[OVERVIEW]
Granbull's bite is assuredly worse than its bark. Its powerful STAB Frustration comes off a great Attack stat, and its lack of relevant weaknesses allows it to take on a wide variety of foes. These qualities are so useful that it can arguably be considered on par with GSC UU's monarch, Nidoqueen, in terms of overall effectiveness. The tier's relative dearth of Pokemon that resist Normal plays fantastically to Granbull's advantage, enabling it to be highly effective as a mono-attacker. While the most prominent Granbull strategy is to take advantage of its Curse RestTalk set, which dominates against all but a few of the tier's Pokemon, it is the possibility that Granbull could be running a set that can surprise KO some of its better checks that really pushes its threat level over the edge. Its relatively wide movepool also gives it the potential to run a more team-supportive set with Heal Bell and to experiment with other, less predictable options such as Lovely Kiss and Dynamic Punch. In terms of flaws, Granbull's lacking Special Defense stat means that it can struggle to take on powerful special attackers, especially those that run 120-Base Power STAB attacks, such as Ampharos, Magneton, Omastar, and Arcanine, as these can threaten a potential 2HKO. Furthermore, although Granbull is favored against most Pokemon with its mono-attacking Curse set, it can invite dangerous Pokemon such as Haunter and Omastar in for free, which causes some inflexibility when team building with it. Moreover, its lack of resistances and low Speed can leave it in positions where it may be unable to find an opportunity to switch in and recover its health safely.
[SET]
name: Curse RestTalk
move 1: Curse
move 2: Frustration
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Curse RestTalk Granbull is one of the most polarizing forces in GSC UU. It combines power and resilience and can use Curse to rapidly boost both to levels that almost cannot be dealt with. On top of this, Granbull also deals well with some of the most prominent metagame forces, such as Nidoqueen and Hypno, thanks to its lack of weaknesses other than Fighting. This means it typically has ample opportunities to switch in throughout a game. Furthermore, thanks to its high physical stats, it dominates other more passive Curse users such as Hypno and Chansey, as well as rarer Curse users such as Wigglytuff and Vileplume. Opposing Granbull also struggle to deal with a Curse RestTalk Granbull, especially if they lack Curse, although Granbull should typically avoid switching into another healthy Granbull. Teams without one of the few Pokemon that resist Normal risk being quickly overwhelmed by a Curse RestTalk Granbull, as it can trade hits favorably with nearly any other Pokemon and can reliably sustain itself with RestTalk. However, teams that do have one of the few reliable answers can sometimes take advantage of Granbull entering the field to launch attacks freely at its teammates as it is forced to retreat. These answers often double as powerful special attackers, such as Omastar, Magneton, and Haunter.
Team Options
========
The most crucial Pokemon to handle as a mono-attacking Curse Granbull are its counters, which include Omastar, Magneton, Haunter, and occasionally Graveler. Electric-types such as Ampharos and Electabuzz can be very useful in this regard. Ampharos has the bulk to easily take on any of the special attacking foes with ease, and it can also provide Light Screen support to allow Granbull an opportunity to actually threaten Magneton, which is slightly less reliable than the other two special attacking counters. Electabuzz is a huge threat to many teams, as it has access to super effective coverage for Nidoqueen as well as Fighting-type coverage for Chansey and Magneton. On top of this, Pursuit can be used to weaken or outright remove foes that cause mono-attacking Curse Granbull issues, such as Slowbro and Haunter. However, Electabuzz lacks the bulk of Ampharos, so it is a good idea to back it up with a specially bulky teammate such as Hypno or Slowking. Granbull being a solid answer to Nidoqueen also helps the Electric-types out, as they often invite it in. Ground-types such as Nidoqueen, Piloswine, and Quagsire are also solid choices for dealing with Magneton and Haunter. Granbull also benefits from having teammates that can lure in and KO Magneton and Haunter. Normal-types such as Dodrio and Lickitung and Grass-types like Swords Dance Victreebel, Vileplume, and Bellossom can potentially catch them out Ground-type coverage. Blastoise can wear down Haunter that attempt to block its Rapid Spin. Lastly, Granbull can also benefit from paralysis spreading to help it deal with powerful special attackers such as Slowbro, Ampharos, Arcanine, and Mr. Mime. Thunder Wave Hypno and Slowking are some of the best options for spreading paralysis to these foes. Grass-types such as Bellossom and Vileplume can also paralyze various foes with Stun Spore.
