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Same Analysis different Pokemon! VENASAUR!!!!
Type Tier
Grass / Poison UU
Statistics Min- Min Max Max+
HP 80 - 301 364 -
Atk 82 180 200 263 289
Def 83 181 202 265 291
SpA 100 212 236 299 328
SpD 100 212 236 299 328
Spe 80 176 196 259 284
Name Item Nature
Life Orb Physical Life Orb Jolly
Moveset EVs
~ Swords Dance / Synthesis
~ Sleep Powder
~ Power Whip
~ Return / Earthquake
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Venusaur is one of the most effective Swords Dance users in UU because it has access to Sleep Powder, which allows Venusaur to use Sword Dance after incapacitating a foe. In addition to this, many physical walls in the UU tier are weak to Grass-type moves; therefore, Venusaur can catch several walls off guard after a single boost. After one use, Venusaur’s mediocre Attack reaches 526, which is enough to hurt plenty of things in UU.
The easiest way to slip in Swords Dance is to force prominent Water-types such as Milotic, Slowbro, and Azumarill to switch out. On the predicted switch out, Venusaur can either use Sleep Powder to place a counter to sleep or use Swords Dance to scout out the opponent’s next switch-in. Synthesis could be used over Swords Dance, as Venusaur can act as a defensive backbone on many teams while providing good solid damage with a Life Orb boost. If Venusaur plans to stick around to cushion Electric-, Water-, and Fighting-type hits, Synthesis is a definitely good alternative over Swords Dance.
Venusaur's STAB move is Power Whip, and after a single boost, it hits anything that doesn’t resist it incredibly hard. The final two slots depend on what Venusaur needs to hit. Return is the best way to deal damage to the Flying-types that plague UU, as they resist Venusaur's primary STAB move. However, if Steel-types are more important to hit, Earthquake would be the better option as Venusaur usually 2HKOs both Registeel and Steelix (who normally invest their EVs into Special Defense).
Life Orb allows Venusaur to strike as hard as possible. Venusaur could settle for Leftovers over Life Orb in order to gain some health while dishing out damage.
Defensively, Venusaur works great with a sturdy Rock-type like Regirock to combat with faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow. Furthermore, Regirock provides Stealth Rock, which helps Venusaur sweep in the long run of the match.
Venusaur functions well on offensive teams that involve both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Omastar is a great partner, as it can provide both Stealth Rock and Spikes for Venusaur. A more offensive partner for Venusaur is Kabutops; it can take on faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow pretty well. If Venusaur sticks to Return over Earthquake, Steel-types will be problematic. Hitmonlee is an excellent partner because it has the ability Limber to come in safely on Registeel’s Thunder Wave and can deliver the OHKO with Close Combat.
Name Item Nature
Support Leftovers Calm / Bold
Moveset EVs
~ Sleep Powder
~ Leech Seed / Synthesis
~ Energy Ball
~ Sludge Bomb
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Venusaur is pretty difficult to take down because it has Synthesis or Leech Seed to constantly heal off hits, as well as access to Sleep Powder to place a counter to sleep. Combine this with its nifty resistances to Electric-, Water-, and, Fighting-type moves, and Venusaur makes a very durable wall.
Venusaur has several support moves to help any team out. Sleep Powder is an excellent support move to place an opponent to sleep. This allows Venusaur to subsequently use Leech Seed to annoy the opponent or use a free turn to switch in something appropriate. Synthesis can be used over Leech Seed to heal off damage consistently. The final two moves provide the best damage Venusaur can give thanks to STAB. Energy Ball hits Water-types for super effective damage, while Sludge Bomb hits Grass-types who attempt to block Leech Seed.
A Bold nature with the EVs shifted from Special Defense to Defense could be an alternate option if Venusaur wants to focus on taking physical Fighting-type attacks.
This set will normally fit under a balanced style of play as opposed to an offensive style of play; therefore, pairing Venusaur with Milotic can help it survive the entire match. Milotic is an excellent partner with Venusaur, as Milotic can take most Fire-type threats who threaten Venusaur. Because Moltres might be a bit difficult to take down because it might score a couple of flinches with Air Slash, Chansey is an alternate option to take on Moltres. At times Milotic is overwhelmed by Nasty Plot Houndoom and Swords Dance Blaziken. Equipping Milotic with Choice Scarf is an excellent way to catch these threats off guard, as they are normally tough to counter.
