Overview]
Victini is a curious case of an awesome concept with a few crippling flaws. On the bright side, its claim to fame as a Fire-type legend lies within its exclusive exclusive ability, Victory Star, which raises the accuracy of all of its moves by 10%, a diverse learnset to take advantage of it, and the insanely powerful V-create. On the other hand, it faces some very stiff competition for the role of an offensive Fire-type in OU, and its weaknesses to the ubiquitous Stealth Rock and Earthquake leave its defensive merits much to be desired.
Personally, I'd merge these paragraphs into one. That's just me.
All things considered, while Victini may not be the fastest or strongest little guy in town, it has more than a few neat tricks up its sleeve and is very capable of hanging with big shots of OU. Be on your toes should you ever suffer the misfortune of encountering one.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: V-create
move 2: Fusion Bolt
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: U-turn / Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Victory Star
nature: Jolly / Adamant
[SET COMMENTS]
This set goes to show that the key to becoming a wallbreaking powerhouse is, quite literally, a giant, flaming V-symbol. V-create stands as the strongest attack in Victini's arsenal at a towering 180 base power, and is one of the many reasons Victini is difficult to switch into. For example, Latios, an otherwise flawless Victini counter, has trouble switching in on a Choice Banded V-Create, and is looking at a pretty good chance of being OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage if the Victini is running carrying an Adamant nature. Tyranitar, another common check to Victini, has a good chance of being 2HKOed by the very same attack while running a bulky spread with 252 HP EVs. Even Garchomp finds will find itself losing over half of its HP if it attempts attempting to switch in.
As powerful as move V-create is, it does come with one very crippling setback: the user's Speed and defenses will lower immediately after use. Walls like Hippowdon or Porygon-2 might not be outspeeding it any time soon, but this is definitely a concern with bulky offensive Pokemon. The most common offenders include Rotom-W, Dragonite, Hydregion, and Salamence, all of which can take at least one hit (albeit not well), outpace it, and KO.
The rest of its moves make their home on this set for the sole purpose of augmenting anything V-create might fail to KO. Fusion Bolt covers Politoed, Gyarados, and friends; , Brick Break hits Heatran and Tyranitar; , and while U-turn scouts predicted switches, wears down its counters, and keeps matchups in your favor. Zen Headbutt, while weaker than V-create in most cases, is a useful as an alternative STAB to hit slower Pokemon neutral or weak to it without having to lower Victini's stats.
[Additional Comments]
Choosing a nature is probably the most difficult decision you can make with regards to this set. If you are focused purely on tearing through defensive threats, and causing as much immediate damage as possible, the Adamant nature is your friend. It may soon prove to be your downfall when facing a Salamence, Hydregion, or Haxorus who could potentially outspeed after a drop from V-create, so be mindful of the risk.
Garchomp will have no problem switching in on any one of Victini's moves, and as such, requires special attention. Defensive Water types like Slowbro or Unaware Quagsire counter it well, while Skarmory Skarormy and Suicune can end its sweep with Roar. Be on the look-out for Heatran, too, who can net a free Flash Fire boost and set up a Substitute as Victini switches out.
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Searing Shot / Fire Blast
move 2: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Psychic
item: Life Orb
ability: Victory Star
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This is your quintessential special attacking Victini set, making full use of the coverage and movepool options its fellow Fire-type brethren lack. Searing Shot is your primary STAB attack, deterring almost anything that isn't immune to a burn from switching in due to its 30% secondary effect rate. Fire Blast takes advantage of the accuracy bonus, raising it to a more acceptable 93.5%, and can be used over Searing Shot, should you find yourself dissatisfied with the damage output.
Thunder's accuracy may not make it such an attractive option at first glance, but Victory Star alleviates this concern somewhat; you can usually afford the accuracy drop for the extra power, as it packs the punch necessary to 2HKO bulky Water types such as Jellicent, Suicune, and Vaporeon that Thunderbolt might normally miss. Still, if reliability is your primary concern, Thunderbolt can be used instead in its stead. Focus Blast is non-negotiable, as it eliminates both Heatran and the ever-prevalent Tyranitar, the latter of which can put Victini in a checkmate position with Pursuit.
Last but not least, Psychic rounds off coverage as Victini's secondary STAB, which can be used to effectively check the likes of Conkeldurr, Machamp, and other bulky Fighting types, threatening to OHKO before they can cause too much damage. Tentacruel is 2HKOed as well, mitigating the need to rely on weaker or less accurate Electric-type attacks to keep it at bay.
[Additional Comments]
This set doesn't need much support to function well. Sun support from Drought Ninetales helps Searing Shot secure guaranteed KOs on the likes of Virizion, Brozong, and Jirachi, but also forces you to switch to Thunderbolt, due to Thunder's decreased accuracy in Sun. It's also much easier said than done to put Ninetales and Victini on the same team, since the two share a lot of the same weaknesses, including Stealth Rock.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Final Gambit
move 2: U-turn
move 3: V-create
move 4: Fusion Bolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
ability: Victory Star
evs: 252 HP / 4 Att / 252 Speed
[SET COMMENTS]
In a metagame without Explosion, this particular set can come as a real surprise to your opponent. While Final Gambit may have its flaws, perhaps the greatest of which is its dependency on the user's health, it also has plenty of strategic merit. First off, the amount of damage Final Gambit does is set based on HP. At 404 HP, Victini is capable of eliminating a vast majority of OU's Pokemon, meaning that unless you fail to land your attack, you should expect a KO from this set almost every match.
