Bouffalant



[OVERVIEW]

Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper, along with its good all-around bulk, helps it stand out among other Normal-types and makes it a great offensive switch-in to Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela. Bouffalant also gets access to a boosting move in Swords Dance. In terms of breaking down balance teams mid-game, Bouffalant is one of the best Pokemon for the job, thanks to its ability to set up on a plethora of Pokemon or 2HKO most of the tier, depending on which set it runs. Bouffalant is also a decent user of Pursuit, switching into and trapping the likes of Rotom and Mismagius that lack Will-O-Wisp as well as Haunter, Musharna, and Xatu. Though Bouffalant has many positive traits, it receives competition from other Normal-types such as Tauros, Zangoose, Kangaskhan, and Swellow, which have either more immediate power, higher Speed, or both. Its typing leaves it with only one immunity and a weakness to common Fighting-type moves; its general lack of resistances also undermines its good bulk. Additionally, Bouffalant still has trouble breaking through the likes of Gourgeist, Rhydon, and Regirock. In addition to status effects and entry hazards, Bouffalant is usually going to have to take a hit before it can attack because of its low Speed. It also gets worn down quickly by recoil from Head Charge, though this is somewhat mitigated by its solid HP stat.


[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

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

Swords Dance doubles Bouffalant's Attack in one turn, giving it the power it needs to sweep through more defensive teams. Return is the STAB move of choice, hitting for a solid 102 Base Power with no drawbacks. Earthquake is useful to hit Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhydon and Klinklang with, as well as being able to hit Garbodor without activating Rocky Helmet or Aftermath. Substitute allows Bouffalant to avoid status moves, which gives it more setup opportunities, as well as avoid being revenge killed. Stone Edge can be used in the last slot if you want Bouffalant to be able to touch Mismagius and Rotom. Megahorn is also a decent option to hit bulky Grass- and Psychic-types such as Cradily and Malamar harder. Pursuit can be used over Substitute to let Bouffalant take care of Ghost-types by itself.


Set Details
========

The given EV spread and an Adamant nature allow Bouffalant to hit as hard as possible and outspeed Lanturn and Adamant Rhydon, as well as ensure that Prinplup can't break Bouffalant's Substitute with Scald. More EVs can be invested into Speed in order to outrun certain threats; for example, 148 EVs in Speed allow Bouffalant to outrun Malamar, while 216 EVs in Speed allow Bouffalant to get the jump on maximum Speed Adamant Mawile. Leftovers allows Bouffalant to recover damage taken from Substitute as well as negating Head Charge recoil. Lum Berry is an option to shield Bouffalant from status effects such as burn and paralysis. Lum Berry especially helps out if Bouffalant is running Pursuit, as it gives it some insurance against Ghost-types that might be carrying Will-O-Wisp. Sap Sipper is the preferred ability, as it gives Bouffalant more setup opportunities against Grass-types such as Vileplume, Lilligant, and Tangela.

Usage Tips
========

This set does well against bulkier teams, as they generally give Bouffalant more setup opportunities. Examples of Pokemon it can set up on include Ferroseed, Prinplup, Mega Audino, and Tangela. This set's main use is as a mid- or late-game sweeper, but it can also be used to break down walls for another Pokemon such as Scyther. Substitute should be used on slower Pokemon that commonly run status moves or against Pokemon that cannot do much in return. Obviously, Bouffalant serves as a great check to Grass-type Pokemon, so one should make sure to take full advantage of this ability. Try to generate free switches when facing offensive teams, as Bouffalant doesn't like taking extra damage when switching in on powerful attacks. A couple ways to do this are by using U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Scyther and Lanturn and by using a Baton Pass user such as Musharna.


Team Options
========

Pursuit support from the likes of Skuntank and Liepard is greatly appreciated, as this set can't touch Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom. Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Poliwrath can weaken or KO most Steel-types, making them good partners for Bouffalant. Bouffalant enjoys being paired with other setup sweepers such as Ludicolo, Shiftry, and Scyther, which can work with Bouffalant to wear down each other's checks in preparation for a sweep. These Pokemon can also cover Bouffalant against faster offensive teams. Water-types such as Samurott, Floatzel, Poliwrath, and Ludicolo can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon. Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash appreciate Bouffalant's ability to switch freely into Grass-types; in return, they can threaten Rock- and Steel-types as well as set up Stealth Rock. They also work with Bouffalant to essentially shut down Choiced Rotom through the combination of their typings.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

Head Charge is Bouffalant's most powerful STAB move and destroys everything in its path, OHKOing most offensive Pokemon and even 2HKOing some defensive ones. Earthquake provides key coverage on Rock- and Steel-types, as well as hitting Garbodor without activating Rocky Helmet or Aftermath. Pursuit allows Bouffalant to trap Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, Mesprit, and Xatu as long as they do not carry Will-O-Wisp or don't outslow it and carry Baton Pass or U-turn. In the last slot, Megahorn is the preferred option, destroying Cradily as well as bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna, Mesprit, and Malamar. Alternatively, Stone Edge hits Ghost-types on the switch or hits the foe hard if it stays in on Bouffalant. Return can be used in place of Head Charge, as it is still reasonably powerful and doesn't come with the unfortunate side effect of recoil damage. Facade could be used instead of Pursuit or Megahorn, as it allows Bouffalant to switch into Scald users more safely and take advantage of being statused.


Set Details
========

Maximum investment in Attack along with an Adamant nature and a Choice Band gives Bouffalant a frightening amount of power behind its attacks. The Speed EVs allow Bouffalant to outspeed Malamar and KO it with Megahorn, even when it has +3 Defense. Alternatively, 216 EVs can be invested into Speed to outpace maximum Speed Adamant Mawile; however, this leaves Bouffalant a bit shortchanged on bulk. If you decide to use Bouffalant on a Trick Room team, Bouffalant should run a Brave nature, invest in HP rather than Speed, and reduce its Speed IV to 0. Sap Sipper lets Bouffalant switch in on Grass-type moves while gaining an additional Attack boost in the process. Reckless can be used to power up Head Charge even further, though this leaves Bouffalant with fewer opportunities to switch in, as it forgoes Sap Sipper in order to do so.

Usage Tips
========

This set aims to break through the opposing team using immediate, brute power. Head Charge is easily Bouffalant's most spammable move, so it'll be using it most of the time. The other moves mostly just provide coverage against Pokemon that can take a Head Charge. Be sure to make full use of Sap Sipper to switch in on Grass-types such as Tangela, Vileplume, and Lilligant; in particular, Bouffalant can act as a sleep absorber for its team, being able to switch into Sleep Powders left and right. Bouffalant should utilize its Ghost immunity to switch into Ghost-types that commonly carry a Choice Scarf, such as Rotom and Haunter, and trap them with Pursuit. Conversely, if the opponent is carrying a Ghost-type Pokemon, try to scout with Bouffalant's teammates to make sure they aren't carrying Will-O-Wisp before trapping them Pursuit, as Bouffalant doesn't appreciate getting burned.