Since this set will irritate the opponent, it will eventually force them to switch out, and entry hazards are a great way to take advantage of this. Omastar is an excellent partner because it can provide both Spikes and Stealth Rock on the same moveset. As an added bonus, Omastar also takes Ice- and Fire-type hits directed at Venusaur. They complement each other as Omastar hates Toxic Spikes on the field, and Venusaur can absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to its Poison-typing.
Name Item Nature
Life Orb Special Life Orb Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Leaf Storm
~ Hidden Power Ground / Synthesis
~ Sleep Powder
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This set could be considered a surprise on Venusaur’s part as the most common switch-ins to Venusaur are usually physical walls. Venusaur boasts a good Special Attack stat with Life Orb equipped; coupled with its good bulk from both ends, it can be a versatile sweeper without any set-up.
Venusaur really has poor type coverage; as such, it can only space in three attacks to provide the best possible coverage, leaving the last slot to Sleep Powder to manage special walls. Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm are Venusaur’s primary STAB moves, while Hidden Power Ground is essential in order to hit Registeel – a common special wall in the UU tier. However, if Chansey poses a huge problem for the team, Venusaur can run Synthesis over Hidden Power Ground to improve the chances of beating Chansey. Sleep Powder helps place counters in deep slumbers, allowing Venusaur to hit them while they are asleep.
Omastar is an excellent partner with Venusaur because it has both Stealth Rock and Spikes in its arsenal to help Venusaur sweep. Stealth Rock and Spikes work great for Life Orb Venusaur, as they can help beat Chansey – its primary counter. Venusaur’s Leaf Storm deals 26.83% - 31.83% to standard Chansey, while Sludge Bomb deals 18.41% - 21.68%. This means if three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock are down on the field, Venusaur can place Chansey to sleep while using Sludge Bomb once or twice, and then it can deliver the finishing blow with Leaf Storm. All in all, Stealth Rock and Spikes will help increase the chance of defeating Chansey.
Since this set is specially inclined, Chansey and Registeel can handle this set especially if Sleep Clause is already in effect. Hitmonlee can fend off Chansey and Registeel for the most part, as it can come in on Thunder Wave thanks to Limber and scare it off with Close Combat.
Name Item Nature
Mix Choice Scarf Choice Scarf Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Leaf Storm
~ Earthquake / Power Whip
~ Sleep Powder
56 HP / 72 Atk / 164 SpA / 216 Spe
This set aims to increase Venusaur's above-average Speed with a Choice Scarf boost. Choice Scarf Venusaur sits firmly at 380 Speed, allowing it to outpace beneficial base 120 Speed Pokemon, most importantly, Alakazam. Venusaur has enough time to come in on many attacks thanks to its excellent typing, making it a reliable Choice Scarf user on any team.
Much like the previous set, Venusaur can only space in three attacks, leaving the final slot for Sleep Powder. Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm are Venusaur’s obligatory STAB moves. The third slot is purely physically based, as it prevents special walls like Registeel and Chansey from getting an easy switch-in. Earthquake acts as a safety blanket check to Calm Mind Raikou, as well as Registeel who attempt to come in on both Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm. However, if Chansey is more important to hit, Power Whip is an alternate option in order to grab the 2HKO (with Stealth Rock down). Sleep Powder may stick out like a sore thumb on a Choice Scarf set, but it’s always a nice way to place the opponent to sleep if Venusaur is in a sticky situation.
From a defensive standpoint, Omastar works great with Venusaur as it provides Stealth Rock in order to grab the 2HKO on Chansey. However, from an offensive standpoint, Choice Band Dugtrio will help remove Chansey and Registeel early in the match. Most Chansey or Registeel will lean towards using Thunder Wave on Venusaur to render its Choice Scarf useless; as such, this allows Dugtrio to come in easier to deliver the OHKO with Earthquake.
Name Item Nature
Choice Specs Choice Specs Modest / Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Leaf Storm
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Hidden Power Ground
~ Sleep Powder
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Venusaur is a natural candidate for Choice Specs due to its high Special Attack stat. With a Choice Specs equipped, Venusaur’s Special Attack will exponentially increase to 492 or 448, depending on the nature of choice. Venusaur’s true niche lies within the ability to cushion hits from the foe, as well as maintaining an offensive threat on many unprepared teams, making it a solid choice on any team.
