Team Rocket is blasting off again!
[Overview]
- Barren yet perfectly-crafted movepool
- Shadow Tagis cancer provides huge utility, and in conjunction with its small movepool Wobbuffet can consistently either trap and eliminate powerhouses or turn Pokémon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro into setup fodder for its teammates
- Has nice utility as a catch-all for certain offensive teams, allowing them to remove problematic which trouble the rest of the build
- Can consistently eliminate/help to eliminate at least 1-2 Pokémon per game
- Pulls apart large segments of offense and balance while also leaving its mark on stall, although it must be wary of the omnipresent Dark-types
- Monstrous HP allows it to take some of the most powerful hits in the metagame
- Very customisable to the needs of its team
- Faces competition from Gothitelle, who trades the offense matchup for a better stall matchup
- Lack of recovery (even Rest) severely hurts its longevity
- Hates status due to aformentioned lack of recovery; means that locking defensive 'mons can be risky if you fail to outpace as they can easily Toxic you
- Shadow Tag nerf hurts its ability to function by not allowing it to trap ghosts like Gengar
- Complete taunt bait; heavily passive
- Susceptible to VoltTurn (can CounterCoat the switch-in, but just loses health if they go into an immunity)
- Has a habit of forcing 50:50s for both its user and its target
[SET]
name: Oh no, it's Wobbuffet! (Bulky)
move 1: Counter
move 2: Mirror Coat
move 3: Encore
move 4: Destiny Bond / Safeguard
item: Custap Berry / Sitrus Berry
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Bold
evs: 28 HP / 240 Def / 220 SpD / 20 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- CounterCoat is Wobbuffet's KOing tool, allowing it to take out any moderately powerful attacker in one hit coutesy of its godly HP stat
- Encore allows it to lock its targets into a move; this is useful v.s. weaker attackers so that you don't need to predict what attack they will use, and it is also useful v.s. anything which attempts to use a status move (namely recovery and setup moves) as it allows Wobbuffet's teammates to use the target as setup fodder due to them being given a free switch courtesy of Shadow Tag's mechanics.
- Destiny Bond allows it to score one more KO before it goes down, and is helpful v.s. things which attempt to trap it with Pursuit when its at low health
- Safeguard allows for things to set up on status-inducing moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave
Set Details
========
- EVs take KOff from ada orb Bish from full
- 20 speed outpaces neutral Quagsire, allowing you to consistently eliminate it
- Rest chucked into SpD to let you take special hits significantly better
- However, the EVs are very customisable to the needs of the team [alternatives in calculation]
- Sitrus Berry allows Wobbuffet to heal 25% of its max HP, and it will often have more net healing than Leftovers.
- Bold/Calm is chosen over Impish/Careful to minimise confusion/Foul Play damage
- More physically/specially defensive spreads can be used on teams which benefit more from phys/special attackers being eliminated
Usage Tips
========
- If Wobbuffet lacks Destiny Bond, it struggles with mixed attackers and setup sweepers, although this can be somewhat alleviated by Encore; try to avoid these situations unless it allows Wobbuffet to eliminate a major threat to the team
- Don't be afraid to throw out a Destiny Bond v.s. 'mons which sometimes carry setup moves. This provides insurance
- Often if Wobbuffet is at max HP, Encore is the best option to alleviate prediction issues - particularly v.s. mixed attackers not called Mega Diancie and setup 'mons. There are a few exceptions (primarily v.s. choiced 'mons), but generally this is the best option
- Attempt to bring Wobbuffet in on a double or a VoltTurn unless it is absolutely necessary so it is at as high HP as possible
- If you lock something into a status-inducing move and run Safeguard, use Safeguard before you switch into the setup Pokemon because you will still have one more turn in which you can set up before Encore runs out.
- Always use Encore on the turn after you use Destiny Bond. This is because Destiny Bond's effects last until Wobbuffet uses its next move, meaning that its protection will always last until you use Encore. This means that a sneaky opponent will not be able to use Wobbuffet's Destiny Bond as setup fodder, and it means that you can very easily turn the tables and use them as setup fodder yourself
- Custap Berry should not be used alongside Safeguard because Custap's key niche is in allowing for a fast Destiny Bond
- Sitrus Berry and Colbur Berry generally should not be used alongside D-Bond as it comes out too slow without Custap Berry support. While there are perks to running D-Bond with Sitrus/Colbur, these niches are small and usually overshadowed by the consistency of Safeguard
Team Options
========
- Darkspam adores Wobbuffet's support, so 'mons like Bisharp and Weavile pair really well with this set.
