OU Tapu Bulu

[Eclipse]

QC: Gary / Subject 18 / Hootie
GP: NixHex / The Dutch Plumberjack

[OVERVIEW]

Tapu Bulu is a strong wallbreaker due to Grassy Terrain to boost its already strong Grass-type STAB moves and good coverage to go along with it. A very good defensive typing allows Tapu Bulu to check threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Keldeo, Tapu Fini, and Ash-Greninja lacking Ice Beam. One of Tapu Bulu's main draws is its ability, Grassy Surge, which allows it to heal off residual damage for itself and its grounded teammates while also halving the damage of Earthquake done to its teammates. On the flipside, Grassy Terrain also heals grounded foes, making them more difficult to wear down. Middling Speed also leaves Tapu Bulu outsped by a number of threats in the metagame such as Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mega Metagross.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Stone Edge
item: Fightinium Z / Rockium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a big threat to defensive teams due to its strong coverage and power. Horn Leech is Tapu Bulu's main STAB move and, powered by Grassy Terrain, allows Tapu Bulu to threaten foes while also healing off damage it has taken throughout the match. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit the Steel-types that would otherwise wall it, such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Celesteela. Fightinium Z gives Tapu Bulu a strong 190-Base Power Fighting-type attack in All-Out Pummeling for even more power. Zen Headbutt rounds out Tapu Bulu's coverage by allowing it to hit Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, two otherwise very strong answers. Alternatively, Stone Edge hits Fire- and Flying-type answers to Tapu Bulu, such as Zapdos, Mega Charizard, Tornadus-T, and Volcarona; when powered by Rockium Z, Tapu Bulu retains similar coverage to All-Out Pummeling with the benefit of OHKOing Zapdos, with the main drawback being that Continental Crush is slightly weaker than All-Out Pummeling.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Tapu Bulu to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding slower threats like defensive Landorus-T and Tapu Fini. An Adamant nature is preferred in order to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding threats such as defensive Zapdos, specially defensive Jirachi, and Adamant Bisharp. However, a Jolly nature may also be used if outspeeding Modest Heatran, Jolly Bisharp, and Timid Magearna is preferred. Fightinium Z allows Tapu Bulu to turn Superpower into a 190-Base Power All-Out Pummeling, which is meant to take out Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and other Steel-type answers to Tapu Bulu. Rockium Z may be used instead to let Tapu Bulu use Continental Crush, which hits most of the aforementioned threats aside from Ferrothorn, which does not appreciate a +2 Superpower, with the benefit of netting the OHKO on Zapdos. Grassy Surge is its only available ability, which gives Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates recovery while the Terrain is active, providing longevity for its entire team.

Usage Tips
========

This set operates as a wallbreaker. It is best to bring Tapu Bulu on threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Tapu Fini, and defensive Landorus-T due to its great resistances and ability to mitigate residual damage due to Grassy Terrain. From there, you can choose to throw out a strong hit, predicting a faster threat like Mega Metagross coming in, or set up a Swords Dance and threaten slower switch-ins like Ferrothorn with All-Out Pummeling. If Tapu Bulu is up against Mega Venusaur, it is best not to go for a +2 Zen Headbutt until it has been sufficiently weakened, as Adamant +2 Zen Headbutt fails to secure the OHKO on offensive Mega Venusaur unless Stealth Rock is up, and it does much less against defensive variants. If fighting against stall teams using Skarmory, the best way to take Skarmory out is to accumulate Swords Dance boosts, use Horn Leech to break Skarmory's Sturdy, and take it out with Superpower. This will prevent Skarmory from taking Tapu Bulu out with Counter. Given that opponents will try to scout out Tapu Bulu's Z-Move, it is usually best not to go for All-Out Pummeling immediately until you believe that they will not try to switch out against Tapu Bulu expecting the Z-Move; this is up to the player to judge, however.

Team Options
========

Given that this set can deal with most Steel-types on its own, the main threats Tapu Bulu needs assistance in covering are Flying-types such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T and Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Mega Charizard X. Tapu Koko can help deal with Zapdos and Tornadus-T while also threatening out Mega Charizard Y. There are, however, certain Steel-types that can still threaten Tapu Bulu out, such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Heatran, provided that it does not switch into a Fighting-type coverage move. Greninja and Ash-Greninja can deal with these threats provided they have the right coverage for them, and they also assist in dealing with Tapu Bulu's faster offensive checks. Choice Band Zygarde pairs well with this set, as it and Tapu Bulu can together be a massive pain to defensive teams due to their combined power. Zygarde also appreciates Grassy Terrain recovery and does not have to worry about its main STAB attack being weakened, unlike other Ground-types that use Earthquake as their main STAB attack. Heatran also works well with Tapu Bulu, being able to assist Tapu Bulu in dealing with Steel-type threats if Tapu Bulu has already used up its Z-Move. It also helps deal with Grass-types and can even open up coverage for Tapu Bulu to run Stone Edge if the rest of the team has Grass-type threats covered well. It also appreciates Grassy Terrain providing it passive recovery while mitigating its 4x weakness to Earthquake. Choice Scarf revenge killers, such as Nihilego, Keldeo, and Terrakion, pair well with this set, as they appreciate Tapu Bulu weakening their defensive answers and can also revenge kill threats such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Salamence if they break past Tapu Bulu. In addition, this set works great on Sticky Web teams, as it has the ability to outspeed even Ash-Greninja under Sticky Web if it is running a Jolly nature, which is much preferred over Adamant on these types of teams.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Wood Hammer
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge / Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Wood Hammer is Tapu Bulu's strongest STAB attack, as a Choice Band- and Grassy Terrain-boosted Wood Hammer has the ability to nearly secure the OHKO on Latios and can even 2HKO Assault Vest Tangrowth, which no other move on Tapu Bulu's moveset can do aside from Megahorn. Wood Hammer also deals great recoil back to Tapu Bulu, but this is mitigated slightly by Grassy Terrain. Horn Leech is another STAB move option to still deal great damage while also healing back passive or recoil damage. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory hard, which can take its Grass-type attacks with ease; it also deals great damage to Heatran and Mega Metagross on the switch. Stone Edge hits Fire- and Flying-types such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Zapdos, which normally take its Grass-type attacks with relative ease. Megahorn may be used instead, however; it is Tapu Bulu's best way of damaging Tangrowth outside of Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer, which cannot deal with Rocky Helmet Tangrowth. It also deals great damage to Mega Venusaur, which 2HKOes offensive variants outright and can 2HKO defensive variants with some prior damage. Zen Headbutt allows Tapu Bulu to hit Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Buzzwole, which resist the rest of its coverage moves.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed and Attack investment allows this set to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding numerous defensive threats and even slower offensive threats. A Choice Band gives Tapu Bulu incredible offensive power right off the bat without needing to set up. An Adamant nature is preferred to take the most advantage of Choice Band, although Jolly works too in order to outspeed Jolly Bisharp and neutral-natured Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mamoswine. Make sure to scout the nature of these threats before attempting to outspeed them with Jolly, however. Grassy Terrain heals Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates while also powering up its STAB moves to great levels.

