Breloom (QC 2/3, not written up)

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steelskitty

you deserve so much more than this
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1UP
I'm not entirely sure what Breelom is, but I guess the GP team won't recognize Breelom as its true name.

Overview
#######
- Really nice universal antilead for a lot of things, it can go one-for-one and heavily damage if not outright KO leads like Deoxys-A, Tyranitar, Deoxys-S, Shuckle, Dialga, Groudon, and Darkrai.
- Threatens sleep fodder like Ho-Oh and ResTalk Kyogre with super-effective coverage.
- Decent base 130 Attack and 70 Speed let it both hit decently hard and outspeed what it needs to in this tier.
- Zero versatility really, it has several options for alternate sets but most of them are unviable in Ubers.
- Reliant on Focus Sash as an item due to its frailty.

Truly the Greatest
#######
name: King Breelom
move 1: Spore
move 2: Bullet Seed
move 3: Rock Tomb
move 4: Mach Punch
ability: Technician
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
nature: Jolly

Moves
=======
- Spore is mandatory, the point of Breloom is to sleep something whilst threatening sleep fodder with coverage and damaging something else in the process.
- Bullet Seed is your main option for damage since it's your hardest-hitting move (assuming you get a good roll) and multi-hit attacks are always really nice, especially with Technician.
- Rock Tomb is generally used first versus anything without reliable priority since its speed-lowering effect can be used to scout sleep fodder and allows you to reliably beat a fast Yveltal anti-lead by first using Rock Tomb then Spore. If they Taunt Breloom first, Rock Tomb 2HKOs.
- Mach Punch is priority and Fighting STAB, it does a good 76.8 - 90.3% to standard Darkrai and narrowly 3HKOs Dialga. It can also be used to check Excadrill and Mega Blaziken in a pinch.

Set Details
=======
- Focus Sash is the pretty obvious item, with 60 / 80 / 60 defenses you aren't really going to be tanking anything relevant in Ubers save Arceus-Ground, which can still 2HKO Breloom with nice Earthquake rolls or just smash it with Ice Beam.
- The EVs are straightforward max speed and max attack, like I alluded to previously there's really no point in giving Breloom bulk since it won't be taking any relevant hits any time soon. Jolly is chosen over Adamant to speed tie with Cloyster and outspeed most relevant Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Groudon variants.

Usage Tips
=======
- While Spore is the main move of the set, Rock Tomb is generally the best move to click first. If the opponent doesn't lead with some dedicated sleep fodder, you'll want to scout any potential Breloom switchins first and Rock Tombt is generally the safest option for this.
- Breloom's usefulness can vary depending on the team archetype it is up against. Versus stall, it is best to play it conservatively, often by Sporing a target then switching out to something dedicated at beating one of the many stall Pokemon that Breloom isn't good at taking down. Always lead with it versus offense or balance, since it is most useful versus those archetypes.

Team Options
=======
- Mega-Gengar is a good teammate due to its ability to trap Breloom checks such as Arceus-Grass while forcing out Giratina. It also handles stall, an archetype that breloom struggles against, quite well.
- Arceus-Fairy is a viable Pokemon to run alongside Breloom since it soft-checks Zekrom whilst threatening Giratina forms and either burning Aegislash or smacking it with Fire Blast.
- Setup sweepers like Double-Dancing Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus benefits from Breloom's ability to put targets to sleep, as they can gain free turns of setup versus opponents that lack dedicated sleep fodder or anything that can reliably take a Spore from Breloom.

Other Options
=======
- Stun Spore is viable for tormenting things such as Mega-Mewtwo-Y which expect to take nothing from sleep.
- Toxic is an amusing way to frustrate Arceus-Grass, Breloom's premier counter.
- Swords Dance is a fun move versus more stall-based teams, allowing Breloom to become somewhat threatening to them with multiple boosts under its belt.

Checks & Counters
#######

-Actually really difficult to "counter" in the strictest sense of the word since the immediate threat of sleep will render things that would normally handle Breloom quite well totally useless. Note that Breloom becomes much easier to deal with once something has already been sacrificed to sleep.