Team Options
========

Water-types such as Samurott, Floatzel, Poliwrath, and Ludicolo pair well with Bouffalant, as they can deal with Regirock and Rhydon. Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Poliwrath make for good partners, as they can weaken or KO most Steel-types for Bouffalant. Ground-types such as Torterra, Rhydon, Golurk, and Sandslash appreciate Bouffalant's ability to switch into Grass-types, and in return, they can threaten Rock- and Steel-types as well as set up Stealth Rock. Slow pivots such as Lanturn and Musharna are a good idea, being able to bring Bouffalant in safely if there is not a Grass-type on the opposing team. Conversely, Pokemon such as Carracosta, Rhydon, and Quagsire can lure in Grass-types for Bouffalant to switch into. Carracosta and Shiftry also appreciate Bouffalant's ability to deal with Tangela, Vileplume, and Cradily, as it aids them in being able to sweep the opponent's team later. Sweepers and faster Pokemon in general pair well with Bouffalant due to this set's wallbreaking potential. Some examples include Shiftry, Sawk, Scyther, Samurott, and Archeops. This set works surprisingly well on a Trick Room team thanks to Bouffalant's good bulk and low Speed stat. Pokemon such as Xatu, Mesprit, Musharna, and Granbull can deal with Fighting-types and should always be paired with Bouffalant. Mesprit in particular can use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant back to full health.

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

Assault Vest takes advantage of Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper and decent bulk, turning it into a good switch-in to common special attackers such as Rotom, Lilligant, and Pyroar, as well as allowing it to take weaker special attacks better. However, Bouffalant loses a lot of power without a boosting item or move. Taunt shuts down opposing walls and could be used on the Swords Dance set, although Substitute already protects Bouffalant from status moves. It does shut down Quagsire, though, rendering it unable to recover its health or use Toxic. Soundproof could be used to take moves such as Bug Buzz and Boomburst, as well as Pyroar's Hyper Voice, but these attacks are not very common in the NU tier, and Bouffalant generally prefers the utility of Sap Sipper or the extra power of Reckless. Superpower hits Rock- and Steel-types harder than Earthquake, as well as notably hitting Ferroseed and Cradily super effectively in one move, but Earthquake already provides good enough coverage and Bouffalant doesn't like the stat drops that come from using the move. Toxic is nice to cripple physical walls such as Quagsire and Rhydon on the switch, opening the door for Bouffalant or a teammate to clean up later. Payback is a decent option on the Choice Band set, being able to smack Ghost-types that are fearing a Pursuit and decide to stay in on Bouffalant.


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

**Offensive Ghost-types*: Offensive Ghost-types such as Haunter and Rotom are immune to Bouffalant's STAB moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or wear it down with their secondary STAB moves. However, they must watch out for Pursuit, especially from the Choice Band set.


**Gourgeist**: Gourgeist is immune to Bouffalant's STAB types and takes little from its other moves while being able to either recover its health, cripple Bouffalant with Will-O-Wisp, or wear it down with Foul Play.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Sawk, Primeape, and Hitmonchan can easily OHKO Bouffalant with their STAB moves, making them good offensive checks. Gurdurr can also 2HKO Bouffalant with a Drain Punch followed by a Mach Punch. Sawk and Primeape should be careful against a Bouffalant with a Substitute up, as Close Combat's defense drops will leave them open to an OHKO. Gurdurr's bulk allows it to switch into Bouffalant a bit more easily than other Fighting-types, though it still gets 2HKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Head Charge.


**Quagsire**: Quagsire completely shuts down the Swords Dance set thanks to its ability Unaware, being able to heal off damage and eventually KO Bouffalant with repeated hits. It does, however, get 2HKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Head Charge.

**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Carracosta, Cradily, Rhydon, and Ferroseed are great checks to the Choice Band set, even stomaching Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. However, all but the first are setup bait for the Swords Dance set.

**Strong Offensive Pokemon**: Bouffalant isn't particularly fast, so Pokemon such as Zangoose, Sawk, Tauros, and Magmortar can outspeed it and overwhelm it with their STAB moves.
 
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I like a spread of 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe on Choice Band to outrun Malamar. While it's not quite as popular or potent a threat as it was a few months ago, being able to revenge-kill that thing even after a few Superpowers is really nice.
 
This needs some work

Overview

I really wouldn't say it has the great coverage considering Sub SD is walled by every Ghost-type (almost all of them have Levitate), and Regirock and Rhydon wall this thing pretty well. Bouffalant is also kind of one dimensional considering the purpose of each set is to wallbreak mid-game, so say its a good wallbreaker instead of being versatile. I'd also really highlight how useful Sap Sipper is, as it's what sets Bouffalant apart from other Normal-types because it effectively counters Lilligant and gives it very nice immunity to Sleep Powder. Mention that it also has weakness to Fighting-type attacks, which is pretty unfortunate considering how common they are in this meta.

Swords Dance

Moves

I know it seems odd, but I'd like to see a moves mention of Pursuit, as it lets Bouffalant trap most of the Ghost-types that give it issues, allowing it to sweep later, letting it be a little more self-sufficient.

Set Details
Make the spread the same as the CB set, as getting the jump on 40 Spe Lanturn, Adamant Rhydon, and Malamar can be very useful. Remove the mention of 176 EVs. Garbodor always runs speed investment, while Hitmonchan runs maximum investment so it never has to use Mach Punch against it.

Usage Tips
Mention somewhere when to use Substitute (against slower Pokemon with status moves or against Pokemon that cannot do much in return). Mention that Sap Sipper also allows Bouffalant to switch into Sleep Powder.

Team Options

Water-types such as Samurott and Floatzel pair well, as they threaten Rhydon and Regirock, both of which wall this set very despite the Earthquake coverage. I don't think Vivillon is a good partner, as they both have issues with Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon, so remove that. I don't think slow pivot support is entirely necessary either because Bouffalant already has the bulk to switch into weaker attacks very well and has an immunity. Ground-types should be added because Bouffalant lures in Grasses, while the combination of their immunities makes Rotom have to guess what move to pick, preventing it from stealing any momentum.

Choice Band

Moves
The slashes should be as follows:

move 1: Head Charge / Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Stone Edge

Return is still very powerful and doesn't come with the downside of recoil. Stone Edge only really hits Archeops, while Pursuit is so much more useful to trap Ghost-types. Also mention that Megahorn also hits Psychic-types like Musharna and Mesprit. Not too sold on Stone Edge, because you say it hits Archeops, but it's not taking a banded Return or Head Charge at all, but you can leave it slashed for now because it hits Ghost-types hard on the switch.

Set Details
Personally I think Reckless is never really worth it, just because the ability to counter some Grass-types and be immune to Sleep Powder is so much more useful by comparison. Remove the slash and just keep it in set details. Once again remove the 172 Speed EVs mention.

Usage Tips
Don't mention that it plays differently from the SD set (you don't reference other sections of the analysis in spots where they don't belong), just say that the set acts a wallbreaker. There should also be usage tip that states that Bouffalant can abuse its Ghost immunity to switch into a Scarf Rotom or Haunter locked into Shadow Ball and trap them with Pursuit.

Team Options
Unless Bouffalant gets some notable KOs from hazard support, I'd like to see that point removed, as it's arbitrary considering that every Pokemon benefits from entry hazard support. Pursuit support is necessary either because Bouffalant itself already traps them with Pursuit. When mentioning Mesprit, also bring up that it can bring Bouffalant back to full HP and rid it of any harmful status with healing Wish. Same as the last set, but I'd also like to see Water- and Ground-types listed for similar reasons.

Other Options
There's some really strange things here that I would never recommend. Focus Sash Reversal is too much of a gimmick and is ruined by switching into any hazards. It already has Earthquake to hit Steel-types so I'm not sure how this is relevant. Bouffalant is also too bulky to utilize Endeavor properly so that should also be removed. Wild Charge hits Flying-types, but most of them don't want to switch into its Normal STAB anyways. Don't really think it's worth using.