Usage Tips
========

More prediction is required with this set, as the wrong coverage move can be taken advantage of by the threats that resist it. For example, Celesteela fears Superpower but can easily switch into the rest of Tapu Bulu's moves and Protect to gain health back or throw off a Leech Seed as Tapu Bulu is forced out. Wood Hammer is usually the safest attack to throw out due to its incredible power, but if there are threats that resist it, such as Steel-, Fire-, or Flying-types, you can choose to go for the appropriate coverage option on a predicted switch. Using Tapu Bulu's great defensive typing to switch in on Zygarde, Keldeo, or Garchomp is a great way of getting it in; however, be wary of switching into Scald, which can severely cripple Tapu Bulu.

Team Options
========

This set does not have the ability to boost or switch up its coverage once it has locked into a move; Tangrowth is a threat that can easily take advantage of this, especially Rocky Helmet variants. Partners that can take care of it, such as Tornadus-T, Heatran, or Flyinium Z Celesteela appreciate the wallbreaking power that Tapu Bulu can provide for them. Teammates can make up for whichever coverage move this set lacks; for example, Extrasensory Greninja can help take care of Mega Venusaur if Tapu Bulu lacks Zen Headbutt, and Terrakion can check Fire- and Flying-type threats to Tapu Bulu if it lacks Stone Edge. Zygarde and Tapu Bulu are notable partners due to their defensive and offensive synergy. Choice Band Tapu Bulu partners well with Dragon Dance Zygarde, as Tapu Bulu can weaken defensive answers to Zygarde to prepare for a Zygarde sweep. Dragonium Z Dragon Dance Zygarde works well with this set as well, since Zygarde can lure in Tangrowth to allow Tapu Bulu to freely spam its Grass-type STAB attacks. In general, faster offensive partners like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Metagross pair well with Tapu Bulu, since Tapu Bulu needs help combating faster offensive threats to it. Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo also help in this regard.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

The combination of Substitute + Leech Seed is an option to whittle down opposing Pokemon with ease, and it gives Tapu Bulu great longevity along with Leftovers and Grassy Terrain. Bulk Up can be used instead of Swords Dance to better take advantage of physical threats like Landorus-T, and it works well with Leech Seed. Taunt allows Tapu Bulu to deal with slower threats such as Toxapex by cutting off their ability to use Recover and other status moves. A Grassium Z set with Swords Dance, Wood Hammer, Horn Leech, and Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to throw off a strong Bloom Doom, which can severely dent threats that resist it while being able to sustain itself with Horn Leech and deal great damage with Wood Hammer. Choice Scarf is also usable because it outspeeds notable threats such as Ash-Greninja, Mega Medicham, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele and can hit them with a strong STAB-boosted Wood Hammer. Finally, a specially defensive set utilizing Horn Leech, Leech Seed, Protect, and either Whirlwind or Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to function as a pivot with a lot of longevity due to the combination of Leech Seed and Protect. A spread of 224 HP / 52 Def / 232 SpD with a Careful nature allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a switch-in to Modest Mind Plate Tapu Lele, avoiding the 2HKO from Psyshock and Psychic under Grassy Terrain.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona can outspeed Tapu Bulu, 4x resist its STAB attacks, and can respond with a super effective STAB Fire-type attack. They must watch out for Superpower in the case of Heatran or Stone Edge in the case of Mega Charizard Y and X, but otherwise they are strong offensive checks.

**Flying-types**: Zapdos and Tornadus-T must watch out for Stone Edge, but they can switch in on Tapu Bulu's attacks and threaten it out with a super effective Heat Wave in the case of Zapdos or a STAB Hurricane in the case of Tornadus-T. Tornadus-T also can take advantage of the momentum it gets from forcing out Tapu Bulu with U-turn.

**Steel-types**: While all must watch for All-Out Pummeling and Choice Band-boosted Superpower, Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela can take Tapu Bulu's STAB moves with ease and heal off the damage. Celesteela can either throw out a strong Heavy Slam or set up Autotomize and threaten Tapu Bulu with Supersonic Skystrike. Mega Scizor can Defog on Choice-locked variants or set up Swords Dance and threaten out Tapu Bulu. Skarmory specifically must take care, as it can still lose to Swords Dance variants without Brave Bird, Iron Head, or Whirlwind.

**Bulky Grass-types**: If Tapu Bulu lacks Megahorn, Rocky Helmet Tangrowth is a strong answer to it, as it can remove its Choice item with Knock Off or hit it with the rare Sludge Bomb. Mega Venusaur must watch out for Choice Band-boosted Megahorn and Zen Headbutt, but defensive variants can easily stomach Tapu Bulu's hits and respond with a 4x super effective STAB Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss, while not as bulky as Mega Venusaur, still deals with Tapu Bulu in a similar fashion while being able to repeatedly switch into its attacks due to Regenerator.

 

[Eclipse]

Have at it, QC

Edit: Implemented Gary's changes

 

[Gary]

Alright so before I move on with the actual check, just want to let you know that QC doesn't think Scarf is good enough to warrant its own set, and would fit better in OO. It can't revenge any of the relevant sweepers, and is still too slow to fully take advantage of offense as much as something like Hoopa-U or Lele.

