VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2
THE DELTA ARTICLES
Issue Written By: TheQuantumJumper, Legyro and Phlygone
IntroDuction
Written by Legyro
Hey, everyone! Welcome to the second issue of The Delta Articles! The first issue was a huge success, and we are eager to share all of our knowledge of competitive pokemon with all of you. This week, things are starting to get into full swing; from Entry Hazards in The Metagame, to Volcarona in Pokemon Spotlight, you do not want to miss anything in this article. The Battle Arcade and Team Spotlight also have new challenges for you to overcome, so do not forgot to check out those articles as well. Ok guys, lets get into it!
The Metagame: Entry Hazards
Written by TheQuantumJumper
 | Yo, champ in the making! This issue is all about entry hazards: those moves that were useless when you played through the games but are actually important to competitive Pokemon. In recent times their use has declined, but they are still very useful for wearing down opponents and limiting their options. Knowing how to use them and how to counter them is crucial for any aspiring trainer. |
Stealth Rocks:
By far the most popular entry hazard, stealth rocks provide damage based on the type of the Pokemon switching into it. The base damage is 12.5% (⅛) of their maximum health. If the incoming Pokemon is hit super-effectively by Rock, it deals twice the damage, and being 4x weak to stealth rocks will cause a Pokemon to lose 50% of its health. It isn’t very difficult to see that this damage could really add up if Pokemon switch too much into it, especially on Pokemon like Volcarona who are especially weak to it. Placing Stealth Rocks early in the match can tip the scales in your favor, especially against teams that rely on switching heavily. Stealth Rocks is also unique in that it is the only entry hazard that affects Pokemon that are Flying-Type or have Levitate.
Spikes:
Spikes is a stackable entry hazard that deals more damage for each stack, initially dealing 12.5% (⅛) of the opponent’s maximum health at one layer, 16.67% (⅙) at two layers, and 25% (¼) at the maximum of three layers. So why are stealth rocks more popular if spikes does the same damage with one layer and can be further stacked? As it turns out, there are a few reasons for this. The first is that spikes doesn’t scale off of the opponent’s typing like stealth rocks, meaning Pokemon like Volcarona can switch into them more safely, even if all three are on the field. The second is that spikes fails to hit Pokemon that are flying or levitating, allowing Pokemon like Talonflame to avoid damage. Finally, you don’t always get many chances to spend turns setting up all the layers, and when you do they can be removed easily. This wasn’t as big of a deal in previous generations, and we’ll get to why this is later.
Toxic Spikes:
Toxic Spikes, like Spikes, can be stacked, however it doesn’t deal damage to Pokemon that switch in. Instead, it will poison them if there’s one layer, and badly poison them if there are two! One layer is typically used against offensive teams to put immediate pressure on them as they switch in (since badly poisoned Pokemon actually take less damage on the first turn), while two are used against more defensive teams to put timers on walls and other bulky Pokemon. Toxic spikes can be trickier to use because some Pokemon can use the status from entering the field to avoid sleep or paralysis that they’d rather avoid. This move is also useless against Steel and Poison type Pokemon, the latter also clearing the entry hazard from the field upon getting hit by them. While the aforementioned hazards are typically always nice to have out, these are slightly more situational.
Sticky Web:
Oh what a tangled web we weave! Sticky Web will definitely tangle up your opponent's ground bound Pokemon, slowing them by one stage. This has an enormous impact on the battlefield, allowing slightly slower Pokemon to take the spotlight and outspeed crucial opponents. Sticky Web can stop sweepers in their tracks, and make the life of revenge killers rather difficult. This move is a godsend for those ever so slightly slow Pokemon--or it would be, if more Pokemon learned it. The number of Pokemon that can learn it is unfortunately small, and even more unfortunate is that the Pokemon that can learn it are mostly ineffective in higher tiers, where it would be most useful. Since there are so few viable users of it, you probably won’t see it much. If you see your opponent with one of the Pokemon that can learn it, it’s highly likely that they have the move, so be ready for it. If you are planning on using Sticky Web, take care around teams running Bisharp, as it gets a bonus to its attack when one of its stats are lowered that can make it a powerful threat.
And there you have it, the four entry hazards. Pokemon that utilize these moves vary widely, from tanky Pokemon like Forretress and Tentacruel to speedy Pokemon like Galvantula and Klefki (by merit of Prankster). While these moves are strong in controlling the field, there are several ways around them.
Immunities:
With the exception of Stealth Rocks, all entry hazards are avoided by flying or levitating Pokemon. Steel types, and more so Poison types are highly effective against Toxic Spikes. Pokemon with the ability Magic Guard will be immune to damage from the Spikes and Stealth Rocks, as well as the damage from the poison (though they will still gain the status).
Rapid Spin:
Pokemon carrying the move Rapid Spin are referred to as “Spinners”, and they are tasked with clearing entry hazards from the field. While there aren’t that many strong Rapid Spinners, there is enough of a variety that most teams will have room for one. Knocking out this Pokemon will be critical to keeping your hazards up, and keeping it alive will be critical to keeping your opponent’s down. It is worth noting that Ghost types are immune to Rapid Spin, and therefore can prevent the clearing of entry hazards (these are known as spinblockers). Furthermore, if a Pokemon faints while using Rapid Spin (due to effects such as Life Orb and Rough Skin) hazards won’t be cleared either.
Defog:
Defog is the most recent factor in entry hazards, and is a major part of why hazards have seen a major decline (as well as spinners and spinblockers). Defog removes all entry hazards from both sides of the field, so long as your opponent doesn’t faint before you get it off. Defog is much more accessible than rapid spin, which leads to it being more commonly used. The biggest downfall of Defog is that you have to reset your own hazards as well. If you aren’t interested in utilizing many entry hazards, this is your go to move. Take care to avoid being Taunted, however, and also keep an eye out for Pokemon that have the ability Defiant, as defog does activate it. The main culprit of this is Bisharp.
