax, and specially defensive Toxapex are taken out or weakened enough. Maximum Special Attack EVs optimize its overall damage output, while maximum Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Volcarona to Speed tie with other base 100 Speed Pokemon and outspeed slower Pokemon like Excadrill, Indeedee-M, and Hydreigon. Heavy-Duty Boots ensures that Volcarona is not susceptible to any form of entry hazard, which can otherwise undermine its ability as a setup sweeper. Physical attackers like Cinderace, Darmanitan, and Alolan Marowak appreciate Volcarona taking on physical walls like Slowbro and Seismitoad. In return, they threaten special walls like Tyranitar if Volcarona is not running Bug Buzz and take on Dark teams as a whole. Torkoal is the premier support Pokemon and a great partner, as it provides Volcarona with important Drought support; this not only allows it to hit much harder with sun-boosted Fire Blast, but it also reduces the damage from Water-type moves, giving it the opportunity to set up against Pokemon like Rotom-W. Yawn support from Torkoal lets Volcarona set up more easily against an asleep foe. Incineroar with its Knock Off and Taunt utility can weaken defensive cores of Normal- and Poison-type teams, letting Volcarona wreak havoc after a Quiver Dance boost. Charizard can wallbreak in sun thanks to its ability Solar Power and take on Pokemon like Choice Scarf Dracovish, which Volcarona cannot handle without setting up. Additionally, they form a good core against Dragon-type teams. Rotom-H can provide Volcarona with dual screen support, which lets Volcarona set up much more easily, or it can use a Nasty Plot set to weaken shared checks like Toxapex and Mantine. Salazzle can cripple troublesome Pokemon like Mantine, Jellicent, and specially defensive Toxapex, which can prove to be a pain otherwise for Volcarona.

Rage Powder allows Volcarona to redirect Ice- and Steel-type attacks from Pokemon like Metagross and Kyurem-B, giving partners such as Dragon Dance Dragapult and Kyurem-B and Shift Gear Genesect opportunities to set up safely. Overheat is Volcarona's STAB move, and provides Volcarona with an offensive presence by threatening KOs on Pokemon like Genesect and Metagross, as well as massive damage to Rillaboom. Will-O-Wisp cripples strong physical attackers such as Urshifu-R, Zygarde, and Dragon Dance Kyurem-B before they have a chance to move. Tailwind allows Volcarona to provide speed control and assist strong allies such as Urshifu-R and Landorus. Maximum Speed and HP investment with a Timid nature helps Volcarona fulfill its support role by making it as fast and bulky as possible. A Sitrus Berry increases Volcarona's longevity; for example, it lets Volcarona survive two Sludge Bombs from a Life Orb Naganadel. Heavy-Duty Boots can also be used, but Support Volcarona is typically sent in early and aggressively. Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, such as Rillaboom or Tsareena. It also discourages foes like Zeraora from targeting Volcarona.

Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Speed, bulk, and power, allowing it to sweep late-game. Notably, Volcarona outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, and even most Choice Scarf users, at +1. Heat Wave is Volcarona's main attacking spread move, threatening the likes of Rillaboom and Metagross while hitting neutral targets for strong damage after a Quiver Dance. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB move, which also deals more damage to a single target than Heat Wave. It also provides important coverage against Psychic-types like Mew and Necrozma, as well as Fire resistant foes like Incineroar and Zygarde. Protect lets Volcarona keep itself safe while its partners, such as Zeraora, enter the field to support it. Since Quiver Dance Volcarona is typically reserved for late-game sweeps when Stealth Rock is more likely to be on the field, it appreciates Heavy-Duty Boots to alleviate its weakness to Stealth Rock. A Sitrus Berry can be used to help Volcarona increase its longevity, helping it setup easier against opposing Pokemon. 252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature maximizes Volcarona's offensive potential byoutspeeding common offensive threats like Urshifu-R, Kyurem-B and Zygarde, as well as most Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Fini after a Quiver Dance. Flame Body allows Volcarona to burn physical attackers, discouraging Fake Out users like Zeraora from targeting it. Additionally, burns can also give Volcarona easier set up opportunities.

Volcarona's good defensive typing and Quiver Dance make it a threatening late-game sweeper. Its significant bulk with a Defense donation lets it find many opportunities to set up against passive Pokemon such as RegenVest Reuniclus and Slowbro, as well as offensive Pokemon such as Buzzwole and Zamazenta-C. Flamethrower is a consistent STAB move that lets it deal with common Steel- and Grass-types, notably Tangrowth and Skarmory, as Fire Blast's low PP and accuracy is not worth the extra power. Giga Drain is the preferred coverage to heavily damage Water-types, especially Gastrodon, which can use Clear Smog to erase all Quiver Dance boosts. Toxic hits common switch-ins such as Ho-Oh, wearing them down more easily over the course of a game. Roost lets Volcarona consistently act as a defensive wall and has great synergy with Flame Body, as it can fish for burns against the likes of Zeraora and Corviknight. Heavy-Duty Boots prevents entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, from limiting its attempts to switch in. The given EV spread alongside a Timid nature helps Volcarona outrun Tapu Fini, as well as Pheromosa and its Speed receivers at +1. Volcarona is usually seen on balance and bulky offense builds as a late-game wincon. Gods with a high Defense stat like Necrozma-DM and Zamazenta-C greatly bolster Volcarona's defensive capabilities. However, even a lower donation from Rayquaza and Kyurem-W is appreciated. Water-types, notably Gastrodon and Rotom-W, appreciate Volcarona's ability to check Grass-types like Rillaboom and Kartana. While Volcarona has to watch out for Knock Off from both, it can potentially burn them, making them much easier to deal with. In return, they take care of opposing Fire-types, namely Ho-Oh, Heatran, and Victini. Rotom-W synergizes especially well with Volcarona, as it also provides Defog, which comes in handy if Volcarona has to take Knock Off, and deals with Rayquaza and Urshifu-R, which beat Volcarona prior to boosting. Teammates that can break Ho-Oh and Heatran are a must, as the aforementioned Water-types can't heavily damage them, which makes Zeraora and Zygarde-10% great partners.

Volcarona is a great sweeper on offense teams, thanks to Quiver Dance, strong STAB moves, and solid coverage options, while also providing crucial defensive utility by checking the likes of Mega Scizor, Rillaboom, Kartana, and Kyurem. Psychic hits many of its checks, such as Toxapex and Kommo-o. Volcarona can also run Hidden Power Ground to hit one of its best counters in Heatran, but this causes it to falter against Pokemon like Toxapex and Kommo-o. Heavy-Duty Boots maintains Volcarona's defensive utility through Stealth Rock and gives it better opportunities to set up; meanwhile, Psychium Z allows it to deal incredible neutral damage with a Shattered Psyche at the cost of taking entry hazard damage. Flame Body can punish physical attackers like Rillaboom, Mega Scizor, and Mega Mawile, while a Timid nature lets it naturally outspeed Pokemon like Kyurem, Excadrill, and Urshifu-R, as well as Choice Scarf Landorus-T after a Quiver Dance boost. Modest can be used if more power is desired, grabbing notable KOs such as Kommo-o, Mega Tyranitar, and Garchomp, but Volcarona ends up easier to revenge kill by the likes of Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Mega Garchomp before a boost. Volcarona mainly fits on hyper offense, teams as they appreciate the defensive utility and firepower it brings; in return, Volcarona appreciates hyper offense teammates weakening its checks and counters, as there are a lot of situations where it cannot set up and sweep. Entry hazards delay it if it's been hit by Knock Off, and a healthy Tyranitar, Garchomp, or Heatran can take a hit and KO it back. Good examples of powerful teammates are Bisharp, Rillaboom, Garchomp, and Mega Medicham. Meanwhile, cleaners like Hawlucha, Rillaboom, and Mega Gyarados can clean up late-game after Volcarona has broken through the opposing team. Serperior makes a stellar offensive core with Volcarona as Volcarona handles many of Serperior's checks such as Heatran, Corviknight, and Amoonguss, and Serperior's Glare can give Volcarona better opportunities to set up. Hazard control is also incredibly important when using Volcarona, encouraging teammates like Kartana, Corviknight, Excadrill, and Tapu Fini. Non-Heavy-Duty Boots variants used on hyper offense absolutely need hazard removal through the likes of Excadrill or Regieleki to function. Leads such as Taunt Mew and Excadrill can stop Stealth Rock from being on the field, which Volcarona appreciates, and dual screens support through Grimmsnarl or Tapu Koko makes Volcarona harder to take down and give it more opportunities to set up. Lastly, Gliscor can freely set up on Volcarona's best counters: Heatran, Toxapex, and Blissey.

Magic Guard Volcarona is a powerful and difficult-to-stop setup sweeper. Magic Guard, besides fixing its Stealth Rock weakness, allows Volcarona to use recoil-free Life Orb and avoid passive damage like Toxic. Quiver Dance, beyond just letting Volcarona sweep, gives it the capacity to beat premier special walls. Giga Drain is chosen to hit targets like Swampert, Barraskewda, and Tapu Fini for super effective damage and as a method of recovering HP. Psychic nails Pokemon like Toxapex, which would otherwise be a roadblock for Volcarona, as well as being its best option to hit Primordial Sea Zapdos. Bug Buzz is another option to beat soft checks such as Latias and to hit RegenVest Garchomp harder. Volcarona fits best on offensive teams with powerful wallbreakers such as Terrakion, Primarina, and Tapu Lele, using the holes they open to sweep. Volcarona can struggle to get past Flash Fire Steel-types such as Corviknight and Ferrothorn, and these wallbreakers can break them down in return. Volcarona is vulnerable to Barraskewda, as it always fears Aqua Jet, but a teammate like Tapu Fini can help this weakness. It also cannot directly switch into battle given its frailty and appreciates pivots such as Blissey to let it come in safely. Volcarona can have trouble KOing specially bulky Pokemon such as Blissey or RegenVest Silvally-Dragon and Garchomp, which threaten it with paralysis or heavy chip in return, respectively. Due to this weakness, powerful physical attackers such as Terrakion, Cinderace, and Garchomp make good teammates. It can have difficulties getting past Primordial Sea users such as Zapdos, so it enjoys having Pokemon that can threaten or switch into Zapdos such as specially defensive Garchomp or Blissey. Lastly, Volcarona appreciates having entry hazards to accumulate extra chip damage on RegenVest Pokemon, making them easier to KO.

Volcarona is a strong setup sweeper with good defensive utility. It utilizes Desolate Land to stop common Flip Turn users such as Barraskewda and Swampert. Roost allows Volcarona to recover HP and set up multiple Quiver Dances, boosting past special walls and revenge killers. Flamethrower is a STAB and weather-boosted option, allowing it to deal good damage even without any boosts. Giga Drain is a useful move for hitting Pokemon such as Swampert and Barraskewda super effectively, as well as being a secondary way to recover HP. Alternatively, Solar Beam's higher power makes up for the minimal Special Attack investment, notably being able to OHKO physically defensive Swampert without a boost; however, Solar Beam significantly worsens Volcarona'a match up against Primordial Sea users like Zapdos and Barraskewda. The EV spread allows Volcarona to avoid a 2HKO from Sheer Force Tapu Lele's Thunderbolt while outspeeding it; the remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to maximize damage output. Volcarona is often found on bulky offense teams with more than one Fire-type, so that they are able to break past each others' checks. Desolate Land blocks Flip Turn users from freely pivoting, which other common Fire-types such as Heatran and Cinderace greatly appreciate. Volcarona can have trouble getting through specially bulky Fire-resistant Pokemon such as RegenVest Silvally-Dragon and Garchomp. Therefore, it likes to have powerful physical teammates such as Terrakion as well as Pokemon that can chip these Pokemon, such as Mold Breaker Heatran through its use of Toxic, Magma Storm, and Protect. Volcarona can struggle to beat Primordial Sea Pokemon like Zapdos and appreciates teammates that can threaten Zapdos or switch into it, such as Blissey or specially defensive Garchomp. Finally, it appreciates having entry hazards to chip RegenVest users like Garchomp.

