Excuse any schoolboy errors, this is my first analysis.
[OVERVIEW]
Breloom has a lot a lot of positive aspects, including its movepool, ability, and typing. For one, it has Spore, the only 100% accurate sleep move in the game, which can cripple anything that isn't a Grass-type. This allows Breloom to put pressure on at least one of its checks or counters, making playing around this Pokemon a pain. Also, many of Brelooms other moves benefit greatly from Technician including Rock Tomb, Bullet Seed, and Mach Punch. It can even put slower threats to sleep and capitalize on the free turns with Swords Dance, sweeping weakened teams with Mach Punch. Along with this, Breloom has just the offensive typing it needs to check common offensive threats Colossoil and Kyurem-B.
However, Breloom's horrible defensive typing and stats mean it really struggles against anything faster than it that resists Mach Punch. such as Talonflame, Cawmodore, and Latios among many, many others. It's typing particularly suffers against Grass-types that can absorb every move coming at them including Necturna and Mega Venusaur. This, on top of its very subpar Speed tier, means that a lot of common Pokemon including Charizard X and Y, Tornadus-T and Latios can outspeed and KO it easily, making Breloom overly reliant on Mach Punch.
[SET]
name: Technician Attacker
move 1: Spore
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Rock Tomb / Swords Dance
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Technician
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
========
Spore is a great utility move, as it is guaranteed to cripple one Pokemon (besides the uncommon Grass-types). This allows Breloom to get rid of one of its checks or counters for a couple of turns, supporting both the team and itself in a lot of ways, such as providing opportunities for Breloom and its teammates to set up. Mach Punch reaches 90 Base Power after STAB and Technician, meaning Breloom can clean or revenge kill very well thanks to its great Attack. Bullet Seed is great for breaking through Substitutes and complements Mach Punch very well, scoring hits against Gliscor and Azumarill. Rock Tomb can easily take care of offensive Pokemon that can normally switch in to Breloom, including Charizard, Talonflame, and Tornadus-T. Rock Tomb also lowers the foe's Speed and is boosted by Technician, so Breloom can outpace some threats and put them to sleep with Spore. With Stealth Rock support, Rock Tomb can beat some defensive checks such as Pyroak. Swords Dance can be used instead of Rock Tomb to boost Breloom's Attack by two stages, allowing Breloom to sweep much easier.
Set Details
========
Life Orb boosts damage output, allowing Breloom to dent Pokemon that it might normally struggle with, including Crucibelle. Life Orb is also necessary to get the OHKO on Stratagem. However, Focus Sash makes Breloom a blanket check against setup sweepers, allowing it to survive at least one hit and put a Pokemon to sleep with Spore. 252 Attack and Speed EVs make Breloom as powerful and fast as possible. as much as possible, letting it KO Pokemon like Mega Gyarados and outspeed Pokemon like defensive Heatran. A Jolly nature is necessary to further outpace maximum Speed Scizor, Adamant Bisharp, and neutral-natured Altaria.
Usage Tips
========
Breloom gets worn down very quickly, and with its bad defenses, it needs to preserve all the health it can get. Because of this, try to bring Breloom in on free switches or through a slow U-Turn or Volt Switch. While Breloom has access to Rock Tomb, Flying-types are deadly and Breloom is best kept well away from them unless you can predict the switch. Try to keep from setting up Swords Dance until late-game when Breloom can clean up with Mach Punch. Breloom can also function well as a revenge killer for a lot of Pokemon, including Stratagem and Cawmodore. Sometimes it's worth using Spore more tactically to incapacitate a threat that otherwise wouldn't switch in on Breloom.