Checks & Counters
Ghost-types don't really care if Bouffalant is running Substitute, because then that's a clear indicator that Bouffalant has no move to hit them with in return. Remove the entry hazards section and replace it with. Bouffalant is vulnerable to entry hazards as much as any other Pokemon neutral Stealth Rock is. Not really sure why you state that Gurdurr is OHKOd by CB Head Charge either considering this:

252+ Atk Choice Band Reckless Bouffalant Head Charge vs. 252 HP / 64 Def Eviolite Gurdurr: 244-288 (65.2 - 77%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
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Dang that's a lot of changes. Made all of them except for removing Endeavor, as I feel that it's juuust good enough to stay in OO. Also thanks for the check, this is looking much better now. Ready for more QC input / a check!
 

Punchshroom

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When talking about Bouffalant's defensive typing (you don't have to say its "poor" really) as well as about how quickly it gets worn down, also mention how Bouffalant's lack of resistances can undermine its bulk.

  • Still has trouble breaking through mons like Ferroseed, Rhydon, Regirock, and Mawile
Not sure if defensive Mawile can even sufficiently threaten Bouffalant, much less beat it 1v1 (offensive Mawile cannot switch in); replace with Carracosta at least.

evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe
The EVs don't add up; pretty sure you meant 108 HP.

  • Pursuit, although kind of a weird option, traps Ghost-type Pokemon so that Bouffalant can sweep later
Mention specifically what Ghost-type Pokemon it traps, as it's only really used for Choice-locked Rotom using Volt Switch and non-Eviolite Haunter; Pursuit will not trap any Ghost-type using Will-O-Wisp even if Bouffalant is carrying Lum, since they can survive the blow and simply burn Bouffalant again.

  • Bouffalant enjoys being paired with other setup sweepers such as Ludicolo, Shiftry, and Scyther. All of these Pokemon work well with Bouffalant to wear down each other's checks in preparation for a sweep
Note that these setup sweepers also cover Bouffalant against faster offensive teams, which don't give Bouffalant as many chances to set up.

  • Earthquake provides key coverage versus Rock-, Steel-, and Poison-types
You want to be more specific about the targets EQ hits, such as Rhydon, Klinklang, and Garbodor.
  • Pursuit is very useful, allowing Bouffalant to trap Ghost-types and Psychic-types such as Rotom-N, Rotom-A, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, and Xatu as long as they don't carry Will-O-Wisp
Wait what? Just call it Rotom.

Other Options
=============
  • Endeavor can lower the HP of opposing walls if Bouffalant is weakened
  • Taunt shuts down opposing walls and could be used on the SD set
Naw just remove Endeavor; can't think of (m)any situations where Bouffalant isn't better off SubSDing or simply plowing through its targets. Also mention that Taunt's use on the SD set is diminished since Bouffalant can already circumvent status and recovery with Substitute and Swords Dance respectively; Taunt's only real use would be to harass Quagsire, but that is still situational at best. One mention I can give to OO is Superpower, allowing Bouffalant to strike the likes of Ferroseed and Cradily in one move while covering for Rock-types and Steel-types in general, but also add that its coverage is already covered well by Earthquake and the stat drops are undesirable.

**Ghost-type Pokemon*: Ghost-types such as Mimagius, Gourgeist, and Rotom-N are immune to Bouffalant's STAB moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp. However, they must watch out for Pursuit, especially from the Choice Band set.
Replace the bolded bit with Haunter. Give a special separate mention to Gourgeist as a true hard counter to Bouffalant as it isn't afraid of anything Bouffalant can do, while retaliating with Will-O-Wisp or Foul Play.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Sawk, Gurdurr, and Hitmonchan can easily OHKO Bouffalant with its STAB moves, making them good offensive checks.
Replace with Primeape, as Gurdurr cannot actually OHKO Bouffalant. Instead mention that Gurdurr can eat any hit from Bouffalant and strike back with Drain Punch followed by Mach Punch. Do mention that the faster Fighting-types need to tread carefully against Substitute Bouffalant since Close Combat's defense drops put them at major risk, whereas Gurdurr cannot switch into Bouffalant's Choice Banded STAB attacks.

**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Ferroseed, and Rhydon all resist Normal-type attacks and can even stomach Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. They can then status Bouffalant, use an attack, or phaze it out in Rhydon's case.
Add a mention of Carracosta.
 
Remove the part in the first line in the overview that says it has great coverage
Pursuit, although kind of a weird option, traps Choice Scarf Rotom and non-Eviolite Haunter so that it can sweep later
It traps Haunter whether it's Eviolite or not

On the second set, clarify that in usage tips you can switch into Lilligant freely because Bouffalant is immune to Sleep Powder

Make sure to change all mentions of Rotom-N to Rotom

Add descriptions to both Assault Vest and Choice Scarf in OO

QC 1/3
 
Remove the part in the first line in the overview that says it has great coverage

It traps Haunter whether it's Eviolite or not

On the second set, clarify that in usage tips you can switch into Lilligant freely because Bouffalant is immune to Sleep Powder

Make sure to change all mentions of Rotom-N to Rotom

Add descriptions to both Assault Vest and Choice Scarf in OO
QC 1/3
Thanks a lot, Hootie! This is analysis is ready for its second QC check!
 

shiloh

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Tiering Lead
[OVERVIEW]

  • Sap Sipper helps it stand out among its Normal-type brethren and makes it a really nice offensive switch-in to Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela
  • Decent user of Pursuit
  • Good at wallbreaking mid-game
  • Receives huge competition from other Normal-types such as Tauros, Zangoose, Kangaskhan, and Swellow
  • However, its bulk helps it stand out among its Normal-type brethren
  • Poor defensive typing gives it only one immunity and gives it a weakness to common Fighting-types, and lack of resistances undermines its good bulk
  • Lackluster Speed leaves Bouffalant outsped by most offensive Pokemon
  • Still has trouble breaking through mons like Ferroseed, Rhydon, Regirock, and Carracosta
  • In addition to status and hazards, Bouffalant also gets worn down quickly by Head Charge recoil, though this is somewhat mitigated by its fantastic HP stat

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return / Head Charge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

  • Swords Dance doubles Bouffalant's Attack in one turn, giving it the power it needs to sweep through more defensive teams
  • Bouffalant can afford to run Return on this set because of Swords Dance; it also doesn't have recoil, making it the better option if you're running Substitute
  • Head Charge has notably more power over Return Mention why you don't want to use Head Charge (recoil) also mention Reckless if you want to run Head Charge
  • Earthquake gives Bouffalant a move to hit Rock-, Steel-, and defensive Poison-types, such as Rhydon, Klinklang, and Garbodor
  • Substitute is very useful, allowing Bouffalant to avoid being revenge killed as well as status, which gives it more setup opportunities
  • Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Pokemon such as Archeops, Mismagius, and Rotom
  • Pursuit, although kind of a weird option, traps Haunter and Choice Scarf Rotom so that it can sweep later Instead of saying "it" can sweep later mention that it makes it easier for team mates and bouff to sweep late game (basically pursuit isn't only helping Bouff) Also I really don't like Pursuit even being mentioned here especially with really good Pursuit mons in the tier. Unless you can come up with a common situation where you would want Pursuit over Sub I don't think I should be mentioned. I personally wouldn't mind a mention of Megahorn here as it is really helpful for Psychic Types / Malamar also hits Grass Types harder. Tagging Hootie since he recommended it.