Pre-emptive Measures:
Aside from knocking out Pokemon before they can set hazards, you can also utilize Taunt to prevent them from setting. If you want to take it one step further, consider using Magic Coat, a move that reflects incoming hazards and status conditions. Magic Bounce is Magic Coat in ability form, and much easier to use than magic coat, particularly in that you can switch into it out of any of your Pokemon instead of needing to have it out ahead of time. These last two are especially nice as you can get free hazards on the enemy at the same time.
Hazards are the foremost way in which you can control the battlefield and limit your opponent’s options and killing their momentum. If you don’t take these hazards into account you’ll likely find your team crippled and easily crushed. Of course, knowing is half the battle, and if you’ve made it this far you ought to know most of what you need to combat these lethal tools, as well as picking them up yourself!
By far the most popular entry hazard, stealth rocks provide damage based on the type of the Pokemon switching into it. The base damage is 12.5% (⅛) of their maximum health. If the incoming Pokemon is hit super-effectively by Rock, it deals twice the damage, and being 4x weak to stealth rocks will cause a Pokemon to lose 50% of its health. It isn’t very difficult to see that this damage could really add up if Pokemon switch too much into it, especially on Pokemon like Volcarona who are especially weak to it. Placing Stealth Rocks early in the match can tip the scales in your favor, especially against teams that rely on switching heavily. Stealth Rocks is also unique in that it is the only entry hazard that affects Pokemon that are Flying-Type or have Levitate.
Spikes:
Spikes is a stackable entry hazard that deals more damage for each stack, initially dealing 12.5% (⅛) of the opponent’s maximum health at one layer, 16.67% (⅙) at two layers, and 25% (¼) at the maximum of three layers. So why are stealth rocks more popular if spikes does the same damage with one layer and can be further stacked? As it turns out, there are a few reasons for this. The first is that spikes doesn’t scale off of the opponent’s typing like stealth rocks, meaning Pokemon like Volcarona can switch into them more safely, even if all three are on the field. The second is that spikes fails to hit Pokemon that are flying or levitating, allowing Pokemon like Talonflame to avoid damage. Finally, you don’t always get many chances to spend turns setting up all the layers, and when you do they can be removed easily. This wasn’t as big of a deal in previous generations, and we’ll get to why this is later.
Toxic Spikes:
Toxic Spikes, like Spikes, can be stacked, however it doesn’t deal damage to Pokemon that switch in. Instead, it will poison them if there’s one layer, and badly poison them if there are two! One layer is typically used against offensive teams to put immediate pressure on them as they switch in (since badly poisoned Pokemon actually take less damage on the first turn), while two are used against more defensive teams to put timers on walls and other bulky Pokemon. Toxic spikes can be trickier to use because some Pokemon can use the status from entering the field to avoid sleep or paralysis that they’d rather avoid. This move is also useless against Steel and Poison type Pokemon, the latter also clearing the entry hazard from the field upon getting hit by them. While the aforementioned hazards are typically always nice to have out, these are slightly more situational.
Sticky Web:
Oh what a tangled web we weave! Sticky Web will definitely tangle up your opponent's ground bound Pokemon, slowing them by one stage. This has an enormous impact on the battlefield, allowing slightly slower Pokemon to take the spotlight and outspeed crucial opponents. Sticky Web can stop sweepers in their tracks, and make the life of revenge killers rather difficult. This move is a godsend for those ever so slightly slow Pokemon--or it would be, if more Pokemon learned it. The number of Pokemon that can learn it is unfortunately small, and even more unfortunate is that the Pokemon that can learn it are mostly ineffective in higher tiers, where it would be most useful. Since there are so few viable users of it, you probably won’t see it much. If you see your opponent with one of the Pokemon that can learn it, it’s highly likely that they have the move, so be ready for it. If you are planning on using Sticky Web, take care around teams running Bisharp, as it gets a bonus to its attack when one of its stats are lowered that can make it a powerful threat.
And there you have it, the four entry hazards. Pokemon that utilize these moves vary widely, from tanky Pokemon like Forretress and Tentacruel to speedy Pokemon like Galvantula and Klefki (by merit of Prankster). While these moves are strong in controlling the field, there are several ways around them.
Immunities:
With the exception of Stealth Rocks, all entry hazards are avoided by flying or levitating Pokemon. Steel types, and more so Poison types are highly effective against Toxic Spikes. Pokemon with the ability Magic Guard will be immune to damage from the Spikes and Stealth Rocks, as well as the damage from the poison (though they will still gain the status).
Rapid Spin:
Pokemon carrying the move Rapid Spin are referred to as “Spinners”, and they are tasked with clearing entry hazards from the field. While there aren’t that many strong Rapid Spinners, there is enough of a variety that most teams will have room for one. Knocking out this Pokemon will be critical to keeping your hazards up, and keeping it alive will be critical to keeping your opponent’s down. It is worth noting that Ghost types are immune to Rapid Spin, and therefore can prevent the clearing of entry hazards (these are known as spinblockers). Furthermore, if a Pokemon faints while using Rapid Spin (due to effects such as Life Orb and Rough Skin) hazards won’t be cleared either.
Defog:
Defog is the most recent factor in entry hazards, and is a major part of why hazards have seen a major decline (as well as spinners and spinblockers). Defog removes all entry hazards from both sides of the field, so long as your opponent doesn’t faint before you get it off. Defog is much more accessible than rapid spin, which leads to it being more commonly used. The biggest downfall of Defog is that you have to reset your own hazards as well. If you aren’t interested in utilizing many entry hazards, this is your go to move. Take care to avoid being Taunted, however, and also keep an eye out for Pokemon that have the ability Defiant, as defog does activate it. The main culprit of this is Bisharp.
Pre-emptive Measures:
Aside from knocking out Pokemon before they can set hazards, you can also utilize Taunt to prevent them from setting. If you want to take it one step further, consider using Magic Coat, a move that reflects incoming hazards and status conditions. Magic Bounce is Magic Coat in ability form, and much easier to use than magic coat, particularly in that you can switch into it out of any of your Pokemon instead of needing to have it out ahead of time. These last two are especially nice as you can get free hazards on the enemy at the same time.