Team Options
========
- GC Bookmark -
Breloom appreciates Pokemon that can deal with its checks and counters. For example, Mega Manetric and Stratagem can take care of Flying-types, Weavile and Colossoil can beat a lot of Psychic-types, and Talonflame and Crucibelle handle Fire types; all of these types are difficult for Breloom to handle. Breloom also appreciates Stealth Rock support from the likes of Crucibelle and Heatran to help pressure Flying-types, which Breloom does not like. Since Breloom is good at eliminating Dark-, Water-, and Ground-types, it can pave the way for a Pokemon such as Victini. Breloom appreciates free switches in, so a Volt Switch or U-turn from a Pokemon like Mega-Manectric or Crucibelle (Mega Manetric Volt Switches, while Crucibelle U-turns) works very well. Setup sweepers like Naviathan, Azumarill, and Mega Charizard X can benefit from Spore and set up on Fire types; Pokemon like Naviathan can do this especially well as they have a good movepool to hit a lot of Pokemon that beat Breloom. Reliable entry hazard removal is a must if Breloom is using Focus Sash, as it fails to fulfill its role if Focus Sash gets broken. Pokemon that can do this well include Steel-types such as Skarmory, Kitsunoh, and Scizor. However, Flying-types such as Tomohawk, Zapdos, and Togekiss can also work well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison Heal is a good way to beat defensive teams but falters against offensive teams. Substitute allows Breloom to set up on the forced switch but the Life Orb whittles it down very quickly and works well in tandem with Focus Punch, but the combination of Substitute damage and Life Orb recoil whittles it down very quickly. Breloom can also use an Adamant nature if outspeeding Mamoswine and Mega Altaria isn't important for your team and you appreciate the extra damage on walls such as Clefable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Pokemon with a Spore immunity and Bullet Seed resistance such as Mega Venusaur and Necturna can deal big damage to Breloom with their STAB or coverage moves and take only a little bit of damage from Breloom.
**Flying-types**: Almost all Flying-types such as Tornadus-T, Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y can deal with Breloom offensively or defensively, and Breloom's 4X weakness to Flying doesn't help. However, Breloom can OHKO all of these Pokemon with Rock Tomb. Defensive checks including Tomohawk and Skarmory are more tricky to take down, although Spore can cripple these Pokemon to allow a partner to come in on the free switch.
**Priority Users**: Faster priority moves can 2HKO Breloom if not resisted, such as Weavile's Ice Shard, and some can OHKO it, such as Talonflame's Brave Bird.
**Poison-types**: Common Poison-types including Gengar and Plasmanta resist Breloom's STAB attacks and can hit back with a super effective Sludge Wave pretty easily.
**Fire-types**: Fast Fire-types such as Talonflame and Volkraken take little damage from Breloom's STAB moves and hit back super effectively. However, they must watch out for Rock Tomb or Spore on the switch.
**Psychic-types**: Most Psychic-types resist Mach Punch, and Pokemon like Latios and Latias also resist Bullet Seed. However, they can be put to sleep with Spore and hit for neutral damage with Rock Tomb
[OVERVIEW]
Breloom has a lot a lot of positive aspects, including its movepool, ability, and typing. For one, it has Spore, the only 100% accurate sleep move in the game, which can cripple anything that isn't a Grass-type. This allows Breloom to put pressure on at least one of its checks or counters, making playing around this Pokemon a pain. Also, many of Brelooms other moves benefit greatly from Technician including Rock Tomb, Bullet Seed, and Mach Punch. It can even put slower threats to sleep and capitalize on the free turns with Swords Dance, sweeping weakened teams with Mach Punch. Along with this, Breloom has just the offensive typing it needs to check common offensive threats Colossoil and Kyurem-B.
However, Breloom's horrible defensive typing and stats mean it really struggles against anything faster than it that resists Mach Punch. such as Talonflame, Cawmodore, and Latios among many, many others. It's typing particularly suffers against Grass-types that can absorb every move coming at them including Necturna and Mega Venusaur. This, on top of its very subpar Speed tier, means that a lot of common Pokemon including Charizard X and Y, Tornadus-T and Latios can outspeed and KO it easily, making Breloom overly reliant on Mach Punch.
[SET]
name: Technician Attacker
move 1: Spore
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Rock Tomb / Swords Dance
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Technician
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
========
Spore is a great utility move, as it is guaranteed to cripple one Pokemon (besides the uncommon Grass-types). This allows Breloom to get rid of one of its checks or counters for a couple of turns, supporting both the team and itself in a lot of ways, such as providing opportunities for Breloom and its teammates to set up. Mach Punch reaches 90 Base Power after STAB and Technician, meaning Breloom can clean or revenge kill very well thanks to its great Attack. Bullet Seed is great for breaking through Substitutes and complements Mach Punch very well, scoring hits against Gliscor and Azumarill. Rock Tomb can easily take care of offensive Pokemon that can normally switch in to Breloom, including Charizard, Talonflame, and Tornadus-T. Rock Tomb also lowers the foe's Speed and is boosted by Technician, so Breloom can outpace some threats and put them to sleep with Spore. With Stealth Rock support, Rock Tomb can beat some defensive checks such as Pyroak. Swords Dance can be used instead of Rock Tomb to boost Breloom's Attack by two stages, allowing Breloom to sweep much easier.
