[OVERVIEW]
Bellibolt carves out a niche for itself thanks to being a bulky Electric-type, which lets it checks dangerous Flying-types like Flamigo, Kilowattrel, and Scyther better than any other wall can. On top of that, it easily punishes the omnipresent U-turn as well as other contact moves like Cinccino's Tail Slap with both Static and its Rocky Helmet, and unlike other walls or tanks, Bellibolt doesn't give up momentum as easily because of its access to Volt Switch, letting it pivot out of bad matchups. Bellibolt's ability to pivot also means that it complements wallbreakers extremely well, giving them a myriad of opportunities to come in. However, this affinity for pivoting can also lead to Bellibolt's downfall, making it quite susceptible to entry hazards if it lacks Heavy-Duty Boots, and if Bellibolt runs that item, then it misses out on the extra chip damage granted by Rocky Helmet, allowing it to be attacked without as great of a concern as otherwise. Additionally, even though Bellibolt can use Toxic to chip away at Ground-types like Flygon and Gastrodon, they still force it out, which grants them a free turn to set hazards or start boosting. Another glaring issue with Bellibolt is its lack of resistances; although a physically defensive Flying-resistant wall with reliable recovery is rare, Bellibolt is often designated as the main physical wall for its team, needing to stomach repeated powerful neutral attacks such as Flamigo's Close Combat and Paldean Tauros-W's Wave Crash. This situation can be worsened even more so if these attackers carry a Choice Band, which they often do, and poison-immune setup sweepers like Toxtricity, Munkidori, and Toxicroak can use Bellibolt as setup fodder, since all it can do is use Volt Switch.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Muddy Water / Soak / Chilling Water
item: Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Static
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
tera type: Fairy / Flying
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Bellibolt's last moveslot is very flexible due to Volt Switch already getting Bellibolt out of bad matchups such as those versus Toxtricity and Toxic punishing Ground-types that want to switch in on it like Gastrodon. This leaves its only significant adversary to be Gligar, which can't be poisoned due to Immunity. For this reason, Bellibolt often goes with Muddy Water to deal good damage to it and fish for accuracy drops against foes. On the other hand, when Soak is used against an incoming Ground-type, it allows Bellibolt to keep up momentum and immediately pivot with Volt Switch. Additionally, it allows Bellibolt to use Toxic against Steel- and Poison-types like Bronzong, Copperajah, and Amoonguss, helping its team out. Chilling Water offers a way to stave off bulky setup sweepers like Bulk Up users such as Scrafty and Poison Heal Breloom. The choice between Rocky Helmet and Heavy-Duty Boots usually comes down to if Bellibolt's team has entry hazard removal: if it does, Rocky Helmet is preferred due to how it lets Bellibolt punish U-turn, Flamigo, and other physical attackers with chip damage, but if there is no removal, Heavy-Duty Boots ensures Bellibolt stays healthy even in the face of hazards. Static complements Rocky Helmet's contact-punishing effects especially well, but its also just Bellibolt's best ability with how it threatens paralysis on all foes that use a contact move. Tera Fairy offers Bellibolt a Fighting resistance, which lets it more easily take a Close Combat from Flamigo, Heracross, and Paldean Tauros-F, and it offers a solid defensive typing that eases its matchup against Flygon and Scrafty. Tera Flying grants Bellibolt a Fighting resistance and a Ground immunity, meaning it can handle a Close Combat when needed from the aforementioned Fighting-types and avoid an Earthquake from Flygon. However, this leaves it open to Stealth Rock chip damage if it lacks Heavy-Duty Boots.