- Pursuit trappers like the aforementioned darkspm core, Scizor and Tyranitar allow you to eliminate or heavily damage things like Slowbro/King locked into Slack Off, Reuniclus locked into Calm Mind/Recover and Lati@s locked into Roost/Defog/-4 Draco Meteor. They also help v.s. Gengar and Hoopa - both of which are big pains for Wobbuffet
- VoltTurners like Scizor, BP Mega Lop, Manectric and Landorus ease prediction and make you less reliant on doubling
- Setup 'mons like Talonflame, Azumarill, Zard X and Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore and Safeguard support (Encore-->Safeguard-->Switch still leaves 1 turn of Encore, allowing for safe setup)
- Pokemon which appreciate the elimination of fast offensive 'mons, such as Hoopa-U, (Mega) Tyranitar and Manaphy
- Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are useful for eliminating Dark-types
- Healing Wish from Mega Lopunny and Latias (namely from the former) allows Wobbuffet to eliminate more threats.
[SET]
name: "Wallbreaker" (Speedy)
move 1: Encore
move 2: Tickle
move 3: Counter
move 4: Mirror Coat
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid
evs: 28 HP / 120 Def / 124 SpD / 228 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Encore locks targets into a move, easing prediction and making Wobb's job (weakening walls) significantly easier
- Tickle is the main draw to this set, allowing Wobbuffet to turn defensive 'mons into Pursuit or fodder by locking them into a useless move with a fast Encore (e.g. Slack Off/Roost) and proceeding to weaken them to -6 attack/defense with Tickle
- CounterCoat takes a back-seat on this set, although they are still Wobb's KO moves
Set Details
========
- EVs+Timid outpace uninvested Skarm and give Wobb a leftovers number
- Rest of EVs attempt to balance defenses, with a 1-point preference towards SpD to give an attack boost to any random Download Pokémon on the off chance that you see one.
- Sitrus Berry lets you avoid certain 2HKOs depending on your EV spread; with the listed spread, it allows Wobbuffet to take 2 specs Scalds from Keldeo after Stealth Rock
- Customising the EV spread to the needs of your team can have a much bigger effect on this set's success than it does the bulky set.
- Leftovers give Wobbuffet passive recovery, allowing it to take advantage of the walls it's weakening to heal back to full health
- Colbur Berry with a spread of 4 HP / 132 Def / 136 SpD / 236 Spe lures Weave and Bish and allows you to KO them if you're over about 50% health
- Timid>Jolly to minimise confusion and Foul Play damage; 0 Atk IVs are more important for this set as minimising Foul Play damage is a must to minimise the issues created by a rogue Foul Play.
Usage Tips
========
- Played much more aggressively than bulky set
- The set primarily uses Encore and Tickle to weaken and eliminate walls as opposed to using CounterCoat to eliminate stuff like the bulky set would
- Try and bring in on a VoltTurn or a predicted double (especially due to the frailer nature of the set)
- Do not use Tickle on offensive 'mons
- Great at eliminating physical/special walls, ground-types, flying-types etc. for Wobb's teammates
Team Options
========
- Pursuit trappers such as Bisharp, Weavile, Tyranitar and Scizor are mandatory for their ability take advantage of -6 walls switching out and OHKOing them
- Stealth Rock users such as Heatran, Garchomp and Landorus-T can prevent any targets with Sturdy from coming back onto the field after eating a Pursuit
- Pokémon which benefit from the elimination of Chansey, Skarm etc. such as Excadrill, M-Camel and Staraptor
- Pokémon which benefit from the elimination of Ground- or Flying-types, such as Landorus, Excadrill, Manectric and Raikou
- VoltTurners like Scizor, Specs+BP Sylveon, Landorus, Raikou and Cobalion ease prediction and make you less reliant on doubling
- Setup 'mons like Zard X, NP Thundurus-I, Double Dance Thundy-T and Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore support
- Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are useful for eliminating Dark-types
- Healing Wish support from Mega Lopunny and Jirachi (mainly Lop tho) lets it do more in the match and cures it of status.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
- Colbur Berry is Wobb's most consistent alternative option; can be used to alleviate its weakness to Knock Off and Pursuit; this can be helpful on particularly dark-weak teams to help eliminate Bisharp, Tyranitar and Weavile
- Kasib Berry lets you take a Shadow Ball from Gengar, which means that you aren't forced out by Volt Switch+Gengar cores
- Lum Berry can be used in conjunction with Safeguard on the bulky set for teams which are particularly status-weak, allowing it to take status inducers like Wisp+BU Talonflame and non-roar SpD Tran with more consistency. However, it is single-use and lacks the more consistent utility of the other berries
- Mental Herb allows Wobb to lock stallbreakers into Taunt, which can be useful for eliminating them with Pursuit if your team struggles with them; however, its uses are few and far-between beyond this
- Charm can be used over Tickle if you really want to turn physical 'mons into setup fodder, but you're usually better off just going bulky and taking them out with Counter if they're an issue
Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types can't be trapped by Shadow Tag, meaning that it is difficult for Wobbuffet to eliminate them; additionally, Wobbuffet does not have the same utility with Encore as if it locks the ghost into a status move it can just switch, creating no free turns for Wobbuffet's teammates.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types, namely Dark Pulse Hoopa-U, are immune to Mirror Coat and are capable of dealing heavy damage to Wobbuffet. Physically-based darks such as Bisharp must be aware of Counter, however.