SD

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Stone Edge
item: Fightinium Z / Rockium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a big threat to defensive teams due to its strong coverage and power.
* Horn Leech is Tapu Bulu's main STAB move which, powered by Grassy Terrain, allows Tapu Bulu to threaten opponents while also healing off damage it has taken throughout the match.
* Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit the Steel-types that it would otherwise be walled by, such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, Mega Scizor and Celesteela; powered up by Fightinium Z, it gives Tapu Bulu a strong 190 BP Fighting-type attack to deal with its Steel-type checks.
* Zen Headbutt rounds out Tapu Bulu's coverage by allowing it to hit Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, two very strong answers to Tapu Bulu otherwise.
* Stone Edge hits Fire-type and Flying-type answers to Tapu Bulu, such as Zapdos, Mega Charizard, Tornadus-T, and Volcarona; although in the case of all of these threats barring Zapdos, you have to hit them on the switch with Stone Edge, making this less appealing than the extra coverage granted by Zen Headbutt. (rewrite this to tie better with Rockium Z)

QC has decided that Rockium is good enough to get its own slash, as it is able to hit many of the same Pokemon as Fightinium albiet less hard, but with the added advantage of OHKOing Zapdos. It still smacks around Amoonguss very hard so Zen isn't really needed as much. It's just a matter of what you're trying to lure out and or hit harder.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Attack and Speed investment allow Tapu Bulu to hit as hard as possible while allowing it to outspeed slower threats like Defensive Landorus-Therian and Tapu Fini.
* An Adamant nature is preferred in order to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding threats such as Defensive Zapdos, Specially Defensive Jirachi, and Adamant Bisharp.
* A Jolly nature may also be used if outspeeding Modest Heatran, Jolly Bisharp, Timid Magearna is preferred.
* Fightinium Z allows Tapu Bulu to turn Superpower into a 190 BP All-Out-Pummeling which is meant to take out Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and other Steel-type answers to Tapu Bulu.
*Talk about Rockium being used as an alternative
* Grassy Terrain gives Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates recovery while the terrain is active while also halving the damage done by Earthquake on its teammates.

Usage Tips
========

* This set operates as a wallbreaker; it is best to bring Tapu Bulu on threats that it switches in on, such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Tapu Fini, and Defensive Landorus-Therian due to its great resistances and ability to mitigate residual damage due to Grassy Terrain.
* From there, you can choose to throw off a strong hit predicting a faster threat like Mega Metagross to come in, or set up a Swords Dance and threaten slower switchins like Ferrothorn with All-Out-Pummeling.
* If up against a Mega Venusaur, it is best not to go for a +2 Zen Headbutt against it until it has been sufficiently weakened, as Adamant +2 Zen Headbutt fails to secure the OHKO on Offensive Mega Venusaur from full unless Stealth Rock is up, and it does much less against Defensive Mega Venusaur.
* Given that opponents will try to scout out Tapu Bulu's Z-move, it is usually best not to go for All-Out-Pummeling immediately until you believe that they will not try to switch out against Tapu Bulu expecting the Z-move; this is up to the player to judge, however.
*Mention how you need to take Grassy Terrain's Ground nerf into consideration throughout the match if your teammates have coverage utilizing EQ

Team Options
========

* Given that this set can usually deal with most Steel-types on its own, the main threats Tapu Bulu needs assistance in covering are Flying-types like Zapdos and Tornadus-Therian, and Fire-types like Mega Charizard-Y or Mega Charizard-X. Tapu Koko can help deal with Zapdos and Tornadus-Therian, while also threatening out Mega Charizard-Y.
* There are, however, certain Steel-types that can still threaten Tapu Bulu out, such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Heatran provided that it does not switch into a Fighting-type coverage move. Greninja and Ash-Greninja can deal with these threats provided that it has the right coverage for them, and also assists in dealing with Tapu Bulu's faster offensive checks.
* Choice Band Zygarde pairs well with this set, as it and Tapu Bulu can together be a massive pain to defensive teams due to their combined power; Zygarde also appreciates Grassy Terrain recovery and does not have to worry about its main STAB being weakened unlike other Ground-types that use Earthquake as their main STAB.
* Heatran works well with Tapu Bulu, being able to assist Tapu Bulu in dealing with Steel-type threats if Tapu Bulu has already used its Z-move up. It also helps deal with Grass-types and can even open up coverage for Tapu Bulu to run Stone Edge if the rest of the team has Grass-type threats covered well. It also appreciates Grassy Terrain providing it passive recovery while mitigating its 4x weakness to Earthquake.
* Choice Scarf revenge killers, like Choice Scarf Nihilego, Keldeo, or Terrakion pair well with this set as they appreciate Tapu bulu weakening defensive answers to them and can also revenge kill threats like Mega Charizard-X, Volcarona, and Salamence if they break past Tapu Bulu.
* This set works great on Sticky Web teams, as it has the ablity to outspeed even Ash-Greninja under Sticky Web if it is running a Jolly nature, which is much preferred over Adamant on these types of teams.

CB

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Wood Hammer
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge / Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Wood Hammer is Tapu Bulu's strongest STAB attack, as a Choice Band and Grassy Terrain-boosted Wood Hammer has the ability to nearly secure the OHKO on Latios from full, and can even 2HKO Assault Vest Tangrowth, which no other move on Tapu Bulu's moveset can do aside from Megahorn; this move also deals great recoil back to Tapu Bulu, but this is mitigated slightly by Grassy Terrain.
* Horn Leech is another STAB move option to still deal great damage, but also heal back damage that Tapu Bulu has taken from recoil or passive damage.
* Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory hard which can take its Grass-type attacks with ease; it also deals great damage to Heatran and Mega Metagross on the switch.
* Megahorn is Tapu Bulu's best way of damaging Tangrowth outside of Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer which cannot deal with Rocky Helmet Tangrowth; it also deals great damage to Mega Venusaur, which 2HKO's offensive variants outright and can 2HKO defensive variants with some prior damage
* Stone Edge hits the aforementioned Fire- and Flying-types on the switch, as they normally take its Grass-type attacks with relative ease. (move this before Megahorn)
*Mention Zen Headbutt as an option for best smacking around Moonguss, Venu, and the rare Buzzwole

Stone Edge is definitely the best fourth option because Bulu really wants to be able to nail stuff like Volc, Zapdos, and Zards on switch-in, whereas something like Tangrowth is usually easier dealt with by teammates anyway.
Set Details
========

* Maximum Speed and Attack investment allow this set to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding numerous defensive threats and even slower offensive threats.
* Choice Band gives Tapu Bulu incredible offensive power right off the bat without needing to set up.
* An Adamant nature is preferred to take the most advantage of Choice Band; although Jolly works too in order to outspeed Jolly Bisharp, and neutral nature Hoopa-Unbound, Heatran, and Mamoswine; make sure to scout the nature of these threats before attempting to outspeed them with Jolly, however.
* Grassy Terrain heals Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates while also powering up its STAB moves to great levels, nearly securing the OHKO on Latios from full, as mentioned earlier. (no need to repeat this here)

Usage Tips
========

* More prediction needs to be taken with this set as the wrong coverage move can be taken advantage of by the threats that resist it, such as Celesteela, which fears Superpower, but can easily switch into the rest of Tapu Bulu's moves and Protect to gain health back or throw off a Leech Seed as Tapu Bulu is forced out.
* Wood Hammer is usually the safest attack to throw out due to its incredible power, but if there are threats that resist it, such as Steel-types, Fire-types, or Flying-types, then the player can choose to go for the appropriate coverage option on a predicted switch.
* Using Tapu Bulu's great defensive typing to switch in on Zygarde, Keldeo, or Garchomp is a great way of getting it in; be wary of switching into Scald, which can severely cripple Tapu Bulu.

