Bouffalant (Analysis)

The QC checks can be found in the below link.
With permission from Fireburn, I'm taking over his Bouffalant analysis. He already wrote a lovely skeleton which already has gotten both of its QC checks, so I just need to write the formal analysis. The original thread can be found for reference here.
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Bouffalant
better known as Afro Bull.
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[Overview]

<p>Bouffalant is, without a doubt, a very unique Pokemon. It boasts a great 110 base Attack, impressive bulk, and an astounding afro. Bouffalant even gets its own signature move, Head Charge, allowing the buffalo to do high amounts of damage with its tremendous tresses, further powered up by its ability: Reckless. With an immense physical movepool, Bouffalant is a very dangerous threat. However, such a glorious afro hinders Bouffalant's Speed; 55 Speed is nothing to celebrate at all, but with the proper team support, this well-groomed buffalo can wreak havoc.</p>

[SET]

name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge / Return
move 2: Wild Charge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Payback / Megahorn
item: Choice Band
ability: Reckless / Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With its ample movepool, single weakness, great 95/95/95 defenses, and immunity to Ghost-type attacks (as well as to Grass-type attacks if you're using Sap Sipper), Bouffalant is simply screaming to wear a Choice Band over those lustrous locks. Head Charge is the STAB move of choice, OHKOing almost all who dare to switch in, but Return can be used instead to preserve Bouffalant's bulk. Wild Charge is used in the second slot to nail bulky Water- and Flying-types, and is even more powerful with the help of Reckless. Earthquake in the third slot is your best bet against Electric-, Steel-, and Rock-types, especially if you're using Sap Sipper. Earthquake will also nail Chandelure on the switch. Payback and Megahorn are both good attacks to use in the last slot. Payback hits Ghost-type Pokemon hard, while Megahorn is mainly for bulky Grass-types. Payback is best used with Reckless, as Grass-types are less of an issue: the Reckless boost almost guarantees that Head Charge will OHKO max HP Shaymin and Celebi after Stealth Rock. If you decide to use Sap Sipper, Megahorn is the superior option to OHKO almost every Grass-type that Bouffalant switches in on.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb can be used for the freedom to change attacks, but the recoil detracts from the value of Bouffalant's bulk, and the power from Choice Band is too good to pass up. A Careful nature can be used to help Bouffalant take special hits better. Trick Room is a great option to remedy Bouffalant's underwhelming Speed. Thrash got a huge boost this generation, now having 120 Base Power. It can be used in the first slot, but it's generally not a good idea to be locked into a Normal-type move without the ability to switch.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Leftovers can be used for more survivability, which works well with Bouffalant's bulky nature. Stone Edge is an option to hit the likes of Shuckle hard. Bouffalant also has access to Swords Dance, but its poor excuse for a Speed stat means that most of its counters can just outspeed it and kill it before it gets a chance to set up.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bouffalant isn't very easy to counter due to the gargantuan power of Head Charge. However, defensive or bulky Steel-types and Ghost-types do a pretty decent job of halting it. Skarmory and Jellicent can come in on anything except Wild Charge and set up on Bouffalant or whittle it down with STAB Brave Bird/Boiling Water. Even with the power of such a massive mane, Bouffalant has trouble taking down Steel-types. Ghost-types in general can switch into Head Charge and force Bouffalant out. Mach Punch from Conkeldurr isn't fun to take, but after a Sap Sipper boost, Bouffalant will always kill max HP Conkeldurr with Head Charge, and Mach Punch will only do 52.2% max (with Iron Fist and max Attack).</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Bouffalant receives Soundproof as a Dream World ability. It's pretty much irrelevant for Bouffalant unless you decide to run a Swords Dance set which won't be Roared away, but even then Soundproof is far too situational and its other two abilities are superior.</p>
 
All joking aside, Afro Break is just Double-Edge with lower recoil. It's probably worth slashing/mentioning Return, in order to not waste Baffuron's respectable bulk.
 
Well, reckless doubles its base power. 360 or 152? Sure, more recoil, but do you know how strong Afro break is with reckless? Return can be slashed in with afro break if using herbivore
 
Another counter to Baffuron: open flame. (That hairspray is gonna go up like a match.)

But in all seriousness, Reckless only gives a 20% power boost, not double base power.
 
Seriously?!?!? Well that ruins life. I could have sworn Serebii said double. Did trollfreak change it or was it always this way?

Edit: this. maybe Serebii is just trolling me though, which is actually very probable.
 
Kk, there goes my trust in Joe. (Serebii site dude). Well I should probably mention that reckless powers up wild bolt too but I'm on my iPod right now so I can't be bothered to write anything complicated so I'll start testing tomorrow (I have played with this though, just with Afro break, megahorn, and quakedge. I think SE should be slashed in theastnslot because it's stronger than wild bolt if using herbivore, but like I said iPod that trolls the names of pokemon with its fail spell check
 
I would ditch Return for Thrash as it now has a glorious base power of 120!

