[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Rockium Z / Fightinium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance gives Tapu Bulu the necessary boost to its Attack in order to muscle through sturdy physical walls like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Low Base Power aside, Horn Leech's secondary healing effect makes it a great STAB Grass-type attack, making up for any HP lost when setting up with Swords Dance. Superpower hits Steel-types like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Heatran on the switch. Stone Edge provides coverage against Zapdos, and when boosted by a Z-Crystal, it has the sheer power to break through neutral targets like Tangrowth and Mega Venusaur after Stealth Rock damage. Finally, Wood Hammer should be run as the last move if using Grassium Z for a stronger nuke due to its higher Base Power compared to Horn Leech's. It KOes Tangrowth after a boost and is insanely strong in general, outdamaging even Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer without any boost.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment coupled with an Adamant nature maximizes Tapu Bulu's damage output, notably allowing it to OHKO on Mega Venusaur and Tangrowth after Stealth Rock damage with +2 Continental Crush. Jolly is an option too if outspeeding Timid Magearna is deemed necessary. Grassy Surge summons Grassy Terrain, which provides grounded Pokemon with passive recovery, boosts the power of Tapu Bulu's Grass-type moves, and supports its teammates by weakening Earthquake. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which allows Tapu Bulu to put a dent in some Steel-types like Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela due to their Rock neutrality and also lets it defeat bulky Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Tangrowth. Fightinium Z turns Superpower into All-Out Pummeling, a Z-Move with slightly more Base Power than Continental Crush and similar targets in Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory, though not being able to hit Mega Venusaur makes it a less desirable option. Lastly, Grassium Z can be used with Wood Hammer for a 190-Base Power Bloom Doom, providing Tapu Bulu with an insanely strong nuke capable of feats such as OHKOing Tangrowth and Magearna after a boost, only held back by the worse overall coverage it provides.
Usage Tips
========
Tapu Bulu's wallbreaking capabilities give it a great matchup versus bulky teams, though it can still put a dent in offensive teams thanks to its handful of resistances and a one-time nuke in its Z-Move of choice. Against teams with defensive answers to Tapu Bulu, you should switch it into either a threat it checks likes Dragon Dance Zygarde or Spikes Ash-Greninja or a passive Pokemon that can't touch it like Counter Skarmory or defensive Landorus-T in order to get a free turn to set up. Use Swords Dance as the opponent switches into their defensive answer, usually something like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, or Tangrowth, and eliminate it with the Z-Move. Keep in mind that you need some prior damage to get most KOs, so make sure that either entry hazards are up on the opponent's side or the target has been damaged beforehand. Against more offensive teams, you don't need to set up because the opponent is most likely switching into an offensive check or sacrificing a Pokemon, so it's better to just throw out attacks and start punching holes with the help of the Z-Move. As per usual, don't play too recklessly with Tapu Bulu, because some Pokemon it checks may carry coverage moves for it; for example, Ash-Greninja can run Ice Beam, and Garchomp can run Fire Fang.
Team Options
========
Entry hazards are very useful because Tapu Bulu struggles to KO a handful of Pokemon if they're at full HP even with a boosted Z-Move. Stealth Rock and Spikes weaken the likes of Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Mega Venusaur to put them in range of Tapu Bulu's Continental Crush. Landorus-T and Clefable are good Stealth Rock setters, while Ash-Greninja can use Spikes and Protean Greninja can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, the latter of which is particularly useful for Tangrowth. Toxapex is a notable partner because it can set up Toxic Spikes and absorb them, in addition to having great typing synergy with Tapu Bulu. If running All-Out Pummeling as the Z-Move, Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss become more problematic, so teammates that can handle them like Mega Pinsir and offensive Landorus-T pair well with this variant. Bloom Doom sets struggle against Steel-types, so Fire-types like Heatran and Volcarona can help it break defensive cores and take advantage of the Steel-types that switch into it. Pivots that can switch into Fire-types that threaten Tapu Bulu such as Latios, Toxapex, and Mantine make for good teammates too. Additionally, Latios and Mantine can carry Defog, which relieves the pressure entry hazards exert on Tapu Bulu. Flying-types like Mega Pinsir and Flyinium Z Landorus-T are other offensive threats that pressure Tapu Bulu, which means that checks to these like Celesteela and Zapdos are also good additions to a Tapu Bulu team.