A boosted STAB Leaf Storm is absolutely powerful, and not many can switch in to it. Sludge Bomb rounds off the set, as it helps deal with opposing Venusaur attempting to come in on Leaf Storm. It also deals with Moltres and special defensive Altaria trying to resist Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Ground allows Venusaur to hit Registeel, who otherwise walls Venusaur's STAB moves, for super effective damage. Sleep Powder sets Venusaur apart from its fellow Choice Specs user Sceptile, as it helps place a potential counter to sleep.
To illustrate the power of a Modest nature boosted Leaf Storm, here are some calculations:
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Chansey - 34.17% - 40.25%
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Swellow - 100%
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Weezing - 62.87% - 73.95%
According to the damage calculations, Stealth Rock is absolutely required to grab certain OHKOs on Pokemon. Venusaur also appreciates paralysis support, so it can use Modest nature over Timid nature to provide as much damage as possible. Registeel fits in with this particular set because it can provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave and set up Stealth Rock as well. However, if the large Fire-type weakness makes you nervous, Chansey is a good alternative for setting up Stealth Rock and proving paralysis support.
Name Item Nature
Mixed Attacker Life Orb Mild
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Power Whip
~ Sleep Powder
~ Synthesis / Leech Seed
64 HP / 164 Atk / 96 SpA / 184 Spe
Venusaur adopts a tried and true method of sweeping with this set: cripple the foe with status and attack while it's immobilized. Sludge Bomb and Power Whip are your two STAB attacking options. Sleep Powder provides Venusaur with the safety net it and its teammates enjoy. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy from Life Orb recoil while also refreshing it after weathering a few blows. Leech Seed is another recovery option available to Venusaur that becomes extremely effective with this set; this Venusaur can 2HKO Clefable and deal huge blows to opposing Grass-types, the most common counters to Leech Seed.
The EV spread is designed to milk as much out of Venusaur as possible. The Attack EVs guarantee 2HKOs on Slowbro and Chansey with Power Whip, while the Special Attack EVs grant Venusaur a clean OHKO on Sceptile and other Grass-types who may try to wall this set. Alternatively, this set can sacrifice the HP and four Attack EVs and maximize Speed, keeping the likes of Feraligatr, Blaziken, and other Venusaur from outpacing Venusaur.
Unlike many other sets, this Venusaur will have troubles against Substitute + Calm Mind Raikou. Therefore, it is recommended that you either pair Venusaur up with a Pokemon who is able to do this job or substitute Power Whip for Earthquake. Pokemon that would satisfy the first option include threats such as Encore Clefable or Donphan. Clefable can come in on the turn Raikou starts setting up and Encore it to lock it into a useless Calm Mind or HP draining Substitute, while Donphan can choose to either threaten with Earthquake or phaze with Roar.
Although Sleep Powder does give it problems, Cresselia walls this set effectively, thanks to its huge defenses. Calm Mind makes Power Whip Venusaur's only effective attack to combat Cresselia with, although boosted STAB Psychics will be ending Venusaur in short order. Therefore, most people pair Venusaur up with Dark-types who are capable of overtaking Cresselia. Absol sees the most use as a Cresselia counter, and its immunity to Psychic attacks makes it an even better choice to pair up with Venusaur. Swords Dance and Night Slash or Sucker Punch easily puts huge dents in the new UU addition, mitigating its effectiveness for the rest of the battle.
Unfortunately, both Venusaur and Absol hate status, meaning Aromatherapy support is very much enjoyed. Clefable, Miltank, and Altaria are all capable of providing this service to your team, but for type synergy with both Absol and Venusaur, Altaria is probably your best choice. Altaria resists Fighting- and Fire-type attacks, although it does share a common Ice-type weakness with Venusaur. As always, entry hazards are also appreciated.
Name Item Nature
SubSeeder Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute
~ Leech Seed
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Sleep Powder / Body Slam
252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Venusaur has all of the qualities to abuse the SubSeed combination effectively. With its great overall defenses and helpful supporting movepool, it's quite difficult to stop Venusaur once it sets up. The main advantage Venusaur has over other SubSeeders, such as Tangrowth and Sceptile, is the fact that it possesses the Poison typing, which allows it to destroy nearly any Grass-type that tries to absorb Leech Seed with a STAB super effective Sludge Bomb.
