[OVERVIEW]
Breloom is able to stand out as a dangerous offensive threat, taking advantage of its excellent ability in Poison Heal, high Attack stat, and snowball potential with Bulk Up. Its access to Close Combat and status-boosted Facade, which is further powered up by Tera Normal makes it one of the metagame's better wallbreakers. When Poison Heal activates, Breloom is able to act as a good switch-in to opposing status moves, such as Thunder Wave from Registeel and Toxic from Umbreon. Furthermore, Breloom distinguishes itself from other Fighting-types due to its secondary Grass-typing and access to Mach Punch, which gives it the ability to threaten out common walls such as Quagsire and Slowbro, and reliable priority to pick off weakened foes while also being immune to Wo-Chien's Leech Seed. Despite all of its positives, Breloom's typing leaves it very vulnerable to Flying-type attacks from Noivern and Yanmega, and its middling bulk limits switch-in opportunities that it would normally rather take on, as well as leaving it very susceptible to priority attacks. Breloom is also overall slow, resulting in it being easily outspeed and OHKOed by foes such as Gardevoir, Entei, Toxtricity, and Porygon-Z.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Facade / Protect
move 3: Drain Punch / Protect
move 4: Bullet Seed / Seed Bomb
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
evs: 252 HP / 80 Atk / 176 Spe
tera type: Steel / Normal
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Breloom becomes an excellent sweeper and wincon with Bulk Up, using its Poison Heal ability and typing to set up in front of foes like Quagsire and Umbreon. Facade synergizes well with status, but Protect can be used to safely activate its Toxic Orb, and allows free healing from its Poison Heal ability. Drain Punch gives Breloom its needed recovery without having to rely on the combination of Poison Heal + Protect. However, not running this move or Facade comes at the cost of either being worse into Steel-type foes or being worse into Fighting-resistant Pokemon such as Noivern and Galarian Weezing. Bullet Seed has the benefit of breaking Mimikyu's Disguise and Suicune's Substitute alongside having much more PP than Seed Bomb, but Seed Bomb can be used as a more reliable Grass-type STAB option, and these STAB moves are Breloom's only way of hitting Ghost-types. Tera Steel flips the matchup against Gardevoir and Noivern, providing resistances to their Fairy- and Flying-type attacks, and especially does better into Galarian Weezing as it can set up freely against it. However, Tera Normal can instead be used to boost the damage of Facade, OHKOing max HP Noivern after a boost.
This particular Breloom set best fits on bulky offense and balance teams. As Breloom struggles to sweep unless Ghost-types like Gengar and Mimikyu have been eliminated, it appreciates Pokemon like Alolan Muk and Krookodile that can take on these threats. Krookodile has great synergy with Breloom thanks to its ability to take on the Poison- and Psychic-type foes like Toxtricity and Necrozma, and Breloom can help against the Water-types such as Crawdaunt and Suicune for it. Entry hazard support from teammates like Kleavor and Quagsire can help it sweep more cleanly, having a small chance at OHKOing Umbreon with Drain Punch after a boost. Steel-types such as Jirachi and Registeel partner extremely well with Breloom, as they can handle the Fairy- and Psychic-types like Gardevoir and Mew while Breloom would otherwise struggle against. Registeel in particular provides handy paralysis support via Thunder Wave which can help Breloom outspeed foes it wouldn't be able to, like Gengar, Maushold, and Noivern. Specially defensive Pokemon like Empoleon and Umbreon can help against the problematic special attackers like Speed Boost Yanmega and Gengar, and Empoleon can use Flip Turn to send Breloom in safely. In addition to this, pivots like Cyclizar and Noivern can also help Breloom get in safely against foes like Jirachi and Magnezone.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
More offensive sets, like Bullet Seed and Loaded Dice or Life Orb in conjunction with Technician and Swords Dance or Choice Band, can be used alongside maximum Attack investment to turn Breloom into either a powerful setup sweeper or a deadlier wallbreaker, OHKOing Registeel and 2HKOing Toxtricity. However, Choice Band Breloom is often prediction reliant and does not appreciate being locked into the move it uses, and Breloom's middling bulk makes finding setup opportunities difficult. Rock Tomb and Aerial Ace can be used on Technician sets to provide Breloom unresisted coverage, hitting the entire tier for neutral. Breloom can also choose to run physically defensive sets, which can let it live super effective attacks like Entei's Sacred Fire. Toxic can be used on these sets to whittle down certain walls such as Chesnaught and Cresselia. Zen Headbutt is another option that Breloom can run to hit Chesnaught and Gengar super effectively, which otherwise would wall it. Tera Fighting boosts Close Combat, allowing it to OHKO opposing Breloom and 2HKO Alolan Muk. Tera Ghost blocks Rapid Spin from Cyclizar, as well as providing the useful immunity to Toxtricity's Boomburst and Sludge Wave, but this makes it vulnerable to Knock Off and Ghost-type attacks from Mimikyu and Basculegion-F.
Checks and Counters
====
**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Noivern and Yanmega are able to shrug off Breloom's STAB attacks and threaten it with their STAB Flying-type moves. However, both of them don't appreciate switching into its status-boosted Facade.
**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types such as Gardevoir, Gallade, and Reuniclus are all able to threaten it with their Psychic-type STAB moves, but none of them are able to freely switch into its status-boosted Facade.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Breloom struggles to break through Chesnaught and can whittle it down with Spikes and Rocky Helmet, despite Bulk Up sets being able to beat it. Slowbro, if Terastallized, is also able to threaten Breloom with its Psychic-type STAB moves and can either force it out or to Terastallize.
**Faster Offensive Foes**: Breloom's low Speed makes it very suspectible to revenge killers, as Terrakion and Jirachi are able to outspeed it and pick it off with their STAB moves. However, both of them must be wary of its STAB Close Combat.
**Ghost-types**: Gengar and Mimikyu are immune to Breloom's STAB Close Combat and Facade, and can threaten it with their super effective STAB moves.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/t44torkoal.723694/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yourwelcomethanku.541847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
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