Granbull (QC 0/3)

[Graceclaw]

[OVERVIEW]

• Granbull has a massive Attack Stat and the movepool to utilize it. It also has a useful ability in Intimidate, allowing it to switch in to many Pokémon in the metagame and force them to switch out. Granbull can be used offensively as a choice banded juggernaut, or as a physical check and fighting counter.
• Because Granbull's STAB move only has 90 Base Power and 90% accuracy, it struggles to break through physical checks such as defensive Mesprit, Weezing, and to a lesser extent, Gastrodon. This makes it a less potent early-game breaker, but because of the lack of switch-ins outside of these Pokémon, Granbull can still effectively fit the midgame breaker role.
• Granbull is slow and lacks recovery, so it will almost always take a hit before retaliating if the opposing Pokémon stays in, and its switch-ins throughout the game are limited on both the offensive and defensive sets.
• Granbull finds a niche in being a reliable answer to Hitmonchan and Gurdurr

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Façade / Crunch / Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

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

• Play Rough is the only physical Fairy-type move, and is your primary STAB move. Fairy is an excellent offensive typing which is only resisted by fire, steel, and poison.
• Close Combat gives Granbull the ability to super effectively hit steel types which resist its STAB and also allows it to super effectively hit Normal and Rock Types. It also gives Granbull a second, more powerful option to hit rock or steel types which are accompanied by Earthquake-immune Pokémon.
• Earthquake super-effectively hits Fire, Steel, and Poison types, giving Granbull perfect neutral coverage of the tier ignoring abilities. Notably, it gives Granbull a way to OHKO Magmortar and Skuntank.
• The last slot is a choice between Façade, Crunch, and Toxic depending on the team's needs. Façade provides a strong neutral attack when Granbull is statused and allows it to switch into potential Will o Wisps from Spiritomb and Scalds from Lanturn. Crunch gives Granbull a way to 2HKO Defensive non-Colbur Mesprit and other psychic types, and Toxic surprises and cripples common switch-ins such as Gastrodon and Defensive Mesprit.

Set Details
========

• The HP EVs take advantage of Granbull's high base stat and allow it to tank several weak or one powerful neutral special attack.
• Because of Intimidate, this investment allows Granbull can take repeated physical hits and function as a soft check to non-Primeape Fighting types.
• Max attack Adamant maximizes damage output
• 44 speed allows Granbull to outspeed uninvested base 50s like Eelektross and Regirock.

Usage Tips
========

• The Choice Band set should be played like any slow physical breaker.
• Make sure the physical wall or checks (Defensive Mesprit, Gourgeist-Super, Weezing) are weakened or fainted before using this set, as Granbull requires additional chip to 2HKO these Pokemon.
• Bring Granbull in on a fighting-type like Hitmonchan or Gurdurr or a passive Pokémon like Lanturn or Audino, and choose the move which best capitalizes on the forced switch.
• This set threatens certain slow offensive Pokemon in the tier, namely Spiritomb, Alolan Exeggutor, Drampa, Kangaskhan, and Togedemaru, and can safely come in to revenge kill or force switches.

Team Options
========

• Because Granbull is so slow, it is susceptible to being revenge-killed by most strong special attackers like Pyroar, Magmortar, and Mesprit. Since it will almost always switch out after claiming a kill or chunking an opposing Pokémon, Granbull works well with Pokémon that switch in well to these threats, such as Audino, Clefairy, and Assault Vest Hitmonchan and Eelektross.
• Pairing Granbull with a stronger wallbreaker like Ursaring or Magmortar works well, as these Pokémon can break through Granbull's switch-ins early in the game and allow it to better fulfill its midgame breaking role.
• This set can fit into Trick Room teams or teams which incorporate a self-setting Trick Room abuser such as Alolan Exeggutor. If Alolan Exeggutor dies before Trick Room runs out, Granbull can switch in and abuse its remaining turns using its low speed.
• Granbull is slow, susceptible to all entry hazards, and lacks reliable recovery, and therefore appreciates Wish and Healing Wish support.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet / Normalium-Z
ability: Intimidate
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def