[SET]
name: Cleric RestTalk
move 1: Frustration
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Among Granbull's numerous options is one of the most valuable support moves in the game, Heal Bell. Granbull hits quite hard with its unboosted Frustration against nearly everything that doesn't resist it, and Heal Bell is an excellent support option that allows its teammates to play more recklessly against status inducers. For example, teammates such as Nidoqueen and Scyther can more freely make assaults against Grass- and Psychic-types that often sacrifice their health to cripple them with paralysis in return. Furthermore, threats that struggle to fit recovery, such as Belly Drum Quagsire and boosting Politoed variants, can potentially use Rest in their fourth moveslot to assist them in setting up multiple times in a game. However, this Granbull set struggles more than others against bulky RestTalk users such as Slowbro and opposing Granbull, and its lower threat level can allow foes that would normally have to switch out against it to pose a threat. Furthermore, as a mono-attacker, it suffers from similar flaws to Curse RestTalk Granbull against Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types, and in particular, it can provide Kabutops with a setup opportunity that Curse Granbull would not provide as easily. Moreover, having Heal Bell in a moveslot can be more of a curse than a blessing when considering that it has nearly no effect in many circumstances and therefore reduces the usefulness of RestTalk. While it can wake Granbull up early, the more turns Granbull spends not attacking or recovering health, the more turns the foe has to land a game-changing critical hit.
Team Options
========
As this Granbull set only has a single attacking move and is therefore easily forced out by Pokemon that resist it, Pokemon that can deal with its counters are highly recommended. Haunter and Omastar both dominate Granbull, but they can be mostly neutralized by teammates such as Hypno, Ampharos, and Slowking. Magneton can similarly be checked by Nidoqueen, Ampharos, and Piloswine. Common offensive threats such as Nidoqueen and Scyther can be more bold when facing Pokemon that threaten to inflict status against them when supported by Granbull's Heal Bell. Similarly, Belly Drum and Growth users such as Quagsire and Politoed can potentially run Rest without Sleep Talk with the intention of waking them up at full health with Heal Bell. This same strategy can also be used with Curse users and Swords Dance users, potentially giving them an opportunity to run a useful coverage attack without sacrificing as much by dropping Sleep Talk. Finally, Rest Blastoise can take advantage of cleric Granbull to give it an extra advantage against Qwilfish as it tries to keep Spikes off the field by either dropping Sleep Talk for a coverage move or reducing the turns it needs to spend using Sleep Talk.
[SET]
name: Coverage Attacker
move 1: Curse / Thunder
move 2: Frustration
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Lovely Kiss / Protect / Thunder
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While mono-attacking Granbull sets must sometimes patiently wait for their counters to be chipped down or otherwise removed before they can really let loose, such counters are almost non-existent for this set. Frustration is mandatory as Granbull's powerful STAB attack, 3HKOing a significant portion of the metagame. Hidden Power Ground is similarly important, as it 2HKOes Magneton and Haunter, two Pokemon that very commonly switch into Granbull. Hidden Power Ground can also be used to chip away at Graveler and Omastar, which are two of Granbull's sturdier checks. For its last two moveslots, Granbull can elect to use Curse to boost its attacking power and make it more sturdy against physical attackers such as opposing Granbull, Nidoqueen, and Scyther, as well as against Explosion users such as Electrode. If Curse is used before revealing its moveset, Granbull can also potentially surprise OHKO Magneton and Haunter with +1 Hidden Power Ground, although it only has just under 50% chance to OHKO the latter. As an alternative to Curse, Thunder can be used to threaten Omastar, which takes relatively low damage even from +1 Hidden Power Ground. In addition to threatening a 2HKO on Omastar with Spikes support, Thunder also instantly threatens a 2HKO and paralysis on Qwilfish, Gyarados, and Kabutops and a 3HKO on Slowbro, whereas variants without Thunder must use Curse first to achieve these benchmarks. However, without Curse to boost its Attack, Granbull risks being worn down and beaten by RestTalk users, especially those that are faster such as Hypno, Ampharos, and Blastoise. By boosting its Attack, 3HKOs against these foes become 2HKOs, which makes Granbull much more reliable at taking them down.
