This is a strategy guide for using Venusaur in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Venusaur, as well as its strengths and weak points.
List of Contents
- Basic Information for Venusaur
- Singles Movesets for Venusaur
- How to Use Venusaur Effectively
- How to Build a Team with Venusaur
- Counters for Venusaur
- Related Links
Basic Information for Venusaur
Types and Abilities
| Pokemon | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
Venusaur | ||
| Abilities | ||
| Overgrow | Powers up Grass-type moves in a pinch. | |
| Chlorophyll(Hidden) | Boosts the Pokemon's Speed in sunshine | |
Venusaur Weaknesses and Resistances
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Takes 4x damage | - |
| Takes 2x damage | |
| Takes 0.5x damage | |
| Takes 1/4x damage | |
| Takes 0x damage | - |
What is Type Effectiveness?
Base Stats
| HP | Attack | Defense | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 82 | 83 | 100 | 100 | 80 |
Best Nature for Venusaur
| Best Natures | |
|---|---|
| Timid (+Spd, -Atk) | Modest (+Sp.Atk, -Atk) |
What are Natures?
Singles Movesets for Venusaur
Chlorophyll Sunlight Moveset & Best Build
| Nature | Modest (+Sp.Atk, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | HP 188 / Sp.Atk 252 / Spd 68 |
| Final Stat Values | HP 179 / Def 103 / Sp.Atk / 167 / Sp.Def 120 / Spd 109 |
| Ability | Chlorophyll |
| Held Item | Life Orb |
| Moveset | ・Solar Beam ・Earth Power ・Sludge Bomb ・Weather Ball |
This build of Venusaur is based around setting up Sunlight and running with it.
It's recommended to use this build together with a Pokemon with the Ability Drought, which changes the weather to Sunlight.
About Venusaur's Moves
Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb serve as Venusaur's main STAB-moves. Especially useful in sunlight, Solar Beam will fire off in one turn instead of two.
Sludge Bomb also serves as Venusaur's access to Max Ooze which gives it a chance to raise its Special Attack.
Earth Power serves as a reliable coverage move that can be used against Steel-types who may otherwise wall Venusaur's STAB moves.
Finally, Weather Ball can catch some enemies off guard as, in sunlight, Weather Ball becomes a Fire-type move which can be useful when Venusaur is against other Grass-types.
About Venusaur's EV Spread
This moveset utilizes gives Venusaur max investment in Special Attack to maximize damage. Venusaur can also give up some Speed EVs and transfer it to HP since it will double it's speed in the sun anyway.
About Venusaur's Ability
With its Ability Chlorophyll, its Speed is doubled in Sunlight, allowing it to move even faster than a Togekiss with max Speed EVs and Nature with one Max Airstream under its belt.
About Venusaur's Held Item
Life Orb gives Venusaur a bit more oomph in it's attacks at the expense of some HP. If Grassy Terrain is up, it can help mitigate some of the damage lost from Life Orb.
Other Viable Moves
| Energy Ball | A stable source of damage unreliant on weather. |
|---|---|
| Leaf Storm | An alternative to Solar Beam that also deals significant damage, however it has the drawback of dropping Venusaurs' stats. |
| Sunny Day | It can be valuable for Venusaur to set its own sunlight. |
| Synthesis | Gives Venusaur a more reliable recovery move than just relying on recovery from Grassy Terrain |
| Frenzy Plant | Only good for one solid hit, but the power doesn't lie. Has 150 power as Max Overgrowth. |
| Growth | In sunlight, both Attack and Special Attack increase by 2 stages. |
| Sleep Powder | When in a pinch, putting the opponent to sleep can turn the tides. Its poor accuracy hurts, though. |
Black Sludge Moveset & Best Build
| Nature | Calm (+Sp.Def, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | HP 252 / Sp.Atk 4 / Sp.Def 252 |
| Final Stat Values | HP 202 / Def 110 / Sp.Atk 101 / Sp.Def 156 / Spd 80 |
| Ability | Chlorophyll |
| Held Item | Black Sludge |
| Moveset | ・Giga Drain ・Sludge Bomb ・Toxic ・Protect |
About Venusaur's Moves
This moveset revolves around Venusaur being a Sp.Def wall that stalls out the enemy with Toxic. Venusaur remains healthy enough thanks to Giga Drain and Protect. Sludge Bomb is here as an alternative STAB move since Giga Drain has limited PP.
About Venusaur's EV Spread
To maximize bulk, this moveset utilizes a standard specially defensive bulky spread with maximum investment in HP and Sp.Def. The remaining EVs may be placed in Sp.Atk.