Teams with good entry hazard removal can use a Z-Crystal of choice on Volcarona instead of Heavy-Duty Boots, which lets it work as a wallbreaker that breaks through Pokemon like Hippowdon and Toxapex after a Quiver Dance boost. Quiver Dance notably allows Volcarona to outspeed threats like Tapu Koko and Zygarde-10% after a boost. Fire Blast hits neutral targets such as Zapdos for good damage while nailing Grass- and Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Aegislash. Firium Z turns Fire Blast into a one-time nuke in form of Inferno Overdrive, allowing it to OHKO Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and specially defensive Zapdos after a boost. Volcarona running Firium Z uses Hidden Power Ground to better deal with Steel-type teams by beating Heatran, while Psychium Z variants run Psychic to for strong Shattered Psyche that bypasses one of its biggest checks in Toxapex. Giga Drain helps in hitting bulky Water-types like Slowking and Swampert while acting as a semi-reliable form of recovery. Volcarona should avoid switching in when Stealth Rock is up or getting poisoned or paralyzed, as both greatly harm its sweeping potential. Its checks like Mantine and Tyranitar should also be taken care of before it attempts to pull off a sweep. Maximum Speed investment alongside a Timid nature makes Volcarona outspeed threats like Choice Scarf Excadrill after a boost and Speed tie other base 100s like Galarian Zapdos unboosted. Armaldo and Forretress are mandatory teammates for Z-Move Volcarona, as they can clear Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin while providing their own Stealth Rock support, giving Volcarona an easier time securing KOs. Armaldo can check Fire-types like Choice Scarf Victini with Stone Edge, while Forretress can further bring in Volcarona safely with a slow Volt Switch and also takes on Rock-types such as Terrakion with Gyro Ball. Mega Scizor is great to take on threating Pokemon such as Mega Diancie, Nihilego, and Terrakion with Bullet Punch while also beating special walls such as Mantine and Tyranitar that Volcarona struggles with. Choice Scarf Heracross or Buzzwole further helps Volcarona in dealing with faster threats such as Mega Lopunny and Zarude. Additionally, Heracross can Pursuit trap offensive Heatran and Victini, popping the former's Air Balloon for Volcarona running Hidden Power Ground and potentially removing the latter after a V-Create, while Buzzwole can help against troublesome Dragon- and Flying-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T with Ice Punch. Mega Heracross is good with Volcarona lacking Hidden Power Ground, as it can take on Heatran. It also forms a good wallbreaking core with Volcarona, helping in the Dark, Normal, and Rock matchups, which Volcarona puts little work in. Specially defensive Araquanid can be useful in dealing with Fire-types such as opposing Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y. Sticky Web support from the likes of Araquanid and Galvantula is greatly appreciated, as it allows Volcarona to outspeed troublesome Pokemon like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Greninja at +1. Choice Band Scizor is an offensive pivot for Volcarona that Pursuit traps Choice Band Victini after V-Create.

Great Special Attack and Speed alongside access to Quiver Dance make Volcarona one of the best setup sweepers in the metagame, helping Bug in tough matchups such as Steel, Electric, and Poison. Fire Blast hits walls such as Gliscor and Mandibuzz hard and beats Steel-types such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn. Psychic helps Volcarona in dealing with troublesome Poison types such as Toxapex. Hidden Power Ground bypasses Heatran after its Air Balloon has been popped, which can otherwise wall it. Giga Drain can be used instead to nail bulky Water- and Ground-types such as Gastrodon, Slowking, and Hippowdon while also granting a bit of recovery. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Volcarona to switch in throughout the game despite its huge Stealth Rock weakness. Volcarona should try setting up against a passive Pokemon like Toxapex or Mandibuzz once its checks such as Mantine are weakened or KOed, allowing it to pull off a clean sweep. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to outspeed Pokemon like Tapu Lele and Mimikyu unboosted while outspeeding Choice Scarf users such as Excadrill and Landorus-T after a Quiver Dance boost. Choice Scarf users like Buzzwole and Heracross are great partners to revenge kill faster threats such as Garchomp and Mega Lopunny. Volcarona in return can weaken opposing teams, allowing them to clean with Beast Boost and Moxie boosts, respectively. Heracross can also Pursuit trap offensive Heatran and pop its Air Balloon, thus allowing Volcarona to KO it with Hidden Power Ground, while Buzzwole helps against Dragon- and Ground-types like Landorus and Zygarde-10% with Ice Punch. Shuckle provides Stealth Rock and Sticky Web support; Stealth Rock chips foes while also breaking Focus Sash and Sturdy, while Sticky Web allows Volcarona to outspeed Choice Scarf users like Greninja and Nihilego after a boost. Araquanid can switch into strong special Water-type attacks directed towards Volcarona while also checking Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y that resist Volcarona's coverage. Galvantula is also helpful in beating Water- and Flying-types such as Toxapex and Mantine. Furthermore, both Araquanid and Galvantula can also provide Sticky Web support. Scizor is great to deal with Rock-types like Tyranitar and Mega Diancie and Pursuit trap threats to Volcarona such as Choice Scarf Latias, and Choice Band Victini after the V-Create Speed drop. Mega Scizor also forms a great offensive core with Volcarona, taking on special walls such as Blissey while Volcarona handles physical ones such as Celesteela and Hippowdon. Mega Pinsir is helpful against Choice Scarf users like Keldeo and Zarude, which could threaten Volcarona, with its strong priority in Quick Attack while also beating special walls like Tyranitar for it. Scolipede helps deal with offensive Fire- and Rock-types like Blacephalon and Nihilego due to its coverage.

Moves Bug Buzz is Volcarona's primary attacking move, which, when boosted by Buginium Z and Swarm, deals with Pokemon like Mega Tyranitar. It also goes through Substitute, which allows Volcarona to take on Pokemon like Whimsicott and Jumpluff. Overheat lets Volcarona blast away Steel-types like Aegislash, Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross, and Magearna. Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's offensive stats and lets it outspeed and OHKO Pokemon like Mega Metagross and Haxorus after just one boost. It also means that Volcarona is able to set up alongside Pokemon like Magearna. Substitute gives Volcarona more opportunities to set up by giving it a safety net against status and powerful Z-Moves from Pokemon like Tapu Lele. It also helps bring Volcarona's HP low enough for it to utilize Swarm-boosted moves. Set Details 252 Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Volcarona Speed tie with opposing base 100 Speed Pokemon like Mega Medicham and offensive Mega Charizard X, as well as outspeed Tapu Lele, Meloetta, and non-Choice Scarf Porygon-Z. The 192 HP EVs combined with 52 EVs allow Volcarona to tank Zen Headbutt followed by Bullet Punch from Mega Metagross, as well as tank Draco Meteor from non-Hidden Power Rock Choice Specs Naganadel and Shattered Psyche from Tapu Lele after a Quiver Dance. 12 Special Attack EVs guarantee an OHKO with Savage Spin-Out against Normalium Z Porygon-Z. Swarm alongside Buginium Z and Substitute to use an incredibly powerful nuke in Savage Spin-Out at low health, along with any accumulated Quiver Dance boosts. Usage Tips Against special attackers like Aegislash, Mega Altaria, and Tapu Lele, use Quiver Dance so that Volcarona can survive their Z-Moves if they use them. If Tapu Lele uses Calm Mind, continue using Substitute until either Volcarona is in Swarm range or they do not attack. As long as Volcarona has the same number of boosts as Tapu Lele, it should OHKO it with a Swarm-boosted Savage Spin-Out. Naturally, some Pokemon, such as Normalium Z Porygon-Z, should immediately be attacked with Savage Spin-Out, as Volcarona can simply OHKO them without risk. Against stall Pokemon like Porygon2, it is better to use Substitute first to ensure that Volcarona is unaffected by a potential Toxic or other status conditions. Against Type: Null, Volcarona's best play is to wait for them to use Confide at least twice before using Z-Quiver Dance to reset its stats and outboost them with more PP. The chance of a Special Defense drop from Bug Buzz can almost help immensely in these situations, but it should not be relied upon. Against Pokemon Volcarona outspeeds but cannot OHKO, like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Venusaur, use Substitute until it has less than 33% HP. If at any point before this they do not attack or break Volcarona's Substitute, use Quiver Dance to further boost Volcarona's Special Attack and keep up the pressure; when Volcarona is under 33%, use Savage Spin-Out. Against non-Extreme Speed Zygarde, use Quiver Dance first to boost Volcarona's offenses. Volcarona will be able to OHKO it with a Swarm-boosted Savage Spin-Out at +1, so use Substitute if needed to get into Swarm range. Otherwise, if they are running Extreme Speed, Volcarona has to Substitute on Tectonic Rage and then use Quiver Dance followed by Savage Spin-Out. If the foe uses Taunt, gauge whether using Z-Quiver Dance or if just attacking is the optimal option. If Volcarona already outspeeds the foe, it is generally more worth it to just attack. For example, against Deoxys-S, it would be better to Z-Quiver Dance, but against Mega Tyranitar, you would rather just attack. Magnezone is a tricky matchup, as it is a coinflip as to whether or not they will use Metal Sound or Electroweb. With this information, attacking and using Quiver Dance are your best options, as Electroweb will break Volcarona's Substitute anyway. Team Options As Volcarona is weak to Rock-type moves and threatened by other Fire- and Rock-types, Steel- and Ground-types are a perfect match. Mega Aggron and Donphan serve as good partners, dealing with Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Y, Archeops, and Greninja, while Volcarona does away with Pokemon like Meloetta, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Venusaur that they typically struggle against. Volcarona's glaring Water-type weakness is easily covered by Kartana and Ferrothorn, which handle Primarina, Tapu Fini, and Mega Gyarados with ease. In return, Volcarona takes care of Pokemon like Genesect and Deoxys-S. Being weak to Fire-types also means that Water-types are a good partner for Volcarona, as they will cover different threats. Primarina in particular helps by beating pesky physical attackers like Golem and Crustle as well as Fire-types like Mega Charizard X and Darmanitan. It also checks Choice Scarf Porygon-Z. Meanwhile, Volcarona crushes any Grass-types that may threaten Primarina, such as Tapu Bulu and Mega Venusaur.

