[OVERVIEW]
Bouffalant finds a home in the ZU metagame thanks to its decent movepool, above-average bulk, excellent Attack stat, and desirable abilities in Sap Sipper and Reckless. Its main niche is to be a bulky Normal-type setup sweeper with Swords Dance. Sap Sipper is by far its best ability, letting in come in on the Grass-types of the tier like Shiftry, Abomasnow, and Leafeon to get an Attack boost and become even more dangerous. Alternatively, if Bouffalant is running Reckless, it can punch big holes in the opposing team with STAB Head Charge. With its powerful STAB moves, as well as its coverage moves like Earthquake and Pursuit, Bouffalant can be difficult to switch into or pivot on. While Komala does outclass Bouffalant as a Normal-type wallbreaker thanks to its immunity to status, better Attack stat, and access to Rapid Spin, if a team is lacking bulk, Bouffalant is a better pick over Komala as well as Kecleon. Bouffalant can also utilize a Choice Band very well, but Komala typically does this better as well. The same can be said for an Assault Vest set, which Komala and Kecleon also can use better thanks to their respective abilities in Comatose and Protean as well as their above-average Special Defense stats. Bouffalant's lack of Knock Off worsens its matchup against Bronzor as well; Komala not only learns Knock Off, but also possesses higher Speed and a pivoting move, making it a better Bronzor check. At a paltry base 55 Speed, Bouffalant gets outsped by most of the tier, and despite its decent bulk, it still gets worn down easily by common wallbreakers like Silvally-Fighting, Electivire, and Pinsir.
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Return
move 2: Swords Dance / Earthquake
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 84 Atk / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance, in tandem with Substitute and Toxic, is what allows Bouffalant to function as a stallbreaker and break through tanks like Lickilicky and Golem. Alternatively, Earthquake can be run in its place to hit Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types, but Bouffalant loses out on the much-wanted Attack boost and the ability to wallbreak or sweep teams. Toxic is a way to punish switch-ins that would otherwise wall Bouffalant such as Gourgeist-XL, Golem, Crustle, and Pyukumuku. Lastly, Substitute lets Bouffalant capitalize on potential switches made by the opponent and avoid a potential burn from Gourgeist-XL or a Toxic from Lickilicky or Bronzor.
Set Details
========
176 Speed EVs let Bouffalant outspeed base 45 Speed Pokemon like Adamant Golem. 84 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature maximize Bouffalant's Attack while the rest of the EVs goes into HP for added bulk. Leftovers gives Bouffalant that much-needed passive recovery to help maintain its longevity.
Usage Tips
========
As the name suggests, this set's goal is to deal with stall, and because of this, keeping Bouffalant behind its Substitute is key. Getting badly poisoned or burned before using Substitute will ruin any chance Bouffalant has of doing its job. For this reason, switching into Pokemon like Pyukumuku and Gourgeist-XL is a bad idea. Utilizing Toxic is important in wearing the opposing team down; multiple Pokemon in the tier can wall Bouffalant completely or set up on it like Gourgeist and Crustle, and Toxic can potentially put a stop to those plans and make it easier for Bouffalant's teammates to take them on. If Bouffalant is behind a Substitute, the opposing team will want to get rid of it quickly before Bouffalant starts setting up and dealing damage. As a stallbreaker, Bouffalant can break a balance team and play as a tank if Substitute isn't needed. Most of the time, Swords Dance should be used behind a Substitute or when all Ghost-types are gone.