**Volt Switch+Dark-type cores**: Volt Switch users, such as Manectric, Cobalion and Raikou, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Mirror Coat, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye reflects Wobbuffet's Encore and is immune to CounterCoat. This means that it can use Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off etc. to its hearts content or, if it is a Calm Mind variant, it can use Wobbuffet as setup fodder. However, it must be wary of Safeguard.
**U-turn+Ghost-type cores**: U-turn users, such as Scizor and Landorus-T, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Counter, such as Gengar.
**Taunt**: Taunt users —in particular Taunt+Toxic Heatran and Taunt Talonflame—can completely nullify Wobbuffet due to its low speed and loss of ability to use Encore after being taunted. This means that Wobbuffet can be used as setup fodder for them or can be easily stalled out.
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a bother for Wobbuffet if it is out of Custap Berry range as it allows for it to be easily revenge killed. However, this is often when it is only out of range by around 5%, and if Wobbuffet is much higher than that it can often take an unboosted Pursuit and score a hard hit with Counter.
**Mixed Attackers**: If Wobbuffet is not near full health, mixed attackers such as Kyurem-B can easily create 50:50s due to Wobbuffet being unable to take 2 hits, disallowing Wobbuffet the opportunity to relieve prediction issues with Encore. In particular, Mega Diancie can cause problems for Wobbuffet due to its immunity to Encore allowing it to create these 50:50s when Wobbuffet <i>is</i> at full health.
- Barren yet perfectly-crafted movepool
- Shadow Tag
- Has nice utility as a catch-all for certain offensive teams, allowing them to remove problematic which trouble the rest of the build
- Can consistently eliminate/help to eliminate at least 1-2 Pokémon per game
- Pulls apart large segments of offense and balance while also leaving its mark on stall, although it must be wary of the omnipresent Dark-types
- Monstrous HP allows it to take some of the most powerful hits in the metagame
- Very customisable to the needs of its team
- Faces competition from Gothitelle, who trades the offense matchup for a better stall matchup
- Lack of recovery (even Rest) severely hurts its longevity
- Hates status due to aformentioned lack of recovery; means that locking defensive 'mons can be risky if you fail to outpace as they can easily Toxic you
- Shadow Tag nerf hurts its ability to function by not allowing it to trap ghosts like Gengar
- Complete taunt bait; heavily passive
- Susceptible to VoltTurn (can CounterCoat the switch-in, but just loses health if they go into an immunity)
- Has a habit of forcing 50:50s for both its user and its target
[SET]
name: Oh no, it's Wobbuffet! (Bulky)
move 1: Counter
move 2: Mirror Coat
move 3: Encore
move 4: Destiny Bond / Safeguard
item: Custap Berry / Sitrus Berry
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Bold
evs: 28 HP / 240 Def / 220 SpD / 20 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- CounterCoat is Wobbuffet's KOing tool, allowing it to take out any moderately powerful attacker in one hit coutesy of its godly HP stat
- Encore allows it to lock its targets into a move; this is useful v.s. weaker attackers so that you don't need to predict what attack they will use, and it is also useful v.s. anything which attempts to use a status move (namely recovery and setup moves) as it allows Wobbuffet's teammates to use the target as setup fodder due to them being given a free switch courtesy of Shadow Tag's mechanics.
- Destiny Bond allows it to score one more KO before it goes down, and is helpful v.s. things which attempt to trap it with Pursuit when its at low health
- Safeguard allows for things to set up on status-inducing moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave
Set Details
========
- EVs take KOff from ada orb Bish from full
- 20 speed outpaces neutral Quagsire, allowing you to consistently eliminate it
- Rest chucked into SpD to let you take special hits significantly better
- However, the EVs are very customisable to the needs of the team [alternatives in calculation]
- Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to get off a quick Destiny Bond or Encore before it goes down- Sitrus Berry allows Wobbuffet to heal 25% of its max HP, and it will often have more net healing than Leftovers.
- It also lets you take a number of hits that you wouldn't otherwise, such as 2 orb zam shadow balls after rocks and 2 unboosted crunches from mega gyara from full (allowing you to safely encore it to prevent setup)
- Colbur Berry lets it lure and beat physical Dark-types which normally come in and revenge it- Bold/Calm is chosen over Impish/Careful to minimise confusion/Foul Play damage
- More physically/specially defensive spreads can be used on teams which benefit more from phys/special attackers being eliminated
Usage Tips
========
- If Wobbuffet lacks Destiny Bond, it struggles with mixed attackers and setup sweepers, although this can be somewhat alleviated by Encore; try to avoid these situations unless it allows Wobbuffet to eliminate a major threat to the team
- Don't be afraid to throw out a Destiny Bond v.s. 'mons which sometimes carry setup moves. This provides insurance
- Often if Wobbuffet is at max HP, Encore is the best option to alleviate prediction issues - particularly v.s. mixed attackers not called Mega Diancie and setup 'mons. There are a few exceptions (primarily v.s. choiced 'mons), but generally this is the best option
- Attempt to bring Wobbuffet in on a double or a VoltTurn unless it is absolutely necessary so it is at as high HP as possible
- If you lock something into a status-inducing move and run Safeguard, use Safeguard before you switch into the setup Pokemon because you will still have one more turn in which you can set up before Encore runs out.