One of Bellibolt's biggest issues is with Ground-types like Gastrodon, Flygon, and Gligar, as they block its Volt Switch. This leads to teammates like Decidueye, Alolan Ninetales, and Vaporeon pairing well alongside it. Additionally, thanks to Bellibolt constantly drawing in Ground-types and being able to accumulate chip damage with Toxic, Pokemon that can struggle with breaking past them such as Paldean Tauros-F, Toxicroak, and Diancie enjoy Bellibolt's presence. Entry hazard removers like Tsareena, Altaria, and Avalugg help out non-Heavy-Duty Boots Bellibolt sets, which can be easily overwhelmed by hazards. In a similar fashion, physical wallbreakers like Flamigo, Heracross, and Paldean Tauros-F can blow through Bellibolt with their strong neutral attacks, leading to secondary physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Sylveon, and the aforementioned Altaria being welcomed as partners. Bellibolt's slow Volt Switch can facilitate the entry of many wallbreakers, and since it commonly draws in Decidueye, Amoonguss, and Alolan Muk, teammates such as Swords Dance Incineroar, Calm Mind or Choice Specs Chandelure, and Choice Band Flygon synergize well, capatilizing on these switch-ins. A complementary special wall like Wo-Chien, Gastrodon, or Alolan Muk pairs well with Bellibolt, as it can handle special wallbreakers like Basculegion-M, Toxtricity, and Chandelure for it, while Bellibolt can take on physical ones such as Cinccino, Flamigo, and Paldean Tauros-F.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Acid Spray lets Bellibolt threaten decent chip damage on walls, and it can help partners as well thanks to Bellibolt's Volt Switch. However, it doesn't let Bellibolt rack up chip damage on Ground-types like Toxic does. Parabolic Charge or Discharge can be used, but Bellibolt prefers the pivoting that Volt Switch offers. Bellibolt can run other moves in its last moveslot to aid itself and its team like Reflect, Light Screen, and Thunder Wave, but this leaves it walled by Gligar. Tera Water boosts Muddy Water and Chilling Water, but more importantly, it removes Bellibolt's Ground weakness while giving it Water and Fire resistances, aiding Bellibolt versus Paldean Tauros-W and Infernape. However, these resistances aren't as useful as the ones provided by Tera Fairy or Flying. Tera Poison lets Bellibolt become immune to poison and resist Fighting-type attacks so that it can take on Alolan Muk as well as Fighting-types like Heracross and Flamigo. It maintains Bellibolt's Ground weakness, though. Leftovers can be used on Bellibolt for extra recovery, but the punishment of Rocky Helmet and the security of Heavy-Duty Boots are usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
====
**Electric-immune Pokemon**: Flygon, Gastrodon, Gligar, and Volt Absorb Kilowattrel pose a threat to Bellibolt, as they block its Volt Switch from working, forcing it to switch out manually, give these foes a free turn, and allow them to boost their stats, set up entry hazards, or capitalize on Bellibolt's manual switch and pivot with U-turn, consequently allowing them to gain more momentum. However, Toxic is annoying for Flygon, Gastrodon, and Kilowattrel to deal with long-term, and Gligar is often overwhelmed by having to repeatedly take Muddy Water on top of hazard chip damage.
**Wallbreakers and Setup Sweepers**: Bellibolt's lack of resistances leaves it open to being overwhelmed by common wallbreakers, including physical attackers like Choice Band Paldean Tauros-W and Guts Heracross. Additionally, setup sweepers like Flygon, Substitute Raikou, Toxicroak, Munkidori, and Toxtricity can easily take advantage of Bellibolt, the first of which does that by threatening an Earthquake, whereas the other four simply aren't affected by Toxic and can comfortably take a Volt Switch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Bellibolt carves out a niche for itself thanks to being a bulky Electric-type, which lets it checks dangerous Flying-types like Flamigo, Kilowattrel, and Scyther better than any other wall can. On top of that, it easily punishes the omnipresent U-turn as well as other contact moves like Cinccino's Tail Slap with both Static and its Rocky Helmet, and unlike other walls or tanks, Bellibolt doesn't give up momentum as easily because of its access to Volt Switch, letting it pivot out of bad matchups. Bellibolt's ability to pivot also means that it complements wallbreakers extremely well, giving them a myriad of opportunities to come in. However, this affinity for pivoting can also lead to Bellibolt's downfall, making it quite susceptible to entry hazards if it lacks Heavy-Duty Boots, and if Bellibolt runs that item, then it misses out on the extra chip damage granted by Rocky Helmet, allowing it to be attacked without as great of a concern as otherwise. Additionally, even though Bellibolt can use Toxic to chip away at Ground-types like Flygon and Gastrodon, they still force it out, which grants them a free turn to set hazards or start boosting. Another glaring issue with Bellibolt is its lack of resistances; although a physically defensive Flying-resistant wall with reliable recovery is rare, Bellibolt is often designated as the main physical wall for its team, needing to stomach repeated powerful neutral attacks such as Flamigo's Close Combat and Paldean Tauros-W's Wave Crash. This situation can be worsened even more so if these attackers carry a Choice Band, which they often do, and poison-immune setup sweepers like Toxtricity, Munkidori, and Toxicroak can use Bellibolt as setup fodder, since all it can do is use Volt Switch.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Muddy Water / Soak / Chilling Water
item: Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Static
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
tera type: Fairy / Flying
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Bellibolt's last moveslot is very flexible due to Volt Switch already getting Bellibolt out of bad matchups such as those versus Toxtricity and Toxic punishing Ground-types that want to switch in on it like Gastrodon. This leaves its only significant adversary to be Gligar, which can't be poisoned due to Immunity. For this reason, Bellibolt often goes with Muddy Water to deal good damage to it and fish for accuracy drops against foes. On the other hand, when Soak is used against an incoming Ground-type, it allows Bellibolt to keep up momentum and immediately pivot with Volt Switch. Additionally, it allows Bellibolt to use Toxic against Steel- and Poison-types like Bronzong, Copperajah, and Amoonguss, helping its team out. Chilling Water offers a way to stave off bulky setup sweepers like Bulk Up users such as Scrafty and Poison Heal Breloom. The choice between Rocky Helmet and Heavy-Duty Boots usually comes down to if Bellibolt's team has entry hazard removal: if it does, Rocky Helmet is preferred due to how it lets Bellibolt punish U-turn, Flamigo, and other physical attackers with chip damage, but if there is no removal, Heavy-Duty Boots ensures Bellibolt stays healthy even in the face of hazards. Static complements Rocky Helmet's contact-punishing effects especially well, but its also just Bellibolt's best ability with how it threatens paralysis on all foes that use a contact move. Tera Fairy offers Bellibolt a Fighting resistance, which lets it more easily take a Close Combat from Flamigo, Heracross, and Paldean Tauros-F, and it offers a solid defensive typing that eases its matchup against Flygon and Scrafty. Tera Flying grants Bellibolt a Fighting resistance and a Ground immunity, meaning it can handle a Close Combat when needed from the aforementioned Fighting-types and avoid an Earthquake from Flygon. However, this leaves it open to Stealth Rock chip damage if it lacks Heavy-Duty Boots.