Moves Roost lets Volcarona recover HP so that it can take multiple hits from foes like Primarina. Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's offense and defense simultaneously, helping tremendously against foes like Mega Charizard Y and Porygon-Z. Bug Buzz is capable of dealing with many foes when boosted by Swarm and Buginium Z. Substitute allows Volcarona avoid taking fatal damage from potential Z-Moves like Oceanic Operetta from Primarina and brings Volcarona closer to Swarm range. Alternatively, Overheat hits Steel-types that resist Bug Buzz, like Aegislash and Mega Mawile. Will-O-Wisp is another option to lower the foe's Attack and deal chip damage, which is potentially helpful against physical attackers like Donphan. This is best run with Substitute to force a mind game. Set Details The 240 HP and 32 Defense EV investment lets Volcarona survive a Zen Headbutt followed by Bullet Punch from Mega Metagross. The 20 Speed EVs allow Volcarona to outspeed Timid Magnezone. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to almost always ensure Volcarona's matchup against Modest Magnezone and grant it enough bulk to tank hits like Hyper Beam from Choice Scarf Porygon-Z and Sparkling Aria from Primarina. Usage Tips Send Volcarona in on specially offensive threats like Mega Charizard Y, Meloetta, and Porygon-Z. Against Mega Charizard Y, it may be necessary to set up Quiver Dance multiple times while using Roost when necessary to avoid taking fatal damage. If Porygon-Z does not immediately use Z-Conversion, use Savage Spin-Out after a single Quiver Dance. Otherwise, Quiver Dance twice before using Savage Spin-Out. With Substitute, Volcarona has a chance at beating Primarina. Usually it is safe to use Substitute to absorb the damage from Oceanic Operetta, and then Volcarona can Quiver Dance and Roost off any damage taken. Substitute can also be continuously used to safely bring Volcarona to Swarm range; this is useful against Zygarde, Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Venusaur. Immediately use Bug Buzz against opposing Magnezone to break their Sturdy and get them in range of Overheat. With Overheat, Volcarona can take on Steel-types like Aegislash, Celesteela, and Mega Mawile; against Mega Mawile, immediately OHKO it, but set up Quiver Dance first against the others. Against Donphan and Aggron, use Substitute to scout for Head Smash. If they don't use it, or if they miss, Will-O-Wisp is the next best play if you're running it. If they do hit Head Smash, their Sturdy will be broken from taking recoil, and Volcarona will be able to OHKO them with a Swarm-boosted Savage Spin-Out. Team Options As Volcarona is capable of taking on most specially offensive threats, partners that can take on physical threats, namely Mega Gyarados, Mega Charizard X, and Dragonite, are appreciated. Flyinium Z Landorus-T and Mega Altaria are able to handle these aptly and are weak to specially oriented wallbreakers like Aegislash, Celesteela, Mega Charizard Y, and Porygon-Z, all of which are Pokemon that Volcarona can beat. Volcarona works well with Pokemon that can beat Rock- and Water-types like Archeops and Greninja, so Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn are cordial companions. In return, Volcarona is adept at beating Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Kommo-o, and Zygarde.

Flamethrower is Volcarona's primary means of offense and can OHKO a wide range of targets like Tapu Koko, bulky Tapu Bulu, Celesteela, and Aegislash after a Quiver Dance. Giga Drain helps Volcarona take on bulky Water-type Pokemon like Tapu Fini, Mega Swampert, and Gastrodon, notably 2HKOing the first at +1, and helps with longevity. Bug Buzz can be used over Giga Drain to deal with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon like Cresselia and Gothitelle, and it can also OHKO Mega Tyranitar after a couple boosts. Quiver Dance is Volcarona's setup option that boosts its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed after which it can proceed to sweep the opposing team. Protect is used to scout for potential Z-Moves and random Rock-type moves, as well as to stall out Tailwind and Trick Room. Flame Body threatens physical attackers like Mega Metagross, Mega Kangaskhan, and Kartana with its 30% burn chance, making Volcarona a threatening switch-in to them. Mago Berry lets Volcarona recover 50% of its HP while setting up Quiver Dance after tanking attacks like Mega Metagross's Zen Headbutt and Landorus-T's -1 Rock Slide, to retain momentum. A Modest nature combined with Quiver Dance boosts helps Volcarona OHKO various Pokemon like Tapu Koko, Aegislash, and Celesteela. 220 HP and 4 Defense EVs helps Volcarona tank Mega Metagross's Zen Headbutt, Incineroar's Flare Blitz, and Landorus-T's -1 Rock Slide. 220 HP and 76 Special Defense EVs allow Volcarona to survive Tapu Koko's Gigavolt Havoc in Electric Terrain 93.7% of the time. 68 Special Attack EVs let Volcarona OHKO Tapu Koko with Flamethrower 93.8% of the time after a Quiver Dance boost and 2HKO Tapu Fini with boosted Giga Drains. Running 140 Speed EVs allows Volcarona to outspeed Mega Manectric after a Quiver Dance. Alternatively, 252 Special Attack and 252 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed maximum Speed Tapu Lele and non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T and deal a big chunk of damage to them. Aside from Mago Berry, Firium Z has seen some usage on more offensive sets to grab some quick KOs, giving Volcarona enough firepower to OHKO Mega Charizard in sun after a Quiver Dance. Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan, Alolan Persian, and Hitmontop pair well with Volcarona, helping it set up Quiver Dance effectively while minimizing the risk of it being KOed. Volcarona greatly appreciates Intimidate support to make up for its lack of physical bulk and help it tank super effective attacks like Landorus-T's Rock Slides. Landorus-T, Scrafty, and Hitmontop fill this role especially well, as the latter two have access to Fake Out for additional support. Wide Guard users like Aegislash, Celesteela, and Hitmontop help Volcarona avoid getting hit by spread moves such as the ever-popular Rock Slide and Muddy Water, which could otherwise threaten to 2HKO Volcarona. Water-type and Ground-type Pokemon like Tapu Fini, Suicune, and Landorus-T can take out Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran and Incineroar, both of which are often used to wall Volcarona. While Volcarona serves primarily as a setup sweeper, support sets with Tailwind and Rage Powder can be used to provide speed control for your team and to help other Pokemon like Azumarill and Snorlax set up with ease thanks to its redirection.

Moves Quiver Dance allows Volcarona to outspeed and threaten Pokemon like Tapu Koko. Fire Blast provides strong neutral hits on walls like Zapdos and Gliscor and beats Steel-types such as Celesteela. Psychic in conjunction with Hidden Power Electric allows Volcarona to beat Toxapex and Mantine, breaking Water-type teams. It also threatens other defensive cores such as that of Flying- and Poison-type teams. Set Details Maximum Speed investment along with a Timid nature makes Volcarona outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Excadrill after a Quiver Dance boost and Zapdos in general as well as Speed tie with other base 100 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y. Psychium Z lets Volcarona get past some of its check such as Toxapex. Flame Body is used for its chance to cripple physical attackers and possibly make them setup fodder. Usage Tips Volcarona should avoid switching into Stealth Rock, getting poisoned, and getting paralyzed to preserve its sweeping potential. It works best mid- or late-game when its checks and counters such as Nihilego, Chansey, and Alolan Muk have been taken care of by teammates like Mega Scizor and Mega Heracross. Against Water-type teams, Volcarona's decent Special Defense allows it to set up safely on Toxapex's weak Scald. It is important to scout the Toxapex set, however, as some sets utilize Toxic. Similarly, Volcarona can set up on defensive Celesteela and Mantine against Flying-type teams, but again it needs to scout for Toxic on Celesteela. Due to lack of Hidden Power Ground, Volcarona should set up only when Heatran is taken out or significantly weakened by its teammates. Volcarona can bluff a Firium Z set by not revealing its coverage move until the right moment, luring its usual checks such as Mantine and Toxapex. Team Options Armaldo and Forretress can not only clear Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin for Volcarona but also set up their own Stealth Rock so that Volcarona has easier time scoring KOs. With Stone Edge, Armaldo can check Fire-types that threaten Volcarona such as Choice Scarf Victini and Mega Charizard Y. Forretress can provide the team with slow Volt Switch pivoting and a neutrality to Rock, allowing it to take on threats like Tyranitar and Terrakion with Gyro Ball. As Psychium Z Volcarona lacks Hidden Power Ground to check Heatran and beat Steel-type teams, Mega Heracross is great teammate. Mega Scizor can take care of threatening Rock-types such as Nihilego, Terrakion, and Mega Diancie, and in return, Volcarona beats Water-types that Mega Scizor has trouble breaking such as Toxapex. Choice Band Scizor also acts as an offensive pivot with U-turn and can trap Choice Band Victini after V-create with Pursuit. Heracross or Buzzwole with a Choice Scarf can revenge kill faster threats to Volcarona such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Charizard Y. Additionally, Heracross can Pursuit trap Victini, while Buzzwole can improve the Dragon matchup. Assault Vest Araquanid can check special Fire-types such as opposing Volcarona and Z-Celebrate Victini. With Wacan Berry and Mirror Coat instead, Araquanid can take out strong special attackers like Tapu Koko so that Volcarona has easier time against Electric-type teams. Additionally, Araquanid and Galvantula can provide Sticky Web support, giving +1 Volcarona the ability to outspeed whole Water teams that use Choice Scarf Greninja. Galvantula can also check Water-and Ground-type Pokemon with Thunder and Energy Ball, alleviating pressure on Volcarona.

Moves Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stat by one stage, allowing Volcarona to be a fearsome late-game sweeper. The Speed boost lets Volcarona outspeed Pokemon like Choice Scarf Excadrill at +1. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and allows Volcarona to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as Zapdos, Mega Gallade, and Kyurem-B. Bug Buzz lets Volcarona to hit Dark- and Psychic-types super effectively, such as Tyranitar, Hydreigon, and Mega Latias. Giga Drain allows Volcarona to take on Water-, Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon, such as Swampert, Rotom-Wash, Hippowdon, and Mega Diancie. Hidden Power Electric allows Volcarona to beat Gyarados and Mantine. Set Details 252 Special Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature let Volcarona hit as hard as possible while outspeeding Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Excadrill, and Kyurem-B. Firium Z allows Volcarona to use a powerful 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, capable of dealing significant damage to threats such as Zapdos. Flame Body grants Volcarona a chance to inflict burn on Pokemon that are known for using contact moves, such as Dragonite and Mega Gallade. Usage Tips Volcarona's typing leaves it weak to the common Stealth Rock, which takes 50% of Volcarona's HP on each switch in, as well as the other entry hazards. Therefore, it is best to use Volcarona after a teammate removes entry hazards in order to keep it healthy. Be wary of common status spreaders such as Chansey, Porygon2, and Toxapex. Status conditions, namely poison and paralysis, are threatening to Volcarona and leave it weak against revenge killers such as Terrakion. Use Volcarona's good natural special bulk and Quiver Dance to take advantage of weak special attackers such as Rotom-Wash and set up on them. Avoid taking unnecessary damage, as it will hinder Volcarona's ability to set up and sweep. Try to use teammates such as Rotom-Heat and Victini to pivot in with Volt Switch and U-turn. Make sure to eliminate defensive checks like Chansey and Heatran, along with Haze users such as Mantine and Toxapex, before setting up, as those Pokemon can still take on Volcarona even after Quiver Dance boosts. Be wary of common Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, Nihilego, and Greninja carrying Rock Slide, as they are capable of outspeeding Volcarona after one Quiver Dance boost and reliably KOing it. Try to set up twice in order to outspeed said Choice Scarf users or seek for better setup opportunities after these Pokemon are eliminated. Use Giga Drain to pick off weakened foes if they are in the KO range in order to regain HP. Note that Volcarona's below-average physical bulk leaves it weak against physical priority users such as Dragonite, Azumarill, and Mega Pinsir. Keep your Inferno Overdrive for Pokemon that can handle every attack from it, such as Gyarados. However, it can be used freely if it doesn't affect the outcome of the battle. Team Options Torkoal makes an excellent partner for Volcarona; its capability of removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin benefits Volcarona greatly, as it is very fragile against hazards. Furthermore, Torkoal's access to Drought boosts the power of Fire Blast and Inferno Overdrive, letting Volcarona secure KOs more easily and be effective even without Quiver Dance boosts. Its access to Yawn also gives Volcarona opportunities for setting up safely. Torkoal also provides Stealth Rock support for the team, which lets Volcarona have an easy time against Flying- and Fire-type matchups. Rotom-Heat's Reflect and Light Screen lets Volcarona set up Quiver Dance safely, Defog removes hazards for Volcarona in order to let it switch safer and stay healthy, and Volt Switch gives Rotom-Heat ability to bring Volcarona in the field without taking any direct damage. Its access to Levitate also lets Rotom-Heat pivot into Ground-type attacks. However, Rotom-Heat must watch out for Mold Breaker Excadrill. Heatran is one of the most important teammates that Volcarona has; its part-Steel typing allows Heatran to check Pokemon like Nihilego and opposing Heatran and KO them back with Earth Power, and its access to Flash Cannon lets Heatran beat Mega Diancie for Volcarona. Its useful utility moves Taunt and Toxic along with Magma Storm allow Heatran to isolate some of Volcarona's checks such as Mantine and Toxapex and eliminate them, giving Volcarona more opportunities for setting up. Mega Charizard Y is another sun setter that can weaken the opposing team with its monstrous Special Attack stat, allowing Volcarona clean easier late-game. Its part-Flying typing serves as a Ground-type immunity and lets Mega Charizard Y switch into Ground-type attacks safely and retaliate with its Solar Beam. Its Drought also weakens Water-type attacks and let it act as an offensive check against Water-Type Pokemon as well. Mega Charizard X forms a strong offensive core with Volcarona, capable of beating Pokemon like Mantine and Heatran with Dragon Claw and Earthquake. In return, Volcarona can beat Swampert and Porygon2 for Mega Charizard X. Victini's access to Bolt Strike and V-create lets it effectively beat bulky Pokemon such as Chansey and Mantine and ease the Flying- and Water-type matchups. It also has access to U-turn, which can be used to bring Volcarona in safely. Infernape is another decent partner that can threaten some of Volcarona's checks such as Chansey, Heatran, and Nihilego after Stealth Rock damage with a powerful STAB Close Combat. Furthermore, its access to U-turn can be used for pivoting as well.