One of the best ways to play this set is as an early-to-mid game scout. If the lead match-up is unfavorable, U-turn out and wait for another opportunity. Try to avoid matching up with Tyraniar, though, since slower Pursuits can catch a U-turn user before it switches out for full damage. If hazards are not up, you can continue to do this until you've trapped your opponent into a position where they will lose something important no matter what they do.
This can be a strategic boon if used properly, but keep in mind that you only get one shot, and if you miss your target, or use it as a Ghost-type switches in, you are left without a Victini. Still, this set can disrupt the synergy of any good team by forcing your opponent to choose which Pokemon they want to sacrifice, and create just the right opening for another dangerous team member.
[Additional Comments]
Blissey and Jellicent are this set's worst enemies; Blissey has no problem taking a Final Gambit with its massive base HP, while Jellicent is immune. The best way to handle either would be to keep momentum against them by predicting their switches with U-turn, and trap them with a Tyranitar or Dugtrio while they're at sufficiently low health. Pursuit users in general go a long way to ensuring that you do not sacrifice your Victini needlessly on any Ghost your opponent may carry. Rapid Spin users also make good teammates for Victini to keep Final Gambit from weakening as it loses health on each switch-in.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Will-O-Wisp Will-o-Wisp
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Psychic / Fire Blast
ability: Victory Star
nature: Timid[space]/ insert other nature here
evs: 252 HP / 4 other evs / 252 Speed
[SET COMMENTS]
While Victini is mainly an offensive Pokemon, it has great bulk, useful resistances, and feasible support value. One of its key perks is the improved accuracy of Will-O-Wisp Will-o-Wisp, which Victory Star raises to a solid 82.5%. Most of Victini's checks don't appreciate being worn down by burn damage, especially ones that rely on Substitute or use physical attacks. Garchomp, Terrakion, and Landorus are all punished on the switch-in, and walls are further hindered by insulted with Taunt, denying them any healing or setup opportunities. Tyranitar is not an issue Tyranitar is a complete non-issue as far as this set is concerned, unless it runs Choice Scarf or something unorthodox like Lum Berry. Blissey and Chansey, common enemies to all special attackers, are also rendered completely useless and setup bait for any physical powerhouse on your team.
[Additional Comments]
The fourth slot can be used for almost anything you don't want to give a free turn to, but the options listed are the safest and optimal ways to take advantage of Victini's capabilities. Run Psychic if you want to check Fighting-types more efficiently; use, or Fire Blast to handle contend with Steel- and Grass-types. (period)
The EVs are for maximum bulk and maximum Speed. Once your opponent is aware of this set, its lack of offensive power could work against you; offensive powerhouses will have no problem switching in on Taunt or a resisted move. It would be advisable to carry an especially potent wall to cover anything you fail to catch on the switch-in with a burn, like Skarmory or Hippowdon.
[Additional Comments]
Drought support allows this set to feign the raw power of a Choice Band and with a Sun-boosted V-create. It also possesses much better synergy with Ninetales, as Victini is now much less fearful of fast offensive Pokemon and can even keep the likes of Latios and company in check with U-turn.
[Other Options]
Victini has a whole host of other options, but can scarcely afford a move slot for them. Grass Knot, while less consistent in damage output, offers an alternative method for killing many bulky Water-types and contending with Tyranitar. Shadow Ball should only be used with Latios, Latias, both the Lati twins and mirror match-ups in mind, since its STAB Fire attacks or other coverage moves offer equal or more power in most cases. Psyshock allows special attacking sets to deal a decent amount of damage to Blissey, while Eviolite Chansey remains unfazed.
At first glance, Trick Room set houses one of the most attractive sweeping options Victini can run. V-create's high base power and ability to lower Victini's speed makes it a theoretical shoe-in for success. In reality, however, it is heartbreakingly difficult to work with. Even with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, its base speed is far too high to get past some of the slower Pokemon that can move first and KO it while under the effects of Trick Room; Quagsire, Slowbro, and Hippowdon, just to name a few. Test it to your heart's content, but brace yourself for disappointment.
[Checks and Counters]
Victini's counters depend heavily on the type of set it's running. Specially offensive variants will be loathe to face down premier special walls Blissey and Chansey. Even with its large movepool, faster Dragon-types almost universally counter it, especially the likes of Latios, Latias, and Garchomp. Physically-oriented Dragon-typess should be cautious of switching in, as a burn from Searing Shot or Will-o-Wisp will render them ineffective.
Physical sets are a hair trickier to deal with, due to V-create's absurd damage output. Salamence's Intimidate helps it check physical sets easier, but a banded V-create will still deal close to half its HP in damage. Bulky Water-types can check it, provided they avoid switching into Fusion Bolt. Slowbro is a notable exception in this regard, as Regenerator allows it to lessen the risk of cover its tracks should it chance switching into the wrong move. Being weak to Pursuit also means a Scarfed Tyranitar with a Choice Scarf or Krookodile will remove it from the match when Victini is at sufficiently low on HP. A banded Weavile will take it out for sure at -1 Defense and a round of Stealth Rock damage.
Offensive powerhouses with super effective STAB attacks, like Landorus, Terrakion, and Excadrill, can easily scare it out on the revenge. As long as you can keep Stealth Rock up and avoid being burned, securing and maintaining momentum against a Victini is a surefire way to defeat it.