- Always use Encore on the turn after you use Destiny Bond. This is because Destiny Bond's effects last until Wobbuffet uses its next move, meaning that its protection will always last until you use Encore. This means that a sneaky opponent will not be able to use Wobbuffet's Destiny Bond as setup fodder, and it means that you can very easily turn the tables and use them as setup fodder yourself
- Custap Berry should not be used alongside Safeguard because Custap's key niche is in allowing for a fast Destiny Bond
- Sitrus Berry and Colbur Berry generally should not be used alongside D-Bond as it comes out too slow without Custap Berry support. While there are perks to running D-Bond with Sitrus/Colbur, these niches are small and usually overshadowed by the consistency of Safeguard
Team Options
========
- Darkspam adores Wobbuffet's support, so 'mons like Bisharp and Weavile pair really well with this set.
- Pursuit trappers like the aforementioned darkspm core, Scizor and Tyranitar allow you to eliminate or heavily damage things like Slowbro/King locked into Slack Off, Reuniclus locked into Calm Mind/Recover and Lati@s locked into Roost/Defog/-4 Draco Meteor. They also help v.s. Gengar and Hoopa - both of which are big pains for Wobbuffet
- VoltTurners like Scizor, BP Mega Lop, Manectric and Landorus ease prediction and make you less reliant on doubling
- Setup 'mons like Talonflame, Azumarill, Zard X and Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore and Safeguard support (Encore-->Safeguard-->Switch still leaves 1 turn of Encore, allowing for safe setup)
- Pokemon which appreciate the elimination of fast offensive 'mons, such as Hoopa-U, (Mega) Tyranitar and Manaphy
- Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are useful for eliminating Dark-types
- Healing Wish from Mega Lopunny and Latias (namely from the former) allows Wobbuffet to eliminate more threats.
[SET]
name: "Wallbreaker" (Speedy)
move 1: Encore
move 2: Tickle
move 3: Counter
move 4: Mirror Coat
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid
evs: 28 HP / 120 Def / 124 SpD / 228 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Encore locks targets into a move, easing prediction and making Wobb's job (weakening walls) significantly easier
- Tickle is the main draw to this set, allowing Wobbuffet to turn defensive 'mons into Pursuit or fodder by locking them into a useless move with a fast Encore (e.g. Slack Off/Roost) and proceeding to weaken them to -6 attack/defense with Tickle
- CounterCoat takes a back-seat on this set, although they are still Wobb's KO moves
Set Details
========
- EVs+Timid outpace uninvested Skarm and give Wobb a leftovers number
- Rest of EVs attempt to balance defenses, with a 1-point preference towards SpD to give an attack boost to any random Download Pokémon on the off chance that you see one.
- Sitrus Berry lets you avoid certain 2HKOs depending on your EV spread; with the listed spread, it allows Wobbuffet to take 2 specs Scalds from Keldeo after Stealth Rock
- Customising the EV spread to the needs of your team can have a much bigger effect on this set's success than it does the bulky set.
- Leftovers give Wobbuffet passive recovery, allowing it to take advantage of the walls it's weakening to heal back to full health
- Colbur Berry with a spread of 4 HP / 132 Def / 136 SpD / 236 Spe lures Weave and Bish and allows you to KO them if you're over about 50% health
- Timid>Jolly to minimise confusion and Foul Play damage; 0 Atk IVs are more important for this set as minimising Foul Play damage is a must to minimise the issues created by a rogue Foul Play.