Sleep Powder and Body Slam both have their merits. Sleep Powder incapacitates the opposing Pokemon for a few turns, giving Venusaur the perfect chance to set up its SubSeeding chain. On the other hand, Body Slam has a chance of paralyzing the target and helps Venusaur move first. Venusaur can then effectively stall the opponent by Leech Seeding it and repeatedly using Substitute.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EV spread focuses on maximizing Venusaur's overall defensive capability. With 128 Defense EVs, Venusaur's Substitute will almost never be broken by 100 Attack Careful Registeel's Iron Head, making Registeel perfect set-up bait. A Calm nature and 128 Special Defense EVs allow Venusaur to never be 5HKOed by 0 Special Attack Bold Milotic's Ice Beam and never be 2HKOed by 220 Special Attack Life Orb Modest Milotic's Ice Beam. The Milotic calculations are assuming that you have Leech Seeded them.
Paralysis support is probably what Venusaur would benefit from the most support-wise, especially if you are using Sleep Powder instead of Body Slam, as Venusaur no longer has to worry about spreading paralysis itself. Before you start spreading paralysis, however, allow Venusaur to put one of the opponent's Pokemon to sleep, since if you paralyze almost every Pokemon on your opponent's team, Venusaur will have trouble using Sleep Powder successfully. If you are able to spread paralysis throughout the opponent's team, Venusaur will be more effective when Leech Seed stalling. Slowbro is an excellent user of Thunder Wave and also has fantastic type synergy with Venusaur. Substitute-using threats that resist Sludge Bomb, such as Mismagius and Toxicroak, can easily cause problems as well. It's best to use Pokemon that can deal with the aforementioned threats, such as Spiritomb and Uxie, respectively, or you may have a hard time using Venusaur effectively. Moltres, although not resistant to Sludge Bomb, can easily stall out Venusaur's Sludge Bomb by alternating between Substitute and Roost, so it needs to be dealt with too. RestTalk Milotic, who also has great synergy with Venusaur, is a decent option for combating SubRoost Moltres, eliminating it with Surf.
Team Options
On most sets, Venusaur has a tough time with faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow. Defensively, Regirock makes an excellent partner as it can take on these Flying-type threats while setting up Stealth Rock as an added bonus to help Venusaur sweep. Another notable Rock-type that meshes well with Venusaur is Omastar because it provides both Spikes and Stealth Rock to help Venusaur sweep.
For the specially-based sets, Venusaur will attract Chansey and Registeel; as such, Hitmonlee makes a great offensive partner alongside Venusaur. Hitmonlee can make a safe switch in for the most part thanks to its ability Limber to avoid paralysis. Choice Band Dugtrio also works in a similar fashion in terms of avoiding paralysis, thanks to its Ground-typing, allowing it to make a safe switch in on Registeel and Chansey to deliver the OHKO with Earthquake.
Other Options
There are several options that weren’t included in the main analysis. Firstly, Venusaur can run a set with Substitute / Swords Dance / Power Whip / Return or Earthquake to bring its HP down to activate Overgrow. Venusaur can also run a SubSeed set, but its average Speed makes it completely outclassed by Sceptile. Venusaur could also run Roar on the support set to prevent Pokemon like Leafeon from having an easy Baton Pass.
EVs
The EV spreads are listed with each set. Choices regarding EV spreads are entirely dependent on the role you want it to play (defensive annoyer, fast sleeper, special tank, etc.) and whether it needs to sponge physical or special attacks.
Opinion
The amount of sets Venusaur has definitely speaks volume of its versatility. It can often play multiple roles, allowing Venusaur to become unpredictable once it's brought out in the match. As an added bonus, Venusaur's part Poison-typing allows it to absorb Toxic Spikes from the opponent, making it an excellent team player. All in all, Venusaur is a valuable addition on any team.
Counters
For the most part, Venusaur’s counters depend on what set it is running. The physically inclined set counters depend on what Venusaur is using to complement Power Whip. If Venusaur lacks Earthquake, Registeel can counter Venusaur pretty well, especially if Sleep Clause is in effect. However, if Venusaur lacks Return, a defensive Moltres is the safest switch in to Venusaur. For the specially inclined sets, Chansey and Registeel are the best checks to Venusaur.
Information taken from Smogon D/P Pokemon Analysis.
