[SET]
Offensive Z-Move (Tapu Bulu) @ Rockium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat / High Horsepower
[SET COMMENTS]
Tapu Bulu is a niche wallbreaker that sets itself apart from other offensive Grass-types thanks to its unique coverage options. Notably, its access to Stone Edge powered up into Continental Crush allows Tapu Bulu to seriously threaten defensive cores relying on slow Flying-types like Corviknight, Celesteela, and Moltres, although its mediocre speed tier and limited overall coverage make it less consistent than most of its competition. Swords Dance allows Tapu Bulu to boosts its attack to the levels needed to break through defensive cores. Horn Leech is the preferred STAB-move, as it gives Tapu Bulu additional recovery when combined with Grassy Terrain and still has significant power, OHKOing Ogerpon-W, Offensive Garchomp, and Ting-Lu at +2. Stone Edge, and by extension Continental Crush, hits Flying-types; Continental Crush OHKOes Celesteela, Gliscor, and some Corviknight sets after Stealth Rock, while Stone Edge prevents Zapdos, Tornadus-T, Moltres, and Mega Charizard Y from safely switching in. Close Combat is the preferred last move to hit Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Melmetal, and Kartana. However, High Horsepower can be considered instead to hit Gholdengo and Raging Bolt harder while retaining a reasonably powerful hit on the aforementioned targets. 164 Speed EVs lets Tapu Bulu outrun uninvested Gliscor.
Tapu Bulu fits on teams that require a wallbreaker that can break through bulky balance cores and need a check to Ground- and Water-types like Garchomp, Urshifu-R, and Ogerpon-W. Tapu Bulu's ability to set Grassy Terrain is appreciated by many Grounded teammates that are weak to Earthquake. Steel-types such as Melmetal, Heatran, and Gholdengo appreciate the benefits of Grassy Terrain and can help check certain Flying-types, such as Zapdos and Tornadus-T, as well as Pecharunt, who is a very poor matchup for Tapu Bulu. Tapu Bulu is easily forced out by faster Fire-types, so a Water-type teammate such as Toxapex, Slowbro, or Urshifu-R is a good teammate. These Water-types appreciate Tapu Bulu checking Grass- and Electric-types such as Ogerpon-W, Raging Bolt, and Tapu Koko. Tapu Bulu will struggle to break through certain Steel-types depending on its last coverage move, so Fire-types such as Moltres, Heatran, and Volcarona are good teammates. Thunder Wave support is also very useful, as Tapu Bulu's middling speed tier can make it a liability versus more offensive teams otherwise. Paralysis spreaders such as Gholdengo, Clefable, and Zapdos are good teammates as a result. Fast physical attackers that struggle to break through physical walls like Corviknight, Slowbro, and Gliscor appreciate Tapu Bulu wallbreaking for them and can help Tapu Bulu break down shared checks if it doesn't have the exact coverage for the situation. Mega Lopunny, Urshifu-R, and Iron Valiant are good teammates as a result.
[SET CREDITS]
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