Butterfree
[Overview]
<p>Butterfree has never been a premier choice for competitive battlers, as her poor stats, hideous typing, Stealth Rock weakness, and shallow movepool have prevented her from being a decent Pokemon. However, she has become noticeably better throughout the generations: in RSE, she received Compoundeyes which remedied Sleep Powder and Stun Spore's accuracy problems, and DPP introduced the Focus Sash and Choice Scarf, which gave her more opportunities to use her status moves. But while Butterfree has had a niche in the last two generations as the only Pokemon with a 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, she has never really been able to shine in the spotlight of any tier. Now, BW has once again given her some useful tools which have finally given her the chance to shine. First of all, Butterfree has gained Quiver Dance, and with it, she finally has a way to sweep the opposition. Additionally, the Dream World has given Butterfree the Tinted Lens ability, which allows her to circumvent her lack of coverage and sweep with Bug Buzz. To top it all off, Venomoth is banned from RU, so Butterfree is the sole Bug-type that has access to both Quiver Dance and Sleep Powder. While Butterfree is still a poor Pokemon in many ways, and she faces stiff competition from the likes of Quiver Dancing Bug-types and Lilligant, she occupies a few niches in RU as either a reliable status spreader or a lethal Quiver Dance sweeper, and she can be very successful at those niches with a little support.</p>
[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Quiver Dance
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to the picture-perfect combination of Sleep Powder, Quiver Dance, and Tinted Lens, Butterfree is perfectly capable of sweeping the opposing team. Butterfree is the only Bug-type in RU who receives the combination of Sleep Powder and Quiver Dance, and her access to Sleep Powder makes her arguably the best Bug-type Quiver Dancer in RU. While Butterfree does face some heavy competition in Lilligant, Butterfree's abilities set her apart, as Tinted Lens allows Butterfree to rely solely on Bug Buzz for coverage, freeing up room for Substitute, while Compoundeyes guarantees that her Sleep Powder will hit the foe. Additionally, Butterfree is able to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon in the RU metagame after one Quiver Dance, bar Accelgor, Ninjask, and Electrode, making her difficult to revenge kill after a single boost. With little support, Quiver Dance Butterfree is very capable of freely slicing her way through the opposing team like a hot knife through butter.</p>
<p>Sleep Powder is key to this set, as Butterfree's main way to set up on an opponent is to put them to sleep. It is usually a safe option to simply throw out first when Butterfree is sent out, as BW's sleep mechanics basically guarantee that a sleeping Pokemon is effectively knocked out. However, while Sleep Powder is a key weapon in Butterfree's arsenal, note that once Butterfree has put a Pokemon to sleep, she will be unable to do so again until said Pokemon has woken up or fainted, due to Sleep Clause. As such, sometimes it is better to simply set up a Substitute instead (assuming Butterfree is facing a slower opponent), and hope the opponent switches from the threat of Sleep Powder. This allows Butterfree to save her Sleep Powder from being wasted on a Pokemon that would serve as sleep fodder, and she can then react appropriately. If the opponent merely switched in a Pokemon whom she cannot beat, such as RestTalk Munchlax, Butterfree should simply use Bug Buzz to deal a little damage, then switch out. However, against other opponents, Butterfree will have a huge advantage if she has a Substitute up, as she has a variety of options at that point. This can vary from putting a dangerous Pokemon to sleep with Sleep Powder, Quiver Dancing to set up on a Pokemon who Butterfree can deal with easily, or just using Bug Buzz to deal some damage. Even if the opponent stayed in and attacked, Butterfree will only lose 25% of her health thanks to Substitute. Choosing between using Sleep Powder or using Substitute is an important choice, as it will determine how effective Butterfree will be for the rest of the match.</p>
<p>Quiver Dance is Butterfree's necessary boosting move, and Butterfree will quickly become difficult to deal with once she has accrued a few boosts. As Bug Buzz is a relatively decent STAB move to fall back upon, especially with Tinted Lens backing it up, Butterfree can become a considerable threat to the opponent after a single Quiver Dance. Do note however, that Butterfree's Special Attack stat is rather mediocre, so multiple Quiver Dances may be needed to sweep. Pokemon such as Probopass can wall Butterfree, so you can opt to use a coverage move such as Hidden Power Ground instead of Substitute, though keep in mind that this makes Butterfree significantly more vulnerable to priority and revenge killers.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment is necessary to make Butterfree as potent as possible. With the given EVs, Butterfree reaches a Speed stat of 393 after a Quiver Dance, which outspeeds everything under base 130 Speed Pokemon with maximum investment. With Butterfree's mediocre base 80 Special Attack stat, Butterfree needs to pump all her remaining EVs into Special Attack to make her Bug Buzz strong enough to actually hurt opposing Pokemon. Leftovers are the recommended item as they work well alongside Substitute and give Butterfree much needed longevity, but Life Orb gives her a significant increase in power. If you use Life Orb, though, you should use an alternative attacking option in the last slot, such as the aforementioned Hidden Power Ground, Psychic, Shadow Ball, or Hidden Power Flying. Tinted Lens is the preferred ability on this set as it alleviates Butterfree's issues with coverage, but Compoundeyes ensures that Sleep Powder won't miss at crucial moments.</p>
