Gen 3 - ADV Bulk Up Granbull [QC 2/2][GP 0/1] (2024)

[SET]
Name: Bulk Up
Move 1: Bulk Up
Move 2: Return / Body Slam
Move 3: Earthquake
Move 4: Shadow Ball / Rest
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 212 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

With Bulk Up, Granbull can turn into a dangerous setup sweeper that uses its entry on physical attackers to boost and threaten to 2HKO the entire metagame. Return has good unboosted damage on physically bulky targets such as Kangaskhan, Blastoise, and Walrein and is a safe move to throw out if Granbull doesn't want to commit to a sweep. Body Slam helps spread paralysis for itself and its teammates, making Granbull more scary when having to take boosted hits from it, but it fails to reach certain damage thresholds that Return has, making Granbull need more boosts to threaten neutral targets. Earthquake allows Granbull to hit Rock-types such as Omastar and Golem, while also avoiding contact abilities such as Static and Poison Point. With enough boosts, Earthquake is also able to provide a meaningful neutral hit into Cradily which has trouble combatting Granbull setting up. Shadow Ball allows Granbull to hit Solrock and Ghost-types such as Haunter and Misdreavus. The perfect coverage provided by Shadow Ball is enough to threaten the whole tier with the downside of having limited recovery. Rest can be used instead of Shadow Ball to give Granbull a means of long-term recovery. However, dropping Granbull's coverage makes it prone to being completely walled by Haunter and Misdreavus. Heal Bell can also be run to cure its own status while also functioning as solid team support, but it doesn't restore Granbull's health unlike Rest and it doesn't give Granbull much room to set up as it tries to be a cleric.

40+ Attack EVs are used to 3HKO 252 HP / 112 Def Kangaskhan with unboosted Return and 2HKO at +1, while the rest is put into HP and Defense to help Granbull switch into physical attackers. If Granbull is running Body Slam, 96+ Attack EVs allow it to 3HKO maximum HP Kangaskhan and deal more damage with its coverage options, gaining slightly larger boosts from Bulk Up. More Speed EVs can be used if Granbull can sacrifice its defensive EVs. 44 Speed EVs allow Granbull to outspeed minimum Speed Vileplume, and 96 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed slower defensive Omastar variants.

Team Options
=========

Bulk Up Granbull fits on different teams depending on what last move its running, often needing different kinds of support between its offensive and defensive synergies. If Granbull is running Shadow Ball, it tends to be used as a more short-term setup sweeper that provides extra insurance into physical threats, allowing it to fit on more aggressive teams like hyper offense nicely. It especially appreciates Spikes in its endeavors to break through bulky targets, making offensive Spikers such as Omastar, Qwilfish, and Glalie good teammates. Omastar provides a secondary backbone against physical attackers so that Granbull isn't overwhelmed when switching into them, and Qwilfish and Glalie can threaten physical walls with Explosion to weaken the opposing team and enable Granbull's sweeping capabilities. Late-game cleaners appreciate the progress Granbull makes early to mid-game by wallbreaking, such as Scyther, Gligar, Electrode, and Rain Dance sweepers like Omastar and Gorebyss.

If Granbull is running Rest, it tends to fit more on bulky balance teams that use Granbull as a main source of offense tasked to deal with Kangaskhan and Scyther. Using Rest means it appreciates cleric support from Ampharos, Vileplume, Lapras, or Altaria to wake it up so it can sweep with Bulk Up at any stage in the game, keeping its threat level high. Although Granbull can switch into physical threats to set up, it's made harder when it has to switch in with Spikes up, making Rapid Spin users such as Tentacruel, Blastoise, or Hitmontop good partners. Wish support from Kangaskhan or Hypno is another way to improve Granbull's longevity and replenish its health for sweeping, offsetting the damage it takes from attacks and Spikes. Bulky special attackers such as Arcanine, Walrein, and Lapras can stand in the way of Granbull's sweep by threatening powerful moves, so it appreciates special walls such as Kangaskhan, Ampharos, and Lanturn to take on these threats. Swords Dance users are difficult to deal with when Granbull uses Rest, as they can boost past Bulk Up's defense boosts and Intimidate. Reversal Scyther in particular takes advantage of Granbull's Fighting-type weakness and threatens to countersweep. Thus, Pokemon with priority moves are good at stopping it, such as Scyther, Gligar, and Arcanine. Granbull makes a good pairing with Slowking on bulky offense teams, as both fulfill a similar defensive sweeping role and can take on each other's checks. Slowking helps check Water-types and Arcanine, while Granbull helps check Choice Band Scyther and Kangakshan.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ellingtonreborn.619555/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lpz.476616/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bigfatmantis.507497/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/