Team Options
========

* This set does not have the ability to boost or switch up its coverage once it has locked into a move; Tangrowth is a threat that can easily take advantage of this, moreso Rocky Helmet Tangrowth. Partners that can take care of it, such as Tornadus-Therian, Heatran, or Supersonic Skystrike Celesteela can take care of Tangrowth and appreciate the wallbreaking power that Tapu Bulu can provide for them.
* Teammates can take advantage of the coverage move that this set lacks; for example, Extrasensory Greninja can help take care of Mega Venusaur if Tapu Bulu lacks Zen Headbutt, or Terrakion can check Fire- and Flying-type threats to Tapu Bulu if it lacks Stone Edge.
* Zygarde and Tapu Bulu are notable partners due to their defensive and offensive synergy; Choice Band Tapu Bulu partners well with Dragon Dance Zygarde, as Tapu Bulu can weaken defensive answers to Zygarde to prepare for a Zygarde sweep. (you could specifically mention Dragonium DD as it lures in Growth for Bulu)
* In general, faster offensive partners like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Metagross pair well with Tapu Bulu since Tapu Bulu needs help combating faster offensive threats to it.
* Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo also help in this regard.

OO

Other Options
=============

* Substitute + Leech Seed is an option which Tapu Bulu can use to whittle down opponents with ease, and gives Tapu Bulu great longevity along with Leftovers and Grassy Terrain.
* Bulk Up can be used instead of Swords Dance to better take advantage of physical threats like Landorus-Therian, and works well with Leech Seed.
* Rockium Z gives Tapu Bulu coverage against Skarmory, Celesteela, as well as Zapdos and bulkier Flying- and Fire-types like Mega Charizard-X.
*Add Grassium Z here. The set is usually SD / Wood Hammer / Horn Leech / Superpower. It functions much like its other Z moves, but without needing as much coverage because of the sheer amount of damage a +2 Bloom Doom does to even resisted threats. It's also a nice one time recoiless nuke and having more flexibility because it can afford to run Horn Leech and Wood Hammer on the same set.
*Put Choice Scarf in here
*Mention Specially defensive Bulu here, which usually runs Horn Leech / Leech Seed / Protect / Whirlwind or SD. The EVs are EVs: 224 HP / 52 Def / 232 SpD Careful Nature, which lets it avoid the 2HKO from AoA Lele even if it carries Psyshock and Psychic. It functions similar to AV Growth but has more assurance vs certain Pokemon such as AoA Lele, which fails to 2HKO it after Lefties and Terrain for example. Also added advantage of Fairy-typing to take on stuff like Dragonium Zygarde or Garchomp.

C&C

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Mega Charizard-X, and Mega Charizard-Y can outspeed Tapu Bulu, all 4x resist its STAB attacks, and can respond back with a super-effective STAB Fire-type attack. They must watch out for Superpower in the case of Heatran or Stone Edge in the case of Mega Charizard Y and X, but otherwise are strong offensive checks.

**Flying-types**: Zapdos and Tornadus-Therian, although they must watch out for Stone Edge, can switch in on Tapu Bulu's attacks and threaten it out with a super-effective Heat Wave in the case of Zapdos or a STAB Hurricane in the case of Tornadus-Therian. Tornadus-Therian also can take advantage of the momentum it gets from forcing out Tapu Bulu by U-turning.

**Steel-types**: All must watch for All-Out-Pummeling and Choice Band-boosted Superpower, but Ferrothorn (SD being most common, Ferro is too shaky of a check), Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela can take its STAB moves with ease, and heal off the damage, set up Spikes in the case of Ferrothorn, throw off a super-effective Gyro Ball. Celesteela can either throw off a strong Heavy Slam or set up Autotomize and threaten Tapu Bulu with Supersonic Skystrike. Mega Scizor can Defog on Choice locked variants or set up Swords Dance and threaten out Tapu Bulu. (Skarmory is still kind of set up fodder for SD unless it carries BB, WW, or Iron Head, so make sure to mention that)

**Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth**: If Tapu Bulu lacks Megahorn, Rocky Helmet Tangrowth is a strong answer to it, as it can Knock Off its item if its running a Choice item, or hit it with the rare Sludge Bomb. Mega Venusaur must watch out for Choice Band Megahorn as well as Zen Headbutt, but defensive variants can easily stomach Tapu Bulu's hits and respond with a 4x super-effective STAB Sludge Bomb. Add Amoonguss in here too.

Pretty good job my dude. QC 1/3

 

[lydian]

* A specially defensive set utilizing Horn Leech, Leech Seed, Protect, and either Whirlwind or Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to function as a pivot with a lot of sustainability due to the combination of Leech Seed and Protect; a spread of 224 HP / 52 Def / 232 SpD with a Careful nature allows Tapu Bulu to avoid the 2HKO from Mind Plate Tapu Lele with Psyshock and Psychic.

Really small but could you explain this sentence a little bit better? It's not clear if Bulu avoids the 2HKO in Grassy or Psychic Terrain.

 

[Subject 18]

You're a little repetitive at times, ex: the lines about Grassy Terrain healing grounded pokemon and weakening Earthquake. I think this line is in there 3 times. This line should probably only be in the overview, because otherwise its redundant.

Other than that, I think this is fine. QC 2/3

 

[Eclipse]

Thanks guys, written out now

 

[Hootie]

Slash Jolly after Adamant on Swords Dance, bring up the scenario when SD faces standard Skarmory on stall in usage tips (Keep using Swords Dance vs it, Horn Leech to break Sturdy and KO with Superpower), add Volcarona to checks and counters, and add Taunt to Other Options.