Moves Quiver Dance is Volcarona's setup move, granting it a +1 boost in Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, allowing it to act as a potent sweeper. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and is used in conjunction with Firium Z to unleash a powerful Inferno Overdrive. Hidden Power Ground is utilized to take care of Heatran once its Air Balloon has been removed, as it walls Volcarona otherwise. It is also useful for hitting troublesome Rock-types such as Alolan Golem and Diancie when Giga Drain is not used. Giga Drain provides extra coverage and small recovery to aid in the Water and Ground matchups, being able to blast past Pokemon such as Keldeo, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon that resist Fire Blast. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's second most powerful STAB move and is an option over Giga Grain. It is useful in hitting Psychic-types such as Latios and Victini as well as Dark-types such as Hydreigon. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to be as fast and as strong as possible, outspeeding Pokemon such as Kyurem-B as well as Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Landorus-T when at +1. Flame Body grants Volcarona a 30% chance to burn foes upon physical contact, crippling physical attackers that risk making contact with Volcarona. Firium Z enables Volcarona to utilize a 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, allowing it to break past Pokemon that typically survive a Fire Blast such as Latios and Mega Venusaur when at +1. Usage Tips Preserve Volcarona's Inferno Overdrive throughout the battle, as it can only be used once. Utilize it to OHKO Pokemon that typically absorb Volcarona's attacks and threaten to wear it down such as Latios and Armaldo. Look for opportunities throughout the battle to set up Quiver Dance, typically against weakened foes or those that don't pose a threat against Volcarona such as Celesteela. In this same notion, take advantage of forced switches and Choice-locked Pokemon to set up Quiver Dance to more easily sweep through teams. Save Volcarona for the mid- or late-game, after its common offensive and defensive checks have been either weakened or removed from the battle. In the Steel matchup, avoiding setting up with Quiver Dance until after Heatran's Air Balloon has been removed, as Volcarona is unable to touch Heatran otherwise, preventing the clean sweep through Steel. Considering Volcarona has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, avoid bringing it onto the field as much as possible while the entry hazard is up. Volcarona relies on preserving its HP in order to set up and effectively sweep in the mid- or late-game stage of a battle and should thus avoid any unnecessary chip damage as well. Keep Volcarona away from paralysis whenever possible, as it relies on its Speed to outrun and KO opposing Pokemon after setting up Quiver Dance. Team Options Heracross pairs amazingly well with Volcarona due to its ability to Pursuit trap Heatran, guaranteeing to pop its Air Balloon so that Volcarona can KO it with Hidden Power Ground as it threatens to KO Volcarona with Stone Edge. Armaldo and Forretress provides Rapid Spin support for Volcarona while also setting their own entry hazards to chip down foes. Armaldo also can remove opposing Pokemon's items, such as Choice Scarf and Leftovers, with Knock Off to help minimize Volcarona's checks. Forretress, on the other hand, can safely bring in Volcarona with a Volt Switch on Pokemon it can set up against such as Celesteela and Magnezone. Scizor and Mega Pinsir help eliminate faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu and Keldeo thanks to their strong priority attacks, clearing the way for Volcarona to act as a sweeper. Scizor notably can utilize Pursuit to trap and remove Victini for Volcarona after it has reduced its Speed from V-create as well as remove troublesome Rock-types such as Mega Diancie and Tyranitar with its Steel-type STAB attacks. Mega Scizor is another great partner for Volcarona, as they combine to make a great offensive core. Volcarona can remove the defensive checks to Mega Scizor such as Hippowdon, while Mega Scizor can remove the specially defensive checks to Volcarona such as Chansey. Galvantula provides Sticky Web support for Volcarona to slow down opposing Pokemon, granting Volcarona more setup opportunities while preventing faster revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo from outspeeding it even at +1. Additionally, Galvantula helps check troublesome Water-types such as Toxapex with its STAB Thunder. Araquanid is a secondary Sticky Web setter for Volcarona that can also check Fire-types that resist Volcarona's coverage moves such as Mega Charizard Y. It also can act as a powerful wallbreaker thanks to its decent Attack stat coupled with its ability Water Bubble, effectively doubling the damage of its Liquidation.

Moves Heat Wave is the Fire STAB move of choice, allowing Volcarona to hit both targets. Bug Buzz nabs 2HKOs on Zygarde and Tyranitar when Volcarona has set up Quiver Dance once and is its best attack against Incineroar. Quiver Dance lets Volcarona boost its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage, allowing it to function as a late-game sweeper once all of its checks have been gotten rid of. Protect is good for scouting moves and stalling out turns, especially if Volcarona has already set up and cannot afford to switch out while its partner gets rid of the threat. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Volcarona to outspeed Choice Scarf Genesect after a single Quiver Dance and hit as hard as possible. A somewhat bulkier spread of 80 HP / 4 Def / 200 SpA / 4 SpD / 220 Spe can also be used, allowing Volcarona to take Deoxys-A's Psycho Boost while maximizing damage output and outspeeding Kyurem-B and Adamant Mega Metagross before setup. Flame Body is the ability of choice to make opposing physical attackers think twice before attacking Volcarona. Buginium Z allows Volcarona to net KOs on Incineroar, Tyranitar, and Cresselia at +1 or, if running Swarm instead of Flame Body, at under one-third health. Firium Z gives Volcarona a different way to break though bulkier Pokemon, such as Amoonguss and Landorus-T. However, a Wiki Berry can also be used instead to increase Volcarona's longevity and grant it more opportunities to set up. Usage Tips Volcarona can be brought in mid-game or late-game to set up Quiver Dance and try to seal the game after most of its checks have been gotten rid of. However, it is not mandatory to set up before attacking, as Volcarona can always use its Z-Move as a one-time nuke to muscle past bulkier Pokemon or to chunk a foe early-game. Volcarona should not typically be brought into the field directly, as it is vital to keep it as healthy as possible in order to set up Quiver Dance successfully, so it should only be brought in with a pivot or when an ally faints. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible. If Volcarona is holding a Wiki Berry, then it may also be more beneficial to set up a Quiver Dance instead of attacking when its health is low, as this may ensure its ability to take another special attack and restore health by activating its Wiki Berry. Team Options Water- and Ground-types are often good Volcarona partners, as they help remove Rock- and Fire-types, which could be problematic for Volcarona. Volcarona appreciates Electric- or Grass-type partners such as Tapu Koko and Kartana, which can break through bulky Water-types with their respective STAB moves. Intimidate users like Landorus-T help prolong Volcarona's longevity by giving Volcarona an easier time setting up in front of physical attackers. Fake Out users such as Zeraora and Mew are also able give Volcarona opportunities to set up Quiver Dance. Defog users, such as Mew, Tapu Fini, and Landorus-T, are nearly mandatory on teams with Volcarona to help get rid of Stealth Rock, which poses a serious threat to Volcarona's survivability and functionality. Kyurem-B is another good partner for Volcarona, helping remove Dragon-types and physical attackers such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, allowing Volcarona to set up smoothly.

Moves Overheat grabs an OHKO on bulkier Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Amoonguss, notably hitting the Grass-types that cannot have their attacks redirected by Rage Powder. Heat Wave offers a more reliable attack that can be used repeatedly without drawback. Rage Powder is useful for redirecting moves away from Volcarona's teammates while threatening physical attackers with a burn in the process. Tailwind lets Volcarona provide a form of speed control for its teammates. Protect helps Volcarona scout opposing sets and shields it from Fake Out. Whirlwind can also be used in place of either Tailwind or Protect in order to stop Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Cresselia from setting Trick Room or to remove setup sweepers such as Tapu Fini and Mega Latias from the field. Set Details The given HP and Defense investments enable Volcarona to survive Mega Metagross's Psychic Terrain-boosted Zen Headbutt and activate its Wiki Berry. 44 EVs in Speed let Volcarona outspeed Choice Scarf Victini in Tailwind. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to maximize Volcarona's offensive capabilities while retaining its defensive benchmarks. Flame Body punishes contact attackers that Volcarona redirects. Usage Tips Volcarona can be brought in early-game to set up Tailwind or to stop Trick Room from getting up with Whirlwind. Volcarona can also be hard switched into resisted contact moves for a chance of inflicting burns on the attacking Pokemon thanks to Flame Body. It is also a good idea to bring Volcarona into the field to help support a setup sweeper such as Zygarde or a glass cannon such as Deoxys-A with Rage Powder. However, it is worth noting that spread moves, such as Thousand Arrows and Icy Wind, are not affected by Rage Powder, so be sure to use it wisely. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid switching Volcarona in when Stealth Rock is up in order to keep it as healthy as possible. Team Options Fairy-types such as the Island Guardians and Pokemon weak to Steel such as Kyurem-B appreciate Volcarona's ability to KO Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Kartana. Pokemon with middling Speed tiers, such as Tapu Lele and Kyurem-B, benefit from the speed control provided by Tailwind. Defog users such as Mew and Tapu Fini make great partners with Volcarona by removing Stealth Rock, allowing Volcarona to do its job properly. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T also help make up for Volcarona's poor physical bulk and increase its longevity. Setup sweepers, especially those weak to Ice- and Fairy-type attacks such as Zygarde, Mega Latias, and Kommo-o, value Volcarona's ability to redirect such attacks away while they set up.