Set Details
========

  • The EV spread and nature allows Bouffalant to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding Lanturn, Adamant Rhydon, and Malamar
  • More EVs can be put into Speed in order to outrun certain threats; for example, 216 EVs in Speed allows Bouffalant to get the jump on Mawile. Note that this sacrifices some of Bouffalant's bulk
  • A spread of 216 HP / 72 Atk / 220 SpD with a Careful nature allows Bouffalant to set up easier on Vileplume, as Vileplume can never break Bouffalant's Substitute with Sludge Bomb
  • Leftovers allows Bouffalant to recover damage taken from Substitute as well as negating Head Charge recoil
  • If not running Substitute, Lum Berry shields Bouffalant from status effects such as burn and paralysis
  • Sap Sipper is the preferred ability, as it gives Bouffalant more setup opportunities against Grass-types such as Vileplume, Lilligant, and Tangela

Usage Tips
========

  • This set does well against bulkier teams, as they generally give Bouffalant more setup opportunities Mention what mons aside from Grass Types that it can set up on
  • This set generally serves as a mid-to-late-game sweeper against balance teams, but can also be used to break down walls for another Pokemon
  • Substitute should be used on slower Pokemon with status moves or against Pokemon that cannot do much in return
  • Obviously, Bouffalant serves as a decent check to Grass-types, so be sure to switch into them if you spot one on the opposing team. For example, Bouffalant can switch into Lilligant's Sleep Powder for its teammates and go from there
  • Try to generate free switch-ins when facing offensive teams, as Bouffalant doesn't like to take extra damage when switching in. A couple ways to do this are by using slow Volt Switch users such as Lanturn and Probopass Don't mention Probopass, this adds a huge Fighting Weakness especially in a Fighting meta this is bad, or with a Baton Pass user such as Musharna

Team Options
========
  • Pursuit support from Pokemon such as Skuntank is appreciated if Bouffalant is not running Pursuit, as Bouffalant can't touch Ghost-type Pokemon With Levitate / Flying Typing if running Substitute
  • Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Rhydon can weaken or KO Steel-types for Bouffalant, thus making them good partners
  • Bouffalant enjoys being paired with other setup sweepers such as Ludicolo, Shiftry, and Scyther. All of these Pokemon work well with Bouffalant to wear down each other's checks in preparation for a sweep. The setup sweepers also cover Bouffalant against faster offensive teams
  • Water-types such as Samurott or Floatzel can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon
  • Ground-types such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash partner well with Bouffalant as they enjoy Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types. In return, they can weaken Rock- and Steel-types for Bouffalant, as well as set up Stealth Rock

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge / Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

  • Head Charge nukes everything in its path, OHKOing most offensive Pokemon and even 2HKOing resists
  • Return is still reasonably powerful and doesn't sacrifice Bouffalant's bulk Instead of sacrificing Bouffs bulk, say it doesn't take any recoil which gives it more staying power
  • Earthquake provides key coverage versus Rock-, Steel-, and Poison-types
  • Pursuit is very useful, allowing Bouffalant to trap Ghost-types and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, and Xatu as long as they don't carry Will-O-Wisp or out slow it and use Baton Pass / U-Turn
  • Megahorn nukes Cradily and bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna, Mesprit, and Malamar
  • Stone Edge hits Ghost-types on the switch while OHKOing Archeops

Set Details
========

  • An Adamant nature, maximum investment, and Choice Band gives Bouffalant a frightening amount of power behind its attacks
  • The Speed EVs are used to outspeed Malamar and KO it with Megahorn even through +3 Defense boosts
  • 216 Speed EVs allows Bouffalant to outpace Mawile; however, this leaves it with not much bulk to take important hits Mention this is Offensive Mawile, not Defensive
  • Reckless can be used to power up Head Charge even further, plowing through even bulky resists
  • However, Sap Sipper is generally the better option as it gives Bouffalant more opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc, as well as an Attack boost

Usage Tips
========

  • This set aims to break through the opposing team using immediate, brute power
  • Head Charge is easily Bouffalant's most spammable move, so you'll be using it most of the time. The other moves mostly provide coverage against Pokemon that can take a Head Charge
  • Utilize Sap Sipper to switch in on Grass-types such as Tangrowth, Rotom-C , Amoonguss, and Lilligant, especially sleep-inducing moves, as most Pokemon don't like being put to sleep (this is worded crappily but I'll fix it in the writeup :) You listed one NU Mon here, please fix that
  • Bouffalant can use its Ghost immunity to switch into Scarf Ghost-types such as Rotom-N and Haunter, and then trapping it with Pursuit
  • If the opponent is carrying a Ghost-type, try to scout with Bouffalant's teammates to make sure that they are not carrying Will-O-Wisp before you try to Pursuit trap it

Team Options
========
  • Water-types such as Samurott or Floatzel can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon
  • Ground-types such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash partner well with Bouffalant as they enjoy Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types. In return, they can weaken Rock- and Steel-types for Bouffalant, as well as set up Stealth Rock
  • Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Rhydon can weaken or KO Steel-types for Bouffalant, thus making them good partners
  • Slow Volt Switch users such as Lanturn and Probopass Please Don't mention Probopass can bring Bouffalant in safely. Musharna can also use Baton Pass to pivot into Bouffalant
  • Bouffalant partners well with a Pokemon such as Carracosta, Rhydon, Quagsire, or Shiftry that can lure in Grass-types. Carracosta and Shiftry also appreciate Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types, which gives them an easier time sweeping later. How does Shiftry lure in Grass Types, Lilligant / Tangela both hate taking Knock Off + Sucker
  • Sweepers and faster Pokemon in general pair well with Bouffalant due to this set's wallbreaking potential. Some examples include Shiftry, Sawk, Samurott, and Archeops
  • This set can work surprisingly well on a Trick Room team thanks to Bouffalant's good bulk and low Speed Mention that if you are running it on TR use Min Speed + Brave Nature
  • Pokemon such as Mesprit and Xatu are important as they can deal with the Fighting-types that Bouffalant doesn't like. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant back to full health


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

  • Assault Vest takes advantage of Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper and decent bulk and turns it into a good switch-in to common special attackers such as Rotom-C and Tangrowth, as well as weaker special attacks, but Bouffalant loses a lot of power without a boosting item or move and isn't really the best Pokemon for that kind of role
  • Choice Scarf allows Bouffalant to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Flygon and Jolteon, but it would again be weak without a boosting item or move. If you choose to run such a set, it is recommended that you run Reckless to help make up for this Once again, NOT NU MONS
  • Taunt shuts down opposing walls and could be used on the SD set, though Substitute already protects it from status moves. However, it notably shuts down Quagsire
  • Soundproof could be used to take moves like Bug Buzz and Boomburst, but these are not very common in the tier and Bouffalant generally prefers the utility of Sap Sipper or the extra power of Reckless
  • Superpower hits Rock- and Steel-type mons harder than Earthquake, notably hitting Ferroseed and Cradily super effectively, but EQ already provides good coverage and Bouffalant doesn't appreciate the stat drops
Mention Toxic here as it can hit Quagisre on the switch or other defensive walls.

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

**Ghost-type Pokemon*: Ghost-types such as Mimagius, Haunter, and Rotom-N are immune to Bouffalant's STAB moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp. However, they must watch out for Pursuit, especially from the Choice Band set.