Usage Tips
========
- Played much more aggressively than bulky set
- The set primarily uses Encore and Tickle to weaken and eliminate walls as opposed to using CounterCoat to eliminate stuff like the bulky set would
- Try and bring in on a VoltTurn or a predicted double (especially due to the frailer nature of the set)
- Do not use Tickle on offensive 'mons
- Great at eliminating physical/special walls, ground-types, flying-types etc. for Wobb's teammates
Team Options
========
- Pursuit trappers such as Bisharp, Weavile, Tyranitar and Scizor are mandatory for their ability take advantage of -6 walls switching out and OHKOing them
- Stealth Rock users such as Heatran, Garchomp and Landorus-T can prevent any targets with Sturdy from coming back onto the field after eating a Pursuit
- Pokémon which benefit from the elimination of Chansey, Skarm etc. such as Excadrill, M-Camel and Staraptor
- Pokémon which benefit from the elimination of Ground- or Flying-types, such as Landorus, Excadrill, Manectric and Raikou
- VoltTurners like Scizor, Specs+BP Sylveon, Landorus, Raikou and Cobalion ease prediction and make you less reliant on doubling
- Setup 'mons like Zard X, NP Thundurus-I, Double Dance Thundy-T and Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore support
- Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are useful for eliminating Dark-types
- Healing Wish support from Mega Lopunny and Jirachi (mainly Lop tho) lets it do more in the match and cures it of status.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
- Colbur Berry is Wobb's most consistent alternative option; can be used to alleviate its weakness to Knock Off and Pursuit; this can be helpful on particularly dark-weak teams to help eliminate Bisharp, Tyranitar and Weavile
- Kasib Berry lets you take a Shadow Ball from Gengar, which means that you aren't forced out by Volt Switch+Gengar cores
- Lum Berry can be used in conjunction with Safeguard on the bulky set for teams which are particularly status-weak, allowing it to take status inducers like Wisp+BU Talonflame and non-roar SpD Tran with more consistency. However, it is single-use and lacks the more consistent utility of the other berries
- Mental Herb allows Wobb to lock stallbreakers into Taunt, which can be useful for eliminating them with Pursuit if your team struggles with them; however, its uses are few and far-between beyond this
- Charm can be used over Tickle if you really want to turn physical 'mons into setup fodder, but you're usually better off just going bulky and taking them out with Counter if they're an issue
Checks and Counters
========
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types can't be trapped by Shadow Tag, meaning that it is difficult for Wobbuffet to eliminate them; additionally, Wobbuffet does not have the same utility with Encore as if it locks the ghost into a status move it can just switch, creating no free turns for Wobbuffet's teammates.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types, namely Dark Pulse Hoopa-U, are immune to Mirror Coat and are capable of dealing heavy damage to Wobbuffet. Physically-based darks such as Bisharp must be aware of Counter, however.
**Volt Switch+Dark-type cores**: Volt Switch users, such as Manectric, Cobalion and Raikou, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Mirror Coat, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye reflects Wobbuffet's Encore and is immune to CounterCoat. This means that it can use Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off etc. to its hearts content or, if it is a Calm Mind variant, it can use Wobbuffet as setup fodder. However, it must be wary of Safeguard.
**U-turn+Ghost-type cores**: U-turn users, such as Scizor and Landorus-T, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Counter, such as Gengar.
**Taunt**: Taunt users —in particular Taunt+Toxic Heatran and Taunt Talonflame—can completely nullify Wobbuffet due to its low speed and loss of ability to use Encore after being taunted. This means that Wobbuffet can be used as setup fodder for them or can be easily stalled out.
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a bother for Wobbuffet if it is out of Custap Berry range as it allows for it to be easily revenge killed. However, this is often when it is only out of range by around 5%, and if Wobbuffet is much higher than that it can often take an unboosted Pursuit and score a hard hit with Counter.
**Mixed Attackers**: If Wobbuffet is not near full health, mixed attackers such as Kyurem-B can easily create 50:50s due to Wobbuffet being unable to take 2 hits, disallowing Wobbuffet the opportunity to relieve prediction issues with Encore. In particular, Mega Diancie can cause problems for Wobbuffet due to its immunity to Encore allowing it to create these 50:50s when Wobbuffet <i>is</i> at full health.
At a glance, Wobbuffet is mediocre; its movepool is so small and barren that even Magikarp gives it competition, and its only method of dealing damage is through the use of Counter and Mirror Coat. However, Wobbuffet has managed to carve a niche in the OU metagame all thanks to one ability: Shadow Tag. With this, Wobbuffet’s tiny movepool becomes one of the most perfectly-crafted pieces of kit in competitive play, allowing it provide huge support to its team by trapping and eliminating powerful attackers like Keldeo and Mega Metagross, locking Pokemon into status moves or weak attacks such as Rapid Spin to turn them into setup fodder with Encore and allowing it to continuously weaken some of the bulkiest Pokemon in the metagame to the point where even an unboosted Pursuit can OHKO them with ease using a combination of Encore and Tickle. Wobbuffet's extremely high bulkmeans that its EV extremely customisable to the needs of its team, being able to run different EV spreads to take on specific threats with much more ease. All of this in combination allows it to act as a sufficient catch-all for certain offensive teams by allowing them to remove pokemon which trouble the rest of the build. With Counter and Mirror Coat in conjunction with its monstrous HP (which allows it to take some of the most powerful attacks in the metagame) allowing it to consistently eliminate at least one Pokemon per match, Wobbuffet is able to easily pull apart large segments of offensive and balanced teams—namely Choice users and dedicated single-catagory attackers—while still leaving a mark on more defensively-inclined builds with its supportive options.
