[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Spore
item: Focus Sash /
Fight Fighting Gem
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Technician
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While some leads are designed to set up hazards, and others are designed to disrupt the other team's plans, few leads are designed to straight up murder the opposing team with one wrong move. Breloom is one of these select few, boasting unparalleled power, the threat of
a 60
base Base Power Mach Punch, and Spore.</p>
<p>Both Focus Sash and Spore make it easy for this Breloom to set up a Swords Dance, and once Swords Dance is up, Breloom is looking at a massive 718 Attack with Jolly, and 788 with Adamant. Combine that with Bullet Seed and a Technician-boosted Mach Punch, and this Breloom presents an immediate threat that must be dealt with, and if not handled correctly, can easily spell doom for the opposing team. Slower leads become an extreme liability, and hazard setup is unfeasible, as an undamaged Breloom with Focus Sash, Mach Punch, and a Swords Dance under its belt is the kind of threat that most teams are simply unprepared to deal with.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This Breloom is all about raw offense, and it's got a spread to match. Maximizing Speed and Attack is crucial to the success of this set, and a Jolly nature gives Breloom a Speed edge on crucial Pokemon. Adamant is an option as well, as it can be used to secure KOs with Mach Punch that would otherwise be out of reach
(such as...?). Focus Sash is the optimal item on this
Breloom set, as it gives Breloom the crucial turn needed to either Spore or Swords Dance, and when brought out against a slower Pokemon, synergizes with Spore to give you not only a turn of setup, but a turn in which Breloom can respond to any attack with lethal force.
Fight Fighting Gem is another option, as it gives Breloom the ability to score some crucial KOs with Mach Punch, such as Choice Scarf Jirachi and Garchomp (after Stealth Rock). Life Orb is also an option, as it gives Breloom reliable power, and makes Breloom more effective in the few situations where it is unable to secure a boost.</p>
<p>As a lead, this set requires little assistance. Instead, it's important to make the most of the advantage that using
this Breloom
set as a lead provides for the team. Pokemon that rely on a lack of Stealth Rock do well, since lead Breloom both prevents an early drop of Stealth Rock and sets an aggressive tone for the match that can help keep it off the field. This means that powerful Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon such as Volcarona and Thundurus-T can
come switch in with
their full
HP bulk. Another option is to use Breloom to pave the way for other Fighting-types, as it can command the presence of Fighting-resistant Pokemon with Mach Punch, absorb a hit with Focus Sash, and then eliminate them with Bullet Seed.</p>
<p>When played as a
lategame late-game sweeper, it is of the utmost importance that faster Fighting resists are eliminated. As always, Gothitelle can be an extremely potent ally, as its high Special Defense can allow it to eliminate some potential threats, such as Celebi, Tornadus, Starmie, and Latios. Entry hazards are also
once again incredibly important, as even with a Technician boost, Mach Punch
is still only
has 60 Base Power. Terrakion
,(RC) is one of the best offensive Stealth Rock users in the metagame, especially for offensive teams, which are the most likely to use a Breloom set such as this one. Skarmory and Forretress are also efficient Spikers that can assist Breloom by weakening the enemy team with layers of Spikes. Finally, U-turn or Volt Switch users can be extremely effective, as they can help bring Breloom in at the perfect time when it is most likely to sweep effectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Low Sweep / Focus Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Spore
item: Life Orb /
Fight Fighting Gem
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Technician
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When you talk about terrifying physical attackers in OU, this set is one of the first that leaps to mind. The raw power of an item-boosted Low Sweep is seriously intimidating, doubly so when you consider that Low Sweep rules out a long list of would-be counters by virtue of its Speed-reducing property. Would-be checks such as Latios, Starmie, Tornadus, and others quickly find themselves unable to do their job when crippled by Low Sweep. On the flip side,
Fight Fighting Gem paired with Focus Punch rewards prediction on a grand scale, as it provides the raw power to OHKO top threats to Breloom even through a resistance. Mach Punch gives it a burst of immediate power against speedy threats such as Terrakion and Hydreigon, while Bullet Seed gives it the potential of unparalleled power with an attack capable of reaching 187.5 Base Power. Spore caps the set off, as any Pokemon capable of sponging these attacks still has to contend with the threat of sleep, rendering it helpless against Breloom's assaults.</p>
<p>This set comes in two flavors: Life Orb and
Fight Fighting Gem. While
Fight Fighting Gem has the edge in raw
turn 1 power
on the first turn, Life Orb makes up for it with versatility and lasting power. Life Orb can 2HKO troublesome Pokemon such as Starmie with Low Sweep into Bullet Seed, but
Fight Fighting Gem can simply OHKO troublesome Pokemon with Focus Punch as they come in. In general,
Fight Fighting Gem rewards prediction more, while Life Orb is a bit easier to use, and is more equipped to handle unforeseen circumstances.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With a Pokemon
such as this like Breloom, there's little need to get fancy with EV spreads
-(hyphen)—a simple
4/252/252 4 / 252 / 252 spread will suffice. The choice of nature, however, is a bit more complex. Jolly is most important on the Life Orb set, as it allows Breloom to not only outspeed notable threats such as Starmie after a Low Sweep, but also gives it the edge against Adamant Mamoswine to beat it out with Mach Punch. However, Adamant gives Low Sweep some much-needed bite, allowing Breloom to secure some much-needed 2HKOs without having to switch moves
(some examples would be nice). Choice Band is a third option for the item
slot, as it gives Breloom an increase in staying power (due to a lack of Life Orb recoil) and the boost of a
Fight Fighting Gem on every attack. However, it all but negates the use of either Spore or Focus Punch (which are arguably Breloom's most important moves on this set), as being locked into either attack makes Breloom a gigantic liability.</p>
<p>There are some alternative choices for the fourth moveslot, mostly for use with Choice Band. Stone Edge gives Breloom a way to threaten Dragonite immediately on the switch, and also provides excellent neutral coverage alongside its STABs. ThunderPunch is not only the most powerful attack against Skarmory, but it also absolutely obliterates Gyarados. Rock Tomb can operate as an analogue to Low Sweep, catching Tornadus and others with a Rock-type attack and then still having the options given by the guaranteed Speed drop. However, its low power makes it unappealing, and the utility of Spore often far outweighs it. Force Palm is an option over Low Sweep, giving Breloom a bit more of a supporting role. While it lacks the reliability of Low Sweep, it gains a 30% chance to paralyze any would-be Breloom counter, crippling them for the rest of the game. Finally, if sustaining Breloom is your primary concern, Drain Punch is an option. While its Base Power increase renders it unaffected by Technician, it's still a STAB 75 Base Power attack, and its healing can be invaluable when up against teams that either stack entry hazards or boast numerous weak attacks for Breloom to come in on.</p>
<p>This set is easy to fit onto many teams, though Gothitelle is probably its most effective ally. Many of Breloom's primary counters can be dealt with by Gothitelle, and with Shadow Tag providing trapping power, a successful Gothitelle play can make Breloom's life much easier. Breloom also forces a lot of switches, making entry hazards extremely potent. Stealth Rock is a must to help chip away at Flying-types and Levitate users, such as Dragonite and Latias, while Spikes can make dealing with Celebi a significantly easier task. Given the raw power of this set, entry hazards can be the difference between a safe 2HKO and an unsafe 3HKO. Finally, some solid Rapid Spin support can be invaluable given Breloom's inability to heal itself. Starmie is a good choice, as it resists Psychic and Fire, and can also sweep if opponents such as Latios find themselves weakened or eliminated.</p>