**Gourgeist**: Gourgeist is a hard counter to Bouffalant, taking all of its attacks with ease, and can either recover with Synthesis, burn Bouffalant with Will-O-Wisp, or wear it down with Foul Play. Just combine Gourgeist with Ghost Types

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Sawk, Primeape, and Hitmonchan can easily OHKO Bouffalant with its STAB moves, making them good offensive checks. Gurdurr can 2HKO Bouffalant with Drain Punch followed by a Mach Punch. Faster Fighting-types should be careful against a Bouffalant with a Substitute up, as Close Combat's defense drops will leave them open to an OHKO. Gurdurr also does not like taking Choice Banded STAB attacks.

**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Ferroseed, Carracosta, Cradily, and Rhydon all resist Normal-type attacks and can even stomach Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. They can then status Bouffalant, use an attack, or phaze it out in Rhydon's case.

**Strong Offensive Pokemon**: Bouffalant isn't particularly fast, so Pokemon such as Zangoose, Sawk, Tauros, and Magmortar can outspeed and overwhelm Bouffalant with their STAB moves.
Yeah I read this over, tag me when you implement everything and I will look over it again. I really don't like seeing mentions of RU mons in a NU Analysis, please don't do this in the future.
 
Sorry about the RU mentions...I made all of the changes except for merging Gourgeist with the other Ghost-types in C&C. I feel that Gourgeist should get its own section because it is basically the one hard counter to Bouffalant; it takes nothing from all of Bouffalant's attacks, can burn it, and has reliable recovery as the icing on the cake. I can change the other section from "Ghost-types" to "Offensive Ghost-types if that helps distinguish them a bit.
 

shiloh

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Tiering Lead
[OVERVIEW]

  • Sap Sipper helps it stand out among its Normal-type brethren and makes it a really nice offensive switch-in to Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela
  • Decent user of Pursuit
  • Good at wallbreaking mid-game
  • Receives huge competition from other Normal-types such as Tauros, Zangoose, Kangaskhan, and Swellow
  • However, its bulk helps it stand out among its Normal-type brethren Why do you have two ways of saying its stands out because of ___, combine this and sap sipper saying something like "it has good bulk and a good ability in Sap Sipper that sets it apart from other Normal Types in NU"
  • Poor defensive typing gives it only one immunity and gives it a weakness to common Fighting-types, and lack of resistances undermines its good bulk
  • Lackluster Speed leaves Bouffalant outsped by most offensive Pokemon
  • Still has trouble breaking through mons like Ferroseed, Rhydon, Regirock, and Carracosta
  • In addition to status and hazards, Bouffalant also gets worn down quickly by Head Charge recoil, though this is somewhat mitigated by its fantastic HP stat

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return / Head Charge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

  • Swords Dance doubles Bouffalant's Attack in one turn, giving it the power it needs to sweep through more defensive teams
  • Bouffalant can afford to run Return on this set because of Swords Dance; it also doesn't have recoil, making it the better option if you're running Substitute
  • Head Charge has notably more power over Return, though the recoil may hinder Bouffalant's ability to sweep
  • Earthquake gives Bouffalant a move to hit Rock-, Steel-, and defensive Poison-types, such as Rhydon, Klinklang, and Garbodor
  • Substitute is very useful, allowing Bouffalant to avoid being revenge killed as well as status, which gives it more setup opportunities
  • Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Pokemon such as Archeops, Mismagius, and Rotom
  • Megahorn is a decent option to hit bulky Grass- and Psychic-types such as Cradily and Musharna harder and without possible recoil from Head Charge Why would you say hitting Cradily harder than hitting it with Head Charge, what situation would I ever go for Head Charge on Cradily. Just say it gives a way to hit bulky psychic and grass types like "Cradily, Musharna, and Malamar" harder

Set Details
========

  • The EV spread and nature allows Bouffalant to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding Lanturn, Adamant Rhydon, and Malamar
  • More EVs can be put into Speed in order to outrun certain threats; for example, 216 EVs in Speed allows Bouffalant to get the jump on offensive Mawile. Note that this sacrifices some of Bouffalant's bulk You don't need to put a note saying it sacrifices bulk
  • A spread of 216 HP / 72 Atk / 220 SpD with a Careful nature allows Bouffalant to set up easier on Vileplume, as Vileplume can never break Bouffalant's Substitute with Sludge Bomb
  • Leftovers allows Bouffalant to recover damage taken from Substitute as well as negating Head Charge recoil
  • If not running Substitute, Lum Berry shields Bouffalant from status effects such as burn and paralysis
  • Sap Sipper is the preferred ability, as it gives Bouffalant more setup opportunities against Grass-types such as Vileplume, Lilligant, and Tangela

Usage Tips
========

  • This set does well against bulkier teams, as they generally give Bouffalant more setup opportunities. Some examples of mons it can set up on are Cradily, Clefairy, Mega Audino, and Tangela
  • This set generally serves as a mid-to-late-game sweeper against balance teams, but can also be used to break down walls for another Pokemon
  • Substitute should be used on slower Pokemon with status moves or against Pokemon that cannot do much in return
  • Obviously, Bouffalant serves as a decent check to Grass-types, so be sure to switch into them if you spot one on the opposing team. For example, Bouffalant can switch into Lilligant's Sleep Powder for its teammates and go from there
  • Try to generate free switch-ins when facing offensive teams, as Bouffalant doesn't like to take extra damage when switching in. A couple ways to do this are by using U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Lanturn and Swellow, respectively, or with a Baton Pass user such as Musharna

Team Options
========
  • Pursuit support from Pokemon such as Skuntank is appreciated if Bouffalant is not running Pursuit, as Bouffalant can't touch Ghost-type Pokemon with Levitate or a secondary Flying typing if running Substitute
  • Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Rhydon can weaken or KO Steel-types for Bouffalant, thus making them good partners
  • Bouffalant enjoys being paired with other setup sweepers such as Ludicolo, Shiftry, and Scyther. All of these Pokemon work well with Bouffalant to wear down each other's checks in preparation for a sweep. The setup sweepers also cover Bouffalant against faster offensive teams
  • Water-types such as Samurott or Floatzel can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon
  • Ground-types such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash partner well with Bouffalant as they enjoy Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types. In return, they can weaken Rock- and Steel-types for Bouffalant, as well as set up Stealth Rock

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge / Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

  • Head Charge nukes everything in its path, OHKOing most offensive Pokemon and even 2HKOing resists
  • Return is still reasonably powerful and doesn't have recoil, which gives Bouffalant more staying power
  • Earthquake provides key coverage versus Rock-, Steel-, and Poison-types
  • Pursuit is very useful, allowing Bouffalant to trap Ghost-types and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, and Xatu as long as they don't carry Will-O-Wisp or don't outslow it and use Baton Pass or U-Turn
  • Megahorn nukes Cradily and bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna, Mesprit, and Malamar
  • Stone Edge hits Ghost-types on the switch while OHKOing Archeops

Set Details
========

  • An Adamant nature, maximum investment, and Choice Band gives Bouffalant a frightening amount of power behind its attacks
  • The Speed EVs are used to outspeed Malamar and KO it with Megahorn even through +3 Defense boosts
  • 216 Speed EVs allows Bouffalant to outpace offensive Mawile; however, this leaves it with not much bulk to take important hits
  • Reckless can be used to power up Head Charge even further, plowing through even bulky resists
  • However, Sap Sipper is generally the better option as it gives Bouffalant more opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc, as well as an Attack boost Mention Sap Sipper first and just say "Sap Sipper lets it switch in on Grass Type moves and gives it an additional attack boost"

