[OVERVIEW]
Despite its stiff competition as an offensive Normal-type from Zigzagoon and Bunnelby, Buneary carves itself a unique niche in the LC metagame in its access to Healing Wish and Z-Splash. When using Splash with a Normalium-Z, Buneary is able to gain a +3 boost in its Attack and make great use of its ability to hit 19 Speed to sweep. Furthermore, Buneary has ideal coverage options in Drain Punch, Jump Kick, and the elemental punches to complement its powerful STAB Return, as well as having two unique abilities in Limber and Klutz and an expansive utility movepool consisting of gems in Healing Wish, Thunder Wave, and Heal Bell, providing it with quite a bit of versatility. Unfortunately, Buneary is unable to hold an Eviolite when attempting to sweep and is thus extremely frail and susceptible to priority, especially considering its lack of resistances and weakness to the ever-present Fighting-types like Mienfoo and Timburr. Furthermore, Buneary faces stiff competition from Zigzagoon due to the latter's access to Extreme Speed, is walled by Ghost-type Pokemon if it's running Quick Attack due to its lack of a move to hit them super effectively, and struggles to find setup opportunities due to its frailty. As a result, Buneary requires a lot of support to effectively sweep or support its team. Nevertheless, Buneary packs quite the punch as a Pokemon capable of either supporting its team with Healing Wish or sweeping late-game and definitely deserves consideration as your team's offensive Normal-type.
[SET]
name: Offensive Utility
move 1: Healing Wish
move 2: Return
move 3: Drain Punch / Jump Kick / Fire Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Baton Pass / Switcheroo / Quick Attack
item: Eviolite / Choice Band
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 228 Atk / 4 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Healing Wish is useful for completely healing a teammate once Buneary is low on HP. Return is Buneary's most powerful STAB option and with maximum Attack investment is capable of 2HKOing Corphish and Eviolite Snivy. When Buneary is equipped with a Choice Band, this can even OHKO the aforementioned threats. Drain Punch both is good coverage for Normal-resistant Pokemon like Ferroseed and Omanyte and provides Buneary with valuable passive recovery, while Jump Kick can be used over Drain Punch for more power. Fire Punch is another viable option that can be used to hit Pumpkaboo-XL and other Ghost-types that would otherwise wall Buneary. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple Buneary's switch-ins, such as Gastly and Pawniard, when it is holding an Eviolite. Baton Pass can be used over Thunder Wave when Buneary is holding a Choice Band, as it is useful for preserving momentum. Switcheroo allows Buneary to cripple defensive threats that may try switching in, such as Mareanie and Ferroseed, with a Choice Band, as they won't enjoy being locked into status moves. Quick Attack is useful if Buneary is holding either an Eviolite or Choice Band, as it allows it to pick off weakened foes. Buneary can also use Heal Bell when holding an Eviolite to relieve itself and its team of status, though this usually isn't as valuable as Switcheroo or Thunder Wave.
Set Details
========
Eviolite is the preferred item, as it allows Buneary to avoid the OHKO from common and threatening attacks in Snivy's Leaf Storm and Gastly's Hidden Power Fighting. Choice Band can be used over Eviolite to give Buneary impressive wallbreaking capabilities alongside its good Speed. Buneary can opt to run its Klutz ability when holding Choice Band to be able to switch moves, though this usually isn't preferred due to the loss of power. Thunder Wave should almost always be used when Buneary is running Eviolite, whereas Baton Pass and Switcheroo are all better options for Choice Band. However, Quick Attack is a plausible option on Eviolite as well due to the useful priority it provides Buneary with. Limber is the preferred ability, as it prevents Buneary from being paralyzed, while maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Buneary to hit 19 Speed, letting it outpace prevalent threats in Gastly and Doduo, while hitting as hard as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Healing Wish is best used once Buneary's been weakened, as its Speed tier usually allows it to quickly use the move before losing to the foe and heal one of its teammates. When Buneary is healthy, it is best to either attack or use Thunder Wave so it doesn't waste all of its HP just to heal a teammate. If Buneary is running Thunder Wave, it should be used when predicting a switch to a Ghost-type or a Pokemon that doesn't take much from either Return or Buneary's coverage, as this will cripple the switch-in and allow Buneary to switch out into a teammate that beats the foe. Baton Pass should be used when predicting a switch to a Pokemon that walls Buneary if it’s using Choice Band, as this will allow you to bring out a Pokemon capable of defeating the Buneary switch-in. Switcheroo should only be used against a defensive Pokemon or special attacker or when predicting a switch to one of these, as neither will benefit from being locked into a move whereas physical attackers will be able to take advantage of the power boost. If Buneary is against a faster threat, such as Elekid, as well as Focus Sash Diglett, but will be able to survive their attack, it should use Healing Wish to grant one teammate full recovery and guarantee that it isn't wasting the moveslot.
