[pimg]656[/pimg]
Current Analysis
<p>Sporting an afro and bling on its horns, Bouffalant has often been praised for its design. However, Bouffalant has other things going for it aside from its looks. Bouffalant's high Attack is backed by several powerful moves, including its signature move Head Charge, and its bulk allows it to take hits rather well. It also has access to Sap Sipper, which lets it take advantage of almost all Grass-types, such as Amoonguss and Lilligant, and also gives it an immunity to Smeargle's Spore. Unfortunately, Bouffalant is held back by its low Speed and rather bland typing that does next to nothing to help its coverage. However, if you can work around these problems, Bouffalant is a great Pokemon in RU, and its Afro will smash anything in its path. </p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Head Charge / Return
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Swords Dance
item: Leftovers
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because Bouffalant forces a lot of switches, it has many opportunities to set up a Substitute. Ideally, the goal is to switch into an expected Sleep Powder or another Grass-type move to get an Attack boost and then proceed to set up a Substitute as the opponent switches out. Another way to set up a Substitute is to scare away a wall and set one up as it switches out. Behind a Substitute, Bouffalant is very hard to revenge kill, as then it can take a hit from a Pokemon such as Hitmonlee or and Medicham and OHKO them back with ease. Head Charge is a potent 120 Base Power STAB attack coming off of Bouffalant's high Attack and will heavily dent even the bulkiest Pokemon if Bouffalant gets a Sap Sipper boost. Return is a weaker option, but because it doesn't deal any recoil damage, it can be used in order to set up more Substitutes. Normal is resisted by Rock-types and Steel-types, but Earthquake hits these two super effectively. Stone Edge destroys most Flying-types, such as Aerodactyl and Archeops, and is Bouffalant's best option against Rotom and other Levitating Ghosts, which are immune to its STAB and Earthquake. If Stone Edge is not needed, then Swords Dance is also a useful tool as Bouffalant can set up a Swords Dance as a slower opponent like Steelix breaks its Substitute, making it hit even harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Attack and also outspeeds Lanturns that don't invest in Speed. Notably, Bouffalant has enough bulk to take an uninvested Scald from Lanturn so that its Substitute will remain intact. An alternative spread is to give invest 216 Speed EVs to outspeed all variants of Aggron without a Speed boosting nature. Maximum Speed outspeeds uninvested Qwlifish, but most Qwilfish invest in their Speed to outpace Adamant Bouffalant. Megahorn is an interesting option for this set, as after a Sap Sipper boost it is capable of OHKOing Slowking and also 2HKOing Tangrowth, but note that major targets of Megahorn are usually Grass-types, which are already helpless against Bouffalant.</p>
<p>Bouffalant is weak to Fighting-type attacks, and there are a number of users of these moves that reside in RU. Some Fighting-types like Hariyama can take a hit from Bouffalant, destroy its Substitute, and then proceed to OHKO, and others like Gallade can just flat out OHKO it. Due to this, Psychic-types such as Uxie and Slowking are good partners as they have an easy time against Fighting-types and can hit them back with their Psychic STABs. Bouffalant will have difficulties against Ghost-types, which are immune to its STAB, due to this Dark-type support from Drapion or Absol, which can hit hard with their STAB or hit Rotom or Misdreavus as they flee with Pursuit, is very useful. Note that if Bouffalant has Swords Dance, any Ghost that doesn't have an immunity to Ground will likely lose against Bouffalant. Finally, because Bouffalant is notable for its ability to force out or defeat almost every Grass-type in the tier, Pokemon like Omastar make good partners as they have a much easier time setting up for a sweep once their biggest obstacle is gone.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Earthquake / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Is Bouffalant not hitting hard enough for you? A Choice Band is an excellent fit for a Pokemon like Bouffalant, which can be a devastating physical attacker, especially if it gets a boost from Sap Sipper. As this set doesn't hold back, Head Charge is by far the superior choice and will demolish almost every Pokemon in RU. For example, 248/0 Escavalier gets 2HKOed by Head Charge with a Sap Sipper boost, despite having a decent bulk and resisting the move! Even without any Sap Sipper boosts, bulky Pokemon such as Poliwrath and Quagsire will get 2HKOed even with maximum investment.</p>
<p>The other moves are for coverage, as Head Charge doesn't always get the job done. Stone Edge gets past Pokemon like Sigilyph and Aerodactyl, easily OHKOing both of them. Once again, it is the best way for Bouffalant to deal with the likes of Rotom and other levitating Ghost-types. Megahorn is for denting Pokemon such as Cresselia, Uxie, and Tangrowth, which are bulky enough to take a Head Charge. The final slot is to take care of Steel-types. Earthquake is the more consistent option, dealing a good amount of damage to Steel-types like Steelix. However, Ferroseed takes neutral damage from Earthquake, but a Superpower will OHKO Ferroseed if Bouffalant gets a Sap Sipper boost. Unfortunately, this will often result in Bouffalant switching out, which makes Earthquake preferred in most cases.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs allows it Bouffalant to outspeed uninvested Lanturn, so it can't try to burn Bouffalant with Scald or do anything else irritating. 216 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed all Aggrons that do not have a boosting item or nature, which can allow Bouffalant to heavily damage it with an Earthquake before it can retaliate. Bouffalant has access to Pursuit, which can nail Rotom and Cryogonal if they try to flee from a different move. Return is a usable option over Head Charge if the recoil is not desired, but it is not suggested, as Bouffalant wants to hit as hard as possible, and the recoil is more often than not worth the increase in power.
