Jumpluff (B/W) - Smogon University

G/S
R/S
D/P
B/W
Strategy
Moves

Chlorophyll: Speed doubles in sun.
Leaf Guard: Prevents status effects in sun.
Infiltrator: The wielder bypasses the foe's Light Screen, Reflect, Mist, and Safeguard.

Type	Tier
Grass / Flying	NU

Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
		Min-	Min	Max	Max+
HP	75	-	24	27	-
Atk	55	10	12	15	16
Def	70	11	13	16	17
SpA	55	10	12	15	16
SpD	85	13	15	18	19
Spe	110	15	17	20	22

Neverused
Overused
Uber
VGC '12

Overview

Although Jumpluff both deals and takes hits about as well as a cotton ball, it manages to retain its role as one of the premier annoyers of the tier due to its excellent support movepool and almost unrivaled Speed stat. If it manages to switch into play safely, it will find itself in a good position against a number of opponents, being able to use Sleep Powder, Encore, or Stun Spore to disable them, or set up a Substitute and abuse Leech Seed if the opponent switches out. In most cases, Jumpluff will be able to move before the opponent and will thus be able to steal the opponent's momentum with its plethora of supporting moves. Furthermore, Jumpluff's access to the Chlorophyll ability means that in sun, it outspeeds every single Pokemon, including many with a +2 boost. With proper team support, it can hence interrupt even Choice Scarf and Rock Polish users before they have a chance to attack.

Overall, these aspects allow Jumpluff to be an excellent disruptor, getting in the way of the opponent's plans with ease, and giving your team the momentum it needs to seize an advantage. Don't expect it to take damage nor deal it out; if all you ask of Jumpluff is to get in the opponent's way, you should be more than pleased with it.

Name	Item	Ability	Nature
SubSeed	Leftovers	Chlorophyll	Timid

Moveset	EVs
~ Substitute ~ Leech Seed ~ Sleep Powder ~ Encore	8 HP / 200 Def / 84 SpD / 216 Spe

The standard fluffball aims to switch into opponents on a Ground-type attack or after a teammate has been killed and proceed to disable, annoy, and harass them as much as possible. Against Pokemon that don't pose much of a threat, such as Wartortle and Alomomola, Jumpluff can set up a Substitute to block status and resisted Scalds, and then use Leech Seed to recover HP more quickly than the opponent can deplete it, eventually stalling them out or forcing them to switch out. The ability to stall out field effects such as Rain Dance, Reflect, and Light Screen with little effort can also be useful. Leech Seed is used primarily for healing residual damage taken from Stealth Rock and any attacks that get past Substitute while slowly whittling down enemies over time.

As for more immediately threatening opponents, such as non-Choice Scarf Sawk and Rotom-S, Sleep Powder has a good chance of shutting them down, letting you switch in a Pokemon that can set up on them. If you expect the opponent to switch out as soon as Jumpluff enters the battlefield, Jumpluff should fire off a Sleep Powder immediately, for a 75% chance of disabling their best response to Jumpluff for the rest the game. Encore completes the set by allowing Jumpluff to set up against a greater variety of opponents; if it comes in on an Skuntank using Sucker Punch, a well-timed Encore ensures that Skuntank won't be able to touch Jumpluff until it's set up a Substitute, Leech Seed, and possibly Sleep Powder as well. Encore also allows Jumpluff to set up more easily on offensive Pokemon that use Earthquake and Superpower, such as Golem and Braviary, and lets Jumpluff deal with the users of moves such as Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin, and Heal Bell, preventing them from achieving anything useful until they switch out or run out of PP.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Jumpluff is so fast it doesn't even need to invest fully in its Speed to outrun most of the tier's sweepers, except Tauros, Serperior, and Swellow. 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are optimal, as this allows Jumpluff to outspeed Cryogonal and Encore it into Rapid Spin or Recover before it can use Ice Beam. A fully invested Jumpluff can only hope to Speed tie with Tauros at best. As the 50% chance of beating a single Pokemon is virtually the only advantage to running maximum Speed, it's often not worth the loss of bulk. 8 EVs are placed into HP to give Jumpluff a Leftovers number, and thus maximize its overall HP recovery. The remaining EVs are split between Jumpluff's defensive stats to allow it to take weak attacks more easily; as Jumpluff will almost always be using Leech Seed every time it switches in, a lower HP stat lets it heal more each turn with Leech Seed. This Jumpluff's bulk is comparable to that of 252 HP / 40 Def Jumpluff, and the extra percentage of recovery makes all the difference when repeatedly using Substitute.