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Rockium Z / Fightinium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance gives Tapu Bulu the necessary boost to its Attack in order to muscle through sturdy physical walls like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Low Base Power aside, Horn Leech's secondary healing effect makes it a great STAB Grass-type attack, making up for any HP lost when setting up with Swords Dance. Superpower hits Steel-types like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Heatran on the switch. Stone Edge provides coverage against Zapdos, and when boosted by a Z-Crystal, it has the sheer power to break through neutral targets like Tangrowth and Mega Venusaur after Stealth Rock damage. Finally, Wood Hammer should be run as the last move if using Grassium Z for a stronger nuke due to its higher Base Power compared to Horn Leech's. It KOes Tangrowth after a boost and is insanely strong in general, outdamaging even Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer without any boost.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment coupled with an Adamant nature maximizes Tapu Bulu's damage output, notably allowing it to OHKO on Mega Venusaur and Tangrowth after Stealth Rock damage with +2 Continental Crush. Jolly is an option too if outspeeding Timid Magearna is deemed necessary. Grassy Surge summons Grassy Terrain, which provides grounded Pokemon with passive recovery, boosts the power of Tapu Bulu's Grass-type moves, and supports its teammates by weakening Earthquake. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which allows Tapu Bulu to put a dent in some Steel-types like Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela due to their Rock neutrality and also lets it defeat bulky Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Tangrowth. Fightinium Z turns Superpower into All-Out Pummeling, a Z-Move with slightly more Base Power than Continental Crush and similar targets in Celesteela, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory, though not being able to hit Mega Venusaur makes it a less desirable option. Lastly, Grassium Z can be used with Wood Hammer for a 190-Base Power Bloom Doom, providing Tapu Bulu with an insanely strong nuke capable of feats such as OHKOing Tangrowth and Magearna after a boost, only held back by the worse overall coverage it provides.
Usage Tips
========
Tapu Bulu's wallbreaking capabilities give it a great matchup versus bulky teams, though it can still put a dent in offensive teams thanks to its handful of resistances and a one-time nuke in its Z-Move of choice. Against teams with defensive answers to Tapu Bulu, you should switch it into either a threat it checks likes Dragon Dance Zygarde or Spikes Ash-Greninja or a passive Pokemon that can't touch it like Counter Skarmory or defensive Landorus-T in order to get a free turn to set up. Use Swords Dance as the opponent switches into their defensive answer, usually something like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, or Tangrowth, and eliminate it with the Z-Move. Keep in mind that you need some prior damage to get most KOs, so make sure that either entry hazards are up on the opponent's side or the target has been damaged beforehand. Against more offensive teams, you don't need to set up because the opponent is most likely switching into an offensive check or sacrificing a Pokemon, so it's better to just throw out attacks and start punching holes with the help of the Z-Move. As per usual, don't play too recklessly with Tapu Bulu, because some Pokemon it checks may carry coverage moves for it; for example, Ash-Greninja can run Ice Beam, and Garchomp can run Fire Fang.
Team Options
========
Entry hazards are very useful because Tapu Bulu struggles to KO a handful of Pokemon if they're at full HP even with a boosted Z-Move. Stealth Rock and Spikes weaken the likes of Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Mega Venusaur to put them in range of Tapu Bulu's Continental Crush. Landorus-T and Clefable are good Stealth Rock setters, while Ash-Greninja can use Spikes and Protean Greninja can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, the latter of which is particularly useful for Tangrowth. Toxapex is a notable partner because it can set up Toxic Spikes and absorb them, in addition to having great typing synergy with Tapu Bulu. If running All-Out Pummeling as the Z-Move, Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss become more problematic, so teammates that can handle them like Mega Pinsir and offensive Landorus-T pair well with this variant. Bloom Doom sets struggle against Steel-types, so Fire-types like Heatran and Volcarona can help it break defensive cores and take advantage of the Steel-types that switch into it. Pivots that can switch into Fire-types that threaten Tapu Bulu such as Latios, Toxapex, and Mantine make for good teammates too. Additionally, Latios and Mantine can carry Defog, which relieves the pressure entry hazards exert on Tapu Bulu. Flying-types like Mega Pinsir and Flyinium Z Landorus-T are other offensive threats that pressure Tapu Bulu, which means that checks to these like Celesteela and Zapdos are also good additions to a Tapu Bulu team.
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