Usage Tips
========

  • This set aims to break through the opposing team using immediate, brute power
  • Head Charge is easily Bouffalant's most spammable move, so you'll be using it most of the time. The other moves mostly provide coverage against Pokemon that can take a Head Charge
  • Utilize Sap Sipper to switch in on Grass-types such as Tangela, Cradily, and Lilligant, especially sleep-inducing moves, as most Pokemon don't like being put to sleep (this is worded crappily but I'll fix it in the writeup :)
  • Bouffalant can use its Ghost immunity to switch into Scarf Ghost-types such as Rotom-N and Haunter, and then trapping it with Pursuit
  • If the opponent is carrying a Ghost-type, try to scout with Bouffalant's teammates to make sure that they are not carrying Will-O-Wisp before you try to Pursuit trap it

Team Options
========
  • Water-types such as Samurott or Floatzel can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon
  • Ground-types such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash partner well with Bouffalant as they enjoy Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types. In return, they can weaken Rock- and Steel-types for Bouffalant, as well as set up Stealth Rock
  • Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Rhydon can weaken or KO Steel-types for Bouffalant, thus making them good partners
  • Slow Volt Switch users such as Lanturn can bring Bouffalant in safely. Musharna can also use Baton Pass to pivot into Bouffalant
  • Bouffalant partners well with a Pokemon such as Carracosta, Rhydon, and Quagsire that can lure in Grass-types. Carracosta and Shiftry also appreciate Bouffalant's ability to deal with Grass-types, which gives them an easier time sweeping later.
  • Sweepers and faster Pokemon in general pair well with Bouffalant due to this set's wallbreaking potential. Some examples include Shiftry, Sawk, Samurott, and Archeops
  • This set can work surprisingly well on a Trick Room team thanks to Bouffalant's good bulk and low Speed. In this case, Bouffalant should use a Brave nature, invest in HP rather than Speed, and reduce its Speed IVs to 0.
  • Pokemon such as Mesprit and Xatu are important as they can deal with the Fighting-types that Bouffalant doesn't like. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant back to full health


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

  • Assault Vest takes advantage of Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper and decent bulk and turns it into a good switch-in to common special attackers such as Rotom-C and Tangrowth, as well as weaker special attacks, but Bouffalant loses a lot of power without a boosting item or move and isn't really the best Pokemon for that kind of role
  • Choice Scarf allows Bouffalant to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Jynx and Scyther, but it would again be weak without a boosting item or move. If you choose to run such a set, it is recommended that you run Reckless to help make up for this
  • Taunt shuts down opposing walls and could be used on the SD set, though Substitute already protects it from status moves. However, it notably shuts down Quagsire
  • Soundproof could be used to take moves like Bug Buzz and Boomburst, but these are not very common in the tier and Bouffalant generally prefers the utility of Sap Sipper or the extra power of Reckless
  • Superpower hits Rock- and Steel-type mons harder than Earthquake, notably hitting Ferroseed and Cradily super effectively, but EQ already provides good coverage and Bouffalant doesn't appreciate the stat drops
  • Toxic is nice to cripple physical walls such as Quagsire on the switch, wearing them down for Bouffalant or a teammate to clean later

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

**Ghost-type Pokemon*: Ghost-types such as Mimagius, Haunter, and Rotom-N are immune to Bouffalant's STAB moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp. However, they must watch out for Pursuit, especially from the Choice Band set. Rename this to Offensive Ghost types.

**Gourgeist**: Gourgeist is a hard counter to Bouffalant, taking all of its attacks with ease, and can either recover with Synthesis, burn Bouffalant with Will-O-Wisp, or wear it down with Foul Play. Make this Defensive Ghost type's and add Misdreavus

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Sawk, Primeape, and Hitmonchan can easily OHKO Bouffalant with its STAB moves, making them good offensive checks. Gurdurr can 2HKO Bouffalant with Drain Punch followed by a Mach Punch. Faster Fighting-types should be careful against a Bouffalant with a Substitute up, as Close Combat's defense drops will leave them open to an OHKO. Gurdurr also does not like taking Choice Banded STAB attacks.

**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Ferroseed, Carracosta, Cradily, and Rhydon all resist Normal-type attacks and can even stomach Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. They can then status Bouffalant, use an attack, or phaze it out in Rhydon's case.

**Strong Offensive Pokemon**: Bouffalant isn't particularly fast, so Pokemon such as Zangoose, Sawk, Tauros, and Magmortar can outspeed and overwhelm Bouffalant with their STAB moves.
keep in all the changes and then you'll get QC 2/3
 

Blast

Member of the Alien Nation
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[OVERVIEW]

Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper, as well as its good all-around bulk, helps it stand out among other Normal-types and makes it a great offensive switch-in to Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela. I would also mention SD, Bouff is one of the only decent Normal-type boosters. Bouffalant is also a decent user of Pursuit, switching into and trapping the likes of Rotom and Mismagius that lack Will-O-Wisp as well as Haunter, Mismagius you said Mismagius before, and Xatu. In terms of breaking down balance teams mid-game, Bouffalant is one of the best guys for the job, thanks in part to its great Attack stat and decent coverage. Though Bouffalant has many positive traits, it receives competition from other Normal-types such as Tauros, Zangoose, Kangaskhan, and Swellow. Talk about why Its typing is poor defensively, leaving it with only one immunity and a weakness to common Fighting-type moves; its general lack of resistances also undermines Bouffalant's good bulk. It's not really "poor" considering it also has only one weakness, though the second part of the sentence is true. Additionally, Bouffalant's Speed stat leaves much to be desired, and it still has trouble breaking through the likes of Ferroseed Ferro is setup fodder, Rhydon, Regirock, and Carracosta. In addition to status effects and entry hazards, Bouffalant also gets worn down quickly by recoil from Head Charge, though this is somewhat mitigated by its fantastic HP stat.

I also don't really like mentioning Pursuit before its wallbreaking prowess, Bouff's role as a wallbreaker is much more important

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return / Head Charge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

Swords Dance doubles Bouffalant's Attack in one turn, giving it the power it needs to sweep through more defensive teams. Return is the preferred STAB move on this set, as the power drop is somewhat alleviated by Swords Dance; it also doesn't have recoil, making it the better option if choose to run Substitute. Despite this, Head Charge is still a fine option for this set, though the recoil may hinder Bouffalant's ability to sweep. Earthquake a move to hit Rock-, Steel-, and defensive Poison-types with, such as Rhydon, Klinklang, and Garbodor, respectively. Substitute is the preferred option in the last moveslot, allowing Bouffalant to avoid status, which gives it more setup opportunities, as well as avoid being revenge killed. However, Stone Edge can be used if you want to be able to touch Mismagius and Rotom. Megahorn is also a decent option to hit bulky Grass- and Psychic-types such as Cradily, Malamar, and Musharna harder.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread and an Adamant nature allows Bouffalant to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding Lanturn, Adamant Rhydon, and Malamar. More EVs can be invested into Speed in order to outrun certain threats; for example, 216 EVs in Speed allows Bouffalant to get the jump on offensive Mawile. A spread of 216 HP / 72 Atk / 220 SpD with a Careful nature allows Bouffalant to set up easier on Vileplume, as Vileplume fails to break Bouffalant's Substitute with Sludge Bomb if Bouffalant chooses to run this EV spread. Leftovers allows Bouffalant to recover damage taken from Substitute as well as negating Head Charge recoil. If not running Substitute, Lum Berry shields Bouffalant from status effects such as burn and paralysis. Sap Sipper is the preferred ability, as it gives Bouffalant more setup opportunities against Grass-types such as Vileplume, Lilligant, and Tangela.