About Venusaur's Held Item
As a poison type, Venusaur benefits from recovery provided by Black Sludge which is twice as much than Leftovers.
Other Viable Moves
| Leech Seed | A great utility move that can drain the enemy's HP and give Venusaur additional recovery. |
|---|---|
| Earth Power | A reliable coverage move that can be used against Steel-types who may otherwise wall Venusaur's STAB moves. |
| Synthesis | Gives Venusaur a more reliable recovery move than just relying on recovery from Grassy Terrain |
How to Use Venusaur Effectively
Made for the Sunlight
Unlike its powerful predecessor Mega Venusaur, this generation should see it take advantage of Chlorophyll to become a big-gun attacker. With doubled Speed in Sunlight, it can move first almost always. And as its base Special Attack and Special Defense are high, it can hold its own when the bullets start flying.
Take advantage of its G-Max Move
G-Max Vine Lash lets Venusaur deals end-of-turn damage against non-Grass type enemies. 1/6th of the opponent's HP is reduced each turn which is a pretty significant amount.
Useful Type Effectiveness
Venusaur's Grass-type grants it a useful immunity against common powder-based status moves such as Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, while its Poison-type grants it immunity against the poison status. This is another reason Venusaurs' bulk works really well.
How to Build a Team with Venusaur
A Dedicated Sun Sweeper
Venusaur's ability Chlorophyll allows it to fill the role of a fast and naturally bulky sweeper in the Sun.
It's secondary Poison typing also gives it an advantage against other Sun sweepers, such as Shiftry, as it can hit other Grass-type Pokemon for super effective damage with its STAB Sludge Bomb.
Check out our article below to learn how to build a Weather Team for competitive battle.
How to Build a Weather Team
Counters for Venusaur
| Weakness |
|---|
Capitalize on its Flying-type weakness
Since Venusaur doesn't have anything to deal super effective damage to Flying-types, it can be a good opportunity for others to set up Max Airstream against Venusaur.
Best Pokemon to Use
| Pokemon | Description |
|---|---|
| Celesteela | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Immunity to Venusaur's Ground and Poison-type moves gives it a clear type advantage. ・Meanwhile, Celesteela has a 1/4th resistance against Venusaur's Grass-type moves. |
| Zapdos | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Access to the super effective move Hurricane. ・Can recover after taking out Venusaur thanks to Roost. |
| Galarian Moltres | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Nasty Plot to set up against Venusaur. |
| Dragonite | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Dragon Dance to set up against Venusaur. |
Bring in other type-advantaged Pokemon
Although the Grass/Poison type combination has 6 resistances, it can't be said to be highly defensive in the current metagame. When it's up against one of its many foes, taking out Venusaur isn't a tough feat.
Best Pokemon to Use
| Pokemon | Description |
|---|---|
| Heat Rotom | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. |
| Charizard | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Venusaur's grass-type moves. ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. |
| Cinderace | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can attack Venusaur on its weaker Physical Defense. ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. |
| Chandelure | Ranking: ★★★★ ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. ・Can render Chlorophyll's boost useless by using Trick Room. |
Related Links
All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle
Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield
| Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier List | Best Builds | Series 10 List of Contenders | |||
| Doubles Tier List | Team Building | Rental Teams | |||
Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
| Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mimikyu | Wash Rotom | Gyarados |
| Ferrothorn | Aegislash | Excadrill |
| Tyranitar | Hydreigon | Heat Rotom |
| Arcanine | Mamoswine | Toxapex |
| Togekiss | Cloyster | Durant |
| Snorlax | Charizard | Sylveon |
| Lucario | Hippowdon | Umbreon |
| Conkeldurr | Quagsire | Gastrodon |
| Lapras | Whimsicott | Rhyperior |
| Goodra | Haxorus | Glaceon |
| Mow Rotom | Type: Null | Gengar |
| Milotic | Gardevoir | Flygon |
| Chandelure | Lanturn | Torkoal |
| Bisharp | Seismitoad | Silvally |
| Butterfree | Primarina | Incineroar |
| Blastoise | Decidueye |  Venusaur |
| Darmanitan | Alolan Ninetales | Gothitelle |
| Crawdaunt | Clefable | Reuniclus |
| Kommo-o | Terrakion | Cobalion |
| Virizion | Noivern | Fan Rotom |
| Toxicroak | Pelipper | Jellicent |
| Celebi | Clefairy | Hitmontop |
| Diggersby | Ditto | Raichu |
| Hawlucha | Shiftry | Tsareena |
| Ludicolo | ||
