boltsandbombers
i'm sorry mr. man
Taken over from Mysteria
QC: Molk, atomicllamas, Spirit
GP: Calm Pokemaster, horyzhnz
woof woof
Overview
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This generation, Granbull was granted the extremely useful Fairy typing, which grants it an immunity to Dragon-type attacks and resistances to common attacking types such as Dark and Fighting. Granbull also has access to Intimidate; alongside its respectable base 90 HP and 75 Defense stats, this helps it switch in to many powerful physical attackers such as Virizion, Hitmonlee, physical Sharpedo, Meloetta-P, and Druddigon lacking Gunk Shot. One important thing to note is that Granbull has a great base 120 Attack stat, which not many other defensive Pokemon can boast. This keeps Granbull from being setup fodder for sweepers, as it has near-perfect type coverage in Play Rough and Earthquake as well as many other great coverage moves such as the elemental punches to surprise its usual switch-ins. Granbull also has access to Heal Bell, which cures it and its teammates of deadly status conditions, and Roar, which phazes setup sweepers and racks up hazard damage.
However, Granbull lacks any form of reliable recovery, which forces it to use Rest. Also, Granbull has a very low Speed stat, meaning it must always take a hit before attacking back or using a status move. On top of this, Granbull's Special Defense is mediocre, meaning it is susceptible to powerful special attackers such as Meloetta and Moltres. Lastly, Granbull faces some competition from Aromatisse as a defensive Fairy-type.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Rest / Earthquake
move 3: Sleep Talk / Thunder Wave
move 4: Heal Bell
ability: Intimidate
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Play Rough is Granbull's only physical STAB attack, and it hits fairly hard even without Attack investment, easily OHKOing Fighting- and Dark-types such as Hitmonlee and Sharpedo. Rest provides Granbull with a form of recovery and allows it to continuously sponge hits and be used as a pivot with Intimidate. Sleep Talk works well in tandem with Rest, as it allows Granbull to not be setup fodder while asleep. Earthquake allows Granbull to smack grounded Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types that resist Play Rough, and Thunder Wave can be used to cripple fast threats such as Hitmonlee and Moltres. Heal Bell is crucial to remove crippling status such as Toxic from Granbull and its teammates. Roar is an alternative to force out setup sweepers such as Doublade.
Set Details
========
Intimidate is Granbull's main niche, softening physical hits by a considerable amount. 28 Speed EVs let Granbull outspeed uninvested Druddigon, but they often use some Speed investment. 248 HP EVs and 232 Defense EVs are used to maximize Granbull's defensive capabilities and to minimize damage from entry hazards by giving it an odd HP number. Leftovers are essential for a defensive Pokemon such as Granbull, providing passive recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Use Granbull to pivot into physical attackers such as Hitmonlee or Virizion, preferably those lacking a move that hits Granbull super effectively. Some attackers must be scouted out before switching Granbull in, such as special or mixed variants of Sharpedo or Druddigon that carry Gunk Shot. Capitalize on the switches that Granbull forces due to Intimidate and its Fairy typing, and use them to cripple an incoming attacker with a status move or use Heal Bell.
Team Options
========
Slowking is a great teammate for Granbull, as it can easily shrug off special attacks that threaten Granbull, while Granbull can take Dark- and Bug-type attacks, in particular Knock Off, which Slowking is susceptible to. If the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk is not used, Granbull greatly appreciates Wish support from the likes of Alomomola and Audino, who also have good defensive synergy with Granbull. Registeel forms a good defensive core with Granbull, but the two are easily overwhelmed by powerful Fire-types if Granbull does not carry Earthquake. Rhyperior also has good defensive synergy with Granbull and can set up Stealth Rock. Doublade greatly appreciates Granbull's ability to consistently switch into Knock Off, as Doublade heavily relies on its Eviolite.
Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Thunder Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Play Rough is Granbull's only physical STAB attack, and it hits incredibly hard on targets that take neutral or super effective damage from it. Ice Punch provides good coverage, hitting common defensive Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Gligar, and Golbat, easily scoring a 2HKO on all three. Thunder Punch forms pseudo-BoltBeam coverage with Ice Punch, and it hits Water- and Flying-types such as Alomomola, Moltres, and Fletchinder. The last slot is ultimately up to what your team needs to handle. Earthquake is the preferred choice, as it can easily 2HKO Registeel and Doublade on the switch, both of which are very common. However, if your team can handle those threats, Fire Punch is the better option, being able to hit targets such as Mega Abomasnow, Durant, Escavalier, and Bronzong, while still hitting Registeel and Doublade for good damage. Crunch is an option to hit bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Cresselia and Cofagrigus, while still hitting Bronzong hard.