Quiver Dance is the focus of this set, allowing Volcarona to sweep. Fire Blast is the primary STAB option, hitting much harder than Flamethrower but at the cost of accuracy. Flamethrower does miss out on some OHKO opportunities which Fire Blast however can have, such as Celesteela (68.8% chance to OHKO) and Mega Metagross (Guaranteed OHKO). Fiery Dance can be used over Flamethrower for an increased snowball effect. Bug Buzz is a STAB option which can hit through common Pokemon which take on Substitute such as Mega Gyarados and Suicune, while also providing a way of taking on Dragon-types if you use Hidden Power Ground. Giga Drain provides a minor form of recovery and hits both Tapu Fini and Azumarill which would otherwise wall Volcarona. Hidden Power Ground hits Heatran, Alolan-Marowak, and Blaziken which would otherwise wall Volcarona, while Hidden Power Ice hits Garchomp, Landorus, and Mega Salamence as well as Ground-types in general if you don't carry Giga Drain. Focus Sash ensures that Volcarona can set up at least one Quiver Dance. Lum Berry prevents Toxic from putting a timer on Volcarona and gives a free turn of setup while also preventing paralysis, which is a huge momentum drain for Volcarona. Firium Z helps break bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, while with Buginium Z at +1, Volcarona can OHKO both Suicune and Rotom-Wash, which also provides utility against Dragon-types. The EV spread suggested is optimal for a special sweeper. Timid is suggested granting maximum Speed and the ability to outspeed Choice Scarf Tapu Lele at +1. However, Modest can be used with Flamethrower for a more accurate and still powerful STAB option, although this does make you slower than Timid Porygon-Z and Jolly Landorus-T. While sporting some good resistances, poor physical bulk means that Volcarona appreciates a partner which can easily sponge up hits. A weakness to Flying and Rock suggests that a check to Landorus-T, Tyranitar, and Mega Salamence is needed. Volcarona is also completely walled by Rotom-Heat, and needs a teammate that can deal with it. Tapu Lele can also be used as a nice partner, as Psychic Terrain makes Volcarona immune to foes carrying priority attacks such as Aqua Jet Azumarill and Quick Attack Mega Pinsir. Flame Body is the preferred ability due to its potential ability to punish Pokemon using contact moves; however, Swarm can be used nicely with Focus Sash, being able to OHKO Tapu Lele and Garchomp at +1 with Bug Buzz when at less than 1/3 HP.

Choice Scarf makes Volcarona an excellent revenge killer, able to outspeed prominent threats such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, +2 Adamant Shell Smash Adamant Cloyster, Tapu Koko, and Mega Metagross. Choice Specs turns Volcarona into a powerful special wallbreaker capable of breaking bulky threats such as Porygon2 and Cresselia. Fire Blast is the primary STAB attack of choice; however, Overheat can be used for a higher initial damage output. Bug Buzz assists in getting through common Substitute Pokemon such as Suicune, while also able to break Cresselia and hit Dragon-types if not using Hidden Power Ice. Fiery Dance can be used in order to entice a snowball effect which can be difficult to stop, while Giga Drain is a source of recovery which prevents Volcarona from being walled by the likes of Tapu Fini and Azumarill. Hidden Power Ice is most notably used to slam Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence, while Hidden Power Ground can deal damage to common Flash Fire Pokemon, such as Heatran and Chandelure, which are common switch-ins to Volcarona. A Timid nature ensures that Choice Scarf Volcarona can outspeed Timid Choice Scarf Tapu Lele; however, a Modest nature should be used with Choice Specs to maximize wallbreaking capacity. However, take note that this makes Volcarona slower than maximum Speed Mega Kangaskhan, Mimikyu, and Landorus-T. The EV spread given is optimal for a Choice set. Complete lack of physical bulk means that Volcarona needs a bulky partner to sponge physical hits. A fast revenge killer would also be appreciated to pick off threats that Volcarona has weakened.

Quiver Dance allows Volcarona to outpace Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny after one use and Excadrill in sand after two. Quiver Dance should only be used against weaker special attackers such as Clefable unless Focus Sash is intact. Fire Blast has strong general coverage, and Bug Buzz threatens every Pokemon on Psychic teams while also hitting Water- and Dark-types such as Suicune, Mega Sharpedo, and Tyranitar. Giga Drain targets Water- and Ground-types such as Rotom-W, Swampert, Gastrodon, and Hippowdon. Swarm makes Bug Buzz stronger in a pinch, OHKOing Victini after a Quiver Dance boost. Focus Sash allows Volcarona to safely set up Quiver Dance against physical attackers such as Victini while also activating Swarm. Maximum Speed allows Volcarona to Speed tie with threats such as Choice Band Victini and outspeed Choice Specs Latios and Tornadus-T after Quiver Dance. Mega Charizard Y can help Volcarona in the Steel matchup by beating Heatran with Focus Blast, assists against Water-types such as Swampert with Solar Beam, preserves Focus Sash with Defog, and empowers Volcarona's Fire Blast thanks to Drought. Drought also creates easier setup opportunities against weaker Water-types such as Rotom-W. Choice Scarf Darmanitan is an incredible revenge killer that can OHKO threats such as Landorus with Flare Blitz after chip damage from Stealth Rock. Earthquake allows it to take on Tentacruel and Empoleon on Water teams, giving Giga Drain Volcarona an easier time cleaning. Additionally, Darmanitan can safely bring in Volcarona on a forced switch with U-turn. Infernape is the premier suicide lead on Fire teams. It provides Stealth Rock, which allows Volcarona to break through Flying-types like Zapdos and Tornadus-T with ease, and prevents slower foes such as Swampert from setting entry hazards with Taunt. Close Combat allows Infernape to take care of problematic bulky Normal-, Dark-, and Steel-types such as Chansey, Tyranitar, and Heatran. Heatran can take on Mega Diancie with Flash Cannon and eliminate Chansey through Magma Storm + Taunt. Choice Scarf Victini can revenge kill threats such as Kyurem-B, Landorus, and Tornadus-T and also weaken Water-types such as Empoleon with Bolt Strike. U-turn allows it to safely bring Volcarona in against Swampert or Gastrodon. Victini is also able to remove faster threats such as Mega Garchomp and Mega Diancie with Final Gambit or cripple walls with Trick, which prevents them from disrupting Volcarona's setup. Volcanion can absorb powerful Water-type attacks such as Kingdra's Surf while also threatening Ground- and Fire-types such as Hippowdon and opposing Volcarona.

Moves Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Special Attack, Speed, and Special Defense to high levels. Fiery Dance is the STAB move of choice, giving Volcarona a good chance to raise its Special Attack stat whenever it's used. Roost keeps Volcarona healthy and somewhat mitigates Stealth Rock damage. The last slot is generally coverage for what the team needs. Bug Buzz is a strong secondary STAB move that allows Volcarona to check Psychic- and Dark-types while also being able to hit Dragon-type Pokemon. Giga Drain can be run to hit Water-types, especially bulky Water / Ground Pokemon like Swampert and Gastrodon, which could otherwise phaze Volcarona with Roar or status it with Toxic. Alternatively, Hidden Power Ground can be used to deal with Heatran, but its damage output is quite underwhelming, and it is useless in most other matchups. Set Details 248 EVs in HP maximize Volcarona's bulk and allow it to switch into Stealth Rock twice. 104 EVs in Speed with a Timid nature let it outspeed maximum Speed Mega Gyarados and other threats such as Togekiss. The rest of the EVs are put in Defense, allowing Volcarona to take physical hits much better, such as Aqua Jet from Azumarill and V-create from Choice Scarf Victini. Flame Body is the ability of choice, which can punish physical attackers with a decent chance to burn. Leftovers is the preferred item, which gives Volcarona passive recovery. An alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe with a Timid nature can be run to outspeed base 70s such as Breloom and Bisharp while retaining more bulk. Usage Tips Entry hazard control is essential when using Volcarona. Its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock is no joke, hindering its ability to switch into weak attacks and its setup sweeping capabilities. Avoid status conditions such as poison and paralysis, which would cripple Volcarona and ruin its sweep. Due to the bulky nature of this set, Volcarona would usually need more than one boost to become a real threat. Therefore, it is recommended that Volcarona set up mid- to late-game when its checks have been weakened. The added bulk along with access to recovery in Roost allows Volcarona to set up on a plethora of Pokemon such as Magnezone and Rock Slide-less Landorus. Volcarona should take care of its health with Roost if it gets used early-game. It usually needs to be able to take at least one hit before it sets up and can start walling special attackers. Even with the extra bulk, it is still recommended to bring in Volcarona safely through a pivot or a fallen teammate. Team Options Forretress is a great switch-in to Rock-type moves that threaten Volcarona while also being able to get rid of entry hazards. Forretress can also set entry hazards of its own, such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, letting Volcarona's checks be slowly whittled. Armaldo can also support Volcarona through hazard control. Yanmega is a great partner to Volcarona, as it can run a variety of coverage moves that this set lacks, such as Air Slash and Hidden Power Ice, while also being able to weaken Volcarona's checks. Mega Heracross can easily break through balanced teams and some of Volcarona's checks such as Zapdos, Chansey, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Choice Scarf Heracross can also deal with Volcarona's defensive checks such as Chansey, Tyranitar, and Heatran. Mega Scizor is a great complement to Volcarona in being able to switch into most Rock-type Pokemon and threaten them out with Bullet Punch. It can also find opportunities to safely bring in Volcarona with U-turn. Regular Scizor is also a good partner in being able to check the same Pokemon that Mega Scizor does but also freeing up a Mega slot. Mega Pinsir assists Volcarona in being able to beat Fighting-types, revenge kill threats with Quick Attack, and deal with Heatran, Chansey, and Tyranitar thanks to its access to Close Combat. Conversely, Mega Pinsir enjoys having Volcarona to deal with Pokemon like Doublade and Skarmory, which otherwise wall it, allowing it to clean up late-game more easily. Having both a special and a physical setup sweeper, such as Volcarona and Mega Scizor or Mega Pinsir, can put tremendous pressure on the opposing side. Galvantula's access to Sticky Web helps Volcarona a lot due to its lower Speed, allowing it to run the bulky spread freely.