Granbull has several good options for the final moveslot. The most obvious choice is Lovely Kiss, which grants it a potent weapon with which it can incapacitate many Pokemon that may switch into it, such as Qwilfish, Haunter, and Shuckle. Lovely Kiss can be used offensively, against Granbull's checks, or defensively, against opposing sweepers that are difficult to control, such as Scyther. It can also be used as a way to deal with Baton Pass users, such as Girafarig, or their recipients, such as Quagsire. However, Pokemon such as RestTalk Omastar, Blastoise, and Slowbro may be able to beat Granbull even when it has put them to sleep. An alternative to Lovely Kiss is Protect, which has good synergy with Curse. This will allow Granbull to gain additional Leftovers recovery at crucial times, which could lead to an additional KO. Protect can also be used to scout for moves such as Explosion and Destiny Bond. Finally, Thunder may be used alongside Curse to maximize Granbull's coverage without sacrificing its ability to boost, which can help it deal with nearly all of its checks effectively.
Team Options
========
Granbull benefits tremendously from Light Screen and paralysis support. Electrode, Mr. Mime, Hypno, Ampharos, and Chansey are all great options for providing this support. Electrode can also provide offensive momentum with Explosion, whereas Ampharos and Chansey tend to be chosen as part of a defensive core. Depending on the approach taken, Granbull can work on an offensive team that relies on keeping up momentum or can be used on a team that stalls out the opposing team until a good opportunity for Granbull can be found. On offensive teams, Granbull will typically want to run Lovely Kiss to maximize the number of foes it can get past without switching out, whereas on more defensive teams, it may want to consider running Protect in tandem with a spinner to gradually regain health after it takes a foe down. Offensive teams will want to run teammates such as Scyther, Pinsir, and Dodrio, whereas defensive teams might choose Blastoise. Spikes support can help Granbull secure KOs on foes such as Haunter and Omastar, so Qwilfish is a worthy consideration for a teammate. As Granbull can surprise KO Magneton and Haunter, it can be effective to run a second Normal-type with Curse such as Wigglytuff or Chansey to overload the opponent's answers to Curse users. Similarly, Dodrio and Lickitung can potentially benefit from these surprise KOs, as their powerful STAB attacks will no longer be met with resistances. Granbull is also a good Baton Pass recipient and is capable of making good use of both Speed and Attack boosts, so teammates such as Girafarig and Scyther can also perform well with it.
[SET]
name: Coverage RestTalk
move 1: Frustration
move 2: Hidden Power Ground
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Granbull's mono-attacking sets have good durability with RestTalk but often find themselves walled and taken advantage of by Pokemon that resist Normal. This set aims to solve that problem without losing too much durability. Normal + Ground coverage is unresisted in GSC UU, and Granbull's STAB Frustration is among the strongest physical attacks in the tier. Hidden Power Ground always 2HKOes Magneton and Haunter and does decent damage to Graveler and Omastar. It should be noted that using Hidden Power Ground reduces Granbull's HP by 16 due to DV requirements, which makes it slightly less bulky than mono-attacking variants. This set really shines when it becomes the recipient of Attack boosts from Scyther, which can make it almost impossible to deal with defensively.