Hazards are the foremost way in which you can control the battlefield and limit your opponent’s options and killing their momentum. If you don’t take these hazards into account you’ll likely find your team crippled and easily crushed. Of course, knowing is half the battle, and if you’ve made it this far you ought to know most of what you need to combat these lethal tools, as well as picking them up yourself!
Pokemon Spotlight: VOlcarona
Written by Legyro
| Hey, guys! Legyro is back once again to bring you yet another amazing article on a certain Pokemon. As always, I will take you through everything you need to know, from different movesets, to good teammates and counters. By the end of this article, you will be the expert! On top of this, TheQuantumJumper has agreed to contribute his own moveset this week, so look forward to that! So, now that that’s out of the way, let’s hop into today’s Pokemon and talk about…. Volcarona! |  |
Base Stats:
HP: 85
Atk: 60
Def: 65
Sp. Atk: 135
Sp. Def: 105
Speed: 100
Abilities:
Flame Body
When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move that makes contact, there is a 30% chance that the attacking Pokémon will become burned.
If a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a multi-strike move that makes contact (such as Fury Swipes), each hit has an independent chance to activate this Ability.
Swarm
When a Pokémon with Swarm uses a Bug-type move, the power will increase by 1.5× if the user has less than or equal to 1/3 of its maximum HP remaining.
Synopsis:
Volcarona has and probably always will be a strong set-up sweeper that shines high above the rest in the OU metagame. Capable of taking out every single Pokemon on the opponent’s team in a single go, Volcarona is a threat that many players fear and often build their teams around so as to not risk getting swept by said monster. Bouncing between the OU and UU tiers ever since Gen 6 came out, it has come to rest in BL, or Banned List (for UU). This means that Smogon has deemed Volcarona to be too good for the UU tier, but not good enough for the OU tier. That being said, I still believe Volcarona to be a force to be reckoned within the OU Tier. Volcarona possesses the one of the best boosting moves in the game: Quiver Dance (QD), which boosts its Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed by one stage every time that it is used. Even after getting up a single QD, Volcarona has massive sweeping potential, which is what makes it so threatening, especially when combined with its nice Sp. Atk of 135 and its great speed tier of 100. However, will great power, also comes weakness, and Volcarona is no exception to this rule. Volcarona’s greatest weakness is Stealth Rocks (SR)(which you should have read about in the previous article). Due to its typing, it is 4x weak to Rock-types, and therefore, loses 50% of its health every time it switches into SR. Needless to say, a good Volcarona user will always carry a Rapid Spinner/Defogger with them so as to not put themselves in a situation where they have to switch their precious sweeper on a bed of pointy stones.
Odd HP Number Rule:
However, there is another way to combat the SR scenario, granted it is not as effective as a Hazard Remover, but still worth mentioning; that is, the Odd HP Number Rule. Due to the laws of mathematics, it is impossible to get a whole number when splitting an odd number in half. Since Pokemon HP numbers cannot be fractions, the game rounds damage down, so you will be taking only 49% (the game remembers it as 49.5%, and you will see why in a bit) as opposed to 50%. Please note that this rule also applies to recovery moves and moves like Belly Drum (Belly Drum will only do 49% of your health, and WILL NOT activate your berry, so running an even HP number in this case is better). Now, you might be asking, “Hey, Legyro, why is one measly percent so important, especially on a pokemon that is so frail?” Well, my curious friend, the answer is simple. Let us set up a scenario: your hazard remover has taken an unfortunate critical hit to the face and has fallen in the midst of battle, and you now are in the position where you must bring in your Volcarona in order to win the game. Stealth Rocks are up on your side of the field, so regardless, your Volcarona is going to be taking a massive amount of damage on switch-in. Normally, Volcarona will only be able to switch in TWO times, taking 50% each time and fainting on the second switch-in. However, with an odd HP number, Volcarona will be able to switch in THREE times, fainting on the third switch-in. Volcarona will be left with 1% on the second switch-in (49.5 + 49.5 = 99%). This is assuming that Volcarona receives no recovery or damage from other sources, of course. This extra switch-in can mean the difference in taking out crucial Pokemon on the enemy’s team, so use it wisely. This rule can be applied to ANY Pokemon, including ones that take 25%, 12.5%, and 6%. So, long story short, try to keep your Spinner/Defogger alive as much as possible, and use this rule as a safety precaution.
OK, now that I’m done writing my Pokemon college thesis, it’s time to get into some sets!
Standard Sets:
These sets are the norm, what you will normally see throughout your laddering career on Pokémon Showdown, as well as in-game PvP. They work really well with most standard laddering teams and are what make this Pokémon so viable in its tier.
QD + Three Attack
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
This is probably the most standard set in the books. Sporting the all-important move Quiver Dance, which you will see on 99% of all competitive Volcaronas, this set has coverage moves and STAB moves to hit the majority of the OU tier. We run a Modest nature so that Volcarona will do as much damage as it can with its attacks. You may notice that I made the IVs on Volcarona’s Attack stat 0. This is because there is a very common move in the game called Foul Play, which deals damage based on the recipient’s Attack stat. So, by putting our Attack IVs to 0, and having a minus Attack nature, we minimize the damage that we will take from Foul Play. I recommend doing this for any Pokemon that does not use its Attack stat (not recommended for Pokemon that have the move Hidden Power, as changing the IVs could change the type of Hidden Power you will have). Fiery Dance is Volcarona’s signature move, and is a strong fire type attack that has a 50% chance to raise the user’s Sp. Atk by 1 stage, perfect for Volcarona. Bug Buzz is a strong STAB Bug move that allows Volcarona to hit things that a STAB Fire move cannot do very well. Rounding off the set is Giga Drain, which allows it to hit water types that think they can switch in on Volcarona. Not only that, but it also gives Volcarona some much needed recovery. The only huge counter to this Volcarona set are Heatran, which sponges all three of this Volcarona’s moves and returns the favor with a neutral Lava Plume; not fun. Also, Chansey is relatively annoying as it has sky high HP and Sp. Def stats, making it virtually unkillable with a special attack (crits included). Having teammates that can deal with those two is optimal for Volcarona sweepage. Don’t forget you hazard remover either.