Usage Tips
========

This set does well against bulkier teams, as they generally give Bouffalant more setup opportunities. Some examples of Pokemon it can set up on include Quagsire ???, Cradily, Clefairy this is nowhere near common enough to mention specifically, Mega Audino, and Tangela. This set's main use is as a mid-game or late-game sweeper, but it can also be used to break down walls for another Pokemon such as Scyther. Substitute should be used on slower Pokemon that commonly run status moves or against Pokemon that cannot do much in return. Obviously, Bouffalant serves as a great check to Grass-type Pokemon, so one should make sure to take full advantage of this ability. Try to generate free switch-ins when facing offensive teams, as Bouffalant doesn't like taking extra damage when switching in on powerful attacks. A couple ways to do this are by using U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Scyther and Lanturn, respectively, or a Baton Pass user such as Musharna.

Team Options
========

Pursuit from Pokemon such as Skuntank is greatly appreciated, as Bouffalant can't touch Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom if it is running Substitute. Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Poliwrath can weaken or KO most Steel-types, making them good partners for Bouffalant. Bouffalant enjoys being paired with other setup sweepers such as Ludicolo, Shiftry, and Scyther, which can work with Bouffalant to wear down each other's checks in preparation for a sweep. These Pokemon can also cover Bouffalant against faster offensive teams. Water-types such as Samurott, Floatzel, Poliwrath, and Ludicolo can deal with the Rock-types that wall Bouffalant, namely Regirock and Rhydon. Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhydon, Torterra, Golurk, and Sandslash appreciate Bouffalant's ability to switch freely into Grass-types; in return, they can threaten Rock- and Steel-types as well as set up Stealth Rock.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge / Return
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Megahorn / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe

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

Head Charge is Bouffalant's most powerful STAB move and nukes everything in its path, OHKOing most offensive Pokemon and even 2HKOing some defensive ones. Return is still reasonably powerful and doesn't come with the unfortunate side effect of recoil damage, giving Bouffalant a bit more staying power. Earthquake provides key coverage on Rock- and Steel-types, as well as hitting Garbodor and Muk harder. Both already take loads from Normal STAB, just say it hits Garbodor w/o Helmet + Aftermath recoil Pursuit is a very useful move, allowing Bouffalant to trap Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, Mesprit, and Xatu as long as they do not carry Will-O-Wisp or don't outslow it carry Baton Pass or U-turn. In the last slot, Megahorn is the preferred option, nuking Cradily as well as bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna, Mesprit, and Malamar. Alternatively, Stone Edge hits Ghost-types on the switch while OHKOing Archeops.

Give a mention to Facade here, lets you not be useless if you get burned

Set Details
========

Maximum investment in Attack along with an Adamant nature and a Choice Band gives Bouffalant a frightening amount of power behind its attacks. The Speed EVs allow Bouffalant to outspeed Malamar and KO it with Megahorn, even when it has +3 Defense. Alternatively, 216 EVs can be invested into Speed to outpace offensive Mawile; however, this leaves it a bit shortchanged on bulk. Sap Sipper lets Bouffalant switch in on Grass-types for its teammates, while gaining an additional Attack boost in the process. Reckless can be used power up Head Charge even further, though this leaves Bouffalant with less opportunities to switch in, since it forgoes Sap Sipper in order to do so.

Usage Tips
========

This set aims to break through the opposing team using immediate, brute power. Head Charge is easily Bouffalant's most spammable move, so you'll be using it most of the time. The other moves mostly just provide coverage against Pokemon that can take a Head Charge. Be sure to make full use of Sap Sipper to switch in on Grass-types such as Tangela, Vileplume, and Lilligant; in particular, Bouffalant can act as a sleep absorber for its team, being able to switch into Sleep Powders left and right. Bouffalant should utilize its Ghost immunity to switch into Ghost-types that commonly carry a Choice Scarf, such as Rotom and Haunter, and trap them with Pursuit. Conversely, if the opponent is carrying a Ghost-type Pokemon, try to scout with Bouffalant's teammates to make sure they aren't carrying Will-O-Wisp before trapping them Pursuit, as Bouffalant doesn't appreciate getting burned.

Team Options
========

Water-types such as Samurott, Floatzel, Poliwrath, and Ludicolo pair well with Bouffalant, as they can deal with Regirock and Rhydon. Pyroar, Sawk, Gurdurr, and Poliwrath make good partners, as they can weaken or KO most Steel-types for Bouffalant. Ground-types such as Torterra, Rhydon, Golurk, and Sandslash appreciate Bouffalant's ability to switch into Grass-types, and in return, they can threaten Rock- and Steel-types as well as set up Stealth Rock. Slow pivots such as Lanturn and Musharna are a good idea, being able to bring Bouffalant in safely if there is not a Grass-type on the opposing team. Conversely, Pokemon such as Carracosta, Rhydon, and Quagsire can lure in Grass-types for Bouffalant to switch into. Carracosta and Shiftry also appreciate Bouffalant's ability to deal with Tangela, Vileplume, and Cradily, as it aids them in being able to sweep the opponent's team later. Sweepers and faster Pokemon in general pair well with Bouffalant due to this set's wallbreaking potential. Some examples include Shiftry, Sawk, Scyther, Samurott, and Archeops. This set works surprisingly well on a Trick Room team thanks to Bouffalant good bulk and low Speed stat. If you do use Bouffalant on a Trick Room team, Bouffalant should run a Brave nature, invest in HP rather than Speed, and reduce its Speed IVs to 0. Pokemon such as Xatu, Mesprit, Musharna, Granbull, and other Pokemon that can deal with Fighting-types should always be paired with Bouffalant so as to prevent Fighting-types from ravaging Bouffalant's team. Mesprit in particular can use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant or a teammate back to full health.

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

Assault Vest takes advantage of Bouffalant's ability Sap Sipper and decent bulk, turning it into a good switch-in to common special attackers such as Rotom, Lilligant, and Pyroar, as well as allowing it to take weaker special attacks better. However, Bouffalant loses a lot of power without a boosting item or move. Choice Scarf allows Bouffalant to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Jynx and Scyther, but again, Bouffalant is rather weak without a boosting item or move. If you choose to run such a set, it is recommended that you run Reckless to help make up for this. Taunt shuts down opposing walls and could be used on the Swords Dance set, although Substitute already protects it from status moves. However, it notably shuts down Quagsire, rendering it unable to recover its health or use Toxic. Soundproof could be used to take moves such as Bug Buzz and Boomburst, as well as Pyroar's Hyper Voice, but these attacks are not very common in the NU tier, and Bouffalant generally prefers the utility of Sap Sipper or the extra power of Reckless. Superpower hits Rock- and Steel-types harder than Earthquake, as well as notably hitting Ferroseed and Cradily super effectively in one move, but Earthquake already provides good enough coverage and Bouffalant doesn't like the stat drops that come from using the move. Toxic is nice to cripple physical walls such as Quagsire and Rhydon on the switch, opening the door for Bouffalant or a teammate to clean up later.