Team Options
========
Bulkier offensive Pokemon without recovery, such as Tirtouga, Snubbull, and Alolan Grimer appreciate Buneary's Healing Wish, as they are able to continually check what they need to when given recovery and in Tirtouga's case can find easier setup opportunities. Because this set is extremely vulnerable to Ghost-types, Buneary appreciates Pokemon that are able to take them on, such as Houndour, Scraggy, and Carvanha. Pursuit trappers, such as Alolan Grimer and Pawniard, are particularly helpful, as they will usually guarantee that Ghost-type foes are KOed or severely weakened. Fighting-type checks, such as Spritzee, Cottonee, and Mudbray, are also appreciated by Buneary, and entry hazard support from the likes of Dwebble and Ferroseed weakens foes and gives Buneary an easier time breaking through teams. Pokemon like Focus Sash Diglett and Snubbull that can take care of common priority users in Timburr, Pawniard and Zigzagoon are big helps to Buneary considering its vulnerability to most of the tier's priority. Lastly, extremely offensive teams appreciate this set due to the archetype's general lack of recovery and struggle against Pokemon with Choice Scarf.
[SET]
name: Z-Splash
move 1: Splash
move 2: Return
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Fire Punch / Baton Pass / Quick Attack
item: Normalium Z
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 228 Atk / 4 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Splash with a Normalium Z grants Buneary access to Z-Splash, which gives it a drastic +3 Attack boost and allows it to reliably break defensive and offensive teams alike. Return is Buneary's most powerful STAB option and when hitting off of boosted Attack is capable of breaking through some of the tier's bulkiest threats with some prior damage, such as Mareanie and Mudbray. Drain Punch provides Buneary with good coverage for Steel- and Rock-types, such as Onix and Pawniard, and gives Buneary some recovery, though Jump Kick can be used over Drain Punch if you aren't using Fire Punch, as this allows it to OHKO Ferroseed, though the accuracy and crash damage is unappealing. Fire Punch is useful for hitting Ghost-types such as Pumpkaboo and Gastly hard enough to OHKO, which otherwise wall Buneary, whereas Baton Pass can be used over Fire Punch to pass Buneary's stat boosts to teammates that can make better use of them against the opponent's team. Lastly, Quick Attack is useful for picking off weakened threats or damaging Pokemon that are faster than Buneary before it is revenge killed. It should be noted that when running Baton Pass and Quick Attack, Buneary is completely walled by Ghost-types due to its lack of a move to hit them for any damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack is important for giving Buneary as much offensive prowess as possible, and a Jolly nature with maximum Speed investment allows Buneary to hit 19 Speed, which is very useful for outspeeding a healthy portion of the metagame, including common threats in Mienfoo, Doduo, and Gastly. Buneary's remaining EVs are invested in Defense to allow it to reach 11 Defense. Normalium Z is mandatory, as it grants Buneary access to its only setup option in Z-Splash, while Limber is the preferred ability, as it prevents Buneary from being paralyzed, which could otherwise compromise its sweeping capabilities by halving its Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set is best used as a late-game cleaner, as it is very capable of picking off weakened threats and sweeping the remains of an opponent's team after setting up. However, due to its frailty, Buneary shouldn't be switching into any attacks unless they're Ghost-type, which is why it is best brought in after one of its teammates has fainted or via slow pivot support from bulky Vullaby or Mienfoo. If Buneary is in danger of fainting but hasn't yet used Z-Splash, it can opt to use Breakneck Blitz instead to deliver one final blow to its foe and either KO them or weaken them for one of Buneary's teammates. If Buneary is running Baton Pass, it can use it when weakened so that its Attack boosts won't go to waste and instead will be given to a teammate capable of sweeping with the boost in Attack, such as Carvanha or Snubbull. Buneary's susceptibility to strong priority attacks often means that Pokemon like Timburr and Croagunk should be removed before Buneary attempts its sweep, while its vulnerability to all forms of status bar paralysis means that it should always be aware of these things on the opponent's team. Burns will halve its Attack stat and make it harder to break bulkier threats, and sleep will completely immobilize Buneary and halt its sweep. Common phazers in Hippopotas and Mareanie are also best removed before Buneary attempts to sweep, as Buneary can only set up once and will be rather useless if its stat boosts have been removed. Lastly, setting up with Z-Splash can be a monumental task due to Buneary's frailty. Common defensive Pokemon in Ferroseed and Munchlax make for good Pokemon to set up on as a result of this.
