Also, guys, we got a new suspect coming up soon and folks are talking in about Deoxys-N and Lugia? Shouldn't we be preparing our Volcarona arguments to make sure they are more thorough than they have been coming into some of the more recent suspects? Not to police the comment section or anything. It just seems like a waste of effort to go into such detail at this time on something that can't happen the way things are. Maybe, just maybe if Volc fails to get a ban then we could discuss alternatives. Like I stopped talking about my alternative solutions with BE or whatever because it's clearly not the time to continue to bring that up.
I'll start this off.
I believe that the claims that volc have 'defensive utility' are shallow (I'm not meaning this in a mean way, I just think that there is more depth to what volc checks). I would like to go through them.
Firstly, we have grass types. In OU we have 4 grass types. They are Meowscarada, Rillaboom, Ogerpon-Wellspring and Serperior.
Meowscarada: Volc is a decent mon against this. It cannot switch into knock off, that's horrible for it. However, everything else it does pretty well against. But meowscarada is a mid mon, so volc is not worth keeping around to check it.
Ogerpon Wellspring: Volc does not counter this, I think everybody knows why. But I still wanted to get this out of the way so nobody later on comments on it. If you don't know, water beats fire.
Rillaboom: Firstly, rillaboom is not broken (we all know who I am addresing when saying this). Now, volc is an amazing counter to this. The most common rilla set is band, which volc can basically sit on. So that's one mon.
Serperior: Like meow, this is mid. It does quad resist grass, but volc can't reliably beat this. The best set, which is sub+leech+glare, can potentially beat it. But that can potentially beat a lot of mons. I'll give that.
Next, ice types. We have Kyurem and Weavile.
Kyurem: This is the main one people talk about when saying that volc has defensive utility. However, volc doesn't truly counter this. Yes, it takes freeze drys extremely well while not being weak to earth power, but it can't switch into draco's as easily. Boots kyurem draco does 54% minimum, which is a lot. And if its specs, it does 80% minimum. This does not look like a true counter to me. If volc is chipped even slightly, then specs variants destroy it. If its HDB variants, they still have to be careful. I'll give this a half point, I don't believe this fully counters kyurem, but what truly does.
Weavile: Does not counter it. +2 knock off has a very good chance to ohko it. It can switch into triple axel, but that's still doing 30%. Weavile also outspeeds, so if volc is chipped even 12%, it has a good chance to go down. Not countering this.
Finally, we have fairy types. In OU we have iron valiant, enamorus, hatterene, clefable and primarina (no, ribombee doesn't count).
Iron valiant: The other big thing that volc checks, but it does have issues. SD variants can beat it as at +2, knock has a chance to OHKO. Calm mind variants can do well against it, but that's only one set. Plus, if valiant decides to run liquidation, its ggs. That's a really niche move, but it is something. Plus, valiant isn't broken. I doubt it will ever be broken, so why keep a mon that is problematic in its own right? Another half point.
Enamorus: Volc absolutely counters this. However, when has enamorus been a problem?
Hatterene: On paper, volc should beat it, however in practice it does not. Hatterene commonly runs nuzzle, which ruins volc unless it teras ground. Plus, psyshock at +1 always 2hit kos. So volc isn't truly answering it. Another half point, but is hatterene really a problem?
Clefable: Beats clefable, but once again, is it really a problem?
Primarina: Does not beat this. Prim beats most volc sets except for the tera grass giga drain set, but that is very niche. Its not coming in on surf, and cannot ko it back.
So, adding up all the mons, the things that volc counters fully (valiant, hatterene are it can somewhat counter) are:
Kyurem (doubt this but I'll give it)
Rillaboom
Serperior
Meowscarada
Enamorus
Clefable
6 mons that it truly counters, 5 of which are not problematic. Only one, which is kyurem, in which it doesn't even counter all its sets.
Oh, and the flame body thing, that I don't believe is enough of a reason to keep it. Rocky helmet is right there, removing volc will not mean contact moves will become too hard to deal with.
Overall, the defensive qualities of volc are not enough to keep it around when it blasts through everything. This list is assuming its switching into these moves, if they switch into volc most lose.
If I missed any, please tell me.