Team Options
========
This Granbull set lacks the means to boost its damage output, which can result in poor matchups against bulky special attackers in particular. Scyther is an obvious partner, as it can pass Attack boosts to Granbull, making it almost impossible to wall. Light Screen support from Ampharos can also help both Scyther and Granbull while simultaneously aiding against special attackers. Hypno is a valid alternative to Ampharos that can play a similar role. Bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Blastoise, Omastar, Gyarados, and Feraligatr are also helpful for taking on Ground-types and opposing Granbull. Slowbro can check most physical attackers other than Scyther and Pinsir adequately, Blastoise is an excellent check to Nidoqueen and provides Rapid Spin support, Omastar is one of the best answers to Granbull in the tier and can check Hidden Power Bug Scyther, Gyarados checks Scyther and can function as an alternative Baton Pass recipient, and Feraligatr is a solid all-around Water-type that can also function as a decent Baton Pass recipient.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Roar is a viable option that gives Granbull a tool against foes that might boost their stats alongside it, such as Kabutops, opposing Granbull, and Shuckle. However, it generally comes at the expense of a better option such as a coverage move. Granbull can be an effective anti-lead with Dynamic Punch and Shadow Ball as alternative high-powered options to Hidden Power Ground that deal extra damage to opposing Granbull, Haunter, Rock-types, and Psychic-types. Lovely Kiss can also be used to make Granbull even more difficult to handle. However, despite its coverage, Granbull can still struggle with certain physically bulky foes, and its low Speed hurts the effectiveness of such a low-durability set. Hyper Beam is a very powerful weapon that can unexpectedly OHKO foes at +1 Attack, but it has obvious drawbacks in the recharge turn and the cost of a moveslot. Present can be used alongside Frustration to potentially deal heavy damage to certain targets such as Slowbro, Blastoise, and Omastar. However, Granbull will still struggle to deal with Haunter and Magneton unless it also has Hidden Power Ground, which means it must either sacrifice the longevity of RestTalk or be walled by similar foes to the otherwise superior Curse set. Furthermore, Present can be highly unreliable in terms of damage output. Zap Cannon can be used to turn Granbull into a paralysis spreader, which could help it get past certain foes or make them easier to handle for its teammates. However, this can decrease Granbull's effectiveness in taking on Ground-types, opposing Granbull, and Magneton.
Checks and Counters
========
**Rock-types**: Omastar is the tier's premier counter to Granbull, convincingly 3HKOing with Surf and potentially 2HKOing with Hydro Pump. A RestTalk set has great odds to beat nearly any Granbull set, even if Granbull has boosted Attack. Furthermore, its excellent Special Attack, coverage options, and Thief allow it to threaten just about anything that the opponent may switch to. However, it does need to be careful of variants with Thunder or the combination of Lovely Kiss, Curse, and Hidden Power Ground, especially if paired with Light Screen support. An even more reliable answer is Shuckle, which can wall nearly any Granbull set indefinitely but lacks the offensive presence of Omastar. Healthy Kabutops has a fighting chance against mono-attacking Granbull variants with its somewhat powerful Hydro Pump or Swords Dance-boosted Submission but should otherwise generally steer clear of taking Granbull on. Graveler can have issues fitting moves with which to reliably beat Granbull, but Explosion is generally enough to stop a Granbull that only has one Curse boost by knocking it into KO range of a teammate.
**Haunter**: Haunter is an excellent answer to mono-attacking Granbull, and it has the tools to threaten both Granbull and its teammates. In addition, Destiny Bond can allow it to trade for Granbull variants that have Hidden Power Ground, and Hypnosis can be used out of caution when the set is unknown. However, if Haunter is the sole answer to Granbull, one should take care not to use Explosion against another foe if Granbull will be difficult to deal with later without Haunter. This consideration can restrict Haunter's offensive potential substantially.
**Magneton**: Magneton is an excellent counter to mono-attacking Granbull, taking advantage of it by setting up Reflect, setting up Substitute, or simply chipping away at Granbull or its teammates with its powerful special attacks. However, Magneton must be very careful to avoid getting OHKOed by a boosted Hidden Power Ground from Granbull.
