-lord
Overview
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The great Afro Bull sets itself apart from some of the Normal-types in the PU tier due to its massive Attack stat which is complemented by a great offensive STAB typing, good coverage, and access to Swords Dance. Its Attack can also be amplified by its nice abilities, Sap Sipper and Reckless, which give it an immunity to Grass-type moves and make its Head Charge more powerful, respectively. It also has surprisingly good bulk, which let it tank a good portion of hits. However, Bouffalant has a very mediocre Speed stat, which causes it to get outsped and worn down with little trouble. In addition, it has a hard time dealing with the Ghost-types in the tier. However, Bouffalant can get past these flaws and find itself ramming through most of the tier when given enough support.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return / Head Charge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute / Megahorn
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Leftovers
evs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Swords Dance boosts Bouffalant's Attack stat, setting it up for a potential sweep. Return is Bouffalant's main STAB attack, as after a boost it can do large chunks of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Alternatively, Head Charge can be used if you would like more power, but the recoil damage is troublesome for Bouffalant, as it decreases Bouffalant's ability to tank hits. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types such as Golem, Barbaracle, and Klang which resist Bouffalant's STAB attack. Substitute takes advantage of Bouffalant's ability to force out switches, preventing it from getting afflicted by status and letting it set up without taking damage. Megahorn is used for decent coverage, as it's usually Bouffalant's only way of touching Haunter and Misdreavus, as well as hitting Gourgeist for neutral damage.
Set Details
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The given EV spread is used to outspeed uninvested Pokemon such as Pelipper that have base 65 Speed, while the rest of the EVs are dumped into Bouffalant's Attack and HP. An Adamant nature maximizes Bouffalant's Attack, ensuring that it can hit as hard as possible. Leftovers is used to give Bouffalant passive recovery each turn.
Usage Tips
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Bouffalant should try to switch into Grass-types such as Tangela and Serperior to try and gain a Sap Sipper boost, as it then lets Bouffalant force them out and get a free turn to set up. Bouffalant should try to sweep when Ghost-type Pokemon, particularly Gourgeist, Misdreavus, and Haunter, are removed, as they are either resistant or immune to Bouffalant's STAB attacks and coverage moves. It should try to get free switch-ins against offensive teams, as common Pokemon found on these teams such as Sneasel, Purugly, and Ninetales, lack the ability to tank Bouffalant's attacks, especially when boosted.
Team Options
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Pokemon such as Barbaracle and Golem make for good partners as they appreciate the fact that Bouffalant can remove Grass-types such as Tangela and Serperior with little trouble. Pursuit support is also appreciated, as Bouffalant has trouble getting past common Ghost-types such as Gourgeist and Misdreavus. Toxic Spikes is a great way to deal with this set, as poison puts a timer on Bouffalant; as such, Pokemon that can remove Toxic Spikes in some way, such as Garbodor or Pelipper, are good partners for Bouffalant.
Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Pursuit
ability: Reckless / Sap Sipper
item: Choice Band
evs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Head Charge serves as Bouffalant's main STAB attack and hits extremely hard when used with Reckless or boosted by Sap Sipper. Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-types that resist Head Charge, such as Golem, Barbaracle, and Klang. Stone Edge gives Bouffalant an option to hit Ghost-types neutrally while hitting Flying-types like Scyther and Chatot for super effective damage. Megahorn is used in the last slot to hit Grass-types such as Tangela. Alternatively, Pursuit can be used to trap frail Ghost-types like Haunter so that Bouffalant can spam Head Charge with little fear. Megahorn is used in the last slot to hit Grass-types, like Tangela.
Set Details
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The given EV spread is used so that Bouffalant can outspeed uninvested base 65s such as Pelipper, while the rest is dumped into Attack and HP to maximize its power and bulk. An Adamant nature is used to ensure Bouffalant hits as hard as possible. Choice Band makes Bouffalant one of the best wallbreakers in the tier, boosting its power through the roof at the cost of being locked into one move. Reckless is used to boost Bouffalant's Head Charge, while Sap Sipper gives it a nice Grass immunity, as Bouffalant gets an Attack boost if it is hit by a Grass-type attack. Alternatively, Soundproof can also be used to make Bouffalant a nice counter to Chatot.
Usage Tips
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Bouffalant should generally be switched in safely against offensive teams so it can dent Pokemon on offensive teams early-game, as they are generally too frail to switch in on one of Bouffalant's attacks. Bouffalant should also be spamming Head Charge in order to dent foes if there are no Pokemon that resist or are immune to it on the opposing team; if not, it should be using its coverage moves to get rid of these threats so it can use Head Charge safely later. If using Sap Sipper, switching into predicted Grass-type moves is a good idea, as it boosts Bouffalant's attacks and makes it harder to switch into.
Team Options
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Entry hazard support can turn some 2HKOs into OHKOs, so Pokemon such as Garbodor and Golem that can set them up appreciated. In particular, Garbodor can tank repeated Fighting-type attacks from Pokemon such as Throh, which threatens Bouffalant and forces it out. Pokemon such as Sneasel that appreciate the wallbreaking support Bouffalant provides are good partners, as they can clean late-game fairly easily with their common checks and counters weakened or removed. Pokemon that can take care of common resistances to Bouffalant's Head Charge, such as Poliwrath, make for good partners, as their removal lets Bouffalant spam Head Charge freely. Scyther and other Pokemon that can check Fighting-types, also make for good partners.
Other Options
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Assault Vest can capitalize on Bouffalant's good natural bulk and turn it into a decent special tank, however, it's better off using a more offensive set. Wild Charge can be used to hit Flying- and Ghost-types such as Pelipper, Scyther, Haunter, and Misdreavus, respectively, but it is better off using other coverage moves. 176 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed base 45 Speed Pokemon with maximum Speed investment, but Bouffalant then looses too much of its bulk. Toxic can be used on the Choice Band set, as it is Bouffalant's best way of dealing with Gourgeist and Misdreavus, however, being locked into Toxic is a huge detriment overall and forces it to switch out on the next turn.
Checks & Counters
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**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Gourgeist, Misdreavus, and Haunter can take care of Bouffalant fairly easily, as they don't care about Return, Head Charge, and Earthquake and can usually wall Bouffalant in most cases. However, the Haunter needs to be wary of Pursuit, as it has poor defense.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Throh and Poliwrath, can easily force Bouffalant out with their powerful STAB attacks. However, they have a hard time switching into Bouffalant and can usually only come in on it without taking a hit.
**Faster attackers**: Faster attackers like Sneasel can pick off Bouffalant fairly easily when it's weakened enough, which isn't very hard considering Bouffalant can get worn down with little trouble due to recoil. However, Bouffalant can't be revenge killed if it has a Substitute up.
**Avalugg**: Avalugg is a great answer to Bouffalant, as it walls the Choice Band set and beats the Swords Dance set. It also breaks Bouffalant's Substitute with little trouble and can recover off any damage in the process.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Golem and Barbaracle can switch into Bouffalant's STAB attacks with little trouble. However, they have to be careful, as Earthquake can deal a lot of damage to them.
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