Team Options
========
Buneary appreciates Pokemon that are able to either switch into or take care of the Fighting-types of the tier that it hates dealing with. Abra, Snubbull, Spritzee, Mareanie, and Slowpoke are all great teammates for Buneary due to either being able to KO or switch into the tier's common Fighting-types, such as Timburr, Scraggy, and Mienfoo. Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn to safely bring Buneary into the battlefield are also very appreciated due to Buneary's poor bulk. These Pokemon include Mienfoo, Chinchou, Magnemite, and Larvesta. If Buneary wishes to run Quick Attack, reliable answers to Ghost-type Pokemon, such as Scraggy and Alolan Grimer, can help take care of common Pokemon of the type in Pumpkaboo and Gastly, though they should eliminate these threats before Buneary comes onto the battlefield to prevent a wasted Normalium Z. Memento support from the likes of Cottonee, Alolan Grimer and Diglett is quite nice, as Memento will usually provide Buneary with an easy opportunity to set up. Entry hazard support from the likes of Dwebble and Onix is also appreciated, as it allows Buneary to break past bulkier threats in boosted Mudbray and Spritzee to more success. If Buneary is running Baton Pass, Mienfoo and Timburr are good examples of Pokemon that appreciate receiving Attack boosts. Corphish especially appreciates Buneary's Baton Pass support, as when boosted, it is capable of nearly OHKOing the entire metagame with Adaptability Crabhammer. Sticky Web support from the likes or Surskit and Spinarak can help Buneary to outspeed faster threats in Diglett and Elekid as well as Choice Scarf users that attempt to revenge kill it, and common wielders of the move Knock Off in Aipom and Timburr are able to remove items from defensive Pokemon like Spritzee and Slowpoke and make them easier for Buneary for break through.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out is a decent utility option, though this often isn't preferred over Quick Attack due to its one-time use and the existence of better Fake Out users in Meowth and Aipom. Buneary has access to decent coverage options in Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Circle Throw, and Iron Tail. However, none of these are usually as valuable as Fire Punch and Drain Punch due to Buneary's near perfect coverage with the latter options. Buneary can make use of its good Speed to get off a fast Encore and halt setup sweepers and walls, though this usually isn't as valuable as its other utility in Thunder Wave and Healing Wish. Buneary can also use Magic Coat to bounce back potential entry hazards from the likes of Onix and Dwebble, though this isn't preferred for reasons similar to Encore. Power-Up Punch and Work Up are decent options when trying to attempt a sweep, though this requires several stat boosts to become powerful, unlike Z-Splash. Choice Scarf is an option to help Buneary outspeed all common Choice Scarf users and +1 Corphish, though this takes away from its offensive prowess. Cosmic Power can be used alongside Baton Pass to pass Defense and Special Defense boosts to partners, though this is fairly situational given Buneary's poor bulk before reaching +2. Agility is another option for Buneary to pass Speed boosts, though this is usually better done by Torchic or Aipom. Buneary has a rather impressive special movepool, consisting of powerful options in Hyper Voice, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Grass Knot, and Shadow Ball. However, it can't make great use of said movepool given its poor Special Attack. A set consisting of only Last Resort and Fake Out is a gimmicky yet powerful option. However, this is a bad idea due it to being walled by Ghost-types and lacking the coverage that's necessary for Buneary to hit Rock- and Steel-types. Buneary can also utilize its access to Sunny Day and Rain Dance to alongside its decent Speed to act as a reliable weather setter for sun and rain teams alike, though Vulpix is a better sun setter due to Drought, and rain teams aren't very viable in LC.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Timburr, Riolu, Mienfoo, and Pancham are all able to threaten Buneary with their super effective STAB attacks and discourage it from setting up.