Type Tier
Grass / Poison UU
Statistics Min- Min Max Max+
HP 80 - 301 364 -
Atk 82 180 200 263 289
Def 83 181 202 265 291
SpA 100 212 236 299 328
SpD 100 212 236 299 328
Spe 80 176 196 259 284
Name Item Nature
Life Orb Physical Life Orb Jolly
Moveset EVs
~ Swords Dance / Synthesis
~ Sleep Powder
~ Power Whip
~ Return / Earthquake
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Venusaur is one of the most effective Swords Dance users in UU because it has access to Sleep Powder, which allows Venusaur to use Sword Dance after incapacitating a foe. In addition to this, many physical walls in the UU tier are weak to Grass-type moves; therefore, Venusaur can catch several walls off guard after a single boost. After one use, Venusaur’s mediocre Attack reaches 526, which is enough to hurt plenty of things in UU.
The easiest way to slip in Swords Dance is to force prominent Water-types such as Milotic, Slowbro, and Azumarill to switch out. On the predicted switch out, Venusaur can either use Sleep Powder to place a counter to sleep or use Swords Dance to scout out the opponent’s next switch-in. Synthesis could be used over Swords Dance, as Venusaur can act as a defensive backbone on many teams while providing good solid damage with a Life Orb boost. If Venusaur plans to stick around to cushion Electric-, Water-, and Fighting-type hits, Synthesis is a definitely good alternative over Swords Dance.
Venusaur's STAB move is Power Whip, and after a single boost, it hits anything that doesn’t resist it incredibly hard. The final two slots depend on what Venusaur needs to hit. Return is the best way to deal damage to the Flying-types that plague UU, as they resist Venusaur's primary STAB move. However, if Steel-types are more important to hit, Earthquake would be the better option as Venusaur usually 2HKOs both Registeel and Steelix (who normally invest their EVs into Special Defense).
Life Orb allows Venusaur to strike as hard as possible. Venusaur could settle for Leftovers over Life Orb in order to gain some health while dishing out damage.
Defensively, Venusaur works great with a sturdy Rock-type like Regirock to combat with faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow. Furthermore, Regirock provides Stealth Rock, which helps Venusaur sweep in the long run of the match.
Venusaur functions well on offensive teams that involve both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Omastar is a great partner, as it can provide both Stealth Rock and Spikes for Venusaur. A more offensive partner for Venusaur is Kabutops; it can take on faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow pretty well. If Venusaur sticks to Return over Earthquake, Steel-types will be problematic. Hitmonlee is an excellent partner because it has the ability Limber to come in safely on Registeel’s Thunder Wave and can deliver the OHKO with Close Combat.
Name Item Nature
Support Leftovers Calm / Bold
Moveset EVs
~ Sleep Powder
~ Leech Seed / Synthesis
~ Energy Ball
~ Sludge Bomb
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Venusaur is pretty difficult to take down because it has Synthesis or Leech Seed to constantly heal off hits, as well as access to Sleep Powder to place a counter to sleep. Combine this with its nifty resistances to Electric-, Water-, and, Fighting-type moves, and Venusaur makes a very durable wall.
Venusaur has several support moves to help any team out. Sleep Powder is an excellent support move to place an opponent to sleep. This allows Venusaur to subsequently use Leech Seed to annoy the opponent or use a free turn to switch in something appropriate. Synthesis can be used over Leech Seed to heal off damage consistently. The final two moves provide the best damage Venusaur can give thanks to STAB. Energy Ball hits Water-types for super effective damage, while Sludge Bomb hits Grass-types who attempt to block Leech Seed.
A Bold nature with the EVs shifted from Special Defense to Defense could be an alternate option if Venusaur wants to focus on taking physical Fighting-type attacks.
This set will normally fit under a balanced style of play as opposed to an offensive style of play; therefore, pairing Venusaur with Milotic can help it survive the entire match. Milotic is an excellent partner with Venusaur, as Milotic can take most Fire-type threats who threaten Venusaur. Because Moltres might be a bit difficult to take down because it might score a couple of flinches with Air Slash, Chansey is an alternate option to take on Moltres. At times Milotic is overwhelmed by Nasty Plot Houndoom and Swords Dance Blaziken. Equipping Milotic with Choice Scarf is an excellent way to catch these threats off guard, as they are normally tough to counter.
