Venomoth Analysis

    Venomoth
    Type: Bug / Poison
    Stats: 70 | 65 | 60 | 90 | 75 | 90
    Abilities: Shield Dust

    Introduction

    Venomoth might not look like a great Pokemon in ADV 50, with its subpar stats and typing, but looks can be deceiving. Its speed and unique typing in tandem with Sleep Powder and a fairly flexible movepool give it a slew of options, and make it an excellent lead. Its defensive typing lets it check Pokemon such as Muk and Hitmonlee, giving Venomoth a small handful of potential entry points later on in the game too.

    Sets

    SubPass

    Venomoth @ Salac Berry
    Ability: Shield Dust
    EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
    Timid Nature
    - Substitute
    - Baton Pass
    - Sleep Powder
    - Psychic

    Set Details

    Venomoth is an excellent substitute passer, as the combination of its good speed and Sleep Powder let it generate setup opportunities in a very forcing manner. The threat of Sleep Powder can force switches, letting it set up substitutes for free. To fill the final slot, Psychic is the attack of choice for Venomoth, as it hammers Muk and Hitmonlee, two Pokemon which is serves to check, and is a decently powerful attack with few resists, which can be useful in a pinch. The EVs maximise speed, giving it the best possible opportunity to land sleep powder, while the special attack EVs net it 2HKOs on a number of the tier's offensive Poison- and Fighting-types.

    Salac Berry is generally the item of choice on Venomoth, as it isn't difficult to pair Venomoth with multiple partners which would appreciate a speed boost, but Petaya Berry and Liechi Berry are both options to support partners that cannot boost their own attacking stats. As Venomoth itself can take advantage of the Petaya Berry, it is more appealing than the Liechi Berry. Leftovers is another option to consider, as it gives Venomoth greater longevity, which could enable it to pass more substitutes over the course of a battle. Great recipients of substitute passing include Belly Drum Linoone, a viciously dangerous threat should it receive a free turn to set up, as well as more flexible offensive threats such as Mixed Typhlosion, Calm Mind Kadabra, and Mixed Tauros, which can function without a substitute but become far more dangerous should they receive one.

    It is important to pair Venomoth with Pokemon that can switch into fast Fire-types - these are the most dangerous anti-leads to Venomoth, and Typhlosion in particular hits hard and has great coverage.


    Other Options

    Venomoth has a suite of genuinely interesting alternatives to the set listed above, but their niche is much smaller and they are more difficult to build with, use, or justify. For example, the Baton Pass set can be tweaked to run Endure over Substitute, letting Venomoth pass a speed boost to its partners against offensive teams, but its utility is much more matchup dependent. Furthermore, sets without Baton Pass are also worth considering. Stun Spore and Thief are both disruptive utility moves that pair well with Sleep Powder, but as Venomoth is so weak it can be hard to nail consistent targets, and its typing doesn't grant that many switch-in opportunities. Hidden Power Fire is a decent move to use on more disruptive sets, as it can surprirse Forretress and gives Venomoth broad coverage, but the speed IV drop makes it less appealing on a Pokemon so reliant on its speed to function. Sludge Bomb and Signal Beam deserve a brief mention as they are its strongest STAB options, but they don't hit any important targets, and would require splitting EVs if used alongside Psychic or Hidden Power Fire.

    Checks and Counters

    For the most part, handling Venomoth is about handling sleep, and preventing it from doing too much damage as a lead. To handle sleep, you can use Heal Bell or Aromatherapy on slower-paced teams, and Lum Berry users on more offensive teams. The best responses to Venomoth on offense are Typhlosion, Kadabra, and Xatu, as they can outspeed and OHKO Venomoth, while switching in safely thanks to carrying a Lum Berry. Sleep absorbers can be used too, such as Choice Band Crobat with Sleep Talk or RestTalk + CM Users such as Golduck, but failing that, designating a certain Pokemon on a team to take sleep early on is often a wise move. For example, Misdreavus can be a decent sleep absorber even without sleep talk due to it keeping much of its utility while asleep, as the defensive properties of its typing combined with Levitate is all it needs to do many of its defensive duties. In terms of anti-leading Venomoth, fast Fire-types such as Typhlosion and Rapidash are the best, as they threaten to OHKO Venomoth, forcing it out easily. Lum Berry Glalie, potentially with Icy Wind and even Taunt can guarantee a spikes layer against Venomoth, while some slower Pokemon like Flareon, Torkoal, and Slowking threaten to OHKO Venomoth if it misses Sleep Powder. Lead Electrode with Taunt is also an excellent anti-lead to Venomoth, as the faster Taunt prevents Venomoth from doing much of anything.

    Analysis written by Disaster Area

	Published June 2022