Sevi 7
Semi-retired
[OVERVIEW]
Electabuzz is the premier Electric-type in RBY UU thanks to its base 105 Speed, which lets it outspeed tier-king Tentacruel and force it out with Thunder Wave. Its Speed also grants it an impressive 20.51% critical hit rate, making it difficult to consistently wall. Additionally, Electabuzz is blessed with good coverage in Psychic and Body Slam, which gives it a variety of ways to check threats like Dugtrio, Tangela, and Venusaur. Naturally, this also makes Electabuzz effective late-game, making Pokemon like Articuno and Dodrio think twice before going for a sweep. With its strong hit-and-run playstyle, proactive gameplay is key to being successful with Electabuzz.
However, Electabuzz can be inconsistent, which makes it a bit difficult to use on teams. It struggles while paralyzed, so it cannot typically stay in against common Thunder Wave users such as Kadabra and Hypno and struggles against Body Slam users like Gyarados, Vaporeon, and Omastar that it otherwise matches well against. Its Special is unimpressive against neutral- or high-Special targets, with its Thunderbolt only 3HKOing Tentacruel and Vaporeon and dealing less damage than Seismic Toss on average against Hypno. Furthermore, Electabuzz lacks reliable recovery—unlike Kadabra, which operates similarly—while being 2HKOed and 3HKOed by most physical and special attackers, respectively, making it very easy to wear down. The massive presence of Dugtrio is very problematic for Electabuzz as well, with it constantly switching in on Thunderbolt and threatening a KO from Earthquake with minimal prior damage. Electabuzz also competes with Raichu, which has Surf, Agility, and higher Attack and Special; however, outrunning Tentacruel and having Psychic usually makes Electabuzz the better choice, especially as a lead.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Body Slam / Seismic Toss
move 4: Psychic / Seismic Toss
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
A fast Thunder Wave is Electabuzz's claim to fame and forms its main role in tandem with Thunderbolt: paralyzing fast Pokemon and breaking through bulky Water- and Flying-types such as Gyarados and Dodrio. This paves the way for sweepers like Dugtrio and Articuno while also making wrappers like Tentacruel and Dragonite more devastating, providing massive momentum in the long run and often choking the opponent out of options late-game. Electabuzz's Thunderbolt is quite threatening, being one of few moves to have a reasonable chance to OHKO Gyarados, 76.9%; it also 2HKOes Dodrio, Dewgong, and Omastar. Being faster than Tentacruel and having Thunder Wave also makes Electabuzz incredible at forcing the opponent into predictable switches, particularly to Dugtrio, Hypno, and Tangela; those switches are ripe for exploitation, making a well-played Electabuzz a massive late-game threat, especially when factoring in being faster than Tentacruel.
Body Slam gives Electabuzz an effective midground option, notably letting it paralyze Dugtrio switching in. It also does decent damage to physically frail Pokemon like Kadabra, especially with Electabuzz's good critical hit rate. When one is unsure about using Thunder Wave, Body Slam is normally the best option. Psychic provides another midground option that covers Haunter and Tentacruel more effectively; getting a Special drop can make Thunderbolt significantly more threatening as well, giving a near-guaranteed KO on Tentacruel after Psychic damage. It's also helpful for hitting Venusaur and Haunter super effectively, which are common problems for most Electric-types. Another less appreciated boon is that if you use Electabuzz to trade paralysis, Psychic Special drops reapply the foe's paralysis Speed drop; this allows Electabuzz to muscle past with Thunderbolt thereafter. Seismic Toss can be used over either Body Slam or Psychic to deal more damage to Golem, Hypno, and Tangela on average.
