KM
slayification
[OVERVIEW]
Buzzwole's immense physical bulk, power, and useful typing make it suitable as either a premier defensive wall or a potent offensive threat. Defensively, Buzzwole walls Pokemon like Zarude, Conkeldurr, and Krookodile with ease while wearing them down with Rocky Helmet and keeping its own health high with Roost. As an offensive threat, 139 base Attack allows it to break through defensive cores like Chansey + Assault Vest Tangrowth and pick up KOs while boosting its own power with Beast Boost. Life Orb sets can use Roost to keep Buzzwole's health high and tear holes in the opposing team, while Choice Scarf sets can use Beast Boost to sweep through weakened teams. Buzzwole's biggest weakness is being limited to only four moves: defensive sets have to choose between being walled by Tentacruel and Aegislash without Earthquake or Tangrowth and Amoonguss without Ice Punch, while offensive sets have to choose between dropping Ice Punch and struggling to break through Amoonguss or dropping Stone Edge and struggling to break through Moltres. Additionally, Buzzwole's 4x weakness to Flying means that physical attackers that it would otherwise wall, like opposing Buzzwole, can opt for coverage options like Dual Wingbeat to break through it. Common Flying-types like Salamence and Moltres also pose a huge threat to defensive and offensive sets alike. Finally, Buzzwole's middling Speed tier and subpar special bulk force non-Choice Scarf sets to switch out against Pokemon like Thundurus and Keldeo.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Life Orb Buzzwole uses its high Attack and strong coverage to break through defensive cores; it 2HKOes Assault Vest Tangrowth with Close Combat and RestTalk Primarina with Earthquake after Stealth Rock, as well as 2HKOing Quagsire, Salamence, and Gastrodon. Buzzwole's natural physical bulk and typing allow it to effectively check offensive Pokemon like Zarude and Mienshao, even without defensive investment, and Roost allows it to switch into these threats throughout the game and remove Life Orb chip damage. Earthquake hits Steel-types like Jirachi and Aegislash as well as Poison-types like Tentacruel and Nidoqueen. Stone Edge OHKOes Moltres and Gyarados and deals heavy damage to Salamence. Alternatively, Ice Punch guarantees the OHKO on maximum HP Salamence after Intimidate and deals heavy damage to Grass-types like Amoonguss and Assault Vest Tangrowth, but Moltres threatens Buzzwole enough that Stone Edge is usually preferred. The EV spread allows Buzzwole to outspeed max Speed Aegislash and Primarina. Maximum Speed EVs can be considered to allow Buzzwole to outspeed Modest Nidoqueen.
Life Orb Buzzwole works best with teams that enjoy its ability to destroy opposing defensive cores. As such, it works best on balance teams, which also appreciate it maintaining defensive utility. Pokemon like Rotom-H, Thundurus, and Choice Scarf Zarude provide VoltTurn support to get Buzzwole safely in on Pokemon like Chansey and Cobalion. Setup sweepers like Power Herb Nihilego and Dragon Dance Salamence can finish off opposing teams after Buzzwole weakens their defensive cores. Stealth Rock support from Krookodile or Nihilego can further boost Buzzwole's capability as a wallbreaker, guaranteeing the 2HKO on RestTalk Primarina with Earthquake. Nihilego is also able to pressure Pokemon like Moltres, Salamence, and Rotom-H for Buzzwole. Cleric support from Heal Bell Togekiss or Diancie can remove status for Buzzwole and maintain its ability to wallbreak; additionally, both of these Pokemon help deal with Salamence, and Diancie helps with Rotom-H. Assault Vest Tangrowth makes a great partner, as it easily switches into faster special attackers like Thundurus and Keldeo, which force Buzzwole out.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Ice Punch / Earthquake
move 3: Roost
move 4: Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 192 Def / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Defensive Buzzwole's primary purpose is to check physical threats like Zarude, Krookodile, and Jirachi while damaging them with Rocky Helmet and healing back up with Roost. Ice Punch deals significant damage to Pokemon like Salamence and Amoonguss. Alternately, Earthquake prevents Aegislash and Tentacruel from walling Buzzwole. Toxic punishes Pokemon like Moltres and Gyarados, which can otherwise switch into Buzzwole and gain momentum or set up against it. 64 Speed EVs outspeed Crawdaunt, but 104 Speed EVs should be run alongside Earthquake to outspeed offensive Aegislash.