**Arceus-Grass*: Due to its typing giving it an immunity to Spore coupled with excellent bulk, Arceus-Grass is the best dedicated Breloom counter, being able to stall it out with Will-o-Wisp or Toxic whilst Breloom does pitiful damage with Rock Slide.

**Giratina**: Giratina takes very little from any of Breloom's moves, sporting an immunity to Mach Punch, a resistance to Bullet Seed, titanic bulk and low initial speed that makes it not care about Rock Slide, and the ability to shrug off Spore with Sleep Talk. Giratina-O works in a similar way, but something must have been sacrificed to sleep first for it to reliably handle Breloom.

**Xerneas**: Physically Defensive cleric Xerneas with Rest is able to switch in on Spore and threaten to KO Breloom with its powerful STAB Moonblast while not taking much from Breloom's attacks. Geomancy Xerneas can set up after something has been sacrificed to sleep, but has the potential to take a decent amount of damage from Bullet Seed or Rock Tomb.

**Scarf Zekrom**: Scarf Zekrom can fearlessly anti-lead Breloom, shrugging off Spore due to its access to Sleep Talk while threatening an easy KO with Outrage, whilst Breloom can only 4HKO with Rock Tomb or Mach Punch.

**Shaymin-S**: Shaymin-S is immune to Spore and can flinch Breloom with Air Slash, but Rock Tomb will fell it if it doesn't flinch or misses.

**Aegislash**: After something has been put to sleep, Aegislash takes a pittance from anything Breloom has to offer. It sports the same set of immunities and resistances to Breloom's coverage that Giratina has, but it even resists Rock Slide.

**Klefki**: Klefki can easily set Spikes on Breloom or just Play Rough it for a solid 2HKO. However, something must be sacrificed to Spore first for Klefki to adequately handle Breloom. Something uncompetetive like Substitute+Swagger Klefki has the potential to set up a Substitute on Breloom's Spore then Confuse its way to victory versus Breloom.

**Support Arceus that can't be hit Super-Effectively by Breloom's coverage**: After something has been sacrificed to sleep, a support Arceus such as Arceus-Fairy can waltz in on Breloom and take very little from its attacks whilst burning it or hitting it with a Judgment.

**Opposing Breloom**: This is a really iffy check, but Breloom is immune to Spore due to its Grass typing and can win versus itself by winning speed ties with Mach Punch.
 
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steelskitty

you deserve so much more than this
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Replays for the non-believers:

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-111967334 vs Fireburn, good example of how it can mess with webs.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-120779194 vs Tesung, shows how Breelom can function as an Arceus-Ground check in a pinch.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-125935510 vs Lady Gaga, Breelom smacking Darkrai in the face.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-126442597 vs Iampie, shows Breelom really messing with Hyper Offense.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-125849008 vs God Champion, formerly known as Spiral Core.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-ubers-11843 vs Krauersaut, shows why anti-leading Breelom with Ferrothorn is a bad idea.
http://pastebin.com/GNjyQkxC vs Potatolike, Breelom messing with Hyper Offense again.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-111645112 vs Li Xiao Long, no comment.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-128792850 vs Leon, Shows Breelom terrorizing a lead Yveltal.

The Pokémon has also beaten Orch many times and felled the mighty Kebabe, but regrettably there are no replays of this.
 
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Fireburn

BARN ALL
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There need to be more Xerneas mentions - GeoXern can set up on Breloom after it has used Spore (yeah I know Rock Tomb but +1 Xern is still pretty fast), physically defensive cleric Xern is a hard counter. Clerics in general are annoying.

Skymin is a check, its immune to Spore and can flinch Breloom with Air Slash to prevent it from using Rock Tomb.

You should also mention that Mach Punch checks Excadrill and weakened Blaziken. You should also mention that Support Arceus can just burn Breloom with WoW.

OO should really just be Stun Spore, Toxic, and SD - you really wouldn't consider running anything else on Breloom.

All things considered Breloom is a solid lead that works pretty well in this metagame, Spore is annoying as balls.

QC Approved 1/3
 

PISTOLERO

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
Steel you might want to mention that Spore can't be bounced by the 0**^&(^%*%& annoying Magic Coat, and that you can Anti-Lead Smeargle to an extent (still gets up one hazard but bullet seed goes straight through its sash and it can't Spore you).
 