Electabuzz should ideally play hit-and-run because of its distaste for paralysis, but it can also trade paralysis if the team doesn't rely on its offensive prowess and speed control. However, a late-game sweep should never be counted out, as Electabuzz is excellent in simplified game states, gradually picking off limping Pokemon. It is ideal to bring Electabuzz in through a teammate's Wrap or on an opposing Pokemon using Rest, as it's frail and generally wants to stay healthy for late-game. Predicting an opponent's switch to Tentacruel or Gyarados can also be effective; Articuno and Dugtrio are good Pokemon to use for baiting these in. Electabuzz should generally use Thunder Wave whenever you are confident that a fast Pokemon, like Tentacruel or Persian, will stay in to attack. Finding these opportunities is important because Hypno often switches into Electabuzz, stealing momentum and using paralysis sustained from Thunder Wave to block further status.
Electabuzz can be used as a lead; this is primarily for the common Tentacruel matchup. Because it outspeeds and paralyzes Tentacruel, Tentacruel is forced out immediately, giving Electabuzz an uncontested Thunder Wave, switch, or damage opportunity. In this situation, Body Slam is the most appropriate as a midground option, covering their switch while dealing decent damage with a chance of paralysis. Thunder Wave is also useful to status sleep leads like Haunter and Venusaur, as well as rarer leads like Dodrio. Lead Electabuzz tends to be less valuable, so sacrificing it to sleep is often the appropriate option, sparing more valuable common teammates like Tentacruel, Hypno, and Kadabra. On teams where Electabuzz is okay with being paralyzed, it can trade paralysis with Kadabra and attempt to break through it with Seismic Toss as well, though Electabuzz is at a disadvantage due to a lack of recovery, so switching to a paralysis absorber like Hypno or Vaporeon is recommended instead. Against Hypno, sacking Electabuzz for sleep or trading Thunder Wave is valid because, in the prior case, it can be woken up through Tentacruel's Wrap with relative ease later on, and for the latter case, it is capable of muscling past paralyzed Hypno through critical hits. However, while it may seem enticing to use Thunder Wave against Hypno right away, this often invites Dugtrio in, so using Body Slam is usually more reliable.
Electabuzz is best used on teams that are already efficient at checking Dugtrio while having a strong offensive backbone. The best way to facilitate this situation is with Flying-types like Aerodactyl, Articuno, Dragonite, and Gyarados—and, to a lesser extent, Tangela—which check Dugtrio by forcing it to think twice before it uses Earthquake. These Pokemon also invite Tentacruel in, which Electabuzz feasts on. Articuno is particularly valuable, as Electabuzz breaking through Water- and Grass-types is instrumental in allowing it to sweep late-game, making the pair a strong offensive core. Wallbreakers such as Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Persian take advantage of Hypno using Rest, a key part of gaining momentum in RBY UU, and Electabuzz spreads paralysis for them. Dodrio also has a great matchup against Grass-types like Venusaur and Tangela, as well as an immunity to Earthquake to set up on Dugtrio, making it among the best Normal-type Electabuzz partners. Kangaskhan is also helpful against Dugtrio thanks to its high physical bulk and appreciates Electabuzz paralyzing its checks for it to wallbreak later on. While used on almost every team, Tentacruel can bait opposing Tentacruel in very frequently, and its Wrap support is instrumental in allowing Electabuzz to enter the game safely, making it an especially perfect partner. While similar to Electabuzz, Kadabra is also a great partner, forming a strong special attacking core that can overwhelm common Hypno + Kadabra cores; trading Electabuzz with one of them lets Kadabra and Hypno teammates wreak havoc. Finally, Venusaur performs excellently alongside Electabuzz, being a fine Pokemon to double switch into when predicting the opponent will go to Hypno or Dugtrio, getting a free sleep move off as to enable Electabuzz to switch in later; this can be done as early as turn 1 one with lead Electabuzz.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Electabuzz has an incredible movepool, fine-tuning it is often a misguided attempt that makes it easier to counter than it should be. Changing its listed coverage can be very difficult to justify, as it covers every Pokemon in the tier. Mega Kick can replace Seismic Toss, as it 2HKOes Kadabra while doing more damage to Hypno and opposing Electabuzz. However, it does less damage to Tangela and has only 74.6% accuracy. Hyper Beam performs similarly and has higher accuracy, which may make it more enticing, but Raichu often runs it more effectively thanks to its superior Attack stat. Substitute can scout an attack or an opponent's switch-in without needing to predict, and Electabuzz can use it to fish for full paralysis and a free chance to attack. However, Electabuzz can only take advantage of Substitute late-game when Pokemon that spread status like Hypno and Kadabra are either KOed or able to be KOed with one attack. Submission may seem enticing to damage Normal-types and Golem, but Thunderbolt or Psychic, respectively, damages them more consistently as a result of better accuracy, making it difficult to recommend. Counter can sneak an OHKO on Persian using Slash, but in this situation, Electabuzz should be going for Thunder Wave paralysis.