**Revenge Killers**: Despite its above-average Speed stat, Buneary is still outsped and threatened common Pokemon in Elekid and Diglett, as well as by common Choice Scarf users in Mienfoo, Vullaby, and Drilbur. All of these threats are powerful enough to either severely damage Buneary or OHKO it.
**Priority**: Due to its frailty, Buneary takes lots of damage from all relevant forms of priority. Timburr's Mach Punch, Pawniard's Sucker Punch, and Zigzagoon's Extreme Speed are all moves that Buneary has to look out for.
**Ghost-types**: Unless it is running Fire Punch, Buneary is completely walled by Ghost-type Pokemon like Gastly, Pumpkaboo-XL, and Honedge and can either be KOed or inflicted with status by these threats. Frillish in particular is a fantastic counter, as it is immune to Buneary's STAB and Fighting-type attacks, has reliable recovery to avoid being whittled down, and doesn't take much damage from Fire Punch.
**Status**: Despite being immune to paralysis, Buneary is crippled by burns due to the decrease in Attack power and is put on a timer by poison.
Despite its stiff competition as an offensive Normal-type from Zigzagoon and Bunnelby, Buneary carves itself a unique niche in the LC metagame in its access to Healing Wish and Z-Splash. When using Splash with a Normalium-Z, Buneary is able to gain a +3 boost in its Attack and make great use of its ability to hit 19 Speed to sweep. Furthermore, Buneary has ideal coverage options in Drain Punch, Jump Kick, and the elemental punches to complement its powerful STAB Return, as well as having two unique abilities in Limber and Klutz and an expansive utility movepool consisting of gems in Healing Wish, Thunder Wave, and Heal Bell, providing it with quite a bit of versatility. Unfortunately, Buneary is unable to hold an Eviolite when attempting to sweep and is thus extremely frail and susceptible to priority, especially considering its lack of resistances and weakness to the ever-present Fighting-types like Mienfoo and Timburr. Furthermore, Buneary faces stiff competition from Zigzagoon due to the latter's access to Extreme Speed, is walled by Ghost-type Pokemon if it's running Quick Attack due to its lack of a move to hit them super effectively, and struggles to find setup opportunities due to its frailty. As a result, Buneary requires a lot of support to effectively sweep or support its team. Nevertheless, Buneary packs quite the punch as a Pokemon capable of either supporting its team with Healing Wish or sweeping late-game and definitely deserves consideration as your team's offensive Normal-type.