At +1, Volcarona's Substitute does not break by Zapdos's Discharge or Heatran's Lava Plume This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

At +1, Volcarona's Substitute does not break by Zapdos's Discharge or Heatran's Lava Plume This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Special Attack, Speed, and Special Defense stats to high levels. At +1, Volcarona can outspeed common threats to Bug teams such as Choice Scarf Excadrill. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest Fire-type STAB move. It can nab many KOs on Pokemon such as Landorus. Alternatively, Fiery Dance can be run for its better accuracy and chance to raise Volcarona's Special Attack stat. However, it misses out on certain KOs, such as Kyurem-B after Stealth Rock damage, at +1. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's strong secondary STAB move, which is more reliable than Fire Blast due to its better accuracy and PP. It allows Volcarona to act as a wincon against Psychic and Dark teams, targeting threats such as Mega Tyranitar, Latios, and Victini. Giga Drain covers Water- and Rock-types, particularly Mega Diancie. It also gives Volcarona some form of recovery, which this set lacks. Hidden Power Ground allows Volcarona to hit Heatran and deal more damage to Tentacruel and Fire-types like Darmanitan and Infernape. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack is used in order to maximize Volcarona's damage output. Maximum Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow it to outspeed threats such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Choice Scarf Excadrill, and Mega Sharpedo while also Speed tying with Choice Scarf Victini after one boost. Flame Body allows Volcarona to punish physical attackers, priority users in particular, such as Dragonite, Diggersby, Azumarill, and Bisharp, with a chance to burn them. Volcarona can opt to use Swarm on Focus Sash sets with Bug Buzz to deal more damage to Pokemon like Mega Garchomp and Kingdra. Lum Berry gives Volcarona a free turn of setup against Pokemon that would try to status it such as Jirachi and Slowbro. Focus Sash can be run to guarantee a Quiver Dance boost and get Volcarona into Swarm range; however, it requires reliable entry hazard control, which Bug teams lack. Usage Tips Entry hazard control is key when using Volcarona, especially due to the lack of Roost on this set, hindering its ability to set up. It's best to start setting up with Volcarona mid- or late-game, when its checks have been weakened, because its lack of recovery only allows one chance to attempt a sweep; however, setting up early-game can be considered in some situations, as Volcarona can boost its power up to wallbreaking levels, which helps take out checks earlier. Volcarona's great Special Attack can be used early-game to weaken its checks before actually setting up. Because of Volcarona's bad defenses, it is generally better to bring it in after a fallen teammate rather than directly switching it into an attack. Volcarona can take advantage of defensive Pokemon like Mew and Mega Latias, which do nothing to it, and proceed to set up on them. Lum Berry should be preserved until it is time for Volcarona to sweep. While Lum Berry does cleanse status once, Volcarona needs to be able to take out its foe before it gets the chance to permanently cripple Volcarona, as Pokemon like Zapdos can status it twice. Team Options Bug teams rely on Volcarona to deal with physically defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Doublade. Armaldo and Forretress are spinners that can also set Stealth Rock. Thanks to its part-Rock typing and Knock Off, Armaldo can cripple Eviolite users and better deal with Flying-, Fire-, and Bug-types like Zapdos, Victini, and Volcarona. Forretress can provide slot pivot support, switch into Rock-type attacks, and set other entry hazards such as Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Choice Scarf Heracross and Mega Heracross can break through Pokemon like Chansey, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Mega Pinsir can outspeed and OHKO Mega Charizard Y, which walls Volcarona. Yanmega is a nice partner to Volcarona, as, together, they can share coverage moves such as Giga Drain and Bug Buzz and can free each other's moveslots. Galvantula can pressure the opposing side with Sticky Web, allowing Volcarona to outspeed and Speed tie with certain Choice Scarf Pokemon that would normally be used to check it like Choice Scarf Victini. Both regular and Mega Scizor can pivot into a plethora of physical attacks that threaten Volcarona and begin to set up. Their ability to clean up Rock teams is invaluable to Volcarona. Scizor can also find opportunities to bring Volcarona in with U-turn.

Moves Heat Wave is a STAB spread move that can take out two foes at the same time, which is especially useful after Volcarona sets up with Quiver Dance. Volcarona can also use Fire Blast over Heat Wave, which makes it more threatening without a boost, most notably letting it OHKO Amoonguss and having a high chance to OHKO Aegislash. The power increase relative to Heat Wave is also helpful at +1, as it guarantees that Volcarona can outspeed and OHKO Choice Scarf Landorus-T. However, running Fire Blast over Heat Wave forces Volcarona to forgo its source of spread damage, even though Fire Blast isn't blocked by Wide Guard. Giga Drain allows Volcarona to beat Water-types such as Keldeo and Suicune while also dealing with Rock-types such as Mega Diancie and Rhyperior. It is also useful for Volcarona to regain some of the HP it has lost from potential Life Orb recoil. Bug Buzz can also be used over Giga Drain if your team is vulnerable to Dragon-types, such as Latios and Hydreigon. It is also a powerful STAB move that goes through Substitutes, which helps against users such as Kyurem-B. Quiver Dance allows Volcarona to become a threatening Pokemon once it manages to set up. The Special Defense boost can also come in handy versus slower special attackers such as Rotom-W and Aegislash. Lastly, Protect is a staple move in Doubles that is used to stall out field conditions such as Tailwind and Trick Room or to protect Volcarona from taking damage while its partner deals with the foes. Set Details Life Orb lets Volcarona do more damage in general, notably allowing it to OHKO Aegislash with Fire Blast. Life Orb Volcarona also has a good chance to OHKO Landorus-T with Heat Wave after one Quiver Dance boost, but Lum Berry is also useful for absorbing one Thunder Wave from Thundurus or Spore from Breloom or Amoonguss, allowing Volcarona to more easily fulfill its role. While Life Orb is helpful for Heat Wave Volcarona to clean up an opposing team, Lum Berry synergizes well with Fire Blast, as the power boost isn't quite as necessary, and the extra utility helps Fire Blast Volcarona because it cannot remove two threats at once. Flame Body is useful to burn foes using contact moves that don't KO Volcarona, such as Fake Out from Mega Kangaskhan and Sucker Punch from Mega Kangaskhan and Bisharp. However, it should be noted that Talonflame can't be burned by Flame Body and many attacks that Volcarona is threatened by, such as Earthquake and Rock Slide, are non-contact moves. The given Speed investment allows Volcarona to outspeed Deoxys-A and Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T after one Quiver Dance boost and Speed tie with other maximum Speed base 100s when unboosted, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Gardevoir, while maximum Special Attack investment allows it to do as much damage as possible. An alternative spread of 40 Def / 240 SpA / 228 Spe can also be run to let Volcarona survive Rock Slide from Landorus-T at -1 Attack, while still outspeeding Deoxys-A and Mega Aerodactyl after a single Quiver Dance boost. It should, however, be noted that this spread should only be used together with Lum Berry, as Life Orb does not mesh with the defensive benchmarks well. Usage Tips Volcarona functions best as a late-game sweeper, and once its checks are gone it can easily set up Quiver Dance and clean the rest of the game with powerful attacks. Volcarona should always look out for opportunities to easily set up Quiver Dance, such as when the foes have trouble harming it, such as Amoonguss and Aegislash, or when teammates can support it with Fake Out and redirection moves such as Follow Me and Rage Powder. If Volcarona can take out a threat with either its Fire-type STAB move or Giga Drain, it should use Giga Drain to improve its situation going into the following turn by healing some HP. Team Options Fake Out support makes setting up a lot easier for Volcarona. Common Fake Out users are Mega Kangaskhan and Scrafty, and the latter can also support Volcarona by weakening physical attackers with Intimidate. As redirection support is extremely useful to allow Volcarona to obtain boosts and be effective, Amoonguss makes for a great partner, as it can support Volcarona very well with Rage Powder. Using Amoonguss allows Volcarona to set up in the face of Water-types more easily. Clefairy is an alternative Follow Me user that also helps against opposing spread moves with Friend Guard. Quick Guard users such as Keldeo and Scrafty can help against priority moves such as Thundurus's Thunder Wave, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Mega Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch. Wide Guard users such as Aegislash and Conkeldurr can help Volcarona because it struggles against super effective spread moves such as Rock Slide, Earthquake, and Muddy Water. Water-types such as Keldeo and Rotom-W can take care of Fire-types, which Volcarona can't hit. Rock-types and allies with Rock-type coverage moves provide fantastic offensive synergy with Volcarona's strong Fire- and Grass-type coverage. Ground- and Rock-types such as Mega Diancie, Terrakion, and Landorus-T all help Volcarona's sweeping potential by beating Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and Talonflame, while Volcarona eliminates opposing Steel-types such as Aegislash. Pokemon that can beat common Dragon-types, such as Mega Diancie and Mega Gardevoir, are good partners if Volcarona isn't using Bug Buzz. Electric-types such as Thundurus, Zapdos, and Rotom-W can deal with both Flying- and Water-types, which can hit Volcarona super effectively. Lastly, Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Scrafty can help Volcarona take physical hits more easily.

Moves Quiver Dance is Volcarona's best boosting move, giving it the power, speed, and bulk to sweep. Bug Buzz is a reliable STAB move, and Fiery Dance hits quite hard and has a good chance to raise Volcarona's Special Attack. Alternatively, Fire Blast could be used for its superior Base Power, although it has fewer PP and lower accuracy. Roost offers reliable recovery, letting Volcarona boost in the face of weak walls that lack Unaware. Run Morning Sun instead of Roost when using Desolate Land, as that restores 66% HP in sun. Set Details 228 HP EVs make Volcarona's HP divisible by 16, thus maximizing the amount of HP gained each turn with Leftovers. 60 Speed EVs let it outspeed Tornadus-T after a Quiver Dance. The remaining EVs are placed in Defense and a Bold nature is used to improve Volcarona's physical bulk. Magic Guard is used to circumvent Volcarona's massive weakness to entry hazards. It also lets it use most non-Unaware walls as setup fodder. However, Desolate Land is an option as well, as the immunity to their STAB attacks lets Volcarona counter most offensive Water-types. It also makes Volcarona's Fire STAB moves much more powerful. Leftovers is generally the best item to use, as the passive recovery is always helpful. However, a Life Orb lets Volcarona 2HKO physically defensive Unaware Cresselia without entry hazard damage. Only use a Life Orb if running Magic Guard, though, as the recoil will force Volcarona to use Morning Sun more often. Usage Tips Bulky Quiver Dance Volcarona will most likely need to boost more than once due to its lack of initial power. Weak walls with no phazing like Alomomola and non-Unaware Cresselia are good to set up on. Be wary of Gale Wings users like Skarmory, Braviary, and Honchkrow, as even with the extra bulk, they can still easily revenge kill this set. Team Options Bulky Electric-types like Rotom-W and Zapdos, and bulky Steel-types like defensive Skarmory and Doublade can check the Gale Wings users that keep Volcarona in order. Skarmory can also set up Stealth Rock for Volcarona. Strong wallbreakers like Choice Band Adaptability Tyranitar, Tough Claws Lucario, and Sheer Force Genesect can open up some holes for this set to sweep later. A Gale Wings user of your own could be useful to check the fast offensive Pokemon that trouble this set. If you're running Desolate Land, Rapid Spin or Defog support is a must. Starmie and Skarmory can provide this, with Skarmory walling most Gale Wings users and Starmie taking out opposing Fire-types that this Volcarona has trouble with.

Moves Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense, enabling it to sweep late-game. Fire Blast is the main STAB move, 2HKOing most Pokemon that don't resist it, such as Levitate Heatran, after a boost or two. Bug Buzz has perfect accuracy and gets strong hits on Latios and Latias while also letting you break through Unaware Cresselia. Roost enables Volcarona to set up on more defensive teams. Use Morning Sun instead if running Desolate Land, as that heals 66% HP in sun. Giga Drain can be used to hit Water-types hard and heals a little of Volcarona's health. Solar Beam can be used instead with Desolate Land, as it hits much harder. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack EVs let Volcarona tie with other Choice Scarf-using base 100s after a Quiver Dance while hitting as hard as possible. Magic Guard allows Volcarona to circumvent its huge weakness to entry hazards and use a Life Orb without recoil. It also lets you defeat passive teams that rely on Toxic stall. Desolate Land can be used to give Volcarona a Water immunity as well as a boost to Fire Blast's power, as long as you can reliably remove Stealth Rock. It also lets Volcarona use a one-turn Solar Beam, which 2HKOes Suicune. Life Orb should be used if Volcarona is running Magic Guard, as it grants Volcarona tremendous power and has no recoil. If you are running Desolate Land, Lum Berry is the safer option to negate status once. Usage Tips This set plays like most boosting sweepers: come in on something Volcarona forces out, use Quiver Dance, and KO as much as you can. If you are running Magic Guard, weak walls with no access to phazing moves such as Cresselia and Alomomola are ideal to set up on, as their Toxic won't damage Volcarona. Be wary of Skill Swap from the former, though, as it will take away Magic Guard. If you are running Desolate Land, defensive Water-types like Suicune are good to set up on, as they won't be able to harm Volcarona. However, don't switch Desolate Land Volcarona in if Stealth Rock is up unless you have no other option, as it will lose 50% of its HP. Team Options Bulky Electric-types like Zapdos and Rotom-W are good teammates to check opposing Gale Wings users like Braviary and Skarmory. Doublade and defensive Skarmory both also wall them, and the latter can also set up Stealth Rock and Spikes to give Volcarona an easier time sweeping. Strong wallbreakers like Choice Band Tyranitar, Swords Dance Lucario, and Sheer Force Manaphy can smash some holes in the opponent's team. If you are running Desolate Land, Rapid Spin or Defog support from the likes of Skarmory is a must. In addition to its ability to remove entry hazards, Skarmory can wall Braviary and opposing Skarmory. Sheer Force Starmie can also clear the field and dent most bulky Fire-types with its STAB Scald.