SparksBlade

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Fireburn said:
Skymin is a check, its immune to Spore and can flinch Breloom with Air Slash to prevent it from using Rock Tomb.
it ko's unless sash. also, in some replays, it was bad play by opponent that makes breloom look grand(yveltal uses dark pulse instead of oblivion wing, xerneas subbing instead of killing).

Steeljackal<3 said:
Threatens sleep fodder like Ho-Oh
if that means that it can ohko with rock tomb (sash keeps breloom alive in the face of brave bird/sacred fire), then ok. else it needs a mention
 

steelskitty

you deserve so much more than this
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it ko's unless sash.
252 Atk Technician Breloom Rock Tomb vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Shaymin-S: 248-294 (72.7 - 86.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery. I'm assuming SR won't be up on the opponent's side while Breelom's out with an unbroken sash.

also, in some replays, it was bad play by opponent that makes breloom look grand(yveltal uses dark pulse instead of oblivion wing, xerneas subbing instead of killing).
That's part of what makes Breelom so good -- nobody has any idea how the heck to deal with it.

if that means that it can ohko with rock tomb (sash keeps breloom alive in the face of brave bird/sacred fire), then ok. else it needs a mention
252 Atk Technician Breloom Rock Tomb vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ho-Oh: 428-508 (102.8 - 122.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
 

SparksBlade

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i used the standard usage ev spread.
252 SpA Shaymin-S Air Slash vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Breloom: 700-828 (267.1 - 316%) -- guaranteed OHKO
even if sash is intact, there's the 60%=100% hax which will most likely prevent rock tomb, so skymin is a perfect great check
 

steelskitty

you deserve so much more than this
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
i used the standard usage ev spread.
252 SpA Shaymin-S Air Slash vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Breloom: 700-828 (267.1 - 316%) -- guaranteed OHKO
even if sash is intact, there's the 60%=100% hax which will most likely prevent rock tomb, so skymin is a perfect great check
I misunderstood, I thought you were talking about sash skymin for whatever reason xp. That post makes more sense now.
 
Firstly im going to attempt to undermine some of your replays.

- Fireburn (webs): your breloom had literally nothing to do with webs, it was done and gone before breloom ever touched the field, and the entire battle you could only use it at the very end due to its limited usage, sacrificing a 6th mon that couldve helped you out better. You dealt with the rocks well, but if you had not, breloom would have done nothing, and if you had used it at all before the xerneas and got it damaged, itd have done nothing. Darkrai can do it better. While sash darkrai is questionable, i also believe breloom is questionable, and darkrai would still put to sleep and kill faster (poison moves) than breloom.

- Tesung (Groundceus check): While it can take a non-boosted EQ semi-well in the point of sporing it back (assuming you nothing else is spored), a groundceus does not want to stay in on breloom unless it has the advantage of having setup (like on your scizor) Tesung might've low-balled his EQ (if adamant) and didnt kill (i suppose this wouldnt matter if your sash wasnt broken, but thats not a very consistant strategy to rely on)
+2 252+ Atk Earth Plate Arceus-Ground Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Breloom: 243-286 (93.1 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Earth Plate Arceus-Ground Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Breloom: 221-261 (84.6 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

- Gaga (darkrai): its only use was putting significant damage on darkrai, which could have been done by other means, and using it as sleep fodder and pivot fodder which really shows how useless it is to you beyond style points.

- Iampie (HO): Okay, that wrekt pie, but mostly due to his misplays. it was also a decent lead to another lead with no attacking moves, which youll just have to defog off later, like the previous replay, it did put a nice dent in darkrai but id still hold the same argument. Pie was silly to sub on a multi-attacking move, sillier to keep trying to sub and not just kill it with a moonblast, or geo first and then sub, which would make the breloom's spore useless after sash.