QD + Options
Volcarona @ Focus Sash
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Roost
This set is more of a showcase of other options for the set above. Due to its frailty, giving Volcarona a Focus Sash will allow it take any hit to the noggin without having to worry about fainting. Not only that, but living with 1 HP will put Volcarona in Swarm range (if you are running it over Flame Body), increasing its Bug Buzz damage by 50%. However, Life Orb can still be used in place of Focus Sash if you want more power. Fire Blast can be run over Fiery Dance or Flamethrower for a more a more power Fire-type STAB move, just be careful, as it likes to miss… a lot. Hidden Power Ground is run for Heatran, which takes 4x the damage from it due to its weakness, a great way to counter such a threat to Volcarona’s existence. Be aware, though, that some Heatrans like to use Air Balloons, which makes them immune to Ground-type attacks until damaged. Finally, Roost is a great recovery move for Volcarona if you find that Giga Drain just isn’t doing it for you.
Guest Set: TheQuantumJumper
Yo, champ in the making, I’m here interrupting Legyro to bring you my take on this modern day Mothra. Legyro has covered pretty much everything you could ever need to know to run Volcarona successfully, but if you ever wondered what I personally run this is your chance to find out.
Dance Dance Revolution
Volcarona @ Lum Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Ground]
So, you might notice that there’s not much different here from Legyro’s sets, and that’s because Volcarona is best run in this fashion. However, the real trick comes down to fitting it to your team. While your choice of fire type moves comes down to personal style (I aim for snowballing Volcarona, or getting a surprise sweep without quiver dance), it’s the last slot that really will change based on your team. I tend to use HP ground, as it gives the most versatile coverage if you want to sweep with only Volcarona. Personally, the coverage from ground is worth more than the bug stab to me, especially as many Pokemon that resist your fire move will resist bug buzz as well. Volcarona can also benefit from a host of items. To avoid being destroyed by paralysis or sleep, I like to run Lum Berry. This can often net you a free QD! Alternatively, you can surprise your opponent with an Air Balloon to switch into things like earthquake. Passho or Coba berries are also popular to let you live through many common attacks aimed your way. This set also works well in monotypes, where the ground coverage is very nice to have, and I will typically run sitrus berry there, as I can’t always guarantee a clear field when I need its coverage (refer to Legyro’s dissertation for advice on your HP stat in tandem with the berry).
Niche Sets:
These sets, for all intensive purposes, are still legitimate, but are rather niche driven, which means that they are only viable when used with certain types of Pokemon or teams.
VolcaRain
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Hurricane
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ground]
As the name implies, this Volcarona works extremely well on Rain teams, as Hurricane, the key move here, has its accuracy boosted to 100 in the rain. There is no fire move due to Fire being weakened by the rain, but you are welcome to use one if you feel you need it. Hidden Power Ground is for Heatran, and Bug Buzz is for STAB. Also, I decided to use Leftovers here, rather than Life Orb because there is no reliable recovery in this set, so this was the only way to get around that. If you feel that you need more power, then you are welcome to use Life Orb. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Hurricane is the “Center of attention” move here, this moveset doesn’t really work outside of Rain teams.
Fun Sets:
These sets are not meant to be serious, however, they can still work with the right play style and teammates. I would suggest not using these to raise your ELO, but rather just to mess around and have fun with. Enjoy!
Specsarona (or Scarfarona)
Volcarona @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Ground]
This set is pretty much outclassed by any Volcarona set with QD as the move gives you the benefit of both Choice Specs and Choice Scarf in a single turn. Still, if you feel like you are up for the challenge, give this set a try. We run timid nature here to outspeed max speed base 100s (and other Volcaronas).
Playing Against a Volcarona:
If you are not prepared, Volcarona can easily take advantage and set up to win. Be careful when trying to set up hazards, as your opponent can use this as a free chance to switch in Volcarona and set up a QD or two. Like I mentioned before, Heatran is a hard counter to the majority of what Volcarona can do, bar Hidden Power Ground, so try to keep it alive and healthy so it can continue to take hits from Volcarona. If you fear the Ground-type move, feel free to give it an Air Balloon, as it will allow you to take and stray Hidden Power Grounds that Volcarona will throw at you. Also, as mentioned previously, Chansey is a pretty good counter to Volcarona as it takes Volcarona’s boosted STAB moves with relative ease. However, be warned that it can potentially set up six QDs and destroy Chansey, as Chansey can only do 100 damage to it per turn, and Volcaronas with Roost can out-recover that. It might be beneficial to have toxic on Chansey so as to put a timer on any sweeping Volcarona. Finally, and I cannot put enough stress on this one, Stealth Rocks are your best friend, so it’s in your best interest to keep you rocker alive until their hazard removal is gone, or you risk not having rocks up. Obviously enough, you want to get SR up as fast as possible to put pressure on their Spinner/Defogger and take them out. Do whatever it takes to keep rocks up on their side of the field, as it will break any potential Focus Sash it may be carrying and put it at half-dead.
And with that, I have now completed the analysis of Volcarona. I hope you guys learned something about this beastly Pokemon and are now ready to go out there and give it a try! Good luck on your laddering!
HP: 85
Atk: 60
Def: 65
Sp. Atk: 135
Sp. Def: 105
Speed: 100
Abilities:
Flame Body
When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move that makes contact, there is a 30% chance that the attacking Pokémon will become burned.
If a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a multi-strike move that makes contact (such as Fury Swipes), each hit has an independent chance to activate this Ability.
Swarm
When a Pokémon with Swarm uses a Bug-type move, the power will increase by 1.5× if the user has less than or equal to 1/3 of its maximum HP remaining.