**Bulky Special Attackers**: Slowbro is one of the few Pokemon that does not resist Normal that can claim any kind of reliability against Granbull due to its formidable physical bulk, powerful STAB attacks, and efficacy as a RestTalk user. It avoids not only a 3HKO from unboosted Frustration but also a 2HKO from +1 Frustration. However, Granbull does outspeed it and can occasionally have Thunder, which 3HKOes it. Pokemon that can hit a boosted Granbull very hard from the special side as well as take a hit from unboosted Granbull, such as Ampharos and Arcanine, can switch into Granbull and threaten it with enough damage that it may be forced to switch out. However, these are far from reliable answers, as they rely on moves with imperfect accuracy for a chance at a 2HKO and cannot be assured of a 2HKO without prior chip damage. These special attackers, as well as other less powerful ones such as Blastoise, Reflect Hypno, and Feraligatr, can sometimes be sufficient to deal with non-boosting Granbull variants.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Century Express, 234737], [Diophantine, 370164]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
Granbull's bite is assuredly worse than its bark. Its powerful STAB Frustration comes off a great Attack stat, and its lack of relevant weaknesses allows it to take on a wide variety of foes. These qualities are so useful that it can arguably be considered on par with GSC UU's monarch, Nidoqueen, in terms of overall effectiveness. The tier's relative dearth of Pokemon that resist Normal plays fantastically to Granbull's advantage, enabling it to be highly effective as a mono-attacker. While the most prominent Granbull strategy is to take advantage of its Curse RestTalk set, which dominates against all but a few of the tier's Pokemon, it is the possibility that Granbull could be running a set that can surprise KO some of its better checks that really pushes its threat level over the edge. Its relatively wide movepool also gives it the potential to run a more team-supportive set with Heal Bell and to experiment with other, less predictable options such as Lovely Kiss and Dynamic Punch. In terms of flaws, Granbull's lacking Special Defense stat means that it can struggle to take on powerful special attackers, especially those that run 120-Base Power STAB attacks, such as Ampharos, Magneton, Omastar, and Arcanine, as these can threaten a potential 2HKO. Furthermore, although Granbull is favored against most Pokemon with its mono-attacking Curse set, it can invite dangerous Pokemon such as Haunter and Omastar in for free, which causes some inflexibility when team building with it. Moreover, its lack of resistances and low Speed can leave it in positions where it may be unable to find an opportunity to switch in and recover its health safely.
[SET]
name: Curse RestTalk
move 1: Curse
move 2: Frustration
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Curse RestTalk Granbull is one of the most polarizing forces in GSC UU. It combines power and resilience and can use Curse to rapidly boost both to levels that almost cannot be dealt with. On top of this, Granbull also deals well with some of the most prominent metagame forces, such as Nidoqueen and Hypno, thanks to its lack of weaknesses other than Fighting. This means it typically has ample opportunities to switch in throughout a game. Furthermore, thanks to its high physical stats, it dominates other more passive Curse users such as Hypno and Chansey, as well as rarer Curse users such as Wigglytuff and Vileplume. Opposing Granbull also struggle to deal with a Curse RestTalk Granbull, especially if they lack Curse, although Granbull should typically avoid switching into another healthy Granbull. Teams without one of the few Pokemon that resist Normal risk being quickly overwhelmed by a Curse RestTalk Granbull, as it can trade hits favorably with nearly any other Pokemon and can reliably sustain itself with RestTalk. However, teams that do have one of the few reliable answers can sometimes take advantage of Granbull entering the field to launch attacks freely at its teammates as it is forced to retreat. These answers often double as powerful special attackers, such as Omastar, Magneton, and Haunter.
Team Options
========
The most crucial Pokemon to handle as a mono-attacking Curse Granbull are its counters, which include Omastar, Magneton, Haunter, and occasionally Graveler. Electric-types such as Ampharos and Electabuzz can be very useful in this regard. Ampharos has the bulk to easily take on any of the special attacking foes with ease, and it can also provide Light Screen support to allow Granbull an opportunity to actually threaten Magneton, which is slightly less reliable than the other two special attacking counters. Electabuzz is a huge threat to many teams, as it has access to super effective coverage for Nidoqueen as well as Fighting-type coverage for Chansey and Magneton. On top of this, Pursuit can be used to weaken or outright remove foes that cause mono-attacking Curse Granbull issues, such as Slowbro and Haunter. However, Electabuzz lacks the bulk of Ampharos, so it is a good idea to back it up with a specially bulky teammate such as Hypno or Slowking. Granbull being a solid answer to Nidoqueen also helps the Electric-types out, as they often invite it in. Ground-types such as Nidoqueen, Piloswine, and Quagsire are also solid choices for dealing with Magneton and Haunter. Granbull also benefits from having teammates that can lure in and KO Magneton and Haunter. Normal-types such as Dodrio and Lickitung and Grass-types like Swords Dance Victreebel, Vileplume, and Bellossom can potentially catch them out Ground-type coverage. Blastoise can wear down Haunter that attempt to block its Rapid Spin. Lastly, Granbull can also benefit from paralysis spreading to help it deal with powerful special attackers such as Slowbro, Ampharos, Arcanine, and Mr. Mime. Thunder Wave Hypno and Slowking are some of the best options for spreading paralysis to these foes. Grass-types such as Bellossom and Vileplume can also paralyze various foes with Stun Spore.