One of Bellibolt's biggest issues is with Ground-types like Gastrodon, Flygon, and Gligar, as they block its Volt Switch. This leads to teammates like Decidueye, Alolan Ninetales, and Vaporeon pairing well alongside it. Additionally, thanks to Bellibolt constantly drawing in Ground-types and being able to accumulate chip damage with Toxic, Pokemon that can struggle with breaking past them such as Paldean Tauros-F, Toxicroak, and Diancie enjoy Bellibolt's presence. Entry hazard removers like Tsareena, Altaria, and Avalugg help out non-Heavy-Duty Boots Bellibolt sets, which can be easily overwhelmed by hazards. In a similar fashion, physical wallbreakers like Flamigo, Heracross, and Paldean Tauros-F can blow through Bellibolt with their strong neutral attacks, leading to secondary physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Sylveon, and the aforementioned Altaria being welcomed as partners. Bellibolt's slow Volt Switch can facilitate the entry of many wallbreakers, and since it commonly draws in Decidueye, Amoonguss, and Alolan Muk, teammates such as Swords Dance Incineroar, Calm Mind or Choice Specs Chandelure, and Choice Band Flygon synergize well, capatilizing on these switch-ins. A complementary special wall like Wo-Chien, Gastrodon, or Alolan Muk pairs well with Bellibolt, as it can handle special wallbreakers like Basculegion-M, Toxtricity, and Chandelure for it, while Bellibolt can take on physical ones such as Cinccino, Flamigo, and Paldean Tauros-F.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Acid Spray lets Bellibolt threaten decent chip damage on walls, and it can help partners as well thanks to Bellibolt's Volt Switch. However, it doesn't let Bellibolt rack up chip damage on Ground-types like Toxic does. Parabolic Charge or Discharge can be used, but Bellibolt prefers the pivoting that Volt Switch offers. Bellibolt can run other moves in its last moveslot to aid itself and its team like Reflect, Light Screen, and Thunder Wave, but this leaves it walled by Gligar. Tera Water boosts Muddy Water and Chilling Water, but more importantly, it removes Bellibolt's Ground weakness while giving it Water and Fire resistances, aiding Bellibolt versus Paldean Tauros-W and Infernape. However, these resistances aren't as useful as the ones provided by Tera Fairy or Flying. Tera Poison lets Bellibolt become immune to poison and resist Fighting-type attacks so that it can take on Alolan Muk as well as Fighting-types like Heracross and Flamigo. It maintains Bellibolt's Ground weakness, though. Leftovers can be used on Bellibolt for extra recovery, but the punishment of Rocky Helmet and the security of Heavy-Duty Boots are usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
====
**Electric-immune Pokemon**: Flygon, Gastrodon, Gligar, and Volt Absorb Kilowattrel pose a threat to Bellibolt, as they block its Volt Switch from working, forcing it to switch out manually, give these foes a free turn, and allow them to boost their stats, set up entry hazards, or capitalize on Bellibolt's manual switch and pivot with U-turn, consequently allowing them to gain more momentum. However, Toxic is annoying for Flygon, Gastrodon, and Kilowattrel to deal with long-term, and Gligar is often overwhelmed by having to repeatedly take Muddy Water on top of hazard chip damage.
**Wallbreakers and Setup Sweepers**: Bellibolt's lack of resistances leaves it open to being overwhelmed by common wallbreakers, including physical attackers like Choice Band Paldean Tauros-W and Guts Heracross. Additionally, setup sweepers like Flygon, Substitute Raikou, Toxicroak, Munkidori, and Toxtricity can easily take advantage of Bellibolt, the first of which does that by threatening an Earthquake, whereas the other four simply aren't affected by Toxic and can comfortably take a Volt Switch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