Buffalon can be defencive with Taunt and/or Toxic. Amnesia is there to boost your special defence but is not advisable. Baton Passing defence boosts to it can do wonders. You also have access to Iron Head, Poison Jab, Revenge and Ariel Ace. Revenge is the only great thing you get however. With a fighting type move and a dark type move, you have almost perfect coverage. Life Orb is also an idea. You also forgot to give a shout to a teammate with Trick Room as Buffalon can abuse it with its abysmal speed.

name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Return / Toxic
move 2: Taunt / Toxic
move 3: Revenge
move 4: Payback
item: Lum Berry
ability: Herbivore
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD

It's an interesting set. Like I said before Revenge and Payback give almost perfect coverage. It stops leads with Taunt and the Lum Berry. You could use Toxic over either Taunt or Return but you lose your stab move or the ability to truly stop leads. The defencive EVs allow it to last longer and there is the fact that you are not relying on recoil moves. Still, this set is risky since Buffalon has low speed and you have to pray that the foe starts with a miss, a status move, a weak blow or a switch in. I would give this set a shot but the choice set is still much more preferred.

name: Trick Room Abuser
move 1: Afro Breaker / Thrash / Return
move 2: Wild Bolt / Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Megahorn
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Reckless / Herbivore
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe

Brave nature lowers your speed. The HP EVs allow you to take more punishment from your recoil moves. Reckless is preferred if you are using Afro Breaker and Wild Bolt. If you are using Herbivore, use Thrash or Return and Stone Edge. The Life Orb allows you to use your moves freely therefore Return is preferred if you are running Herbivore and Life Orb. As far as those who can set up Trick Room, anyone is fine but if you are using the Herbivore ability, a bulky teammate that is weak to grass type moves is appreciated. Just because I mentioned the Herbivore ability a lot doesn't make it better for this set. Also, the combination of Life Orb recoil and Afro Breaker recoil can be very dangerous.

singing
Afro Gun-so!
Afro no Gunso.
Afro Gunso has an A-fu-ro.
 
Minor nitpick, but with Trick Room support, Baffuron can be a great Swords Dance sweeper, since all it takes is one turn of set-up to start a sweep. I really do think you should add an SD set with in Trick Room, based on ParaChomp's suggestion.

Otherwise, this is a solid analysis. Good luck.
 
Team options followed by Optional Changes followed by Counters and lastly dream world. That's the correct order of how the analysis should be presented.
 
I would ditch Return for Thrash as it now has a glorious base power of 120!

Buffalon can be defencive with Taunt and/or Toxic. Amnesia is there to boost your special defence but is not advisable. Baton Passing defence boosts to it can do wonders. You also have access to Iron Head, Poison Jab, Revenge and Ariel Ace. Revenge is the only great thing you get however. With a fighting type move and a dark type move, you have almost perfect coverage. Life Orb is also an idea. You also forgot to give a shout to a teammate with Trick Room as Buffalon can abuse it with its abysmal speed.

name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Return / Toxic
move 2: Taunt / Toxic
move 3: Revenge
move 4: Payback
item: Lum Berry
ability: Herbivore
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD

It's an interesting set. Like I said before Revenge and Payback give almost perfect coverage. It stops leads with Taunt and the Lum Berry. You could use Toxic over either Taunt or Return but you lose your stab move or the ability to truly stop leads. The defencive EVs allow it to last longer and there is the fact that you are not relying on recoil moves. Still, this set is risky since Buffalon has low speed and you have to pray that the foe starts with a miss, a status move, a weak blow or a switch in. I would give this set a shot but the choice set is still much more preferred.

name: Trick Room Abuser
move 1: Afro Breaker / Thrash / Return
move 2: Wild Bolt / Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Megahorn
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Reckless / Herbivore
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe

Brave nature lowers your speed. The HP EVs allow you to take more punishment from your recoil moves. Reckless is preferred if you are using Afro Breaker and Wild Bolt. If you are using Herbivore, use Thrash or Return and Stone Edge. The Life Orb allows you to use your moves freely therefore Return is preferred if you are running Herbivore and Life Orb. As far as those who can set up Trick Room, anyone is fine but if you are using the Herbivore ability, a bulky teammate that is weak to grass type moves is appreciated. Just because I mentioned the Herbivore ability a lot doesn't make it better for this set. Also, the combination of Life Orb recoil and Afro Breaker recoil can be very dangerous.

singing
Afro Gun-so!
Afro no Gunso.
Afro Gunso has an A-fu-ro.

Oh yeah, forgot about Thrash, I'll give that the middle slash. I really don't agree with the Anti-lead set though. Baffuron is too slow to actually stop anything and has no priority. Stuff like Ambipom totally outclass it in the lead spot. Trick Room is in the AC, in the previous thread locopoke and Bloo mentioned it so we already have that taken care of. I don't think it deserves its own set though, things like Snorlax generally outclass it. Thanks for the suggestions though!