Team Options
========
Bronzor is a huge issue with this variant of Bouffalant, since it walls everything Bouffalant throws at it. However, Bronzor does require high damage rolls on its Psywave to break Bouffalant's Substitute to prevent a Swords Dance boost. Having a Fire- or Dark-type like Simisear or Shiftry helps greatly. As mentioned before, Gourgeist-XL is also a problem; in addition to Shiftry helping here, other Pokemon like Combusken and Swanna make for great partners for this set. A Pokemon that can deal with Steel-types like Bronzor and Mawile gives Bouffalant an easier time; Alolan Golem is a prime example thanks to its Magnet Pull ability. Toxic Spikes gives Bouffalant trouble, so a reliable entry hazard remover is critical. These partners include Silvally-Fighting, Silvally-Water, and Altaria for Defog and Sandslash for Rapid Spin. Since poison is an issue, bringing in a Poison- or Steel-type to absorb any move that can Poison, particularly Toxic, will relieve Bouffalant of a lot of pressure. Good teammates that can do this include Muk, Mareanie, and Bronzor. Teammates that can threaten and dispose of Ghost-types work very with Bouffalant, such as Shiftry and Pawniard. Since entry hazards wear down the opposing team, bring teammates able to set them do just that; Mareanie works well here thanks to its access to Toxic Spikes.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Facade
move 4: Pursuit
item: Assault Vest
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Return is a nice STAB move that hits most of the meta for decent damage. Earthquake allows Bouffalant to hit the Rock- and Steel-types that Return won't like Golem and Metang. Facade is a nice move to fall back on if Bouffalant becomes crippled with status. Bouffalant can trap Pokemon like Beheeyem and Kadabra with Pursuit to remove their ability to deal serious damage. It also traps pivots that don't like being worn down and can't OHKO Bouffalant like Electivire and Chatot.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest allows Bouffalant to avoid getting OHKOed by a Choice Specs-boosted Focus Blast from Abomasnow. It also has a good chance of letting Bouffalant eat up a +2 Inferno Overdrive from Simisear. Max EVs in HP and Attack along with an Adamant nature give Bouffalant the most bulk it can and hit as hard as it can.
Usage Tips
========
Since this set aims to utilize Bouffalant's Special Defense, it has to be wary of strong physical wallbreakers, particularly Shiftry, which can also remove Bouffalant's Assault Vest with Knock Off. Bouffalant can still function as a physical tank with this set and hits the physically frail threats that can't hit it back hard such as Kadabra, Mr. Mime, and Simisear. Also, since Bouffalant has no recovery, is slow, and wants to conserve its HP, bringing it in safely via a slow U-turn or Volt Switch is crucial. Bouffalant serves as a specially defensive pivot, and as such, its job involves switching it into special attackers and possibly retaliating. It shouldn't be switching into special attackers that could be running Focus Blast like Combusken, however. It can switch directly into Grass-types like Bellossom to get a Sap Sipper boost, but it should avoid other Grass-types like Shiftry and Leafeon, both of which can carry Knock Off.
Team Options
========
Since Bouffalant is going to be trying to take special attacks, physical attacks will be an issue, especially Fighting-type moves; having a Psychic- or Fairy-type on the team like Beheeyem or Granbull relieves Bouffalant of some of that stress. Since Sap Sipper allows Bouffalant to deal with Grass-types more easily, partners that appreciate them gone such as Golem, Basculin, and Electivire work well with it. A strong special wallbreaker such as Simipour or Servine to go with Bouffalant is critical, since physically bulky Pokemon will give it a hard time. Slow pivots like Mareanie and Rotom-S can bring in Bouffalant without it taking damage. Entry hazard setters like Golem, Crustle, and Mawile make for great partners to give Bouffalant an easier time taking down opposing Pokemon. Conversely, entry hazard removers also help to keep Bouffalant's HP up and avoid poison from Toxic Spikes. Possible spinners include Sandslash, while potential Defoggers include Altaria and Rotom-F. Partners that don't have the best special bulk appreciate Bouffalant coming in to take those special attacks. Ideal partners are Gourgeist-XL, Metang, and Pinsir; Gourgeist-XL in particular works well thanks to ability to deal with physically attackers like Golem and Komala.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Toxic / Facade
item: Choice Band
ability: Reckless
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Head Charge is a great STAB move here that can OHKO Lickilicky after Stealth Rock damage. Earthquake lets Bouffalant hit the Rock- and Steel-types of the tier, most notably 2HKOing both Golem and Metang and OHKOing Probopass and Pawniard. Toxic is a nice option to poison certain Pokemon that Bouffalant cannot normally hit very well at all like Gourgeist-XL and Dusclops. Facade hits harder than Head Charge if Bouffalant is crippled with status and is a nice move to spam once the Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types are gone from the opposing team. Pursuit traps frail Pokemon that are susceptible to Dark-type moves like Beheeyem, Grumpig, and Kadabra and also hits pivots like Volt Switch Electivire and U-turn Silvally-Water, both of which cannot OHKO Bouffalant.