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types are immune to Thunder Wave and Thunderbolt while dealing massive damage back with STAB Earthquake. Dugtrio outspeeds Electabuzz and can OHKO with a critical hit Earthquake, and without a critical hit if Electabuzz has taken even slight damage. Alternatively, Dugtrio can predict Electabuzz switching out to set up a Substitute. However, Dugtrio fears Body Slam's paralysis and doesn't like taking chip damage, so it struggles to switch in. Meanwhile, Golem is only 4HKOed by Seismic Toss and Psychic, so it can come in fairly safely and force Electabuzz out. Golem then has the opportunity to set up a Substitute, use Explosion, scout with Body Slam, or just get off decent damage with a STAB move. However, it can't repeatedly switch in should Electabuzz predict correctly, which can force it to use Explosion noticeably earlier, and Special drops can make Psychic a 3HKO.
**Grass-types**: Electabuzz struggles to damage Grass-types and hates getting statused, making Tangela and Venusaur great checks. Tangela carries Stun Spore in addition to Sleep Powder and isn't weak to any of Electabuzz's attacks, making it generally a better check. However, Venusaur does have more offensive power—Razor Leaf is a clean 3HKO—and may do more for a team overall.
**Hypno**: Hypno is the best Electabuzz check that does not resist Thunderbolt. It can paralyze Electabuzz or put it to sleep while not worrying about Electabuzz's own Thunder Wave. Hypno sometimes even prefers being paralyzed so that it cannot be put to sleep later on. Hypno also has good bulk, only being 4HKOed by Seismic Toss and sometimes Thunderbolt. Meanwhile, it can 3HKO Electabuzz with Psychic, and any drop to Electabuzz's underwhelming Special is a very bad situation for it. However, if Hypno is caught using Rest, Electabuzz can be very dangerous, as a single critical hit can force Hypno to use Rest again; this opens it up for wallbreakers like Kangaskhan to switch in and finish the job.
**Paralysis**: Electabuzz relies on its Speed, so paralyzing it greatly cripples its effectiveness, exposing its decidedly mediocre bulk. Therefore, the mere possibility of getting paralyzed often forces it out, giving momentum to Thunder Wave and Body Slam users like Clefable, Kadabra, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and even some Dragonite variants. However, many Body Slam users, such as Vaporeon and Omastar, greatly fear Electabuzz's STAB Thunderbolt. In a pinch, though, they can fight back and hope for a Body Slam paralysis, especially in Vaporeon's case, since Thunderbolt only 3HKOes it. Non-Seismic Toss variants of Electabuzz will struggle to punish a Tangela switch-in, allowing it to get off Stun Spore with impunity.
**Electric-types**: While Electabuzz has fantastic coverage, it tends to struggle with opposing Electric-types. Opposing Electabuzz, Raichu, and Electrode may trade Thunder Wave with it while resisting Thunderbolt. Raichu also notably outdamages Electabuzz, possessing a higher Special stat, Surf, and Hyper Beam. Electrode doesn't entirely mind paralysis, as possessing Explosion means it always has some kind of value; however, it may become forced to use Explosion against Electabuzz in some scenarios, which may not be a favorable trade, as there are vastly better targets like Hypno and Tentacruel. Overall, if Electabuzz needs to be slowed down, going for a paralysis trade with your own Electric-type is absolutely fine.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Volk, 530877], [pacattacc, 520967]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
Electabuzz is the premier Electric-type in RBY UU thanks to its base 105 Speed, which lets it outspeed tier-king Tentacruel and force it out with Thunder Wave. Its Speed also grants it an impressive 20.51% critical hit rate, making it difficult to consistently wall. Additionally, Electabuzz is blessed with good coverage in Psychic and Body Slam, which gives it a variety of ways to check threats like Dugtrio, Tangela, and Venusaur. Naturally, this also makes Electabuzz effective late-game, making Pokemon like Articuno and Dodrio think twice before going for a sweep. With its strong hit-and-run playstyle, proactive gameplay is key to being successful with Electabuzz.