Looks good beside that, 3/3

 

[Nix_Hex]

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Tapu Bulu is a strong wallbreaker due to Grassy Terrain boosting its already strong Grass-type STAB moves and having good coverage to go along with it. A very good defensive typing allows Tapu Bulu to check threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Keldeo, Tapu Fini, and Ash(hyphen)Greninja lacking Ice Beam. One of Tapu Bulu's main draws is its ability, Grassy Surge, which allows it to heal off residual damage for itself and its grounded teammates while also halving the damage of Earthquake done to its teammates. On the flipside, Grassy Terrain also heals grounded opponents,(comma) making them more difficult to wear down. Middling Speed also leaves Tapu Bulu outsped by a number of threats in the metagame such as Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mega Metagross.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Wallbreaker [title is a bit redundant, either call the set "Wallbreaker" or "Swords Dance," pick your poison]
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Stone Edge
item: Fightinium Z / Rockium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a big threat to defensive teams due to its strong coverage and power. Horn Leech is Tapu Bulu's main STAB move which, powered by Grassy Terrain, allows Tapu Bulu to threaten opponents while also healing off damage it has taken throughout the match. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit the Steel-types that it would otherwise wall it, be walled by, such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Celesteela;(remove semicolon).(add period) powered up by Fightinium Z, it gives Tapu Bulu a strong 190 BP Fighting-type attack to deal with its Steel-type checks. Fightium Z gives Tapu Bulu a strong 190 BP Fighting-type attack in All-Out Pummeling for even more power. Zen Headbutt rounds out Tapu Bulu's coverage by allowing it to hit Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, two otherwise very strong answers to Tapu Bulu.(period) otherwise. Stone Edge hits Fire-type and Flying-type answers to Tapu Bulu, such as Zapdos, Mega Charizard, Tornadus-T, and Volcarona; when powered by Rockium Z, Tapu Bulu retains similar coverage to All(hyphen)Out Pummeling with the benefit of OHKOing Zapdos;(remove semicolon),(add comma) the main drawback being that Continental Crush is slightly weaker than All(hyphen)Out Pummeling.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment allow Tapu Bulu to hit as hard as possible while allowing it to outspeeding slower threats like Defensive Landorus-Therian and Tapu Fini. An Adamant nature is preferred in order to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding threats such as Defensive Zapdos, Specially Defensive Jirachi, and Adamant Bisharp. However, a Jolly nature may also be used if outspeeding Modest Heatran, Jolly Bisharp, Timid Magearna is preferred. Fightinium Z allows Tapu Bulu to turn Superpower into a 190 BP All-Out(space)Pummeling which is meant to take out Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and other Steel-type answers to Tapu Bulu. Rockium Z may be used instead to let Tapu Bulu use Continental Crush, which hits most of the aforementioned threats aside from Ferrothorn,(comma) which does not appreciate a +2 Superpower, with the benefit of netting the OHKO on Zapdos. Grassy Terrain Surge is its only available ability, which gives Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates recovery while the terrain is active, providing sustainability for its entire team.

Usage Tips
========

This set operates as a wallbreaker;(remove semicolon).(period) It is best to bring Tapu Bulu on threats that it switches in on, such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Tapu Fini, and Defensive Landorus-T due to its great resistances and ability to mitigate residual damage due to Grassy Terrain. From there, you can choose to throw off a strong hit,(comma) predicting a faster threat like Mega Metagross to come coming in, or set up a Swords Dance and threaten slower switch(hyphen)ins like Ferrothorn with All-Out(space)Pummeling. If Tapu Bulu is up against a Mega Venusaur, it is best not to go for a +2 Zen Headbutt against it until it has been sufficiently weakened, as Adamant +2 Zen Headbutt fails to secure the OHKO on Offensive Mega Venusaur from full unless Stealth Rock is up, and it does much less against Defensive Mega Venusaur. If fighting against stall teams using Skarmory, the best way to take Skarmory out is to accumulate Swords Dance boosts, use Horn Leech to break Skarmory's Sturdy,(comma) and then take it out with Superpower. This will prevent Skarmory from taking Tapu Bulu out with Counter. Given that opponents will try to scout out Tapu Bulu's Z-Move, it is usually best not to go for All-Out-Pummeling immediately until you believe that they will not try to switch out against Tapu Bulu expecting the Z-Move; this is up to the player to judge, however.

Team Options
========

Given that this set can usually deal with most Steel-types on its own, the main threats Tapu Bulu needs assistance in covering are Flying-types like such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T, and Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y or Mega Charizard X. Tapu Koko can help deal with Zapdos and Tornadus-T, while also threatening out Mega Charizard Y. There are, however, certain Steel-types that can still threaten Tapu Bulu out, such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Heatran,(comma) provided that it does not switch into a Fighting-type coverage move. Greninja and Ash-Greninja can deal with these threats provided that it has the right coverage for them, and also assists in dealing with Tapu Bulu's faster offensive checks. Choice Band Zygarde pairs well with this set, as it and Tapu Bulu can together be a massive pain to defensive teams due to their combined power;(remove semicolon).(period) Zygarde also appreciates Grassy Terrain recovery and does not have to worry about its main STAB being weakened,(comma) unlike other Ground-types that use Earthquake as their main STAB. Heatran also works well with Tapu Bulu, being able to assist Tapu Bulu in dealing with Steel-type threats if Tapu Bulu has already used up its Z-move up. It also helps deal with Grass-types and can even open up coverage for Tapu Bulu to run Stone Edge if the rest of the team has Grass-type threats covered well. It also appreciates Grassy Terrain providing it passive recovery while mitigating its 4x weakness to Earthquake. Choice Scarf revenge killers, like such as Choice Scarf Nihilego, Keldeo, or Terrakion pair well with this set as they appreciate Tapu Bulu weakening their defensive answers,(comma) to them and can also revenge kill threats like such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Salamence if they break past Tapu Bulu. In addition, this set works great on Sticky Web teams, as it has the ablity ability to outspeed even Ash(hyphen)Greninja under Sticky Web if it is running a Jolly nature, which is much preferred over Adamant on these types of teams.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Wood Hammer
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge / Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Wood Hammer is Tapu Bulu's strongest STAB attack, as a Choice Band and Grassy Terrain-boosted Wood Hammer has the ability to nearly secure the OHKO on Latios from full, and can even 2HKO Assault Vest Tangrowth, which no other move on Tapu Bulu's moveset can do aside from Megahorn;(remove semicolon).(period) This move also deals great recoil back to Tapu Bulu, but this is mitigated slightly by Grassy Terrain. Horn Leech is another STAB move option to still deal great damage, but also to heal back passive or recoil damage.(period) that Tapu Bulu has taken from recoil or passive damage. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory hard,(comma) which can take its Grass-type attacks with ease; it also deals great damage to Heatran and Mega Metagross on the switch. Stone Edge hits Fire- and Flying-types such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Zapdos, as they normally take its Grass-type attacks with relative ease. Megahorn may be used instead, however; it is Tapu Bulu's best way of damaging Tangrowth outside of Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer,(comma) which cannot deal with Rocky Helmet Tangrowth;(remove semicolon).(period) It also deals great damage to Mega Venusaur, which 2HKO'ses offensive variants outright and can 2HKO defensive variants with some prior damage. Zen Headbutt allows Tapu Bulu to hit Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Buzzwole,(comma) which resist the rest of its coverage moves.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed and Attack investment allow this set to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding numerous defensive threats and even slower offensive threats. A Choice Band gives Tapu Bulu incredible offensive power right off the bat without needing to set up. An Adamant nature is preferred to take the most advantage of Choice Band;(remove semicolon),(comma) although Jolly works too in order to outspeed Jolly Bisharp,(remove comma) and neutral nature Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mamoswine;(remove semicolon).(comma) Make sure to scout the nature of these threats before attempting to outspeed them with Jolly, however. Grassy Terrain heals Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates while also powering up its STAB moves to great levels.