Set Details
========
Pyukumuku gets 2HKOed by Head Charge and offensive Golem has a chance to be OHKOed by Earthquake after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Band Bouffalant's main role is to simply deal damage. Ghost-types like Gourgeist-XL and Dusclops are a problem when it comes to spamming STAB Head Charge or Facade; this is where Toxic comes into play. Once opposing Ghost-types are poisoned, Bouffalant can switch out to preserve its status by avoiding a burn or Toxic poison. Grass-types like Shiftry, Leafeon, and Jumpluff don't want to give Sap Sipper Bouffalant that extra Attack boost, so switching into these Pokemon could potentially help Bouffalant. However, the former two typically carry Knock Off and may end up getting rid of Bouffalant's Choice Band. Bringing Bouffalant in from a slow U-turn or Volt Switch is always a good idea to maintain its longevity and avoid any unwanted burns from the aforementioned Ghost-types and Scald users like Mareanie and Swanna. Since Bouffalant is a wallbreaker, if the opposing team has a Ghost-type on it, it will likely switch it into Bouffalant every time, so it is important to utilize Toxic in those situations until they're gone. Reckless-boosted Head Charge's heavy recoil damage should always be taken into account; getting worn down is always going to be a problem for Bouffalant, since it's usually getting hit before it can deliver a hit itself.
Team Options
========
While this moveset covers the tier pretty well, it doesn't cover a few threats. Gourgeist-XL, for example, is a huge problem for Bouffalant, and having a specially attacking partner like Abomasnow, Zebstrika, or Combusken helps it out. Bronzor is also a problem, so having a Dark-, Ghost-, or Fire-type around to deal with it certainly helps; options include Shiftry, Dusknoir, and Simisear. Since Bouffalant is going to want to be switched in safely every single time, having a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user like bulky Silvally-Poison or Probopass is a must. Since Bouffalant will be locked into a move, usually Head Charge or Facade, setup sweepers like Crustle and Pawniard can come in for free and take advantage of it. Partners that can deal with these Pokemon include Pyukumuku and Silvally-Fighting. Having a partner to deal with Rock- and Steel-types like Golem, Crustle, Bronzor, and Mawile make Bouffalant's job easier; such partners include Floatzel, Electivire, and Combusken. Entry hazard setters like Crustle and Mareanie also give Bouffalant an easier time by wearing down the opposing team. Hazard control from Pokemon like Mareanie, Sandslash, and Silvally-Poison can help keep Bouffalant around longer. Toxic Spikes in particular will wear down Bouffalant quickly, especially when combined with Head Charge's recoil damage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A RestTalk set can be used with Swords Dance to give Bouffalant longevity and protection against status at the cost of being more passive and easier to wall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL, Golem, Crustle, and even Pyukumuku give Bouffalant headaches and can easily switch into it.
**Bronzor**: Bronzor has nothing to fear from Bouffalant. It resists Bouffalant's STAB attacks, is immune to Earthquake and Toxic, and, most importantly, often runs Rest to recover whatever damage Bouffalant may have dealt to it.
**Faster Pokemon**: In general, Bouffalant is not fast, which means it is prone to getting hit hard. Because of this, its hopes of potentially dealing a lot of damage rest on it coming on in something slower like Camerupt or Probopass.
**Residual Damage**: Head Charge recoil and entry hazards wear down Bouffalant quickly, especially considering that Bouffalant has no reliable recovery.
**Fighting-types**: The common Fighting-types of the tier like Silvally-Fighting, Machoke, Combusken, and Monferno pressure Bouffalant offensively and force it out every time.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Oathkeepre, 83980]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [BloodAce0107, 435539], [LPY, 244693]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Empress, 175616]]
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