[SET]
name: Cleric RestTalk
move 1: Frustration
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Among Granbull's numerous options is one of the most valuable support moves in the game, Heal Bell. Granbull hits quite hard with its unboosted Frustration against nearly everything that doesn't resist it, and Heal Bell is an excellent support option that allows its teammates to play more recklessly against status inducers. For example, teammates such as Nidoqueen and Scyther can more freely make assaults against Grass- and Psychic-types that often sacrifice their health to cripple them with paralysis in return. Furthermore, threats that struggle to fit recovery, such as Belly Drum Quagsire and boosting Politoed variants, can potentially use Rest in their fourth moveslot to assist them in setting up multiple times in a game. However, this Granbull set struggles more than others against bulky RestTalk users such as Slowbro and opposing Granbull, and its lower threat level can allow foes that would normally have to switch out against it to pose a threat. Furthermore, as a mono-attacker, it suffers from similar flaws to Curse RestTalk Granbull against Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types, and in particular, it can provide Kabutops with a setup opportunity that Curse Granbull would not provide as easily. Moreover, having Heal Bell in a moveslot can be more of a curse than a blessing when considering that it has nearly no effect in many circumstances and therefore reduces the usefulness of RestTalk. While it can wake Granbull up early, the more turns Granbull spends not attacking or recovering health, the more turns the foe has to land a game-changing critical hit.
Team Options
========
As this Granbull set only has a single attacking move and is therefore easily forced out by Pokemon that resist it, Pokemon that can deal with its counters are highly recommended. Haunter and Omastar both dominate Granbull, but they can be mostly neutralized by teammates such as Hypno, Ampharos, and Slowking. Magneton can similarly be checked by Nidoqueen, Ampharos, and Piloswine. Common offensive threats such as Nidoqueen and Scyther can be more bold when facing Pokemon that threaten to inflict status against them when supported by Granbull's Heal Bell. Similarly, Belly Drum and Growth users such as Quagsire and Politoed can potentially run Rest without Sleep Talk with the intention of waking them up at full health with Heal Bell. This same strategy can also be used with Curse users and Swords Dance users, potentially giving them an opportunity to run a useful coverage attack without sacrificing as much by dropping Sleep Talk. Finally, Rest Blastoise can take advantage of cleric Granbull to give it an extra advantage against Qwilfish as it tries to keep Spikes off the field by either dropping Sleep Talk for a coverage move or reducing the turns it needs to spend using Sleep Talk.
[SET]
name: Coverage Attacker
move 1: Curse / Thunder
move 2: Frustration
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Lovely Kiss / Protect / Thunder
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While mono-attacking Granbull sets must sometimes patiently wait for their counters to be chipped down or otherwise removed before they can really let loose, such counters are almost non-existent for this set. Frustration is mandatory as Granbull's powerful STAB attack, 3HKOing a significant portion of the metagame. Hidden Power Ground is similarly important, as it 2HKOes Magneton and Haunter, two Pokemon that very commonly switch into Granbull. Hidden Power Ground can also be used to chip away at Graveler and Omastar, which are two of Granbull's sturdier checks. For its last two moveslots, Granbull can elect to use Curse to boost its attacking power and make it more sturdy against physical attackers such as opposing Granbull, Nidoqueen, and Scyther, as well as against Explosion users such as Electrode. If Curse is used before revealing its moveset, Granbull can also potentially surprise OHKO Magneton and Haunter with +1 Hidden Power Ground, although it only has just under 50% chance to OHKO the latter. As an alternative to Curse, Thunder can be used to threaten Omastar, which takes relatively low damage even from +1 Hidden Power Ground. In addition to threatening a 2HKO on Omastar with Spikes support, Thunder also instantly threatens a 2HKO and paralysis on Qwilfish, Gyarados, and Kabutops and a 3HKO on Slowbro, whereas variants without Thunder must use Curse first to achieve these benchmarks. However, without Curse to boost its Attack, Granbull risks being worn down and beaten by RestTalk users, especially those that are faster such as Hypno, Ampharos, and Blastoise. By boosting its Attack, 3HKOs against these foes become 2HKOs, which makes Granbull much more reliable at taking them down.