Usage Tips
========

More prediction needs to be taken is required with this set,(comma) as the wrong coverage move can be taken advantage of by the threats that resist it,(remove comma).(period) such as For example, Celesteela, which fears Superpower, but can easily switch into the rest of Tapu Bulu's moves and Protect to gain health back or throw off a Leech Seed as Tapu Bulu is forced out. Wood Hammer is usually the safest attack to throw out due to its incredible power, but if there are threats that resist it, such as Steel-types, Fire-types, or Flying-types, then the player can choose to go for the appropriate coverage option on a predicted switch. Using Tapu Bulu's great defensive typing to switch in on Zygarde, Keldeo, or Garchomp is a great way of getting it in; however, be wary of switching into Scald, which can severely cripple Tapu Bulu if burnt.

Team Options
========

This set does not have the ability to boost or switch up its coverage once it has locked into a move; Tangrowth is a threat that can easily take advantage of this, moreso especially Rocky Helmet Tangrowth variants. Partners that can take care of it, such as Tornadus-T, Heatran, or Supersonic Skystrike Flynium Z Celesteela appreciate the wallbreaking power that Tapu Bulu can provide for them. Teammates can take advantage of the make up for whichever coverage move that this set lacks; for example, Extrasensory Greninja can help take care of Mega Venusaur if Tapu Bulu lacks Zen Headbutt, or Terrakion can check Fire- and Flying-type threats to Tapu Bulu if it lacks Stone Edge. Zygarde and Tapu Bulu are notable partners due to their defensive and offensive synergy;(remove semicolon).(period) Choice Band Tapu Bulu partners well with Dragon Dance Zygarde, as Tapu Bulu can weaken defensive answers to Zygarde to prepare for a Zygarde sweep. Dragonium Z Dragon Dance Zygarde works well with this set as well, as since Zygarde can lure in Tangrowth to allow Tapu Bulu to freely spam its Grass-type STABs. In general, faster offensive partners like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Metagross pair well with Tapu Bulu since Tapu Bulu needs help combating faster offensive threats to it. Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo also help in this regard.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

The combination of Substitute + Leech Seed is an option which Tapu Bulu can use to whittle down opponents with ease, and gives Tapu Bulu great longevity along with Leftovers and Grassy Terrain. Bulk Up can be used instead of Swords Dance to better take advantage of physical threats like Landorus-T, and works well with Leech Seed. Taunt allows Tapu Bulu to deal with slower threats such as Toxapex by cutting off its ability to use Recover and other status moves. A Grassium Z set with Swords Dance, Wood Hammer, Horn Leech, and Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to throw off a strong Bloom Doom, which can severely dent threats which resist it while being able to sustain itself due to with Horn Leech and deal great damage with Wood Hammer. A Choice Scarf set is also a usable set since it outspeeds notable threats such as up to Ash-Greninja,(comma) with a Choice Scarf while outspeeding notable threats such as Mega Medicham, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele in order to hit them with a strong STAB-boosted Wood Hammer. Finally, a specially defensive set utilizing Horn Leech, Leech Seed, Protect, and either Whirlwind or Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to function as a pivot with a lot of sustainability due to the combination of Leech Seed and Protect;(semicolon).(period) A spread of 224 HP / 52 Def / 232 SpD with a Careful nature allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a switch(space)in to Modest Mind Plate Tapu Lele, avoiding the 2HKO from Psyshock and Psychic under Grassy Terrain.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona can outspeed Tapu Bulu, all 4x resisting its STAB attacks, and can responding back with a super(space)effective STAB Fire-type attack. They must watch out for Superpower in the case of Heatran or Stone Edge in the case of Mega Charizard Y and X, but otherwise are strong offensive checks.

**Flying-types**: Zapdos and Tornadus-T, although they must watch out for Stone Edge, but can switch in on Tapu Bulu's attacks and threaten it out with a super(space)effective Heat Wave in the case of Zapdos or a STAB Hurricane in the case of Tornadus-T. Tornadus-T also can take advantage of the momentum it gets from forcing out Tapu Bulu by U-turning with U-turn.

**Steel-types**: All must watch for All-Out(space)Pummeling and Choice Band-boosted Superpower, but Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela can take its STAB moves with ease,(remove comma) and heal off the damage. Celesteela can either throw off a strong Heavy Slam or set up Autotomize and threaten Tapu Bulu with Supersonic Skystrike. Mega Scizor can Defog on Choice(hyphen)locked variants or set up Swords Dance and threaten out Tapu Bulu. Skarmory specifically must take care, as it can still lose to Swords Dance variants without Brave Bird, Iron Head, or Whirlwind.

**Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth**: If Tapu Bulu lacks Megahorn, Rocky Helmet Tangrowth is a strong answer to it, as it can Knock Off its item if its running a Choice item, or hit it with the rare Sludge Bomb. Mega Venusaur must watch out for Choice Band-(hyphen)boosted Megahorn as well as and Zen Headbutt, but defensive variants can easily stomach Tapu Bulu's hits and respond with a 4x super-effective STAB Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss, while not as bulky as Mega Venusaur, still deals with Tapu Bulu in a similar fashion while being able to repeatedly switch into Tapu Bulu due to Regenerator.