The above moveset is generally the most effective at disrupting opponents, but some tweaks can be made. If you want an alternative to Sleep Powder or Encore, Stun Spore will allow Jumpluff to cripple the enemy's sweepers more permanently, if somewhat inconsistently. Likewise, Aromatherapy can replace either move to turn Jumpluff into the tier's fastest cleric. Synthesis can also be useful, letting Jumpluff heal itself against opposing Grass-types and Magic Guard users, and giving it more survivability in general. However, this is unnecessary for the most part. Toxic and Protect are also good options for maximizing Jumpluff's ability to stall out opponents; if it has both Substitute and Leech Seed in effect as well, opponents will be hard-pressed to even touch Jumpluff.

As Jumpluff won't be directly killing many opponents, it depends on its synergy with its team to be an effective disruptor. Setup sweepers, such as Gorebyss, will highly appreciate having a check or counter disabled by Sleep Powder or Encore, while Swellow appreciates the extra recovery that Leech Seed can provide it, allowing it to fire off more hits before being forced out by Toxic Orb damage. As Leech Seed doesn't work against opposing Grass-type Pokemon, Jumpluff won't be able to stall them out as easily; thus, Charizard is a good teammates for its ability to deal with Grass-types. On top of this, its immunity to sleep means it can even switch into Sleep Powders without worry.

Rapid Spin support is highly appreciated, as Stealth Rock will deal severe damage to Jumpluff every time it enters combat, reducing the number of Substitutes it can make. Torkoal is a good choice for a spinner as it can threaten Grass-type Pokemon with STAB Lava Plume, and can provide Stealth Rock support to rack up even more damage. Toxic Spikes users such as Garbodor can also augment Jumpluff's stalling power by vastly increasing residual damage. Finally, adding Jumpluff to a Sunny Day team increases the number of opponents it can outspeed and put to sleep, and lets it Encore opponents into boosting moves, letting a teammate kill them before they can land an attack. Leafeon is a good choice in this regard, as it can either provide team support with Wish or Heal Bell as the opponent switches out, or hit the switch-in hard with STAB Leaf Blade.

Name	Item	Ability	Nature
Sunny Day	Heat Rock	Chlorophyll	Timid

Moveset	EVs
~ Sunny Day ~ Sleep Powder ~ Encore ~ Memento	248 HP / 44 Def / 216 Spe

When the sun shines, Jumpluff becomes the fastest Pokemon in the tier bar none, and its numerous support options let it make great use of this ludicrous Speed. Because of its ability to outspeed most opponents, its decent bulk, and its array of disruptive moves, Jumpluff finds plenty of opportunities to set up Sunny Day, whether midway throughout the match or in the lead position, making it a reliable choice as a sun supporter. What sets Jumpluff apart from most of its counterparts is its access to rare and useful support moves. Sleep Powder is a staple on any Jumpluff set, allowing it to remove threats to the rest of the team with ease. For instance, instead of a check to it, a sleeping Altaria is setup fodder for Shiftry.

Encore remains useful on this set as it allows Jumpluff to disrupt opponents in situations where using Sunny Day would give the opponent an opportunity to kill Jumpluff. Furthermore, under sunlight, Jumpluff can Encore opponents such as Altaria and Fraxure into Dragon Dance even after they've accrued multiple boosts, letting its teammates kill them before they can strike back. Memento is one of the best options for the final moveslot, as it allows Jumpluff to exit combat immediately after using Sunny Day. You can then switch in a sweeper with no risk of having it KOed by an incoming attack; it can proceed to make the most of the remaining six turns of sunlight.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Chlorophyll is the best ability to use with this set, as it allows Jumpluff to outspeed almost all boosted Pokemon in the tier under sunlight, letting it use its array of support moves against targets that would normally outspeed it. While Leaf Guard would ordinarily be quite useful to allow Jumpluff to better deal with stall teams, opponents are loath to use status attacks against it anyway due to Encore, and offensive Pokemon are much more likely to just try and kill Jumpluff before it can achieve anything.

The EV spread is also fairly standard; 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature lets Jumpluff outspeed base 105 Speed Pokemon out of sun, as well as almost all opponents once Sunny Day is active. 248 HP EVs provide Jumpluff with more overall bulk and let it switch into Stealth Rock one extra time; the remaining EVs are invested in Defense to let Jumpluff better take Superpowers, Waterfalls, and other resisted physical attacks. If you think that investing EVs in Speed is wasteful, as they will be unnecessary in sun, then an alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 196 Def / 64 Spe provides even more bulk, and still lets it outspeed Timid Rotom-S under clear skies.