Since this set will irritate the opponent, it will eventually force them to switch out, and entry hazards are a great way to take advantage of this. Omastar is an excellent partner because it can provide both Spikes and Stealth Rock on the same moveset. As an added bonus, Omastar also takes Ice- and Fire-type hits directed at Venusaur. They complement each other as Omastar hates Toxic Spikes on the field, and Venusaur can absorb Toxic Spikes thanks to its Poison-typing.
Name Item Nature
Life Orb Special Life Orb Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Leaf Storm
~ Hidden Power Ground / Synthesis
~ Sleep Powder
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
This set could be considered a surprise on Venusaur’s part as the most common switch-ins to Venusaur are usually physical walls. Venusaur boasts a good Special Attack stat with Life Orb equipped; coupled with its good bulk from both ends, it can be a versatile sweeper without any set-up.
Venusaur really has poor type coverage; as such, it can only space in three attacks to provide the best possible coverage, leaving the last slot to Sleep Powder to manage special walls. Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm are Venusaur’s primary STAB moves, while Hidden Power Ground is essential in order to hit Registeel – a common special wall in the UU tier. However, if Chansey poses a huge problem for the team, Venusaur can run Synthesis over Hidden Power Ground to improve the chances of beating Chansey. Sleep Powder helps place counters in deep slumbers, allowing Venusaur to hit them while they are asleep.
Omastar is an excellent partner with Venusaur because it has both Stealth Rock and Spikes in its arsenal to help Venusaur sweep. Stealth Rock and Spikes work great for Life Orb Venusaur, as they can help beat Chansey – its primary counter. Venusaur’s Leaf Storm deals 26.83% - 31.83% to standard Chansey, while Sludge Bomb deals 18.41% - 21.68%. This means if three layers of Spikes and Stealth Rock are down on the field, Venusaur can place Chansey to sleep while using Sludge Bomb once or twice, and then it can deliver the finishing blow with Leaf Storm. All in all, Stealth Rock and Spikes will help increase the chance of defeating Chansey.
Since this set is specially inclined, Chansey and Registeel can handle this set especially if Sleep Clause is already in effect. Hitmonlee can fend off Chansey and Registeel for the most part, as it can come in on Thunder Wave thanks to Limber and scare it off with Close Combat.
Name Item Nature
Mix Choice Scarf Choice Scarf Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Leaf Storm
~ Earthquake / Power Whip
~ Sleep Powder
56 HP / 72 Atk / 164 SpA / 216 Spe
This set aims to increase Venusaur's above-average Speed with a Choice Scarf boost. Choice Scarf Venusaur sits firmly at 380 Speed, allowing it to outpace beneficial base 120 Speed Pokemon, most importantly, Alakazam. Venusaur has enough time to come in on many attacks thanks to its excellent typing, making it a reliable Choice Scarf user on any team.
Much like the previous set, Venusaur can only space in three attacks, leaving the final slot for Sleep Powder. Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm are Venusaur’s obligatory STAB moves. The third slot is purely physically based, as it prevents special walls like Registeel and Chansey from getting an easy switch-in. Earthquake acts as a safety blanket check to Calm Mind Raikou, as well as Registeel who attempt to come in on both Sludge Bomb and Leaf Storm. However, if Chansey is more important to hit, Power Whip is an alternate option in order to grab the 2HKO (with Stealth Rock down). Sleep Powder may stick out like a sore thumb on a Choice Scarf set, but it’s always a nice way to place the opponent to sleep if Venusaur is in a sticky situation.
From a defensive standpoint, Omastar works great with Venusaur as it provides Stealth Rock in order to grab the 2HKO on Chansey. However, from an offensive standpoint, Choice Band Dugtrio will help remove Chansey and Registeel early in the match. Most Chansey or Registeel will lean towards using Thunder Wave on Venusaur to render its Choice Scarf useless; as such, this allows Dugtrio to come in easier to deliver the OHKO with Earthquake.
Name Item Nature
Choice Specs Choice Specs Modest / Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Leaf Storm
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Hidden Power Ground
~ Sleep Powder
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Venusaur is a natural candidate for Choice Specs due to its high Special Attack stat. With a Choice Specs equipped, Venusaur’s Special Attack will exponentially increase to 492 or 448, depending on the nature of choice. Venusaur’s true niche lies within the ability to cushion hits from the foe, as well as maintaining an offensive threat on many unprepared teams, making it a solid choice on any team.