Set Details
========
Life Orb boosts damage output, allowing Breloom to dent Pokemon that it might normally struggle with, including Crucibelle. Life Orb is also necessary to get the OHKO on Stratagem. However, Focus Sash makes Breloom a blanket check against setup sweepers, allowing it to survive at least one hit and put a Pokemon to sleep with Spore. 252 Attack and Speed EVs make Breloom as powerful and fast as possible. as much as possible, letting it KO Pokemon like Mega Gyarados and outspeed Pokemon like defensive Heatran. A Jolly nature is necessary to further outpace maximum Speed Scizor, Adamant Bisharp, and neutral-natured Altaria.
Usage Tips
========
Breloom gets worn down very quickly, and with its bad defenses, it needs to preserve all the health it can get. Because of this, try to bring Breloom in on free switches or through a slow U-Turn or Volt Switch. While Breloom has access to Rock Tomb, Flying-types are deadly and Breloom is best kept well away from them unless you can predict the switch. Try to keep from setting up Swords Dance until late-game when Breloom can clean up with Mach Punch. Breloom can also function well as a revenge killer for a lot of Pokemon, including Stratagem and Cawmodore. Sometimes it's worth using Spore more tactically to incapacitate a threat that otherwise wouldn't switch in on Breloom.
Team Options
========
- GC Bookmark -
Breloom appreciates Pokemon that can deal with its checks and counters. For example, Mega Manetric and Stratagem can take care of Flying-types, Weavile and Colossoil can beat a lot of Psychic-types, and Talonflame and Crucibelle handle Fire types; all of these types are difficult for Breloom to handle. Breloom also appreciates Stealth Rock support from the likes of Crucibelle and Heatran to help pressure Flying-types, which Breloom does not like. Since Breloom is good at eliminating Dark-, Water-, and Ground-types, it can pave the way for a Pokemon such as Victini. Breloom appreciates free switches in, so a Volt Switch or U-turn from a Pokemon like Mega-Manectric or Crucibelle (Mega Manetric Volt Switches, while Crucibelle U-turns) works very well. Setup sweepers like Naviathan, Azumarill, and Mega Charizard X can benefit from Spore and set up on Fire types; Pokemon like Naviathan can do this especially well as they have a good movepool to hit a lot of Pokemon that beat Breloom. Reliable entry hazard removal is a must if Breloom is using Focus Sash, as it fails to fulfill its role if Focus Sash gets broken. Pokemon that can do this well include Steel-types such as Skarmory, Kitsunoh, and Scizor. However, Flying-types such as Tomohawk, Zapdos, and Togekiss can also work well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison Heal is a good way to beat defensive teams but falters against offensive teams. Substitute allows Breloom to set up on the forced switch but the Life Orb whittles it down very quickly and works well in tandem with Focus Punch, but the combination of Substitute damage and Life Orb recoil whittles it down very quickly. Breloom can also use an Adamant nature if outspeeding Mamoswine and Mega Altaria isn't important for your team and you appreciate the extra damage on walls such as Clefable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Pokemon with a Spore immunity and Bullet Seed resistance such as Mega Venusaur and Necturna can deal big damage to Breloom with their STAB or coverage moves and take only a little bit of damage from Breloom.
**Flying-types**: Almost all Flying-types such as Tornadus-T, Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y can deal with Breloom offensively or defensively, and Breloom's 4X weakness to Flying doesn't help. However, Breloom can OHKO all of these Pokemon with Rock Tomb. Defensive checks including Tomohawk and Skarmory are more tricky to take down, although Spore can cripple these Pokemon to allow a partner to come in on the free switch.
**Priority Users**: Faster priority moves can 2HKO Breloom if not resisted, such as Weavile's Ice Shard, and some can OHKO it, such as Talonflame's Brave Bird.
**Poison-types**: Common Poison-types including Gengar and Plasmanta resist Breloom's STAB attacks and can hit back with a super effective Sludge Wave pretty easily.
**Fire-types**: Fast Fire-types such as Talonflame and Volkraken take little damage from Breloom's STAB moves and hit back super effectively. However, they must watch out for Rock Tomb or Spore on the switch.
**Psychic-types**: Most Psychic-types resist Mach Punch, and Pokemon like Latios and Latias also resist Bullet Seed. However, they can be put to sleep with Spore and hit for neutral damage with Rock Tomb
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