Set Details
========
44 Speed EVs allows Granbull to outspeed uninvested base 50 Pokemon such as Registeel and Tangrowth. Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature lets Granbull hit as hard as possible. The rest of the EVs are put in HP to make good use of Intimidate and Granbull's natural bulk which helps bluff the defensive set, as well as allowing Granbull to act as an offensive pivot.
Usage Tips
========
It is good to switch in on attacks that Granbull resists or is immune to, such as Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick or Druddigon's Dragon Claw. Choice Band Granbull acts as a strong bluff for defensive sets, which are typically more common. It is important to predict especially well when using this set, as Play Rough won't heavily dent common Fairy-type switch-ins such as Amoonguss and Doublade. Because coverage moves such as Ice Punch and Thunder Punch tend not to be expected from Granbull, aim to surprise foes such as Gligar with Ice Punch or Alomomola with Thunder Punch.
Team Options
========
Doublade forms a great offensive core with Granbull, in that they cover each other's weaknesses fairly well and Doublade greatly appreciates Choice Band Granbull's ability to break down or heavily dent physical walls that trouble Doublade. Rhyperior has good synergy with Granbull and can set up Stealth Rock. This allows Granbull to 2HKO Rhyperior and Aromatisse with Earthquake and Play Rough, respectively. Slowking is another good teammate for Granbull, being able to switch into special attackers such as Delphox and Moltres, while Granbull covers its Bug- and Dark-type weaknesses. Knock Off support from the likes of Shiftry and Hitmonlee is very helpful in breaking down defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola. Physical sweepers such as the previously mentioned Doublade, as well as Drapion, Virizion, Cobalion, and other late-game sweepers, appreciate this set's ability to break down defensive Pokemon.
Other Options
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Toxic can be used over Thunder Wave on the defensive set, but paralysis pairs well with Granbull's low Speed and great power. Bulk Up is an option for Granbull to possibly sweep, but its terrible Speed makes this challenging to achieve. Close Combat and Focus Punch are alternative coverage moves, but they don't hit much that Granbull's other moves don't. Quick Feet can be used on an offensive set with a status Orb, but even after the Speed boost Granbull is outsped by many common Choice Scarf users, and Granbull has better things to do than attempt a sweep against offensive teams. Rock Slide can be used on the Choice Band set to hit Fletchinder and Moltres harder than Thunder Punch, but it does not have useful coverage otherwise.
Checks & Counters
########
**Weezing**: Weezing can take any attack from either set, and it can cripple Granbull with Will-O-Wisp or hit it on its weaker defensive side with Sludge Bomb.
**Alomomola**: Alomomola takes any hit from Granbull with the exception of Thunder Punch from the Choice Band set, and it can burn Granbull with Scald as well as stall it out with Wish and Toxic.
**Golbat**: Although Golbat can be hit hard with Ice Punch, it can status Granbull with Toxic or prevent it from supporting its team with Taunt and stall it out.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong can easily switch in on most Granbull, as it only fears Fire Punch or Crunch from the Choice Band set.
**Doublade**: Doublade can set up Swords Dance on defensive Granbull or on a Choice-locked Play Rough, Ice Punch, or Thunder Punch.
**Gligar**: Gligar can stall Granbull out, as it takes most physical hits from it very well; however, Gligar should be wary of Ice Punch.
**Fletchinder**: Fletchinder resists Play Rough, and can burn Granbull with Will-O-Wisp, and set up Swords Dance against the defensive set; however, it dislikes Thunder Wave and Toxic from the defensive set and must be wary of Thunder Punch from the Choice Band set.
**Durant**: Durant can 2HKO Granbull with a Hustle-boosted Iron Head despite Intimidate's Attack drop, but it is OHKOed by Fire Punch from the Choice Band set.
**Special Attackers**: Granbull has very bad Special Defense and is easily overwhelmed by powerful special attackers such as Meloetta, Delphox, Clawitzer, and Moltres.