- Spiral core: y would you not attack with deo-a on a known sleep inducer/multi hitter? which wouldve allowed yvetal to take care of it? he must have known you have sash otherwise he would use oblivion wing, so why would he send in yveltal that can get spored without being able to kill thx to deoxys, hurt in other means (breloom with a rock move should be obvious to those even unfamiliar with it)

- Krauersaut (ferro anti lead): Yes, anti leading with ferro is bad. However its also not ideal for your breloom either, as you cant spore and breaks your sash on barbs, while they at least get up whatever hazards they want to

tried reading the pastebin but cant visualize whats happening, especially with all the talking, soz

- xiao long: again, needed to speed cripple ho-oh and keeping it out of play the entire game to preserve its sash. and misplay on xiao by putting rocks up and not killing something that could obviously damage it and spore it. i will concede that it did very well that game, but it was under misplays and slow sets/no protect blaziken.

- taking souls (yveltal lead): it is nice to do significant damage to yveltal and force a switch in to spore, however they know spore is coming otherwise they would sucker punch, so they switch in to something they dont mind putting to sleep (granted not all teams have that, but its still something the opp gets to decide). other than that, it was simply pivot fodder and youre one pokemon down and dont have what you couldve had to your team.

-----

i do recognize breloom as an anti lead, as it can hurt the common leads that you mentioned, as theyre usually unlikely to switch out. I just feel that its not largely viable enough to be used other than as niche synergy in a team - which is not a bad thing, on the contrary it can make or break teams, of course - but as i said in chat, i feel its more style less useful in regards to what you could do without breloom.
p.s. nice thinking on rock tomb, makes the set
 
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Inspirited

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You converted me. This thing is very good as an anti lead but can also do other things midgame if the obvious lead matchup isn't favorable. I say add Sableye as a check as it can Taunt Spore and Burn Breloom while still being able to take a Bullet Seed (5 hits has a chance to KO though).

There was also a rather nasty lead matchup in Breloom vs Cloyster. They Speed-tie with each other and can KO each other with their respective STAB multi-hit moves. The matchup is in Cloyster's favor though because it can live a 2 hit Bullet Seed and has a chance to live a 3 hit. Cloyster doesn't need to worry about a 2 hit Icicle Spear because of Skill Link of course. I feel like this matchup should be mentioned somewhere since it is a rather nasty situation to be caught in and it does apply since Breloom is primarily and anti lead. Perhaps in Usage Tips?

BTW, Breloom + Gengar looks like a Zekrom sweep to me. This could be interesting if you ever feel the need to build with Breloom in the future.
I believe you also have EVs missing on your Scizor that is on your Breelom team
 
melee mewtwo qc rejected 1/3

breloom is a niche mon that hardly provides any offensive synergy, let alone defensive synergy. vs offense its usually just a 1v1 at best, gengar outspeeds even tomb so that can lead against u in all playstyles. balance / stall both have adequate checks such as ferro / gira-o / gira-a / arc fairy / arc ghost etc. all balance / stall p much runs heal bell or a resttalker so your utility is just destroyed in that regard... it's far too matchup reliant and doesn't even have a big reward if u face offense

i'm perpetually qc. rejected 2/3
 
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PISTOLERO

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
melee mewtwo qc rejected 1/3

breloom is a niche mon that hardly provides any offensive synergy, let alone defensive synergy. vs offense its usually just a 1v1 at best, gengar outspeeds even tomb so that can lead against u in all playstyles. balance / stall both have adequate checks such as ferro / gira-o / gira-a / arc fairy / arc ghost etc. all balance / stall p much runs heal bell or a resttalker so your utility is just destroyed in that regard... it's far too matchup reliant and doesn't even have a big reward if u face offense

I guess Dice doesn't know he isn't quality control anymore ?_? -Fireburn
I'd say Gengar still faces a risk. If it Taunts Rock Tomb, Sash is still intact. so Breloom can Tomb again. if it attacks on a Spore then it's not in a good position. I'd say that the second best RestTalker, (specially) defensive Kyogre, won't want to be coming in on Breloom unless it plans on eating Spore then running away again, but Breloom still has Sash intact and gets 2 hits off. SpDef Xerneas can actually take quite a beating from Bullet Seed, and with Sash intact it needs to get lucky with its Moonblast calls from Sleep Talk to not get killed off. Ferrothorn takes quite a beating from Mach Punch, espcially as it runs SpDef sets in this tier (does break Sash though).
 
<Sweep> i am going to reject it
<Sweep> later today
<Sweep> unless edgar wants to approve it *-*
<edgar> nah fuck breloom
 
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