Synopsis:
Volcarona has and probably always will be a strong set-up sweeper that shines high above the rest in the OU metagame. Capable of taking out every single Pokemon on the opponent’s team in a single go, Volcarona is a threat that many players fear and often build their teams around so as to not risk getting swept by said monster. Bouncing between the OU and UU tiers ever since Gen 6 came out, it has come to rest in BL, or Banned List (for UU). This means that Smogon has deemed Volcarona to be too good for the UU tier, but not good enough for the OU tier. That being said, I still believe Volcarona to be a force to be reckoned within the OU Tier. Volcarona possesses the one of the best boosting moves in the game: Quiver Dance (QD), which boosts its Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed by one stage every time that it is used. Even after getting up a single QD, Volcarona has massive sweeping potential, which is what makes it so threatening, especially when combined with its nice Sp. Atk of 135 and its great speed tier of 100. However, will great power, also comes weakness, and Volcarona is no exception to this rule. Volcarona’s greatest weakness is Stealth Rocks (SR)(which you should have read about in the previous article). Due to its typing, it is 4x weak to Rock-types, and therefore, loses 50% of its health every time it switches into SR. Needless to say, a good Volcarona user will always carry a Rapid Spinner/Defogger with them so as to not put themselves in a situation where they have to switch their precious sweeper on a bed of pointy stones.
Odd HP Number Rule:
However, there is another way to combat the SR scenario, granted it is not as effective as a Hazard Remover, but still worth mentioning; that is, the Odd HP Number Rule. Due to the laws of mathematics, it is impossible to get a whole number when splitting an odd number in half. Since Pokemon HP numbers cannot be fractions, the game rounds damage down, so you will be taking only 49% (the game remembers it as 49.5%, and you will see why in a bit) as opposed to 50%. Please note that this rule also applies to recovery moves and moves like Belly Drum (Belly Drum will only do 49% of your health, and WILL NOT activate your berry, so running an even HP number in this case is better). Now, you might be asking, “Hey, Legyro, why is one measly percent so important, especially on a pokemon that is so frail?” Well, my curious friend, the answer is simple. Let us set up a scenario: your hazard remover has taken an unfortunate critical hit to the face and has fallen in the midst of battle, and you now are in the position where you must bring in your Volcarona in order to win the game. Stealth Rocks are up on your side of the field, so regardless, your Volcarona is going to be taking a massive amount of damage on switch-in. Normally, Volcarona will only be able to switch in TWO times, taking 50% each time and fainting on the second switch-in. However, with an odd HP number, Volcarona will be able to switch in THREE times, fainting on the third switch-in. Volcarona will be left with 1% on the second switch-in (49.5 + 49.5 = 99%). This is assuming that Volcarona receives no recovery or damage from other sources, of course. This extra switch-in can mean the difference in taking out crucial Pokemon on the enemy’s team, so use it wisely. This rule can be applied to ANY Pokemon, including ones that take 25%, 12.5%, and 6%. So, long story short, try to keep your Spinner/Defogger alive as much as possible, and use this rule as a safety precaution.
OK, now that I’m done writing my Pokemon college thesis, it’s time to get into some sets!
Standard Sets:
These sets are the norm, what you will normally see throughout your laddering career on Pokémon Showdown, as well as in-game PvP. They work really well with most standard laddering teams and are what make this Pokémon so viable in its tier.
QD + Three Attack
Volcarona @ Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
This is probably the most standard set in the books. Sporting the all-important move Quiver Dance, which you will see on 99% of all competitive Volcaronas, this set has coverage moves and STAB moves to hit the majority of the OU tier. We run a Modest nature so that Volcarona will do as much damage as it can with its attacks. You may notice that I made the IVs on Volcarona’s Attack stat 0. This is because there is a very common move in the game called Foul Play, which deals damage based on the recipient’s Attack stat. So, by putting our Attack IVs to 0, and having a minus Attack nature, we minimize the damage that we will take from Foul Play. I recommend doing this for any Pokemon that does not use its Attack stat (not recommended for Pokemon that have the move Hidden Power, as changing the IVs could change the type of Hidden Power you will have). Fiery Dance is Volcarona’s signature move, and is a strong fire type attack that has a 50% chance to raise the user’s Sp. Atk by 1 stage, perfect for Volcarona. Bug Buzz is a strong STAB Bug move that allows Volcarona to hit things that a STAB Fire move cannot do very well. Rounding off the set is Giga Drain, which allows it to hit water types that think they can switch in on Volcarona. Not only that, but it also gives Volcarona some much needed recovery. The only huge counter to this Volcarona set are Heatran, which sponges all three of this Volcarona’s moves and returns the favor with a neutral Lava Plume; not fun. Also, Chansey is relatively annoying as it has sky high HP and Sp. Def stats, making it virtually unkillable with a special attack (crits included). Having teammates that can deal with those two is optimal for Volcarona sweepage. Don’t forget you hazard remover either.
QD + Options
Volcarona @ Focus Sash
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Roost
This set is more of a showcase of other options for the set above. Due to its frailty, giving Volcarona a Focus Sash will allow it take any hit to the noggin without having to worry about fainting. Not only that, but living with 1 HP will put Volcarona in Swarm range (if you are running it over Flame Body), increasing its Bug Buzz damage by 50%. However, Life Orb can still be used in place of Focus Sash if you want more power. Fire Blast can be run over Fiery Dance or Flamethrower for a more a more power Fire-type STAB move, just be careful, as it likes to miss… a lot. Hidden Power Ground is run for Heatran, which takes 4x the damage from it due to its weakness, a great way to counter such a threat to Volcarona’s existence. Be aware, though, that some Heatrans like to use Air Balloons, which makes them immune to Ground-type attacks until damaged. Finally, Roost is a great recovery move for Volcarona if you find that Giga Drain just isn’t doing it for you.
Guest Set: TheQuantumJumper
Yo, champ in the making, I’m here interrupting Legyro to bring you my take on this modern day Mothra. Legyro has covered pretty much everything you could ever need to know to run Volcarona successfully, but if you ever wondered what I personally run this is your chance to find out.
