Venomoth [QC 1/3]

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Hilomilo

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[OVERVIEW]

* Albeit uncommon, Venomoth is among UU's most potent sweepers thanks to its access to Quiver Dance, Sleep Powder, and an amazing ability in Tinted Lens, which allows it to easily deal with some of its checks on paper, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Magneton, and Nidoking, once boosted.
* The advent of Z-moves allows Venomoth to further bolster its sweeping prowess, as it can use Savage Spinout to break past Pokemon capable of tanking a +1 Bug Buzz, like Scizor, Nidoqueen, and Terrakion
* A useful defensive Bug / Poison typing provides Venomoth with key resistances to the tier's common Fairy- and Fighting-type attacks, which allows for plentiful opportunities to force switches and set up.
* Unfortunately, Venomoth is cursed with horrid bulk, which can complicate setup and leave it prone to common Choice Scarf users in Infernape, Krookodile, and Terrakion.
* Despite its useful resistances, its typing also leaves it with a Stealth Rock weakness and very vulnerable to common attack types in Fire, Flying, and Psychic.
* Venomoth can also struggle due to its occasionally underwhelming power after one Quiver Dance boost, which may leave it reliant on setting up a second time or using its Z-move too early.

[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Buginium Z
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Quiver Dance is essential for allowing Venomoth to boost its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats, thus turning it into a fearsome sweeper.
* Sleep Powder can be used to immobilize foes, which is useful for giving Venomoth an opportunity to set up.
* Bug Buzz is powerful STAB that after a boost, deals significant amounts of damage to most of the metagame, and with a Buginium Z, turns into a powerful Savage Spinout that at +1, is capable of OHKOing Gliscor, Scizor, Terrakion, and Nidoqueen, who can all otherwise tank a boosted Bug Buzz.
* Sludge Bomb is useful for covering Fairy-types like Primarina and Clefable, OHKOing both after a boost.

Set Details
========

* Maximum investment in Special Attack is important for giving Venomoth as much power as possible, notably allowing it to almost always OHKO bulky Scizor variants with a +1 Savage Spinout, as well as OHKOing Primarina and Clefable with Sludge Bomb at +1.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature is also important, as it allows Venomoth to outspeed the likes of Nidoking, Togekiss, and Entei without boosts, as well as outspeeding the entire unboosted metagame after one Quiver Dance.
* Tinted Lens allows Venomoth to nullify 2x resistances and dent Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Scizor, and Empoleon with its STAB Bug Buzz.
* Buginium Z is the preferred item, as it provides Venomoth with a powerful Savage Spinout that with a boost, can break past notably bulky threats like Tentacruel, Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Volcanion.

Usage Tips
========

* Venomoth's best function is as a sweeper on offensive teams due to its ability to break past multiple archetypes. In order for it to begin sweeping, it is best that Pokemon that 4x resist its STAB attacks, such as Klefki and Cobalion, and specially bulky Pokemon, like Blissey, are removed or considerably weakened.
* Choice scarf users that outspeed Venomoth at +1, such as Infernape, Krookodile, and Hydreigon should be removed from play entirely due to Venomoth's poor bulk leaving it very susceptible to being revenge killed.
* Due to its frailty, Venomoth is best brought into play via slow pivot support or after a teammate has fainted.
* It should be brought in against a Pokemon that it forces out, like Togekiss or Slowbro, and set up with Quiver Dance as they switch out. From there, Venomoth should use Sleep Powder to immobilize whatever foe it was brought in against, and take another turn to set up afterward.