QC: Molk, atomicllamas, Spirit
GP: Calm Pokemaster, horyzhnz
woof woof
Overview
########
This generation, Granbull was granted the extremely useful Fairy typing, which grants it an immunity to Dragon-type attacks and resistances to common attacking types such as Dark and Fighting. Granbull also has access to Intimidate; alongside its respectable base 90 HP and 75 Defense stats, this helps it switch in to many powerful physical attackers such as Virizion, Hitmonlee, physical Sharpedo, Meloetta-P, and Druddigon lacking Gunk Shot. One important thing to note is that Granbull has a great base 120 Attack stat, which not many other defensive Pokemon can boast. This keeps Granbull from being setup fodder for sweepers, as it has near-perfect type coverage in Play Rough and Earthquake as well as many other great coverage moves such as the elemental punches to surprise its usual switch-ins. Granbull also has access to Heal Bell, which cures it and its teammates of deadly status conditions, and Roar, which phazes setup sweepers and racks up hazard damage.
However, Granbull lacks any form of reliable recovery, which forces it to use Rest. Also, Granbull has a very low Speed stat, meaning it must always take a hit before attacking back or using a status move. On top of this, Granbull's Special Defense is mediocre, meaning it is susceptible to powerful special attackers such as Meloetta and Moltres. Lastly, Granbull faces some competition from Aromatisse as a defensive Fairy-type.
Defensive
########
name: Defensive
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Rest / Earthquake
move 3: Sleep Talk / Thunder Wave
move 4: Heal Bell
ability: Intimidate
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Play Rough is Granbull's only physical STAB attack, and it hits fairly hard even without Attack investment, easily OHKOing Fighting- and Dark-types such as Hitmonlee and Sharpedo. Rest provides Granbull with a form of recovery and allows it to continuously sponge hits and be used as a pivot with Intimidate. Sleep Talk works well in tandem with Rest, as it allows Granbull to not be setup fodder while asleep. Earthquake allows Granbull to smack grounded Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types that resist Play Rough, and Thunder Wave can be used to cripple fast threats such as Hitmonlee and Moltres. Heal Bell is crucial to remove crippling status such as Toxic from Granbull and its teammates. Roar is an alternative to force out setup sweepers such as Doublade.
Set Details
========
Intimidate is Granbull's main niche, softening physical hits by a considerable amount. 28 Speed EVs let Granbull outspeed uninvested Druddigon, but they often use some Speed investment. 248 HP EVs and 232 Defense EVs are used to maximize Granbull's defensive capabilities and to minimize damage from entry hazards by giving it an odd HP number. Leftovers are essential for a defensive Pokemon such as Granbull, providing passive recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Use Granbull to pivot into physical attackers such as Hitmonlee or Virizion, preferably those lacking a move that hits Granbull super effectively. Some attackers must be scouted out before switching Granbull in, such as special or mixed variants of Sharpedo or Druddigon that carry Gunk Shot. Capitalize on the switches that Granbull forces due to Intimidate and its Fairy typing, and use them to cripple an incoming attacker with a status move or use Heal Bell.
Team Options
========
Slowking is a great teammate for Granbull, as it can easily shrug off special attacks that threaten Granbull, while Granbull can take Dark- and Bug-type attacks, in particular Knock Off, which Slowking is susceptible to. If the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk is not used, Granbull greatly appreciates Wish support from the likes of Alomomola and Audino, who also have good defensive synergy with Granbull. Registeel forms a good defensive core with Granbull, but the two are easily overwhelmed by powerful Fire-types if Granbull does not carry Earthquake. Rhyperior also has good defensive synergy with Granbull and can set up Stealth Rock. Doublade greatly appreciates Granbull's ability to consistently switch into Knock Off, as Doublade heavily relies on its Eviolite.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Thunder Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Play Rough is Granbull's only physical STAB attack, and it hits incredibly hard on targets that take neutral or super effective damage from it. Ice Punch provides good coverage, hitting common defensive Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Gligar, and Golbat, easily scoring a 2HKO on all three. Thunder Punch forms pseudo-BoltBeam coverage with Ice Punch, and it hits Water- and Flying-types such as Alomomola, Moltres, and Fletchinder. The last slot is ultimately up to what your team needs to handle. Earthquake is the preferred choice, as it can easily 2HKO Registeel and Doublade on the switch, both of which are very common. However, if your team can handle those threats, Fire Punch is the better option, being able to hit targets such as Mega Abomasnow, Durant, Escavalier, and Bronzong, while still hitting Registeel and Doublade for good damage. Crunch is an option to hit bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Cresselia and Cofagrigus, while still hitting Bronzong hard.