<p>Although Bouffalant is capable of hitting several types of Pokemon hard, what it truly wants to do is eliminate the need to predict and use Head Charge without worrying about resists or immunities. This is also important to keep any boosts that have been accumulated through Sap Sipper. Ghost-types are easily worked around by using Dark-types such as Drapion and Absol, as their STAB Pursuits will trap them easily. Magneton is able to trap some of the Steel-types in RU, but there is no chance of it defeating Steelix, which unfortunately happens to be the most physically bulky Steel-type in the game. Water-types such as Omastar and Poliwrath are useful as they can get past Steelix with their Water STABs, and in return, Bouffalant can deal with the Grass-types that hinder them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bouffalant doesn't have many other options to consider. Bouffalant has access to Reckless, which makes its Head Charge hit 20% harder; however, losing out on Sap Sipper is very unfortunate. Wild Charge can be used with Reckless to hit Kabutops and Omastar harder, but note that Earthquake does enough to them and a neutral Head Charge is as powerful as a super effective Wild Charge. Anywhere Stone Edge is listed, Rock Slide can be used for a more accurate option, but the power drop is very noticeable, and even a super effective hit is hitting weaker than a neutral Head Charge. Bouffalant has other physical moves like Outrage, Iron Head, and Poison Jab, but they don't provide good coverage.</p>
<p>A Choice Scarf set can surprise a faster foe and land a KO on them, but Bouffalant doesn't have a good STAB for revenge killing or cleaning. Also, even with a Choice Scarf, the one Grass-type in the tier that actually can fight back, Sceptile, will still outspeed it and hit it with a Focus Blast to do a considerable amount of damage. Bouffalant can use Toxic to wear down walls, but Bouffalant has the power to 2HKO almost any wall in the tier, and the ones that it can't are generally immune to Toxic. Finally, Bouffalant has Rain Dance and Sunny Day, but it is generally outclassed at setting them up.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Bouffalant hits brutally hard, especially when backed up by a Sap Sipper boost, there are things that severely limit it. The best counters are Levitating Ghosts such as Rotom, Misdreavus, and Haunter, as they are immune to Head Charge and Earthquake while taking minimal damage from Megahorn. All three can also use Will-O-Wisp, which cripples Bouffalant. Steelix can also stop Bouffalant, as even an Earthquake isn't doing much thanks to its godly physical defenses. However, it will not enjoy taking an Earthquake if Bouffalant has acquired a lot of boosts, namely from a combination of Swords Dance and Sap Sipper. Ferroseed generally walls Bouffalant, and can deal enough damage with Gyro Ball to break Bouffalant's substitutes. Aside from a Choice Banded Head Charge, Quagsire can do well against Bouffalant, because it ignores Swords Dance and Sap Sipper boosts. Escavalier does not enjoy +1 Earthquakes or Stone Edges, but it otherwise is bulky enough to avoid 2HKOs from Head Charge as long as Bouffalant is only at +1, and can dent Bouffalant with a Choice Banded Megahorn. If nothing on your team can switch into Bouffalant safely, then revenge killing it is the way to go. As long as Bouffalant doesn't have a Substitute up, powerful Fighting-types such as Medcham and Hitmonlee can OHKO Bouffalant. Poliwrath in particular can avoid 2HKOs from unboosted variants and phaze it out with Circle Throw.</p>
Current Analysis
<p>Sporting an afro and bling on its horns, Bouffalant has often been praised for its design. However, Bouffalant has other things going for it aside from its looks. Bouffalant's high Attack is backed by several powerful moves, including its signature move Head Charge, and its bulk allows it to take hits rather well. It also has access to Sap Sipper, which lets it take advantage of almost all Grass-types, such as Amoonguss and Lilligant, and also gives it an immunity to Smeargle's Spore. Unfortunately, Bouffalant is held back by its low Speed and rather bland typing that does next to nothing to help its coverage. However, if you can work around these problems, Bouffalant is a great Pokemon in RU, and its Afro will smash anything in its path. </p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Head Charge / Return
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Swords Dance
item: Leftovers
