http://www.smogon.com/dex/dp/pokemon/tauros/
[OVERVIEW]
Tauros is one of the very best offensive Pokemon in NU. It can double as a wallbreaker and revenge killer with a single set thanks to its excellent Speed, decent Attack, and access to powerful physical moves with good coverage. On top of that, it has solid physical bulk backed up by Intimidate and lacks a Stealth Rock weakness, making it easy to fit onto teams. The popularity of Regirock prevents Tauros from completely dominating the tier, but there is overall very little downside to using Tauros. If you have an open spot on your team and are looking for a Pokemon to fill it, Tauros is always a good choice.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Pursuit / Payback
move 4: Return / Stone Edge
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
When equipped with a Choice Band, Tauros is an effective wallbreaker, revenge killer, late-game sweeper, and check to physical attackers all at once. It outspeeds all but a handful of unboosted Pokemon in the tier, and Double-Edge OHKOes most offensive Pokemon and 2HKOes most defensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Earthquake is Tauros's most important coverage move and the move you will often want to use early in the match to weaken the inevitable Regirock switch-in. In the third slot, Pursuit is a fantastic utility move for eliminating Haunter and Jynx, as Tauros outspeeds and KOes them after a little bit of chip damage even if they stay in. Pursuit is also great for weakening other valuable targets that you expect to switch out, including slower offensive Pokemon like Charizard and Magmortar as well as special walls like Slowking and Politoed. Payback lacks the utility of Pursuit, but it's a viable alternative if you want Tauros to beat Ghost-types one-on-one; it consistently OHKOes Haunter and has a decent chance of 2HKOing Dusclops on the switch if Stealth Rock is up.
Tauros can hit the entire metagame at least neutrally with its first three moves, so the last moveslot is flexible. Return is generally the best option, especially when using Choice Band, as it gives Tauros a recoil-free STAB move to use when you want to preserve Tauros's bulk early-game or prevent it from KOing itself with recoil damage late-game. On the other hand, Stone Edge prevents Drifblim from setting up on Tauros and adds super effective coverage against a few other physically bulky Pokemon that can tank Double-Edge, including Pinsir, Lapras, and Articuno. Stone Edge can also help against Charizard and Haunter when you're using Life Orb over Choice Band; Charizard will usually survive Life Orb-boosted Double-Edge from full HP, and Haunter always survives Life Orb Pursuit if it stays in, but Stone Edge OHKOes them both. Iron Head is another decent choice when you're running Choice Band, as it's a safe coverage move to lock Tauros into that allows neither Rock-types nor Ghost-types to switch in for free. It also hits a few Rock-types that Earthquake doesn't cover, most notably Cradily and Solrock. Finally, Sleep Talk is an option if your team lacks another sleep absorber.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
A simple EV spread with maximum Speed and a Jolly nature allows Tauros to outspeed a lot of key threats including Manectric, Charizard, and Jynx as well as Speed tie with opposing Tauros. Choice Band is usually the best item for this set; Tauros isn't especially powerful, so it appreciates the extra boost that a Choice Band provides, and the lack of recoil damage helps Tauros make the most of its good physical bulk. However, Life Orb is an acceptable alternative on offensive teams that use Tauros more as a revenge killer and late-game sweeper and are willing to sacrifice its wallbreaking capabilities and defensive utility in order to avoid needing to switch out as often. Silk Scarf is another option that keeps Double-Edge's power high without the recoil of Life Orb, and it can allow Tauros to bluff a Choice set and perhaps nab a surprise KO, but it leaves Tauros helpless against Regirock and makes its Pursuit a lot less effective.
Tauros is pretty self-sufficient and doesn't require any special support to be effective. That said, it pairs well with other Pokemon that share Regirock as a primary counter, such as Charizard, Typhlosion, and Dodrio, because together they can overload Regirock with their coverage moves. Medicham is also a good partner; between the two of them, Tauros and Medicham can break through any wall that isn't a Ghost-type.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
==========
Equipping a Choice Scarf allows Tauros to outspeed and KO opposing Choice Scarf users and Speed-boosting sweepers that most other revenge killers cannot, including Choice Scarf Typhlosion, Choice Scarf Manectric, Dragon Dance Charizard, and Sunny Day Victreebel.
Tauros can use Substitute effectively, as Intimidate helps it force switches and many teams' first response to Tauros is to try to paralyze it. A set of Substitute / Return / Earthquake / Stone Edge with Life Orb, Leftovers, or even a pinch Berry can punish those switches and protect Tauros from being hit with status or revenge killed. If you're feeling adventurous, you can swap out Stone Edge for Endeavor or Toxic to cripple some of the bulkier walls that Tauros would otherwise be unable to break without a Choice Band.
Tauros has a bizarrely good special movepool, almost all of which is completely useless to it. However, if you really want to ruin a Gligar's day, Ice Beam or Blizzard from Life Orb Tauros should do the trick.
Checks and Counters
==========
Regirock is the most common answer to Tauros, as Tauros fails to 2HKO it with Earthquake even when holding a Choice Band and with Stealth Rock up, and Regirock can cripple Tauros with Thunder Wave or 2HKO it with Stone Edge. However, Regirock lacks a recovery move and is often expected to check multiple offensive Pokemon each match, so it is prone to being worn down. Cradily is a more reliable counter thanks to its access to Recover and lack of weakness to Earthquake; the only thing it has to fear from Tauros is the rare Iron Head.
Physically defensive Dusclops is a hard counter that can cripple Tauros with Will-O-Wisp and stall it out with Rest, although the uncommon Payback has a chance to 2HKO if Dusclops switches in and Stealth Rock is up. Physically defensive Sableye is an even more guaranteed counter that doesn't have to rely on Rest for recovery, but it's a niche Pokemon that doesn't have much use outside of specifically countering Tauros and Medicham. Defensive Porygon2 is also somewhat niche, but it can soften Tauros's attacks thanks to Trace copying Intimidate, and it becomes a solid counter if given significant Defense investment.
No other walls can safely switch in on Choice Band-boosted Double-Edge when Stealth Rock is up, but there are several that can stall out Tauros one-on-one with recovery moves while it slowly KOes itself with Double-Edge recoil, including Meganium, Gligar, Quagsire, and Vileplume. The first three are also solid counters to any set that isn't holding a Choice Band.
If you're looking for offensive checks, Haunter and Drifblim can switch in on Choice-locked Double-Edge and Earthquake for free and set up a Substitute, but it's risky to switch them in before you know Tauros's set because Life Orb Stone Edge OHKOes. Rhydon and Golem can switch in on Double-Edge, but Earthquake 2HKOes them both. Choice Scarf Magneton can check Tauros one time, but Choice Band Double-Edge 2HKOes it despite the resistance, and Earthquake obviously OHKOes. If all else fails, there are plenty of Pokemon that can revenge kill Tauros, especially after it has been weakened by entry hazards and recoil damage. Potential revenge killers include powerful Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Typhlosion, naturally faster Pokemon such as Floatzel and Electrode, and powerful priority users such as Hitmonchan and Skuntank. Finally, sometimes your best bet is to use your own Tauros to check your opponent's Tauros, as Intimidate will weaken its attacks even if it stays in and wins the Speed tie.
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