However, Wobbuffet is far from perfect. While Counter and Mirror Coat allow it to eliminate powerful attackers in one fell swoop, this comes at the cost of needing to take a hit in order to deal damage. While this issue can be negated to a certain extent with Encore, this can be easily exploited by a number of Pokemon—such as Taunt or Toxic users—that can take advantage of a number of key problems it faces due to its small movepool. Firstly, it lacks any form of self recovery means that it is very easily worn down and limiting the number of Pokemon it can take out in a match; this can be exploited by anything which can put a damaging status onto Wobbuffet, such as SubToxic Heatran and Jirachi or specially defensive Talonflame. The fact that Ghost-types can now escape from trapping abilities doesn’t help Wobbuffet’s cause either, as it means it can’t trap and eliminate a small number of things which it could in the past such as four attacks Gengar. It is complete taunt bait due to it being unable to independently damage its target, and it is heavily susceptible to U-turn and Volt Switch—especially when paired with a Ghost- or Dark-type, respectively. It has habit of forcing 50:50s for both itself and its target if it doesn’t opt to use Destiny Bond, which means that it can have trouble v.s. mixed attackers, the most notable of which is Mega Diancie due to its access to Magic Bounce giving it an Encore immunity. Finally, it faces heavy competition from Gothitelle, who is able to attack independently, as a Shadow Tag user; however, it fares significantly better on more offensively-inclined teams due to its greater bulk allowing it to take out Pokemon which Gothitelle has trouble with, such as Mega Lopunny.
[SET]
name: Oh no, it’s Wobbuffet! (Bulky)
move 1: Counter
move 2: Mirror Coat
move 3: Encore
move 4: Destiny Bond / Safeguard
item: Custap Berry / Sitrus Berry / Colbur Berry
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Bold
evs: 28 HP / 240 Def / 220 SpD / 20 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Counter and Mirror Coat are Wobbuffet’s primary KO tools; these allow it it deal double the damage it takes from its opponent’s attack to said opponent, which is often enough to KO or severely cripple its target. Encore allows it to lock its target into a move, either turning them into setup or Pursuit fodder for a teammate or allowing it to know what a mixed attacker is going to use on the next turn; it prevents Wobbuffet from being setup fodder for the opponent, and it allows it to reliably KO most mixed attackers. The choice of Destiny Bond or Safeguard comes down to the team’s makeup, and which move is chosen will determine the optimal item for the set. Destiny Bond, when utilised alongside Custap Berry, allows for Wobbuffet to take something down with it, and it works stupendously well alongside Encore to ensure that Wobbuffet’s opponent doesn’t take advantage of Destiny Bond's low PP to set up to +6. Safeguard, on the other hand, is preferred on setup-heavy teams as it allows for Wobbuffet’s teammates to set up on Pokemon locked into moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave; this is great alongside Encore’s locking effect as the latter move lasts for just enough turns for Wobbuffet to use Safeguard, switch out and still leave its teammate with one turn to use the target as setup bait.
Set Details
========
With the given EV spread, Wobbuffet is able to take adamant Bisharp’s Knock Off from full health when its berry is still in-tact, the HP investment gives Wobbuffet a Sitrus Berry number, and the speed investment allows it to outpace neutral-natured Quagsire so that it can reliably lock it into a move, potentially Safeguard before gets a chance to use Scald, and eliminate it; this is important as Quagsire is a hard stop to a large number of setup sweepers, and as such its elimination is vital for said Pokemon to sweep. If Custap Berry is used, moving 16 EVs out of HP and splitting them evenly between Wobbuffet's defenses is recommended to achieve the same defensive benchmark while slightly improving its special bulk. A more physically defensive or specially defensive spread can be used to better check physical attackers like Mega Lopunny or special attackers like Keldeo, respectively. Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to use Destiny Bond before any other attack in its priority bracket, allowing it to score one more KO before it goes down. Sitrus Berry, on the other hand, allows Wobbuffet to avoid a 2HKO, allowing it to switch in on attacks that it can’t otherwise switch in on; this is used over Leftovers due to its higher single-turn recovery. Colbur Berry is a very good option because it allows Wobbuffet to trap and eliminate Weavile and Bisharp—two Pokemon which cause the majority of offensive teams a lot of trouble—consistently. This item also benefits heavily from the EV spread that Custap Berry variants use due to it allowing it to take a hit from adamant Life Orb Bisharp provided it is above half health.
Usage Tips
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Unless faced with a choiced attacker such as Keldeo or Choice Scarf Tyranitar, a dedicated physical attacker such as Mega Lopunny, or a dedicated special attacker like Nidoking, Encore is usually the best option if Wobbuffet is close to full health as it prevents it both prevents it from being set up on and allows for it to combat mixed attackers such as Life Orb Kyurem with much more ease. Speaking of Encore, if Destiny Bond is used it is often a good idea to use it outside of Custap Berry range to ensure a lock v.s. potential setup sweepers; this works because of a quirk in the move’s mechanics which means that its effects last into the following turn, and as a result Wobbuffet is able to scout for setup moves on Pokemon which cannot KO Wobbuffet and, if they opt to set up, it can ensure that they will either faint on the following turn or be locked into their setup move—allowing for Wobbuffet’s teammates to take advantage of it. This also has utility v.s. mixed attackers who 2HKO without bringing Wobbuffet into Custap Berry range on their first attack, alleviating the 50:50 issue to an extent. However, if it lacks Destiny Bond, it has trouble with mixed attackers and setup sweepers; while this is alleviated to a point with Encore, if it can be 2HKOed from its current health it is forced into a 50:50 situation with them. Therefore, these situations should be avoided where possible. Due to the aforementioned quirk in Destiny Bond’s mechanics, Encore should almost always be used on the turn after Destiny Bond is used, as it stops Wobbuffet’s target from abusing Destiny Bond’s low PP to set up on Wobbuffet; this means that it can quickly turn the tables in a bad situation.
