Buzzwole

This analysis was written by User:Wrath of Alakazam and formatted by User:charizard8888 and User:Theheheheh
Buzzwole is one of the most physically bulky Pokemon available in the 1v1 metagame.Its solid physical bulk allows it to tank some very strong attacks like a +2 Waterfall from Mega Gyarados and Flare Blitz from Mega Charizard X with little investment. With an Attack stat of 139 along with moves like Bulk Up and Roost, it is able to defeat some physical walls like Avalugg and Mega Aggron. Buzzwole has a good range of coverage moves too, like Superpower and Lunge for STAB, Thunder Punch and Ice Punch to take care of some Flying-type Pokemon like Jumpluff and non-Mega Gyarados, Stone Edge and Earthquake to take care of Fire-type Pokemon like Charizard and Alolan Marowak, and Poison Jab for Fairy-types like Whimsicott. Although Buzzwole has a subpar Special Defense stat of 53, due to its high HP, it is able to tank neutral moves like Mega Launcher-boosted Water Pulse from Mega Blastoise. However, it is unable to tank attacks from common metagame threats like Porygon-Z’s Hyper Beam, Greninja’s Hydro Cannon, and Mega Gengar’s Sludge Wave. Buzzwole's main drawback is its weakness to commonly used offensive types like Fire, Fairy, and Flying, meaning it’s vulnerable to threats like Charizard, Tapu Lele, Primarina, and Celesteela.
=Fightium Z=
Buzzwole @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Atk / 108 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
- Lunge / Leech Life
==Set Comments==
===Moves===
Bulk Up is helpful in setting up against physically offensive Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, Mega Metagross, and Garchomp. Since it raises both Attack and Defense, and combined with Buzzwole’s already high Defense stat, Buzzwole has a very high chance of surviving the next attack and returning the damage in full. Also, Z-Bulk Up helps in combating Intimidate from Pokemon like Landorus-T, Mawile, and Gyarados. Stone Edge helps in taking out some Fire-type Pokemon, like Mega Charizard X and Alolan Marowak. Bulk Up + 190-Base Power All-Out Pummeling from Superpower helps in defeating some very powerful threats like Mega Gyarados, Mega Heracross, and Jirachi. Lunge helps in KOing slow Grass-, Dark-, and Psychic-type Pokemon like Tapu Bulu. Sometimes, Lunge can also be used for reducing the Attack of Pokemon like Mega Gyarados and for inflicting not very effective or neutral damage against Sturdy Pokemon that use Counter or Metal Burst like Aggron, Donphan, and Crustle.
===Set Details===
248 HP EVs and 108 Defense EVs allow Buzzwole to tank a Flare Blitz from Mega Charizard X, with the rest of the EVs going into the Attack. The 152 Attack EVs coupled with an Adamant nature help it to defeat Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, Mega Charizard X, and Sturdy Pokemon barring Magnezone. Fightinium Z helps both in defeating a large number of Pokemon with All-Out Pummelling and for faster setup with Z-Bulk Up.
===Usage Tips===
Buzzwole’s Bug / Fighting typing means it can be sent against most Normal-, Rock-, Steel-, Dark-, Ice-, and Grass-type Pokemon, like Snorlax, Golem, Mega Aggron, Mega Gyarados, and Kartana. Since it is usually best to send it in against physically offensive Pokemon, the best course of action would be to use Bulk Up and then Lunge to increase physical tanking capacity. Avoid sending Buzzwole in against Flying-type Pokemon and strong special attackers, since it lacks the special bulk to reliably and consistently tank attacks from them and also because it just cannot tank a Flying-type attack, being 4x weak to Flying. Also, avoid sending it in against Ghost-type Pokemon, since it has nothing to do neutral damage. Try to avoid sending this against Charizard unless you are certain it is Mega Charizard X, because while it can tank a Flare Blitz from Mega Charizard X, it cannot tank an Air Slash or a Fire-type move from Mega Charizard Y.
===Team Options===
Since Buzzwole has very average special bulk and is weak to Fire- and Flying-type Pokemon, Nihilego and Chansey are good teammates for Buzzwole. Both also appreciate Buzzwole's high physical bulk threatening physical pokemon that could take advantage of their low physical bulk. Since most of the Ground-type Pokemon that Nihilego is weak to are physical attackers, Buzzwole can take them out. Other specially defensive Pokemon like Meloetta and Hoopa-U can be used as teammates, since Buzzwole is additionally weak to Pokemon like Aegislash, and it does not have the bulk or the speed to take out Tapu Lele and other such Psychic-type Pokemon. Also, since Buzzwole is not very fast, some fast Pokemon like Mega Blaziken and Tapu Koko can also be used to make up for its not-so-high Speed. In addition to these, Water-type Pokemon like Mega Blastoise and Mega Swampert can also be used. Here, Mega Swampert can also take advantage of Buzzwole covering its Grass weakness. Magnezone with Electroweb can also be used alongside Buzzwole, since, in addition to defeating Pokemon like Mimikyu, it also learns Mirror Coat to KO special attackers.
=Strategy Comments=
==Other Options==
A Choice Band set with Hammer Arm and Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, or Earthquake instead of Bulk Up with the same EVs can be used to decent avail. Since Buzzwole lacks sufficient Speed, a Choice Scarf set with Lunge, Superpower, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, or Stone Edge, and Earthquake or Poison Jab could also be used to take out some Pokemon like Greninja, Jumpluff, Mega Charizard Y, and Whimsicott.
==Checks and Counters==
*Flying-type Pokemon: Flying-types are Buzzwole's biggest counters, since it just does not have the required bulk to tank a 4x super effective move from any Pokemon. Thus, Pokemon like Mega Pinsir, Mega Charizard Y, Celesteela, and Dragonite have a huge advantage over Buzzwole.
*Fire-type Pokemon: Pokemon like Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Blaziken can reliably knock out Buzzwole, because Fire is super effective against Buzzwole.
*Special Attackers: Buzzwole can't tank even neutral special attacks, since it has very poor special bulk. Thus, Greninja, Porygon-Z, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Meloetta easily defeat Buzzwole.
*Powerful Physical Attackers: Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile are some of the physically offensive Pokemon that are able to defeat Buzzwole because of the combination of Huge Power or Pure Power and strong offensive super effective STAB moves, like Zen Headbutt and Play Rough.
*Physically Defensive Walls: Pokemon like Mega Slowbro are successful in checking Buzzwole, because of their unusually high Defense stat.
Category:Analyses