A boosted STAB Leaf Storm is absolutely powerful, and not many can switch in to it. Sludge Bomb rounds off the set, as it helps deal with opposing Venusaur attempting to come in on Leaf Storm. It also deals with Moltres and special defensive Altaria trying to resist Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Ground allows Venusaur to hit Registeel, who otherwise walls Venusaur's STAB moves, for super effective damage. Sleep Powder sets Venusaur apart from its fellow Choice Specs user Sceptile, as it helps place a potential counter to sleep.
To illustrate the power of a Modest nature boosted Leaf Storm, here are some calculations:
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Chansey - 34.17% - 40.25%
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Swellow - 100%
+1 Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Weezing - 62.87% - 73.95%
According to the damage calculations, Stealth Rock is absolutely required to grab certain OHKOs on Pokemon. Venusaur also appreciates paralysis support, so it can use Modest nature over Timid nature to provide as much damage as possible. Registeel fits in with this particular set because it can provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave and set up Stealth Rock as well. However, if the large Fire-type weakness makes you nervous, Chansey is a good alternative for setting up Stealth Rock and proving paralysis support.
Name Item Nature
Mixed Attacker Life Orb Mild
Moveset EVs
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Power Whip
~ Sleep Powder
~ Synthesis / Leech Seed
64 HP / 164 Atk / 96 SpA / 184 Spe
Venusaur adopts a tried and true method of sweeping with this set: cripple the foe with status and attack while it's immobilized. Sludge Bomb and Power Whip are your two STAB attacking options. Sleep Powder provides Venusaur with the safety net it and its teammates enjoy. Synthesis keeps Venusaur healthy from Life Orb recoil while also refreshing it after weathering a few blows. Leech Seed is another recovery option available to Venusaur that becomes extremely effective with this set; this Venusaur can 2HKO Clefable and deal huge blows to opposing Grass-types, the most common counters to Leech Seed.
The EV spread is designed to milk as much out of Venusaur as possible. The Attack EVs guarantee 2HKOs on Slowbro and Chansey with Power Whip, while the Special Attack EVs grant Venusaur a clean OHKO on Sceptile and other Grass-types who may try to wall this set. Alternatively, this set can sacrifice the HP and four Attack EVs and maximize Speed, keeping the likes of Feraligatr, Blaziken, and other Venusaur from outpacing Venusaur.
Unlike many other sets, this Venusaur will have troubles against Substitute + Calm Mind Raikou. Therefore, it is recommended that you either pair Venusaur up with a Pokemon who is able to do this job or substitute Power Whip for Earthquake. Pokemon that would satisfy the first option include threats such as Encore Clefable or Donphan. Clefable can come in on the turn Raikou starts setting up and Encore it to lock it into a useless Calm Mind or HP draining Substitute, while Donphan can choose to either threaten with Earthquake or phaze with Roar.
Although Sleep Powder does give it problems, Cresselia walls this set effectively, thanks to its huge defenses. Calm Mind makes Power Whip Venusaur's only effective attack to combat Cresselia with, although boosted STAB Psychics will be ending Venusaur in short order. Therefore, most people pair Venusaur up with Dark-types who are capable of overtaking Cresselia. Absol sees the most use as a Cresselia counter, and its immunity to Psychic attacks makes it an even better choice to pair up with Venusaur. Swords Dance and Night Slash or Sucker Punch easily puts huge dents in the new UU addition, mitigating its effectiveness for the rest of the battle.
Unfortunately, both Venusaur and Absol hate status, meaning Aromatherapy support is very much enjoyed. Clefable, Miltank, and Altaria are all capable of providing this service to your team, but for type synergy with both Absol and Venusaur, Altaria is probably your best choice. Altaria resists Fighting- and Fire-type attacks, although it does share a common Ice-type weakness with Venusaur. As always, entry hazards are also appreciated.
Name Item Nature
SubSeeder Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute
~ Leech Seed
~ Sludge Bomb
~ Sleep Powder / Body Slam
252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Venusaur has all of the qualities to abuse the SubSeed combination effectively. With its great overall defenses and helpful supporting movepool, it's quite difficult to stop Venusaur once it sets up. The main advantage Venusaur has over other SubSeeders, such as Tangrowth and Sceptile, is the fact that it possesses the Poison typing, which allows it to destroy nearly any Grass-type that tries to absorb Leech Seed with a STAB super effective Sludge Bomb.