Granbull has several good options for the final moveslot. The most obvious choice is Lovely Kiss, which grants it a potent weapon with which it can incapacitate many Pokemon that may switch into it, such as Qwilfish, Haunter, and Shuckle. Lovely Kiss can be used offensively, against Granbull's checks, or defensively, against opposing sweepers that are difficult to control, such as Scyther. It can also be used as a way to deal with Baton Pass users, such as Girafarig, or their recipients, such as Quagsire. However, Pokemon such as RestTalk Omastar, Blastoise, and Slowbro may be able to beat Granbull even when it has put them to sleep. An alternative to Lovely Kiss is Protect, which has good synergy with Curse. This will allow Granbull to gain additional Leftovers recovery at crucial times, which could lead to an additional KO. Protect can also be used to scout for moves such as Explosion and Destiny Bond. Finally, Thunder may be used alongside Curse to maximize Granbull's coverage without sacrificing its ability to boost, which can help it deal with nearly all of its checks effectively.
Team Options
========
Granbull benefits tremendously from Light Screen and paralysis support. Electrode, Mr. Mime, Hypno, Ampharos, and Chansey are all great options for providing this support. Electrode can also provide offensive momentum with Explosion, whereas Ampharos and Chansey tend to be chosen as part of a defensive core. Depending on the approach taken, Granbull can work on an offensive team that relies on keeping up momentum or can be used on a team that stalls out the opposing team until a good opportunity for Granbull can be found. On offensive teams, Granbull will typically want to run Lovely Kiss to maximize the number of foes it can get past without switching out, whereas on more defensive teams, it may want to consider running Protect in tandem with a spinner to gradually regain health after it takes a foe down. Offensive teams will want to run teammates such as Scyther, Pinsir, and Dodrio, whereas defensive teams might choose Blastoise. Spikes support can help Granbull secure KOs on foes such as Haunter and Omastar, so Qwilfish is a worthy consideration for a teammate. As Granbull can surprise KO Magneton and Haunter, it can be effective to run a second Normal-type with Curse such as Wigglytuff or Chansey to overload the opponent's answers to Curse users. Similarly, Dodrio and Lickitung can potentially benefit from these surprise KOs, as their powerful STAB attacks will no longer be met with resistances. Granbull is also a good Baton Pass recipient and is capable of making good use of both Speed and Attack boosts, so teammates such as Girafarig and Scyther can also perform well with it.
[SET]
name: Coverage RestTalk
move 1: Frustration
move 2: Hidden Power Ground
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Granbull's mono-attacking sets have good durability with RestTalk but often find themselves walled and taken advantage of by Pokemon that resist Normal. This set aims to solve that problem without losing too much durability. Normal + Ground coverage is unresisted in GSC UU, and Granbull's STAB Frustration is among the strongest physical attacks in the tier. Hidden Power Ground always 2HKOes Magneton and Haunter and does decent damage to Graveler and Omastar. It should be noted that using Hidden Power Ground reduces Granbull's HP by 16 due to DV requirements, which makes it slightly less bulky than mono-attacking variants. This set really shines when it becomes the recipient of Attack boosts from Scyther, which can make it almost impossible to deal with defensively.