<p>Though Butterfree is a very capable sweeper, she has a few faults which are heavily restricting should they not be dealt with. First and foremost, Butterfree despises Stealth Rock, as it further cripples Butterfree's already poor longevity, and guarantees that Butterfree will not be able to take any hits at all. Thus, a Rapid Spinner is necessary to remove Stealth Rock so Butterfree can perform at her full potential. Sandslash and Hitmonchan are good choices for this role, as they both resist some of Butterfree's weaknesses and are very bulky on either the physical or special side, respectively. Additionally, they are physical attackers, which allows them to deal with some specially defensive Pokemon who can be irksome for Butterfree to deal with, such as Munchlax. On the flip side, Butterfree appreciates entry hazards as her Special Attack is rather average, and entry hazards guarantee some important 2HKOes and OHKOes. Spikes can be set up by the likes of Qwilfish, Ferroseed, Roselia, or Crustle, while Stealth Rock can be set up by a slew of Pokemon, including Probopass, Omastar, Sandslash, Uxie, Gligar, and Steelix. Butterfree is also very frail, so moves such as Volt Switch, Baton Pass, and U-turn are useful to get her safely into the match.</p>
<p>The other and more troublesome issue are specially defensive Pokemon who can phaze Butterfree or KO her before she can even attempt to 2HKO them. Unfortunately, RU holds many specially defensive Pokemon who are more than happy to sponge Butterfree's attacks, such as Clefable, Cryogonal, Cofagrigus, Ferroseed, Gallade, Hitmonchan, Munchlax, and Steelix. Though Butterfree can partially circumvent these counters via Sleep Powder, the opponent may carry more than one of these Pokemon on their team, as some of them have good synergy together. While these Pokemon are varied, for the most part, strong physical attackers are able to muscle their way through these Pokemon, paving the way for Butterfree's sweep. Aggron, Rhydon, Hitmonlee, Crawdaunt, and Durant are all capable physical attackers who can rip huge holes in these specially defensive walls. Wynaut and Magneton can also trap certain troublesome Pokemon to assist Butterfree's sweep. You can try to lure out some of these walls with another Pokemon that they commonly counter, before KOing them with a surprise move. Additionally, some offensive Pokemon can still take a hit from Butterfree after a Quiver Dance, such as Moltres, Charizard, Bouffalant, Drapion, and a multitude of others, so be sure to weaken the opposing team sufficiently before attempting a sweep.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sleep Powder
move 2: Stun Spore
move 3: Bug Buzz
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Butterfree's unique access to Compoundeyes, Sleep Powder, and Stun Spore allow her to be a very reliable status spreader. The accuracy boost that Compoundeyes provides buffs Sleep Powder and Stun Spore's accuracy to 97.5%, which means that Butterfree is almost guaranteed to have her status move hit when given the chance. Unfortunately, Butterfree is usually both frail and relatively slow, so she is often unable to do so easily. With a Choice Scarf equipped, however, Butterfree outspeeds the entire unboosted RU metagame bar Accelgor, Ninjask, and Electrode; this gives her more chances to use her status moves, though it does have the drawback of locking Butterfree into a single move.</p>
<p>As always, Sleep Powder is the key move on this set, and as sleep is more deadly than ever in BW, Butterfree can incapacitate a foe for the rest of the match when played correctly. Unfortunately, Sleep Powder has always been Butterfree's staple move, so many opponents will simply switch in their least useful Pokemon, or a Sleep Talker, to take the Sleep Powder. In an attempt to deal with this, U-turn is useful to scout for any such Pokemon. U-turn will also keep the momentum of the match in your favor if the opponent switches, which is useful on offensive teams. Stun Spore is an alternative status to spread over opposing teams to cripple fast sweepers permanently, and few Pokemon are immune to it, unlike Thunder Wave. Toxic is another option to cripple walls, but Stun Spore is generally more useful. Bug Buzz gives Butterfree a fairly strong STAB option that allows her to serve as a revenge killer in some scenarios. For example, Bug Buzz OHKOes Sceptile after Stealth Rock, and 2HKOes Galvantula and other frail Pokemon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Speed and Special Attack EVs are used as Butterfree needs all the Speed she can get, and she appreciates a stronger Bug Buzz with which to revenge kill opponents. Alternatively, you can shift those 252 Special Attack EVs into HP so Butterfree can take a light hit or two. In this case, it is recommended that Bug Buzz is replaced with an alternative option such as Roost or Toxic, as without investment, Bug Buzz is pitifully weak. While Compoundeyes is typically the better ability because it makes Butterfree more reliable, Tinted Lens can allow Butterfree to revenge kill a wider variety of opponents. Do note however that Butterfree's main niche lies in her 97.5% accurate Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, so forgoing this would be a waste.</p>