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because Bouffalant forces a lot of switches, it has many opportunities to set up a Substitute. Ideally, the goal is to switch into an expected Sleep Powder or another Grass-type move to get an Attack boost and then proceed to set up a Substitute as the opponent switches out. Another way to set up a Substitute is to scare away a wall and set one up as it switches out. Behind a Substitute, Bouffalant is very hard to revenge kill, as then it can take a hit from a Pokemon such as Hitmonlee or and Medicham and OHKO them back with ease. Head Charge is a potent 120 Base Power STAB attack coming off of Bouffalant's high Attack and will heavily dent even the bulkiest Pokemon if Bouffalant gets a Sap Sipper boost. Return is a weaker option, but because it doesn't deal any recoil damage, it can be used in order to set up more Substitutes. Normal is resisted by Rock-types and Steel-types, but Earthquake hits these two super effectively. Stone Edge destroys most Flying-types, such as Aerodactyl and Archeops, and is Bouffalant's best option against Rotom and other Levitating Ghosts, which are immune to its STAB and Earthquake. If Stone Edge is not needed, then Swords Dance is also a useful tool as Bouffalant can set up a Swords Dance as a slower opponent like Steelix breaks its Substitute, making it hit even harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Attack and also outspeeds Lanturns that don't invest in Speed. Notably, Bouffalant has enough bulk to take an uninvested Scald from Lanturn so that its Substitute will remain intact. An alternative spread is to give invest 216 Speed EVs to outspeed all variants of Aggron without a Speed boosting nature. Maximum Speed outspeeds uninvested Qwlifish, but most Qwilfish invest in their Speed to outpace Adamant Bouffalant. Megahorn is an interesting option for this set, as after a Sap Sipper boost it is capable of OHKOing Slowking and also 2HKOing Tangrowth, but note that major targets of Megahorn are usually Grass-types, which are already helpless against Bouffalant.</p>
<p>Bouffalant is weak to Fighting-type attacks, and there are a number of users of these moves that reside in RU. Some Fighting-types like Hariyama can take a hit from Bouffalant, destroy its Substitute, and then proceed to OHKO, and others like Gallade can just flat out OHKO it. Due to this, Psychic-types such as Uxie and Slowking are good partners as they have an easy time against Fighting-types and can hit them back with their Psychic STABs. Bouffalant will have difficulties against Ghost-types, which are immune to its STAB, due to this Dark-type support from Drapion or Absol, which can hit hard with their STAB or hit Rotom or Misdreavus as they flee with Pursuit, is very useful. Note that if Bouffalant has Swords Dance, any Ghost that doesn't have an immunity to Ground will likely lose against Bouffalant. Finally, because Bouffalant is notable for its ability to force out or defeat almost every Grass-type in the tier, Pokemon like Omastar make good partners as they have a much easier time setting up for a sweep once their biggest obstacle is gone.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Head Charge
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Earthquake / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Is Bouffalant not hitting hard enough for you? A Choice Band is an excellent fit for a Pokemon like Bouffalant, which can be a devastating physical attacker, especially if it gets a boost from Sap Sipper. As this set doesn't hold back, Head Charge is by far the superior choice and will demolish almost every Pokemon in RU. For example, 248/0 Escavalier gets 2HKOed by Head Charge with a Sap Sipper boost, despite having a decent bulk and resisting the move! Even without any Sap Sipper boosts, bulky Pokemon such as Poliwrath and Quagsire will get 2HKOed even with maximum investment.</p>
<p>The other moves are for coverage, as Head Charge doesn't always get the job done. Stone Edge gets past Pokemon like Sigilyph and Aerodactyl, easily OHKOing both of them. Once again, it is the best way for Bouffalant to deal with the likes of Rotom and other levitating Ghost-types. Megahorn is for denting Pokemon such as Cresselia, Uxie, and Tangrowth, which are bulky enough to take a Head Charge. The final slot is to take care of Steel-types. Earthquake is the more consistent option, dealing a good amount of damage to Steel-types like Steelix. However, Ferroseed takes neutral damage from Earthquake, but a Superpower will OHKO Ferroseed if Bouffalant gets a Sap Sipper boost. Unfortunately, this will often result in Bouffalant switching out, which makes Earthquake preferred in most cases.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs allows it Bouffalant to outspeed uninvested Lanturn, so it can't try to burn Bouffalant with Scald or do anything else irritating. 216 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed all Aggrons that do not have a boosting item or nature, which can allow Bouffalant to heavily damage it with an Earthquake before it can retaliate. Bouffalant has access to Pursuit, which can nail Rotom and Cryogonal if they try to flee from a different move. Return is a usable option over Head Charge if the recoil is not desired, but it is not suggested, as Bouffalant wants to hit as hard as possible, and the recoil is more often than not worth the increase in power.