Team Options
========

* Suicide leads like Azelf, Froslass, and Terrakion can set up entry hazards to help Venomoth break past foes more easily, as well as fitting onto the heavily offensive teams its often seen on quite well. On bulkier offensive teams, entry hazard setters like Klefki, Nidoqueen, and Gliscor can be used due to the good bulk they retain.
* Entry hazard removal is nearly as important as entry hazard setters, due to Venomoth's Stealth Rock weakness. This makes common means of entry hazard removal in Mega Blastoise, Starmie, and Latias good options for teammates.
* Infernape, Krookodile, and Terrakion all trouble Venomoth as Choice Scarf users, which makes answers to these Pokemon, such as Clefable, Hippowdon, and Gliscor good partners that can ultimately pave the way for Venomoth to clean up.
* Spinblockers such as Gengar, Decidueye, and Chandelure, can all aid Venomoth in making sure that entry hazards aren't removed from the opponent's side of the field, which is useful for securing KOes on Pokemon like Volcanion and Scizor.
* Bisharp and Tornadus can also aid Venomoth in keeping entry hazards on the opponent's side of the field, acting as Defog deterrents with Defiant.
* Steel-type checks, like Zygarde-10%, Krookodile, and Conkeldurr, can ease Venomoth's matchup against the likes of Cobalion and Klefki as well as allowing it to use its Z-Move on a target of a different type. Magneton is particularly helpful due to its ability to trap and remove most Steel-types from play.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Venomoth can opt to use Roost or Substitute over Sludge Bomb, but won't be able to hit Togekiss for very good damage and will also have shakier matchups against the likes of Primarina and Clefable.
* Black Sludge, Focus Sash, and Life Orb are all options for items that Venomoth can use if a teammate is already using a Z-crystal. However, one of Venomoth's biggest perks is its ability to hit extremely hard with Savage Spinout, which means that taking its Buginium Z away severely hurts its viability.
* A Poisonium Z is an option for granting Venomoth access to an extremely powerful Acid Downpour, though the tier's lack of immunities to Bug-type attacks makes Buginium Z a better option.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority**: Venomoth's low bulk leaves it susceptible to most relevant forms of priority. Extreme Speed from Entei and Zygarde-10%, Brave Bird from Talonflame, Sucker Punch from Bisharp, and Bullet Punch from Scizor all cut into Venomoth's HP and easily revenge kill it if it's been weakened.

**Steel-types**: A lot of viable Steel-types in UU have secondary typings that allow them to tank Bug Buzz and Savage Spinout, while being immune to Sludge Bomb. Klefki, Cobalion, Lucario, and Doublade all fit this criteria, while other Steel-types, like Empoleon and Assault Vest Metagross, retain enough special bulk to even tank a boosted Savage Spinout and threaten Venomoth with phazing or powerful STAB attacks.

**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Some Pokemon possess enough special bulk to easily scoff at any attack Venomoth hits them with. Mandibuzz is notable for its immunity to Sleep Powder by virtue of Overcoat, while Blissey and Mantine can also comfortably Venomoth's attacks.

**Physically Offensive Choice Scarf Users**: While Quiver Dance can help circumvent its special frailty, Venomoth is still heavily threatened by physical Choice Scarf users, such as Infernape, Krookodile, and Terrakion, as all can outspeed it at +1 and threaten to OHKO with their STAB attacks.
 
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"which allows it to easily deal with some of its checks on paper, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Magneton, and Nidoking, once boosted." you can just say "which severely limits its checks" since you basically say the same thing in the next line and also later on in Set Details.

"Choice scarf users that outspeed Venomoth at +1, such as Infernape, Krookodile, and Hydreigon should be removed from play entirely due to Venomoth's poor bulk leaving it very susceptible to being revenge killed." you can change that to "if the opponent has a scarfer, try to use sleep to get 2 boosts, or just go for damage vs their team before being revenge killed"

Slowbro is a kinda iffy setup opportunity due to TWave and Psyshock. Maybe say Clefable, Choice locked Fighting types, or slower Pokemon that it can put to sleep. Also in Usage Tips say that stuff like TWave/Encore from Clefable needs to be scouted before attempting to setup on it.

Magneton only removes Klefki, Scizor, and Empoleon so list these instead of saying "most Steel-types"

Nicely written as usual, QC 2/3
 
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