What is a good moveset for Venomoth?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Venomoth, 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.

Venomoth Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Gen V

Venomoth (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Quiver Dance
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb

Focus Sash lets you get in Quiver Dance. Now the fun begins. Tinted Lens helps you by making you get a neutral hit almost every time (or super-effective, but Tinted Lens has nothing to do with that). This helps with Sludge Bomb mainly, which doesn't get the best of type coverage, but now gets plenty of neutral coverage which is just fine with Quiver Dance and STAB. Bug Buzz is also for STAB. Giga Drain provides healing and coverage. Your EVs are once again standard sweeping EVs.

Answer 2

Role: Baton Passer

Venomoth (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Baton Pass
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz

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Okay, this is pretty darn simple.

You use Sleep Powder.

You start Quiver Dancing.

You Baton Pass.

Bug Buzz there in case of Taunt or something of that nature.

Answer 3

National Dex UU

Venomoth @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance

Bug Buzz is STAB. Sludge Bomb is STAB. Sleep Powder puts things to sleep, letting Venomoth set up Quiver Dance. Tinted Lens makes Bug Buzz and Sludge Bomb's coverage not mediocre.

Answer 4

Venomoth, after spending each generation since Gen 5 in RUBL, is in Gen 9 NU as one of the dangerous Quiver Dance users.

Gen 9 NU Quiver Dance

Venomoth @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Tinted Lens
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder / Sludge Bomb
- Morning Sun

This is the Quiver Dance set Venomoth uses in Gen 9 NU. Venomoth can now use Heavy-Duty-Boots to prevent being chipped by Stealth Rock and potential Spikes. Quiver Dance boosts Venomoth's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats, making it a dangerous threat once you setup. Bug Buzz is used for Bug STAB that not even Pokemon who resist it enjoy switching into it due to Tinted Lens. Sleep Powder is used to put opposing Pokemon to sleep, giving you more setup opportunities. Sludge Bomb can be used instead for a Poison STAB. Morning Sun is used for HP recovery. Tera Bug allows your Bug Buzz to be even stronger, making it more dangerous to switch into.

Answer 5

Gen III

Venomoth (F) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 SpA / 60 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
- Skill Swap
- Psychic
- Sludge Bomb
- Thief

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This relies more on your opponents things than yours almost.

Sludge Bomb is powerful STAB and Psychic is powerful coverage, that gets that out of the way.
Now you have a Sitrus Berry when your HP starts to get low, and then you can steal whatever item your opponent has with Thief. Skill Swap gives your opponent Shield Dust, if you feel their Ability is more useful to you.

Answer 6

Double/Triple Battle

Venomoth (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Tailwind
- Air Cutter
- Bug Buzz
- Sludge Bomb

Such a shame. In singles, Venomoth is a good Pokemon and is the best Quiver Dancer besides Volcarona. But since stat boosting is too risky in multi-battles, Venomoth just isn't so great. Tailwind offers team support. Air Cutter hits multiple foes. Bug Buzz and Sludge Bomb are STAB. All of these attacks would ordinarily be resisted by many foes, but Tinted Lens changes that.

Answer 7

Here is what I used recently:

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Venomoth (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Answer 8

Venomoth @ Focus Sash
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder

Timid nature so you don't need to Quiver dance so hopefully you will be one of the first to attack, Focus sash because if somebody does decide to target Venomoth it will most likely die. Bug Buzz, STAB, and coverage, also kills Psychic-types so they don't one shot you. Sludge Bomb is STAB and Psychic coverage for other Poison- and Fighting-types you'd have problems with. I use this Venomoth for 3v3 battles and Sleep Powder is golden.

Answer 9

Venomoth @ Leftovers / Black Sludge
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def or SpD / 4 SpA
Bold Nature / Calm Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Quiver Dance
- Baton Pass / Hidden Power [Rock]
- Roost / Giga Drain

This originated as a Venomoth from a random battle. It sweeped the opponent, so I thought it was pretty good.

Item: Leftovers or Black Sludge. Use Black Sludge for Thief opponents.

Ability: Tinted Lens to up Sludge Bomb's power on types defensive against Poison-type, or Wonder Skin to prevent some hits.

Nature: Bold/Calm. None of the moves are physical, experiment between the two natures and see which is better.

*EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def (or SpD if using Calm Nature), 4 SpA. The bulky set makes it last longer as your team's sweeper.

Moves:

Sludge Bomb - This was the main and only attack of the Venomoth prototype. (AKA the one from the random battle). STAB, chance of poison for life draining, and can be boosted by Quiver Dance.

Quiver Dance - Ups stats. Useful for sweeping. You might consider using the Bold nature, this can be responsible for upping SpD against Psychic-types and Fire-types.

Baton Pass - Passes on Quiver Dance buffs.

or

HP Rock - For Fire- and Flying- coverage.

Roost - Health regeneration, though makes you more vulnerable against Rock-types.

or

Giga Drain - Same thing, but it doubles as an attack that can be powered up with Quiver Dance. Won't be effective against a couple types though.

Answer 10

Sweeper/Baton Passer

Venomoth @ Focus Sash
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Silver Wind
- Disable
- Quiver Dance
- Baton Pass

Shield Dust: (Prevents flinching and status when brought down to Sash)
- Silver Wind (10% chance to raise all stats, used for sweeping/passing)
- Disable (Disable a foe's move that brought you down to your Sash to buy some time to pass, etc.)
- Quiver Dance (use to sweep/pass)
- Baton Pass (pass any stat boosts if unable to take out a foe with Silver Wind)

Answer 11

Venomoth (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Bug Buzz
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Psychic

Scarf enables it to outspeed pokes normally faster

Answer 12

Gen 7

Venomoth @ Focus Sash
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
Ability: Shield Dust
- Quiver Dance
- Sludge Bomb
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder

Explanation: First, you put the opponent to sleep with Sleep Powder. Then, you start Quiver Dancing to raise your SpA, SpD, and Spe. Then, you can start sweeping. Bug Buzz and Sludge Bomb are Venomoth's STAB moves. Focus Sash is to help set up Quiver Dance.

Comments

I'd recommend replacing psychic with sleep powder and buginium z with focus sash so it can easily set up

Answer 13

Venomoth
- Psychic
- Mega Drain
- Sleep Powder
- Stun Spore

Gen 1 Double Powder.

Sleep Powder is nice for sweepers to set up. Stun Spore is paralysis. Psychic is coverage. Mega Drain is coverage.

Answer 14

Gen 7 UU

Venomoth @ Black Sludge
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Roost

Substitute is for scouting and can protect you from status. Quiver Dance is to boost your special attack, special defense and speed. Bug Buzz is STAB and does double damage on Pokemon that resist Bug Buzz. Roost is for healing.