[SET]
name: Offensive Utility
move 1: Healing Wish
move 2: Return
move 3: Drain Punch / Jump Kick / Fire Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Baton Pass / Switcheroo / Quick Attack
item: Eviolite / Choice Band
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 228 Atk / 4 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Healing Wish is useful for completely healing a teammate once Buneary is low on HP. Return is Buneary's most powerful STAB option and with maximum Attack investment is capable of 2HKOing Corphish and Eviolite Snivy. When Buneary is equipped with a Choice Band, this can even OHKO the aforementioned threats. Drain Punch both is good coverage for Normal-resistant Pokemon like Ferroseed and Omanyte and provides Buneary with valuable passive recovery, while Jump Kick can be used over Drain Punch for more power. Fire Punch is another viable option that can be used to hit Pumpkaboo-XL and other Ghost-types that would otherwise wall Buneary. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple Buneary's switch-ins, such as Gastly and Pawniard, when it is holding an Eviolite. Baton Pass can be used over Thunder Wave when Buneary is holding a Choice Band, as it is useful for preserving momentum. Switcheroo allows Buneary to cripple defensive threats that may try switching in, such as Mareanie and Ferroseed, with a Choice Band, as they won't enjoy being locked into status moves. Quick Attack is useful if Buneary is holding either an Eviolite or Choice Band, as it allows it to pick off weakened foes. Buneary can also use Heal Bell when holding an Eviolite to relieve itself and its team of status, though this usually isn't as valuable as Switcheroo or Thunder Wave.
Set Details
========
Eviolite is the preferred item, as it allows Buneary to avoid the OHKO from common and threatening attacks in Snivy's Leaf Storm and Gastly's Hidden Power Fighting. Choice Band can be used over Eviolite to give Buneary impressive wallbreaking capabilities alongside its good Speed. Buneary can opt to run its Klutz ability when holding Choice Band to be able to switch moves, though this usually isn't preferred due to the loss of power. Thunder Wave should almost always be used when Buneary is running Eviolite, whereas Baton Pass and Switcheroo are all better options for Choice Band. However, Quick Attack is a plausible option on Eviolite as well due to the useful priority it provides Buneary with. Limber is the preferred ability, as it prevents Buneary from being paralyzed, while maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Buneary to hit 19 Speed, letting it outpace prevalent threats in Gastly and Doduo, while hitting as hard as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Healing Wish is best used once Buneary's been weakened, as its Speed tier usually allows it to quickly use the move before losing to the foe and heal one of its teammates. When Buneary is healthy, it is best to either attack or use Thunder Wave so it doesn't waste all of its HP just to heal a teammate. If Buneary is running Thunder Wave, it should be used when predicting a switch to a Ghost-type or a Pokemon that doesn't take much from either Return or Buneary's coverage, as this will cripple the switch-in and allow Buneary to switch out into a teammate that beats the foe. Baton Pass should be used when predicting a switch to a Pokemon that walls Buneary if it’s using Choice Band, as this will allow you to bring out a Pokemon capable of defeating the Buneary switch-in. Switcheroo should only be used against a defensive Pokemon or special attacker or when predicting a switch to one of these, as neither will benefit from being locked into a move whereas physical attackers will be able to take advantage of the power boost. If Buneary is against a faster threat, such as Elekid, as well as Focus Sash Diglett, but will be able to survive their attack, it should use Healing Wish to grant one teammate full recovery and guarantee that it isn't wasting the moveslot.
Team Options
========
Bulkier offensive Pokemon without recovery, such as Tirtouga, Snubbull, and Alolan Grimer appreciate Buneary's Healing Wish, as they are able to continually check what they need to when given recovery and in Tirtouga's case can find easier setup opportunities. Because this set is extremely vulnerable to Ghost-types, Buneary appreciates Pokemon that are able to take them on, such as Houndour, Scraggy, and Carvanha. Pursuit trappers, such as Alolan Grimer and Pawniard, are particularly helpful, as they will usually guarantee that Ghost-type foes are KOed or severely weakened. Fighting-type checks, such as Spritzee, Cottonee, and Mudbray, are also appreciated by Buneary, and entry hazard support from the likes of Dwebble and Ferroseed weakens foes and gives Buneary an easier time breaking through teams. Pokemon like Focus Sash Diglett and Snubbull that can take care of common priority users in Timburr, Pawniard and Zigzagoon are big helps to Buneary considering its vulnerability to most of the tier's priority. Lastly, extremely offensive teams appreciate this set due to the archetype's general lack of recovery and struggle against Pokemon with Choice Scarf.