<p>Although Bouffalant is capable of hitting several types of Pokemon hard, what it truly wants to do is eliminate the need to predict and use Head Charge without worrying about resists or immunities. This is also important to keep any boosts that have been accumulated through Sap Sipper. Ghost-types are easily worked around by using Dark-types such as Drapion and Absol, as their STAB Pursuits will trap them easily. Magneton is able to trap some of the Steel-types in RU, but there is no chance of it defeating Steelix, which unfortunately happens to be the most physically bulky Steel-type in the game. Water-types such as Omastar and Poliwrath are useful as they can get past Steelix with their Water STABs, and in return, Bouffalant can deal with the Grass-types that hinder them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bouffalant doesn't have many other options to consider. Bouffalant has access to Reckless, which makes its Head Charge hit 20% harder; however, losing out on Sap Sipper is very unfortunate. Wild Charge can be used with Reckless to hit Kabutops and Omastar harder, but note that Earthquake does enough to them and a neutral Head Charge is as powerful as a super effective Wild Charge. Anywhere Stone Edge is listed, Rock Slide can be used for a more accurate option, but the power drop is very noticeable, and even a super effective hit is hitting weaker than a neutral Head Charge. Bouffalant has other physical moves like Outrage, Iron Head, and Poison Jab, but they don't provide good coverage.</p>
<p>A Choice Scarf set can surprise a faster foe and land a KO on them, but Bouffalant doesn't have a good STAB for revenge killing or cleaning. Also, even with a Choice Scarf, the one Grass-type in the tier that actually can fight back, Sceptile, will still outspeed it and hit it with a Focus Blast to do a considerable amount of damage. Bouffalant can use Toxic to wear down walls, but Bouffalant has the power to 2HKO almost any wall in the tier, and the ones that it can't are generally immune to Toxic. Finally, Bouffalant has Rain Dance and Sunny Day, but it is generally outclassed at setting them up.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Bouffalant hits brutally hard, especially when backed up by a Sap Sipper boost, there are things that severely limit it. The best counters are Levitating Ghosts such as Rotom, Misdreavus, and Haunter, as they are immune to Head Charge and Earthquake while taking minimal damage from Megahorn. All three can also use Will-O-Wisp, which cripples Bouffalant. Steelix can also stop Bouffalant, as even an Earthquake isn't doing much thanks to its godly physical defenses. However, it will not enjoy taking an Earthquake if Bouffalant has acquired a lot of boosts, namely from a combination of Swords Dance and Sap Sipper. Ferroseed generally walls Bouffalant, and can deal enough damage with Gyro Ball to break Bouffalant's substitutes. Aside from a Choice Banded Head Charge, Quagsire can do well against Bouffalant, because it ignores Swords Dance and Sap Sipper boosts. Escavalier does not enjoy +1 Earthquakes or Stone Edges, but it otherwise is bulky enough to avoid 2HKOs from Head Charge as long as Bouffalant is only at +1, and can dent Bouffalant with a Choice Banded Megahorn. If nothing on your team can switch into Bouffalant safely, then revenge killing it is the way to go. As long as Bouffalant doesn't have a Substitute up, powerful Fighting-types such as Medcham and Hitmonlee can OHKO Bouffalant. Poliwrath in particular can avoid 2HKOs from unboosted variants and phaze it out with Circle Throw.</p>