GP 1/2

 

[Lumari]

remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2

check

[OVERVIEW]

Tapu Bulu is a strong wallbreaker due to Grassy Terrain boosting to boost its already strong Grass-type STAB moves and having good coverage to go along with it. A very good defensive typing allows Tapu Bulu to check threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Keldeo, Tapu Fini, and Ash-Greninja lacking Ice Beam. One of Tapu Bulu's main draws is its ability, Grassy Surge, which allows it to heal off residual damage for itself and its grounded teammates while also halving the damage of Earthquake done to its teammates. On the flipside, Grassy Terrain also heals grounded opponents foes, making them more difficult to wear down. Middling Speed also leaves Tapu Bulu outsped by a number of threats in the metagame such as Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mega Metagross.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Stone Edge
item: Fightinium Z / Rockium Z
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a big threat to defensive teams due to its strong coverage and power. Horn Leech is Tapu Bulu's main STAB move which and, powered by Grassy Terrain, allows Tapu Bulu to threaten opponents foes while also healing off damage it has taken throughout the match. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit the Steel-types that would otherwise wall it, such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Celesteela. Fightinium Z gives Tapu Bulu a strong 190-Base Power (AH) Fighting-type attack in All-Out Pummeling for even more power. Zen Headbutt rounds out Tapu Bulu's coverage by allowing it to hit Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, two otherwise very strong answers to Tapu Bulu. Alternatively, (AC) Stone Edge hits Fire- and Flying-type answers to Tapu Bulu, such as Zapdos, Mega Charizard, Tornadus-T, and Volcarona; when powered by Rockium Z, Tapu Bulu retains similar coverage to All-Out Pummeling with the benefit of OHKOing Zapdos, with the main drawback being that Continental Crush is slightly weaker than All-Out Pummeling.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment allow allows Tapu Bulu to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding slower threats like defensive Landorus-Therian and Tapu Fini. An Adamant nature is preferred in order to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding threats such as defensive Zapdos, specially defensive Jirachi, and Adamant Bisharp. However, a Jolly nature may also be used if outspeeding Modest Heatran, Jolly Bisharp, and Timid Magearna is preferred. Fightinium Z allows Tapu Bulu to turn Superpower into a 190-Base Power (AH) All-Out Pummeling, (AC) which is meant to take out Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and other Steel-type answers to Tapu Bulu. Rockium Z may be used instead to let Tapu Bulu use Continental Crush, which hits most of the aforementioned threats aside from Ferrothorn, which does not appreciate a +2 Superpower, with the benefit of netting the OHKO on Zapdos. Grassy Surge is its only available ability, which gives Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates recovery while the Terrain is active, providing sustainability longevity for its entire team.

Usage Tips
========

This set operates as a wallbreaker. It is best to bring Tapu Bulu on threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Tapu Fini, and defensive Landorus-T due to its great resistances and ability to mitigate residual damage due to Grassy Terrain. From there, you can choose to throw off out a strong hit, predicting a faster threat like Mega Metagross coming in, or set up a Swords Dance and threaten slower switch-ins like Ferrothorn with All-Out Pummeling. If Tapu Bulu is up against Mega Venusaur, it is best not to go for a +2 Zen Headbutt until it has been sufficiently weakened, as Adamant +2 Zen Headbutt fails to secure the OHKO on offensive Mega Venusaur unless Stealth Rock is up, and it does much less against defensive Mega Venusaur variants. If fighting against stall teams using Skarmory, the best way to take Skarmory out is to accumulate Swords Dance boosts, use Horn Leech to break Skarmory's Sturdy, and then take it out with Superpower. This will prevent Skarmory from taking Tapu Bulu out with Counter. Given that opponents will try to scout out Tapu Bulu's Z-Move, it is usually best not to go for All-Out Pummeling (RH) immediately until you believe that they will not try to switch out against Tapu Bulu expecting the Z-Move; this is up to the player to judge, however.

Team Options
========

Given that this set can deal with most Steel-types on its own, the main threats Tapu Bulu needs assistance in covering are Flying-types such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T (RC) and Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y or and Mega Charizard X. Tapu Koko can help deal with Zapdos and Tornadus-T (RC) while also threatening out Mega Charizard Y. There are, however, certain Steel-types that can still threaten Tapu Bulu out, such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Heatran, provided that it does not switch into a Fighting-type coverage move. Greninja and Ash-Greninja can deal with these threats provided it has they have the right coverage for them, and they also assists in dealing with Tapu Bulu's faster offensive checks. Choice Band Zygarde pairs well with this set, as it and Tapu Bulu can together be a massive pain to defensive teams due to their combined power. Zygarde also appreciates Grassy Terrain recovery and does not have to worry about its main STAB attack being weakened, unlike other Ground-types that use Earthquake as their main STAB attack. Heatran also works well with Tapu Bulu, being able to assist Tapu Bulu in dealing with Steel-type threats if Tapu Bulu has already used up its Z-Move. It also helps deal with Grass-types and can even open up coverage for Tapu Bulu to run Stone Edge if the rest of the team has Grass-type threats covered well. It also appreciates Grassy Terrain providing it passive recovery while mitigating its 4x weakness to Earthquake. Choice Scarf revenge killers, such as Choice Scarf Nihilego, Keldeo, or and Terrakion, (AC) pair well with this set, (AC) as they appreciate Tapu Bulu weakening their defensive answers (RC) and can also revenge kill threats such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Salamence if they break past Tapu Bulu. In addition, this set works great on Sticky Web teams, as it has the ability to outspeed even Ash-Greninja under Sticky Web if it is running a Jolly nature, which is much preferred over Adamant on these types of teams.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Wood Hammer
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Stone Edge / Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Grassy Surge
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Wood Hammer is Tapu Bulu's strongest STAB attack, as a Choice Band- (AH) and Grassy Terrain-boosted Wood Hammer has the ability to nearly secure the OHKO on Latios (RC) and can even 2HKO Assault Vest Tangrowth, which no other move on Tapu Bulu's moveset can do aside from Megahorn. This move Wood Hammer also deals great recoil back to Tapu Bulu, but this is mitigated slightly by Grassy Terrain. Horn Leech is another STAB move option to still deal great damage (RC) but also to heal while also healing back passive or recoil damage. Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to hit Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory hard, which can take its Grass-type attacks with ease; it also deals great damage to Heatran and Mega Metagross on the switch. Stone Edge hits Fire- and Flying-types such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Zapdos, as they which normally take its Grass-type attacks with relative ease. Megahorn may be used instead, however; it is Tapu Bulu's best way of damaging Tangrowth outside of Choice Band-boosted Wood Hammer, which cannot deal with Rocky Helmet Tangrowth. It also deals great damage to Mega Venusaur, which 2HKOes offensive variants outright and can 2HKO defensive variants with some prior damage. Zen Headbutt allows Tapu Bulu to hit Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Buzzwole, which resist the rest of its coverage moves.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed and Attack investment allow allows this set to be as powerful as possible while outspeeding numerous defensive threats and even slower offensive threats. A Choice Band gives Tapu Bulu incredible offensive power right off the bat without needing to set up. An Adamant nature is preferred to take the most advantage of Choice Band, although Jolly works too in order to outspeed Jolly Bisharp and neutral nature neutral-natured Hoopa-U, Heatran, and Mamoswine. Make sure to scout the nature of these threats before attempting to outspeed them with Jolly, however. Grassy Terrain heals Tapu Bulu and its grounded teammates while also powering up its STAB moves to great levels.