Dance Dance Revolution
Volcarona @ Lum Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Ground]
So, you might notice that there’s not much different here from Legyro’s sets, and that’s because Volcarona is best run in this fashion. However, the real trick comes down to fitting it to your team. While your choice of fire type moves comes down to personal style (I aim for snowballing Volcarona, or getting a surprise sweep without quiver dance), it’s the last slot that really will change based on your team. I tend to use HP ground, as it gives the most versatile coverage if you want to sweep with only Volcarona. Personally, the coverage from ground is worth more than the bug stab to me, especially as many Pokemon that resist your fire move will resist bug buzz as well. Volcarona can also benefit from a host of items. To avoid being destroyed by paralysis or sleep, I like to run Lum Berry. This can often net you a free QD! Alternatively, you can surprise your opponent with an Air Balloon to switch into things like earthquake. Passho or Coba berries are also popular to let you live through many common attacks aimed your way. This set also works well in monotypes, where the ground coverage is very nice to have, and I will typically run sitrus berry there, as I can’t always guarantee a clear field when I need its coverage (refer to Legyro’s dissertation for advice on your HP stat in tandem with the berry).
Niche Sets:
These sets, for all intensive purposes, are still legitimate, but are rather niche driven, which means that they are only viable when used with certain types of Pokemon or teams.
VolcaRain
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Hurricane
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ground]
As the name implies, this Volcarona works extremely well on Rain teams, as Hurricane, the key move here, has its accuracy boosted to 100 in the rain. There is no fire move due to Fire being weakened by the rain, but you are welcome to use one if you feel you need it. Hidden Power Ground is for Heatran, and Bug Buzz is for STAB. Also, I decided to use Leftovers here, rather than Life Orb because there is no reliable recovery in this set, so this was the only way to get around that. If you feel that you need more power, then you are welcome to use Life Orb. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Hurricane is the “Center of attention” move here, this moveset doesn’t really work outside of Rain teams.
Fun Sets:
These sets are not meant to be serious, however, they can still work with the right play style and teammates. I would suggest not using these to raise your ELO, but rather just to mess around and have fun with. Enjoy!
Specsarona (or Scarfarona)
Volcarona @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Ground]
This set is pretty much outclassed by any Volcarona set with QD as the move gives you the benefit of both Choice Specs and Choice Scarf in a single turn. Still, if you feel like you are up for the challenge, give this set a try. We run timid nature here to outspeed max speed base 100s (and other Volcaronas).
Playing Against a Volcarona:
If you are not prepared, Volcarona can easily take advantage and set up to win. Be careful when trying to set up hazards, as your opponent can use this as a free chance to switch in Volcarona and set up a QD or two. Like I mentioned before, Heatran is a hard counter to the majority of what Volcarona can do, bar Hidden Power Ground, so try to keep it alive and healthy so it can continue to take hits from Volcarona. If you fear the Ground-type move, feel free to give it an Air Balloon, as it will allow you to take and stray Hidden Power Grounds that Volcarona will throw at you. Also, as mentioned previously, Chansey is a pretty good counter to Volcarona as it takes Volcarona’s boosted STAB moves with relative ease. However, be warned that it can potentially set up six QDs and destroy Chansey, as Chansey can only do 100 damage to it per turn, and Volcaronas with Roost can out-recover that. It might be beneficial to have toxic on Chansey so as to put a timer on any sweeping Volcarona. Finally, and I cannot put enough stress on this one, Stealth Rocks are your best friend, so it’s in your best interest to keep you rocker alive until their hazard removal is gone, or you risk not having rocks up. Obviously enough, you want to get SR up as fast as possible to put pressure on their Spinner/Defogger and take them out. Do whatever it takes to keep rocks up on their side of the field, as it will break any potential Focus Sash it may be carrying and put it at half-dead.
And with that, I have now completed the analysis of Volcarona. I hope you guys learned something about this beastly Pokemon and are now ready to go out there and give it a try! Good luck on your laddering!
Battle Arcade: LAST ISSUE+Spooky Cup
Written by Phlygone
 | Welcome back to the Battle Arcade, where we gamble away ELO on the ladder! Last week’s Battle Arcade: OU Stinks was really successful, and we had more submissions than I expected! Well this is what y’all have been waiting for… the feature for OU Stinks is… JinAxel! Forum Username: JinAxel Alternate Username: NotJinAxel Ladder Opponent: BlackStarCz Replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-281376871 |
It was extremely hard to chose a winner for last issue’s Battle Arcade. However, this replay really stood out from the rest for multiple reasons.
# of Battle Arcade Winners: 4
Usernames of the Winners: JinAxel, JoyceRodgers, RBShooter, TheQuantumJumper
Thank you for participating! We learned that sometimes a well executed sub-optimal strategy with the element of surprise is better than a more optimal one. However, do not think this means that using PU Pokes is a way to get high in the ladder, because higher ladder opponents may not be surprised by your strategy and they can blow by you with their higher strength mons. That wraps up Battle Arcade: OU Stinks but...
- Adherence to the rules: JinAxel indeed used 6 PU Pokemon that followed all the PU rules,
- The quality of his own team: Bringing a really balanced team with little gimmicks, JinAxel’s team impresses. His team consisted of Armaldo as a setter and spinner, Emolga for speed control, Sawsbuck to wallbreak, Machoke as a bruiser, Hypno as a Special Defense wall and Brine Sub Walrein as a Physical Wall. Nothing too intimidating by themselves but together really formidable.
- The quality of the opposing team: Even though he was facing an intimidating stall core of Chansey, Skarmory and Slowbro, strong wallbreakers in Dragonite and Serperior, and a strong revenge killer in Weavile, Jin never wavered. Armaldo was able to successfully remove and put up hazards to give himself the switch advantage, always winning double switches.
- The strength of play from both players: JinAxel outplayed BlackStarCz in all facets of this game, correctly picking the correct move or switch. He completely shut down Slowbro and Chansey with the rarely seen Swords Dance Sawsbuck, breaking past Chansey. None of that would have been possible without some help from a clutch Encores and Nuzzles from Emolga. Emolga was essentially able to cripple 4 Pokemon on BlackStarCz’s team. Meanwhile, Walrein, Machoke and the clutch Knock Off from Armaldo were able to defeat key members of the enemy team. BlackStarCz, however; was not bad player. BlackStar just was not expecting a lot of the strategies that gave Jin his edge!
