Overview
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Defensive Mega
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name: Defensive Mega
move 1: Synthesis
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Leech Seed
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Venusaurite
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
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Team Options
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name: All Out Chlorophyll Attacker
move 1: Leaf Storm / Solarbeam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Powder
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb
evs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
nature: Modest / Rash
Moves
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Checks & Counters
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- great new mega with fantastic bulk, very few weaknesses, reliable recovery and decent power.
- Anything but flying and psychic types with STAB moves will have some difficulty breaking through.
- poor STABs give it pretty bad 4MSS. Finds it hard to fit great support moves like leech seed and sleep powder on its sets.
- uses up the mega slot
- misses leftovers
Defensive Mega
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name: Defensive Mega
move 1: Synthesis
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Leech Seed
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Venusaurite
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
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- The only move that is truly required is synthesis, because without leftovers you'll be worn down far too quickly otherwise.
- Sludge Bomb is also pretty crucial - it hits flying types hard, above all else. Also hits some fairies. It generally hits the things that actually like to switch into venusaur.
- Giga Drain is obviously a great move. Most of its targets tend to give venusaur a wide berth in my experience, however, as they can hardly touch venusaur. Important targets are Manaphy, Rotom-W, Garchomp and Landorus(-T). Power Whip, while more powerful, is less accurate, and is much less effective while burned (rotom-w...)
- Leech Seed does at least some damage to non-grass types and provides a little recovery for venusaur, and, critically, your other pokemon. Easy move to spam, especially as sludge bomb hits most grass types hard.
- Either EQ or HP Fire is nice to hit steels, such as Aegislash and Bisharp. EQ is obviously also good for heatran, which completely walls venusaur otherwise. HP Fire is particularly good for Ferrothorn, as well as Scizor.
- Sleep Powder offers a reasonable chance to take an opposing pokemon pretty much out of the match.
- Roar can be used to prevent venusaur being set up on, and to do damage to potential counters via hazards.
- Knock Off provides some coverage e.g against latios/latias, and can also, like leech seed, do some damage to almost anything.
- Mostly, you have to accept that you are going to be completely walled by at least something (e.g ferrothorn, heatran). Consider carefully which pokemon are more problematic for your team. If your team has difficulty with heatran, use EQ.
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- Chlorophyll is the preferred ability prior to mega evolving as it can be highly useful against sun teams. Venusaur will outrun base 130s with the given spread, and if using EQ, will outrun base 110s even with the hindering nature. Overgrow is unlikely to be useful, as Venusaur should be mega evolving before it hits 1/3 health.
- Physically defensive spread is listed, but a specially defensive spread is a good option to better deal with threats such as manaphy, aegislash, and keldeo.
- Venusaur is easily bulky enough to pull off a mixed defensive set. Even an offensive spread with a modest nature is a reasonable option if you feel that venusaur is killing your team's momentum.
- 16 speed evs are to outspeed max adamant mawile and belly drum azumarill. 92 is also a good option for the jolly versions of these (azu in particular can be bad for a stall as it is harder to prevent setup)
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- It's usually a good idea to get venusaur in early and mega evolve, as it can have some difficulty switching in without having done so, particularly against fire and ice attacks.
- Be wary of powerful sweepers like Talonflame and Mega Pinsir - don't let them switch in for free and set up!
- Against some pokemon (without setup moves), you can use synthesis to scout their move. Venusaur can tank pretty much any hit, at least once.
- This might sound obvious, but try to keep venusaur's health high with synthesis. As it lacks leftovers, it is easy to allow it to become worn down by hazards, sandstorm etc.
- Venusaur is almost invariably walled by something, but the opponent doesn't know what that is! Bear this in mind, and consider not revealing venusaur's moveset too quickly. In particular, HP Fire has the potential to do heavy damage to the likes of scizor. Wait until you're sure you can get them before giving the move away.
Team Options
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- Venusaur is effective within full stall teams, and also bulkier offensive teams
- Bearing in mind that Venusaur has trouble with flying-type attackers like Talonflame and mega pinsir, rotom-w is a strongly recommended partner.
- Aegislash deals with most psychic type attackers well, and also helps keep SR on the field (spinblocker and handily beats Lati@s, two common defoggers) - many of venusaur's best switchins are very vulnerable to it.
- Heatran
name: All Out Chlorophyll Attacker
move 1: Leaf Storm / Solarbeam
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Powder
ability: Chlorophyll
item: Life Orb
evs: 24 HP / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
nature: Modest / Rash
Moves
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- Focus here is on immediate power, so as not to waste precious sun turns. Leaf Storm is your most powerful option. Solarbeam is a bit riskier; while the weather starters aren't keen to switch into venusaur initially, tyranitar, hippo and politoed can be problematic once solarbeam is revealed.