However, Electabuzz can be inconsistent, which makes it a bit difficult to use on teams. It struggles while paralyzed, so it cannot typically stay in against common Thunder Wave users such as Kadabra and Hypno and struggles against Body Slam users like Gyarados, Vaporeon, and Omastar that it otherwise matches well against. Its Special is unimpressive against neutral- or high-Special targets, with its Thunderbolt only 3HKOing Tentacruel and Vaporeon and dealing less damage than Seismic Toss on average against Hypno. Furthermore, Electabuzz lacks reliable recovery—unlike Kadabra, which operates similarly—while being 2HKOed and 3HKOed by most physical and special attackers, respectively, making it very easy to wear down. The massive presence of Dugtrio is very problematic for Electabuzz as well, with it constantly switching in on Thunderbolt and threatening a KO from Earthquake with minimal prior damage. Electabuzz also competes with Raichu, which has Surf, Agility, and higher Attack and Special; however, outrunning Tentacruel and having Psychic usually makes Electabuzz the better choice, especially as a lead.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Body Slam / Seismic Toss
move 4: Psychic / Seismic Toss
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
A fast Thunder Wave is Electabuzz's claim to fame and forms its main role in tandem with Thunderbolt: paralyzing fast Pokemon and breaking through bulky Water- and Flying-types such as Gyarados and Dodrio. This paves the way for sweepers like Dugtrio and Articuno while also making wrappers like Tentacruel and Dragonite more devastating, providing massive momentum in the long run and often choking the opponent out of options late-game. Electabuzz's Thunderbolt is quite threatening, being one of few moves to have a reasonable chance to OHKO Gyarados, 76.9%; it also 2HKOes Dodrio, Dewgong, and Omastar. Being faster than Tentacruel and having Thunder Wave also makes Electabuzz incredible at forcing the opponent into predictable switches, particularly to Dugtrio, Hypno, and Tangela; those switches are ripe for exploitation, making a well-played Electabuzz a massive late-game threat, especially when factoring in being faster than Tentacruel.
Body Slam gives Electabuzz an effective midground option, notably letting it paralyze Dugtrio switching in. It also does decent damage to physically frail Pokemon like Kadabra, especially with Electabuzz's good critical hit rate. When one is unsure about using Thunder Wave, Body Slam is normally the best option. Psychic provides another midground option that covers Haunter and Tentacruel more effectively; getting a Special drop can make Thunderbolt significantly more threatening as well, giving a near-guaranteed KO on Tentacruel after Psychic damage. It's also helpful for hitting Venusaur and Haunter super effectively, which are common problems for most Electric-types. Another less appreciated boon is that if you use Electabuzz to trade paralysis, Psychic Special drops reapply the foe's paralysis Speed drop; this allows Electabuzz to muscle past with Thunderbolt thereafter. Seismic Toss can be used over either Body Slam or Psychic to deal more damage to Golem, Hypno, and Tangela on average.
