Tales from Battle Spot Singles blog #7 — Z-Psychic Volcarona (S14)
This month's post features an aggressive, momentum-based team heavily focused on Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain synergy, mainly through Volcarona's Z-Psychic. This team's main core I mostly adapted from SnowParty (twitch.tv/picture7200), who used similar Tapu Lele / Volcarona / Metagross lineups with success in the 1900s throughout season 14.
nouthuca: n/a
blogs (original core): https://blog.naver.com/1209sung/221504634285
QR code: https://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/rentalteam/usum/BT-4697-AEE3
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/4521419096744bd9
(Final version, June 2019: https://pokepast.es/e0bc56d881fe2ae8)
1) Team overview:
Please see links above for builds.
Tapu Lele
Bulky Specs Tapu Lele wants to lead or suicide lead for Volcarona, as many things that come in to check it are potential set-up bait for Volcarona, especially Aegislash and Celesteela. To this end, the EV spread is adjusted to live against certain relatively common openers like Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb from 252 SpAtt mega-Gengar (99.4% max damage roll on the former, 62.5% to 1HKO on the latter), most special-based Z-move openers like the ones from Tapu Koko, Thundurus or Rotom-H, and 252 Flamethrower and Fire Blast from Charizard Y. Also survivable is 252 Naganadel Sludge Wave, though the odds of that happening take a dive if entering into a field with Stealth Rock deployed.
The defense bulk lets it also survive +252 Snuggle from Mimikyu 43% of the time, living ones from bulkier variants even more consistently. Blaziken's +252 Flare Blitz is survivable 75% of the time. Another equally relevant roll is Kangaskhan's +252 Double-Edge, which is only a 47% chance to 1HKO. While nothing to rely on, even +252 Salamence Double-Edge and Charizard X Flare Blitz can whiff on the 1HKO about 15% of the time. Indeed, the latter two benchmarks are something that can be EV'd for with tweaks, but are not really relevant for a Lele that wants the lead role.
The 119 effective Spd stat, on the other hand, creeps past bulky, Spd-uninvested Mimikyu while still outspeeding up to base 110s at -1 after a Rock Tomb setup from Diggersby, whereas cutting the speed altogether would let Lele underspeed 0 Spd Trick Room setter Mimikyu, for example.
Volcarona
Since Volcarona is not running any bulk, it relies entirely on momentum to close out games with Quiver Dance. This momentum is typically achieved by leading Tapu Lele or Diggersby. As long as Psychic Terrain is up, even at +0, Volcarona can throw Z-Psychic into a Jolly Scarf Landorus (which outspeeds this set at +1) switch to 1HKO, doing the same to all the main Dragon Dancers, as well.
Diggersby
Diggersby provides Volt Switch immunity and type coverage for Gyarados, performs well as an alternative lead, and trades positively against standard Salamence / Aegislash / Tapu Koko / Hippowdon lineups. Sashed Huge Power also lets it duel effectively against hyper aggro. Immunity to ghost also helps Tapu Lele and, to a lesser extent, Metagross, with Mimikyu, even though the speed tiers against fully offensive variants are in Mimikyu's favor. In any case, even if hard walled, Sash Diggersby should be able to click Rock Tomb while going down for Volcarona to revenge with Z-Psychic or set-up with Quiver Dance.
Gyarados
Standard 3-attacks Gyarados is an alternative set-up pokemon in the mega or Volcarona slot that also provides an Intimidate option for Volcarona, and also forces Landorus not to click Earthquake for free. Since this team's matchup against hard stall is unreliable to say the least, adding Taunt is simplest way to wallproof the team, and make opposing Stealth Rock + Celesteela less obnoxious to deal with overall.
Metagross
Jolly Metagross hits a 252 Spd Salamence-outspeeding real stat of 173. Earthquake seeks to have a move to click against Aegislash and contest the Metagross mirror, as a Psychic Terrain empowered STAB Zen Headbutt mangles both variants of fully offensive Charizard (missing the 1HKO on Charizard X, though) against which the more usual Metagross sets seldom carry rock moves. The meagre investment in HP EVs improves Landorus' Earthquake rolls, making Jolly 252 ones always survivable from full, with Adamant ones only 1HKOing 37.5% of the time, precisely the same odds as +1 +252 Salamence's Earthquake.