- Sludge Bomb is powerful, hitting flying-types well and grass and fairy types super effectively.
- HP Fire is boosted by sun to acceptable levels. Offers coverage against steels, except heatran, for whom you will need EQ (2HKO)
- Sleep Powder offers a more indirect approach to dealing with difficult pokemon. Be warned that ferrothorn is immune, however, and without HP Fire you won't be able to touch it.
- Growth is tricky to set up, and venusaur is far more easily revenge killed than in last generation.
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- EVs maximise special attack while giving enough speed to outrun deoxys-s in the sun. Venusaur needs more power this gen and can't really afford to run timid. You'll need 180 EVs with timid to outrun scarf latios. (Perhaps more for protect scolipede?)
- rest goes into HP
- Life Orb is the only way to go. You need to get out as much damage as you can over your few turns in the sun.
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- Not the sweeper it used to be at all. There are now two priority attackers in Mega Pinsir and Talonflame that can revenge Venusaur. Assault vest users and even opposing mega venusaur can wall venusaur.
- As such you are going to need to weaken the opposing team substantially to sweep with venusaur, and those priority attackers have to be taken out. It is often better to use venusaur simply as a hard-hitter and a revenge killer of your own.
- Be cautious about using solarbeam if the opponent has a tyranitar, hippo, or politoed. The opponent will likely assume you have a grass move, and will probably not switch these in until they actually SEE solarbeam.
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- Sun support, of course (don't use sun venusaur as a standalone). Heat rock ninetales is probably the best choice if you want to set up growth. Mega Zard Y can be used in addition.
- Dugtrio can take out heatran. This saves the need to run EQ, and is very helpful for the rest of a sun team too.
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- Defensive non-mega venusaur e.g SubSeed, or just trying to save a mega slot, is hampered by non-permanent sun and/or outclassed by the likes of tangrowth.
- Growth can be used on a mega set to break through stuff that walls venusaur, but equally cannot break through in return (there are quite a lot of pokemon like this). Also quite effective against sun teams (consider not mega evolving).
- Weather ball is sadly illegal with chlorophyll - a mega venusaur could perhaps be used on a sun team with weather ball, growth and improved synthesis?
- Protect (with leech seed), stun spore, leaf storm on the defensive set
- Curse
Checks & Counters
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- It is usually obvious whether you are facing the mega set or the sun sweeper based on team preview
- For the mega set, counters depend mostly on which moves it carries. The threat of Sleep Powder, in particular, is difficult to deal with (most pokemon that are immune take high damage from sludge bomb). At least you know if you see sleep powder that venusaur will have poor coverage, and you might be able to completely wall it for the rest of the match.
- Ferrothorn, while it really can't kill mega venusaur at all, is immune to sleep powder, sludge bomb and leech seed, and takes little from anything else but HP Fire (which doesn't do THAT much that you should worry about leaving ferrothorn in to find out). Ferro can set up SR and spikes on venusaur.
- Kyurem-B is an excellent counter, as TeraVolt nullifies thick fat, allowing it to hit Venusaur with super effective STAB ice type attacks.
- Gengar. Can't break through very easily, but will usually do so eventually if it has some form of healing (lefties, pain split).
- Some steel types can act as checks depending on venusaurs coverage move - heatran can wall sets lacking EQ and can fish for a burn on mega venusaur in return. Scizor can wall sets lacking HP Fire. With SD it can bust through in return.
- Skarmory can be 2HKOed by HP Fire, but if venusaur lacks this it is a very good counter. It's durable, can set up hazards, and can even try to kill venusaur with brave bird (it will only marginally outdamage synthesis though).
- Flying-type attackers such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Tornadus(-T), mega charizard Y don't like taking sludge bomb or sleep powder on the switch, but will force mega venusaur out.
- Psychic type attackers will usually force venusaur out - latios, latias and reuniclus are also relatively good at switching in.
- Some setup sweepers e.g Dragonite, Volcarona
- Tyranitar (especially assault vest) can switch in, taking surprisingly little from giga drain and starting sandstorm, wearing venusaur down and cutting synthesis recovery in half. Should probably switch straight out again, though.
- Countering the sun sweeper set is much more about being able to take hits than being able to do sufficient damage in return. Best counters are probably heatran, blissey/chansey, assault vest tyranitar, assault vest conkeldurr, and if SR is not up, Volcarona, Dragonite, and Kyurem-B.
- Revenge killing chloro venusaur is now far easier. You can now use talonflame to OHKO, or pinsir or mamoswine to KO after a little bit of prior damage (e.g LO recoil).
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