Team Options
========
This Granbull set lacks the means to boost its damage output, which can result in poor matchups against bulky special attackers in particular. Scyther is an obvious partner, as it can pass Attack boosts to Granbull, making it almost impossible to wall. Light Screen support from Ampharos can also help both Scyther and Granbull while simultaneously aiding against special attackers. Hypno is a valid alternative to Ampharos that can play a similar role. Bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Blastoise, Omastar, Gyarados, and Feraligatr are also helpful for taking on Ground-types and opposing Granbull. Slowbro can check most physical attackers other than Scyther and Pinsir adequately, Blastoise is an excellent check to Nidoqueen and provides Rapid Spin support, Omastar is one of the best answers to Granbull in the tier and can check Hidden Power Bug Scyther, Gyarados checks Scyther and can function as an alternative Baton Pass recipient, and Feraligatr is a solid all-around Water-type that can also function as a decent Baton Pass recipient.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Roar is a viable option that gives Granbull a tool against foes that might boost their stats alongside it, such as Kabutops, opposing Granbull, and Shuckle. However, it generally comes at the expense of a better option such as a coverage move. Granbull can be an effective anti-lead with Dynamic Punch and Shadow Ball as alternative high-powered options to Hidden Power Ground that deal extra damage to opposing Granbull, Haunter, Rock-types, and Psychic-types. Lovely Kiss can also be used to make Granbull even more difficult to handle. However, despite its coverage, Granbull can still struggle with certain physically bulky foes, and its low Speed hurts the effectiveness of such a low-durability set. Hyper Beam is a very powerful weapon that can unexpectedly OHKO foes at +1 Attack, but it has obvious drawbacks in the recharge turn and the cost of a moveslot. Present can be used alongside Frustration to potentially deal heavy damage to certain targets such as Slowbro, Blastoise, and Omastar. However, Granbull will still struggle to deal with Haunter and Magneton unless it also has Hidden Power Ground, which means it must either sacrifice the longevity of RestTalk or be walled by similar foes to the otherwise superior Curse set. Furthermore, Present can be highly unreliable in terms of damage output. Zap Cannon can be used to turn Granbull into a paralysis spreader, which could help it get past certain foes or make them easier to handle for its teammates. However, this can decrease Granbull's effectiveness in taking on Ground-types, opposing Granbull, and Magneton.
Checks and Counters
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**Rock-types**: Omastar is the tier's premier counter to Granbull, convincingly 3HKOing with Surf and potentially 2HKOing with Hydro Pump. A RestTalk set has great odds to beat nearly any Granbull set, even if Granbull has boosted Attack. Furthermore, its excellent Special Attack, coverage options, and Thief allow it to threaten just about anything that the opponent may switch to. However, it does need to be careful of variants with Thunder or the combination of Lovely Kiss, Curse, and Hidden Power Ground, especially if paired with Light Screen support. An even more reliable answer is Shuckle, which can wall nearly any Granbull set indefinitely but lacks the offensive presence of Omastar. Healthy Kabutops has a fighting chance against mono-attacking Granbull variants with its somewhat powerful Hydro Pump or Swords Dance-boosted Submission but should otherwise generally steer clear of taking Granbull on. Graveler can have issues fitting moves with which to reliably beat Granbull, but Explosion is generally enough to stop a Granbull that only has one Curse boost by knocking it into KO range of a teammate.
**Haunter**: Haunter is an excellent answer to mono-attacking Granbull, and it has the tools to threaten both Granbull and its teammates. In addition, Destiny Bond can allow it to trade for Granbull variants that have Hidden Power Ground, and Hypnosis can be used out of caution when the set is unknown. However, if Haunter is the sole answer to Granbull, one should take care not to use Explosion against another foe if Granbull will be difficult to deal with later without Haunter. This consideration can restrict Haunter's offensive potential substantially.
**Magneton**: Magneton is an excellent counter to mono-attacking Granbull, taking advantage of it by setting up Reflect, setting up Substitute, or simply chipping away at Granbull or its teammates with its powerful special attacks. However, Magneton must be very careful to avoid getting OHKOed by a boosted Hidden Power Ground from Granbull.
**Bulky Special Attackers**: Slowbro is one of the few Pokemon that does not resist Normal that can claim any kind of reliability against Granbull due to its formidable physical bulk, powerful STAB attacks, and efficacy as a RestTalk user. It avoids not only a 3HKO from unboosted Frustration but also a 2HKO from +1 Frustration. However, Granbull does outspeed it and can occasionally have Thunder, which 3HKOes it. Pokemon that can hit a boosted Granbull very hard from the special side as well as take a hit from unboosted Granbull, such as Ampharos and Arcanine, can switch into Granbull and threaten it with enough damage that it may be forced to switch out. However, these are far from reliable answers, as they rely on moves with imperfect accuracy for a chance at a 2HKO and cannot be assured of a 2HKO without prior chip damage. These special attackers, as well as other less powerful ones such as Blastoise, Reflect Hypno, and Feraligatr, can sometimes be sufficient to deal with non-boosting Granbull variants.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Century Express, 234737], [Diophantine, 370164]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
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