|
-
Intimidate
- Lowers the foe's Attack one stage. Decreases wild encounter rate.
-
Anger Point
- Raises Attack to +6 if struck by a critical hit.
-
Sheer Force
- Increases power of moves with secondary effects by 30%, but removes the effects.
|
Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
75
|
- |
291 |
354 |
- |
| Atk |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
| Def |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| SpA |
40
|
104 |
116 |
179 |
196 |
| SpD |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| Spe |
110
|
230 |
256 |
319 |
350 |
Overview
With the introduction of BW, Tauros was gifted with the new ability, Sheer Force, from the Dream World. This ability boosts the damage of moves with a secondary effect by 30% and nullifies Life Orb recoil when using those moves. That, when combined with Tauros's excellent Speed and Attack stats, makes it a force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, Tauros has decent bulk, which makes it difficult to take down. Tauros also gained the new move, Work Up, which boosts Tauros's great Attack and its rather weak Special Attack to decent levels, making even a mixed set viable. Similarly to the previous generation, Tauros is known for revenge killing and sweeping late-game. However, the bull is weak to Fighting-type moves such as Close Combat and Mach Punch, both of which can easily stop Tauros's sweep. If you pack the right support and remove Tauros's main checks, it can be a major threat.
Double-Edge is Tauros's most powerful STAB move. Return has no recoil, but it also doesn't have the same power as Double-Edge, and while Rock Climb reaches almost the same Base Power as Double-Edge when combined with Sheer Force, its accuracy is shaky. Rock Climb and Double-Edge wreak havoc on anything that does not resist them, 2HKOing even common defensive walls such as 248 HP / 252 Def Milotic with just Stealth Rock or one layer of Spikes. In comparison, Return has no drawbacks except for the Life Orb recoil, making it a bit more reliable than the other two. Earthquake hits Steel-types such as Registeel, Cobalion, and Bisharp that resist Tauros's STAB, and also hits Poison-, Electric, and Fire-types for super effective damage. Rock Slide is boosted by Sheer Force and helps Tauros to take on the likes of Moltres, Zapdos, Yanmega, Rotom-H, and Altaria, outspeeding and 2HKOing or OHKOing them. Zen Headbutt is also boosted by Sheer Force and hits Fighting-types that would otherwise threaten Tauros.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Intimidate lets Tauros switch in easily and gives it more survivability, while Sheer Force boosts the power of Tauros's moves and removes Life Orb recoil on some of them. The only drawback is that Double-Edge is illegal with Sheer Force.
The EV spread is pretty simple; 252 EVs in Attack and Speed maximize Tauros's sweeping potential. A Jolly Nature lets Tauros speed tie with other Pokemon at base 110 Speed, but Adamant gives Tauros a lot more power.
Pursuit can be used to trap opponents that fear Tauros. Roserade is a good partner for the bull, resisting Fighting-type attacks and setting up entry hazards, helping Tauros to sweep. Dark-types such as Houndoom and Weavile are also good partners for Tauros, since they are able to take on Ghost-types such as Dusclops and Cofagrigus easily.
Other Options
A Work Up set is viable, and can be purely physical or go mixed with Fire Blast. When using Work Up, Sheer Force is advisable for maximum power. Tauros can also use a Choice item well. Choice Band gives Tauros incredible power, while Choice Scarf makes it an excellent revenge killer. Stone Edge can be used over Rock Slide if you are fishing for a critical hit or if you are planning on using Intimidate instead of Sheer Force. Wild Charge hits bulky Water-types such as Milotic, Alomomola, and Slowbro as hard as Double-Edge, but doesn't give Ghost-types a free switch in.
Checks and Counters
Dusclops and Cofagrigus are Tauros's worst nightmare. They can take every single one of Tauros's moves easily, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and heal themselves with Pain Split. Slowbro also takes hits decently and may burn Tauros with Scald, recovering any damage dealt with Slack Off and Regenerator. Alomomola works similarly, but is able to pass Wish to its teammates. Hitmontop with Intimidate also laughs at Tauros, OHKOing it with Close Combat or revenge killing it with Mach Punch. Bulky Eviolite users such as Gligar and Ferroseed are also able to take on Tauros. Gligar can poison it with Toxic and Roost off any damage dealt, while Ferroseed can paralyze Tauros, making it useless.