<p>Rapid Spinners are necessary teammates for this set, as Butterfree will be switching numerous times during the match, and she cannot afford to lose 50% of her health each time. While Butterfree can normally take a light hit or two, with Stealth Rock up Butterfree cannot take a hit at all. For Rapid Spin duties, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Sandslash are the best candidates to use alongside Butterfree, as they resist some of Butterfree's bothersome weaknesses and can strike physically to deal with some troublesome special walls that don't care about Stun Spore, such as Slowking and Munchlax. Furthermore, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee have the added advantage of being able to guarantee a Rapid Spin with Foresight, while Sandslash can set up Stealth Rock to punish opposing Pokemon for switching out.</p>
<p>The best teammates for this set are Pokemon that appreciate a free turn of set-up. With the threat of sleep, Butterfree can simply U-turn as the opponent switches to create a free switch in for one of her teammates, or she can just put a Pokemon to sleep to allow her teammates to set up. Of note are Pokemon such as Swellow, Hariyama, and Ursaring, who can utilize that single free switch in to activate their status orbs and be an immediate threat to the opponent. Alternatively, slow Pokemon such as Aggron, Crawdaunt, or Rhydon can be useful to deal massive amounts of damage to opposing walls, and Butterfree can allow them to sweep by sufficiently paralyzing enough of the opposing team. The key to this Butterfree set is to use a plethora of offensive Pokemon to keep constant pressure on the opponent, and use Butterfree's ability to gain momentum and cripple threats to keep that offensive pressure.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Unfortunately, Butterfree is fairly one-dimensional, as her movepool is pitifully shallow. Butterfree has access to alternative special attacks such as Shadow Ball, Psychic, Hidden Power Flying, and Energy Ball, but these moves cannot sufficiently damage most of the Pokemon who can wall her. She also is capable of utilizing support options such as Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and Tailwind. However, due to her poor stats, she is unable to use these options as well as a Pokemon such as Uxie, though she does have a very reliable Sleep Powder to compensate. If you wish to increase Butterfree's longevity, Roost is a viable option, though Butterfree is so frail that it usually isn't worth sacrificing a moveslot for it. You can also try using Butterfree in the lead position with a Focus Sash, but because of Team Preview, Butterfree is significantly more prone to Taunt.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As threatening as Butterfree can be, Butterfree has a few crippling flaws. Even though she might not seem like it when she manages to tear through your team, she is still a delicate butterfly that is frail, slow, and weak without a boost. Additionally, she is severely crippled by Stealth Rock, so keeping it on the field is the first step you should take towards countering her. With Stealth Rock up, she loses the ability to switch into weaker attacks, and her trainer is immediately pressured into making the right move as at 50% HP, Butterfree dies to anything aside from a Caterpie's Tackle. Thus, keeping Stealth Rock up is the necessary step to take to make it less likely that Butterfree will manage a sweep.</p>
<p>Even with Stealth Rock up, Butterfree can still manage to pull her weight as she still has the threat of Sleep Powder to keep you on your toes. The best way to deal with this is to pack a specially defensive Sleep Talker on your team, such as Munchlax, Altaria, or Hariyama. However, make sure that you also have a phazer, as Sleep Talk can be unreliable, and this can sometimes allow Butterfree to set up on the Pokemon with Sleep Talk. If you do not have a Sleep Talker, Butterfree becomes more of an issue. Usually, it is fairly safe to sacrifice a bulky Pokemon or one which isn't very useful against the opponent to Butterfree's sleep. Unfortunately, this is still easily thwarted by good prediction, so sometimes, it is necessary to run two counters to Butterfree: one to sacrifice to sleep, and one to actually beat her. Fortunately, Butterfree is fairly weak and RU has a collection of great special walls that aren't afraid to wall her, including Altaria, Clefable, Cofagrigus, Cryogonal, Ferroseed, Gallade, Hitmonchan, Mandibuzz, Munchlax, and Steelix. Most teams often have at least one of these Pokemon as they are fairly useful overall.</p>
<p>While Butterfree can be bothersome for offensive teams, she is still very manageable. Though it is significantly less likely for offensive teams to have something that walls Butterfree, they are capable of making it so that she should rarely be able to get in a Quiver Dance. Even after a Quiver Dance, Butterfree is outsped by common Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Krookodile, Rotom, and Primeape, in addition to Accelgor and Electrode. Furthermore, she is vulnerable to priority, so Pokemon such as Entei, Hitmonlee, Hariyama, and Honchkrow can check her. However, offensive teams are weak to Sleep Powder, and once Choice Scarf Pokemon and priority have been removed, she finds it easier to sweep due to most offensive teams' lack of bulk.</p>