Electabuzz should ideally play hit-and-run because of its distaste for paralysis, but it can also trade paralysis if the team doesn't rely on its offensive prowess and speed control. However, a late-game sweep should never be counted out, as Electabuzz is excellent in simplified game states, gradually picking off limping Pokemon. It is ideal to bring Electabuzz in through a teammate's Wrap or on an opposing Pokemon using Rest, as it's frail and generally wants to stay healthy for late-game. Predicting an opponent's switch to Tentacruel or Gyarados can also be effective; Articuno and Dugtrio are good Pokemon to use for baiting these in. Electabuzz should generally use Thunder Wave whenever you are confident that a fast Pokemon, like Tentacruel or Persian, will stay in to attack. Finding these opportunities is important because Hypno often switches into Electabuzz, stealing momentum and using paralysis sustained from Thunder Wave to block further status.
Electabuzz can be used as a lead; this is primarily for the common Tentacruel matchup. Because it outspeeds and paralyzes Tentacruel, Tentacruel is forced out immediately, giving Electabuzz an uncontested Thunder Wave, switch, or damage opportunity. In this situation, Body Slam is the most appropriate as a midground option, covering their switch while dealing decent damage with a chance of paralysis. Thunder Wave is also useful to status sleep leads like Haunter and Venusaur, as well as rarer leads like Dodrio. Lead Electabuzz tends to be less valuable, so sacrificing it to sleep is often the appropriate option, sparing more valuable common teammates like Tentacruel, Hypno, and Kadabra. On teams where Electabuzz is okay with being paralyzed, it can trade paralysis with Kadabra and attempt to break through it with Seismic Toss as well, though Electabuzz is at a disadvantage due to a lack of recovery, so switching to a paralysis absorber like Hypno or Vaporeon is recommended instead. Against Hypno, sacking Electabuzz for sleep or trading Thunder Wave is valid because, in the prior case, it can be woken up through Tentacruel's Wrap with relative ease later on, and for the latter case, it is capable of muscling past paralyzed Hypno through critical hits. However, while it may seem enticing to use Thunder Wave against Hypno right away, this often invites Dugtrio in, so using Body Slam is usually more reliable.
Electabuzz is best used on teams that are already efficient at checking Dugtrio while having a strong offensive backbone. The best way to facilitate this situation is with Flying-types like Aerodactyl, Articuno, Dragonite, and Gyarados—and, to a lesser extent, Tangela—which check Dugtrio by forcing it to think twice before it uses Earthquake. These Pokemon also invite Tentacruel in, which Electabuzz feasts on. Articuno is particularly valuable, as Electabuzz breaking through Water- and Grass-types is instrumental in allowing it to sweep late-game, making the pair a strong offensive core. Wallbreakers such as Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Persian take advantage of Hypno using Rest, a key part of gaining momentum in RBY UU, and Electabuzz spreads paralysis for them. Dodrio also has a great matchup against Grass-types like Venusaur and Tangela, as well as an immunity to Earthquake to set up on Dugtrio, making it among the best Normal-type Electabuzz partners. Kangaskhan is also helpful against Dugtrio thanks to its high physical bulk and appreciates Electabuzz paralyzing its checks for it to wallbreak later on. While used on almost every team, Tentacruel can bait opposing Tentacruel in very frequently, and its Wrap support is instrumental in allowing Electabuzz to enter the game safely, making it an especially perfect partner. While similar to Electabuzz, Kadabra is also a great partner, forming a strong special attacking core that can overwhelm common Hypno + Kadabra cores; trading Electabuzz with one of them lets Kadabra and Hypno teammates wreak havoc. Finally, Venusaur performs excellently alongside Electabuzz, being a fine Pokemon to double switch into when predicting the opponent will go to Hypno or Dugtrio, getting a free sleep move off as to enable Electabuzz to switch in later; this can be done as early as turn 1 one with lead Electabuzz.