Minor nitpick, but with Trick Room support, Baffuron can be a great Swords Dance sweeper, since all it takes is one turn of set-up to start a sweep. I really do think you should add an SD set with in Trick Room, based on ParaChomp's suggestion.

Otherwise, this is a solid analysis. Good luck.

Team options followed by Optional Changes followed by Counters and lastly dream world. That's the correct order of how the analysis should be presented.

Fixed; thanks.
 
I would ditch Return for Thrash as it now has a glorious base power of 120!

I would not, because it locks you into a normal attack and leaves you as revenge-kill bait. I would especially not run it as your only STAB attack, because then you can't use your STAB until you've cleared out all of your opponent's steel/ghost/rock/physically bulky Pokemon.
 
I would not, because it locks you into a normal attack and leaves you as revenge-kill bait. I would especially not run it as your only STAB attack, because then you can't use your STAB until you've cleared out all of your opponent's steel/ghost/rock/physically bulky Pokemon.

I originally considered it, but then I thought about exactly what you did and ninja'd you in the analysis:

-Charmander- said:
Thrash got a huge boost this generation, now having 120 base power. It can be used in the first slot, but it's generally not a good idea to be locked into a normal move without the ability to switch.
 
I think you might need to emphasise Herbivore more in the finished analysis; it's basically Baffuron's main niche in the metagame. He can come in on random Sleep Powders, Spores or Leech Seeds and rip shit up, and he synergises very well with stuff like Gastrodon and Quagsire.
 
Well I mentioned swampert, who has identical typing to the Pokemon you mentioned, and I think I enphesized on Herbivore pretty well. However, the main thing it'll be switching in on is Spore with Herbivore, but Breloom rapes it anyway with fighting moves.
 
ParaChomp said:
Also, with more defence EVs, you'll survive longer. That aside, everything looks good.

Actually, the defensive EVs don't make you survive longer. You want to max out HP first. I'll use Nidoking as an example because it's the first mixed attacker that comes to mind.

Nidoking @ Life Orb (252 EVs, +Nature) Earth Power vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (252/0 EVs, Neutral Nature): 41.8 - 49.4% (165 - 195 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (80 EVs, Neutral Nature) Superpower vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (252/4 EVs, Neutral Nature): 60.4 - 71% (238 - 280 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (252 EVs, +Nature) Earth Power vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (0/128 EVs, Neutral Nature): 43.5 - 51.6% (144 - 171 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (80 EVs, Neutral Nature) Superpower vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (0/128 EVs, Neutral Nature): 62.8 - 74.3% (208 - 246 HP)

As you can see, with max HP over split Defenses, any Pokemon will take hits better (except maybe Blissey and all those ridiculously high HP Pokemon). So yeah always max out HP first. Also, note the reason that more HP is lost on the green ones is because you have more HP with max HP, which doesn't mean you take more damage. The percentage is what matters
 
Actually, the defensive EVs don't make you survive longer. You want to max out HP first. I'll use Nidoking as an example because it's the first mixed attacker that comes to mind.

Nidoking @ Life Orb (252 EVs, +Nature) Earth Power vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (252/0 EVs, Neutral Nature): 41.8 - 49.4% (165 - 195 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (80 EVs, Neutral Nature) Superpower vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (252/4 EVs, Neutral Nature): 60.4 - 71% (238 - 280 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (252 EVs, +Nature) Earth Power vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (0/128 EVs, Neutral Nature): 43.5 - 51.6% (144 - 171 HP)

Nidoking @ Life Orb (80 EVs, Neutral Nature) Superpower vs Baffuron @ Choice Band (0/128 EVs, Neutral Nature): 62.8 - 74.3% (208 - 246 HP)

As you can see, with max HP over split Defenses, any Pokemon will take hits better (except maybe Blissey and all those ridiculously high HP Pokemon). So yeah always max out HP first. Also, note the reason that more HP is lost on the green ones is because you have more HP with max HP, which doesn't mean you take more damage. The percentage is what matters
I see, thank you for clearing this up for me. I appreciate it.
 
Why isn't paralysis support mentioned in the team mates section? I would personally suggest Dragonite; while it doesn't boast the best Type synergy with Baffuron, it can help take Fighting-Type attacks, Baffuron's sole weakness. However, what's really helpful about Dragonite is that it can easily and effectively spread paralysis, while doing enough damage with Dragon Tail to help Baffuron get some KOs, without relying on Stealth Rock (which Forretress can come in and spin away, quite easily, and Espeon and Xatu can use it against you). It also hinders Skarmory a bit, by disallowing it to simply Roost away its Electric-Type weakness. Not to mention, a Swords Dance set is plausible with some paralysis support.

Just my two cents.

-Zane
 
Because Baffuron's sweep is supposed to just be a simple sweep, not necessarily a setup sweep where you have to set it up with para support. just dd'ing with Dragonite would be much more efficient than spreading paralysis imo
 
If you're still bothering to update this, Shaymin-S needs to be removed. Also, if both abilities are viable, you're not supposed to have an ability tag and instead just talk about both in the comments.
 
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