Add Payback

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

**Offensive Ghost-types*: Offensive Ghost-types such as Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom are immune to Bouffalant's STAB moves and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or wear Bouffalant down with either a coverage move in the former's case or with a secondary STAB move in Haunter and Rotom's case. However, they must watch out for Pursuit from the Choice Band set.

**Defensive Ghost-types**: Defensive Ghost-types such as Gourgeist and Misdreavus can take hits from both sets and cripple Bouffalant with Will-O-Wisp. Gourgeist is a hard counter to Bouffalant, taking all of its attacks with ease, and can either recover with Synthesis or wear it down with Foul Play. Misdreavus is more of a check, as it only has Pain Split for recovery and can't do much back to Bouffalant.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Sawk, Primeape, and Hitmonchan can easily OHKO Bouffalant with their STAB moves, making them good offensive checks. Gurdurr can also 2HKO Bouffalant with a Drain Punch followed by a Mach Punch. Sawk and Primeape should be careful against a Bouffalant with a Substitute up, as Close Combat's defense drops will leave them open to an OHKO. Gurdurr also does not like taking Choice Banded STAB attacks.

**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Ferroseed again, setup fodder, Carracosta, Cradily, and Rhydon all resist Normal-type attacks and can even stomach Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. They can then cripple Bouffalant with a status move, use an attack, or phaze it out in Rhydon's case.

**Strong Offensive Pokemon**: Bouffalant isn't particularly fast, so Pokemon such as Zangoose, Sawk, Tauros, and Magmortar can outspeed and overwhelm Bouffalant with their STAB moves.
Comments in bold, tag me when you're done with this and I'll look over it again.
 
All implemented Blast except for a few things:

- Facade isn't really worth it in Moves for the Choice Band, it really has no room for it and doesn't add to Bouff's coverage or anything, also Bouffalant shouldn't really be switching into Pokemon that might carry Will-O-Wisp such as Gourgeist or Flareon, though Mismagius and Rotom are exceptions to this. I added it in OO though.

- I'm kind of on the fence about including Payback in OO, as it hits for the same power as Stone Edge on slower targets, and faster Ghost-types such as Mismagius are probably going to be switching out before you can hit them, in which case I would rather run Pursuit to catch them before they switch out. If you insist, though, I'll add it.
 

shiloh

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Tiering Lead
Facade is important because it allows you to switch in on Scald users and not have to worry, also if you get statused at all Facade becomes extremely powerful and its really nice.

Payback is good because good players would leave their Mismagius / Misdreavus in expecting Pursuit, and hitting them with a Payback is really nice.
 

boltsandbombers

i'm sorry mr. man
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I dont like listing Carracosta as something it stuggles to break past in the overview since defensive costa needs to get a super high roll to break SD bouff's sub with Scald and even past that it needs to rely on scald burns to actually beat bouff.

Bouff's HP isnt fantastic lol, 95 is solid but not fantastic.

On the SD set, I'd like a spread of 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe [outpseeds adamant rhydon] at the very least mentioned if not made the main spread since outspeeding Malamar isnt super useful given that you can only do about 50% to it (unless running megahorn which I dont think is a very good option for SD bouff) with return, and outpacing dual dance Rhydon to get off 35-40% chip damage on it with EQ seems more beneficial. Outpacing Malamar seems much more useful on the CB set since you can either OHKO with Megahorn or just nuke it with Head Charge (which does 84.8 - 100% from full and 56.6 - 67% at +1, both of which require significantly less prior damage than unboosted return to finish off Malamar). In addition, with 120 HP prinplup's scald wont break the sub. Yes, I know that a ton of stuff creeps Adamant Rhydon and you're outpacing that stuff by using the current spread, but thats all speed creep anyways. Dont list musharna as a target of megahorn on the SD set since unless its barrier (which isnt a good set atm) you can just set up once with sd and proceed to 2hko. Deslash stone edge from SD, sub is one of the main appeals to SD bouff since setting up on defensive mons is really good.

Make sure to note on the SD set that EQ avoids Garbodor's Rocky Helmet and Aftermath damage.

List Prinplup as something SD bouff can set up since you outspeed and Scald cant break the sub unless it gets a really high roll.

Dont say stone edge hits Archeops, its really just for ghosts on the switch or if they feel like staying in: 252+ Atk Choice Band Bouffalant Head Charge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Archeops: 202-238 (69.4 - 81.7%)
 

boltsandbombers

i'm sorry mr. man
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[Overview]
In terms of breaking down balance teams mid-game, Bouffalant is one of the best guys for the job, thanks in part to its great Attack stat and decent coverage.
This is super vague, remove it or reword it to be specific to Bouffalant.

Note that Bouffalant is one of two viable Sap Sipper mons in the tier.
In addition to status effects and entry hazards, Bouffalant also gets worn down quickly by recoil from Head Charge, though this is somewhat mitigated by its solid HP stat.
Its low speed is one of the more important reasons related to how it gets worn down since it gets outsped by almost all common offensive mons

SD

Deslash Head Charge and Lum Berry, the latter of which just flat out bad on SD bouff since you're chipping away at its longevity which is very important and the former is pointless since sub is the only slash in move 4. Remove the head charge mention entirely from sd set and keep lum mention in set details. Mention pursuit in moves, its a decent option.

You can rename this set Substitute + Swords Dance if you'd like
Pursuit from Pokemon such as Skuntank is greatly appreciated, as Bouffalant can't touch Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom if it is running Substitute.
now that sub is the only move in slot 4 the last few words of the sentence dont make sense, just simplify it down to something like "Pursuit support from the likes of Skuntank and Liepard is useful to trap and eliminate Ghost-types which are troublesome for Bouffalant".

CB

Deslash return, you prob miss out on a bunch of ko's and if you're using cb you gotta go hard or go home
Facade can also be used somewhere on this set, as it allows Bouffalant to switch into Scald users more safely and take advantage of being statused.
The bolded part is super weird, reword it pls

In team options, "If you do use Bouffalant on a Trick Room team, Bouffalant should run a Brave nature, invest in HP rather than Speed, and reduce its Speed IVs to 0." move this to set details

"Mesprit in particular can use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant or a teammate back to full health." I mean yeah bouff gets worn down by head charge recoil but noting healing wish really isnt that important, its much more relevant for setup sweepers - remove the part about healing another teammate, thats super pointless to note.

OO

Remove scarf, sg is dumb

C&C

I'm really iffy on calling misdreavus and mismagius good checks since they need to make sure bouff doesnt get up a sub first, and they really dont have a reliable way of touching bouffalant (they can at best taunt it and go to a teammate while mismagius's nasty plot set can break through bouff since it runs dazzling gleam

Honestly I wouldnt mind removing missy and mismagius since rotom and haunter have secondary stabs which make them much more reliable answers to bouff

Note how gurdurr has a much easier time actually switching into bouff compared to the others because of its bulk

Add quagsire, note how it easily beats the sd set but is 2hkod by banded head charge
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Regirock, Ferroseed, Carracosta, Cradily, and Rhydon all resist Normal-type attacks and can even stomach Earthquake pretty well thanks to their great physical bulk. They can then cripple Bouffalant with a status move, use an attack, or phaze it out in Rhydon's case, though Ferroseed is setup fodder for the Swords Dance set.
This section just doesnt seem right. Ferroseed, cradily, and costa are setup fodder, regirock has to either be running drain punch and/or win some 50/50's with bouff going for sub or not, and rhydon with a phazing move really isnt common or very good.

Tag me when you've fixed this stuff
 

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