Likewise, if you don't feel that Memento, Encore, or Sleep Powder are useful to your team, Jumpluff can use alternative options such as Aromatherapy, Leech Seed, and Stun Spore to fill more specialized roles instead. U-turn can also be considered over Memento, but due to Jumpluff's high Speed, the sweeper switching in will likely be hit by an incoming attack. Additionally, as U-turn fails to even 2HKO Exeggutor, it's an inferior option overall.

It is imperative to pair this Jumpluff with teammates that can benefit from sunlight as much as possible. Chlorophyll sweepers such as Victreebel and Shiftry can provide the sheer offensive presence that Jumpluff cannot muster, decimating offensive teams in sunlight, which lets them outspeed even Choice Scarf users, and Growth provides them with the ability to boost their power quickly. Fire-type Pokemon such as Charizard and Rapidash also benefit from sunlight's boost to their STAB attacks, letting them break through walls much more easily. Meanwhile, bulky Leaf Guard + Synthesis users, such as Meganium and Leafeon, can be used on more defensively inclined teams, as they become much more effective tanks thanks to immunity to status and extremely rapid healing.

A Water- or Dragon-type can also add to defensive synergy of your team; Alomomola can wall many powerful attacks from attackers such as Braviary who threaten Jumpluff, while Altaria can take boosted Fire Blasts well due to its excellent Special Defense stat. It's also important to consider additional Sunny Day users to use alongside Jumpluff, and to ensure that the match remains bathed in sunlight for as long as possible; Regirock makes a good choices, as it can also provide Stealth Rock support, and has good synergy with many standard sun abusers.

Name	Item	Ability	Nature
Swords Dance	Flying Gem	Chlorophyll	Jolly

Moveset	EVs
~ Swords Dance ~ Acrobatics ~ Seed Bomb ~ Sleep Powder / Encore	252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Yes, you read that correctly. Although Jumpluff's base 55 Attack stat might seem beyond help, Jumpluff has many traits that make it a good endgame sweeper regardless, and it has the potential to sweep any offensive team that gives it the opportunity to set up. One important aspect that aids Jumpluff as a sweeper is its base 110 Speed, as only Swellow and Choice Scarf users can land a hit on Jumpluff before it can retaliate. If your team can provide it with Sunny Day support, even these become shaky checks as they are forced to take a hit before striking back.

Secondly, Jumpluff can force a lot of switches by bluffing the traditional support set and threatening to SubSeed, and it can use Sleep Powder to incapacitate potential checks even after its cover has been blown. Finally, while it sorely lacks raw strength, the combination of Flying Gem and STAB Acrobatics provides even the fluffball Jumpluff with the power to OHKO bulky opponents after a Swords Dance boost. Meanwhile, Seed Bomb provides an extra STAB attack and good neutral coverage within the tier, whilst also hitting popular physically defensive opponents such as Golem and Regirock super effectively.

All in all, Jumpluff is able to threaten a sweep after a Swords Dance boost despite its relatively low power, as it excels in many other aspects of a good sweeper, such as unpredictability, the ability to remove checks in advance, and good coverage. Regardless of what your opponent might say behind a stifled laugh, Jumpluff can decimate an offensive team that isn't prepared for it, and can overwhelm its enemies with sheer awesomeness.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Although it can be easy to dismiss offensive Jumpluff as a joke at first, upon closer inspection, Jumpluff actually has the ability to OHKO many offensive Pokemon after a boost, and can 2HKO some of the most physically bulky Pokemon in the tier, as the following damage calculations demonstrate. Even opponents that resist Acrobatics, such as Rotom-S, can be 2HKOed thanks to the boost Flying Gem provides to the first attack.

+2 Acrobatics vs. 0/4 Swellow 120.68% - 142.52%
+2 Flying Gem Acrobatics vs. 0/4 Rotom-S 61.15% - 71.9%
+2 Flying Gem Acrobatics vs. 252/0 Misdreavus 65.12% - 76.85%
+2 Flying Gem Acrobatics vs. 252/0 Armaldo 88.13% - 104.51%
+2 Flying Gem Acrobatics vs. 252/200+ Torterra 116.24% - 137.05%
+2 Seed Bomb vs. 252/0 Regirock 46.15% - 54.39%
+2 Seed Bomb vs. 112/0 Samurott 97.49% - 115.32%

The EV spread is self-explanatory; Jumpluff needs to maximize its pathetic Attack stat to sweep effectively, and maximum Speed investment will prevent the occasional Jolly Tauros from interrupting your sweep. If you're not satisfied with Jumpluff being able to actually kill things, Bounce + Life Orb can be used instead of Acrobatics + Flying Gem. Although Jumpluff's Flying-type attack is significantly reduced in power and now requires a charge turn, the extra power granted to Seed Bomb could help Jumpluff break through opponents such as Regirock more reliably. As per usual, Chlorophyll is the best ability to use as it gives Jumpluff the ability to outspeed and OHKO many Choice Scarf users with a Flying Gem boost and Sunny Day support, giving it an even more distinct niche as a sweeper.

