>>44766772The fourth suspect test of Generation 8 DOU is upon us, this time with Volcarona at the forefront. After being reintroduced to the metagame with the release of the Isle of Armor DLC, Volcarona very quickly cemented itself as a major threat. Quiver Dance is quite the blessing, providing Volcarona with a way to start running away with games after just one turn thanks to its naturally high Speed and Special Attack. Volcarona can find some pretty easy opportunities to use Quiver Dance in the current metagame, using top-tier Pokemon like Rillaboom, Gothitelle, and Sylveon, among others, as setup fodder. In fact, Volcarona has very few natural counters in SS DOU, with even bulky Water-types like Blastoise fearing a 2HKO from a boosted Bug Buzz.
Volcarona's STABs provide surprisingly good coverage, nailing most of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Access to a strong, spread STAB attack like Heat Wave boosts Volcarona's sweeping potential even further, as often times it can dish out a big chunk of damage to both opposing Pokemon. Bug Buzz is generally the second attacking move on Volcarona, providing it with a strong, single-target attack, but Giga Drain also sees usage as a means of smacking Water- and Rock-types a little bit harder.
Volcarona is undoubtedly held back by a two key factors. Poor Defense means that it needs to avoid taking any physical attacks to the chin at all costs, which strongly suggests the use of a partner that can redirect these attacks. Additionally, a double weakness to Rock and the popularity of Stealth Rock has led to Heavy Duty Boots being the go-to item on Volcarona, precluding it from using a different, possibly more useful item. However, if a redirection partner and a slightly suboptimal item are the only opportunity costs when using Volcarona, that opportunity is quite hard to pass up.
