Bouffalant
[Overview]
<p>Bouffalant fares better in RU than any of the above tiers. A high base 110 Attack stat, and access to Reckless and a great signature move in Head Charge that is boosted by said ability turn it into quite the hard hitter; combine this with Swords Dance and there are almost no defensive Pokemon that can stand up to it. But that's not all; Bouffalant can take weaker hits with ease thanks to its decent bulk, and with Sap Sipper, it receives a welcomed immunity to Grass-type moves, including Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, receiving an Attack boost when hit by them. Unfortunately, Bouffalant's low Speed stat and weakness to Fighting-type moves hold it back a bit, making it easy to check. However, with its high stats, great abilities, and moves to take advantage of them, Bouffalant is a dangerous offensive threat that shouldn't be taken lightly.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Reckless
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Choice Band won't make Bouffalant hit as hard as with Swords Dance, it saves Bouffalant the trouble of setting up. However, it should be noted that Bouffalant still 2HKOes most defensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Tangrowth, Gligar, and Mandibuzz. Earthquake hits what Head Charge can't, namely Rock- and Steel-types such as Omastar, Aggron, and Steelix. Stone Edge hits Flying-types such as Mandibuzz slightly harder than Head Charge, while Megahorn swiftly brings walls such as Claydol and Tangrowth down, dealing slightly more damage to the mentioned Pokemon than Head Charge.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pursuit is an option if you want Bouffalant itself to be able to hit Ghost-types. An alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def is usable to make Bouffalant bulkier, allowing it to take hits easier, though maximum Speed is used on the given EV spread to outrun walls such as Gligar and Quilfish. Rapid Spin support is really useful for Bouffalant, as it's going to switch around a lot. In this regard, Claydol is the best choice to pair with Bouffalant, also resisting the Fighting-type moves that Bouffalant is weak to. It's also best to remove Ghost-type Pokemon before sending Bouffalant in, as they are immune to Head Charge. Honchkrow and Krookodile make great partners, easily disposing of Ghost-types with their STAB Dark-type moves. Fighting-types are also a huge problem for Bouffalant, disposing of it easily with their STAB attacks. For this reason, Psychic- and Flying-type Pokemon such as Gallade and Moltres pair well with Bouffalant, as they can easily dispose of those Fighting-types.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Head Charge / Return
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Stone Edge / Megahorn
item: Lum Berry / Leftovers
ability: Reckless / Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The effectiveness of this set lies in the fact thatSwords Dance coupled with Reckless and Head Charge will easily break through the most defensive Pokemon in RU, 2HKOing them at worst. Earthquake nicely covers Rock- and Steel-types such as Aggron and Steelix, which Bouffalant can't touch otherwise. The fourth depends solely on what you want Bouffalant to do. Taunt helps in crippling most walls, as it will prevent them from using any status move that may cripple Bouffalant in any way. However, Stone Edge and Megahorn are useful as well for the additional coverage they provide, hitting as they hit Flying-, Grass-, and Psychic-types such as Mandibuzz, Tangrowth, and Claydol slightly harder than Head Charge.</p>
<p>Sap Sipper can also be used over Reckless to give Bouffalant a useful immunity to Grass-type moves, especially Leech Seed and Sleep Powder. Bouffalant will also receive a nice boost to its Attack stat if hit by Grass-type move, and when coupled with a Swords Dance boost, this will make it hit really hard. Return can be used over Head Charge if you opt for Sap Sipper, to avoid the recoil damage. With Sap Sipper, Bouffalant is also able to put a stop to Lilligant, which can be hard to take out otherwise.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Lum Berry is the preferred item, as it will keep Bouffalant safe from crippling status, but Leftovers is still useful as it extends Bouffalant's longevity. Note that the EV spread can also be changed to 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def to make Bouffalant more bulky. As with any sweeper, entry hazards support is highly appreciated to ease up a few KOs. Claydol and Scolipede are good choices to set these up, as they also help Bouffalant in taking Fighting-type moves with their high Defense stats and resistances. Uxie is also a good choice: it can provide dual screens support and set up Stealth Rock while also resisting Fighting-type moves. Ghost-type Pokemon such as Cofagrigus can put a stop to Bouffalant and thus need to be removed before Bouffalant can sweep. Honchkrow and Krookodile are the best choices for Pokemon to take care of them, with their great Attack stats and powerful Dark-type STAB. Since Fighting-type Pokemon such as Medicham are huge threats, Pokemon such as Scyther and Moltres make good partners for deal with them. Bouffalant can also be used on a Trick Room team by using a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bouffalant's other options are rather few. Retaliate doubles in power when a teammate has fainted, but its use is rather situational. Wild Charge can be used as an additional coverage option too, as it is boosted by Reckless and hits Water- and Flying-types for super effective damage. It should be noted that it only does more damage than a neutral Head Charge if it's 4x super effective; however, Wild Charge is Bouffalant's most powerful move against Kabutops and Omastar. Iron Head and Poison Jab are two more attacking moves which Bouffalant has access to, but they are outclassed by Earthquake and Megahorn in terms of coverage. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge for its superior accuracy, but it will miss out on 2HKOing Mandibuzz. With Bouffalant's bulk, it can make use of Toxic, Sunny Day, and Rain Dance to support its team, but such roles are better left to other Pokemon such as Uxie. Rest is also an option for a recovery move, but Bouffalant will then be left as a sitting duck for two turns.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The best way to counter Bouffalant is to send out a faster Pokemon when one of your Pokemon has fainted or when Bouffalant is setting up. Medicham and Hitmonlee are both faster and OHKO with Hi Jump Kick. Gligar walls Choice Band Bouffalant all day long with its huge Defense stat and Roost. It also has access to Toxic, easily wearing Bouffalant down. Unaware Quagsire is a pain for any Bouffalant, as it ignores Bouffalant's stat boosts and has access to Recover to keep itself healthy, fearing only Taunt. Ghost-types also make a good job of taking care of Bouffalant, being immune to Head Charge. Cofagrigus and Dusknoir pack Will-O-Wisp and huge Defense stats to bring Bouffalant down with.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Bouffalant receives Soundproof from the Dream World, which is pretty useless; Taunt already blocks Roar, and there aren't any notable users of Bug Buzz present in RU either. Use Reckless or Sap Sipper—they are much better abilities.</p>