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While Electabuzz has an incredible movepool, fine-tuning it is often a misguided attempt that makes it easier to counter than it should be. Changing its listed coverage can be very difficult to justify, as it covers every Pokemon in the tier. Mega Kick can replace Seismic Toss, as it 2HKOes Kadabra while doing more damage to Hypno and opposing Electabuzz. However, it does less damage to Tangela and has only 74.6% accuracy. Hyper Beam performs similarly and has higher accuracy, which may make it more enticing, but Raichu often runs it more effectively thanks to its superior Attack stat. Substitute can scout an attack or an opponent's switch-in without needing to predict, and Electabuzz can use it to fish for full paralysis and a free chance to attack. However, Electabuzz can only take advantage of Substitute late-game when Pokemon that spread status like Hypno and Kadabra are either KOed or able to be KOed with one attack. Submission may seem enticing to damage Normal-types and Golem, but Thunderbolt or Psychic, respectively, damages them more consistently as a result of better accuracy, making it difficult to recommend. Counter can sneak an OHKO on Persian using Slash, but in this situation, Electabuzz should be going for Thunder Wave paralysis.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types are immune to Thunder Wave and Thunderbolt while dealing massive damage back with STAB Earthquake. Dugtrio outspeeds Electabuzz and can OHKO with a critical hit Earthquake, and without a critical hit if Electabuzz has taken even slight damage. Alternatively, Dugtrio can predict Electabuzz switching out to set up a Substitute. However, Dugtrio fears Body Slam's paralysis and doesn't like taking chip damage, so it struggles to switch in. Meanwhile, Golem is only 4HKOed by Seismic Toss and Psychic, so it can come in fairly safely and force Electabuzz out. Golem then has the opportunity to set up a Substitute, use Explosion, scout with Body Slam, or just get off decent damage with a STAB move. However, it can't repeatedly switch in should Electabuzz predict correctly, which can force it to use Explosion noticeably earlier, and Special drops can make Psychic a 3HKO.
**Grass-types**: Electabuzz struggles to damage Grass-types and hates getting statused, making Tangela and Venusaur great checks. Tangela carries Stun Spore in addition to Sleep Powder and isn't weak to any of Electabuzz's attacks, making it generally a better check. However, Venusaur does have more offensive power—Razor Leaf is a clean 3HKO—and may do more for a team overall.
**Hypno**: Hypno is the best Electabuzz check that does not resist Thunderbolt. It can paralyze Electabuzz or put it to sleep while not worrying about Electabuzz's own Thunder Wave. Hypno sometimes even prefers being paralyzed so that it cannot be put to sleep later on. Hypno also has good bulk, only being 4HKOed by Seismic Toss and sometimes Thunderbolt. Meanwhile, it can 3HKO Electabuzz with Psychic, and any drop to Electabuzz's underwhelming Special is a very bad situation for it. However, if Hypno is caught using Rest, Electabuzz can be very dangerous, as a single critical hit can force Hypno to use Rest again; this opens it up for wallbreakers like Kangaskhan to switch in and finish the job.
**Paralysis**: Electabuzz relies on its Speed, so paralyzing it greatly cripples its effectiveness, exposing its decidedly mediocre bulk. Therefore, the mere possibility of getting paralyzed often forces it out, giving momentum to Thunder Wave and Body Slam users like Clefable, Kadabra, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and even some Dragonite variants. However, many Body Slam users, such as Vaporeon and Omastar, greatly fear Electabuzz's STAB Thunderbolt. In a pinch, though, they can fight back and hope for a Body Slam paralysis, especially in Vaporeon's case, since Thunderbolt only 3HKOes it. Non-Seismic Toss variants of Electabuzz will struggle to punish a Tangela switch-in, allowing it to get off Stun Spore with impunity.
**Electric-types**: While Electabuzz has fantastic coverage, it tends to struggle with opposing Electric-types. Opposing Electabuzz, Raichu, and Electrode may trade Thunder Wave with it while resisting Thunderbolt. Raichu also notably outdamages Electabuzz, possessing a higher Special stat, Surf, and Hyper Beam. Electrode doesn't entirely mind paralysis, as possessing Explosion means it always has some kind of value; however, it may become forced to use Explosion against Electabuzz in some scenarios, which may not be a favorable trade, as there are vastly better targets like Hypno and Tentacruel. Overall, if Electabuzz needs to be slowed down, going for a paralysis trade with your own Electric-type is absolutely fine.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Volk, 530877], [pacattacc, 520967]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
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