Set Details
========
44 Speed EVs allows Granbull to outspeed uninvested base 50 Pokemon such as Registeel and Tangrowth. Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature lets Granbull hit as hard as possible. The rest of the EVs are put in HP to make good use of Intimidate and Granbull's natural bulk which helps bluff the defensive set, as well as allowing Granbull to act as an offensive pivot.
Usage Tips
========
It is good to switch in on attacks that Granbull resists or is immune to, such as Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick or Druddigon's Dragon Claw. Choice Band Granbull acts as a strong bluff for defensive sets, which are typically more common. It is important to predict especially well when using this set, as Play Rough won't heavily dent common Fairy-type switch-ins such as Amoonguss and Doublade. Because coverage moves such as Ice Punch and Thunder Punch tend not to be expected from Granbull, aim to surprise foes such as Gligar with Ice Punch or Alomomola with Thunder Punch.
Team Options
========
Doublade forms a great offensive core with Granbull, in that they cover each other's weaknesses fairly well and Doublade greatly appreciates Choice Band Granbull's ability to break down or heavily dent physical walls that trouble Doublade. Rhyperior has good synergy with Granbull and can set up Stealth Rock. This allows Granbull to 2HKO Rhyperior and Aromatisse with Earthquake and Play Rough, respectively. Slowking is another good teammate for Granbull, being able to switch into special attackers such as Delphox and Moltres, while Granbull covers its Bug- and Dark-type weaknesses. Knock Off support from the likes of Shiftry and Hitmonlee is very helpful in breaking down defensive Pokemon such as Alomomola. Physical sweepers such as the previously mentioned Doublade, as well as Drapion, Virizion, Cobalion, and other late-game sweepers, appreciate this set's ability to break down defensive Pokemon.
Other Options
########
Toxic can be used over Thunder Wave on the defensive set, but paralysis pairs well with Granbull's low Speed and great power. Bulk Up is an option for Granbull to possibly sweep, but its terrible Speed makes this challenging to achieve. Close Combat and Focus Punch are alternative coverage moves, but they don't hit much that Granbull's other moves don't. Quick Feet can be used on an offensive set with a status Orb, but even after the Speed boost Granbull is outsped by many common Choice Scarf users, and Granbull has better things to do than attempt a sweep against offensive teams. Rock Slide can be used on the Choice Band set to hit Fletchinder and Moltres harder than Thunder Punch, but it does not have useful coverage otherwise.
Checks & Counters
########
**Weezing**: Weezing can take any attack from either set, and it can cripple Granbull with Will-O-Wisp or hit it on its weaker defensive side with Sludge Bomb.
**Alomomola**: Alomomola takes any hit from Granbull with the exception of Thunder Punch from the Choice Band set, and it can burn Granbull with Scald as well as stall it out with Wish and Toxic.
**Golbat**: Although Golbat can be hit hard with Ice Punch, it can status Granbull with Toxic or prevent it from supporting its team with Taunt and stall it out.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong can easily switch in on most Granbull, as it only fears Fire Punch or Crunch from the Choice Band set.
**Doublade**: Doublade can set up Swords Dance on defensive Granbull or on a Choice-locked Play Rough, Ice Punch, or Thunder Punch.
**Gligar**: Gligar can stall Granbull out, as it takes most physical hits from it very well; however, Gligar should be wary of Ice Punch.
**Fletchinder**: Fletchinder resists Play Rough, and can burn Granbull with Will-O-Wisp, and set up Swords Dance against the defensive set; however, it dislikes Thunder Wave and Toxic from the defensive set and must be wary of Thunder Punch from the Choice Band set.
**Durant**: Durant can 2HKO Granbull with a Hustle-boosted Iron Head despite Intimidate's Attack drop, but it is OHKOed by Fire Punch from the Choice Band set.
**Special Attackers**: Granbull has very bad Special Defense and is easily overwhelmed by powerful special attackers such as Meloetta, Delphox, Clawitzer, and Moltres.
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