Sleep Powder and Body Slam both have their merits. Sleep Powder incapacitates the opposing Pokemon for a few turns, giving Venusaur the perfect chance to set up its SubSeeding chain. On the other hand, Body Slam has a chance of paralyzing the target and helps Venusaur move first. Venusaur can then effectively stall the opponent by Leech Seeding it and repeatedly using Substitute.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EV spread focuses on maximizing Venusaur's overall defensive capability. With 128 Defense EVs, Venusaur's Substitute will almost never be broken by 100 Attack Careful Registeel's Iron Head, making Registeel perfect set-up bait. A Calm nature and 128 Special Defense EVs allow Venusaur to never be 5HKOed by 0 Special Attack Bold Milotic's Ice Beam and never be 2HKOed by 220 Special Attack Life Orb Modest Milotic's Ice Beam. The Milotic calculations are assuming that you have Leech Seeded them.
Paralysis support is probably what Venusaur would benefit from the most support-wise, especially if you are using Sleep Powder instead of Body Slam, as Venusaur no longer has to worry about spreading paralysis itself. Before you start spreading paralysis, however, allow Venusaur to put one of the opponent's Pokemon to sleep, since if you paralyze almost every Pokemon on your opponent's team, Venusaur will have trouble using Sleep Powder successfully. If you are able to spread paralysis throughout the opponent's team, Venusaur will be more effective when Leech Seed stalling. Slowbro is an excellent user of Thunder Wave and also has fantastic type synergy with Venusaur. Substitute-using threats that resist Sludge Bomb, such as Mismagius and Toxicroak, can easily cause problems as well. It's best to use Pokemon that can deal with the aforementioned threats, such as Spiritomb and Uxie, respectively, or you may have a hard time using Venusaur effectively. Moltres, although not resistant to Sludge Bomb, can easily stall out Venusaur's Sludge Bomb by alternating between Substitute and Roost, so it needs to be dealt with too. RestTalk Milotic, who also has great synergy with Venusaur, is a decent option for combating SubRoost Moltres, eliminating it with Surf.
Team Options
On most sets, Venusaur has a tough time with faster Flying-types such as Moltres and Swellow. Defensively, Regirock makes an excellent partner as it can take on these Flying-type threats while setting up Stealth Rock as an added bonus to help Venusaur sweep. Another notable Rock-type that meshes well with Venusaur is Omastar because it provides both Spikes and Stealth Rock to help Venusaur sweep.
For the specially-based sets, Venusaur will attract Chansey and Registeel; as such, Hitmonlee makes a great offensive partner alongside Venusaur. Hitmonlee can make a safe switch in for the most part thanks to its ability Limber to avoid paralysis. Choice Band Dugtrio also works in a similar fashion in terms of avoiding paralysis, thanks to its Ground-typing, allowing it to make a safe switch in on Registeel and Chansey to deliver the OHKO with Earthquake.
Other Options
There are several options that weren’t included in the main analysis. Firstly, Venusaur can run a set with Substitute / Swords Dance / Power Whip / Return or Earthquake to bring its HP down to activate Overgrow. Venusaur can also run a SubSeed set, but its average Speed makes it completely outclassed by Sceptile. Venusaur could also run Roar on the support set to prevent Pokemon like Leafeon from having an easy Baton Pass.
EVs
The EV spreads are listed with each set. Choices regarding EV spreads are entirely dependent on the role you want it to play (defensive annoyer, fast sleeper, special tank, etc.) and whether it needs to sponge physical or special attacks.
Opinion
The amount of sets Venusaur has definitely speaks volume of its versatility. It can often play multiple roles, allowing Venusaur to become unpredictable once it's brought out in the match. As an added bonus, Venusaur's part Poison-typing allows it to absorb Toxic Spikes from the opponent, making it an excellent team player. All in all, Venusaur is a valuable addition on any team.
Counters
For the most part, Venusaur’s counters depend on what set it is running. The physically inclined set counters depend on what Venusaur is using to complement Power Whip. If Venusaur lacks Earthquake, Registeel can counter Venusaur pretty well, especially if Sleep Clause is in effect. However, if Venusaur lacks Return, a defensive Moltres is the safest switch in to Venusaur. For the specially inclined sets, Chansey and Registeel are the best checks to Venusaur.
Information taken from Smogon D/P Pokemon Analysis.