# of Battle Arcade Winners: 4
Usernames of the Winners: JinAxel, JoyceRodgers, RBShooter, TheQuantumJumper
Thank you for participating! We learned that sometimes a well executed sub-optimal strategy with the element of surprise is better than a more optimal one. However, do not think this means that using PU Pokes is a way to get high in the ladder, because higher ladder opponents may not be surprised by your strategy and they can blow by you with their higher strength mons. That wraps up Battle Arcade: OU Stinks but...
...A new issue means a new Battle Arcade! This week’s issue brings Battle Arcade: Spooky Cup! You may or may not be familiar with Nintendo’s sponsored Spooky Cup, but information can be found here.
Here are the rules for this Battle Arcade: Spooky Cup
Here are the rules for this Battle Arcade: Spooky Cup
- You have to follow the following Battle Arcade Specific Rules explicitly. Any violation will not merit a feature.
- You may only play Pokemon legal in Nintendo’s ~Spooky Cup~ challenge (link above)~
- You have to play a ranked game on the OU ladder.
- You have to win!
- You have to play on the ladder in the selected tier. You do not have to be on your main account, I just request that the person you are playing against is a total stranger.
- This issue’s Battle Arcade will again be played in OU.
- Avoid toxicity in chat/Pokemon names. Any excessive toxicity will not merit a feature.
- No issues last time: keep it up!
- Adherence to rules: How closely they followed the Battle Arcade rules.
- Number of submissions: I will only take a maximum of 3 submissions per person. I realize I did not specify this before hand but having a ton of submissions from one player can be a tad overwhelming. I suggest either editing your comment to include the top 3 submissions as you go along!
- The quality of the users team: How well constructed your team is.
- The quality of the opponent's team: How well constructed their team is.
- The strength of play from both players: How well both players played
- Note: You get rewarded by going against good opponents who you outplayed.
- Bonus Points: Get these by following Bonus Criteria
- Note: No Bonus Criteria this week (or last), but read closely for next week’s Battle Arcade!
Team Spotlight: Issue 2
Written by Legyro
Welcome back everyone! For those of you who are new to this article, this is Team Spotlight, where we showcase one user submitted team each issue that we think is the best. Please note that your team can be from any of the following Smogon tiers: Ubers, OU, UU, RU, NU & PU or even VGCs, Doubles UU, OU & Ubers. So how does your team be “the best?” Well, we look at a few different criteria:
- How well does your team work together? Does it have Pokémon that compliment each other? Or is it just a bunch of random Pokémon slapped together at the last minute?
- How creative are your movesets? Is your team a boring, standard OU team? Or does it have unconventional Pokémon with unconventional moves that still somehow gets you to 1500 ELO? Not all your sets have to be super weird, and you don’t have to break the meta with your team, but make it different.
- Nicknames are not a necessity, but they do sometimes give a Pokémon a different image, so get creative with those too! (No profanity or you will not be featured!) Themed Pokémon (and teams) are awesome!
Occasionally, we might make special criteria for a certain issue, but otherwise, the above rules apply. When you submit your team, make sure to include (Please label them so we can tell what is what):
Please submit all info to Team Spotlight: Issue 1 post in The Delta Articles section on The Delta Forum. To do this, please click the link next to the banner labeled “Article Submissions.” Alternatively, you may click here to get to the forum page for this issue’s Team Spotlight submissions. The due date is Friday 11/6 @ 11:59pm PST. Remember, we will feature one team each issue, and, after that issue comes out, we will stream us playing with the featured team and honorable mentions live that following Wednesday. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get to building your teams right now!
Now, without further to do, the winner of last issue’s team spotlight is: ShadowTagPorygon!
Team Name: AntiMeta
Smogon Tier: Double Ubers
- Your team’s name
- Your Name (so we can recognize you if you win)
- The Tier that your team belongs in (if you have banned Pokémon in that tier, you cannot be featured)
- Your Team (Please only submit in the Showdown Import Format, other entries will not be accepted)
- A brief description of how your team works
- (Optional) Tell us about your thought process as you made the team. What was going through your head as you chose your Pokémon. It can be as simple as “I really wanted to use Donphan,” or it can even be “I was eating an ice cream sandwich, and I suddenly had the urge to make a team based around Vanilluxe.” The choice is yours, but just don’t say “I did it for Team Spotlight,” because that is just lame.
Please submit all info to Team Spotlight: Issue 1 post in The Delta Articles section on The Delta Forum. To do this, please click the link next to the banner labeled “Article Submissions.” Alternatively, you may click here to get to the forum page for this issue’s Team Spotlight submissions. The due date is Friday 11/6 @ 11:59pm PST. Remember, we will feature one team each issue, and, after that issue comes out, we will stream us playing with the featured team and honorable mentions live that following Wednesday. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get to building your teams right now!
Now, without further to do, the winner of last issue’s team spotlight is: ShadowTagPorygon!
Team Name: AntiMeta
Smogon Tier: Double Ubers
| Sleepless (Whimsicott) @ Leftovers Ability: Prankster Shiny: Yes EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA Bold Nature - Moonblast - Fake Tears - Worry Seed - Protect Proto-Kyogre (Latios) @ Soul Dew Ability: Levitate Shiny: Yes EVs: 108 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 144 Spe Timid Nature - Surf - Energy Ball - Draco Meteor - Psyshock Prime (Groudon-Primal) @ Red Orb Ability: Desolate Land Shiny: Yes EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD Adamant Nature - Precipice Blades - Rock Slide - Thunder Wave - Stealth Rock Neo Regigigas (Kangaskhan) @ Kangaskhanite Ability: Scrappy EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD Adamant Nature - Sucker Punch - Crush Claw - Fake Out - Drain Punch Swordsman (Venusaur) @ Black Sludge Ability: Chlorophyll Shiny: Yes EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD Adamant Nature - Power Whip - Swords Dance - Earthquake - Outrage Primal Groudon Killer (Rhyperior) @ Weakness Policy Ability: Lightning Rod Shiny: Yes EVs: 156 HP / 8 Atk / 84 SpA / 8 SpD / 252 Spe Hasty Nature - Rock Polish - Earth Power - Ice Beam - Poison Jab |       |
He even gave us a splendid backstory for his team. We thought you might want to read it:
"Started my team building process when I watched a youtube video called an Antimeta team. And that team was a great team although a battle spot team. The central concept of that team was Fake Tears, Encore, Worry Seed Whimsicott and Mega Latios. I replaced encore with Moonblast because I'm not a huge fan of taunt shut down even though it's pretty rare in Double Ubers. So Whimsicott was pretty much set just to remove ability, take up turns, lower sp def and attack when/if possible. It taught me how important abilities were. Mega Lucario, Talonflame, Mega Kang are almost nothing without their abilities. Other pokes such as Primal Groudon (4x weak to water) and Mega Rayquaza aren't super serious threats without their abilities although still very serious.