[SET]
name: Z-Splash
move 1: Splash
move 2: Return
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Fire Punch / Baton Pass / Quick Attack
item: Normalium Z
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 228 Atk / 4 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Splash with a Normalium Z grants Buneary access to Z-Splash, which gives it a drastic +3 Attack boost and allows it to reliably break defensive and offensive teams alike. Return is Buneary's most powerful STAB option and when hitting off of boosted Attack is capable of breaking through some of the tier's bulkiest threats with some prior damage, such as Mareanie and Mudbray. Drain Punch provides Buneary with good coverage for Steel- and Rock-types, such as Onix and Pawniard, and gives Buneary some recovery, though Jump Kick can be used over Drain Punch if you aren't using Fire Punch, as this allows it to OHKO Ferroseed, though the accuracy and crash damage is unappealing. Fire Punch is useful for hitting Ghost-types such as Pumpkaboo and Gastly hard enough to OHKO, which otherwise wall Buneary, whereas Baton Pass can be used over Fire Punch to pass Buneary's stat boosts to teammates that can make better use of them against the opponent's team. Lastly, Quick Attack is useful for picking off weakened threats or damaging Pokemon that are faster than Buneary before it is revenge killed. It should be noted that when running Baton Pass and Quick Attack, Buneary is completely walled by Ghost-types due to its lack of a move to hit them for any damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack is important for giving Buneary as much offensive prowess as possible, and a Jolly nature with maximum Speed investment allows Buneary to hit 19 Speed, which is very useful for outspeeding a healthy portion of the metagame, including common threats in Mienfoo, Doduo, and Gastly. Buneary's remaining EVs are invested in Defense to allow it to reach 11 Defense. Normalium Z is mandatory, as it grants Buneary access to its only setup option in Z-Splash, while Limber is the preferred ability, as it prevents Buneary from being paralyzed, which could otherwise compromise its sweeping capabilities by halving its Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set is best used as a late-game cleaner, as it is very capable of picking off weakened threats and sweeping the remains of an opponent's team after setting up. However, due to its frailty, Buneary shouldn't be switching into any attacks unless they're Ghost-type, which is why it is best brought in after one of its teammates has fainted or via slow pivot support from bulky Vullaby or Mienfoo. If Buneary is in danger of fainting but hasn't yet used Z-Splash, it can opt to use Breakneck Blitz instead to deliver one final blow to its foe and either KO them or weaken them for one of Buneary's teammates. If Buneary is running Baton Pass, it can use it when weakened so that its Attack boosts won't go to waste and instead will be given to a teammate capable of sweeping with the boost in Attack, such as Carvanha or Snubbull. Buneary's susceptibility to strong priority attacks often means that Pokemon like Timburr and Croagunk should be removed before Buneary attempts its sweep, while its vulnerability to all forms of status bar paralysis means that it should always be aware of these things on the opponent's team. Burns will halve its Attack stat and make it harder to break bulkier threats, and sleep will completely immobilize Buneary and halt its sweep. Common phazers in Hippopotas and Mareanie are also best removed before Buneary attempts to sweep, as Buneary can only set up once and will be rather useless if its stat boosts have been removed. Lastly, setting up with Z-Splash can be a monumental task due to Buneary's frailty. Common defensive Pokemon in Ferroseed and Munchlax make for good Pokemon to set up on as a result of this.
