What is a good moveset for Volcanion?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Volcanion, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Volcanion Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Volcanion @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 200 HP / 56 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Sludge Bomb / Flash Cannon

• Steam Eruption (STAB, chance to burn)
• Earth Power (Coverage against electric and rock types)
• Flamethrower / Fire Blast (STAB, either one works)
• Sludge Bomb / Flash Cannon (More coverage, destroy some fairies)

I've found that if you use Sludge Bomb, you will have no Pokemon that resist all four of your moves! The type coverage that Water, Fire, Ground, and Poison bring give 354 Pokemon normal damage, and will hit 451 Pokemon super effectively! Flash Cannon is an option as well, but you'll get 7 Pokemon that can resist you (such as Gyarados)

Comments

This set works way better with Specs than Lefties. It's a wallbreaker set. Also, do you mind if I edit this into PS! format, for ease of use?

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Sure, you can edit this :)

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I use this one but with full investment in Defense and with an Assault Vest

Answer 2

Ain't gonna do a full analysis because I just don't want too. But here's an interesting Stallbreaker set.

Hot Stuff (Volcanion) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 144 HP / 180 Def / 184 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Haze
- Toxic / Will-O-Wisp / Scald / Hidden Power Grass
- Steam Eruption / Scald / Hidden Power Grass / Toxic

Stallbreaker Volc is surprisingly effective. It has more longevity than outright wallbreaker variants whilst shutting down stallmons without too much effort. Overheat is a super powerful move that punches through teams and deters any sort of switch in. Haze stops Calm Minders setting in your face, but also negates the Special Attack drop from Overheat, which is a nice benefit. The next two slots are down to preference. Toxic limits Quagsire and generally crippes defensive mons. Will-O-Wisp does the same but slower whilst screwing up offensive switch ins. Scald is a nice secondary attack to have with a good burn chance. HP Grass is for Quagsire primarily. Fourth slot is the same, but Steam Eruption is a fairly good move choice here to act as backup, no penalty firepower. EVs and nature make it hard hitting enough versus defensive mons while still being able to sponge off neutral and weak hits without effort.

Answer 3

Volcanion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Overheat / Sludge Bomb

This set will tear through teams. Scald > Steam Eruption for more BP and the same chance to burn. Flamethrower / Fire Blast is the normal STAB Fire attack, with Flamethrower being a higher PP, longer lasting move while Fire Blast is guns-blazing destroy everything move. Earth Power is for coverage, and Overheat or Sludge Bomb is the last move. SB is used for dealing with Faires, and Overheat allows Volcanion to have a nuke option, basically spewing out a 195 powered fire move directly into the opposition's face.

Comments

wth Scald has an average damage of 120 with STAB. Steam Eruption has an average damage of 156.75 with STAB! As for the PP, Steam Eruption will tear through most pokemon b4 you waste all of it.

Answer 4

Moveset

Volcanion @ Power Herb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Solar Beam
- Fire Blast
- Steam Eruption
- Sludge Wave / Focus Blast / Earth Power

Power Herb Volcanion actually works a decent lure for bulky waters, allowing it to kill with Solar Beam. This can be pretty useful if you find your team weak to such threats. The rest are pretty self explanatory. Fire Blast and Steam Eruption are Dual Stabs, while the last two slots are dedicated to coverage moves of your choice. The EVs are so that Volcanion does not take exactly 25% from SR damage and maximizes its Sp. Atk.

Other Options

You could also run 4 Def / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Speed , but Volcanion's speed is rather pitiful. Another possibility would be to run Rash Nature with Superpower to get Chansey switch-ins, but it still only does around 30 - 40 % without any Attack investment.

Specs Volcanion is also a great set because it becomes a great wall-breaker.

Air Balloon Volcanion is also another possibility, as it offers a switch-in to Ground types and possibly KO them with Steam Eruption.

Answer 5

National Dex Monotype (Fire)

Volcanion @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Defog

An offensive set with Heavy Duty Boots. Steam Eruption is for water STAB, but since this set is on a fire mono team and fire mono usually uses weather, you should only use it when the sun isn't up, or when it is super effective on the Pokemon you're using it on. Earth Power provides coverage against Pokemon like Toxapex. Sludge Bomb is for the chance to posion Pokemon and helps vs bulky water types like the Slow twins and Tapu Fini when Misty Terrain isn't active. Defog is for clearing away entry hazards. HP Grass provides coverage against water ground types like Seismitoad and Gastrodon, and can help with Rotom-Wash. Defog can be used instead for if you don't have a hazard removal on your team.

Answer 6

Gen 7 Doubles OU

Volcanion @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpA / 16 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Heat Wave
- Substitute
- Protect

Basically the Smogon set, but with a simpler EV spread. Steam Eruption is an amazing STAB move, dealing big damage to anything that doesn't resist it and has a 30% chance to ruin a physical attacker's day with a burn. Heat Wave is fire STAB that hits both opponents. Substitute allows Volcanion to take advantage of the Protects and switches it can force. Once it sets up a Substitute, Volcanion can more freely fire off it's powerful attacks, take an additional hit (or multiple, if Substitute doesn't break after one hit), and block status effects (as well as flinches from Fake out), making Volcanion much harder to deal with. Protect is a staple move in all doubles formats, blocking all attacks and stalling out field conditions, such as opposing Tailwind, while your ally Pokémon can eliminate a threat to Volcanion or set up.

With 252 HP EVs, Volcanion can activate it's Wiki Berry after using Substitute three times, or twice if it switches into Stealth Rock once. The special defence EVs prevent Amoonguss from breaking Volcanion's substitute in a single hit with Giga Drain. The rest of the EVs are in special attack. If you are using a Full Trick Room team, you can change the nature to Quiet and run 0 speed IVs to make Volcanion as fast as possible under Trick Room (If you're using a Semiroom team, you don't have to do this).

Answer 7

Volcanion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Earthquake
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb

Because of SM, Volcanion no longer as Earth Power so I'm choosing to run a mixed set. Steam Eruption has epic damage and decent accuracy + chance to burn. Earthquake = rip Electric types. Flamethrower has STAB. Steam Eruption also ruins Ground and Rock types. Sludge Bomb is their as a filler, decent chance to poison, nice damage, and ruins grass and fairy.

Answer 8

Volcanion @ Wise Glasses/Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest/Timid Nature
- Sunny Day
- Flamethrower
- Steam Eruption
- Solar Beam
I don't really know how this works, but it has sweeped the majority of many teams before. Use Sunny Day on most occasions, then spam Flamethrower and Solar Beam. Because sunlight halves Water type move power, try not to use Steam Eruption when Sunny Day is active, and plan accordingly before using Sunny Day to see whether you will need Steam Eruption. The EVs help with bulk, and the Modest nature further increases damage, while Timid adds some extra Speed.

Comments

Sunny day is trash. Also, volcanion does not fit on weather because of the two STAB's contrasting.

Answer 9

Volcanion @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Steam Eruption
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power

Comments

Run max hp over max defense

Answer 10

Gen 8 SS Monotype (Water)

Volcanion @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe or 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb / Earth Power
- Defog / Substitute

A Defog / Substitute Volcanion set for Rainless Water teams. Steam Eruption is used as a powerful version of Scald, as it has a 30% burn chance. Flamethrower is used as Fire STAB that is useful against Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn. Sludge Bomb allows you to hit Pokemon like Azumarill and Tapu Fini super effectively, while Earth Power can be used instead to allow you to hit Toxapex. Defog clears entry hazards for the team. Substitute can be used instead if you already have something like a Rotom-Wash as a Defogger to help ease prediction and can allow you to take advantage of slower Pokemon. The first EV spread allows you to outspeed Azumarill so you can hit it with Sludge Bomb. The second EV spread is used if you use Earth Power + Substitute.