Kartana
Kartana's 252 real Spd stat lets it both revenge kill a bruised, up to base 100 Spd +252 sweeper at +1, and act as an additional aggressive Mimikyu check. HP EVs are an EV dump that lets Kartana live a +2 +252 Snuggle more comfortably.
Mostly, though, Scarf Kartana's place in the team is against rain and sand, as well as a hard post-Memento switch-in against Eevee, outspeeding and Sacred Sword 1HKOing it even after it has clicked its Z-move. The argument for running Night Slash over Knock Off boils down to whether you want the latter not be able to 2HKO even fully offensive Metagross or 1HKO Gengar (which the former at least does some 40% of the time against offensive variants).
Since this is an aggressive team built around a Specs Tapu Lele, Kartana's defensive synergy can also turn into an offensive advantage through double-switching or Beast Boost, as Tapu Lele can put even some slower, defensively bulky pokemon into KO range if left in to suicide.
2) Usage notes:
Having a mental checklist in the preview screen for the possibility of an opposing Greninja running Scarf is most recommended, as it outspeeds and 1HKOs Lele with Gunk Shot (4 Att Sash Gunk Shot 1HKOs 25% of the time), while still outspeeding Volcarona to hit it with a rock move at +1. Similarly, Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus also threatens to outspeed +1 Volcarona and has virtually tied Adamant as the preferred Landorus nature as of season 13/14.
Whenever Metagross is on the opposing side, Kartana and especially lead Diggersby are worthy of consideration. Naganadel is the single easiest thing to lose to, requiring you to either not give it a Spd boost or keep Diggersby's sash intact. Celestela, too, is annoying with Stealth Rock.
2.1 — Usual team compositions
Tapu Lele-Volcarona-Metagross/Gyarados
Diggersby-Tapu Lele-Volcarona
2.2 — Most drafted, by rate/member (descending)
1. Volcarona
2. Tapu Lele
3. Metagross
4. Gyarados
5. Diggersby
6. Kartana
2.3 — Drafting and leading cf. matchup-archetype list
See link for my basic archetype checklist:
https://tinyurl.com/archetypes101
"Kabamanda"
Salamence/Hippowdon/Aegislash/Koko
Tapu Lele-Volcarona-mega/Diggersby
Lele should be able to click Psychic on turn 1 barring a Greninja play. Suiciding on Aegislash lets Volcarona get up a Quiver Dance which should be an almost unrecoverable situation for many lineups. Specs Psychic on turn 1 against fully physically invested Hippowdon is almost 90% to 1HKO, meaning Stealth Rock is not necessarily coming down, either.
"Rizzagross / Kabarizzza"
Charizard/Metagross/Greninja; Charizard/Hippowdon ("rizzagross, kabarizza")
Diggersby-Tapu Lele-Volcarona/Metagross
Tapu Lele-Volcarona-Kartana/mega
Diggersby leads best against Metagross.
"Landorus momentum"
Suicide lead Landorus+set-up sweepers (Naganadel, Dragon Dance megas, NagaScizor etc.)
Diggersby-Kartana-Gyarados
Diggersby-Tapu Lele-Volcarona/mega
Diggersby has Ice Punch + Quick Attack in case Stealth Rock comes down on turn 1, letting it preserve its Sash and therfore Rock Tomb whatever comes in to try to sweep after Landorus. Kartana finds value in being able to bop or force out Gyarados, which is also a good bring from your side against hyper aggro anyway because of its Intimidate and ability to bruise, if not trade outright, against Scizor. Tapu Lele actually lives a Sludge Wave from 252 Naganadel, but the chance of that happening drops down to 50% against Stealth Rock, making the Diggersby lead all the more important.
Rain core modular
Politoed/Pelipper/Swampert/steel type/Tapu Koko
Tapu Lele-Gyarados-Kartana/Diggersby
Turn 1 Psychic should be free. Kartana outspeeds Adamant Swampert in the rain and does decently against things like Ferrothorn, while Gyarados can face tank two hits from Swampert and also covers a possible fire type like Blaziken if present in the preview screen as part of the opposing side's alternate core.
"Mimigassa / suropoke"
Mimikyu/Breloom/Mawile/Porygon2
Tapu Lele-Kartana/Diggersby/mega-Volcarona/mega
Kartana is useful in the team preview against Breloom's Spore, but loses utility during Trick Room and loses the heads up against Breloom without Psychic Terrain. Diggersby finds use against builds that do not employ Stealth Rock, which is very much the preferred scenario since Porygon2 can be difficult to overcome without getting Volcarona in on it with a manageable number of Trick Room turns (1-2) left to Quiver Dance on.