Moves Overheat does more direct damage than Heat Wave, which, with this spread, will do minimal damage. Bug Buzz hits Hydreigon, Cresselia, and other Pokemon that resist Overheat. Rage Powder redirects all non-spread, non-Grass-type moves to Volcarona. Protect allows Volcarona's partner to eliminate threats so that Volcarona can stick around longer. Set Details The EVs allow Volcarona to survive a multitude of attacks, including Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge, Adamant Landorus-T's Rock Slide, +2 Modest Aegislash's Shadow Ball, Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch, and Bisharp's Sucker Punch; it also has over an 80% chance of surviving Life Orb Garchomp's Rock Slide. This set can also assure that Overheat OHKOs standard Mega Mawile, has a 50% chance of OHKOing standard Amoonguss, and can 2HKO standard Aegislash. Flame Body is the only option on this set because the increased power of Bug Buzz isn't worth giving up the chance to burn physical attackers. Rocky Helmet to damages contact physical attackers. Sitrus Berry can be used instead for greater longevity. Usage Tips Because of how this Volcarona is meant to play out, knowing what it can and can't survive is a crucial aspect of supporting its partner. Before you make use of Rage Powder, stop and think about what you gain and lose by taking two hits that turn. Although it's not the best tactic, you can bluff an offensive set by using Bug Buzz and luring your opponent into targeting Volcarona's partner and then pulling the trigger with Rage Powder. Team Options This set can support a lot of frail Pokemon such as Breloom, Greninja, Weavile, or Mega Gallade. Rage Powder and Volcarona's passable bulk synergize decently with Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence, which like Volcarona's sponging of Fighting- and Ice-type moves aimed at them, respectively.

Moves Heat Wave is a STAB spread move, hitting very hard coming off base 135 Special Attack. Bug Buzz prevents Volcarona from being walled by Garchomp, Cresselia, Hydreigon, and other Pokemon that resist Fire. Quiver Dance boosts Volcarona's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, allowing it to outspeed certain threats such as Garchomp, Aerodactyl, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and positive-natured base 100s such as Mega Kangaskhan. Protect lets Volcarona's partner either soften up a threat for Volcarona to finish off the next turn or eliminate the threat entirely. Set Details Due to Volcarona's base 100 Speed, it needs maximum Speed investment to be able to tie with other base 100s such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard. The EV spread is not complicated because Volcarona thrives off as much Speed and attacking power as it can get. Charti Berry lets Volcarona take a Rock Slide from Landorus-T or 4 Atk Timid Tyranitar without a Life Orb. Lum Berry prevents paralysis or sleep. Flame Body can be useful in the highly physical metagame by burning contact attackers such as Kangaskhan. Swarm's niche makes the damage output of Bug Buzz go through the roof when Volcarona is at low health. Modest nature maximizes Heat Wave and Bug Buzz damage, as Volcarona can boost its Speed with Quiver Dance. Usage Tips When using Volcarona, you need to be very aware of whether or not the foe carries Rock Slide. If you need to use Protect to scout, then do so. If you think your opponent has a Rock Slide user in the back, setting up with Quiver Dance is usually not an option unless you think Volcarona and its partner can eliminate the threat before the threat eliminates it. Volcarona can be very effective against teams with a lot of special attackers, as Quiver Dance boosts its Special Defense. The same can be said for teams with redirection, as Heat Wave hits both targets anyway. Team Options Hitmontop should be considered, as it's the only Pokemon with all of Wide Guard, Fake Out, and Intimidate. Other Intimidate user such as Landorus-T or Salamence increase Volcarona's chances of taking physical attacks. Pokemon that resist Flying and Rock, such as Bisharp, Metagross, Tyranitar, and Rotom-W, also make for good partners; Rotom-W is an especially good partner because it makes great use of Will-O-Wisp to hinder physical attackers. Speed control users such as Thundurus and Cresselia take stress off of the player to set up Quiver Dance. Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan provide more windows to set up Quiver Dances, and Volcarona appreciates having a physically attacking partner. Helping Hand can support Volcarona's strong Heat Waves.

Moves Quiver Dance lets Volcarona function as an effective setup sweeper thanks to its solid base 100 Speed and naturally high Special Attack. Fire Blast is Volcarona's strongest STAB move and has great neutral coverage, which is important to guarantee the OHKO against threats such as Landorus-T and Thundurus after a boost. Flamethrower gives up some of Fire Blast's power for accuracy, notably missing out on the guaranteed OHKO against Landorus-T after a Quiver Dance boost. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB move and lets it hit the Dragon-, Water-, and Rock-types that resist Fire-type moves. Notably, this is Volcarona's best move for hitting Cresselia, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar. Giga Drain is an alternative if Bug-type coverage isn't necessary, hitting Water-types such as Rotom-W and Suicune harder than Bug Buzz while preventing Azumarill from walling Volcarona and getting a free Belly Drum against it. The recovery it offers is also useful for keeping Volcarona healthy while it sweeps. However, running both Bug Buzz and Giga Drain is viable as well. Hidden Power Ice is preferred in the last slot to hit Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T, which notably allows Volcarona to more comfortably opt for Flamethrower, since it no longer needs Fire Blast to OHKO the last. Hidden Power Ground is an alternative that hits Fire-types that would otherwise wall Volcarona, such as Heatran, Blaziken, and Entei, though Volcarona needs multiple boosts in order to OHKO the latter two. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Volcarona's damage output while ensuring that it's as fast as possible, outspeeding Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T after one Quiver Dance boost. While it doesn't come into play often, the leftover EVs are placed in HP to give Volcarona an odd HP number, which allows it to switch into Stealth Rock twice. If you run Hidden Power Ground, 4 Special Attack EVs should be moved to Defense so that no EVs are wasted. A Modest nature is preferred to boost Volcarona's power further, since Quiver Dance boosts are enough to let it afford the Speed drop and the Speed boost from Timid isn't as useful. This also lets Volcarona OHKO Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice on the switch without needing to boost. Modest is also preferred if you're running Flamethrower over Fire Blast. Timid is typically inferior to Modest but lets Volcarona Speed tie with Mega Kangaskhan before boosting as well as outspeed Jolly Choice Scarf Excadrill and the occasional Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T after boosts. Lum Berry is the preferred item to prevent Toxic and Thunder Wave users such as Cresselia and Thundurus from cutting Volcarona's sweep short; this also lets it function as an effective Klefki check. Focus Sash is an alternative that gives Volcarona a chance to set up against otherwise unsafe foes such as Hydreigon and offensive Zapdos if there's no risk of a priority user finishing it off later, and it also functions as a safety net against threats such as Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Jolly Choice Scarf Garchomp. Flame Body allows Volcarona to punish physical attackers that make contact with it, potentially crippling a dangerous threat such as Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Salamence as it goes down, which can give its teammates an easier time cleaning afterwards. Usage Tips Volcarona's goal is to sweep, so it'll usually be brought in after a teammate has been KOed or switched into something that can't hurt it much, such as Ferrothorn or Cresselia. If Volcarona tries to set up early, be sure that it has partners such as Choice Scarf Garchomp that can clean up in case Volcarona can't finish the job. Likewise, avoid setting up early if Volcarona is needed to beat a specific threat such as Cresselia, since it's typically used for the unique coverage that its Bug / Fire typing offers. Lum Berry makes it easier for Volcarona to set up against Pokemon that can only threaten it with status, so don't hesitate to set up against foes that can't do much immediate damage such as Porygon2 and Serperior. Volcarona has very troubling matchups depending on its coverage move, but generally it should avoid setting up if the opponent has a Fire-type, since it can't hit most of them without Hidden Power Ground. Fire Blast is the move Volcarona should be using most of the time due to its huge power even without boosts; if you're running Flamethrower instead, this is still the preferred STAB move due to the superior coverage over its other moves. Bug Buzz should generally only be used against weakened foes and Pokemon that are weak to Bug or resist Fire such as Hydreigon, Suicune, and Tyranitar. Otherwise, it shouldn't be used unless missing Fire Blast is a big risk; even if Bug Buzz doesn't KO, the guaranteed damage can be more important, especially if a partner can pick off the foe afterwards. Team Options Mega Salamence creates an aggressive setup sweeper pair with Volcarona that boasts great defensive synergy, beating most Fire-types and Belly Drum Azumarill for Volcarona while appreciating Volcarona's ability to switch into Ice Beam and Fairy-types. Intimidate from Salamence before it Mega Evolves also helps Volcarona against physical attackers. Mega Kangaskhan appreciates Volcarona's ability to beat Steel-types such as Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn as well as Cresselia and the occasional Mega Sableye, while Mega Kangaskhan breaks down walls to let Volcarona sweep more easily. Volcarona also appreciates partners that can remove special walls like Chansey, so Mega Gengar makes for an effective partner by trapping and beating these walls. Cresselia can switch into most physical attackers that threaten Volcarona, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Blaziken, while notably dealing with Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence if Volcarona lacks Hidden Power Ice. Cresselia also has Lunar Dance, which can give Volcarona a second chance to sweep. Stealth Rock gives Volcarona an easier time sweeping, giving it a greater chance to OHKO threats such as Aegislash in Shield forme before boosts, as well as Mega Kangaskhan, Zapdos, and bulkier Thundurus at +1. Stealth Rock also cripples Talonflame, which completely stops Volcarona. Garchomp, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine are all effective partners that can offer this support while being able to check Talonflame and other Fire-types to varying degrees. Hippowdon in particular can put foes to sleep or force them out with Yawn, which can help Volcarona set up. Grass-types such as Ferrothorn, Serperior, and Breloom deal with Water-types that give Volcarona trouble if it lacks Giga Drain. Ferrothorn in particular offers Stealth Rock support and a sturdy Rock-type switch-in for Volcarona. However, all of these are threatened by Fire-types, which Volcarona struggles against as well. Water-types such as Rotom-W, Greninja, Azumarill, Suicune, Cloyster, and Gyarados can take on the Fire- and Rock-types that threaten Volcarona. Volcarona can deal with any Grass-type for them, and Rotom-W in particular serves as an effective Talonflame check. Cloyster also pairs well as a setup sweeper alongside Volcarona, overwhelming slower teams. Electric-types such as Thundurus, Raikou, and Rocky Helmet Zapdos are also capable of checking Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence for Volcarona.