Gave Latios surf for Groudon, Energy ball for Kyogre but mostly for coverage, draco meteor and psyshock for stab. Psyshock over Psychic for special defensive walls. Phlygone suggested Soul Dew Latios and a different Mega.
I went with Mega Kangaskhan. To mirror my Whimsicott’s fake tears. So i was thinking rock smash for double defense drop but I saw that it got crush claw and it gets STAB so yea. Sucker punch for Ghosts. Drain Punch for recovery. Fake out for Flinch tactics. Parental Bond is bae.
Primal Groudon is Primal Groudon. Good Stuff ya know?. ThunderWave for speed. Precipice Blades over Earthquake to maximize damage and not damage ally pokemon. Rock Slide for coverage.
Physical Venusaur because it's a really cool and completely unexpected pokemon. Chlorophyll Venusaur with Primal Groudon makes it pretty great.
While playing Randoms I OHKO'd a Primal Groudon using a rock polish weakness policy Rhyperior so i just felt like using it.
Whimsicott is the main pokemon of this entire team. Wouldn't work without it. It works so nicely. Everything other than Latios is just sort of randomly thrown in and somehow just works.
It's just an amazing team to watch in action."
-ShadowTagPorygon
His creativity shined through in order to create a team that has balance and strategy in it. Though some of his sets are a bit quirky, the overall flow of the team works and each pokemon synergizes with the others. Good job man!
The runner up is TheGreatKazzoo, with his creative team of Choice Band Metagross, Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Crocune in OU.
Thank you to all who submitted your teams for issue 1! Since we got only four submissions, we will be playing will all four of them at the stream on Wednesday! Also, just because you did not win this time does not mean you won’t win next time; inversely if you won this time, you can still win next time, so don’t stop submitting your teams. Until next time, keep the team ideas coming! See ya!
"Started my team building process when I watched a youtube video called an Antimeta team. And that team was a great team although a battle spot team. The central concept of that team was Fake Tears, Encore, Worry Seed Whimsicott and Mega Latios. I replaced encore with Moonblast because I'm not a huge fan of taunt shut down even though it's pretty rare in Double Ubers. So Whimsicott was pretty much set just to remove ability, take up turns, lower sp def and attack when/if possible. It taught me how important abilities were. Mega Lucario, Talonflame, Mega Kang are almost nothing without their abilities. Other pokes such as Primal Groudon (4x weak to water) and Mega Rayquaza aren't super serious threats without their abilities although still very serious.
Gave Latios surf for Groudon, Energy ball for Kyogre but mostly for coverage, draco meteor and psyshock for stab. Psyshock over Psychic for special defensive walls. Phlygone suggested Soul Dew Latios and a different Mega.
I went with Mega Kangaskhan. To mirror my Whimsicott’s fake tears. So i was thinking rock smash for double defense drop but I saw that it got crush claw and it gets STAB so yea. Sucker punch for Ghosts. Drain Punch for recovery. Fake out for Flinch tactics. Parental Bond is bae.
Primal Groudon is Primal Groudon. Good Stuff ya know?. ThunderWave for speed. Precipice Blades over Earthquake to maximize damage and not damage ally pokemon. Rock Slide for coverage.
Physical Venusaur because it's a really cool and completely unexpected pokemon. Chlorophyll Venusaur with Primal Groudon makes it pretty great.
While playing Randoms I OHKO'd a Primal Groudon using a rock polish weakness policy Rhyperior so i just felt like using it.
Whimsicott is the main pokemon of this entire team. Wouldn't work without it. It works so nicely. Everything other than Latios is just sort of randomly thrown in and somehow just works.
It's just an amazing team to watch in action."
-ShadowTagPorygon
His creativity shined through in order to create a team that has balance and strategy in it. Though some of his sets are a bit quirky, the overall flow of the team works and each pokemon synergizes with the others. Good job man!
The runner up is TheGreatKazzoo, with his creative team of Choice Band Metagross, Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Crocune in OU.
Thank you to all who submitted your teams for issue 1! Since we got only four submissions, we will be playing will all four of them at the stream on Wednesday! Also, just because you did not win this time does not mean you won’t win next time; inversely if you won this time, you can still win next time, so don’t stop submitting your teams. Until next time, keep the team ideas coming! See ya!
Preview: Issue 3!
Written by The ΔA Staff
Thanks again for reading this issue of The Delta Articles. We of the ΔA staff really appreciate all the support that we get from our readers and fan base. Seeing you guys give us feedback and participate in our user submitted content really motivates us to do our best in writing each article. Next time, TheQuantumJumper will reveal his thoughts on Team Archetypes in The Metagame. Legyro will give you the low down on the ever dangerous Bisharp in Pokemon Spotlight. Phlygone will unveil the next issue’s Battle Arcade category and it’s winner. Last, but not least, Legyro will showcase this issue’s winning team in Team Spotlight. Congratulations to all of those who won in the Battle Arcade and Team Spotlight. Tune in to Phlygone’s stream on this coming Wednesday (10/28/15) at 5:30 PST/7:30 CST to see Phlygone and Legyro showcase your replays and play with your teams! So remember, stay tuned and stay excited everyone
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