Meanwhile, because Jumpluff is obviously not the most powerful attacker around, it desperately wants Spikes and Stealth Rock support to increase its likelihood of securing kills against bulky opponents. Regirock and Camerupt are particularly good partners to Jumpluff, as they can deal with Probopass and Bastiodon with Earthquake, as well as use Stealth Rock and Sunny Day to increase Jumpluff's sweeping capacity. Golem is also a good choice to deal with the Electric- and Flying-type opponents that can mess with Jumpluff. Teammates with priority attacks, such as Skuntank, and Choice Scarf users with access to U-turn and Volt Switch, such as Swellow and Rotom-S, provide additional methods of reliably cleaning up a weakened team. Pursuit users, such as Skuntank, can also be useful in preventing mortally wounded opponents from sneaking away before Jumpluff can finish them off.

Other Options

Jumpluff has many other useful support moves, but it lacks the space to run many of them alongside its other moves. Aromatherapy is useful on any set to remove status from teammates, but it can conflict with Jumpluff's purpose of disrupting the opponent. Synthesis provides Jumpluff with a reliable recovery option, especially in sunlight, but the listed moves are generally more useful. Cotton Guard and Amnesia are interesting stat boosting options that can make Jumpluff's Substitutes unbreakable, but despite Jumpluff's excellent Speed stat, it is setup fodder for other boosting opponents while using these moves, and phazers thwart this strategy too. Stun Spore can be used alongside Sleep Powder for a double powder strategy, and can be very useful when combined with Encore to disrupt the opponent in a different way. Jumpluff can use Toxic to bolster its ability to actually stall opponents out with Substitute and Leech Seed instead of just annoying them, but it's generally a better idea to use a setter of Toxic Spikes, as all Jumpluff's moveslots are valuable to it.

Worry Seed can be used to remove abilities such as Sturdy and Guts, which can be very useful when you're trying to take down the last Pokemon on your opponent's team, such as a Toxic Orb Swellow or a Calm Mind Duosion, but it conflicts with Sleep Powder and does not help Jumpluff fill its role as a disruptor in the majority of situations. Finally, if you're desperate for Jumpluff to deal some damage, Giga Drain can deal with opponents such as Seismitoad and Golem, whilst Hidden Power Flying hits Grass-types that attempt to switch into Leech Seed without the repercussions of Bounce or Acrobatics. The Infiltrator ability is beyond useless, as Light Screen and Reflect very rarely conflict with Jumpluff's aims, and it excels at stalling these moves out anyway.

Checks and Counters

Offensive Pokemon will struggle to outmaneuver Jumpluff a lot of the time, but there are ways of dealing with it decisively and effectively. Taunt completely shuts support Jumpluff down, but most of its users will be outsped by Jumpluff. All Grass-type Pokemon can switch into Leech Seed with impunity and thwart Jumpluff's attempts at stalling out opponents. Serperior is a particularly good counter as it outspeeds Jumpluff naturally, can use Taunt to prevent Jumpluff from doing anything, and can proceed to set up Calm Mind or Coil with impunity.

Likewise, Pokemon with the Vital Spirit ability, such as Electabuzz and Magmar, in addition to Sap Sipper Miltank, Zebstrika, and Sawsbuck, can switch into Sleep Powder with no repercussions and force Jumpluff out with their powerful attacks. Sleep Talk users also don't mind being put to sleep, and can switch into Sleep Powder preemptively to let other teammates deal with Jumpluff more effectively. Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-S, as well as Swellow, can outspeed Jumpluff and force it to retreat, while possibly stealing momentum of their own with Volt Switch and U-turn.

While the Swords Dance set admittedly deals with the Grass-type Pokemon that block the SubSeed set with ease, Probopass and Bastiodon aren't bothered at all by its attacks, and can set up on Jumpluff with impunity if it's already used Sleep Powder on another opponent. In general, any physically bulky Pokemon that resists Acrobatics and isn't decimated by Seed Bomb makes a good check to this particular set.