Usage Tips
========

More prediction is required with this set, as the wrong coverage move can be taken advantage of by the threats that resist it. For example, Celesteela, which fears Superpower (RC) but can easily switch into the rest of Tapu Bulu's moves and Protect to gain health back or throw off a Leech Seed as Tapu Bulu is forced out. Wood Hammer is usually the safest attack to throw out due to its incredible power, but if there are threats that resist it, such as Steel-types, Fire-types, or Flying-types, then the player you can choose to go for the appropriate coverage option on a predicted switch. Using Tapu Bulu's great defensive typing to switch in on Zygarde, Keldeo, or Garchomp is a great way of getting it in; however, be wary of switching into Scald, which can severely cripple Tapu Bulu if burnt. (implied + should be "if it gets burned")

Team Options
========

This set does not have the ability to boost or switch up its coverage once it has locked into a move; Tangrowth is a threat that can easily take advantage of this, especially Rocky Helmet variants. Partners that can take care of it, such as Tornadus-T, Heatran, or Flyinium Z Celesteela appreciate the wallbreaking power that Tapu Bulu can provide for them. Teammates can make up for whichever coverage move this set lacks; for example, Extrasensory Greninja can help take care of Mega Venusaur if Tapu Bulu lacks Zen Headbutt, or and Terrakion can check Fire- and Flying-type threats to Tapu Bulu if it lacks Stone Edge. Zygarde and Tapu Bulu are notable partners due to their defensive and offensive synergy. Choice Band Tapu Bulu partners well with Dragon Dance Zygarde, as Tapu Bulu can weaken defensive answers to Zygarde to prepare for a Zygarde sweep. Dragonium Z Dragon Dance Zygarde works well with this set as well, since Zygarde can lure in Tangrowth to allow Tapu Bulu to freely spam its Grass-type STAB atta ks. In general, faster offensive partners like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Metagross pair well with Tapu Bulu, (AC) since Tapu Bulu needs help combating faster offensive threats to it. Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Nihilego and Keldeo also help in this regard.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

The combination of Substitute + Leech Seed is an option which Tapu Bulu can use to whittle down opponents opposing Pokemon with ease, and it gives Tapu Bulu great longevity along with Leftovers and Grassy Terrain. Bulk Up can be used instead of Swords Dance to better take advantage of physical threats like Landorus-T, and it works well with Leech Seed. Taunt allows Tapu Bulu to deal with slower threats such as Toxapex by cutting off its their ability to use Recover and other status moves. A Grassium Z set with Swords Dance, Wood Hammer, Horn Leech, and Superpower allows Tapu Bulu to throw off a strong Bloom Doom, which can severely dent threats which that resist it while being able to sustain itself with Horn Leech and deal great damage with Wood Hammer. Choice Scarf is also usable since because it outspeeds notable threats such as Ash-Greninja, Mega Medicham, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele in order to and can hit them with a strong STAB-boosted Wood Hammer. Finally, a specially defensive set utilizing Horn Leech, Leech Seed, Protect, and either Whirlwind or Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to function as a pivot with a lot of sustainability longevity due to the combination of Leech Seed and Protect. A spread of 224 HP / 52 Def / 232 SpD with a Careful nature allows Tapu Bulu to serve as a switch-in (AH) to Modest Mind Plate Tapu Lele, avoiding the 2HKO from Psyshock and Psychic under Grassy Terrain.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona can outspeed Tapu Bulu, all 4x resisting its STAB attacks, and can responding with a super effective STAB Fire-type attack. They must watch out for Superpower in the case of Heatran or Stone Edge in the case of Mega Charizard Y and X, but otherwise they are strong offensive checks.

**Flying-types**: Zapdos and Tornadus-T must watch out for Stone Edge, but they can switch in on Tapu Bulu's attacks and threaten it out with a super effective Heat Wave in the case of Zapdos or a STAB Hurricane in the case of Tornadus-T. Tornadus-T also can take advantage of the momentum it gets from forcing out Tapu Bulu with U-turn.

**Steel-types**: While all must watch for All-Out Pummeling and Choice Band-boosted Superpower, but Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela can take its Tapu Bulu's STAB moves with ease and heal off the damage. Celesteela can either throw off out a strong Heavy Slam or set up Autotomize and threaten Tapu Bulu with Supersonic Skystrike. Mega Scizor can Defog on Choice-locked variants or set up Swords Dance and threaten out Tapu Bulu. Skarmory specifically must take care, as it can still lose to Swords Dance variants without Brave Bird, Iron Head, or Whirlwind.

**Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth**: (why not just "Bulky Grass-types"?) If Tapu Bulu lacks Megahorn, Rocky Helmet Tangrowth is a strong answer to it, as it can Knock Off remove its item with Knock Off if running a Choice item, (is Bulu or Growth running a Choice item? Assuming former, in which case change "remove its item" to "remove its Choice item" and cut the closing phrase outright) or hit it with the rare Sludge Bomb. Mega Venusaur must watch out for Choice Band-boosted Megahorn and Zen Headbutt, but defensive variants can easily stomach Tapu Bulu's hits and respond with a 4x super effective (RH) STAB Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss, while not as bulky as Mega Venusaur, still deals with Tapu Bulu in a similar fashion while being able to repeatedly switch into Tapu Bulu its attacks due to Regenerator.

 

[Eclipse]

Ready for upload

 

[Colonel M]