Still, Sashed Breloom is an excellent bring against this team in the last slot as insurance against Volcarona—something to consider for sure, especially if the megas do not appear all that appealing at first.
Dedicated stall
Chansey/Toxapex/Sableye/Celesteela/Slowbro/Skarmory/Venusaur/Shedinja/Gliscor etc...
Tapu Lele-Volcarona-mega/Kartana
Your lineup does not have much in the way of longevity, so everything likely hinges on whether Volcarona can get up a Quiver Dance unmolested. The most consistent way to win against Chansey / Skarmory / Gengar, for example, is to click Psyshock against a Chansey that either wants to switch in to take a hit or lay Stealth Rock on turn 1 and go Volcarona on turn 2 as it likely bails for Skarmory which takes less than 30% from a now-revealed Specs Psyshock.
Dedicated Baton Pass
Scolipede, Blazikenpass, Eeveepass, Dual Screens lead etc.
Volcarona/Kartana-Gyarados
Leading Kartana forces out Light Clay Ninetales, and Volcarona can Quiver Dance or Fiery Dance on an obviously telegraphed Taunt screens 252 HP Koko, which Lele Psyshock 1HKOs assuming it goes for Light Screen first. Eeveepass behind Light Clay screens gets tricky unless you are somehow sitting at +2 Spd with Volcarona, in which case you still outspeed it after it lives a hit to get off its Z-move. Hard switching Kartana on the Eevee as it Z-moves also lets it outspeed and 1HKO with Sacred Sword through its boosts so long as Reflect is not up. Baton Pass teams seldom carry entry hazards, so Diggersby can find some value depending on the lineup.
Dedicated Glalie
Cripple lead (Glare Serperior, Thunder Wave/Will-o-Wisp Mimikyu, Light Ball Fling users etc.), Thunder Wave + Lunar Dance Cresselia, Glalie
Tapu Lele-Volcarona-mega/Kartana
A properly inserted Glalie should be almost impossible for this team. Still, Lele has a decent shot at beating something like a possible Kangaskhan opener Cresselia-based Glalie teams might bring as the more traditional game plan, and does not particularly mind getting statused, either. None of the four physical attackers, however, are exactly great against standard Rocky Helmet Cresselia, so, whichever gets brought, needs some help in that department through pressure—if Volcarona can force it to Thunder Wave and Lunar Dance for Glalie momentum on it, Kartana's Smart Strike can lethal it, provided it is brought in on a Protect turn when Substitute is not up, as Kartana can't take even an uninvested Freeze Dry.
3) In Conclusion
Options for reasonable improvements for this team would have to include Endeavor + Quick Attack on Diggersby to turn it into a true revenge killer against anything not immune to normal. Another option would be to go the wall-breaking route with Swords Dance. Kartana could also run Psycho Cut over Smart Strike, but without Swords Dance or Psychium Z, the damage ranges just are not there with all the Intimidates going around, compounded by the fact that the most common move it usually wants to and ends up clicking is Night Slash, not to mention the overlap with Metagross, whose Zen Headbutt already gets the benefit of both Tough Claws and STAB. Gyarados could also forgo an offensive slot to run Taunt to improve matchups against defensive teams.
As far results go, this team as it currently stands did decently, dragging me into the 1800s in the last few days of play during season 14:
Now, that does not mean this team is for everybody, as it does not have the legs to recover from a bad call or missed coin flip and can get quickly outmaneuvered after losing momentum to a good play from defensive opponents. Indeed, anyone confident enough in their skill to be able to outplay most opponents in most situations should definitely stick to more consistent defensive or bulky offense teams instead of having to rely on turn 1 game-deciding calls like Psychic connecting on a lead Greninja or clicking a sub-optimal Moonblast because of a Greninja in the back, which aggro—especially something as janky as allinning with Z-Psychic Volcarona of all things—tends to bring to the table.
Blogs for season 14's top finishing teams should start to be getting listed sometime before the second week of April, after which the meta will hopefully get an interesting injection of fresh new teams to experiment with, so look forward to that.
- Tox
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tox.146/