A general rule of thumb with Wobbuffet is that it is best brought in on a double switch or a slow U-turn or Volt Switch or on a predicted double switch unless it is absolutely necessary. This is to ensure that Wobbuffet is at as high HP as possible, allowing it to either comfortably Encore or guarantee it lives the next hit to either KO the target or to lock them into an attack which a teammate can resist and potentially take advantage of. If Safeguard is used over Destiny Bond and Wobbuffet locks its target into a status move, use Safeguard before switching into a setup Pokemon because there will still be one more turn of Encore in which Wobbuffet’s teammate can set up on the target. Custap Berry should never be used alongside Safeguard because the key niche that it provides comes from it increasing Destiny Bond’s potency; similarly, Sitrus Berry and Colbur Berry should not be used alongside Destiny Bond as the latter comes out too slowly to be consistently potent without Custap Berry to back it up.
Team Options
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Darkspam teams adore the support that Wobbuffet provides as it provides an answer to a wide range of threats to the archetype. As such, Pokemon like Bisharp and Weavile pair well with the set. Pursuit trappers like those mentioned in the aforementioned darkspam core, Scizor and Tyranitar allow for the elimination of things like Slowbro or Slowking locked into Slack Off, Reuniclus locked into Recover or Calm Mind and Latios or Latias locked into any of Roost, Defog or a -4 Draco Meteor. In addition, they also help v.s. both Gengar and Hoopa-U, which are major pains for Wobbuffet. VoltTurners such as Scizor, Baton Pass Lopunny, Rotom-W, Rotom-H and Landorus-T ease prediction, making Wobbuffet less reliant on doubling into its targets. Setup Pokemon like Talonflame, Azumarill, Mega Charizard X and Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore and Safeguard support. Pokemon which appreciate the elimination of fast Pokemon, such as Hoopa-U, Tyranitar and Manaphy, are potent partners as it can alleviate issues surrounding their middling speed tiers. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are good for their ability to eliminate Dark-types which cause problems for Wobbuffet. Finally, Healing Wish support from Mega Lopunny and Latias allows Wobbuffet to eliminate more threats to its team.
[SET]
name: "Wallbreaker" (Speedy)
move 1: Encore
move 2: Tickle
move 3: Counter
move 4: Mirror Coat
item: Leftovers
ability: Shadow Tag
nature: Timid
evs: 28 HP / 120 Def / 124 SpD / 236 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Encore and Tickle are the main moves that this set uses; the two moves in combination with the faster, more aggressive nature of the set allows Wobbuffet to easily break down walls by locking them into attacks which have no direct effect on Wobbuffet, such as Roost, Slack Off Recover or Stealth Rock and proceed to use Tickle, refreshing the Encore every time it wares off, to bring walls down to -6 defense—where they can be easily KOed with a teammate's Pursuit. Due to the nature of the set, Counter and Mirror Coat take a back seat. However, they can still be used to great effect due to Wobbuffets monstrous HP stat allowing it to take hits such as Choice Specs Keldeo's Hydro Pump and eliminate its target with one of said moves.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread allows Wobbuffet to outpace uninvested Skarmory, which is useful so that it can reliably lock it into Roost and easily Tickle it to a point where Pursuit easily brings it down to Sturdy, and gives Wobbuffet a Leftovers number. The rest of the EVs attempt to balance its defenses, with a one-point preference towards its special defense to give any random Download Pokemon an attack boost. However, much like the bulky set, the EVs are very customisable to the needs of the team. Leftovers are the preferred item on this set to allow Wobbuffet to continually heal, taking advantage of the defensive Pokemon it locks to recover back to full health. Alternatively, Colbur Berry with a spread of 136 Def / 136 SpD / 236 Spe allows Wobbuffet to take Knock Offs from Bisharp and Weavile if it is healthy, which improves its matchup v.s. offense significantly and allows it to act as an emergency stop to them early game. Sitrus Berry with the listed spread is also a very valid option due to it allowing Wobbuffet to avoid 2HKOs from moves like Choice Specs Keldeo's Scald after Stealth Rock. Timid is used over jolly to minimise the damage taken from confusion and Foul Play. In addition, 0 attack IVs are much more important to the success of this set in order to reduce the damage dealt by a rouge Foul Play.