Set Description Volcarona is the best Fire-type in BW 1v1 due to its natural power and its access to Quiver Dance. Overheat does massive damage to non-resistant targets like Zapdos, while Bug Buzz threatens common Psychic-types like Cresselia, Latios, and Meloetta and comes without Overheat's stat drop. Volcarona's last move is quite customizable. Substitute buys Volcarona a free turn on status moves, gives it a better matchup against other Volcarona, and allows it to fish for misses on inaccurate attacks such as Choice Band Sawk's Stone Edge. On the other hand, Flame Charge guarantees the win against Magnezone, and Roost helps against other Volcarona and stall Snorlax. Charti Berry is used to survive various Rock-type coverage moves, like Choice Scarf Heracross's Rock Slide or Choice Specs Magnezone's Hidden Power Rock. EVs The Special Defense investment allows Volcarona to survive Choice Specs Zapdos's Hidden Power Flying. The Speed investment allows Volcarona to outspeed Magnezone. Usage Tips If Volcarona can take an OHKO on turn 1, such as against Metagross, Celebi, or Genesect, it will. To avoid being locked into Quiver Dance by Trick users such as Cresselia and Porygon-Z, Volcarona should use Bug Buzz or Overheat, respectively, on turn 1. Versus Latios, Volcarona has an unintuitively bad matchup. Bug Buzz is not guaranteed to OHKO no bulk Latios and it commonly carries Trick + Choice Specs or Calm Mind to stop Volcarona's Quiver Dance. Volcarona must choose between setting up Quiver Dance on an attack or Calm Mind or using Bug Buzz to use Latios's Choice Specs against it or go for a damage roll. Against opposing Volcarona, both players should use Quiver Dance repeatedly before attacking each other. If either player has Substitute, they should use it early on to force the opponent to lower their Special Attack with Overheat. If you have Roost, use it to heal off damage from Overheat. Substitute allows Volcarona to fish for misses on inaccurate Rock-type moves from slower opponents like Tyranitar, and may buy free turns if the opponent decides to set up, like against Bulk Up Scrafty or Conkeldurr. Flame Charge breaks Magnezone's Sturdy so that Volcarona does not have to worry about Mirror Coat. Roost allows Volcarona to outlast stall Snorlax's Seismic Toss and boost up to +6 to match Snorlax's Amnesia boosts. It then 4HKOes most stall Snorlax with Bug Buzz. Roost is also helpful versus opposing Volcarona, since it heals off damage from Overheat and forces them to use Quiver Dance to regain maximum Special Attack.

Heat Wave hits both opponents hard, but will rarely OHKO either of them. Overheat, on the other hand, scores quite a few OHKOs, including Amoonguss, 4 HP Tornadus and Thundurus a majority of the time, and many others. If you plan to focus more on supporting with Rage Powder while using Volcarona, Overheat is probably the better option because the Special Attack drop will be less significant. Bug Buzz is your second STAB attack and it OHKOes the slower Hydreigon, while hitting Reuniclus and Musharna hard, too. Protect gives your partner time to kill threats to Volcarona such as the numerous Rock Slide users in the metagame. It is also needed to waste a turn of Fake Out while preserving your Focus Sash. Because Mienshao and Liepard are faster than Volcarona, it must Protect first turn to dodge Fake Out, which will occur before Rage Powder. Focus Sash is used because Volcarona has trouble with the frequency of Water-, Flying- and Rock-type moves. Volcarona needs 248 EVs in Speed and a Timid nature to outspeed Hydreigon and OHKO it with Bug Buzz. The last four are run just to Speed tie with opposing Volcarona. Volcarona is frail on the physical side, but can take special hits reasonably well thanks to its base 105 Special Defense stat. Its weaknesses and the heavy use of Rock Slide make Focus Sash clearly the best item. Life Orb or Charti Berry seem like good options, but Life Orb doesn't grant any notable OHKOs or 2HKOs, and Charti Berry often won't prevent Volcarona from being OHKOed by Rock Slide anyway due to its lackluster Defense. Volcarona is a strong stand-alone Pokemon but still enjoys and supports any kind of setup. The most noteworthy is Sunny Day, as it powers up Volcarona's already strong Fire-type moves. Tailwind is another good choice for support for Volcarona, allowing it to get the jump on the many Pokemon faster than it. Volcarona can even work in some kind of Trick Room team, despite having base 100 Speed, due to Rage Powder and Volcarona's ability to still undercut many common Pokemon. On a Trick Room team, an alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD should be used, along with a Quiet nature. A partner using Wide Guard remedies Volcarona's quadruple Rock Slide weakness and Water Spout weakness and so provides turns for Volcarona to attack. Inner Focus Mienshao stands out as one of the best partners to Volcarona with Fake Out and Wide Guard support.

This set aims to use Volcarona's great coverage and awesome offensive stats to their maximum potential. Heat Wave and Bug Buzz are two potent STAB moves, allowing Volcarona to hit multiple Pokemon at once and leave large dents in Psychic-types, respectively. The move used in the third slot depends largely on what you want Volcarona to be able to defeat. Hidden Power Ice is the most useful move, as it can destroy the common Dragon-types that normally wall Volcarona, such as Salamence and Dragonite. Hidden Power Ground decimates Heatran, who otherwise walls Volcarona, and powers through opposing Fire-types, such as Chandelure and Arcanine. Rage Powder might seem like an odd move to use on such a frail Pokemon, but it allows Volcarona to redirect priority moves, such as Bullet Punch and Mach Punch, possibly burning the offender thanks to Flame Body. Focus Sash and Protect act as safety nets, ensuring Volcarona isn't taken out too early by a surprise Rock Slide. The EVs and nature increase Volcarona's offensive stats, as little benefit comes from investing in Volcarona's low defenses. Maximum Speed allows Volcarona to tie with Salamence, Zapdos, and opposing Volcarona, while 252 Special Attack EVs let Volcarona hit as hard as possible. A Modest nature can also be used for more power, though the loss in Speed means it will be outpaced by positive-natured Salamence and Zapdos. When using Hidden Power Ground, an EV spread of 4 HP / 4 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe is recommended to account for the IV drop. Heatran, Terrakion, and Rock Slide users in general are big problems for Volcarona; therefore, Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Hitmontop, make perfect teammates. The aforementioned Pokemon can take down most of Volcarona's counters while providing Wide Guard support to protect Volcarona from Rock Slide and Surf. In return, Volcarona can KO the bulky Psychic-types, such as Cresselia, Musharna, and Reuniclus, that threaten said Fighting-types. Ninetales provides support from Drought, which will make Volcarona's Heat Wave even more fearsome. Sun support also helps Volcarona defensively, as it nullifies Volcarona's weakness to common Water-type moves, such as Surf. However, it should be noted that when pairing Volcarona with Ninetales, the Rock weaknesses add up, increasing the need for Wide Guard support.

This set aims to sweep teams with a Quiver Dance, which makes an already potent offensive threat all the more deadly. After a Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz lets Volcarona potentially OHKO specially bulkier threats such as Cresselia, Tyranitar, and Rotom-W depending on their EV spread. Lum Berry is all but required in order to buy it an extra turn against Thundurus's Prankster Thunder Wave. 44 HP and 4 Defense EVs let Volcarona survive a Rock Slide from Adamant Landorus-T that has been affected by Intimidate, and 244 Speed EVs let it outspeed Choice Scarf Hydreigon after a Quiver Dance. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack. Other Options Overheat lets Volcarona OHKO Amoonguss. Bug Gem leverages Bug Buzz’s great neutral coverage and turns it into a deadly attack, with the ability to OHKO offensive Cresselia sets and deal heavy damage to Rotom-Wash. Bulkier sets with Rage Powder and Lum Berry let Volcarona support its team in a variety of ways, leveraging its Flame Body ability against Fake Out users and being a superb answer to Amoonguss. Giga Drain can potentially flip matchups against bulky Water-types such as Rotom-Wash, Jellicent, and Politoed while giving Volcarona some longevity. Common Partners Hitmontop is the quintessential partner for Volcarona, especially if it's using a Quiver Dance set. Hitmontop provides Intimidate support to offset its partner's abysmal Defense stat, while its Fake Out support enables Volcarona to get off a Quiver Dance and then deal significant damage, which can be potentially bolstered with Feint or Helping Hand. Choice Scarf Landorus-T checks or threatens most of Volcarona's threats, although it exacerbates the team's weakness to rain teams. Checks and Counters Heatran is resistant to Bug and is immune to Volcarona's Fire-type attacks, letting it switch in with impunity and threaten Volcarona with its Fire-type attacks or use Substitute. Rain teams greatly reduce Volcarona's damage potential, and rain sweepers like Kingdra will easily OHKO it. Tornadus outspeeds and OHKOes it with Acrobatics. Thundurus's Thunder Wave turns Volcarona into a sitting duck. What checks Volcarona is also largely dependent on its EV spread. Latios outspeeds an unboosted Volcarona and can OHKO non-bulky sets with Dragon Gem Draco Meteor. Slower sets without proper defensive investment can find themselves OHKOed by a Draco Meteor from a speedy Hydreigon. Landorus-T, particularly Choice Scarf variants, are also a major threat; Rock Slide OHKOes Volcarona unless Landorus-T has been hit by Intimidate, and Stone Edge OHKOes it even at -1.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Volcarona is a fringe setup sweeper with high offensive stats and decent coverage; however, it is weak without boosts, requires dedicated support to set up, is prone to opposing speed control, and is walled by a number of common threats, such as Jellicent and Heatran. Furthermore, Volcarona's typing leaves it extremely vulnerable to rain, Excadrill in sand, and Stealth Rock, making it often more trouble than is worth. Quiver Dance is Volcarona's main niche, as even a single boost amplifies its already notable offensive stats to great heights, puts its Speed tier above Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T's, and lets it survive Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor. Heat Wave hits much of the metagame for neutral damage and OHKOes common Steel-types such as Excadrill, Scizor, and Genesect. It is especially fearsome at +1, where it can OHKO Metagross and 2HKO bulky neutral foes such as Thundurus and Landorus-T. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's best way of hitting foes that resist or shrug off Fire-type attacks: it OHKOes Latios and 2HKOes Cresselia, Tyranitar, and Gothitelle. Lum Berry grants a one-time insurance and a setup opportunity against Thundurus's Thunder Wave and Amoonguss's Spore, both of which stop Volcarona from sweeping. Bug Gem guarantees an OHKO on Cresselia, Gothitelle, and Tyranitar with +1 Bug Buzz, as well as granting it an additional single-target nuke option. Volcarona thrives late-game once its checks are wittled down or removed, but setup opportunities are more limited due to Stealth Rock. Because Volcarona often has to take Stealth Rock damage, it favors setup opportunities against harmless foes such as Cresselia and Ferrothorn or in situations where a teammate can guarantee Volcarona's safety, such as with Fake Out or Rage Powder. Amoonguss is a natural teammate for Volcarona, as it can redirect moves that would cripple Volcarona such as Thunder Wave and Genesect's Extreme Speed, and, more importantly, keeps it from being statused by Thundurus and opposing Amoonguss. Dark- and Electric-types such as Tyranitar and Thundurus beat Jellicent, which resists both of Volcarona's STAB attacks, with Tyranitar also disrupting rain and matching up well into Heatran. Bisharp beats Jellicent, and Defiant deters the common Stealth Rock setter Landorus-T from coming onto the field. Defiant Thundurus is able to do the same, with Superpower also beating Heatran. Water- and Fighting-types such as Jellicent and Conkeldurr also beat Heatran, which is as good as immune to Volcarona's attacks. Scrafty and Hitmontop provide Volcarona with Intimidate and Fake Out support to weaken Tyranitar and Excadrill and generate free setup turns for Volcarona, with the latter answering rain and Rock Slide with Wide Guard, and it sometimes runs Rapid Spin to remove Stealth Rock. Volcarona is also commonly paired with powerful wallbreakers such as Dragon Gem Latios and Choice Band Kyurem-B, as they punch holes in teams for it to clean up later.