Team Options
========
Buneary appreciates Pokemon that are able to either switch into or take care of the Fighting-types of the tier that it hates dealing with. Abra, Snubbull, Spritzee, Mareanie, and Slowpoke are all great teammates for Buneary due to either being able to KO or switch into the tier's common Fighting-types, such as Timburr, Scraggy, and Mienfoo. Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn to safely bring Buneary into the battlefield are also very appreciated due to Buneary's poor bulk. These Pokemon include Mienfoo, Chinchou, Magnemite, and Larvesta. If Buneary wishes to run Quick Attack, reliable answers to Ghost-type Pokemon, such as Scraggy and Alolan Grimer, can help take care of common Pokemon of the type in Pumpkaboo and Gastly, though they should eliminate these threats before Buneary comes onto the battlefield to prevent a wasted Normalium Z. Memento support from the likes of Cottonee, Alolan Grimer and Diglett is quite nice, as Memento will usually provide Buneary with an easy opportunity to set up. Entry hazard support from the likes of Dwebble and Onix is also appreciated, as it allows Buneary to break past bulkier threats in boosted Mudbray and Spritzee to more success. If Buneary is running Baton Pass, Mienfoo and Timburr are good examples of Pokemon that appreciate receiving Attack boosts. Corphish especially appreciates Buneary's Baton Pass support, as when boosted, it is capable of nearly OHKOing the entire metagame with Adaptability Crabhammer. Sticky Web support from the likes or Surskit and Spinarak can help Buneary to outspeed faster threats in Diglett and Elekid as well as Choice Scarf users that attempt to revenge kill it, and common wielders of the move Knock Off in Aipom and Timburr are able to remove items from defensive Pokemon like Spritzee and Slowpoke and make them easier for Buneary for break through.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out is a decent utility option, though this often isn't preferred over Quick Attack due to its one-time use and the existence of better Fake Out users in Meowth and Aipom. Buneary has access to decent coverage options in Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Circle Throw, and Iron Tail. However, none of these are usually as valuable as Fire Punch and Drain Punch due to Buneary's near perfect coverage with the latter options. Buneary can make use of its good Speed to get off a fast Encore and halt setup sweepers and walls, though this usually isn't as valuable as its other utility in Thunder Wave and Healing Wish. Buneary can also use Magic Coat to bounce back potential entry hazards from the likes of Onix and Dwebble, though this isn't preferred for reasons similar to Encore. Power-Up Punch and Work Up are decent options when trying to attempt a sweep, though this requires several stat boosts to become powerful, unlike Z-Splash. Choice Scarf is an option to help Buneary outspeed all common Choice Scarf users and +1 Corphish, though this takes away from its offensive prowess. Cosmic Power can be used alongside Baton Pass to pass Defense and Special Defense boosts to partners, though this is fairly situational given Buneary's poor bulk before reaching +2. Agility is another option for Buneary to pass Speed boosts, though this is usually better done by Torchic or Aipom. Buneary has a rather impressive special movepool, consisting of powerful options in Hyper Voice, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Grass Knot, and Shadow Ball. However, it can't make great use of said movepool given its poor Special Attack. A set consisting of only Last Resort and Fake Out is a gimmicky yet powerful option. However, this is a bad idea due it to being walled by Ghost-types and lacking the coverage that's necessary for Buneary to hit Rock- and Steel-types. Buneary can also utilize its access to Sunny Day and Rain Dance to alongside its decent Speed to act as a reliable weather setter for sun and rain teams alike, though Vulpix is a better sun setter due to Drought, and rain teams aren't very viable in LC.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Timburr, Riolu, Mienfoo, and Pancham are all able to threaten Buneary with their super effective STAB attacks and discourage it from setting up.
**Revenge Killers**: Despite its above-average Speed stat, Buneary is still outsped and threatened common Pokemon in Elekid and Diglett, as well as by common Choice Scarf users in Mienfoo, Vullaby, and Drilbur. All of these threats are powerful enough to either severely damage Buneary or OHKO it.
**Priority**: Due to its frailty, Buneary takes lots of damage from all relevant forms of priority. Timburr's Mach Punch, Pawniard's Sucker Punch, and Zigzagoon's Extreme Speed are all moves that Buneary has to look out for.
**Ghost-types**: Unless it is running Fire Punch, Buneary is completely walled by Ghost-type Pokemon like Gastly, Pumpkaboo-XL, and Honedge and can either be KOed or inflicted with status by these threats. Frillish in particular is a fantastic counter, as it is immune to Buneary's STAB and Fighting-type attacks, has reliable recovery to avoid being whittled down, and doesn't take much damage from Fire Punch.
**Status**: Despite being immune to paralysis, Buneary is crippled by burns due to the decrease in Attack power and is put on a timer by poison.
Last edited by a moderator:
