Venusaur - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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.

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

Best Nature for Venusaur

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Venusaur

Chlorophyll Sunlight Moveset & Best Build

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

Black Sludge Moveset & Best Build

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

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. Moveset & Best Build for Celesteela
Zapdos	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Access to the super effective move Hurricane. ・Can recover after taking out Venusaur thanks to Roost. Moveset & Best Build for Zapdos
Galarian Moltres	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Nasty Plot to set up against Venusaur. Moveset & Best Build for Galarian Moltres
Dragonite	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Dragon Dance to set up against Venusaur. Moveset & Best Build for Dragonite

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. Moveset & Best Build for Heat Rotom
Charizard	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Venusaur's grass-type moves. ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. Moveset & Best Build for Charizard
Cinderace	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can attack Venusaur on its weaker Physical Defense. ・Has a clear type advantage and can benefit from boosts in the sun. Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
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. Moveset & Best Build for Chandelure

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