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

• The first slot is your status move; choose Toxic to cripple other defensive Pokemon or Thunder Wave to cripple the offensive threat you switched in on or which comes in to threaten Granbull out
• Heal Bell provides teamwide support and allows Granbull to beat walls like Gastrodon and Audino 1v1, and, when coupled with Normalium-Z, serves to heal Granbull when it gets low. On non-Normalium sets, this can be replaced with either Toxic or Thunder Wave to make Granbull a double status threat
• Play Rough gives Granbull a spammable STAB.
• Earthquake complements Play Rough to give Granbull perfect neutral coverage except for Weezing

Set Details
========

• 248 HP hits a stealth rock number and provides maximum bulk when paired with 252 Def and Impish Nature
• 8 Atk with spare EVs allows Granbull to hit slightly harder

Usage Tips
========

• With its pure Fairy typing and Intimidate, Granbull is one of the best Fighting-Type counters in the tier, OHKOing Hitmonchan after taking minimal damage and comfortably 1v1ing Gurdurr.
• Granbull also tanks Primeape's Close Combat even after Defiant boost and threatens to OHKO with Play Rough or cripple with Thunder Wave, though Granbull must be wary of Gunk Shot.
• Granbull can safely check and threaten many of the other physical threats in the tier, including Archeops, Skuntank, Spiritomb, Togedemaru, Lycanroc, and Absol.
• Because it lacks reliable recovery, Granbull must be careful of repeated switches, even with Z-Heal Bell. This shortcoming is amplified by Granbull's low speed, which almost guarantees that Granbull will take another attack before getting the chance to retaliate or heal.

Team Options
========

• This set works well with fighting-weak Pokémon such as Aurorus, Ferroseed, and Pyroar because it can freely switch into and threaten Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, and Primeape as they come in to revenge kill.
• Because it lacks reliable recovery, Granbull is easily worn down over the course of the game and wish / healing wish support increases its longevity.
• Audino is an excellent partner for Granbull, as it is fighting-weak and provides an answer to all of the Pokémon which threaten Granbull while providing much-needed wish support. Because of this, Granbull works well stall or semi-stall teams.

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

• An Assault Vest set with max Special Defense and mixed hp and attack EVs can function as a soft check to weaker Special Attackers like Lanturn and Skuntanks without Sludge Bomb while still countering Hitmonchan and Gurdurr, but it lacks the power of the banded set and the survivability and utility of the Defensive set.
• Bulk Up can be run, but it is outclassed by Gurdurr and other Pokémon with higher speed, special defense, and/or recovery.
• Aguav berry is viable on the Defensive Set, as Granbull rarely takes enough damage to KO from 50% and it helps to increase Granbull's survivability.

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

• Strong Physical Walls - Granbull cannot 2HKO Weezing, Gourgeist, and Defensive Carracosta from full, even with Choice Band, and each of them threaten it in return with burns and special attacks. Weezing in particular completely shuts down all Granbull sets, and must be eliminated prior to using the banded set.
• Skuntank - Skuntank is an offensive threat, especially with Special Attacking sets. Granbull can beat Physical sets if it switches into and Intimidates Skuntank, but the Choice Band set takes a significant chunk before KO'ing with Earthquake. Granbull can be used to eliminate opposing Skuntanks, but will always be significantly chipped in return.
• Strong special attackers like Pyroar, Magmortar, Oricorio, Lilligant, Mesprit, and Aurorus can all threaten to outspeed and OHKO or 2HKO Granbull
• Defensive Pokémon with access to recovery such as Gastrodon can wear down and beat the Defensive set 1v1, as Granbull has no reliable recovery

 

[yogi]

I'm certain Megazard tagged you on Discord, but until you've received and implemented the second quality control check you're meant to keep it in bullet point form. Please edit your current stuff to accommodate for this and do so with all future parts. Thanks.

 

[yogi]

Right so bud, I'm gonna have to ask you to put this back in WIP. This isn't ready for QC at all, by any margin. Overview is almost non-existent and doesn't talk about what the defensive set does or even any to be brutally honest. Checks and Counters isn't formatted properly at all, and needs reworked. Set Details for both are both dodgy and vague. Usage Tips and Team Options are also so bare and don't really give any semblance of what to either do with it or use in conjunction with.

Please tag me once you think this has been sorted and please read some of the analyses in the Copyediting stage for further guidance on how to both structure and improve your analysis. Thanks!