Defensive Buzzwole works best on balance and stall archetypes, as it can otherwise suck up momentum. Specially defensive walls like Chansey and Umbreon shore up Buzzwole's weakness to special moves, with Chansey checking RestTalk Primarina and Umbreon handling Aegislash. In return, Buzzwole can switch into Pokemon like Conkeldurr, which force out these special walls. Rotom-W and Rotom-H are both great partners; they cover Buzzwole's weaknesses to Flying- and Fire-type moves from threats like Moltres and remove entry hazards. Diancie has great synergy with defensive Buzzwole: it baits moves like Zarude's Power Whip for Buzzwole to take advantage of with Rocky Helmet, covers Buzzwole's weakness to special attackers like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salemence, and provides utility with Stealth Rock and Heal Bell. Offensive Rock-types like Nihilego and Lycanroc-D can remove Flying-types that threaten Buzzwole while benefitting from the chip damage Buzzwole deals to checks like Choice Scarf Zarude. Steel- and Dark-types like Jirachi, Celesteela, and Zarude can alleviate Buzzwole's weakness to Psychic-types like Hatterene and Reuniclus.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Leech Life / Poison Jab
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Scarf Buzzwole has more freedom in the coverage moves it chooses. Close Combat hits most of the tier, but it is unable to break through threats like Amoonguss, Aegislash, and Salamence. Earthquake prevents Aegislash from walling Buzzwole and serves as strong neutral coverage against Pokemon like Primarina. Stone Edge hits Moltres, Gyarados, and Salamence, but you can opt for Ice Punch to hit Salamence and Grass-types like Amoonguss harder. Leech Life hits Psychic-types like Azelf and Starmie and 2HKOes Assault Vest Tangrowth while providing a form of recovery. Poison Jab can be run instead to hit Fairy-types like Primarina and Hatterene harder, but they already take significant damage from moves like Earthquake and Stone Edge. Adamant Choice Scarf Buzzwole can outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and finish games off with Beast Boost.
Choice Scarf Buzzwole is a strong late-game wincon, but it requires team support to break down physical walls that prevent it from sweeping. Entry hazard support from Stealth Rock setters like Krookodile wears down checks like Primarina and Amoonguss over time. Physical wallbreakers like Lycanroc-D, Gyarados, and Diggersby can wear down common checks like opposing Buzzwole, Aegislash, and Celesteela and open the way for Buzzwole to sweep. Additionally, Lycanroc-D and Diggersby have priority that helps handle boosted setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence, which Buzzwole isn't able to outspeed and revenge kill. Other wallbreakers like Choice Specs Chandelure and Thundurus-T help break through checks like Aegislash and RestTalk Primarina. Defensive Grass-types like Amoonguss and Assault Vest Tangrowth provide a secondary check to Zarude, relieving some of the pressure from Buzzwole, while also threatening Primarina for sets without Poison Jab. Pivots like Rotom-W and Rotom-H can be used to get Buzzwole safely in throughout the game. Moltres prevents Buzzwole from clicking any move other than Stone Edge for fear of a Flame Body burn, so running Nihilego as a Stealth Rock setter is helpful.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Buzzwole can run a Choice Band set with similar coverage to the Choice Scarf set, but the extra damage boost over the Life Orb set often isn't worth the loss in flexibility and reliable recovery. A Bulk Up set can be utilized with Leftovers and Roost, but it's easily forced out by special attackers and lacks the upfront power of the Life Orb set. More importantly, Buzzwole can only run two attacking moves, so it's consistently forced out by Pokemon like Salamence, Aegislash, or Moltres depending on which coverage it opts for. Other item options can be used on defensive Buzzwole like Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots, but Rocky Helmet is usually preferred to punish U-turn and other physical attacks. Buzzwole has other coverage moves like Dual Wingbeat for opposing Buzzwole and Thunder Punch for Gyarados, but they are generally outclassed by Stone Edge and Poison Jab. Substitute can be run alongside Focus Punch to ease prediction and deal heavy damage, but this futher limits Buzzwole's moveslots and is generally outclassed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Special Attackers**: Buzzwole has minimal special bulk, leaving it vulnerable to even neutral special attacks from faster special attackers like Thundurus, Nidoking, Rotom-W, and Keldeo.
**Physical Walls**: While Buzzwole sets can run the coverage necessary to break through certain physical walls, every set will run into certain Pokemon it fails to KO. Defensive Pokemon like opposing Buzzwole, Aegislash, Tentacruel, and Primarina can all potentially wall Buzzwole depending on the coverage it lacks.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types like Rotom-H and Moltres can switch into some of Buzzwole's moves and easily threaten it. While they need to be careful about Stone Edge and are outsped by Choice Scarf Buzzwole, they're still effective checks. Moltres is especially threatening due to Flame Body's potential to cripple Buzzwole.
**Psychic-types**: Hatterene sets up on defensive Buzzwole and takes most hits from offensive sets, while Azelf outspeeds non-Choice Scarf Buzzwole and easily OHKOes it.
**Flying-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Buzzwole's 4x weakness to Flying makes it susceptible to strong Flying-type moves from Moltres and Salamence as well as Flying-type coverage from Pokemon it would normally check, like opposing Buzzwole.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KM, 180416]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [BigFatMantis, 507497], [Hilomilo, 313384]]
- Grammar checked by: [[DC, 449990], [Finland, 517429]]
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