Usage Tips
========
This set is great for eliminating physical or special walls and Pokemon with immunities or double resistances for its teammates, and it plays significantly more aggressively than the bulky set does; and hard predictions are more important to the success of the set due to its less bulky nature; however, don't fall into the trap of thinking that this set is frail in any sense of the word, as it can still tank powerful hits such as Choice Specs Keldeo's Hydro Pump with relative ease and proceed to KO its target back. Try and bring Wobbuffet in on a U-turn or Volt Switch when using it to eliminate offensive Pokemon to ensure that it is at full health; however, pressuring the use of a self-healing move should be the primary method of switching into defensive Pokemon as it allows for easy control over what the target will get Encored into, and once they are encored start Tickling the target, refreshing Encore whenever it runs out, and make sure to switch to the pursuit trapper immediately after an Encore to ensure that Pursuit can always KO without need for a switch—this allows a minimum of two turns in which Pursuit can be used so that, on the off chance that the target doesn't switch, Pursuit will always eliminate the target. If Tickling something with Sturdy, it is recommended to stay in until they Struggle as that allows for Pursuit to KO without Sturdy getting in the way. Tickle should not be used on offensive Pokemon as Wobbuffet is better off eliminating the target in such scenarios.
Team Options
========
Pursuit trappers such as Bisharp, Weavile, Tyranitar and Choice Band Scizor are mandatory support for this set as they guarantee the elimination of defensive Pokemon which Wobbuffet eliminates. In addition, Stealth Rock is handy to ensure that any Sturdy users, such as Skarmory, are unable to switch back in after being pursuit trapped in case Wobbuffet either exhausts Encore's PP or needs enough Encore PP to eliminate another wall, such as when facing stall (particularly variants with ChanSkarm or SkarmBliss cores). Pokemon which benefit from the elimination of walls, such as Excadrill, Mega Camerupt and Staraptor, and those which benefit from the elimination of Pokemon with immunities, such as Landorus-T, Mega Manectric and Raikou, make for great partners due to their ability to easily take advantage of Wobbuffet's support. VoltTurners like Scizor, Specs+BP Sylveon, Landorus, Raikou and Cobalion ease prediction for Wobbuffet v.s. offensive Pokemon and teams, making it less reliant on double switches. Setup Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X, Nasty Plot Thundurus I, Double Dance Thundurus-T and Swords Dance Bisharp benefit heavily from the Encore support. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Medicham are useful for eliminating Dark-types, and Healing Wish users are helpful v.s. offensive teams as they allow Wobbuffet to eliminate more than one Pokemon consistently.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
As stated in the overview, Wobbuffet's movepool is so small that even Magikarp gives it competition; however, there are a small number of other things that it can do. Kasib Berry allows Wobbuffet to take Gengar's Shadow Ball with ease, allowing it to lure it after KOing something. However, it is inconsistent due to Wobbuffet being unable to trap Gengar due to the latter's Ghost typing. Lum Berry can be used alongside Safeguard as it allows Wobbuffet to set up Safeguard on Toxic and Will-O-Wisp users; however, it is single use while being significantly less consistent than Sitrus Berry for the bulky set. Mental Herb allows Wobbuffet to lock stallbreakers into Taunt, which is useful for pursuit trapping them. However, its uses pretty much stop there—making it a generally poor option. Finally, Charm can be used over Tickle to quickly to turn physical attackers into setup fodder, but by that point it is usually better to just eliminate such Pokemon with Counter.
Checks and Counters
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**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types can't be trapped by Shadow Tag, meaning that it is difficult for Wobbuffet to eliminate them; additionally, Wobbuffet does not have the same utility with Encore as if it locks the ghost into a status move it can just switch out of it, creating no free turns for Wobbuffet's teammates.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types, namely Dark Pulse Hoopa-U and Hydreigon, are immune to Mirror Coat and are capable of dealing heavy damage to Wobbuffet. Physically-based darks such as Bisharp must be aware of Counter, however.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye reflects Wobbuffet's Encore and is immune to CounterCoat. This means that it can use Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off etc. to its hearts content or, if it is a Calm Mind variant, it can use Wobbuffet as setup fodder. However, it must be wary of Safeguard.
**Volt Switch+Dark-type cores**: Volt Switch users, such as Manectric, Cobalion and Raikou, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Mirror Coat, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. These are particularly potent due to many Dark-types having access to Pursuit to trap Wobbuffet after Volt Switching.
**U-turn+Ghost-type cores**: U-turn users, such as Scizor and Landorus-T, can escape from Wobbuffet and go into a Pokémon which is immune to Counter, such as Gengar, Sableye or Coffagrigus.
**Taunt**: Taunt users —in particular Taunt+Toxic Heatran and Taunt Talonflame—can completely nullify Wobbuffet due to its low speed and loss of ability to use Encore after being taunted. This means that Wobbuffet can be used as setup fodder for them or can be easily stalled out.
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a bother for Wobbuffet if it is out of Custap Berry range as it allows for it to be easily revenge killed. However, this is often when it is only out of range by around 10%, and if Wobbuffet is much higher than this it can often take an unboosted Pursuit and score a hard hit with Counter.
**Mixed Attackers**: If Wobbuffet is not near full health, mixed attackers such as Kyurem-B can easily create 50:50s due to Wobbuffet being unable to take 2 hits, disallowing Wobbuffet the opportunity to relieve prediction issues with Encore. In particular, Mega Diancie can cause problems for Wobbuffet due to its immunity to Encore allowing it to create these 50:50s when Wobbuffet <i>is</i> at full health.
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